Results tagged “Faith”

Galatians 3:1 - "O foolish Galatians!" Paul says. Why? Because they were buying into the notion that they had to follow the law to be justified. What law? Well, specifically he refers to circumcision in chapter 2, but not directly. I don't think it's clear here what law or laws they were relying on, the sense to me is bigger than that. It's not that this law or that one isn't needed, nor that the law isn't valuable, it's that it is powerless to save. Not only that, but they were taught not to rely on the law but on faith in Jesus, so Paul calls them fools.

If Paul came back, i suspect he'd enter many of our churches and cry out "You foolish Americans!" hearing sermon after sermon on proper moral living and how to improve ourselves. We like to think that we can pull ourselves up by our bootstraps, that we can work hard to fix ourselves. We cannot, and to preach, teach or live by that philosophy is the height of foolishness.

In fact, if we could fix ourselves, it was Jesus who was the fool for coming here to be tortured and die for nothing.

Galatians 3:10-14 - The standard of the world is that if you follow the rules, things go OK. Well, that's conventional wisdom anyway, we see examples all over of folks who skirt the rules and get ahead anyway, at least superficially. but Paul here refuses even to pay lip service to conventional wisdom, pointing out the elephant in the room - that we simply can't follow the letter of the law. We forget the rules, we defy them, we are simply pulled into disobedience by the attractiveness of sin. So, if we rely on good behavior, we are finished before we've begun.

But, he says, Jesus turns the conventional wisdom (that's patently false in reality) on its head. He becomes the one and only human in all of history to follow the rules, the only one qualified to receive the prize on his own efforts, then he swaps rewards with us. We get his (eternal life with the father), he gets ours (death on a cross). Remember Monte Hall and Let's Make a Deal? You've won a new set of cookware, but do you want to trade it for the mystery behind door number 3? It might be junk, might be a new car, who knows? Well, Jesus took the deal and swapped rewards with us, except he knew both prizes ahead of time and that His rightful reward was far superior to what we earned. But he knew that the only way that we would earn anything but death was if he earned it for us, so He made the deal.

So don't pretend that you are all that and have worked hard for that which Christ has gave you. And don't fall into the trap that, somehow, if you're not good enough, Jesus is going to switch back. He's not.

Galatians 3:15-29 - Most of this stuff goes over my head. I squint my eyes, cock my head and read it over and over and I still don't quite get it. One thing I do get is that Jesus is the fulfillment of a promise made to Abraham long before (centuries before) the law was given. No number of laws can make that covenant void. The law was given temporarily, our guardian is says in Galatians 3:24-25 (ESV), until the promised faith was revealed completely in Jesus. Now that He is here, its purpose is complete, its job done, and we have no need of it. Wow, cool.

James 2:1-7 - The way of the world, and frankly too often the church, is to look at those ho are poor as failures. They made bad choices, or are not that bright, or else they wouldn't be in that spot. James calls these things 'evil thoughts' in verse 4. If we are honest with each other, there are people that we are tempted to do the same with. They are harder to love because they are needy or maybe just annoying. Do you avoid them in the fellowship (or the workplace, school, wherever)? I know that I am tempted to. I see them on the caller ID or at church or wherever and I hope they won't want to talk to me or I'm tempted to let the call go to voice mail. Oh, I know what I ought to do, so I take the call or have the conversation. But is that what Jesus or James would have us do, gut it out for the sake of doing the right thing?

Instead, I should pray to see them as Jesus does and have his heart to give to them. This goes back to that John Piper list of 5 ways to handle it when you don't want to do what you ought. Instead fo gutting it out, we ought to pray for God's heart.

I was tempted to leave most of this out, because, frankly, it's embarrassing to admit. I have a hunch that many others have these same thoughts and temptations, however, and as disciples of Jesus, we need to be called higher. Jesus spent most of his time here with those who were outcast by society, why should we do any different? The only way we can do as He did, however, is to pray for the transforming work of the spirit in our hearts.

