The Christian Life: The Disciplines of the Faith (5)

As important as the disciplines of the faith (ordinary means of grace) are, they must not be misunderstood as being an end in and of themselves. Rather, they are a means to an end. What is that ultimate end? Greater love for and intimacy with Jesus. Let me state that two more times in two more ways.

The goal is not to be disciplined, but to know and love Christ more deeply, and walk in obedience to Christ Jesus more fully (John 5:39-40).

Our goal is devotion to the person of Christ, not devotion to a set of disciplines. 

When these concepts are reversed, we have become religious rather than those who are enjoying growth in our relationship with our Lord. And it is easy to do because the religion of “do” is more natural to fallen humans than loving and following the Lord Jesus.

When “doing religion” is one’s goal there are two equally disastrous results: (1) When one excels at religious disciplines, the result is damning pride. (2) When one fails at religious disciplines, the result is condemnation. Both are spiritually debilitating.

This is why Jesus said, “You must be born again!” (John 3). It is only as we are born again (forgiven and given new hearts) that we have the ability and desire to exercise the disciplines of the faith with the correct motive that will produce the proper result. The correct motive is loving gratitude. The proper result is an ever-growing love for Christ and an ever-deepening intimacy with Him.

Understand the disciplines of the faith not as heartless religious duties, but as a means of growth in grace.

The Christian Life: The Disciplines of the Faith (4)

One of the least practiced disciplines of the faith is fasting. It is also one of the least understood. Let’s see if we can help make a little more sense of the discipline of fasting.

First, fasting is not merely about food. It is most often about food, but it is not limited to food. Fasting from food is but one way to accomplish the goal of fasting—a goal to be defined in a moment. We can fast from a variety of things such as entertainment, hobbies, or anything else that is both lawful and desirable.

That helps us define what fasting is and the goal of fasting. Fasting is temporarily denying ourselves what is lawful and desirable for the sake of concentrating on spiritual pursuits. For instance, one might fast from TV to given more attention to Bible reading and prayer. One might deny oneself dining out to give the money, that would have been spent on food, to feed the poor.

Be reminded that a legitimate fast must be from what is lawful. It isn’t a fast to forego a particular sin because we are supposed to repent and turn from sin anyway.

It isn’t a fast to deny oneself from what one doesn’t like. For me, it wouldn’t be a legitimate fast to stop eating bananas for a time since I do not like bananas at any time!

Be instructed as well that fasting does not turbo-charge one’s prayers or in any way obligates God to answer our prayers. Rather, fasting changes (matures) us. As we fast (in any legitimate way) to give ourselves more fully to the Lord, we progress in sanctification.

Next time: An over arching goal of practicing the disciplines of the faith…

The Christian Life: The Disciplines of the Faith (3)

  There are other disciplines of the faith (ordinary means of grace) that do not arrest the attention of most Christians. That is not so much because they are less valuable, though they are less obvious and therefore may seem less pressing. Here are a few examples.

Worshiping God with our finances. Jesus spoke much about money, maybe more than any other biblical writer. He made the connection between our money and our hearts (Matthew 6:19-21).

When speaking about money (and possessions), we might be tempted to think only about giving. Giving is a vitally important aspect of our stewardship of money and possessions. but it doesn’t end there. Lets consider what we give and what we don’t.

Giving is a way we are to imitate God who gives us everything we have: from life, to possessions, to salvation. We are to give cheerfully and generously, (2 Corinthians 9:6-7); by faith (sacrificially) (Hebrews 11:4); regularly, proportionally, and responsibly (1 Corinthians 16:1-4). We give to worship God, though our worshipful giving is a means through which ministers and ministries are funded and the poor are assisted.

I’ll not get into whether Christians are obligated to tithe or not. Biblical scholars disagree. I’ll just say that for some, tithing is a sacrifice that requires faith, while for others, tithing requires little or no faith. Seek the Lord and respond by giving obediently in faith.

But biblical stewardship does not end with the small amount we give. It is also a matter of what we do with what we keep for ourselves. What we do not give is not ours, as it all comes from God and belongs to God. We will answer to Him not merely for how we give, but also for what we do with what we do not give.

Worshiping God with our finances is an important discipline of the faith (it requires discipline!) that impacts our sanctification.

