Archive | Theology RSS feed for this section

Of Childlike Faith

By on in Theology

Jesus said, “Unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven (Matt 18:3-4).” Then when looking more closely at what our LORD said elsewhere, He also brings attention to living a humble life in such a way that the effort is placed squarely on the person seeking access to heaven and a lowly status, among others (Matt 23:12).

Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
– Matt 18:3-4

Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
– Matt 23:12

So by listening and reason, we can conclude that the LORD wants his followers to not only humble themselves but do so by becoming childlike. It would appear that these two principles are not mutually exclusive either, but instead, they really overlap each other. To answer the question, what it looks like to humble yourself and what the expected outcomes are. Specifically, to humble yourself as a child to get access to heaven and become exalted there.

This is another very clear demand from the LORD. A demand we end our preferences and pursuits of status, popularity, wealth, power, self-reliance, personal rights, and control.[1] So that those who would follow Him ask even a new question, “How can I do the greatest good for people who need my help, no matter what it costs me?

[1] John Piper, “What Jesus Demands of the World” (Crossway, Wheaton Illinois), 134

The War on Pride

By on in Theology

Pride appears among people in various forms, but much less apparent as outward arrogance. It is where the root of it is the hypocrisy that says, “I am superior” or “I am above this person, situation, or circumstance.” It is the absence of love.

“Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love respectful greetings in the marketplaces, and chief seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets, who devour widows’ houses, and for appearance’s sake offer long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.” – Luke 20:46–47 NASB

In Luke 20:46-47, there is this spectacle of greater condemnation among those who hold themselves in higher regard than others. Where from these is an abiding expectation of due honor and recognition of status. So, by contrast, Jesus speaks of necessary humility from among those who are His.

Imagine being resentful while appearing before God at the judgment because felt rewards are not in keeping with your service, obedience, and work for His kingdom and glory. Rather instead choose this spirit and mindset, “the joy of the humble does not reside in being deserving, but in receiving mercy.” As those who are His are yet considered saints and unworthy servants in and of themselves. [1]

Jesus calls our attention to three specific sources of pride. Self-rule, merit, and pleasure by feeling superior to others or above others. In contrast, individual prideful outcomes turn up unwanted behaviors, sour outward emotions, or counter-productive inward thoughts of defiance, entitlement, and superiority.

As we crave the praise of others, it affects our purchase choices, where we choose to live, our pursuits, lifestyles, where we sit in a meeting, or by what title we put in front of our name. Not that these efforts, things, or appearances are wrongful in themselves, but instead that there is a distinct presence of love for them. So often, we get feelings of superiority because of what value or conclusions they can produce within us.

(Matt 23:4-7, 12, Luke 18:11-14, Matt 5:3, Matt 6:1,5, 16, Luke 20:46-47, Luke 17:10, Luke 22:25-26, Matt 11:30)

A heart of a servant requires a willingness and humility to do lowly service.

Therefore, it is because we are as unworthy servants who deserve nothing good that we must have unending gratitude for the joy and mercy received from God. Moreover, through Jesus’s parables, illustrations, warnings, and teachings, we carry ourselves having that conviction that there is a permanent war on pride.

[1] John Piper, “What Jesus Demands of the World” (Crossway, Wheaton Illinois), 129

A Voice of Reason

By on in Theology

Jesus has made plain that He demands we speak clearly and openly without fear of what people can do to us. Even if it costs you your life, health, or livelihood. There are five scriptural motivations for us to take to heart in view of the LORD’s desire for us.

The way Jesus is treated is the way you shall be treated also. This in fact cements us together with Him (Matt 10:26).
In the end, all truth will be revealed and all reality will be uncovered. Vindication will follow (Matt 10:26).
Only our bodies can be killed. The gravity of error is greater by not speaking truth openly and clearly (Matt 10:28).
God is closer to us than we think. He is intensely aware of our circumstances. Be of courage and speak truth whatever the cost (Matt 10:30).
God has given us specific purpose and there is nothing that can get in the way of that (Matt 10:31).

The Burdens of Thought

By on in Theology

There are at least several reasons Jesus gives for his disciples not to be anxious. He wants the pressure of worry off of us.

Life is not for physical pleasures, but the enjoyment of God. Life is given with the intent of eternal life with God. Life is given for the approval of God.
God will remain God no matter what, and He provides our needs.
It’s of no value. It doesn’t get you anywhere. I will only make you miserable.
God delights to adorn things. He will give us all we need to do His will.
Gentiles seek after necessities. Anxiety puts us on the same level as the world of unbelievers.
God knows what we need. Anxiety shows that we are too close to the world and too far from God.
God will give us “all these things” (Matt 6:33) to fulfill His calling in our lives.

