I'm so glad I get to post on this part. Salvation has interested me ever since I heard Paul Washer's sermons online last term. In the very first one I heard, I remember him saying that we will spend all of eternity trying to understand the mystery of salvation. His statement stands in contrast to what we think now, that salvation is the first thing a Christian should "master", and that other, deeper subjects (such as eschatology or divine election) are the more "advanced" topics. No, Washer says. Every single person, Christian or not, will know exactly what happens on the Day of the Lord in regards to these topics. But salvation -- we will spend all of eternity praising God for it, and learning more and more of its wonders.
Of course the whole book or Romans, indeed the whole Bible, is the salvation story. But these eleven verses really concentrate on God's greatest gift to us. Righteousness, as I mentioned earlier (or rather my Bible dictionary did), is not only being "good", but right with God -- seeing Him eye to eye. And it has been established that no one sees eye to eye with God, and no one ever can. Yet Paul opens this bit with "but now a righteousness from God, apart from the law, has been made known..." (v. 21a). The italicized bits emphasize two things: first, that the way to being right with God comes from God. No surprise there. Jesus Himself said "I AM the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14: 6). This has implications for my spiritual life. If being right with God comes from God, then it makes sense that my new earthly experience (which is really spiritual exercise and warm-up for the work-out in eternity) should come from God. As a follower of Christ with my treasure set in heaven, I've come a long way from a doomed soul who rejects God, as described in chapter one, but all the failures I've met in my earthly struggles do prompt me to ask: how much am I choosing to receive from God?
The second word I emphasized is apart. We are saved apart from the law. This word really moves me to thank God. He saw that mankind would surely fail if we had to live up to His standards (seriously, we couldn't even resist eating a fruit, how are we supposed to resist bigger temptations?), and so He created a way out. In Corinthians, Paul states that "[God] will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under [temptation]." (1 Cor. 10:13b). Now, I know that it's a different context and I should be careful about randomly cross-referencing, but the key thing I'm grasping at here is simply how lovingly and how powerfully God provides back doors for us. And back doors I'm no stranger to. Half the stuff I do at McMaster I can do because people have opened back doors for me. And if I'm grateful to them for providing back doors for temporal things, how much more should I thank God for giving me back doors for eternal things!
The meat of my devotion this time, however, is the lead-up to verse 23. The famous verse "for all have sinned..." is prefaced by "there is no difference". Difference between what? Paul clarifies later in verses 29-30, when he talks about salvation of both Jews and Gentiles through the same faith. It's a serious wake-up call to the "chosen people", that God doesn't see them any differently than the people they regard has barbarians and heathens. That has got to hurt. But I want to look at this the other way -- the heathen and the ungodly and the demon-possessed -- God sees them with the same love as He sees His chosen people. And it's so like God to do that! Abraham's forgotten son, Ishmael -- his people were not chosen by God (at least, not like Isaac's were), but God still blessed him (for more details see Gen. 16 and 21). And one of the things I remember most vivdly in the gospels (apart from the "IT IS FINISHED!" bit) is when the writer records Jesus being "moved with compassion" when he sees the physically and spiritually disabled. Some translations, I think, have "moved with pity", or some variation of that. And here we are reminded that "there is no difference". God looks upon everyone with the same love a Father has for His son (or even for His Son).
For the upcoming choir concert, we're doing two pieces that are especially touching to me. One is Agneau de Dieu (Lamb of God) by Rupert Lang, and the other is Ave Verum Corpus by Imant Raminsh. Ave Verum Corpus, in particular, features one massive fortissimo section that only lasts about two measures, and right there are the words "O clemens!", which translates to "O merciful [Jesus]!" Singing that just makes me want to fall on my knees. The text for both songs also include "have pity on us" near the end. They are such powerful pieces, but it's even more powerful that the Lamb we're singing about is moved with compassion and says "I am willing. Be clean!".
That's pretty powerful when I tack that on to "there is no difference."
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Friday, March 25, 2011
Romans 3:9-20
Not one is righteous. Not one. What a grim passage; our throats are open graves and our tongues practice deceit, and misery and ruin mark our ways (v. 13, 16). (Reminds me of Dead Dancing by Avenged Sevenfold) Sounds so pessimistic ... but God is not a pessimistic God. Often, God seems extreme to me: either showing passion and love or intense wrath. It really only seems this way because I don't understand Him; I don't see things from His point of view. Thankfully, God gave us the Bible for just that. As it says in Psalm 53:2-3,
God purposely put this passage here. He juxtaposes His faithfulness (Rm. 3:1-8) with our corruption (Rm. 3:9-20) to show us just how much we need Him. He's not trying to tell us we suck, He telling us to let down our pride, strip ourselves of all worldly values and reflect. What do we see in ourselves? Do we place value in worldly accomplishments and let them define us? God is telling us to let everything go and find our self-worth in Him, the temporal things we define ourselves by won't last. And when they're gone, what will we be? But if we confide in God like He confides in us, we can all move mountains. (I know I'm straying from the message of this passage, but this is what God is telling me)
At first, I felt defeated by this. Then I realized, God doesn't call us to be perfect, He didn't come for the perfect (Matt 9:12). He came to lead those who needed leading, sheep without direction. Coincidentally, our school fellowship did a program on sheep (not to be confused with goats). So we did a little research to see exactly how dumb they were. (Which sucks, 'cause this is what God relates us to ...)
This just shows how much we need God. Despite how much we suck, if we put our trust in God, He will use us for His glory. He used (and uses) lowly fishermen (disciples), prostitutes (Rahab), men who use prostitutes (Samson), and shepherds (David). All of these people were looked down upon and God still used them. By God's standards, I am no better. But God can use me just as much as He used those people. In God's name, I can expel demons, I can heal the broken, I can light the darkness, and spread His love.With God, I'm unstoppable (Isaiah 54:17).
