The common legal-framework view of salvation encourages people to understand it as mere acquittal, but there is much more to it than that.
First let’s consider what God saved us FROM. It’s certainly true that God saved us from the fatal consequences of our sin by forgiving us. But the New Testament’s view of salvation goes far beyond this when it proclaims that Jesus came to save his people from their sins (Mt. 1:23)—not merely the consequences of those sins. In fact, in expressing God’s perfect, self-sacrificial love on Calvary, Jesus saved us from the ultimate power of sin, which is Satan and the Powers. See Tuesday’s post for more on this.
This theme is emphasized throughout the New Testament. For example, the message Paul received when he first encountered Christ was that he was being sent to the Gentiles
…to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me (Ac 26:17-18).
Through Paul, God was going to free people from the power of Satan, the “god of this age” who “blinds the minds of unbelievers” (2 Cor. 4:4) and bring them into the power of God. Because of this, they would be in a position to “receive forgiveness of sins” as well as a place among the community of God’s people. It’s clear that salvation includes forgiveness of sins, but even more fundamentally it includes freedom from Satan’s destructive grip.
So too, Scripture teaches that salvation is about escaping “from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will” (2 Tim. 2:26). It is about being “set free from this present evil age” (Gal 1:4) and liberated from our “enslavement to the elemental spirits of the world” (Gal 4:3,cf. Rom 6:18; 8:2; Gal 5:1; Col 2:20; Heb 2:14-15). It’s about being freed from the Accuser, knowing that on Calvary Jesus disarmed the Powers and made a mockery of them (Col. 2:14-15). And it’s about being “enabled … to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light” by being “rescued … from the power of darkness and transferred … into the kingdom of his beloved Son” (Col 1: 12-13) This inheritance involves receiving “redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Col 1:14), but we have this inheritance only because we’ve been “transferred” from one domain to another.
In Christ, we see, God did a whole lot more than save us from the consequences of sin. He freed us from our enslavement to sin and the evil one who ultimately empowers it.
Secondly, let’s consider what God saves us FOR. As marvelous as all this is, it still doesn’t exhaust the New Testament concept of salvation. For the ultimate purpose of the freedom Christ wins for us is to allow us to share in the wholeness of a marriage-like relationship with God. We are saved from sin and the diabolic Powers in order to participate in the eternally full life of the triune community.
Our marriage to God includes being “seated with Christ … in heavenly places” (Eph. 2:6), made participants in the divine nature (2 Pet. 1:4) and blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms (Eph. 1:3). We are given a new identity in Christ that replaced our old identity that was conformed to the pattern of this world. Through the gift of the Spirit, God’s own Life is placed in us and wells up within us like a fountain of living water (Jn. 7:39).
Moreover, having been freed from the blindness induced by the “god of this age,” our minds are now empowered to experience the true God in all his glory and to be gradually transformed into this glory (2 Cor. 3:17-4:6). Through the on-going work of the Spirit in our life, all the qualities that belong to God by nature are gradually imparted to us by grace – love, joy, peace, patience, etc. (Gal. 5:22-23).
God rescues us from sin and Satan in order to share his blessed life with us in a marriage-like relationship that will never end. This freedom from bondage and the wholeness of this relationship is encompassed by the New Testament’s concept of salvation.
- Greg Boyd
Thursday, July 30, 2015
Wednesday, July 29, 2015
God is Like a Trojan Horse
Yesterday, I introduced a basic understanding of the Christus Victor view of Christ’s work on the cross. Today, I want to expand on this briefly. Because God is a God of love who gives genuine “say-so” to both angels and humans, God rarely accomplishes his providential plans through coercion. God relies on his infinite wisdom to achieve his goals. Nowhere is God’s wisdom put more on display than in the manner in which he outsmarted Satan and the powers of evil, using their own evil to bring about their defeat. Most readers probably know the famous story from ancient Greece about the Trojan Horse. To recap the story, Troy and Greece had been locked in a ten-year-long vicious war when, according to Homer and Virgil, the Greeks came up with a brilliant idea.
They built an enormous wooden horse, hid soldiers inside and offered it to the Trojans as a gift, claiming they were conceding defeat and going home. The delighted Trojans accepted the gift and proceeded to celebrate by drinking themselves into a drunken stupor. When night came and the Trojan warriors were too wasted to fight, the Greeks exited the horse, unlocked the city gates to quietly let all their compatriots in, and easily conquered the city, thus winning the war. Historians debate whether any of this actually happened. But either way, as military strategies go, it’s brilliant.
Now, there are five clues in the New Testament that suggest God was using something like this Trojan Horse strategy against the powers when he sent Jesus into the world.
1) The Bible tells us that God’s victory over the powers of darkness was achieved by the employment of God’s wisdom and was centered on Jesus Christ becoming a human (Rom 16:25; I Cor 2:7; Eph 3:9-10; Col 1:26). It also tells us that, for some reason, this Christ-centered wisdom was kept “secret and hidden” throughout the ages. It’s clear from this that God’s strategy was to outsmart and surprise the powers by sending Jesus.
2) While humans don’t generally know Jesus’ true identity during his ministry, demons do. They recognize Jesus as the Son of God, but, interestingly enough, they have no idea what he’s doing on earth (Mk 1:24; 3:11; 5:7; Lk 8:21). Again, the wisdom of God in sending Jesus was hidden from them.
3) We’re told that, while humans certainly share in the responsibility for the crucifixion, Satan and the powers were working behind the scenes to bring it about (Jn 13:27, cf. 1 Cor 2:6-8). These forces of evil helped orchestrate the crucifixion.
4) We’re taught that if the “rulers of this age” had understood the secret wisdom of God, “they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (I Cor 2: 8, cf. vss 6-7). Apparently, Satan and the powers regretted orchestrating Christ’s crucifixion once they learned of the wisdom of God that was behind it.
5) Finally, we can begin to understand why the powers came to regret crucifying “the Lord of glory” when we read that it was by means of the crucifixion that the “charge of our legal indebtedness” was “canceled” as the powers were “disarmed.” In this way Christ “triumphed over” the powers “by the cross” and even “made a public spectacle of them” (Col. 2:14-15). Through Christ’s death and resurrection God’s enemies were vanquished and placed under his feat.
Putting these five clues together, we can discern God’s Trojan Horse strategy in sending Jesus.
The powers couldn’t discern why Jesus came to earth because God’s wisdom was hidden from them. God’s wisdom is motivated by unfathomable love, and since Satan and the other Powers are evil, they lack the capacity to understand it. Their evil hearts prevented them from suspecting what God was up to.
What the powers did understand, or at least thought they understood, was that Jesus had for some reason or other entered into their domain and had become mortal. This meant he was killable. Lacking the capacity to understand God’s self-sacrificial love, they never suspected that making Jesus vulnerable like this might actually be part of God’s infinitely wise plan.
And so they took the bait. Utilizing Judas and other willing human agents, the powers played right into God’s secret plan and orchestrated the crucifixion of the Lord of glory (Ac 2:22-23; 4:28). God thus brilliantly used the self-inflicted incapacity of evil to understand love against itself. And, like light dispelling darkness, this unfathomably beautiful act of self-sacrificial love defeated the powers.
The whole creation was in principle freed and reconciled to God, while everything written against us humans was nailed to the cross, thus robbing the powers of the only legal claim they had on us. They were “disempowered” (Col. 2:14-15).
As happened to the Trojans in accepting the gift from the Greeks, in seizing on Christ’s human vulnerability and orchestrating his crucifixion, the powers unwittingly cooperated with God to unleash the one power in the universe that dispels all evil and sets captives free. It’s the power of God’s self-sacrificial love. -
They built an enormous wooden horse, hid soldiers inside and offered it to the Trojans as a gift, claiming they were conceding defeat and going home. The delighted Trojans accepted the gift and proceeded to celebrate by drinking themselves into a drunken stupor. When night came and the Trojan warriors were too wasted to fight, the Greeks exited the horse, unlocked the city gates to quietly let all their compatriots in, and easily conquered the city, thus winning the war. Historians debate whether any of this actually happened. But either way, as military strategies go, it’s brilliant.