The more Jesus is centered as Lord of our lives and the more focused we are on God’s kingdom, the less anxiety we will bear.

Pray & Take Heart

By on in Theology

The reason we pray is to bring glory to God (Jn 14:13) and obtain joy in God (Jn 17:13). That to pray by His will, this, in turn, brings us joy. Not by repetitive words, platitudes or complicated requests, but in simplicity, because the LORD knows what it is we need before we ask (Mt. 6:7-8).

When we end our prayers by “In Jesus’s name, Amen” that is an acknowledgment and affirmation that it is possible to pray to the Father because of the access we are given by the LORD’s sacrifice and resurrection. Since we have this gift of access, we are to pray continually, in private and with perseverance in a manner by which He taught us (Mt 6:9-13). Our persistence in prayer and pleas to Him is to meet our needs and carry out His will.

It is also by Jesus’s instruction that we are to pray by faith (Mk 11:22, 24). That is simply one condition by which we pray. Another is given in John 15:7 where He says, ” If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” To mean, we are to remain in Him, in fellowship, and in His words. To know Him where there is a relationship there to underlie our prayers to Him and the Father.

Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart. – Lk 18:1

In his guidance, He further explains how to pray and how not to pray. For whom we are to pray and for what we are to pray. Moreover, he gives us specifics and examples to learn from and apply.

Pray in truth without hypocrisy and with full confession (Matt 6:5-6). The LORD had some of the strongest words of condemnation for hypocritical people. So we are to pray for ourselves. Pray for everyone without exception. Even for our enemies and for those who insult and curse us (Lk 6:28).

And so finally, the LORD’S prayer is modeled for us to remember and put into practice. In the words of John Piper, here is the breakdown of how it goes.

Our Father in heaven,

1. Hallowed be your name.
This is to pray that all people would pursue the glory of God. The first function of prayer.

2. Your kingdom come.
That in our lives, His kingdom would reign in our hearts and minds.

3. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
That we put into effect His will here on Earth just as it is done in heaven. Without hesitation, in full zeal, and by exceptional effort.

4. Give us this day our daily bread.
To meet our daily physical needs for body and mind.

5. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
The continued requests for forgiveness of our daily failure to honor Him.

6. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
A request for the protection against the evil one and from temptations.

In Spirit & Truth

By on in Theology

It is written that Christ demands we treasure God above all (Matt 6:24). Our whole lives are supposed to be centered upon service to the Father through Christ. In addition to praise, gratitude, and affection, our rational service of worship rests in our efforts for Him (Rom 12:1 NASB).

In contrast to where we would worship, we would begin to worship God in our spirit and in truth in His presence. Not solely in a dedicated location as it is written (Jn 4:20), but specifically in spirit and truth (Jn 4:23-24). Through Jesus, having access to God to worship Him by our spirit, His Holy Spirit, and in truth.

The people honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.
Matt 15:8-9

Whereas the LORD Himself makes alive our spirit, we are engaged and sensitive to cast our affections upon Him. To glorify, praise, and worship Him. For who and what He is. For what he has done and is going to do. For all His attributes and everything revealed.

It is in this spirit, by His Spirit, that we are able to recognize, serve, and overflow with the truth of our Lord Jesus. The truth by which to see and worship God for His glory through Christ.

Fear of God

By on in Theology

But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me.
Luke 19:27

To echo the words of Jesus, He said, “Fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in Hell (Mt 10:28).” This is eternal punishment for sin and unbelief. More than anyone throughout the entire Bible, Jesus spoke of this place of torment. He referred to it as a fiery furnace and outer darkness, depending upon a given point of reference. It is an eternal fire.

Where this place is not a natural outcome or consequence of bad choices or rejecting God, it is not merely self-imposed; it is the penalty of God’s wrath. It is a place of infinite rage imposed by a holy God for legitimate reasons.

If God, who is infinitely worthy, honorable, and desirable, holds infinite authority and value is rejected, that rejection becomes an infinitely outrageous offense. Where is a situation to, therefore, requires appropriate punishment. Moreover, to quote John Piper:

Hell is not an overreaction to small offenses. It is a witness to the infinite worth of God and to the outrageous dishonor of human sin. – John Piper, “What Jesus Demands of the World” Pg 98.

The urgency of Jesus’ words is, therefore, great mercy. It is a warning that God, our Father’s wrath, is infinite toward those who distrust the one who loved us and gave His Son to die in our place.

