tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-107290342024-03-14T01:56:18.417-05:00Awestruck by the Sovereign LORDJoseph Dethrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06140868173752762031noreply@blogger.comBlogger97125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10729034.post-22403532158987213652021-09-20T16:06:00.001-05:002021-09-20T16:06:17.852-05:00Ecclesiastes<p>My generation turns to dust,<br />Replaced by youth who age.<br />The cycle's equalizing thrust<br />Turns vanity's next page.</p><p>For all of life beneath the sun<br />Will end soon after we've begun.</p><p>Aflood with wealth and wine, I sought<br />to maximize my joy.<br />If pleasure's limit can be bought,<br />The grave will thwart my ploy.</p><p>For all of life beneath the sun<br />Will end soon after we've begun.</p><p>In God's good gifts, we should delight.<br />In work. In drink. In food.<br />But with eternity in sight,<br />A life so brief is viewed.</p><p>For all of life beneath the sun<br />Will end soon after we've begun.</p><p>To summarize, fear Him.<br />Obey our Lord's commands.<br />For when the sun grows wholly dim<br />He soon will judge the lands.</p><p>For those who live beneath God's reign<br />Will hope in Him as life does wane.</p>Joseph Dethrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06140868173752762031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10729034.post-9656935046140854552021-06-09T11:38:00.007-05:002021-06-09T11:54:43.062-05:00The Lord's Supper as Summary <p>Jesus' actions never lacked purpose. The care he took in choosing whom to heal, when to pray, and what to say is evident from the Gospel accounts. Therefore, we wouldn't expect any waste in his final hours. The culmination of his earthly ministry had come. </p><p></p><blockquote>And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified." (John 12:23 ESV)</blockquote><p>How does Jesus spend the remaining hours with his disciples? He establishes a practice that will be repeated regularly for millennia. The Lord's Supper is layered richly with meaning and is a beautiful summary of the breadth of Jesus' work.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444;">Looking Back in Faith</span></h2><p></p><div>In the coming hours, Jesus would be crucified. His willing and perfect sacrifice would be presented as a substitute for sinners. For Christ to be glorified, he would be lifted up on a cross. Glory in Christ's kingdom consists of a paradoxical humility. The cross-event is foundational for the follower of Christ. The Christian's entire identity is wrapped up in the work of Christ. He died there, and so did we. Our faith finds its ground at the cross. In the Lord's Supper, we look backward. "Do this in remembrance of me,” Jesus says. We look backward to the simplicity of the Gospel. When the Spirit made us alive, we received the gift of faith, and we trusted in the sacrificial work of Christ. In the Lord's Supper, we remember Christ's work, and this regular practice of remembering feeds this faith. We add nothing to the work of Christ. His work in the past is enough. It is finished.</div><p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444;">Looking Forward in Hope</span></h2><div>Jesus knew the life of the Christian would be difficult, and he provided comfort to his disciples prior to his death. He promised the Holy Spirit (John 14). He spoke words of peace (John 16). He prayed for them (John 17). Not only do we forget the work of Christ in the past and struggle with unbelief, but we also have a tendency to lose hope. We become myopic sufferers. Our immediate circumstances take precedence in our hearts. Waves of sorrow beat upon us, and we struggle to breathe and cannot see the shore. It is hope that buoys us up, allowing us to see our afflictions are temporary. At the Last Supper, Jesus tells his disciples, "I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom” (Matthew 26:29 ESV). There is coming a day, Christian, when the kingdom will be consummated. In that kingdom, we will drink with Christ in victory. The Lord's Supper is a balm for the suffering soul, reminding us we will one day feast with our King.</div><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444;">Looking Around in Love</span></h2><div>Knowing "his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end" (John 13:1). Jesus displays his love outwardly, not in mere clichés or sentimentalities, but in action. He becomes as a servant and washes his disciples' feet. Then he directs them to serve one another likewise. He establishes the pattern of Christian life as lovingly serving each other. In 1 Corinthians 11, Paul observes the divisions in the church in Corinth as nullifying their practice of the Lord's Supper. Christ's work on the cross reconciles sinners to God and sinners to each other. The Lord's Supper is a display of our love for one another. We wait for one another. We "discern the body" by loving one another. The Lord's Supper is regular demonstration of the solidarity of Christian love. It is a readying of our hearts to serve each other lovingly in our daily lives.</div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444;">Conclusion</span></h2><div><br /></div><div>The Lord's Supper is intricately designed by Jesus to cultivate the faith, hope, and love necessary to live as Christians. In all aspects, its observance draws us out of ourselves. Christians have their faith rooted in the past, while hoping in the future and loving others in the present.</div><p></p>Joseph Dethrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06140868173752762031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10729034.post-63089951016185093262021-04-27T17:35:00.006-05:002021-04-27T17:47:53.898-05:00The Living Fount<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;">I wrote a hymn based on Jeremiah 2:11-13.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;">A cistern hewn by prideful hand</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Will promise empty joys.</span></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Amid our idol-laden land,</span></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">A drought of hope destroys.</span></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Exchanging works in place of trust,</span></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Denying streams of life,</span></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">I'm prone to drink the idols' dust,</span></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Replacing rest with strife.</span></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">And then one day, His voice called out.</span></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">"Oh, taste of me and see.</span></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Find life in me the living Fount,</span></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">A life so good and free."</span></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">The Spirit gave a heart of flesh</span></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">That beats with love for Thee.</span></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Alive! My soul is now refreshed</span></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">With life eternally!</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>Joseph Dethrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06140868173752762031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10729034.post-54369423924118584572021-03-23T14:33:00.004-05:002021-03-25T14:18:58.486-05:00To the Galatians<p>Bewitched, you fools! By Law, perfected still?<br />The Spirit you received by faith at first<br />By faith will hold you even at your worst.<br />The Law has saved you not and never will!<o:p><br /></o:p></p><p>To be a son of Abraham, believe.<br />Accursed for us! It's Christ upon the tree<br />Who did redeem because he is the Seed<br />So that the Spirit we may now receive.</p><p>We walk as sons and heirs, enslaved no more.<br />In liberated steps, we're led to bear<br />The Holy Spirit's fruit and show great care<br />To all to let our boast in Christ outpour.</p><p>A cut of skin is impotent to save.<br />Instead, trust Christ - the sacrifice he gave.