Daily Bible Reflections: These Things Were Foretold

May 14, 2008 at 11:13 pm (Theology) (, , , )

Well, it seems that google is down (very strange, I know) so I am posting today’s Daily Bible Reflection here on the Isaiah 52 blog. The content of the post being what it is, this post being here actually fits. Here goes:

 

Today’s reading comes from the book of Mark. You can find all of today’s readings here.

“And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that I am?’ And they told him, ‘John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.’ And he asked them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered him, ‘You are the Christ.’ And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him. And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, ‘Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.’ And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, ‘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 and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.’” - Mark 8:27-33 (ESV)

There is a song that I love by Caedmon’s Call titled Before There Was Time, and as far as musical exegesis goes it is top notch. The song is based out of Ephesians 1, which explains that before the world began the Lord chose for Himself a people to save and bring into the kingdom through the grace afforded by Jesus on the cross. This passage has stunning implications, namely that sin was not something that surprised God. He was not caught off guard by Adam’s fall, but indeed already had a plan in place to redeem the people who mock and defame His holy name by their sin. The song goes like this:

Before there was time, there were visions in your mind. There was death and the fall of mankind, but there was life and salvation’s design. And before there were days, there were nights I could not see your face, but the night could not keep me from grace. And you came and you took my place. So I cry ‘Holy only begotten Son of God!’ …I sing the praises of the on who saved me, and the promises He made before there was time.

Does this confuse you? It should. Why would a holy and perfect God, who has everything he wants and needs within the three persons of the Trinity, create earth and a people in His own image and likeness (Genesis 1:27) that would ultimately run away from Him? This is one of the great questions that we will never know the answer to - why the Lord of the universe, who does not in any way need His creatures (Acts 17:25), would create a race of men and women who spit upon His name? We are indeed all sinners by nature and choice, and deserve eternal separation from Him as a result, yet still He saves us. Why?

We cannot ever know why - but we do know by the testimony of the Holy Scriptures that this is true. The Lord chose to create knowing that His creation would hate Him, and also chose before the foundations of the earth were laid to redeem that creation through His son Jesus Christ.

In today’s passage, we see Jesus claiming yet again that He is the messiah, sent to fulfill the prophecies that came hundreds of years beforehand and to redeem the nation of Israel. He alludes to passages such as Isaiah 52 and 53 and Ezekiel 36 when He says that the Son of Man must be killed, and rise again. This was not a coincidence, and the Lord did not see Adam’s sin in the garden and whip something up to fix the problem - no, He planned this all before there was time to bring the Himself glory and the honor and praise that he so rightly deserves.

So what does this mean to us? If you are sinfully doubting the Lord’s sovereignty and providence over the world that He created, repent of your foolishness and turn to the God who before time even began thought of you, and planned to send His only son to die in your place. The father who is not served by human hands still choses to send His love and grace on the whole world, a world which has turned their backs on Him. Know that you are chosen, bought and paid for, and live your life in the light of this truth! Take up your cross, as Jesus commands in this passage, and follow the God who predestined you to life! Do not repeat Peter’s sin of doubt, or try to rebuke God - for you know in part, but He knows fully. Don’t try to come at God with a list of bachelor’s level philosophical syllogisms, instead have faith that He who started a good work in you is faithful to carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus! (Philippians 1:6) Revel in the fact that you are a child of the Most High, and worship Him who planned this from the beginning.

Heavenly Father I thank you that you are both sovereign and good.. I praise you that this world is not a haphazard experiment gone wrong, but that the things of Jesus were foretold, accomplished, and brought to completion in my salvation. You are so holy, and so worthy of my praise! Take my mind from the things of this world and set it upon the things of You, for you are both sovereign, and good. Amen.

 

-MD Letteney

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Pray for Burma

May 9, 2008 at 7:10 am (Ministry) (, , , , , , )

I am sure you have heard at least something about the cyclone that ripped through Burma a few days ago, and I would like to supplement a little of the knowledge and ask a favor of you. 

