The Temple

Could you help me out? Please define the above term off the top of your head - no Bible study or looking up verses, just a quick definition you would give to a 8-12 year old. What does it mean to “Walk by the Spirit”?

Put your answer in the comments section…thanks.

Technorati Tags: Holy Spirit

Tim Challies has gathered some great quotes about the Bible, check them out here.

Lasik surgery today. Thanks to all you wonderful people at Nuevo Community Church. Here is one of my favorite stories in the Bible:

Mark 8:22-25 22 And they came to Bethsaida. And they brought a blind man to Jesus and implored Him to touch him. 23 Taking the blind man by the hand, He brought him out of the village; and after spitting on his eyes and laying His hands on him, He asked him, “Do you see anything?” 24 And he looked up and said, “I see men, for I see them like trees, walking around.” 25 Then again He laid His hands on his eyes; and he looked intently and was restored, and began to see everything clearly.

Here’s to seeing clearly - both physically and spiritually…

Technorati Tags: Blind, Lasik, Mark 8:22-25, Vision

God forbid we ignore the arguments proposed in the Scripture for His existence. Paul offers the most famous argument in Romans 1.

Here is what it says:

18: For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. 19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. 21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing to be wise they became fools…

Paul argues that the knowledge of God is innate (evident within them).

A denial of God is suppression of the truth

Paul argues that the knowledge of God is not only innate, but observable (evident to them).

Really Paul appeals to two things here. He appeals to knowledge that he says is basic to all humanity. It is a foundational belief. It is as basic as other ideas that we have such as the principle of non-contradiction. We seem to know without any learning or observing, that things cannot be two different things at the same time. “A” cannot be “A” and “not A” at the same time. Small children know this. I am an incurable tease. One of the games I play with children has to do with this idea of contradiction. I will call something green when it is actually red. Their response is generally immediate and strong. Now I know that they were taught that it was red, but they were not taught that it was not green, but they know this innately. They never respond, “oh, it is red and green?” It is knowledge of this sort that we are saying is knowledge of God.

If it is innate, why aren’t all people theists. Paul answers that question as well. Atheism and unbelief are suppressions of the truth. He identifies this as unrighteousness. Now this isn’t only a moral judgment, it is a judgment of justice and truth. This truth is known to all, unbelief is a rejection of what is genuinely and innately true. This suppression Paul also claims leads to futility in thinking (purposelessness, nihilism) and a cloak of darkness. He also picks up on the Old Testament declaration that this rejection of God is foolishness

It is upon this basic belief of the knowledge of God that a naturalistic argument can be made. The evidence that we can perceive and see teaches us about God’s attributes, power and nature.

Paul really appeals to two lines of argumentation here: what is known in philosophy as foundationalism and the teleological argument.

Technorati Tags: Paul, Romans 1:18-21, Arguments for God’s Existence, Innate, Foundationalism, Basic Belief

This post is a follow up on the Second Coming post a few days ago. I asked the question what is the real meaning of “coming on the clouds”? Here I want to relate the saying to the real meaning of the ascension. It is my opinion that too much emphasis is placed on the physical movement of Christ as it is described here, as opposed to the significance of the picture as it is set up for us in the Old Testament. Read more »

So why does he command it?

With all of our objecting to this command (Be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect; Matthew 5:48 & like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves in all your behavior; 1 Peter 1:16), we have missed the point and excused ourselves away from sanctification. How many times have you heard or used these excuses:

• I’m only human
• Everyone makes mistakes
• We will always sin
• No one is perfect

I see this as a totally unbiblical pattern of thought. The command to be perfect is not a phrase that needs to be explained away, rather it should be used as the goal for which we continually strive. It is essentially no different from the goal of the Christian to attain to the stature of Christ. No one would object to the statement that we need to be like Christ, but they squirm when called to “be perfect.” Christ was perfect. Be like Christ.

When we adopt any of the above excuses, we short-circuit a God-given process of sanctification. Here is a better statement to put into your thinking patterns:

“I don’t have to sin anymore.”

What a novel statement. I don’t have to sin anymore. It is true, biblical and helpful. It is my interpretation of “consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God.” To consider means to regard as accurate or true. Telling yourself that you aren’t perfect is the opposite of considering yourself dead to sin. It is regarding yourself as still alive to sin, at least a little bit. It is unholy wiggle room.

Can we be perfect? I think it is the wrong question. How does perfect (insert Christ here) act? That is a better question. I can be like Christ. The Spirit of God dwells in the believer and is able to keep me from falling. I can submit to the Spirit. This could work. I could stop sinning.

