Victory Through The Lamb: A Guide to Revelation in Plain Language

Reading or studying Revelation has always felt daunting and overwhelming to many Christians. But Mark Wilson has written "a guide to Revelation in plain language," as the title states. In the non-technical language of everyman, Wilson explains Revelation's many mysteries, which is so characteristic of apocalyptic literature. Most of the confusing signs, symbols and varied imagery of Revelation find its origins throughout the Old Testament. Victory Through The Lamb is readable, understandable and insightful, even for those who have not previously read or studied Revelation.

Each and every chapter begins with a martyr account, followed by Wilson's own English translation of the Greek text of Revelation. The martyr stories are gut wrenching, in particular the recent martyrdom of three Christians in eastern Turkey in the city of Malatya on April 18, 2007. This shocked Turkey's small Christian community as well as many Turkish citizens. Wilson and his wife have lived in Turkey since 2004 and were able to attend their funeral, together with many other Christians from around Turkey. The vivid stories of these and earlier martyrdoms set the mood of the reader into the correct frame of mind for understanding and interpreting Revelation.

Despite the suffering, persecution and martyrdom of countless Christians throughout the ages, it is indeed true that their premature, untimely and seemingly tragic deaths were not a defeat but a victory precisely because it was obtained thought the Lamb who was slain for the sins of the world. Together with the repeated themes of suffering, persecution, tribulation, trials and witness, Wilson emphasizes in each chapter the predominant theme of victory.

The Contents are:

• Prologue
• Chapter 1: Victory in the Seven Churches (1:1–3:22)
• Chapter 2: Victory of the Lamb (4:1–5:14)
• Chapter 3: Victory of the Large Multitude (6:1–9:21)
• Chapter 4: Victory of the Two Witnesses (10:1–11:19)
• Chapter 5: Victory of the Male Child, the Woman, and Her Offspring (12:1–17)
• Chapter 6: Victory over the Beasts (13:1–18)
• Chapter 7: Victory of the 144,000 and the Harvest of the Victors (14:1–20)
• Chapter 8: Victory in the Song of Moses and of the Lamb (15:1–16:21)
• Chapter 9: Victory over Mystery Babylon (17:1–19:10)
• Chapter 10: Victory over the Lamb's Enemies (19:11–20:15)
• Chapter 11: Victory in the New Heaven and New Earth (21:1–22:5)
• Chapter 12: Victory at Jesus' Second Coming (22:6–21)
• Epilogue - In the Presence of Martyrs: A Reflection from Turkey in 2007

Thanks to Weaver Book Company and Cross Focused Reviews for sending me a copy of this book to review.

Healed at Last: Separating Biblical Truth from Myth

Scott Blackwell, the author, was stricken with meningitis at age three. As a result, he suffered serious health issues, the most noticeable being that he walks with a severe limp. He addresses the apparent conflict between the God who is able to heal a stricken person of diseases and ailments, yet often does not do so physically, as God did not with him. Yet Scott declares without a doubt that God has indeed healed him profoundly and wholly through Christ, even if God did not heal him physically. Reading his book reminds me of the often passionate dichotomy and disagreement between Charismatics (God can and does heal today) and Cessationists (God no longer heals people today as in the time of Jesus and Acts). Scott writes a balanced biblical account between these two sometimes extreme positions that disses the other side.

This paragraph in chap. 6 (p. 134) perhaps captures well Scott's book: "This is why I become anxious when I read endless volumes that exhort the faithful to embrace the power and authority of the kingdom now, but use language that makes it clear that embracing the kingdom is not so much for the glory of Christ and the advance of his rule as it is for bolstering our own self-esteem, benefit or prosperity. The 'power' language of the apostle Paul is almost never connected to healing, or even to evangelism. Rather, Paul uses such language to encourage and exhort the saints to: ...perseverance, faith, hope, love, spiritual stamina, endurance under trail, and growing conformity to Jesus Christ."

Though the book deals extensively with healing, it is primarily a glorious proclamation of the gospel and a proclamation of Christ, from whom and through whom we receive complete healing. Like our salvation and the coming of the kingdom that is already, but not yet, so is our healing: In Christ, we are already healed, yet not yet...till he comes again.