This disaster is not over yet. Yes the waters have subsided from the 200,000 square miles of flooded land, and people from all over the country are flocking to the ruins of the most populous cities in search of basic ammenities, but without fresh water and foreign aid, the migration is doomed. The worst hit areas housed over 50% of Burma’s population, and with the death toll at 200,000, the risk of infection for the remaining survivors grows every day the Burmese junta does not step in and start burning the bodies of the dead. These people are not just mourning the loss of 200,000 family, friends, and coworkers, but they are struggling to find the most basic things - food, uncontaminated water, and shelter. The first of the foreign aid flights have landed, but aid packages are still sitting on the tarmac as the government refuses to distribute aid and refuses to give visas to foreign workers, fearing western influence that could compromise the junta’s strangle hold of power over the nation.

As you can see, this is a major disaster, and if no help is allowed in the death toll could reach a projected 500,000. As a point of reference, the boxing day 2004 tsunami took 230,000 lives. 

So when do we start worrying? When do we start praying for our brothers and sisters in Burma? When the death toll gets high enough? Why don’t we flinch until blood is spilt? Why does it take horror stories to move us to even reflection anymore? Why?

Here is what I would like you to do. As often as you think of it, please pray for the families in Burma, and for the government officials. Pray that the Lord would be glorified in the this terrible situation and that He would bring comfort to those who so desperately need it.

 

Heavenly Father, I praise you because you are both sovereign and good, and you delight in giving good gifts to your children. Father as we survey the world and especially this Burma disaster, we do not doubt your sovereign will but know that all things happen for your Glory and Christ’s name and that even though the evil one is alive and well in this world and has much power over men’s hearts, he is yet restrained from deceiving the nations. For this we praise you. Father I do pray this day that you would move powerfully in the hurting nation of Burma and make your name known to those that will receive the Good News of Jesus Christ. Father bring comfort to the people of Burma and restore to them their basic needs for survival. Soften the hearts of the junta and move them to finally help their own people. Use the junta and foreign aid workers as the hand that carries out your good works of mercy upon us sinners who deserve neither grace nor mercy. Father, be Lord of this situation and bring healing to Burma. I ask these things in the name and for the sake of Jesus Christ. Amen.

 

-MD Letteney

 

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Reflections of a Struggling Swedish Student

May 8, 2008 at 8:15 pm (Sweden) (, , )

Ok this entry is going to be a small break from the normal reflections you see on the Isaiah 52 blog, but I hope its entertaining nonetheless.

Jag just tala till Martin at jag prattar på Svenska idag med trea kvinna i tranås simhallena och det gör jätte bra! Min svensk are bättre dag efter dag!

So, my Swedish gets better and better as time goes on, and I am getting to a point where I try to speak Swedish with everyone around town as much as possible. This is a bittersweet thing, as it is exciting to get to this point, but also makes me very vulnerable to being labeled with ’stupid American’ status. Not that I haven’t been a stupid American before (indeed that is most of what I am here), but speaking in Swedish just makes it that much more apparent. Anyway, this is a list I compiled in my head while weed-whacking for six hours today (welcome to my world) of things I have learned as a result of my study of the language. Enjoy!

- I can order any type of food in Swedish and get basically what I want, except for hamburgers. Not that I cannot order them and get a hamburger, but I can’t do it in swedish, despite trying almost every week. You see, the Swedish word for hamburger (hamburgare) is harder to pronounce than it seems, and every time I try to order one the person behind the counter automatically knows that I speak english and replies with - “You want a hamburger. Let me get you one.” It is jätte frustrating. 

- I can now pick Arabic out of a crowd pretty easily. I live in a section of town with a lot of immigrants, and a good 15% of them speak Arabic in and around the complex. I don’t know what they are saying - but I do know what language they are saying it in. That’s a start.

- When speaking English with Swedes, I sometimes say certain words deliberately wrong (names of products, place names, etc.) with a thick Swedish accent, not because I don’t know any better anymore, but because I know that the likelihood of the other person knowing what I am talking about is much greater if I do.

