A Christian According to John

Well, technically according to the Holy Spirit who led John to write these words, but for simplicity we'll avoid technicalities as much as possible. As many of you may know, there is a problem at The King's Academy. Committed Christians are few and far between, and sin is often overlooked as 'no big deal.' I do sincerely apologize for every and any way I have contributed to this. There is a probability that many people may think they are Christians and are not, or just claim to be, and are not, and I think I know how people are able to pull off this balancing act between professing and practicing. It has occurred to me that a lot of people are going through an entire high school career having no idea what it means to be a Christian. What are the criteria for being a Christian? How do I know if I am a Christian? What sorts of things characterize a non-Christian? These are questions I hope to answer in this blog by using First John as my primary source. I've found it has a plethora of straightforward statements concerning those who love and know God.

A Christian…

Walks in the light, and he who walks in darkness is not a Christian - "If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth" (1:6).

Realizes that he or she is imperfect - "If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us" (1:10).

Is obedient to the Word - "...He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar..." (2:3-6; see also 3:24; 5:3).

Loves his brother - "He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now" (2:9; see also 3:10,14-15; 4:20-21).

Does not love the things of the world - "If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him" (2:15).
The things of the world are - "...the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life..." (2:16).

Will never lose his or her salvation - "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us"(2:19).

Confesses Jesus Christ - "Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also" (2:23; see also 4:15; 5:1,10,13).

Abides in love - "Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father" (2:24). "For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another" (3:11) (see also 4:7-8; 4:16)

Practices righteousness - "If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him" (2:29; see also 3:10).

Is not involved in habitual sin - "Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him" (3:6; see also 3:8-9; 5:18).

Should not be surprised if the world hates them - "Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you" (3:13).

Has the Holy Spirit in them - "And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us" (3:24).

Overcomes the world – “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (5:4-5).

Has the Son of God – “He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life” (5:12).

Is not under the sway of the wicked one – “…but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him. We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one” (5:18-19).

And once faced with all these criteria it suddenly becomes obvious why only by the grace of God anyone can ever become a Christian.

Ephesians 4:29-32

Paul in these verses lays down a few guidelines for directing our speech. The first is the goal, edification; then the result, imparting grace; then a few no’s: do not grieve the Holy Spirit, put away bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and malice; and on a positive note, be kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving. From the context I truly to think he is referring mostly to our speech.

I think if everyone took verse 29 and directly applied it to their life, there would be a lot less noise at school. I can see so often that I let corrupt words slip out of my own (or out of another’s) mouth, and if I cut away all unnecessary speech – since Paul does say “necessary edification” – I would certainly be a less talkative person. I hope that doesn’t become something I fear, because giving up some words should seem like a piece of cake in light of the fact that Christ calls us to give up everything. Simply not talking a lot would be easy, and probably provoke some conversations in which I could speak in a gracious and edifying manner. In my experience as a Christian, that opportunity is one of the most invigorating experiences, knowing that you’ll be able to share the gospel with someone. Paul goes from this verse into verse 30, which says, “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit,” and while he doesn’t specifically refer to speech in this verse, I think this can be taken in a similar manner as “Do not take the Lord’s name in vain.” I seriously struggle with this, and whenever I slip up I always treat it like its “no big deal” or “God will just forgive me.” Attitudes like that, though, are what keep me from being close to God. It is a big deal when we use God’s name lightly, because God is not a light subject and the implications of his name are not simple. We cannot simply toss around the name of the omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent being like it makes no difference, and this is something I seriously need to work on.

Verse 32 is pretty straightforward: Paul lists a bunch of attitudes we shouldn’t have. Now, anger is one of them, but we know from the context that he must be speaking here about an unrighteous anger that borders on hatred. All these things that he lists can be related to speech, and when I first read it, the first specific sin I thought of was gossip. How often do we let words come out of our mouths that are demeaning to others? It’s surprising, really. I think it’s because we don’t bother to really listen to ourselves. It’s like we just say what we feel without any discernment, and even though some might consider that “healthy” or “natural,” I’d consider it foolish. Sure, it’s natural. Sin is completely natural for human beings. We need to flee from that and continue to put on our new nature, which is characterized by the second verse: kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving. Instead of trying to get revenge on those people who have wronged us, or simply tear down others in order to make ourselves look good, we should put others before ourselves, be understanding of their situations, and forgive them for what they may have done against us, because that is what God was like to us. Christ came down and did all these things and had this kind of humble attitude. He died on the cross for our sins, all of them. The least we could do is forgive our brothers the comparatively little things they do against us.

Ephesians 4:25-28

Paul continues from his previous section by echorting us with specfic examples of how we can live as we were called. Namely, by putting aside lying and instead speaking in truth, having a righteous anger and/or putting unrighteous anger aside before it is too alte, working for what we need rather than stealing it, and also giving up what we earn to "him who has need" (v.28).

Paul makes application extremely easy in this section by given specific examples of what we can do, the first among which is being truthful. The truth is essential to every part of iving; it affets everything from integrity to even simple knowledge of our surroundings. The situation gets annoyingly tedious when you feel compelled to check out everything someone says because you know you can't trust them. You can't change how you act based on that person's statements, because you can't even be sure their claims are legitimate. Nothing could be accomplished and communication with that person would be next to impossible because they are inconsistent in presenting you with reliable information and insights. I know people like this, and it is inexplicably frustrating. Paul mentions that we are members of one another, so with this lying subject he is specifically referring to Christians. If we lie to eachother, say, about what is going on in our lives, we will never be able to help eachother (or congratulate or encourage each other, but my argument assumes we would have no reason to hide the good things). If we seek help from each other and we lie, then we actually hurt eachother, which goes directly against our higher goal of the edification of the body.

Coming back to the topic of frustration, lets turn to verse 26: "Be angry, and do not sin." Anger can be righteous, and when it is derived from a love for God and hatred of sin it is even commanded. The most common example of righteous anger is Christ's cleansing of the temple, when he expelled it of the traders and "thieves" who had infested it (Read my post, Passion, for a more in depth analysis). However, Paul understood that anger, when prolonged, can easily turn harmful, resentful, and negative, which is why he commands to set aside any anger before the day is over. He doesn't want any evil motives to work their way into anger that is pure, and an easy way to do that is to let it go while you're still conscious.

The last verse doesn't seem to fit with this section (25-32), which has to do mostly with word relatied sins or good works. It simply says not to steal. Do not take anything that isn't yours. Rather, work (hard) for what you need, and then give what is yours to others who need. That seems simple enough, but it is easy to find oneself justifying the use of others' resources that they have not given away. Sin is not always blatantly obvious (though it becomes moreso with a greater understanding and knowledge of the word), and we need to be careful, whatever it may be, not to "give opportunity to the devil."

(Thank you MacArthur Study Bible for all your helpful notes ^_^)

Ephesians 4:20-24

Here’s my next journal from Ephesians! I hope it challenges you to truly live as you were called!

