Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.
Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. (James 1:9-18)
1) Here we have a little twist on boasting. Usually we hear "let the rich boast in his riches. Let the wise boast in their wisdom." Here we see letting the poor boast in exaltation and the rich in humiliation. This is very important, because we think the Bible makes a distinction between monetarily rich and poor people, when it really distinguishes between selfish people and people who have faith in Christ. Aren't the poor to be exalted? Why is this wrong? Because they are not boasting in Christ. They are still boasting in themselves, except this time it is, "look how downtrodden I am!" Likewise, the rich person, who is humbled in life, should not boast in the fact that he was humbled. "See how I lost big in that business deal! How humbled I have become!" Nor is he to boast in anything except Christ. Look at Jeremiah 9:23-24:
Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.”
We must only boast in that we know and understand God, and we can only know and understand God through Jesus Christ. If the poor man boasts in anything besides Christ, he is disconnected from God. Likewise with the rich man. Christ tells us that he who is "poor in spirit" is blessed. Why? Because the poor in spirit is not boasting in himself. All he has is Christ.
2) All activity on earth is going to fade away, and will count as nothing in and of itself. This is why we must not boast in anything but Christ. When all passes away, all we will have is Christ. All activity on earth is really useful toward either bringing us closer to Christ or taking us further away from Christ. When it fades--and it will--where will we be standing on Judgment Day? Will we be presenting to God flowers of achievement that have faded away? Essentially presenting to God empty hands? Or will be be presenting Christ, who died on our behalf?
3) Everyone experiences trials, the godly and the ungodly, but God gives the crown of life (everlasting life) to those who love him. Who are those who love him? God has chosen those who are "poor in the world" (James 2:5) to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom. Remember "poor in the world" is not a monetary condition. It is he who does not boast in himself but in Christ.
4) Those who boast in themselves are being tempted not by God, because God tempts no one, but by his own desire. The desire gives birth to sin, and sin brings forth death, because the wages of sin is death. By boasting in ourselves, we are actually earning wages toward death. The only wage that does not perish is Christ. By knowing him and loving the Jesus of the Bible, we are laying up for ourselves treasures in heaven, wages that do not perish, and earn for us everlasting life.
5) Every good thing comes from God.
6) Every evil thing comes from ourselves.
7) God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
8) God does not change. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
9) The final, and most important point. The world tempts us, even Christians, to boast in ourselves. When God gets us through a trial and we come out on the other side, the temptation is there, and it is usually given into, to boast in our own perseverance. James' last sentence of this section is crucial to our understanding: "Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures."
a) Our boasting in Christ is of God's will. We can't will it ourselves. If we try to boast in Christ, we fail. God wills us to boast in Christ. As John tells us in his gospel, those who "receive" Christ, who believe in his name, his children, we are born again into this covenant, not through blood or family lineage, nor from earning God's grace, nor from sheer human will, but only from God himself (1:12-13).
b) The word of truth, the scriptures, is God's means of bringing us out of death into life. We were dead in sins, and God's word preached reached our ears, the Holy Spirit transformed our hearts, our souls, and we began the process of knowing Christ, of loving God through Jesus.
c) In Christ, we obtain an inheritance, which God decided beforehand through his holy will, so that those who hope in Christ--who boast in Christ--on this side of death's veil might do so to the praise of his glory (Ephesians 1:12). Remember the last of the five solas: to God alone be the glory. God's glory is the end goal of any boasting in earthly life, and Christ is the object of our boasting. He is the true glory of God. He is the amazing means of salvation for all who believe in him.
d) Just as Israel was the firstfruits of the Lord's harvest, designated to bring the Christ into the world, so Christians are to be the firstfruits of boasting in Christ to the world, so that hearing the good news, many may be converted. The firstfruits are those who--in this world--sing a new song of Christ. Only the redeemed can learn the song, and they follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They have been redeemed from mankind as firstfruits for God and the Lamb (Revelation 14:4).
Remember: only by God's will, and only for his glory.
Saturday, August 13, 2016
Saturday, August 6, 2016
Wisdom
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. (James 1:5-8)
The book of James is considered the New Testament's book of proverbs. It's about how to live life as a Christian, after you have been saved. Last week we transitioned from Daniel to this letter by discussing the purpose of trials in the Christian life. This week we begin looking deeply at what the brother of Jesus has to say about how to live life in this world of trials and tribulations for the Christian.
We have considered it joy to face various trials. Now, we are told to ask God for wisdom, because he gives generously of this gift. Notice, God doesn't give generously of ANY gift. He gives generously of WISDOM. This is important, because we believe that we should ask God of ANYTHING, and he will give it to us, because he loves us. However, God gives us things for our good, even if they might hurt us to strengthen us. The most important thing is wisdom. We can see this in action in 1 Kings 3. Solomon is told by God in a dream to ask him for anything. Solomon humbly asks for wisdom. He says that he is but a child who does not know how to go out or come in. He asked for understanding so that he could discern between good and evil. Notice the word "discern." In the garden of Eden, Adam and Eve ate of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The serpent tempted them, telling them that when they ate, they would know good and evil. Notice the lack of the word "discern." Before eating of the fruit, Adam and Eve knew only good. After eating of the fruit, they knew good and evil, as in how to do both good and evil. They were suddenly aware of their own sinfulness, and they hid. And so their progeny are born knowing both good and evil. They know how to sin, and as we see later, everything we do, even the good things, are sinful in God's eyes. This knowledge was taken from God against his permission. It is not understanding. It is not discernment. It is merely the addition of evil to our nature, and that evil has never left.