- Not being Italian, I don’t naturally speak with my hands, but I have recently gotten very used to pantomiming my words while speaking with a Swede because it helps them understand. They don’t do the same, so I’m on my own in the translation department most of the time.

 - No matter what they say, I don’t understand old women’s Swedish. It may be the most basic thing, but I cannot get it. Very frustrating on sundays at church. 

- More than once I have answered a question that I didn’t understand with ‘awh’ (yes) and been met with a spout of laughter from everyone in the area because ‘yes’ didn’t make any sense in the context. Very embarrassing. 

- I call anyone who says hi to me my friend, because I really don’t have any.

- Even though my Swedish is still very bad, my English has gotten worse too. I can no longer speak either language fluently.

- When speaking English, I tend to insert Swedish words that make sense in the context but really don’t have good English translations. This is called Swenglish or Svengelska, and it rules.

- I have gotten a high five when I understood something said to me. Seriously.

- Swedes generally only know ten to fifteen English verbs, and use them over and over. I have gotten so used to broken English and improper verbs that I tend to finish sentences for Swedes who’s Engelska is inte so bra. 

- It seems like the only preposition Swedes use is on (på). That took some getting used to.

- People complain that praying in a foreign language is hard, but I really don’t have a problem with it. I guess that’s a plus. 

and finally

- I have more than once gotten stuck trying to think of a word in Swedish and consequently forgotten what I was talking about in the first place.

 

So there you have it - my Swedish is sub-par, but I love learning it anyway!

 

-Mark

 

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Daily Bible Reflections: God’s Faithfulness to You

May 7, 2008 at 9:39 pm (Theology) (, , , , )

Here is another taste of Daily Bible Reflections. If you would like to have these sent to you every day, click the DBR link on the right side of the page and subscribe to the blog. 

Today’s reading comes from the books of Acts. You can find all of today’s readings here.

“But on the next day, desiring to know the real reason why he was being accused by the Jews, he unbound him and commanded the chief priests and all the council to meet, and he brought Paul down and set him before them.”

“Now when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. It is with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial. And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all. Then a great clamor arose, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees’ party stood up and contended sharply, We find nothing wrong in this man. What if a spirit or an angel spoke to him? And when the dissension became violent, the tribune, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him away from among them by force and bring him into the barracks. The following night the Lord stood by him and said, Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.” - Acts 22:30, 23:6-11 (ESV)

Today there will be two points, so you’re getting double your money’s worth. Get excited.

First off - I cannot help but mention the humor in this passage. There are a lot of people that approach the bible in a completely serious mental state, and granted the bible is generally a very serious text, but you cannot help but laugh at the people and events depicted in it every once in a while. For instance - in Genesis chapter fifteen, when God makes His covenant with Abraham, he tells a sinful pagan who is at the time 87 years old and his barren wife that they will have a son who will become a great nation, and the idea seemed laughable. They soon give birth to a son, and because God always gets the last laugh, the boy’s name is Issac which means laughter. That’s got a little comical value no matter what angle you come at it from. So let’s set the scene here: Paul is brought before the Sanhedrin, the teachers of the law and high priests of the land, because the Roman guards are wondering if he really is guilty. The scene is chaotic and accusations are being thrown all around the room at Paul, and it is stated that the Saducees don’t believe in the spirits or angels. Undoubtedly knowing this, one of the Pharisees stands up and says “Hey guys come on now, maybe he is telling the truth and a spirit or angel spoke to him!” Doi! Come on man! You have got to know that saying stuff like that in the Sanhedrin is gonna cause a ruckus - and this time it did so much so that the Roman guards had to take Paul out because they feared for his safety! Idiot.

Ok, now that we got that out of the way and you know that the bible doesn’t always have to be taken so serenely, let’s move on to the meat of the text.

