Fully God and Fully Man
One of the classic works in Christian literature is Anselm’s Cur Deus Homo (“Why did God become Man?”). Here, the great teacher of the church works through the problem of sin, coming to the conclusion that it is impossible for man to redeem himself and were man to be redeemed, only one who needs no redeeming could redeem others.
The Heidelberg Catechism tackles this same matter in two questions — why does the mediator need to be man and why does he also need to be God? And, much like Anselm, the framers of the Catechism argue that since it was man who sinned, it is only proper and fitting that man make satisfaction for his sins. Yet, man cannot do that because he is tainted with sin. So, we are in a fix. Only God is without sin of his own and thus only God is able to sinlessly represent man and only God has the power to satisfy the demands of the Law for the elect. Thus, God took on flesh and came as both fully-God and fully-man (except for sin) to make satisfaction for his people.
Sometimes people object, suggesting that God could simply have pardoned the people of their sins as he pardoned the Israelites after their making of the golden calf. Then again, the only reason God pardoned the Israelites is because they were “in Moses” (see 1 Corinthians 10:2). In other words, Moses was their mediator in this matter and Moses serves as a foreshadow of the coming Christ. Further, Moses’ mediation extends only to the earthly consequences of the Israelites’ sin, not to eternal consequences. An eternal man is the only one who has the power to satisfy the eternal consequences of the Law.
The Only Mediator Between God and Man
“For there is one God and one mediator between God and man — the man Jesus Christ who gave himself as a ransom for all — the testimony of a unique appointed time.”
(1 Timothy 2:5-6)
So, is there salvation outside of Christ? No. It is a logical impossibility. No human can do it because humans are sinful and no animal can do it on our behalf. Only God is capable of interceding for a fallen man and so to do just that, God took on flesh — Jesus the Christ. To mediate for others, you must also be able to identify with those for whom you mediate (hence Abraham could not effectively mediate for Sodom — see Genesis 18:22-33).
The one who mediates between God and man must be both fully God and fully man. He must be powerful enough to take on the penalty of man and thus be God, but must be able to suffer and die as a man, meaning he must be man. It is the great and the only solution to our weak and fallen condition. Nothing else will satisfy the demands of the law. Moses could not do it, Abraham could not do it, Buddha could not do it, Mohammed could not do it, Joseph Smith could not do it, none other than Jesus the Christ could do it. And he did it for all sorts of people — for all who come to Christ in faith and repentance.
Notice something about the Apostle Paul’s words above. This is the testimony for Christians, but it was given at a distinct and unique appointed time. Such is a reminder that Christianity is a historical faith…were the events recorded within somehow not to have happened, the whole of our theology as Christian would be for naught. That testimony was in time and space and such must never be compromised by the church.
Sacrifices
Okay Pastor Win, I am a little confused. You told me earlier that the Law of God had to be satisfied either by myself or another — and that I am unable to satisfy the Law. This, of course leaves the category of “other.” But isn’t that what the sacrifices in the Old Testament were meant to do? Didn’t the slaughter of goats and lambs and rams and birds satisfy the demands of the Law? Blood was shed on the altar. Doesn’t that solve our problem?
The answer, of course, is no. God will not punish an animal for your sins or mine. Think about it, if we could just slaughter a bunch of animals, we could live like pagans and just sacrifice a bunch of animals to “make it all better.” How is there justice in that? Further, how does the life of an unthinking and unreasoning animal truly stand in for the life of a human made in the image of God?
So, why all these sacrifices? The simple answer is that the sacrifices made at the altar in Jerusalem (or at the Tabernacle as it moved through the wilderness) were meant to foreshadow another sacrifice to come. These animal sacrifices had no power in and of themselves, but became powerful in the completed sacrifice of Jesus. The Heidelberg Catechism will move toward explaining what kind of substitute that we must have, but in question 14, it makes it quite clear that no creature can endure the weight of God’s wrath and redeem others from it. The sin of humans must be meted out on a human; animals cannot be a substitute. Further, the greatness of the animal sacrifices (oceans of blood were shed at these altars) anticipates the greatness of the sacrifice of the Son of God that must come).
Titles and Doctors in the Church
“You are not to be called “Rabbi;” for you have one teacher and you are all brothers.”
(Matthew 23:8)
In Hebrew, the term “Rabbi” was and is used to someone who is an esteemed teacher in the church — literally, the word means “great one,” which shows you some of the esteem that the Jewish culture attributes to those who handle and teach the word of God. In Christian circles, it is perhaps equivalent to the esteem shown to seminary professors or to those who are respected enough to be called to speak at this conference or at that church here or there.
The Latin equivalent is “Doctor,” which literally means “teacher,” though the Latin text of Matthew 23:8 uses the term Magister (meaning master or ruler) instead of simply translating the Greek in its context. Sometimes that sounds a bit odd to our western ears as we most commonly think of doctors of medicine, not doctors of theology. Even so, doctors of theology were around long before medicine became an organized discipline.
Now, do not misunderstand what it is that I am about to say. I am not denigrating education, formal or informal, nor would I discourage pastors from continuing their education beyond seminary — I am doing that myself and I serve on the Advisory Board for the North American Reformed Seminary and I teach at a mission seminary in Ukraine. Education is an essential part of the ministry. And while indeed we are men of one book, to become so, we are also men of many books that serve the one book. Regular reading and a growing library is simply par for the course if you are in the Christian ministry. Woe to the pastor that shirks this duty. And it is a pleasurable duty indeed!
Yet, sometimes it is the title of “doctor” that causes men to seek education instead of the title of Doctor being given as a byproduct of the education a man pursues. This, I fear, often leads to pride and a sense of superiority; something that should not be a part of the makeup of the Christian pastor or church leader. And this is of what our Lord is speaking in the verse noted above.
And that leads us to the question…who should award the title of “doctor” to a teacher in the life of the Church? For a number of years I have advocated the Roman Catholic practice of proclaiming someone a “Doctor of the Church” after looking back at his or her contributions to the church itself. If one takes this model, it is the church that awards the title, not the institution.
In my own context, that then would fall to presbyteries or synods to make such pronouncements that Pastor So-and-So made such a contribution to the establishment of or teaching of the church hat at some point, the church would proclaim him one of their “doctors.”
This, of course, is reflected in the difference between an “earned degree” and an “honorary degree.” And though I would humbly assert that an honorary degree is of more value, it is typically the earned degree that people seek out. Yet, which is more valuable: That which I have done or the church’s recognition of what I have done? I would argue for the second. In a world filled with everyone getting degrees for virtually everything under the sun, it is something to think about.
Satisfaction…The Other Kind
Usually, when we think of “satisfaction,” we think in terms of the context of what satisfies us. A nap on the sofa in front of a fire in the fireplace, a nice thick and juicy steak dinner, or a favorite book are satisfying things that come to my mind. For those of us who do, preaching and teaching the Word of God is one of the most satisfying of all things to do in life — as one pastor said, “preaching is my vocation, my avocation, and my vacation.” Amen to that, there is nothing quite like it in the world. And as Christians, we ultimately are to find our satisfaction in Christ. Indeed, if God is “well-pleased” in Christ (Matthew 3:17), then oughtn’t we be the same?
Yet, there is another kind of satisfaction — one that is objective in nature and has to do with the Law. When a law is broken there is a punishment assigned to that law which is said to “satisfy the demands of the law.” Thus, if you drive too fast on the road, if you fail to pay your taxes, if you steal from your neighbor, or if you perjure yourself, then there is a penalty to be paid. Sometimes that penalty is measured by a fine, sometimes it includes community service, and sometimes it requires jail time. Whatever the punishment assigned by the Law and applied by the Judge, that is required of you to “satisfy” the Law’s demands. Once satisfied, you can then go about your life as normal.
Yet, when we shift from earthly things to eternal things, we find ourselves with a dilemma. Our sins are not just sins against the earthly community around us; they are sins against God and against His law. And since God is eternal, the consequences of sin against God are eternal in nature as well. Hell is in fact the only suitable and proper punishment for our sin.