God is pleased with Solomon's request, and he not only grants him the wisdom to discern what is right, but he also gives him riches and honor. Solomon did not ask for these things, and he did not ask for wisdom in order to get riches and honor. He wasn't tricking God. He honestly sought wisdom only. Likewise, we should not seek anything selfish, but what James says here: wisdom. Proverbs 2:3-5 says, "yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God." Remember, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, which means we seek a right and reverent relationship with God; we ask him humbly, like Solomon did; and he grants us wisdom. He has given us pure wisdom in his word. When Jesus tells his disciples to "ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you," he is speaking about wisdom. If you look at the context, he is discussing judgment and discernment. Wisdom is the best thing. To believe that Jesus is talking about asking God for anything you desire is to believe in the prosperity gospel, which is unbiblical.
Verses 6-8 seem to say that we need to not only ask for wisdom in faith, but with no doubting, or we will not receive anything from the Lord. This puts a lot of pressure on us for a "perfect" faith. We know that we are still sinners and have no such perfect faith. What are we to do? I think an exploration of the fig tree in Mark 11 will help. We need to look at the events in Mark 11 as a dry run of the last day. First, we have Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, foreshadowing Christ's return on the last day. He then curses the fig tree because it does not bear fruit. This tree represents those who are without faith in Christ on the last day. James compares them to a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. These people are double-minded and unstable in their ways. They have faith in everything BUT the Christ of the bible. So Jesus says to the fig tree, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." Next, Jesus clears out the temple, further demonstrating what the last day will be like. Next, as they walk by the withered fig tree, demonstrating that without faith there is no salvation, Christ tells his disciples, "Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses." (Mark 11:22-25) Faith involves bearing fruit; faith needs to be IN GOD, not in anything else; faith involves prayer; and faith involves forgiveness. This is a big clue, because it sounds like James is talking about faith in the request being fulfilled, where Christ is saying the object of faith is not the request but God himself.
And that is the key to this passage. When we are seeking wisdom, we are actually seeking Christ. Paul claims Christ to be the wisdom of God. Indeed the office of Christ is the wisest act of God for all eternity. Without Christ, none would be saved. So, to seek true wisdom is to seek Christ. To ask for wisdom from God with a true, unwavering faith, is to seek Christ and his glory. To ask for wisdom is to ask for the cross itself. The cross is foolishness to the people of the withered fig tree, but to the elect of God, it is power and it is wisdom.
The book of James is considered the New Testament's book of proverbs. It's about how to live life as a Christian, after you have been saved. Last week we transitioned from Daniel to this letter by discussing the purpose of trials in the Christian life. This week we begin looking deeply at what the brother of Jesus has to say about how to live life in this world of trials and tribulations for the Christian.
We have considered it joy to face various trials. Now, we are told to ask God for wisdom, because he gives generously of this gift. Notice, God doesn't give generously of ANY gift. He gives generously of WISDOM. This is important, because we believe that we should ask God of ANYTHING, and he will give it to us, because he loves us. However, God gives us things for our good, even if they might hurt us to strengthen us. The most important thing is wisdom. We can see this in action in 1 Kings 3. Solomon is told by God in a dream to ask him for anything. Solomon humbly asks for wisdom. He says that he is but a child who does not know how to go out or come in. He asked for understanding so that he could discern between good and evil. Notice the word "discern." In the garden of Eden, Adam and Eve ate of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The serpent tempted them, telling them that when they ate, they would know good and evil. Notice the lack of the word "discern." Before eating of the fruit, Adam and Eve knew only good. After eating of the fruit, they knew good and evil, as in how to do both good and evil. They were suddenly aware of their own sinfulness, and they hid. And so their progeny are born knowing both good and evil. They know how to sin, and as we see later, everything we do, even the good things, are sinful in God's eyes. This knowledge was taken from God against his permission. It is not understanding. It is not discernment. It is merely the addition of evil to our nature, and that evil has never left.
God is pleased with Solomon's request, and he not only grants him the wisdom to discern what is right, but he also gives him riches and honor. Solomon did not ask for these things, and he did not ask for wisdom in order to get riches and honor. He wasn't tricking God. He honestly sought wisdom only. Likewise, we should not seek anything selfish, but what James says here: wisdom. Proverbs 2:3-5 says, "yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God." Remember, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, which means we seek a right and reverent relationship with God; we ask him humbly, like Solomon did; and he grants us wisdom. He has given us pure wisdom in his word. When Jesus tells his disciples to "ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you," he is speaking about wisdom. If you look at the context, he is discussing judgment and discernment. Wisdom is the best thing. To believe that Jesus is talking about asking God for anything you desire is to believe in the prosperity gospel, which is unbiblical.