</p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 135pt; mso-add-space: auto;"><o:p></o:p></p>Joseph Dethrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06140868173752762031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10729034.post-51288668720172700322021-03-20T17:35:00.003-05:002021-03-22T09:15:34.676-05:00The Better Friend: The Greater Jōb<div class="kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto"><div style="text-align: center;"><span face=""Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></div><span face="Segoe UI Historic, Segoe UI, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #050505;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i> Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that had come upon him, they came each from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They made an appointment together to come to show him sympathy and comfort him. And when they saw him from a distance, they did not recognize him. And they raised their voices and wept, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads toward heaven. And they sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great.</i></span></div></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><i><span face="Segoe UI Historic, Segoe UI, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #050505;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">(</span></span><span face=""Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Job 2:11–13 </span><span face=""Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">ESV)</span></i></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: left;"><span face="Segoe UI Historic, Segoe UI, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #050505;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: left;"><span face="Segoe UI Historic, Segoe UI, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #050505;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">When suffering falls upon us, a good friend is better than gold. The above statement about Job's friends is their high point as friends. Seven days. Seven nights. Then it goes down hill. They proceed to hit Job with wave upon wave of criticism and bad theology. They kick a man when he is down. All of his children are dead. His wealth is gone. His wife is critical. Then his friends try to "help" him. </span></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: left;"><span face="Segoe UI Historic, Segoe UI, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #050505;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: left;"><span face="Segoe UI Historic, Segoe UI, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #050505;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Job is looking for a good friend, an intercessor. "There is no arbiter between [God and me], who might lay his hand on us both," Job says. At this point, the depths of his despair would be hard to fathom for most of us. The darkness has set in, and he is alone in his grief. No one is with him in his suffering. I think it is readily seen that Christ is the one who is the fulfillment of Job's request. Jesus is the one who can lay his hand on both man and God. However, let's also remember that one of the reasons that Jesus can do this is because he was the forsaken friend. In the garden, he prayed and faced the horror of the cross while his friends slept. His friends flee. Peter denies knowing him. Finally, at the cross, his Father turns his face away, forsaking him. Though alone, Jesus persevered perfectly, and he arose victorious.</span></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: left;"><span face="Segoe UI Historic, Segoe UI, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #050505;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: left;"><span face="Segoe UI Historic, Segoe UI, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #050505;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Maybe it's because we are so familiar with the story of Job. Maybe it's because we try to skim to the resolution of Job's unhappy state. But I think it's easy to miss that Job does something pretty remarkable. Job has suffered horribly, and that suffering was exacerbated by some less-than-stellar friends. What happens with Job's friendship with the three offenders? God's anger burns against Job's friends. It is at this point, that they need a mediator. What irony!</span></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: left;"><span face="Segoe UI Historic, Segoe UI, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #050505;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: left;"><span face="Segoe UI Historic, Segoe UI, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #050505;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><i>"After the LORD had spoken these words to Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite: 'My anger burns against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. Now therefore take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves. And my servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept his prayer not to deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.'”</i> (Job 42:7–8 ESV)</div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto">If you were Job, what would be your inclination at this point? I think many of us would have a hard time ever looking at these types of friends again. Our reflex would be a sense of vindication and justice.</div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><i>"So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did what the LORD had told them, and the LORD accepted Job’s prayer." </i>(Job 42:9 ESV)</div></span></span><span face="Segoe UI Historic, Segoe UI, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #050505;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto">Job stood between these sinful friends and his holy God, laying a hand on each. They made a sacrifice for their sins. He prayed for them. The Lord accepted Job's prayer. How sweet those words are! Again we look to the Forsaken One, Jesus. Those wounds by us became the wounds for us. His reflex is reconciliation. Jesus made the sacrifice. Jesus said the prayer. And we are not dealt with according to our folly.</div></span></span></div></div>Joseph Dethrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06140868173752762031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10729034.post-62409278062275441142021-03-16T16:55:00.005-05:002021-03-16T20:04:10.830-05:00When Is Sanctification Not Possible?<p><b>Christianity is not individualistic.</b> Perhaps that is a drum that you've heard me beat before. When someone is saved, they are saved as individuals. I don't want to diminish one's personal relationship with Christ. We do have that, and it is to be celebrated! In fact it is celebrated by the community of faith. However, God has ordained community to be the locus of sanctification. Sanctification is the process by which we are made holy, and it cannot be accomplished without others. It is not that sanctification is more difficult alone. <b>It is that sanctification is not possible on your own.</b> This not some rhetorical flourish or hyperbole. It is thoroughly grounded in Scripture.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Jesus' Prayer for Us</h3><p>When Christ is mere hours before death, he prays for us. This majestic prayer is recorded for us in <a href="https://www.esv.org/John+17/" target="_blank">John 17</a>, and it has been called the High Priestly Prayer. In particular, let's look at verses 20-23.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me." (John 17:20–23 ESV)</p></blockquote><p>When Jesus asks the Father "that [we] may all be one," he does so with the express purpose of displaying Trinitarian glory. At its core, the goal of sanctification is to reflect the glory of God. It is to be a public display of holiness. Paul notes it is the journey of every Christian to be transformed from one degree of glory to the next (cf. <a href="https://www.esv.org/2+Corinthians+3:18/" target="_blank">2 Cor. 3:18</a>). So when Jesus includes in his prayer a request for unity, he is asking his Father to make us reflect something of the beauty of the Trinity, a bending of the unity of the Godhead toward us. The glory given by the Father to the Son is now shared with the New Covenant Community, the Church. </p><p>Does this feel like a stretch? Is this request for unity really related to sanctification? Look how verse 20 starts: "I do not ask for these only." This ties the supplication of John 17:20–23 to the previous supplication, a request that those who are there with him at the moment of the prayer would be sanctified in the truth. </p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">"Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth." (John 17:17–19 ESV)</p></blockquote><p>Sanctification is the process by which the believer is made holy. Literally, we are being made separate. Separate from what? Sanctification is, in part, a separation from the world, i.e. the whole system of rebellion against God. However, it is more than that. In being separated from the world, we are also becoming unified with others who are likewise being sanctified.