He confides in me, and I in Him. Now, to conquer the world!
Sonia (:
"God looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. Everyone has turned away, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one."God is looking to be with us -- that's what we were made for, perfect fellowship with God. He came to see if any of us cared enough to seek Him. And we, mean as we are, shove him away! This reminds of a guy at school, David. Practically the entire school knows of him. He has a learning disability and has difficulty understanding and connecting with people. As a result, he's kind of a social butterfly (though not very well liked). All he wants is a relationship with someone, but he's always ignored, left out. People have spread gossip about him, they've pranked him, made jokes at his expense -- all these people reject him, they push him away. Terrible, I know. But I'm doing the same thing to God. I don't prank Him or laugh at Him, but I don't seek Him either.
God purposely put this passage here. He juxtaposes His faithfulness (Rm. 3:1-8) with our corruption (Rm. 3:9-20) to show us just how much we need Him. He's not trying to tell us we suck, He telling us to let down our pride, strip ourselves of all worldly values and reflect. What do we see in ourselves? Do we place value in worldly accomplishments and let them define us? God is telling us to let everything go and find our self-worth in Him, the temporal things we define ourselves by won't last. And when they're gone, what will we be? But if we confide in God like He confides in us, we can all move mountains. (I know I'm straying from the message of this passage, but this is what God is telling me)
At first, I felt defeated by this. Then I realized, God doesn't call us to be perfect, He didn't come for the perfect (Matt 9:12). He came to lead those who needed leading, sheep without direction. Coincidentally, our school fellowship did a program on sheep (not to be confused with goats). So we did a little research to see exactly how dumb they were. (Which sucks, 'cause this is what God relates us to ...)
- Sheep have bad eyesight, and so, when they eat grass, they can only see patches of grass that are next to them. They'll eat patch after patch and never look up. Eventually, when they do look up, they realize they have no idea where they are.
- Sheep can only digest food when lying down. However, they do not lie down without instruction, even if full beyond their stomach's limit. (I wonder how sheep survived before domestication!)
- They never lead, they follow the leader.
- When attacked, they clump together, making an easier target for the predator. Most other animals disperse, which is much much smarter.
This just shows how much we need God. Despite how much we suck, if we put our trust in God, He will use us for His glory. He used (and uses) lowly fishermen (disciples), prostitutes (Rahab), men who use prostitutes (Samson), and shepherds (David). All of these people were looked down upon and God still used them. By God's standards, I am no better. But God can use me just as much as He used those people. In God's name, I can expel demons, I can heal the broken, I can light the darkness, and spread His love.With God, I'm unstoppable (Isaiah 54:17).
He confides in me, and I in Him. Now, to conquer the world!
Sonia (:
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Romans 3:1-8
The biggest struggle I had with this passage was application. Or, as Tim Choy puts it: how does this relate to me? I tried to stretch the "Jew => Christian/ Circumcision => Baptism" thing a little further (from ch. 2 to here). I'm not 100% convinced that it's theologically sound, but I think I can make a good enough case to defend my position. In any case, the same questions still arise with Christianity. Some may ask why they must become a Christian. They might say "I'm a good person, and (drawing from ch. 2) am probably a better person than half of the "Christians" out there." The traditional answer would be "good works don't save you. Faith in Jesus Christ does." That is true, but I wonder if God gives us an additional answer here in ch. 3: [we] have been entrusted with the very words of God. When I think about that, I am reminded of all the saints who carried the Bible through the ages, sometimes at great personal cost. There are people who died for the Bible. Clearly they took this stewardship very seriously.
Verse 2 here says that "[we] have been entrusted wit the very words of God." According to various definitions found in Dictionary.com, to 'entrust' means to "charge or invest with a trust or responsibility", and "to confide in". And of course the root word of 'entrust' is 'trust'. Jesus puts it this way: "I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I have learned from my Father I have made known to you." (John 15:15) We talk about God choosing to partner with us in the creation story and the salvation story, and that is rightly so. But when I read this, I am amazed, because I would never want to work with someone who not only doesn't know how to do something right, doesn't even care. Anyone who has been in a disappointing group project knows this. And yet God not only accepts my presence, He invites me. And He confides in me.
What did God entrust me with, or confide in me? None other than His very words. I don't know if it's supposed to be the Word, or just God's words, but I think it scarcely makes a difference. With a word He brought creation into being. With a word He created light, and with another word He created the sky, and with another dry land, and so on. When the Israelites had nothing to drink in the desert, God told Moses to speak to the rock (Moses chose to hit the rock instead, but that's beside the point). Jesus, during His ministry, merely spoke and people were healed. Peter and John did the same thing to the lame man in Acts 3. One of my favourite examples is on the cross, when Jesus cries out "It is finished!" Whether or not those words had any power in them is beyond me, but at those words creation was restored to harmony with God and Satan was eternally defeated (he just doesn't know it yet). I could fill the Internet, as vast as it is, with examples of God's powerful word, but suffice to say, entrusting that to me is like giving a kid a nuke.
And it is at this point that Paul brings in faith. What if (as we all fear when handing a child a nuclear device) I am unfaithful with what I've been given? For example, the Israelites were entrusted the gospel, but they ended up crucifying it. What did Christians do with the gospel? According to Paul Washer, we've watered it down to three easy questions (do you know you're a sinner, do you want to go to heaven, do you want to be saved) plus one simple prayer. Luckily, God has a safety in place, and that is His own faithfulness. Just because we Christians have been messing up the gospels for the last 2000 years (and the Jews messed them up before us for another 2000 years) doesn't mean people aren't coming to Christ. Rather, God is working overtime to fix any screw-ups we've been doing.
