An overview of the greatness of God

1 Chronicles 29:10-11 "So David blessed the Lord in the sight of all the assembly; and David said, “Blessed are You, O Lord God of Israel our father, forever and ever.11 Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O Lord, and You exalt Yourself as head over all."

Introduction: 

The great 19th century Baptist preacher, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, preached a Sunday Morning Message in 1855 that he had entitled: "The Immutability of God". In his introduction, Spurgeon began with the following thoughts about God with respect to the Christian life: "The proper study of a Christian is the Godhead. The highest science, the loftiest speculation, the mightiest philosophy, which can ever engage the attention of a child of God, is the name, the nature, the person, the work, the doings, and the existence of the great God whom he calls his Father. There is something exceedingly improving to the mind in a contemplation of the Divinity. It is a subject so vast, that all our thoughts are lost in its immensity; so deep, that our pride is drowned in its infinity." 

As Spurgeon waxed eloquently about the greatness and glory of God, he then closed his introductory remarks with this observation: "Would you lose your sorrows? Would you drown your cares? Then go, plunge yourself in the Godhead’s deepest sea; be lost in his immensity; and you shall come forth as from a couch of rest, refreshed and invigorated. I know nothing which can so comfort the soul; so calm the swelling billows of grief and sorrow; so speak peace to the winds of trial, as a devout musing upon the subject of the Godhead."

Spurgeon's sentiments capture the simultaneous awe and comfort this blogger has discovered when approaching the greatness of God. In today's post I want to offer what is admittedly a faint outline of this most important doctrine. Many historic doctrinal statements and creeds have aided Christians throughout the centuries in verbalizing and summarizing the greatness of God. For today's post I will use the Baptist Faith & Message 2000 and its opening article on the doctrine of God. The reader can check out the article, which contains many Biblical references underlying its statements at: http://www.sbc.net/bfm2000/bfm2000.asp

For our purposes today, I will lay out the BFM 2000's article on "God" and note four main headings under which the statement seems to fall. The reader than then take these suggested headings and click on the above link and search the appropriate scriptures contained at the site. 

Baptist Faith & Message 2000 article on "God" and four suggested headings for studying the greatness of God

1. The Existence of God

"There is one and only one living and true God. 

2. The Active Attributes of God

a. God's actions

He is an intelligent, spiritual, and personal Being, the Creator, Redeemer, Preserver, and Ruler of the universe. 

b. God's goodness (moral attributes)

God is infinite in holiness and all other perfections. 

c.  God's infinite attributes

God is all powerful and all knowing; and His perfect knowledge extends to all things, past, present, and future, including the future decisions of His free creatures. 

3. Maximal Greatness of God (worthiness of worship)

To Him we owe the highest love, reverence, and obedience. 

4. Identity of God

The eternal triune God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being."

A quick summary of the major areas covered by Christian apologetics

Acts 17:22-23  "So Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I observe that you are very religious in all respects. 23 For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ Therefore whatyou worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you."

Introduction:

What areas are addressed in the task of Christian apologetics? Below I will list out several key points that express the sub-disciplines and areas covered in the broad effort of Christian apologetics. The aim of today's post is to briefly overview this important subject.

Major areas covered by Christian apologetics

Dr. William Lane Craig notes the following major areas entailed in the broader subject of Christian apologetics:

1. Offensive apologetics or making a positive case for Christianity. 

A. natural theology, that is, arguments for theism independent of Divine revelation.  

B. Christian evidences, chiefly fulfilled prophecy; Christ’s resurrection; reliability of the Bible. 

2. Defensive apologetics, which addresses objections to theism. 

A). Dealing with opposing arguments about the incoherence between theism and evil 

B). Contemporary science’s attacks on the Bible.

Whenever one considers these major areas, the apologetical task becomes much clearer. Either the Christian will be explaining why they believe what they believe or they will be answering objections to the Christian worldview. May readers be encouraged, since the Person and work of the Holy Spirit brings about the results, while the Christian is to put forth the effort. 

In Brief - Four purposes for doing Christian apologetics

Matthew 22:37 "And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’

Introduction:

Yesterday I gave a very quick introduction to Christian apologetics by both defining the discipline itself and its role in the Christian life. Today we will keep the post brief so that readers can be introduced to this vital tool for communicating and defending the Christian worldview. Today we will briefly list four purposes for doing Christian apologetics. 

The four purposes served by Christian apologetics
Dr. William Lane Craig's book: "Reasonable Faith" spells out four main purposes for Christian apologetics. I will list what they are and then offer a brief exposition of each:

a). Express our cognitive love to God (Mt 22:37).

