tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-119971752024-02-07T09:41:50.671-08:00Semper LuxReflections on Shafts of Light in the WastelandScott Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17332813145138820818noreply@blogger.comBlogger59125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11997175.post-48281273318308245412009-11-17T21:14:00.000-08:002009-11-20T09:26:26.874-08:00Review: ZIBBCOT vol 5<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLus4ozLxBf7c8AQG47hzaeJ9kq9ob4oeImQuMZ0IcquGMm6tFthhgxk9DxyQNE6zgEfrNDMdFToHJy777UaiJp-_G2xSc5XPZhLGP-vcrHBVVqu-H2LKfE3XncLABtd8mz4QitA/s1600/0310255724.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 142px; height: 141px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLus4ozLxBf7c8AQG47hzaeJ9kq9ob4oeImQuMZ0IcquGMm6tFthhgxk9DxyQNE6zgEfrNDMdFToHJy777UaiJp-_G2xSc5XPZhLGP-vcrHBVVqu-H2LKfE3XncLABtd8mz4QitA/s200/0310255724.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406238437118624354" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Reading ancient texts is an endeavor that always brings immense hazards for the interpreter. This is especially so when one comes to the Biblical texts of the Old Testament since a historical gap of 2500-3500 years separates us, as readers, from the world of the text. Therefore, in order to understand the text in its historical context and to prevent us from importing our own worldview and culture into the text of scripture, it is important to study the cultural milieu in which the Biblical texts were originally composed. The value of these Ancient Near Eastern (ANE) background studies comes in having access to the common worldview that was shared across the cultures of the ANE. As a fuller picture emerges of the thought-world of the times, this can be applied to the reading of the Biblical text in order to catch nuances of significance that could not otherwise be caught. In addition, there are many instances in which faulty interpretations can be overcome by appeal to background material. In such instances, it often appears to be the case that texts were read in light of modern, Western culture. When parallel ideas or narratives can be uncovered in ANE texts, it has the potential to point towards a more culturally grounded interpretation than modern, Western interpreters can give based on their experience of the world. </span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">For this reason, I have been eagerly anticipating the arrival of the new </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Zondervan Bible Background Commentary of the Old Testament</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> (ZIBBCOT) edited by Dr. John Walton. The stated goal of the project is to open up the world of the ANE and demonstrate how an understanding of the shared culture across the region directly applies to our understanding of the Old Testament text. I've been looking forward to seeing how close the project comes to accomplishing its goals and so I was extremely excited when Zondervan offered me a review copy of volume 5 of the new series! So, with many thanks to the folks at </span><a href="http://www.zondervan.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Zondervan</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> and their </span><a href="http://www.koinoniablog.net/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Koinonia Blog</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">, I offer the following review of ZIBBCOT volume 5.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I should first note that John Walton has established an incredible team of OT and ANE scholars to contribute to this series. Contributors to volume five include the likes of J. Glen Taylor, Mark Chavalas, Alan Milard, Daniel Master, Andrew Hill, Tremper Longman III and Duane Garrett. Clearly, with such an all-star team of scholars, the academic quality of the volume can be expected to be extremely high. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">While the caliber of scholar for this project is impeccable, the actual text of the volume is understandable at the level of a serious layperson. The commentary is not cluttered with untranslated Hebrew, Aramaic and other ancient Semitic languages. The prose at most points demands close attention but is not so obtuse as to be completely unintelligible for a layperson. Rather than commenting verse-by-verse or dealing with every major exegetical issue, the commentary focuses mainly on light that the ANE backgrounds can shed on the text of Scripture. To further this end, ZIBBCOT is full of high quality pictures and diagrams that illustrate something that is discussed in the comments. From ancient cuneiform cylinders to reliefs from Egyptian tombs to the iconographic imagery of Mesopotamia, the images span the breadth of the ancient world helping the reader enter into the world of the ANE and to literally see for themselves what the commentator discusses in the body of the commentary. Furthermore, the numerous sidebar articles zoom in on particular issues of significance related to the Biblical text and discuss them in greater depth. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The sum total of these features of ZIBBCOT means that the information that was once available only to specialist scholars is now made available to the layperson and pastor. However, this does not mean that this series is therefore not of use for those in the scholarly community. Copious end notes link the text of the commentary to the current state of the scholarly discussions. Therefore, if an issue or a text is discussed in the body of the commentary, the end notes will give scholars interested in further pursuing that issue a link to the original sources or a fuller discussion in a scholarly work. In this way, the series has immense value as an entry point for those scholars who are interested in gathering resources to go in depth on a particular issue or topic. So, in the end, ZIBBCOT proves to be a resource that is accessible enough that is will benefit those who preach and lead Bible studies in the Church but in depth enough that it will prove to be a valuable resource for scholars in the years to come. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">It is often noted that there is a woeful neglect of the Old Testament in the Evangelical Church today. While I believe there are numerous reasons for this, a significant one is that to many, the world of the Old Testament and, therefore, the text of the Old Testament seem too remote and complex to understand. My hope as I read this volume of the ZIBBCOT is that God will use this resource as a tool for helping the Church recover the riches of the Old Testament. </span></span></div>Scott Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17332813145138820818noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11997175.post-82203468794952122052009-08-19T10:00:00.000-07:002009-08-19T10:09:16.346-07:00Elijah Prays for Rain- Terry Virgo<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I recently found out about this sermon on prayer from Terry Virgo, a pastor in the UK. Katie and I listened to it yesterday while driving through Nebraska and were immensely blessed, challenged and convicted by it. There are certain sermons or books that help reorient you to the way things actually are instead of the upside down ways that we normally think because of our sinful misperception. This is one of those sermons! After listening to it yesterday, my prayerlessness made absolutely no sense and regular, fervent, long prayer made the most sense in the world. I pray that Jesus will use it in the same way in your lives.</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><object width="400" height="300"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=5294550&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1"><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=5294550&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="300"></embed></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/5294550"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Elijah Prays For Rain</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> from </span></span><a href="http://vimeo.com/adrianwarnock"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Adrian Warnock</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> on </span></span><a href="http://vimeo.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Vimeo</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">.</span></span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">ht: </span></span><a href="http://twitter.com/JohnPiper"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">@JohnPiper</span></span></a></p>Scott Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17332813145138820818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11997175.post-14908934694263322852009-08-14T08:57:00.001-07:002009-08-14T09:01:39.735-07:00Christian Arrogance<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">An awesome video about the dangers and antidotes to Christian arrogance from Tim Gaydos, the Pastor at <a href="http://www.marshillchurch.org">Mars Hill Church's</a> downtown Seattle campus:</span></span><div><br /></div><div><object width="400" height="300"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=4968188&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1"><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=4968188&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="300"></embed></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/4968188">Christian Arrogance</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user1486817">The Resurgence</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</p></div><p>ht: <a href="http://www.twitter.com/theResurgence">@theResurgence</a></p>Scott Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17332813145138820818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11997175.post-63380810632034321862009-08-14T08:37:00.000-07:002009-08-14T08:47:57.782-07:00Moving Back to California!<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">In 3 days, my wife and I will pack up our Nissan Sentra and hit the road back to California! Our two years in Wheaton have been hard, wonderful, stretching, enlightening, spiritual beneficial and spiritually growing all at the same time. Katie and I have always told our families that we're so glad that the Lord brought us out here for school and for the amazing friendships that He has formed for us in our time out here. We're sad that this time is over but are also super excited about what Jesus is going to do both in an through us in this next stage of life and ministry.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The plan is to arrive back in LA on August 26th where I will continue to be a freelance editor for <a href="http://www.crossway.org/">Crossway Publishers</a> and take on a part-time Pastoral role at <a href="http://www.copperhillchurch.org/">Copperhill Community Church</a>. I can't wait to serve under and alongside the leadership of this great church as they seek to further God's mission to glorify His name through His son in the Santa Clarita Valley and the Greater LA Area!</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman', fantasy;"><br /></span></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 468px; height: 261px;" src="http://discoverlosangeles.com/images/Downtown_LosAngeles1_Carroll,Richard.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Scott Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17332813145138820818noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11997175.post-18348675801458384172009-08-12T09:30:00.001-07:002009-08-12T09:44:43.539-07:00L.A. Times: Must science declare a holy war on religion?<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">A very interesting article from yesterday's L.A. Times. I disagree with many of the author's presuppositions regarding the creation/evolution debate. However, the title of the article is what caught my interest. The antagonism that the New Atheism has shown towards religion in general is described as a "holy war". This just goes to show that even the supposedly neutral and objective Atheism is, in reality, just another belief structure which people are passionate to propagate for the 'good of their neighbor' or protect when their cherished beliefs are attacked from outside. Atheism is just as much a religion as anything that its adherents would like to demolish with their arguments.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><a href="http://shar.es/ObV3">Must science declare a holy war on religion? - Los Angeles Times</a></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman', fantasy;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman', -webkit-fantasy;">ht: <a href="http://twitter.com/TGCN">@TGCN</a></span></div>Scott Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17332813145138820818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11997175.post-31690717612831012702009-08-12T08:49:00.000-07:002009-08-12T08:54:46.397-07:00Doctrine of Revelation<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.salvationhistory.com/images/main/paul_writing.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 281px;" src="http://www.salvationhistory.com/images/main/paul_writing.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Here's my most recent addition to my own doctrinal statement, a discussion of God's revelation:</span></span><div><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">God’s perfection and infinity in all His attributes means that He is a Being totally Other from His creation. Therefore, knowledge of God by the creature is utterly impossible unless God first takes the initiative to reveal Himself to His creation. God’s primary revelation of Himself comes in the Person of His Son, Jesus, who is the Word of God incarnated into Human flesh. As the perfect Image and Reflection of the glories of the Father, it is the Son who accurately makes God known to human beings. Corresponding to the Son, who is the living Word of God, is the Bible which is the written Word of God. The 66 books which make up the Old and New Testaments were inspired by the Holy Spirit through the individual human authors so that we might come to know and understand the person of the Father through the Son to whom the Scriptures bear witness. Because God is Truth itself, the Scriptures are completely authoritative for life and faith and are without error in everything that is communicated within them.<br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">When man fell into sin and were cursed as a result, the effects of the fall spread to every area of his being. Thus, certainty in knowledge and interpretation is an impossible goal apart from the intervention of God by His Spirit. Thus, the goal of the Church is to interpret the Scriptures faithfully in their historical/theological context in total dependence upon the Spirit in every step of the process. </span></span><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman', fantasy;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman', -webkit-fantasy;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman', fantasy;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div>Scott Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17332813145138820818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11997175.post-25871178938720741592009-08-11T08:09:00.001-07:002009-08-11T08:18:26.588-07:00Doctrine of God<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This week is my last week in the PMT (Pastoral Ministry Training) Apprenticeship program at my church. One of our final projects is to write a personal doctrinal statement so we can learn to clearly articulate the range of our theology. I'm excited about this project because I'm writing what I hope will amount to a blend of Systematic and Biblical Theology. I'll begin with the doctrine of God and Revelation and then move through Redemptive History from Creation to Fall to Redemption to New Creation. Under each of these headings will fall most of the things that are discussed in the traditional categories of Systematic Theology (Theology Proper, Anthropology, Hamartiology, Soteriology, Ecclesiology and Eschatology). However, rather than abstracted truth, these doctrines will be discussed as they play out in the drama of God's work to rescue the Creation and vindicate His glory in the New Creation. I plan to post my work this week as I progress. So, for your reading pleasure, here's what I have so far in regards to the doctrine of God.