James 2:12-13 - James calls us to live under the law, not the old law but the "law of liberty". In other words, as Paul taught, we are free to live God's way as opposed to being slaves to disobedience. So we should live as one with the freedom, finally, to do the right thing.

What does being judges by the law of liberty mean? It means being judged on our mercy, according to James 2:13. So, having been set free and shown mercy, we must do the same. If we do not, we will not be shown the mercy we claim to embrace.

James 2:14-26 - Some like to point to this passage as saying that good works are required for salvation, even saying that James said that Abraham and Rahab were "justified" by their works. But if you read it properly, James is not saying that at all. he merely points out that the two go hand in hand. Faith without the "good deeds" to back it up is a lie, it simply isn't faith. And note, he never talks about "Good deeds" apart from faith. The two are inseparable. If you claim one without the other, you deceive yourself.

I'm nearing that 'Place Where I Can Stand' mentioned in my last (non-FfF) post. More on that later, first, on with my study of Romans.

Romans 9:30-33 - See here, the Gentiles attained something they did not pursue. How? One answer is simply that God gave it to them, and that is true. They didn't earn it. But, that's not what this passage says. It says that they attained it by faith, and Israel didn't because they didn't pursue with faith. So, yes, it is God that grants righteousness, but our faith plays a role.

Romans 10:1-4 - This passage nicely merges the two seemingly divergent topics. It is God who offers up righteousness, on His terms and His terms alone. We can then choose to submit to it,in faith, or try to achieve our own. Israel chose the latter, a path that is doomed to fail as it has from the day Adam and Eve left the garden (actually, from the bite of the apple).

Romans 10:9 - In my experience, one of the most ill-used verses in the Bible. Many use it to justify a faith that is empty believe. Belief = salvation. This of course, ignores the rest of the new testament that expounds on the implications of this faith in the radical man, Jesus. True faith is transformative, true faith moves us off our course, true faith radically changes us, true faith has on going, life altering, dope-slap-like implications on what we do on a regular, never ending basis. Any faith that allows us to live just as we had been is faith in something other than Jesus.

The other side (and where I've been in recent years) tries to pretend that it doesn't say what it says - faith in Jesus saves us. They point out that the context is a discussion on the differences between Jew and Gentile, which is true but beside the point. They want to say "Yes, but ..." and add in all kinds of things. Faith and .. baptism, obedience, purity, holiness, zeal, conviction, righteousness, etc. All of those things are important, but they all - ALL - rise from the root of faith.

If you haven't read my prior post on Romans 9, you should do so for back ground on this.

To say that Romans 9 threw me for a loop is accurate, I'd guess, but not exactly fair to Romans. There was this pondering in the far back reaches of my consciousness, the dark corners of my mind, about election. It was brought on in no small part by discussions with and readings of Jared Wilson who I respect greatly and who is an unapologetic Calvinist. He hasn't spend many electrons on the subject in recent years, but it was a more active topic at his former blog.

So, the idea that perhaps I've misjudged the idea of election or predestination has been rattling around in my head for some time now. Romans 9 simply reached into the shadows and yanked it forward where I had to deal with it.

The comments on my post and Codepoke's writings on the subject (see this post about elephants. Really. Also, his series on the 5 points of Calvinism (read from the bottom up) which I'm not yet through). I'm not sure I'm on board with what he's saying, but they've helped in two ways.

First, I really appreciate how he steps away from the obvious interpretation, takes all the facts, shuffles them like a deck of cards and rearranges them into a new way that wasn't at all obvious going in. In other words, he makes it clear that from another perspective that I'm not able to see, things can make sense. Of course, God has a view that we cannot imagine and from where he sits, it makes perfect sense.

Second, He has illustrated plainly that God has in fact acted, with impunity, decisively and without concern for our sense of fairness to choose people at various points in time. Abraham, for example, was chosen to build God's nation with no chance for anyone else or any other people to apply for the job. Isreal was built from his flesh when his flesh had been well past the time for tit to be making any new flesh. And God intervened in history and created a nation for himself. Hard to argue that as anything but divine intervention.

