Merry Christmas to all. I trust all of you are having a great celebration of God Incarnate - Emmanuel!
Here are some trivia answers...
will post answers before the next post but would love to see everyones' answers - remember that your answers are anonymous so answer as you see fit and honest. Let's see what fun we can have...
1) What is the statistical likelihood that the prophecies around Christ's birth would be fulfilled as they were- 1 in how many?
somewhere between 1 in 65 billion and 1 in a trillion
2) How many years was it between Isaiah and Jesus birth?
about 700 years
3) When did the kings (wise men) show up to see Jesus?
when Jesus was around 2 years old
4) Why was it so important that Joseph be Jesus' earthly father?
He was of the descent of David - fulfilling prophecy
5) What is the first mention of Jesus in the bible (the verse)?
Some different answers here - Matthew 1:1 and the like but Genesis 1:26 seems clear...
6 to 10 will be in the next post...
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Christmas Trivia
Hello everyone! I thought it would be fun to have some answers to some common trivia as well as some stuff to stump even saved believers. Below - and the next couple of posts over the next few days - includes some of these fun items.
I will post answers before the next post but would love to see everyones' answers - remember that your answers are anonymous so answer as you see fit and honest. Let's see what fun we can have...
1) What is the statistical likelihood that the prophecies around Christ's birth would be fulfilled as they were- 1 in how many?
2) How many years was it between Isaiah and Jesus birth?
3) When did the kings (wise men) show up to see Jesus?
4) Why was it so important that Joseph be Jesus' earthly father?
5) What is the first mention of Jesus in the bible (the verse)?
Tomorrow will be 6 through 10...
I will post answers before the next post but would love to see everyones' answers - remember that your answers are anonymous so answer as you see fit and honest. Let's see what fun we can have...
1) What is the statistical likelihood that the prophecies around Christ's birth would be fulfilled as they were- 1 in how many?
2) How many years was it between Isaiah and Jesus birth?
3) When did the kings (wise men) show up to see Jesus?
4) Why was it so important that Joseph be Jesus' earthly father?
5) What is the first mention of Jesus in the bible (the verse)?
Tomorrow will be 6 through 10...
Why did Jesus Come when He did?
Question: "Why did God send Jesus when He did? Why not earlier? Why not later?"
Answer: “But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law” (Galatians 4:4). This verse declares that God the Father sent His Son when “the time had fully come.” There were many things occurring at the time of the first century that, at least by human reasoning, seem to make it ideal for Christ to come then.
1) There was a great anticipation among the Jews of that time that the Messiah would come. The Roman rule over Israel made the Jews hungry for the Messiah’s coming.
2) Rome had unified much of the world under its government, giving a sense of unity to the various lands. Also, because the empire was relatively peaceful, travel was possible, allowing the early Christians to spread the gospel. Such freedom to travel would have been impossible in other eras.
3) While Rome had conquered militarily, Greece had conquered culturally. A “common” form of the Greek language (different from classical Greek) was the trade language and was spoken throughout the empire, making it possible to communicate the gospel to many different people groups through one common language.
4) The fact that the many false idols had failed to give them victory over the Roman conquerors caused many to abandon the worship of those idols. At the same time, in the more “cultured” cities, the Greek philosophy and science of the time left others spiritually empty in the same way that the atheism of communist governments leaves a spiritual void today.
5) The mystery religions of the time emphasized a savior-god and required worshipers to offer bloody sacrifices, thus making the gospel of Christ which involved one ultimate sacrifice believable to them. The Greeks also believed in the immortality of the soul (but not of the body).
6) The Roman army recruited soldiers from among the provinces, introducing these men to Roman culture and to ideas (such as the gospel) that had not reached those outlying provinces yet. The earliest introduction of the gospel to Britain was the result of the efforts of Christian soldiers stationed there.