Paul basically confronts the Ephesians here, saying they do not know the truth, even though they have heard His words and essentially been taught by Him. If they had learned Christ, who is the truth, they would know this truth: that they have been renewed by God into a new man, no longer their old self which indulges in sin but now with a new mind. They have a mind that “was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”

Paul knows how important it is that Christians live like Christians, because he bothered to say it twice – once in verses 17-19, and again here. A change in lifestyle is so connected with becoming a Christian that, if such a change is not evident, one might venture to say: “you have not so learned Christ.” Either the person does not know the full truth of what becoming a Christian means and therefore is not being obedient, or they do not know Christ and the Holy Spirit is not in their heart, renewing their mind and transforming their life. The second possibility, although we pray for everyone that this is not the case, seems to be the most prevalent. I think this is true because if the Holy Spirit really was working in someone, teaching them the truth of freedom from sin and living a godly life would convict them and they would repent, but I hear so many people, when encouraged to live like Christ, tell me that they’re tired of hearing “the same old message” or that they hate how God is “getting shoved down their throats.” But how can that be the attitude of someone whose mind is renewed, someone who is putting off deceitful lusts and pursuing Christ to live like Him in righteous and holy living, set apart for God’s purposes alone? They are either lying to me (but I am not aware of anyone on fire for God who could or would even think about bringing themselves to say something like that), or more probably they have revealed what is truly in their heart. A life defeated by sin and characterized by separation from God – that is the only explanation I can think as to why someone would say that. I don’t want to judge anyone’s heart here, but I think we can use some good judgment. A lifestyle characterized by habitual sin and separation from God begs the question: “According to the Bible, is this what a Christian looks like? Can a Christian's life look like this?” I’m truly grateful that Christ has enabled me, and given me the power to have victory over many sins in my life, and as I grow in Him I look forward to continually being able to experience that victory more and more.

Ephesians 4:17-19

This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

Paul in this passage encourages the Ephesians to live life like they are Christians. He wants them to live up to how they were called and be set apart from the lifestyle of the Gentiles who are unsaved. These people have a darkened understanding, do not have “the life of God,” and are ignorant of this reality because of their spiritual blindness that comes with their wicked hearts. Their consciences have been calloused “beyond feeling,” and are currently owned by a depraved behavior and lifestyle.

These verses are a great example of the attitude of the Bible towards the lifestyle of a believer. It’s true our works don’t save us. It’s true that God’s gift is free and unearned. It’s absolutely not true that we will be the same after salvation as we were beforehand. The Lord lives in us and gives is the power to conquer our sin nature in order to live free from it.

Paul in the rest of the section gives a vivid description of what the life of the unregenerate is like. First, they walk in the futility of their minds. No matter how hard an unbeliever tries, they will never be able to “figure life out.” They will never be able to “get it all together,” because by definition having it all figured out is giving up life to God, something they refuse to do by remaining unbelievers. Second, their understanding is darkened. They are spiritually and intellectually unable to objectively reason because they will always have sin, consciously or unconsciously, skewing their conclusions and logic. I see so much of this when I engage in a logical debate. The unsaved jump to false conclusions, which they base on false presuppositions and hidden (Not very well hidden, I might add) agendas. It’s frustrating, but also disheartening at the same time, seeing someone so blind to the truth that they cannot even see where they make their mistakes. Proverbs 4:19 says “The way of the wicked is darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble.”

Third, they are “alienated from the life of God.” I talked at Kings a while back about The Good Life. The unregenerate cannot have this, because the good life is that very life which they reject and refuse to live. Their sin separates them from His presence. Fourth, they are ignorant. They don’t even know they aren’t living a good life, having convinced themselves that they are satisfied by the temporal pleasures that they provide themselves with. Fifth, their hearts are blind. This connects itself with ignorance and the verse I used earlier from Proverbs. The wicked are blind and in the dark; they stumble and are unaware of it. Sixth, they are “past feeling.” I.e. they have calloused themselves to the point that their consciences no longer bother them when they sin.

The last bit concerns a vivid image of how entangled the wicked are in sin. They are given over to the uncleanness, seeking it even greedily. They have what brings death and destruction, and they long for it like it’s an addiction, like their life depends on it. But sin destroys life, and it is a sad thing to watch people unknowingly tear themselves to pieces.

The Sin That so Easily Entangles

What a perfect way to describe the sin that we get ourselves into. I wanted to write about this because it's been popping up in my head lately as I've been wondering what to write about next, and I really feel the Lord has put it on my heart not only to say, but to carry out in my own life. The title is a reference to Hebrews 12:1, which goes like this: "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us." I'll confess that I've been caught up in such a sin recently - probably a few of them, actually, that I don't even know about - but one specifically comes to mind. This verse is such a great encouragement to me to not get lazy. It reminds me of something Bobby said on Sunday that I thought was really good. He said when we realize how big God's love is compared to our sin, we can be set free, because when we look at it we think 'what a small thing for the power of an infinite God.' That has been a great help this week.

Sometimes I fall into thinking that God's power is just barely enough to help me stand up under the temptation of sin, but that just isnt true. I don't even know how it works, but compared with infinity, any amount is insignificant, no matter how very significant it may seem when I compare it with my own power. But that was my mistake, and that was why I fell into it - I was relying on my own goodness and power to overcome and reject it, but that ultimately crumbled. Only God's power is trustworthy and sturdy enough to withstand any temptations. Once we get a grasp on the extent of God's power and the fact that it literally lives in us through Jesus, we can see a sin that would otherwise ensnare us, and say "wow, why is that such a struggle; its such a ridiculous little thing keeping me from getting close to God." So that's been my mindset ever since. I also try to remember the pain that is caused when I willfully sin against God, and the chastisement that is promised in the Bible to those Christians who disobey their Father.

Basically it has to do with setting my mind on things above, and not thinking about all the struggles around me, which is what I find I'm doing when I fall into sin. Reading the Word is essential in accomplishing that, and its necessity cannot be overstated. So I started really reading John, not just telling people "well I've been thinking I'll start John." Sometimes I tick myself off, but I guess thats what it takes - gotta be sick of yourself. Biblically (Matthew 5) this constitutes realizing that you have nothing, no spirituality or goodness to offer whatsoever. Then on top of that you have to mourn, because if you realize you're evil and you don't give a rip, you haven't repented.

It's about time for me to cast off these weights and run my Christian race with endurance. God is waiting - won't you join me?

A Harmony of the Easter Accounts

I've come across challenges before concerning the validity of the Bible, especially since it seems to disagree so much concerning the accounts of the events surrounding Christ's burial, resurrection, and ascension. Well, basically here is my answer. It's three pages long single space 12pt Times font in Word, so if its not of a particularly high concern in your mind, you don't have to read it, because it will take a while; however, I think if anyone does, they will learn some things they never knew before about this glorious event.

A Harmony of the Easter Accounts
From the Evening of Preparation Day, until His Ascension
Matthew 27:57*; Mark 15:42*; Luke 23:50*; John 19:38*

--------------Open to Editing---------------

*The verses listed are the start verses of each account, and all of them stretch until the end of the respective book.

***~*** Denotes a section of a the account that only one gospel records or that one gospel records in much detail, covering in the process the information provided by the other gospels. The full reference is given at the end of each excerpt.

