1 Chronicles 11:1 Then all Israel gathered to David at Hebron and said, “Behold, we are your bone
and your flesh.
What is a mighty man of God? 1 Chronicles 11 contains within its bounds a listing of King David and his mighty men. David himself was a mighty man of God - described in 1 Samuel 13:14 as "a man after God's own heart". In 1 Chronicles 11 we are taken into the scene of David's coronation as King of Israel. The people of Israel all gathered to David to not only proclaim him as thier king, but to acknowledge why it was they recognized him as their God-sent King. Their comments and David's response in 1 Chronicles 11:1-10 will provide us three characteristics required to be mighty in God.
1. A Mighty man of God prioritizes the word of God
1 Chronicles 11:2-3 records these words of the people: “In times past, even when Saul was king, you were the one who led out and
brought in Israel; and the LORD your God said to
you, ‘You shall shepherd My people Israel, and you shall be prince over My
people Israel.’” 3So
all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and David made a covenant
with them in Hebron before the LORD; and they
anointed David king over Israel, according to the word of the LORD through Samuel.
These people affirmed the call of God on David's life. They brought back to his memory and their's the words God had spoken through various people to David in his 20 year journey from the shepherd's field to the throne. For instance, the prophet Samuel spoke in 1 Samuel 13:14 of how God had set his sights upon a "man after his own heart". That man of course would be David.
Or how about later on in the course of David's wanderings in the desert to get away from his enemies, where in 1 Samuel 25:30 a woman named Abigail would speak a prophetic word to David - signalling that all of God's purposes for Him would be accomplished.
David, the mighty man of God, heard and embraced these words in times of crisis and conflict. Any person who aims to be mighty in God, will only take seriously God's Word when they have embraced the scriptures in the times of weakness and distress. In David's life, the scriptures didn't have opportunity to gather dust. Crisis and conflict drove him to the text, since the grace of God was propelling Him forward to be Israel's next King.
2. A Mighty man of God prioritizes the worship of God
1 Chronicles 11:3 tells us that when the people said what they said, they anointed him "before the Lord". Everything that they and David did was in conscious awareness of the presence of God. A person who desires to be God-centered will do so to the degree they make conscious awareness of God and worship of God their priority.
Worship is not just confined to a couple of hours on a Sunday morning or singing a few songs out of a hymnal or song sheet. Worship is the Christian's life. The Older Christians used a Latin term to describe a lifestyle devoted to worship of God - Coram Dei (Co-ram day). It simply meant - "In the presence of God". Thus the Christian's aim, like David and His people, was to do everything with conscious acknowledgement of God's presence.
Worship of God recognizes His reign and rule in the realm of what we often term "secular" (from the latin "seculuum" meaning "that which is common"). Coronating a King would had been a public, commonly shared experience. Likewise these people equally recognized God's reign in the realm of the sacred (from the Latin "sacra" meaning holy), since they evoked the word of God spoken over David.
We are living in a culture that no longer recognizes the distinction between the sacred and the secular. Too often Christians relegate God only to the realm of the sacred. They come to houses of worship and sing the songs of praise, and yet throughout the rest of the week their time is viewed as "their time". Worship is to be a 24/7 affair for the believer. We must surely make that important distinction between sacred and secular, however we must equally affirm God's authority over both. Anyone who aims to be mighty in the Lord must be so saturated with a mindset of worship in everything that it becomes second nature. But notice thirdly how it is that David was a mighty man of God:
3. A Mighty man of God prioritizes Walking with God
We scan down to 1 Chronicles 11:9 and read these words in the NASB (New American Standard Bible) - "David became greater and greater, for the LORD of
hosts was with him." The Bible tells us that David became "greater and greater". In the original text we could translate: "David walked and walked more". In other words, throughout the course of David's public and private life, his "walk", his "relationship with God" grew deeper and deeper.
Yes there were those times where we clearly saw David's feet of clay. There were those moments where the grossest immorality and hatred leaked into his life. However David repented, exhibiting the chief mark of true conversion: repentance or turning away form one's sin in favor of fellowship and relationship with God. From beginning to end, David's overall pattern of life was that of "walking greater and greater" with God. The man with a feet of clay truly had a heart of gold beating for God.
May you and I be a people who prioritize three things:
1. The Word of God
2. Worship of God
3. Walking with God
When we do those things, we will then become mighty people of God.
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Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Monday, May 21, 2012
The Cure for spiritual leprosy
Luke 17:11-13 While He was on the way to Jerusalem, He was passing between Samaria and
Galilee. 12As He entered a village, ten leprous men who
stood at a distance met Him; 13and they
raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”
Yesterday we considered how sin can be likened to spiritual leprosy by comparing it to the leprosy spoken of in Leviticus 13. Today we want to know: What is the cure for spiritual leprosy? By way of review, here is what we discovered about sin or spiritual leprosy and its characteristics:
1. It Deteriorates the soul
2. It Debilitates the soul
3. It Deforms the soul
4. It Destroys the soul
5. It Defiles the soul
Jesus confronts two types of leprosy
Jesus was on his way to Jersualem, passing between Samaria and Galilee. Like the priests in Leviticus 13-14, whenever it came time to go and inspect a leprous person, they would journey outside the camp of Israel. Jesus, the Great High Priest, was about 45 miles North of Jerusalem.
