Good = ?

When you've got a hard heart, only one thing will break it...

     I have been struggling with bitterness this week;  I was passed over for a promotion at work.  And even worse, the guy who got it is a good friend and a strong believer!  So, my battle with self-pity and dissatisfaction has been severe and recurrent, like a bad case of gastroenteritis. 
     A few days before the hammer of rejection fell on my head, my wife and I were discussing a relative who has been never been married and would very much like to be.  My wife has strong matchmaking tendencies, and expressed her desire to "just see my relative happy!";  I responded with Ps 84:11 & 85:12:

"For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly...Yes, the LORD will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase."

     What my relative needs to do, I explained to my feisty wife, was change their definition of "good";  if God, in His inexpressible wisdom, has providentially denied us something we want, that thing must be bad for us.  In every society, there is a worldly definition of "good"... so when we are presented with the opportunity for more riches, romance, prestige, entertainment or the physical appearance of a 25 year old, the obvious question is "How can God NOT want me to have that???"  This disconnect between our perspective and God's goes all the way back, of course:  "So when the woman saw that the tree was good..." (Gen 3:6).  What God defined as death, Eve, in her sinful desires, defined as good.  Then there are the instances in Scripture where God gives unbelievers "good" things to blind them and accomplish their damnation (Ps 73:17f, Isa 2:7-12, 10:12, Rev 18:2-8). 
     So in the pit of my self-absorbed dejection, God brought to mind this point and I realized a false

Of course God wants me to have this!

seed of redefining "good" had crept into my heart and was sprouting its poisonous fruit.  No matter how much we want a new job, a new spouse, or new children (especially new children!), God knows exactly what circumstances and/or finances will conform us to the image of His Son.  For Paul, the Great Physician prescribed a full dose of suffering and crushing responsibility for His patient (2 Cor 11:23-28).  If anything, we can be happy that we get a little less!  Whatever toy or temporal pleasure He withholds from us must be, by definition, "bad".  So the next time you're frustrated with the allure of something you can't have, ask yourself:  "Is this good for me?"

Photos courtesy of stebulus, 401(K) 2013

Persecution, anyone?

     Isn't it incredible when you see God's promises come true?  The wonder and renewed certainty of the truth of God in Scripture is one of the many ways He upholds us and nurtures us in the middle of this "la vida loca".  Less than an hour ago, a notable verse came true for me...

 

"Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,..."  (1 Tim 3:12)

 

Our suffering is nothing compared to His...

    No, I wasn't crucified or flogged, nothing that would merit inclusion in Foxe's Book of Martyrs.  But according to our verse, the hatred of the world against God must find expression in some way, so I got a tiny dose of civilized Western persecution today.  Yesterday, I had an extended conversation with a JW at work, the most recent of many.  The last point he made was to ask for one instance in the Bible where Jesus was called Jehovah (or Yahweh).  So I walked him through Isa 6 and its N.T. exposition, Jn 12:41:  in Isa, the glory is explicitly emanating from Jehovah, and John just as explicitly tells us that the Person Isaiah saw was Jesus and he prophesied about Him for us.  My coworker had never seen this connection before, and was a little speechless (he usually gets mad when I stump him).  So today, he asked where I had gone to school (he meant my religious education).  I held up my hand in a big, fat zero, and told him that I had no formal training in theology.  He asked about my mentor, where did he study?  I was able to repeat my gesture, and his response was classic:

 

"Well, that would explain why you're so confused!"

 

     I said nothing, and he quickly told me he was just joking, and so I goodnaturedly chuckled and mentioned that's exactly what they said about someone else:  "Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus."  (Acts 4:13)  I too am a common, uneducated man.  But I know Jesus, and His words about the work of the Holy Spirit in the New Covenant ring true:

 

"It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me..." (John 6:45)

 

"When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.  He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you."  (John 16:13-14)

 

     We live in an unparalleled age of information, and we must avail ourselves of this incredible access and bounteous documentation.  But no education, formal or informal, can replace the supernatural Presence of God in His people.  The Holy Spirit is our divine Expositor, so learn to listen to Him as you preach the One who sent Him.

Photo courtesy of Bo Insogna

Reaping and Sowing

     It has been a while since we were in 2 Cor... the thrust of chapter 8 continues in

My personal favorite...

chapter 9, and likely the best passage in the Bible on giving is supported with O.T. texts and examples. A tragedy of our culture of churchianity is the influx of the prosperity gospel; I know it shouldn't be difficult for you, so imagine your favorite false teacher while you read these verses, whoever it is from TBN or your local community that twists and perverts the Scripture's teaching on money.