</span></span><div><br /></div><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The One God has eternally existed in the three equally-Divine Persons that constitute the One God in Trinity; the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The foundation of the life of the God-head is the mutual enjoyment and glorification that each Person of the Trinity has in the other two Persons such that God’s primary passion is for the furtherance of the enjoyment of His own glory. God is completely and totally self-sufficient since He has life in Himself a</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">nd is absolutely perfect in both love and holiness. All God’s perfections are infinite and so He can be described as infinite in power, knowledge and presence. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The Father is the beginning of the Trinity from whom is eternally generated the Son. It is to the Father that the Son and Holy Spirit are functionally subordinate and as such He is the Head of the Life of the Trinity.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The Son is co-equal and co-eternal with the Father and, as such, is fully Divine. The Son is the perfect image and representation of the Father and, as a result, the Father and Son delight in the mutual beauty of their perfections with the full energy afforded by omnipotence. His economic role is to take the glorious perfections of God and make them visible or knowable to the creation. Thus, it is only through the Son that we have access to knowledge of the Father. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The Holy Spirit is co-equal and co-eternal with the Father and Son and is fully Divine as are the other two Persons. He proceeds from both the Father and the Son and is Himself the fully energy of the delight with which the Father and Son enjoy the perfection of the Other. It is the economic role of the Holy Spirit to lead creatures to see and savor the beauty of the Son and, as a result, come to know the Father. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;line-height: 150%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">While each Person of the Trinity is distinct in His Personhood, there is no distinction as to Divinity and each fully shares the attributes of the Others. </span></span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><img style="text-align: center;float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 442px; height: 638px; " src="http://blog.davidgolightly.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/trinity.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></div>Scott Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17332813145138820818noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11997175.post-12301513170116951512009-05-29T17:54:00.000-07:002009-05-29T17:56:12.269-07:00Biblical Counseling<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">There are a number of different ways to approach a definition of Biblical Counseling (also called Nouthetic Counseling).</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">It can be described in relationship to Psychology or Integrationist Counseling in that it rejects at a fundamental level the principles of Psychology as totally incompatible with the message of the gospel.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">A truly Biblical approach to counseling denies that Psychotherapy has any intrinsic value in the process of sanctification because it does not address the ultimate root of most if not all so-called Psychopathologies.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Rather, for the Christian, it is the Bible alone that will be a sure guide to the process of sanctification in the life of a believer.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">As the author of Hebrews says in Heb 4:12-13, </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.3in"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">So it is God’s Word</span></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=11997175&postID=1230151317011695151#_ftn1" name="_ftnref" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">[1]</span></span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> that has the power to look deep inside a person and discern the true heart dynamics involved in sin and outward sinful behavior.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">In addition, this approach to counseling is radically Biblical because it recognizes Scriptures own claims for itself that it is sufficient to deal with all matters of life and sanctification.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Just one example of this is Paul’s claim in 2 Time 3:16-17, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for ever good work.”</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">In addition, further description is needed in terms of just how exactly Biblical Counseling can be described as “counseling”.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Counseling as it is used in everyday discourse tends to denote a clinical atmosphere.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Indeed most counseling, even most Christian counseling, tends to be a clinical affair in which a counselee comes to see a counselor in an office or clinic for regularly scheduled visits.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">While Biblical Counseling does not neglect the value of regularly scheduled meetings in which a trained counselor assists someone with issues that they face, it regards counseling as so much more than a merely clinical process.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">It recognizes that sanctification happens in community and that clinical counseling should be the exception rather than the rule in the Christian life.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Again, the author of Hebrews exhorts the Church on this point in Heb 3:12-13, “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘today,’ that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">He also exhorts us in Heb 9:24-26, </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.3in"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins.” </span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">So, the Christian community is essential for the process of sanctification.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">This exhortation or counseling that is to be done in the community of faith is something that happens in the midst of daily life.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">When friends gather for dinner, at a small group, at a lunch after Sunday morning worship services, at coffee shops, in people’s living rooms, all of life becomes a venue for Christians to exhort one another on towards holiness and sanctification.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Lastly, by way of description, it should be mentioned that Biblical Counseling should be centered on what the Bible itself centers on.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Rather than a morbid and reactionary preoccupation with sin in the life of a believer, Biblical Counseling should be primarily focused on helping people see that which is truly most satisfying and most valuable, the glory of God in the face of Christ.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">This focus on God’s glory will help people to be irresistibly drawn towards Him so that they can be transformed from one degree of glory to another.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">To be sure, there will be times when friends or pastors will need to assist people in combating particular sins in a concentrated way for a period of time.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">However, the main focus needs to be on helping people be allured by Jesus in all His glory so that they no longer are allured by the idols that their heart and the world has set up for them.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">How should we then define Biblical Counseling?</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">We should understand Biblical Counseling as the application of the redeeming message of the gospel from the Word of God to people’s lives in genuine Christian community so that they increasingly come to recognize the dynamics of sinful idolatry in their hearts and increasingly have that idolatry replaced by the worship and adoration of God because of the all-satisfying nature of His glory in the person of Jesus Christ.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">This kind of counseling is absolutely imperative for the Church because it is the means by which God uses to sanctify His people.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The entire Epistle to the Hebrews is a letter counseling that Church to persevere in their faith because of the weighty consequences if they fail to persevere and the glorious rewards if they do persevere.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">As we’ve already seen, in the dead earnest instructions that Hebrews gives, Christians encouraging and exhorting each other in faith and perseverance is absolutely essential if they are going to persevere.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">So, not only the author of Hebrews Himself exhorts the Church, he tells everyone else in the Church to also exhort and encourage everyone else.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">This does not take away any of the necessity for God’s Spirit to continue the keep faith alive and growing but it recognizes that He uses the Church body as His means of accomplishing this in the lives of individual Christians.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">It is this kind of exhortation in the community of Christ’s body that is the means by which Paul’s glorious vision of the Church in Eph 4 will be accomplished.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">In Ephesians 4, it is the Pastors and Elders of the Church that are called to equip the body for the work of ministry.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">That is, they must be faithful to teach the glories of Christ from the Word so that members of the body understand and are increasingly saturated by the gospel and are gripped with that reality.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Once the body is equipped by having been taught, they then are ready for the work of ministry in which they proclaim the glories of gospel outside the Church and encourage each other with the realities and implications of the gospel inside the Church.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">As this radically gospel-centered community continually points each other towards the gospel, helps each other repent from sin and turn to God in His glory, the Church will be growing and fulfilling the cosmic purpose that God has for Her.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">In Ephesians, the growth of the Church is the growth of the new humanity that is centered around Jesus Christ.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The goal for human history is for Jesus to subsume all things under His rule so that the entire cosmos will be remade to fulfill God’s original intent for it.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">At this stage of redemptive history, the Church is the foretaste and the sign that God will be faithful in this cosmic purpose because the reality of Christ’s rule is here in the sphere of the Church.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">So we see that Biblical Counseling practiced in community is the means by which God fulfills that purpose for the Church in this age.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></o:p></p> <div style="mso-element:footnote-list"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span> <hr align="left" size="1" width="33%"> <div style="mso-element:footnote" id="ftn"> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=11997175&postID=1230151317011695151#_ftnref" name="_ftn1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">[1]</span></span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> God’s Word should not be conceived of merely as a book but the Bible as God’s Written Word corresponding to His Living Word, Jesus Christ.</span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p> </div> </div> <!--EndFragment-->Scott Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17332813145138820818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11997175.post-72049653473985013672009-05-27T15:35:00.000-07:002009-05-27T15:39:30.635-07:00Theology of Change and Christian Motivation<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The central message of the Bible is that God is at work in the world to change and transform it so that it fulfills its original purpose of reflecting God’s glory back to Him. The vision of Israel’s prophets was that God would act and gloriously renew the creation so that war would be done away with, </span></span><span style="color: black; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"></span></span></span><span style="color: black; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">שָׁלוֹם</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> would reign and God’s glory and presence fills the whole Earth as the waters cover the seas (Is 11:1-9, 25:1-12, 65:17-25; Ez 37; Hab 2:14; Hos 2:14-23). The life and ministry of Jesus fulfilled the OT expectation of Israel so that God’s righteous kingdom and new creational reign broke into human history and began the work transforming the created order (Mk 1:1-15; 2 Cor 5:17). While Jesus and the community of His people are the fulfillment of the OT hope, it is an inaugurated fulfillment that awaits the final consummation in which the old age is completely done away with and YHWH’s righteous rule holds total sway over the entire cosmos (1 Cor 15:20-28; Rev 19-22).</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> It is within the framework that we must think about change on the individual level. It is because of God’s universal purpose to redeem the creation that there is hope for the transformation of an individual or a group of individuals. However, we must always recognize that there is a special importance to the transformation of individual human beings. Genesis 1-2 make abundantly clear that the crown of God’s creation was the man and woman who were made in God’s own image and given the mandate to rule over and subdue the cosmos. As the crown of God’s work, they had dominion over the creation and were called to extend God’s presence over the face of the Earth. Sadly, it was also because of this privileged position that the creation followed Adam into sin and a state of fallenness and brokenness. The good news is that just as the creation followed our first parents into sin and death after the original creative acts, Romans 8:20-21 tells us that it will also follow redeemed humanity into the new creation as God exercises His creative power finally and decisively. The state that the created order has been longing for and groaning for is the “freedom of the glory of the children of God.”</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> This salvation-historical framework for understanding personal growth and transformation is essential for keeping things in their proper biblical place. Just as redemptive-history is the process by which God renews the entire created order by His power, individual transformation is not something that one does to oneself but something that is ultimately done by God to someone. As Paul says in 2 Cor 3:17-19, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">.”