And yet, my flesh rebels against the idea that God is choosing without respect to man's effort or desire. It feels disheartening. Makes me wonder, "Why bother?" If God is going to pick who He's going to pick, what does it matter if I ppreach or share or teach or even seek? It's up to God. Period.

Yet he also promises that he rewards those ho seek him and that those who seek will find. The world around us, which Romans also tells us teaches us about who God is, rewards men for their efforts. Hard work is rewarded and determination brings success. The Bible tells us that sin prevents us fom entering the kingdom. God looks at the heart, he said when choosing David, so clearly our efforts are not in vain.

So, there's this mysterious ying yang going on where man's effort and heart and God's sovereign choice work hand in hand. He ultimately in control, yet we influence, somehow, and at some times. At others, He simply acts decisively.

Which is which? When does God do what? How do we make sense of it? How can I possibly understand it?

Well, the one thing I see from the diverse comments left here is that while none of you completely agree with each other, and none can claim to explain it all, you have each found for yourselves an interpretation of the scriptures that you can live with. Something that either explains it enough or you've made peace with the mystery.

As I prayed tonight, I was tempted to ask God to understand it, to know all what went into it, I realized what a foolish thought that was. If I had a few lifetimes to research it and ponder it, I'd never understand the mystery of God's intervention in the world. I did not need the whole truth, although that would be nice. I simply needed to understand enough, to be able to imagine a possible resolution, to find a place where my faith and my understanding of the facts could co-exist.

What I needed is a place where I could stand with God.

A place where my limited understanding doesn't clash with his perfection. A place where my rationalizations don't negate his sovereignty. A place where I can believe something that I can live with but that doesn't contradict his divinity.

So that's my request of Him. Show me enough that I can make sense of it. Show me a way to look at it that I can accept. Give me just what I need so I can walk with you and know that you remain just and compassionate.

Is that a cop out? Maybe, but that's all I can do right now. The alternative is giving up on God, and there are far too many reasons not to do that. His love for me in Jesus is enough to not ever consider that. So, a cop out, a compromise, a set of blinders placed at the proper angle, whatever.

I just need a place where I can stand with God.

Romans 4:1-12 - Obedience to any law of God without faith is of no value. The power is in the faith, not the deed. Abraham was an example of this. He sought God and believed in him. He did not try to reason with Him or question Him, he simply believed Him.

Faith is about us worshiping God and acknowledging Him as almighty and we as subservient. The mindset of obedience says I'm am sufficient and God must accept me if I obey. The mindset of faith says that I am inadequate, but God has promised therefore I am accepted.

The reward of obedience is at the end of a long, difficult road that we cannot travel, the gift of faith is received at the start of the journey and makes straight the path ahead.

Romans 4:18-21 - The familiar story of Abraham believing God when told he would have many offspring at 100 years old. "Fully convinced that God was able to do what he promised" is what it says in verse 21.

What about us? Aren't we "as good as dead", broken by sin and defeated? Yet God primisses us new life, now and forever. Do we believe Him? Do we live like we do?

I for one am tired of living as if I am still shackled. I am not. Imagine a prisoner set free, yet he remains in his cell, staring at the open door, not feeling that he's ready to leave. Crazy? Yet that's how I too often live.

God promised me freedom, in fact it is already mine. Why am I content to stay in my cell? I refuse to act as if I am still tied down by sin.

Romans 3:1-2 - So, if we are all law breaker, is there any advantage in being a Jew? "Absolutely!" says Paul. The equivalent today would be, since we all need to go through a conversion experience, what advantage is there in growing up in a Christian family?

God's word is not without effect, even when imperfectly followed (thankfully). So, when it plays a role in our lives, we are blessed by whatever sin it helps us avoid. Just because it cannot make us whole, does not mean it cannot make us better.

Romans 3:20 - "For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin." This one gave me fits in my younger years, still does a bit. The law, the written commands of God, where we find the good that God wants us to do, ultimately just reveals us as sinners. Sure, with every command we follow, every good deed we do, we become more like God, but the more we study it and dig into it, the more ways we see that we have missed it.

