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I’m reading Shedd’s Dogmatic Theology and he makes this great argument when discussing “justice” and I really to share it with you here. (Tozer also talks about this in “Knowledge of the Holy”)
Many reduce all God’s moral attributes into one, namely, divine love. Not surprisingly, they favor the text is “God is Love.”
But that’s problematic, because we can find texts that say “God is light” and “God is a consuming fire” and “Holy holy holy is the Lord” which is, in other words, “God is Holy.” Truth is, if we wanted to, we could easily reduce God into any one of his attributes, favoring one above others. We might say God is Wisdom, and only wisdom, and all other attributes are merely variations upon or out workings of “wisdom.”
But God is not only one of his attributes; he is all of them. His attributes all stand along side one another, work together, play off one another, support one another, and often happen at the same time.
God is both love and justice, both kind and righteous, both infinite and personal.
I think that makes sense – I was encouraged by it, hope you were too.
Just incase you forgot I thought I’d put together a little review on American Government so you will be able to make the most of your ballot on election day.
Firstly:
The United States Constitution, Article II, Section 1 states that the President and Vice President shall be elected by electors (not citizens), specifying that electors are to be appointed in the following manner:
“Each state shall appoint, in such a manner as the legislature thereof may direct, a number of ELECTORS [who will elect the president], equal to the whole number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress; but no Senator or Representative, or person holding an office of trust or profit under the United States, shall be appointed.
This is called the “Electoral College.” Please note, state senators and representatives do not select the members of the electoral college. The state legislature gets to pick who is in the electoral college (which will equal the number of Senators and Representatives), and it is the electoral college which elects the president.
Interesting… we the people elect the people who select the people who elect the president. (Also see Amendment 17)
Why do I say that? It’s not to discourage you. Rather, I say that so you pay more attention to the parts of your ballot which actually have some direct effect on government.
In the upcoming election you will DIRECTLY vote for the following:
State Representative
Sate Senator (This person will be a part of the state legislature)
Member of State Assembly (This person will also be a part of the state legislature)
Superior Court Judge
You’ll also directly vote for some of the following:
Members of local school board
AC Transit Director as well as a BART director
Local Sanitary Director
Healthcare District Directors
Recreation and Park District Directors
(both for FULL term and SHORT term)
As a Californian you will also be able to vote on 12 state-wide proposition as well as some local propositions.
THESE ARE CRUCIAL, so pay attention to them, know about them. What you know about the presidential candidates is inconsequential; that decision is not in your hands.
Do you hate your pastor?
Maybe “hate” is too strong a word. Do you “want nothing to do with” the man? Do you like the guy?
Regardless of how you might answer those questions, I’d like to suggest that a “one on one” meeting is in order. A problem I’ve sensed in my own history as a Christian, and one I’ve perceived in others, is the immense distance that exists between the man who stands at the pulpit and the individual in the pew.
In response to this problem, I’d like to point out a few verses that identify the kinds of relationships that must exist between pastor and sheep, and then recommend that such relationships are a good remedy for many church family conflicts.
1 Thessalonians 5:12-13
Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work…
It’s possible that you see your pastor’s work as leisurely. It’s also possible that you have absolutely no clue what kinds of ministry he does during the week (meeting with the sick, praying for you by name, seeing to family drama, counseling your brothers and sisters who suffer from deep psychological issues that you know nothing about, reading and rereading difficult theologians, commentaries, and histories so he can proclaim the Word correctly, raising his own kids, and loving his wife). Typically, the only visible work we see is his Sunday sermon and based on this slim evidence alone we judge him from afar. Maybe we think he’s a hack, a hodge-podge thinker frothing over with dogma and cute homiletic stories, or maybe he impressed us this week and we’ll be happy to see what he comes up with next time. Maybe he’s a profound spiritual influence whom we’ve never approached. Regardless, we tend to judge his entire person based on his stage presence.
From personal experience, I’ve found that when I meet with my pastors and get to know them individually, they become like fathers to me, and from their tone of voice I realize their concern for my spiritual wellbeing. When you actually know your pastor, when you’ve spent one on one time with him that is not as hostile as the Sunday morning sermon can sometimes be misperceived to be, you start to love him. And it’s when you start to love him as your spiritual leader that you begin to assume, not doubt, that he has your best spiritual interests in mind.
