'God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.' (Ps 45:5)
'Will not be moved'--what an inspiring declaration!
Is it possible for us who are so easily moved by
earthly things to come to a point where nothing can
upset us or disturb our peace? The answer is yes, and
the apostle Paul knew it. When he was on his way to
Jerusalem, the Holy Spirit warned him that 'prison
and hardships' awaited him. Yet he triumphantly
said, 'But none of these things move me.'
(Acts 20:24)
Everything in Paul's life and experience that could
be disturbed had already been shaken, and he no
longer considered his life or any of his possessions
as having any earthly value. And if we will only let
God have His way with us, we can come to the same
point. Then, like Paul, neither the stress and strain
of little things, nor the great and heavy trials of life
will have enough power to move us from 'the peace
of God, which transcends all understanding.'
God declares this peace to be the inheritance of
those who have learned to rest only on Him.
'Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the
temple of my God. Never again will he leave it.'
(Rev 3:12) Becoming as immovable as a pillar in
the house of God is such a worthy objective that
we would gladly endure all the necessary trials
that take us there. Hannah Whitall Smith
Tuesday, January 31, 2017
Foolish and Weak-Looking God
The New Testament assumes that the God of Israel and the God revealed in Jesus Christ are one and the same God. But there also can be no question that the portrait of God that was unveiled when the Messiah arrived on the scene was in some respects quite different from what the OT had prepared most Jews to expect. N.T. Wright captures the unprecedented impact Jesus made when he notes that, since his coming, the very meaning of the word “God” has to be “again and again rethought around the actual history of Jesus himself” (Jesus and the Victory of God, 661). The new insights that Jesus reveals about the character of the God of Israel is nothing short of shocking.
Undoubtedly the most astounding new dimension of the God of Israel that Jesus unveils concerns the “foolishness” and “weakness” of his voluntary death on the cross on behalf of his enemies (1 Cor. 1:23). Paul’s attribution of “folly” and “weakness” to God constituted a new language of God. Even more it is a new understanding of who God is. The way in which Paul and his communities placed the cross at the center of their understanding of what Jesus revealed about God constituted a transformation in their conception of God. One theologian argues that the revelation of God in the crucified Christ “stands God on the head” (D. Georgi, Theocracy in Paul’s Praxis and Theology, 54). And it is for this reason that we must rethink the very meaning of the word “God” in light of Jesus.
The writer of Hebrews put it this way, “In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word” (Heb 1:1-3).
In contrast to all previous spoken and written revelations, Jesus is God’s own Son. As is the case throughout the NT, the import of referring to the “Son of God” is not to suggest that Jesus is only a Son and not God himself, but to suggest that he is the very embodiment of God. While God revealed himself in a diversity of ways in the past, only in Christ has God come in person. Torrance wonderfully captures the radically new thing that took place in Christ when he says,
In Christ, what God communicates to man is not something, but his very self. This is distinct from all other acts of God. This is God’s unique act, his reality-in-the-act, and apart from this act there is no God at all….in Jesus Christ God acts in such a way that he is himself in his act, and what he acts he is, and what he is he acts….Jesus Christ as act of God in humanity is identical with God’s own person (T.F. Torrance, Incarnation, 107-8).
Because the weak-looking Jesus who was crucified is identical with God’s own purpose, he is the one who alone is the radiance (apaugasma) of God’s glory (doxa) as well as the one and only exact representation (charactēr) of God’s very essence (hypostasis). Whatever value previous revelations have, they fall short of this. They may to some degree reflect God’s glory, but the crucified Son alone reflects the full brilliance of his glory. They may to some extent represent God, but the Son alone is the exact reflection of God’s character. And they may reflect aspects of God’s being, but the Son alone reveals God’s very essence.
What is more, the crucified Jesus is the one through whom all things came into being and the one for whom everything exists, a view expressed elsewhere in the NT (Jn 1:2; Col. 1:15-17). This means that Jesus is not only the one perfect expression of God’s essence; he’s also the perfect expression of God’s purpose for creation. God is working in and through everything that exists and every event of history to eventually bring every aspect of creation into a harmonious whole under Christ (Eph. 1:9-11). If we take this revelation seriously, it means that everything God is and everything God is about is found in this foolish and weak-looking God, and in him alone.
Greg Boyd
Undoubtedly the most astounding new dimension of the God of Israel that Jesus unveils concerns the “foolishness” and “weakness” of his voluntary death on the cross on behalf of his enemies (1 Cor. 1:23). Paul’s attribution of “folly” and “weakness” to God constituted a new language of God. Even more it is a new understanding of who God is. The way in which Paul and his communities placed the cross at the center of their understanding of what Jesus revealed about God constituted a transformation in their conception of God. One theologian argues that the revelation of God in the crucified Christ “stands God on the head” (D. Georgi, Theocracy in Paul’s Praxis and Theology, 54). And it is for this reason that we must rethink the very meaning of the word “God” in light of Jesus.
The writer of Hebrews put it this way, “In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word” (Heb 1:1-3).
In contrast to all previous spoken and written revelations, Jesus is God’s own Son. As is the case throughout the NT, the import of referring to the “Son of God” is not to suggest that Jesus is only a Son and not God himself, but to suggest that he is the very embodiment of God. While God revealed himself in a diversity of ways in the past, only in Christ has God come in person. Torrance wonderfully captures the radically new thing that took place in Christ when he says,
In Christ, what God communicates to man is not something, but his very self. This is distinct from all other acts of God. This is God’s unique act, his reality-in-the-act, and apart from this act there is no God at all….in Jesus Christ God acts in such a way that he is himself in his act, and what he acts he is, and what he is he acts….Jesus Christ as act of God in humanity is identical with God’s own person (T.F. Torrance, Incarnation, 107-8).