</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> The focal point for this Divinely enabled process is the Cross of Jesus Christ. The Cross is the means by which God removed our unrighteousness and gave us the righteousness of Jesus so that we could be justified before Him. All this is brought about through our union with Christ who is our Federal head. So, union with Christ is enabled by his death and resurrection but it is also the means by which sanctification happens in the Christian life. As Paul tells us in 2 Cor 5:17, “if anyone is in Christ, there is new creation”. Elsewhere in the New Testament, this phenomenon is called “the new birth” and is known by theologians as “regeneration”. That is, when one comes to faith in Christ, the Spirit instantly brings about New Creation in that person’s life by effecting a union with Jesus who has already passed through death and brought in God’s new creation. That is why Paul writes in 2 Cor 4:6, “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” Regeneration is an act of new creation akin to the original creation that began when God spoke light into the darkness of the chaotic world. Therefore, it is union with Jesus on the basis of and into His death and resurrection that is the foundation and means by which any growth or personal transformation can happen.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> The act of regeneration is the basis for this entire process of sanctification because, when the Spirit regenerates a person, he is given an entirely new set of priorities, motivations and desires. That person is literally remade so that their primary motivating factors no longer come from Satan, sin and the Devil but from the Triune God has H has made Himself manifest in Jesus Christ. As such, a regenerated person is brought in into a process by which God will enable him to fulfill the original purpose of creation, namely, reflecting God’s glory back to Himself. However, it important to further articulate how God implants these new desires and motivations within a person. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> In 2 Cor 3:18, which I quoted previously, it is interesting to note that Paul links “beholding the glory of the Lord” and “being transformed into the same image from on degree of glory to another.” I believe that the best way to describe the link that Paul has in mind here is that beholding God’s glory in the face of Christ is the means by which transformation from one degree of glory to another occurs. So in seeking to articulate the nature of Christian sanctification, it is imperative that any efforts at sanctification be connected with seeing God in His glory. However, this begs the questions as to exactly </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">how</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> beholding God’s glory is sanctifying? It is this question that gets at the heart of Christian motivation and the process of sanctification. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> Thomas Chalmers was a Scottish mathematician and preacher in the 18</span></span><sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">th</span></span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> and 19</span></span><sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">th</span></span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> centuries who worked hard to articulate how God’s glory is sanctifying. He argues that there are two basic ways in which an attempt can be made to motivate a person towards sanctification and holiness. The first is to try to convince a person of the ugliness of the world so that they are disgusted and turn from it. The second is, in his words, “by setting forth another object, even God, as more worthy of its attachment, so as that the heart shall be prevailed upon not to resign an old affection, which shall have nothing to succeed it, but to exchange an old affection for a new one.” Chalmers regards the first method as a deficient motivating factor for a person pursuing sanctification. The reason why it will not work is because all things in nature, even metaphysical things, abhor a vacuum. It is impossible to sufficiently motivate someone by showing the deficiency in what they should leave because there will then be nothing to fill the void that is left. Chalmers writes, “When told to cut out the world from his heart, this may be impossible with him who has nothing to replace it- but not impossible with him, who has found in God a sure and satisfying portion.” Practically speaking, in dealing with a sin issue in someone’s life, it will not work to simply motivate them by exhorting them to leave the sin, such as pornography, because of how bad it is. A person may be well aware of the bad effects of pornography both personally and socially but will be unable to be rid of that sin unless there is something else to replace it. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> The second method works precisely because it replaces sin with something more satisfying. Furthermore, the gospel holds out something that is not merely more satisfying but infinitely so such that there is nothing that could usurp the place of God’s glory in Jesus. The glory and presence of God in the life of a Christian is so extremely joy inducing and satisfying that it causes one to be drawn irresistibly away from sin and towards God. Thus, it is in this way that beholding the glory of the Lord transforms us from one degree of glory to another. Before regeneration, a human being is unable to see God in His all-satisfying glory and be drawn to Him. However, once the Spirit comes and lifts the veil so that we begin to catch a glimpse of God in His glory, magnificence and grandeur, then it is impossible for a person not to be drawn to that sight. So a person forsakes sin and, enabled by the Spirit, pursues Christ for all of the joy and satisfaction that is held out and offered in His person. </span></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Scott Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17332813145138820818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11997175.post-16733595019240321302009-05-13T20:32:00.000-07:002009-05-13T20:39:07.123-07:00Fear of the Lord<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"></p><blockquote></blockquote><span style="mso-fareast-Times New Roman";mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;font-family:";color:black;"><blockquote></blockquote><blockquote></blockquote><blockquote></blockquote><blockquote></blockquote><blockquote></blockquote><blockquote></blockquote><blockquote></blockquote><blockquote></blockquote><blockquote></blockquote><blockquote></blockquote><blockquote></blockquote><blockquote></blockquote><blockquote></blockquote><blockquote></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The most natural sense of “fear” to English speakers is the idea of terror.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">We find that </span></span></span><b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"></span></span></span></b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">ירא</span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"></span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> is often used in this sense in the OT.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">A general sense in which </span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">ירא</span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> is used to denote a genuine terror or dread is Ex 2:14 in which Moses fears that he will be discovered to have killed the Egyptian who was persecuting a Hebrew.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Essentially, there is dread that punishment will obtain for his actions in killing an Egyptian.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></span><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">This general concept of fear as terror or dread gets applied with reference to God in several places in the OT:</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left:60.0pt;mso-add-space: auto;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:150%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span></span></span></span></span></p><blockquote><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">·</span></span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></span><u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Jonah 1:10</span></span></span></u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> Then the men were even more afraid, and said to him, “What is this that you have done!” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them so.</span></span></span></blockquote><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><p></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:60.0pt;mso-add-space: auto;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:150%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span></span></span></span></span></p><blockquote><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">·</span></span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></span><u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Jonah 1:16</span></span></span></u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> Then the men feared the LORD even more, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows.</span></span></span></blockquote><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><p></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left:60.0pt;mso-add-space:auto; text-indent:-.25in;line-height:150%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span></span></span></span></span></p><blockquote><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">·</span></span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></span><u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Hab. 3:2</span></span></span></u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">O LORD, I have heard of your renown, and I stand in awe (fear), O LORD, of your work.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">In our own time revive it; in our own time make it known; in wrath may you remember mercy.</span></span></span></blockquote><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The sailors on board Jonah’s ship feared YHWH because they were in terror that their lives would be taken from them.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Although “fear” language is not always present, when a prophet was visited with a vision of YHWH’s presence, there was often fear:</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left:41.75pt;mso-add-space: auto;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:150%;mso-list:l10 level1 lfo5"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span></span></span></span></span></p><blockquote><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">·</span></span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></span><u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Is. 6:5</span></span></span></u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> And I said: “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I </span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the LORD </span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">of hosts!”</span></span></span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span></span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><p></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:41.75pt;mso-add-space: auto;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:150%;mso-list:l10 level1 lfo5"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span></span></span></span></span></p><blockquote><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">·</span></span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></span><u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Ezek. 1:28</span></span></span></u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> Like the bow in a cloud on a rainy day, such was the appearance of the splendor all around. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the </span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">LORD. When I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of someone </span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">speaking.</span></span></span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span></span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><p></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left:41.75pt;mso-add-space: auto;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:150%;mso-list:l10 level1 lfo5"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span></span></span></span></span></p><blockquote><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">·</span></span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></span><u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Rev. 1:17</span></span></span></u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> When I saw him (Jesus), I fell at his feet as though dead. But he placed his right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last…</span></span></span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span></span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">In each of these instances, it seems that the prophet or seer was in fear for his life.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">This is likely based on YHWH’s statement to Moses:</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:59.75pt;mso-add-space:auto; text-indent:-.25in;line-height:150%;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo6"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span></span></span></span></span></p><blockquote><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">·</span></span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></span><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Ex. 33:20</span></span></u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> But,” he said, “you cannot see my face; for no one shall see me and live.”</span></span></blockquote><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">So, when a human being perceived himself to be in the presence of YHWH, there was a genuine terror that his life would be taken because, as a sin tainted human being, he could not stand in God’s presence.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">A second step in the Fear of the Lord, especially in the Old Testament, is provided in looking again at Jon 1:16</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:45.0pt;mso-add-space:auto; text-indent:-.25in;line-height:150%;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo6"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span></span></span></span></span></p><blockquote><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">·</span></span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></span><u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Jonah 1:16</span></span></span></u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> Then the men feared the LORD even more, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows.</span></span></span></blockquote><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">This verse links the idea of fear as terror with a worship context.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Because they were afraid of YHWH killing them with the storm at sea, they worshipped Him by offering sacrifice in hopes that He would spare their lives.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Thus fearing a deity was often synonymous with worship and devotion towards that deity.