Before I go further, I want to briefly reflect on God's character. He is not only a trustworthy God (that is, we can trust Him), He is also a trusting God (meaning that He will trust us too). When was the last time my father trusted me enough to climb a tall tree? But God is so loving He lets me experience, and He is so wise He knows exactly how much I can try. And He is also so powerful and so patient for picking up after my messes. All this and I'm only at chapter 3. Paul hasn't even started talking about God's awesome plan yet!
The final part I have little to write on, because I both struggle with this a lot (but only intellectually), and because I don't struggle with this at all (morally). If the Japanese hadn't raped Nanjing to pieces, the world would never have seen the kindness and bravery of John Rabe and the others who ran the Nanjing Safety Zone, but that doesn't mean the Imperial Japanese who raped Nanjing were any less evil. It's not like John Rabe would go up to the Japanese commander and say "thank you for raping the women so that I could show them kindness." More likely, he'd say something along the lines of "tell your ******** soldiers to leave those poor women alone!". As Paul puts it, their condemnation is deserved.
Matthew
Verse 2 here says that "[we] have been entrusted wit the very words of God." According to various definitions found in Dictionary.com, to 'entrust' means to "charge or invest with a trust or responsibility", and "to confide in". And of course the root word of 'entrust' is 'trust'. Jesus puts it this way: "I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I have learned from my Father I have made known to you." (John 15:15) We talk about God choosing to partner with us in the creation story and the salvation story, and that is rightly so. But when I read this, I am amazed, because I would never want to work with someone who not only doesn't know how to do something right, doesn't even care. Anyone who has been in a disappointing group project knows this. And yet God not only accepts my presence, He invites me. And He confides in me.
What did God entrust me with, or confide in me? None other than His very words. I don't know if it's supposed to be the Word, or just God's words, but I think it scarcely makes a difference. With a word He brought creation into being. With a word He created light, and with another word He created the sky, and with another dry land, and so on. When the Israelites had nothing to drink in the desert, God told Moses to speak to the rock (Moses chose to hit the rock instead, but that's beside the point). Jesus, during His ministry, merely spoke and people were healed. Peter and John did the same thing to the lame man in Acts 3. One of my favourite examples is on the cross, when Jesus cries out "It is finished!" Whether or not those words had any power in them is beyond me, but at those words creation was restored to harmony with God and Satan was eternally defeated (he just doesn't know it yet). I could fill the Internet, as vast as it is, with examples of God's powerful word, but suffice to say, entrusting that to me is like giving a kid a nuke.
And it is at this point that Paul brings in faith. What if (as we all fear when handing a child a nuclear device) I am unfaithful with what I've been given? For example, the Israelites were entrusted the gospel, but they ended up crucifying it. What did Christians do with the gospel? According to Paul Washer, we've watered it down to three easy questions (do you know you're a sinner, do you want to go to heaven, do you want to be saved) plus one simple prayer. Luckily, God has a safety in place, and that is His own faithfulness. Just because we Christians have been messing up the gospels for the last 2000 years (and the Jews messed them up before us for another 2000 years) doesn't mean people aren't coming to Christ. Rather, God is working overtime to fix any screw-ups we've been doing.
Before I go further, I want to briefly reflect on God's character. He is not only a trustworthy God (that is, we can trust Him), He is also a trusting God (meaning that He will trust us too). When was the last time my father trusted me enough to climb a tall tree? But God is so loving He lets me experience, and He is so wise He knows exactly how much I can try. And He is also so powerful and so patient for picking up after my messes. All this and I'm only at chapter 3. Paul hasn't even started talking about God's awesome plan yet!
The final part I have little to write on, because I both struggle with this a lot (but only intellectually), and because I don't struggle with this at all (morally). If the Japanese hadn't raped Nanjing to pieces, the world would never have seen the kindness and bravery of John Rabe and the others who ran the Nanjing Safety Zone, but that doesn't mean the Imperial Japanese who raped Nanjing were any less evil. It's not like John Rabe would go up to the Japanese commander and say "thank you for raping the women so that I could show them kindness." More likely, he'd say something along the lines of "tell your ******** soldiers to leave those poor women alone!". As Paul puts it, their condemnation is deserved.
Matthew
Romans 2:17-29
The passage begins with a very thorough (more thorough than I'd like) description of a Jew, which applies to modern Christians as well. When asked to define 'Christian', we often just stop at 'one who follows Jesus'. While that response isn't wrong, it's not very definitive -- a Christian is so much more, and Romans 2:17-20 tells us exactly what a real follower of Jesus is (notice how I didn't say Christian). We are to:
The next bit is a slap in the face:
21 you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? 22 You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? 24 As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”
We are definitely missing the mark. We are called to shine His light and show the way to those in the dark. What's stopping us: do we have on lampshades (Matt 5:14-16) or are we just dim?
If it's a matter of removing the lampshade, we're not in much trouble. But if we're dim, how can we guide others; how can we call ourselves Christians? A dim light will only lead to dead ends; dim Christians will not lead to God. The Bible calls these people fools (Prov 1:7). And what do fools do? A fool repeats in his folly (Prov 26:11).
Is this how we should present ourselves? No wonder God says 'His name is blasphemed among the Gentiles" because of us. There are a couple kids at my school that are almost saints; they're better than some of the people at SCBC. How can I expect them to believe me when I say God is a loving god? God's clearly done nothing for us. Are we letting God in?
I don't think I'm a very bright Christian. Gotta read the Bible more, talk to God more -- care more. As we studied a few weeks ago in Joshua, Christianity isn't only present on the outside, it's a reflection of what's goin' on inside. Good deeds do not indicate good character, but good character will lead to good deeds. What I need is God to revamp my character. Have to start living for God, not myself.