I cannot figure out what is wrong with the above line of reasoning, therefore I am going to let that idea rule in my head for a while.

Here are John Calvin’s comments on 1 Peter 1:15-16:

He who has called you is holy. He reasons from the end for which we are called. God sets us apart as a peculiar people for himself; then we ought to be free from all pollutions. And he quotes a sentence which had been often repeated by Moses. For as the people of Israel were on every side surrounded by heathens, from whom they might have easily adopted the worst examples and innumerable corruptions, the Lord frequently recalled them to himself, as though he had said, “Ye have to do with me, ye are mine; then abstain from the pollutions of the Gentiles.” We are too ready to look to men, so as to follow their common way of living. Thus it happens, that some lead others in troops to all kinds of evil, until the Lord by his calling separates them.

In bidding us to be holy like himself, the proportion is not that of equals; but we ought to advance in this direction as far as our condition will bear. And as even the most perfect are always very far from coming up to the mark, we ought daily to strive more and more. And we ought to remember that we are not only told what our duty is, but that God also adds, “I am he who sanctify you.”

It is added, In all manner of conversation, or, in your whole conduct. There is then no part of our life which is not to be redolent with this good odour of holiness. For we see that in the smallest things and almost insignificant, the Lord accustomed his people to the practice of holiness, in order that they might exercise a more diligent care as to themselves.

Stop making excuses.

Technorati Tags: Be Perfect, Matthew 5:49, 1 Peter 1:15, Sin

Matthew 12, Mark 3 and Luke 11 are the three passages in the gospels where the idea of the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is related to us. It is often asked: What is the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit and can I commit it? Many answers I hear and read fall short of the mark in terms of relating what the issue is in context and why it is so egregious. Missing that essential point, many Bible teachers and answer programs default this specific, egregious sin to simple unbelief until death. The blasphemy of the HS is not simply unbelief. It is more than that…so what is it?

First, let me express my conclusions before making my argument. The Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit cannot be committed today. It is a sin that is historically and contextually confined to the nation of Israel and the time of Christ, the time we would define as the “fullness of time.” This is important. To generalize the time and the event, makes this event in the life of Christ and the nation of Israel simply one more act of disobedience. Jesus is saying that this specific act is “unforgivable”; it is the final rejection of God by disbelieving national Israel. In essence, he is bringing the charge against the nation that will justify the breaking of the everlasting covenant made with Israel in favor of the New Covenant in His blood. So asking the question, “Is it about me?” misses the point, and the historical significance of the actions of the Scribes and Pharisees.

First, the Blasphemy of the Spirit has to do with the kingdom. The context is an exorcism. Jesus is casting demons out. His answer to the challenge of authority and source (He casts out demons by the ruler of demons) is summarized by the statement: “If I cast out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” Jesus is declaring that He is the king, and that He brings the kingdom. Some talk about Jesus “offering” the kingdom at this point, as if it were an option he were leaving up to His followers. This is not the case. He establishes His kingdom in the Incarnation.

Throughout the gospels we have glimpses and revelation of the presence of the triune God. This is the incredible exposure of the Incarnation. So at the baptism of Jesus, we see the Son, the Father speaks, the Spirit descends and rests on Him. Other places hint of this as well, like the Transfiguration. Here there is also this mixture of revelation. Jesus is present among his chosen people. The Spirit is wielded as the instrument of power and transformation in casting out the demonic. The Father is also present, embodied in Him is the authority. So we have this unique environment. This was in fact the “fullness of time” where the nation is exposed to the inner sanctuary; in glory, power and proximity. It is in this holy place that the Pharisees/Scribes blaspheme. It is the equivalent of entering the Holy of Holies and saying that it was the abode of Satan. That is unforgivable.

When Jesus says all manner of sin will be forgiven, even words spoken against the Son, he is speaking of those sins of confusion, doubt, temporary arrogance, sinful proclivity. This sin is by nature unforgivable because of the time, the persons, the place of its committal. It is not simply oversight, or the failure of the moment. It is the absolute failure of the nation embodied in its leadership to bow the knee to the king. Instead, they call him the devil, and plot to kill him. It is in this light that the parable of the Landowner should be read and interpreted (Matthew 21:33-46; Luke 20:9-18 and Isaiah 5:1-7; Psalm 118:22). The blasphemy of the Holy Spirit and the rejection by the “vine-growers” of the son are one in the same act. This is the act that causes God to “come and destroy these vine-growers and will give the vineyard to others.”

