Posts
I have posted this week's podcast. I left the transcript at work, so I'll have to upload it later. But you can still listen to it! To subscribe to the podcast using iTunes, please click here. To listen to the podcast without iTunes, please follow this link.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Podcast Episode 4: In His Image
I have posted this week's podcast. I left the transcript at work, so I'll have to upload it later. But you can still listen to it! To subscribe to the podcast using iTunes, please click here. To listen to the podcast without iTunes, please follow this link.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Proverbs 2:20: So!
“So you will walk in the way of the good and keep to the paths of the righteous.”
-Proverbs 2:20
So.
It’s hard to begin a sentence with “so.” My high school English teacher very specifically told me not to do. I do it a lot.
It’s not necessarily wrong to start a sentence with “so.” But you usually don’t want to start your thought with it. “So” suggests that you are continuing a thought.
So that is why this verse begins with “so.” Because there was something that came before.
So what is it? What came before? Specifically, the first sentence of the chapter, which encompasses verses 1 through 5. Everything after that point just expands on that. That is why the other four sentences of the chapter begin with “for” (v. 6), “then” (v. 9), and “so” (v. 16 and 20).
So I bring this up because this verse is not a proclamation of what will be if you just avoid one adulteress woman described in verses 16-19. No, we’re going all the way back now to the beginning. This verse is what will be if you follow God and obey His commands.
So what? I mean, the paths of righteousness don’t sound like much fun. Yeah, they do, considering that verse 18 tells us that the alternative is death. The way of the good is not some tightrope of rules you have to walk, where one slip and you’ll fall into the fiery pit. It’s about being with the Creator of everything.
So it works out like this. We’ve all done wrong. The Bible calls this sin. We may not think much of it, but that is only because we judge ourselves based on other people. God judges with righteousness, and when you realize that even unwarranted anger, when measured against the standard of righteousness, is like murder, we can see how far we’ve missed the mark. We’re not worthy of the life God offers. Furthermore, any just judge, as God is, cannot just sweep our sin under the rug.
So He sent Jesus, His Son, who lived perfectly and without sin. He is the only one who does not deserve death, and yet He died anyway. He died to pay our price.
So if we repent, we can place our sins on Him, and He will pay for them with His blood. And in turn, He gives us His righteousness and Spirit. The Holy Spirit guides us in the way of the good. It is here we find life rather than death. It is here we walk with Jesus.
So we will walk in the paths of the righteous. I don’t know what you will encounter on this road. It can be very difficult sometimes. But I do know that I am with God every day here, and He watches out for me. And I know where it ends, and I will live with Him forever.
So whatever comes, it’s well worth it. I wouldn’t trade a moment of it for the ways of the world.
Sorry for all the sentences that begin with “so.” I couldn’t help it.
-Proverbs 2:20
So.
It’s hard to begin a sentence with “so.” My high school English teacher very specifically told me not to do. I do it a lot.
It’s not necessarily wrong to start a sentence with “so.” But you usually don’t want to start your thought with it. “So” suggests that you are continuing a thought.
So that is why this verse begins with “so.” Because there was something that came before.
So what is it? What came before? Specifically, the first sentence of the chapter, which encompasses verses 1 through 5. Everything after that point just expands on that. That is why the other four sentences of the chapter begin with “for” (v. 6), “then” (v. 9), and “so” (v. 16 and 20).
So I bring this up because this verse is not a proclamation of what will be if you just avoid one adulteress woman described in verses 16-19. No, we’re going all the way back now to the beginning. This verse is what will be if you follow God and obey His commands.
So what? I mean, the paths of righteousness don’t sound like much fun. Yeah, they do, considering that verse 18 tells us that the alternative is death. The way of the good is not some tightrope of rules you have to walk, where one slip and you’ll fall into the fiery pit. It’s about being with the Creator of everything.
So it works out like this. We’ve all done wrong. The Bible calls this sin. We may not think much of it, but that is only because we judge ourselves based on other people. God judges with righteousness, and when you realize that even unwarranted anger, when measured against the standard of righteousness, is like murder, we can see how far we’ve missed the mark. We’re not worthy of the life God offers. Furthermore, any just judge, as God is, cannot just sweep our sin under the rug.
So He sent Jesus, His Son, who lived perfectly and without sin. He is the only one who does not deserve death, and yet He died anyway. He died to pay our price.
So if we repent, we can place our sins on Him, and He will pay for them with His blood. And in turn, He gives us His righteousness and Spirit. The Holy Spirit guides us in the way of the good. It is here we find life rather than death. It is here we walk with Jesus.
So we will walk in the paths of the righteous. I don’t know what you will encounter on this road. It can be very difficult sometimes. But I do know that I am with God every day here, and He watches out for me. And I know where it ends, and I will live with Him forever.
So whatever comes, it’s well worth it. I wouldn’t trade a moment of it for the ways of the world.
Sorry for all the sentences that begin with “so.” I couldn’t help it.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Proverbs 2:19: Too late . . .
“none who go to her come back, nor do they regain the paths of life.”
-Proverbs 2:19
There is a time when it becomes too late. For some, I suppose, it could be death. But for others, it is when there is so much sin in your life that there is no way for you even to repent.
What I’m going to say here is very controversial, and unfortunately, I don’t have a lot of room here to go over it. I’m going to do my best. Please forgive me if I fall short here.
Have you ever known someone who just seemed to be stuck in a certain sin, as though they had given their whole life over to that sin? Maybe it is anger, and there just isn’t just left to them except anger. Maybe it is grumbling and complaining. Maybe it is sexual sin, where it seems like that’s all they are is the sexual sin.
Maybe that’s what’s going on. They aren’t anything more than the sin.
I believe that the Bible teaches that there are people who go so far into sin that they cannot get back out again. Hebrews 12: 17 tells us that Esau was not able to even repent of his sin. The context here is that the writer of Hebrews is warning against sin. Avoid sin at all costs, he says, because sin can lead to defilement like in Esau:
Paul tells us about those who turn away from God in Romans 1. Three times he tells us that God gave those people over to their sin (verses 24, 26, and 28).
Sin has a corrupting quality to it. You usually cannot just sin once. Most sins lead to bigger ones. Looking at revealing ads in a newspaper will sometimes lead a man to more revealing internet pictures, and then hardcore pornography. Shoplifting a candy bar may turn lead to larger thefts done more often. After years of faithfulness a man may cheat on his wife once, but after that, it’s not as big of a deal. Sin grows, infects, and starts to taint every part of your life. If you open the door, it’s going to come in and open the windows too.
I have heard many people tell me, “Oh, I’ll probably start seeking God when I’m older.” I understand what they are saying. They don’t want to be tied down by religion. They want to have fun.
But just like the alcoholic who refuses to admit he has a drinking problem, the people of this world have trouble seeing how enslaved they are to sin.
Is there something in your life that is like this? Is there something that started out as a small thrill, and now it has control of you? What do you spend your time, money, and effort on? What is it in this world that controls you?
I plead with you; do not wait for tomorrow. Do not even wait for later today. Address the issue of God now, today. Because if you go too far down that road, you won’t be able to regain the path of life.
