Archive for January, 2010
A Christ-Centered Approach to Bible Study–Part 5
Finally, we come to the part of this Christ-centered Bible study series that I have been waiting for.
The C in “T.H.I.N.C.”
Christo-centric
Basically, this means “Christ-Centered.” Hence, the type of Bible study this is.
This is the meat on the bone. The wings to the plane. The juice in the jug.
Not getting this is like wearing shoes without shoe laces. And I have been this person almost all my life.
Thank God for people who have helped me see the beauty of the centrality of Christ in Scripture.
Throughout this study series, I have been developing on Matthew chapter 5.
It has served as a good chapter because of its hard sayings and deep meanings.
And as much as I want to show you how the Beatitudes are Christocentric in that their meaning reflect the person who finds Christ, I will be taking us out of Matthew 5 and into some other parts of Scripture.
Let’s talk about this Christo-centric thing
The traditional approach to reading Scripture is to read it moralistically. But I am going to suggest something different. So please, hold stones until the end.
There are two ways we do this:
1. We are urged into moral behavior or action.
2. We read a moral “meaning” of the text, thus attributing it’s meaning to our person.
What is interesting is that the Gospel message is not one that says you must clean up your act before you come to Christ.
In fact, you can’t. That’s why you and I need the Gospel.
The moral behavior the Bible teaches is good…we just cannot live up to it, because guess what—you and I still struggle with immoral thoughts.
So what do we do when we come across a passage that teaches us moral behavior?
Enter Jesus.
The question you have to ask your self is this: “How does Christ fulfill this text where you cannot?” Let’s look at some examples so I can show you what I mean.
Scriptural Examples
Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Ephesians 5:15-17
This is a moral-action Scripture. It challenges us to a higher standard of morality.
And that is good. But it is not all.
What if we stopped here? We would simply get a moralistic teaching and possibly come out of the experience discouraged.
How in the world are we to “be wise,” or “don’t be foolish” and “understand the will of the Lord”?
Scripture never calls us into any mandate that Jesus did not fulfill.
We can paraphrase the above Scripture as such:
Jesus looked carefully on how he walked, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days were evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
Jesus fits the bill on this one, because He is after all the one who fulfills the promises.
When you see it this way, then you see the beauty of Jesus in Scripture, and by that simple fact, you are better able to make connections to the cross.
The next one is the moral “meaning,” or “plot” of the text
For example: David and Goliath. Everyone knows these guys.
Many times (probably too often) I have heard this passage as David being the example to us being able to conquer our giants in life.
But is that the goal of that event? I don’t think so.
If we look at this Christocentrically, then I think we can see the beauty of Christ in it.
David was a “type” of Christ. He is the one who killed the giant so that all others could live.
Jesus killed the Giant, Jesus defeated the army for God. In other words, Jesus is the hero–not me!
This puts man in the center, not Jesus.
Another example would be in Daniel 4. Daniel is imprisoned and was told that the King was going to kill his magicians because they could not interpret his dream.
Daniel, however, in the special knowledge of God interprets the dream and Nebuchadnezzar’s. Thus, God gives Daniel the message, and Daniel reveals to Nebuchadnezzar’s what the dream means.
My traditional reading of this would be to interpret the passage into meaning that if I seek out God just like Daniel, then I could “interpret” dreams, too.
But actually, that just makes us the heroes of that account. Which is wrong.
What happens when we put Jesus into the meaning of this message? He becomes beautiful, we can respond in worship, and we don’t have to be the hero.
You see, we were all the magicians who were actively working against God, and Jesus stepped in be the mediator between God and man. And just like what happened with Daniel when all the magicians were saved as a result, so too are God’s people saved from execution because of Jesus working on their behalf.
Yet Another Example
What about when we are charged to not provoke our children to anger?
Well, Jesus did not provoke us to anger, but instead was patient and long-suffering in our return to Him.
Therefore, if we understand and remember what Jesus has done for us, we too will be patient and long-suffering toward our children.
This is Christocentric in a nut-shell.
If you REALLY want to learn about this method, hunt down Tim Keller’s lecture series “Preaching Christ in a Postmodern World” on Monergism.com. Get it and listen to it–it’s free.
Remember
You are not the hero of the story, no matter the story.
And what ever morality that Scripture is calling you into, it is not doing so without first in mind that Jesus has fulfilled that very call.
So tell me, have you ever though that YOU were the David in the story?
The Trick to Finding Your Spiritual Gift
The moment you become a Christian God gives you a marvelous gift–the Holy Spirit.
In other words, the moment you believe…God comes to live in you.
He becomes your guide, teacher and power supply for everything you will do for the glory of God.
That’s true for every Christian.
And since the spirit of God lives in us, the New Testament teaches us to behave in certain ways towards the Holy Spirit.