The problem with eternal is just that…it is eternal. In other words, unlike paying a fine or even going to jail for a sentence, those things end and we can come out on the other side. Eternal means that it never ends. And Hell is a frightful place given the Biblical definitions — unlike what the popular culture celebrates, it is not the place that any would ever or should ever want to go. And, when it comes to God’s law, because he is just and righteous, the demands of the law must be satisfied either by us or by another (as Heidelberg Catechism, Question 12 puts forth).
This is the very heart of the Gospel. How do we escape the wrath to come? How do we escape the wrath we deserve? What is worse, as Question 13 points out, we can never make that satisfaction for ourselves. Why not? It is because we are finite and cannot endure infinite wrath. It is also because we are sinners and tainted by sin, so even our best works are not good enough to earn merit in God’s eyes. We are indeed in a fix.
Many years before the Heidelberg Catechism was written, Saint Anselm wrestled through this question as well, pointing out that man needed saving but he could not save himself while the God who needed no saving was the only one who could save man. Thus God had to become a man to save men. The questions that follow in Heidelberg are designed to flesh out Anselm’s answer for us, but more importantly than that, they are designed to teach us that the only place to which we can run to escape the wrath we deserve is to Jesus Christ the Son of God. He made satisfaction for his people — not for all mankind, but for all that God has elected to trust in him as their Lord and Savior — the rest are condemned already (John 3:16-18). Flee to Christ, dear friends, flee to Christ.
A Presumption of Innocence and a Sad Era in America
I will be the first to say that I love being an American — proud even, in a sense of the word. I am an Eagle Scout back from the mid ‘80s when the Boy Scouts were not willing to compromise their religious footing and spent years saluting the flag as a youth and as an adult-leader (there was no “taking the knee” for me). And, having had the privilege of serving for several years as a pastor just off of Eglin Air Force Base, I have had the privilege of serving many soldiers and military families and I have the greatest respect for those men and women who serve our country to preserve the freedoms and rights that I hold dear.
I also travel overseas…not a lot, but more than many. In those travels I have seen real poverty, not just poverty “American Style” as we often see here (and having served as chaplain for an inner-city rescue mission for three years, I have seen that too). I’ve also seen the effects of oppression on people when their rights have been trampled — or, as in many parts of eastern Europe, those rights have been non-existent.
When I travel, there is no mistaking that I am an American — my cowboy boots and jeans give me away every time. My friends in Ukraine will sometimes ask, “Why would you wear shoes like that?” My response is usually something like, “It is a very American thing to do” or, “Don’t you know that Chuck Norris wears cowboy boots?” Even so, they are comfortable and well, I do like them. Further, on my way home from overseas, there is something of a good feeling that comes over me when I discover we are back over American soil.
America, to me, is more than just a nationality of origin and a name on the cover of my passport; it is both an idea and an ideal — a place where the promise of “liberty and justice for all” is not just something that is said at the end of our pledge, but something for which we strive as a nation. It is both a principle of conduct and a goal for living out our lives.
One aspect of a nation founded on “liberty and justice for all” is that of due process and a presumption of innocence. In many other places of the world, you are guilty because the state declares you guilty, or worse yet, guilty because the mob that happens to be in power declares you guilty. If you think through the ramifications of living under such oppression, well, it is scary. And, one need not go looking too far to find totalitarian governments who have operated in such ways. Orwell’s Animal Farm is not just a warning of “what if” but it is a depiction of what has happened in so many cases where rampant socialism and its uglier brother, fascism, has risen to power.
Over the past week or so, I have watched many of the latest supreme court nomination hearings. And regardless of whether you are a supporter of Dr. Kavanaugh or are not a supporter of his views; the media circus, the accusations flying in every direction, and the dirty politics ought to disturb you no matter whether you sit with the political right or the political left side of the aisle. Yet, what ought to disturb us most, as Americans, is that from the very beginning of Dr. Ford’s accusations, there has been a presumption of guilt and due process has been ignored. Do we now live in such a world where accusations (founded or otherwise) can ruin a man’s career? If that is the case, let us all beware.
According to the ancient Biblical laws, to make an accusation such as this, one had to have two or three witnesses to a crime — “he said, she said” was considered shaky grounds for any accusation, let alone a serious one. And while we do not live in ancient Israel, the presumption of Innocence is considered to be a universal human right by the United Nations and is a fundamental part of English Common Law (which was influential in developing the American Constitution) and is an umbrella that gives meaning to the 5th, 6th, and 14th amendments to the Constitution. The bottom line is that the burden of proof is on the accuser, not the accused.
While I certainly have my own opinions as to the guilt or innocence of Judge Kavanaugh, but they are irrelevant. A man ought not be tried in the courts of public opinion just as he ought not be judged in the courts of the media. There is no question that there are political lines being drawn at the moment — frankly they have been drawn in the sand for a while now, they are just becoming more brazen — but there is something even more important than politics at stake right now — it is the fundamental right of a man to be considered innocent until proven guilty. And do know, if we continue down this road, we must ask ourselves, “What other fundamental rights will we lose?”
It is a dangerous road on which some in our nation have embarked.
Is it Really That Important?
“Okay, Pastor Win, lay it all on the table — you preach a lot about doctrine, you teach the Confirmation students a lot about doctrine, you write books about doctrine, and you debate with people over what doctrines are right and what doctrines are wrong — is it really that important? Doesn’t doctrine just divide the church into camps and keep us fighting with each other instead of uniting to work together for good? Wouldn’t it just be easier to focus on what we all agree on rather than drawing lines in the sand?”
I must confess, it would be much easier to just focus on what we all agree on and just affirm that if you love Jesus you must be okay. Humanly, it would be far easier if we could just all get along and be one big happy body. A lot of those people whose doctrine I reject as in error are friends of mine and I care deeply about them. Even furthermore, some of the people whose views I claim are heretical are really nice people and I like them a lot — some are even family members, my own family members. But easier isn’t always right. In fact, easy is often the pathway that leads to destruction (Matthew 7:13). And that is not what we are called to as the Church.
Here’s the thing. Biblically, my most basic job as a pastor is to train you, the church, so that you are equipped for he work of ministry and to build up the body to “mature manhood” (Ephesians 4:11-13). What does that look like practically? Paul goes on to say that a mature church is not “tossed to and fro” by every wind of doctrine, human cunning, and deceitful schemes (Ephesians 4:14). In fact, Paul writes that the only way a church finds itself built up in love (Ephesians 4:16) is if we grow into this mature manhood.
Now, in the world around us, doctrines abound, some good — mostly bad. Doctrine is taught to us in school (from preschool up), on television, in movies, on the internet, on billboards, and on the radio as we drive down the road. Some of the bad doctrines even proclaim themselves to be Christian.
So, how will we decipher good from bad so that we are not tossed to and fro? The only way it can be done is by teaching good doctrine. And how do we identify good doctrine? We must measure it by the teaching of the Scriptures — the scriptures alone and the scriptures as a whole. How often I have corrected people on doctrine with the words, “That sounds nice, but that is not what the Bible teaches…” It is not meant to be mean or contentious (okay, maybe a little contentious, but never mean), it is just meant to get us back to our only rule for faith and practice: the Bible.
Yes, there are things that we all agree on — “do unto others as you would have them do to you” or “do not steal.” But then again, both the Mormons and the Muslims I have known over the years would pretty much attest to these things too yet their souls are destined for the fires of Hell. I don’t know about you, but the seriousness of that statement weighs on me. Further, there are people in our families, in our communities, and in our circles of influence that are destined for Hell unless they repent and believe, and all the while, we are happily singing, “Come, Lord Jesus, Come!” There seems to me a certain disparity in that reality if we are not actively pointing these people toward Christ. Yet, how will we point people such as this to what is true if we do not know what is true in the first place?
Paul writes that the church is to be a pillar and buttress of truth (1 Timothy 3:15). How can we do that unless we are first grounded solidly in the truth of God’s word? How can we do that unless we ground ourselves solidly in Biblical doctrine? How can we do that if the teachers of the church do not commit themselves to teach Biblical doctrine and the members of the church do not commit themselves to studying it? Remember, the purpose of the church is not to make her people feel good while going unnoticed by the community. The purpose of the church is to tear down the strongholds of hell in our midst and the weapon of our warfare is the Word of God — we must train in it.