On evening of Preparation Day, Joseph of Arimathea, a city of the Jews, a rich, prominent council member and secret disciple of Jesus for fear of the Jews, who was also waiting for the kingdom of God to come, went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate was surprised that Jesus was dead already, and asked a centurion if He had been dead for a while. After finding out, Pilate gave Joseph that body of Jesus. Nicodemus came with 100 pounds of myrrh and aloes, and after buying fine, clean linen, wrapped Him in it with the spices. Near the place of crucifixion there was a garden and a cemetery with a tomb that was unused that Joseph had hewn out of the rock, and Joseph had him laid in that tomb, and rolled a stone in front of it. Mary Magdalene and Mary, mother of Joses and James, who had come with Him from Galilee, had followed them and witnessed where Christ was laid and helped prepare the spices and fragrant oils. They then rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.

***On the next day, which followed the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate, saying, “Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise.’ Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead.’ So the last deception will be worse than the first.” Pilate said to them, “You have a guard; go your way, make it as secure as you know how.” So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard. (Matthew 27:62-66)***

The day after the Sabbath very early in the morning over a progression of time from before first light until sunrise, Mary Magdalene, Mary the Mother of Joses, Salome, and Joanna (possibly other women?) rose, gathered, traveled to and arrived at the tomb, wondered how they were going to move the stone, found the stone rolled away, and saw an angel on the stone, who spoke to them saying: “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.” They then enter the tomb and are alarmed by 3 angels, 2 standing next to them, and 1 sitting to the right of the place where Jesus was laid. They fell to the ground bowing their faces, subsequently spoken to by the angels, commanded to go tell the disciples. They obey and flee the tomb. They run into the 11, tell them what happened, but are mostly ignored. Peter and 1 other disciple get up and run to the tomb. They see and believe, then depart to their own homes. Mary Magdalene (possibly others) joins them to the tomb again. Two angels sitting by where Jesus lay because she is crying speak to Mary. She turns around and sees who she thinks is the gardener, realizes it is Jesus, worships Him, and then goes with excitement to tell the disciples, who again do not believe her.

***Now while they were going, behold, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all the things that had happened. When they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, saying, “Tell them, ‘His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we slept.’ And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will appease him and make you secure.” So they took the money and did as they were instructed; and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day (Matthew 28:11-15). ***

***Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him. And He said to them, “What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?” Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, “Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened there in these days?” And He said to them, “What things?” So they said to Him, “The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and crucified Him. But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened. Yes, and certain women of our company, who arrived at the tomb early, astonished us. When they did not find His body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said He was alive. And certain of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but Him they did not see.” Then He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and He indicated that He would have gone farther. But they constrained Him, saying, “Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.” And He went in to stay with them. Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight. And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?” So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, “The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” And they told about the things that had happened on the road, and how He was known to them in the breaking of bread (Luke 24:13-25).***

Then Jesus appeared to the disciples in their room and spoke to them, rebuking them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, showing them his scars (proving His physical resurrection), and eating in front of them. He also opened their understanding to the Scriptures there. Thomas was absent however, and when he was told about Christ, he did not believe, but demanded proof. Eight days later Christ again appeared to the disciples when Thomas was there, and Thomas confessed Jesus as Lord.

***After these things Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and in this way He showed Himself: Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.”They said to him, “We are going with you also.” They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing. But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Then Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any food?” They answered Him, “No.”
And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish.
Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and plunged into the sea. But the other disciples came in the little boat (for they were not far from land, but about two hundred cubits), dragging the net with fish. Then, as soon as they had come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have just caught.”
Simon Peter went up and dragged the net to land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not broken. Jesus said to them, “Come and eat breakfast.” Yet none of the disciples dared ask Him, “Who are You?”—knowing that it was the Lord. Jesus then came and took the bread and gave it to them, and likewise the fish. This is now the third time Jesus showed Himself to His disciples after He was raised from the dead. So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs.” He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?”
Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep. Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.” This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me.” Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?” Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, “But Lord, what about this man?” Jesus said to him, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.” Then this saying went out among the brethren that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you?” (John 21:1-23). ***

Then the disciples go to the mountain in Galilee Jesus told them to go to; Jesus gives them the great commission, and is taken up to heaven. The disciples go out and preach, and were continually in the temple praising God.

Note: If anything should be found missing from these accounts, do not hesitate to let me know. This account is not inspired, and prone to error!

Ephesians 4:14-16

Into: Paul is in the second half of his letter to the Ephesians addressing practical Christian living.

Through: Paul continues mid-sentence, stating his goal for the church - maturity. He wants the church to be firm in their beliefs, not easily shaken or swayed by trickery and deceitfulness. He wants to be sure that we speak the truth in love so that we can grow up to be mature in Christ. He allows the body to grow, according to how each part does its share. We all need to build eachother up in Christ so that the whole body of believers can grow and be encouraged.

Beyond: Paul expresses a Christian's need to mature in the faith, and to become firm in his beliefs. He compares immature Christians with children, who have no discernment and are easily influenced. Generally, children will believe whatever people they respect tell them to believe, but Christians shouldn't be like that. We need to excercise discernment and be able to know the difference between truth and a lie. That only comes from continually immersing yourself in the Word and building on your knowledge of the faith. The Bereans were a great example of this, when they tested even Paul after he spoke to them, to be sure what he was telling them was the truth. The truth is, wolves in sheeps clothing will try to come and lead us astray, perhaps not even realizing themselves that they are wolves! The contrast to being tossed about is expressed in the next verse, speaking the truth in love. Instead of believing whatever we're told, we should be able to refute that with the truth, our speech being in love rather than in contempt. Speaking the truth is the easy part. Knowing right doctrine from wrong doctrine is a fairly simple task, but loving the person who has been spreading the false doctrine, now that is difficult (at least for me). The goal in mind should be to build people up, not tear them down and destroy them for being ignorant.

The fullness of the maturity is reached when we as a body of believers grow up into little Christs, who is our head. Now, the head contains the brain, which basically decides what the body is going to do, in the same way we should be in complete submission to Christ as a whole. If parts start acting up it's like people having seizures or twitching, not a pretty sight. One could say that the body of Christ would be unhealthy in this case, having lost connections between brain and body. Now, once every part is working together the way it should, it will be able to help the other parts grow. All the parts will be connected and all the joints working well, and the body can halp all the other parts of the body get nourishment and what not. It's a good time. Once again, love must be the principal purpose. We do not edify through hatred or contempt, that cannot edify. We must love one another, confronting if we must, encouraging as much as possible, teaching, etc. All the while avoiding clanging cymbals and gongs, if you get my reference (1 Cor 13). That is the hardest part for me, and something I could use everyone's help in improving.

Ephesians 4:7-13

Here’s another one from Ephesians. Did I ever mention how much I love this book? It’s so amazingly full of truth and insight. It’s just amazing.

Into: Paul is in the second half of his letter to the Ephesians, switching from theology and doctrine to practical application and Christian living.

