Tried With Fire

~ Picking up where I left off yesterday in my review of Sex, Dating and Relationships (SDR)... Hiestand and Thomas spend several chapters discussing the current dating paradigm. They argue that the Christian subculture, not the Bible, has invented this new category, the Dating Relationship , in addition to those of Family, Neighbor, and Marriage. There is no ambiguity in Scriptures regarding purity for the previous three. But there is potential for great confusion: for when we invent our own category of male-female relationships, we are forced to invent our own purity guidelines for that category. But inventing our own moral guidelines has never gone well for humanity (think of what happened when Adam and Eve tried it, in Genesis 3, for example). 1 In addition, they discuss several pitfalls of the dating relationship including: ~ A false sense of security and commitment - "In the end, the commitment of a dating relationship is simply the commitment to inform the othe...

I started reading  Sex, Dating, and Relationships: A Fresh Approach   (SDR) by Gerald Hiestand and Jay Thomas on the strength of Kevin DeYoung's reference in Hole in Our Holiness . I was not disappointed. Finally! A book on courtship/dating and relationships that is rooted in the gospel. The authors wrote this book out of concern for the confused views of purity among believers. One attitude can be, "As long as I don't have sex before marriage, I can decide for myself what the boundaries are because the Bible doesn't specify them." On the opposite end of the spectrum are lists of do's and don'ts, heavy on moralistic legalism but short on gospel.  Hiestand and Thomas believe there is a better, biblical, God-glorifying way than either of those camps. In SDR, they begin with what the Bible clearly states: Marriage and the one-flesh union point to a greater reality - Christ's union with His church. This is no less than a picture of the gospel. It i...

113. Q. What is God's will for you in the Tenth Commandment? A. That not even the slightest thought or desire contrary to any one of God's commandments should ever arise in my heart. Rather, with all my heart I should always hate sin and take pleasure in whatever is right. 114. Q. But can those converted to God obey these commandments perfectly? A. No. In this life even the holiest have only a small beginning of this obedience. Nevertheless, with all seriousness of purpose, they do begin to live according to all, not only some of God's commandments. 115. Q. No one in this life can obey the Ten Commandments perfectly: why then does God want them preached so pointedly? A. First, so that the longer we live the more we may come to know our sinfulness and the more eagerly look to Christ for forgiveness of sins and righteousness. Second, so that, while praying to God for the grace of the Holy Spirit, we may never stop striving to be renewed more and more after God's ...

First, we must remember, that there is an inseparable relation between faith and the word, and that these can no more be disconnected from each other than rays of light from the sun... The same word is the basis on which it rests and is sustained. Declining from it, it falls. Take away the word, therefore, and no faith will remain. We are not here discussing, whether, in order to propagate the word of God by which faith is engendered, the ministry of man is necessary (this will be considered elsewhere); but we say that the word itself, whatever be the way in which it is conveyed to us, is a kind of mirror in which faith beholds God. In this, therefore, whether God uses the agency of man, or works immediately by his own power, it is always by his word that he manifests himself to those whom he designs to draw to himself. Hence Paul designates faith as the obedience which is given to the Gospel (Rom. 1:5); and writing to the Philippians, he commends them for the obedience of faith (P...

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I'm thankful for: ~ Ibuprofen, ice, and the hope of a glorified body. ~ Lots of opportunities for being with the saints this week - hermeneutics class, small group, adoption fund raiser at Chick-fil-A (yum!), 1st birthday party for a special little guy, Lord's day, and then a church fellowship that evening. ~ Time with a friend to catch up on our families and encourage one another with the gospel. I'm still amazed at how the Lord has led us both out of do-better, try-harder Christianity to the gospel of grace. ~ Habakkuk 3:17-19. The fig doesn't blossom and the olive fails to produce, but we place our faith and hope in the Lord because He is who He says He is.

It's my turn to post at Out of the Ordinary : Worry is one of my besetting sins. It can cover a wide range of subjects - immediate family concerns, the election in less than 2 weeks, or what's really happening in Tehran. I begin to worry because I don't like unknowns, and I don't like feeling out of control. To compensate, I often try to keep tabs on all the possible variables that could affect the outcome,  deluding  flattering myself into thinking that I can at least be mentally prepared for what could occur. But this is cold comfort.  Read more ....