Now, there are five clues in the New Testament that suggest God was using something like this Trojan Horse strategy against the powers when he sent Jesus into the world.
1) The Bible tells us that God’s victory over the powers of darkness was achieved by the employment of God’s wisdom and was centered on Jesus Christ becoming a human (Rom 16:25; I Cor 2:7; Eph 3:9-10; Col 1:26). It also tells us that, for some reason, this Christ-centered wisdom was kept “secret and hidden” throughout the ages. It’s clear from this that God’s strategy was to outsmart and surprise the powers by sending Jesus.
2) While humans don’t generally know Jesus’ true identity during his ministry, demons do. They recognize Jesus as the Son of God, but, interestingly enough, they have no idea what he’s doing on earth (Mk 1:24; 3:11; 5:7; Lk 8:21). Again, the wisdom of God in sending Jesus was hidden from them.
3) We’re told that, while humans certainly share in the responsibility for the crucifixion, Satan and the powers were working behind the scenes to bring it about (Jn 13:27, cf. 1 Cor 2:6-8). These forces of evil helped orchestrate the crucifixion.
4) We’re taught that if the “rulers of this age” had understood the secret wisdom of God, “they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (I Cor 2: 8, cf. vss 6-7). Apparently, Satan and the powers regretted orchestrating Christ’s crucifixion once they learned of the wisdom of God that was behind it.
5) Finally, we can begin to understand why the powers came to regret crucifying “the Lord of glory” when we read that it was by means of the crucifixion that the “charge of our legal indebtedness” was “canceled” as the powers were “disarmed.” In this way Christ “triumphed over” the powers “by the cross” and even “made a public spectacle of them” (Col. 2:14-15). Through Christ’s death and resurrection God’s enemies were vanquished and placed under his feat.
Putting these five clues together, we can discern God’s Trojan Horse strategy in sending Jesus.
The powers couldn’t discern why Jesus came to earth because God’s wisdom was hidden from them. God’s wisdom is motivated by unfathomable love, and since Satan and the other Powers are evil, they lack the capacity to understand it. Their evil hearts prevented them from suspecting what God was up to.
What the powers did understand, or at least thought they understood, was that Jesus had for some reason or other entered into their domain and had become mortal. This meant he was killable. Lacking the capacity to understand God’s self-sacrificial love, they never suspected that making Jesus vulnerable like this might actually be part of God’s infinitely wise plan.
And so they took the bait. Utilizing Judas and other willing human agents, the powers played right into God’s secret plan and orchestrated the crucifixion of the Lord of glory (Ac 2:22-23; 4:28). God thus brilliantly used the self-inflicted incapacity of evil to understand love against itself. And, like light dispelling darkness, this unfathomably beautiful act of self-sacrificial love defeated the powers.
The whole creation was in principle freed and reconciled to God, while everything written against us humans was nailed to the cross, thus robbing the powers of the only legal claim they had on us. They were “disempowered” (Col. 2:14-15).
As happened to the Trojans in accepting the gift from the Greeks, in seizing on Christ’s human vulnerability and orchestrating his crucifixion, the powers unwittingly cooperated with God to unleash the one power in the universe that dispels all evil and sets captives free. It’s the power of God’s self-sacrificial love. -
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
Eternal Security
As
he came forth of his mother's womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and
shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.
Ecclesiastes 5 : 15
Working in care centers, I'v witnessed two
types of people, those who have eternal security and those who don't. Those
that have eternal security are held together while those without eternal
security are undone. Eternal security starts the moment we receive & believe
in Jesus Christ as our personal savior & Lord. People who have not
developed that personal relationship with the Lord have problems when
everything they love & own is removed from them, but those who have trusted
& cultivated Christ presence &
peace are content.
A personal relationship with the Creator is success, and the way to
heaven : Jesus said to him, " I am the way, the truth, and the life , no
one comes to the Father accept through me. John 14 : 6. What is eternal
security ? It's not a place but a person. And this is the testimony that God
has given us eternal life and this life is in his Son, He who has the Son has
the life , he who does not have the Son does not have the life. 1 John 5 : 11 -
12. In Christ we have Eternal security through faith. Of course this is
believing not a feeling at first. The revelation of this truth is revealed
after we believe. Also In Christ now we
are held together by him this is what the bible means by abiding. Its something
the Lord does for us, he holds us together, see 2 John 2 Truth abides in us and
will be with us forever.
Apostle Paul writes to the church in Colossi. You are all complete
through your union in Christ who is the head over all principality & power.
Colossians 2 : 10.
The Witness of the Cross
Philippians 2:3-11
The witness of the cross reveals a radical contrast between what Jesus could have done and what He did. Although (since) He was God and could have ordered us to bring Him perfect offerings, He did not require of us what we could not give, but rather He gave to us His perfect life as an offering in our behalf. Amazing! Herein we see the witness of the cross - a life of self-offering to God and to others.
ALTHOUGH He “existed in the form of God” (a status that implies a full and free exercise of power), HE DID NOT “regard equality with God as a thing to be grasped” (did not exploit that status for personal gain), BUT “emptied Himself” (poured out His life for the sake of others). He certainly acted contrary to what we might expect from those in positions of power, but not contrary to His nature or to His mission. This is God in fullness of character being and behaving as a human in the world! (Are we sure we want to be like Jesus?) This is the “mind of Christ” (I Cor 2:16) that we freely received. (Do we know what it means to think Christianly?)
Wherever Crucified, Risen Life reigns, this witness shows up! In Timothy: “ALTHOUGH he could have sought his own interests, he DID NOT live for himself, BUT he concerned himself for the welfare of oth-ers.” (Phil 2:19-21) In Epaphroditus: “ALTHOUGH he was sick to the point of death, he did not use that as a reason to be self-preserving, BUT risked his life for others.” (Phil 2:25-30) In Paul: “ALTHOUGH we have the status of apostles, we DID NOT use our position for special treatment, BUT we made ourselves as slaves to you.” (I Cor 9:1ff)
Do you understand then, why Paul told the Philippians, “ALTHOUGH you may be right and others wrong, DO NOT operate from self-centeredness or empty conceit, BUT in humility put others interests about yours.” (Phil 2:3-4). Or, why to husbands he would say, “ALTHOUGH you may be head of the household, DO NOT take advantage of that status to oppress your wives, BUT rather sacrificially love them.” Or, to wives, “ALTHOUGH there is no male of female in Christ, DO NOT exploit that to usurp your husbands’ headship, BUT instead respectfully subject yourselves to them.” (Eph 5:22-33)
This is how the cross “in the heart of God” shows its character. This is how the Crucified, Risen One in our hearts bears witness to Himself. This is what it means to “work out our own salvation” according to the nature of God “who is at work” in you and me. (Phil 2:12-13)
The witness of the cross reveals a radical contrast between what Jesus could have done and what He did. Although (since) He was God and could have ordered us to bring Him perfect offerings, He did not require of us what we could not give, but rather He gave to us His perfect life as an offering in our behalf. Amazing! Herein we see the witness of the cross - a life of self-offering to God and to others.
ALTHOUGH He “existed in the form of God” (a status that implies a full and free exercise of power), HE DID NOT “regard equality with God as a thing to be grasped” (did not exploit that status for personal gain), BUT “emptied Himself” (poured out His life for the sake of others). He certainly acted contrary to what we might expect from those in positions of power, but not contrary to His nature or to His mission. This is God in fullness of character being and behaving as a human in the world! (Are we sure we want to be like Jesus?) This is the “mind of Christ” (I Cor 2:16) that we freely received. (Do we know what it means to think Christianly?)