There is a way out. These sins of ours have to be put to death. Only blood can get rid of them. But Jesus, the Son of God, died for us. He took our sins upon Himself and died. He is our way back to life.
Repent of those sins in your life. Repent while you can. And then follow Him. He alone can free you from whatever it is that enslaves you.
-Proverbs 2:19
There is a time when it becomes too late. For some, I suppose, it could be death. But for others, it is when there is so much sin in your life that there is no way for you even to repent.
What I’m going to say here is very controversial, and unfortunately, I don’t have a lot of room here to go over it. I’m going to do my best. Please forgive me if I fall short here.
Have you ever known someone who just seemed to be stuck in a certain sin, as though they had given their whole life over to that sin? Maybe it is anger, and there just isn’t just left to them except anger. Maybe it is grumbling and complaining. Maybe it is sexual sin, where it seems like that’s all they are is the sexual sin.
Maybe that’s what’s going on. They aren’t anything more than the sin.
I believe that the Bible teaches that there are people who go so far into sin that they cannot get back out again. Hebrews 12: 17 tells us that Esau was not able to even repent of his sin. The context here is that the writer of Hebrews is warning against sin. Avoid sin at all costs, he says, because sin can lead to defilement like in Esau:
For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.
Paul tells us about those who turn away from God in Romans 1. Three times he tells us that God gave those people over to their sin (verses 24, 26, and 28).
Sin has a corrupting quality to it. You usually cannot just sin once. Most sins lead to bigger ones. Looking at revealing ads in a newspaper will sometimes lead a man to more revealing internet pictures, and then hardcore pornography. Shoplifting a candy bar may turn lead to larger thefts done more often. After years of faithfulness a man may cheat on his wife once, but after that, it’s not as big of a deal. Sin grows, infects, and starts to taint every part of your life. If you open the door, it’s going to come in and open the windows too.
I have heard many people tell me, “Oh, I’ll probably start seeking God when I’m older.” I understand what they are saying. They don’t want to be tied down by religion. They want to have fun.
But just like the alcoholic who refuses to admit he has a drinking problem, the people of this world have trouble seeing how enslaved they are to sin.
Is there something in your life that is like this? Is there something that started out as a small thrill, and now it has control of you? What do you spend your time, money, and effort on? What is it in this world that controls you?
I plead with you; do not wait for tomorrow. Do not even wait for later today. Address the issue of God now, today. Because if you go too far down that road, you won’t be able to regain the path of life.
There is a way out. These sins of ours have to be put to death. Only blood can get rid of them. But Jesus, the Son of God, died for us. He took our sins upon Himself and died. He is our way back to life.
Repent of those sins in your life. Repent while you can. And then follow Him. He alone can free you from whatever it is that enslaves you.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Proverbs 2:18: The road more traveled
“for her house sinks down to death, and her paths to the departed;”
-Proverbs 2:18
Have you ever met one of those people who just blame everyone else for their problems? It doesn’t matter what it is, they have an answer about how it is someone else’s fault. You even see this is really serious sins, like the guy who gets caught in adultery and will blame his wife for not being attentive enough.
It may be true that someone put that person in a bad situation, but to hear this person talk, you would think the bad situation took over his nervous system and began walking him around like a puppet! An inattentive wife is surely a problem, and yet the husband makes it out like the inattention of a wife took away all choice from him, strapped him down, and forced him to commit adultery.
I hear this quite a bit when talking about God.
You’ve heard it too. “If God is good and loving, why would He send me to hell?”
But just because we blame someone else doesn’t mean we’re right. Ultimately, the cheating husband is completely in control of his own actions, and he is not justified because he can try to shift the blame.
This is how we have done it from the beginning. When our first parents ate of the forbidden fruit in the Garden, Adam blamed Eve, and Eve blamed the serpent. But God wasn’t fooled. He punished each for his own sin. He punished the serpent for the deceit, the woman for eating, and the man for eating. Each person answers for himself.
The answer to the common question posed above is not one we want to hear. We want to hear that God is so loving that He’ll just ignore anything you do and bring you into heaven, as though love ever acts this way. The answer is, “If you go to hell, it’s not because God sent you there, but because you got up and walked there yourself.”
That’s what this verse is talking about. We’ve been looking at the adulteress. Solomon advises his son to avoid her. Why? Because hers is a road that leads to death, and she’s not worth it.
When we sin, we rebel against God. We turn from Him and march directly in the other direction. We think we know a better way, a more fun way, and so we take the road that looks better to our selfish desires. But when we walk away from God, you are walking toward death.
I’ve been on that road before. We all have. We have all chased our own selfishness at times, our own greed and lusts. We have all sinned and run headlong toward destruction.
And here’s where God’s love comes in.
See, God is so loving that He sent His Son to die for us. He was not content to say, “Let them go! They deserve it!” Though we certainly do deserve whatever we get. No, He sent His Son, and in death, His Son is able to save us.
To keep the analogy of the road going, it’s like Jesus stepped onto the road to death when he was killed on the Cross. He walked onto our road, stood in front of us, and told us how to get back to the road to life. He even shows us the way, leading us by His Spirit.
But to get there, we have to answer His call. We have to reject the road we’re on and follow Him. In other words, we have to repent. In repentance we admit that we’ve been wrong, and we need to change.
In following Him, we are given the means to change. We are given eternal life.
The question is not whether God loves us so much that He will ignore our sin. The question is if you are wise enough to heed the warning of Jesus and turn away from your own destruction.
-Proverbs 2:18
Have you ever met one of those people who just blame everyone else for their problems? It doesn’t matter what it is, they have an answer about how it is someone else’s fault. You even see this is really serious sins, like the guy who gets caught in adultery and will blame his wife for not being attentive enough.
It may be true that someone put that person in a bad situation, but to hear this person talk, you would think the bad situation took over his nervous system and began walking him around like a puppet! An inattentive wife is surely a problem, and yet the husband makes it out like the inattention of a wife took away all choice from him, strapped him down, and forced him to commit adultery.
I hear this quite a bit when talking about God.
You’ve heard it too. “If God is good and loving, why would He send me to hell?”
But just because we blame someone else doesn’t mean we’re right. Ultimately, the cheating husband is completely in control of his own actions, and he is not justified because he can try to shift the blame.
This is how we have done it from the beginning. When our first parents ate of the forbidden fruit in the Garden, Adam blamed Eve, and Eve blamed the serpent. But God wasn’t fooled. He punished each for his own sin. He punished the serpent for the deceit, the woman for eating, and the man for eating. Each person answers for himself.
The answer to the common question posed above is not one we want to hear. We want to hear that God is so loving that He’ll just ignore anything you do and bring you into heaven, as though love ever acts this way. The answer is, “If you go to hell, it’s not because God sent you there, but because you got up and walked there yourself.”
That’s what this verse is talking about. We’ve been looking at the adulteress. Solomon advises his son to avoid her. Why? Because hers is a road that leads to death, and she’s not worth it.
When we sin, we rebel against God. We turn from Him and march directly in the other direction. We think we know a better way, a more fun way, and so we take the road that looks better to our selfish desires. But when we walk away from God, you are walking toward death.