For example, we are encouraged to walk, to live, to be filled, to pray, to manifest the fruits of the Spirit and to use and exercise the gifts of the Spirit.
We are also warned not to grieve, resist or quench the Spirit.
The Christian life is a Spirit-dominated existence. A Spirit-directed existence. A Spirit-controlled existence.
And when we allow the spirit of God to dominate, direct and control our lives, marvelous results occur. Here are six:
Holiness. Constant sanctification.
Joy. Constant satisfaction and contentment.
Liberty. Constant sense of freedom from danger or anxiety.
Confidence. Constant sense of reliability and courage.
Security. Constant sense of protection and favor.
Victory. Constant sense of strength.
But there’s one more: ministry–a constant service to the body of Christ.
An Other-Minded Approach
A Spirit-dominated, Spirit-directed and Spirit-controlled life results in personal benefits, yes, but also in corporate benefits as well.
When we are dominated by the spirit, we are naturally able to serve others. It’s an other-minded approach.
See, when you walk in the spirit of God, your gifts are ministered to me. And as I walk in the spirit, my gift are ministered to you.
As we live and move and have our being in the Spirit, the spirit of God operates through us so we serve the body of Christ and radiate his glory so that people will see and believe.
This is subduing the earth. And it’s crucial. Especially when it comes to finding out your spiritual gifts.
How Do You Know Your Spiritual Gifts?
Frankly, that’s not the issue.
It doesn’t really matter if you’ve defined your gifts. What matters is that we walk in the spirit.
The trick to finding out your spiritual gifts is not defining them and then doing them…but simply getting on your knees and begging the Spirit to dominate, direct and control you…
And if you do that, then he will do what he will do and you can eventually look back and say, “Oh, now that’s what I do.”
That, my friend, is the trick to finding out your spiritual gifts. Make sense? And can you think of any other benefits that result from a Spirit-dominated life that I haven’t listed? Let me know.
What Is the “Post-Evangelical Wilderness”?
I asked myself the same question the other day when I read Chaplain Mike’s post My Post-Evangelical Wilderness.
Basically Mike is explaining what life is like as a Christian in an environment he feels is dysfunctional and theologically shallow.
This is how Mike put it:
“For years, I’d had a growing dissatisfaction with evangelicalism’s lack of tradition, historical perspective, reverence and order in worship. I resisted its programmed approach to spiritual growth, its bourgeois commitments that blatantly disregard the NT emphasis on sacrificial service and inclusion of the poor and disenfranchised, its “temple” mentality that has little sense of serving Christ in daily life and instead revolves around what happens in the institution and its programs.”
Can you relate? I can. But I didn’t at first.
Yes, his commentary splendidly sums up my feelings of the evangelical church. But I don’t really feel like I live in a “post-evangelical wilderness.” Let me explain.
A Problem with Independent, Local Churches
Mike’s angst isn’t rooted solely in his disappointment in the old evangelical order. He’s also a pastoral casualty of an independent church.
He mentions and I think rightly puts his finger on the ecclesiastical problem of independent, local, non-denominational churches: no overarching governing body to lend support when a church goes under or a pastor needs a job.
It’s a rough and lonely world, indeed. You are on your own.
Mike learned this lesson firsthand and found himself without a job–and a church home. No wonder Mike feels like a stranger in a strange land.
And at the end of his post Mike explains this is what living in the “post-evangelical wilderness” means to him. [By the way: He's since found a job he loves but not a church he loves.]
He then goes on to ask “What does it mean to you?” That’s when the hair on the back of my neck stood on end.
My Harsh and Compassionate Response
Even though I relate to Mike now, at first I couldn’t. I knew he got one thing right: There is a generation parting. Call it “evangelical” if you must and I certainly feel like I live a wilderness…
But I wouldn’t identify it as “post-evangelical wilderness.” There’s just way too much going on to tie up our Christian life in this neat package.
Also, by saying “post-evangelical wilderness” we are implying there once was an “evangelical paradise,” a notion I think will make us all snicker.
Mike’s post was a bold one. He opened up. Became vulnerable. But you know what? I kind of thought Mike was whining.
So I mentally hashed out my response–I isolated his problems and presented the solutions in my patented curt approach.
So very man of me. And unregenerate.
But fortunately my conscience wouldn’t allow me to leave it at that. I knew God was nudging me to go further…to step into Mike’s shoes.
So I did my best at proposing a second, compassionate response. I can’t say I succeeded. You be the judge. Here are my original thoughts:
Couple things come to mind when I hear “post evangelical wilderness.” First, cop out. Second, phase of life.
Cop out: I think we’re all pretty much frustrated with the dysfunction of the human race. Paul’s approach to dealing with dysfunction in the church? Laying down the truth. Believers in persecuted nations would love to have a dysfunctional church to worship in. As you can probably tell, this is my harsher side coming out.