We see here in verse eleven of Acts chapter twenty three God’s faithfulness to those who He has called into ministry. Yes, Paul was murdered before he ever got to Spain to preach the gospel as he had hoped, but not a second before the Lord allowed it to happen. This scene happens towards the end of Paul’s last missionary journey over thirty years after he was called and converted on the Damascus road by Jesus, and even as Paul is in prison the Lord speaks to him and tells him that his mission is not yet over - he must still proclaim the good news of Jesus’s death, burial, and resurrection in Rome. The Lord called Paul at a specific time for a specific purpose, as He has done with you, and was faithful to provide until that mission was accomplished and Paul was called home to be in the presence of the Father. Paul even says himself in his letter to the Philippians “…I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:3-6 (ESV)

If you are in Christ, it was not because of your good works but because of the Lord’s gracious calling of you to Himself that you are saved. He called you at the perfect time with a perfect plan for your life, and in this you may rest that no circumstance is without reason. Indeed the Lord is waiting for you to trust him with every aspect of your daily life, and is faithful to carry you in love and grace until He sees fit to call you home.

So what does this mean? You are a beloved child of the God most high, so live like it! Your life has a purpose, so seek it out! You have a redeemer who is on a continuing conquest for the hearts and minds of men, and He has chosen you to be a part of this ministry! So what are you waiting for? I would encourage you that the Lord will never leave you or forsake you, and you are constantly in the safest place on earth - in the center of His will. Take chances, live your faith out in every situation, and worship like no one is watching, because this is the life the Lord has given you and it is for His glory that you live it.

Heavenly Father, I thank you for your faithfulness to me. I am a broken sinner who has rebelled against your will every step of the way, yet I rejoice that you do not forsake me but have mercy on me and even call me your child. Father guide my steps and give me the courage to stop worrying about what others will think or do to me, and start living out my faith in every situation that you have so graciously ordained for me. I pray these things for the sake of my savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

 

-Mark

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Fear and Trembling

May 2, 2008 at 5:55 pm (Theology) (, , )

“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” - Philippians 2:12 (ESV)


I have been closely following the online debate between Dr. NT Wright (see my previous post about how theologians are predictable) and Dr. Bert Ehrman. If you have not checked it out yet - I would highly recommend reading through the arguments on both sides and deciding which side you line up on, or if you agree with either on the subject of God’s goodness in allowing suffering in the world. The blog can be found here.

Not knowing much about Dr. Ehrman before now, I have been researching him a bit in my spare time and learning about his background and his theological insights. He is a professor of New Testament studies at UNC Chapel Hill, and that being the case I will hopefully be taking quite a few classes from him in the near future. Herein lies my problem, though. Dr. Ehrman went to college a professing christian, and after learning about the difficulties with biblical manuscripts has since denied his faith, now calling himself an agnostic. (For more on biblical manuscript issues, see his book Misquoting Jesus) Now I have no problem taking a biblical based class from someone who is not a professing Christian - indeed they can and do still have impressive academic insights to share, and they are honorable men that I can learn from, but as I thought more and more about this possibility, I was hit with a thought that pops up in my mind quite a bit as I study theology - “What if, a year from now, five years from now, ten years from now, I decide that this is no longer worth it, and walk away from the God I love?”

Now I am not saying that I do not have blessed assurance - indeed I do - but this is a very real fear of mine. I love Christ with all my heart, all my soul, all my mind, and all my strength to the best of my ability. I am a sinner, no doubt, and I deny Christ by sins of omission and commission daily, but I can say that the Holy Spirit is alive in me and Christ is who I aim to satisfy in all that I do. Yet still this fear. What if I fall away? What if I decide that it is just a sham? What if…?

In Philippians 2, Paul urges his Christian brothers and sisters, in view of Christ’s mercy and humility, and in response to the faith that they have been called to, to “work out [their] salvation with fear and trembling”. This is what I am charged with daily. I am required to pick up my cross and follow Christ, leaving everything else behind, and also to work out my salvation in every way possible, because the devil, although restrained from deceiving the nations (see Revelation 20), is yet at work and continually uses my sin as a foothold in my soul, waiting. As it says in Genesis “…sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.” (4:7b ESV)

