Blog – Page 245 – Christ the Truth

What would cheap grace look like? 6

GlenNovember 10, 20086 Comments

...The younger brother came to himself and said, 'My dad's an old softy. I reckon if I returned looking sufficiently contrite he'd bail me out. It's worth a try anyway.' he reasoned.

And so he rose and made the journey back to his father rehearsing his sorry-spiel along the way. 'Father, my father. I know I messed up. I know I don't deserve anything from you. You'd be well within your rights to shun me forever. But, father, my father, I'm throwing myself on your mercy. Here I am, your son - and I know you're a good dad - will you help me out?'

By the time he got to his father's house his speech was pitch-perfect. He rang the door-bell and waited. Eventually he heard his father's shuffling steps, then the locks turning in the door, one after the other - four in all. At last it creaked open a crack and the old man squinted up at his son.

'Father, my father. I know I messed up. I know I don't deserve anything...' began the prodigal. The father's look began to thaw. The speech was good. Perhaps the best yet. By the end the old man couldn't help but blurt out, 'Ah my son! You certainly know how to tug at my heart strings. What can I do for you?'

The son took a moment to congratulate himself on such powers of persuasion. 'Well, father,' he said, 'wild living ain't cheap! And Lord knows how I'm going to afford my ticket back to the far country...'

'Far country? You want to go back?' asked the father, his face falling.

'Well just for now. Unfinished business you see. But I'm definitely planning on returning...'

'...Because, son, you know there's always room for you here...'

'Yes, sure. Absolutely dad. And I know I'll be returning. Probably quite often. But there's things I need to do and, well, I need your help.'

'How much?'

'Well there's the ticket. Then I need the deposit on a new place. I've found the perfect pad - downtown, the ladies love it. But that's another thing,' he said chuckling, 'they sure are expensive those women!'

'How much?' he asked again.

'It's hard to put a figure you know dad, it could be anything.'

They looked at each other for a minute. The father broke the silence.

'Blank cheque then?'

'Blank cheque would be great! Yeah thanks. Phew. You're a real life-saver dad. Wow. I'd hug you, but I'm a bit smelly from the pigs. Speaking of which, do you have any food? Ham sandwich maybe?'

'Ham sandwich?? Look, come inside. I'll kill the fattened calf. Tonight we'll feast!'

'Gosh, dad. That's sweet but I really don't have time. Listen, I'll just grab something from drive thru. The cheque's fine. And, now that I think of it, don't make it out to the family name. I've changed it. Yeah, too many people were associating me with you and... well. You know...'

Within five minutes the younger son was heading back down the drive. He spotted his brother in the field and, holding the cheque aloft, called out. "Ciao bro'! Enjoy the slaving!"

Ron Frost has a blog!

GlenNovember 8, 2008Leave a comment

I had no idea Ron Frost has a blog (thanks Dan for highlighting it). Joy of joys.

A spreading goodness is an extremely readable and insightful blog about bible-soaked, Trinitarian affective theology. Try these posts as an introduction:

Make this the year - getting into the bible

Living by faith - what is faith anyway?

Choosing to rule my emotions? - the will or the heart?

Jesus at the centre

GlenNovember 7, 2008Leave a comment

Two quotes from the blogosphere this week. One on the Psalter, one on christology. The common link - they both put Jesus at the centre:

From Psalterium

Psalms 1 and 2 were not read as two disparate Torah and royal psalms respectively in the final redaction of the Psalter; rather, both depict the ideal Joshua-like warrior and king who through divinely given authority vanquishes his enemies. From this eschatological perspective the Psalter opens and sets the tone for all subsequent psalms.

Cole, R. (2002) “An Integrated Reading of Psalms 1 and 2”, Journal for the Study of the Old Testament, pp. 75-88

You can read my sermon on Psalms 1 and 2 here.