Thanks to Matthias Media and Cross Focused Reviews for a hard copy of this book in exchange for writing a book review.

A Life Goal, A Single Master Passion

 

From the Sun sermon, D is for Daily, we considered two questions:

1. What do you do with your life daily?
   
2. What do you think about daily?

Then we considered 10 practical applications. Among them, we suggested:

1. Think about your life goal.
2. Develop a single master passion for your life.

Based on these two points, the following questions were asked:

1. What is your life goal?
2. Have you thought long and hard about your life goal?
3. Do you have a single master passion for your life?
4. How do you find your life goal and develop a single master passion for your life?

The apostle Paul states and declares what the sole motivation for his life is in the following verses:

1. Single purpose of life: Testify to the gospel of God's grace (Ac 20:24).
2. First importance to pass on to others: The gospel (1 Cor 15:3-4).
3. Single goal of life: To know Christ (Phil 3:10) and him crucified (1 Cor 2:2), to take hold of Christ (Phil 3:12), to live for Christ (Gal 2:20).
4. One thing to never be ashamed of: The gospel (Rom 1:16).
   
5. To know himself progressively more and more (1 Cor 15:9; Eph 3:8; 1 Tim 1:15).
   

Read the Bible Daily (8/9/14): Preaching Notes

"Oh, how I love your instructions (law)! I think about them all day long" (Ps 119:97, NLT). "Instead, his delight is in the Lord's instruction (law), and he meditates on it day and night" (Ps 1:2, HSCB). "This book of instruction (law) must not depart from your mouth; you are to recite (meditate on) it day and night so that you may carefully observe everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do" (Josh 1:8, HSCB).

Theme: We are what we think about. What do you think about? [C is for Contemplation, or DD for Daily Devotion or Daily Delight, or M is for Meditation/or Mind, or R is for Reflection, or S for Silence and Solitude, or T is for Think.]

1 in 5 Christians (19%) read their Bibles [2012 Lifeway survey]. 1 in 4 Christians (26%) read their Bibles regularly (4x/wk or more), [2013 American Bible Society poll]. The majority (57%) read their Bibles 4x/yr or less. Why so infrequently? Doug Birdsall, president of ABS, says, "I see the problem as analogous to obesity in America. We have an awful lot of people who realize they're overweight, but they don't follow a diet. People realize the Bible has values that would help us in our spiritual health, but they just don't read it."

3 questions:

1. Are you living your life right?
2. Are you loving your family/others right?
3. Are we doing church right.

I. The Importance of the Mind

A man is what he thinks about all day long. We (You) are what we (you) think about all day long. (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

But 83% of Americans do not spend any part of their day just thinking. "2% of the people think; 3% of the people think they think; and 95% of the people would rather die than think." George Bernard Shaw. Emotion (anger, loneliness, jealousy, woundedness, fear, worry, anxiety, etc) may hinder productive thinking.

• "Sow a thought and you reap an action; sow an act and you reap a habit; sow a habit and you reap a character; sow a character and you reap a destiny." Ralph Waldo Emerson.
• "I think, therefore, I am." Rene Descartes.
• "All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become."  Buddha.
• "Nurture your mind with great thoughts, for you will never go any higher than you think." Benjamin Disraeli.
• "You are not what you think you are, but what you think, you are!"
• "Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise."  Phil 4:8, NLT.
• "Think about what I am saying. The Lord will help you understand all these things."  2 Tim 2:7, NLT.
• "Love God...with all your mind."  Mk 12:30.

 II. What To Do with the Mind Daily

1. Know why you do what you do.
2. Read the Bible. (Read it, recite it, think, pray, reflect, contemplate, meditate what it says, share and teach it.)
3. Read books.
4. Have dialogue and engagement.
5. Live in community [& solitude].
6. Enjoy life to the full.

1. Paul's singular purpose of life - Ac 20:24; 1 Cor 15:3-4; Phil 3:10; Rom 1:16; 1 Cor 15:10; Eph 3:8; 1 Tim 1:15.

 

2. Purpose of reading the Bible is to live in the presence of God. Not to read the Bible legalistically, superstitiously or out of guilt.