I’ve been on that road before. We all have. We have all chased our own selfishness at times, our own greed and lusts. We have all sinned and run headlong toward destruction.
And here’s where God’s love comes in.
See, God is so loving that He sent His Son to die for us. He was not content to say, “Let them go! They deserve it!” Though we certainly do deserve whatever we get. No, He sent His Son, and in death, His Son is able to save us.
To keep the analogy of the road going, it’s like Jesus stepped onto the road to death when he was killed on the Cross. He walked onto our road, stood in front of us, and told us how to get back to the road to life. He even shows us the way, leading us by His Spirit.
But to get there, we have to answer His call. We have to reject the road we’re on and follow Him. In other words, we have to repent. In repentance we admit that we’ve been wrong, and we need to change.
In following Him, we are given the means to change. We are given eternal life.
The question is not whether God loves us so much that He will ignore our sin. The question is if you are wise enough to heed the warning of Jesus and turn away from your own destruction.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Podcast Episode 3: Light from Nothing
[ This is a transcript of today’s Christian Pilgrimage podcast. To subscribe to the podcast using iTunes, please click here. To listen to the podcast without iTunes, please follow this link.]
And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
-Genesis 1:3-5
I don’t know how many times I’ve read this. You know, it’s Genesis 1, and even the most undisciplined Bible readers get at least that far. But recently, I noticed something I had never noticed before. I just read from verse 3, where God creates light. But as I read on, I noticed that it wasn’t until verse 14 that God creates the sun. He created light on day one, and the sun on day four.
A lot of people much smarter than me have noticed this a long time ago, and there has been a debate about it for some time. Where did the light come from? Those who take the Bible as myth use this to attack it, and others will come up with explanations to defend it.
But I think a lot of people miss the point here.
Even in the Church, there are a lot of beliefs about Creation. Some believe in a literal six-day Creation. Others believe in a God-guided evolution, and the “days” in Genesis aren’t literal. God willing, I would like to discuss these theories in an upcoming episode.
These theories are all fine, but there is one thing God will not let you do. He will not let you explain God out of Creation. Right from the beginning of the Bible, He is going to make you choose – do you believe, or do you not?
Perhaps you can fit a theory of evolution into the Bible. Maybe you can explain all the miracles away. Maybe you can even try to rationalize the Resurrection. But in this first chapter of Genesis, God is going to ask you to either accept Him or reject Him, and there is no way around it. You either believe in a God that can make a result before a cause, or you don’t. You either believe in a God that can make light before the source of light, or you don’t.
It is an important question to ask, because this God that created an effect of the sun before the sun itself also created you, and He created you to live forever. This question is critical, because this Bible that makes this extraordinary claim at its beginning also says a lot about you. It says that only absolute perfection will earn us heaven. Have you sinned? Have you ever been greedy? Have you ever lied? Have you ever been unduly angry at someone? Have you ever lusted? Then you’ve fallen short of the glory of God. “The wages of sin is death,” and we have all earned death.
But the same God through which the universe was created came to earth in the form of a man, Jesus. He died on the Cross for us. In that death, He is able to take all of our sins upon Himself, and He is able to give us His righteousness. If we repent and follow Him, we may have life.
What do you think? Do you believe there is a God up there with the power to make light without a source? A God that is holy and blameless? The Bible tells us incredible things, not the least of which is that there is a God there who loves us, despite all the evil we have committed. There is a God who loves us so much that He gave up His own Son so that we can be reconciled to Him.
This is a transcript of today’s Christian Pilgrimage podcast. To subscribe to the podcast using iTunes, please click here. To listen to the podcast without iTunes, please follow this link.]And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
-Genesis 1:3-5
I don’t know how many times I’ve read this. You know, it’s Genesis 1, and even the most undisciplined Bible readers get at least that far. But recently, I noticed something I had never noticed before. I just read from verse 3, where God creates light. But as I read on, I noticed that it wasn’t until verse 14 that God creates the sun. He created light on day one, and the sun on day four.
A lot of people much smarter than me have noticed this a long time ago, and there has been a debate about it for some time. Where did the light come from? Those who take the Bible as myth use this to attack it, and others will come up with explanations to defend it.
But I think a lot of people miss the point here.
Even in the Church, there are a lot of beliefs about Creation. Some believe in a literal six-day Creation. Others believe in a God-guided evolution, and the “days” in Genesis aren’t literal. God willing, I would like to discuss these theories in an upcoming episode.
These theories are all fine, but there is one thing God will not let you do. He will not let you explain God out of Creation. Right from the beginning of the Bible, He is going to make you choose – do you believe, or do you not?
Perhaps you can fit a theory of evolution into the Bible. Maybe you can explain all the miracles away. Maybe you can even try to rationalize the Resurrection. But in this first chapter of Genesis, God is going to ask you to either accept Him or reject Him, and there is no way around it. You either believe in a God that can make a result before a cause, or you don’t. You either believe in a God that can make light before the source of light, or you don’t.
It is an important question to ask, because this God that created an effect of the sun before the sun itself also created you, and He created you to live forever. This question is critical, because this Bible that makes this extraordinary claim at its beginning also says a lot about you. It says that only absolute perfection will earn us heaven. Have you sinned? Have you ever been greedy? Have you ever lied? Have you ever been unduly angry at someone? Have you ever lusted? Then you’ve fallen short of the glory of God. “The wages of sin is death,” and we have all earned death.
But the same God through which the universe was created came to earth in the form of a man, Jesus. He died on the Cross for us. In that death, He is able to take all of our sins upon Himself, and He is able to give us His righteousness. If we repent and follow Him, we may have life.
What do you think? Do you believe there is a God up there with the power to make light without a source? A God that is holy and blameless? The Bible tells us incredible things, not the least of which is that there is a God there who loves us, despite all the evil we have committed. There is a God who loves us so much that He gave up His own Son so that we can be reconciled to Him.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Proverbs 2:17: Warning! Discussion of mature themes within
“who forsakes the companion of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God;”
-Proverbs 2:17
Last time, we started to look at the second major section of chapter 2: the adulteress. In that verse, we were mainly looking at the fact that she did not follow the God of the Bible, and what that means for us today. In this verse, let’s look a little bit at sexual sin in general, since this woman has forsaken the companion of her youth.
There seems to be a lot of confusion about sexual sin, so let’s define a few terms.
Adultery is when you cheat on a spouse.
Fornication is when you have any sexual contact with anyone who is not your spouse. A lot of translations will use the phrase “sexual immorality” here, which has confused people. Some have even gone so far as to say that this is only adultery, and fornication is not wrong. Well, that term in the Greek is “porneia,” and it means any sort of sex outside of marriage, including sleeping with your boyfriend, heavy petting, stripping for someone, posting pictures online, or anything else you can think of.
And if you don’t agree that these are sins, Jesus tells us “that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28). So pretty much anything that will get you excited is also adultery, just in case you deny that it is poreia.
Homosexuality of any kind is also forbidden for both men and women (for example, Romans 1:27-28).
So is sex bad? Heavens, no! May it never be! The Bible speaks very highly of sexual relations, but that it was meant for marriage. Whether we want to admit it or not, there is a spiritual connection that happens when two people make love, and that connection was meant for one person.