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Glory of God Displayed</h3><p style="text-align: left;">If Paul's letter to the Romans is his longest exposition of the doctrine of salvation, it may be that his letter to the Ephesians is his densest. Enmeshed in the beautiful description of what is true of us in Christ, we read Paul's doxology:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">"Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen." (<a href="https://www.esv.org/Ephesians+3:20/" target="_blank">Ephesians 3:20–2</a><a href="https://www.esv.org/Ephesians+3:20/" target="_blank">1</a> ESV)</p></blockquote><p>Paul's prayerful praise includes request that God's glory would be in displayed "in the church and in Christ Jesus." What does that mean? The context is key. The surrounding passages speak about how Gentile believers and Jewish believers have been united in Christ. The differences between the two groups could not be greater, but those differences are now inconsequential. "There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all" (<a href="https://www.esv.org/Ephesians+4:4/" target="_blank">Ephesians 4:4–6</a> ESV). God's glory is revealed in the uniting of people. God's glory is displayed in the Church. If you have been saved by God, then you are in a community of people who "walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." (<a href="https://www.esv.org/Ephesians+4/">Ephesians 4:1b–3</a> ESV)</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Spirit's Work</h3><p>That last phrase brings us now to the Spirit's role in displaying glory. The fruit of the Spirit (seen in <a href="https://www.esv.org/Galatians+5:22-23/" target="_blank">Galatians 5:22-2</a><a href="https://www.esv.org/Galatians+5:22-23/">3</a>) are best seen in relationships.</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Love</b>: It is impossible to exhibit Christian love apart from the church. The love spoken of here is not only love for God but also love for others.</li><li><b>Joy</b>: The joy the Spirit produces is multi-faceted and can be the joy that we have in God. Additionally, that joy includes rejoicing in the joys of others. Christian joy is not self-centered.</li><li><b>Peace</b>: The hostility between man and God has been eradicated by Christ at the cross. In doing so, Jesus also reconciles us to each other.</li><li><b>Patience</b>: We are to be patient in all sorts of situations. Things do not always go as we had planned. One way this is seen is when we deal with others. We are so easily frustrated by others, but the Spirit works within our hearts to be patient with them.</li><li><b>Kindness</b>: Some of these attributes of the fruit of the Spirit may have aspects that speak to moments when we are isolated. However, kindness is not one of them. Kindness demands a direct object. We show kindness to someone.</li><li><b>Goodness</b>: To do good, we do good to others. Paul mentions this gain in Galatians 6:10, where we are to "do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith." </li><li><b>Faithfulness</b>: To do what we say we will do extends not only to our relationship with God but also to our relationship with others.</li><li><b>Gentleness</b>: Like kindness, gentleness is others-focused. To the weak, we exercise our strength to build up.</li><li><b>Self-control</b>: In case we think self-control as an aspect of the fruit of the Spirit that can be exercised apart from the Church, we must think deeply. Self-control is exhibited when we resist sin, and that sin is often in a community.</li></ul><div>In fact, all nine characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit are strengthened and developed in relationships with other believers. These are attributes of our Savior, and the Spirit brings them to their fullest display when believers live in relationship. <b>We are sanctified together to show the comprehensiveness of Christ's work.</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Conclusion</b></h3><div>So why is sanctification not possible alone? It would be a complete misunderstanding of sanctification. At its essence, sanctification is not focused on the individual. Sanctification is about bringing glory to Christ. Sanctification is about the united body of Christ being matured together. Paul says it like this to the Ephesians:</div><div><div><br /></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><div style="text-align: left;">"[W]e are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love." (<a href="https://www.esv.org/Ephesians+4:15/" target="_blank">Ephesians 4:15b–16</a> ESV)</div></div></blockquote><p></p>Joseph Dethrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06140868173752762031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10729034.post-15191134040370755732021-03-09T07:41:00.000-06:002021-03-09T07:41:42.183-06:00To Titus<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">The knowledge of the truth and godly lives</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Will coincide and bear the fruit so sure—<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">The hope, eternal life in Christ secure—<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Because of Faithful Him who never lies.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">As stewards, elders watch the house of God.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Above reproach and sober, they uphold<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">The truth and so defend against and scold<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">The empty talkers, Cretans—doctrine flawed.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Our doctrine sound, the older must convey.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">The grace of God has brought salvation whole,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">And we renounce our sin for self-control<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Until our hope is manifest that day.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Astray, our hearts were chained to worldly cares.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Then Love appeared—unearned—and made us heirs! </span></p>Joseph Dethrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06140868173752762031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10729034.post-33835353773292408512010-11-10T10:50:00.002-06:002010-11-24T09:47:33.425-06:00James and the Gift of Healing<p>Recently, Tim Challies <a href="http://www.challies.com/quotes/felt-the-fire">posted</a> on Daniel Doriani’s <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Reformed-Expository-Commentary-Daniel-Doriani/dp/087552785X">commentary</a> on James. I found it incredibly intriguing, and it was well worth the read. I wrestled with it for days. While I don’t want to dive into the deep end with regard to the continuationist vs. cessationist debate, I would like to examine further healing and the book of James.</p> <p>In his post, Challies shares the following quote from Doriani’s commentary:</p> <blockquote> <p>Sick men and women call the elders as a group. They do not call those with a gift for healing; rather they call all to pray for healing. James says the prayers of a righteous man are effective. Since the first qualification for an elder is holiness—not social standing or theological acumen—the prayers of elders are effective. The elders pray for <em>healing</em>, not for miracles. It doesn’t matter if a healing is quiet or splashy, True healings garner all the attention they need.</p> </blockquote> <p>The reference from the book James is:</p> <blockquote> <p>Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. (<a href="http://www.esvonline.org/search/james+5:14-16/">James 5:14-16</a>)</p> </blockquote> <p>I do believe that Doriani’s commentary has some great insight into the passage. It is particularly useful in understanding why the elders would be called to pray for the one who is sick. However, I believe Doriani’s implications against the gift of healing fail for a couple of reasons.