 

(3) (4) "Reading makes a full man, conference a ready man, and writing an exact man." Francis Bacon (English philosopher).

 

Practical Application/Suggestions: Grow/increase in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man (Lk 2:52).

1. Pray & think first about your day when you wake up.
2. Do something else before drinking coffee.
3. Read your Bible and pray before checking your email.
4. Think often about your life goal.
5. Develop a single master passion for your life.
6. Plan/schedule your Bible reading and reading books.
7. Remember the grace of Jesus throughout the day.
8. Practice the presence of God throughout the day.
9. Share and engage with one another often.
10. Teach the Bible to someone else.

Read the sermon online. What I write is for reading. What I preach is for listening. I welcome critiques and comments.

Questions to Assess Your Bible Reading

 

1.    How often do you read the Bible? Do you read the Bible daily? A few times a week? Not that often?

 

2.    How much time do you spend reading (meditating on) the Bible? Reading books, blogs or magazines?

 

3.     When you read the Bible how much of it do you usually read? A few verses at the time? A few chapters? 5-10 chap.?

 

4.    What do you know about your Bible?

a.    How many N.T. books are there? How many books of the Bible did Paul write?

 

b.    Can you recite in order the first 10 books of the N.T.? The first 20 books? All the N.T. books?

 

c.     How many O.T. books are there? Who are the 4 major prophets? What are the 5 poetic books?

 

d.    Can you recite in order the first 10 books of the O.T.? The first 20 books?

 

5.    What does Ps 119:97, Ps 1:2, Josh 1:8 encourage us regarding Scripture? Do you love reading it? Why or why not? Does it taste sweet to your taste (Ps 119:103; 34:8; Eze 3:3; Rev 10:9)? What surprising result does it promise (Ps 1:3; Josh 1:8b)? What is Scripture able to do (2 Tim 3:15)? Useful for (2 Tim 3:16-17; Ps 119:105)?

 

 

 

 

 

 

6.    Ralph Waldo Emerson says, "A man is what he thinks about all day long?" What do you think about all day long?

 

 

7.    Read Phil 4:8, 2 Tim 2:7; Mk 8:30. What does these verses suggest about the life of the mind? Reflect on these:

 

·        "All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become."  Buddha.

 

·        "Nurture your mind with great thoughts, for you will never go any higher than you think." Benjamin Disraeli.

 

·        "Reading makes a full man, conference a ready man, and writing an exact man." Francis Bacon.

 

·         "2% of the people think; 3% of the people think they think; and 95% of the people would rather die than think." George Bernard Shaw.

 

 

 

8.    Do you know why you do what you do (1 Cor 10:31)? Why is this important? What was Paul's motivation and driving force (Ac 20:24; 1 Cor 2:2; 15:3-4; Phil 3:10)? What motivation do you have to read the Bible?

 

 

 

 

9.What is West Loop Church about? "About us" on our website says, "Our foundational belief is that the Gospel is central and crucial to the life of the church. We believe that a church where the gospel is preached and proclaimed produces a gospel church and a gospel community, and enables the gospel to be lived out in every area of our lives and expression as a Christian." What are your spontaneous thoughts about this statement regarding our foundational belief? Would you like to state it differently?

Conscience, Courage, Honesty

CONSCIENCE:

"A clear conscience is the greatest armor." Chinese proverb.

"There is no pillow so soft as a clear conscience." French proverb.

"You ask me what forces me to speak? a strange thing; my conscience." Victor Hugo, Les Miserables.

"A clear conscience laughs at false accusations." Author Unknown.

"I believe that we cannot live better than in seeking to become better, nor more agreeably than having a clear conscience." Socrates.

"Happiness consists of three things; Someone to love, work to do, and a clear conscience. " Anonymous.

"I want to make this perfectly clear: you can be sure that I will never be a yes-man except to my own conscience." Charles Edison

"A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory."

COURAGE:

"You will never do anything in this world without courage." Aristotle.

"Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen." Churchill.

"Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities... because it is the quality which guarantees all others."

"Courage is the main quality of leadership...no matter where it is exercised. Usually it implies some risk--especially in new undertakings." Walt Disney.

"Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway." John Wayne. (Life's hard. It's even harder when you're stupid.")