The above statements are based on men looking at that time and speculating about why that particular point in history was a good time for Christ to come. But we understand that God’s ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8), and these may or may not have been some reasons for why He chose that particular time to send His Son. From the context of Galatians 3 and 4, it is evident that God sought to lay a foundation through the Jewish Law that would prepare for the coming of the Messiah. The Law was meant to help people understand the depth of their sinfulness (in that they were incapable of keeping the Law) so that they might more readily accept the cure for that sin through Jesus the Messiah (Galatians 3:22-23; Romans 3:19-20). The Law was also “put in charge” (Galatians 3:24) to lead people to Jesus as the Messiah. It did this through its many prophecies concerning the Messiah which Jesus fulfilled. Add to this the sacrificial system that pointed to the need for a sacrifice for sin as well as its own inadequacy (with each sacrifice always requiring later additional ones). Old Testament history also painted pictures of the person and work of Christ through several events and religious feasts (such as the willingness of Abraham to offer up Isaac, or the details of the Passover during the exodus from Egypt, etc.).
Finally, Christ came when He did in fulfillment of specific prophecy. Daniel 9:24-27 speaks of the “seventy weeks” or the seventy “sevens.” From the context, these “weeks” or “sevens” refer to groups of seven years, not seven days. We can examine history and line up the details of the first sixty-nine weeks (the seventieth week will take place at a future point). The countdown of the seventy weeks begins with “the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem” (verse 25). This command was given by Artaxerxes Longimanus in 445 B.C. (see Nehemiah 2:5). After seven “sevens” plus 62 “sevens,” or 69 x 7 years, the prophecy states, “the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary” and that the “end will come like a flood” (meaning major destruction) (v. 26). Here we have an unmistakable reference to the Savior’s death on the cross. A century ago in his book The Coming Prince, Sir Robert Anderson gave detailed calculations of the sixty-nine weeks, using ‘prophetic years,’ allowing for leap years, errors in the calendar, the change from B.C. to A.D., etc., and figured that the sixty-nine weeks ended on the very day of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, five days before His death. Whether one uses this timetable or not, the point is that the timing of Christ’s incarnation ties in with this detailed prophecy recorded by Daniel over five hundred years beforehand.
The timing of Christ’s incarnation was such that the people of that time were prepared for His coming. The people of every century since then have more than sufficient evidence that Jesus was indeed the promised Messiah through His fulfillment of the Scriptures that pictured and prophesied His coming in great detail.
Answer: “But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law” (Galatians 4:4). This verse declares that God the Father sent His Son when “the time had fully come.” There were many things occurring at the time of the first century that, at least by human reasoning, seem to make it ideal for Christ to come then.
1) There was a great anticipation among the Jews of that time that the Messiah would come. The Roman rule over Israel made the Jews hungry for the Messiah’s coming.
2) Rome had unified much of the world under its government, giving a sense of unity to the various lands. Also, because the empire was relatively peaceful, travel was possible, allowing the early Christians to spread the gospel. Such freedom to travel would have been impossible in other eras.
3) While Rome had conquered militarily, Greece had conquered culturally. A “common” form of the Greek language (different from classical Greek) was the trade language and was spoken throughout the empire, making it possible to communicate the gospel to many different people groups through one common language.
4) The fact that the many false idols had failed to give them victory over the Roman conquerors caused many to abandon the worship of those idols. At the same time, in the more “cultured” cities, the Greek philosophy and science of the time left others spiritually empty in the same way that the atheism of communist governments leaves a spiritual void today.
5) The mystery religions of the time emphasized a savior-god and required worshipers to offer bloody sacrifices, thus making the gospel of Christ which involved one ultimate sacrifice believable to them. The Greeks also believed in the immortality of the soul (but not of the body).
6) The Roman army recruited soldiers from among the provinces, introducing these men to Roman culture and to ideas (such as the gospel) that had not reached those outlying provinces yet. The earliest introduction of the gospel to Britain was the result of the efforts of Christian soldiers stationed there.