I've talked the talk. Now, to walk the walk.
Sonia
- rely on the Law & boast in God
- know of His will & approve of what is superior b/c we are instructed by the law
- be guides for the blind & lights for those in the dark
- be instructors of fools & teachers of children
The next bit is a slap in the face:
21 you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? 22 You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? 24 As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”
We are definitely missing the mark. We are called to shine His light and show the way to those in the dark. What's stopping us: do we have on lampshades (Matt 5:14-16) or are we just dim?
If it's a matter of removing the lampshade, we're not in much trouble. But if we're dim, how can we guide others; how can we call ourselves Christians? A dim light will only lead to dead ends; dim Christians will not lead to God. The Bible calls these people fools (Prov 1:7). And what do fools do? A fool repeats in his folly (Prov 26:11).
Is this how we should present ourselves? No wonder God says 'His name is blasphemed among the Gentiles" because of us. There are a couple kids at my school that are almost saints; they're better than some of the people at SCBC. How can I expect them to believe me when I say God is a loving god? God's clearly done nothing for us. Are we letting God in?
I don't think I'm a very bright Christian. Gotta read the Bible more, talk to God more -- care more. As we studied a few weeks ago in Joshua, Christianity isn't only present on the outside, it's a reflection of what's goin' on inside. Good deeds do not indicate good character, but good character will lead to good deeds. What I need is God to revamp my character. Have to start living for God, not myself.
I've talked the talk. Now, to walk the walk.
Sonia
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Romans 2: 12-16
All who sin apart from God will also perish apart from God, and all who sin under God will be judged by God. For it is not those who hear God who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey God who will be declared righteous.
As I was struggling with this passage, I tried to pray it back to God, and I found that I replaced "the law" with "God", since the law comes from God, and ultimately is a manifestation of God's holiness. In the end, I'm not sure which is more horrible: to perish apart from God, or to be judged by God. I'm not sure what the implications are for today, with believers/non-believers, but Paul was talking about Jews and Gentiles -- Jews who will be judged for having the law, and Gentiles who will perish for being apart from the law. As Christians, we too will be judged, but Jesus will step forward and show that we are His. It kind of brings me back to Felix's sharing on Friday: if Jesus was coming back in 2012 -- or even tomorrow -- and were to demand an accounting of my life, what would I say?
For it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. Now I know that grace is greater than the law, and Jesus fulfilled the law in His death and resurrection, but as James says "faith without deeds is dead" (James 2:26), and Peter, in his first two sermons, says "REPENT and be baptized" (Acts 2:38 and 3:19). There are so many things I could repent for, but I go back to the cardinal sin -- not glorifying God as God. Even now, as I write this, I have mixed feelings, because there's a part of me which is so against reading the Bible. I'm not sure where the voice is coming from (whether it's Satan tempting me, or my own flesh), but to be completely honest, the reason is because I'm afraid of God telling me to change. But if I don't let God do His good work in me, how can I glorify Him? The sad thing is, I'm not even as terrified as I should be.
My Bible has a handy little dictionary in the back. It's of dubious academic value, but I looked up righteous just out of curiosity. It says "being 'in the right' in a relationship to God". I think the most vivid description I could imagine of is me standing before the great white throne of God (Rev. 20:11). In my mind I see that everything is white -- the throne, of course, the huge hall (and by huge I mean HUGE), and the floor. God Himself is simply a beam of bright light with a booming voice. There is no one else but Him and me. No lawyer to defend me. God is the Judge, the Prosecutor, the Jury and the Executioner. And I'm standing in front of Him like an ant before an elephant. My knees aren't knocking, and I'm not quivering in fear, but I'm definitely holding my breath. And suddenly I hear "well done, good and faithful servant! Come and share your Master's happiness!" And I just smile. I'm happy, of course, but it's not an exuberant kind of happy. It's just contentment, that my old life, with its struggles, is over, and I can begin a new one beside my Creator. I am filled with more peace than I could ever imagine.
That's kind of what righteousness looks like to me. And to tie this in with the previous part about obedience to God's law: I would rather have this happen to me, than to see my work burned up before me and entering God's presence with charred clothes, like one escaping from a fire (1 Cor. 3:12-15), and then only because Jesus steps forward with a raised eyebrow and says "weeellll... I did save him, soooo...."
The final thing I want to say about this passage is the part about Gentiles: Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have God, do by nature things required by God, they are proving God for themselves, even though they do not have God, since they show that the requirements of God are written on their hearts. This passage doesn't strike me as personally as the last, but I think, tying it in with Romans 1:20, this is the Bible's teaching on universal moral standard. It brings me yet again to the Last Days, when God will give humans over to sin even more than He does now. I think its almost universally accepted that in the Last Days, Hitler and Stalin will pale in comparison to the evil the humanity unleashes upon itself. Combine this with the judgement scene I imagined above, I'm not sure whether to be more excited or terrified of the return of the King.
In conclusion, I pray for God's saving grace to change me, no matter how much a part of me is against it (more on that in chapter 7!). I hope He doesn't mind having to drag me, kicking and screaming, into heaven.
Matthew
As I was struggling with this passage, I tried to pray it back to God, and I found that I replaced "the law" with "God", since the law comes from God, and ultimately is a manifestation of God's holiness. In the end, I'm not sure which is more horrible: to perish apart from God, or to be judged by God. I'm not sure what the implications are for today, with believers/non-believers, but Paul was talking about Jews and Gentiles -- Jews who will be judged for having the law, and Gentiles who will perish for being apart from the law. As Christians, we too will be judged, but Jesus will step forward and show that we are His. It kind of brings me back to Felix's sharing on Friday: if Jesus was coming back in 2012 -- or even tomorrow -- and were to demand an accounting of my life, what would I say?
