The Theology of Calvin . . . and Hobbes (Quiet)

 

Ruminating on ROMANS! (Some Thoughts on Paul’s Great Epistle) #49 “Critical Imperatives for the Christ-Follower” (A Study of Romans 12) Part 21

Many of you know that my New Jersey friend Frank and I are reading through God’s Word together (described here). We’re now in the book of Romans and have been reading chapter 12 during the last while.I count 24 injunctions or commands or imperatives for the believer here in Romans 12. I’m aware that the expression “critical imperative” is redundant, but I think it’s useful for what we see here in this great chapter.

We’ve seen that the believer is to offer his body as a living sacrifice, not to conform to the pattern of this world, to be transformed by the renewing of his mind, to think of himself with sober judgment, to use his gifts to build up the body of Christ, to hate as God hates, to be devoted to the body in love, to honor one another beyond yourselves, to keep one’s spiritual fervor, to be joyful in hope, to be patient in affliction, to be faithful in prayer, to share with the Lord’s people who are in need, to practice hospitality, to bless those who persecute them, to use our emotions for the Lord and for each other, to live in harmony with one another, to reach out to others regardless of their status, to not repay evil with evil, and to do right before everyone!

Let’s continue our multipart study by looking at verse 18.

The twenty-first critical imperative is quite clear —

21. Believers are LIVE AT PEACE WITH EVERYONE WHEN POSSIBLE (v. 18)!

Ahhh, living in peace. That’s not always easy to do. If I am left to myself, it’s fairly easy in the sense that I’m an introvert and I’m perfectly happy being by myself. That way I don’t have to worry about getting along with others!

But God is relational and He wants me to be as well. Simply being a cave-dwelling self isn’t what He desires in the child of God. We are to relate to others — and sometimes that produces conflict and disagreement and friction.

The answer? Do everything you can (“If it is possible”) to live at peace with everyone. I can only do what lies in my power (“as far as it depends on you”). I can’t force others to live at peace with me, but I can choose and make careful decisions to maximize the possibility of peace with everyone.

This involves several steps, it seems to me. It means that (1) I’m to keep short accounts with others. That is, I’m to apologize when I’ve wronged someone and to be honest with them when they’ve wronged me (Matthew 5 and 18). It means that (2) I’m to forgive others just as God in Christ has forgiven me (Col. 3:13). It means that, on occasion, I might have to bring others into my conflict situation to act as peacemakers (Mt. 5:9; James 3:18). And that’s a humbling, but important, thing to do.

Today’s Challenge: Are you presently living at peace with everyone? If  not, what specific steps will you take in your power to resolve that situation or restore that relationship? Anything keeping you from taking those steps?

 

 

Ruminating on ROMANS! (Some Thoughts on Paul’s Great Epistle) #46 “Critical Imperatives for the Christ-Follower” (A Study of Romans 12) Part 18

Many of you know that my New Jersey friend Frank and I are reading through God’s Word together (described here). We’re now in the book of Romans and are reading chapter 12 each day this week.I count 24 injunctions or commands or imperatives for the believer here in Romans 12. I’m aware that the expression “critical imperative” is redundant, but I think it’s useful for what we see here in this great chapter.

We’ve seen that the believer is to offer his body as a living sacrifice, not to conform to the pattern of this world, to be transformed by the renewing of his mind, to think of himself with sober judgment, to use his gifts to build up the body of Christ, to hate as God hates, to be devoted to the body in love, to honor one another beyond yourselves, to keep one’s spiritual fervor, to be joyful in hope, to be patient in affliction, to be faithful in prayer, to share with the Lord’s people who are in need, to practice hospitality, to bless those who persecute them, to use our emotions for the Lord and for each other, and to live in harmony with one another!

Let’s continue our multipart study by looking again at verse 16.The eighteenth critical imperative is —

18. Believers are to REACH OUT TO OTHERS REGARDLESS OF THEIR STATUS (v. 16)!

How we relate to other believers is really important! And the Apostle Paul gets at our heart attitude which underlies the way we associate or don’t associate with others.