The above statements are based on men looking at that time and speculating about why that particular point in history was a good time for Christ to come. But we understand that God’s ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8), and these may or may not have been some reasons for why He chose that particular time to send His Son. From the context of Galatians 3 and 4, it is evident that God sought to lay a foundation through the Jewish Law that would prepare for the coming of the Messiah. The Law was meant to help people understand the depth of their sinfulness (in that they were incapable of keeping the Law) so that they might more readily accept the cure for that sin through Jesus the Messiah (Galatians 3:22-23; Romans 3:19-20). The Law was also “put in charge” (Galatians 3:24) to lead people to Jesus as the Messiah. It did this through its many prophecies concerning the Messiah which Jesus fulfilled. Add to this the sacrificial system that pointed to the need for a sacrifice for sin as well as its own inadequacy (with each sacrifice always requiring later additional ones). Old Testament history also painted pictures of the person and work of Christ through several events and religious feasts (such as the willingness of Abraham to offer up Isaac, or the details of the Passover during the exodus from Egypt, etc.).
Finally, Christ came when He did in fulfillment of specific prophecy. Daniel 9:24-27 speaks of the “seventy weeks” or the seventy “sevens.” From the context, these “weeks” or “sevens” refer to groups of seven years, not seven days. We can examine history and line up the details of the first sixty-nine weeks (the seventieth week will take place at a future point). The countdown of the seventy weeks begins with “the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem” (verse 25). This command was given by Artaxerxes Longimanus in 445 B.C. (see Nehemiah 2:5). After seven “sevens” plus 62 “sevens,” or 69 x 7 years, the prophecy states, “the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary” and that the “end will come like a flood” (meaning major destruction) (v. 26). Here we have an unmistakable reference to the Savior’s death on the cross. A century ago in his book The Coming Prince, Sir Robert Anderson gave detailed calculations of the sixty-nine weeks, using ‘prophetic years,’ allowing for leap years, errors in the calendar, the change from B.C. to A.D., etc., and figured that the sixty-nine weeks ended on the very day of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, five days before His death. Whether one uses this timetable or not, the point is that the timing of Christ’s incarnation ties in with this detailed prophecy recorded by Daniel over five hundred years beforehand.
The timing of Christ’s incarnation was such that the people of that time were prepared for His coming. The people of every century since then have more than sufficient evidence that Jesus was indeed the promised Messiah through His fulfillment of the Scriptures that pictured and prophesied His coming in great detail.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Notes for this Sunday
Below is one of the items we will be covering the next two weeks in class. These are basic truths we hold dear and sign on to as teachers at LBC.
Truths We Hold Dear
It is our desire to have those presenting the Word of God to be in agreement with the church’s position on essential beliefs. The following represents those beliefs. (Revised 08/06)
- About God – God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe. He has eternally existed in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and are one God.
- About the Father – He is all powerful, all knowing, all loving, and all wise. He reigns with providential care over the universe and flow of human history goes according to His purposes and plan.
- About Jesus – Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Jesus has eternally existed and became fully man at His incarnation. Jesus lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on a cross. He bodily arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended to Heaven’s glory and will return someday to earth to reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
- About the Holy Spirit – Is the third Person of the Trinity, guiding men into all truth; exalting Christ; convicting of sin, cultivating Christian Character; comforting believers; bestowing spiritual gifts and sealing the believer until the final day of redemption.
- About the Scriptures – The Bible is God’s Word to us. Human authors under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit, wrote it. It is timeless and is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living. Because God inspired it, it is the truth without any mixture of error.
- About Human Beings – People are made in the image of God and are the supreme object of God’s creation. All of us are marred by an attitude of disobedience toward God called “sin”. This attitude separates people from God and causes many problems in our lives.
- About Salvation – Salvation is God’s free gift to us, we must only accept it. We can never make up for our sins by self-improvement or good works. Only by trusting in Jesus Christ as God’s offer of forgiveness can anyone be saved from sin’s penalty. When we turn from our self-ruled life and turn to Jesus in faith we are saved.