God does not want to steal our joy, but to free us into real joy. He wants us to be sexually open and free within a relationship, without dragging around a past that probably lead to jealousy, shame, regret, comparisons, or what ifs. He wants us to experience one another unselfishly and lovingly, without restraint, for all our lives.
We bring honor to our wives like this. We show them love by waiting for them, by treasuring them, by making them the only one. We bring honor to husbands this way, by respecting them enough to make love to them only. We bring honor to those who are not our spouses by not taking what belongs to a future spouse. We bring honor also to God, by following His plan rather than our own momentary desires. We make the statement that He is more important than getting laid tonight. “You were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:20).
This connection is mirrored in the way Jesus loves His Church. He would do anything for His Church, and even died for her. His Church is not something He will leave for another church, or cheat on. He chose that Church from the foundation of the world, and there will never be another.
Even while we were sinners, Jesus died for us. Even when we were committing all sorts of sins against Him, including sexual ones, He came to earth and died upon the Cross to take our sins upon Himself. It is a wonderful feeling to know that someone has stayed true to you even before that person knew you. That was Jesus, even when turned to other things that seemed more important.
He will forgive you if you repent and follow Him. It may be that He chose you from the beginning of time and is calling for you now to join His Church. The Church is His bride, and even though we do not come pure, He has cleaned us with His Blood, and He welcomes us and will always stay true.
A wayward man will repent of his past when he falls so completely in love that his own desires are not as important. Repent also to God, for He is worthy of that love.
-Proverbs 2:17
Last time, we started to look at the second major section of chapter 2: the adulteress. In that verse, we were mainly looking at the fact that she did not follow the God of the Bible, and what that means for us today. In this verse, let’s look a little bit at sexual sin in general, since this woman has forsaken the companion of her youth.
There seems to be a lot of confusion about sexual sin, so let’s define a few terms.
Adultery is when you cheat on a spouse.
Fornication is when you have any sexual contact with anyone who is not your spouse. A lot of translations will use the phrase “sexual immorality” here, which has confused people. Some have even gone so far as to say that this is only adultery, and fornication is not wrong. Well, that term in the Greek is “porneia,” and it means any sort of sex outside of marriage, including sleeping with your boyfriend, heavy petting, stripping for someone, posting pictures online, or anything else you can think of.
And if you don’t agree that these are sins, Jesus tells us “that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28). So pretty much anything that will get you excited is also adultery, just in case you deny that it is poreia.
Homosexuality of any kind is also forbidden for both men and women (for example, Romans 1:27-28).
So is sex bad? Heavens, no! May it never be! The Bible speaks very highly of sexual relations, but that it was meant for marriage. Whether we want to admit it or not, there is a spiritual connection that happens when two people make love, and that connection was meant for one person.
God does not want to steal our joy, but to free us into real joy. He wants us to be sexually open and free within a relationship, without dragging around a past that probably lead to jealousy, shame, regret, comparisons, or what ifs. He wants us to experience one another unselfishly and lovingly, without restraint, for all our lives.
We bring honor to our wives like this. We show them love by waiting for them, by treasuring them, by making them the only one. We bring honor to husbands this way, by respecting them enough to make love to them only. We bring honor to those who are not our spouses by not taking what belongs to a future spouse. We bring honor also to God, by following His plan rather than our own momentary desires. We make the statement that He is more important than getting laid tonight. “You were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:20).
This connection is mirrored in the way Jesus loves His Church. He would do anything for His Church, and even died for her. His Church is not something He will leave for another church, or cheat on. He chose that Church from the foundation of the world, and there will never be another.
Even while we were sinners, Jesus died for us. Even when we were committing all sorts of sins against Him, including sexual ones, He came to earth and died upon the Cross to take our sins upon Himself. It is a wonderful feeling to know that someone has stayed true to you even before that person knew you. That was Jesus, even when turned to other things that seemed more important.
He will forgive you if you repent and follow Him. It may be that He chose you from the beginning of time and is calling for you now to join His Church. The Church is His bride, and even though we do not come pure, He has cleaned us with His Blood, and He welcomes us and will always stay true.
A wayward man will repent of his past when he falls so completely in love that his own desires are not as important. Repent also to God, for He is worthy of that love.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Proverbs 2:16: Who are you dating now?
“So you will be delivered from the forbidden woman, from the adulteress with her smooth words,”
-Proverbs 2:16
Solomon begins here a new section of advice, one that should have a great deal of meaning for us today, since he is talking about sex. (Yeah, I can already see my web traffic tripling over this series.)
So this first verse has a lot to talk about, so let’s dive right in.
In the first part of it, the “forbidden woman” (some translations say “strange woman”) is specifically referring to a foreign woman. So is Solomon telling us to stick to our own kind or something like that? Absolutely not. After all, Solomon’s great-grandmother Ruth was a Gentile.
No, when the Old Testament tells us not to marry foreigners, it is telling us not to marry outside our faith. It is worded that way because, at the time, Israelites typically followed the God of the Bible and other nations followed other false gods. So the Bible will sometimes say, “Stay away from foreign women,” in the context of marrying only within the faith. This is why we can celebrate women like Ruth and Rahab, both Gentiles, who were converted to the God of the Bible.
How does this translate now? It translates to, “Don’t date non-Christians.” We are called to hang out with non-Christians, to speak with them about Jesus, but not to date, court, marry, sleep with them, or anything else of that nature with them.
But I love him! But maybe if I date him I can talk to him about Jesus! If I sleep with him then maybe he’ll come to church with me!
This is a huge problem in the church, and it comes out of two sins: idolatry and unbelief.
Idolatry because you put a boyfriend / girlfriend / fiancée / fiancé / whatever in front of Jesus. God tells us to not get into romantic relationships with non-believers, but you put that non-believer before God by obeying the non-believer instead of God. You sacrifice your time, energy, body, and conscience for that person instead of saving all for God.
If you ever disobey God for another person or thing, you have made that thing or person into an idol.
It is unbelief when you decide that you need this person if you will be happy. Or when you say that you need to date that person so that he will come to Jesus. You do not believe that God’s grace is sufficient, and that He will provide for you, and that He can bring that other person to Himself without your help.
Why is this important? It’s important because no one can serve two masters. No one can focus on both God and to some husband who rejects God. In a marriage, both members together should be working toward God together. But if a wife is pulling you one way and God another, then you are going to be torn.
Solomon is the best example of this, because he eventually rejected his own advice and married a bunch of pagans. You know what? By the end of his life, he bowed a knee to those false gods because his wives were constantly pulling him in that direction.
Our love for God should be stronger than any attraction we find for someone else. If it’s not, then you have more to worry about than your boyfriend.
Now, what about the people who already married the nonbeliever? In this case, the Bible calls us to stay married (1 Corinthians 7:13). Do not let one mistake lead to another. Stay in the marriage, love as Christ loved, and He will be your guide.
God does not tell us these things to punish us or something, but for our own benefit. You see, Jesus is a greater gift than any man or woman can be. Because of our sin, we are separated from God, but Jesus, in death, took our punishment for us. Through Him we can have eternal life in a place without pain and death. And yet we are often so willing to trade that gift for a temporary one, like a boyfriend, sex, or just someone to pay attention to us. God tells us these things because He knows that His Grace is sufficient for us. We do not have to be like Solomon, who turned away from the blessings of God because his wives were tempting him to something far less wonderful.