Wherever Crucified, Risen Life reigns, this witness shows up! In Timothy: “ALTHOUGH he could have sought his own interests, he DID NOT live for himself, BUT he concerned himself for the welfare of oth-ers.” (Phil 2:19-21) In Epaphroditus: “ALTHOUGH he was sick to the point of death, he did not use that as a reason to be self-preserving, BUT risked his life for others.” (Phil 2:25-30) In Paul: “ALTHOUGH we have the status of apostles, we DID NOT use our position for special treatment, BUT we made ourselves as slaves to you.” (I Cor 9:1ff)
Do you understand then, why Paul told the Philippians, “ALTHOUGH you may be right and others wrong, DO NOT operate from self-centeredness or empty conceit, BUT in humility put others interests about yours.” (Phil 2:3-4). Or, why to husbands he would say, “ALTHOUGH you may be head of the household, DO NOT take advantage of that status to oppress your wives, BUT rather sacrificially love them.” Or, to wives, “ALTHOUGH there is no male of female in Christ, DO NOT exploit that to usurp your husbands’ headship, BUT instead respectfully subject yourselves to them.” (Eph 5:22-33)
This is how the cross “in the heart of God” shows its character. This is how the Crucified, Risen One in our hearts bears witness to Himself. This is what it means to “work out our own salvation” according to the nature of God “who is at work” in you and me. (Phil 2:12-13)
Emmanuel - God With Us
Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and
shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being
interpreted is, God with us. (Matt. 1:23 quoting from Isa. 7:14)
This SERMON SUBJECT--Emmanuel, God with
us--appropriately appears on many church bulletin boards during the Christmas
season.
Years ago in a most unusual setting a
little boy was born. He grew up to manhood and announced Himself as the
long-awaited Messiah of the expectant Jews. "And the Word was made flesh,
and dwelt among us" (John 1:14). But God's purpose in revealing Himself
through the man Jesus was that we also would know Christ in our flesh.
CHRIST DWELLS IN US
If the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus
from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also
quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwells in you.(Rom. 5:11.)
In Romans Eight Paul underscores a truth
which is only revealed by the Spirit-that we are the offspring of God:
"Those led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God" (Rom. 8:14). As
if this glorious truth were not enough, Paul startles us with the conclusion
that if we are the offspring of God, then we are also heirs of God and joint-heirs
with Jesus Christ. In the New Testament's unfolding message, particularly in
the writings, of Paul and John, we have the emphasis of sons of God by faith.
Paul makes what is, to him, a logical
statement, which readers of Paul often miss. To many, joint-heirs implies there
will be a pot of gold in their storeroom. But Paul says, "joint-heirs with
Christ, if so be that we suffer with him" (v. 17). He is saying that
adopted sons become vessels by whom and through whom the Father's love work
continues. Though Paul speaks powerfully from his private revelation of
sonship, John, in both Gospel and first Epistle, underscores exactly the same
point.
During the past year both parts of I John
4:15 have become alive to me in a new way. As with so many other Scriptures,
for years I had highlighted one section of the verse and blocked out another.
The verse reads, "Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God
dwells in him, and He in God." I understood the "Whoever confesses
that Jesus is the Son of God" part, for I related it to my previous
salvation experience. Then nine years ago the section, "God dwells in him,
and He in God," began to be opened
up to me. Till then, I had thought, "Oh, that elusive God." All the
time that I was chasing Him, He had dwelt within! He certainly had not been in
any rush to show Himself to me. I smiled to myself as I recalled the
twenty-threeand-a-half years' separation in my experience between these two
sections of this one verse of the Bible, finally realizing that I had been in
union with God all the time. Why does it usually take so long for these deep
things of God to become reality?
CHRIST FOR ME
Christmas teaches us the blessings of
giving over getting. At this season, people concern themselves with giving
visible expressions of love to others. But our attention can remain upon
getting for a long, long time. I might ask, "What are you more interested
in-getting from God, or expressing God to others at any cost?" All are
interested in getting from God to begin with. For example, I have noticed that
"no condemnation" is one of the initial results of a person
experiencing union with Christ. It is a getting. It is the desire of the
Christian to get for himself. It is the proverbial carrot in front of the
eyes. It gets our attention. Thankfully this carrot can be reached by one and
all. Many are first caught by the carrot truth of "no condemnation"
which satisfies their desire to be getters.
A couple of summers ago two women came to
the Union Life Conference Center near Hixton. Their lives were filled with
accumulated guilt and condemnation. One of them later said she was ready to
leave on the first or second day of her stay. However, by the end of the week
they had both experienced a knowing in their spirits which released them from
years of condemnation. They departed rejoicing.
I have seen them several times this year. I
did not recognize one of them when I saw her for the first time after Hixton.
The removal of guilt and condemnation has caused her to do a few nice things
for her appearance, and the knowing of union has produced an entirely new
person from the inside out.
CHRIST IN ME
Expressing God to others by "Christ
living in you" is another matter. This is what John talks about in his
first epistle: "God dwells in him, and he in God" (I John 4:15). The
next verse carries us to the weightier matter, "God is love" (v. 16)
God is agape. Agape is God. Write it either way-it is the same. The Greek word
agape-meaning love--is the key. The only source of agape is God. Isn't it the
definition of the character of God having the welfare of others as His only
concern-that most clearly describes Him to us? This love is not inanimate, but
personal-"He." That is the trick. It is He Who is shed abroad in our
hearts-Love is The Person.
The second woman mentioned previously not
only experienced the truth of no condemnation, but also is so totally aware of
her union with Christ that manifested rivers of Love now flow forth from her.
Without any advertisement, she is drawing to herself those who are hurting.
I have seen the awareness of this giving
revelation bring life to many. It whirls them about and thrusts them out as
rivers of living water. Isn't this the experiential side of John's statement,
"As He is, so are we in this world"? (I John 4:17.)
CHRIST AS ME
Today, as I was preparing to go to my desk,
the telephone rang. Barbara, the official receptionist here, answered the call.
It was the oft repeated story of a marriage problem. In tears, a young lady was
speaking, "Will you come? I want someone with honest answers."
Barbara is in God and knows it. Her word is His Word. This young caller heard
truth coming from someone who knows who she is. She is witnessing agape for
her. Love is coming to her in the form of Barbara who knows God dwells in
her, and she in Him.
But how is one able to act with such
sureness and authority? That is what we wish to know. Let us examine the prayer
of Jesus in John 17 with particular emphasis on verses 20-23. As we know,
Jesus' prayer reaches forward to include all who would ultimately believe on
Him. The prayer is remarkable.
I pray for them which shall believe on me
that they may be one; as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also
may be one in us. . . and that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them,
and you in me, that they may be made perfect in one. (Vs. 20-23.)
Jesus' prayer expresses His desire for all
future followers to know the truth; the Father and His Son in them, and
themselves in the Father and the Son. We are intended to know a oneness in
ourselves.
Now, in what realm is this knowing to take
place? I take it to be the realm of Spirit, for all knowing is inner when you
and the concept or truth become so one that you may say, "I know." It
is a prayer for each individual though spoken collectively.
Another reason I see it as inner knowing is
the human experience of Jesus. He was never recognized by the eye of flesh as
being in union with the Father. His accusers said He was Beelzebub. The
townspeople said He was only the son of Joseph and Mary. And even at the end,
one disciple questioned Him concerning the Father about whom He spoke.
But some of us have come to know within
ourselves this vital union of our human spirit with the Trinity, Father, Son and
Holy Spirit. What ultimate purpose does this knowing serve? Jesus said it would
have a twofold result: "that the world may believe that you have sent
me" and "that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved
them even as you have loved me" (John 17:20, 23).
The result of our knowing ourselves in
them" puts to rest the question of the existence and reality of the Father
and the Son. Now we can speak with the authority of God and "say to this
mountain, Be thou removed." We can now speak as first-hand knowers. This
is to convince the world that the Father sent the Son. Our knowing "them
in us" makes us vessels of love (agape)-it is our perfection, and the
result should be a world which knows they are loved also!