More next time: fasting.

The Christian Life: The Disciplines of the Faith (2)

We are considering the disciplines of the faith (also called the “ordinary means of grace”). It is by actively practicing these things that we best cooperate with the Holy Spirit who is sanctifying us. Here are two more disciplines:

Telling others about the gospel of Christ (evangelizing).  Christ’s Great Commission to His disciples is a mandate to share the gospel with others and to lead them to saving faith in Christ (Matthew 28:18-20).  The Church is one generation from extinction if that generation fails to evangelize.  True evangelism presents the gospel, not merely as a means to a better life or the answer to a person’s problems, but as the only way to forgiveness of sin, victory over sin, and ultimately entrance into Heaven.  Evangelism is necessary at home, across the street and around the world. It is amazing how we grow in our faith, and in our love for Jesus as we tell others!

Spending time alone with the Lord (personal “quiet time”).  I was a Christian for over 7 years and had a year of Bible college under my belt before someone challenged and taught me about having a daily quiet time with the Lord.  What a difference this discipline made in my spiritual growth! Much more could be said than space allows here, but simply make a commitment to spend time reading through the Bible and praying every day (or at least five days each week).  It need not be a prolonged length of time to begin with—15 or 20 minutes to start.  But that time will grow (30-45-or even 60 minutes) when you realize how wonderful that time is and how much fruit will be born in your life!  I am an advocate for doing this first thing in the morning for practical reasons—like if it isn’t a “first-thing,” it often becomes a non-thing.

A bonus thought: Jesus’ Great Commission is to “make disciples” (Matthew 28:18-20).  What is the connection between being disciples and the disciplines of the faith? What do both words have in common? The root word: discipline.

More disciplines next time  

The Christian Life: The Disciplines of the Faith (1)

God’s work of sanctification of the redeemed is the life-long process by which we grow in holiness. Unlike justification, which is God’s work, sanctification is cooperative. We are responsible to “work out what God has worked in” (Philippians 2:12-13). How are we to work out what God works into us? By practicing the disciplines of the faith, sometimes referred to as the “ordinary means of grace.”

There are several disciplines that Christians should practice, not only as a matter of growing in grace, but out of obedience, since many are commanded in God’s Word. We’ll consider several in the following posts.

Feeding on God’s Word, the Bible.  We need the Word to live (Matthew 4:4).  We need to hear it read and preached (Romans 10:17).  We need to read it (Revelation 1:3).  We need to study it (Acts 17:11, 2 Timothy 2:15).  We need to memorize it (Psalm 119:9-11, Colossians 3:16).  We need to meditate on it (Psalm 1:2-3).

Communing with God through Prayer.  Through prayer we have direct communication with our Heavenly Father and receive provision for our needs.  As we pray, we show our dependence on and trust in Him (John 15:7, Philippians 4:6-7). A Christian prayer life includes individual prayer with God alone; family prayer (husbands and wives together and with children); and corporate [group] prayer in the local church.

Uniting in Fellowship with God’s People in a Local Church.  Christian fellowship is based on our common relationship with the Lord, not other temporal commonalities (1 John 1:3).  Fellowship centered around the Lord Jesus Christ provides the mutual encouragement, admonition, and stimulation we need.  Fellowship is commanded (Hebrews 10:24-25). Uniting with a local church includes joining as official members and serving.

More next time…

New Year's Mercies 2025

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:22-23

I touched on these verses in last Sunday’s sermon, but they are a great word of encouragement for today, being New Year’s Day. Because of God’s great faithfulness to grant us loving mercy every day, let us rejoice that it is especially true every New Year’s Day!

I am neither encouraging or discouraging new years’ resolutions. I am simply pointing out that the new year is a great time to ask the Lord, “What do You want me to do?” (Acts 9:6 NKJV), or stop doing, as the case may be. The new year is a fresh start to start doing what we have neglected to do, and to stop doing what we shouldn’t be doing.

Ask the Lord to lead you and to empower you to identify at least one thing to start, and one thing to stop. And do not think you can do these things in the strength of the flesh. No! It is only possible by the mercies of God!