"I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what." Atticus Finch, Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird.

"Courage is not a man with a gun in his hand. It's knowing you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do."

Honesty:

"Be yourself; everyone else is already taken." Oscar Wilde.

"Honesty is the first chapter of the book wisdom." Thomas Jefferson.

"Truth never damages a cause that is just." Mahatma Gandhi.

"Anything is better than lies and deceit." Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina.

"It is not easy to keep silent when silence is a lie." Victor Hugo.

"Nothing in this world is harder than speaking the truth, nothing easier than flattery." Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

How often do Christians read the Bible

A 2013 ABS (American Bible Society) poll says Americans love the Bible but don't read it much. 88% of respondents said they own a Bible, 80% think the Bible is sacred, 61% wish they read the Bible more, and the average household has 4.4 Bibles. Doug Birdsall, president of American Bible Society, said he sees a reason for why the Bible isn't connecting with people: "I see the problem as analogous to obesity in America. We have an awful lot of people who realize they're overweight, but they don't follow a diet. People realize the Bible has values that would help us in our spiritual health, but they just don't read it." If they do read it, the majority (57%) only read their Bibles four times a year or less. Only 26% of Americans said they read their Bible on a regular basis (four or more times a week). Younger people also seem to be moving away from the Bible. A majority (57%) of those ages 18-28 read their Bibles less than three times a year, if at all. [The Barna Group conducted "The State of the Bible 2013" study for ABS, using 1,005 telephone interviews and 1,078 online surveys with a margin of error for the combined data of plus or minus 2 percentage points.]

A 2012 LifeWay survey of 2,900 Protestant churchgoers found that  while 90% "desire to please and honor Jesus in all I do," only 19% personally read the Bible every day. Most Christians don't read the Bible much. Only 1 in 5 Christians read the Bible daily. The responses to how often they personally read the Bible are: "Every Day" (19%). "Rarely/Never" (18%). A few times a week (25%). "Once a Week" (14%). "Once a Month" or "A Few Times a Month" (22%). This LifeWay research survey concluded: "The impact of the Word of God on people's lives is seen in the relationship between Bible engagement and turning from wrongdoings and choosing to obey God – two indicators of higher Bible engagement scores. Such tangible life changes show the transformational impact of Bible engagement in the life of a disciple of Christ." LifeWay Research president Ed Stetzer said, "Almost all churchgoers want to honor God, but more than a third indicate obedience is not something they have done when it is costly to them."

A Celebration of God's Word (Psalm 119)

Psalm 119 is a celebration of God's gift of the Scriptures and uses ten synonyms for God's word:

1. law (25 times).
2. testimonies (22).
3. ways (5).
4. precepts (21).
5. statutes (21).
6. commandments (21).
7. judgment(s) (19).
8. word(s) (25).
9. sayings (19).
10. path (5).

The psalmist gives several responses to the Scriptures:

1. obey/keep/observe his word (Ps 119:4, 5, 8, 17, 34, 44, 56-57, 60, 67, 88, 100-101, 129, 134, 145, 167-168).
2. meditate on his word (Ps 119:5, 23, 27, 48, 78, 97, 99, 148).
3. rejoice in the word (Ps 119:14, 162).
4. delight in the word (Ps 119:16, 24, 35, 47, 70, 77, 92, 143, 174).
5. love God's word (Ps 119:47-48, 97, 113, 119, 127, 159, 163, 165, 167).
6. asking God to revive him by the word or as he obeyed the word (Ps 119:25, 40, 88, 107, 149, 154, 156, 159).