Isn't the simplicity of God's plan amazing?
Anyone who is willing to announce Himself through a birth in a manger setting
must know the truth of simplicity. His plan appears so simple when placed
alongside man's efforts. Simplicity frightens people, it strikes them as
naivety. They say, "It can't work. It's too simple."
"Christ in You" is the completion
of the Old Testament "God with us" truth. It is so utterly simple.
The world merely tips its hat toward the manger as it dashes on its way to
celebrate the incoming new year. But, countless others pause at the manger in
reverent awe knowing that this little one was truly God (Phil. 2:5-7).
Those who are aware of their union with
Christ press on to share this miraculous truth of Christ in you, reaching out
in the beautiful simplicity of a manifested concern for the well-being of
others. Jesus said that because of this manifested love, the world would know
that the Father sent Him, and that the Father loved them.
Now, it is clear. The God with us truth of
Isaiah becomes the Christ in you reality of Galatians 2:20: ". . . I live,
yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I
live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for
me." Our knowing now is, "Christ in us, as us," so, isn't this
an appropriate season to celebrate our own unique union of our spirit with the
Christ of the manger.
by Dan Stone
The Church as God’s Vehicle of Mercy
The
church is called to represent this God, just as Christ did. Indeed, the church is Christ continuing to manifest the
true God. As Bonhoeffer said, “The Church is not a religious community of
worshippers of Christ but is Christ
Himself who has taken form among men.”3 Hence, the church is
called “the body of Christ.” Living out this truth is the way we testify to a
life and a love that is free from bondage to the Tree of the Knowledge of Good
and Evil. It is how Christ manifests the reversal of the fall that he achieved
on Calvary.
God’s
love is merciful; so must our love be. If even God does not hold his rightful
knowledge of good and evil over us in judgment but rather loves us where we are, how much less can we who
are sinners hold our stolen and illegitimate knowledge of good and evil over
one another, or even over ourselves? How much more (if that were possible)
should we rather extend mercy and love to one another and to ourselves? We
ourselves live before God only because we have had our shame clothed in mercy
and love.
God’s
love is patient; so must ours be. God’s love does not start with an ethical
ideal and then pronounce judgment. God doesn’t start where he wishes we were,
condemning us for what we are not. God starts where we actually are and then
pronounces hope and patiently and graciously loves us into becoming what we can
be and what we, in fact, already are in Christ.
The
body of Christ is to love mercifully and patiently. We are to accept people wherever they are and patiently love
them and view them with hope. While we cannot ignore practical considerations
of safety, we are to embrace people as they are, trusting that the Spirit of
God will use our love to lead them to a place closer to where God wants them to
be. We are to love like this because this is how we ourselves are loved.
Finally,
God’s love is accommodating; so must ours be. Unlike ethical principles, which
are always abstract, universal, and idealistic, God’s love is always perfectly
tailored to the complex uniqueness of each individual’s nonideal life situation
in the present. The covering Adam needed was different from the one Eve needed.
When we live out our calling and embody God’s triune love, the church does the
same thing. We do not live by our knowledge of ethical principles, however good
and noble and true they may be. Rather, we live by following the Spirit and by
loving people where they are, in the complexity and uniqueness of their
nonideal situations. And we do so without judgment.
As
we saw in chapter 5, this is the difference between a genuinely loving husband
and a merely ethical one. We are called to live out of love, not out of an
ethical system. Of course this does not in any sense entail that we relativize
ethical truths, but it does mean that we make them subservient to love. Moral
principles are absolute, but only love submitted to the will of God can direct
us on how they apply in a particular situation.
Only
by being acutely aware of our own fallibility and sinfulness and making ethical
principles subservient to love do we acquire the freedom and boldness to enter
into solidarity with people in radically nonideal situations—as Jesus did with
prostitutes and tax collectors. People who live in ethical
principles cannot get this close to such people. Their knowledge of good and
evil filters their relationships and keeps them from fully entering into the
concreteness of another’s sinful situation. They can only pronounce what such
people ought to do and should have done.
However,
it is only when we enter into solidarity with people as they are that we
acquire the wisdom to know how, when, and if various ethical principles apply
to their lives. Only then do we learn how to realistically and helpfully adapt
ethical principles to the real situations in which people find themselves. Only
love, led by the Spirit of God, can discern when (for example) the ideal must
be abandoned for a lesser of two evils. And only love, given without hesitation
and without conditions, can ever motivate people to trust us enough to invite
us to speak into their lives in the first place. This is how God loves us, this
is how we are called to love all others, and this is how people are helped in
the concrete situations of their lives.
Why Did Jesus Die on the Cross
If asked why Jesus had to die on the cross,
most Christians today would immediately answer, “To pay for my sins.” Jesus
certainly paid the price for our sins, but it might surprise some reader to
learn that this wasn’t the way Christians would answer this question for the
first thousand years of Church history. The main reason Jesus died on the cross,
according to this earlier view, was to defeat Satan and set us free from his
oppressive rule. Everything else that Jesus accomplished, including paying for
our sins, was to be understood as an aspect and consequence of this victory.
This earlier understanding of why Jesus had to die is called the Christus Victor (Latin for “Christ is Victorious”) view of the atonement. In my estimation it captures the profound beauty of the New Testament account better than the view that focuses exclusively on what Jesus did for us.
The Christus Victor motif is strongly emphasized throughout the New Testament. Scripture declares that Jesus came into this world to “drive out the ruler of this world” (Jn 12:31), to “destroy the works of the devil” (I Jn 3:8), to “destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil” (Heb. 2:14-15) and to ultimately “put all his enemies under his feet” (I Cor 15:25). Jesus came to overpower the “strong man” (Satan) who holds the world in bondage and to work with his children to “plunder his house” (Lk 11:21-22). He came to end the reign of the cosmic “thief” who seized the world to “steal and kill and destroy” the life God intended for us (Jn 10:10). Jesus came to earth and died on the cross to disarm “the rulers and authorities” and make a “public spectacle of them” by “triumphing over them on the cross” (Col 2:15).
Beyond these explicit statements, there are many other passages that express the Christus Victor motif as well. For example, the first prophecy in the Bible foretells that a descendent of Eve (Jesus) would crush the head of the serpent (Gen. 3:15). The first Christian sermon ever preached proclaims that Jesus in principle conquered all God’s enemies (Ac 2:32-36). And the single most frequently quoted Old Testament passage by New Testament authors is Psalm 110:1 which predicts that Christ would conquer all God’s opponents. (Pslams.110 is quoted or alluded to Mt 22:41-45; 26:64; Mk 12:35-37; 14:62; Lk 20:41-44; 22:69; Ac 5:31; 7:55-56; Rom 8:34; I Cor 15:22-25; Eph 1:20; Heb 1:3; 1:13; 5:6, 10; 6:20; 7:11, 15,17,21; 8:1; 10:12-13; I Pet 3:22; and Rev. 3:21) According to the great New Testament scholar Oscar Cullman, the frequency with which New Testament authors cite this Psalm is the greatest proof that Christ’s “victory over the angel powers stands at the very center of early Christian thought.”
The Incarnation of the Son of God fulfilled God’s original dream of uniting himself to humanity to acquire a bride and co-ruler. But it’s clear from the Christus Victor motif we’ve just examined that, because of our rebellion, the Incarnation also involved a rescue mission that included a strategy for vanquishing the powers of darkness
- Greg Boyd
This earlier understanding of why Jesus had to die is called the Christus Victor (Latin for “Christ is Victorious”) view of the atonement. In my estimation it captures the profound beauty of the New Testament account better than the view that focuses exclusively on what Jesus did for us.