As an important footnote to these key verses in Lamentations, be reminded that Jeremiah penned these word when Jerusalem was in smoldering ruins after being routed by the Babylonians. I bring this point up to encourage us all not to allow troubles to keep us from embarking on a fresh start for 2025.

Recipe for personal peace (1)

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:6-9

Let’s drill down on the subject of personal peace—don’t we all need it?

Step One: The peace promised in (v.7) stems from being at peace with God before expecting to experience the peace of God. And by way of reminder, peace with God begins (a) by acknowledging one’s sin, and need for God forgiveness. It comes when (b) one receives forgiveness of sin by trusting in Jesus alone as the only way to be forgiven. That is what it means to be saved. The rest of these steps will not matter, much less “work,” unless Step One is in place.

Step Two: Understand that while life has it trials and tribulations, it is not God’s will for His people to be gripped by anxiety. Sure, we may experience a measure of nervousness about a job interview or a trip to the doctor’s office, but being gripped by anxiety is not God’s will.

Children of God should know that because of faith in Christ for what He has done to save us, we can rest in Him. Since He has forgiven our sins and saved our eternal souls, we ought to know we can trust Him with everything else in our lives. Consider Paul’s words in Romans 8. After writing about how glorious our salvation is, Paul reasons:

Romans 8:31-32 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? (read the rest of that chapter for more!)

Personal peace for believers is based on the fact that we can trust Him—with everything!

Merry Christmas! Prince of Peace (with God)

Last time we considered (1) world peace between nations and peoples, (2) peace between individual people, and (3) inner peace with ourselves. Jesus did not come as the Prince of Peace to establish world peace. He did come to make peace available between (a) individuals (through forgiving others as God in Christ has forgiven us), and (b) within ourselves for those who are saved and who follow the instructions in Philippians 4:6.

The fourth kind of peace, which is supremely important and eternal, is peace with God.

First, all are sinners (Romans 3:10-12, 23). Second, every sin is a spiritual declaration of war against God, making every as sinner an enemy of God (Romans 5:10). For more on what it means to be an enemy of God, consider the following:

Philippians 3:18 For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:

James 4:4 Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

1 John 4:3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.

John 3:18 He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Jesus, the Prince of Peace, made peace with God through one way: Faith in Jesus who died on the cross to pay the penalty for the sons of all who trust in and follow Him. Trusting in Jesus results in being justified by God (Ephesians 2:8, Romans 3:28). And when a person is justified through faith in Jesus, that one is at peace with God:

Romans 5:1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

What does it mean to have peace with God? Our war (via our sin) with God is over. We are no longer children of darkness and God’s wrath, but children of the light and of God’s love. This means there is no longer any possibility of Hell in the future of the justified, but assurance of Heaven instead!

One last thing: while Jesus did not come to make peace between nations and people groups—and although peace between individuals and inner peace within ourselves, is conditionally possible and transient—peace with God for the redeemed is a sure thing. It is unalterable and permanent.

So in this fourth kind of peace, Jesus is the Prince of Peace as the Creator, Guarantor, and Sustainer of Peace with God. Hallelujah!

Prince of Peace?

For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" Luke 2:13-14

How is Jesus the Prince of Peace, and how did His coming establish “peace on earth”?

Understanding this requires that we understand four kinds of peace.

Let’s start first with the big one: world peace, including the idea of all nations and peoples getting along. Jesus did not promise this kind of peace. In fact He said the opposite of this kind of peace is the norm:

Matthew 10:34 "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword.

John 16:33 “In the world you will have tribulation…”

Matthew 24:6-7 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.

Wars exist and people do not get along with one another because of sin. There is no escaping these kinds of strife in this life—only in Heaven.

Second, Jesus did come to enable those who trust in and submit to His lordship to be at peace with one another. That doesn’t mean we always will be at peace—but we are able. How? By forgiving others as we have been forgiven (Ephesians 4:32). By esteeming others better than ourselves (Philippians 2:3-4). If we all did these things, there would be peace among us. Why isn’t this peace widespread? Because we hold grudges instead of forgiving others, and because we esteem ourselves above others. It is no surprise that non-believers live this way, but sadly, we who are in Christ frequently also act this way. This kind of peace will not be fully realized until we are in Heaven.

