Death Becomes Us

Posted on June 10, 2012 by JohnJ

Precious in the sight of the LORD Is the death of His godly ones.
Psalm 116:15

The thoughts of most people towards death is that it is something to be feared. But for the saints it should be something highly anticipated and cherished. Paul felt this way when he said “But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better” (Phil. 1:23) But he knew far better than anyone what awaits the saints after departing this life, since he had seen and tasted a portion of what is to come. He wrote that he “was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak.” He elaborated little on that most likely because there are no words in any earthly language to give meaning to the grandeur of what he saw and heard. (cf. 2 Cor. 12:2-7)

But God knows us intimately, and knows the hardships we endure on Earth, “He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust.” (Psalm 103:14) And so when His saints get the opportunity to be changed into the glory that awaits us (cf. 1 Cor. 15:51-52 and Heb. 1:12) and all the dross and refuse has fallen away it is a thing for rejoicing. How could it be any other way? How can the believer not greatly look forward to leaving the shackles behind, the evil, the sickness, the pain, the waste? How magnificent it will be to shed this sinful nature, to be clothed with the righteousness that Christ will complete in us when we enter into His rest. And to see Him face to face, and to understand all those things that are utterly incomprehensible to us now. To be restored to that perfect state for which He made us in the first place. To have the fellowship with God fully as He desired for our first parent but they tossed aside. It should give us chills to think of all the possibilities that will be ours.

Some who so completely lack imagination think that Heaven will be a droll and dull place. I think the real reason they have such a blighted image is that they really don’t want anything to do with God in the first place. Not in this life, much less in the one to come. Their eyes are so blinded with the temptations of this world they can’t comprehend anything better.

It will be their loss. They have had plenty of opportunities to come to grips with the failings of this world. Are there enticements? Certainly. But who can deny that for all the grandeur of this wold we see today, that God couldn’t design and build something unimaginably more luxurious and grand? An existence that multiplies the best of this world but without the darkness and death. Without the limitations and failures. A world so magnificent that it will keep us occupied for eons trying to explore it all.

That is why the death of His godly ones is so precious in His sight. Because He knows all the joy that awaits us, a life so very much different from our present dreary existence. As Paul writes, “just as it is written, “THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD, AND which HAVE NOT ENTERED THE HEART OF MAN, ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM.” (1 Cor. 2:9) Indeed, things so fabulous you can’t even imagine. Who wouldn’t want that?

[Scriptures taken from the New American Standard Bible © 1995]

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What the Bible Teaches, by R.A. Torrey, Chapter 15

Posted on June 7, 2012 by JohnJ

This week Lex discusses the divinity of Jesus on her blog. Read the chapter in Torrey’s Book, What The Bible Teaches and join the conversation.

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To Envy is Too Easy

Posted on June 3, 2012 by JohnJ

I was envious of the arrogant As I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
For there are no pains in their death, And their body is fat.
They are not in trouble as other men, Nor are they plagued like mankind.
Psalm 73:3-5

I must admit that I often find it too easy to look around at everyone else living in greater comfort and be envious, and wonder what it would be like to live without struggles of just barely making it. It is easy to dwell on the what ifs, what if I was wealthy, what if I was in perfect health, and good looking and well known and respected, and held much influence. What if I was like so many other people.

Of course I realize that things aren’t always as they seem and that the old adage is right, there is always someone worse off. So why do I even have to struggle with these thoughts?

Then I read Psalm 73 which addresses this directly. Even though I know God by the grace He’s given to me on that fateful day in 1976 (verse 1) doesn’t mean I won’t have struggles to work through (v. 2). Those individuals that I may perceive by their speech or behavior that they don’t know God and couldn’t care less about His existence but none the less are affluent and at ease, they just seem to have it made (v. 4-12). I could almost think that if the godless can be so well off what good is it for me to devote myself to the Lord and not to the extravagances and excesses of this world, as I did pre-1976 (v. 13-14)?

But what a betrayal that would be to the gift of illumination of God’s truth and reality that He graciously gave to me when He opened my eyes so many years ago (verses 22-23). And it is really only when I put my mind and heart in a place that is closest to God, in effect within earshot and eye sight, that it all makes sense; that I can understand the proper perspective of life on this planet (v. 17). Then I realize that the appearances of the affluent and influential can be deceiving and that I was just being stupid and ungrateful (v. 18-22).