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-indent:-.25in;line-height:150%; mso-list:l2 level1 lfo6"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span></span></span></span></span></p><blockquote><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">·</span></span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></span><u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">2Chr. 19:9</span></span></span></u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> He charged them: “This is how you shall act: in the fear of the LORD, in faithfulness, and with your whole heart;</span></span></span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span></span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><p></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent:-.25in;line-height:150%; mso-list:l2 level1 lfo6"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span></span></span></span></span></p><blockquote><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">·</span></span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></span><u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">2Kings 17:7</span></span></span></u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> ¶ This occurred because the people of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They had feared other gods</span></span></span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span></span></span></span><p></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent:-.25in;line-height:150%; mso-list:l2 level1 lfo6"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span></span></span></span></span></p><blockquote><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">·</span></span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></span><u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">2Kings 17:35-39</span></span></span></u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> The LORD had made a covenant with them and commanded them, “You shall not worship other gods or bow yourselves to them or serve them or sacrifice to them, but you shall worship the LORD, who brought you out of the land of Egypt with great power and with an outstretched arm; you shall bow yourselves to him, and to him you shall sacrifice. The statutes and the ordinances and the law and the commandment that he wrote for you, you shall always be careful to observe. You shall not worship other gods; you shall not forget the covenant that I have made with you. You shall not worship other gods, but you shall worship the LORD your God; he will deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies.”</span></span></span></blockquote><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><p></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent:-.25in;line-height:150%; mso-list:l2 level1 lfo6"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span></span></span></span></span></p><blockquote><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">·</span></span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></span><u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Deut. 10:12-13</span></span></span></u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> So now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you? Only to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the LORD your God and his decrees that I am commanding you today, for your own well-being.</span></span></span></blockquote><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><p></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-indent:-.25in;line-height:150%; mso-list:l2 level1 lfo6"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span></span></span></span></span></p><blockquote><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">·</span></span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></span><u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Psa. 22:23</span></span></span></u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> You who fear the LORD, praise him!</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him; stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!</span></span></span></blockquote><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The reason why fear language would be used synonymously with worship and devotion is apparent from the ANE background to worship.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Deities were worshiped in the ANE because of the benefits that they could provide for the people.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">They were thus feared because people recognized that the deity had the ability to give or withhold that which the people wanted or needed, i.e. abundant crops, victory over enemies, etc. (all of which were life or death matters).</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">This is made explicit in Ps 90:11</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:42.3pt;mso-add-space:auto; text-indent:-.25in;line-height:150%;mso-list:l7 level1 lfo11"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span></span></span></span></span></p><blockquote><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">·</span></span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></span><u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Psa. 90:11</span></span></span></u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> Who considers the power of your anger?</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Your wrath is as great as the fear that is due you.</span></span></span></blockquote><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Therefore, YHWH is to be feared because of the potential of His wrath which would take away happiness. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Thus from the OT perspective, those who did not worship YHWH are described as those who did not fear him:</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left:42.3pt;mso-add-space: auto;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:150%;mso-list:l8 level1 lfo7"><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">·</span></span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></span><u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Gen. 20:11</span></span></span></u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> Abraham said, “I did it because I thought, There is no fear of God at all in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.</span></span></span></p></blockquote><p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left:42.3pt;mso-add-space: auto;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:150%;mso-list:l8 level1 lfo7"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:42.3pt;mso-add-space: auto;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:150%;mso-list:l8 level1 lfo7"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span></span></span></span></span></p><blockquote><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">·</span></span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></span><u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Deut. 25:18</span></span></span></u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> how he attacked you on the way, when you were faint and weary, and struck down all who lagged behind you; he did not fear God.</span></span></span></blockquote><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><p></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left:42.3pt;mso-add-space:auto; text-indent:-.25in;line-height:150%;mso-list:l8 level1 lfo7"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span></span></span></span></span></p><blockquote><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">·</span></span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></span><u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Psa. 55:19</span></span></span></u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> God, who is enthroned from of old, will hear, and will humble them— because they do not change, and do not fear God.</span></span></span></blockquote><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">For Israel, the Fear of the Lord was mediated by the context of the covenant.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">In Lev 18:5, Moses makes it clear that life (life in the land as a picture of eschatological life) would be the result of Israel’s covenant faithfulness.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Interestingly then, there are several instances in which life is said to be the result for those who fear the Lord.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-indent:-.25in;line-height:150%; mso-list:l4 level1 lfo9"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span></span></span></span></span></p><blockquote><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">·</span></span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></span><u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Prov. 10:27</span></span></span></u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> The fear of the LORD prolongs life, but the years of the wicked will be short.</span></span></span></blockquote><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><p></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent:-.25in;line-height:150%; mso-list:l4 level1 lfo9"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span></span></span></span></span></p><blockquote><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">·</span></span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></span><u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Prov. 14:27</span></span></span></u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, so that one may avoid the snares of death.</span></span></span></blockquote><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><p></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent:-.25in;line-height:150%; mso-list:l9 level1 lfo8"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span></span></span></span></span></p><blockquote><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">·</span></span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></span><u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Prov. 19:23</span></span></span></u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> The fear of the LORD is life indeed; filled with it one rests secure and suffers no harm.</span></span></span></blockquote><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><p></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-indent:-.25in;line-height:150%; mso-list:l9 level1 lfo8"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span></span></span></span></span></p><blockquote><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">·</span></span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></span><u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Prov. 22:4</span></span></span></u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> The reward for humility and fear of the LORD is riches and honor and life.</span></span></span></blockquote><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Thus, fearing the Lord is linked very closely with obedience in that it results in the same thing as obedience.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">This is confirmed in that there are many places where the “Fear of the Lord” is said to result in covenantal obedience or hating that which is evil:</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-indent:-.25in;line-height:150%; mso-list:l6 level1 lfo10"><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">·</span></span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></span><u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Gen. 22:12</span></span></span></u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”</span></span></span></p></blockquote><p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-indent:-.25in;line-height:150%; mso-list:l6 level1 lfo10"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span></span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent:-.25in;line-height:150%; mso-list:l6 level1 lfo10"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span></span></span></span></span></p><blockquote><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">·</span></span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></span><u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Ex. 18:21</span></span></span></u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> You should also look for able men among all the people, men who fear God, are trustworthy, and hate dishonest gain; set such men over them as officers over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.</span></span></span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span></span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><p></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent:-.25in;line-height:150%; mso-list:l6 level1 lfo10"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span></span></span></span></span></p><blockquote><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">·</span></span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></span><u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Is. 50:10</span></span></span></u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> Who among you fears the LORD and obeys the voice of his servant, who walks in darkness and has no light, yet trusts in the name of the LORD and relies upon his God?</span></span></span></blockquote><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><p></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent:-.25in;line-height:150%; mso-list:l6 level1 lfo10"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span></span></span></span></span></p><blockquote><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">·</span></span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></span><u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Job 1:1</span></span></span></u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> There was once a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. That man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil.</span></span></span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span></span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><p></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent:-.25in;line-height:150%; mso-list:l6 level1 lfo10"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span></span></span></span></span></p><blockquote><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">·</span></span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></span><u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Prov. 14:2</span></span></span></u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> Those who walk uprightly fear the LORD, but one who is devious in conduct despises him.</span></span></span></blockquote><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><p></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent:-.25in;line-height:150%; mso-list:l6 level1 lfo10"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span></span></span></span></span></p><blockquote><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">·</span></span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></span><u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Psa. 19:9</span></span></span></u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether.</span></span></span></blockquote><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><p></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent:-.25in;line-height:150%; mso-list:l6 level1 lfo10"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span></span></span></span></span></p><blockquote><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">·</span></span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></span><u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Prov. 8:13</span></span></span></u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.</span></span></span></blockquote><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><p></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent:-.25in;line-height:150%; mso-list:l6 level1 lfo10"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span></span></span></span></span></p><blockquote><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">·</span></span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></span><u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Prov. 16:6</span></span></span></u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> By loyalty and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the LORD one avoids evil.