- About Eternal Security – Because God gives us eternal life through Jesus Christ, the true believer is secure in that salvation for eternity. If you have been genuinely saved, you cannot “lose” it. Salvation is maintained by the grace and power of God, not by the self-effort of the Christian. It is the grace and keeping power of God that gives us security.
- About Eternity – People are created to exist forever. We will either exist eternally separated from God by sin or eternally with God in Heaven through forgiveness and salvation. To be eternally separated from God is Hell.
- About Baptism by Immersion – Scriptural baptism involves being completely immersed under the water, following the salvation experience. This is how Jesus was baptized as well as all baptisms in the New Testament. Baptism has no saving power but is the first act of obedience for a new believer. It represents the believer’s faith in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ and the believer’s death to sin and self. It is the beginning of a new life and a new walk with Christ.
- About the Lord’s Supper – The Lord’s Supper is a symbolic act of obedience whereby believers remember the death of the Lord Jesus Christ and anticipate His second coming. The bread is symbolic of His body and the juice represents His blood.
- About Tithing – At LBC we believe in giving the tithe – 10% of gross income, which is to be done joyfully, and regularly, according to the scriptures.
- About Evangelism – It is the duty of every born again follower of Jesus Christ and of every church to endeavor to make disciples of all men everywhere. It is the command of Christ for every believer to seek constantly to win the lost to Christ by sharing personal testimony and the “Good News”of Jesus Christ.
- About Church Unity – To live in harmony with other believers is clearly the teaching of the New Testament. It is the responsibility of each believer to endeavor to live in fellowship with each member of the congregation. It is further the responsibility of each member to bring all gossiping and backbiting to an end.
I agree with and will teach according to these essential beliefs ________________________ Date________
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
November 21, 2010 - Notes for Class
Hello! I trust all of you are having a great week IN THE LORD.
Here are some questions getting ready for this Sunday's Lesson:
Please read Romans 2 in it's entirety.
Please read Romans 2:12-16.
The principle of impartiality has to face a problem as soon as the two groups, Jews and Gentiles, are considered together. God has not dealt with them in a similar fashion. To the Jew He has given special revelation of Himself in scripture that has been denied to the Gentile. But in this section Paul shows that the Gentile does have a law, and this suffices for a basis for judgement. Before discussing this law, however, Paul sees in it no power to save.
v 12 - Who is Paul speaking to in this verse? Why was that important to the Roman church?
v 13 - What is the difference between hearing and obeying the law? Where do you see this happening? What is the difference in the person that hears and obeys (inside of the person)? Does motivation have anything to do with this or is this included here?
v 14-15 - Does this mean that the Gentiles have a more intimate law than the Jews that had it spoken to them? Who is the judge here? Where is the battle between what is good or not go on?
v 15 - The word conscience is used although not a great translation as it was not used in the OT. This is particular to the Greek influence on Paul. What is written on their hearts? Is that not written on the Jews hearts? What does that mean today for those that have seen and heard the bible vs those that have not? Is there any timeless truth here?
v 16 - What ultimately will happen? What judgement will be made? What will be judged? Is there anything else besides there will be (a time), a judgement (an account), of internal things (secrets and motives)?
v 16 - How does 'through Jesus Christ' make any difference to this verse? What does that mean for those that are saved and those that are not? Paul ultimately says that the gospel he preaches includes the prospect of judgment and that it will be conducted through the mediation of Christ. What does that do for/against those that are not saved?
Are you saved? Do you know that you know that you know???
See you Sunday!
Here are some questions getting ready for this Sunday's Lesson:
Please read Romans 2 in it's entirety.
Please read Romans 2:12-16.