</p> <ol> <li>Most likely, the Epistle of James was the earliest of the New Testament books written, well before Paul wrote <a href="http://www.esvonline.org/1+Corinthians+13/">1 Corinthians</a>. Even cessationists would agree that the gift of healing would have been present at the time James wrote his letter. Thus, James could not be presenting an argument against the gift of healing grounded in the cessationist framework. Even if the gift of healing has ceased now, it had not yet ceased when James had written his letter. <br /></li> <li>It is an argument from silence. James’ position on the gift of healing could hardly be determined from this passage for the simple reason that he did not even mention the gift. We do not know why he did not mention it. Doriani’s statements are speculative. He is reading the continuationist-cessationist debate into the text. <br /></li> <li>Doriani appears to make some statements against a straw man continuationist. Why else would he say “The elders pray for <em>healing</em>, not for miracles” or “It doesn’t matter if a healing is quiet or splashy, True healings garner all the attention they need.”</li> </ol> <p>Again, I still find this a profitable discourse. Doriani’s insight should not be shirked by the continuationist. Continuationists could be served from Doriani’s statements.</p> <p>Follow-Up Questions:</p> <ol> <li>When was the last time you saw the elders called to pray for healing?</li> <li>Instead of placing James in opposition to the gift of healing, how would these work in tandem?</li> <li>What could the elder do in the situation that the one gifted in healing could not?</li> </ol>Joseph Dethrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06140868173752762031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10729034.post-32867237645230287422010-10-13T12:47:00.001-05:002010-10-13T12:47:21.205-05:00Grandiloquence and Application: John Owen, a Master of Both<p>I am currently reading <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=w7JZAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA18&lpg=PA18&dq=Divine+knowledge+is+like+a+practical+science;+the+end+of+all+whose+principles+and+theorems+is+in+their+practice;+take+that+away+and+it+is+of+no+use.+It+is+our+wisdom+and+understanding+how+to+live+unto+God;+to+that+purpose+are+all+the+principles,+truths,+and+doctrines+of+it+to+be+improved.If+this+be+not+done+in+the+teaching+and+learning+of+it,+we+fight+uncertainly,+as+men+beating+the+air.&source=bl&ots=LawXpgXjAZ&sig=4iKHtDuO0nYYdrV-8K-nEso86D0&hl=en&ei=Eu-1TO-ZDsThnQeS57SADQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBIQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false">some</a> of John Owen’s commentary on Hebrews.  I absolutely love John Owen.  He was a great theologian, but he was mindful of the every-day battles.</p> <p>In <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=w7JZAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA18&lpg=PA18&dq=Divine+knowledge+is+like+a+practical+science;+the+end+of+all+whose+principles+and+theorems+is+in+their+practice;+take+that+away+and+it+is+of+no+use.+It+is+our+wisdom+and+understanding+how+to+live+unto+God;+to+that+purpose+are+all+the+principles,+truths,+and+doctrines+of+it+to+be+improved.If+this+be+not+done+in+the+teaching+and+learning+of+it,+we+fight+uncertainly,+as+men+beating+the+air.&source=bl&ots=LawXpgXjAZ&sig=4iKHtDuO0nYYdrV-8K-nEso86D0&hl=en&ei=Eu-1TO-ZDsThnQeS57SADQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBIQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false">one place</a>, he writes:</p> <blockquote> <p>FIRST, The illative, “wherefore,” as was first observed, denotes both the deduction of the ensuing exhortation from the preceding discourse, and the application of it unto the particular duty which he enters upon, verse 12.</p> </blockquote> <p>WOW!  That is some academic stuff!  However, only a few sentences later, we read from his pen and his heart:</p> <blockquote> <p>Divine knowledge is like a practical science; the end of all whose principles and theorems is in their practice; take that away and it is of no use. It is our wisdom and understanding how to live unto God; to that purpose are all the principles, truths, and doctrines of it to be improved.If this be not done in the teaching and learning of it, we fight uncertainly, as men beating the air.</p> </blockquote> <p>That is a gem!!!  That is something you can take with you.  Teachers and learners of the Word must both work on the application of the divine truth they know!  If you want to get started in reading any of Owen’s work, here are some amazing ones that have been edited to be more readable:</p> <ul> <li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Communion-Triune-God-John-Owen/dp/1581348312/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_b">Communion with the Triune God</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Overcoming-Sin-Temptation-John-Owen/dp/1581346492/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_c">Overcoming Sin and Temptation</a></li> </ul> Joseph Dethrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06140868173752762031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10729034.post-73965153434316097802010-06-10T09:25:00.001-05:002010-06-10T09:27:48.127-05:00Is the Lord Just a God of the Hills?<p align="justify">One of the arguments used by some atheists is:  </p> <p align="justify">Can God, an omnipotent being, create a stone so large that he cannot lift it?</p> <p align="justify">They argue that if he is omnipotent, then he will be able to do it.  However, if he does create such a stone, then his omnipotence fails when he is unable to lift it.  Clever, eh?  </p> <p align="justify">Well, there is a problem with this argument.  It is logically absurd.  Omnipotence is not thrown into question when we say that God cannot make a crayon so red that it is blue.  By definition, this is absurd.  In the end, the atheist is asking if, in God’s omnipotence, he can make himself not omnipotent.  What looked clever becomes absurd because “omnipotence” actually has a meaning.</p> <p align="justify">Syrian king Ben-hadad made some demands of Ahab, the king of Israel (1 Kings 20).  When Ahab denied Ben-hadad his demands, the countries went to war.  We read,</p> <p align="justify">“And the servants of the king of Syria said to him, ‘Their gods are gods of the hills, and so they were stronger than we.  But let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they.” (1 Kings 20:23)</p> <p align="justify">Syria lost.  Ben-hadad was captured.  But why?</p> <p align="justify">“And a man of God came near and said to the king of Israel, ‘Because the Syrians have said, “Yahweh is a god of the hills but he is not a god of the valleys,” therefore I will give all this great multitude into your hand, and you shall know that I am the Yahweh.’ ” (1 Kings 20:28)</p> <p align="justify">The Syrians said minimizing things about Yahweh.  They called into question his sovereignty.  He is sovereign in the hills, but he is not sovereign in the plains.  For such a statement, they lost.</p> <p align="justify">For many Christians, they would say that the Syrians had it coming.  How dare they call into question the absoluteness of Yahweh’s power and authority!  However, there are many Christians who do this very same thing.  They speak of such things as the Sovereignty of God.  “Oh, yes God is in control of all things.”  However, ask if God is in control of a person’s salvation.  “Well, no!  God gives us free will.”  This brings us back to the atheist at the beginning of the post.  For this Christian, God has sovereignly chosen not to be sovereign over something – an individual’s salvation.  Salvation is the stone that God created that is so heavy that he can’t lift it.  </p> <p align="justify">This post is not meant merely to illustrate the logical absurdity of these Christians.  I want it to serve as a warning of saying or believing belittling things about God.  Is Yahweh just a god of the hills?</p> Joseph Dethrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06140868173752762031noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10729034.post-12147325347859013142010-03-05T12:59:00.003-06:002021-03-12T08:53:19.513-06:00The Lord’s Supper (part 4)<p align="justify">A few points about the Lord’s supper:</p> <ol> <li> <div align="justify">The problem at Corinth with regard to the Lord’s supper was probably that one group ate before the other group (cf. 1 Cor. 11:21-22). However, the root problem was that of division. Moreover, Paul was not a moralist. In approaching the solution, he did not want people merely to change their behavior. He wanted the divisions to dissolve because of a deeper understanding of the work of Christ. </div></li>
<li> <div align="justify">Communing with each other is not about getting a full belly. You can do that on your own (1 Cor. 11:34).