We should not only love Jesus with all our heart, but also our minds. In as much as the spirit of a man is instantly converted at saving faith, the mind ought to be the subject of progressive, ongoing transformation as the Christian grows in their faith. Both heart and mind are essential in the cultivation of Christian spirituality.

b). Explain/defend Christianity to unbelievers

This second purpose reveals how apologetics functions as a form of "pre-evangelism". Apologetics ought to lead us to a deeper burden for sharing the Gospel. Often we must knock down the intellectual barriers and opposing arguments to get to the root of a person's rejection of Jesus Christ. The Bible uniformly describes mankind's rebellion against God as moral and spiritual. Apologetics aims to eventually expose this root while also addressing the intellectual branches that issue forth from the trunk of unbelief. The Apostle Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 that we aim to bring every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. 

c). Confirm our faith to Christians

I have found that Christian apologetics can strengthen the Christian's faith. There are those seasons where all Christians have doubts or struggle in the midst of great difficulties. Christian apologetics can function alongside the internal testimony of the Holy Spirit in verifying to the Christian that following Jesus is worth it all.

d). Explore connections to Christian doctrines and other truths

As one engages in Christian apologetics, growth in understanding how the Christian worldview fits together comes as an added bonus. Key doctrines that typically comprise any Christian apologetic includes: the doctrine of creation, the doctrine of sin, the doctrine of Christ, the doctrine of salvation and the doctrine of last things. When you think about it, these five classical "key points of Christian doctrine" provide a broad outline of the Bible. Throughout every age, these five key areas have been attacked and have needed to be repeated and communicated. Other doctrines are appealed to along the way as one grows in their understanding of the Christian worldview. 

Closing thoughts

Today we looked at four main purposes for doing Christian apologetics. My hope is that the reader has been inclined to increase their knowledge of what they believe, why they believe and how to defend what they believe. 

A short, quick introduction to Christian apologetics

1 Peter 3:15 "but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence."

Introduction:

In today's post I want to offer a short treatment on the definition of Christian apologetics and its role in the Christian life. By understanding what Christian apologetics is all about and what function it has in Christian development (i.e discipleship), the reader will hopefully become intrigued to study further on this subject. 

Defining Christian Apologetics
Dr. William Lane Craig in his book: "Reasonable Faith", page 15, defines Christian apologetics as follows:
"Christian apologetics may be defined as that branch of Christian theology which seeks to provide rational warrant for Christianity’s truth claims." 

Readers may had noticed the picture associated with today's post, featuring a chess board with opposing armies of chess pieces. When this blogger snapped the above photograph, the thought came to mind about the importance of fighting the good fight of faith. The point of this blogsite to equip, defend and explore the supernatural, doctrinal and practical areas of the Christian worldview. Apologetics is a crucial tool. As the opening verse of today's post states, we must give an answer. 

In having defined Christian apologetics, what does the above definition have to tell us of the place of Christian apologetics in the Christian life? 

We can give three brief responses to the place and role Christian apologetics can play in the development of one's Christian life and worldview. 

1. For starters, apologetics serves theology. It seeks to explain the Christian faith to unbelievers; confirm the faith to believers and show connections to other doctrines. 

2. Second, rational warrant and justification – i.e – the grounds for believing why we believe. When we speak of justifying Christian truth claims - we are giving reasonable arguments and evidences for why we believe Christianity to be true. When we talk of warrant, we are referring to that quality of the Christian worldview that demonstrates actual knowledge of God, the truth claims of Christianity and the reality of Jesus' resurrection from the dead. 

3. Then thirdly, Christian apologetics focuses on Christian truth claims so as to progress the Christian worldview among unbelievers.

Closing thoughts

My hope is that in this brief post, the reader is better acquainted with what we mean by the term "Christian apologetics", as well as its significance for the Christian in the 21st century. I close out today's post with three links to major Christian apologists that can equip the reader to "dig deeper".

1. http://rzim.org/

2. http://crossexamined.org/

3. http://www.reasonablefaith.org/

P2 - Understanding Jesus' Miracle of turning water into wine - John 2:1-11

John 2:11 "This beginning of His signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him."