The principle of impartiality has to face a problem as soon as the two groups, Jews and Gentiles, are considered together. God has not dealt with them in a similar fashion. To the Jew He has given special revelation of Himself in scripture that has been denied to the Gentile. But in this section Paul shows that the Gentile does have a law, and this suffices for a basis for judgement. Before discussing this law, however, Paul sees in it no power to save.
v 12 - Who is Paul speaking to in this verse? Why was that important to the Roman church?
v 13 - What is the difference between hearing and obeying the law? Where do you see this happening? What is the difference in the person that hears and obeys (inside of the person)? Does motivation have anything to do with this or is this included here?
v 14-15 - Does this mean that the Gentiles have a more intimate law than the Jews that had it spoken to them? Who is the judge here? Where is the battle between what is good or not go on?
v 15 - The word conscience is used although not a great translation as it was not used in the OT. This is particular to the Greek influence on Paul. What is written on their hearts? Is that not written on the Jews hearts? What does that mean today for those that have seen and heard the bible vs those that have not? Is there any timeless truth here?
v 16 - What ultimately will happen? What judgement will be made? What will be judged? Is there anything else besides there will be (a time), a judgement (an account), of internal things (secrets and motives)?
v 16 - How does 'through Jesus Christ' make any difference to this verse? What does that mean for those that are saved and those that are not? Paul ultimately says that the gospel he preaches includes the prospect of judgment and that it will be conducted through the mediation of Christ. What does that do for/against those that are not saved?
Are you saved? Do you know that you know that you know???
See you Sunday!
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Searching for Glory
This morning we discussed seeking glory. I found a great commentary on what the glory of God is and wanted to share it with you...
"What is the glory of God?"
Answer: The glory of God is the beauty of His spirit. It is not an aesthetic beauty or a material beauty, but it is the beauty that emanates from His character, from all that He is. James 1:10 calls on a rich man to “glory in his humiliation,” indicating a glory that does not mean riches or power or great aesthetic or material beauty. This glory can crown man or fill the earth. It is seen within man and in the earth, but it is not of them; it is of God. The glory of man is the beauty of man’s spirit, which is fallible and eventually passes away, and is therefore humiliating—as the verse tells us. But the glory of God, which is manifested in all His attributes together, never passes away. It is eternal.
Isaiah 43:7 says that God created us for His glory. In context with the other verses, it can be said that man “glorifies” God because through man God’s glory can be seen in things such as love, music, heroism and so forth—things belonging to God that we are carrying “in jars of clay” (2 Corinthians 4:7). We are the vessels which “contain” His glory. All the things we are able to do and be find their source in Him. God interacts with nature in the same way. Nature exhibits His glory. His glory is revealed to man’s mind through the material world in many ways, and often in different ways to different people. One person may be thrilled by the sight of the mountains, and another person may love the beauty of the sea. But that which is behind them both (God’s glory) speaks to both people and connects them to God. In this way, God is able to reveal Himself to all men, no matter their race, heritage or location. As Psalm 19:1-4 says, “The heavens are telling of the glory of God and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands; day to day pours forth speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their utterances to the end of the world.”
Psalm 73:24 calls heaven itself “glory.” It used to be common to hear Christians talk of death as being “received unto glory,” which is a phrase borrowed from this Psalm. When the Christian dies, he will be taken into God’s presence, and in His presence will be naturally surrounded by God’s glory. We will be taken to the place where God’s beauty literally resides—the beauty of His Spirit will be there, because He will be there. Again, the beauty of His Spirit (or the essence of Who He Is) is His “glory.” In that place, His glory will not need to come through man or nature, rather it will be seen clearly, just as 1 Corinthians 13:12 says, “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I shall know fully just as I also have been fully known.”
In the human/earthly sense, glory is a beauty or vibrancy that rests upon the material of the earth (Psalm 37:20, Psalm 49:17), and in that sense, it fades. But the reason it fades is only that the material things do not last. They die and wither, but the glory that is in them belongs to God, and returns to Him when death or decay takes the material. Think of the rich man mentioned earlier. The verse says, “The rich man is to glory in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away.” What does this mean? The verse is admonishing the rich man to realize that his wealth and power and beauty come from God, and to be humbled by the realization that it is God who makes him what he is, and gives him all he has. And the knowledge that he will pass away like the grass is what will bring him to the realization that God is the one from whence his glory comes. God’s glory is the source, the wellspring from which all smaller glories run.