On his way he was met by 10 lepers. Now these men did not cry out what was prescribed by the law: "Unclean, Unclean". Rather they were so desperate that they cried out: "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" They did not want to be made ritually clean only, they wanted healing. The Bible states after Jesus told them to go on their way, they were cleansed. God in human flesh had done a great work - Christ had healed these men.
However He told them to go to the priests at the temple. Now this was impossible for two reasons - first these men were Samitans - and Samaritans were forbidden on The Temple Grounds. Second, the priests would have to go to the lepers, rather than the lepers going to the priests.
For whatever reason only one came back to Jesus. That one leper saw the impossibility of being able to follow through with what Jesus said. We must remember that the law of God is prescribed to man to point the way to Jesus Christ. Only when I by grace am brought to terms with my own inability to contribute saving benefits for my own salvation from the law will I then come to Jesus to be saved. The law cannot impart healing of spiritual leprosy, rather it points to the One who alone can cure - Christ. Thus he came back and thanked Him. Jesus, upon seeing this man, said literally in the Greek text of Luke 17:19 "Rise up and go, your faith has saved you". This man not only had his physical leprosy cured, but moreso his spiritual leprosy.
What was needed, and is still needed to cure spiritual leprosy
What happened that led to the curing of this man's spiritual leprosy? Let me suggest four elements that were present that led to the cure of this man's spiritual leprosy:
1. Priestly Representative. Luke 17:11-13 This man, being a Samaritan, could not go to the priests in Jerusalem. He sought the only one who could represent Him - Christ. According to Hebrews 5 and 7, Christ is the believer's High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek. This man saw no remedy in the Law, He fled into the arms of grace - Christ the Priestly representative.
2. Provision of the blood. Luke 17:14-18 Now in Leviticus 13,14 and 15, whenever the people sought cleansing, the priest would offer a sacrifice and sprinkling of blood. Blood of an innocent was shed on their behalf. As believers we have the provision of blood that was shed on our behalf by the Lord Jesus Christ. Now you may say: Wait a minute - in Luke 17 Jesus had not yet went to the cross. As true as that is, we do know that the affects of the cross not only reach forward to us today who by grace through faith believe on Christ and His work, but that work also reached backward into time.
All the Old Testament saints were saved by believing on the Promise of God pointing to the cross, whereas we are saved by the Person of God in Jesus Christ who accomplished salvation on the cross. This man was healed due to what Christ would accomplish. Another passage, Matthew 8:17, quoted prior to Jesus' going to the cross, credits that future work for the healing of Peter's Mother-in-law. No doubt, there was provision of blood that enabled this man to be forgiven of his spiritual leprosy.
3. Pronouncement of cleansing. Luke 17:19Jesus tells this man that as a result of his faith, he has been made well. The Greek word there for "well" is "saved". Thus this man is pronounced clean, pure, innocent in the sight of God. This is what Bible teachers call "justification by faith". Christ judicially declared this man clean. For every child of God at saving faith, God's divine declaration of the sinner's innocence occurs the moment the sinner repents and believes on Christ.
On the cross Christ took on my spiritual leprosy. Though never having sinned, he was "credited" or "declared sin". When I by grace through faith believed on Jesus Christ, though it was clear I sinned, yet Christ's work and character was "credited" to me. I was declared "righteous" due to Christ's righteousness. Thus a spiritual leper is declared "clean" as a result of the application of blood by the Eternal High Priest.
4. Persist to live for God. Luke 17:19 Jesus told this man to "stand up and go". All of those who were former spiritual lepers should not desire to remain in the leprous state of this world. So often Christians are tempted to go back to the way they were, not realizing that having been healed. They have freedom to not only walk in the courts of fellowship with God, they have full access. In Jesus Christ the saint of God is given power and priviledge to live the Christian walk. It is our duty and delight to go tell a world full of spiritual lepers how they too can be cured of their spiritual leprousy.
Yesterday we considered how sin can be likened to spiritual leprosy by comparing it to the leprosy spoken of in Leviticus 13. Today we want to know: What is the cure for spiritual leprosy? By way of review, here is what we discovered about sin or spiritual leprosy and its characteristics:
1. It Deteriorates the soul
2. It Debilitates the soul
3. It Deforms the soul
4. It Destroys the soul
5. It Defiles the soul
Jesus confronts two types of leprosy
Jesus was on his way to Jersualem, passing between Samaria and Galilee. Like the priests in Leviticus 13-14, whenever it came time to go and inspect a leprous person, they would journey outside the camp of Israel. Jesus, the Great High Priest, was about 45 miles North of Jerusalem.
