Always Reforming

"And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.  Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love."     We need to be mature Christians because not everyone who stands up and reads the Bible is actually delivering a message of God to us.  Remember, when Satan tempted Jesus in Luke 4, he

"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete."     Jesus Christ is life.  He is eternal life.  Heaven is heaven because it is a permanent state of fellowship with God and with the life that was manifested, in human flesh, to the world.  "And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." John 17:3      In this passage we have the clear and yet impossible-to-comprehend concept elucidated fo

"Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh."      This post is going to get me into trouble.  You have to promise to read all of it if you read any of it.  Promise?  Okay...continue.     Did you know that nowhere in the Bible does God condemn fornication as the English dictionary defines it?  If we define fornication as sexual intercourse between an unmarried man and an unmarried woman, the Bible does not condemn this.  It condemns homosexuality (Leviticus 18:22).  It condemns incest (Lev 18:6).  It condemns adultery (in the Ten Commandments, people).  It condemns sexual intercourse during the woman's menstrual cycle (Lev 18:19).  It even explicitly condemns bestiality, as if that wasn't a clear one (Lev 18:23).  But nowhere, that I can find, does the Bible (Old or New Testament) condemn the act of two unmarried people engaging in sexual intercourse (I know the KJV says fornication several time

"Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour."     This passage is chalk full of practical instruction that is urgently needed in not only this present society, but even in the Church.  I will draw from it, however, only two quick thoughts.  Firstly, the young people in our churches need to heed this call to subjection to authority or the next generation will be worse off than we.  This subjection is rooted in the humility that Peter so strongly commends to their attention.  Humility is a necessary prerequisite for proper subjection to authority.  We need to belie

"And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God."     Paul tells the Philippians that his wish for them is love--abounding love--overflowing from their hearts.  This is no mere emotion.  This is no ignorant love.  No, it is tempered by knowledge and discernment.  This love requires using our brains.  This love requires knowledge of God's Word and application through wisdom.  But what is the end of this love?  Paul wants us to approve, or choose, that which is excellent.  How do we choose the excellent?       Firstly, we recognize that life doesn't always offer us the choice between right and wrong.  Sometimes life offers us wrong, right, and more right.  Too often this generation soothes its conscience by saying things l

"As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead you cause you to err, and destroy the way of your paths."     So, I'm posting this here where no one really reads anything I say because I know no one would like to hear what I say.  Here goes.  If, by some miracle, you're actually reading this, I warn you, I'm not a chauvinist.  I don't think women are worth less than men and therefore don't have the right to lead.  Instead, I believe the Bible outlines different roles for men and women.  Men shouldn't take over women's roles.  Women, in turn, shouldn't take over men's roles.  I'm not talking so much about cooking and clean versus lifting stuff.  I'm talking about leading and following.  I'm talking about earning the keep and keeping the home.      Without going into a lengthy discourse as to the Bible's view of roles in marriage and in government, I want to discuss

    "Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted."     Now for our final installment from 1 Timothy 1.  Here Paul officially settles the debate between modern day "legalists" and "licentiousists" (I made that last one up).  The law is good, if used lawfully.  This is a little bit of a play on words.  It's almost as if Paul is saying, "Well, of course the law is good, if we use it the way it was meant to be used."  Throughout the history of the Church (both the Old and New Testament Churc

"Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned."  After a little study I realized that I missed an aspect of what this verse was saying.  In the ESV it reads, " The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith."  The subtle choice of the word "charge" instead of "commandment" totally changes the meaning of the verse.  I searched versions to see which word seemed to be closer to the truth, and the majority of the versions, including very literal translations, render it "commandment".  The ESV translates it as if Paul is speaking of the charge that he is giving Timothy, or perhaps, the charge that they were given by God.  However, both Matthew Henry and John Calvin take it to mean the law of God.  Read in the context of the passage, this makes much sense.  Verse 7 says that some want to be teachers of the law but are ig

"As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith. The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions."     So, internet theologians abound.  Many of them desire to teach, which Paul doesn't reprimand.  In fact, we hear other places that he who desires the office of overseer desires a good, but heavy, office.  Teaching while yourself being ignorant...that's not so good.  Thankfully, as a Christian indulges in the meat of the Word of God, he grows and learns and is abl

"There are many who say, “Who will show us some good? Lift up the light of your face upon us, O Lord !” You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound.  In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord , make me dwell in safety."     Good.  How do we define good?  How do we define success, happiness, joy, fulfillment, etc?  In God's terms, or in man's terms?  There are many who tell us that we will be happy if we just get that job or that possession.  They tell us that we deserve this "good" and that in it we will find ourselves truly complete.  Unfortunately, there are many in the Church who peddle the Gospel in the same manner, telling us that the joy and prosperity found in God are primarily defined by our checkbook and stress-free lives.  "If the Lord lifts the light of His face upon you," they say, "you'll never have another worry.  All your bills will pay themselves.  Your family won

"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God. And I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses. And I will summon the grain and make it abundant and lay no famine upon you."      This is what God promised Israel that He would do in the New Covenant.  This is exactly what He is doing through Jesus Christ in our day and in the 2,000+ years since He sent Jesus to this planet.  This is a present reality that God is working out in His people, the Church.     A few things to note.  Firstly, God saves us from ourselves.  It is our hearts of stone that threaten our eternal destiny.  The Gospel is not merely that God sent His Son to deliver us from the guilt of sin, but also the cor

"So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied."     I'm sure we all wish this could be said of our church, or of our community, or of our state, country, etc.  What Christian body doesn't long to have peace, be built up, and multiply?  Even churches who don't believe in the whole "seeker friendly" thing truly long to have God-given, lasting growth (both spiritually and numerically).  The problem with modern churches is that they try to develop a formula for church growth. How many ten-step programs have we seen?  How many books have been written that guarantee your church a successful surge in attendance, if only you have enough faith to believe it's possible?  Well, here we have a God-ordained formula.     Firstly, we must keep in mind that it was God who was giving them peace and building them up.  They have n

"Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know—this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men." This is a mystery.  We can only begin to explain how men freely fulfill the foreordained plan of God.  God is outside of time and space and is not bound, as we are, to these elements.  Lord, your thoughts are above my thoughts, and your ways are way, way about my own!