</span></span></span></blockquote><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><p></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent:-.25in;line-height:150%; mso-list:l6 level1 lfo10"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span></span></span></span></span></p><blockquote><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">·</span></span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></span><u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Neh. 5:15</span></span></span></u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> The former governors who were before me laid heavy burdens on the people, and took food and wine from them, besides forty shekels of silver. Even their servants lorded it over the people. But I did not do so, because of the fear of God.</span></span></span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span></span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><p></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-indent:-.25in;line-height:150%; mso-list:l6 level1 lfo10"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span></span></span></span></span></p><blockquote><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">·</span></span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></span><u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">2Chr. 19:9</span></span></span></u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> He charged them: “This is how you shall act: in the fear of the LORD, in faithfulness, and with your whole heart;</span></span></span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span></span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Fear of God is inextricably linked with obedience.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">However, it is not just abstracted obedience to some universal standard, it is obedience that is within the covenant relationship.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Fearing God leads to acting faithfully within the confines of the covenant relationship.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">It is important to recognize that obedience here flows directly out of worship.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Because fear is used in the context of covenant in the sense of “worship” it is this worship of God for God’s sake which will lead to obedience which will then bring about the covenant blessings. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">In addition, Jer 32 makes it explicit that fearing God is something that ultimately can be given to a person only by God Himself.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-indent:-.25in;line-height:150%; mso-list:l6 level1 lfo10"><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">·</span></span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></span><u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Jer. 32:40</span></span></span></u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> I will make an everlasting covenant with them, never to draw back from doing good to them; and I will put the fear of me in their hearts, so that they may not turn from me.</span></span></span></p></blockquote><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Therefore, it is important to recognize that the “Fear of the Lord” can thus become the basis of confident expectation for God to work on one’s behalf.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">In other words, someone who fears God can have hope that God will grant Him the blessings of life.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-indent:-.25in;line-height:150%; mso-list:l6 level1 lfo10"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span></span></span></span></span></p><blockquote><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">·</span></span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></span><u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Job 4:6</span></span></span></u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> Is not your fear of God your confidence, and the integrity of your ways your hope?</span></span></span></blockquote><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Job’s friends were wrong in the fact that they thought that fearing God would result in temporal blessings now and insulate one from sufferings.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">However, they were correct to judge that fearing God, which is something that God gives to us, is the basis upon which we can hope for God to work on our behalf now but more especially in eternity.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">In light of this, fearing God removes the need to fear anything else in all creation:</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-indent:-.25in;line-height:150%; mso-list:l6 level1 lfo10"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span></span></span></span></span></p><blockquote><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">·</span></span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></span><u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Psa. 27:1</span></span></span></u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?</span></span></span></blockquote><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Nothing else can be feared because when one fears the Lord and is in right covenant relationship with Him, there is nothing that can threaten to take away what satisfies us because God is what gives us our satisfaction.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">In Christ, there is nothing that can remove us from His grasp.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-indent:-.25in;line-height:150%; mso-list:l6 level1 lfo10"><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">·</span></span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></span><u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">1Pet. 3:14</span></span></span></u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled,</span></span></span></p></blockquote><p></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-indent:-.25in;line-height:150%; mso-list:l6 level1 lfo10"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Fear implies a mastery over something.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">What someone is afraid of, that he is a slave to.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Fearing someone who persecutes us implies that they have mastery over us.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Fearing God means that no person or thing on earth is able to control us or have mastery over us save God.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Furthermore, in Christ, even the threat of God’s wrath is removed.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">As John says:</span></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-indent:-.25in;line-height:150%; mso-list:l6 level1 lfo10"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span></span></span></span></span></p><blockquote><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">·</span></span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></span><u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">1John 4:18</span></span></span></u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.</span></span></span></blockquote><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Therefore, for Christians, the terror element of God’s wrath is forever removed.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Although, if perfect love casts out fear and there is no fear of God’s wrath anymore, then what is the cause of Christians continuing to fear God after being regenerated and justified?</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-indent:-.25in;line-height:150%; mso-list:l6 level1 lfo10"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span></span></span></span></span></p><blockquote><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">·</span></span><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></span><u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">1Pet. 1:17-19</span></span></span></u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.</span></span></span></blockquote><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">These passages indicate that, for the Christian, fear (in the sense of worship and devotion) is the result of knowing that God judges impartially and recognizing that the cost of our ransom was the life of Jesus, the Son of God.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The knowledge of this should produce an awe or reverence that works itself out in a life of obedience that magnifies the ransoming work of God in Christ.</span></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Scott Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17332813145138820818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11997175.post-73400116252384592082009-03-19T19:40:00.000-07:002009-03-19T19:59:41.502-07:00"Heart" in the Old Testament<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">1. The first step in understanding what the term “heart” (לב or לבב) means in the OT is that, at its core, refers to the organ of a person’s internal life or reality.</span></span></div><div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Gen 17:17- “Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, ‘Will a child be born to a man one hundred years old? And will Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?’”</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Gen 24:45- “Before I had finished speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder, and went down to the spring and drew, and I said to her, ‘Please let me drink.’”</span></span></li></ul><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">This encompasses intellect, emotions and will. Out of 867 total occurrences, Beale notes that the term refers to intellectual activity 205 times, emotional activity 166 times and volitional activity 195 times.<br /></span></span><ul><li><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Intellectual:</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> 1 Kings 10:24 “All the earth was seeking the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart.”</span></span></li><li><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Emotional:</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> Gen 42:28- Then he said to his brothers, “My money has been returned, and behold, it is even in my sack.” And their hearts sank, and they turned trembling to one another, saying, “What is this that God has done to us?”. See also Is 30:29 “You will have songs as in the night when you keep the festival, And gladness of heart as when one marches to the sound of the flute, To go to the mountain of the LORD, to the Rock of Israel.”</span></span></li><li><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Volitional:</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> Is 32:4 “The mind (לבב) of the hasty will discern the truth, And the tongue of the stammerers will hasten to speak clearly.”</span></span></li></ul><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">2. The OT is very clear that God is in control of the human heart in each of its dimensions (intellectual, emotional, volitional) to do with as He wills. This is clear in the Exodus account of the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart.<br /></span></span><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Ex 4:21 “The LORD said to Moses, ‘When you go back to Egypt see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in your power; but I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go.’”</span></span></li></ul><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The Exodus narrative details this prediction of what YHWH would do with Pharaoh followed by a consistent hardening of Pharaoh’s heart through each of the ten plagues.<br />God is not merely sovereign in when it comes to a judicial hardening; the OT also views Him as responsible for the heart having a right orientation to God:<br /></span></span><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Ezek 36:26 “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”</span></span></li></ul><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">While God is ultimately sovereign in determining the orientation of the heart, this is fully compatible with mankind being responsible before God for their thoughts, decisions and actions:<br /></span></span><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Deut 15:7 “If there is a poor man with you, one of your brothers, in any of your towns in your land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart, nor close your hand from your poor brother”</span></span></li></ul><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">3. The heart, in its intellectual, emotional and volitional dimensions, is the organ through which a person’s spiritual relationship with God is governed. It is this three-dimensional internal reality through which a person is oriented to God, either rightly or wrongly. An improper orientation to God has already been seen in the example of Pharaoh’s hard heart. Moses, in several places, exhorts Israel to be rightly related to God with reference to the heart:<br /></span></span><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Deut 6:5-6 “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart.”</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Deut 8:2 “You shall remember all the way which the LORD your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.”</span></span></li></ul><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">As it applies to one’s relationship with God, the heart is to be totally and completely devoted to God. The Psalmist prays that His heart would be undivided in love for God:<br /></span></span><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Ps 86:11-12 “Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name. I will give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, And will glorify Your name forever.”</span></span></li></ul><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The wholeness of heart and right relationship with God that is an internal reality in the heart is expected to spill out in outward obedience to God as is seen in David’s prayer to God on behalf of Solomon:<br /></span></span><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">1 Chr 29:19 “and give to my son Solomon a perfect heart to keep Your commandments, Your testimonies and Your statutes, and to do them all, and to build the temple, for which I have made provision.”</span></span></li></ul><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">However, it was precisely a division of heart or lack of “wholeness” of heart that lead to Solomon’s spiritual downfall:<br /></span></span><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">1 Kgs 11:4 “For when Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away after other gods; and his heart was not wholly devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been.”</span></span></li></ul><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">However, God foretells a time when He would, through the Spirit, orient His whole people’s hearts to Himself properly with the corresponding outworking of covenantal obedience:<br /></span></span><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Jer 31:33 “But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the LORD, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.”</span></span></li></ul><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">4. If 1-3 above are true, then it follows Biblically that when God acts to bring a person into right relationship with Himself by acting internally on their heart, it has a corresponding result that transforms a person intellectually, emotionally and volitionally. The prophecy in Ezekiel 36 that God would give His people a new heart of flesh indicates spiritual transformation. If the heart consists of an intellectual, emotional and volitional component then it follows that all three will be renewed when God acts to give people a new heart. Those who have been spiritually transformed and given a new heart should think about the world and their life differently. Their emotions will be correspondingly affected so that they will respond to God with the proper emotional response. In addition, it should affect the way a person lives their lives and the decisions that they make.