Congratulations to Melissa, the providential winner of Hole in Our Holiness by Kevin DeYoung. Thanks to everyone who entered. God willing, there will be a giveaway next month, so stay tuned...

Kevin DeYoung referenced this quote in Hole in Our Holiness . Here's the original: Modernity presents an interlocking system of values that has invaded and settled within the psyche of every person. Modernity is simply unprecedented in its power to remake human appetites, thinking processes, and values. It is, to put it in biblical terms, the worldliness of Our Time. For worldliness is the system of values and beliefs, behaviors and expectations, in any given culture that have at their center the fallen human being and that relegate to their periphery any thought about God. Worldliness is what makes sin look normal in any age and righteousness seem odd. Modernity is worldliness, and it has concealed its values so adroitly in the abundance, the comfort, and the wizardry of our age that even those who call themselves the people of God seldom recognize them for what they are. 1 So how are we doing with worldliness? How am I doing? Am I glad to embrace Christian freedom but without ...

112. Q. What is God's will for you in the Ninth Commandment? A. God's will is that I never give false testimony against anyone, twist no one's words, not gossip or slander, not join in condemning anyone without a hearing or without a just cause. Rather, in court and everywhere else, , I should avoid lying and deceit of every kind; these are the devices the devil uses, and they would call down on me God's intense anger. I should love the truth, speak it candidly, and openly acknowledge it. And I should do what I can to guard and advance my neighbor's good name. "The saddest part is that when we lie, in little ways or big ways, we are showing our allegiance to the wrong father. Lies and deceit "are the devices of the devil himself uses, and they would call down on me God's intense anger, " Answer 112 tells us. The remedy is to follow the example of our heavenly Father, whose words always prove true (Prov. 30:5). We should, like God, "love ...

Here it will be proper to point out the titles which the Scripture bestows on the Spirit, when it treats of the commencement and entire renewal of our salvation. First, he is called the “Spirit of adoption,” because he is witness to us of the free favor with which God the Father embraced us in his well-beloved and only begotten Son, so as to become our Father and give us boldness of access to him; no, he dictates the very words, so that we can boldly cry, “Abba, Father.” For the same reason, he is said to have “sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts,” because, as pilgrims in the world, and persons in a manner dead, he so quickens us from above as to assure us that our salvation is safe in the keeping of a faithful God.  Institutes of the Christian Religion  3.1.3 John Calvin, translated by Henry Beveridge, Hendrickson, pp. 350.

I'm thankful for: ~ The beauty of the morning sky. ~ God's providence over unexpected events and cancellations. ~ Realizing that the Internet and social media aren't as important as real life. ~ Increasing appreciation for the Word of God. During this week's hermeneutics class, Pastor Ryan asked us to consider what it would be like to be a peasant prior to the Reformation. We'd be illiterate, ignorant, and totally dependent on the spin of the official church because we could not read or have access to the scriptures. What a blessing it is to have the Bible in our own language, the ability to read, and the freedom to study it.

It's giveaway time! I'll be giving away one copy of The Hole in Our Holiness by Kevin DeYoung.  To enter the giveaway, fill out the form below. The providential winner will be chosen on Tuesday, October 23 (US addresses only.) Thanks for entering! Holiness is the sum of a million little things - the avoidance of little evils and little foibles, the setting aside of little bits of worldliness and little acts of compromise, the putting to death of little inconsistencies and little indiscretions, the attention to little duties and little dealings, the hard work of little self-denials and little self-restraints, the cultivation of little benevolences and little forbearances. Are you trustworthy? Are you kind? Are you patient? Are you joyful? Do you love? These qualities, worked out in all the little things of life, determine whether you are a blight or blessing to everyone around you, whether you are an ugly spiritual eyesore or growing up into a good-looking Christian... ...