Overview:

1. God's word brings happiness and blessing (Ps 119:1-8, 1-2).
2. God's word provides protection against sin (Ps 119:9-16, 11).
3. God's word is wonderful and delightful (Ps 119:17-24, 18, 24).
4. God's word strengthens amid sorrow (Ps 119:25-32, 28).
5. God's word produces the fear of God (Ps 119:33-40, 38, 120).
6. God's word enables one to answer anyone who taunts them (Ps 119:41-48, 42).
7. God's word gives hope amid suffering (Ps 119:49-56, 49-50, 23, 42).
8. God's word is our sufficient portion (Ps 119:57-64, 57; 16:5; 73:26).
9. God's word is better than much money (Ps 119:65-72, 72; 37:16; Prov 15:16).
10. God's word gives a good testimony (Ps 119:73-80, 74, 79-80).
11. God's word is trustworthy even while languishing (Ps 119:81-88, 83, 86).
12. God's word is eternal (Ps 119:89-96).
13. God's word is sweet (Ps 119:97-104, 97, 103).
14. God's word gives guidance (Ps 119:105-112, 105).
15. God's word is a secure refuge (Ps 119:113-120, 114).
16. God's word vindicates (Ps 119:121-128, 122).
17. God's word is wonderful (Ps 119:129-136, 129).
18. God's word is righteous (Ps 119:137-144, 138, 144).
19. God's word is truth (Ps 119:145-152, 151-152, 160).
20. God's word delivers and preserves (Ps 119:153-160, 153, 156).
21. God's word gives great peace (Ps 119:161-168, 165).
22. God's word saves the strays (Ps 119:169-176, 176).

ABCs of Practical Christian Living: Review and Overview

1. Accountability: Who are you accountable for (Gal 6:1)? To (Heb 3:13)?
   
2. Beauty: Are you enraptured by the beauty of Christ (Ps 27:4)? Or by a sense of duty?
3. Community: Do you sense the unity of Christian community (Ps 133:1)? Or the pressure of a wish dream?
   
4. Delight: Are you happy? How do you find delight (Ps 37:4)?
5. Experience: Do you taste the goodness of God (Ps 34:8; 1 Pet 2:3)? Or is it just head knowledge?
6. Father: Do you know your father and your Father's love for you (Ps 103:13)?
   
7. Freedom: Is your Christian life one of freedom (Gal 5:1; Jn 8:36)? Or a sense of slavery?
   
8. Friendship: Do you have true friends who stab you in the front (Prov 27:5-6)?
9. Forgetfulness: Are you self-forgetful (1 Cor 4:3-4)? Or easily hurt and offended by others?
10. HHHOT: Are you happy, honest, humble, open and transparent?
11. Gentleness: Are you strong enough to be gentle with others (Phil 4:5)?
    

Gentleness

Philippians 4:5

"Let your gentleness be evident to all" (Phil 4:5, NIV). "Let your reasonableness be known to everyone" (Phil 4:5, ESV). "Let your gentle spirit be known to all men" (Phil 4:5, NASB). "Let your graciousness be known to everyone" (Phil 4:5, HCSB). "Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do" (Phil 4:5, NLT).

The word "ἐπιεικής" (epieikēs) means gentle, mild, forbearing, fair, reasonable, moderate, equitable, yielding. In various English Bibles it is translated as "gentleness" (NIV), "reasonableness" (ESV), "gentle spirit" (NASB), "graciousness" (HCSB) and "considerate" (NLT). This word is used five times in five verses in the NT (1 Tim 3:3; Tit 3:2; Jas 3:17; 1 Pet 2:18). In context:

• An overseer or elder or pastor should not be violent but gentle (1 Tim 3:3).

• The people of God should slander no one, be peaceable and considerate (Tit 3:2).

• The wisdom that comes from heaven is pure, peace-loving, considerate (Jas 3:17).

Jesus says about himself, "I am gentle and humble (or lowly) in heart" (Mt 11:29), or "I am humble and gentle at heart" (Mt 11:29, NLT).

A closely related word "πραότης" (praotēs) means mildness, gentleness, meekness, kindness. It also means properly, temperate, displaying the right blend of force and reserve (gentleness). It is "strength in gentleness." It avoids unnecessary harshness, yet without compromising or being too slow to use necessary force. This word is used nine times in the NT. Some verses are:

• Paul appealing to the Corinthians by the meekness and gentleness of Christ (2 Cor 10:1).

• The fruit of the Spirit includes meekness (Gal 5:23).

• Paul encourages Christians in Galatia who are spiritual to restore those caught in a sin gently (Gal 6:1).

• Paul encourages the Christians in Ephesus to be completely humble and gentle (Eph 4:2).

• Paul states that God's chosen people are to clothe themselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness (Col 3:12).