Third, what about peace within ourselves? Again, sin wrecks this kind of peace but Jesus did make it available to those who trust in Him and follow Him as Lord by doing the following:

Philippians 4:6-7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

To experience this promise of supernatural peace that the world cannot understand, one must be a believing follower of Jesus, and practice the discipline outlined in (v.6), or else the peace promised in (v.7) will remain elusive.

There is one more kind of peace that Jesus did bring to earth. We will consider that next time.

The Christian Life: Walking in the Spirit (2)

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.  Galatians 5:19-23

Why walk in the Spirit rather than in the flesh?  Beside the fact that God commands it, it is strong evidence that one is either saved or not.  None of us walk in the Spirit 24/7 because when we sin, at least in that moment, we are walking in the flesh.  Though not sinless this side of Heaven, the redeemed do not walk predominately in the flesh.

Additionally, the lives of those who walk in the Spirit will differ significantly from those who walk in the flesh.  Go back and re-read the description of the fruit of the Spirit.  

This fruit will be descriptive of the redeemed.  Fruit is the evidence of a union.  Where there is no fruit, one might ought to question one’s salvation.

Walking in the Spirit depends on what we do and on what God does. Because God always does His part, when we fail, the fault is ours. When we succeed, all glory belongs to Him.

The Christian Life: Walking in the Spirit (1)

I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
Galatians 5:16

All believers are filled with the Spirit of God since no one can call Jesus “Lord” except by the Spirit of God (1 Corinthians 12:3).  Being filled with the Spirit does not guarantee obedience.  This is why Paul calls believers to “walk in the Spirit”.  As believers walk in the Spirit they will have victory over the lusts of the flesh (Galatians 5:16).  Successful walking in the Spirit consists of three steps.

First, Recognizing the Reality of the Conflict.  We must understand that there is a war going on inside of every believer as the Spirit and the flesh war against one another (Galatians 5:17).

Second, Saying “Yes” to the Spirit.  Walking in the Spirit is not accomplished by brute determination.  That will only lead to pride when one temporarily succeeds, followed by discouragement when one fails.  Victory is not attained by trying harder so much as by surrendering more and by abiding in Christ and in His Word (John 15:7-8).

Third, Saying “No” to the Flesh. Although walking in the Spirit is not accomplished by brute determination, we are called to deny ourselves, that is our flesh (Matthew 16:24).  A biblical picture of the relationship between saying ‘yes’ to the Spirit and ‘no’ to the flesh is seen in Paul’s words about putting off the old self and putting on the new self (Colossians 3:9-10). (See also Ephesians 4:20-24.)

Walking in the Spirit, which is the pathway to sanctification, requires our cooperation with the indwelling Holy Spirit. There is no victory if we are irresponsible to obey the Lord. Neither is there any victory apart from the supernatural empowerment by the Holy Spirit.

Because He always does His part: When we fail, the fault is ours. When we succeed, all glory is His.

The Christian Life: Assurance of Salvation (4)

God wants His children to know we are His children.  Think about it.  Only a bad father would not want his children to know who their father is.  God is not a bad Father! He is not only a good Father, He is the perfect Father.

He wants His children to have assurance, not only so we will know we are His children, but there are many blessing associated with having assurance of salvation.  Here are seven (there are no doubt more):

• Assurance affords a person joy instead of doubt and fear of damnation. Romans 8:15

• Assurance affords a person boldness in evangelism and missions, since he knows that the gospel he proclaims is true and that God will save His people. 2 Corinthians 5:18-21

• Assurance gives power and confidence in prayer, since the person knows that he has a relationship with God and that God hears and answers his prayers. 1 John 5:14-15

• Assurance promotes worship that springs from a truly grateful heart. Colossians 3:16

• Assurance encourages holiness and obedient living motivated by gratitude for salvation rather than as a means to earn salvation. 1 John 3:6-10

• Assurance helps a person face trials, knowing that his Heavenly Father who loves him is in charge of all things. Romans 8:17-18 & 28.

• Assurance gives Christians peace when facing death. Revelation 14:13, Isaiah 57:1-2

The Christian Life: Assurance of Salvation (3)

Another means by which believers may have assurance of salvation is the inner testimony of the Holy Spirit as stated in Romans 8:16:

The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God…

Believers are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. One of the many ways the Holy Spirit ministers to believers is by testifying to our spirits that we are in fact saved.