I don't think I've read a book by Kevin DeYoung that I didn't like, and this book is no exception.  In The Hole in Our Holiness , Pastor DeYoung addresses the concern that there's a disconnect between what we believe (or say we believe) about the gospel and godly living.  We've seen the harm that legalism has done, so there's a temptation to swing to the opposite extreme where we fear that any hint of calling Christians to holiness is a return to that bondage. But this should not be and is not the case. DeYoung calls believers to live lives consistent with what they believe - not to earn their salvation but because they have been saved. This is not a contradiction of the gospel of grace but a manifestation of the power of that gospel in our lives. We are becoming and should want to become who the gospel has declared us to be. Holiness is not : Mere rule keeping. Generational imitation. Generic Spirituality. "Finding Your True Self". The way...

110. Q. What does God forbid in the Eighth Commandment? A. He forbids not only outright theft and robbery, punishable by law. But in God's sight theft also includes cheating and swindling our neighbor by schemes made to appear legitimate, such as: inaccurate measurements of weight, size, or volumes; fraudulent merchandising; counterfeit money; excessive interests; or any other means forbidden by God. In addition He forbids all greed and pointless squandering of His gifts. 111. Q. What does God require of you in this commandment? A. That I do whatever I can for my neighbor's good, that I treat others as I would like them to treat me, and that I work faithfully so that I may share with those in need. "Finally, and most poignantly, the Eight Commandment forbids greed - stealing with the eyes of our heart... When we are greedy, it is bad for others and worse for ourselves. "The opposite of the love of money is generosity. Instead of hoarding our money, we hand i...

How did God begin to embrace with his favour those whom he had loved before the foundation of the world, unless in displaying his love when he was reconciled by the blood of Christ? As God is the fountain of all righteousness, he must necessarily be the enemy and judge of man so long as he is a sinner. Wherefore, the commencement of love is the bestowing of righteousness, as described by Paul: “He has made him to be sin for us who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him,” (2 Cor. 5:21). He intimates, that by the sacrifice of Christ we obtain free justification, and become pleasing to God, though we are by nature the children of wrath, and by sin estranged from him. This distinction is also noted whenever the grace of Christ is connected with the love of God (2 Cor. 13:13); whence it follows, that he bestows upon us of his own which he acquired by purchase. For otherwise there would be no ground for the praise ascribed to him by the Father, that grace is hi...

I'm thankful for: ~ Last glimpses of the hummingbirds and butterflies ~ Cooler days, hot tea, and blankets. ~ Skype, cell phones, and email. ~ Answered prayer for better sleep. ~ Morning silence. ~ The inerrant Word of God. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:14-17

I'm posting at Out of the Ordinary today: "Have you ever felt like a misfit? Somehow you were different from everyone else. You knew it. They knew it. And what a relief it was to finally find a group who understood you and with whom you could relate. Perhaps that's why the local church can be such a haven. After failing to fit in with the world, we become part of God's family. Our relationships are now free from misunderstanding because we're all Christians. Right? " Read more ...

We want to know what the Bible means for us - legitimately so. But we cannot make it mean anything that pleases us and then give the Holy Spirit "credit" for it. The Holy Spirit cannot be brought into the process to contradict himself, and the Spirit is the one who inspired the original intent. Therefore, the Spirit's help for us will come in our discovering that original intent and in his guiding us as we try faithfully to apply that meaning to our own situations... On this one thing, however, there must surely be agreement: A text cannot mean what it never meant . Or to put it in a positive way, the true meaning of the biblical text for us is what God originally intended it to mean when it was spoken. This is the starting point. How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth , Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart, Zondervan, 2003, pg. 30.

In our first hermeneutics class, we learned that context is key. Too often verses and even phrases within a verse are yanked out of their natural habitat and made to stand alone. While we may glean some benefit, there's a good chance we're in danger of losing the author's original meaning and unintentionally misusing the verse because we aren't connecting it to the surrounding verses, chapters, book, and ultimately the whole Bible. I ran across one such verse in my daily reading: “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me? Jeremiah 32:27 Now wouldn't that be perfect for a greeting card? (In the NLT, of course.) The cover would have soothing pastel watercolors or a lovely nature photo. But if you continue reading beyond that one verse, it's not so positive and encouraging. "Therefore, thus says the Lord: Behold, I am giving this city into the hands of the Chaldeans and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, ...