Pride often keeps us from connecting with those who would value our friendship and encouragement. If we are trapped in what one writer calls “the terrible squirrel cage of self,” we will miss opportunities to show Christ’s love, especially to those of a different economic or educational or racial background.

Conceit frequently lies at the heart of the problem. If I find my deepest significance in myself and my talents and my background, I am forgetting my new life in Christ! My pride is to be in the Lord and in what He is doing in my life. Sinful, self-serving, self-focused conceit ruins relationships. And that’s not what the Lord wants from us!

Today’s Challenge: Think of a specific person as you meditate on verse 16. How does your pride or conceit inhibit you from reaching out to them?

 

Ruminating on ROMANS! (Some Thoughts on Paul’s Great Epistle) #45 “Critical Imperatives for the Christ-Follower” (A Study of Romans 12) Part 17

Many of you know that my New Jersey friend Frank and I are reading through God’s Word together (described here). We’re now in the book of Romans and are reading chapter 12 each day this week.I count 24 injunctions or commands or imperatives for the believer here in Romans 12. I’m aware that the expression “critical imperative” is redundant, but I think it’s useful for what we see here in this great chapter.

We’ve seen that the believer is to offer his body as a living sacrifice, not to conform to the pattern of this world, to be transformed by the renewing of his mind, to think of himself with sober judgment, to use his gifts to build up the body of Christ, to hate as God hates, to be devoted to the body in love, to honor one another beyond yourselves, to keep one’s spiritual fervor, to be joyful in hope, to be patient in affliction, to be faithful in prayer, to share with the Lord’s people who are in need, to practice hospitality, to bless those who persecute them, and to use our emotions for the Lord and for each other.

Let’s continue our multipart study by looking at verse 16.

The seventeenth critical imperative is —

17. Believers are to LIVE IN HARMONY WITH ONE ANOTHER (v. 16)!

How critical is it that believers get along with one another? Well, critical enough that the Apostle Paul, led by the Spirit of God, included this charge in this list of imperatives. The world is, indeed, watching Jesus-followers and when they see needless disputes and quarrels and bitterness and unforgiveness and unresolved issues, they stop watching and look elsewhere for spiritual truth.

We are to live in harmony with one another. We don’t have to agree with each other on all issues, but we do have to get along. This means we keep accounts short with one another. We apologize quickly when we’ve wronged another believer. We are fast to forgive when we’ve been wronged. And if the conflict keeps paralyzing the friendship, the spiritual leaders might need to intervene.

Today’s Challenge: Any grudges between you and another believer? Matthew 5 and Matthew 18 speak to both you as an offender and you as the offendee. Pursue harmony today!

 

Ruminating on ROMANS! (Some Thoughts on Paul’s Great Epistle) #13 “Eight Blessings of Belief” (A Study of Romans 5:1-5) Blessing #2

Many of you know that my New Jersey friend Frank and I are reading through God’s Word together (described here). We’re now in the book of Romans and are reading chapter 5 each day this week. Here is something that I noticed in reading this chapter:

Here are the eight blessings that I see in this passage:

1. Justified through faith (v. 1)

2. Peace with God

3. Gained access into this grace (v. 2)

4. Boasting in the hope of the glory of God

5. Glory in our sufferings (vv. 3-4)

6. A hope that does not put us to shame (v. 5)

7. God’s love poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit

8. The Holy Spirit has been given to us

We will think about each of these blessings — one by one — in subsequent posts. Let’s notice this morning the second blessing: WE HAVE PEACE WITH GOD!

We have peace with God! That is no small matter. Romans 5 later reminds us that we were the ungodly (v. 6) and were enemies of God (v. 10)! God is the last person in the universe one wishes to be enemies with. The story is told of a wealthy man on his death-bed whose servant knew he was not a believer. The servant said, “Sir, do you not think that you should make peace with God?” The rich man said, “What? I never knew we argued!”