On his way he was met by 10 lepers. Now these men did not cry out what was prescribed by the law: "Unclean, Unclean". Rather they were so desperate that they cried out: "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" They did not want to be made ritually clean only, they wanted healing. The Bible states after Jesus told them to go on their way, they were cleansed. God in human flesh had done a great work - Christ had healed these men.
However He told them to go to the priests at the temple. Now this was impossible for two reasons - first these men were Samitans - and Samaritans were forbidden on The Temple Grounds. Second, the priests would have to go to the lepers, rather than the lepers going to the priests.
For whatever reason only one came back to Jesus. That one leper saw the impossibility of being able to follow through with what Jesus said. We must remember that the law of God is prescribed to man to point the way to Jesus Christ. Only when I by grace am brought to terms with my own inability to contribute saving benefits for my own salvation from the law will I then come to Jesus to be saved. The law cannot impart healing of spiritual leprosy, rather it points to the One who alone can cure - Christ. Thus he came back and thanked Him. Jesus, upon seeing this man, said literally in the Greek text of Luke 17:19 "Rise up and go, your faith has saved you". This man not only had his physical leprosy cured, but moreso his spiritual leprosy.
What was needed, and is still needed to cure spiritual leprosy
What happened that led to the curing of this man's spiritual leprosy? Let me suggest four elements that were present that led to the cure of this man's spiritual leprosy:
1. Priestly Representative. Luke 17:11-13 This man, being a Samaritan, could not go to the priests in Jerusalem. He sought the only one who could represent Him - Christ. According to Hebrews 5 and 7, Christ is the believer's High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek. This man saw no remedy in the Law, He fled into the arms of grace - Christ the Priestly representative.
2. Provision of the blood. Luke 17:14-18 Now in Leviticus 13,14 and 15, whenever the people sought cleansing, the priest would offer a sacrifice and sprinkling of blood. Blood of an innocent was shed on their behalf. As believers we have the provision of blood that was shed on our behalf by the Lord Jesus Christ. Now you may say: Wait a minute - in Luke 17 Jesus had not yet went to the cross. As true as that is, we do know that the affects of the cross not only reach forward to us today who by grace through faith believe on Christ and His work, but that work also reached backward into time.
All the Old Testament saints were saved by believing on the Promise of God pointing to the cross, whereas we are saved by the Person of God in Jesus Christ who accomplished salvation on the cross. This man was healed due to what Christ would accomplish. Another passage, Matthew 8:17, quoted prior to Jesus' going to the cross, credits that future work for the healing of Peter's Mother-in-law. No doubt, there was provision of blood that enabled this man to be forgiven of his spiritual leprosy.
3. Pronouncement of cleansing. Luke 17:19Jesus tells this man that as a result of his faith, he has been made well. The Greek word there for "well" is "saved". Thus this man is pronounced clean, pure, innocent in the sight of God. This is what Bible teachers call "justification by faith". Christ judicially declared this man clean. For every child of God at saving faith, God's divine declaration of the sinner's innocence occurs the moment the sinner repents and believes on Christ.
On the cross Christ took on my spiritual leprosy. Though never having sinned, he was "credited" or "declared sin". When I by grace through faith believed on Jesus Christ, though it was clear I sinned, yet Christ's work and character was "credited" to me. I was declared "righteous" due to Christ's righteousness. Thus a spiritual leper is declared "clean" as a result of the application of blood by the Eternal High Priest.
4. Persist to live for God. Luke 17:19 Jesus told this man to "stand up and go". All of those who were former spiritual lepers should not desire to remain in the leprous state of this world. So often Christians are tempted to go back to the way they were, not realizing that having been healed. They have freedom to not only walk in the courts of fellowship with God, they have full access. In Jesus Christ the saint of God is given power and priviledge to live the Christian walk. It is our duty and delight to go tell a world full of spiritual lepers how they too can be cured of their spiritual leprousy.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Sin is Spiritual Leprosy
Leviticus 13:1-2 Then the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,
2“When a man has on the skin of his body a
swelling or a scab or a bright spot, and it becomes an infection of leprosy on
the skin of his body, then he shall be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of
his sons the priests.
Whenever you hear words like "cancer" or "AIDS", instant images and dread grips the mind. In human history we have read about diseases that turned into outright plagues - killing millions of people. However there is one disease that has killed billions - the S-I-N virus.
In Leviticus 13, 14 and 15 we see the profane nature of sin illustrated by God in three sets of instructions given to His people. I would classify Leviticus 13,14,and 15 as among the more grossest chapters to read - however that estimation is how we should regard sin. Sin should repulse us - just like the three word pictures employed by Moses: Leprosy (Leviticus 13); Mold (Leviticus 14) and Uncleanliness (Leviticus 15).