The Christus Victor motif is strongly emphasized throughout the New Testament. Scripture declares that Jesus came into this world to “drive out the ruler of this world” (Jn 12:31), to “destroy the works of the devil” (I Jn 3:8), to “destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil” (Heb. 2:14-15) and to ultimately “put all his enemies under his feet” (I Cor 15:25). Jesus came to overpower the “strong man” (Satan) who holds the world in bondage and to work with his children to “plunder his house” (Lk 11:21-22). He came to end the reign of the cosmic “thief” who seized the world to “steal and kill and destroy” the life God intended for us (Jn 10:10). Jesus came to earth and died on the cross to disarm “the rulers and authorities” and make a “public spectacle of them” by “triumphing over them on the cross” (Col 2:15).
Beyond these explicit statements, there are many other passages that express the Christus Victor motif as well. For example, the first prophecy in the Bible foretells that a descendent of Eve (Jesus) would crush the head of the serpent (Gen. 3:15). The first Christian sermon ever preached proclaims that Jesus in principle conquered all God’s enemies (Ac 2:32-36). And the single most frequently quoted Old Testament passage by New Testament authors is Psalm 110:1 which predicts that Christ would conquer all God’s opponents. (Pslams.110 is quoted or alluded to Mt 22:41-45; 26:64; Mk 12:35-37; 14:62; Lk 20:41-44; 22:69; Ac 5:31; 7:55-56; Rom 8:34; I Cor 15:22-25; Eph 1:20; Heb 1:3; 1:13; 5:6, 10; 6:20; 7:11, 15,17,21; 8:1; 10:12-13; I Pet 3:22; and Rev. 3:21) According to the great New Testament scholar Oscar Cullman, the frequency with which New Testament authors cite this Psalm is the greatest proof that Christ’s “victory over the angel powers stands at the very center of early Christian thought.”
The Incarnation of the Son of God fulfilled God’s original dream of uniting himself to humanity to acquire a bride and co-ruler. But it’s clear from the Christus Victor motif we’ve just examined that, because of our rebellion, the Incarnation also involved a rescue mission that included a strategy for vanquishing the powers of darkness
- Greg Boyd
Friday, July 24, 2015
When the Bible Becomes an Idol
In John 5, we read about Jesus confronting
some religious leaders saying, “You study the Scriptures diligently because you
think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that
testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life” (John 5:39-40).
These leaders thought they possessed life by diligently studying Scripture. What
made these leaders feel accepted, worthwhile, and secure before God was that
they knew their Bible and were confident they embraced the only true Bible-based
beliefs.
Jesus, of course, wasn’t suggesting there was anything wrong with their diligent study of Scripture or with the rightness of their Bible-based conclusions. As a matter of fact, these leaders were more or less orthodox by first-century Jewish standards. More importantly, however, Jesus didn’t dispute the rightness or wrongness of their beliefs, because the issue wasn’t about what these leaders believed: he disputed the way they believed it.
Jesus responded to them by pointing out that all Scripture is intended to point to him (John 5:46), the one true source of life. He was trying to get them to see that there is no life in knowing the Bible and embracing Bible-based beliefs unless they lead to him. Yet by trying to wring life out of things that have no life apart from Christ, these leaders made an idol out of the Bible and their Bible-based beliefs.
There’s a demonic self-reinforcing quality about idolatry that can be discerned in these leaders. By trying to derive false life from their confident knowledge of Scripture instead of the One Scripture points to, these leaders had made an idol of their knowledge of Scripture. But the river also flowed in the other direction. Precisely because these leaders had made an idol of their knowledge of Scripture, they would not come to the true source of life to which Scripture points.
So these leaders were not hungry for the true bread of life (Jn 6:32-58) because they had already stuffed themselves with the false life of their idol. And they had to stuff themselves with this false life of their idol because they would not come to the true bread of life. It’s a vicious, idolatrous, self-reinforcing cycle that these religious experts were caught in. And the idols that trapped them, we must remember, were something that looked very spiritual: they diligently studied Scripture. They believed the right things. This is what made them confident they were okay with God.
This episode demonstrates that the way we believe what we believe can transform what we believe into an idol that actually blocks us from getting life from Christ—even when what we believe is completely true! And this happens whenever we are confident we’re okay with God because of what we believe rather than because of our relationship with the one true source of life. If what makes us feel okay with God is our confidence in the correctness of our beliefs, then our confidence in our beliefs is, in effect, our god.
—Adapted from Benefit of the Doubt, pages 55-56.
Jesus, of course, wasn’t suggesting there was anything wrong with their diligent study of Scripture or with the rightness of their Bible-based conclusions. As a matter of fact, these leaders were more or less orthodox by first-century Jewish standards. More importantly, however, Jesus didn’t dispute the rightness or wrongness of their beliefs, because the issue wasn’t about what these leaders believed: he disputed the way they believed it.
Jesus responded to them by pointing out that all Scripture is intended to point to him (John 5:46), the one true source of life. He was trying to get them to see that there is no life in knowing the Bible and embracing Bible-based beliefs unless they lead to him. Yet by trying to wring life out of things that have no life apart from Christ, these leaders made an idol out of the Bible and their Bible-based beliefs.
There’s a demonic self-reinforcing quality about idolatry that can be discerned in these leaders. By trying to derive false life from their confident knowledge of Scripture instead of the One Scripture points to, these leaders had made an idol of their knowledge of Scripture. But the river also flowed in the other direction. Precisely because these leaders had made an idol of their knowledge of Scripture, they would not come to the true source of life to which Scripture points.
So these leaders were not hungry for the true bread of life (Jn 6:32-58) because they had already stuffed themselves with the false life of their idol. And they had to stuff themselves with this false life of their idol because they would not come to the true bread of life. It’s a vicious, idolatrous, self-reinforcing cycle that these religious experts were caught in. And the idols that trapped them, we must remember, were something that looked very spiritual: they diligently studied Scripture. They believed the right things. This is what made them confident they were okay with God.
This episode demonstrates that the way we believe what we believe can transform what we believe into an idol that actually blocks us from getting life from Christ—even when what we believe is completely true! And this happens whenever we are confident we’re okay with God because of what we believe rather than because of our relationship with the one true source of life. If what makes us feel okay with God is our confidence in the correctness of our beliefs, then our confidence in our beliefs is, in effect, our god.
—Adapted from Benefit of the Doubt, pages 55-56.
Monday, July 20, 2015
What Does a Perfect God Look Like?
The “classical view of God” refers to the view of God that has dominated
Christian theology since the earliest Church fathers. According to this
theology, God is completely “immutable.” This means that God’s being and
experience never changes in any respect. God is therefore pure actuality
(actus purus), having no potentiality whatsoever, for potentiality is a
power to change which, as I just said, is ruled out in classical theology.
God is therefore also timeless (sequence-less), for “before” and “after” signifies some sort of change which, again, God is incapable of. Finally, God is “impassible” in classical theology, meaning that God is “above” experiencing emotion. To experience emotion God would have to be affected by something outside of himself, but this is impossible if God has no potentiality for change. Ancient philosophers and classical theologians thought all of these things were implied in the belief that God is “perfect.”
This concept of perfection comes to full fruition in a Greek philosopher named Parmenides, but it gained its most influential advocate in Plato who followed on Parmenides’ heels. In the Republic Plato argues that the gods must be unchanging, for all change can only be for the better or for the worse, and what is perfect cannot be improved or diminished. So, what is perfect must be completely unchanging. The argument is repeated ad nauseum by later Greco-Roman philosophers and then repeated by many early church theologians.
Think about this argument for a moment. Imagine a person walking around in a very upbeat mood who then encounters a friend who is despairing over the recent death of her child. Do you think the grief of the friend would alter the mood of this person? Wouldn’t it be grotesque if this person remained “immutable” in their upbeat demeanor while interacting with her grieving friend? Isn’t it the case that the more perfect this person was, the more deeply they’d be affected by their grieving friend? If they were in fact a perfect person, they wouldn’t be improved by this encounter, and they certainly wouldn’t be diminished by it. But they would be changed by it – precisely because they’re perfect.