Mercy and Justice
These two ideas are not normally thought of as going together very well. Justice demands that the full measure of punishment of the law be meted out in punishment for a crime committed. But justice is not simply limited to satisfying the law. Justice includes the need for restitution to be measured out to the one offended by the crime and justice needs to be exercised in such a way that it is a preventative measure in the larger society — that others, who might be considering said crimes of their own, would be turned back to walk on the straight and narrow path.
On the other hand, mercy is usually thought of as one being pardoned from either part or all of the demands of the law. The dictionary ordinarily defines mercy in terms of leniency, forgiveness, and clemency. If we are the accused, we usually think of mercy in terms of a reduced or forgiven judgment.
The funny thing has to do with the balance between them. A good and honorable judge is one that sees that the law is satisfied and obeyed. Yet, if he always punishes crime to the fullest extent of the law, without showing any mercy, he is considered ruthless and domineering. On the other hand, if a judge is always showing mercy, we consider him lax and maybe even corrupt and call for his resignation.
A middle ground can be reached in the American society because the law permits for a range in the sentencing. That way a first offender can be charged differently than a repeat offender and so that the judge may take into account the sincerity of an offender’s repentance. And so, the balance is struck and judges are held accountable by the voters in many cases.
The problem, though, when you take this idea and extend it from human experience to eternal things is that God, as judge, is not dealing with first-time offenders. We have been sinning since the day we were born — indeed, even since the day we were conceived! Further, God is not dealing with those who are likely not to sin again. We are repeat sinners and habitual sinners who will struggle with sin all of the days of our earthly life. And, God is not dealing with those who only pose a slight threat to society — our sin offends others and tempts others into sin themselves. And, even further than that, God is also dealing with those who have inherited the guilt of their first-parents’ sin. The only righteous punishment is infinite and eternal damnation in the fires of Hell. There is no range in sentencing possible.
So here, it would seem that with respect to the children of Adam, that God (as Judge) has his hands tied. Mercy cannot be accomplished simply as a matter of appealing to a range of sentencing possible within the law. Mercy becomes incompatible with justice.
Yet, is God not a merciful God? Indeed, scripture tells us that he chooses to have mercy on some (Exodus 33:19; Romans 9:15). Yet, how does God maintain his justice? The just punishment of the law must get meted out on a suitable representative for those to whom God has chosen to show mercy. Indeed, he pours it out on his Son, Jesus Christ. Question 11 of the Heidelberg catechism forms the bridge between the woeful state of our fallen souls and the redeeming work accomplished by Christ — the way that God fulfills both the demands of the Law and his choice to show mercy to some — more specifically to those whom he has elected in Christ from the foundations of the World (Ephesians 1:4-5).
But for Grace…Cursed!
There is an old saying that is often attributed to Baxter, which goes: “Save for the grace of God, so go I.” There is great truth in those words. God declares that we are righteous not by fulfilling some of the Law, but that we need to complete every last bit of the Law to please God (Deuteronomy 27:26). Jesus will later reinforce this idea when he reminds his hearers in the Sermon on the Mount that not even the smallest bit will fall away from the Law until the heavens and the earth pass away (Matthew 5:18). Every last bit. And, if you listen to the rest of Jesus’ sermon, it is not just that the letter of the law must be fulfilled, but the intention behind the law must be fulfilled as well.
It is like one of those impossible traps that we get caught in — if you do not thread the needle perfectly in every corner and in every context, you fail. One small slip is all it takes to fall. And the fall is not just a little stumble, it is a catastrophic loss of everything — it is a plummet into Hell. As Moses writes and as Paul later affirms, “Cursed” is everyone who does not fulfill everything written in the book of the Law. And so, save for the grace of God so go I…and you…and every human being.
And so, in Heidelberg Catechism, Question 10, the point is driven home — why am I under such misery of because of my sin? Indeed, we are miserable because we have failed to live up to the Law of God and are thus under the curse. And woe to the one who thinks they can pay the wages of curse on their own merit. Lest anyone be unclear or unsure, left on our own, every man, woman, and child who has ever lived or who will ever live, no matter how noble, gracious, or honorable, will face divine condemnation apart from a relationship with Jesus Christ as their Savior and Substitute. Such is the heart of part 2 of the catechism where the grace of God in Christ is taught…but apart from the grace of God, so go I…and you too. Wretched creatures are we.
Why is Hell Eternal?
If you have grown up in the church, you know that the only just punishment for sin is Hell. You also know that Hell is described in the Bible in three general ways — a separation from all goodness that God brings to existence (2 Peter 2:4), positive retribution for our sins (Mark 9:47-49), and a process of eternal destruction and dying without ever being annihilated (Matthew 10:28). But, sometimes people ask, why does it have to be eternal (Matthew 25:41)? Are our sins that bad that they deserve eternal condemnation? The answer, of course, is yes — this indeed is the testimony of the Scriptures. But again, the question before us is “why”?
Perhaps an analogy is helpful. Do you realize that the one against whom you commit a crime determines (at least in part) the severity of the crime? For example, if I walk down the street of our local town of Zelienople and punch someone in the nose, I will get in trouble (rightly so!). Since I do not have a criminal record, though, I probably would just be given a slap on the wrist, perhaps a fine, and maybe even some community service. If I happened to break the other person’s nose, then I would probably have to pay any medical expenses.
But imagine the difference in the scenario had I walked up to a police officer and punched him in the nose…or to the mayor. The punishment would be more severe and lengthy, would it not? Now, imagine again that I did the same thing, but I did so to the president of the United States. Now, I might be locked up in prison for a season (if not longer!). Can you see how the severity of the crime is greater given the importance of the person offended?
Let’s build on the analogy, though, and shift the offense from an active crime to a matter of disrespect. Imagine that I am walking through downtown Zelienople during Horse Trading Days (a local community event where craftsmen and artisans show their wares. Now imagine me walking by a painting by a local student — it is skillfully done, but will probably never hang in a museum. Now, imagine that as I walk by I mock the painting and the one who painted it. That would be quite disrespectful, but how much more disrespectful it would be were there a world-class painter showing his or her wares and I did the same?
To go even further, imagine that you invite me over for a meal and you have worked the day away in the kitchen preparing the meal to your best ability. It would be disrespectful were I not to show my gratitude for the meal and my appreciation for your creation. Yet imagine that you were a world renown chef and had done the same thing. Would it not be even more disrespectful were I to have shown contempt for his or her skillful labors?
The point is that God is infinitely more powerful than the President of the United States. And, his work is infinitely more praiseworthy than the greatest painter in the history of mankind or of the greatest chef that the world has ever produced. He is God! That means that the punishment for our sin against God — whether that sin is an active offense, a matter of scorn, or that of passively neglecting to honor Him with worship for his greatness — is infinitely more severe than a sin we could commit against another human. And since the sin is infinite in its greatness, it only suits that the punishment is infinite in its severity and duration.
And, we also need to be reminded that every sin that we commit against man is a sin that we also commit against God (Psalm 51:4). And so, just as the punishment issued by a righteous judge is commiserate with the crime and cumulative on the basis of the number of crimes committed, our punishment for sin is eternity plus eternity plus eternity in an infinite progression given our countless sins against God, against his name, against his creation, and against his people. And so, hell is eternal — “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything that is written in the book of the Law” (Deuteronomy 27:26).
The Ever-Relevant Bible
“Indeed, there is not a man who is righteous on the earth who does good and does not sin.”
(Ecclesiastes 7:20)
Boy, this sounds an awful lot like the Apostle Paul when he writes:
“What then? Are we in a more prominent position? By all means, no! For both Jews and Greeks are already found guilty under sin, just as it is written: ‘No one is righteous, not even one; no one is understanding, no one searches diligently for God.’