• Paul encourages Timothy to pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness (1 Tim 6:11).

• Paul says that to those who oppose him, Timothy must gently instruct (2 Tim 2:25).

• Paul instructs Titus to encourage Christians "to show perfect courtesy toward all people" (Tit 3:2, ESV), "to be gentle toward everyone" (Tit 3:2, NIV), to show "every consideration for all men" (Tit 3:2, NASB), and to "show true humility to everyone" (Tit 3:2, NLT).

1 Pet 3:15 says, "But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness (πραΰτης) and respect."

Are Christians gentle? Gentleness, humility, meekness, mildness, kindness, consideration are attributes of Christ and the attributes that are attractive to all people. Yet when we think of Christians these attributes may not stand out prominently as being descriptive of some of us. Instead, we might think of Christians as rude, judgmental, sanctimonious, condescending, ungracious, critical, etc. It should seem evident that such traits are not common in the world, and sometimes do not even seem common in the church either.

Random Verses about Kingdom and Church

ἐκκλησία (ekklēsia; 115 times in 12 verses): An assembly (of Israelites, of Christians); a congregation; a gathering of citizens called out from their homes into some public place. Mt 16:18; 18:17; Ac 20:28; 1 Cor 3:6; 12:28; Eph 1:22; 3:10; 5:23-24; Col 1:18, 24; 1 Tim 3:15

βασιλεία (basileia; 160 times translated into different words): a kingdom, the territory subject to the rule of a king. Mk 1:15; Mt 6:10, 33; Lk 9:2; 17:21.

Are You Self-Forgetful?

1 Corinthians 4:3-4 "I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me."

Sad fact: It is quite possible for Christians to do all sorts of morally virtuous "biblical" things, such as serving God faithfully and sacrificially in church, when our hearts might still be filled with pride, fear, or a desire for power, control, praise, honor and recognition.

These thoughts are based on Tim Keller's excellent small book, The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness, which I blogged about: Pride and Ego. Arrogance (1 Cor 4:6, 18) is indeed the root cause of division in the church. This is why Paul pleads, "...no more boasting about human leaders!" (1 Cor 3:21)

Key Question(s):

• What are the marks of a heart that has been radically changed by the grace of God?
• What are the marks of a supernaturally changed heart?
• If we trust in Jesus, what should our hearts--changed at the root by the grace of God--look like in real life?

Questions for reflection:

1. Are you easily hurt by others? Are you still trying to prove something to yourself and others?
2. Are you trying to validate yourself and your life by your accomplishments and achievements? Your career? Your children? Your ministry? By how much others recognize you, regard you or respect you?
3. Read Psalm 139:23-24. Ask God to show you your heart, to show you the places you look for self-worth and the ways you try to find your sense of identity.
4. Explain to someone else how the gospel can (and should) transform our sense of identity. How much do you experience that transformed sense of identity? In what ways has God's Word encouraged you or challenged you? Are you sure?
   
5. Has God given you what you need to enable you to develop true gospel-humility and the freedom of self-forgetfulness?

Love is God Who Needs Nothing, yet has Plenty to Give, even the Cross

"In God there is no hunger that needs to be filled, only plenteousness that desires to give. The doctrine that God was under no necessity to create is not a piece of dry scholastic speculation. It is essential. Without it we can hardly avoid the conception of what I can only call a 'managerial' God; a Being whose function or nature is to 'run' the universe, who stands to it as a head-master to a school . . . . But to be sovereign of the universe is no great matter to God. In himself, at home in 'the land of the Trinity,' he is Sovereign of a far greater realm. We must keep always before our eyes that vision of Lady Julian's in which God carried in his hand a little object like a nut, and that nut was 'all that is made.' God, who needs nothing, loves into existence wholly superfluous creatures in order that He may love and perfect them. He creates the universe, already foreseeing—or should we say 'seeing' there are no tenses in God—the buzzing cloud of flies about the cross, the flayed back pressed against the uneven stake, the nails driven through the mesial nerves, the repeated incipient suffocation as the body droops, the repeated torture of back and arms as it is time after time, for breath's sake, hitched up. If I may dare the biological image, God is a 'host' who deliberately creates His own parasites; causes us to be that we may exploit and 'take advantage of' Him. Herein is love. This is the diagram of Love Himself, the inventor of all loves."