</div> </li> <li> <div align="justify">In communion, we are to serve each other as Christ has served us. (1 Cor. 11:33, cf. John 13)
</div> </li> <li> <div align="justify">In communion, we remember who we are in relation to each other. (1 Cor. 11:28-29)
</div> </li> <li> <div align="justify">The Lord’s supper is not about the bread and wine. The bread and wine serve as a vivid
reminder, an object lesson, directing our affections to God and to each other because of what Christ has accomplished. Thus, the Lord’s supper is the whole meal with the bread and wine as objects of reference.
</div> </li> <li> <div align="justify">In communion, we remember who we, as a gathered body, are in Christ. Christ is present in the Lord’s supper, not in the bread and wine, but in His church.
</div> </li> <li> <div align="justify">In communion, we look back to what Christ has done on the cross. (1 Cor. 11:24-25)
</div> </li> <li> <div align="justify">In communion, we look forward to drinking the wine new with Christ when we sit at the marriage supper of the Lamb (the church with her bridegroom). For this reason, the Lord’s supper cannot be divorced from Christ’s resurrection and ours. Nor can it be divorced from the judgment of unbelievers. (1 Cor. 11:26, Rev. 19)
</div> </li> <li> <div align="justify">The Lord’s supper is a Trinitarian experience. For example: We thank the Father for his giving of the Son. We thank the Son for his obedience. We thank the Holy Spirit for applying it to our lives. Without the work of the Trinity, we would be unable to commune with God or his people.</div> </li> </ol>Joseph Dethrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06140868173752762031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10729034.post-46799288361244345012010-03-03T12:00:00.001-06:002021-03-09T07:35:41.835-06:00The Lord’s Supper (part 3)<p align="justify">In <a href="http://josephdethrow.blogspot.com/2010/02/lords-supper-part-1.html">part 1</a> and <a href="http://josephdethrow.blogspot.com/2010/03/lords-supper-part-2.html">part 2</a> of this series, we saw that the church at Corinth was divided when it came together to observe the Lord’s supper. The very nature of the Lord’s supper as a remembrance of the sacrificial work of Christ is opposed to such division. In this post, we examine Paul’s warning for the church:</p> <blockquote> <p align="justify">Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world. So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another-- if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home--so that when you come together it will not be for judgment. About the other things I will give directions when I come. (1Co 11:27-34)</p> </blockquote> <p align="justify">This warning should neither be overlooked nor misunderstood. Let’s line up some key verses in this passage:</p> <blockquote> <p align="justify">Whoever…eats…or drinks…in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. (v. 27)</p> <p align="justify">[A]nyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. (v. 29)</p> </blockquote> <p align="justify">What does it mean to eat and drink in an unworthy manner? It means to eat and drink without discerning the body. Well, what does that mean? As we saw in <a href="http://josephdethrow.blogspot.com/2010/03/lords-supper-part-2.html">part 2</a>, the Corinthian church was making a mockery of the work of Christ by being divided in their observance of the Lord’s supper. It makes sense to see that the “unworthy manner” of not “discerning the body” is coming together in a duplicitous manner, i.e. having <span style="color: #cc0000;"><strong>a divided body</strong></span>. After all, Paul had established that Christ is not divided (1 Cor. 1:13). Indeed, he has even declared</p> <blockquote> <p align="justify">The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, <span><strong><span style="color: #cc0000;">we who are many are one body</span></strong></span>, for we all partake of the one bread. (1 Cor. 10:16-17, emphasis mine)</p> </blockquote> <p align="justify">It cannot be any clearer. Participating in the blood of Christ while being divided around the cup of blessing and participating in the body of Christ while being divided around the one bread make a mockery of the blood of Christ and the body of Christ. We can now see why Paul says that the one who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner is guilty concerning the body and the blood of the Lord, eating and drinking judgment on himself (1 Cor. 11:27, 29).</p>Joseph Dethrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06140868173752762031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10729034.post-61004776021804966642010-03-02T12:15:00.001-06:002010-03-02T12:18:21.499-06:00The Lord’s Supper (part 2)<p align="justify">In <a href="http://josephdethrow.blogspot.com/2010/02/lords-supper-part-1.html">the last post</a>, we saw that the Corinthian church was coming together to eat the Lord’s upper with divisions among them. Because of this, they’re not actually partaking of the Lord’s supper. Their eating of the Lord’s supper is actually mocking Christ’s work. The work of Christ on the on the cross is about reconciliation. Think of it this way: How great is the divide between Jew and Gentile or a math nerd and police officer? Then how vast is the chasm between the sinner and God? If Christ cannot bring the Jew and Gentile together or the math nerd and police officer together, he cannot bridge the greater trench between the sinner and God. For there to be a division in the church of God slanders the work of Christ. He has bridged the smaller gaps and the largest chasm! Paul writes to them:</p> <blockquote> <p align="justify">For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. (1Co 11:23-26)</p> </blockquote> <p align="justify">Therefore, the Corinthian church was in grievous error. We are not heralding the good news of Christ when the church is divided. We must come together to eat. The Lord’s supper is about communion with each other in Christ.</p>Joseph Dethrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06140868173752762031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10729034.post-30209800698297740982010-02-25T12:24:00.002-06:002010-02-25T12:27:37.869-06:00The Lord’s Supper (part 1)<p align="justify">Whatever was going on in Corinth during the Lord’s supper deserved a harsh apostolic rebuke. Paul begins his analysis of this specific situation with a stern reality check:<br /></p> <blockquote> <p align="justify">But in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse. For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you. And I believe it in part, for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized. When you come together, it is not the Lord's supper that you eat. For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk. What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I commend you in this? No, I will not. (1Co 11:17-22)</p> </blockquote> <p align="justify">Paul will not commend them. He won’t even consider commending them. For Paul, just saying you were having the Lord’s supper didn’t mean anything. What did Paul see as the problem? Just listen to his indictment:</p><blockquote> <p>…when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse. (v. 17)</p> </blockquote> <blockquote> <p>…when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you. (v. 