<br />When these three dimensions are combined, it results in an internal life that is wholly committed to God and the cause of His glory and kingdom on the Earth. Because we are whole beings and not merely a body a soul loosely united, the transformation of a person’s internal reality will result in a life that manifests outward obedience to God that is properly motivated by the heart.<br /></span></span><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Ps 119:3</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">4 “Give me understanding, that I may observe Your law and keep it with all my heart”</span></span></li></ul><br /></div>Scott Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17332813145138820818noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11997175.post-19128588498249542252009-02-13T10:33:00.000-08:002009-02-13T10:37:06.073-08:00Mark Driscoll on CNN<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Mark Driscoll talks straight about sex and Jesus on CNN with D.L. Hughley.</span></span><br /><br /><script src="http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.element/js/2.0/video/evp/module.js?loc=dom&vid=/video/bestoftv/2009/02/13/hughley.cussing.pastor.cnn" type="text/javascript"></script><noscript>Embedded video from <a href="http://www.cnn.com/video">CNN Video</a></noscript>Scott Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17332813145138820818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11997175.post-80389125077966915702009-01-18T12:22:00.000-08:002009-01-18T12:26:50.214-08:00Tortured for Christ<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lib.store.yahoo.net/lib/goccc/Tortured.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 117px; height: 189px;" src="http://lib.store.yahoo.net/lib/goccc/Tortured.JPG" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">By all accounts, Christianity has been a religion of suffering from its very inception. It was birthed out of the ashes of Christ’s suffering and crucifixion and was spread through the sufferings and eventual violent deaths of all but one of the 13 Apostles. The Apostle Paul himself wrote of Christian suffering in Philippians 1:19, “For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake….” In the second century, it was the noted Father Tertullian who wrote that, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.”<br /><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">While the persecution in the early centuries of the Church was certainly fierce, our modern period, with the Twentieth Century in particular, have seen the worst persecution of Christians on a global scale. The rise of the Totalitarian states and world Communism at the dawn of the Twentieth Century particularly signaled troubled times ahead for the Church who desired to remain faithful to their profession of Christ and His mission in the World. It was into this milieu that Richard Wurmbrand, a Lutheran pastor in Romania, began to minister. Because of his profession of faith and ministry involvement with the underground Church in the Soviet Bloc countries, he was imprisoned for a total for fourteen years and suffered intense periods of torture and solitary confinement. Eventually, his plight became known in the West and he was ransomed out of Romania so that he could be a spokesman for the suffering, underground Church worldwide. After leaving Romania, he recounted his experiences along with the vibrant faith of the underground Churches in his book Tortured for Christ. Three aspects of Wurmbrand’s testimony in this book particularly stuck me as lacking and needing work in my own life; first, the necessity of Christian suffering; second, the love of Christians for their enemies and third, the Gospel zeal that should be an enduring mark of every Christian.<br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">As I read Wurmbrands portrayal his time of intense suffering under the Communists and the sufferings of his fellow Christians, I was struck not merely by their perseverance through suffering but their willingness to suffer. He wrote, “A man really believes not what he recites in his creed, but only the things he is ready to die for. The Christians of the underground Church have proved that they are willing to die for their faith.” Rather than deny Christ or remain private with their faith, the underground Christians in the Soviet countries were prepared to go public with their confession knowing full well that do to so was to invite prison, torture and likely death. How different is this from my faith, which is not really willing to suffer anything, let alone intense torture that could not have been conceived of even in the worst of nightmares? Yet, this is clearly the standard that the New Testament sets for followers of Christ. To follow Him is to take the way of the Cross. The path of suffering leading to the cross is not incidental to the Christian life, it IS the Christian life and is the main means by which God has appointed that the faith should spread. I pray that our faithful God would strengthen me individually and our Western Church corporate to be willing and eager to suffer in order to show the world the dazzling beauty of Jesus. <br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The Christians of the Underground Church were not only willing to suffer, they suffered in such a way that they have become a model for us of loving our enemies. At one point in the book Wurmbrand writes,<br /></span></span><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">“I have seen Christians in Communist prisons with fifty pounds of chains on their feet, tortured with red-hot iron pokers, in whose throats spoonfuls of salt had been forced, being kept afterward without water, starving, whipped, suffering from cold- and praying with fervor for the Communists. This is humanly inexplicable! It is the love of Christ which was poured out in our hearts.”</span></span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus lists humble love for enemies as one of the marks of those who are truly a part of His New Creational rule. Such a mark is conspicuously absent from most of the Western Church and my life in particular. I want to see such a powerful demonstration of the Spirit’s power in my life and in the life of the Church here in the West but sadly we are so often consumed with our rights and we tend to cover our hatred for our enemies by calling it our “righteous indignation”. I desperately need God’s grace through His Spirit to produce this astonishing fruit that is so counter-cultural but so central to God’s purposes on Earth.<br /><br />One of the astounding facets of Wurmbrand’s narrative is how zealous Soviet Christians were to tell of the grace of God through Jesus in their lives. In reality, both the suffering of those Eastern Christians and their passion to show Christ’s love to their enemies are ways in which the Gospel spread in the Soviet Bloc. However, their evangelism was not confined merely to this sort of “lifestyle evangelism”. They were very quick to want to be witnesses to the grace of God to the Communists. Wurmbrand writes of his own zeal for evangelism, “In the first days after my conversion, I felt that I would not be able to live any longer. Walking on the street, I felt a physical pain for every man and woman who passed by. It was like a knife in my heart, so burning was the question of whether or not he or she was saved.” In the midst of the suffering of the Communist nations, there was a blood earnestness about the work of evangelism and discipleship which is greatly lacking in my life. I greatly need God’s grace to push the reality of the Gospel deeper into my soul to feel this kind of passion and desire that Wurmbrand felt for the evangelism of the Communists around him.<br /><br /><br /></span></span><br /></div>Scott Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17332813145138820818noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11997175.post-15777901867362068142009-01-14T08:39:00.000-08:002009-01-14T08:53:51.673-08:00Winter Life<img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9BYG_bGsJYkE8Ry2GHTaGTYwRtGXQ7fElHcc72PL6l7chyphenhypheni9zDu62D7fFkdPYh7H8T2Cc-1QLCg3LSUXng1B43VXscRn60Cr8d9QmBYX6iXEYDodOFF5wMAjaJ5x7egzbJnAa4g/s320/IMG_0178.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291190897609128146" /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">This is our front walk in the process of being shoveled</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcKHOjwzYivp2hcmn_2ysVtTfABhVdwnq43o5FYeMyn3vFB0w7Xam9ULMcqOxY1fyuO98WIn9eq2n9I-QCif4xyFhpexjd_JQDi9OsArqTVF_WwhnEAysIhAmpWUiKVBbN2ir1Ng/s320/IMG_0179.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291190899938157698" /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">This is our front walk when the shoveling was done!</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">As a native Southern Californian, this whole winter thing is still very new and strange even though it is our second winter in Chicago. The sun-loving beach bum in me wants to revolt against staying indoors for the majority of 5 months of the year, not to mention all the snow shoveling and car cleaning that must take place. However, in experiencing real seasons and real winter for the first time, I think there is a kind of natural rhythm that God has built into life by the seasons. Winter is a time when God slows life down and we have more time to think and reflect. If such seasons are used well, they can be profitable times of introspection, ministering the Gospel to my soul and greater reflection on the greatness of our God! This runs totally contrary to how I'm wired as a white, Western, Southern-Californian male. If it weren't for times like this, I might never stop for extended periods of time to slow down the pace of life. So, while I'm still not a huge fan of dealing with winter in the frozen North, I'm learning to appreciate its beauty and God's grace through giving us each season of the year. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Scott Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17332813145138820818noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11997175.post-11090773740576172002009-01-13T21:56:00.000-08:002009-01-13T22:15:14.211-08:00Reflections on a Semester with Calvin<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbpowYB_viMqIuhsLAqxtG7GgKNRo_mnG85kZGkQ1bGkLKbJxM_sJSxeVbvXHsK9ZIyfldyDcBZZ48E7aszhbJCN_eCmELG3i120cCNL0hohDSBi0nB71cG6Vt680wGhrZrAru8g/s1600-h/180px-Calvin_1562.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 180px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbpowYB_viMqIuhsLAqxtG7GgKNRo_mnG85kZGkQ1bGkLKbJxM_sJSxeVbvXHsK9ZIyfldyDcBZZ48E7aszhbJCN_eCmELG3i120cCNL0hohDSBi0nB71cG6Vt680wGhrZrAru8g/s320/180px-Calvin_1562.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291028508686218978" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><div>It looks as if for once in my life I'm ahead of the game. While <span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">everyone who is (worthily) celebrating the 500<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">th</span> Anniversary of John Calvin's birth by reading through his </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Institutes of the Christian Religion</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> is only beginning their work, I just completed reading through the </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Institutes</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> for my Pastoral Ministry Apprenticeship. In the spirit of the Calvin <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Quincentennial</span>, I offer this reflection on my past semester with Calvin.</span></span></span></div></span></span><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">John Calvin was likely the greatest theological mind that God has brought the church since Augustine of Hippo. While many have recognized Calvin’s theological and exegetical brilliance, far less realize that he was also a deeply pastoral man whose heart beat for Christians to know God and live in covenant relationship with Him. This is evident all throughout his commentaries, which are not obscure, scientific observations on the Biblical texts in the ancient languages but incisive, careful exegesis combined with a pastor’s confidence that God’s Spirit authored the Scriptures so that we might know him. Such a concern is also evident in Calvin’s magisterial </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Institutes of the Christian Religion</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">, a work that Calvin intended to have the dual function of an apologia for the faith of the Protestants and an instruction for Christian on what being a Christian is all about. The </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">nstitutes</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> is certainly a towering work of theology but it is not theology in the vein of dusty Scholasticism; it is theology that bleeds a passion for God and a passion for men to know Him and ascribe to Him the honor that He is due. Such is evident in the very first sentence of the Institutes, in I. i. 1., “Nearly all the wisdom we possess, that is to say, true and sound wisdom, consists of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves.” After having spent the last semester with Calvin reading the Institutes, I can say that through this study Calvin has helped me to know God and myself more. Not only this, but Calvin lays God before us and in so doing allows us to understand ourselves better in His light. Therefore, I seek to lay out in this paper some reflections on how Calvin has helped me to know God and know myself better in the course of reading the Institutes of the Christian Religion. <br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> From the very beginning of the Institutes, Calvin is concerned to demonstrate God’s utter freedom and majesty. God is totally “other” and can in no way be sought out through mere human reason. Calvin writes in I. iv. 13.,<br /></span></span><div><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">“In short, even if not all suffered under crass vices, or fell into open <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">idolatries</span>, yet there was no pure and approved religion, founded upon common understanding alone. For even though few persons did not share in the madness of the common herd, there remains the firm teaching of Paul that the wisdom of God is not understood by the princes of this world.”</span></span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">In this way, Calvin rejects the entire scope of Medieval “Natural Theology” which found its ultimate expression in Aquinas’ </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Summa</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Theologica</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">. Such a strong insistence on the transcendence of God can often have the negative effect of making God seem quite remote from humankind. However, the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Triune</span> God is not only transcendent, He is paradoxically very immanent and intimate with His people. Such is the importance of revelation. Everything that we know about God is what God chooses to reveal to us by means of His Word. Therefore Calvin writes, “since either the custom of the city or the agreement of tradition is too weak and frail and bond of piety to follow in worshiping God, it remains for God himself to give witness of himself from heaven.” Revelation is our lifeline to God and ultimately this revelation was given to us in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ. Now, any knowledge of God must come through the working of the Spirit on a person’s life to allow them to see the glorious radiance of God in the person of Jesus.