When he says a sharp correction from the pulpit you think, “I needed to hear that,” instead of, “I can’t believe he just said that! I’m so offended!” It’s hard to have patience with a talking head; however, it’s very easy to listen to a man you personally love, a man who’s demonstrated to you his love for you.
Hebrews 13:17
Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.
Very specifically – how can a pastor oversee your soul if he knows so little about you? MEET WITH HIM AND HE WILL BETTER EQUIP YOU. As far as “sermon application” goes, how many of us in the congregation have the mental capacity or memory to remember what our pastors taught us ten weeks ago – ten minutes ago? Can you imagine how informative a personal interview might be? And what better way to “consider the outcome of his way of life and imitate his faith” than to begin with a meeting?
Though there’s much, much more I’d love to say about this, I’m going to end here.
In short: start meeting with your pastor – you’ll learn a lot from his wisdom, example, and personal insight into your life, and if nothing else your ability to listen to his sermons will be greatly improved.
John 12:23-26
“The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.”
I’m really baffled by this. Whenever I try to think about who Christ is, who God is, and then reconcile this with his death on the cross, I get completely confused. I don’t understand why Christ would die so that I can live. I don’t understand why God would let his creatures brutalize him. I cannot fathom how vast that love must be… that he did that for me. I think I don’t understand his reason for doing this because I, myself, am reticent to make that kind of sacrifice.
And when I think about that, the personal issue for me then comes to one of appreciation. Christ died so I could live – does anything in my own life say “Thank You.” The way I spend my time, the pursuits I chase, the plans I plan, the agendas I follow – do these say “thank you”? The man who loves this life will lose it; the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. I realize, sadly, that I am mostly trying to make a place for myself in this world, to make a comfy living. And yet Christ’s teaching here is that we ought to give up this “life” (or at least completely rethink the way we do this “life”) so we might help bring others to life.
People are going to hell – this is a very real fact. Christ gave his own life so that many of them wouldn’t have to. So, out of gratitude, am I giving up my time, my reputation, my money, my plans, or my living so that others might come alive?
We all talk as if Christ is just the greatest thing ever, we sing songs to put it so eloquently, yet the way we live our lives makes this little more than a joke (and I’m sure the demons are laughing since they reap the benefits in the increases of hell’s membership).
As another side note, something important to notice from this passage – the real harvest, the real fruit, only comes when something has been sacrificed. I think a lot of us would like to see fruit in our lives without having to make any changes – without having to sacrifice any comforts.
To conclude: How much am I actively seeking ways to sacrifice my own life so that others might begin living? For me specifically – how much can I sacrifice my reputation in order to share the Gospel. If I can’t loose some reputation for the sake of Heaven or Hell, this only highlights an area where I’m too addicted to this life.
Hey everyone, I posted some of the wedding photos I recently took. Thought some of you might be interested in what I’m doing.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2108356&l=cfa28&id=11705925
Let me know what you think!
Let me retell a particular scene you may be familiar with:
A friend, co-worker, fellow student, has struck a heated conversation about your faith – not one of tolerance or curiosity, but a conversation that means to accuse you of being blind, obnoxious, brainwashed, and stupid. How do we usually respond?
Do we defer to postmodernism: “Hey, you’ve got your beliefs, I’ve got mine.”
Does our heart rate pulse more heavily, do our neck hairs stand on end, do we feel a quick rush of anger at being offended? (And then respond accordingly)
Do we feel a deep sense of compassion for someone so intellectually shackled they can’t see or accept the one thing that would give them hope?
Do we go home, tend to our wounds, pull out the apologetical resources and plan out a defense for the next conversation?
Having asked those questions, I wanted to ask some other questions about “apologetics”
- Why do we use it in evangelism?
- Can it be corroborated with the scriptures?
I first want you to know that I like apologetics, I use apologetics, I study apologetics, and I’m not against apologetics – but I also want to admit that I’ve struggled with the issue, and I’m writing this blog to get some opinions and answers from you.
For the first question – I think America has sub-culture of intellectualism, and in this sub-culture reason, logic, argument, cynicism, and knowledge are the highest “virtues.” Apologetics, as a study, is the Christian’s attempt to satisfy those virtues with an “intellectually stable” and explainable Christianity.
So lets define Christian apologetics as follows: the use of human argument, science, historical analysis, literary theory, and philosophy as a defense of Christianity.