108. Q. What is God's will for you in the Seventh Commandment? A. God condemns all unchastity. We should therefore thoroughly detest it and, married or single, live decent and chaste lives. 109. Q. Does God, in this commandment, forbid only such scandalous sins as adultery? A. We are temples of the Holy Spirit, body and soul, and God wants both to be kept clean and holy. That is why He forbids everything which incites unchastity, whether it be by actions, looks, talk, thoughts, or desires. "We need to fight the fleeting pleasure of sexual sin with a far greater, more abiding pleasure of knowing God. The fight for sexual purity is the fight of faith. It may sound like nothing but hard work and gritting your teeth, the very opposite of faith. But faith is the heart of this struggle. Do we believe that a glimpse of God is better than a glimpse of skin? Do we believe that God's steadfast love is better than life (Ps. 63:3)? We'd probably sin less if we spent less t...

When we see that the whole sum of our salvation, and every single part of it, are comprehended in Christ, we must beware of deriving even the minutest portion of it from any other quarter. If we seek salvation, we are taught by the very name of Jesus that he possesses it; if we seek any other gifts of the Spirit, we shall find them in his unction; strength in his government; purity in his conception; indulgence in his nativity, in which he was made like us in all respects, in order that he might learn to sympathise with us: if we seek redemption, we shall find it in his passion; acquittal in his condemnation; remission of the curse in his cross; satisfaction in his sacrifice; purification in his blood; reconciliation in his descent to hell; mortification of the flesh in his sepulchre; newness of life in his resurrection; immortality also in his resurrection; the inheritance of a celestial kingdom in his entrance into heaven; protection, security, and the abundant supply of all blessi...

The joys of customer service...

This week, I'm thankful for.... ~ Simple things like cinnamon sugar pita chips and crusty bread and butter. ~ Study in biblical hermenutics. The first class covered basic terms: context, meaning, implication, significance, application, and authorial intent. We worked on a few passage together which was fun and got our gray cells working. Looking forward to next week's class, God willing. ~ Reminders of God's supremacy and sovereignty. I don't want to be an ostrich, but looking too much at what's going in the world and not spending enough time looking at God isn't healthy. Time to refocus my gaze in the right place.

The Bible's answer is simple: fear for God is produced by the Word of God. Many modern trends boil down to self-expression. Self-expression, however wonderful it may feel, tells us nothing of God. God's Word produces the right attitude toward Him, because His Word reveals Him, His mind and His ways to us. His Word alone gives content to our faith. Without content, there would be no reason to fear. Without content, there would be no object to fear. Without content, there would be no form to give to our fear. This finds a strong echo in the words of Jesus, recorded in John 8:31-32 - Therefore, He was saying to the Jews, who believed Him, "If you remain in My word, truly you are My students; and you will know the truth, and the truth will free you." (DJP) Our Lord here provides both the promise and the definition of discipleship. His progression of thought is very definite: To be set free, we must know the truth. To know the truth, we must be students (di...

"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." Thus saith the familiar proverb. Tonight the ladies in our church will begin a series of "fishing" lessons. Not casting or tying lures but lessons in biblical hermeneutics. The teaching pastor recently taught this course at a seminary in Uganda, and now it's our turn to be the students. We will still need to hear the preaching of the Word. We will still need the fellowship of the local church. We will still read books. But teach a woman how to properly interpret the Bible and you've opened the treasure house of the only authoritative means whereby God speaks to His people. Some might think this is an impractical academic exercise. I would respectively disagree. If we want to be godly women, we need to know who God is.  If we want to obey and please Him, we need to know His commands Where else will learn this but in the Word? Granted there are plenty...

Here are some random thoughts on the gospel from Sunday's sermon and its application to some recent internal wrestlings: I wonder if our idols are not so much the things themselves but the security they bring. But if I place anything above God, I'm demeaning Him by considering His worth less than whatever comes from His hand. It's convicting to realize how much I make God out to be like man. We give and take away in a fit of pique, motivated by our selfishness. He gives and takes away motivated by divine and perfect love, not indulgent pandering. He wants to give us the best thing possible - Himself. We are impatient and wonder when the other person will finally "get it". God is long-suffering, patient, and fully confident that He will complete His work in us. There is forgiveness for sin, even besetting sins. It's not based on my finally figuring it out and never succumbing to this sin again. It's based on the fact that Jesus died for the specific s...