Because the weak-looking Jesus who was crucified is identical with God’s own purpose, he is the one who alone is the radiance (apaugasma) of God’s glory (doxa) as well as the one and only exact representation (charactēr) of God’s very essence (hypostasis). Whatever value previous revelations have, they fall short of this. They may to some degree reflect God’s glory, but the crucified Son alone reflects the full brilliance of his glory. They may to some extent represent God, but the Son alone is the exact reflection of God’s character. And they may reflect aspects of God’s being, but the Son alone reveals God’s very essence.
What is more, the crucified Jesus is the one through whom all things came into being and the one for whom everything exists, a view expressed elsewhere in the NT (Jn 1:2; Col. 1:15-17). This means that Jesus is not only the one perfect expression of God’s essence; he’s also the perfect expression of God’s purpose for creation. God is working in and through everything that exists and every event of history to eventually bring every aspect of creation into a harmonious whole under Christ (Eph. 1:9-11). If we take this revelation seriously, it means that everything God is and everything God is about is found in this foolish and weak-looking God, and in him alone.
Greg Boyd
Sunday, January 29, 2017
Kindness that Comes Too Late
I have always been glad that there was one person who brought out her alabaster jar and anointed the Lord before his burial. Most people would have waited. They would have kept the jar sealed until after his death. Only then, when his body was torn and cold, would they have broken it open to anoint him. But this one woman did not wait. She opened the jar while he could still enjoy its scent, and while his worn and weary feet could still be refreshed.
You don’t have to read between the lines to find the lesson. After a man dies, there is no lack of alabaster jars to be brought out and unsealed. It is then that the kindest words are spoken. It is then that his loved ones forget all his mistakes, follies, and sins to tell of his virtues. His friends recount all the wonderful things he did, the generosity he showed, and the kindness he extended. Everyone that knew him visits his family to say some kind word, to recount a favor they received or a noble deed they witnessed. Close friends order flowers to be sent with their card and laid on his coffin.
There is nothing wrong in all this. Flowers on a coffin are appropriate tokens of love and respect. The kind words are fitting, too. There is no better tribute to a life than the sincere accolades of grieving friends and family members.
But in the meantime, there is a host of weary men and women toiling toward the grave who sorely need what we can give them right now. We are gathering incense to pour on their coffins, but why shouldn’t we pour it over them today? Kind words are lying in our hearts unexpressed, and resting on our tongues unspoken. These are the very words we will speak when these weary people are dead. Why shouldn’t we speak them now, when they would do so much good, and when hearing them would bring such encouragement?
Many a man lives a plain, plodding life, yet an honest, Christian one. He often denies himself to serve others. He does many quiet good deeds to serve his neighbors and friends. Yet he rarely hears a word of gratitude, a word of comfort, a word of encouragement. We, the people he loves and serves, may be grateful, but our gratitude remains in our hearts. The vases filled with appreciation are kept stored away. Later, when we stand by his coffin, we say enough kind things to have brightened every hour of his life. There are enough flowers piled upon his casket to have filled his house for years. His heart would have soared if he had heard our expressions of love and gratitude. His life would have been happier if he had known that we had such affection for him. But, alas, he had to die before we would express our appreciation.
Many a woman lives for Christ, toiling in quiet, unseen ministries. She neglects her own comfort to give generously to the church and to the poor. She visits the orphan and the widow, she trains the young women. When she dies the church mourns and her pastor preaches an eloquent sermon. These are fitting rewards for such a good life, but wouldn’t it have been better if we had shown a part of that kindness while her weary feet set out on another errand or while her busy hands prepared another meal? What does it matter to her when she lies dead that friends have come in throngs to lament her passing and utter her praises?
I’m sure I speak for other weary toilers when I say this: If my friends have alabaster jars of encouragement and affection that they intend to break over my dead body, I’d be grateful if they would bring them out on one of my weary days and open them then. I would rather have a coffin without a flower and a funeral without a eulogy than a life without the love and encouragement of friends.
To display true love to our friends, we need to anoint them beforehand for their burial. Post-mortem kindness does nothing to cheer their burdened spirits while they live. Tears falling at the funeral make no atonement for neglect during the difficult days of their life. Don’t keep the alabaster jars of your love and encouragement sealed up until your friends are dead. Flood their lives with its scent today. Speak encouraging words while they can still hear them. The things you would say when they are gone, say before they go. The flowers you would send for their coffins, send to their homes today. After all, flowers piled on a coffin cast no fragrance backward over the weary days already gone.
This is a re-write of an article by the old preacher and author J.R. Miller.
Saturday, January 14, 2017
Does Life Matter?
Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. --I Corinthians 10:31
I often hear sermons wherein the listeners are admonished to live for the future. The argument is that all we possess, anything we have ever done, or any illness that has overcome us will not matter in heaven. In fact, the worries, hurts, and disappointments of today are not even to be considered in light of the great someday when we will be in heaven and all of God's promises are revealed. All that will matter in heaven are the things of heaven. However, the goal in life when this emphasis is embraced becomes "hanging in there," just toughing it out until heaven. Consequently, this emphasis leaves some of us believing that the daily components of life simply do not matter. The contention that life is misery was continually told to one struggling fellow; he was assured that if he would just hang in there until heaven, relief would then come. Finally, he made what would seem to be a quite logical leap as expressed in his suicide note. In light of how he perceived that teaching, he simply decided to bypass the struggle and misery of daily living and go directly to bliss.
Some emphasize knowledge as the end goal of the earthly, daily experiences of life. That is, every situation in life is to teach us something. If we are faithful to learn, we go to heaven having become experts at living on the earth. However, the understanding of how to live on earth would not appear to be of great practical value in heaven, and who among us maintains that learning the hard way from our experiences is appealing? Do we relish a continuing education course that instills firsthand knowledge from such hardships as watching a loved one die, observing a child on drugs, hearing the news of an unfaithful mate, or losing a job? Just how will all of this knowledge help in heaven? If life is to teach, many believe they have already learned enough. Is life just an endurance test?