18)</p> </blockquote> <blockquote> <p>…when you come together, it is not the Lord’s supper that you eat. (v. 20)</p> </blockquote> <p align="justify">There is the problem. When the church gathers together, there is<b> <span style="color:#ffff00;">supposed</span></b> to be something great happening. The people of God are always better together than apart. The Christian is not a hermit. The monastic life is severely <b><span style="color:#ffff00;">un</span></b>christian. As Paul states later, we are one body. As he tells the Romans, we <b><span style="color:#ffff00;">belong to one another</span> </b>(Rom 12:5). It is through the church (<b><span style="color:#ffff00;">not</span></b> the individual) that “the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places” (Eph 3:10). What was occurring in Corinth happens too often in modern churches. Paul is arguing his case against the Corinthians on the basis that the Lord’s supper is not about the individual but rather the whole group. The statement in verse 18 displays the tension. That there are divisions among them means that there is something divisive, something keeping them apart. Thus, the paraphrase will show the tension:<br /></p> <blockquote> <p>…when you come together as a church, I hear that you don’t come together.</p> </blockquote> <p align="justify"> To highlight this heinous fact, Paul highlights that they are a church. The very fact that they are a church means that the work of Christ on the cross has brought them together. He has made those who were strangers and aliens,<br /></p> <blockquote> <p align="justify">“<b><span style="color:#ffff00;">fellow citizens</span></b> with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, <b><span style="color:#ffff00;">being joined together</span></b>,<b> </b>grows<b> </b>into a holy temple in the Lord.<b> </b>In him, [they] also are being <b><span style="color:#ffff00;">built together</span></b> into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.” (Eph 2:19-22, emphasis mine)</p></blockquote>Joseph Dethrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06140868173752762031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10729034.post-71773302191986644632010-01-06T16:15:00.002-06:002021-03-05T09:35:45.738-06:00Job's True Friend<div style="font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: justify;"><span>I'm currently reading through the book of Job. One thing that stands out is that Job's friends always are speaking to Job whereas Job addresses both his friends and God. Here, there was no need for someone to speak on behalf of God, prosecuting Job. A wise man of God wouldn't speak of Job's alleged sin in general terms. In fact, Job's friends cannot speak about his sin because Job is blamelesss (at least at the beginning of the book). What Job really needed was someone to come alongside of him, praying with him. Job's friends shouldn't have spoken on behalf of God to Job. They should have spoken to God on behalf of Job (cf.</span> <a href="http://www.esvstudybible.org/search?q=Job+9%3A33">Job 9:33</a><span>). Praise God for Christ Jesus who is the true friend who will speak to God for us in our trials:</span>
<span style="font-style: italic;">Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died--more than that, who was raised--who is at the right hand of God, who is interceding for us. </span><span>(</span><a href="http://www.esvstudybible.org/search?q=Romans+8%3A34-35">Romans 8:33-34</a><span>)</span><span style="font-style: italic;">.</span>
</div>Joseph Dethrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06140868173752762031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10729034.post-70721492333448559972009-06-14T07:09:00.001-05:002009-06-14T07:09:00.363-05:00To Tithe or Not to Tithe…<p>…that is the question. Andreas Kostengerger and David Croteau search the Scriptures to answer it. You may find their answer provocative. You can find links to their study (in two parts) below:</p> <ol> <li><em><a href="http://www.biblicalfoundations.org/pdf/pdfarticles/bbrtithing1.pdf" target="_blank">“Will a Man Rob God?” (Malachi 3:8): A Study of Tithing in the Old and New Testaments</a></em> <br /></li> <li><em><a href="http://www.biblicalfoundations.org/pdf/pdfarticles/bbrtithing2.pdf" target="_blank">Reconstructing a Biblical Model for Giving: A Discussion of Relevant Systematic Issues and New Testament Principles</a></em></li> </ol> <p>Thanks go out to a wiser brother for pointing this study out to me.</p>Joseph Dethrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06140868173752762031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10729034.post-72276781540596566352009-06-10T15:39:00.003-05:002009-06-10T15:45:25.982-05:00Something Satan Fears<p>From <em>Organic Church<em> (p 211-212)</em> </em>by Neil Cole<em>.<br /><blockquote></blockquote></em></p><em><em> </em></em><em><em> </em></em><blockquote><em><em> </em></em><p><em>While doing some teaching in Japan, I had a dream that Heather, my daughter, started a church. In the dream, a room was full of young people who were all seriously worshiping God. When I returned from the trip, I mentioned it to her just to let her know that she was on my mind and in my dreams while I was away.</em></p><p><em></em><em><em>The next day she said, 'Dad, my friends all want to do it!' 'Do what?' I asked. 'Start a church.' I told her that she would have to do most of the work, and I would coach and lead only a little. She said that was fine. The next day she arranged a house to meet in, picked a night of the week, and found a worship leader; flyers were soon being passed out to friends on campus.</em></em></p><em><em> </em></em><p><em><em> After the church had been meeting for several months, I met with these students and we all sang praises to the Lord. I felt the Lord's pleasure. I asked the students what was the biggest church they had ever been to. Living in Southern California there are many options of megachurches, and a number of churches were mentioned, ranging in size from two thousand attendees to more than fifteen thousand.</em></em></p><em><em> </em></em><p><em><em> I then told them that I think Satan is more intimidated by this little church of fifteen high school kids than by any of those Godzilla-sized churches. They all sort of chuckled and looked around the room at one another with smiles.</em></em></p><em><em> </em></em><p><em><em> I showed them why I thought this way: 'How many of you think you could start a church like one of those megachurches?' No one raised a hand. I asked, 'How many of you think you could start a church like this one?' and all raised their hands. I asked them to look around the room at all the raised hands, and I said with a new found soberness, 'I assure you, Satan is terrified by this.' </em></em></p><em><em> </em></em></blockquote><em><em> </em></em><p><em><em><a href="http://thecrowdedhouse.org/?q=node/179" target="_blank">via</a>: </em></em> Crowded House<br /></p>Joseph Dethrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06140868173752762031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10729034.post-48785083297230702622009-06-01T10:10:00.001-05:002009-06-01T10:10:33.164-05:00Pretty Words or Powerful Condemnation<p><a href="http://www.koinoniablog.net/2009/06/is-1-cor-13-poetrywe-had-an-interesting-experience-on-the-esv-translation-committee-when-we-were-doing-1-cor-13-we-were-wor.html#more" target="_blank">Here</a> is a good article by Bill Mounce on 1 Corinthians 13.  