The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.  Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.  And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. (2 Cor 9:6-8)        

     Now, we all know how easy it is to take one verse out of the Bible and build a theology around it... vs. 6 is the Holy Grail for the wolves looking for tasty meal of sheep (or more properly, the sheep's wallets). What could be more persuasive than the question "Financially, do you want to reap sparingly or bountifully?"? This is true especially for the carnal church member who views church as a ready-made social network to sell to/benefit from. On one of our bus routes, there's a church called "Abundant Faith International Christian Center"... Jn 10:10 is another prime target of misuse for those preying on those unsatisfied with the eternal perspective of simple, self-denying godliness. So as supposed biblical justification for a divinely-empowered get-rich-quick scheme, "You reap what you sow" is in the top three, easy, a supposed proof text for a bible bait-and-switch.

"You give me your money, and God will give you His!"

     But when we take a step back and consider how Scripture itself interprets Scripture (rather than a televangelist with a private jet), it's more clear, and more reasonable that vs. 6 is not talking about a "financial seed" given as a loan to God to expect repayment on (with 1000% interest!), but about a heart attitude of generosity and love, a biblical apprehension of how God thinks about money and what He expects us to do with it. If every New Covenant believer really is indwelt with God the Holy Spirit, and in the process of being led into all truth and righteousness (Jn 16:13), the best judge of each individual's responsibility and ability to give is that individual. So no external pressure based on the insufficiency of the Old Covenant is necessary... no coercive manipulation, which is the trademark of our religious hucksters, is proper in collection and/or requesting of funds for local fellowship needs.
     Every households' needs and situation can be unique, but the stinginess of the old nature must be checked, too. Some folks are naturally more concerned for the well-being of others (like my wife), but some are cold and callous (like me). So as a side note and counterbalance, I remember a question from a newly married couple a few years ago; they couldn't agree and for the sake of discretion, I'll remain silent on who thought what. But their question was simple: "Should we give/tithe on our gross income or the net (before or after taxes)?" My answer was equally concise: "Do you want God to bless you on the gross or on the net?" Not only would "net giving" put earthly taxes before our obligations to God, but it would also treat Him as most Americans do the IRS... as an institution to be avoided through loopholes. Let's be honest: the poorest American has more wealth at his disposal than virtually all others in the whole of recorded history. Shame on us when we prioritize a newer car or an Iphone higher than the blessing of loving our brethren (other Christians first, then unbelievers as we have opportunity) financially. And think about it: proper financial discipline and priorities are sure to spill over and be translated into godliness in other areas.
     As I've stated elsewhere, Social Security should be a poor substitute for Church Security, the holistic care that the Body of Christ renders to itself. So we've got God's love of giving and His generosity as a model for ours (2 Cor 8:9); next time we'll get into the promised divine supply extended for all Christian giving, and the incredible "food-chain" of grace initiated by God and continued through us.

Photos courtesy of dmich140, gregkendallball

"Future Grace"

    Having explored some of the incredible riches in 2 Cor 6:16-18, it's fitting that we see where that leaves us from Paul's viewpoint.  He's great at explaining himself (most of the time! 2 Pet 3:16) and tracing out for us non-geniuses where his thoughts are going.  Rom 6:1 & 12:1 are great examples of Paul answering the question "So what?"  2 Cor 7:1 is just such a verse:

Great tasting holiness...

"Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God."

     So we know which promises he's talking about, and how we have been included into the family of God under the New Covenant... now what do we do about it?  We are to "cleanse ourselves":  to purify every area of our lives consciously put it under Christ's feet, to (as Paul will put it later in 2 Cor) "take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ" (10:5).  Also he mentions holiness:  rather than just moral uprightness, this term basically (especially in Hebrew) means "to cut".  That might puzzle many until we consider what happens when we slice and dice meat in the kitchen:  we set something apart from everything else.  We sever every tendon and bit of gristle that connects our piece with the rest, and dedicate that part to whatever use we see fit.  So briefly, God is holy in that He is separate from everything else that exists:  we are created, but He is Creator.  We are dependent on Him in every way, but He needs nothing from anyone.  In Christ, we can be holy in a derivative sense... we can be wholly dedicated to God's use.  The Mosaic Law often uses "holy" in this way:  the cups, incense, animals, etc. were only to be used for the rituals God had laid out
     But rather than further interpret our verse, I want to use the motivation Paul puts forth to introduce you to a great book I got for Christmas:  "Future Grace" by John Piper (thanks, Jeff and Mom!).  In the intro, he makes the bold claim that instead of gratitude as is commonly believed, our efforts and progress in sanctification should be motivated by "faith in future grace".  Simply put, this faith is the assurance that God will continue to shower sufficiency and goodness on us, based on His declaration to do so, and the experience of past grace (the greatest of which is Christ's work/our conversion) buoys and reassures us that God is faithful.  Piper therefore says...