Through: Paul makes a transition in verse 7 that I wouldn’t have caught without the help of my handy dandy study notes. John MacArthur points out that Paul has just moved from the unity of believers to their uniqueness. He says that we have been given grace, a common theme throughout the Bible. He then quotes Psalm 68:18, an interesting verse. Paul explains in the next verse the implications of Christ ascending, saying that in order to have ascended He must have first descended after which He could rise on high and fill the universe with His goodness. Paul then lists a few specialized tasks Christ has assigned people, gives two reasons why those gifts are given and what they are to be used for, and then states in many words the ultimate goal of the giving of these gifts.

Beyond: There is so much to talk about in this passage. Paul seems to have a knack for covering so many different subjects in such a short time. The main theme of this passage seems to be spiritual gifts, and the fact that each person has his own spiritual gift. This is what makes Christians separate from each other. Believers are to be one, yet they are also distinct. Sound like any familiar theological doctrines? Interesting. The first verse says each Christian has been given graciously a little bit of the character of Christ. That is why Christians need to all work together, because we all play our little part in completing the body of Christ. Paul then quotes an interesting verse that talks about Christ giving gifts to men, but the part that stuck out to me was where it says “He led captivity captive” (8). That just sounds so poetic and so great. It has a great ring to it, but even more so a great ring of truth to it. Christ, upon dying and rising from the grave, literally bound what had once bound mankind. He destroyed its power over man by doing what He did on the cross. He defeated the sting of death, and freed us from the power of Satan and sin. If that’s not good news, I don’t know what is. In verse 10, Paul basically explains how Christ is God. He descended and then ascended far above the heavens. He reigns on high. He fills the earth and the universe with His glory.

Then Paul gives a fairly short list of possible gifts, which all happen to be related in this way: they are to be used for “equipping the saints for the work of the ministry” and “for the edifying of the body of Christ.” My youth pastor Bobby often brings up this point: that it is not necessarily the pastors or teachers whose job it is to minister. It’s their job to prepare you for ministry. It is their job to equip the saints for that work, so the work of the ministry can’t simply be passed of as something that the pastors or teachers should do. We as individual Christians should be actively making service to Christ a personal part of our lives. If the Holy Spirit puts something on our heart, we should do it instead of passing it off to those more “experienced” or “better” at it than we are. After all, how do you think those people got “experience” or “good” at it in the first place?

This edification and building up and working continues until every Christian is absolutely perfect, like Christ. It continues to bring us closer together as one unit in our faith and in our knowledge of Christ, until each one is “a perfect man…the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (13). So many times people say that is impossible. We’re only human they say. I say that’s trash. We have the power of God Himself literally inside us. Christ lived up to the standard, and He’s living inside us.

Let’s strive for the goal without hesitation.

Ephesians 4:1-6

Another installment in the recent slew of Ephesians passages that I've been posting in order to keep up with my journaling pace. There was a point at which I kept forgetting to print my typed journal entries from my parents' computer (mine wasnt connected correctly or something), so I decided to just write them instead. Well, I got tired of not being able to print anything from my computer and fixed mine, so now I'm catching up since I can start typing my journals again without having to worry about whether or not I'll remember to print them and put them in my binder. I know... it sounds stupid... but hey, for whatever reason I never remembered to print them out from the other computer. Not a problem anymore - and thank God for that.

Into: Paul has moved on to the second half of his letter to the Ephesians, focusing now more on practical spiritual living habits that Christians should apply to their lives, rather than theological doctrine.

Through: Paul is pretty straightforward with how we should be expected to respond to the message of the Cross. We are not supposed to let grace increase (Romans 6), but live a life "worthy of our calling." This should be done, he says, in humility, gentleness, and love. We are supposed to stay unified and peaceful rather than divided. In the next few verses Paul stresses the unity of all Christians. "One body...one Spirit...one hope...one Lord, on faith, on baptism; on God and Father" who is above all. He is distinct and more powerful than His Creation. He is through all - revealed to us through Creation. He is in "you all." He dwells within us as Christians.

Beyond: The message of action Paul is pushing is pretty simple. To walk worthy of the calling to me means shooting for perfection or being above reproach; living a lifestyle pleasing to the Lord rather than trying to take advantage of a "get out of jail free card" (a lifestyle like that could be evidence that the person doesn't have the "card" anyways). Paul tells us to walk with lowliness, which is humilty; gentleness, grace; and to build up one another in love, the most important of all. This should be characteristic of our daily attitudes, not a one time thing that we just get excited about when we first become Christians. I still have trouble with this in some areas, especially the lowliness one, but quite honestly I can't remember exactly what it was like to hate everything. I just remember being miserable, and I am not tempted to go back to life without God.

The prevalent theme through the rest of this passage is that of unity. As far as it is possible we should remain unified peacefully with on another. This is probably because the evidence of our love for God is in how we love on another. Paul also uses this passage to eliminate the idea of "other reaods to heaven." There is on body, the church, that makes up the kingdom of heaven. No one in another body can make up the kingdom of heaven. They must join the church (not the organization). Only Christians are Christian. There is one Spiri, the Holy Spirit. There is on hope: we're all looking for the same thing: treasures in heaven, a deeper relationship with God. We serve one Lord, that is Jesus. John 14:6 "...no one comes to the Father but thorugh me." We have one faith, based on Scripture alone, and no other revelation. We were baptized under the same names of God. We serve one God, not multiple Gods or Allah, or anyone else. He is bigger than us, and we should submit to Him. We should reveal Him to others through our lives, and His power resides in us.

Ephesians 3:20-21

It is truly amazing how much one can get out of just two verses in the Bible. I enjoyed reading these so much and I often have to remind myself of their implications in my everyday life.

Into: Paul is finishing up his first section in Ephesians, which focuses on Christian doctrine.

Through: In this section, Paul praises God as powerful, "able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think." He proclaims that the glory of God is timeless and given to Him by the church through Jesus Christ.

Beyond: In just these two verses, Paul communicates so much meaningful and amazing truth to us. The first is that God is so good that we cannot fathom it. I like to say that no matter how good I think God is, He is always twice as good as that. The first verse is especially exciting to me because I can know that no matter what I ask God for, He is always able to do "exceedingly, abundantly more" than what I have asked. In my case, I would say that the greatest thing that could happen is my dad coming to know the Lord. That would certainly be awesome and only a result of the work of God; however, God says right here in this verse that he is able to do so much more than "just" save my dad. My mom expressed this revelation to me when she told me she had stopped praying that my dad would be saved and started praying that he would become a "mighty man of God." That is certainly above all I asked or even thought about asking. Yet, the greatness and endlessness of God's goodness is unchanged, and He still promises that He is able to do even more than what my mom dares to ask of Him! This is truly amazing, and I still am unable to fathom the complete extent of the riches of His grace" (v.16). The clause at the end of this verse seems to imply that we have some role n receiving these immense blessings. God will excercise His goodness toward us "according to the power that works within us." Now, I don't know that I am interpreting the following correctly, but from my experience, we are able to suppress that power even as Christians. I do believe that this can only happen for a short time, but neverthless as Christians, when we sin, we are essentially suppressing the power of God and holding it back from being excercised to its fullest extent. I dont want to do that. It doesn't help anyone and it doesn't even turn out to be a positive experience. Not letting the Spirit loose in my life has only gained me depression and purposelessness.