Verses 6-8 seem to say that we need to not only ask for wisdom in faith, but with no doubting, or we will not receive anything from the Lord. This puts a lot of pressure on us for a "perfect" faith. We know that we are still sinners and have no such perfect faith. What are we to do? I think an exploration of the fig tree in Mark 11 will help. We need to look at the events in Mark 11 as a dry run of the last day. First, we have Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, foreshadowing Christ's return on the last day. He then curses the fig tree because it does not bear fruit. This tree represents those who are without faith in Christ on the last day. James compares them to a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. These people are double-minded and unstable in their ways. They have faith in everything BUT the Christ of the bible. So Jesus says to the fig tree, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." Next, Jesus clears out the temple, further demonstrating what the last day will be like. Next, as they walk by the withered fig tree, demonstrating that without faith there is no salvation, Christ tells his disciples, "Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses." (Mark 11:22-25) Faith involves bearing fruit; faith needs to be IN GOD, not in anything else; faith involves prayer; and faith involves forgiveness. This is a big clue, because it sounds like James is talking about faith in the request being fulfilled, where Christ is saying the object of faith is not the request but God himself.
And that is the key to this passage. When we are seeking wisdom, we are actually seeking Christ. Paul claims Christ to be the wisdom of God. Indeed the office of Christ is the wisest act of God for all eternity. Without Christ, none would be saved. So, to seek true wisdom is to seek Christ. To ask for wisdom from God with a true, unwavering faith, is to seek Christ and his glory. To ask for wisdom is to ask for the cross itself. The cross is foolishness to the people of the withered fig tree, but to the elect of God, it is power and it is wisdom.
Saturday, July 30, 2016
The Trials of Life
The end of Daniel, Chapters 11 & 12, is a huge prophecy that telescopes three-fold from close future events culminating in Antiochus Epiphanes, to the more distant destruction of the temple in Jerusalem, to the far-reaching end of everything. In marveling at the detailed descriptions of the future, we may not, at first, find anything applicable to us today, but when we get to verse 26, we get this interesting passage:
“At the time appointed he shall return and come into the south, but it shall not be this time as it was before. For ships of Kittim shall come against him, and he shall be afraid and withdraw, and shall turn back and be enraged and take action against the holy covenant. He shall turn back and pay attention to those who forsake the holy covenant. Forces from him shall appear and profane the temple and fortress, and shall take away the regular burnt offering. And they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate. He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action. And the wise among the people shall make many understand, though for some days they shall stumble by sword and flame, by captivity and plunder. When they stumble, they shall receive a little help. And many shall join themselves to them with flattery, and some of the wise shall stumble, so that they may be refined, purified, and made white, until the time of the end, for it still awaits the appointed time. (Daniel 11:26-35)
This is right before the prophecy switches to being completely about the end-times. Antiochus IV tries to defeat Egypt and fails. Jerusalem hears a rumor that the king has been killed, and they take over their city again, restoring a true priest in the temple. That's when Antiochus really gets mad! He returns, sacks Jerusalem, and slaughters thousands. This event in history, although it doesn't seem important, is important for God to get across to Daniel. I believe it is because the attack on Jerusalem most closely resembles not only the destruction of the temple in AD70, but the last days before Christ's second coming.
That's all I want to say about the prophecy itself, but there are parts of this passage that we can really use to build up our faith:
1) We are in a holy covenant with God. The world hates and attacks this covenant.
2) Those within the church who forsake the covenant (the false church) will be seduced and flattered by the world. We see this in all the worldly teaching that permeates the church today.
3) The true church, the ones who know God, stand firm and take action.
4) The wise among the faithful will preach the gospel and convert many.
5) The true church will have times of stumbling.
6) The false church will attempt to take over the true church through seduction and flattery.
7) Even the wise among the faithful will stumble, but God intends this.
This last point is where I want to focus. Verse 35 states, "and some of the wise shall stumble, so that they may be refined, purified, and made white, until the time of the end, for it still awaits the appointed time." God has a purpose in his children stumbling: to refine and purify them. Who are these people in the white robes and from where have the come? Revelation 7:14 tells us, "these are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb." These are people who have endured great trials by putting their faith in Jesus Christ. One of the biggest, most universal, deceits in the modern church today is the phrase, "come to Jesus; he will make your life better." This makes sense in an eternal destiny way. Heaven is definitely a better life. But the false teaching lies in having your "best life now." Romans 8:28 reads, "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." Notice:
1) This only applies to the elect (those who love God; those who are called).
2) This isn't saying "good things will happen" but "for good," as in, "for the good of the person." Remember, things that are good for us aren't necessarily things we like or want.
3) The purpose mentioned is God's, not our own. God's purpose for us may be martyrdom. We know from the Daniel passage that God allows his children to stumble in order to refine and purify them--until the time of the end. In other words, the trials and tribulations do not let up in this life. "Come to Jesus and your life will get better" does not work. It's unbiblical. Now, if you strengthen your faith in Christ in the midst of the tribulations, you will find great joy in the midst of the tribulations, but the trials and persecutions will not stop. James 1:2-4:
"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." This is sanctification. God does not deliver you from the trials so that you can do something really awesome with your earthly life. Instead we find joy in the troubles that aren't going to go away. Such joy is only found through faith in Christ. When an unbeliever is experiencing trials, it is because God's judgment is coming early. The last thing we want to do is tell those people that if they come to Christ, their trials will go away. When they "try Jesus" and the trials don't fade, they will never truly come to Christ. This is why we see such a high congregational turnover in the mega-churches. What we do instead is preach Christ and him crucified, from passages such as Daniel 11:26-35 or James 1:2-4, let the gospel have its effect, and if that person is elect, his or her heart will change, and while the trials themselves won't go away, the new convert will understand the joy that only Christ can provide in the midst of those trials.