But Paul’s words to the Corinthians cause some problems for me:
1 Corinthians 1:22-23
Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles…
And then later, as a conclusion to this thought, Paul writes:
1 Corinthians 2:1-5
When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.
Sometimes, with apologetics, I think we believe the opposite. Apologetics are the “eloquence,” the “superior wisdom,” and the “wise and persuasive words” that are based heavily on human systems of thinking. But which of these is more powerful when it comes to transforming and converting souls: our eloquent human arguments OR the Gospel and the Spirit? Do we believe the gospel is really so powerful (Rm 1:16)? When we emphasize apologetics, do we deemphasize the gospel? Even worse, when we carry out our apologetics in arrogance, anger, and defensiveness, are we ignoring the scriptures that calls us to answer opposition with kindness? (2 Tim 2:25, 1 Pet 3:15) So, sometimes in our apologetic arguments we not only omit the gospel, but the grace of the gospel as well.
I’m pretty sure that we should imitate Paul, resolve to know Christ and him crucified, and let this be the content of our evangelism. But do we really resolve to know the strongest arguments – to match the eloquence of the university and evangelize through science?
Again, I’m not trying to say apologetics is bad – I’m actually trying to say that I’m confused about it, I have these questions, and I’m wondering what you guys think – so please write back.
Why do I use apologetics?
Personally, since I don’t believe arguments can transform souls, I’ve had to rethink the reasons I use apologetics. I think that some people surround themselves with such thick and heavy walls that they can’t even hear the gospel. In that case, I really only use apologetics to weaken those barriers in order to clear a person’s view for a honest look at the gospel.
That’s all for now:
Why do we use apologetics? And can its use be corroborated with some scriptures?
What do you think?
John 12:23-28
Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed.
But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.”
”Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!”
Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.”
When we speak about, write about, or study the glory of God, we are looking into an issue so dear to his heart. And that’s almost weird to think about, huh? Glory is dear to the heart of God? If we had said that about any person it’d probably come off as pejorative, right? We’d think the person was arrogant. Yet, when it’s God it’s entirely appropriate that he would seek out his own glory.
And what else should God do? We glorify God out of humility, recognizing our own smallness in view of his perfection. What would it be like if God didn’t glorify himself, but something else instead?
If there is ANYTHING so worthy that God should glorify that rather than himself, then God would cease to be worthy of glory – he would be replaced by that thing. Why would we worship him if there was something greater that he worshiped?
Despite what we think about him, despite what we think we know about him, despite our murky images of what he must be, God will be glorified.
We could glorify God for so many things: his holiness, justice, wisdom, power, knowledge, but what strikes me from this particular passage is that God wants to be glorified for one specific event. Here we’re looking at an “hour” – Jesus says that an hour has come to glorify the Son, and says again that he came for this very hour, and then demands, “Father, glorify your name.”
I imagine that in all history, in all the course of human events, God’s plan of redemption hinges on this one hour – the hour in which Christ atoned for the sins of man.
How graceful is that? It is for this exact hour that God stooped to earth, took the form of a man, humbled himself to a shameful death, and died in the place of sinners (as if a sinner himself) – in this hour he glorifies his name. This feature of God’s grace is unmatched in all the world of gods. So far I don’t know of a single other deity who would condescend for such a purpose (if they would condescend at all).
GOD WILL BE GLORIFIED, and he will be glorified for this: that he graciously sacrificed so much for the sake of sinners.
In our culture, we don’t readily recognize the glory in this – we emphasize the glory of great achievement. We watch the Oscars and honor men and women who fascinate us by how well they can lie. We marvel at expensive art, when the artist has only smeared around some colors on a canvas as an imitation of God‘s creation. We’re baffled by Olympians and confer upon them gold medals for their feats. We see the United States win a hockey game against Russia and call this a “miracle.”
My friends, we are too easily amazed. It’s all fine and dandy that these things can fascinate us, but there is something greater that begs our attention. Christ turned water into wine, and restored sight to the blind. He gave a mother her son back, a leper his hand. He raised the dead back to life. These are miracles.
More than that, he turns sinners into saints.
God died on a cross and did this for the sake of our salvation – a holy God who would stand in the place of unholy sinners and then see this self-sacrifice as his “glorious” hour is certainly a God worthy of our praise – especially when it is those very sinners who give it.