Others have declared that the purpose of life is doing. "It matters not what you believe; what do you do?" When things get tough, they assert, the tough get going. The adversities in life are meant to separate the sheep from the goats, the successful from the failures, and the weak from the strong. Every event in life is a challenge, but they maintain that man can get the job done. They will keep every command and despise those who do not. The interesting thing is that their definitions of success are always contrived to reflect the scope of their own abilities, and the problem is that if life presents one adversity that cannot be mastered, then what was the purpose of overcoming the previous thousand? I have consistently found that it only takes three questions to discover what any particular doer cannot do. I have seen many half-built bridges around the world; construction was going so well until some one thing hindered, but that one thing was the most important thing. Is the purpose of life's circumstances to see how much we can overcome?
I listened to an old man in Ukraine as he related his prison experience of twenty years, followed by another seven for refusing to renounce Christ. He told of miracle after miracle that took place during his incarceration. My spirit leapt within me, for I was so encouraged with hope by the testimony. I could not bring myself to say that all of his suffering was bad, for he had been led to participation in Life in new and wondrous ways. "And as for you, you meant evil against me, {but} God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive" (Genesis 50:20). When it is revealed that "all things" work together for the good of those who love Him, we come to understand that nothing is meaningless. A flat tire, the rebellious child, empty pockets, a lost inheritance, or the death of a loved one all move me toward Life. Paul understood. "Bless those who persecute you; bless and curse not" (Romans 12:14). When God, in His love, mercy, and grace, decides to move me near, the problems line up one behind the other. They step forward one at a time until I give up and turn to Him. Once in His lap, I so enjoy myself that I look back at the problems and thank God for them.
We believers do not have to fear that when lying on our deathbeds we will have to say, "Life was meaningless."We did not know which car to buy, so we prayed. We did not know what to do for the child, so we prayed. We were suffering with ill health, and we prayed. We were rejected by family, so we prayed. None of the mundane or miserable circumstances of life were meaningless to us when they propelled us into the Father’s presence.
I often hear sermons wherein the listeners are admonished to live for the future. The argument is that all we possess, anything we have ever done, or any illness that has overcome us will not matter in heaven. In fact, the worries, hurts, and disappointments of today are not even to be considered in light of the great someday when we will be in heaven and all of God's promises are revealed. All that will matter in heaven are the things of heaven. However, the goal in life when this emphasis is embraced becomes "hanging in there," just toughing it out until heaven. Consequently, this emphasis leaves some of us believing that the daily components of life simply do not matter. The contention that life is misery was continually told to one struggling fellow; he was assured that if he would just hang in there until heaven, relief would then come. Finally, he made what would seem to be a quite logical leap as expressed in his suicide note. In light of how he perceived that teaching, he simply decided to bypass the struggle and misery of daily living and go directly to bliss.
Some emphasize knowledge as the end goal of the earthly, daily experiences of life. That is, every situation in life is to teach us something. If we are faithful to learn, we go to heaven having become experts at living on the earth. However, the understanding of how to live on earth would not appear to be of great practical value in heaven, and who among us maintains that learning the hard way from our experiences is appealing? Do we relish a continuing education course that instills firsthand knowledge from such hardships as watching a loved one die, observing a child on drugs, hearing the news of an unfaithful mate, or losing a job? Just how will all of this knowledge help in heaven? If life is to teach, many believe they have already learned enough. Is life just an endurance test?
Others have declared that the purpose of life is doing. "It matters not what you believe; what do you do?" When things get tough, they assert, the tough get going. The adversities in life are meant to separate the sheep from the goats, the successful from the failures, and the weak from the strong. Every event in life is a challenge, but they maintain that man can get the job done. They will keep every command and despise those who do not. The interesting thing is that their definitions of success are always contrived to reflect the scope of their own abilities, and the problem is that if life presents one adversity that cannot be mastered, then what was the purpose of overcoming the previous thousand? I have consistently found that it only takes three questions to discover what any particular doer cannot do. I have seen many half-built bridges around the world; construction was going so well until some one thing hindered, but that one thing was the most important thing. Is the purpose of life's circumstances to see how much we can overcome?
I listened to an old man in Ukraine as he related his prison experience of twenty years, followed by another seven for refusing to renounce Christ. He told of miracle after miracle that took place during his incarceration. My spirit leapt within me, for I was so encouraged with hope by the testimony. I could not bring myself to say that all of his suffering was bad, for he had been led to participation in Life in new and wondrous ways. "And as for you, you meant evil against me, {but} God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive" (Genesis 50:20). When it is revealed that "all things" work together for the good of those who love Him, we come to understand that nothing is meaningless. A flat tire, the rebellious child, empty pockets, a lost inheritance, or the death of a loved one all move me toward Life. Paul understood. "Bless those who persecute you; bless and curse not" (Romans 12:14). When God, in His love, mercy, and grace, decides to move me near, the problems line up one behind the other. They step forward one at a time until I give up and turn to Him. Once in His lap, I so enjoy myself that I look back at the problems and thank God for them.
We believers do not have to fear that when lying on our deathbeds we will have to say, "Life was meaningless."We did not know which car to buy, so we prayed. We did not know what to do for the child, so we prayed. We were suffering with ill health, and we prayed. We were rejected by family, so we prayed. None of the mundane or miserable circumstances of life were meaningless to us when they propelled us into the Father’s presence.