Perhaps this idea that we come into the world as enemies of God is the best-kept secret of Satan! We don’t enter this world at peace with Him, but in a state of sin (which we quickly learn to practice) which puts us in the category of an enemy of the holy God.

Thank God today for the substitutionary death of the Son of God — for you — so that you are no longer the enemy of God!

 

Colossal Truths from the Letter to the Colossians! GET BUSY GETTING GODLY! (Part 6)

It may sound strange to say that the message of Colossians 3 is: GET BUSY GETTING GODLY. But it is! We’ve been looking at pairs of commands in this chapter and this morning we continue by looking at verses 14-15:

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. 5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11 Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Today the two challenges are:
(1) put on love (v. 14) and,
(2) let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts (v. 15).

Let’s think about each of these. First, put on love! Paul is making a superlative statement about LOVE. He has just challenged us in verse 12 to clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Then he says, “And over all these virtues put on love.” I guess it’s possible to show compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience without love. But how much more positive and effective are these virtues when they are conditioned by LOVE? Love binds these virtues all together in perfect unity!

Second, we are told to let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts! We are to “let” something happen. We don’t make it happen. It doesn’t originate from us. We let His peace rule in our hearts. The opposite of letting something happen is preventing something from happening. It is a worthwhile question to ask: What are the peace-preventing attitudes or choices that we make which keep Christ’s peace from having full authority in our hearts?

Here’s a challenge for you today: What issue or factor in your life prevents Christ’s peace from ruling in your heart? What are you going to do about it?

 

Getting to Know . . . Ephesians Chapter 2! (Part 6: What God Has Done for Us!)

In this final post on Ephesians 2, we want to conclude our study in preparation for Sunday School at Cedarcroft Bible Chapel on February 3rd.  We’ve seen in this passage that we are to remember what we were as Gentiles.  Like the Ephesians believers, these truths were and are applicable to us (before our conversion):

But let’s move on in the text and notice what God has done about our LOST condition!

It helps me to see these actions of God in a kind of chart form.  Each of the following expressions merit discussion, but our purpose here is to simply list what God has done for us Gentiles in Christ!

 

“The older I get . . .”

“The older I get, the more I realize I don’t want to be around drama, conflict or stress. I want a cozy home, good food, and to be surrounded by happy people.”

 

STUCK! Ten Areas That Will Bury You as a Believer and How to Dig Your Way Out! (Area #9- SOLITUDE) (con’t)

In this ninth area of STUCKNESS, we are thinking about our need for the spiritual disciplines which will help us grow.  For some of us, we give precious little time to the area of SOLITUDE.  Alone time with the Lord is really important.  He can speak to us when we are quiet and just with Him.

I’ll admit — as an introvert I really like the idea of SOLITUDE.  Just give me my dog, my laptop, and a good cup of Starbucks (and occasional visits from my wife Linda), and I’m pretty happy.

But SOLITUDE is only one of the dozen spiritual disciplines that I need in my life.  We mentioned the others in our last post (the inward disciplines are: meditation, prayer, fasting, and study. The outward disciplines are: simplicity, solitude, submission, and service. The corporate disciplines are: confession, worship, guidance, and celebration). Which of those practices do you find easier to incorporate into your busy life?  Which seem impossible?

Our text for this area of STUCKNESS is Mark 6:30-34 where we read,

³⁰ The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. ³¹ Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” ³² So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. ³³ But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. ³⁴ When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.

Doing and saying are important in the Christian life, but so are resting and eating!  Jesus invited His disciples to “come with me.”  They didn’t need to escape Him, but the crowds.  “Come with me by yourselves” — This was not an evangelistic invitation to bring others along. This invitation was strictly for Jesus’ disciples.  “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place.”  We underestimate how much our souls need quiet, don’t we?  “… and get some rest.”  Soul-rest is hard to see but spiritually lethal when it is missing.  This reminds me of Jesus’ promise in Matthew 11:  ²⁸ “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”  How’s your rest going?