What kind of disease was leprosy, and how does it picture sin?
Various commentators have attempted to identify what exactly Moses was referring to when God gave sanitary laws dealing with leprous infections. Some have suggested the dreaded "Hansen's" disease or what is known as modern day leprousy, where quite literally the human body destroys itself. Others have suggested various skin ailments. Whatever the disease may be, we do know that the disease followed a predicted pattern and produced definite outcomes. By viewing these outcomes, we can see why God used this disease in Leviticus 13 to illustrate sin as "spiritual leprosy". Note the five characteristics of sin as spiritual leprosy:
1. Like leprosy, sin deteriorates. Leviticus 13:1-13
2. Like leprosy, sin debilitates. Leviticus 13:14-28
3. Like leprosy, sin deforms. Leviticus 13:29-37
4. Like leprosy, sin destroys. Leviticus 13:38-46
5. Like leprosy, sin defiles. Leviticus 13:47-52
As you read through Leviticus 13, though you are reading about a serious disease dealt with back in the days of ancient Israel, you are ultimately getting a word picture of why it is sin must be hated and why only God in Christ can provide the cure. Throughout the scriptures, leprosy, though not in every case, was nonetheless used on occassion to illustrate sinful rebellion. Gehazi in 2 Kings 5:27 and Uzziah in 2 Kings 15:5 both broke out in leprosy for their rebellion against God and His authority.
Leprosy was virtually incurable, and in human terms was incurable by human medicine. Only God could cure the leper. God healed the Syrian general Naaman in 2 Kings 5 and Jesus healed lepers in Matthew 8:1-13 and Luke 17:11-19. Like the leprosy in those cases, our sin and shame before a Holy God can only be dealt with effectively through faith and trust in Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2:24 states - "and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed."
Whenever you hear words like "cancer" or "AIDS", instant images and dread grips the mind. In human history we have read about diseases that turned into outright plagues - killing millions of people. However there is one disease that has killed billions - the S-I-N virus.
In Leviticus 13, 14 and 15 we see the profane nature of sin illustrated by God in three sets of instructions given to His people. I would classify Leviticus 13,14,and 15 as among the more grossest chapters to read - however that estimation is how we should regard sin. Sin should repulse us - just like the three word pictures employed by Moses: Leprosy (Leviticus 13); Mold (Leviticus 14) and Uncleanliness (Leviticus 15).
What kind of disease was leprosy, and how does it picture sin?
Various commentators have attempted to identify what exactly Moses was referring to when God gave sanitary laws dealing with leprous infections. Some have suggested the dreaded "Hansen's" disease or what is known as modern day leprousy, where quite literally the human body destroys itself. Others have suggested various skin ailments. Whatever the disease may be, we do know that the disease followed a predicted pattern and produced definite outcomes. By viewing these outcomes, we can see why God used this disease in Leviticus 13 to illustrate sin as "spiritual leprosy". Note the five characteristics of sin as spiritual leprosy:
1. Like leprosy, sin deteriorates. Leviticus 13:1-13
2. Like leprosy, sin debilitates. Leviticus 13:14-28
3. Like leprosy, sin deforms. Leviticus 13:29-37
4. Like leprosy, sin destroys. Leviticus 13:38-46
5. Like leprosy, sin defiles. Leviticus 13:47-52
As you read through Leviticus 13, though you are reading about a serious disease dealt with back in the days of ancient Israel, you are ultimately getting a word picture of why it is sin must be hated and why only God in Christ can provide the cure. Throughout the scriptures, leprosy, though not in every case, was nonetheless used on occassion to illustrate sinful rebellion. Gehazi in 2 Kings 5:27 and Uzziah in 2 Kings 15:5 both broke out in leprosy for their rebellion against God and His authority.
Leprosy was virtually incurable, and in human terms was incurable by human medicine. Only God could cure the leper. God healed the Syrian general Naaman in 2 Kings 5 and Jesus healed lepers in Matthew 8:1-13 and Luke 17:11-19. Like the leprosy in those cases, our sin and shame before a Holy God can only be dealt with effectively through faith and trust in Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2:24 states - "and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed."
Saturday, May 19, 2012
The inerrant Bible is the Holy Bible
Romans 1:1-3Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for
the gospel of God, 2which He promised beforehand through His prophets
in the holy Scriptures, 3concerning
His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh,
Yesterday we considered why the Holy Bible is the Holy Bible. We looked at its characteristics in light of what we have studied in the realm of holiness. Having seen that the Bible alone can be considered "Holy" or "Sacred" in the authoritative sense, today we want to elaborate on the one trait that demonstrates the Bible to be "The Holy Bible" - inerrancy.
The scripture is pure and undefiled, qualifying it to predict events accurately.