Wednesday, January 11, 2017
The Cross and The Trinity
Out of love for humankind, Scripture tells us, Jesus emptied himself of his divine prerogatives, set aside the glory he had with the Father from before the foundation of the world, became a human being and bore our sin as he died a God-forsaken death on Calvary (Phil 2:5-7). Though Jesus remained fully God, he entered into total solidarity with humanity by becoming a full human being. And though Jesus remained sinless, he entered into total solidarity with our sin and condemnation, to the point that Paul boldly proclaimed that Christ in some sense became our sin and became our curse (2 Cor 5:21). The cross is the culminating expression of the meaning of the Incarnation and everything else Jesus was about.
The cross reveals a God of unfathomable humility and mercy who is not above stooping to appear far less beautiful than he actually is—to appear as a guilty, crucified criminal!—in order to save us and to continue to achieve his sovereign purposes. The essence or character of God is the incomprehensibly humble, self-sacrificial love displayed on the cross.
While this revelation of course never ceases to be wonderfully mysterious, I believe it can be rendered intelligible, but only when we accept that God’s eternal nature is a union of three divine Persons who eternally give themselves wholly to one another in perfect, humble, self-giving love.
As Father, Son and Holy Spirit, God is from all eternity a self-giving God who pours himself out for “another.” Indeed, this is not only something the three Persons of the Trinity do; this is who the triune God eternally is. As TF Torrance writes,
The atoning act perfected in the cross of Jesus Christ is grounded in the very being of the eternal God, that is, in the eternal being of the Holy Trinity (The Mediation of Christ, 113).
This, I contend, is the meaning of the revelation that God is love—the kind of love that is revealed when God stoops to the infinite extreme of becoming a human and dying on a cross for a race of people who could not deserve it less (I Jn 4:8; 3:16).
The revelation of the Trinity renders the revelation of God on the cross intelligible because it means that when God humbly poured himself out on behalf of humanity by stooping to the furthest extreme possible, he was not doing something foreign to himself. To the contrary, by stooping in this way, the eternal triune God was simply enveloping humans into the self-giving, triune love that he eternally is.
As paradoxical as it sounds, when God the Son stooped to the infinite extremity of taking on our God-forsakenness on the cross, he was manifesting outwardly, in time, the perfect unity he eternally enjoys with the Father and the Spirit. Because God’s true eternal nature is a perfect, other-oriented, self-giving fellowship of three divine persons, we can begin to understand the paradoxical claim that God is revealed by becoming something that is not only different from himself (a human being), but that is even utterly antithetical to himself (our sin and God-forsakenness). The infinite intensity of the perfect love that is the eternal character of the triune God is most clearly revealed in the fact that God condescended to the furthest extreme possible out of love for a race of rebels who wanted only to crucify him.
The cross reveals a God of unfathomable humility and mercy who is not above stooping to appear far less beautiful than he actually is—to appear as a guilty, crucified criminal!—in order to save us and to continue to achieve his sovereign purposes. The essence or character of God is the incomprehensibly humble, self-sacrificial love displayed on the cross.
While this revelation of course never ceases to be wonderfully mysterious, I believe it can be rendered intelligible, but only when we accept that God’s eternal nature is a union of three divine Persons who eternally give themselves wholly to one another in perfect, humble, self-giving love.
As Father, Son and Holy Spirit, God is from all eternity a self-giving God who pours himself out for “another.” Indeed, this is not only something the three Persons of the Trinity do; this is who the triune God eternally is. As TF Torrance writes,
The atoning act perfected in the cross of Jesus Christ is grounded in the very being of the eternal God, that is, in the eternal being of the Holy Trinity (The Mediation of Christ, 113).
This, I contend, is the meaning of the revelation that God is love—the kind of love that is revealed when God stoops to the infinite extreme of becoming a human and dying on a cross for a race of people who could not deserve it less (I Jn 4:8; 3:16).
The revelation of the Trinity renders the revelation of God on the cross intelligible because it means that when God humbly poured himself out on behalf of humanity by stooping to the furthest extreme possible, he was not doing something foreign to himself. To the contrary, by stooping in this way, the eternal triune God was simply enveloping humans into the self-giving, triune love that he eternally is.
As paradoxical as it sounds, when God the Son stooped to the infinite extremity of taking on our God-forsakenness on the cross, he was manifesting outwardly, in time, the perfect unity he eternally enjoys with the Father and the Spirit. Because God’s true eternal nature is a perfect, other-oriented, self-giving fellowship of three divine persons, we can begin to understand the paradoxical claim that God is revealed by becoming something that is not only different from himself (a human being), but that is even utterly antithetical to himself (our sin and God-forsakenness). The infinite intensity of the perfect love that is the eternal character of the triune God is most clearly revealed in the fact that God condescended to the furthest extreme possible out of love for a race of rebels who wanted only to crucify him.
- Greg Boyd
Thursday, January 5, 2017
Does God Have a Sex Drive?
For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His. --II Chronicles 16:9
Does God have a sex drive? Maybe a better question would be, “Why does God give man a sex drive?” There are few things within man as dangerous as the sex drive, which has been the cause of untold misery and suffering. Why, then, knowing the misuse that would come about, did God give man such a desire? Man is made in the image of God, and therefore, understanding God can come from looking at man, just as looking to God can bring understanding about man. As we look at man the legitimate question can be asked, “Does God have a sex drive?” The answer is an astounding, “Yes!” However, we must define the sex drive properly. Its purpose is actually the pursuit of intimacy. This is why those addicted to sex will never find satisfaction, for they are attempting to fulfill the craving for intimacy through the repetition of a physical act. Sex without intimacy is nothing more than feeding the flesh a junk-food snack, which brings only a very temporary physical satisfaction. The question, then, becomes, “Does God have an intimacy drive?” Yes!
I was joking with some of the young men in a Bible school and telling them I knew that as they entered the lecture hall, their eyes were moving to and fro in the hope of making eye contact with one of the young women. If that happened, they would get encouraged and next begin to pass by the girl on a frequent basis in anticipation that perhaps the fleeting glance was something more. If that effort were rewarded, they would have the confidence to talk to the girl, ask her out, and begin to woo her. One day they would be quite excited if the young woman told them that she had chosen them! It is the drive for intimacy that causes all such behavior.