If I have described you today, repent and flee to Jesus. He is faithful to forgive our sins, and He will always welcome us.
-Proverbs 2:16
Solomon begins here a new section of advice, one that should have a great deal of meaning for us today, since he is talking about sex. (Yeah, I can already see my web traffic tripling over this series.)
So this first verse has a lot to talk about, so let’s dive right in.
In the first part of it, the “forbidden woman” (some translations say “strange woman”) is specifically referring to a foreign woman. So is Solomon telling us to stick to our own kind or something like that? Absolutely not. After all, Solomon’s great-grandmother Ruth was a Gentile.
No, when the Old Testament tells us not to marry foreigners, it is telling us not to marry outside our faith. It is worded that way because, at the time, Israelites typically followed the God of the Bible and other nations followed other false gods. So the Bible will sometimes say, “Stay away from foreign women,” in the context of marrying only within the faith. This is why we can celebrate women like Ruth and Rahab, both Gentiles, who were converted to the God of the Bible.
How does this translate now? It translates to, “Don’t date non-Christians.” We are called to hang out with non-Christians, to speak with them about Jesus, but not to date, court, marry, sleep with them, or anything else of that nature with them.
Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?
-2 Corinthians 6:14
But I love him! But maybe if I date him I can talk to him about Jesus! If I sleep with him then maybe he’ll come to church with me!
This is a huge problem in the church, and it comes out of two sins: idolatry and unbelief.
Idolatry because you put a boyfriend / girlfriend / fiancée / fiancé / whatever in front of Jesus. God tells us to not get into romantic relationships with non-believers, but you put that non-believer before God by obeying the non-believer instead of God. You sacrifice your time, energy, body, and conscience for that person instead of saving all for God.
If you ever disobey God for another person or thing, you have made that thing or person into an idol.
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
-1 Corinthians 6:19-20
It is unbelief when you decide that you need this person if you will be happy. Or when you say that you need to date that person so that he will come to Jesus. You do not believe that God’s grace is sufficient, and that He will provide for you, and that He can bring that other person to Himself without your help.
Why is this important? It’s important because no one can serve two masters. No one can focus on both God and to some husband who rejects God. In a marriage, both members together should be working toward God together. But if a wife is pulling you one way and God another, then you are going to be torn.
Solomon is the best example of this, because he eventually rejected his own advice and married a bunch of pagans. You know what? By the end of his life, he bowed a knee to those false gods because his wives were constantly pulling him in that direction.
Our love for God should be stronger than any attraction we find for someone else. If it’s not, then you have more to worry about than your boyfriend.
Now, what about the people who already married the nonbeliever? In this case, the Bible calls us to stay married (1 Corinthians 7:13). Do not let one mistake lead to another. Stay in the marriage, love as Christ loved, and He will be your guide.
God does not tell us these things to punish us or something, but for our own benefit. You see, Jesus is a greater gift than any man or woman can be. Because of our sin, we are separated from God, but Jesus, in death, took our punishment for us. Through Him we can have eternal life in a place without pain and death. And yet we are often so willing to trade that gift for a temporary one, like a boyfriend, sex, or just someone to pay attention to us. God tells us these things because He knows that His Grace is sufficient for us. We do not have to be like Solomon, who turned away from the blessings of God because his wives were tempting him to something far less wonderful.
If I have described you today, repent and flee to Jesus. He is faithful to forgive our sins, and He will always welcome us.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Podcast Episode 2: A Pilgrim’s Journey
[ This is a transcript of today’s Christian Pilgrimage podcast. To subscribe to the podcast using iTunes, please click here. To listen to the podcast without iTunes, please follow this link.]
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
-2 Timothy 4:7
I love the concept of the pilgrimage, the journey to somewhere that has religious significance. In the Middle Ages, people would often go for a long journey from one cathedral to another to gaze upon the relics of a particular church. While I do not agree with the practice of keeping and displaying relics, I do quite approve of people setting off upon the road with the intention of growing spiritually.
Our pilgrimages may look different. Some become missionaries and set off to far away lands. Some begin a project that will help a neighborhood. Some will simply set their hearts to reading the Bible straight through. These are activities that will take us on a journey, sometimes by roads we never thought likely, and yet they go with the intention to grow and maybe help others grow.
We called the blog and now the podcast “The Christian Pilgrimage” for this reason. This is part of our walk, our journey, with Jesus. Honestly, I did not think, even a few months ago, that I would be doing a podcast. My path has been laid somewhat differently than I originally planned, and yet here I am, seeking growth and to help others grow.
The Bible doesn’t tell us where we will walk, but it tells us how.
Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
-Colossians 2:6-7
Again:
And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
-Ephesians 5:2
Walk in Him. Walk in love.
It is not always an easy journey. Jesus tells us, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). By this cross He means we are to take the good news of the Bible to others, and yet the imagery He uses is not a pleasant sight.
And yet it is by that Cross we are saved. I cannot walk with Christ without His help. He lived perfectly, without a single sin, and I have committed many. I would have fallen well behind Him without His help.
But that’s the point of the Cross. None of us are worthy of His love. None of us are worthy of eternal life. In our failings we deserve death by God’s flawless standard. But when Jesus died on the Cross, He took on the sins of the world with Him. He died in our stead. Now we do not have to die, but may have life.
For our part, we must repent. We must take those sins of ours and give them over to Jesus so that He may pay for them. Repent and ask His forgiveness, for if you repent and believe in your heart that He is Lord, you will be saved.
Next time, we will begin our pilgrimage in earnest, starting from the very beginning. I hope you will join me.
This is a transcript of today’s Christian Pilgrimage podcast. To subscribe to the podcast using iTunes, please click here. To listen to the podcast without iTunes, please follow this link.]I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
-2 Timothy 4:7
I love the concept of the pilgrimage, the journey to somewhere that has religious significance. In the Middle Ages, people would often go for a long journey from one cathedral to another to gaze upon the relics of a particular church. While I do not agree with the practice of keeping and displaying relics, I do quite approve of people setting off upon the road with the intention of growing spiritually.
Our pilgrimages may look different. Some become missionaries and set off to far away lands. Some begin a project that will help a neighborhood. Some will simply set their hearts to reading the Bible straight through. These are activities that will take us on a journey, sometimes by roads we never thought likely, and yet they go with the intention to grow and maybe help others grow.
We called the blog and now the podcast “The Christian Pilgrimage” for this reason. This is part of our walk, our journey, with Jesus. Honestly, I did not think, even a few months ago, that I would be doing a podcast. My path has been laid somewhat differently than I originally planned, and yet here I am, seeking growth and to help others grow.
The Bible doesn’t tell us where we will walk, but it tells us how.
Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
-Colossians 2:6-7
Again:
And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
-Ephesians 5:2
Walk in Him. Walk in love.
It is not always an easy journey. Jesus tells us, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). By this cross He means we are to take the good news of the Bible to others, and yet the imagery He uses is not a pleasant sight.