It seems that for every new Godly discipline learned, there are multiple revelations of my sin. So, yes, I continue to learn and grow, yet in the process, ironically, I see myself more and more inadequate, in need of salvation.

Romans 3:23-24 - "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift" (emphasis mine) In view of the humbling and depressing knowledge that comes from the study of the law - namely that we are doomed to fail - the gift of grace, complete purity, absolute righteousness, total sanctification, ought to repeatedly both drop us to our knees in humble reverence and lift us to our feet in joyous celebration.

Romans 3:255 - The ESV says "[Jesus] whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.' A what? So I looked up propitiation on dictionary.com and found this:

The act of appeasing the wrath and conciliating the favor of an offended person; the act of making propitious. (Websters)
the act of atoning for sin or wrongdoing (especially appeasing a deity) (WordNet)

So why then, Christian, are you unhappy? Do you really get what has been done for you?

From C. John Miller's The Heart of a Servant Leader as seen on Jared's blog, The Gospel Driven Church (emphasis mine):

Let me urge upon you the importance of cultivating faith if you are to be able to walk in love and spiritual power. Without faith it is impossible to please God, but those who believe are given more grace than they can handle. Believing is to expect God to be with you and change you and to change others...When the work is dull and routine or people are slipping away, go forth with new boldness and preach Christ until you are filled with faith yourselves and God works faith in others.

Think of it this way. All the powers of hell and earth are ranged against the gospel and your ministry. They will not compromise. Therefore don't expect it from them. Don't expect the enemy to coddle you. He will continue to attack from every quarter. At night. On the streets. In your meetings. Wherever. This is a take-no-prisoners kind of war, and we must not compromise with the uglies and with evil in any form.

Therefore resist, fight with all your heart against evil in yourself and others, seek holiness through faith in the blood of Christ, and live boldly out of your union with Christ. You are in Him and He is in you. Don't doubt it. On that basis keep at it.

When things are going badly, or the simply the routines of life are dragging you down, preach Jesus until you are again filled with faith. It seems to be addressed to ministers, but I think it applies to all of us. If life sucks, focus intently on Jesus until your faith is revived.

Then again, if life is good, focus on Jesus too. It can't hurt. :-D

Nehemiah 9:1-5 - What started as a simple exercise to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, has come to a full revival and a restoration of the people's faith and trust in God. I suspect it was never really about the wall for Nehemiah, it was about God and His honor and his people, but I also don't get the sense that he set out to accomplish this. The people standing, listening to the word for 1/4 of the day and confessing their sins for 1/4 of a day.

So, what happened that they went from building a wall to repentance and restoration of worship? I have to believe that it was Nehemiah's faith. He relentlessly expressed his belief in God, his passion for His honor, his conviction that God deserved more than a crumbling city and a discouraged people. God was bigger, God was stronger, God was more faithful and Nehemiah wasn't content to sit and see God get anything less than the best.

And Nehemiah's faith was contagious, as they worked and watched his determination to honor God, they caught it.

Isn't this how the Gospel works too? If we set out to get people to be faithful, to push them to a faith that is real and transformative, we will have some success. Some will listen and respond. But, if we simply relentlessly proclaim the gospel of Jesus, never letting up the proclamation of His glory and our inadequacy the people around us will get it. It will affect them, the gospel is contagious.

There surely were plenty of people in Jerusalem with belief in God. Why then did they not do what Nehemiah did? The weight of the world choked their faith, their problems were big and real and they forgot that God was bigger. Nehemiah came and refused to believe that anything was bigger than God and he refused to be deterred from proclaiming His greatness.

So, as I sit in my mediocre life, why, especially in light of the fact that I the love of God made so powerfully real in Jesus, do I act more like the residents of Jeruselem than Nehemiah?