<br /><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">While it is wonderful good news that the transcendent God makes Himself immanent through revelation in the living Word of His Son and the written Word that bears testimony to Him, Calvin also offers us caution about our knowledge of God. In I. xiii. 1. Calvin writes,<br /></span></span><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">“For who even of slight intelligence does not understand that, as nurses commonly do with infants, God is wont in a measure to ‘lisp’ in speaking to us. Thus such forms of speaking do not so much express clearly what God is like as accommodate the knowledge of him to our slight capacity. To do this he must descend far beneath his loftiness.”</span></span></blockquote> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">As Paul writes in 1 Cor 12:12, “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.” Because God is transcendent and we are mere finite creatures, God must accommodate himself to our limited capacities for knowledge and understanding if he is to reveal anything of Himself to us. It seems that such an insight as this should lead us to great caution in how we do Theology. We don’t know God as He is in Himself, we know Him as He has accommodated Himself to us through revelation, the primary and fullest means of which is Jesus. The implication of this is that Jesus is central to revelation and to our ability to know God.<br /><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">In addition, it was encouraging to see that Calvin understood the essence of what Piper calls “Christian Hedonism. He writes in I. xiv. 22., “It is to recognize that God has destined all things for our good and salvation but at the same time to feel his power and grace in ourselves and in the great benefits he has conferred upon us, and so bestir ourselves to trust, invoke, praise, and love him.” Here is contained the astounding truth that God’s work on our behalf is what bring Him the most glory. God destines all things for our good which displays his power in the creation and also invokes the response of love, trust and praise. So, in this way, when we are satisfied in God, God is most glorified.<br /><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">In III. ii. Calvin deals with the topic of faith in a way that is more comprehensive and sweet to the Christian than I have seen anywhere else. He defines faith in III. ii. 7. As “a firm and certain knowledge of God’s benevolence toward us, founded upon the truth of the freely given promise in Christ, both revealed to our minds and sealed upon our hearts through the Holy Spirit.” It is this faith that God uses to unite us to Christ and which assures us that God is merciful and kind towards us. This kind of firm and confident assurance must be present in the life of a Christian as it is one of the primary marks of the Spirit’s work in a person.<br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">However, this is not to say that in this “now/not yet” age that faith will not have its moments of doubt. While it is certainly true that doubt in faith should cause to always go back and examine ourselves to see whether we are truly in the faith. However, weak or doubting faith is not a sign that one is not a Christian; it is actually an assurance that one is indeed a Christian. Calvin writes, “He who, struggling with his own weakness, presses toward faith in his moments of anxiety is already in large part victorious.” So a faith that, despite its weakness and doubt, still moves toward Christ and longs for Him is actually a sign that ones faith is real and genuine.<br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Again, God knows the human frailty and weakness and sustains us with faith empowered by the indwelling Holy Spirit so that we remain faithful to Him in confident assurance of His grace towards us throughout our life. However, this sign of God’s goodness towards us is not merely an internal reality, it is something that is signified for us through the two sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Calvin’s understanding, particularly of the Supper, is a beautiful exposition of God’s love and care for us. Calvin writes of this in IV. xviii. 19., “the Supper should be a sort of continual food on which Christ spiritually feeds the household of his believers.” It is a visible sign of the invisible reality that Christ flesh and blood are our true food which nourish us and give us life which will fully be experienced in His presence for eternity. So, as the Church gathers to partake of the Lord’s Supper, Christ is there present through His Word, continuing the flow of grace towards us that was begun with His sacrificial, atoning death on the Cross.<br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Lastly, it should be mentioned that Calvin does as points fall into a sort of Platonic dualism by which he seems to indicate that the “body” is evil and the “spirit” is good. Such <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">dualisms</span> have had a powerful influence on Western Society and the Church in particular. So for a man such as Calvin, who got so many things right in his theology and understanding of the Scriptures, such accommodations to the culture should serve as a warning that there are “gaps” in our theology where we have unwittingly become entangled with the philosophy of the age and not with the doctrine from the Word of God.<br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">So much more could be recounted in spending a whole semester soaking in the God entranced theology of a man such as John Calvin. Space hinders me from discussing Calvin’s <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Trinitarian</span> vision, his account of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">substitutionary</span> atonement, his vision of the Church that is so desperately needed in our Western, individualistic society and his stunning accounting of God’s sovereignty both over the entire creation in general and in the salvation of man more specifically. If his theological work were studied more closely and heeded more carefully, it could have the same radical, powerful impact on the Church of the 21st century as it had in the 16<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">th</span> century when Calvin lived and wrote. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><br /><br /><br /></div></div>Scott Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17332813145138820818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11997175.post-20796009206951463042009-01-12T07:51:00.000-08:002009-01-12T07:54:44.372-08:00Fiction Family<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Over the past couple of years, I've really appreciated Nickel Creek's folk influenced style and Jon Foreman's solo work on his 4 EP's for each season. So how stoked was I when I found out that Sean Watkins from Nickel Creek and Jon Foreman had teamed up to record a side-project together! They're going to be at the NCC Union on Friday Jan. 16th and I can't wait to enjoy this show. In the meantime, enjoy this preview music video...</span></span><br /><br /><object width="400" height="302"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=2487723&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=0&show_portrait=1&color=00adef&fullscreen=1"><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=2487723&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=0&show_portrait=1&color=00adef&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="302"></embed></object><br /><a href="http://vimeo.com/2487723">Fiction Family - When She's Near</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user1005122">ATO Records</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.Scott Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17332813145138820818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11997175.post-49885072436864816152008-12-17T19:50:00.000-08:002008-12-18T08:44:03.887-08:00Sons of Thunder<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">My wife, Katie, and I are huge fans of the worship music that comes out of Mars Hill Church in Seattle. The music has a pretty awesome Seattle/indie feel to it. The Church has made available quite a few live MP3's available for download on their </span></span><a href="http://www.marshillchurch.org/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">website</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">. Check out this sample of the amazing song "Redemption" from their band <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Sons of Thunder</span>. </span></span><br /><br /><object width="400" height="275"><param name="movie" value="http://www.marshillchurch.org/v/2k4x7ahglage"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.marshillchurch.org/v/2k4x7ahglage" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="275"></embed></object>"Scott Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17332813145138820818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11997175.post-15889053836317885192008-12-15T18:02:00.001-08:002008-12-15T18:02:58.231-08:00Together for the Gospel- Christmas Edition<div style='background-color:#e9e9e9; width: 425px;'><object id='A759659' quality='high' data='http://aka.zero.jibjab.com/client/zero/ClientZero_EmbedViewer.swf?external_make_id=0YFzbnjdSKcd7TXT&service=sendables.jibjab.com&partnerID=ElfYourself' pluginspage='http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' wmode='transparent' height='319' width='425'><param name='wmode' value='transparent'></param><param name='movie' value='http://aka.zero.jibjab.com/client/zero/ClientZero_EmbedViewer.swf?external_make_id=0YFzbnjdSKcd7TXT&service=sendables.jibjab.com&partnerID=ElfYourself'></param><param name='scaleMode' value='showAll'></param><param name='quality' value='high'></param><param name='allowNetworking' value='all'></param><param name='allowFullScreen' value='true' /><param name='FlashVars' value='external_make_id=0YFzbnjdSKcd7TXT&service=sendables.jibjab.com&partnerID=ElfYourself'></param><param name='allowScriptAccess' value='always'></param></object><div style='text-align:center; width:435px; margin-top:6px;'>Send your own <a href='http://www.elfyourself.com'>ElfYourself</a> <a href='http://sendables.jibjab.com/ecards'>eCards</a></div></div><img style="visibility:hidden;width:0px;height:0px;" border=0 width=0 height=0 src="http://counters.gigya.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.0NXC/bHQ9MTIyOTM5Mjg4NzI4MiZwdD*xMjI5MzkyOTczMzgyJnA9NDE4ODEzJmQ9MjAyNjc5Jm49YmxvZ2dlciZnPTImdD*mbz*zYTcyYjI4MGQ4MmM*MjU*ODQyZjJlN2E3YTNhMDQ*MQ==.gif" />Scott Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17332813145138820818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11997175.post-7048863155816659052008-12-11T06:56:00.001-08:002008-12-11T06:58:15.393-08:00What is Christmas?<object width="400" height="219"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=2474890&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1"><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=2474890&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="219"></embed></object><br /><a href="http://vimeo.com/2474890">That's Christmas!</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user999957">andy pearce</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">If you're tired of the commerciality and exploitation of the Christmas season and you've ever wondered what Christmas is all about... you should check out this video.</span></span>Scott Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17332813145138820818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11997175.post-10489590906489498282008-12-06T12:13:00.000-08:002009-01-14T08:36:35.961-08:00The Role of Reason in Coming to Faith<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">For my New Testament Theology class at Wheaton with Dr. Nicholas Perrin, we were recently asked to do an online bulletin board post and interact with other students in regard to the role of reason in coming to faith. My professor was looking for some integrated theological thinking from the New Testament that bears on this issue. So, for what its worth, here's what I posted on the Wheaton bulletin board for my class. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">At the outset, I believe that it is important to first lay down a definition of what I mean by the concept of “reason” as I approach this discussion. Although the concept has been weakened in our postmodern climate, reason is often understood in terms of the autonomous reason that grew out of the period of the Enlightenment. In this case, reason is a universal principle to which all of life must conform and by which all things are judged, even the concept of “God”. Such a concept of reason has no place within a Christian worldview shaped by the Bible. The New Testament makes it clear that all things are created by and for Christ and that He continues moment by moment to uphold the created order by the word of his power (Col 1:15-17 & Jn 1:3). So, there are no universal principles at work in the world that do not have their source and continuance constantly upheld by Jesus.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> </span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">While Christians should reject the autonomous reason of the Enlightenment, there is a Biblical place for reason in New Testament Theology. This definition of “reason” is the rational faculty or cognition that human beings possess by virtue of their being created in the Image of God. However, the problem with this reason is that, as Paul points out in Rom 3:9-20 and 1 Cor 1:21 & 2:14, it is fallen and unable to seek God or find Him on its own.<br /><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">If unaided human reason is thus useless with regard to faith so that it does not even begin to seek after God, what then is its role in a human being coming to faith? I think that we must affirm that the New Testament writers use language which expresses the exercise of human rational faculties in the process of salvation. Language such as “seeing”, “hearing”, “knowing”, “receiving”, etc all speaks of the human exercise of the rational faculties. However, it is part of the process of coming to faith in such a way that it cannot be said that man works together or cooperates with God in the process of coming to faith. Nowhere is this made more explicit than in 1 Cor 1:18-2:16. Wisdom which equates to a profound grasp of Christ’s eschatological victory and atonement on the Cross, is mediated to human beings only by the Spirit. Human reason or wisdom, unaided, is of no value and so must be brought about by the Spirit who imparts True Wisdom embodied in Christ crucified. This spiritual “making alive” is not done apart from human responsibility. The Spirit energizes our reason so that we are willingly drawn to Christ and call out to God for grace. This is done in such a way that human beings can in no way claim credit for this astonishing work of God’s grace through Jesus. It is, as Paul said, “all for the praise of his (God’s) glory.” </span></span><br /></div>Scott Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17332813145138820818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11997175.post-42820280647719503352008-12-04T20:37:00.001-08:002008-12-04T20:43:09.014-08:0020 Books in your 20's<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">In keeping with the book them I seem to have going, I thought I'd post a link to Justin over at the Buzzard Blog who has compiled a list of </span></span><a href="http://www.buzzardblog.com/buzzard_blog/2008/12/20-books-to-rea.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">"20 books to read in your 20's"</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">. I have read many of these books on his list and have heard very good things about the one's I haven't read. So, I pray that this list can be helpful for your faith and walk with Jesus. </span></span><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 311px; height: 362px;" src="http://www.artsjournal.com/bookdaddy/Home_Photo_books.jpg" border="0" alt="" />Scott Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17332813145138820818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11997175.post-44946520571926694162008-12-04T09:05:00.000-08:002008-12-04T09:16:51.172-08:00A Few Books I'm Looking Forward to Reading in the Next Few Months<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">As a follow up to my last post, I thought I just list a few books that I'm excited to read in the next few months. Whether or not that will actually happen is another story since I'm always too ambitious in my reading plans. Maybe God will be gracious and I'll have the time and discipline to finish them all...