Let me be quick to point out that this inner testimony can be a subjective self-deception. Mormons, for instance, frequently refer to a “burning in the bosom” as proof that what they believe is true and that they are “saved.” Though they do have a sense of assurance that they are saved, it is a false assurance because the entire Mormon religion is unbiblical, and therefore, false—no matter how sure they are in their hearts.

This does not negate that actual testimony of the indwelling Holy Spirit in the lives of true believers. What it does mean is that our assurance is based on obedience to the Lord Jesus—that is confirmed in the hearts of believers to whom the Spirit bears witness.

By the mouth of two witnesses… (Deuteronomy 19:15, 2 Corinthians 13:1). The two witnesses are (1) lives of obedience, and (2) the confirming testimony of the Holy Spirit.

Next time: The blessings of assurance.

The Christian Life: Assurance of Salvation (2)

And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. 1 John 5:11-13

These verses make the case for two truths:

(1) Salvation (eternal life) belongs to those who “have the Son.” The Son is Jesus. Those who have trusted in Jesus as the one and only Savior from sin, “have the Son.” Conversely, those who have not trusted in Jesus “do not have eternal life.” They are not saved.

(2) God wants us to know that we have eternal life, or are saved.

But how do we know that we have the Son? John answers that question in a few verses found in chapter two of this same short epistle.

Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.
1 John 2:3-5

These three verses are bookended with words about “knowing Him” (the Lord). Knowing the Lord is another way of saying that a person is saved. What do these verses say about how we know that we know the Lord? It is as we obey the Lord, by keeping His commandments, that we know that we know Him.

Understand: salvation is NOT based on our obedience! Salvation is based on faith alone in Christ alone. But assurance of salvation is based (in part) on how we live as a result of being saved. One vitally important way we know that we have trusted in Christ is that we obey Him.

Granted, no one obeys the Lord perfectly. But those who know the Lord earnestly desire and strive to obey Him. Those who profess faith in Christ and yet do not have a desire to obey Him are self-deceived.

Next time: One other evidence that we know we are saved.

The Christian Life: Assurance of Salvation (1)

As a footnote to the previous post about assurance of salvation, God wants His children to know that we are saved. If that were not so, why is the following in the Bible:

1 John 5:11-13 And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.

There are four categories of assurance of salvation:

1. Not saved but believe you are saved.

2. Not saved and know you are not saved.

3. Saved and not know you are saved.

4. Saved and know you are saved.

#1 is the worst category to be in. Why? Because if you think you are saved, though you are not, there is a reduced chance that you will respond to the gospel, since you think you are already saved. Praise God that He still saves people out of this category. (I was once in this category.)

#2 is lost, which is not good, but because you know you not saved, it is more likely that you will respond to the the gospel.

#3 is a good category to be in because at least you are saved. However, it is not the best category to be in, since you lack the assurance of salvation God wants His children to have (1 John 5:11-13).

#4 is obviously the best category to be in because you are saved, and know it!

For more on assurance regarding how the saved can know they are saved, and how that assurance affects how one lives the Christian life, stay tuned.

The Christian Life: The Lordship of Christ

Living the Christian life begins with, and is dependent upon, acknowledging and submitting to the Lordship of Christ. Though none of us does this perfectly, we are commanded to do so pervasively.

Salvation is more than “fire insurance."  Salvation is not merely an escape hatch from the fires of Hell.  Jesus died not only to rescue His people from the penalty of sin (justification when we are born again and believe), but from the power of sin (sanctification as we grow in grace throughout our lives), and ultimately, from the presence of sin (glorification when we are in Heaven).  Christ’s call on our lives is not merely to believe in order to receive passage out of Hell and into Heaven.  He died and rose to save His people from Himself, that is from His wrath, and from our pre-salvation bondage to sin itself.

Salvation is a call to discipleship. As believers in Christ we are called to be disciples of Christ (Matthew 28:18-20), followers of Christ (Matthew 4:19), and imitators of Christ (John 13:15).  Those who are truly redeemed are not only saved from Hell, but they are also given new hearts (Ezekiel 11:19, 36:26).  When God writes His law on the hearts of those He saves (Jeremiah 31:33), those He saves will each be given a heart and desire to lovingly and gratefully obey Him  This desire to follow Christ is the evidence of true salvation.