Phase of life: This is my softer side coming out. I can only imagine Paul got very, very disillusioned with the persistent dysfunction of the church, too. Indeed, you can sense that in his second letter to Timothy. And I imagine all of us go through phases in which we feel lost and let down by the “church.” But let’s not forget the invisible church. Elijah was reminded when he experienced his lonely, dark winter of spiritual discontent that God had preserved 7,000 others just like him. Fortunately we live in an age that allows us to connect with vibrant, merciful believers around the world who can encourage us when our own local church isn’t.
Chin up, Mike. God loves you and wants you to fight.
Don’t get me wrong: I love neat phrases like “post-evangelical wilderness.” And as cognitive beings who love solving problems, we have a bent for them.
[See this Dug Down Deep review for another example.]
But anytime we align ourselves with a movement–whether post-evangelical or Emergent or New Calvinism–we are in danger of becoming dogmatic, entrenched and ultimately dysfunctional in the eyes of the next generation…something I’d love to avoid…if possible.
Your Turn
So tell me…am I dead on? Or way off? Also, do you see yourself in a “post-evangelical wilderness”? And what does that mean to you? Also, got any solutions for the independent, local churh? I’m curious. Leave your thoughts–brutal and all–in the comments.
Why I Didn’t Defend a Six-Day Creation
You may think less of me after this post.
Then again, maybe not.
I guess it just depends on where you land on this debate.
Let’s lay the groundwork first.
Groundwork Ahead
Last Friday I got an email from Daniel Wilson of Desire Spiritual Growth blog.
He asked a simple question. But very penetrating.
The kind of question that, in a sense, “calls you out.” That makes you pause and–well, think.
I knew exactly what he was referring to.
And I had a great reason for doing what I did. Indeed, my motives were good…
Just in the dark, ergo, Daniel’s question. What was THIS question? Here’s Daniel’s email:
There’s a question I’ve seen you avoid twice on your blog. I can understand why, but I am still very curious.
Do you believe in a literal, 6-day creation by God of the various kinds of living things?
Tough question. Let’s run through my thought process on how I answered it. I think you’ll benefit.
How Important Is Creation to Me?
To begin, let’s deal with why I avoided this topic twice on my blog.
Really, it’s pretty simple: I’ve never had a firm opinion on this topic. I’ve never made a firm stand.
Why? I actually haven’t put enough gray matter to it.
Sure, I did listen to MacArthur explain his reasons for 6-day creation and agree but walked away with a tad bit of uncertainty.
But why? If the Bible IS the inspired word of God–which I believe–then indeed those days mentioned in Genesis were in fact each 24-hours long as stated.
Hence, I affirm a 6-day creation.
Here’s Where I Started to Sweat
Part of me finds that answer insufficient though. I feel very uncomfortable claiming to be a 6-day creationist.
Why? Science’s domination on this topic. Assert yourself as a 6-day creationist and you’ll get scoffed. Ridiculed. Dismissed.
Scientific opposition 101.
What is that opposition really, though? Evolution and it’s suggestion that macro-evolution [non-observable event] is extrapolated from micro-evolution [observable event] plus time ad infinitum.
Personally, I don’t want to look like a fool because I’m hooked on the approval of man. But do I really have a case?
If I truly believe God to be omnipotent, then I could easily believe he created the world in six days.
Heck, I could believe he created the world in six hours. Standing on one arm. Singing opera. [Note: I don't believe God has a body. Just saying.]
But that’s not the way it’s described. The writer of Genesis stated six days. So I affirm a six-day creation. In opposition to science.
To those who will complain that such a view is credulous and unsophisticated, here’s MacArthur:
“It is certainly superior to the irrational notion that an ordered and incomprehensibly complex universe sprung by accident from nothingness and emerged by chance into the marvel that it is.”
I agree.
Where I Don’t See Eye-to-Eye with MacArthur
There is one point I might disagree with MacArthur: I don’t think defending a six-day creation matters. Let me qualify that statement.
I don’t think it’s worth emotional or intellectual equity defending a six-day creation…especially with a non-believer…when we’ve got bigger fish to fry, namely new birth.
It’d be like me bickering with my wife over the placement of patio furniture on a deck attached to a house that we were losing to foreclosure.
Thus my tendency to avoid the issue and change the topic.
What’s paramount in the creation account is The Fall. The creation narrative is the setting. The Fall and subsequent redemption, the plot.
Don’t get me wrong. We need Genesis 1:1-3 in it’s entirety. Here’s MacArthur again on how important it is:
If Genesis 1-3 doesn’t tell us the truth, why should we believe anything else in the Bible? Without a right understanding of our origin, we have no way to understand anything about our spiritual existence. We cannot know our purpose, and we cannot be certain of our destiny. After all, if God is not the Creator, then maybe He’s not the Redeemer either. If we cannot believe the opening chapters of Scripture, how can we be certain of anything the Bible says?