Holiness or sacredness includes purity. Theologians refer to the scriptures as being inerrant and infallible - that is, without error and incapable of error. Five phrases above lead us to the thought of how crucial inerrancy is to the Holy character of scripture:
1. "the Gospel of God" or the Message of the inerrant scripture
2. "promised before hand" (i.e predictive prophecy) or the Method of inerrant scripture
3. "through his servants the prophets" or the Means by which came inerrant scripture
4. "in the Holy Scriptures" or the Manufacturing of inerrant scripture
5. "concerning His Son" or the Majesty of Christ, the focus of inerrant scripture
In order for the Bible to predict events accurately, it had to be without error. Now lets break these series of phrases down to explain further why biblical inerrancy is necessary in order the Holy Bible to be the Holy Bible:
a. The Message of Inerrant Scripture - "The Gospel of God." This is the "Good News" of God's Mission to rescue sinful man from the death of sin. It was first proclaimed in Genesis 3:15 and throughout the 10 generations from Adam to Noah in Genesis 5-6. Abraham heard it in Genesis 12,15,17. Isaac and jacob and the Patriarchs were repeated the "promise" of the Gospel throughout the rest of Genesis.
b. The Method of Inerrant Scripture - "Promised before hand".
Moses later on spoke of this promise of the Gospel and predicted a Prophet to come in Deuteronomy 18. David was promised the coming of a King from his blood line in 2 Samuel 7:13-16. By the time we reach the New Testament, we discover that in all, 332 prophecies were made about Jesus Christ, the subject of all prophecy. If one of those predictions had been wrong, the whole fabric of scripture would had unraveled.
c. The Means by which came inerrant scripture - "Through His Servants the prophets".
If the Gospel was the message, and the predictions and promises were the method, then the prophets themselves were the means through which God revealed the Holy Scriptures. These men wrote as they were "carried along" by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1:21). Those men were at times sinful, yet the Spirit of God gave the Grace of inspiration in order to preserve what they wrote from error. No other book had this Divine protection accompanying its composition like the Bible - thus making it Holy.
d.The Manufacture of inerrant scripture - "In the Holy Scriptures"
With the Holy message, method and means we now come to the Holy manufacturing of the scriptures themselves. They are termed "Holy Scriptures". In order to be Holy, they were not merely "deemed Holy", they were Holy. The level of holiness invested in the sacred text of scripture is such that they are without error.
e. The Majesty of Christ, the focus of inerrant scripture - "Concerning His Son"
The Majesty of the Son is the focal point of all scripture. What would happpen if the message would had been inaccurate? Or how about the method - predictive prophecy? What if the Holy Spirit had not preserved the means of communication - the prophets words? Or how about the manufacturing of the scriptures in their original form? If any part of that process would had been unholy - we would not know the Holy Majesty of Christ.
As you can see, if the Bible had even one error, it would not be pure and thus it would be incapable of accurately communicating the Majesty of Jesus Christ. For these reasons the inerrancy of scripture is why we can see that the Holy Bible is the Holy Bible.
Yesterday we considered why the Holy Bible is the Holy Bible. We looked at its characteristics in light of what we have studied in the realm of holiness. Having seen that the Bible alone can be considered "Holy" or "Sacred" in the authoritative sense, today we want to elaborate on the one trait that demonstrates the Bible to be "The Holy Bible" - inerrancy.
The scripture is pure and undefiled, qualifying it to predict events accurately.
Holiness or sacredness includes purity. Theologians refer to the scriptures as being inerrant and infallible - that is, without error and incapable of error. Five phrases above lead us to the thought of how crucial inerrancy is to the Holy character of scripture:
1. "the Gospel of God" or the Message of the inerrant scripture
2. "promised before hand" (i.e predictive prophecy) or the Method of inerrant scripture
3. "through his servants the prophets" or the Means by which came inerrant scripture
4. "in the Holy Scriptures" or the Manufacturing of inerrant scripture
5. "concerning His Son" or the Majesty of Christ, the focus of inerrant scripture
In order for the Bible to predict events accurately, it had to be without error. Now lets break these series of phrases down to explain further why biblical inerrancy is necessary in order the Holy Bible to be the Holy Bible:
a. The Message of Inerrant Scripture - "The Gospel of God." This is the "Good News" of God's Mission to rescue sinful man from the death of sin. It was first proclaimed in Genesis 3:15 and throughout the 10 generations from Adam to Noah in Genesis 5-6. Abraham heard it in Genesis 12,15,17. Isaac and jacob and the Patriarchs were repeated the "promise" of the Gospel throughout the rest of Genesis.
b. The Method of Inerrant Scripture - "Promised before hand".
Moses later on spoke of this promise of the Gospel and predicted a Prophet to come in Deuteronomy 18. David was promised the coming of a King from his blood line in 2 Samuel 7:13-16. By the time we reach the New Testament, we discover that in all, 332 prophecies were made about Jesus Christ, the subject of all prophecy. If one of those predictions had been wrong, the whole fabric of scripture would had unraveled.
c. The Means by which came inerrant scripture - "Through His Servants the prophets".