This is a crucial distinction. Jesus did not purchase a "better life now" for us with his blood. He purchased US with his blood. We are his possession now, and he will change our hearts. Hear what our Lord says in John 17: "“I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours." Jesus purchased us with his blood, not a fuller life that we need the courage to "step into." We will not find joy in trials if we are searching for that full life Jesus bought for us. He bought us, ourselves. We seek Christ's righteousness in his word, we see him glorified, we put our complete faith in him, and we then discover joy in the trials, even when they don't go away.
“At the time appointed he shall return and come into the south, but it shall not be this time as it was before. For ships of Kittim shall come against him, and he shall be afraid and withdraw, and shall turn back and be enraged and take action against the holy covenant. He shall turn back and pay attention to those who forsake the holy covenant. Forces from him shall appear and profane the temple and fortress, and shall take away the regular burnt offering. And they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate. He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action. And the wise among the people shall make many understand, though for some days they shall stumble by sword and flame, by captivity and plunder. When they stumble, they shall receive a little help. And many shall join themselves to them with flattery, and some of the wise shall stumble, so that they may be refined, purified, and made white, until the time of the end, for it still awaits the appointed time. (Daniel 11:26-35)
This is right before the prophecy switches to being completely about the end-times. Antiochus IV tries to defeat Egypt and fails. Jerusalem hears a rumor that the king has been killed, and they take over their city again, restoring a true priest in the temple. That's when Antiochus really gets mad! He returns, sacks Jerusalem, and slaughters thousands. This event in history, although it doesn't seem important, is important for God to get across to Daniel. I believe it is because the attack on Jerusalem most closely resembles not only the destruction of the temple in AD70, but the last days before Christ's second coming.
That's all I want to say about the prophecy itself, but there are parts of this passage that we can really use to build up our faith:
1) We are in a holy covenant with God. The world hates and attacks this covenant.
2) Those within the church who forsake the covenant (the false church) will be seduced and flattered by the world. We see this in all the worldly teaching that permeates the church today.
3) The true church, the ones who know God, stand firm and take action.
4) The wise among the faithful will preach the gospel and convert many.
5) The true church will have times of stumbling.
6) The false church will attempt to take over the true church through seduction and flattery.
7) Even the wise among the faithful will stumble, but God intends this.
This last point is where I want to focus. Verse 35 states, "and some of the wise shall stumble, so that they may be refined, purified, and made white, until the time of the end, for it still awaits the appointed time." God has a purpose in his children stumbling: to refine and purify them. Who are these people in the white robes and from where have the come? Revelation 7:14 tells us, "these are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb." These are people who have endured great trials by putting their faith in Jesus Christ. One of the biggest, most universal, deceits in the modern church today is the phrase, "come to Jesus; he will make your life better." This makes sense in an eternal destiny way. Heaven is definitely a better life. But the false teaching lies in having your "best life now." Romans 8:28 reads, "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." Notice:
1) This only applies to the elect (those who love God; those who are called).
2) This isn't saying "good things will happen" but "for good," as in, "for the good of the person." Remember, things that are good for us aren't necessarily things we like or want.
3) The purpose mentioned is God's, not our own. God's purpose for us may be martyrdom. We know from the Daniel passage that God allows his children to stumble in order to refine and purify them--until the time of the end. In other words, the trials and tribulations do not let up in this life. "Come to Jesus and your life will get better" does not work. It's unbiblical. Now, if you strengthen your faith in Christ in the midst of the tribulations, you will find great joy in the midst of the tribulations, but the trials and persecutions will not stop. James 1:2-4:
"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." This is sanctification. God does not deliver you from the trials so that you can do something really awesome with your earthly life. Instead we find joy in the troubles that aren't going to go away. Such joy is only found through faith in Christ. When an unbeliever is experiencing trials, it is because God's judgment is coming early. The last thing we want to do is tell those people that if they come to Christ, their trials will go away. When they "try Jesus" and the trials don't fade, they will never truly come to Christ. This is why we see such a high congregational turnover in the mega-churches. What we do instead is preach Christ and him crucified, from passages such as Daniel 11:26-35 or James 1:2-4, let the gospel have its effect, and if that person is elect, his or her heart will change, and while the trials themselves won't go away, the new convert will understand the joy that only Christ can provide in the midst of those trials.
This is a crucial distinction. Jesus did not purchase a "better life now" for us with his blood. He purchased US with his blood. We are his possession now, and he will change our hearts. Hear what our Lord says in John 17: "“I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours." Jesus purchased us with his blood, not a fuller life that we need the courage to "step into." We will not find joy in trials if we are searching for that full life Jesus bought for us. He bought us, ourselves. We seek Christ's righteousness in his word, we see him glorified, we put our complete faith in him, and we then discover joy in the trials, even when they don't go away.
Saturday, July 23, 2016
Giving Up Christ
I'm putting the end of Daniel on hold for a week, because I want to preach on something my 8-year-old asked me to read to her this week. She requested a story from the bible, and so I read it, and I discovered some important details on the doctrine of election in the passage, along with a heart-breaking analogy to our relationship with Christ. The passage is 1 Kings 3:16-28.