(Romans 3:9-11)
Gee, it seems as if Solomon has a pretty good handle of the basics of the Gospel…Paul will go on and write:
For all have sinned and failed to reach the glory of God, but are justified freely in his grace through the redemption of Christ Jesus whom God sent as propitiation through faith in his blood, which is a demonstration of his righteousness through the passing over of sins that were done beforehand, in the clemency of God to demonstrate his righteousness in this time — to be just and justifier of him who has faith in Jesus.
(Romans 3:23-26)
Truly, Paul takes this further than does Solomon and leads us to Jesus Christ the Messiah, but Solomon understands the problem that is at the heart of the existence of man (see also 1 Kings 8:46 at the dedication of the Temple). We sin. We cannot, no matter how good we try and be, merit heaven. It just is not possible.
And so Solomon makes it very clear to us that we will all fall short — we will sin and miss the mark of God’s perfection. This, of course, is not an excuse for failure to live with integrity nor is it a justification for our sin. It is a reminder of the reality that we need one to redeem us from our sins.
All too often, people think of the Gospel as only a New Testament thing, yet, it is impossible to understand the Gospel apart from the Old Testament. Contrary to those who suggest that we “unhitch” from the Old Testament, we must be assured that if we cast off the Old Testament as irrelevant or inapplicable, we enter into heresy and we render the work of Christ in the New Testament worthless. They are dangerous grounds on which folk such as that stand.
People sometimes ask me how a book that is several thousand years old can still be relevant to life. The answer is simple and is found here. No one does good without sin. No one. We all fall short of the glory of God. And because we all sin, no matter our culture, our upbringing, or our pedigree, we all share the same problem: “How are we reconciled to God?” The only answer is Jesus Christ. And the Bible is the only place that answer can be found. That makes the Bible the most relevant book that mankind has ever seen and a gift of God’s grace to fallen man. Too bad so many people despise and ignore this book (even some who profess to be Christians!).
I Inherited the Guilt of Adam; Man, I’m in Deep
Question 10 of the Heidelberg Catechism states that God is not only displeased with my actual sin (that is a no-brainer) but that he is also displeased with my inherited sin. Wait one cotton-picking minute! Look, I get that I am guilty of the things I have done, but does that mean that I am also guilty of the sins of my father? Yes, it does…and more so than that! You and I are guilty of the sins of our father’s father and of our father’s father’s father before him…all of the way back to the first sin of Adam. Oh boy, we are in deep!
Here’s the thing, folks, God says that he will visit the iniquity (another word for sin) on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate him (Exodus 20:5; Exodus 34:7; Numbers 14:18; Deuteronomy 5:9)…and, well, we have already talked about our natural inclination to hate God and fellow man…even as Christians! What a mess we are in.
The implication is that even if it were possible for one person to live perfectly according to God’s law and never to sin in thought, word, deed, or intention, that person could still not earn his way into heaven because of the inherited debt from his forefathers. Jesus told a parable about forgiveness that Matthew records at the end of chapter 18. In the case of this parable, the man owed 10,000 Talents to the King. When people today come to terms with the quantity of money that 10,000 Talents represented, the natural response is “How did he accumulate such a large debt?” And that would have been one of the first questions the people of Jesus’ day would have been asking themselves, too. The only logical answer is that he inherited it from the mismanagement of his father and of his father and of his father…you get the point.
But, wait a minute, Jesus had no sin and lived a perfect life. What about him? Who is Jesus’ Father? God the Father himself is! That means that Jesus entered into this world with no inherited guilt of sin from his Father before him.
But how is that fair? I have very little control over the sins of my father or of my grandfather and I never met my great-grandfather. How can I be held accountable for their sins? Okay, I am waiting for it, “That’s not fair!” Perhaps it is not “fair” by human standards, but grace is not fair, either — though it is just. And justice is far more important than fairness — the first is objective and the second is purely subjective.
The fairness, then, is not relative to the conversation, but the justness is. Adam was our covenant head — our first representative and our mediator with God. When Adam fell, all of us fell. That’s the bad news, because Adam’s sin was really, really bad and ours has followed suit. The good news is that Jesus Christ entered into humanity and sacrificed himself to satisfy the demands of the law (justice!) for all of God’s elect…every single one.That means, in Christ, the sinless one becomes our Mediator and Covenantal Head and that means that inherited debt (remember the 10,000 Talents!) is forgiven along with our actual sins…in and because of Christ. That is good news indeed and while not fair, it is just and again, that is far more important.
What God has Bent
“Look at the work of God: for who is able to straighten that which he has perpetually bent? On a good day be in good spirits; on an evil day contemplative — the one and the other are made by God; with regards to this, a man can find out nothing of what comes after it.”
(Ecclesiastes 7:13-14)
God is sovereign even over the evil day. Too often I hear apologists arguing that darkness is but the absence of light, so evil is just the absence of God’s presence. That argument, of course, begs the question as to where is God when the evil things come?
The Bible presents a much clearer explanation. God brought it about. Indeed, God has good purposes and not malevolent purposes in the evil day, but nonetheless, God brings about the evil day — as Solomon says, “God made it.” In fact, God himself declares the same (Isaiah 45:7). And, as Solomon continues, man stands befuddled as to what is coming next more often than not.
There is an additional spiritual application of these words if we are willing to apply the text to the soul of man. For indeed, while there are some whom God has elected to life, there are others whom God has predestined for eternal condemnation. And what man is able to “unbend” that which God has bent? What man can deliver another man from his rightful eternal judgment? We live in a world dominated with a decision-based theology — “the work is done for you, all you need to do is to choose life!” Yet, is this Biblical? The Bible says that those who were appointed to eternal life believed (Acts 13:48), it does not say that those who believed were appointed to eternal life.
No man can unbend that which God has eternally ordained to be bent. At the same time, those whom God has elected to straighten — who can stop God’s hand? Oh how he is sovereign both in our salvation and in our sanctification. No man can undo, frustrate, or even speed up the hand of God and no man can add himself to the number of the elect by a force of their own will. God raises up and tears down and what man can know the designs of our almighty God (which is why we evangelize all — we do not know who are and who are not God’s elect).
That’s Not Fair!
How many times have you heard someone exclaim, “That’s not fair!” when things do not go their way. Someone else makes more than they do for the same job; one person gets a speeding ticket and the other gets a warning; one student gets a fortunate break in an athletic event and the other does not. It goes on and on and on and the typical response is, “That’s not fair!” Of course, when someone has things work in their favor, you don’t hear them say that.
As my children were growing up, they became used to me telling them, “Get over it, life is not fair; never was, never will be.” The fact is that there is nothing “fair” about life and none of us really want life to be “fair” anyhow. Were life “fair,” then we would always get what we deserved. What we worked for, that would be our recompense. And the bad news about that is when it comes to earthly and eternal things, we all deserve the wrath of God poured out on our each and every sin. That, beloved, would be fair. And, to boot, Jesus would have never sacrificed and died on the cross because that is one of the most unfair events in history.
So no, life is not fair. Get over it. It was not fair from the point that Adam and Eve ate of the fruit in the garden of which they were forbidden to eat. It is as plain and simple as that. They were made morally neutral in the sense that they were not biased toward disobedience like we are and they had the ability to obey the Law of God, which makes their sin even more condemnable. Yet they chose disobedience and when they did a blessed unfairness entered into the world. God should have condemned them and all of their offspring to eternal hell right then and there, yet he did not. God should have turned the beauties of this world into horrific and frightful caricatures of their original selves, but he did not, and God should have punished each and every sin in our lives immediately and harshly by his wrath, but he did not. He had a plan for grace and grace is not fair.
So, is it unfair that we are deprived the ability to fully obey the law? Not really, that was the righteous penalty on mankind for our first father’s sin. Is it unfair that our nature is to sin and nothing more? Again, that is the end result of the decision made by our first father, Adam. Children regularly (even today!) either benefit or suffer from the decisions made by their parents. As I look back at decisions that I have made, I sometimes wonder how different my family’s life would be were I have done that as opposed to this at various junctures. Of course, you cannot live in a world of “what if’s,” so it is not worth dwelling there. God is sovereign and has ordered my life (and yours) for his glory. And again, it is unfair, but praise God for that unfairness. Your sin nature, though, that was fairly given because of the rebellion of Adam and, as Heidelberg Catechism records, by Adam and Eve’s actions, they deprived themselves and us of the ability to obey.