Nehemiah 9:6-25 - As in so many Biblical revivals, it starts with a recounting of God's goodness to them over the generations, even in spite of their forefather's unfaithfulness. I wonder as they expressed it and remembered all that He had done, if they felt foolish for drifting away.

Nehemiah 9:32-37 - It comes down not to the ins of their fathers, but to their own sins. They have wandered, they have refused Him, they have forgotten all His faithfulness and they have received the resulting slavery that God had promised.

Nehemiah 9:38 - As a result of seeing their sin in contrast to His goodness, they made a covenant with God (Chapter 10). Isn't this the gospel message? When we see ourselves honestly - weak, flawed, sinful, ungodly - and God clearly - loving, patient, gracious - we cannot help but fall down and worship.

Nehemiah 2:3 - Considering that Nehemiah was in exile from his homeland, it stands to reason that this king may have been responsible for bringing him there. (Was he?) Even if he wasn't he was responsible for keeping him there, so to express to the king his deep sadness at the state of his homeland I imagine could have been considered a slap in the face.

Nehemiah 2:4-8 - Not only was he bold enough to speak up to the king, he's emboldened to ask to be allowed to go back and for letters from the king for safe passage and for timber to do the work.A bit like saying "King, while you've kept me here, my city is in ruins! So let me go back, provide me assurance of safe passage and materials to fix what you (or your predecessors) destroyed. OK?"

No wonder he stopped and prayed in the middle.

What's more amazing than his request (or not, if you know God) is that the king grants it.

Nehemiah 2:9 - And he got a military escort!

Nehemiah 2:17-18 - "So they strengthened their hands to do the work." he says. After his planning, his request from the king, it's amazing approval, his journey there, his scouting the city and his telling the story, then "they strengthened their hands to do the work." It seems that Nehemiah's courage and boldness gave room for courage of their own. How long had they been there, looking at broken walls, but doing nothing about it. For whatever reason, paralyzed by fear or faithlessness maybe, they didn't act. They just lived with it. By acting in faith and forging the way, Nehemiah made room for them to act on faith as well. The obstacles appeared too great but Nehemiah came and cleared them away.

Sometimes people just need to have the path cleared a bit before they can move ahead on their own.

Nehemiah 2:19-20 - They accused him of rebellion against the king, when they knew (verse 9-10) that the king had given his approval to what Nehemiah was doing. But Nehemiah's response wasn't to remind them of the king's approval, but to affirm God's approval for the work.

Galatians 3:3 - "Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?" 'm frequently so foolish. Thanks Spirit, for getting me started, I'll take it from here. Then I work my buns off to be good enough to be approved. I forget that Jesus said that it was finished. The work on the cross was enough, I don't need to wrap it up myself.

Galatians 3:10 - Paul starts out in verse 1 by calling the Galatians fools for trying to work for justification. Here in verse 10 he tells them why - justification by the law is an all or nothing proposition. You either keep all of it, or none of your obedience is of any value. One violation, and they were (as we are) already well past one.

Galatians 3:19-26 - The ESV has some real interesting phrasing in these verses. Reading a new translation (I was an NIV guy for many years) helps bring new life to the text. Here's what I mean:

• Verse 19 - The law was added because of sins. Sin existed already, the law was added to illuminate it.


• Verse 22 - "the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin" That's a concept that's hard to wrap my head around. Even as Christians, we like to think that the law helps us see how to life, but Paul says it imprisoned everything. Verse 23 says we were captive by it.


• Verse 24 - "the law was our guardian until Christ came" Wait, held captive, but it was our guardian? If you think in terms of children, a guardian is there to watch over, to protect and to instruct, but not permanently. There's a time, later, when the child no longer needs the guardian. And so it is with the law, verses 23-24 say that now that Jesus came and faith is here, we no longer need the law as our guardian.

Galatians 3:25-27 - Paul here links faith with baptism and with inclusion in Christ. He says faith has come, no guardian is needed for you are sons of God through faith in Jesus. Why? Because, those who have been baptized have put on Christ. The implication is that baptism and faith and membership in the church are inherently linked.