- C. S. Lewis, The Four Loves (New York: Hardcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1960), 175-76.

Passive Righteousness by Martin Luther

There is a righteousness which Paul calls "the righteousness of faith." God imputes it to us apart from our works — in other words, it is passive righteousness… So then, have we nothing to do to obtain this righteousness? No, nothing at all! For this righteousness comes by doing nothing, hearing nothing, knowing nothing, but rather in knowing and believing this only — that Christ has gone to the right hand of the Father, not to become our judge, but to become for us our wisdom, our righteousness, our holiness, our salvation! Now God sees no sin in us, for in this heavenly righteousness sin has no place. So now we may certainly think, "Although I still sin, I don't despair, because Christ lives, who is both my righteousness and my eternal life." In that righteousness I have no sin, no fear, no guilty conscience, no fear of death. I am indeed a sinner in this life of mine and in my own righteousness, but I have another life, another righteousness above this life, which is in Christ, the Son of God.

Christians never completely understand [this] themselves, and thus do not take advantage of it when they are troubled and tempted. So we have to constantly teach it, repeat it, and work it out in practice. Anyone who does not understand this righteousness or cherish it in the heart and conscience will continually be buffeted by fears and depression. Nothing gives peace like this passive righteousness. The troubled conscience has no cure for its desperation and feeling of unworthiness unless it takes hold of the forgiveness of sins by grace, offered free of charge in Jesus Christ, which is this passive or Christian righteousness… Once you are in Christ, the Law is the greatest guide for your life, but until you have Christian righteousness, all the law can do is to show you how sinful and condemned you are. But if we first receive Christian righteousness, then we can use the law, not for our salvation, but for his honor and glory, and to lovingly show our gratitude.
– Martin Luther

Justification by John Stott

"'Justification' is a legal term borrowed from the law courts. It is the exact opposite of 'condemnation' (cf. Deut 25:1; Prov 17:15; Rom 8:33, 34). 'To condemn' is to declare somebody guilty; 'to justify' is to declare him…righteous. In the Bible it refers to God's act of unmerited favor by which He puts a sinner right with himself, not only pardoning or acquitting him, but accepting and treating him as righteous." – John Stott, Galatians, p.60

Friendship

What is a good friend?

1. A friend loves unconditionally (Prov 17:17).
2. A friend trusts completely (Prov 18:24; Jn 15:15).
3. A friend keeps healthy boundaries (1 Cor 13:4).
4. A friend gives heartfelt counsel (Prov 27:9).
5. Friends mutually edify each other (Prov 27:6, 17).
6. A friend speaks the truth in love (Eph 4:15).

John 15:15           "I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you."

Prov 17:17           "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity."

Prov 18:24           "One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother."

Prov 22:24-25     "Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn their ways and get yourself ensnared."

Prov 27:5-6     "Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses."

Prov 27:9 (NLT)         "The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense."

Prov 27:17 (NLT)       "As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend."

Eccl 4:9-12 (NLT)       "Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. ¹⁰ If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. ¹¹ Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? ¹² A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken."

Eph 4:15          "...speaking the truth in love."

Col 4:6                        "Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone."

What To Do To Be Free

Freedom is what everyone wants. But it often seems that we human beings default and gravitate toward living in slavery, often without resistance or without knowing it.

Some random thoughts as to what to do to be free and not a slave:

1. Love God by loving others (Mt 22:37-39). Look up and outward, rather than becomingly excessively introspective.
   
2. Think things through thoroughly (Phil 4:9; 2 Tim 2:7; Col 3:2; Prov 15:28). Be a critical thinker.
   
3. Have a clear goal and plan (Ac 20:24, 27). Otherwise you will live randomly and aimlessly and waste your life.
   
4. Strongly resist and reject all forms of legalism (Gal 3:1; 5:12). You can't improve or change yourself by human effort.
   