For it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. Now I know that grace is greater than the law, and Jesus fulfilled the law in His death and resurrection, but as James says "faith without deeds is dead" (James 2:26), and Peter, in his first two sermons, says "REPENT and be baptized" (Acts 2:38 and 3:19). There are so many things I could repent for, but I go back to the cardinal sin -- not glorifying God as God. Even now, as I write this, I have mixed feelings, because there's a part of me which is so against reading the Bible. I'm not sure where the voice is coming from (whether it's Satan tempting me, or my own flesh), but to be completely honest, the reason is because I'm afraid of God telling me to change. But if I don't let God do His good work in me, how can I glorify Him? The sad thing is, I'm not even as terrified as I should be.
My Bible has a handy little dictionary in the back. It's of dubious academic value, but I looked up righteous just out of curiosity. It says "being 'in the right' in a relationship to God". I think the most vivid description I could imagine of is me standing before the great white throne of God (Rev. 20:11). In my mind I see that everything is white -- the throne, of course, the huge hall (and by huge I mean HUGE), and the floor. God Himself is simply a beam of bright light with a booming voice. There is no one else but Him and me. No lawyer to defend me. God is the Judge, the Prosecutor, the Jury and the Executioner. And I'm standing in front of Him like an ant before an elephant. My knees aren't knocking, and I'm not quivering in fear, but I'm definitely holding my breath. And suddenly I hear "well done, good and faithful servant! Come and share your Master's happiness!" And I just smile. I'm happy, of course, but it's not an exuberant kind of happy. It's just contentment, that my old life, with its struggles, is over, and I can begin a new one beside my Creator. I am filled with more peace than I could ever imagine.
That's kind of what righteousness looks like to me. And to tie this in with the previous part about obedience to God's law: I would rather have this happen to me, than to see my work burned up before me and entering God's presence with charred clothes, like one escaping from a fire (1 Cor. 3:12-15), and then only because Jesus steps forward with a raised eyebrow and says "weeellll... I did save him, soooo...."
The final thing I want to say about this passage is the part about Gentiles: Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have God, do by nature things required by God, they are proving God for themselves, even though they do not have God, since they show that the requirements of God are written on their hearts. This passage doesn't strike me as personally as the last, but I think, tying it in with Romans 1:20, this is the Bible's teaching on universal moral standard. It brings me yet again to the Last Days, when God will give humans over to sin even more than He does now. I think its almost universally accepted that in the Last Days, Hitler and Stalin will pale in comparison to the evil the humanity unleashes upon itself. Combine this with the judgement scene I imagined above, I'm not sure whether to be more excited or terrified of the return of the King.
In conclusion, I pray for God's saving grace to change me, no matter how much a part of me is against it (more on that in chapter 7!). I hope He doesn't mind having to drag me, kicking and screaming, into heaven.
Matthew
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Romans 2: 5-11
"But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed." (Romans 2:5)
Why are we so stubborn? We think we're always right, we think we're without fault, we think we're all that. God did not come to save the self-righteous and perfect. (Matt 9:13) We really have to spend more time repenting and asking God for forgiveness. When we read Bible verses that talk about God smiting people, we never think it's gonna be us. We (I) always think: "Yeah, it's totally for that bully down the street, God can't be talking about us!". But with this mindset, God is totally talking to us. Who are we to think that we're exempt from God's wrath?
And instead of storing up wrath, we (obviously) should be storing up our treasures in heaven. What have we stored up as of now? If we were to die now, would we have anything? Will our actions on Earth have any impact? Do we have any eternal accomplishments?
This verse also reminds us that He is a just God. He's always watching for us and will always maintain justice in the world. Sometimes we forget that and try to fix things up by our own power. Usually, by doing this, we just end up sinning more - it's never easy to just turn the other cheek. Gotta leave it all to God. (I wonder what He'll say to me on Judgment Day...)
It's kinda hard to switch from reading about God's wrath to His love. Not that God is bipolar, but the difference is very extreme. Though He will exercise His power against those who are sinful, His also extends His love to those who are faithful and will reward all who strive to work for God. (v.6,7) In Psalm 24:12, David says,
I don't quite understand how someone would want to be God. They're biting off more than they can chew. We're only human, how can we possibly take on such a role! I don't really understand the desire for power. I can understand why money is so desirable, but power is useless. So what if you're at the top of the ladder or have a couple slaves? What then? It's not like Hitler, one of the greatest leaders ever, accomplished much for himself. (Ofc, he's a bad guy but he was a good leader, just that the object of his leadership was bad.) The power-hungry are both prudent and blind. They plot & plan, they're disciplined, and can achieve pretty much anything but they're too preoccupied to see the world for what it really is. Is that a life worth living?
This is what I see when I observe the nerds at my school. What might God, the Judge himself, see in me?
Sonia
Why are we so stubborn? We think we're always right, we think we're without fault, we think we're all that. God did not come to save the self-righteous and perfect. (Matt 9:13) We really have to spend more time repenting and asking God for forgiveness. When we read Bible verses that talk about God smiting people, we never think it's gonna be us. We (I) always think: "Yeah, it's totally for that bully down the street, God can't be talking about us!". But with this mindset, God is totally talking to us. Who are we to think that we're exempt from God's wrath?
And instead of storing up wrath, we (obviously) should be storing up our treasures in heaven. What have we stored up as of now? If we were to die now, would we have anything? Will our actions on Earth have any impact? Do we have any eternal accomplishments?
This verse also reminds us that He is a just God. He's always watching for us and will always maintain justice in the world. Sometimes we forget that and try to fix things up by our own power. Usually, by doing this, we just end up sinning more - it's never easy to just turn the other cheek. Gotta leave it all to God. (I wonder what He'll say to me on Judgment Day...)