This is the fatal flaw in Plato’s argument, and the fatal flaw in classical theology. The eternally-the-same and affected-by-nothing conception of perfection is completely non-relational and impersonal. It could perhaps be applied to timeless principles, but not to a personal being. Yet, from the earliest times Christian theologians applied this line of reasoning to the God of the Bible.
If we instead think of perfection in personal terms while acknowledging that God is perfect, the last thing we’d conclude is that God is completely unchanging, devoid of potentiality, sequence-less, or devoid of emotion. Instead, if we think of perfection in personal terms, the picture of God we get is one in which he is deeply affected by his relationships with those he creates. Of course, God’s character and nature is eternally-the-same, but his experience of his creation would be perpetually changing as he relates to perpetually changing people in a perpetually changing world.
Is this not exactly the picture of God we get in the Bible? Where in the Bible is there any hint that God’s experience of the world is unchanging and non-sequential? The God of the Bible is continually acting and responding. He plans, and then alters plans in response to new situations. He rejoices, grieves, gets angry, experiences disappointment, etc. While his sense of time is radically different form ours – as you’d expect from a being who has always existed – he nevertheless relates to humans in sequence (how else can one being relate to another?).
Most important, out of unfathomable love, the God of the Bible became a human being. Talk about God having the capacity to change and to be deeply affected by another! To me, one of the most shocking – and disappointing – mysteries of history is how bright Christians, who were taught to look to Jesus to know what God is like (e.g. Jn. 14:7-9), ended up asserting that God is immutable, devoid of potential, non-sequential, and impassible. I believe it’s time to lay this misconstrued Greek concept of perfection to rest.
- Greg Boyd
God is therefore also timeless (sequence-less), for “before” and “after” signifies some sort of change which, again, God is incapable of. Finally, God is “impassible” in classical theology, meaning that God is “above” experiencing emotion. To experience emotion God would have to be affected by something outside of himself, but this is impossible if God has no potentiality for change. Ancient philosophers and classical theologians thought all of these things were implied in the belief that God is “perfect.”
This concept of perfection comes to full fruition in a Greek philosopher named Parmenides, but it gained its most influential advocate in Plato who followed on Parmenides’ heels. In the Republic Plato argues that the gods must be unchanging, for all change can only be for the better or for the worse, and what is perfect cannot be improved or diminished. So, what is perfect must be completely unchanging. The argument is repeated ad nauseum by later Greco-Roman philosophers and then repeated by many early church theologians.
Think about this argument for a moment. Imagine a person walking around in a very upbeat mood who then encounters a friend who is despairing over the recent death of her child. Do you think the grief of the friend would alter the mood of this person? Wouldn’t it be grotesque if this person remained “immutable” in their upbeat demeanor while interacting with her grieving friend? Isn’t it the case that the more perfect this person was, the more deeply they’d be affected by their grieving friend? If they were in fact a perfect person, they wouldn’t be improved by this encounter, and they certainly wouldn’t be diminished by it. But they would be changed by it – precisely because they’re perfect.
This is the fatal flaw in Plato’s argument, and the fatal flaw in classical theology. The eternally-the-same and affected-by-nothing conception of perfection is completely non-relational and impersonal. It could perhaps be applied to timeless principles, but not to a personal being. Yet, from the earliest times Christian theologians applied this line of reasoning to the God of the Bible.
If we instead think of perfection in personal terms while acknowledging that God is perfect, the last thing we’d conclude is that God is completely unchanging, devoid of potentiality, sequence-less, or devoid of emotion. Instead, if we think of perfection in personal terms, the picture of God we get is one in which he is deeply affected by his relationships with those he creates. Of course, God’s character and nature is eternally-the-same, but his experience of his creation would be perpetually changing as he relates to perpetually changing people in a perpetually changing world.
Is this not exactly the picture of God we get in the Bible? Where in the Bible is there any hint that God’s experience of the world is unchanging and non-sequential? The God of the Bible is continually acting and responding. He plans, and then alters plans in response to new situations. He rejoices, grieves, gets angry, experiences disappointment, etc. While his sense of time is radically different form ours – as you’d expect from a being who has always existed – he nevertheless relates to humans in sequence (how else can one being relate to another?).
Most important, out of unfathomable love, the God of the Bible became a human being. Talk about God having the capacity to change and to be deeply affected by another! To me, one of the most shocking – and disappointing – mysteries of history is how bright Christians, who were taught to look to Jesus to know what God is like (e.g. Jn. 14:7-9), ended up asserting that God is immutable, devoid of potential, non-sequential, and impassible. I believe it’s time to lay this misconstrued Greek concept of perfection to rest.
- Greg Boyd
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Does God Still Heal
In the ancient world Jesus was known first and foremost as an
exorcist and a healer. These two activities are mentioned in every summary of
Jesus’s ministry found in the Gospels.
It’s common for Western Christians today to accept that
infirmities (sickness, disease, injuries, disabilities and deformities) are part
of God’s mysterious plan for their life. We may ask God to relieve us and others
from physical afflictions, but we also pray for God to help us accept them as
part of his mysterious “sovereign plan.”
Jesus and the early church had a different perspective, however.
Never once did Jesus or anyone else in the New Testament encourage people to
accept their afflictions as coming from God. Instead, they uniformly revolted
against afflictions as being the direct or indirect byproducts of Satan’s
oppressive regime. They viewed sickness and disease as part of the diabolic
curse that afflicts the fallen world and they understood that the kingdom of God
is all about reversing the curse. They believed that where God reigns, his
original holistic design for the human body would be restored and the physical
afflictions that were directly or indirectly brought about by the demonic powers
would cease.
For example, Luke describes a woman who was “bent over and could
not straighten up at all” as being “crippled by spirit.” When Jesus healed the
woman certain religious authorities objected, for it was the Sabbath. But Jesus
replied, “should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept down
for 18 long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?” (Luke
13:11, 16). The woman’s deformed back was the result of a crippling spirit and
part of Satan’s oppressive regime.
The central role healing played in Jesus’s ministry as well as the
close connection between physical infirmities and demonic activity is succinctly
expressed by Peter when he summarizes Jesus’s ministry by saying, “he went
around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil” (Acts
10:38). Jesus was all about reversing the curse, and this included all forms of
physical affliction.
This was the general understanding of the church for the first
three centuries. In fact, the early church’s ability to free people from
physical afflictions and demonic oppression was one of the strongest tools of
evangelism. While healers and exorcists were rather common in the ancient world,
it was widely conceded that no one could heal or deliver people as effectively
and as consistently as Christians.
Since the job of the church is to manifest everything Jesus
manifested and revolt against everything Jesus revolted against, we must accept
that manifesting God’s original holistic design for the human body while
revolting against the powers that afflict us physically remains a central part
of our kingdom mandate. We are called to revolt against physical infirmities as
part of Satan’s regime, not accept them as part of God’s mysterious will.
We are called to trust that God can and does continue to heal
people today.
Greg Boyd
The Narrowest Religion in the World
The Christian religion is at once the broadest and the narrowest in the
world. It is a faith that admits every possible kind of person. But it admits
them in only one way.
There is one God. Only one. If there were two gods there might be two paths to salvation—you get saved by this god and I will get saved by that one. But there is only one God and, therefore, only one path to salvation.
There is one humanity. Only one. If there were two kinds of people there might be two paths to salvation—you are part of this group and I am part of that one. But there is only one humanity and, therefore, only one path to salvation.
There is one Mediator. Only one. If there were two mediators there might be two paths to salvation—you have this mediator represent you and I’ll go with that one. But there is only one mediator and, therefore, only one path to salvation.
There is one ransom. Only one. If there were two ransoms there might be two paths to salvation—you have your debt paid by that savior and I’ll have my debt paid by the other one. But there is only one ransom and, therefore, only one path to salvation.