If the Gospel was the message, and the predictions and promises were the method, then the prophets themselves were the means through which God revealed the Holy Scriptures. These men wrote as they were "carried along" by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1:21). Those men were at times sinful, yet the Spirit of God gave the Grace of inspiration in order to preserve what they wrote from error. No other book had this Divine protection accompanying its composition like the Bible - thus making it Holy.
d.The Manufacture of inerrant scripture - "In the Holy Scriptures"
With the Holy message, method and means we now come to the Holy manufacturing of the scriptures themselves. They are termed "Holy Scriptures". In order to be Holy, they were not merely "deemed Holy", they were Holy. The level of holiness invested in the sacred text of scripture is such that they are without error.
e. The Majesty of Christ, the focus of inerrant scripture - "Concerning His Son"
The Majesty of the Son is the focal point of all scripture. What would happpen if the message would had been inaccurate? Or how about the method - predictive prophecy? What if the Holy Spirit had not preserved the means of communication - the prophets words? Or how about the manufacturing of the scriptures in their original form? If any part of that process would had been unholy - we would not know the Holy Majesty of Christ.
As you can see, if the Bible had even one error, it would not be pure and thus it would be incapable of accurately communicating the Majesty of Jesus Christ. For these reasons the inerrancy of scripture is why we can see that the Holy Bible is the Holy Bible.
Friday, May 18, 2012
Why the Holy Bible is the Holy Bible
Romans 1:1-3 Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for
the gospel of God, 2which He promised beforehand through His prophets
in the holy Scriptures, 3concerning
His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh,
Why is the Bible called "The Holy Bible"?
In the past few days we have been exploring the subject of holiness. In some translations we see the Bible or the scriptures referred to as being "sacred" - i.e the sacred scriptures. (2 Timothy 3:15) If we review for just a moment what we've learned about holiness or "sacred", we can better understand what is meant by the phrase "holy" or "sacred" scriptures:
1. The scripture is a unique piece of literature, in a class by itself. It is separate. No other book in the world, religious or otherwise, has the quality of being Divine revelation. All other would-be contenders are the responses of men to their thoughts about God. Only the Bible is the thoughts and words of God about Himself revealed to men. Only the scripture can convert the hearts of people in the presence of its hearing and reading. (Psalm 19:7; James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:23)
No other body of literature has been attacked and withstood each of its opponents like the Bible. A prime example of this is from the words of the Atheistic French Philosopher Voltaire who stated that within 100 years after his death, his words would live on and the Bible would no longer be around. Yet 100 years after his death, his very home became a small publishing house wherein copies of the Bible were produced.
2. The scripture is holy due to both its authorship and its subject matter. It is a dual authorship. That is, there are 40 human authors on three continents over 1500 years - i.e human authorship. Then there is the "Author" behind the "authors" - The God of all Eternity. Anytime we see an intersection between the human and Divine, that is what we call sacred. Furthermore, Romans 1:3 tells us what the chief concern is of the scriptures - "His Son", the Lord Jesus Christ, God in human Flesh.
3. The scripture is pure and undefiled, qualifying it to predict events accurately. Holy or sacredness also includes purity. Theologians refer to the scriptures as being inerrant and infallible - that is, without error and incapable of error. It says in the verses above that "the Gospel of God" was "promised before hand" through his servants "the prophets" "in the Holy Scriptures" "concerning His Son." In order for the Bible to predict events accurately, it had to be without error. Tomorrow we will elaborate on why inerrancy is necessary in order to demonstrate the Bible as "The Holy Bible".
Why is the Bible called "The Holy Bible"?
In the past few days we have been exploring the subject of holiness. In some translations we see the Bible or the scriptures referred to as being "sacred" - i.e the sacred scriptures. (2 Timothy 3:15) If we review for just a moment what we've learned about holiness or "sacred", we can better understand what is meant by the phrase "holy" or "sacred" scriptures:
1. The scripture is a unique piece of literature, in a class by itself. It is separate. No other book in the world, religious or otherwise, has the quality of being Divine revelation. All other would-be contenders are the responses of men to their thoughts about God. Only the Bible is the thoughts and words of God about Himself revealed to men. Only the scripture can convert the hearts of people in the presence of its hearing and reading. (Psalm 19:7; James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:23)
No other body of literature has been attacked and withstood each of its opponents like the Bible. A prime example of this is from the words of the Atheistic French Philosopher Voltaire who stated that within 100 years after his death, his words would live on and the Bible would no longer be around. Yet 100 years after his death, his very home became a small publishing house wherein copies of the Bible were produced.