Now multiply the sex drive times one hundred, call it the drive for intimacy, and you will begin to get a picture of the drive for intimacy that exists within the love of God. His eyes search to and fro for the one who will meet His glance. If our eyes meet His, he begins to woo us, and one day we choose Him! God’s drive for intimacy is so great, and yet it is constrained by our choice. He does not practice spiritual rape. We must choose Him, desire Him, and respond to His advances. How often we hear how man thinks that God does not love us! That is foolishness!
Through God’s drive for intimacy, He wants to conceive something in our spirit, not our mind, will, or emotions. “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:20). We stand enthralled at a virgin birth where Christ was formed in Mary. However, He has been birthed in us, also. A conception, in the love of God, has taken place in every child of God. When the sex drive is defined properly as the drive for intimacy, we understand both God’s heart and man’s need for intimacy. Satan does not have a creative bone in his body; he must watch to see what God is doing and then tempt us with something that is off.We see this clearly when Moses was with the magicians that could only attempt to duplicate what God did first. Therefore, when God creates the drive for intimacy, Satan sees the opportunity for perverting it and offers man the possibilities for physical activity with the exclusion of intimacy. The problem with a lone physical act’s not bringing the desired expression of intimacy yields a drive for sex that is quite animalistic and unsatisfactory. There is no need to discuss where it goes from there. Sex as expressed in the world is simply off!
Does God have a sex drive? Maybe a better question would be, “Why does God give man a sex drive?” There are few things within man as dangerous as the sex drive, which has been the cause of untold misery and suffering. Why, then, knowing the misuse that would come about, did God give man such a desire? Man is made in the image of God, and therefore, understanding God can come from looking at man, just as looking to God can bring understanding about man. As we look at man the legitimate question can be asked, “Does God have a sex drive?” The answer is an astounding, “Yes!” However, we must define the sex drive properly. Its purpose is actually the pursuit of intimacy. This is why those addicted to sex will never find satisfaction, for they are attempting to fulfill the craving for intimacy through the repetition of a physical act. Sex without intimacy is nothing more than feeding the flesh a junk-food snack, which brings only a very temporary physical satisfaction. The question, then, becomes, “Does God have an intimacy drive?” Yes!
I was joking with some of the young men in a Bible school and telling them I knew that as they entered the lecture hall, their eyes were moving to and fro in the hope of making eye contact with one of the young women. If that happened, they would get encouraged and next begin to pass by the girl on a frequent basis in anticipation that perhaps the fleeting glance was something more. If that effort were rewarded, they would have the confidence to talk to the girl, ask her out, and begin to woo her. One day they would be quite excited if the young woman told them that she had chosen them! It is the drive for intimacy that causes all such behavior.
Now multiply the sex drive times one hundred, call it the drive for intimacy, and you will begin to get a picture of the drive for intimacy that exists within the love of God. His eyes search to and fro for the one who will meet His glance. If our eyes meet His, he begins to woo us, and one day we choose Him! God’s drive for intimacy is so great, and yet it is constrained by our choice. He does not practice spiritual rape. We must choose Him, desire Him, and respond to His advances. How often we hear how man thinks that God does not love us! That is foolishness!
Through God’s drive for intimacy, He wants to conceive something in our spirit, not our mind, will, or emotions. “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:20). We stand enthralled at a virgin birth where Christ was formed in Mary. However, He has been birthed in us, also. A conception, in the love of God, has taken place in every child of God. When the sex drive is defined properly as the drive for intimacy, we understand both God’s heart and man’s need for intimacy. Satan does not have a creative bone in his body; he must watch to see what God is doing and then tempt us with something that is off.We see this clearly when Moses was with the magicians that could only attempt to duplicate what God did first. Therefore, when God creates the drive for intimacy, Satan sees the opportunity for perverting it and offers man the possibilities for physical activity with the exclusion of intimacy. The problem with a lone physical act’s not bringing the desired expression of intimacy yields a drive for sex that is quite animalistic and unsatisfactory. There is no need to discuss where it goes from there. Sex as expressed in the world is simply off!
Wednesday, January 4, 2017
The Feeble Gospel
The number one reason we have a feeble church is we preach a feeble gospel. We will never have a strong church unless we preach a mighty gospel. Do you know the difference?
• The feeble gospel says you better love God; the mighty gospel declares he surely loves you!
• The feeble gospel preaches God can forgive you; the mighty gospel declares he already has.
• The feeble gospel says you need to get holy; the mighty gospel declares that in Christ you already are.
• The feeble gospel says you are the Lord’s servant; the mighty gospel declares you are his beloved son.
• The feeble gospel points to your badness; the mighty gospel reveals his abounding goodness.
• The feeble gospel preaches turn from sin; the mighty gospel says turn to Jesus and be free from sin.
• The feeble gospel says God will bless you as you do your part; the mighty gospel declares God has blessed you with every blessing in Christ Jesus.
• The feeble gospel drives you with law; the mighty gospel draws you with love.
• The feeble gospel says God gives and takes away; the mighty gospel declares God gives and his gifts are without revocation.
• The feeble gospel says repentance is what we do in response to sin; the mighty gospel says repentance is a response to love.
• The feeble gospel says God can; the mighty gospel says God will and has.
• The feeble gospel says God gives sickness to help you grow; the mighty gospel says he heals all our diseases.
• The feeble gospel says God is counting your sins; the mighty gospel says he has removed them as far as the east from the west.
• The feeble gospel says do something for God; the mighty gospel says look what he’s done for you.
• The feeble gospel says strive to please him; the mighty gospel says strive to enter his rest.
A feeble believer reads this list with a mindset of balance. “God has done his part, now I must do mine.” But a mighty believer insists on Christ alone. “Jesus has done it all, and my part is to rest in his finished work.”
