The New Dodge Caravan!

"Bringing families together like never before!"

Apparently so.

Stealing from the Infinite God

I used to think the reason to refrain from sin was because it simply wasn't good for you. I'm changing my mind. I think sin is bad, not because it hurts you, because I can point out plenty of people who seemingly get away with sin their entire lives (Hugh Hefner, anyone?) I think sin is bad, because sin is stealing from an infinite, jealous God, a pleasure that does not belong to us.

The crazy thing is, for some reason, God chooses to let us take pleasure in it anyways.

So I ask you, which is more frightening?

1. God's fatherly discipline followed by His grace.
2. God's detached patience followed by His wrath.

If you're not sure, I beg you to pray that you will know.

Hi. My name is David, and I'm a theological snob.

Okay, so the title pretty much says it all.

I, the man who has for so long thought himself even keeled and careful in his theological assessment to Scripture has recently been accused of being a theological snob. It seems this accusation may be well founded.

I'm a denominational snob as well.

I grew at Perimeter Church in Atlanta more than I ever grew at any other church anywhere. I still believe the theology taught at that institution.

Nevertheless, they could be wrong, as could I. And the credit for my growth during that time shouldn't be attributed to the church in Atlanta nearly as much as it should be attributed to Christ himself.

God can work through any church. Period.

Far be it from us to call where God can work and where he can't. I'm not sure he would like us creating the zoning laws for his kingdom.

For further reference, please see the book of I Corinthians. Focus on Chapter 3.

Stewardship and Setting It Right

At my church for the next three weeks, we'll be talking about the idea of stewardship. Stewardship is, in my mind, the act of managing someone elses resources. This idea is largely lost amidst the legalism we have in the church today. Instead of learning how to steward our money properly, we simply pay our 10% and leave it at that. I'm not saying that tithing is bad, I'm just asking what the heart of the issue is (and for most who tithe, I assume the heart is right).

Last night, our Bible study leader talked about the stewardship that Adam had over creation. In Genesis 1:28, God tells Adam and Eve to "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth." I've thought about Christ as a steward, and indeed he is. Being a steward is not something that God asks only of us non-Christ people. I think we often get the idea that Christ is leader only, and does not share in real work. Oh sure, we'll give him lip service, but how many of us really, in our hearts (don't raise your hand), believe that who we are is a product of time with God? We often only see our responsibility, but we fail to see that our responsibility is really an honor. It's an honor so great, that Christ himself is called to the same honor, with a greater responsibility than ourselves. Christ himself is the ultimate good steward. So the parallels to Christ just keep coming.

Ephesians 1:21-23 "...far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he [God the Father] put all things under his [Christ's] feet and gave him a head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all." (ESV, Comments in brackets mine)

And on Christ as a steward:
1 Corinthians 15:28 "When all things are subjected to him [Christ], then the Son himself will also be subjected to him [God the Father] who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all."

This is an amazing relationship between God the Father and Christ, that God the Father as set Christ as steward. Christ is accomplishing the task that Adam didn't. I have alot more to think about on this topic. Paul talks about Adam being the first Christ, who failed at his task miserably, and threw all of us into slavery to sin. It was through Adam that the creation rose up against it's master. Our safety is now in question. People are held in actual slavery, marriages fail, and every other evil that we can possibly think of has to do with the simple fact that Adam didn't steward well. In Christ, this is set right. We don't fully see it all yet (Hebrews 2:8), but we see the beginnings of it, the Holy Spirit in our hearts, and those of us who believe are held to such a high standard, not by men, but by God, that we may be good and faithful servants of the Lord Most High. Through Christ, we've been given an immense honor (which we did not deserve), and an immense responsibility. Through Christ, we are able to carry it out. May we recognize the amazing responsibility we've been given. Praise God for his wisdom.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ

I was reading Galatians this morning, and I came across something very interesting, and something I think I've been misunderstanding for a while. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the landscape of Galatians, the basic idea is that it is a letter to the believers in the church at Galatia in response to a false teaching, namely the false teaching that circumcision is required for salvation. He calls them "foolish Galatians", and is "perplexed" and "astonished" by their foolishness in turning away from the Gospel. Paul takes the Gospel very seriously, and he takes an attack against the Gospel as personal, since he bears on his body the marks of Jesus (verse 6:17). It's very evident that Paul is not simply making a lighthearted correction directed at the believers, but is genuinely distressed and personally offended by their tainting of the Gospel by adding works to it. I suppose persecution can do this to a person.

Paul is concerned that the believers are not living their lives by the Spirit, but are actually living their lives by the works of the Law. In verse 3:2 Paul poses the question: "Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith?" This is a rhetorical question, and he answers it in verse 10: "For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, 'Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them'". He also poses the positive side of the answer in verse 14: "...so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith." So we receive the Spirit by hearing with faith. What is is that we are to hear? My guess is that we hear the Gospel, because it is the very thing that Paul gave his life to preach. The Gospel. The Gospel that Jesus Christ lived as a cursed man, under the law, that the only one who has the ability to fulfill the law, might do so, and be killed for it, so that we might fall in love with Him for doing so, thus being freed from the Law, that we might have faith in Jesus, and receive the Spirit.

A quick note on my interpretation of the Spirit. I believe the Spirit is evident when one loves Jesus Christ. There is a joy that is evident in the life of a believer that is living by the Spirit, that is simply absent when that same believer is constantly watching over his or her shoulder, avoiding the pitfalls and potholes that he or she might accidentally run into if they're not careful. A live lived by carefulness in avoiding a misstep is a life that does not fully comprehend grace. Christ has come, and he has given us freedom. We have faith in him. From faith comes the Spirit.

So why has this become an issue for me lately? I think we as Christians focus so much on the wisdom of Scripture, and we more often preach the way to live a "proper life" as opposed to preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ, of Christ crucified. I have been lately trying to receive the Spirit myself through being good. My idea is that if I am good enough for long enough, I will receive the Spirit in greater measure. What a lie I've believed, and I repent! The truth is that I receive the Spirit by hearing the Gospel that frees me, and uniting that Gospel with faith, which is in itself a gift of God. Moreover, if we receive the Spirit by the hearing of the Gospel, united by faith, then we will live a life aimed at pleasing God, and not pleasing the flesh. I think this is what Paul means when he says "Walk by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you do want to do." (verses 5:16-17). But then notice Paul again, for good measure, tags on faith through grace immediately afterwards in verse 18: "But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law." I love that he pounds that distinction into our heads. Let me repeat that again with emphasis: "But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law." Paul is screaming freedom. We need more faith in the power of the Spirit. We need faith in verses 5:16-18, we do not need to turn it into a law. I suggest our failure comes not in improper teaching obedience to the law (with a lowercase "l" this time--my choice), but in the very fact that in teaching obedience to the law (or the Law) we are missing out on the glory of the Gospel, and are nullifying the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, on which the church universal is built! We often exchange the Gospel for the Law, and in this way, we become just like the Galatians: foolish.

May we turn to Christ alone for salvation and sanctification. May we recognize that there is only one who was ever able to fulfill the Law completely, and by doing so, he became a curse so that we may be blessed free men and women! How glorious is the Gospel of Jesus Christ! How worthy is the Lamb who was slain! May God be praised!

It's a special day!

Sorry I Haven't Posted Lately

I've been a bit busy... I made a new friend! We've been hanging out.