Can the Wicked do Anything Good?
This is one of those questions that gets asked a lot, though often as a result of some misunderstandings of terminology. Often this kind of question comes from a critic of Calvinism…or perhaps more specifically, from a critic of the Calvinistic doctrine of Total Depravity. They see the words, “Totally Depraved,” and assume that what the Calvinist means is that human beings are as bad as they possibly can be. Yet, a brief survey of the world around us will illustrate that even unbelievers do noble things and the worst of mankind could act worse than they do. So, the critic says, “See, the world around you disproves your doctrine.”
Yet, the argument is more of a straw man than anything else. All that the world around us proves is that the misunderstanding or misrepresentation of the doctrine that the critic holds is untrue, but that says nothing about the doctrine itself. The doctrine itself simply speaks to the fact that the whole person has been affected or tainted by sin and thus the whole person (mind, body, soul, actions, etc…) needs redeeming. Yes, we could be worse, though God restrains our sin lest this earth become little more than a shadow of hell.
The other question raised by statements like this has to do with the definition of the word, “good.” Certainly Jesus teaches that only God is good (Luke 18:19). And so, the quick answer is, “No, no one can do anything Good because God alone is good.” Yet, that seems to beg the question because the person asking is not asking about good in the absolute sense, but simply about the things that we might appreciate as good, noble, or perhaps as meritorious.
Of course, the answer is still, “no.” The reason for this is that God considers anything that is not done “in faith” to be sin (Romans 14:23). Further, Paul writes to the Colossians that everything they do should be done in the name of Jesus Christ giving thanks to the Father through Him (Colossians 3:17). And so, if the wicked have rejected God (which they have) and do not honor the Son, Jesus Christ (which they do not), then it is impossible for them to do anything good in God’s eyes no matter how noble we might view an action in our own eyes.
And so the Heidelberg Catechism makes it clear in question number eight, that unless we are born again by God (thus having faith and doing all in thanksgiving to God through Christ) then we can do nothing good. This is both a matter of Total Depravity and of Intentionality. Lots of pagans do things that are noble on a human level, but in God’s eternal economy they fall short.
Why?
One of those questions I get asked a lot is why did God permit the Fall? Surely, God being God could have stopped Adam and Eve from falling into sin. Surely God could have made Adam and Eve in such a way that they would not be tempted to sin. Surely God could have interceded right then and there and stopped Eve from having the conversation with the Serpent. He could have made the Fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil look putrid and gross or he could have had a big bird fly by and pluck it from her hand. Have there not been times in your life when God providentially stopped you from engaging in a sin you had your heart set on? Perhaps he gave you a flat tire, a last-minute call to pull an extra shift at work, or something similar to that? Certainly he has for me. So, why did God permit Adam and Eve to Fall and then bring into this world all of the horrors that accompany living in a sinful world — most prominently, death?
Across church history, theologians have proposed a number of answers to this question. Probably the one that frustrates me the most is what theologians call the “Free Will Defense.” In other words, if God was going to give us a will that is truly and utterly free, he had to leave Adam and Eve to their own devices when it came to this first temptation — he had his hands tied, as it were, because he wanted to see if they would really love and obey them. This line of reasoning has problems on a number of levels, the most obvious one being that it does not line up with the Scriptures. The Scriptures never depict the will of man as being autonomous, but instead, under the sovereign reign of God. Thus, we see the Scriptures talking about God calling some to faith and God hardening the hearts of others. So, for example, Solomon writes that even though the heart of man plans things, it is God who lays forth his steps (Proverbs 16:9) and that God is sovereign even over the most minute and seemingly random events (Proverbs 16:33). In light of this, James states, that whenever we make plans, we ought to prefix our statement with “Lord willing” (James 4:15).
The other glaring problem with the “Freewill Defense” is that it presumes that for the will of man to truly be free, it must be free to sin and disobey. Yet, sin binds our wills. Disobedience is lawlessness and recklessness and not freedom. In fact, it is rightly said that the place and time when our will will be most free will be in the new creation when all is redeemed. And in the new creation, we will no longer be able to sin even if we wanted to (though understand, we will not want to either). Our affections will be set on God and upon His glory alone, the filth of sin will not even enter into the equation.
So, if this is not the answer to the question, what is? When I am asked this question, it is to Augustine’s answer that I appeal — that without the Fall we would not know the extent of the love of Christ for his elect. Without the Fall, there would have been no sin. Without the Fall, then, there would need be no redemption for sin. We would not know of God the Son’s willingness to suffer and die on behalf of the elect. We would not know the power of grace expressed through Christ’s substitutionary atonement. Augustine, on this matter, argued that it is better to bring good out of evil than to forbid evil from existing in the first place. Theologically this view is typically referred to as the Felix Culpa or the “Blessed Fall.”
Thus, despite the fact that Adam and Eve were created without fault and perfectly capable of fellowshipping and worshipping God without fault and with great joy (something Jude anticipates in glory — Jude 24), God decided that it was wise to permit that man and woman would fall by ordaining that Satan enter into the world in the form of a Serpent and to test man and woman. Satan did exactly what he wanted, Adam and Eve did exactly what they wanted, but all of their actions were perfectly aligned with God’s plan and design from eternity past — all so that we, the Elect, might know the unsurpassed depth of the love of God for us in Christ.
And so, sin and death entered the world. And from that point forward, all of the descendants of Adam and Eve (the whole human race) have become corrupted in our nature that our natural bent is toward sin. Not even one part of our being, body or soul or actions, is free from the effects of the Fall. We are wicked in our very nature. But praise be to God that in coming face to faith with our wickedness, God shows us the immensity of his grace. And beloved, that ought always draw us to worship.
The Dangers of a Welfare State
“For oppression makes the wise look foolish and welfare continually destroys the heart.”
(Ecclesiastes 7:7)
I think that I just got political without intending to do so. Then again, politics formed the vast majority of Solomon’s life for not only was he a king over Israel from Jerusalem, he grew up as the favored son of a king over Jerusalem. So, maybe we are not so far off chasing down this rabbit hole.
The oppression being spoken of is the kind of oppression that is harsh and heavy-handed, something Solomon knew well as a king when he was building the Temple and his houses and stables. It is using one’s power to force others to do things that they otherwise would not be doing…hence some translations will render עֹשֶׁק (‘osheq) as “extortion.” The real question has to do with why this behavior makes the wise appear foolish. The simple action is that when you oppress, you end up breaking God’s law. For example, believers are forbidden from oppressing (same word) their neighbor or robbing from him (Leviticus 19:13). Similarly, believers are also forbidden from oppressing (same word again) a hired worker, especially if he is poor (Deuteronomy 24:14). And since wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 9:10), one ends up looking like the fool when his actions go down this pathway.
Thus, those who are in a position of authority, in businesses, in governments, and in institutions should always pay a fair wage to those who labor under them. One of the traps that Christian institutions often fall into is the idea that since their work is a “ministry,” those people who work for them should somehow be paid less than their secular counterpart. This too, is a form of extortion and it will be something for which many Christian overseers will be called to task when they stand before Christ’s judgment seat. It is not uncommon, for example, for Christian schoolteachers to earn only about 60% of what their public school counterparts earn. That does not mean that people ought not make sacrifices for the work of ministry, but a worker deserves his wages (1 Timothy 5:18).
So far, while the application may step on some of your toes, we haven’t found ourselves getting too political. Yet, the second half of this verse begs a question about the morality of the practice of welfare. Solomon writes that this destroys the heart. The term that I chose to translate as “welfare” is the Hebrew word, מַתָּנָה (matanah), which can be translated variously as a gift designed to gain influence (a bribe), a gift to provide for the needs of another, or as a gift to provide for the needs of the poor (welfare). This, Solomon writes, destroys the heart.