Since God is the one from whom glory comes, He will not let stand the assertion that glory comes from man or from the idols of man or from nature. In Isaiah 42:8 we see an example of God’s jealousy over His glory. This jealousy for His own glory is what Paul is talking about in Romans 1:21-25 when he speaks of the ways people worship the creature rather than the Creator. In other words, they looked at the object through which God’s glory was coming and instead of giving God the credit for it, they worshiped that animal or tree or man as if the beauty it possessed originated from within itself. This is the very heart of idolatry and is a very common occurrence. It is probably safe to say that everyone who has ever lived has committed this error at one time or another. We have all “exchanged” the glory of God in favor of the “glory of man.”
This is the mistake many people continue to make: trusting in earthly things, earthly relationships, their own powers or talents or beauty, or the goodness they see in others. But when these things fade and fail as they will inevitably do (being only temporary carriers of the greater glory), these people despair. What we all need to realize is that God’s glory is constant, and as we journey through life we will see it manifesting here and there, in this person or that forest or in a story of love or heroism, fiction or non-fiction, or our own personal lives. But it all goes back to God in the end. And the only way to God is through His Son, Jesus Christ. We will find the very source of all beauty in Him, in heaven, if we are in Christ. Nothing will be lost to us. All those things that faded in life we will find again in Him.
"What is the glory of God?"
Answer: The glory of God is the beauty of His spirit. It is not an aesthetic beauty or a material beauty, but it is the beauty that emanates from His character, from all that He is. James 1:10 calls on a rich man to “glory in his humiliation,” indicating a glory that does not mean riches or power or great aesthetic or material beauty. This glory can crown man or fill the earth. It is seen within man and in the earth, but it is not of them; it is of God. The glory of man is the beauty of man’s spirit, which is fallible and eventually passes away, and is therefore humiliating—as the verse tells us. But the glory of God, which is manifested in all His attributes together, never passes away. It is eternal.
Isaiah 43:7 says that God created us for His glory. In context with the other verses, it can be said that man “glorifies” God because through man God’s glory can be seen in things such as love, music, heroism and so forth—things belonging to God that we are carrying “in jars of clay” (2 Corinthians 4:7). We are the vessels which “contain” His glory. All the things we are able to do and be find their source in Him. God interacts with nature in the same way. Nature exhibits His glory. His glory is revealed to man’s mind through the material world in many ways, and often in different ways to different people. One person may be thrilled by the sight of the mountains, and another person may love the beauty of the sea. But that which is behind them both (God’s glory) speaks to both people and connects them to God. In this way, God is able to reveal Himself to all men, no matter their race, heritage or location. As Psalm 19:1-4 says, “The heavens are telling of the glory of God and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands; day to day pours forth speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their utterances to the end of the world.”
Psalm 73:24 calls heaven itself “glory.” It used to be common to hear Christians talk of death as being “received unto glory,” which is a phrase borrowed from this Psalm. When the Christian dies, he will be taken into God’s presence, and in His presence will be naturally surrounded by God’s glory. We will be taken to the place where God’s beauty literally resides—the beauty of His Spirit will be there, because He will be there. Again, the beauty of His Spirit (or the essence of Who He Is) is His “glory.” In that place, His glory will not need to come through man or nature, rather it will be seen clearly, just as 1 Corinthians 13:12 says, “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I shall know fully just as I also have been fully known.”
In the human/earthly sense, glory is a beauty or vibrancy that rests upon the material of the earth (Psalm 37:20, Psalm 49:17), and in that sense, it fades. But the reason it fades is only that the material things do not last. They die and wither, but the glory that is in them belongs to God, and returns to Him when death or decay takes the material. Think of the rich man mentioned earlier. The verse says, “The rich man is to glory in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away.” What does this mean? The verse is admonishing the rich man to realize that his wealth and power and beauty come from God, and to be humbled by the realization that it is God who makes him what he is, and gives him all he has. And the knowledge that he will pass away like the grass is what will bring him to the realization that God is the one from whence his glory comes. God’s glory is the source, the wellspring from which all smaller glories run.