In the season of weddings, the question of reading 1 Cor. 13 may come up.  What do you think?</p> Joseph Dethrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06140868173752762031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10729034.post-13836210001854136652009-04-20T12:40:00.001-05:002009-04-20T12:40:09.024-05:00Active Vs. Passive Hospitality<p><a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/Blog/1737_Dont_Just_Be_Passively_Hospitable/" target="_blank">Here</a> is a good post on why we should seek to be hospitable rather than just falling into it.</p> Joseph Dethrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06140868173752762031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10729034.post-84049558111623814942009-04-15T12:36:00.001-05:002009-04-15T12:36:44.596-05:00Jesus: The Way, the Truth, the Life<p><font size="2">D.A. Carson, in his remarkable commentary on the Gospel according to John, shares a poem of his on </font></p> <p><font size="2"><em>“Jesus said to him, “I am </em></font><font size="2"><em>the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”</em></font><font size="2">John 14:6</font></p> <p><font size="2">I am the way to God: I did not come <br />To light a path, to blaze a trail, that you <br />May simply follow in my tracks, pursue <br />My shadow like a prize that's cheaply won. <br />My life reveals the life of God, the sum <br />Of all he is and does.  So how can you, <br />The sons of night, look on me and construe <br />My way as just the road for you to run? <br />     My path takes in Gethsemane, the Cross, <br />     And stark rejection draped in agony. <br />     My way to God embraces utmost loss: <br />     Your way to God is not my way, but me. <br />Each other path is dismal swamp, or fraud. <br />I stand alone: I am the way to God.</font></p> <p><font size="2">I am the truth of God: I do not claim <br />I merely speak the truth, as though I were <br />A prophet (but no more), a channel, stirred <br />By Spirit power, of purely human frame. <br />Nor do I say that when I take his name <br />Upon my lips, my teaching cannot err <br />(Though that is true).  A mere interpreter <br />I’m not, some prophet-voice of special fame. <br />     In timeless reaches of eternity <br />     The Triune God decided that the Word, <br />     The self-expression of the Deity, <br />     Would put on flesh and blood – and thus be heard. <br />The claim to speak the truth good men applaud. <br />I claim much more: I am the truth of God.</font></p> <p><font size="2">I am the resurrection life.  It’s not <br />As though I merely bear life-giving drink, <br />A magic elixir which (men might think) <br />Is cheap because though lavish it’s not bought. <br />The price of life was fully paid: I fought <br />With death and black despair; for I’m the drink <br />Of life.  The resurrection morn’s the link <br />Between my death and endless life long sought. <br />     I am the firstborn from the dead; and by <br />     My triumph, I deal death to lusts and hates. <br />     My life I now extend to men, and ply <br />     Them with the draught that ever satiates. <br />Religion’s page with empty boasts is rife: <br />But I’m the resurrection and the life.</font></p> <p>D. A. Carson, <em>The Gospel according to John</em>, Pillar (Eerdmans, 1991), 492-93.</p> <p><font size="2">This poem alludes to many of the themes in John.  When studying, it can be easy to let intellect rule and headiness prevail.  It is the mark of a useful commentary to meld intellect and emotion.  I recommend </font><a href="http://www.eerdmans.com/shop/product.asp?p_key=9780802836830" target="_blank"><font size="2">Carson’s commentary</font></a><font size="2"> wholeheartedly.</font></p> Joseph Dethrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06140868173752762031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10729034.post-10115150552981016382009-04-10T14:56:00.001-05:002009-04-10T14:56:21.854-05:00The Horror of Holy Wrath<p align="justify">There had never been a display like that before, and there never will be again.  The whole of life is to be spent in understanding the truth displayed that day.  The unparalleled mixture of grace and justice resonates throughout all eternity.  It is the echoes of this divine display that is to  fill the words and lives of Christians centuries later.</p> <p>Here are resources that I have used to help me to dwell on what occurred on that Good Friday.  I suggest that they be watched in this order.</p> <p> </p> <ul> <li><a href="http://www.ccef.org/sites/default/files/pdf/other_cup.pdf" target="_blank">The Other Cup</a> – an excellent sermon by Ray Dillard <br /></li> <li>A shocking <a href="http://www.sourceflix.com/vid_sacrificev3.html" target="_blank">video</a> of a sacrifice with <a href="http://teampyro.blogspot.com/2009/04/holy-day-not-pretty-day.html" target="_blank">this commentary</a> on it. <br /></li> <li>“<a href="http://theologica.blogspot.com/2009/04/well-i-wonder-if-you-know-him.html" target="_blank">Well, I Wonder If You Know Him</a>” </li> </ul> <p align="justify">‘And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation,  and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth."  Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands,  saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!"  And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!"  And the four living creatures said, "Amen!" and the elders fell down and worshiped.” ‘ (Rev 5:9-14)</p> Joseph Dethrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06140868173752762031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10729034.post-76083800025185722522009-04-01T08:58:00.001-05:002009-04-01T08:58:31.129-05:00Gaffin on Justification<p align="justify"><a title="Justified in Christ" href="http://www.christianfocus.com/item/show/1027/-/sr_1"><img title="Justified in Christ" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px 30px 0px 10px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="260" alt="Justified in Christ" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_nQX8F4gJlrc/SdNzBrwwX3I/AAAAAAAAAHI/hI0CkZl-O5k/Justified%20in%20Christ%5B14%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="173" align="left" border="0" /></a>“Late medieval Roman Catholicism left the future verdict at the final judgment the ever anxious and uncertain outcome of the Christian life.  In contrast, the Reformers grasped that the verdict, belonging at the end of history, has been brought forward and already pronounced on believers in history, and so, constituting the certain stable basis for the Christian life, provides unshakeable confidence in the face of the final judgment.” </p> <p></p> <p>- Richard B. Gaffin, Jr. from “Justification and Eschatology” in <em>Justified in Christ:  God’s Plan for Us in Justification</em></p> Joseph Dethrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06140868173752762031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10729034.post-9349230625125649302009-03-16T16:00:00.002-05:002009-03-16T16:00:50.450-05:00Christ’s Command & the New Calvinism<p align="justify">Recently, <em>Time’s </em>David Van Biema wrote an <a href="http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/0,28757,1884779,00.html" target="_blank">article</a> highlighting the things we should be watching for in 2009. Many have already noted that it is quite interesting that the third item on this list is <em><a href="http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1884779_1884782_1884760,00.html" target="_blank">The New Calvinism</a></em>. I am not sure why the author decided to dub this resurgence as “the <em>new </em>Calvinism.” I do not believe it to be anything different than has been taught before. Rather than critique the article’s portrayal of this resurgence, it would be of greater importance to highlight one sentence:</p> <p align="justify"><em>It will be interesting to see whether Calvin's latest legacy will be classic Protestant backbiting or whether, during these hard times, more Christians searching for security will submit their wills to the austerely demanding God of their country's infancy.