Let us begin by asking why a gift might destroy the heart. The simple answer is that when people begin to get accustomed to receiving gifts and benevolences from others, it is very easy for them to fall into the trap of relying on those things. And, when we rely on the benevolence of others, we often seek to engage in productive work ourselves. As human beings made in the image of God, we are made to work (Genesis 2:15) and our lives are not to be filled with passivity or sloth (Proverbs 6:9-11). In facing this problem in the early church, the Apostle Paul instructs the Thessolonians that if people are unwilling to work, do not give them food — insisting that believers in the church earn their own livings (2 Thessalonians 3:10-12). Even widows, if younger than the age of 60, were not allowed on the rolls of the church benevolence lest they become idle and gossips (1 Timothy 5:9-16).
This does not mean that benevolence is bad. There is a place for it and it is a good thing if applied wisely. At the same time, benevolence becomes a social welfare program when people learn to live on the gifts of the people rather than seeking gainful employment. Thus, benevolence is meant to be for a time and a season, not for an indefinite period. Furthermore, there is a great deal of satisfaction and a sense of self-worth that comes from putting in a hard day’s work and earning your wages. That self-worth tends to produce self-respect. And the heart (which in the Hebrew language speaks of the mind and personality of an individual) is then strengthened. But, when you live on the benevolence of others, that self-respect dwindles — the heart is destroyed.
Again, there is a place for benevolence and aide (though it should come through the Deacons of the church and not the government). Use it when you need it and there are seasons when hard-working people do need a helping hand. But, don’t fall into the habit of relying on it. As soon as you are able, go back to work and earn your keep; it is good for your soul.
Fulfilling the Law and the Prophets
Jesus says that all of the Law and the Prophets hang on the two greatest commandments: loving God with the totality of your existence and loving your neighbor as yourself. That all sounds good, but what is meant by this notion of the Law and the Prophets?
To begin with, we ought to make it clear what this passage is not saying. It is not saying that the Law and the Prophets have all been derived from these two commandments (just the opposite — these two commandments are a summary of the Law and the Prophets!). Further, this is not saying that if you do these two commandments, you are able to fulfill all that the Law and the Prophets demand (as if we could do this fully!).
To begin with, the Law, when spoken in a context like this, is most typically a reference to the Pentateuch, or the first five books of the Bible — known as the Books of Moses or the Torah (the Hebrew word for Law). The Prophets refer to the books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the Twelve Minor Prophets — again, this is a Hebrew designation for these works.
What function do these books play? To begin with, they introduce the Law and the Covenant to the people of God. Second of all, they demonstrate the failure of the people of God to fulfill the righteous demands of the Covenant Law and of God’s faithfulness to his Covenant promises despite the people’s failures. In a very real sense, the purpose of the Law and the Prophets was to communicate to the people that they did not fulfill the Law and the Prophets (in most cases, they didn’t even try) and to demonstrate to the people that they needed a redeemer.
There is a telling passage that speaks to this reality found in Ezekiel 7:26. Ezekiel has been prophesying the destruction of the land of Israel and in that context, he says that the Law has perished from the priests (they no longer honor it or preach it to the people) and the people seek visions from the Prophets (yet the prophets make no sense apart from the Law). So, what do the people have but judgment and terror?
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus states unambiguously that he has come to fulfill and not abolish the Law — that the Law will never pass away until the heavens and the earth pass away. Indeed, in coming as the new and greater Covenant mediator, who can live out the Law perfectly on behalf of his people, he also fulfills the Covenant that God made and the people broke. In fact, Christ is the great fulfillment of this Covenant promise, the beginning of which is found in Genesis 3:15.
So, what is this ultimately saying to us? To begin with, Jesus is the demonstration of what it looks like to live out the first and second “greatest” commandments perfectly. If we wish to grow in grace and in spiritual maturity (as well as in demonstrating our Love toward God), this is that for which we must strive. Second, it is a reminder that without a love of God (that emanates from the totality of our being), we don’t even have a chance of living out the second (which flows from the first). We love our neighbor not as an individual command in and of itself; we love our neighbor because we love our God — the second flows out of the first. And third, if you could summarize the Law and Prophets — what God expected of his people and what his people failed to do — then here you have it: Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, with all of your soul, with all of your mind, and with all of your strength, and love your neighbor as yourself.
American Hedonism and the Church
“The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning and the heart of the fool is in the house of jubilation.”
(Ecclesiastes 7:4)
Solomon may seem like he is beating a dead horse with these words, but his purpose is to drive home the importance of finding times of introspection. Even in the context of the worship of God’s people (which is a joyful thing), there must also be times where one ponders the deep things of God’s word and applies them to life. By nature, that does not appeal to us. It is more fun to celebrate and remain in the house of jubilation even if we are surrounded by people who are spiritual fools. Yet, such places is not where wisdom is found.
In American Hedonism, the house of jubilation is the treasured goal. In sports, everything goes to the winners of a game even if winning meant cutting corners or unsportsmanlike conduct. The trophy is the sought out goal. To nurture this obsession, when children are young, the practice is often to reward everyone with a trophy. This is done with the pretext of not wanting children to feel bad about themselves, yet, most often, what this does is to teach children to treasure the trophy that will one day come (hopefully!). Outside of sports, the same principle applies, whether we are talking academic achievements or in awards in a civic organization like Scouts (how often parents work harder at a children’s projects or badges than the children themselves!).
Many churches have chased after the culture in this, preferring to make their worship services a house of jubilation. Singing is emphasized and sermons tend to be more theologically shallow — even superficial at times — focused on getting people excited rather than getting people to think deeply on the truths of the Word. Please do not misunderstand what I am saying, worship is a joyous activity — both in the gathered/corporate sense and in the personal sense when one worships in one’s daily life — but there also must be a place in worship to drive us into deeper contemplation about the Word of God and the implications thereof. The reality is that none of us are perfected yet if we are still on this side of the veil. That means there is room to learn, grow, and repent of sin harbored in our lives. Worship is not to be about our entertainment or about our being “recharged” for the week to come. It is not about us feeling good about ourselves or about our condition. It is about drawing near to a Holy God in holiness, and while joyous, it ought also make us tremble.
Again, Solomon instructs us to soberly ponder life in light of the word of God. It is something that most people that I know do not like doing because the Holy Spirit will convict you of sin and demand repentance (which includes a change of attitude toward that sin — as well as a change of behavior!). It will place you in the house of mourning if you take your sin seriously. And while unpleasant, it produces wisdom — which is better than folly.
Be Kind
Have you ever wondered why God commands us to be kind to our neighbors…you know the whole Leviticus 19:18 idea that we are to “love your neighbor as yourself.” Why couldn’t we just love God? We could go on retreats, we could find a cave up in the mountains somewhere and live as a hermit just with our love of God. On a level, that might be nice for a while — and on those days where you are frustrated with everyone around you…well, let me say that there is an appeal. So, why does God command us to love our neighbor (which you can’t do as a hermit because a hermit has no neighbors)?
Realize too, that when the Bible speaks of one’s neighbor, it is not just speaking about those who live next door nor is it talking about just those who are Christians or who are part of your local church (the Apostle John makes it clear that if you do not love the people in your church, you are not a Christian — 1 John 3:14-15; 4:20). No, your neighbor is anyone you come into contact with — that is the context of Leviticus 19 and that is the point of Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:29-37). But why? Loving God is clear, but why must we love our neighbors as well?
As Christians, not only are we to bear God’s image, but we are to be witnesses of God in the way that we live and speak. In this, we are called to “imitate” God (Jesus) in those attributes of God that we bear and exhibit. This is sometimes spoken of as the doctrine of the Imitatio Dei — an integral part of our sanctification. Thus, as we see God being loving, we should strive to be loving. As we see God being merciful, we also ought to strive to be merciful. As we see God being all-knowing (omniscient), we strive to learn as much as we are able to learn. And, as God pours out his wrath upon sin, we also ought to pour out our anger and righteous indignation against sin — especially against that sin we harbor in our own lives.
And in light of this, we see Jesus’ teaching that God makes the sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends the rain to water the fields of the just and the unjust alike (Matthew 5:45). King David says it even more concisely: “the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord” (Psalm 33:5). Theologians typically refer to this as the “Common Grace” of God. In other words, God gives good things to the totality of his creation. This is meant to draw the elect closer to God in love and affection and to add judgment upon judgment to the life of the reprobate.