The second verse pretty much sums up what the whole Bible is about, what the prpose for our being is - that God would be glorified. I Corinthians 10:31 says it well too. Whatever we do, the goal should be to glorify God. From the greatest decisions in our lifetime, such as who to marry, or more immediately relevant for me: where to go to college, to the daily routines like eating, waking up, or going to sleep, all should be to the glory of God. Romans 14:23 approaches the issue from another angle, saying that anything without faith is sin, and matthew 22:37 says it in the most radical way I can think of - to love God with all we are: heart, soul, and mind. With every aspect of our personality and character, we seek to please the Lord, and glorify Him.

The last interesting point that Paul makes is his bit about these ideas being stretched into "generations for ever and ever." God's truth is timeless. The principle of loving God and glorifying Him with all we are will never change. There will always be a way to accomplish such a task, and the specific examples of how to do this don't like to change either. For me especially it is keeping myself pure, mind, body, and tongue. I just pray that not too many people are out there in the world claiming to be Christians and actively and habitually denying the power of the Word, and seeking what the world has to offer: impurity, pain, and dirty lips.

Ephesians 3:14-19

Into: Paul is closing the first half his letter which focuses on Christian theology. He is writing to the Ephesians.

Through: Verse 14 is one of complete submission to God and Christ. Paul subsequently explains that God is essentially the Father because He created everything on earth and in heaven. Paul does however seem to be speaking more specifically than that, though, probably about the family of the saints, the church. He says the reason he hows his knees to God is so the church may become stronger through Christ, that people would receive Christ and have Him actively living in their hearts, that they may have a firm foundation of love (specifically for one another(, that they may have a completely full understanding of the love of Christ which passes knowledge, and, ultimately, that they will be filled completely with God, living on His power and completely submitting to His will and character with their lives.

Beyond: The first verse in this passage, as I said in the previous section, is one of submission and commitment to authority. This seems to be the attitude portrayed throughout the rest of the Bible. I often have a problem living this out. Parents usually seem to be an authority that is extremely prone to error and bad decision making. I simply have to trust that obedience to the authorities over me will be only beneficial to my life. Maybe God will even deliver his promise of longer years. What a concept.

In the rest of this passage Paul explains the reason he is willing to submit in such a way, and this is for the sake of the edification of others. Ultimately his goal for tis church, and the goal we as Christians should have in our own lives is to come to experience the complete love of Christ and to know the unkowable love of Christ and to know the unknowable love of Christ, and to be filled with the complete fullness of God. The goal is to perfectly imitate the character of Christ. The goal is perfection, and God alone has the power to get us there.

Passion

I've recently been pondering a word - its meaning as well as its relevance to my life. That word is, yes, you guessed it - passion! I suppose I'm going to be Captain Obvious here and say that we should turn to the dictionary for a meaning (definition) and the Word for its relevance. It seems that this noun can be affected in two directions. It can be a sinful one, such as "lustful passion," or it can be a positive one, such as "passion for God." I'm going to focus on the more positive side of passion.

Dictionary.com says passion can mean:
Ardent love (or any other emotion for that matter)
Boundless enthusiasm
Martyrdom
among other things.

Some synonyms are: ardor, dedication, devotion, excitement, fervor, fire, intensity, joy, wrath, zeal.

Basically the point I'm trying to make is that passion is not a light word. It's strong, and having a passion isn't an idea we can toss aside. Often that passion takes the first place in your life, good or bad. So, what does the Bible have to say about this strong word? Well, the actual word passion appears 6 times in the NKJV, and every time it is used with the connotation of sinfulness (esp. sexual). Does that mean the only thing there is to be passionate about is sinning? I don't think so. Let me give some examples of a godly passion in the Bible.

Matthew 21:12 refers to the time in Christ's life where he became angry to the point of violence. He became so angry that he "drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves." John 2 talks about Jesus making a whip of cords. Now, I don't know if anyone has any experience in making whips of cords, but I imagine it took a while, sitting there weaving the thing - under a tree perhaps. The point is, Christ was passionate about preserving the temple for its proper use, and keeping it undefiled. Surprisingly, no one rose up to oppose Him. I imagine it would be scary to see the Lord of heaven and earth angry, and thats just in a form we can comprehend! Jesus is passionate about driving out sin.

In Luke 13:24, Christ tells us to "Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able." I remember reading in John MacArthur's Hard to Believe that the word "strive" has almost violent connotations. The narrow gate is something to we need to fight for. We need to be violently passionate when it comes to living the life of God. With this standard: "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple" (Luke 14:26), what less than a passion to live for Christ will suffice? I'm sure a devotion lacking in any strength will also lack in power to truly bring us to the feet of Christ. It takes all we have, and nothing less. That's passion.

Ultimately, Christ exhibited this passion on the cross. He died for something he was committed to. He is passionate about God's glory, and obedience to Him, and the fulfilment of His will, and loving and saving His lost sheep. With that perspective, everything else just seems easy.

2 Questions:
1. Could you say you are passionate about the Lord?
2. What are you going to do about that?

Ephesians 3:7-13

⁷ of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power. ⁸ To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, ⁹ and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; ¹⁰ to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, ¹¹ according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, ¹² in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him. ¹³ Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.

Into: Paul is writing his third chapter to the Ephesians about Christian doctrine and theology.

Through: Verse 7 starts midsentence, with Paul describing himself as a minister of God's "promise in Christ through the gospel" (v.6). He goes on to descrive this job as a gift of God's grace, able to be given to him because God effectively worked in Him (v.7).
In the following verse, Paul mentions why this gift of the gospel was given to him, "the least of the saints." He says that it is in order for him to preach to the Gentiles, those that do not know about the true God. "The unsearchable riches of Christ" that he talks about are everything that God has to offer including His blessings, truths, and a relationship with Him. In verse 9 Paul gives another reason: to be an example to others, showing them what it means to be a part of this gospel. He again refers to the gospel as a mystery, explaining that until now, God had not revealed it to anyone. He also says something especially profound - that God created everything through Jesus Christ, implying that Christ had existed since before he was even incarnated. The next verse says that through Gods work in His church (i.e. the body of believers), God has shown His glory to the saints (v.10), which was His purpose from the beginning and was accomplished through Jesus Christ (v.11). Then Paul mentions that we can come before God boldly and confidently when we put our faith in Christ (v.12). Paul ends this section by comforting them and encouraging them not to lose heart because of the persecutions he faces, which are for the glory of God and, therefore, them.

Beyond:

Verse 7
Just the first verse of this section was so powerful to me. Basically, it highlights everything God has to do with blessing me and drowns out everything I have to do with it. Paul says being a minister is 1) a gift of grace - that is to say that I did not merit it in any fashion, but God gave it to me simply because He wanted to, and that it is 2) "by the effective working of God's power;" God is the one who worked in Paul to become holy and hodly. I also want to emphasize the fact that Paul descrives God's work as effective. God will finish what He starts, and I can take comfort in that fact - that I will continue to be sanctified and restored and God's power is able to do it.