</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">1. We Become What We Worship: A Biblical Theology of Idolatry by G.K. Beale</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">2. The Resurrection of the Son of God by N.T. Wright</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">3. Death By Love: Letters from the Cross by Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">4. Total Church: A Radical Reshaping Around Gospel and Community by Tim Chester and Steve Timmis</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">5. John Newton: From Disgrace to Amazing Grace by Jonathan Aitken</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">6. Communion with the Triune God by John Owen</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">7. Moby Dick by Herman Melville</span></span></div><div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I was encouraged recently that technical exegesis is not truly reading. It is common for Biblical Scholars to get so caught up in the details of exegesis that they forget how to read literature AS literature. </span></span></li></ul></div>Scott Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17332813145138820818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11997175.post-22196900057371588652008-12-03T21:00:00.000-08:002008-12-03T21:28:27.606-08:00Top 10 Books I've Read this Year (In no particular order)<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">A lot of bloggers tend to give a "Top 10" list at the end of the year. While I am in no way a consistent blogger, I've read quite a few books in the last year both for personal edification and for school. I thought I would post the top 10 from this past year with a run down on each one. So, here goes:</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">1. Isaiah's New Exodus in Mark by Rikki Watts:</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">This book has literally revolutionized how I see not only the gospels but also Biblical Theology in general. It's a quite technical read but is worth the effort in order to understand Jesus' significance and to feed your faith!</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">2. The Temple and the Church's Mission by G.K. Beale:</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">If you're not familiar with the writings of Dr. Beale, you need to get familiar as quickly as possible! While also on the technical side, Beale gives a maximalist account of Biblical Theology in light of the Temple theme. Has massive implications for how we read the Bible and how we function as a Church.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">3. When I Don't Desire God by John Piper:</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">This MAY be the best book that John Piper has ever written on the Christian life. It combines his robust theology of Christian Hedonism with the practical nuts and bolts of striving after God to enjoy Him even while our passions are pathetically weak.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">4. The Peacemaker by Ken Sande:</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I had the privilege of reading through this great book this summer in a couples bible study at my church. It is ostensibly a book on Biblical conflict resolution (which it is) but it has much wider implications for my life than simply conflict resolution. This is really a manual on how to apply the Gospel to every relationship in your life!</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">5. The Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin:</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">While I have read portions of the Institutes before this year, I was able this fall, to read through the entire institutes over the course of a semester. It has been breathtaking to see the broad-brush overview of Calvin's thought. It has also served to reinforce in my mind the dictum that there is nothing new under the sun! Most if not all of the controversies that Calvin was involved with in his day have some sort of contemporary representation among the theological challenges to Orthodox, Reformed teaching.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">6. God Crucified by Richard Bauckham:</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">All I can say about this book is "WOW!" In such a short book Bauckham manages to weave an incredible picture of Jesus' divinity in light of OT and first century Jewish thought. This is not a dry scholarly work, it will feed your faith and cause you to worship Jesus in new and greater ways!</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">7. Gospel-Centered Hermeneutics by Graeme Goldsworthy:</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Extremely helpful for seeing how the entire Bible relates to Jesus. This is not simplistic I-See-Jesus in every passage of the Old Testament. The Gospel message about Jesus Christ is not simply the result of our Biblical Interpretation, it is also the grounds of our interpretation!</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">8. The Mission of God by Christopher J.H. Wright:</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I technically read this book last fall but I'm including it here because I'm beginning to take my college guys small group through it this year. This is probably one of my top 5 all time books. If you haven't read it, you need to... 'Nuff said!</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">9. The Glory of the Atonement edited by Charles Hill and Frank James:</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">A collection of Biblical and Theological essays defending a classic penal-substitutionary view of the atonement. Extremely helpful for clarifying the discussion of the atonement. Most of the authors in the work see penal-substitution as the central facet of the atonement but also have a healthy understanding that it is not the only facet of the atonement that the Bible presents.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">10. How to Pray for Your Wife by Mark Weathers:</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">This is a 31 day devotional guide intended to help men pray for their wives by using... what else... Proverbs 31! While I can't stand behind all of his exegesis of Prov 31, his suggestions on prayer for wives are extremely helpful. God has used this to help me be more faithful in praying for Katie.</span></span></div><div><br /></div>Scott Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17332813145138820818noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11997175.post-89570292018978934002008-11-15T18:35:00.000-08:002008-11-18T06:51:19.478-08:00Spiritual Leadership<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 221px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhTl2fQG4gdr8Gy6bwx7JlkagrbgjQPAqC630d-mbAOpnhih9Ss8L_A5w30rVN1dVr62WVpAo4XBig-7ZTOtYstxt9EWNaJj55jTbjrhGTT4Is1fzae97Vs9PgNY8TYXGFCMCGmA/s320/lords_prayer.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269081896908612322" /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">A proper understanding of spiritual leadership is an urgent necessity in the Church today. Ours is a culture in which there is both a lack of mature leadership and in which leadership principles and values have been so inverted that much of what is said and written about leadership is of no value to the leaders of the Church. However, in spite of these deficiencies, there has been a broad movement within the American Church to incorporate the values of Corporate or Political America into the Church. Thus, sadly, many Pastors have become no more than CEO’s of the Church and frequently lack the Biblical qualifications to lead and pastor a flock of Christians. As Paul makes starkly clear in 1 Cor 1-2, the wisdom of God will be foolishness to the world. The converse is true as well that what the world considers wise will be seen as foolish in the sight of God. What the Church needs is the robust and glorious vision of spiritual leadership that is given across the pages of the New Testament. This vision will be radically counter-cultural and subversive in as much as it takes the Cross as its foundation with the goal of bringing all of life under the gentle dominion of Christ. Therefore, I want to try to elucidate the marks and purpose of spiritual leadership and trace out how these aspects work themselves out in the context of the Church body. <br /></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">A helpful place in the New Testament to begin is in the book of Titus where Paul writes to a younger pastor with instructions on how the Church is to function and how the Elders are to fit into the body of believers. In Titus 1:6-9, Paul lays out the qualifications that must be in a man’s life in order for them to serve as an Elder in the Church. He writes,<br /></span></span><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">“…if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.”</span></span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">When compared with the similar list of Elder qualifications in 1 Tim 3:1-7, the picture that emerges is the Elder as the ideal mature Christian. All of the qualities that are prescribed by Paul for Elders are qualities that every Christian is exhorted towards at various places in the New Testament. Thus the Elder is one who evidences in his life the maturity towards which all Christians are called and exhorted. Obviously, this does not mean that an Elder must be a sinlessly perfect Christian. That is impossible on this side of the final resurrection. However, it does mean that the Elder is an exemplar of a mature Christian who, empowered by God’s grace and in constant dependence on the Spirit, perseveres in the process of sanctification.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br />The overarching characteristic that Paul seems to be concerned with, particularly in Titus, is that spiritual leaders be “above reproach”. The importance of this defining quality is not concerned as much with personal piety as it is with God’s reputation. Paul seems to be concerned with God’s reputation in the world in the course of his letter to Titus; a concern that makes a great deal of sense in light of the cultural context in which Titus ministered. Every part of the body of Christ is supposed to conduct themselves both in and out of the Church so that “they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior”. God’s reputation or glory in the world is the primary reason for the existence of the Church and so they must naturally conduct themselves in such a way that reflects God’s ultimate beauty and worth to the world. This purpose aligns perfectly with Jesus’ words in Matt 5:14-16,<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”</span></span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">If this is the purpose of Christ’s people here on Earth, then it is necessary that their leaders be models of such a life that is above reproach. Put another way, the life of the Spiritual leader is meant to be a model of treasuring God and being ultimately concerned with the cause of His glory on the Earth. John Piper sums this concept up well when he writes, “The ultimate goal of all spiritual leadership is that other people might come to glorify God, that is, might so feel and think and act as to magnify the true character of God.”<br /><br />Therefore spiritual leaders must model this overriding concern for God’s glory. However, this is not the full extent of the need for spiritual leaders. There is much good that can be done from having a good model but there is still something lacking if there is not teaching that accompanies this model. I believe this is the thrust of Paul’s command to Titus in Titus 2:1, “But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine.” Following this injunction, Paul goes on to describe the proper fruit that should be in place in the lives of Christians in different segments of society so that they will not bring reproach to the name of Jesus. This leads to the conclusion, supported elsewhere in the New Testament as well, that right living flows from right teaching. If the Church has teachers who are carefully teaching people the Word of God, lifting high the glory of God and showing people God’s redemptive purpose to fill the Earth with His glory as the waters cover the seas, then people will be gripped by such visions and live lives in accordance with that teaching. Therefore, both the modeling and the teaching are essential functions of a spiritual leader.<br /><br />To many, the idea of the glory of God may sound rather abstract and many teachers aid this unfortunate misunderstanding in their teaching. Paul was clearly not one who would have left God’s glory as a mere theological abstraction. As Luther so forcefully emphasized, good pastors and teachers must be theologians of the Cross. If pastors and teachers want their people to come to grasp the glory of God and its full implications they must learn to bring people before the Cross which is the brightest and fullest display of God’s glory possible in this created order. In 1 Cor 1-2, Paul makes it clear that it was his mission to preach Christ and Him crucified and not to tickle people’s ears with rhetorical niceties. Such preaching was not hip and fashionable but was a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to those in the Greco-Roman world. However, Paul’s was not simply a teacher of the message of the Cross, it was a daily reality of his life. He tells the Corinthians in 2 Cor 3:8-12,<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">“We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you.” </span></span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">So, we see that Paul’s very life was cruciform. He both modeled and taught the message of the Cross. Both his manner and his speech were mutually beneficial so that the glory of God through the Cross of Christ would be most fully and powerfully evident among those to whom he ministered.<br /><br />The message of the Cross, which mediates God’s glory to us is what, people are in most desperate need of. Therefore, it should be the chief goal of all spiritual leaders to lead their lives and conform their speech to God’s redemptive purposes through the Cross. This is how true spiritual leadership is to be exercised; it models the example of Christ who “came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”<br /></span></span><br /></div>Scott Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17332813145138820818noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11997175.post-11218484542059239392008-11-11T06:37:00.000-08:002008-12-08T19:09:28.766-08:00HHCM?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';">Check out the just complete sermon series </span></span><a href="http://www.peasantprincess.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';">"The Peasant Princess"</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"> from Mars Hill Church. This is the goal of the series of messages:</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><br /></span></span><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 198px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEiWRFJa8z49LWf4vcnAcJkUud9faELsioiBnKUvC5gEaw-50R83JNQ1qNsSPSkDCfdV5q20rVAKJSN8dkiJ0OGC5U0E6z4_Dg3xzH-aAR4R9SLIIjEqizY-DzgdtvePJcp-s-cA/s320/hot_hetero_covenental_monogamy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267409513311801394" /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';">Pretty worthwhile huh? My name is Scott Newman and I approve this message.</span></span><br /></div></div>Scott Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17332813145138820818noreply@blogger.com0