From Chris Tilling

'[I]t may well be that most Christians tolerate only as much humanity as they deem consonant with their view of divinity'

(172-3 n.4, from Raymond Brown, An Introduction to New Testament Christology, 27)

Wouldn't it be radical if we actually allowed Jesus to shape our 'view of divinity'!?.

Calming the storm

GlenNovember 6, 2008Leave a comment

Storms are bigger than we are.

Jesus is much bigger still.

We're small.

We're passive.

We're at the mercy of bigger forces.

Either Jesus steps in or we're doomed.

When He does step in it's even scarier!

Jesus is just as unmanagable as the storm

The difference is Jesus loves you, the storm doesn't.

Jesus is the Ultimate Jonah hurled into the Ultimate Storm to bring us peace.

That's why we can trust Him.

So, Who or what will we fear?

Who or what will we trust?

And Who is this Jesus?

He's the One who sails with us in the storm,

Yet He rules over the storm by His mighty word

And in the storm - that's where we really come to know Him.

Those are the sort of thoughts informing this sermon on Mark 4:35-41 - Jesus calms the storm.

Audio mp3 file here

The perilous danger of sermon introductions 5

GlenNovember 6, 20085 Comments

Rediscovered this old quote from Barth's Homiletics:

"The theological damage of sermon introductions is in any event incredibly extensive... For what do they really involve at root? Nothing other than the search for a point of contact, for an analogue in us which can be a point of entry for the Word of God. It is believed that this little door to the inner self must first be found and opened before it is worthwhile to bring the message. No! This is plain heresy.... We have simply to approach people knowing that there is nothing in them that we can address, no humanum, no analogia entis of any kind that we can put in touch with the divinum, but only the one great possibility which has no need of our skills, which alone is efficacious, and which does not need us as advocates... We have simply to assume the attitude of a messenger who has something to say. We have no need to build a slowly ascending ramp, for there is no height that we have to reach. No! Something has to come down from above. And this can happen only when the Bible speaks from the very outset." (Homiletics, p124-125)

You've been told!

Sending our Man to the seat of power 2

GlenNovember 5, 20082 Comments

I'm giving this short talk at a prayer meeting tonight

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. (Colossians 3:1-4)

Well America has sent their man to the seat of power. They have chosen their representative and he is going to the White House to rule on their behalf. Barack Obama said in his acceptance speech that he is committed to being the President not only for those who voted for him, but for those who haven't. A man will sit in the highest office, representing his people, ruling on their behalf.

More money has been spent on this presidential campaign than any other. More people have turned out to vote than ever before. Because the people want to be a part of this process. They want representation in the highest office. They want to send their man to the seat of power.

Many people will be thrilled about Barack Obama's win. Many will be disappointed. But whether Obama will be a good or bad president, there is another perspective on these issues.

Notice verse 1 - 'set your hearts on things above'

Notice verse 2 - 'set your minds on things above, not on earthly things'

Why? Does Paul want us to be ignorant of world affairs?

No, but he does want us to get some perspective.

What does he want us to see?

Verse 1: Christ, seated at the right hand of God.

Now, in the Bible, the right hand of the king was where the king's appointed ruler sat, heard petitions, passed judgements, and gave orders. The king's right hand man was his beloved servant through whom the king ruled. The right hand, is the place of honour and authority. And Jesus of Nazareth, our Brother and Friend, is seated on God's throne of power. Paul says - think about that

Our Man, our Representative, One the bible calls our merciful and faithful High Priest, He has gone to the seat of power. Jesus became one of us, He lived for us, died for us, rose for us and 40 days later ascended for us into heaven. That's where He is right now - seated on the throne of the universe - God's right hand Man. And He has gone as our representative. Our Man has gone to the seat of power.

Many Obama supporters will be saying today "we won". "We won." And what they mean is Obama won, and we're with him, we're associated with him - He's our man. His victory is our victory. He won, so we won.

Now that's even more true for we who are associated with King Jesus. In fact we are united to Christ so strongly that everything that happened to Him has happened to us. Christ's victory is really and truly ours. Look at verse 1.