It's kinda hard to switch from reading about God's wrath to His love. Not that God is bipolar, but the difference is very extreme. Though He will exercise His power against those who are sinful, His also extends His love to those who are faithful and will reward all who strive to work for God. (v.6,7) In Psalm 24:12, David says,
If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,”Eternal life and heavenly rewards are the byproduct of faith. Has it become the ultimate goal? We have to get this straight: God does not give us eternal life and rewards as repayment for our work on Earth, all that is from God's grace. Rather, our work on Earth is (inadequate) repayment for God's love and mercy on us. He chose to die on the cross for us, that's commitment. Do we have commitment? If we're only there for the rewards, how different are we from gold diggers? I guess the gold diggers would fall under the self-seeking category (v. 8).
does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?
Does not he who guards your life know it?
Will he not repay each person according to what they have done?
I don't quite understand how someone would want to be God. They're biting off more than they can chew. We're only human, how can we possibly take on such a role! I don't really understand the desire for power. I can understand why money is so desirable, but power is useless. So what if you're at the top of the ladder or have a couple slaves? What then? It's not like Hitler, one of the greatest leaders ever, accomplished much for himself. (Ofc, he's a bad guy but he was a good leader, just that the object of his leadership was bad.) The power-hungry are both prudent and blind. They plot & plan, they're disciplined, and can achieve pretty much anything but they're too preoccupied to see the world for what it really is. Is that a life worth living?
This is what I see when I observe the nerds at my school. What might God, the Judge himself, see in me?
Sonia
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Romans 2:1-4
"You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgement on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgement do the same things." (Rom. 2: 1)
This passage reminded me of a particular problem I've been struggling with. Throughout high school, I've prided myself on being a relatively humble person (ironic, isn't it?). I grew more and more wary of being arrogant -- a trait I saw in people inside my closest circle of relationships. This trend continued into university. Shortly after Pastor Paul discovered my joy of reading, he started giving me books to read. One of them was "Mere Christianity" by C.S. Lewis. The one thing that stood out in the entire book was "How do you know you're prideful? You can't stand other prideful people." BURN! I re-examined myself, and discovered with horror that I am becoming the very person I didn't want to be.
This particular struggle isn't the main focus of my reflection, but in a way, it is. The latter half of chapter 1 noted the cardinal sin -- neither glorifying God as God nor giving thanks to Him. Why would anyone in their right mind do that? Because they want to be God. In Psalm 50, David compares himself and a "mighty man". He opens by saying "Why do you boast of evil, you mighty man? Why do you boast all day long?" David lists several sins, but the chief one was that he didn't want to depend on God. This mighty man wanted his strength to come from himself.
Does this sound familiar? It's the popular story of Lucifer's fall. He wanted to become God. It was pride at work.
Why the long talk about pride, though? Because pride is inherently judgmental. It inherently sees the speck of dust in a neighbor's eye while ignoring the plank in one's own eye. God gives a stern warning for this here: "Do you think you will escape My judgment? Do you show contempt for My kindness, tolerance, and patience? Will you not be lead to repentance?" (Rom. 2: 3-4)
Christians, I think, have a greater danger to be judgmental (but v. 17-29 is probably a better place to discuss this). It comes, in part, from our exclusive method of salvation. In the past decades, we've also acquired a reputation of being Conservative, homophobic, anti-choice (notice I didn't use pro-life), among other traits. Exaggerated, no doubt, but it does give a glimpse of the danger. I pray that we can be more like Jesus, who said, "if any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." and "Then neither do I condemn you." (John 8:7, 11)
Matthew
This passage reminded me of a particular problem I've been struggling with. Throughout high school, I've prided myself on being a relatively humble person (ironic, isn't it?). I grew more and more wary of being arrogant -- a trait I saw in people inside my closest circle of relationships. This trend continued into university. Shortly after Pastor Paul discovered my joy of reading, he started giving me books to read. One of them was "Mere Christianity" by C.S. Lewis. The one thing that stood out in the entire book was "How do you know you're prideful? You can't stand other prideful people." BURN! I re-examined myself, and discovered with horror that I am becoming the very person I didn't want to be.
This particular struggle isn't the main focus of my reflection, but in a way, it is. The latter half of chapter 1 noted the cardinal sin -- neither glorifying God as God nor giving thanks to Him. Why would anyone in their right mind do that? Because they want to be God. In Psalm 50, David compares himself and a "mighty man". He opens by saying "Why do you boast of evil, you mighty man? Why do you boast all day long?" David lists several sins, but the chief one was that he didn't want to depend on God. This mighty man wanted his strength to come from himself.
Does this sound familiar? It's the popular story of Lucifer's fall. He wanted to become God. It was pride at work.
Why the long talk about pride, though? Because pride is inherently judgmental. It inherently sees the speck of dust in a neighbor's eye while ignoring the plank in one's own eye. God gives a stern warning for this here: "Do you think you will escape My judgment? Do you show contempt for My kindness, tolerance, and patience? Will you not be lead to repentance?" (Rom. 2: 3-4)
Christians, I think, have a greater danger to be judgmental (but v. 17-29 is probably a better place to discuss this). It comes, in part, from our exclusive method of salvation. In the past decades, we've also acquired a reputation of being Conservative, homophobic, anti-choice (notice I didn't use pro-life), among other traits. Exaggerated, no doubt, but it does give a glimpse of the danger. I pray that we can be more like Jesus, who said, "if any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." and "Then neither do I condemn you." (John 8:7, 11)
Matthew
Monday, March 14, 2011
Romans 1:18-32
I never knew how rich Romans was till now!