We, as Christians, are called to work out our salvation daily with fear and trembling because we do not know when our time is up or what tomorrow will bring. This, dear brother, is your lot in life. Now live it to the full and rest in the love of the Father, the grace of the Son, and the power of the Holy Spirit! Do not be complacent in your accomplishments, for we know that “there is no one who does good, not even one”! Psalm 14:3 (ESV)

Christ came to give life, and give it to the full, so be on guard against the evil one, Christian, and work out your salvation with fear and trembling that when you stand before your father in judgement, and he asks you what you have done to deserve heaven, you may faithfully answer “Nothing, my Lord. I have only put my trust fully in the atoning death of your Son, and I have been made righteous in the light of His sacrifice. I deserve not your favor, Lord,  and base all of my hope on the blood of Christ.”


“Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD; O Lord, hear my voice. 
       Let your ears be attentive 
       to my cry for mercy.

 If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins, 
       O Lord, who could stand?

 But with you there is forgiveness; 
       therefore you are feared.

 I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, 
       and in his word I put my hope.

 My soul waits for the Lord 
       more than watchmen wait for the morning, 
       more than watchmen wait for the morning.

 O Israel, put your hope in the LORD, 
       for with the LORD is unfailing love 
       and with him is full redemption.

 He himself will redeem Israel 

       from all their sins.” Psalm 130 (ESV)

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Daily Bible Reflections: Missional Living

April 28, 2008 at 7:27 pm (Ministry, Theology, Uncategorized) (, , , )

This is my latest post from Daily Bible Reflections. The original entry can be found here, where you can subscribe to the daily devotional if you are interested.

“The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened. When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried with a loud voice, Do not harm yourself, for we are all here. And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household. And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.” - Acts 16:22-34


Lots can be said about this passage, and indeed lots has been said about Paul and Silas’s flogging and imprisonment in Acts 16, but that is not what I want to talk about. If you would like textual notes and proper exegesis, Matthew Henry does a great job.

What I want to talk about is missional living. Yes, I realize that this has become a throughly hackneyed buzzword today to a point of almost becoming jargon, but the heart of it and the spirit of the movement is commendable and Christ seeking.

Lets start with a definition. Missional Living: a philosophy of life and ministry centered on Christ and living a life as he did - engaging culture in order to redeem it. Making disciples wherever you are. Refusing to seperate your life into ‘ministry’ and ‘not ministry’.

Reading through the accounts of the earliest church fathers in the book of Acts, we see precisely this kind of relational outreach being not just incorporated into the outreach, but defining the lives of disciples like Paul and Silas. They did not start a ministry organization with an obscure name and a cool logo and have discipleship committees and host ministry seminars. As we see in this passage - Paul and Silas make the decision “well, we are in jail. Hey look at that - we are chained to this big Roman guard. He must be elect!”

Do you see the difference? Don’t misinterpret my argument - I am not saying that ministry organizations are wrong or un-scriptural, but anyone in ministry (an we are all called to be the aroma of Christ to an unbelieving world) must not be willing to separate their lives into neat little sections: this part of my day being relational outreach, then I take lunch, then I hang with my family a bit, and then maybe I’ll go to a soccer game and do some ministry again. ITS ALL MINISTRY! I know that if I were in jail, still bloody from the savage beat down I got in the middle of the mall today, I would definitely call myself ‘off the job’ of making disciples, at least for the night. But as we see here, Paul and Silas see no difference between their life and their ministry - their life IS their ministry. Even in their personal worship time in a stinking and dirty Roman dungeon, they take every opportunity to preach the gospel in any way they can - because it is their calling and their very life.

Don’t worry, I am not going to end this post with a list of questions about how you can be living your life more missionally - but not because that would be ineffective, only because it would contradict the whole argument. You see, its not about specific things you can do, its about living your life for Christ, and seizing every opportunity you are given to preach the gospel. You needn’t go ‘on missions’ to be a missionary. You are called to do so wherever you are. Your school, your workplace, your family, your church. These are not just places, but mission fields which you are called to engage and redeem for the Kingdom. So stop worrying about how to do ministry, and start living ministry.