2. The scripture is holy due to both its authorship and its subject matter. It is a dual authorship. That is, there are 40 human authors on three continents over 1500 years - i.e human authorship. Then there is the "Author" behind the "authors" - The God of all Eternity. Anytime we see an intersection between the human and Divine, that is what we call sacred. Furthermore, Romans 1:3 tells us what the chief concern is of the scriptures - "His Son", the Lord Jesus Christ, God in human Flesh.
3. The scripture is pure and undefiled, qualifying it to predict events accurately. Holy or sacredness also includes purity. Theologians refer to the scriptures as being inerrant and infallible - that is, without error and incapable of error. It says in the verses above that "the Gospel of God" was "promised before hand" through his servants "the prophets" "in the Holy Scriptures" "concerning His Son." In order for the Bible to predict events accurately, it had to be without error. Tomorrow we will elaborate on why inerrancy is necessary in order to demonstrate the Bible as "The Holy Bible".
Thursday, May 17, 2012
The First Command Jesus gave to His church
Matthew 18:15-18 15“If your brother sins, go and show him his fault
in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. 16“But if he does not listen to you, take
one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO
OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED. 17“If he
refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen
even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 18“Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth
shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been
loosed in heaven.
Holiness matters because it points to Jesus Christ
Yesterday we considered the first reason why holiness matters to the Christian - because by it we can prioritize life around God. However if we stop there, we fall short, since holiness is not only just God centered, but God in Christ centered. The passage above is the first command Jesus ever gave to His church.
Jesus' Great Concern for His Church was her holiness
Many Christians may be surprised to find out that Jesus spoke on His concern about the church's holiness before He ever gave the two other "greats" that most Christians know. Most will be familiar with the "Great Commission" of Matthew 28:18-20 to go into all the world and make disciples. Furthermore some Christians may be familiar with what's termed "The Great Commandment" - to love God with all our heart and love our neighbor as ourselves. (Matthew 22:37-39 and Mark 13:34-35)
However very few Christians will know what I term the "Great Concern" - namely holiness in His church in both the personal, interpersonal and corporate church body levels. Christ's aim is to prepare a church, a bride for Himself, that will be holy and blameless at His coming. (Ephesians 5:25-27). Frankly without fulfilling this first of the "Great commandments", the church will not be effective in fulfilling the Great Commandment nor the Great Commission. A flippancy towards holiness will yield a church that is short-sighted in both its internal love for fellow Christians and evangelism of the lost. (please compare 2 Peter 1-3-11)
Holiness points to Christ since it is Christ who points us to holiness
Christ Himself is called "Holy". (Hebrews 7:25-26) When He prayed to His Father in His High Priestly prayer in John 17, He as the Holy, Faithful High Priest prayed that His church would be "Holy". (John 17:17,19) Christ is the beginning and goal of the Christian's holiness, since it is Christ's Holiness that provides the basis for the Christian's holiness.
Holiness leads us to enjoyment of God, since Christ Himself is pleased to dwell, speak and even sing for joy in the midst of the very ones He is aiming to make Holy. (Hebrews 2). Holiness matters because it points to Christ. Only when we point to Christ can we desire to build a life around God, that is, our Great God and Savior Jesus Christ. (Titus 2:13)
Holiness matters because it points to Jesus Christ
Yesterday we considered the first reason why holiness matters to the Christian - because by it we can prioritize life around God. However if we stop there, we fall short, since holiness is not only just God centered, but God in Christ centered. The passage above is the first command Jesus ever gave to His church.
Jesus' Great Concern for His Church was her holiness
Many Christians may be surprised to find out that Jesus spoke on His concern about the church's holiness before He ever gave the two other "greats" that most Christians know. Most will be familiar with the "Great Commission" of Matthew 28:18-20 to go into all the world and make disciples. Furthermore some Christians may be familiar with what's termed "The Great Commandment" - to love God with all our heart and love our neighbor as ourselves. (Matthew 22:37-39 and Mark 13:34-35)
However very few Christians will know what I term the "Great Concern" - namely holiness in His church in both the personal, interpersonal and corporate church body levels. Christ's aim is to prepare a church, a bride for Himself, that will be holy and blameless at His coming. (Ephesians 5:25-27). Frankly without fulfilling this first of the "Great commandments", the church will not be effective in fulfilling the Great Commandment nor the Great Commission. A flippancy towards holiness will yield a church that is short-sighted in both its internal love for fellow Christians and evangelism of the lost. (please compare 2 Peter 1-3-11)
Holiness points to Christ since it is Christ who points us to holiness
Christ Himself is called "Holy". (Hebrews 7:25-26) When He prayed to His Father in His High Priestly prayer in John 17, He as the Holy, Faithful High Priest prayed that His church would be "Holy". (John 17:17,19) Christ is the beginning and goal of the Christian's holiness, since it is Christ's Holiness that provides the basis for the Christian's holiness.