One God created one humanity represented by one Mediator who paid one ransom. So there is only one way. The way to salvation is so broad that it can admit every person who seeks for God, yet so narrow that they can enter only through Jesus Christ. (See 1 Timothy 2:1-7.)
There is one God. Only one. If there were two gods there might be two paths to salvation—you get saved by this god and I will get saved by that one. But there is only one God and, therefore, only one path to salvation.
There is one humanity. Only one. If there were two kinds of people there might be two paths to salvation—you are part of this group and I am part of that one. But there is only one humanity and, therefore, only one path to salvation.
There is one Mediator. Only one. If there were two mediators there might be two paths to salvation—you have this mediator represent you and I’ll go with that one. But there is only one mediator and, therefore, only one path to salvation.
There is one ransom. Only one. If there were two ransoms there might be two paths to salvation—you have your debt paid by that savior and I’ll have my debt paid by the other one. But there is only one ransom and, therefore, only one path to salvation.
One God created one humanity represented by one Mediator who paid one ransom. So there is only one way. The way to salvation is so broad that it can admit every person who seeks for God, yet so narrow that they can enter only through Jesus Christ. (See 1 Timothy 2:1-7.)
Knowing God
Isn’t it strange that the New Testament has told
Saints to in essence “chunk” (that’s East Texas for “getting rid of”) the Law,
yet so many still live every day centered around the pages containing the Law
and neglecting the Word become flesh in the person of Jesus Christ. In today’s
writing Michael helps us to want to do some “chunking.”
For the Law was given through Moses; grace
and truth were realized through Jesus
Christ.--John 1:17
Law is the Word of God written down. Jesus, on the
other hand, is the Word become flesh. That is an important distinction, since
the Law centers around a page and Word become flesh around a
person.The Law is heard and to a certain extent open to each
individual’s interpretation, because each person has a different heart
dictionary that limits by subjective definition each word read. For
example, the word comforthas different connotations for each individual.
To read, “the God of all comfort,” will mean a little something different to
each reader. John 1:18 tells us that no man has seen God at any
time. This simple statement rules out all who make absolute claims
to knowing what God is like or who philosophize about God. Man does not
know God. Through the mind, body, and world man can gain a concept of what God
is and spend endless hours examining and propagating the notion. The imagining
may appear very lofty; however, the assessment is still made from a heart
dictionary and is therefore faulty. Only Jesus can explain Him.
We find out who God is from Jesus or we never find out. This is why
Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to
the Father but through Me” (John 14:6). If we want to know the
reality of God, not just an appraisal, we must come to God through Jesus.
“He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how do you say, ‘Show us the Father’?”
(John 14:9) If a disciple has not seen God, it is simply because he has
not seen Jesus.Ten thousand years of human history proves that God
cannot be described with words, He can only be revealed through a person.
Jesus made God known through His life! The doctrines of God will leave a
man prostrate in fear. The character of God revealed in Jesus
leaves man walking, leaping, and praising God. Jesus reveals what
is at the very heart of God, His love. Jesus is God’s love in action, or Jesus
is God’s grace, for grace is love in action. Jesus makes God
approachable while theology makes man turn and run. Written words
will never draw man to God; only His love in the person of Jesus,
the Word become flesh, attracts us.
What powerful words in John 1:17: “…grace and truth
were realized through Jesus Christ.” Grace and truth…love them both. Of course
it helps to have an accurate biblical definition of both.
Michael draws our attention to one of the most
important truths we can ever know: there is a huge difference between the
“doctrines of God” and the “character of God.” And Michael points out what man
really wants to know: “what is at the very heart of God.” Michael tells us
Jesus reveals God’s love…that which is at the very heart of God.
So we can know just why so many Christians go through
life as a Christian and never really “know” God because their focus is on God’s
doctrines instead of God’s character. Man may not know God, but His Saints
certainly can. Only His Saints will be able to see God through Jesus’
revelation of Him. God told us that in John 1:17.
Tuesday, July 14, 2015
Something to Ponder
Sinful Nature and
Free Will
Q: If our sinful nature is what causes us to sin/reject God, can we be held responsible for our sins, when this nature resulted from Adam and Eve’s sin? Do we really have the freedom to either choose/reject God if our sinful nature compels us to reject God?
On the other hand, if our sinful nature only influences, but does not cause us to sin, wouldn’t that mean that it is theoretically possible, however improbable, to choose to live a completely sinless life (because of the free will that we have)? How come every single human being that has ever lived will use the freedom that they have to go “that way” instead of “this way”?
Lastly, correct me if I’m wrong, but Scripture seems to suggest that if any of us were in Adam and Eve’s place, we would have chosen to do the same thing and eat of the forbidden fruit. However, if that was the case, did we really have free will to go “this way or that way”, when it seems impossible for any of us to have chosen not to eat the fruit?
A: Here are three considerations regarding “sinful nature” and our free will:
1) I do think it is theoretically possible for an individual to live a sinless life. Yet, this isn’t inconsistent with admitting that every one will inevitably sin. Think of it like this. Every car crash (let us assume) is preventable, if only drivers were more careful. Hence, it is theoretically possible that there will be no car crashes any where on the earth today — or this month — or this year — or ever. But it is certain there will be car crashes, for which drivers are responsible. The thing is, statistical certainty doesn’t negate individual responsibility. We are responsible for every sin we commit, for we didn’t need to do it. We could have done otherwise. It’s theoretically possible to go the rest of our lives without sinning. Yet, it’s certain that, over our lifetime of decisions, we will sin.
2) I see “original sin” as a) our being born screwed up in a myriad of ways, including spiritually; and b) being born in a screwed up world that is oppressed with fallen powers. This doesn’t make us sin, for sin is only sin if we could do otherwise. Yet, it does render it certain that we will eventually sin (see above). This is, in part, why we need a savior.
3) Finally, it’s important that we not think about this only in individualistic terms. From a biblical perspective (and now, with much confirmation from science), the human community is, in a sense, one person, extending back to Adam. We influence each other, and are responsible, in varying degrees, for one another. So we have collectively gotten ourselves into a situation where we can’t avoid sin, and the responsibility is shared by all of us. This is what Paul means when he says we were in Adam. Yet, we are now placed in Christ — all of us (I Cor. 15:22; Rom 5:14-20). It’s just that we all (including believers) tend to see ourselves and our world as though we were yet in Adam. Transitioning from Adam-thought to Christ-thought is what discipleship is all about.
Greg Boyd
Q: If our sinful nature is what causes us to sin/reject God, can we be held responsible for our sins, when this nature resulted from Adam and Eve’s sin? Do we really have the freedom to either choose/reject God if our sinful nature compels us to reject God?
On the other hand, if our sinful nature only influences, but does not cause us to sin, wouldn’t that mean that it is theoretically possible, however improbable, to choose to live a completely sinless life (because of the free will that we have)? How come every single human being that has ever lived will use the freedom that they have to go “that way” instead of “this way”?
Lastly, correct me if I’m wrong, but Scripture seems to suggest that if any of us were in Adam and Eve’s place, we would have chosen to do the same thing and eat of the forbidden fruit. However, if that was the case, did we really have free will to go “this way or that way”, when it seems impossible for any of us to have chosen not to eat the fruit?
A: Here are three considerations regarding “sinful nature” and our free will:
1) I do think it is theoretically possible for an individual to live a sinless life. Yet, this isn’t inconsistent with admitting that every one will inevitably sin. Think of it like this. Every car crash (let us assume) is preventable, if only drivers were more careful. Hence, it is theoretically possible that there will be no car crashes any where on the earth today — or this month — or this year — or ever. But it is certain there will be car crashes, for which drivers are responsible. The thing is, statistical certainty doesn’t negate individual responsibility. We are responsible for every sin we commit, for we didn’t need to do it. We could have done otherwise. It’s theoretically possible to go the rest of our lives without sinning. Yet, it’s certain that, over our lifetime of decisions, we will sin.