Paul says 'you have been raised with Christ.' Then in v3 he says 'you have died'. Jesus died, therefore we died with Him. Jesus rose, therefore we rose with Him. My life, my identity, my history are so united to Jesus that His death is my death and His resurrection is my resurrection, His ascension is my ascension. Jesus does everything He does, conquers everything He conquers, gains everything He gains FOR YOU.

Paul says it again in a different way in verses 3 and 4: 'your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, you will appear with Him in glory.'

We are Very closely united to Jesus. Christ IS your life. Your life is hidden with Christ in God. Our Man has gone to the seat of power and we are IN Him - united to Him in the closest possible way. So now when God looks for you, He finds you IN Jesus, at His right hand - the place of honour.

On the radio this morning they were talking about foreign presidents and prime ministers queueing up to see Obama. They said that foreign ambassadors in Washington would be falling over each other trying to get invited to the White House. Everyone wants to get close to Obama now.

But we know the true Man, our true Representative - He is our Brother! And He has gone to the highest seat of power imaginable and we have gone there with Him and in Him. The incredible thing is, we don't have to queue up to see the King of Kings. We're not pounding on the door requesting an audience. We have the ear of the Lord Almighty. We don't just have access to the throne room of heaven - we are there! Actually there. Already. Right now!

And so Paul says 'set your heart and set your mind on these things.' They are true whether we're mindful of them or not. But now that we know they are true, think about it. Remember it. Dwell on it. Revel in it. Enjoy it. Speak about it. Sing about it. Take advantage of it. You have the ear of the LORD of heaven. Set your heart and mind on that. And when you do, that's when prayer gets off the ground.

Because I am hidden in Christ at the right hand of the Father I know that my words do not ascend to heaven. Do you ever fire up prayers to the Father and you wonder, 'have they made it?', 'are they reverent enough?', 'were they in the right form of words?', 'did I mean them enough?', 'was I in a spiritual enough place to generate the power to get my words to the throne room?' Well all that is rubbish. It's not that our prayers ascend to heaven - Christ has ascended. My prayers don't go from earth to heaven, they go from heaven to heaven. I don't yell up to the Father to be heard, I'm at His right hand, whispering in His ear.

I don't have access to Obama. I don't have access to his power. I can't shape his rule. I have no input to his reign.

I have something so much better. I have a greater Man with greater power and I have greater access than any lobbyist dare dream of. So let's take advantage of our position.

"Let us approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." (Heb 4:16)

For more on Ascension and getting our Man into the seat of power, listen to this excellent talk by Paul Blackham

Election results – latest 3

GlenNovember 5, 20083 Comments

Ok so the title's a lame attempt to get Google hits. But really this post is about the results of our election.

In the first post on freedom we thought about the blasphemy and bondage of modern, individualistic accounts of freedom.

Next we considered Jesus - especially Jesus in Gethsemane - as the proper starting point for thinking about freedom.

Last time we examined our natural state - we are not born free, we become free by the redemption that is in Jesus.

In this post we'll think about how we live out our freedom day by day in the Christian walk.

Throughout our discussion, we've never been far from the paradox of freedom - i.e. Freedom to pursue the desires of my flesh is bondage, obedience to the will of the Father is freedom. Martin Luther put it like this in The Freedom of a Christian.

A Christian man is the most free lord of all, and subject to none,

A Christian man is the most dutiful servant of all, and subject to every one.

Sound crazy? Put it this way. Ask yourself, ‘Am I free?' One answer: ‘Absolutely, "Free indeed!" Christians are released from slavery to sin, set on our feet by Jesus, brought to the Father in righteousness, equipped by the Spirit to move forwards in sanctification.'

Now ask the question again, ‘Am I free?' Another answer: ‘Absolutely not! I am ransomed, claimed, bought, owned, enslaved by Christ. I am entirely His possession - entirely at His disposal.'

And yet His service is perfect freedom. How can this be?