And yet it is by that Cross we are saved. I cannot walk with Christ without His help. He lived perfectly, without a single sin, and I have committed many. I would have fallen well behind Him without His help.
But that’s the point of the Cross. None of us are worthy of His love. None of us are worthy of eternal life. In our failings we deserve death by God’s flawless standard. But when Jesus died on the Cross, He took on the sins of the world with Him. He died in our stead. Now we do not have to die, but may have life.
For our part, we must repent. We must take those sins of ours and give them over to Jesus so that He may pay for them. Repent and ask His forgiveness, for if you repent and believe in your heart that He is Lord, you will be saved.
Next time, we will begin our pilgrimage in earnest, starting from the very beginning. I hope you will join me.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Proverbs 2:15: The great Ruler in the sky (pun intended)
[God will deliver your from] “men whose paths are crooked, and who are devious in their ways.”
-Proverbs 2:15
How do we know if a line is crooked? It’s obvious, you may say! If it’s curved one way or another, then it’s crooked. And what if the curve is very subtle? Then you may need a ruler to judge.
Let us turn the question to one that is often asked in these times. “What is normal?” What is right, for what is right for you may not be right for me?
When we judge ourselves by the people around us, it is like measuring a crooked line by a crooked ruler. What is straight? We cannot say for sure. And if we cannot say what is straight, then how can we know if something is crooked?
That is the problem in today’s moral climate. How can we know if we are doing right when we judge ourselves by our neighbor who is acting the same way as we are? If the blind lead the blind, as Jesus said, both will fall into the pit.
I’ve heard it a thousand times in moral debates. One person may say, “This behavior is wrong,” and the other person will counter, “And you’re any better?”
And the second guy has a point. If I’m going to try to help my brother with the speck in his eye, I need to first take care of the log in my own.
But all of this leaves us in a bad place. If everyone is walking a crooked path, then how can we even know what a straight path looks like?
Jesus.
When God tells us He will save us from men whose paths are crooked, He is telling us that He will place us on a path that is straight. You see, while we are looking at a bunch of crooked lines and trying to figure out what a straight on looks like, God has the ruler to help.
He sent Jesus Christ to earth to walk the straight path for us, and He is our example to follow. But that’s not enough, because my path is already crooked. Because I have so totally failed morally, I am not worthy of life. But that is why Jesus died. Though He was perfect, He still died for me, taking the punishment I deserve.
If I repent of my crooked ways and confess Him as Savior, He will place me on His own straight path.
I once walked a crooked path. I was once devious in my ways. Jesus took those sins away from me and gave me His righteousness. Now I am saved from that path, and I will not find the road’s end there, for that crooked road only leads to death. God has saved me from that fate, and He can save you too if you will repent and follow Him.
Subscribe to our weekly podcast!
Or, if you don't have iTunes, go over to http://christianpilgrimage.libsyn.com/ to listen.
-Proverbs 2:15
How do we know if a line is crooked? It’s obvious, you may say! If it’s curved one way or another, then it’s crooked. And what if the curve is very subtle? Then you may need a ruler to judge.
Let us turn the question to one that is often asked in these times. “What is normal?” What is right, for what is right for you may not be right for me?
When we judge ourselves by the people around us, it is like measuring a crooked line by a crooked ruler. What is straight? We cannot say for sure. And if we cannot say what is straight, then how can we know if something is crooked?
That is the problem in today’s moral climate. How can we know if we are doing right when we judge ourselves by our neighbor who is acting the same way as we are? If the blind lead the blind, as Jesus said, both will fall into the pit.
I’ve heard it a thousand times in moral debates. One person may say, “This behavior is wrong,” and the other person will counter, “And you’re any better?”
And the second guy has a point. If I’m going to try to help my brother with the speck in his eye, I need to first take care of the log in my own.
But all of this leaves us in a bad place. If everyone is walking a crooked path, then how can we even know what a straight path looks like?
Jesus.
When God tells us He will save us from men whose paths are crooked, He is telling us that He will place us on a path that is straight. You see, while we are looking at a bunch of crooked lines and trying to figure out what a straight on looks like, God has the ruler to help.
He sent Jesus Christ to earth to walk the straight path for us, and He is our example to follow. But that’s not enough, because my path is already crooked. Because I have so totally failed morally, I am not worthy of life. But that is why Jesus died. Though He was perfect, He still died for me, taking the punishment I deserve.
If I repent of my crooked ways and confess Him as Savior, He will place me on His own straight path.
I once walked a crooked path. I was once devious in my ways. Jesus took those sins away from me and gave me His righteousness. Now I am saved from that path, and I will not find the road’s end there, for that crooked road only leads to death. God has saved me from that fate, and He can save you too if you will repent and follow Him.
Subscribe to our weekly podcast!Or, if you don't have iTunes, go over to http://christianpilgrimage.libsyn.com/ to listen.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Introducing the Christian Pilgrimage PODCAST!
That’s right, we’re branching out here at the Christian Pilgrimage into audio. We’re going to be hosting a weekly, 5- to 10-minute podcast on Scripture, biblical questions, and prayer.
If you have iTunes, head over to:
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=305257330.
Otherwise, check out http://christianpilgrimage.libsyn.com/.
And stay turned here at the blog for verse-by-verse exploration of Proverbs.
If you have iTunes, head over to:
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=305257330.
Otherwise, check out http://christianpilgrimage.libsyn.com/.
And stay turned here at the blog for verse-by-verse exploration of Proverbs.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Proverbs 2:14: Mine is an evil laugh!
[God will deliver you from those] “who rejoice in doing evil and delight in the perverseness of evil,”
-Proverbs 2:14
I am constantly amazed at the lengths this generation will go to deny the existence of evil.
We will excuse murderers and rapists because something traumatic happened to them as children, and therefore it’s not their fault. We will try to better understand terrorists so we will know what their situations are. Tyrants are asked to speak at American universities and are given standing ovations.
No longer are the Hitlers or today condemned for their actions. Actually, the only people who seem to be uniformly condemned in this country are corrupt CEOs. It’s good we at least find that offensive, but why we think that playing around with stocks is worse than killing people, I really can’t say.
Of course, when it comes right down to it, we all believe in right and wrong. We can preach all we want that everything is relative and that there is no evil, but if someone punches us in the mouth, we’re going to get upset. Why? Because we were wronged.
The world is filled with people who do evil and like it. From the dictator who takes perverse pleasure in his power to the man who likes to cheat on his wife, there is evil in this world.
And it’s not limited to them. How many of us like to get away with a lie, or would willingly cheat a neighbor in a business deal? “The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5).
The machinations of evil men are all about us, sometimes even in ourselves. What are we to do?
We are to follow after God. His Spirit is promised to help protect us, and He gives life eternal for those who would follow, so not even the efforts of a tyrant or murderer can destroy us.
Yes, we have all committed evil, and in doing that we have fallen short of God’s glory. We are unworthy of life. But when Jesus came to earth, He died on the Cross even though He did not deserve it. When He did this, He paid the price we owe in our evilness. He took on our sin, and in exchange He gives us His righteousness.