Introduction

When we study God's word, one of the principles for Bible study is what is called: "the principle of first mention". In John's Gospel, we find what is Jesus' first miracle or what he deems "sign": namely the turning of water into wine. Why this miracle? What is its significance? That was what we began considering in yesterday’s post. We noted several details in our effort to better understand Jesus’ miracle of turning water into wine:

1. The Old Testament had predicted what would be the advent of what it calls “The New Covenant”. The New Covenant age was to be a yet-future time whereby the Holy Spirit would be poured out in power on all kinds of people, salvation would be more internalized, transformation of the human heart would be effected and a figure called “Messiah” would somehow factor into the New Covenant promises. Jesus’ arrival on the scene of history came to inaugurate the New Covenant age. Symbolism such as wine, water and the Person of the Spirit Himself characterized such predictions (Jeremiah 31:12, 31-34; Joel 2:28-32).

2. Jesus’ purpose in performing this miracle was to indicate Himself as being the Mediator of the New Covenant. It is interesting to note in the records of the Four Gospels how this major theme of Jesus Christ as Mediator of the New Covenant is expressed in this miracle (John 2:1-11) and at His institution of the Lord’s Table in Luke 22:20. It is in these passages we find twin bookends declaring Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as Mediator of the New Covenant.

3. Without a doubt, the New Testament book of Acts and Epistles explain Jesus as Mediator of the New Covenant. The Apostle Peter’s sermon on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2 quotes Joel 2:28-31 as the inauguration of the New Covenant age as seen in the sign of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The Book of Hebrews chapter 9:15 expresses how Jesus is Mediator of a “better covenant”.

4. We finally had considered briefly the place of the miraculous in our world. We defined a miracle as an irregular event directly done by God in a religiously significant context that is accompanied by visible signs and serves to attest God’s messenger and message. Far from being a violation of the laws of nature, a miracle entails God working with, through or on the limits of the natural laws we find expressed in creation. Jesus’ direct working with water to transform it into wine is a grand example of a type of miracle called “a sign”. Such an event fits our definition.

Today’s post will close out our study of understanding Jesus’ miracle of turning water into wine. We will aim to draw out life-applicable lessons from this critical event.

Why the miracle of Cana is critical to understanding the identity of Jesus

John 2:11 reads - "This beginning of His signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him."  James Montgomery Boice notes in his book “God the Redeemer”, page 138, concerning this miracle: “The Bible is never hesitant to put the twin truths

of the full deity and true humanity of the Lord Jesus together. These truths are also illustrated through various events in Christ’s ministry. For instance, in the second chapter of John’s Gospel the Lord is at a wedding (Jn 2:1-11). Few things could be more human than that. Yet when the wine is exhausted and the host about to be embarrassed, Jesus makes new and better wine from the water in the great stone waterpots used for the Jewish purifications.” The great commentator Alexander Maclaren notes on this text: “Ay! and not only can this Master transform the water at the marriage feast into the wine of gladness, but the cups that we all carry, into which our tears have dropped – upon these too He can lay His hand and change them into cups of blessing and salvation.”

Two phrases in John 2:11 are crucial in transporting the chief meaning of this text into our lives. Like railroad tracks, the following two phrases carry forth the freight of the significance of this miracle: “and manifested His glory” followed by “and His disciples believed in Him”.

As Jesus would say much later on in John 11:40 to one of the sisters of Lazarus, Martha: “Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” Many today would tell us: “seeing in believing”; however, in this instance, it’s quite the reverse, namely: “believing is seeing”.

As we behold what is the beginnings of the manifestation of Jesus’ glory in this miracle, we find it to be the seed form of the full realization of that glory expressed by John in John 1:14. He had given to us the full garden of Christ’s glory in His journey from eternity into time, from eternal Deity without flesh to now and ever more being eternal Deity enfleshed. Such truths are mind-expanding. The wedding of Cana miracle gives us a fresh start at seeing how the manifestation of such glory began to be publicly seen.

Life applications concerning Jesus’ miracle at the Wedding of Cana

Over the last couple of days we have attempted to dive the depths of John 2:1-11. It is fair to say no bottom was found. I’m certain that this won’t be the last time this particular text is expounded upon in this blog site. Nevertheless, I believe we can draw the following life-applications from Jesus’ miracle of turning water into wine:

1. Jesus loves to meet people in the ordinary events of life to demonstrate His extraordinary power.

2. Jesus is our Mediator who grants access to the life-changing power of His New Covenant, which means we have all-sufficient power to live the Christian life and live through this life in preparation for the next life.

3. Human relationships find their fullest purpose in connection with Jesus Christ. Think about it: Mary’s relationship with Jesus became fuller (from that of parent/child to disciple/Lord). The wedding ceremony is brought to bear as illustrating what would be Christ’s relationship to His church (see Ephesians 5:22-33).