Verse 8
In verse 8, Paul, as he does in other passages, lowers himself to the lowest position among the saints. He knew he was a wretched sinner, and if Paul the apostle was such a wretched sinner, I'm sure I have a place there there with him. I'm no apostle, but in light of God's holiness and righteousness, we're all about as low as we can get. It's humbling. "The unsearchable riches" that Paul talks about at the end of the verse give me two views on Christ's blessings. They are 1) infinite and 2) revealed. There are so many blessings that I'd never be able to find what I was looking for if I went through a list or something. I do not get to decide which I receive, but Christ is always going to be generous.

Verse 9
The part in verse 9 that hit me the most was this idea that God created all things through Jesus Christ. That is to say that jesus Christ has always existed just like God, or better yet, because He is God. Some texts do not have these words, but I have no problem accepting the implications as true, because Christ himself said, "Before Abraham was, I AM" (John 8:58), a claim to divinity.

Verse 10
In verse 10, Paul says that the purpose of God's work in the church is to glorify himself to the angles, holy and unholy (i.e. angels and demons). When I submit to God in obedience, that glorifies Him, and I would imagine that the heavenly angels have a good time at the occurrence of such an event - as I'm sure they do when anyone is obedient (especially in the case of conversion). Jesus Himself testifies to this in Luke 15: "I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance" (v.7) and again: "Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents" (v.10).

Verse 11
Verse 11 is great because it lets me rest in the fact that God's ultimate will has been accomplished. His idea before all of time (if such a thing can be said) was accomplished in Christ. And Christ is our Lord! We don't live in an age of Lords and servants and what not, but I think what this implies is that we are subject to Him and obligated to serve Him. He owns us. "You are not your own" (1 Corinthians 6:19b). Luckily for me, my master is my friend and Redeemer, making it easy to submit, because I am confident that He will be amazingly good to me.

Verse 12
I must say that I thought the next verse to be the most profound out of them all. Through faith in Christ, I as a Christian have unlimited access to God. I can gain His ear at any time, and perhaps He is listening for me even when I'm not talking to Him. The idea that I have access to the highest King is so amazing, and on top of that I can come with boldness and confidence before the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16)! I don't even begin to pretend to know how to describe this incredble privilege. I just imagine what it would look like, and then I realize that even my loftiest picture of God's throne room doesn't even come close to doing it justice - another quite humbling thought.

Verse 13
The last verse was meant to be a comfort to the Ephesians, and I absolutely love how it ties in with what the rest of the Bible teaches. "Do not lose heart" because of what the world is doing. Christ teaches that to us - He has overcome the world (John 16:33). The same victory is promised to us as individuals: "for everyone born of God overcomes the world" (1 John 5:4). The other thing is that tribulations are a good thing - James tells us to rejoice when we are tried (James 1:2). Paul understood this, and he encouraged the Ephesians to do the same. I can rejoice when I am persecuted - and I have been persecuted, and I have rejoiced, and it was so good. God's goodness is amazing.

Hope you were encouraged.

The Good Life

This entry shouldn't be too long, but then I sometimes have a tendency to ramble (my last bible journal I accidentally wrote until 3 pages written - i still have to post that online).

I just wanted to post about something I'll be talking to people at King's this Thursday. My theme is that "God's life is the good life." It seems like that is something people just don't get. They kind of abstractly agree with it, like it's good "in theory," but in the real world it just doesn't work like that. Actually, it's the other way around. Luke 11:28 says "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it." We're learning at Sphere on Wednesdays that this word "blessed" actually means "happy." You want to pursue happiness? Pursue the word and the obedience it demands! You will be happy! It's guaranteed! It's not rocket science, really, yet it took even me so long to learn this and apply it. It took me so long to take the leap of faith and pursue Christ with all my heart and leave everything else behind. To do all things for His glory. To live as if I were in heaven. To live for things above rather than things on earth. To live in eternity. My heart's longing is that the students at King's won't have to wait any longer!! And if you are reading and have been waiting and hesitating to commit your life to Christ, don't wait any longer, it's The Good Life. I'm always open to people who need encouragement @ Spleshme822 on AIM or cool_evan2000@yahoo.com if email is the medium of choice. Or even better, you can just leave a comment here and everyone can be encouraged!

Don't leave the good life behind. God is near, waiting to give it to you.

James

I had my first King's Academy Bible study this morning at 7 am. Thank God for the chance to get together with some of the guys at school... and thank God it's only once a week! I must admit, the 7am part is hard, but we had a great discussion the first time around. We're going through the book of James, and getting neck deep in each and every word.

And the first word is: James.

Honestly, we spent most of our time talking about the author's name. It was intriguing, especially since I never thought about what "James" meant before this morning. It is the same as Jacob - deceiver. Mr. Ferrante likened James naming himself first to the fact that we have to admit who we are before God before we can be blessed (like Jacob had to do after he wrestled with God). We have to admit that we are low and He is high before He will lift us up. Having a relationship with God starts with confessing all of who we are and what we've done. I've got quite a bit of confessing to do.

Who are you before God?

Ephesians 3:1-6

Here's another Ephesians entry for you all to chew on.

INTO
Paul is writing the final chapter on theology to the Ephesians.

THROUGH
This selection also happens to be one long sentence, and doesn't even end at chapter six. He begins by introducing himself as a prisoner, and introducing a reason for why he is that way (v.1). Explaining that God "dispensed" His good grace on Paul for the sake of the Gentiles (v.2) in the form of the revelation of the mystery of God's truth - which he mentioned earlier in the letter (v.3) so they could understand his own knowledge of the mysteries of God (v.4). He continues by clarifying that this truth he reveals can be considered a mystery because it was not previously revealed to the "sons of men (v.5)." The final verse in this section finally gives the reason for the "dispensation of grace" mentioned in verse one, and that is so that the Gentiles could also be included in Christianity and the promise of glory and a relationship with God (v.6).

BEYOND
There are a few interesting things about this passage, the first one being that Paul names himself a prisoner of Christ. I would venture to say that this is a hardcore viewpoint, but true nonetheless. The attitude of Scripture seems to be that we are either a slave to sin or a slave to Christ. Our master is one or the other, not both, and not neither. This passage is just one example of that attitude. James also introduces himself in the same type of way - as a bondservant of Christ. We should submit ourselves to Christ to the point where we are as a slave. It's not as if this is going to be a terribly difficult task. Jesus promised that His yoke is easy and His burden light (Matt. 11:30); I just think that people, because they dont like the words slave, submit, or servant, make it harder than it has to be. Christ also promised that He will be helping us along the way the whole time, and we have access to His strength if we need help (Deut. 31:6, Heb 13:4, Phil 4:13).