2) I see “original sin” as a) our being born screwed up in a myriad of ways, including spiritually; and b) being born in a screwed up world that is oppressed with fallen powers. This doesn’t make us sin, for sin is only sin if we could do otherwise. Yet, it does render it certain that we will eventually sin (see above). This is, in part, why we need a savior.
3) Finally, it’s important that we not think about this only in individualistic terms. From a biblical perspective (and now, with much confirmation from science), the human community is, in a sense, one person, extending back to Adam. We influence each other, and are responsible, in varying degrees, for one another. So we have collectively gotten ourselves into a situation where we can’t avoid sin, and the responsibility is shared by all of us. This is what Paul means when he says we were in Adam. Yet, we are now placed in Christ — all of us (I Cor. 15:22; Rom 5:14-20). It’s just that we all (including believers) tend to see ourselves and our world as though we were yet in Adam. Transitioning from Adam-thought to Christ-thought is what discipleship is all about.
Greg Boyd
Thursday, July 2, 2015
Why God Makes You Wait
There are times in the Christian’s life where we wait upon God, where we wait
for relief from some kind of affliction, and where we wait for a long time for
God to answer prayer. I am certain that you have experienced times like these,
and know that the temptation in such times is to despair and to demand, to grow
angry and impatient. But in The Mystery of Providence John Flavel
warns: Though God means to give you the comfort or mercy you long for, he
usually first exercises your patience by making you wait. He does that for these
3 reasons:
Instead of believing such lies, consider these 6 things:
- Because this is not the right time for you to receive that mercy. Simply stated, God does not judge time as you do. You are in a hurry, but God is not, and he knows the perfect time to dispense his mercy. “For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him” (Isaiah 30:18). Will you wait for his timing?
- These difficult circumstances have not accomplished in your heart what God means for them to accomplish. Though you may be earnest and impatient in your desire for what you believe are better circumstances, God will wait until the trial has accomplished his purposes.
- The more you pray and the more you search your heart, the sweeter the relief will be when it comes. God means to overwhelm you with his grace, and it may take fervent prayer and humble patience for you to respond to his mercy in the right way. “It will be said on that day, ‘Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the LORD; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation’ (Isaiah 25:9 ESV).”
Instead of believing such lies, consider these 6 things:
- God is delaying his mercy for your benefit. God is waiting so that he may extend grace to you at the perfect moment. Right now you are in the time of preparation where God is readying the comfort he means to give you. A foolish child plucks an apple while it is green. But when that apple is ripe, it drops off of its own accord and is far more delicious and wholesome. Wait with wisdom and patience. It will be worth the wait.
- A heart that trusts in God is far more precious than any comfort. It is a greater mercy to have a heart that trusts in God than to enjoy the comfort you are sure you need. Flavel says, “a frame is better than a fruition.” A heart oriented toward God is much more precious and enduring than any peaceful or comfortable circumstance.
- Mercy is never nearer than when your heart and hope is lowest. Light shines the brightest when you are sure that only darkness remains. God’s mercy will be all the brighter when your heart is in its darkest state.
- God delays his mercy because you are unfit to receive it. God’s mercy may be waiting for you to become ready to receive it. God may holding it back for your own good, even while you grumble and complain about his lack of haste.
- Remember that any mercy you desire is only and entirely a gift of grace. You do not deserve God’s mercy and have no claim to it. Because of this, the only proper way to wait for it is with patience and gratitude. You are waiting for a gift, not for your just reward.
- Consider how many people are forever cut off from all hope of mercy. Consider those who are perishing without grace and how for them all that remains is the further expectation of wrath. This might have been you if not for the grace of God. So wait for God’s mercy with patient humility.
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
You Don't Really Know Who Your Friends are Until.....
You don’t really know who your friends are until their relationship with you
becomes a liability instead of a benefit. Many celebrities, and even Christian
celebrities, have learned this lesson the hard way. In the blink of an eye, or
the release of a news story, they went from fêted to ignored, from celebrated to
invisible. They learned quickly that many of their so-called friends had
actually not been friends at all, but people thriving on a kind of symbiotic
relationship where each benefited the other. When the relationship become a
liability, their friends were suddenly nowhere to be found.
This happened to Jesus. When he was performing miracles and laying verbal beatings on the Pharisees and healing men who had been born blind, his friends were only too happy to ally themselves with him. They were proud to know him, to be known in relation to him, and to be in his inner circle. But when he became a hated criminal, when he was dragged before the courts and accused of crimes, his friends quickly made themselves scarce. They disappeared into the night, leaving him to fend for himself.
For as long as you and I have lived, at least if you have lived in this Western, first-world culture, friendship with Jesus has been beneficial. At worst this friendship has been neutral so the benefits have balanced the drawbacks. And while I am no prognosticator of doom, it seems increasingly clear that a relationship with Jesus will soon be more and a more of a liability before this watching, judging world.
Looking at the people around me who have professed faith in Christ, and looking at many of the Christians I know through social media, I see two kinds of concerning reaction.
Some are denying him and rejecting him. They have determined that the cost of associating with Jesus is too high, and they have walked away from him altogether. Any association with Jesus typecasts them as bigoted, as intolerant, as judgmental, as trapped in an appallingly outmoded system of morality. They have chosen to leave him behind.
Many more are redefining the terms of their friendship by redefining their friend. They are creating a new version of their friend Jesus, rewriting him in their own image, or in the image of the culture around them, making him into a figure who has been misunderstood and who is far more tolerant, far more accepting, far more palatable. This inoffensive Jesus loves without judgment, he gives without expectation, he proudly waves a rainbow flag.
But, of course, Jesus is unchanged and unchanging. He will not bow to the changing culture, he will not cede to the rising tide. Jesus will only ever be who he is and who he has always been. And each of us has a choice to make.
You don’t really know who your friends are until their relationship with you becomes a liability instead of a benefit. We don’t really know who Jesus’ friends are until a relationship with him becomes a liability instead of a benefit. We know that Jesus is proud to be the friend of sinners, and in the days to come, we will discover which sinners are truly proud to be friends with him.
This happened to Jesus. When he was performing miracles and laying verbal beatings on the Pharisees and healing men who had been born blind, his friends were only too happy to ally themselves with him. They were proud to know him, to be known in relation to him, and to be in his inner circle. But when he became a hated criminal, when he was dragged before the courts and accused of crimes, his friends quickly made themselves scarce. They disappeared into the night, leaving him to fend for himself.
For as long as you and I have lived, at least if you have lived in this Western, first-world culture, friendship with Jesus has been beneficial. At worst this friendship has been neutral so the benefits have balanced the drawbacks. And while I am no prognosticator of doom, it seems increasingly clear that a relationship with Jesus will soon be more and a more of a liability before this watching, judging world.
Looking at the people around me who have professed faith in Christ, and looking at many of the Christians I know through social media, I see two kinds of concerning reaction.
Some are denying him and rejecting him. They have determined that the cost of associating with Jesus is too high, and they have walked away from him altogether. Any association with Jesus typecasts them as bigoted, as intolerant, as judgmental, as trapped in an appallingly outmoded system of morality. They have chosen to leave him behind.
Many more are redefining the terms of their friendship by redefining their friend. They are creating a new version of their friend Jesus, rewriting him in their own image, or in the image of the culture around them, making him into a figure who has been misunderstood and who is far more tolerant, far more accepting, far more palatable. This inoffensive Jesus loves without judgment, he gives without expectation, he proudly waves a rainbow flag.
But, of course, Jesus is unchanged and unchanging. He will not bow to the changing culture, he will not cede to the rising tide. Jesus will only ever be who he is and who he has always been. And each of us has a choice to make.
You don’t really know who your friends are until their relationship with you becomes a liability instead of a benefit. We don’t really know who Jesus’ friends are until a relationship with him becomes a liability instead of a benefit. We know that Jesus is proud to be the friend of sinners, and in the days to come, we will discover which sinners are truly proud to be friends with him.
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