Salvation and “assurance of salvation.” The truly redeemed cannot lose their salvation because of sin, since Christ died for all the sins of all of His people. However, those who do not accept the call to discipleship and are not willing to follow the Lord Jesus Christ, will have to answer the same question Jesus posed to some earlier disciples in Luke 6:46, “Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do the things which I say?”  Though even the most dedicated servant of God still sins, those who do not seek to walk in obedience to the Lord have no room for assurance of their salvation (1 John 2:3-6).  It is unlikely that those, in whom a lack of desire to obey the Lord is dominant, are saved.

The Christian Life: An Introduction

As important as doctrine and theology are (and they are most certainly important), if doctrine and theology have no relationship with how Christians live our lives, we have missed the mark!

Do not misunderstand: no one is saved by how we live. What we contribute to our salvation is sin—which doesn’t save, but serves rather to condemn. It is only as one is aware of one’s guilt before the thrice-holy God that one is aware of how desperately one needs a Savior. Praise God, He has supplied a Savior! The one and only Savior supplied by God is Jesus, the only begotten Son of God. He became a human being:

• so He could live for us—the life God requires of us, that we have all failed to live.

• so He could die for us—to pay the penalty for our sins.

• so that He could rise from the dead for us—defeating sin, death, Hell, and Satan on our behalf.

• so that He could ascend back into Heaven for us—where He ever lives to intercede for us.

Jesus did everything to save us. We contribute absolutely nothing to our salvation.

We receive the full benefit of what Christ did for us through faith alone, in Christ alone.

But due to our sin, no one would ever believe. So God regenerates those Jesus came to save, and in so doing, gave the redeemed new hearts. These new hearts have saving faith in Christ and a desire to turn from sin (in what the Bible calls repentance). So while we are responsible to believe in Jesus (a belief that includes repentance), faith and repentance are also gifts from God.

We can therefore not take any credit for salvation—including the faith and repentance by which we receive Christ. All credit and glory belong to the triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

NOW—once we are saved, we are responsible to live the redeemed lives we have been given, not to earn or even to retain salvation, but to validate that we have indeed been born again by God.

In the next series of blogs we’ll consider what this Christian life looks like.

Doctrine of Revelation: Hermeneutics (Biblical Interpretation) (4)

Here are the last two of eight principles of biblical interpretation.

7. Interpretation v. Application. There is only one correct interpretation of a passage (what the passage means), but there may be many different applications (how it directs one’s life).  As long as the interpretation is correct, and as long as the applications I might derive from the interpretation do not alter the interpretation, there may be a number of legitimate applications.

For example: Proverbs 11:1 is about weights and measures in business. That is the interpretation. However, there are other applications to the truth of God’s disdain for dishonesty and imbalance. So while the passage is about honest weights and measures, there is an application to be honest in all things.

 8. Do not formulate doctrine on narratives alone. The Word of God accurately records what is written in it, but God does not sanction or endorse all the events that are recorded. For this reason, only when what is recorded in a narrative (story) passage is also found in a didactic (teaching) passage, should we formulate any doctrine or conclusion about how we are to live.  

For example: Genesis 12 and 20 record Abraham lying about his relationship with Sarah (calling her his sister instead of his wife).  Genesis 26 records Isaac doing the same thing. I must not conclude, therefore, that lying is okay based on these accurate narratives of the Patriarchs’ sins. In didactic portions like Revelation 21:8, we read that liars will be cast into the lake of fire.

These are the last two of eight principles of biblical interpretation.  They are not an exhaustive list of all principles of biblical interpretation. Remember that while the Holy Spirit illuminates the redeemed to be able to understand the Bible (1 Corinthians 2:14), that does not mean every believer will accurately interpret the Bible correctly every time.  We are responsible to interpret the Bible accurately (1 Timothy 2:15).  I pray that these eight principles of biblical interpretation will help us do just that.