A feeble believer believes a feeble me-centered gospel. “I must produce or perish.” But a mighty believer believes a mighty Christ-centered gospel. “Jesus saves me and keeps me, and he who began a good work in me will carry it on until the day of completion.”
A feeble believer swallows the lies of dead religion without question. “I need a little works insurance.” But a mighty believer has no tolerance for mixture. “Grace plus law equals law. I will not be enslaved again.”
A feeble believer is feeble because they rely on the weakness of their flesh to do that which is impossible. But a mighty believer is mighty because they are relying on a mighty God.
A feeble believer fails because they are walking in the flesh, but a mighty believer cannot lose because they are seated in Christ who is their eternal victory.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
- Paul Ellis
• The feeble gospel says you better love God; the mighty gospel declares he surely loves you!
• The feeble gospel preaches God can forgive you; the mighty gospel declares he already has.
• The feeble gospel says you need to get holy; the mighty gospel declares that in Christ you already are.
• The feeble gospel says you are the Lord’s servant; the mighty gospel declares you are his beloved son.
• The feeble gospel points to your badness; the mighty gospel reveals his abounding goodness.
• The feeble gospel preaches turn from sin; the mighty gospel says turn to Jesus and be free from sin.
• The feeble gospel says God will bless you as you do your part; the mighty gospel declares God has blessed you with every blessing in Christ Jesus.
• The feeble gospel drives you with law; the mighty gospel draws you with love.
• The feeble gospel says God gives and takes away; the mighty gospel declares God gives and his gifts are without revocation.
• The feeble gospel says repentance is what we do in response to sin; the mighty gospel says repentance is a response to love.
• The feeble gospel says God can; the mighty gospel says God will and has.
• The feeble gospel says God gives sickness to help you grow; the mighty gospel says he heals all our diseases.
• The feeble gospel says God is counting your sins; the mighty gospel says he has removed them as far as the east from the west.
• The feeble gospel says do something for God; the mighty gospel says look what he’s done for you.
• The feeble gospel says strive to please him; the mighty gospel says strive to enter his rest.
A feeble believer reads this list with a mindset of balance. “God has done his part, now I must do mine.” But a mighty believer insists on Christ alone. “Jesus has done it all, and my part is to rest in his finished work.”
A feeble believer believes a feeble me-centered gospel. “I must produce or perish.” But a mighty believer believes a mighty Christ-centered gospel. “Jesus saves me and keeps me, and he who began a good work in me will carry it on until the day of completion.”
A feeble believer swallows the lies of dead religion without question. “I need a little works insurance.” But a mighty believer has no tolerance for mixture. “Grace plus law equals law. I will not be enslaved again.”
A feeble believer is feeble because they rely on the weakness of their flesh to do that which is impossible. But a mighty believer is mighty because they are relying on a mighty God.
A feeble believer fails because they are walking in the flesh, but a mighty believer cannot lose because they are seated in Christ who is their eternal victory.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
- Paul Ellis
Tuesday, January 3, 2017
Seeing and Knowing God
There are many scripture passages that seem to suggest that the way people view God often says more about them than it does about God. Our perception of God, as well as other spiritual truths, is conditioned by the state of our heart. Jesus’ most important teaching on this matter is found in John’s Gospel where Jesus told the Pharisees that they lacked the capacity to discern how Moses wrote about him because, despite their diligent study, “the love of God was not in [their] heart” (Jn. 5:42). Whether one is able to see Jesus in Scripture, he’s saying, depends on something far more important than diligent study. It depends on a heart relationship with God.
Along the same lines, the story in Luke 24 of the two disciples with whom the resurrected Jesus walked on the road to Emmaus tells of how they were unable to recognize him in his resurrected form or to see that Moses and the Prophets wrote about him until “their eyes were open” as they broke bread together (Lk 24:30-32). As Jesus several times suggested in other teachings, one can only “see” and “hear” what their heart allows them to “see” and “hear” (e.g. Mark 4:9). Indeed, this teaching, along with a host of other Scriptures, suggests that unless the Spirit of the resurrected Christ opens our heart, we will remain blind to the way “all Scripture” points to Christ.
We find the same insight in Paul’s writing. Most importantly, he taught that just as a veil was placed over Moses’ face to shield fellow Hebrews from the brilliance of God’s glory, so too unbelievers have a veil over their minds that dulls their spiritual perception (2 Cor 3:15). Paul himself testified that, prior to his conversion, he lacked the capacity to see Jesus as anything more than a mere human. As with all unbelievers, Paul’s spiritual eyes were “blinded” by the “god of this age” so that he could not “see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Cor 4:4). Only when the Spirit removes this veil in the mind and heart of a person, and only when God makes “his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory,” can we see this glory “displayed in the face of Christ” (4:6).
So too, Paul writes that only by the work of the Spirit can a person be “made… competent” to be a minister of “a new covenant” by acquiring the capacity to understand Scripture according to “the Spirit” that “gives life” instead of “the letter” that “kills” (3:6). And it is only as believers “with unveiled faces” gaze upon this Christ-centered glory that they are transformed “with ever increasing glory” into Christ’s likeness. (2 Cor. 3:7-4:6).
As you begin this new year, the Spirit is at work in your heart so that the abstract truth about God’s love and glory might be made real and personal to you. May you embrace a greater sense of dependency on the Spirit by fixing your eyes on Jesus and beholding the glory of the Lord, and allowing that glory to transform you.
Along the same lines, the story in Luke 24 of the two disciples with whom the resurrected Jesus walked on the road to Emmaus tells of how they were unable to recognize him in his resurrected form or to see that Moses and the Prophets wrote about him until “their eyes were open” as they broke bread together (Lk 24:30-32). As Jesus several times suggested in other teachings, one can only “see” and “hear” what their heart allows them to “see” and “hear” (e.g. Mark 4:9). Indeed, this teaching, along with a host of other Scriptures, suggests that unless the Spirit of the resurrected Christ opens our heart, we will remain blind to the way “all Scripture” points to Christ.