This is the fullness of time. The Pharisees were to be the light to the nations, and the guide to the sheep of Israel. When Messiah came they were to point to him and say: “He’s here!” Instead they tell all around, “He is the devil” The fullness of the radiance of the godhead is present in Christ in the midst of His people, His covenant people. The moment they had all been waiting for and praying for.

So the book of Luke (Luke 11:37-54) follows up on this incident with the woes upon the Pharisees and the judgment that falls upon this generation. “The blood of all the prophets, shed since the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation” (Luke 11:50). In their participation in the crucifixion, they have sealed their position against God, and He breaks the covenant with them - ultimately fulfilling the words of Christ in destroying the temple. There is no forgiveness for that. It is over. The nation and the system of the Old Covenant are now obsolete and done away with. A new covenant supersedes and is now in place. There is salvation in no one else.

The blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is easily summed up in the words found in Mark 3:30:

“because they (Scribes in Mark) were saying “He (that is Jesus) has an unclean spirit (that in reference to the HS).”

Those three elements are necessary for the sin to be committed: God’s chosen leadership in the nation of Israel; God’s chosen Servant, the Messiah Jesus Christ the Incarnate; God’s Holy Spirit, supernaturally revealing and working through the Messiah. As people of faith we often desire a more blatant expression of the existence and presence of God. If it were more tangible, it would be easier to believe and walk with God. The nation had exactly that in the person of Christ and rejected Him (see John 20:29). That is the most egregious sin possible, therefore unforgivable.

Technorati Tags: Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, Luke 11:14-36,

Luke offers us a much briefer version of the Lord’s Prayer than does Matthew.

Luke 11:1 It happened that while Jesus was praying in a certain place, after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples.”

Jesus’ normal practice included the retreat into prayer: Luke 6:12; 9:18, 28; 11:1; 22:39-45.

What a great request on the part of the disciples: “teach us to pray”
What a great revelation of motive: “as John taught his disciples” (Keeping up with the competition).

Psalm 10:17 O LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their heart, You will incline Your ear

This request, made humbly and with the right motives is a powerful prayer.

Luke 11:2 And He said to them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come.

There is a casualness in our modern praying that has diminished its sacredness and holiness.

Here in Luke Jesus simply says “Father.”

Hallowed (archaic); Make Your name holy

The Greek literally says: Father, Sanctify your name!

“Father, Make your name holy” is the force of this first request. Luke gives it to us in this bare form. In Matthew it is much more adorned: “Our Father, who is in heaven, Make your name holy.” Here is some OT background: Read more »

In the book of Genesis we are told the story of the first sin, and the curse that results from the sin. Three entities are cursed in Genesis 3: the Serpent, Eve, Adam. The curse upon the Serpent speaks to us of the gospel(it is called the proto-evangelium): “And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.”

The serpent and mankind would be at war, the ultimate end to this battle is the cross of Christ. That is where the serpent bruises Christ on the heel as Christ crushes his head. The next time you watch The Passion of the Christ notice how Mel Gibson works this verse into that masterpiece.

The woman is also cursed with pain in childbirth.

The man is cursed with having to work for food. Apparently before this, God freely provided food in the garden with no effort on the part of Adam. As a result of sin, he now has to toil, sweat to grow food. Weeds now take the place of food in the sense that they grow with no attention paid by Adam, with no effort. How true that is.

The rest of the Bible is filled with allusions to the reversal of the curse. It is the promise of the Old Testament and is fulfilled in Christ. The story of God providing manna in the wilderness and Jesus feeding the five thousand are both built on this intention of God to reverse the curse. This is why God is so interested in caring for the poor in the Bible. It reveals not only His compassionate nature, but His saving purpose.

Why do we miss so many of these allusions? We worship the idol of physical life. We have been duped into thinking that physical life is the highest expression of life. But the Bible speaks to us of spiritual life. God is described as “Spirit” which makes spirit life superior to physical life. This means that the work of Jesus is giving us spiritual life is more important than Him healing physical disease. A hard pill for us to swallow until we give up the idol of physical life.

My next post will be a synopsis of last week’s sermon on the Lord’s Prayer in Luke 11. This focus on food will find its way into our understanding of “Give us this day our daily bread.”

Technorati Tags: Curse, Genesis 3, Life, Proto-evangelium

Mark Goodacre at NT Gateway Weblog gives 8 easy steps to understanding the Synoptic Problem. If you don’t know what that is, you need 8 easy steps, so check it out.

ht: Mark Goodacre

Technorati Tags: Synoptic Problem, Gospels