"It should be obvious from this why future grace is so utterly crucial in God's great plan to glorify Himself and satisfy His people.  Most of our experience of God's active grace lies in the future.  The grace that I have already experienced from God -from a quantitative standpoint- is infinitesimally small compared to the future grace that I will experience from now to eternity.  This means that the great wealth of glory that God means to display for the enjoyment of His people is duly praised where future grace -in all its freedom- is duly prized."

     So you see why 2 Cor 7:1 made me think in terms of future grace:  Paul points to the guaranteed prospect of God's riches and generosity when we will be His children by glorified nature, as well as by our union with Christ (1 Jn 3:1-3).  It is this future reality that must propel us to and through holiness;  Piper warns that a motivation of gratitude can easily lead to what he calls a "debtor's ethic" we'll explore in the future.  In conclusion, Paul urges us in our verse towards what is the only fitting course for God's people:  to live out what God has declared us, promised to us and is continuing to remake us into... holy.

Photo courtesy of Amazon and borkazoid

KaaPOW!!!

     Yes, the original Batman with Adam West is still on the air.  A friend and I were strolling through the first chapter of Isaiah and we came across verse 15:  "your hands are full of blood".  It reminded me of another verse...

"The Lord tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence." (Ps 11:5)

"Boards don't hit back..."

     We started talking and my hackles came up (you know, the metaphor for our instinct to be self-righteous and justify ourselves).  You see, my apathy towards sports notwithstanding, I would consider myself a red-blooded American male, raised and spoonfed on violent imagery and videogames.  In my flesh, there's nothing I love more than a gory decapitation, preferably with a sword, or a spinning back kick followed by a kung fu flurry of fists.  So I still struggle at times to exercise sufficient care in my media intake (what is the RDA of gratuitous violence?);  I got to thinking "What does it mean to "love" violence?"  I even pointed out to my study partner that even the Bible has violent episodes and reports the demise of the wicked in graphic terms.  So what exactly does God hate?

     I had some clue where to begin;  before my illustrious career in public transportation, I enjoyed 12 years at the local grocery store.  I use the word "enjoy" only mildly facetiously:  the guys I worked with were great, and I actually preferred the physical activity to sitting idle in a chair for hours on end.  But what I loved most were the shoplifters... I worked the night shift and me and my crew revelled in the opportunity, with every shady character that entered the store (and there were plenty!), to stalk them and catch them in the act.  Then, as they exited the building with something shoved down their pants, we would exercise our right to a "citizen's arrest":  we would ask them to reenter the store as we called the police, and if they consented, we would play "good cop, bad cop" in an effort to persuade them to confessing to a five-finger discount.  But from our pugilistic perspective, it was much more exciting and entertaining when these ne'er-do-wells tried to run:  we usually outnumbered the offender 2 or 3 to 1, and the force we were permitted to use was generally only limited to not breaking any bones.  Our store was in a bad part of town, so we could look forward to 5-7 violent confrontations a month.  And I worked there for 12 years... for you math majors, that's a rough estimate of 720-1008 total throwdowns!  I'm sure the actual number is slightly smaller;  I didn't work nights until 3-4 years in, and there were other mitigating factors.  

People call my wife "T", so technically I am Mr. T!

     So God saved me 8 years ago, and I've been a busdriver for almost 6;  I remember the initial effect of bible reading and study during the day and violence at night.  I knew that theft was sinful and illegal, and the restraint of such criminals was not in itself a sin.   But after some prayerful introspection, I had to admit I actually enjoyed hurting people.  It made me feel strong and manly (if you don't know me, I'm 5'8" and 165 lbs... not exactly Mr. T!).  I tried to tell myself, "I don't have a "violence problem"... I can quit any time I want!"  But that realization definitely changed how I looked at my fellow man, even the guilty ones who "had it coming".  I remember a few comical incidents in the following months where after tripping and subduing someone, with their arm locked behind their back and myself atop them, I would try to inform them of the eternal consequences of their sin.  One in particular had every opportunity to come quietly and after the brief struggle, I exclaimed "Man, you need JESUS!"