If we repent of all of those evil ways and believe that He is the Son of God, He will give us life. Accept His sacrifice and ask for His forgiveness. Turn away from evil and to the only one who is worthy.
-Proverbs 2:14
I am constantly amazed at the lengths this generation will go to deny the existence of evil.
We will excuse murderers and rapists because something traumatic happened to them as children, and therefore it’s not their fault. We will try to better understand terrorists so we will know what their situations are. Tyrants are asked to speak at American universities and are given standing ovations.
No longer are the Hitlers or today condemned for their actions. Actually, the only people who seem to be uniformly condemned in this country are corrupt CEOs. It’s good we at least find that offensive, but why we think that playing around with stocks is worse than killing people, I really can’t say.
Of course, when it comes right down to it, we all believe in right and wrong. We can preach all we want that everything is relative and that there is no evil, but if someone punches us in the mouth, we’re going to get upset. Why? Because we were wronged.
The world is filled with people who do evil and like it. From the dictator who takes perverse pleasure in his power to the man who likes to cheat on his wife, there is evil in this world.
And it’s not limited to them. How many of us like to get away with a lie, or would willingly cheat a neighbor in a business deal? “The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5).
The machinations of evil men are all about us, sometimes even in ourselves. What are we to do?
We are to follow after God. His Spirit is promised to help protect us, and He gives life eternal for those who would follow, so not even the efforts of a tyrant or murderer can destroy us.
Yes, we have all committed evil, and in doing that we have fallen short of God’s glory. We are unworthy of life. But when Jesus came to earth, He died on the Cross even though He did not deserve it. When He did this, He paid the price we owe in our evilness. He took on our sin, and in exchange He gives us His righteousness.
If we repent of all of those evil ways and believe that He is the Son of God, He will give us life. Accept His sacrifice and ask for His forgiveness. Turn away from evil and to the only one who is worthy.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Proverbs 2:13: I’m not a bad person!
[God will deliver you from those] “who forsake the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness,”
-Proverbs 2:13
I love the way this section is written.
Solomon has been talking about how God will deliver us from evil, and so now he’s going to give us several verses that tell us about the people He’s going to rescue us from.
It’s great because we’re all expecting him to talk about the murderers and rapists and people who talk in the theater, but that’s not where he starts. In fact, he starts with someone who may not be doing much wrong at all. He starts with us.
So often we want to look at the Bible and say, “I don’t really need to worry about this, because I’m not a bad person.” “Not a bad person” is the standard of so many people. When Jesus tells us to love, so many will respond, “Well, I don’t hate anyone, so that’s good enough.” When Jesus tells us to give, so many will respond, “Well, I don’t steal anything, so that’s good enough.” We aren’t bad, but we certainly aren’t good either.
Jesus tells us about the Day of Judgment, and it’s interesting what He says to the people who are to be cast out:
I find that interesting, because He doesn’t say, “Depart from me, for you murdered people and talked in the theater.” No, the standard is not “I’m not a bad person,” it’s, “I’m a good person.”
The standard for Heaven is love: pure, undefiled, not seeking of its own gain, never failing, never faltering. That’s the standard.
We’re not good people, my friends. We have forsaken the paths of righteousness for the paths of darkness. We are this person in this verse. Maybe we’re not too bad compared to other people, but against God’s standard, we don’t make it.
We need His forgiveness. And that is why Jesus came to earth and died. See, we deserve to be cast out like those people in the passage above. But Jesus, who loved us even when we did not love Him, died upon the Cross to take our place in death. Then He rose again and returned to Heaven to make a place for us in eternal life.
If we repent of our failures to reach God’s standard and believe in Jesus, we will be saved. God will rescue us from this fate.
-Proverbs 2:13
I love the way this section is written.
Solomon has been talking about how God will deliver us from evil, and so now he’s going to give us several verses that tell us about the people He’s going to rescue us from.
It’s great because we’re all expecting him to talk about the murderers and rapists and people who talk in the theater, but that’s not where he starts. In fact, he starts with someone who may not be doing much wrong at all. He starts with us.
So often we want to look at the Bible and say, “I don’t really need to worry about this, because I’m not a bad person.” “Not a bad person” is the standard of so many people. When Jesus tells us to love, so many will respond, “Well, I don’t hate anyone, so that’s good enough.” When Jesus tells us to give, so many will respond, “Well, I don’t steal anything, so that’s good enough.” We aren’t bad, but we certainly aren’t good either.
Jesus tells us about the Day of Judgment, and it’s interesting what He says to the people who are to be cast out:
Then he will say to those on his left, “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.”
-Matthew 25:41-43
I find that interesting, because He doesn’t say, “Depart from me, for you murdered people and talked in the theater.” No, the standard is not “I’m not a bad person,” it’s, “I’m a good person.”
The standard for Heaven is love: pure, undefiled, not seeking of its own gain, never failing, never faltering. That’s the standard.
We’re not good people, my friends. We have forsaken the paths of righteousness for the paths of darkness. We are this person in this verse. Maybe we’re not too bad compared to other people, but against God’s standard, we don’t make it.
We need His forgiveness. And that is why Jesus came to earth and died. See, we deserve to be cast out like those people in the passage above. But Jesus, who loved us even when we did not love Him, died upon the Cross to take our place in death. Then He rose again and returned to Heaven to make a place for us in eternal life.
If we repent of our failures to reach God’s standard and believe in Jesus, we will be saved. God will rescue us from this fate.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Proverbs 2:12: Those people always act frowardly!
“delivering you from the way of evil, from men of perverted speech,”
-Proverbs 2:12
In my research of this verse, I also read the King James Version, which reads, “To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things.”
And let me add that it will be a small miracle if I can catch my spellchecker as it changes every mention of “froward” and changes it for “forward.”
Like my spellchecker, I thought for sure the online version of the KJV misspelled something there. But no; according to dictionary.com, “froward” means “willfully contrary,” amongst other things.
Either translation will due, but both together tells us something. Solomon is speaking of men who speak evil, and they are doing so willfully, or on purpose.
The wisdom and discretion that the Spirit gives us will move us not only away from evil action (the “way of evil”), but also evil speech.
That’s a profound statement. I would say that most people think they are good people, but if you sit next to them at work or at dinner, you will hear all sorts of gossip, of glee at the misfortune of others, and so forth.
You ask someone if he is a good person, and immediately he will think about those people who murder or rape or steal. We judge ourselves against the worst this world has to offer, and we decide we’re pretty good.
Except, how many times is our speech froward? How many times is the way we talk to others just wrong? How much of our lives is spent on lust, greed, selfishness, and hatred?
Paul tells us that we are all slaves. In essence, we have enslaved ourselves to something, whatever it is we obey without fail. “You are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness” (Romans 6:16). That’s what this verse is talking about. The Spirit frees us from that slavery to sin and brings us in line with righteousness, in action and speech.
The truth is this. Whether I have actually killed someone is beside the point, I was still a sinner. In speech, thought, and action I betrayed God and others. I lusted, hated, and sought my own gain above others. I did not love.
If I compare myself to the worst of this world, I’m okay. But God’s standard is different. If we break any part of His perfect Law, then we are guilty of the entire thing (James 2:10). I am guilty, and I deserve death.