5. Allow Christ to set you free by the Spirit (Gal 5:1, 22; Jn 8:36; 2 Cor 3:17). True freedom happens inside out.
   

The Way Most Christians Misunderstand Justification

Most Christians rely of their sanctification (how well they are doing and living and performing as Christians) for their justification (who they are in Christ):

"Only a fraction of the present body of professing Christians are solidly appropriating the justifying work of Christ in their lives… Many… have a theoretical commitment to this doctrine, but in their day-to-day existence they rely on their sanctification for their justification… drawing their assurance of acceptance with God from their sincerity, their past experience of conversion, their recent religious performance or the relative infrequency of their conscious, willful disobedience. Few know enough to start each day with a thoroughgoing stand upon Luther's platform: you are accepted, looking outward in faith and claiming the wholly alien righteousness of Christ as the only ground for acceptance, relaxing in that quality of trust which will produce increasing sanctification as faith is active in love and gratitude… Much that we have interpreted as a defect of sanctification in church people is really an outgrowth of their loss of bearing with respect to justification. Christians who are no longer sure that God loves and accepts them in Jesus, apart from their present spiritual achievements, are subconsciously radically insecure persons… Their insecurity shows itself in pride, a fierce, defensive assertion of their own righteousness, and defensive criticism of others. They come naturally to hate other cultural styles and other races in order to bolster their own security and discharge their suppressed anger." ~ Richard Lovelace, Dynamics of Spiritual Renewal (Downers Grove, IVP, 1979), 101.

Justification as the Fuel for Sanctification: Misunderstanding our justification can be detrimental to our growth in godliness–it can lead to minimizing our sin or the holiness of God, and thereby rendering the cross of Christ as seemingly unnecessary. Or we think that our standing before God is dependent on how well we live our lives–the quality of our devotions, the sincerity and consistency of our love for God, the frequency of our victory over sin, etc. And while all of these things are important features of our spiritual maturity (sanctification), they are not the grounds for our ability to stand "guilt-free" before God (justification). Christ bore our shame and provided to us His guilt-free life, and through our worship of Him, the Holy Spirit makes our lives increasingly reflect His character.

Freedom

Psalm 119:45 (Galatians)         "I will walk in freedom, for I have devoted myself to your commandments." (NLT)

 

"Give me liberty or give me death!" These famous immortal words were the conclusion of one of the best speeches in history. They were uttered with the utmost of passion and earnestness in 1775 by Patrick Henry, a month before the start of the Revolutionary War against the expansive policies of the British Empire. Henry's extended quote says, "I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!" It might be the words that most exemplify who an American is at his or her very core. It likely also expresses the utmost cry of every living human being.

 

Theme: Give me freedom or give me death.

 

Freedom may be a universal word that all human beings without exception love. It is also the kind of life that all human beings crave for. Will any sane person ever say in all earnestness, "You know, I really want to live as a slave. That's really what I want"?

 

In our sermon series on Practical Christian Living--the ABCs, the themes covered have been A is for Accountability, B is for Beauty, C is for Community, D is for Delight, E is for Experience and F is for Father. Today we consider freedom, which may be an utmost desire of every living person.

 

Consider:

 

1. Why we crave freedom
2. How we lose freedom
3. When we misunderstand freedom
4. What real freedom is

Questions:

1.    Why do all people crave freedom (Gen 2:16)?

 

2.    How do people lose their freedom, usually without realizing it (Jn 8:34)?

 

3.    How is freedom misunderstood (Gen 2:16-17)?

 

4.    How is real freedom attained (Gal 5:1; 2 Cor 3:17; Jn 8:31-32)?

 

Why legalism is contrary to freedom:

1.       Who was Paul angry with in Galatians and why (Gal 1:6; 3:1, 3; 4:10; 5:2, 4; 1:7, 9; 2:4; 5:10, 12; 6:12-13)?

2.       What false teaching was Paul combating in Galatians (Gal 1:6-9; 3:1-5; 5:7-12)? What is the result of such false teaching (Gal 2:4)? What might equivalent false teachings be today?

3.       What legalistic practices did the false teachers add to the gospel (Gal 5:2-3; 2:12, 14; 4:10)? How might we add to the gospel today? Why is this a false gospel (Gal 1:3-5; 2:16)?

4.       What does Paul count for nothing (Gal 6:15a)? What is of utmost importance (Gal 6:14, 15b)?