The story is straightforward and very popular. King Solomon has just prayed for and received wisdom from the Lord. This is Solomon's first judgment, and the wisdom he imparts is quite splendid indeed. Here's the passage:
Then two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. The one woman said, “Oh, my lord, this woman and I live in the same house, and I gave birth to a child while she was in the house. Then on the third day after I gave birth, this woman also gave birth. And we were alone. There was no one else with us in the house; only we two were in the house. And this woman's son died in the night, because she lay on him. And she arose at midnight and took my son from beside me, while your servant slept, and laid him at her breast, and laid her dead son at my breast. When I rose in the morning to nurse my child, behold, he was dead. But when I looked at him closely in the morning, behold, he was not the child that I had borne.” But the other woman said, “No, the living child is mine, and the dead child is yours.” The first said, “No, the dead child is yours, and the living child is mine.” Thus they spoke before the king.
Then the king said, “The one says, ‘This is my son that is alive, and your son is dead’; and the other says, ‘No; but your son is dead, and my son is the living one.’” And the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So a sword was brought before the king. And the king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one and half to the other.” Then the woman whose son was alive said to the king, because her heart yearned for her son, “Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and by no means put him to death.” But the other said, “He shall be neither mine nor yours; divide him.” Then the king answered and said, “Give the living child to the first woman, and by no means put him to death; she is his mother.” And all Israel heard of the judgment that the king had rendered, and they stood in awe of the king, because they perceived that the wisdom of God was in him to do justice.
Yes, my 8-year-old sure picked a fascinating part of the bible to read! Many words have been written about what true love looks like and what true wisdom looks like, but few have been written about Christ in this passage. We see a crazy act in what Solomon decides. This shouldn't work, but it does. We expect the wicked woman to relinquish and confess, but she doesn't. She would rather neither woman have the child than either of them. She also knows that even accidental infanticide on her part will carry harsh punishment. She won't confess. We wonder if this will work on other things. Sometimes it doesn't, sometimes it does. My littles are fighting over a toy, and I take the toy away from both. Sometimes one of them says, "that's fine, I don't need to play with it," which shows me that she was the one that took it from the other. Sometimes both of them are unhappy with the toy going away. Of course, the bible's version has life itself at stake. A baby will die unless someone acts!
And the true mother does! She would rather give up her precious child to the wicked woman than have the child die, and here is where an excellent allegory of Christ and his elect begins to unfold. Here are two prostitutes. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. They live in the same house, just like the elect and the reprobate live in the same world, grow in the same field, like wheat and tares. Remember, the elect are sinners, too. They are outside of the kingdom, to start, but God makes sure they enter his kingdom before they die. So, all human kind can be seen as a couple of prostitutes in the same house.
One's son is dead and the other is alive. The elect have a son: the living God, the Christ. The reprobate have no son. They have idols, false gods, things that have no life. The sword represents judgment day, where both the elect and the reprobate face God and have to account for their lives on earth. The reprobate point to their works in an attempt to earn their way into heaven, but their unrepentant sin keeps them out. The elect point to repentant faith in Christ alone for their salvation, and God's judgment rules in their favor. Here is where the analogy seems to break down. In the story, the true mother gives up her son in order to save his life. On judgment day, we aren't to give up the son but to embrace him and cling to him, so that he will protect us.
However, there is an important sentence in the book of Romans, chapter 9: "For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh." A sign of election is an intense desire to see others saved. The reprobate would rather all suffer eternal death than some gain eternal life. The ungodly don't just want to deliver themselves from hearing the gospel; they desire that none hear it, which is why they set up foundations to stop the spread of Christianity (in the West) and they use the sword everywhere else. On the other hand, the elect would desire to be cursed forever in order to save some.
Jesus also demonstrates this behavior on the cross when he cries out: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" His relationship with the Father was cut off. Jesus gave up God to save his elect. As a result, Jesus is given his life back and his relationship in the Godhead is restored. Likewise, Solomon declares, "Give the living child to the first woman, and by no means put him to death; she is the mother." Christ is given to the selfless one.
Love is a fruit of the spirit, but not many can agree with what love looks like. The ungodly merely believe its physical and romantic, or affection among friends. It's getting along. It's everyone being in agreement. Love, according to Christ, is laying down one's life for one's enemies. The elect reach out to those we disagree with. We don't want to see the world get its comeuppance. We would rather give up our salvation so that those who reject Christ might be saved. Paul felt it. Christ demonstrated it. He died in our place. He gave himself for us.
The story is straightforward and very popular. King Solomon has just prayed for and received wisdom from the Lord. This is Solomon's first judgment, and the wisdom he imparts is quite splendid indeed. Here's the passage:
Then two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. The one woman said, “Oh, my lord, this woman and I live in the same house, and I gave birth to a child while she was in the house. Then on the third day after I gave birth, this woman also gave birth. And we were alone. There was no one else with us in the house; only we two were in the house. And this woman's son died in the night, because she lay on him. And she arose at midnight and took my son from beside me, while your servant slept, and laid him at her breast, and laid her dead son at my breast. When I rose in the morning to nurse my child, behold, he was dead. But when I looked at him closely in the morning, behold, he was not the child that I had borne.” But the other woman said, “No, the living child is mine, and the dead child is yours.” The first said, “No, the dead child is yours, and the living child is mine.” Thus they spoke before the king.