      Today, I would certainly not classify myself as a pacifist, but neither do I enjoy the prospect of a fight.  God has given me a healthy fear of my own depravity in this area.  In a way, a physical confrontation generally represents the final, most depraved level of our existence:  at least one of the parties has become so bestial that only overwhelming force will stop them from their sin.  And as believers following a Man to whom little children flocked (they obviously felt safe around Him!), we should attempt every other avenue before resorting to physical force.  Men obviously have an obligation to strenuously safeguard our families and neighbors, but we must see even the offender (in the worst case, the gang member breaking into our home) as our neighbor as well, and if possible, prevent harm to him while restraining him.  I know police officers and soldiers are absolutely necessary, and I thank God for their service to us... but I wouldn't want to be one.  My name is Brett, and I'm a recovering violence-aholic.

Tent or Temple?

     I'm really having trouble being selective with this chapter... there's just so much meat and juiciness in just about every verse.  But we'll take a swing at the first few verses, and see if I can get on base (be thankful I'm speaking metaphorically... I'm not much of a slugger!).

"For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.  For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling,  if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked.  For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened--not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life."  (2 Cor 5:1-4) 

A great place to visit, but who'd wanna live there?

     Paul has a complex and variable use of similes in vss. 1-4... both his day job (as a leatherworker /tentmaker) and the worship places of the Mosaic Covenant are in the background as he starts off.  So the contrast between the transient Tabernacle (especially during the wilderness wanderings) and Solomon's Temple shows us the proper perspective we should embrace regarding our physical shells;  but he also qualifies the building as "not made with human hands, eternal in the heavens", so the physical Temple is not the ultimate hope of believers either, but a sign/type of a greater reality (e.g. 1 Cor 3:16, 6:19).  The general draftiness of these imperfect dwellings (both actual buildings and our mortal bodies) only cause us dismay;  just like a constant drip from a leaky roof, the aches and pains of age (and in Paul's case especially, the side effects of abuse) are both an irritant and an inconvenience, hampering our enjoyment and our effectiveness in ministry.  Finally, the conditions of our bodies could be likened to the slums of any major city... the only thing holding those buildings up is the uniform coat of graffiti!  But God's providential purpose in all this is not to create a longing for lost youth... any Rogaine or Viagra ad can accomplish that!  Instead, believers are to yearn for life, true life from, in and through God.

Sure, they look fine now...

     A great place to define "life" is with its opposite, death.  In the first verses of Scripture, man is told regarding that fateful tree: "for in the day that you eat of it, you shall surely die.”  So this means that the moment they ate, Mr. and Mrs. Adam's hearts would stop and they would keel over?  This is the false understanding with which Satan successfully attacked our first parents (Eve at least);  the reality of God's decree has to do with our spirituality, our ethereal essences which reside somewhere between the cells, membranes and tissues.  Once we sinned, our "life" ended:  our capacity to be connected to, receive vitality from and enjoy the Source of all life, God.  So just like a decapitated chicken running around the yard, the appearance of life Adam and Eve gave off post-fall was false and deceptive.

     And this deception is permitted to continue, in God's perfect plan, even after He gives new life to a person in Christ:  the "old man", our birthright from Adam, still decays.  Inside, the true believer is fresh, shiny and bursting with fruit flavor... and this is where our text comes into play.  Paul isn't sure which will happen first:  his death or Christ's return, but he is sure that one of the two will complete the process started at his conversion.  One day soon, "we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is."  (1 Jn 3:2)

 

Photos courtesy of Allie'sdad and florisla

It's just a "flesh" wound...

     "I'm getting better!"  I write this as I sit at home with strep throat... 3/4 of my family has been stricken with this dreadful affliction (to emphasize the melodramatic).  So we proceed with a healthy (pun intended) sense of comedic irony...
     I've noticed I have a tendency, both in living and writing, to be pessimistic and negative (or as I put it, realistic and rational!);  so it is my pleasure in our jaunt through 2 Corinthians to zoom in on a passage that holds great encouragement for us in the suffering this life holds for us, both unintentional (general pain common to all people) and intentional (persecution for the cause of Christ):

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.  For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,  as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.  (2 Cor 4:16-18)

     There are so many themes in these few verses to discuss... the transience of mortality, the proper Christian perspective on pain, the superreality of the spiritual, and what we dealt with last time, the selectivity of divinely-empowered perception.  We'll touch on all these as we stroll along...
     I love it when the biblical authors provide a unpolitically-correct "cup-check";  other great examples would include 1 Cor 16:13 and Heb 12:4.  And to be sure, these are gender-neutral:  men have no monopoly being commanded to or provided with spiritual toughness, as opposed to the insensitive, uncommunicative "manliness" that's often marketed in our culture.  So the point Paul intends is to combat the natural despair we experience when things are not precisely as we would wish them;  I was lamenting my own unconscious wimpyness when ill with a friend recently, and this has given me a new look at how to endure physical weakness to succeed in glorifying God through my words and deeds (especially helpful today!).  So all that to say:  Man Up!