But Jesus was not guilty. He is the Son of God, come to earth as a man to die for me. And you. Even though He is innocent, He still died, and in that death He took my sins upon the Cross and paid their price for me. Then He rose from the dead to give us His Spirit and make a place for us with God for eternity.
And all I have to do is lay those sins upon Him and follow. If you repent from your sins and believe in Him, He will do the same for you. Because He rose from the dead, we can talk with Him today. Ask Him for His Grace.
-Proverbs 2:12
In my research of this verse, I also read the King James Version, which reads, “To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things.”
And let me add that it will be a small miracle if I can catch my spellchecker as it changes every mention of “froward” and changes it for “forward.”
Like my spellchecker, I thought for sure the online version of the KJV misspelled something there. But no; according to dictionary.com, “froward” means “willfully contrary,” amongst other things.
Either translation will due, but both together tells us something. Solomon is speaking of men who speak evil, and they are doing so willfully, or on purpose.
The wisdom and discretion that the Spirit gives us will move us not only away from evil action (the “way of evil”), but also evil speech.
That’s a profound statement. I would say that most people think they are good people, but if you sit next to them at work or at dinner, you will hear all sorts of gossip, of glee at the misfortune of others, and so forth.
You ask someone if he is a good person, and immediately he will think about those people who murder or rape or steal. We judge ourselves against the worst this world has to offer, and we decide we’re pretty good.
Except, how many times is our speech froward? How many times is the way we talk to others just wrong? How much of our lives is spent on lust, greed, selfishness, and hatred?
Paul tells us that we are all slaves. In essence, we have enslaved ourselves to something, whatever it is we obey without fail. “You are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness” (Romans 6:16). That’s what this verse is talking about. The Spirit frees us from that slavery to sin and brings us in line with righteousness, in action and speech.
The truth is this. Whether I have actually killed someone is beside the point, I was still a sinner. In speech, thought, and action I betrayed God and others. I lusted, hated, and sought my own gain above others. I did not love.
If I compare myself to the worst of this world, I’m okay. But God’s standard is different. If we break any part of His perfect Law, then we are guilty of the entire thing (James 2:10). I am guilty, and I deserve death.
But Jesus was not guilty. He is the Son of God, come to earth as a man to die for me. And you. Even though He is innocent, He still died, and in that death He took my sins upon the Cross and paid their price for me. Then He rose from the dead to give us His Spirit and make a place for us with God for eternity.
And all I have to do is lay those sins upon Him and follow. If you repent from your sins and believe in Him, He will do the same for you. Because He rose from the dead, we can talk with Him today. Ask Him for His Grace.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Proverbs 2:11: Someone to watch over me
“discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you,”
-Proverbs 2:11
Have you read the poem “Footprints?” It’s a nice little poem that has unfortunately been over produced on wall plaques and cards, though the idea of it is pretty good.
The basic plot is that there’s a guy walking with Jesus though the sand, and at the end of his road he looks back, and at the worst times of his life, he notices that there are only one set of footprints. He’s sort of upset, because these are the times he really needed his Savior. “Jesus,” he says, “where were you in those times?”
“Those are the times I carried you,” Jesus replied.
I think of Jesus a lot like this, as a guide and traveling companion, and that is true. But in this verse I’m struck by something else. You see, the trouble with thinking of Jesus as a mere guide is that sometimes you get too far behind for a guide. I remember one friend of mine who once wanted me to follow him to a certain part of town, but then he sped off, swerving in and out of traffic, and I had no hope to follow. Sometimes a guide can be like that.
But that’s not the full promise of Jesus. Yes, He does promise to be with us, to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20), but he also promises to send His Spirit (Acts 1:8). His Spirit is a guide, but He is a guide within us.
The promises God makes in this section of Proverbs is to change us from within, to guard us from within, to better us from within.
In this case, our new understanding will protect us. This understanding of God and His creation will first protect us by steering us away from sin in the first place, but it will also protect us from fear and worry, for we will know God, and we will trust in His plan. It will guide us against false teachers, and lead us in telling others the truth.
We will also have discretion to speak, think, and act wisely. How much trouble I would have avoided, even in the last week, had I only held my tongue instead of speaking or said something differently than I did!
The Hebrew word here is interesting, because it can also be translated “purpose.” I think the end result is the same. Someone with discretion will avoid distractions and traps, but so would someone with purpose. But I think the fullness of this word adds something to the verse. He gives us purpose. That is something I have found lacking in so many.
We do not get these things by being good or earning them. We cannot. We have all fallen short of God’s glory. In every moment of greed, selfishness, undue anger, and lust we fall short. That’s not the way we receive God’s Spirit.
We receive it through Jesus.
Only He has proven worthy of the glory of God, and yet He sacrificed Himself for us. He died upon the Cross to take the punishment for our sin. We need only accept that sacrifice through repentance and asking for forgiveness.
It is a free gift, made out of love, and with it comes discretion, understanding, purpose, and life.
-Proverbs 2:11
Have you read the poem “Footprints?” It’s a nice little poem that has unfortunately been over produced on wall plaques and cards, though the idea of it is pretty good.
The basic plot is that there’s a guy walking with Jesus though the sand, and at the end of his road he looks back, and at the worst times of his life, he notices that there are only one set of footprints. He’s sort of upset, because these are the times he really needed his Savior. “Jesus,” he says, “where were you in those times?”
“Those are the times I carried you,” Jesus replied.
I think of Jesus a lot like this, as a guide and traveling companion, and that is true. But in this verse I’m struck by something else. You see, the trouble with thinking of Jesus as a mere guide is that sometimes you get too far behind for a guide. I remember one friend of mine who once wanted me to follow him to a certain part of town, but then he sped off, swerving in and out of traffic, and I had no hope to follow. Sometimes a guide can be like that.
But that’s not the full promise of Jesus. Yes, He does promise to be with us, to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20), but he also promises to send His Spirit (Acts 1:8). His Spirit is a guide, but He is a guide within us.
The promises God makes in this section of Proverbs is to change us from within, to guard us from within, to better us from within.
In this case, our new understanding will protect us. This understanding of God and His creation will first protect us by steering us away from sin in the first place, but it will also protect us from fear and worry, for we will know God, and we will trust in His plan. It will guide us against false teachers, and lead us in telling others the truth.
We will also have discretion to speak, think, and act wisely. How much trouble I would have avoided, even in the last week, had I only held my tongue instead of speaking or said something differently than I did!
The Hebrew word here is interesting, because it can also be translated “purpose.” I think the end result is the same. Someone with discretion will avoid distractions and traps, but so would someone with purpose. But I think the fullness of this word adds something to the verse. He gives us purpose. That is something I have found lacking in so many.
We do not get these things by being good or earning them. We cannot. We have all fallen short of God’s glory. In every moment of greed, selfishness, undue anger, and lust we fall short. That’s not the way we receive God’s Spirit.
We receive it through Jesus.
Only He has proven worthy of the glory of God, and yet He sacrificed Himself for us. He died upon the Cross to take the punishment for our sin. We need only accept that sacrifice through repentance and asking for forgiveness.
It is a free gift, made out of love, and with it comes discretion, understanding, purpose, and life.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)