And thus, our kindness to our neighbor is a means by which we imitate the Common Grace of God. In addition, it is an extension of God’s common grace through us. Thus, we are commanded to love our neighbor as ourselves. If we do otherwise, we falsely represent God’s character of Common Grace, we fail in our witness about God to the world, and we fail in our obedience to our God and master. We may even demonstrate that we do not really love God in the first place and need to begin by repenting and believing in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior — your sovereign King and Redeemer.
Go Attend a Funeral
“It is better to go to the house of mourning than to the house of feasting, for this is the end of every man; let the one who is living lay this to heart.”
(Ecclesiastes 7:2)
One could render the first part of this verse a little more idiomatically by stating that it is better to go to the funeral home than to the banquet hall. And just as with the former verse, this catches us off guard as a bit. It is certainly a more joyous thing to celebrate a birth than a death, or to celebrate a wedding than a funeral (the language of the house of feasting can be read as the celebration of a marriage — this too is a new life as two are joined together to become one flesh). It is certainly a more joyous event to baptize a child than to intern a body. So, what does Solomon mean here?
As with the previous verse, Solomon is helping us to learn perspective. At a birth there is only potential and the outward wonder at a new life. Yet, that new life is frail, it must be nursed, nurtured, and protected and even with that, sometimes the potentials hoped for are never realized. In Solomon’s day too, infant mortality was far higher than it is today, so there was a real threat that this child would not survive his earliest years.
In contrast, at a funeral, one has the privilege (assuming a life lived well) of witnessing the realization of his or her childhood potential. Having officiated more than a few funerals over the years, I can truly say that the time of sharing memories is a joyous thing and something that can bring great blessing and mercy to those suffering grief.
Solomon concludes this observation with a reminder to us — that we who are living take this to heart. The Jewish Midrash applies this as a reminder to us to attend funerals so that perhaps others will attend our funeral. We can extend this out to say that we all ought to live in such a way that people will wish to attend our funeral and that though they grieve, they too will have many rich stories to share with our widows or widowers and with the generations we leave behind. Counsel such as this is wise counsel for us all.
Heart and Soul
Moses says that we are to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, with all of our soul, and with all of our abundance. Jesus clarifies and arguably expounds on this when he says that you are to love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength (Matthew 22:37). In fact, Jesus says that this is the first and the greatest commandment. I have written elsewhere on how Jesus’ language harmonizes with Moses’ and I have also explored each one of these aspects of loving God in depth — for our purposes here, let us say that Jesus is commanding us that we are to love God with every aspect of our being, both earthly and spiritual and even with our material possessions.
What I want to explore here is not so much the detail of loving God with the totality of your being, but why it is important to do so. Why should you love God with your heart, soul, mind, and strength…and, why should you love him with all and not some of these aspects of your character? Why not just give some while holding part of it back for yourself? Surely, that is what most professing Christians do anyway, is it not?
Billy Graham was well-known for saying, “If you want to know a person’s priorities, give me five minutes with his checkbook.” I prefer to ask the question in terms of how someone spends their time. There is work, sleep, eating, commuting, etc… that are required parts of living in this western world, but out of the day, how much time do you spend in prayer in comparison to how much time you spend watching television or playing video games? How much time is spent in reading your Bible in comparison to personal pleasure reading? According to a New York Times article from a few years back, American adults average about 4-5 hours of television (or other forms of entertainment — YouTube, movies, etc…) per day. If that describes you, may I ask if you are genuinely loving God with all of your being — in this case, with all of your time? Or, are you holding back?
Truly, I am not arguing that all television or other “screen-time” is bad; the occasional game, movie, or television show is not a bad thing (of course, I suppose that depends on what you are watching too…). But, what I am saying is that your prayer and devotional time should vastly outweigh the time you commit to entertainment. And when I say “vastly,” I do mean vastly.
It seems to me that when I hear preachers talking about why we are to love God with all, much of what I hear has to do with the benefits of doing so. People say that you will be more “spiritually fulfilled” or that you will discover the “blessings of God in your life.” And while this may be the case, it should say that these are (at best) only the byproducts of being wholly committed to God.
The real reason that you and I are to love God with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength is because God is worthy of your love and your devotion. There are many things in your life that vie for your attention and for your affection, and many of these things are beautiful and wonderful things, but they are not God. God is infinitely better. And while you will gain incalculable satisfaction from worshiping him because he is worthy, an even better way of looking at it is that worshipping him is the only right thing we can do in life.
Truly, I do understand, none of us will do this perfectly in our lives. Thanks be to God that our eternal salvation does not depend on meriting anything — that work was done by Christ — but ought we not strive for what is right and true when we know it to be so?
The fourth question in the Heidelberg Catechism adds to this that the Law of God commands us to love Him with all of our heart and soul and mind and strength. Why a command? The answer is simple. The purpose of the Law is to instruct us in how to live in a way that is right (righteous) and true. If it is the right thing to do to honor God with all of our existence, is it any surprise that the law of God requires that we do the same. And again, this is not about earning merit or making points with God. This is simply proper and what is expected not just of redeemed Christians, but of the creation itself. Psalm 117 instructs even the pagan nations to praise God because God has been faithful to his own people (something they cannot say about their pagan idols).
Christian Requirements
Requirements? Wait a minute, Pastor Win, I have heard you preach over and over that we are saved by grace through faith. In fact, not just that, isn’t that what Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:8? Indeed, that is both what I have regularly preached (and written) over the years, and more importantly, that is the consistent testimony of Scripture. So, back to the question, what are we talking about by requirements?
The answer is simple. We are indeed saved by grace through faith — the work of salvation has entirely been done for us by Jesus himself. Yet, God does expect that his people live in a way that is distinct and different than does the rest of the world. In Old Testament Israel, this was often expressed in the form of the food ways, rules on clothing, and the participation in various festivals.
As Christians, we recognize that Christ fulfilled the law for us, but we also wish to live in a way that is pleasing to our God and Savior. Thus, we again, follow various ways prescribed for us in the scriptures. This time, though, it is focused not so much on food or clothing, but on spiritual elements — we are to forgive as we have been forgiven (Matthew 6:14-15), we are to do unto others as we would have them do to us (Matthew 7:12), and we are to pursue the fruit of the Spirit in our lives while rejecting the immoral ways of the world (Galatians 5:16-26).
God expects us to be holy as he is holy (to strive in that direction, that is — 1 Peter 1:16) and to strive for righteousness (1 John 3:9-10). Indeed, we are to be all the more diligent to make our calling and election sure (2 Peter 1:10). Will there be people who go to heaven who make an ongoing shipwreck of their lives — indeed, that’s the nature of grace — but are we given an excuse to set the bar low? Never, how can we who died to sin still live in it (Romans 6:2)? We can have no assurance of faith if we do not live that faith out in good and righteous works (as God defines good works, not as society defines them) — indeed, faith without works is dead (James 2:17). Thus, when our Lord is asked, “What is the greatest commandment?”, he affirms that indeed God requires us to live not as we wish, but as He wishes.
5 Things You Need to Know about Going Deep
Back in High School, I was a competitive swimmer. No, I never broke any records, but was good enough to be on the team and consistent enough that the coach put me in relays and things like that. And so, during those years, I swam seemingly endless laps across the surface of the water of the swimming pool — so much so that often, when I got home from a late practice or meet, that I would fall asleep and dream about swimming more laps.
In college, though, I was introduced to something different by a friend of mine’s father who was a scuba instructor. One evening, while I was at the pool swimming laps, he took me to the side, strapped a tank on my back and taught me how to breathe through the regulator and let me loose. I had been certified with a snorkel and a mask before, so the principle was pretty easy, bu the contrast was profound.
Slowly, I descended to the bottom of the swimming pool in the area used for diving. I saw the other swimmers on the surface making laps and heard some of the commotion, but being 9 feet below them, underwater, it was strangely quiet and peaceful; I found myself largely sitting there, peacefully reflecting on life — contrasting the frantic pace of the busy “surface-swimmers” with the slower, more deliberate movements in the stillness of the deep.