It’s the WHY in my mind that trumps the HOW.
One Final Thought
Funny thing is, a six-day creation event is small beans when compared to some bigger beliefs we Christians share.
Take the Incarnation, for instance. God invaded his universe as a human. What?
Or what about the new birth–the belief that God raises us from spiritual death? Hell? The Second Coming?
Those, my friend, are tough nuts to swallow.
We are fortunate to live in a region of the world where apologetic materials are abundant. Answers to objections are everywhere.
Not so with those in restricted or persecuted countries. But this shouldn’t bother us. Or them.
While I respect science and what it says, in the end I need to go with God–and so do they–and his purposes revealed in the Scripture.
Listen: This is sometimes very hard for someone who unapologetically embraces the title intellectual snob–but persecution and hardship are the name of the game. Opposition is real.
And sometimes all we have is the Holy Ghost and a Bible. Fortunately, we have more.
Final, Final Thought
Here’s what I learned from Daniel’s email: We worship a creative God who demands singularity in our affections and dismisses all competitors…
And neglecting allegiance to him is simple blasphemy–even if that means rejection from our peers.
Therefore, I’d rather be at odds with the establishment than the God who created and sustains the people in that very establishment.
Christianity is a thinking man’s religion. Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind.”
This means we need to exercise all spheres of our beings–body and soul–if we want to honor God. This means beefing up in areas we are weak in. [For me, that would be the creation account. What about you?]
This also means answering challenging questions–questions that may challenge our very allegiance…questions that come from both outside our camp–and sometimes from inside.
It’s not always easy. But it’s necessary. Especially if we want to develop a mature Christian mind–a mandate no Christian can avoid.
So tell me: You still love me? Give me your thoughts. Brutal and all.
Soul Sleep [Deviant Doctrine to Avoid]
What happens to the human soul when a person dies?
Does it disintegrate the moment a person’s brain flat lines like materialists argue?
Or does it survive the body to live forever?
Of course most Christians agree that the soul survives.
However, not everyone agrees on what happens to that soul once a person dies.
Roman Catholics insist they trudge through purgatory.
Sects like the Jehovah’s Witnesses and Seventh Day Adventists, on the other hand, believe the soul remains unconscious until resurrection day.
This is called “soul sleep.” Or “conditional immortality.”
Soul Sleep: Biblical Proofs
Sects who embrace the soul sleep concept base their beliefs off of a host of verses:
Who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see…. 1 Timothy 6:16
But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die. Genesis 2:17
The soul that sins shall die. Ezekiel 18:20
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23
At first blush it seems they might have a case. But they don’t. These verses have been wrenched out of their context.
Here’s how.
Soul Sleep: Where These Sects Went Wrong
Yes, First Timothy 6:16 suggests that it is God alone who has immortality. No argument from me. But in no way can we assume that he’s the only one.
In fact, Paul argues it’s BECAUSE God is the author of immortality that he is also the giver of immortality. We live forever because God sustains us.
I’ll admit, the notion of death in Genesis 2:17 is peculiar simply because Adam and Eve don’t actually die. At least not right away.
What’s going on? Here we have the promise of [future] physical death AND [immediate] spiritual death…
But the spiritual death the author of Genesis had in mind isn’t the soul sleep kind. No.
He had in mind the deadness in our desire for God…we turn the corner from agents who can sin to to agents who are slaves to sin, blind to his beauty and incorrigibly bent to reject his son Christ.
What about Ezekiel and Romans? They simply echo the notion that physical and spiritual death is the punishment of sin. Adam’s original sin.
Okay. If souls don’t sleep while they wait for resurrection, what do they do? Here’s what the Bible teaches.
Orthodox View of the Soul After Death
Traditional Christians affirm that the human soul survives death. But not in a slumber.
In Matthew 10:28 Jesus said, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”
The Apostle Peter suggested that death meant the “shedding of this body” and union with Christ in spirit.
Paul echoed a similar sentiment when he said, “I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better” Philippians 1:23.
Then you have the spirits of the martyred tribulation saints in heaven who cry: ”O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Revelations 6:10
The clincher, of course, is Jesus who said to the thief on the cross, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise” Luke 23:43.
Conclusion
As you can see, the biblical evidence for soul sleep is lacking while evidence for the souls immediate union with God is strong. In a nutshell, when a redeemed person dies his soul is united with God immediately to wait the final resurrection of his body…
And when an unregenerate person dies, he is immediately ushered out of the presence of God to await final judgment.
Now, it’s your turn. What did I miss? Got any questions? Share your thoughts. Brutal and all.
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