Doctrine of Revelation: Hermeneutics (Biblical Interpretation) (3)

Remember: the Holy Spirit supernaturally illuminates the redeemed to be able to understand the Bible (1 Corinthians 2:14), but we remain responsible to interpret it accurately (2 Timothy 2:15). Here are the next two of eight principles of biblical interpretation.

5. Recognize what kind of literature you are reading. Poetry in the Bible needs to read like poetry.  The Bible contains sarcasm, hyperbole (exaggeration), and symbolism.  To read it as though it were an encyclopedia of religion is to misunderstand it.  

For example: If I were reading a poem about a man’s love for his wife and it said, “Your teeth are like the stars shining in the night sky,” I would know that the woman’s teeth were not stars.  I would realize that the author was speaking figuratively, not literally. Likewise, when I read in the Psalms that God “covers us with His feathers,” I realize that God is not a heavenly chicken. I understand that the psalmist is speaking figuratively, not literally.

If I hear a person say he was so mad he “could have killed his boss” (as inappropriate as those words are!), I know he isn’t really homicidal—he was just really angry.  In the same manner, when Jesus instructs us to cut off our hands and gouge out our eyes if they cause us to sin, I must understand that He doesn’t want us to physically maim ourselves, but to be serious about avoiding sin.  

6. Learn to diagram sentences. Much of the Bible, especially the writings of Paul, contains long and complicated sentences with, at times, several digressions.  We must be able to grasp the subject and predicate,[1] or else the many digressions are likely to confuse our understanding of the basic meaning of the text.

For example: In 2 Peter 3, Peter talks about the fact that Jesus will return, just as He promised He would.  The fact that Jesus hasn’t returned yet is not because He is “slack concerning His promise,” but rather because He is giving time for more people to come to saving faith.

Look at 2 Peter 3:14-16. This is one sentence. There are ten commas, a semicolon, and an en dash. This sentence is long enough with enough digressions, that one could easily miss the point: that we must be diligent to be found by Christ in peace when He returns. Ironically, Peter digresses from that point and ends up speaking about how hard it is to understand Paul’s writings!

Note:
[1] The subject is the primary noun (person, place, or thing) of the sentence. The predicate is the primary verb (action word or statement of being) of the sentence.

Doctrine of Revelation: Hermeneutics (Biblical Interpretation) (2)

Remember: the Holy Spirit supernaturally illuminates the redeemed to be able to understand the Bible (1 Corinthians2:14), but we remain responsible to interpret it accurately (2 Timothy 2:15). Here are the next two of eight principles of biblical interpretation.

3. Grammatico-Historical Method. Because the Bible was written long ago in another culture and in a language other than 21st century American English, we must seek to understand what the words in a passage meant to those who wrote them in their historical setting. We must not interpret scripture based on modern usage of words or modern culture.

For example: When Jesus pronounced several “woes” on the Pharisees in Luke 11, we must understand the term “woe” in the setting in which Jesus used it, rather than as we might use it today. To us, “woe” is a term used to describe sorrow.  When a Biblical prophet used the term “woe,” he was pronouncing the strongest form of denunciation or curse. 

Paul’s many references to circumcision are confusing and embarrassing to many modern readers, but in Paul’s time circumcision was vitally important and understood within a religious, rather than a medical or private, context.

Even words in older English translations can be misleading.  When the King James Bible was translated in 1611, the word “rent” meant something different from what it means to people today.  To us it means use for a price. To them it meant tear or rip. So when we read, “he rent his coat in twain,” we should not think he was using his clothing for a price, but instead, that he tore his coat in two.

4. Progressive Revelation. The writers and characters in the earliest writings did not know what God would reveal later in history.  More details of God’s grace were known to Paul than to Abraham, for instance.  As God revealed more of Himself and His plan for His people, the picture became clearer.  Therefore, while not discounting the revelation of God in the Old Testament, we must give special attention to how the later pieces of God’s revelation complete the earlier pieces.  The New Testament provides commentary on the Old Testament.  

For example: Genesis 4 does not make it clear what made Abel’s sacrifice acceptable and Cain’s unacceptable. Hebrews 11:4 clarifies it, saying the issue was faith.  

King David had many wives. Though God allowed it, in the New Testament it is clear that God’s plan since creation was for a man to have only one wife (Matthew 19:1-8).