Since God is the one from whom glory comes, He will not let stand the assertion that glory comes from man or from the idols of man or from nature. In Isaiah 42:8 we see an example of God’s jealousy over His glory. This jealousy for His own glory is what Paul is talking about in Romans 1:21-25 when he speaks of the ways people worship the creature rather than the Creator. In other words, they looked at the object through which God’s glory was coming and instead of giving God the credit for it, they worshiped that animal or tree or man as if the beauty it possessed originated from within itself. This is the very heart of idolatry and is a very common occurrence. It is probably safe to say that everyone who has ever lived has committed this error at one time or another. We have all “exchanged” the glory of God in favor of the “glory of man.”
This is the mistake many people continue to make: trusting in earthly things, earthly relationships, their own powers or talents or beauty, or the goodness they see in others. But when these things fade and fail as they will inevitably do (being only temporary carriers of the greater glory), these people despair. What we all need to realize is that God’s glory is constant, and as we journey through life we will see it manifesting here and there, in this person or that forest or in a story of love or heroism, fiction or non-fiction, or our own personal lives. But it all goes back to God in the end. And the only way to God is through His Son, Jesus Christ. We will find the very source of all beauty in Him, in heaven, if we are in Christ. Nothing will be lost to us. All those things that faded in life we will find again in Him.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Additional Information/Commentary on the Wrath of God
As our discussion last Sunday had some questions regarding how and where the wrath of God is shown I thought the following was appropriate to post. See you Sunday!
1. (18a) The greatest peril facing the human race: the wrath of God.
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven
a. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven: The idea is simple but sobering - God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against the human race, and the human race deserves the wrath of God.
b. We sometimes object to the idea of the wrath of God because we equate it with human anger, which is motivated by selfish personal reasons or by a desire for revenge. We must not forget that the wrath of God is completely righteous in character.
“It is unnecessary, and it weakens the biblical concept of the wrath of God, to deprive it of its emotional and affective character . . . to construe God’s wrath as simply in his purpose to punish sin or to secure the connection between sin and misery is to equate wrath with its effects and virtually eliminate wrath as a movement within the mind of God. Wrath is the holy revulsion of God’s being against that which is the contradiction of his holiness.” (Murrary)
c. In Romans 1:16, Paul spoke of salvation - but what are we saved from? First and foremost, we are saved from the wrath of God that we righteously deserve.
“Unless there is something to be saved from, there is no point in talking about salvation.” (Morris)
d. In this portion of the letter (Romans 1:18-3:20), Paul’s goal is not to proclaim the good news, but to demonstrate the absolute necessity of the good news of salvation from God’s righteous wrath.
The wrath of God is not revealed in the gospel, but in the facts of human experience.
1. (18a) The greatest peril facing the human race: the wrath of God.
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven
a. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven: The idea is simple but sobering - God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against the human race, and the human race deserves the wrath of God.
b. We sometimes object to the idea of the wrath of God because we equate it with human anger, which is motivated by selfish personal reasons or by a desire for revenge. We must not forget that the wrath of God is completely righteous in character.
“It is unnecessary, and it weakens the biblical concept of the wrath of God, to deprive it of its emotional and affective character . . . to construe God’s wrath as simply in his purpose to punish sin or to secure the connection between sin and misery is to equate wrath with its effects and virtually eliminate wrath as a movement within the mind of God. Wrath is the holy revulsion of God’s being against that which is the contradiction of his holiness.” (Murrary)
c. In Romans 1:16, Paul spoke of salvation - but what are we saved from? First and foremost, we are saved from the wrath of God that we righteously deserve.
“Unless there is something to be saved from, there is no point in talking about salvation.” (Morris)
d. In this portion of the letter (Romans 1:18-3:20), Paul’s goal is not to proclaim the good news, but to demonstrate the absolute necessity of the good news of salvation from God’s righteous wrath.
The wrath of God is not revealed in the gospel, but in the facts of human experience.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)