The second part of the passage that stuck out to me was the fact that Paul calls God's truth a mystery and a revelation. We've been talking about truth in class, and this is one example of a truth that man could not have "figured out." This troubles me sometimes as there is generally no way to test this type of truth. I suppose what we can do is test it against the other Scripture we have, and that seems to be a more valid way even than using logic or experience (1 Cor 2:14). Sometimes we misinterpret experience, and then theres always the possibility of committing a logical fallacy if the logical path is chosen. In any case, it's comforting to know that God did reveal this truth to us through Paul, and I'm sure there are still other truths to be revealed to us later.

The last aspect of the passage that seemed prominent was the truth itself. It is that Gentiles also have a place in Christianity (i.e. if you're not a Jew, that is a direct descendant of one the twelve sons of Jacob, which I am not, this is for you). We get to have access to the Lord, which is a great truth, and probably the greatest comfort we can have. Frankly I like the idea of saving my life, and if I have to lose my life for Christ's sake to do that, so be it (Matt. 10:39, 16:25).

Ephesians 2:19-22

Here’s another section of Ephesians for you all. And I know there is a “you all!” Hope you find this encouraging.

INTO
Paul is writing to the Ephesian church in the first half of his letter about theology.

THROUGH
Paul continues in verse 19 by reiterating that no believer can be a stranger to God or the rest of the saints; Christ has closed that gap. We are all now resting on the same foundation, that is the Word of God (the things communicated to us by the apostles and prophets) and the Word made flesh (i.e. Jesus Christ) (v.20). He then goes to explain how, because of Christ, we can grow into a holy union of believers, creating a pure dwelling place for God (vv.21-22).

BEYOND
I’ve recently felt this really strange desire to treat all believers like family. Actually, while I was on a missions trip to Orange County just this last summer a man asked me at the park if I was a Christian. There was some small talk before that, of course, to introduce the conversation, but naturally I said yes. He then introduced himself as my brother, and pointed to his friend who was with him and introduced him as my brother too. It was a little weird, but kind of cool at the same time to be able to have that bond in Christ. We proceeded to play football, which I’m not exactly proficient at (it was 2 on 1 no sneak), so basically I made an excuse to get out of that as soon as possible. The point is this: all believers are in the fight against evil together, so we don’t have to be strangers to each other, just like verse 19 says.

Verses 20 through 22 talk about the construction of a dwelling place for God out of the body of believers, which is based on the foundation of the Word and Jesus, with Christ as the cornerstone. Often times we think of the church as a building, but if it is a building, that building isn’t physical (v.22 says it is “in the Spirit”). We as a church are growing, it says, into a holy temple, so that we can be proper dwelling places for God Almighty, who lives in our hearts. This can be not only encouraging, but especially convicting if I have sin in my life. How can I be righteous and ungodly at the same time, or holy and impure? I can’t, these terms are mutually exclusive. Knowing this, I am encouraged to continually repent of sin that pops up in my life, so I can participate in this growth that God is working in the church.

Putting Principle Into Practice

6 days? Far too long. It's time to start putting principle into practice. What I mean by that is this: I have this idea that I am obligated to not only pray and read for the Scripture but also to ponder and meditate on it. Furthermore, this new found and renewed knowledge is to be shared with others. That is my opinion. That is what I believe. And that is what I'll do.

I was talking to my mom the other day about what makes me unique, distinct from my peers. I honestly have a ton of trouble with this. I consider myself a logical person. I come to logical conclusions about things, and then assume there must be a multitude of people out there that think like me (what with more than 6 billion people out there) that come to logical conclusions, making me the antithesis of unique. Well, she alerted me to the reality that my thinking was somewhat incorrect, and there really aren't that many people out there that think like me, based on a certain concept I apparently have grasped.

You see, many people complain that there aren't enough hours in the day to do everything they want to do. This is true. I experience this dilemma often. I would love to be able to have tons of free time to just eat, watch TV, chat, improve my singing, play with K'Nex, write songs on the guitar, blog, meditate on the Lord, learn whatever I can about whatever I want via the internet or school, among other things. Obviously, I cannot do all these things every day to the extent I would like to. I cannot even do a few of these things every day to the extent I would like to. There is reality that gets in the way. The reality is that God gives us a certain amount of time each day to do the things we choose to do. The reality is that we are not able to do everything we would like. The reality is that some things need to be sacrificed. Ouch. Perhaps a sensitive subject for some, sacrifice, but that is the reality God calls us to. His Word says:

"Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: 'If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.' " (Mark 8:34).

Christ tells us to sacrifice our lives to Him in order to truly be His disciples (Matthew 16:25). What we sacrifice and what we hang on to shows what is truly important to us. This is similar to the concept that “the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart…” (Matthew 15:18). James 2 talks about actions directly relating to belief and faith. We will act on what we put our faith in. It’s pretty simple, yet very difficult for many to accept. If we are hanging on to the idea that “I just don’t have time in my day to read the Bible, I’m way too busy.” What? Are you joking me? You have plenty of time in your day to obey God. You have 24 hours, repeated and renewed again and again with brand new days all the time. It all depends where your priorities are. This is an extremely difficult thing for many to live out, myself included. Frankly, it makes me angry when people use this excuse, because they are always doing one of two things. Either they are 1) lying, or 2) admitting that God holds a position below other “obligations.” God is never to hold this position. He should always be number one, just like commandment number one says: “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3). Nothing is more important than Him.

If you are not acting it out, you aren't really believing it.

Ephesians 2:14-18

Heh… I wrote the body of this blog and I must laugh. It’s amusing to me how much I can come up with on a few short verses when I “let the Spirit loose” (This could also be interpreted as ranting). Here’s Ephesians 2:14-18.

INTO
Paul is writing a (circular) letter to the Ephesians. The first half of the letter focuses on Christian theology.

THROUGH
In this excerpt, Paul makes it explicitly clear that all people are treated the same (Jews no longer get special treatment). The Gentiles and Jews are reconciled through Christ (v.14). He physically came to earth and demolished the divide, which is the law (v.15). All this is done through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross (v.16). He explains that Christ was not biased – He spread His word to those close and those far away (v.17). Now, because of Christ, all peoples can have a relationship with God.

BEYOND
I can’t even count the number of times I have heard that Christianity is so narrow and we should be more accepting of other people. That ridiculous. Christianity is open to everyone! It doesn’t matter where you live or what you’ve done or how smart you are. Forgiveness and contact with God is offered to all people. What people want Christians to be is more accepting of different beliefs and lifestyles; they’re not talking about people. Christianity is narrow in this sense: that truth is truth, and there are consequences to ignoring it. But how is it that people see this as unfair. There’s only one answer to a problem on a math test, but no one berates the teacher for being narrow minded when he tells them the right answer, and it isn’t the answer they got. Never will anyone argue that both answers are right. Either the professor is right, or the student is right, or they’re both wrong, but they cannot both be right. This isn’t narrow mindedness, this is reality – and people are people; we don’t like the reality of things.