Well we'll have to jettison the popular notion of freedom - doing what I want to do, any old time. Freedom is worked out in the relational matrices that constitute my identity. I'm not free by liberating myself from the claims of others upon me - those claims make me who I am. Instead I am free when I responsibly use my will in expression of my relational, grace-given identity.

Freedom means finding ouselves in obedience to God, in union with Christ, in being led by the Spirit, in serving the body. Walking in line with this truth means abandoning ourselves to these absolute claims upon us which, whether we acknowledge it or not, are the very atmosphere of our being.

We are like fish and we ought never to think we'll be more free if only we escape the tank. We are free precisely in that environment. To walk out of step with these realities is to renounce the responsible moral agency Jesus purchased with His own blood and to become a slave to the world, the flesh and the devil. Anyone who calls such a choice 'freedom' hasn't yet grasped who they really are.

Now what does this truth do to our hearts if we let it settle down deep? Well here are two lies that are unmasked which, if left unchallenged, can be so damaging.

The first lie is this: The devil always appears to us as our slave. Temptation always offers to serve us. We buy into it thinking 'I am the master of this sin. This sin is getting me what I want. I am in charge.' Of course Jesus says the opposite. "Whoever sins is a slave to sin." (John 8:34) Right when we congratulate ourselves on mastering our own fate and negotiating a win-win for our flesh the shackles go on and we're bound.

Here's the other lie and, for me, this one goes much deeper: Your 'freedom' guarantees an unimpeachable core within you. You are a choosing individual - you may choose to honour those claims upon you from without or you may choose not to. Either way, there is a protected sphere deep down that is you - and it is beyond the claims of others.

No, no, no! Our Christ-shaped doctrine of freedom completely obliterates the notion of secret basements within myself. There simply do not exist within me little safe-havens for self. There's no such thing as me-time or me-space. The real me, down to the very depths, is found in going outside myself. I am in Christ - hidden in Him. And He is in me - in all of me. Your Father sees what is done in secret. Where can we go from His Spirit? We may descend into some imagined basement of ourselves, but we'll find Jesus right there. And if we are in our right minds we'll rejoice, because who wants a Christless basement?

CS Lewis, looking back on his non-Christian days, said the word he hated more than all others was "interference". And this is completely in line with the most cherished notions of our day - i.e. within myself, down beneath the claims of others, lies the real me. Untouchable, independent, proud, responsible. And we erect barriers to guard this precious sphere.

And of course whenever the lie is believed that we have such spheres it cultivates sin like nothing else. Pride, lust, gossip, self-righteousness, entitlement, anger, self-serving - you name it, these sins thrive on the notion that there is a 'me' down here who then has the choice of how to use my will.

We must hear the gospel again. I am already and down to the very depths of me claimed, purchased, ransomed, possessed by Christ. It's not a case of the real me now deciding to walk with Christ - as though I have some 'freedom' to follow or not. Disobedience is not an option. It happens to be sure. But in another sense 'how can you live in sin any more.' (Rom 6:2).

There is an impossibility to sin that we mustn't minimize just because we manage to do the impossible all the time. To act out of step with my redeemed identity is not the rational choice of a free self for whom righteousness and wickedness lie open as equally valid options. Read Romans 6 and 7 again to see Paul wrestling out loud with the impossibility and yet the absurd and horrific presence of sin in the Christian life. Sin is not an option. And though it happens it happens only in contradiction to our true selves and our true freedom.

The point of all this is that the Christian is not (in Barth's phrase) Hercules at the crossroads. We're not the captains of our souls or masters of our fates. No, Jesus has lifted us out of that position (which we called freedom and He called slavery) and united us to Himself. The real me has been completely re-constituted by Christ and already claimed by Him. We are already on the path. There's nothing left for me to do except joyfully participate in this new humanity. To keep in step with this reality is to find my true self and experience the freedom that is already mine in my Redeemer.