We find the same insight in Paul’s writing. Most importantly, he taught that just as a veil was placed over Moses’ face to shield fellow Hebrews from the brilliance of God’s glory, so too unbelievers have a veil over their minds that dulls their spiritual perception (2 Cor 3:15). Paul himself testified that, prior to his conversion, he lacked the capacity to see Jesus as anything more than a mere human. As with all unbelievers, Paul’s spiritual eyes were “blinded” by the “god of this age” so that he could not “see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Cor 4:4). Only when the Spirit removes this veil in the mind and heart of a person, and only when God makes “his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory,” can we see this glory “displayed in the face of Christ” (4:6).
So too, Paul writes that only by the work of the Spirit can a person be “made… competent” to be a minister of “a new covenant” by acquiring the capacity to understand Scripture according to “the Spirit” that “gives life” instead of “the letter” that “kills” (3:6). And it is only as believers “with unveiled faces” gaze upon this Christ-centered glory that they are transformed “with ever increasing glory” into Christ’s likeness. (2 Cor. 3:7-4:6).
As you begin this new year, the Spirit is at work in your heart so that the abstract truth about God’s love and glory might be made real and personal to you. May you embrace a greater sense of dependency on the Spirit by fixing your eyes on Jesus and beholding the glory of the Lord, and allowing that glory to transform you.
- Greg Boyd
Monday, January 2, 2017
Innocent Babes
We're innocent babes in His arms!
Even though humans have been confused since eating from that ole' law (knowledge of good and evil) tree, the image of God hasn't been erased from us, and there is still that core of good humanity, worthy of dignity and love, deep within us, that 'something' within us that longs for God and longs to do good, 'delights in His will,' loves beauty and truth and naturally reaches for light, knows instinctively that we are meant to love and seeks love, seeks to find kindness and seeks to be kind, seeks understanding and seeks to be understanding, seeks good and seeks to do good. An innocence deep down within us all. I just can't look at the face of a newborn baby and think that baby is bad or even half bad - I can only feel delight, rapture and joy at the miracle of this newborn human, innocent and sweet! When I look in the face of a newborn baby, all I can see is innocence, beauty, purity and goodness.
I know our minds became confused and we were 'separated and enemies of God in our minds, doing wicked works,' but how wonderful that that was only in our minds! We were never really separated, never really enemies of God - our minds thought so through law thinking, dividing things into good and bad, seeing ourselves as bad and thus separate from the good God - but I don't believe that we really ever changed from being those basically good, decent humans that God made, one with Him deep down, for 'He is the spirit in man' as Job says - He's our core, it's His Spirit that gives us life and is in us at the core of our humanity! His Spirit, His good nature, His image, His imprint, His DNA of Love within us all!
Isn't it wonderful that Christ is revealed IN us, that the Spirit bubbles up and overflows from deep WITHIN us! Jesus didn't come to put good into us but to let it out! There was goodness inside us all along! It gets me excited to think I have always been good deep down, not evil, bad, dirty or sinful in nature! It's only that my mind didn't see this, lies poisoned me and took me captive to vain, law thinking and evil thoughts about myself, seeing myself as bad, and others too. This caused all kinds of problems and made me act so contrary to my true nature of goodness and love as God's creation. But Jesus came to be the truth that sets us free, sets our minds free!!!
He freed our minds to see our goodness, see that we have the imprint of God within, setting us free to really live as the children of God, the Spiritual beings we always were. Our latent goodness, our latent "God-ness" can pour forth, and out of our innermost being flows rivers of living water (the Holy, Pure, Good Spirit that's always been there inside) because we're not seeing ourselves as bad anymore but embracing our true identity, believing the good news, seeing ourselves as sons and daughters of the Father of Love who have that same character of Love!
I believe the image of God is still in each person and is worthy of respect and affirmation. I believe that image is still there underneath the misunderstandings and confusions, law-thinking and law-breakings. We're still His creation, all of us are his offspring/children, as Paul said. Those who believe have had the blinders of the mind removed, have had clarity restored, and can really enjoy that relationship with Papa that is the birthright of all His human babies. But I do believe every person is good, just like their Dad, deep down where it counts, as seen in the innocence of babies and children.
This has really been wonderful to ponder and think about! I am still learning about all this and may be wrong about things, but these are my thoughts right now. I really believe we are all 'good eggs' and Jesus came to redeem that goodness in men - to bring it to light.
He redeemed us! I read a great definition of redemption recently. It basically said that when something loses its sense of value and that sense of value is restored, it's been redeemed. I think that is what He did for us - He restored to us our sense of value, showed us we're worthy, valuable, good.
He justified us. What does that mean? To justify means to prove somebody is in the right. To prove their innocence. To prove they are 'not guilty.' To uphold and demonstrate and show forth their righteousness, that they are a just person. A good person! That they didn't do wrong! Christ came to vindicate and justify us in our own eyes - to prove us righteous and good. Humanity put itself on trial through our 'law thinking' and God gave the verdict, proclaimed us good and 'just' by the cross, for even when we did our worst and killed His Son, Jesus was saying 'they don't know what they are doing' and calling us innocent deep down! Wow!
He justified the ungodly by proving us worth dying for and still good at the core, still God's offspring with a right to the palace! Satan had captured our minds and made us believe lies about ourselves, that we were bad and dirty and separate from good/God. Jesus came and showed us the truth of our belovedness and goodness and belonging in God's family, His truth setting our captive minds free! We thought we were orphans, He showed us we were sons and daughters of the one true God, His very own creation, in His good image of Love! He's always seen us as His good little ones, it was our eyes that needed to be opened to this.