If I don’t maintain constant focus on our Lord its easy to lose the clarity that comes from His wisdom and guidance and hope for the future (v. 23-24). Because after all what other source of wisdom and understanding is there really except from God (v.25). Just look anywhere around you, it becomes obvious that one can never get this peace and clarity from any source on this Earth. So if I seek the nearness of God, and make Him my refuge, instead of the security it the things of this world, then I am safe (v. 26-28). For certainly the rule is, “as for me, the nearness of God is my good.” (v. 28) Not the nearness of the world’s goods is my god.

[Scriptures taken from the New American Standard Bible © 1995]

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What the Bible Teaches, by R.A.Torrey, Chapter 14

Posted on May 30, 2012 by JohnJ

This the 14th installment of a review of RA Torrey’s 1898 publication What The Bible Teaches. See all of Lex’s posts here. A PDF copy of the book can be downloaded here. You are welcome and encouraged to join the discussion.

Chapter 14 THE SUBORDINATION OF THE SON TO THE FATHER

There may be more confusing articles of faith for the orthodox catholic believer but relationship of Jesus to the Father ranks right up there. The most notable heresies of the early church involved the person of Christ and the essence of His being. It took a monumental effort for the church to plumb the depths of the writings of the Apostles to figure out many of the nuances they contained, but about three hundred years after the Resurrection they did (the Council of Nicaea, 325 AD, and Council of Constantinople, 360 AD 1). Both Paul and John wrote at length about Jesus and His relationship to the Father. Torey tries to boil it down into a few pages and about 15 sections from Scripture. Frankly if I was living in the first couple hundred years of the infant church I dread to think which side of the battle for the person-hood of Christ I might have landed. It must be noted that some church fathers themselves held what today would be considered heretical views. Not as heretical as the Gnostics and Montanists, but it must be remembered that the mature orthodox catholic (note the small “c” again) theology we know today did not exist in the early church. They had to bravely figure it out for themselves, with the help of the Holy Spirit of course.

I must admit that when I first read this section through as Torrey wrote it I was a bit confused by his propositions. Like “God the Father is greater than Jesus Christ the Son.” “God the Father is Jesus Christ’s God.” And “Jesus Christ the Son is, and eternally shall be, subordinate to God the Father.”

That just sounded wrong. But then I read his final sentence: “All the passages quoted have reference to the incarnate Christ and not to the pre-existent Word.”

So this whole chapter then concerned only the person of Jesus Christ as He walked the earth. Not to the resurrected Christ. This is important because there are some limitations to His ministry that are removed after the Resurrection. (For example see Matt. 24:36 and Mark 13:32)

Frankly I am ill equipt to expound on these thing that took the best minds of the church hundreds of years to figure out. Even the disciples who spent years walking with our Lord, listening to Him teach day in and day out were quite confused, even up to that last day before His betrayal!

But none the less it is completely awesome to read what the Bible teaches as the Apostle John deliberates on Jesus and His Father, as you read the verses chronicled by Torrey in this chapter. I fix my attention of the best section of Scripture one could read, where Jesus Himself puts into words the explanation of His work and the relationship with His Father, trying to pierce the darkness of confusion in the disciples minds. This is in John chapters 13 through 17. Read these straight through and be amazed. Particularly the first verses of chapter 14 where the disciples seem completely bewildered. Probably speaking for them all Philip asks, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Very clearly Jesus replies, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” (John 14:9) There are many verses that depict the relationship between Jesus and the Father. And all are important for their reasons. But I love this verse as it seems to sum up all the teaching into the one fundamental issue. If you want to see the Father, the Lord God Almighty, look at Jesus. Note Jesus’ statement “I and the father are one.” from John 10:30. Which, when the Jews heard, they picked up stones to throw at Jesus because they knew He was saying that He was God incarnate.

We’ll know fully when He brings us into His kingdom, but we can see from the Bible that the relationship between Jesus and the Father is intimate, special, awesome, and fearful to behold.

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NOTE
1 Philip Schaff writes, “The ecumenical councils were the open battle-fields, upon which the victory of orthodoxy was decided. The doctrinal decrees of these councils contain the results of the most profound discussions respecting the Trinity and the person of Christ; and the Church to this day has not gone essentially beyond those decisions.” History of the Christian Church, Vol. 3, Nicene and Post-Nicene Christianity A.D 311-590, section 117, paragraph 7, originally published, 1867.

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What the Bible Teaches, by R.A. Torrey, Chapter 13

Posted on May 24, 2012 by JohnJ

Lex is discussing this Thursday the concept of Jesus as God in Chapter 13.

Torrey writes, “Whoever refuses to accept Jesus as his Divine Savior and Lord is guilty of the enormous sin of rejecting God.”

The identity of the person of Jesus Christ rests on this issue. Tell us what you think.

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