Holiness leads us to enjoyment of God, since Christ Himself is pleased to dwell, speak and even sing for joy in the midst of the very ones He is aiming to make Holy. (Hebrews 2). Holiness matters because it points to Christ. Only when we point to Christ can we desire to build a life around God, that is, our Great God and Savior Jesus Christ. (Titus 2:13)
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Why does Holiness matter?
1 Peter 1:15-16 but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your
behavior; 16because it is written, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I
AM HOLY.”
We have spent the past several days defining and discussing holiness. Today we want to probe further and ask this simple question: Why does holiness matter? As we consider the answer to this question in light of the above verse, we will propose that the first reason holiness matters is because it Prioritizes Life around God.
Exposing a commonly believed myth
The Old Testament is not the only part of the Bible that teaches about Holiness. Many people mistakingly assume that the Old Testament teaches about Holiness and the New Testament switches to focusing only on the love of God. If anything, the New Testament's emphasis on love derives from Old Testament passages that emphasize the importance of loving the Lord and one's neighbor. (Deuteronomy 6:4-5 and Leviticus 19:18). Likewise the New Testament adds even more emphasis to the priority of holiness in the believer's life, as we will see in the passages below.
Holiness is important because it prioritizes Life around God in the following "realms" of one's life:
1. Prioritizing Church life around God
Romans 14:19-20 states - "So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another. 20Do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are clean, but they are evil for the man who eats and gives offense." This chapter emphasizes much the same themes as Leviticus 11-12, the emphasis on what is "clean" in the context of how one eats. The point being that a church that prioritizes life around God will cherish holiness, since concern will be for others above oneself.
2. Prioritizing Business life around God
2 Corinthians 6:14-16 states - "Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? 16Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said,“I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE." We need to discern whom we make covenants with whether it be business, marriage or any type of covenant arrangement. Whenever we make covenant with one another, my friends become your friends and my enemies become your enemies and vice versa.
3. Prioritizing Family Life around God
Does Holiness matter in the realm of family life in the New Testament? Consider these words in Ephesians 5:25-27 "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless."
4. Prioritizing your thought life around God
All Christian growth has its genesis in the realm of the mind. 1 Thessalonians 4:2-4 shows how holiness is the will of God in the realm of the mind - "For you know what commandments we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. 3For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor" Notice there in verse 2 "by the authority of the Lord Jesus". Truly if the holiness of our thought lives is important to Jesus, it ought to be our priority too.
As we have noted in past blogs, to speak of "The Holy" is tantamount to speaking about God Himself. (compare Isaiah 6:3). We are not building our lives merely around an abstract concept of holiness, but around God Himself. This is the first reason why holiness is important. Tomorrow we will consider the second reason: namely holiness points to Jesus Christ.
We have spent the past several days defining and discussing holiness. Today we want to probe further and ask this simple question: Why does holiness matter? As we consider the answer to this question in light of the above verse, we will propose that the first reason holiness matters is because it Prioritizes Life around God.
Exposing a commonly believed myth
The Old Testament is not the only part of the Bible that teaches about Holiness. Many people mistakingly assume that the Old Testament teaches about Holiness and the New Testament switches to focusing only on the love of God. If anything, the New Testament's emphasis on love derives from Old Testament passages that emphasize the importance of loving the Lord and one's neighbor. (Deuteronomy 6:4-5 and Leviticus 19:18). Likewise the New Testament adds even more emphasis to the priority of holiness in the believer's life, as we will see in the passages below.
Holiness is important because it prioritizes Life around God in the following "realms" of one's life:
1. Prioritizing Church life around God
Romans 14:19-20 states - "So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another. 20Do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are clean, but they are evil for the man who eats and gives offense." This chapter emphasizes much the same themes as Leviticus 11-12, the emphasis on what is "clean" in the context of how one eats. The point being that a church that prioritizes life around God will cherish holiness, since concern will be for others above oneself.
2. Prioritizing Business life around God
2 Corinthians 6:14-16 states - "Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? 16Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said,“I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE." We need to discern whom we make covenants with whether it be business, marriage or any type of covenant arrangement. Whenever we make covenant with one another, my friends become your friends and my enemies become your enemies and vice versa.
3. Prioritizing Family Life around God
Does Holiness matter in the realm of family life in the New Testament? Consider these words in Ephesians 5:25-27 "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless."
4. Prioritizing your thought life around God
All Christian growth has its genesis in the realm of the mind. 1 Thessalonians 4:2-4 shows how holiness is the will of God in the realm of the mind - "For you know what commandments we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. 3For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor" Notice there in verse 2 "by the authority of the Lord Jesus". Truly if the holiness of our thought lives is important to Jesus, it ought to be our priority too.
As we have noted in past blogs, to speak of "The Holy" is tantamount to speaking about God Himself. (compare Isaiah 6:3). We are not building our lives merely around an abstract concept of holiness, but around God Himself. This is the first reason why holiness is important. Tomorrow we will consider the second reason: namely holiness points to Jesus Christ.
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