9
Jun
Silly Slap Them in the Name of Christ | Evotional.com
Here’s another post by Batterson that I would hope every preacher would believe and practice. If you can’t muster the passion then let someone else do the work. Silly Slap Them in the Name of Christ | Evotional.com
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8
Jun
It's because of Wickedness
I stumbled across Deuteronomy 9:4-5 this morning during my scripture reading.
“ 4 “After the Lord your God has done this for you, don’t say in your hearts, `The Lord has given us this land because we are such good people!’ No, it is because of the wickedness of the other nations that he is pushing them out of your way.5 It is not because you are so good or have such integrity that you are about to occupy their land. The Lord your God will drive these nations out ahead of you only because of their wickedness, and to fulfill the oath he swore to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.””
Just before Israel is to cross into the Promised Land God reminds them that they really did nothing to get this opportunity. In fact, they did a lot of stuff as a nation up to this point that really disqualified a vast number of people, including Moses, from actually getting this opportunity.
I find myself in the Israelites position often. I need reminded that the Promised Lands of my life are not there because of anything I have done. Much of the reason I am given these Promised Lands is because of the wickedness of people.
Look at our adoption process as one example. One child we are to adopt lost her father and is losing her mother to AIDS. I’m not sure how they transmitted the disease, but something tells me it was promiscuity. The other two lost their father, and their mother lives in a desperate situation. While I was in Uganda in 2007 there were headlines detailing how wealthy the cabinet of the government was becoming. I also saw how a little cash can go a long way with government officials. Yet the only option for this mother was to give her children away because the one responsible for protecting her and providing for the family was no longer alive. That all sounds pretty wicked, doesn’t it?
I need to keep in perspective that no matter how long it takes us to finally realize the dream of raising these children, that we are only getting this opportunity because of the wickedness of the world, and because God is entrusting us with the responsibility to redeem a little piece of that.
As a leader in the church I have to also keep in perspective that the only reason I get to preach, teach, etc. is because there is a wickedness that needs to be redeemed. It is far less because I am gifted to do either of those things. For if the world was without wickedness, then all we’d be doing is worship.
22
May
Jesus vs. Paul – Scandalous Grace
Today I’m going to take time to respond to DH’s comment on my last blog, “Does the “casting out” of the indignant sinners not go against the scandalous grace of God?” It’s a great question.
Often I think we confuse acceptance with grace. While acceptance is involved in God’s grace it is not without condition. God’s acceptance of us is tempered by our being washed in the blood of Christ. In order to experience that washing God must see us as willing, repentant, submitted souls. When we are covered in Christ’s blood we can come before God in the presence of His full glory because we are made sinless, but we must adopt a lifestyle that practices continual acts of repentance and forgiveness to continue to be seen as sinless in the presence of God.
Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians 5:9 is related to those who have experienced that washing and so have experienced the acceptance of God through the grace of God, but have turned and knowingly rebelled against God through the sins, “sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people.” In a way Paul is writing to the new Pharisees, and the primary way to discipline someone who has experienced the Grace of God through Christ is to remove the privileges of being someone who has had that experience. This break in fellowship is not forever, but only until the time comes that the person is led to repentance, see 2 Corinthians 2:5. Actually the discipline that Paul instructs the church to employ is in reality a product of God’s Grace. Otherwise, you might expect Paul to instruct that they be put to death, or expect God to just wipe them out; however, they are given time through the experience of loss to be brought to repentance.
If there were no consequences for our sin – especially sexual sin, greed, idol worship, abuse, drunkenness, and dishonest business – then what would cause us to desire to quit. By losing the privilege of fellowship God’s ultimate desire is that this loss leads the someone who has experienced God’s redeeming grace to repentance.
Jesus had the same problem with the Pharisees and Jewish leaders. They had failed to lead lives of repentance, and Jesus would have nothing to do with them.
So, there is no disconnect between Paul’s instruction and Jesus’ instruction and action. In reality they are the same thing.
It’s the same teaching.
Now For those outside of Christ we should expect nothing else but “sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people.” They are outside of Christ so why would they be compelled to do anything else. Paul clarifies that the rules are much different with these people. In order to show them Jesus we must befriend them, see 1 Corinthians 5:9-13.