Then the king said, “The one says, ‘This is my son that is alive, and your son is dead’; and the other says, ‘No; but your son is dead, and my son is the living one.’” And the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So a sword was brought before the king. And the king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one and half to the other.” Then the woman whose son was alive said to the king, because her heart yearned for her son, “Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and by no means put him to death.” But the other said, “He shall be neither mine nor yours; divide him.” Then the king answered and said, “Give the living child to the first woman, and by no means put him to death; she is his mother.” And all Israel heard of the judgment that the king had rendered, and they stood in awe of the king, because they perceived that the wisdom of God was in him to do justice.
Yes, my 8-year-old sure picked a fascinating part of the bible to read! Many words have been written about what true love looks like and what true wisdom looks like, but few have been written about Christ in this passage. We see a crazy act in what Solomon decides. This shouldn't work, but it does. We expect the wicked woman to relinquish and confess, but she doesn't. She would rather neither woman have the child than either of them. She also knows that even accidental infanticide on her part will carry harsh punishment. She won't confess. We wonder if this will work on other things. Sometimes it doesn't, sometimes it does. My littles are fighting over a toy, and I take the toy away from both. Sometimes one of them says, "that's fine, I don't need to play with it," which shows me that she was the one that took it from the other. Sometimes both of them are unhappy with the toy going away. Of course, the bible's version has life itself at stake. A baby will die unless someone acts!
And the true mother does! She would rather give up her precious child to the wicked woman than have the child die, and here is where an excellent allegory of Christ and his elect begins to unfold. Here are two prostitutes. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. They live in the same house, just like the elect and the reprobate live in the same world, grow in the same field, like wheat and tares. Remember, the elect are sinners, too. They are outside of the kingdom, to start, but God makes sure they enter his kingdom before they die. So, all human kind can be seen as a couple of prostitutes in the same house.
One's son is dead and the other is alive. The elect have a son: the living God, the Christ. The reprobate have no son. They have idols, false gods, things that have no life. The sword represents judgment day, where both the elect and the reprobate face God and have to account for their lives on earth. The reprobate point to their works in an attempt to earn their way into heaven, but their unrepentant sin keeps them out. The elect point to repentant faith in Christ alone for their salvation, and God's judgment rules in their favor. Here is where the analogy seems to break down. In the story, the true mother gives up her son in order to save his life. On judgment day, we aren't to give up the son but to embrace him and cling to him, so that he will protect us.
However, there is an important sentence in the book of Romans, chapter 9: "For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh." A sign of election is an intense desire to see others saved. The reprobate would rather all suffer eternal death than some gain eternal life. The ungodly don't just want to deliver themselves from hearing the gospel; they desire that none hear it, which is why they set up foundations to stop the spread of Christianity (in the West) and they use the sword everywhere else. On the other hand, the elect would desire to be cursed forever in order to save some.
Jesus also demonstrates this behavior on the cross when he cries out: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" His relationship with the Father was cut off. Jesus gave up God to save his elect. As a result, Jesus is given his life back and his relationship in the Godhead is restored. Likewise, Solomon declares, "Give the living child to the first woman, and by no means put him to death; she is the mother." Christ is given to the selfless one.
Love is a fruit of the spirit, but not many can agree with what love looks like. The ungodly merely believe its physical and romantic, or affection among friends. It's getting along. It's everyone being in agreement. Love, according to Christ, is laying down one's life for one's enemies. The elect reach out to those we disagree with. We don't want to see the world get its comeuppance. We would rather give up our salvation so that those who reject Christ might be saved. Paul felt it. Christ demonstrated it. He died in our place. He gave himself for us.
Saturday, July 16, 2016
The Spiritual Realm
Chapters 10-12 of Daniel make up a complete section, with 10 being the introduction to a new message that God brings to Daniel. Before the prophecy, however, there is a new perspective on the spiritual realm that is given to Daniel, like a mini-vision. It's not the message, but it is a powerful revelation about God's workings that we can learn from.
This is the third year of King Cyrus of Persia. He has already made the decree to send Israel back to its land and rebuild. Daniel did not return. Probably because he was too old, but also God needed him to stay where he was. Daniel has been mourning for three weeks. Why? Remember what Ezra finds when he goes to Jerusalem? Israel has fallen back into its sinful ways again, and he needs to preach the gospel to them. That's years away, though. Daniel's mourning is probably because he has seen how few people of Israel have accepted the king's offer to return. They have fallen away to the point of indifference.
Now, Daniel is visited by an angel. The description of the man from verse 5 onward is very similar to John's description of Christ at the beginning of Revelation. So this may be a Christophany, a vision of Jesus before the incarnation. However, it may be Gabriel, who visited Daniel before. It may be another Angel of the Lord, representing God to Daniel and speaking with his words. Daniel alone sees the vision, and the men who are with him do not, even though they are filled with terror and run away, leaving the angel alone with Daniel. See Acts 9, where Saul is confronted by Christ on the road to Damascus and yet the ones who are with Saul see nothing. Daniel's reaction is the same as John's in Revelation: his strength leaves him, and he falls on his face. Yet, it is God himself, who lifts us up. We cannot stand in God's presence except that God forces us to rise. Likewise, in verse 15, Daniel is mute, but when the angel touches his lips, he can then speak. God is in control of our responses to his glory. Think of the Lord touching Jeremiah's lips in his first chapter, or in Isaiah 6, when the Angel touches his lips with a burning coal. In that case, the burning coal represented Christ, because Isaiah's sins had been atoned for and his guilt taken away.