So often, at church, we only talk about God's love and mercy, etc. I don't think we realize His wrath against those who are unrighteous. (Would be really harsh to hear that every Sunday) Yes, God does accept us back when we sin (parable of prodigal son) but what if we reach the point of no return? We must not let ourselves get that far - it's not always good to learn from experience.
In v. 18, Paul says that all who are wicked and ungodly will see God's wrath. We see His wrath when we are are evil and corrupt, and more so when the End comes closer (Matt 24:7). (haha, 24/7)The Day of the Lord will come not just for God to redeem us, but to destroy all things ungodly. We see analogies of this through the OT: Noah spared from flood while wicked men were drowned, God's people were not delivered until Pharaoh's soldiers were drowned, Israelites could not have the Promised Land until they defeated the ungodly nations that inhabited it, etc. His Return is definitely really close - natural disasters are at an all time high, to the point where we're desensitized by it. I barely remember the earthquakes in Sri Lanka, Chile,etc. Even New Zealand and Japan are in the back of my mind. Then there are the wars in Africa ... the world is so corrupt. Gotta remember though, all this must happen.
We all have a void in our hearts that only God can fill; we were all born with a yearning for God. This is because we were made for perfect fellowship with God; without God, we're incomplete (and we were all born without God; see Fall of Man). And so, we see in v. 19 -20, God takes no excuse. Even those who have not heard of the Good News will be judged and see God's wrath. This is because:
1. We were all born with a craving for God.
2. God gave us our conscience, our moral code. Even if we don't know God, we should know not to sin.
3. God's creation is too intricate to be random.
Those who can deny the existence of God aren't looking in the right places. This stresses on our need to evangelize. It still boggles my mind, though, how someone would look at the world and still deny God. Hypocritically, when I'm in a hurry or just not paying enough attention, I forget to appreciate the beauty of nature. But when I do pay attention, the world is like a playground. I could stare at a leaf for hours (I'm exaggerating, but leaves are actually really cool!) How can something so thin and delicate provide enough fuel to sustain a tree!? It's almost paper thin! Knowing (some) of the processes that go on just in one leaf is mindblowing - how does God even come up with stuff like this? It's even cooler to know that some trees can survive in a desert.
"For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened." (v. 21) Very harsh, very direct. It seems so inhuman to just turn away from God & at first, I just thought: if they truly knew God, how could they choose anything else? But that would be oversimplifying things. I doubt they consciously decided this, that one morning they would wake up and just reject God. It was likely a gradual thing. Over the span of a decade, or something, they'd read less and less of the Bible, spend less time with God, have less fellowship with other Christians; they just got lazy and sucked away by temptation. This sounds creepily familiar. If we do not adamantly stay by God, where might we end up? We will always be tempted, 'cause it's in our human nature. But God is always a step (more like a hundred) ahead of us, as we see in 1 Corinthians 10:13,
But the point is, I was deceived by some dude on the street and sucked in by own temptation. My whole reality was distorted and I placed value in worthless things. So often, when we give in to temptation, we indulge in such worthless things. Things that only matter for a little while but lose meaning later. For instance, when I was younger, if I had 4 pieces of chocolate and my parents tells me to give half to Phebe, I would probably eat 3 and leave the last one for her. (I'm horrible!) But in retrospect, does that extra piece of chocolate do anything for me? No, and neither do sports cars, fashion, money or power. These do not last. "Heaven and earth will pass away, but (God) will never pass away." (Matthew 24:35) The answer is so simple, just choose God. Why are the simplest tasks always the hardest to follow? My biggest test is coming up; when I go off to university, will I still go to church every Sunday?
Our society sounds a lot like the one Paul is describing (v. 26-32). In our pluralistic world, have we forgotten God? Do we condone sin? How have we crossed the line?
- Sonia
So often, at church, we only talk about God's love and mercy, etc. I don't think we realize His wrath against those who are unrighteous. (Would be really harsh to hear that every Sunday) Yes, God does accept us back when we sin (parable of prodigal son) but what if we reach the point of no return? We must not let ourselves get that far - it's not always good to learn from experience.
In v. 18, Paul says that all who are wicked and ungodly will see God's wrath. We see His wrath when we are are evil and corrupt, and more so when the End comes closer (Matt 24:7). (haha, 24/7)The Day of the Lord will come not just for God to redeem us, but to destroy all things ungodly. We see analogies of this through the OT: Noah spared from flood while wicked men were drowned, God's people were not delivered until Pharaoh's soldiers were drowned, Israelites could not have the Promised Land until they defeated the ungodly nations that inhabited it, etc. His Return is definitely really close - natural disasters are at an all time high, to the point where we're desensitized by it. I barely remember the earthquakes in Sri Lanka, Chile,etc. Even New Zealand and Japan are in the back of my mind. Then there are the wars in Africa ... the world is so corrupt. Gotta remember though, all this must happen.
We all have a void in our hearts that only God can fill; we were all born with a yearning for God. This is because we were made for perfect fellowship with God; without God, we're incomplete (and we were all born without God; see Fall of Man). And so, we see in v. 19 -20, God takes no excuse. Even those who have not heard of the Good News will be judged and see God's wrath. This is because:
1. We were all born with a craving for God.
2. God gave us our conscience, our moral code. Even if we don't know God, we should know not to sin.
3. God's creation is too intricate to be random.
Those who can deny the existence of God aren't looking in the right places. This stresses on our need to evangelize. It still boggles my mind, though, how someone would look at the world and still deny God. Hypocritically, when I'm in a hurry or just not paying enough attention, I forget to appreciate the beauty of nature. But when I do pay attention, the world is like a playground. I could stare at a leaf for hours (I'm exaggerating, but leaves are actually really cool!) How can something so thin and delicate provide enough fuel to sustain a tree!? It's almost paper thin! Knowing (some) of the processes that go on just in one leaf is mindblowing - how does God even come up with stuff like this? It's even cooler to know that some trees can survive in a desert.