</em></p> <p align="justify">It is astonishing that there are some in the secular world watching us. What will they see? It is of paramount importance to heed the words of Christ:</p> <p align="justify"><em>A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. </em>(<a href="http://www.esvstudybible.org/search?q=John+13%3A34-35" target="_blank">John 13:34-25 ESV</a>)</p> <p align="justify"> </p> <p align="justify">For this reason, we should:<br /></p> <ol> <li> <div align="justify">Stand for our biblical convictions on sovereign grace. <br /></div> </li> <li> <div align="justify">Love all of our brothers and sisters in Christ. <br /></div> </li> <li> <div align="justify">Work to share an accurate vision of our Holy God and the saving work of Christ.</div> </li> </ol> <p align="justify">It should not escape our attention that in one of Christ’s last petitions for the Church we see him say</p> <p align="justify"><em>The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. </em><a href="http://www.esvstudybible.org/search?q=John+17%3A22-23" target="_blank">(John 13:34-25 ESV)</a></p> <p align="justify">I thank God for <a href="http://www.founders.org/audio/bb07/" target="_blank">those</a> who are displaying this love.</p>Joseph Dethrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06140868173752762031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10729034.post-79235458877003893242009-01-30T10:43:00.001-06:002009-01-30T10:43:40.377-06:00Who Defines the Relationship? DTR’s<p align="justify">Many young people are searching frantically for dates and romance.  In the process, they rarely guard their hearts and are devastated.  God is not central to their search for their latest love interest, i.e. their <em>crush</em>.  Of course, we don’t use the term “crush” once we leave junior high because it sounds childish.  Well, “a rose by any other name…”.</p> <p align="justify">There is a way to approach these things maturely, but it is counter-cultural. Requesting permission from the father to pursue a young woman is rarely admired.  It is perceived as <a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/antediluvian">antediluvian</a>.  Even some <em>Christian</em> brothers scoffed at me when I pursued my wife this way.  Notwithstanding, God blessed the pursuit, and I am still baffled at how he brought everything together.</p> <p align="justify">My wife is my sister and my bride (cf. 1 Tim 5:1).  She doesn’t have the same earthly parents.  She has been adopted by God into the covenant family.  God has done the same for me.  Therefore, she is my sister.  She was my sister before my wife.  I had to account for that in my pursuit of her.  She did not belong to me but God.  I had to answer to him for my treatment of her.  Then she became my bride.  The relationship has been defined by God from start to finish.</p> <p align="justify">Recently, I have heard the term “DTR”.  This means “Define the Relationship”.  This term is for little boys who want to play with girls without commitment.  It is for unguarded girls who allow themselves to become attached to a little boy without thinking.  After the little boy and the little girl have a friendship that is too close to be just friendship, one of them wants to have a DTR:  “Are we just friends; what are we?”  This is a mess.  This little boy is not treating this woman like a sister.  This little girl is not holding him responsible for being her brother.  Instead, selfishness wins out.  They want to define the relationship.  However, God has defined it: brother & sister.  Boys, quit test-driving your sisters.  Girls, quit acting like the closest used-car dealership.  Then you might one day be men and women.  Until God defines the relationship as man and wife,  you are siblings only.</p> <p align="justify">God is not honored when Christians use each other.  God is honored when they serve each other.</p> Joseph Dethrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06140868173752762031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10729034.post-8498935374004226002008-10-29T05:00:00.000-05:002021-03-05T09:38:41.033-06:00When the Narcissist will not Weep, Part 4<span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="font-family: times new roman; font-weight: bold;">The Cure: Seeking Sight</span> <span style="font-family: times new roman;">
Here are some steps that you can take to see.</span>
</span><ol><li><span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="font-family: times new roman;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Realize the reality of suffering in the world.</span> Take note of the current atrocities in the world. Suffering is global. This will aid in the dissolution of the narcissism. There is a whole world of suffering.
</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="font-family: times new roman;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cultivate relationships. </span> Work to strengthen your friendships. Strive to know your friends better. Share your own suffering with them.
</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="font-family: times new roman;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Repent and pray for sight.</span> Ask God to open your eyes to the world of suffering and the suffering around you. Pray that he gives you compassion.
</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="font-family: times new roman;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Be hospitable.</span> Open your home to others to develop relationships. Invite them over for a meal. Spending time with them will cultivate a genuine and deep love for them. It may also be the best way to comfort the suffering.
</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="font-family: times new roman;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pray for the suffering and read your bible.</span> Prayer and the reading of the Scriptures can unite our hearts to the purposes of God. We should pray and read strategically. As we communicate with God, he will soften you.
</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="font-family: times new roman;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Think deeply about things.</span> If you are weak in your understanding of God, then you will be useless in the war on suffering.</span></span></li></ol><span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="font-family: times new roman;">These are not exhaustive but are meant to be a start.</span> </span>Joseph Dethrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06140868173752762031noreply@blogger.com1