4. Our faith is fed by this miracle, and as a result, we are prepared to follow Jesus further and deeper into the appreciation of His Person and work. 

P1 Understanding Jesus' miracle of turning water into wine - John 2:1-11

John 2:11 "This beginning of His signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him."

Introduction

When we study God's word, one of the principles for Bible study is what is called: "the principle of first mention". In John's Gospel, we find what is Jesus' first miracle or what he deems "sign": namely the turning of water into wine. Why this miracle? What is its significance? Such questions and their answers yield to us essential clues to identifying the Person and work of Jesus - the Son of God. 

The significance of miracles in pointing us to Jesus' identity

We can define a miracle as follows: "An irregular event that is done by God that includes visible signs, which done in a religiously significant context, serves to attest the message, the messenger and meaning of God's work." Unlike the typical definition one hears about miracles as being so-called "violations of the laws of nature", a miracle is simply the involvement God undertakes in, with and through the laws of nature. 

The idea of a natural law defines how physical laws typically operate in the context of causes and their effects apart from the intervention of an intelligent agent. The law of gravity describes what occurs when we, say, drop an object from a given height. The object that is dropped from a given height will fall at a certain rate of speed that is measured in feet per second per second. But now, if we include someone in the experiment and they catch the object, has the law of gravity been violated or repealed? No. With the inclusion of an intelligent agent, we find the course of the object altered and yet the laws of gravity still remain intact. So it is with God's Divine intervention by way of miracles in our world. 

Jesus indicates on several occasions that the miraculous served to validate His claims and identity:

John 10:25 "Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father’s name, these testify of Me."

or again, John 14:10 "Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves." 

In Matthew 11:2, the miracles of Jesus were part of the testimony used to bolster the sagging faith of a disillusioned John the Baptist. Then of course we cannot forget the most important miracle of all - Jesus' resurrection from the dead - that lies central to the Christian Gospel. Truly we can say that Christianity is a movement built upon the miraculous in orbit around the Person and work of Jesus Christ. 

So why would turning water into wine be Jesus' first miracle?

As one turns to John 2:1-11, a couple points need to be made in thinking upon Jesus first miracle. First, this miracle signifies the beginning of the New Covenant age as predicted in the Old Testament. Hence,  Jeremiah 31:11-12 For the Lord has ransomed Jacob And redeemed him from the hand of him who was stronger than he. ¹² “They will come and shout for joy on the height of Zion, And they will be radiant over the bounty of the Lord—
Over the grain and the new wine and the oil, And over the young of the flock and the herd; And their life will be like a watered garden, And they will never languish again.” 

Or again, Joel 2:23-24 “So rejoice, O sons of Zion, And be glad in the Lord your God; For He has given you the early rain for your vindication.
And He has poured down for you the rain, The early and latter rain as before. ²⁴ The threshing floors will be full of grain, And the vats will overflow with the new wine and oil.”

Secondly, the New Testament indicates that this imagery of New Wine was indicative of the inauguration of the New Covenant age. Hence, Mark 2:19-22 “And Jesus said to them, “While the bridegroom is with them, the attendants of the bridegroom cannot fast, can they? So long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. ²⁰ But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day. ²¹ “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; otherwise the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear results. ²² No one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the skins as well; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins.”

Simply put, the old wine skins represented the Old Covenant fabric of Israel, incapable of handling the “new wine” of the New Covenant revelation that would be mediated by the Lord Jesus. The Apostle Peter would come to cite Joel 2 in his explanation of the miracle of Pentecost. In responding to the charge that the early followers of Jesus were full of wine, Peter notes that they were not drunk, but rather were receiving the promised Holy Spirit, the manifestation of the outpouring of the “heavenly new wine” as it were of the New Covenant age.

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is Mediator of the New Covenant 

As the transforming of water into wine signified the in-breaking of the New Covenant age, it only stands to reason that the Lord Jesus be none other than the Mediator of the New Covenant. Just as Moses mediated the Old Covenant and had been first attested by the miracle of turning water into wine (Exodus 7:14); so it would seem only appropriate that Jesus, the “New Moses”, would turn water into another substance – wine.

As Mediator of the New Covenant, Jesus wanted to communicate how, unlike the Old Covenant, which commanded change from the outside in and yet couldn’t deliver such, the New Covenant could deliver spiritual change from the inside out. Just as wine by nature is the by-product of the transformation of grapes and their juice into something else, the New Covenant promises enacted by Jesus would make available supernatural change of heart (2 Corinthians 5:17). 