Not only does Daniel see characters from the supernatural realm, he sees events that are taking place there. Like in chapter 9, God sent his Word to Daniel as soon as he began praying, but the Word was delayed, in this case for three weeks. Why? Because spiritual warfare is taking place. Here is a clear presentation of what goes on behind the scenes in the supernatural realm. We see this in many places in scripture. In this case, the Word of God was delayed because a demon (prince) who is in control of Persia delayed it coming, and the Archangel Michael was sent to do battle, so that this current angel, be it Gabriel or another, could get the answer to Daniel.
Each evil nation has its own "prince," and Daniel is told that when Persia's demon is vanquished, Greece's demon will come to power. But here is where in hopelessness, new hope is sown. Israel has its own "prince:" Michael. In verse 11:1 the angel speaking to Daniel reveals that he himself strengthened Darius two years prior. This was probably in connection with the decree to permit the Jews to return to their homeland. Long story short: God fights for us. God sends us angels to fight for us. Daniel doesn't command Michael. Indeed, he has only just been made aware of him, but Daniel mourns and prays for his people, and God hears his prayers and acts by sending defense.
Our first thoughts are, "Why does God allow this situation? Isn't he God? Can't God just wipe out the demons with one fell swoop? Can't he get the message through to Daniel instantaneously?" Yes, of course he can! Ours is not an impotent God. But we must remember one of the 5 solas: Solo Deo Gloria, or "for the Glory of God alone." Everything God does is to glorify himself to world, and if that means allowing devils to gain earthly footholds so that his angels can do battle with them, then that is what needs to be done. That's why, even though the actual prophecy doesn't come until chapter 11, this vision of the goings on in the spiritual realm is very important. Why does God achieve salvation for his children in certain ways? He has his reasons. Why does he allow evil to seem to flourish? He has his reasons. Here are some clues:
Peter writes in his second epistle, "The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance." A drawn out, spiritual battle gives people a chance to choose sides. Which prince are you following? The evil princes of Persia and Greece, or God's princes of Israel: Michael and Gabriel?
Paul writes in the ninth chapter of Romans, "What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory..." What inspires and reveals the glory of a kingdom more than a military victory? We don't have to see the battle take place, we just have to know that its happening, like in 1666 when the English sailed out to battle the Dutch, the people of London couldn't witness the battle but they would hear back of the victories. We can't see the battles, but the scriptures tell us that we are on the right side, and that our kingdom is and will be victorious.
We must not think the war between angels and demons should be the focus of our attention. Many think the Christian life is about commanding angels to do our bidding and to rebuke the demons. If something terrible happens to believers, our first reaction is to think there's a demon involved and get to work in spiritual warfare. Remember, God disciplines those he loves, and he allows evil to happen as chastisement for believers and judgment on unbelievers. Pray to God, not to demons or even good angels. We are aware that the battle is happening, and that is enough, because the real purpose of knowing that such is taking place in the spiritual realm is to turn our attention back to Jesus Christ.
Even the angels are types and shadows of Christ, doing battle on our behalf, just as Christ did against the devil, rescuing us from Satan's clutches by the sacrifice of himself on the cross at cavalry. The vision that Daniel is given of the supernatural, revealed to us today in the pages of scripture, is another aid, pointing us to Christ and the foot of the cross.
The vision, like the others before it, is disturbing and does not quench Daniel's terror. In fact, it increases the terror. As Christians, we should be wary of being comfortable. Strength and courage come to us when we are at rock bottom. If we are comfortable, we rely on ourselves. When we fail in that regard, when we have nothing else, we turn to God and he brings us up. The Christian life is full of God's discipline. When we are being chastised, we cannot think of this as a failure at being a Christian. This means we are getting God's attention at the moment, and he is molding us further, like a potter with his clay. We are being sanctified.
God loves us at our most repentant and vulnerable. God loves us when we submit to his Word and repent of our own self-righteousness. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." Christ is making Daniel's path straight at this point, and he makes our paths straight by revealing his will in these pages.
Jesus says in the beatitudes, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." Daniel mourned for Israel. Christians mourn for their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. This is our way of fighting on God's side for his kingdom, like Michael and Gabriel. The angels' actions are types and shadows of Christ's ultimate act in history. All three of these levels--penitent prayer, spiritual warfare, and Christ's sacrifice--are three parts of the same whole: fighting for God's kingdom.
This is the third year of King Cyrus of Persia. He has already made the decree to send Israel back to its land and rebuild. Daniel did not return. Probably because he was too old, but also God needed him to stay where he was. Daniel has been mourning for three weeks. Why? Remember what Ezra finds when he goes to Jerusalem? Israel has fallen back into its sinful ways again, and he needs to preach the gospel to them. That's years away, though. Daniel's mourning is probably because he has seen how few people of Israel have accepted the king's offer to return. They have fallen away to the point of indifference.
