The Three Cs

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. No one likes to be called ungodly. (Well, at least most people don't like it; I am sure you, like me, have met some profoundly proud atheists at one time.) But ungodly living is so unbecoming. Most of us don't like to be around arrogant people. We don't like heartlessness. We condemn ruthlessness, senselessness, those who harm the innocent. We rightfully take offense at boastful blasphemers. And let's be honest, who likes to be around drunks all the time ? Of course, you know the truth, don't you? You know you are just like that. Maybe not all the time ... maybe not even most of the time ... maybe rarely ... but we are all  like that. There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. (Romans 3:10-11) Yes, it's true: We are all  like that. Ungodly. Unrighteous. Yes, ...

Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves. In my last post, I challenged the idea that Jesus never said he was God, by laying out from just the first eight chapters of John how in fact he did say he was. The Jews knew what Jesus was saying, and they wanted to stone him; they just didn't get the chance. And if you will listen to Jesus' words today, you will hear him say it clearly. Today, we have what I think is the most powerful testimony yet, the Father and the Son ar...

O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified.  Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith?  Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?  Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain?  Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith—  just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?    Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham.  And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.”  So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

Whoever despises the word brings destruction on himself, but he who reveres the commandment will be rewarded. If you are a regular Bible reader, I am sure you must have looked quizzically at the title of this post and my Bible reference. The title is James 1:22. So, what's with the Proverbs reference, you ask? Yesterday, I had lunch with a Christian friend of mine who has been struggling with his faith, struggles that have him occasionally wondering if he is really saved. Maybe I am doing too much, he says. Maybe I am not doing enough. Maybe I don't really believe. Maybe my faith is dead. Passages like those in James have a way of doing that to every Christian. Do not merely listen to the Word, James writes, do as it says (James 1:22 NIV). Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? (James 2:20 ESV) For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it (James 2:10 NIV). Am I really goo...

I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. I don't know anyone who will agree with Paul on this passage. Really, Paul? Worst of sinners? I know you stoned Christians for confessing that Jesus is Lord, that you are a murderer (Acts 8:1), persecutor (1 Cor 15:9), and worst of all, blasphemer (Matt. 12:31; Lev. 24:15-16). But the worst of sinners? Really? I ...

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel — not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. I need to thank Pastor Ted Benson for today's sermon first. This entry is really just an extension of God's message through him today. But what a liberating message it was: Jesus plus nothing equals the true gospel. And it really is a reinforcement for my reading today, Acts 13-16. It is so easy to get caught in the snares of Satan. Believe, but if you don't study, you aren't saved, Satan will tell you. Believe, but if you don't speak in tongues, you aren't saved, he will tell you. Believe, but if you don't follow God's law, you aren't saved, he will tell you. Believe, but if you are sexually immoral, if you are a hater, if you are not devout, if you do this, if you don't do that, then you aren't saved...

Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For  if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law.  But the Scripture  imprisoned everything under sin, so that  the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given  to those who believe.  Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law,  imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. He is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! I really needed to hear this passage yesterday, and today, and I am sure tomorrow, too. It captures the amazing truth of the Word! Believe the good news: Jesus Christ is risen, the miracle of miracles! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Paul's letter to the Galatians is so incredibly important. Too often we get bogged down in the Law, which reminds us of our failures. We should read Galatians frequently because Paul spells out our salvation in such simple terms: We are saved by faith, not works! Je...

So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. I won't have a lot of time to spend blogging in the next couple of weeks; I am taking a minimester in psychology at ICC through the end of May to pick up what I hope are the final three social science hours I need to qualify academically at Concordia Seminary. If you have never taken a minimester (this is my first), well, understand tha...

And Saul approved of their killing him. There are certain passages of Scripture that just cut to the heart. Today, Day 2 of my reading of Acts, this line hit pretty hard, probably because of some recent conversations I have been having about calling sin sin. Saul, I was reminded, is a murderer. This devout Hellenistic Jew, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Pharisee, someone who is supposed to be one of the Good Guys, conspired in the arrest, trial, conviction, and punishment of Christians. Saul was excellent at persecution. And here, he led the charge in stoning Stephen to death. Saul is a murderer. You understand what that means don't you? Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him (1 John 3:15). For out of the heart come evil thoughts — murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what defile a person (Matt. 15:19-20). Do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the k...

See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ. I have been seeing this a lot of my readings of late. Watch out, Paul shouts, again. Watch out for the Judaizers! (Gal. 2:4) Watch out for the Pharisees! (Phil. 3:5) Watch out for the Gnostics! Watch out for the false teachers! (2 Cor. 11:4). Watch out! Don't be deceived. There is only one path to heaven, Paul is reminding us, again. And that is, Jesus (Col. 1:13-14). Christ lived for you! Christ died for you! And now, Christ lives for you! That's right, Christ LIVES for you! Jesus was dead (John 19:33-34). He was rotting in the grave (John 19:42). But now he is alive (John 20:27). The Alpha and Omega (Rev. 1:8), the creator of the world (Col. 1:16, Gen. 1:1), the Living Word, who was with God and was God (John 1:1-2), was dead but is now alive, and most importantly, lives in you (Col....

As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer  or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work—which is by faith.  The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.  Some have departed from these and have turned to meaningless talk.  They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.    We know that the law is good if one uses it properly.  We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers,  for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and p...