Heavenly Father, prepare my heart this day to live in submission to your will, to take every chance I have to be the aroma of Christ to a hurting world. Lord teach me to trust your sovereign will and to see your hand at work in every way, presenting me with the privilege of being your disciple and aiding in your calling of sinners to yourself. Lord shine through me that my family, my colleagues, my peers, and my bosses would see your loving kindness in my actions and my words. Lord be glorified in my life. I ask these things for the sake of Christ and His conquest for men’s hearts. Amen


-MD Letteney

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Daily Bible Reflections

April 28, 2008 at 6:06 pm (Ministry, Theology) (, , , , , )

Daily Bible Reflections


I have been  asked to contribute along with my friend BJ Buracker (of the Stupid Scholar blog) to an ongoing project called ‘Daily Bible Reflections’.

DBR is a daily “devotional” entry on a passage of Scripture, as determined by the Daily Lectionary. From Monday through Friday, BJ and I will be posting a passage of Scripture, a brief reflection, and a concluding prayer. The purpose is to aid readers in their personal worship of God, not supplant their own “Quiet Times.”

Although we follow the Catholic Lectionary of the USCCB, we will avoid reflections on the Deuterocanonical books.

I still have not decided if I will be posting my DBR entries on the Isaiah 52 blog, but probably not, so if you are interested in reading DBR or even subscribing to it via email, click the text above the banner and you will be redirected. 

I pray that this new venture will be helpful in your daily personal worship of Christ our Lord.

In Him,
MD Letteney 

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An Exegetical Look at Romans 4:1-12

April 27, 2008 at 7:26 pm (Theology) (, , , , )

This is the outline for an exegesis I did in discipleship school on saturday morning. It is not too overly theological, but definitely requires a basic understanding of justification, imputation, and Pauline studies. I pray that it is informative and encouraging. Feel free to comment with any questions or further analysis as you see fit.


“What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness. Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but trusts him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:

Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,

and whose sins are covered;

blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.

Is this blessing then only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well, and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.” - Romans 4:1-12 (ESV)

 

Theme: Justification of gentiles and Jews

Look at the passage as one linear argument in four distinct parts.

The passage begins with a direct link between justification and imputation as Paul refers to Genesis 15:6 and Abraham’s faithfulness. The forensic value of justification hinges on word “counted”, but the preposition translated as “for” or “as” (εις) can more literally be translated “with a view to”. Keeping this in mind, we know that Abraham’s righteousness didn’t consist of his faith – a decisive, whole hearted reliance on God’s gracious promise – but his faith was the occasion and means of righteousness being imputed to Abraham.

Justification and imputation in relation to faith now being linked, Paul goes on to explain the means by which we are imputed righteousness. Because Abraham did not receive righteousness as a result of his works, it was a gift. As verses one and two establish, Abraham’s faith was not the impetus for God’s imputation, but only the occasion and means by which he was made righteous. The next passage contributes to the argument as a whole by underlining the gift aspect of righteousness. We cannot conclude that Abraham’s faith was the reason for his imputation, because that would be a work in and of himself, and would directly contradict Paul’s whole argument in the passage - that justification is a gracious gift and not deserved or earned. In the broader context of Romans 3-4, we can see Paul’s macro argument that justification is not subjective to individual believers, but objective and outward (forensic). This is precisely why justification (forensic imputation) and sanctification (creation of an actual righteousness) are separated.

Abraham was a gentile, and Paul mentions him not only to show a gentile who has been justified but also to highlight one of the mega themes of Romans, God’s just judgment of the world and his gracious election of sinners that do not deserve favor.

Paul now shifts the focus of the argument to David, one of the preeminent men in the mind of Jews and someone known as ‘a man after God’s own heart’ (1 Samuel 13:13-14), but also known as an egregious sinner. David’s ‘works of the law’ mentioned were not his submission to the Levitical law, but his works of lawlessness in his sin. Paul uses this passage from Psalm 38 to illustrate that ‘righteousness apart from the law’ is positively imputation of God’s righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21), and negatively freedom from sin and its mortal effects.