This warning to live in a holy fear is an abundant gift and great mercy.

Joy Made Full

By on in Theology

The love of Christ for us is so profound that it is the very joy that the Father has in the Son.

Rejoicing in the Father and the Son is essential in glorifying God. Rejoicing in God is glorifying God. And Jesus is committed to making that happen within us. Through our suffering. Through our sacrifice. Through self-denial. Through worship, admiration, and fellowship.

“Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man!
Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets. ” – Lk 6:22-23

To delight in creation more than the Creator is treason. Jesus’ demand for us to hope in Him with great joy is not unaided by His Spirit within us. We are given his continual presence by the Spirit placed within us. To experience the fullness of his presence and the joy it brings to glorify God the Father and the Son.

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” – Mt 13:44

It is in this joy of the believer that the trauma of sin is removed.

Shema

By on in Theology

Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” – Mk 12:29-31

To reject Jesus is to reject God. Jesus demands that we love God with all that we are for all that He is. Love for God and loving God are two separate things. That is, loving the person, being God. His identity, who and what He is.

In so doing, God’s glory becomes our supreme pleasure. That in our practice of loving God, our preference above all else is to know Him. This love is mostly an expression of affections, not solely behavior.

A natural outcome of this love of God is a love for people. Loving people is a byproduct of loving God. What happens in the heart is essential. Where outward behaviors will become pleasing to God when those behaviors stem from delight, admiration, and love for God.

Love leads to expression through the soul (life), mind (thought), and strength (effort). So that any other thing we love or treasure through occupation, hobbies, or interests is themselves means of treasuring God.

We will love God to the degree we know him.

Fighter’s Resolve

By on in Theology

“Most mysterious of all the stories of Jacob is that of his wrestling with the angel, and many different explanations of it have been offered, religious, symbolical, metaphorical. As told in the Bible, the tale is simply this. Jacob, returning with all his garnered wealth toward Palestine, must have followed much the same route as did his grandfather Abraham, before him. From Syria, he passed southward through Damascus and then by one of the eastern tributaries of the Jordan came down into its valley. Here he sent all of his people before him across the ford of a little stream called the Jabbok, while he remained alone all night upon the bank of the stream.

‎During the night an angel, or perhaps the Lord Himself, came as a man and wrestled with him. Jacob put forth all his bodily strength, but in the end, his spiritual opponent paused and, merely touching Jacob’s thigh, made him lame and helpless. Yet with his arms, Jacob clung resolutely to his antagonist and refused to let him go unless he would bless Jacob. Then the vision blessed him, and changed his name, as Abram’s had been changed, saying “Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel; for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.”

-The Bible and its Story, Volume 1: The Law, Genesis to Leviticus

Take Up Your Cross

By on in Theology

“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” – Matt 16:24-25

Here is what it means to follow Jesus. It is to join Him in what He came to do as it is to gather with Him (Lk 11:23). That is, to gather followers for the glory of his Father. Furthermore, following the LORD Yeshua also means that those who are His share in his suffering. He knew that His pain would also spill over onto those who follow Him (Jn 15:20).

As John Piper puts it, His followers will also experience ruptures in their relationships with people, possessions, and vocation. There will be a loss of friends and family, setting aside treasure, objects, and belongings. And, at times, an abandonment of career pursuits and what others view as worldly aspirations. It is the overall decrease of self-interest in exchange for His interests and what He came to do.

Abide in Me

By on in Theology

While thinking through what it means to abide in Christ, here His words come through.

So Jesus was saying to those […] who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” – Jn 8:31

That is to say, to abide in Him is to abide in His word. That in doing so, the fruit of that is to live without pervasive sin. That is the bearing fruit He speaks of further along in His teaching.

“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” – Jn 15:5

That is we are unable to do anything good or of benefit to ourselves and the kingdom if we were to no longer abide. To dwell in Him is to be free from sin. Able to serve and honor Him with fruit by being of good use to the Lord and others.

Another really incredible point to carefully think through is that God Himself keeps us dwelling. We are responsible for whether or not we abide, but it is Jesus that causes our faith to remain (Jn 17:11-12). Once we are sealed by the Holy Spirit, it is He who causes us to turn back if we might doubt, neglect, or deny Christ. Moreover, in John Piper‘s words, it is Jesus’ demand that we abide in him so that we keep trusting the one who keeps us trusting.

We remain attached to Jesus by abiding in Him through His word.

¹ John Piper, What Jesus Demands from the World (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2006), 67.