"For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened." (v. 21) Very harsh, very direct. It seems so inhuman to just turn away from God & at first, I just thought: if they truly knew God, how could they choose anything else? But that would be oversimplifying things. I doubt they consciously decided this, that one morning they would wake up and just reject God. It was likely a gradual thing. Over the span of a decade, or something, they'd read less and less of the Bible, spend less time with God, have less fellowship with other Christians; they just got lazy and sucked away by temptation. This sounds creepily familiar. If we do not adamantly stay by God, where might we end up? We will always be tempted, 'cause it's in our human nature. But God is always a step (more like a hundred) ahead of us, as we see in 1 Corinthians 10:13,
No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.A had a bizarre dream a few days ago. I was offered a house by some guy. I don't know who it was, but (s)he just came up to me and gave me the key or something. And as (s)he left, I felt some kinda haze come over me, as if I had been hypnotized. But anyway, I go there, and it was so cool. It was a mansion, marble floors, a grand staircase, had everything you would want in a house, kinda like Gatsby's house (if you read The Great Gatsby). Even better was the fact that I could get whatever I want. I don't exactly know how it worked but I could ask the wall for stuff. For example if I asked for the wall for a laptop, a laptop would just appear on my desk. Pretty cool, I know. The mansion was more like a fortress though, and a ghetto one at that. It was surrounded by wooden logs sharpened at the end and there were vultures that would circle my mansion. So most of the time, I just stayed inside. After a while, I started to notice something weird though. My house and everything I had asked the wall for started to sag a bit and was kinda soft. (Recall, I felt hazy in the beginning) As the haze wore off, I realized everything in the mansion was actually made of cow poo. This really sucked, 'cause I was eating hors d'oeuvres at the time.
But the point is, I was deceived by some dude on the street and sucked in by own temptation. My whole reality was distorted and I placed value in worthless things. So often, when we give in to temptation, we indulge in such worthless things. Things that only matter for a little while but lose meaning later. For instance, when I was younger, if I had 4 pieces of chocolate and my parents tells me to give half to Phebe, I would probably eat 3 and leave the last one for her. (I'm horrible!) But in retrospect, does that extra piece of chocolate do anything for me? No, and neither do sports cars, fashion, money or power. These do not last. "Heaven and earth will pass away, but (God) will never pass away." (Matthew 24:35) The answer is so simple, just choose God. Why are the simplest tasks always the hardest to follow? My biggest test is coming up; when I go off to university, will I still go to church every Sunday?
Our society sounds a lot like the one Paul is describing (v. 26-32). In our pluralistic world, have we forgotten God? Do we condone sin? How have we crossed the line?
- Sonia
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Romans 1:1-17
In this passage I see the apostle Paul's character. He begins by establishing himself as one who is called by God, not by man. In v. 1 we see "set apart", which is what the word "holy" means. He then gives thanks to God for the Romans' faith, tells of his whole-hearted service to God by the preaching of the gospel, and his constant prayers for the Romans. What Paul is praying for, I don't know, but I am sure that it is similar to Jesus' prayer in John 17: "Holy Father, protect them by the power of your Name -- the Name you gave me -- so that they may be one as we are one." (v. 11b) and "may they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me." (v. 23b).
For all of his authority as an apostle and the great feats he had accomplished in spreading the gospel, Paul remains humble. He wishes to visit the Romans not to show his great faith, but that he and they can be mutually encouraged by each other's faith. He shows also how he closely follows God's will: even though he longed to visit Rome, he deferred to God's wishes that he minister other places.
Finally, Paul is not ashamed of the gospel. I find myself somewhat ashamed at this point, because so often I shy away from talking about the gospel. It is as if I don't believe in its power. And often I do doubt the power of the gospel to transform me. But Paul says of the gospel "For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last." (v. 17a) This gospel is righteousness, and received by faith. And what is faith? Faith is total reliance on God. Total dependance. Total rest. As David says "the LORD is my Shepherd, I shall not want." (Ps. 23:1).
Can I be like Paul? Can I serve God whole-heartedly, resting in His providence? Can I pray with thanksgiving and petition for people? This rings especially true for me, because I can be to Joshua fellowship what Paul is to the Romans, and I would pray too, that the Father would protect Joshua fellowship from falling away, and that Joshua fellowship would be one. Can I be humble? This one is especially hard for me. And finally, can I find strength and place my dependance on the gospel of God?
Matthew
Sunday March 13, 2011
For all of his authority as an apostle and the great feats he had accomplished in spreading the gospel, Paul remains humble. He wishes to visit the Romans not to show his great faith, but that he and they can be mutually encouraged by each other's faith. He shows also how he closely follows God's will: even though he longed to visit Rome, he deferred to God's wishes that he minister other places.
Finally, Paul is not ashamed of the gospel. I find myself somewhat ashamed at this point, because so often I shy away from talking about the gospel. It is as if I don't believe in its power. And often I do doubt the power of the gospel to transform me. But Paul says of the gospel "For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last." (v. 17a) This gospel is righteousness, and received by faith. And what is faith? Faith is total reliance on God. Total dependance. Total rest. As David says "the LORD is my Shepherd, I shall not want." (Ps. 23:1).
Can I be like Paul? Can I serve God whole-heartedly, resting in His providence? Can I pray with thanksgiving and petition for people? This rings especially true for me, because I can be to Joshua fellowship what Paul is to the Romans, and I would pray too, that the Father would protect Joshua fellowship from falling away, and that Joshua fellowship would be one. Can I be humble? This one is especially hard for me. And finally, can I find strength and place my dependance on the gospel of God?
Matthew
Sunday March 13, 2011
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