What is interesting about Paul’s reference to this text is that the psalm is about confessing sins and the freedom from sin as a result, but Paul assumes here that the reader knows confession and freedom from the law are a part of faith.

Paul begins the macro argument of this passage with “Abraham, our forefather”, but does not explain how this could be the case for both the Jews and the gentiles he was writing to. Echoing Old Testament rhetoric (beginning, middle, beginning), Paul closes the argument in this passage by explaining the beginning. He cites again Genesis 5:6 and the fact that Abraham was justified before he was circumcised (apart from and before the law), that gentiles might become his ‘children of faith’, and he was later circumcised that Jews may become his ‘children of faith’ as well, but only by walking in faith as he did.

Faith is pivotal in receiving justification from God because it looks to God for justification in Christ (Rom 4:24-25, 1 Corinthians 1:30). Because justification is towards ungodly (sinful) men, it must be apart from works in that a sinful man cannot be vindicated to a sinless God. The father’s justifying work is none other than the establishment of His right as Creator, calling into being (righteousness) that which is not present in the life of a sinner. This makes justification twofold – forensic and actual, in that a man is called righteous (forensic) before God on the basis of Christ’s atoning work, and that a man is at the same time (the moment of regeneration) made righteous through sanctification, which is both a instantaneous and a continuing process, albeit in different respects. If God were to merely call us righteous forensically, then what is the use of Christ’s atoning death? Precisely that at the same time as justification and imputed righteousness He also creates an actual righteousness in the sinner who is justified by sanctification through Christ.

-MD Letteney


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Theologians are Predictable

April 24, 2008 at 5:24 pm (Theology) (, , )

I was talking to my roommate Martin (hereafter M.G. Wessbrandt) today about the New Perspectives on Paul and the implications of covenantal nomism in christian teaching today when I made an offhand remark about all of the New Perspective authors using this format: F (first name) M (middle name) Lastname. EP Sanders, JG Dunn, and NT Wright are just a few New Perspective authors among a whole slew of others that use this format. We continued talking as I was hit with another (special?) revelation - almost all of the prominent and influential theologians of the last three hundred years use this format! Don’t believe me? Here’s a short list we came up with to explain this point:


NT Wright

CH Spurgeon

JI Packer

JG Dunn

EP Sanders

AW Pink

CS Lewis

DA Carson

AW Tozer

GK Beale

CJ Mahaney

WY Fullerton

GK Chesterton

RC Sproul

FF Bruce

TF Torrence

JC Ryle

AA Hodge

JN Hawthorne

BB Warfield

JI Packer

DL Moody


And that was just our first ten minutes of brainstorming! MG Wessbrandt and I have decided that when we start writing theological papers, we will use this format. And how could you not? Ok, your turn. Can you think of any that we overlooked? Leave a comment and let us know.


Sincerely,

MD Letteney

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Holding On

April 19, 2008 at 7:35 pm (Theology) (, , )

Idolatry - prohibited in the first commandment of Moses (Exodus 20), idolatry is the act of putting anything or anyone in the place which rightly belongs to Christ.

“But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” - Phillippians 3:7-14

From where does comfort come? Where are you looking for rest? Is it in the riches this world has to offer? What about your own accomplishments? A boy or girl, husband or wife? For those who are not being saved, this is their portion in life - and there is joy in it - but Jesus instructs us over and over that the joy found in this world is fleeting. It is like a vapor blowing in the wind. King Solomon urges in the book of Ecclesiastes Meaningless! Meaningless! The things of this world are meaningless! They are here one day, and gone the next.

As Christians we are called to forsake our portion in this world as of no value considering the surpassing glory of knowing Christ! Possessions, power, relationships - these are all good and gifts from the Father above, but when compared to the majesty of our Lord Jesus Christ, they are as rubbish.

What are you holding on to? What or who are the idols in your life, and do they compare to Christ? What has replaced the priority that rightly belongs to God in your mind, and in it is there life?

 

 ”Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Thee, oh Lord”. - St. Augustine

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