The enemy could never change who we were deep in our core humanity.
He could never change our paternity!
We have always been in the image of our Father.
And that image has always been 'very good!'
- By "Under the Waterfall"
Even though humans have been confused since eating from that ole' law (knowledge of good and evil) tree, the image of God hasn't been erased from us, and there is still that core of good humanity, worthy of dignity and love, deep within us, that 'something' within us that longs for God and longs to do good, 'delights in His will,' loves beauty and truth and naturally reaches for light, knows instinctively that we are meant to love and seeks love, seeks to find kindness and seeks to be kind, seeks understanding and seeks to be understanding, seeks good and seeks to do good. An innocence deep down within us all. I just can't look at the face of a newborn baby and think that baby is bad or even half bad - I can only feel delight, rapture and joy at the miracle of this newborn human, innocent and sweet! When I look in the face of a newborn baby, all I can see is innocence, beauty, purity and goodness.
I know our minds became confused and we were 'separated and enemies of God in our minds, doing wicked works,' but how wonderful that that was only in our minds! We were never really separated, never really enemies of God - our minds thought so through law thinking, dividing things into good and bad, seeing ourselves as bad and thus separate from the good God - but I don't believe that we really ever changed from being those basically good, decent humans that God made, one with Him deep down, for 'He is the spirit in man' as Job says - He's our core, it's His Spirit that gives us life and is in us at the core of our humanity! His Spirit, His good nature, His image, His imprint, His DNA of Love within us all!
Isn't it wonderful that Christ is revealed IN us, that the Spirit bubbles up and overflows from deep WITHIN us! Jesus didn't come to put good into us but to let it out! There was goodness inside us all along! It gets me excited to think I have always been good deep down, not evil, bad, dirty or sinful in nature! It's only that my mind didn't see this, lies poisoned me and took me captive to vain, law thinking and evil thoughts about myself, seeing myself as bad, and others too. This caused all kinds of problems and made me act so contrary to my true nature of goodness and love as God's creation. But Jesus came to be the truth that sets us free, sets our minds free!!!
He freed our minds to see our goodness, see that we have the imprint of God within, setting us free to really live as the children of God, the Spiritual beings we always were. Our latent goodness, our latent "God-ness" can pour forth, and out of our innermost being flows rivers of living water (the Holy, Pure, Good Spirit that's always been there inside) because we're not seeing ourselves as bad anymore but embracing our true identity, believing the good news, seeing ourselves as sons and daughters of the Father of Love who have that same character of Love!
I believe the image of God is still in each person and is worthy of respect and affirmation. I believe that image is still there underneath the misunderstandings and confusions, law-thinking and law-breakings. We're still His creation, all of us are his offspring/children, as Paul said. Those who believe have had the blinders of the mind removed, have had clarity restored, and can really enjoy that relationship with Papa that is the birthright of all His human babies. But I do believe every person is good, just like their Dad, deep down where it counts, as seen in the innocence of babies and children.
This has really been wonderful to ponder and think about! I am still learning about all this and may be wrong about things, but these are my thoughts right now. I really believe we are all 'good eggs' and Jesus came to redeem that goodness in men - to bring it to light.
He redeemed us! I read a great definition of redemption recently. It basically said that when something loses its sense of value and that sense of value is restored, it's been redeemed. I think that is what He did for us - He restored to us our sense of value, showed us we're worthy, valuable, good.
He justified us. What does that mean? To justify means to prove somebody is in the right. To prove their innocence. To prove they are 'not guilty.' To uphold and demonstrate and show forth their righteousness, that they are a just person. A good person! That they didn't do wrong! Christ came to vindicate and justify us in our own eyes - to prove us righteous and good. Humanity put itself on trial through our 'law thinking' and God gave the verdict, proclaimed us good and 'just' by the cross, for even when we did our worst and killed His Son, Jesus was saying 'they don't know what they are doing' and calling us innocent deep down! Wow!
He justified the ungodly by proving us worth dying for and still good at the core, still God's offspring with a right to the palace! Satan had captured our minds and made us believe lies about ourselves, that we were bad and dirty and separate from good/God. Jesus came and showed us the truth of our belovedness and goodness and belonging in God's family, His truth setting our captive minds free! We thought we were orphans, He showed us we were sons and daughters of the one true God, His very own creation, in His good image of Love! He's always seen us as His good little ones, it was our eyes that needed to be opened to this.
The enemy could never change who we were deep in our core humanity.
He could never change our paternity!
We have always been in the image of our Father.
And that image has always been 'very good!'
- By "Under the Waterfall"
For the New Year
From my heart to yours, a prayer for the new year.
'On this first day of 2017 I share my prayer and blessing for us, the beloved of the Father. May the Spirit open the inner eyes of our heart's imagination to see as He sees us; that we may once and for all fling off the grave cloths of academic head knowing, knowing by hearsay and enter into the resurrection empowered knowing by personal seeing and experienced relationship the love of the Father that cascades into our lives through the Spirit.
May we know our identity as Christ persons that He is in us and we are in Him--complete union that we may love one another with the same love that He pours into our hearts and so be in reality the light of the world.'
(Malcolm Smith, January 1, 2017)
'On this first day of 2017 I share my prayer and blessing for us, the beloved of the Father. May the Spirit open the inner eyes of our heart's imagination to see as He sees us; that we may once and for all fling off the grave cloths of academic head knowing, knowing by hearsay and enter into the resurrection empowered knowing by personal seeing and experienced relationship the love of the Father that cascades into our lives through the Spirit.
May we know our identity as Christ persons that He is in us and we are in Him--complete union that we may love one another with the same love that He pours into our hearts and so be in reality the light of the world.'
(Malcolm Smith, January 1, 2017)
Subscribe to:
Posts
(
Atom
)