Now, Daniel is visited by an angel. The description of the man from verse 5 onward is very similar to John's description of Christ at the beginning of Revelation. So this may be a Christophany, a vision of Jesus before the incarnation. However, it may be Gabriel, who visited Daniel before. It may be another Angel of the Lord, representing God to Daniel and speaking with his words. Daniel alone sees the vision, and the men who are with him do not, even though they are filled with terror and run away, leaving the angel alone with Daniel. See Acts 9, where Saul is confronted by Christ on the road to Damascus and yet the ones who are with Saul see nothing. Daniel's reaction is the same as John's in Revelation: his strength leaves him, and he falls on his face. Yet, it is God himself, who lifts us up. We cannot stand in God's presence except that God forces us to rise. Likewise, in verse 15, Daniel is mute, but when the angel touches his lips, he can then speak. God is in control of our responses to his glory. Think of the Lord touching Jeremiah's lips in his first chapter, or in Isaiah 6, when the Angel touches his lips with a burning coal. In that case, the burning coal represented Christ, because Isaiah's sins had been atoned for and his guilt taken away.
Not only does Daniel see characters from the supernatural realm, he sees events that are taking place there. Like in chapter 9, God sent his Word to Daniel as soon as he began praying, but the Word was delayed, in this case for three weeks. Why? Because spiritual warfare is taking place. Here is a clear presentation of what goes on behind the scenes in the supernatural realm. We see this in many places in scripture. In this case, the Word of God was delayed because a demon (prince) who is in control of Persia delayed it coming, and the Archangel Michael was sent to do battle, so that this current angel, be it Gabriel or another, could get the answer to Daniel.
Each evil nation has its own "prince," and Daniel is told that when Persia's demon is vanquished, Greece's demon will come to power. But here is where in hopelessness, new hope is sown. Israel has its own "prince:" Michael. In verse 11:1 the angel speaking to Daniel reveals that he himself strengthened Darius two years prior. This was probably in connection with the decree to permit the Jews to return to their homeland. Long story short: God fights for us. God sends us angels to fight for us. Daniel doesn't command Michael. Indeed, he has only just been made aware of him, but Daniel mourns and prays for his people, and God hears his prayers and acts by sending defense.
Our first thoughts are, "Why does God allow this situation? Isn't he God? Can't God just wipe out the demons with one fell swoop? Can't he get the message through to Daniel instantaneously?" Yes, of course he can! Ours is not an impotent God. But we must remember one of the 5 solas: Solo Deo Gloria, or "for the Glory of God alone." Everything God does is to glorify himself to world, and if that means allowing devils to gain earthly footholds so that his angels can do battle with them, then that is what needs to be done. That's why, even though the actual prophecy doesn't come until chapter 11, this vision of the goings on in the spiritual realm is very important. Why does God achieve salvation for his children in certain ways? He has his reasons. Why does he allow evil to seem to flourish? He has his reasons. Here are some clues:
Peter writes in his second epistle, "The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance." A drawn out, spiritual battle gives people a chance to choose sides. Which prince are you following? The evil princes of Persia and Greece, or God's princes of Israel: Michael and Gabriel?
Paul writes in the ninth chapter of Romans, "What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory..." What inspires and reveals the glory of a kingdom more than a military victory? We don't have to see the battle take place, we just have to know that its happening, like in 1666 when the English sailed out to battle the Dutch, the people of London couldn't witness the battle but they would hear back of the victories. We can't see the battles, but the scriptures tell us that we are on the right side, and that our kingdom is and will be victorious.
We must not think the war between angels and demons should be the focus of our attention. Many think the Christian life is about commanding angels to do our bidding and to rebuke the demons. If something terrible happens to believers, our first reaction is to think there's a demon involved and get to work in spiritual warfare. Remember, God disciplines those he loves, and he allows evil to happen as chastisement for believers and judgment on unbelievers. Pray to God, not to demons or even good angels. We are aware that the battle is happening, and that is enough, because the real purpose of knowing that such is taking place in the spiritual realm is to turn our attention back to Jesus Christ.
Even the angels are types and shadows of Christ, doing battle on our behalf, just as Christ did against the devil, rescuing us from Satan's clutches by the sacrifice of himself on the cross at cavalry. The vision that Daniel is given of the supernatural, revealed to us today in the pages of scripture, is another aid, pointing us to Christ and the foot of the cross.
The vision, like the others before it, is disturbing and does not quench Daniel's terror. In fact, it increases the terror. As Christians, we should be wary of being comfortable. Strength and courage come to us when we are at rock bottom. If we are comfortable, we rely on ourselves. When we fail in that regard, when we have nothing else, we turn to God and he brings us up. The Christian life is full of God's discipline. When we are being chastised, we cannot think of this as a failure at being a Christian. This means we are getting God's attention at the moment, and he is molding us further, like a potter with his clay. We are being sanctified.
God loves us at our most repentant and vulnerable. God loves us when we submit to his Word and repent of our own self-righteousness. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." Christ is making Daniel's path straight at this point, and he makes our paths straight by revealing his will in these pages.
Jesus says in the beatitudes, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." Daniel mourned for Israel. Christians mourn for their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. This is our way of fighting on God's side for his kingdom, like Michael and Gabriel. The angels' actions are types and shadows of Christ's ultimate act in history. All three of these levels--penitent prayer, spiritual warfare, and Christ's sacrifice--are three parts of the same whole: fighting for God's kingdom.
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