1 O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. 2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. 3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. 4 Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD. 5 You hem me in--behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. 7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. 9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, 10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. 11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me," 12 even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. (Psalm 139:1-12)

I was crucified with Christ and I no longer live but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)

Tricky verses

GlenNovember 3, 2008Leave a comment

Kyle has asked about this verse from Genesis 4:

23 Lamech said to his wives, "Adah and Zillah, listen to me; wives of Lamech, hear my words. I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for injuring me. 24 If Cain is avenged seven times, then Lamech seventy-seven times."

Thought it provided a good opportunity to model some points on interpreting tricky verses. I'll just highlight three simple points to bear in mind as you read the bible. Tape these on the inside cover of your bible.

In reverse order of importance...

Coming in at number 3...

Just cos it's in the bible don't mean it's approved of!

This one's important to bear in mind especially when reading Old Testament narrative. I used to tie myself in knots trying to figure out how Jacob could be such a slime-ball or how Abraham could lie about his wife and stand by while she's taken into Pharaoh's harem etc etc. I still remember the relief when a minister told me these guys are not being held up as paragons of virtue. Often they are held up for judgement and as warnings. We're meant to be appalled. Often they are testimonies to God's grace. God uses slime-balls. He doesn't condone their slime but He loves to show His goodness in redeeming the messes that we create. We're meant to wonder at His mercy.

Lamech here is being held up as a terrible example of the way of Cain, his great great great grandfather. Kyle is right to see arrogance here - Lamech is bigging himself up horribly. His is not an example to follow!

Next, at number 2, we must learn...

The bible interprets the bible

When we come across tricky verses we don't need a PhD in ancient near eastern archeology or a hundred theology textbooks or initiation into some religious fraternity that holds the secrets. We just need the bible. The Holy Spirit has done a good job of authoring a book with all the necessary information. If we had needed an appendix at the back with the essential keys to interpretation, He would have included one. As it is, what He's written is sufficient. The bible will explain itself to us if we allow it to interpret itself.

So as we consider Lamech's song we'll consider the context of what's happened previously. We might be interested to compare Lamech's song to the first song sung to a wife - Adam's in Genesis 2:23. That was a good song. That was all about the wife. Lamech's song is sung to his wives but it's all about him. It's a kind of anti-love song! Adam's song was able to celebrate the wounds that the husband sustained because it produced His beautiful bride. (Gen 2:21-24) On the other hand Lamech will protect himself from any wound and seek vengeance.

We might also want to think about the significance of the number 7. The bible uses sevens a lot. From the beginning (the seven days of creation) we see it used as a number of completion. It's used in connection with God's activity. And here Lamech pretends to have God's own perfect blessing on his life - a divine protection. Of course we hear nothing from God about this. Again the pride of Lamech is on show.

When we search the bible for 7 and 77 together we might turn to Matthew 18:21-22:

21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" 22 Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

And this brings us to the most important point...

The number 1 interpretive key:

The bible is about Jesus

The bible is not about morality or religion or politics or psychology or history or philosophy. And if you see the bible as primarily a source book for these things you will twist it from it's true intention. Jesus says the bible is about Him. When speaking to some serious bible scholars He said this:

You have never heard the Father's voice nor seen His form, 38 nor does His word dwell in you, for you do not believe the One He sent. 39 You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about Me, 40 yet you refuse to come to Me to have life. (John 5:37-40)

Life does not exist in the Scriptures. Our interest should not terminate on the text. We must allow the bible to bring us to Christ - He is the point of our bible reading.

As we think about Lamech's song - how does that testify to Christ?

Well in Christ we have the answer to Lamech's anti-love song. Jesus (who the bible calls the 'Last Adam') speaks not of seventy-seven-fold vengeance but seventy-seven-fold forgiveness. Through the wounds He sustains for His bride (on the cross) He brings not revenge but grace. Jesus is the True Husband who does not protect Himself but in love He makes Himself vulnerable for His bride (the church).

Those are just some thoughts on this verse and how to interpret tricky verses in general.