The conversations that sometime occur as to whether the miracle of Cana was Jesus’ endorsement of public drinking and even drunkenness on the one hand, or making plain grape juice on the other threaten to obscure the main purpose of this miracle. Whatever we can say about the miracle and the wine Jesus produced, it was unlike any wine. It was “new wine”. The Greek word used for “wine” could cover a whole host of grape-based beverages. To conceive of Jesus endorsing a situation that would result in the shameful behavior of people at the wedding of Cana would run counter to what He was communicating. As with any text of scripture, in as much as contemporary discussions must be in conversation with the text, such conversations must yield to the main point of the text at hand, especially if the main point of the passage is not made clearer by current events. We find that other scriptures which speak on a given subject may be better suited to addressing the specific concerns raised by contemporary readers of God's Word. 

If anything, the sign of the turning water into wine must be connected to the Old Testament predictions and New Testament explanations of the in-breaking New Covenant age. After all, Jesus so emphasized this dawning of the New Covenant age in and through Himself that He made it the center piece of His first miracle and the Lord’s Supper meal (Luke 22:20). 

More tomorrow.....

P2 How forgiveness is the key to accessing God's power for daily living

Philemon 1:25 "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit."

Introduction:

Yesterday we began considering how forgiveness functions as a key for the Christian gaining access to daily empowerment for godly living. We noted yesterday how God's grace is like a door through which one enters to gain access to all of God's power and presence. For the Christian, nearly every day is filled with opportunities to choose forgiveness or the taking up of offense. Each time we turn the key of forgiveness, we walk through the grace God grants to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit indwells the Christian in their human spirit. Not only does He so desire the Christian to walk in His power and presence, but He so desires to walk forth in the Christian. Paul reference to Philemon's spirit indicates the arena in which he expected God's grace and power to operate once Philemon forgave Onesimus. Today we continue on looking at the relationship between forgiveness and the experience of God's power for daily living. 

How forgiveness is closely connected to texts that teach on God's power in the Christian life

When forgiveness is regularly practiced by the Christian, the doorway of the grace of the Spirit-filled life is immediately accessed. I find it interesting that in key New Testament passages where the Spirit-empowered, Spirit-filled life is mentioned, forgiveness is close by. For example, Romans 15:7 states: "Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God." This verse is another way of expressing what we find in forgiveness passages such as Colossians 3:13 and Ephesians 4:32, wherein we read in both those texts: "forgive as the Lord forgave you". It is not even several verses later that we find Paul mentioning in Romans 15:13 "Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Within the human spirit of the Christian the Holy Spirit indwells. The Holy Spirit so desires to work forth His power in my life. However, when faced with the prospect of holding onto bitterness or exercising forgiveness - which will I choose? By accepting one another or forgiving one another as God in Christ accepted and forgave us in salvation, we gain access to His power.

We could go on noting how other key passages connect this key of forgiveness to the graceful doorway of God's power. Galatians 5:13-15 is warning people to not operate in unforgiveness, since the urgency of the Spirit's leading is commanded in Galatians 5:16. Ephesians 4:32 urges forgiveness and in the same context, we find the command given in Ephesians 5:18 to be "filled with the Holy Spirit". Or consider Colossians 3:13, wherefore the Christian is to "forgive as the Lord forgave", and then find the principle of the Spirit-filled life spelled out in Colossians 3:16-17. The Apostle Peter includes within his teaching on the Spirit-empowered life in 2 Peter 1:4-11 the practice of "exercising brotherly-kindness" in 2 Peter 1:7. Again, the key of forgiveness is needed to access the doorway of grace placed before the Christian, behind which lies the treasures of living and walking in the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Why forgiveness was necessary for Philemon and why it is necessary for the Christian to regularly access the power of the Holy Spirit for daily living

As we return back to Philemon 1:25, we can see why Paul closed out his short letter to Philemon the way he did. Paul was not only eager to see Philemon walk in the power of the Spirit, he was confident that Philemon would follow through in forgiving Onesimus (compare Philemon 1:21). For Philemon to enjoy the grace or power of God working forth in his human spirit, he needed to forgive. In what we have noted in other New Testament passages, Christians today need to regularly practice forgiveness if they expect to walk forth in the power of the Holy Spirit. Too often, we as Christian walk in defeat or live mediocre Christian lives due to the fact of retaining bitterness for the offenses we take up in the course of life. If we will but take God at His word and forgive as He forgave us, the doorway of grace He places before us to walk in and commune with the Holy Spirit residing in our human spirit will be readily accessible. Forgiveness is the key we need to turn to access His power for daily living.