"Death cannot stop true love..."

     Next, Paul forces us to admit the limitations that the Fall have introduced into the perfection God created;  namely, we die.  The moment we're born, our bodies begin to "waste away", and no amount of plastic surgery, Rogaine, or even Viagra can restore vitality to our moth-eaten corpses.  This adds new richness to the passages that describe us as spiritually dead (Rom 5:6, Eph 2:1, 5, etc.):  our bodies just take a while to catch up to the spiritual necrosis we experience at birth.  Or to put it another way, birth cannot stop true death.... "all it can do is delay it for a while".  God's word to Adam and Eve ("...you shall die") was true in every sense.
     But the breakdown of our bodies, and by extension every other trial, affliction and discomfort, is no excuse to descend into the doldrums;  on the contrary, the loss of everything our world prizes (youth, strength, energy, and most of all, life!) is merely a tool used by God to fix our attention on what God prizes:  an immeasurably rich, potent measure of the glory that belongs to Him!  If we weigh the pain possible here and now, even in Paul's life which was far beyond what 99.9% of us will experience, it simply doesn't compare to what will be ours in Christ for all eternity. Only by focusing on what's to come can we enjoy it now.

Yes, the stove is hot!  Once is enough...

     This reality is not apparent to everyone;  and a good thing too... if we focused on eternity, it would render all infomercials worthless!  So of course, just as no unbeliever would joyfully anticipate God's glory (or His judgment), the perception necessary to enjoy God's glory is restricted to the saints.  But equally obvious is the fact that Christians are not fixated on God every moment of their lives... they would be very different if we were.  This must be remedied, and in God's timely sanctification in each individual Christian, it will be.  Our text is just one of the many means used to change us into forward-looking, content folks... another is the actual experience of suffering.  As we wrestle with the seeming harshness of God's providence, we will be driven to the sufficiency of His grace and comfort.  If we come to this understanding sooner rather than later, further pain might not be necessary!

P.S.  During the course of writing, the nurse called and notified us we don't have strep in the technical sense, but just a nasty flu.  I feel better already.

Photo courtesy of tychay and eric pas d'accent

Good suffering?

You gotta get up early for this one...

     I was looking at 2 Corinthians 1 and mulling over a post on suffering... the content of the chapter is pretty straightforward, and many superior expositors to me (in other words, just about everybody!) have profitably dealt with that topic.  But one nugget/connection did pop its head out of the text as I looked, and I thought it worthy of passing on to you...

     "For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.  If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation..." (2 Cor 1:5-6)  Paul's immediate meaning in context is the particular struggle/trial he had recently endured (which is unknown to us) and was a rich source of ammunition for his enemies;  their logic was that of many even today:  [good things] happen to good people, and tragedy to the wicked.  So Paul's affliction was, to them, proof positive of his counterfeit calling and authority.  In fact, the opposite was true:  God's sovereign burden of pain on Paul (and on us) only made him more qualified to minister.  He was now tailored to pass on God's comfort to all saints in pain (vss. 6-7), and more exclusively reliant on God's strength, as he was forcefully convinced of his own inadequacy (vss. 8-9).

Panning the river of God's Word

     So where's the nugget?  I was struck at the equivalency between Christ and Paul, and thus Christ and us...  Christ suffered to benefit others.  The character of His pain was sacrificial, and while He did have God's glory as His primary motivation, our "comfort and salvation" took precedence over His.  The upshot, I believe, is that as a key component of our "being transformed into the same image" (2 Cor 3:18) of Christ, God wills that we suffer for the benefit of others.  This conforming suffering can take many forms, even in our modern world:  the typical joys of parenting (placing midnight feedings and nightmares above a good night's sleep for you!), the good but hard discipling that should take place in our church body, the quiet patience displayed in the face of abuse and scorn.  It is fitting that God makes us, just like He did with Christ, perfect through suffering (Heb 2:10).  Thus if we adopt Christ's mindset as ours, and meditate on the end result of our predestined pain (our sanctification and joy in Christ supremely), then we enjoy the comfort He did, even on the Cross, namely the Person of the Holy Spirit... He isn't called "the Comforter" for nothing!  This is what Paul experienced, and what how he blessed the Corinthians;  may we be forged into beneficial sufferers.