Everyone has access to the Father: Jew and Gentile, rich and poor, blacks and whites, and everything in between. God limits no one from coming to Him; He has no bias. We do that to ourselves; we have the bias; we aren’t willing to come to Christ and sacrifice all the wrongness in our life for the rightness of God. If you say that two plus two absolutely makes four, you must give up all other answers: you can’t get away with five, three, 3.99 or 4.01. It’s four. End of story. In the same way, God is Righteous. We are wicked. If we want God’s righteousness, we give up our wickedness. This is reality. We can complain that it doesn’t suit our feelings or desires. At that point we need to realize there is a separation between our desires and us. We are not the product of our desires; therefore, we cannot claim that someone is being intolerant of us when they simply do not approve of our beliefs or lifestyle. Jesus Christ is completely and unrelentingly intolerant of any and all forms of ungodliness. People are angry that their lifestyle doesn’t match up with the holiness of God, which they so closely connect with themselves that they aren’t willing to give it up under any circumstances, preventing them from surrendering to Christ.

Give it up. It is so worth it.

Guilty but Free

I'm going to attempt an amazing feat: start and finish this blog in 30 minutes. Going to SAT practice today reminded me that I dont get very much time to write that essay they ask for. Perhaps this can be practice... bleh. I don't really want to think about it.

Last night I got to watch a scary movie with a few good friends of mine: Kelsey, Julie, Spenser, and Justin. I saw the previews on TV, and I didn't get to plan anything for my birthday, so I decided that I wanted to use that as an excuse to go. A few weeks and many invitations later, we ended up with this small group going to see this movie together, that after eating a nice dinner at Taco Bell. Personally I prayed about the movie, that it would not instill fear, but excite submission. The movie was "The Excorcism of Emily Rose" based on the true story of a girl named Emily Rose whom the Roman Catholic Church officially recognized as possessed (they officially endorsed an excorcism). Although I had a few intellectual problems/questions with the movie (If Emily really was a Christian, as they seemed to suggest, how could she have been possessed? How can demons not obey a command at the name of Jesus Christ? and the fact that there's so much catholic tradition tied up in this movie), I did thoroughly enjoy it. There was a lot of screaming by other people, and I only jumped once. I was expecting horror, and had seen all the trailers I could find, so I wasn't taken aback by a few of the scenes that others deemed "scariest moments in the movie." I suppose you'll have to watch it yourself.

I can only recommend this movie for the discerning. I can't say it would be healthy for those with strong inclinations toward superstition (Put it this way - you'll never sleep again). I did not have nightmares, nor did I lose any sleep over the idea of being woken up at exactly 3:00 am to the smell of something burning (a movie reference). The more I watched that movie, the more I was grateful for the fact that I have the power of Christ within me. It did not provoke me to fear demons, but to fear God - a possible theme of the movie that was completely left out. Actually, the power of God was downgraded, proving unable to free Emily from her demons (They did give a few explanations for this, which I was grateful for, but even those were not completely satisfying). Another encouraging part of the movie was the end when they found Father Moore, the priest who performed the excorcism, guilty of the crime he was charged with. A few people boo'ed. Perhaps its just my wishful thinking and those people were just rooting for him because they thought he was supposed to be the good guy.

My absolute favorite line in the whole movie was this one by the judge, who sentences Father Moore: "Father Moore, you're guilty. And you're free to go." I love that!!!! Immediately when I heard that I thought of the amazing grace God has given to me. Jesus Christ has interceded on my behalf, just like the jury did in the movie for Father Moore, and reduces the punishment for our sin and disobedience to simply that which we suffered as natural consequences on earth, or as the jury put it - time served. This analogy of course, like all other analogies, is not complete. The Judge doesn't find us guilty or let us go; He finds us innocent and lets us in. He allows us into a loving and deep intimate relationship with Him (John 3:16, John 17:3).

Well, that was 31 minutes. Time to go to Teen Ministers! I hope this was encouraging to you in far more ways than one.

Ephesians 2:1-10

It’s been a few days since I’ve posted, and I am required to work on these Bible journals about Ephesians, so I’m posting one of them like I said I would. I hope to get back to 1 Corinthians 11 soon, but forgive me if I’m having a harder time finding an application for the beginning of that chapter…

INTO
Paul is writing a (circular) letter to the Ephesians. The first half of the letter focuses on Christian theology.

THROUGH
Paul here writes again about salvation (this seems to be a theme, perhaps the focus and core of Christian theology). He explains our condition prior to salvation, how we acted, who we served, who else served (and serves) him, and how we acted when with those people. All of these attributes were horrible, disgusting, and sinful in nature. Paul then contrasts that with the goodness of God, tells of His gracious character, mentions why He chooses to save us even in our depraved state, extrapolates on the implications of this gift, and gives a reason that accounts for his extrapolation. He then gives a straightforward explanation of how we come to experience salvation, that it is by grace through faith and a gift of God, specifically clarifying that it is not of our own works, to prevent boasting. The last verse is a crucial one that many people (including myself) forget about. Paul explains that we are God’s masterpiece, and we were created to obey God by doing the good things He has prepared for us to do!

BEYOND
Paul’s manner in presenting salvation in this passage is really convicting to me because it reminds me what a lowly state God has saved me from and reminds me what a glorious state I am now in as a Christian. He explains that we are raised up and seated in Christ. If we know anything about what the Bible says about the position Christ is in, we know it is an amazing position of authority to have, with no one below Him. Verse 7 also catches my eye because it seems to be a hint as to what we will do in heaven, which Paul refers to as “the ages to come.” We are going to be learning directly from God! He will be teaching us about the abundance of His grace toward us, given through Jesus. As much as we can know about what Christ did for us, there is an eternity to look forward to of continuing to learn about His truly awesome love and kindness.

I love verses 8 and 9. They are so common, so powerful, and so freeing. They are the most commonly quoted verses for showing that God saves, not man. Yet verse 10, the commonly ignored one, flows right from it. The idea of God planning out our path for us is inexplicably fulfilling to me. It is another great example of the sovereignty of God and the lowliness of man, where God is good and I am not. If I were completely honest with myself, I’d have to say that I’d rather have Him in control of my life than anyone else.

May the Name of the Lord be Praised

I have been reading a little bit of Job lately, and let me tell you - this dude's reaction to loss was amazing. I had always heard of Job's story, but never actually read it, so I decided to do a little bit of that, and what I found was amazing. It certainly cut deeper than the song based on it.

This guy is described as a blameless man, righteous before God. If you read further in the book, he even claims this himself! Yet he is not prideful, he says even in his innocence he is shamed. In Job 19:20 Job says, "Even if I were innocent, my mouth would condemn me; if I were blameless, it would pronounce me guilty." God is so incredibly holy, we can't even fathom it. Even in our innocence we pale in comparison!

In any case, he was described as righteous for good reason. He was comitted to praising God in every circumstance. In an extremely short time he found out that all of his children were dead, all but 4 servants were killed, all his flocks and camels were burned up or stolen, and all of his oxen and donkeys were killed. Perhaps that doesn't hit home for you with the donkeys and camels and such. Look at it this way - you go to work only to find that you have been laid off, go to the bank to discover that your account has been frozen, and come home to a completely burned down house in which all your family was caught inside. This is how Job responds to such a situation:

"At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: 'Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised'" (Job 1:9).

I don't even know how to respond to that. What more need be said?!