It strikes me that life is reflected in that contrast. How often it is that we are so busy with the frantic pace of life that we are like those people swimming on the surface, completing lap after lap, exhausting themselves with labor, but never going any deeper than a few inches from the surface and how few people, take the time to slowly find the peace that comes with going deep into the waters of life.
It doesn’t matter what your calling in life happens to be, it is worth going deep and the satisfaction you will find in the deep waters will compensate for the “lack of laps” you complete on the surface.
1. While knowledge can be gained at the surface, wisdom is found in the depths. Education in the modern western world is largely about swimming laps. Like it or not, you almost cannot help it. Now, understand, my point is not to “bash the system,” though I do think the system has some serious flaws. My wife and I are both products of the system and she spent the majority of her teaching career in that system. And though I spent the majority of my teaching career in a private Christian school, it is still modeled on the same system (just with a Christian curriculum), so I lived it as well. This was the system that shaped both my college and my seminary education as well. There is so much to cover in a limited period of time — swimming laps is the only way to accomplish this.
Yet, if one is deliberate, one can make the time (at least occasionally) to go deep. For me, that meant guarding my Sundays from school responsibilities so that I could rest and read some things that were not required-reading (and read them at my own pace, meditating on them as I went). In college, I discovered this in debates that took place in the student lounge and in studying philosophy — not so much in the philosophy classroom as what took place when the philosophy professor opened his home so some of us could come and talk about ideas — where we were gathered out of a love for learning and ideas, which, after all, is what “philosophy” is all about anyway… And wisdom is not just knowing things, it is applying those things you know in life.
2. Going Deep takes time and patience. There is no doubt about that reality, the deeper you go, the more time you will spend going down rather than swimming laps. And so, there is a trade-off. If you work on an assembly line, the chances are, this won’t be valued. Sadly, at the Christian School where I served, this was only partly valued — in principle it was commended, but in practical application, we were kept so busy that we did not have time to do so. Even more sadly, this is often not appreciated in the church where all too often, people do not value the need for a pastor, for church leadership, and for others of influence in the church to think, reflect on what is being done, and to contemplate things deeply. All too often, if the pastor or those leading are not present for every church activity, people wonder what is wrong.
3. Not everyone likes going deep. Here’s the thing, when you are swimming laps, progress is easy to measure…lap one, lap two, lap three, etc… Going deep leaves things in a more undefined state. You don’t count laps when you are contemplating from the bottom of the pool. Yes, you can measure depth, but much of that is only done with respect to those who are swimming over top of you on the surface, but the reason you are swimming deep is not to count laps but to contemplate for a season. Scholars, scientists, and others who have mastered their field understand this — there comes a point where they focus more on growing in their understanding than on completing tasks. Tasks, of course, are still completed, but often for different reasons than the surface-swimmers are turning out laps. On the surface, tasks are completed to achieve goals, purposes, and ends which often are meant to enable more lap-swimming. In the deep, tasks are completed because the moment of epiphany is sought out. There is a difference and that difference makes people uncomfortable.
4. You occasionally need to surface. Here’s the thing; the oxygen tank only has so much air in it. Eventually you have to surface if only to gain a new tank. And, like with scuba diving in deeper contexts than a swimming pool, the ascent must be taken slowly as to not harm yourself (I have never had “the bends” or “decompression sickness,” but the way it has been described to me sounds like it can’t be any fun). Also, from the depths of the waters, things on the surface can become distorted if you stay down so long. This, I would argue, is why so many professors are so out of touch with reality — they live in the deep and rarely come up for air.
Working on an advanced degree is teaching me a lot about this. Every article that I read points me to another article or to a book that I need to read and the cycle seems endless. It is an enjoyable cycle for those who like being in the deep, but I have also been counseled that there comes a point when one is “deep enough” that one needs to come to the surface and start writing that dissertation. Otherwise it will never get written.
5. Like your vegetables, going deep is good for your soul even if you prefer swimming laps. Jesus told Martha that Mary had chosen what was better (Luke 10:42). That does not mean that the things Martha was doing were unimportant. It also did not mean that Mary was unwilling to help her sister after the teaching time was done. It simply meant that at the time and in that situation, Mary chose to go deep, listening to Jesus’ words and allowing the housework to wait. Laps would be swum later; it was good for her to go deep. If you are a Christian, the same wisdom applies, when it comes to Jesus, you need to go deep if you are going to grow wise. Again, this does not diminish the value of the Martha’s in the church (we need them), but even Martha needed to stop her laps and swim deeply on occasion.
Gratitude
Are you grateful for the things people have done for you and the blessings of common grace that God has instilled into your life? Be careful how you answer that question. Those of us in the west tend to take a lot for granted: running water that is safe to drink, flushing toilets, electricity in our homes, and adequate (if not abundant) food on our tables. Granted, I, like many Americans, know what it means to pinch pennies and what it means not to be able to pay all the bills, having to decide whether the phone bill gets paid or diapers bought. But most of us…the overwhelming majority of us in America, do not know true hunger and poverty. A brief trip to places in Africa or Central America will sear that reality into your mind. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, Americans throw away about 133 billion pounds of food annually (a trip to a local buffet restaurant will testify to this). Yet, apart from asking God’s blessings on our provision at meals, most of us just assume that food is and will continue to be abundant and so I wonder, are we truly grateful?
Perhaps it is useful to define some terms. What does it mean to be “grateful?” Very literally, coming from the Latin word, gratus, it means to be filled with gratitude. The Oxford American Dictionary defines it as expressing our thankfulness for a kindness done for us. A distinction, then, comes to the surface within this definition. While we may appreciate the things that we earn (our salary, etc…) things for which we are grateful are largely those things that we did not earn, but were graciously provided for us by others.
Again, on this most basic level, there is much for which we ought to be grateful in America. We have freedoms that have been purchased for us by the blood of others; we have opportunities if we are willing to work hard and apply ourselves at a trade or in a business. One can still “work their way up” in America and create a better life for their families. Opportunities for Education still abound in America as do the technological advances of that education. Again, in many parts of the world there are good educational opportunities for the wealthy, but in America there is a fundamental belief that education ought to be available to all. One need only apply himself or herself to acquire that education — that is the beauty of America’s Public Library system. People can complain about not having advantages that others have had and in many cases, that is entirely true. Yet, for the one who is willing to work hard and apply himself or herself, the disadvantages we may have had can be overcome. Motivation and hard work is the recipe for doing so.
If we transition, though, from earthly things to eternal things, as Christians we have much for which we must be grateful…most significantly for the grace of God that exhibited itself in the sending of Christ to die in our place as God’s own. Here, there is nothing which we can lay claim to having participated in — it is God’s work from beginning to end. And the only possible response is a gratefulness that changes the way we live and think toward He who saved us. Thus, Heidelberg Catechism, in its second question, says that the third thing that it is essential for us to understand is our gratitude…or more specifically, how God wants us to live out that gratitude toward him.
You see, our gratefulness is not simply just a warm feeling of affection in our heart toward God who saved us. It is that indeed, but it is also a matter of how we live. James reminds us that faith without works is dead (James 2:17). Truly, the works do not save us, but they testify to the salvation that has been worked in us. Further, God does not leave us to our own ends when it comes to showing him our gratefulness. In fact, He instructs us how He wants us to demonstrate our faithfulness. The third section of the Catechism, then, is designed as a matter of application…how do we show our thankfulness toward God?
The question remains, what of those who claim to be Christians but whose lives do not demonstrate their gratefulness? The answer is two-fold. First, all of us fall into sin at times and that sin demonstrates the fact that we are taking God’s grace for granted and are thus being ungrateful. Of this, we must repent and ask forgiveness of this. The second category are those who are truly ungrateful because they have not truly received the saving grace of God. They are unbelievers but they just don’t yet know it because God has kept their eyes blind and shut. To this group of people, we must say, “Repent and Believe.” If a deep-felt and lived-out gratitude for God is not your first response to His grace, then the question you must ask is ‘To which of these two groups do I belong?”
The Preacher's Study 