R O M A N S : 11 - 36

Dead Sea Scrolls & The Ancient World Exhibition in Singapore

2009-09-02T00:23:00.004+08:00

We went to the "Dead Sea Scrolls & The Ancient World Exhibition" today. Truth be told, the DSS only made up a small portion of the exhibition. There were also ancient Torah scrolls on exhibit, Bibles from times past etc. I especially liked the exhibit where they profiled Erasmus, Tyndale, Luther, Calvin and Bunyan. Catch it if you're in Singapore! Ends 20 September.

Sermon on "Defining Moments in a Nation's History" (Exodus 33)

2009-08-17T20:31:00.004+08:00

Preached at Redemption Hill Church - 9 August 2009

[31 August 2009 - For what it's worth, the mp3 and pdf of the sermon has been uploaded to the Redemption Hill Church website. Here and here. Thanks.]

Exodus 32:30 – 33:6
30 The next day Moses said to the people, "You have sinned a great sin. And now I will go up to the LORD; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin." 31So Moses returned to the LORD and said, "Alas, this people has sinned a great sin. They have made for themselves gods of gold. 32But now, if you will forgive their sin—but if not, please blot me out of your book that you have written." 33But the LORD said to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot out of my book. 34 But now go, lead the people to the place about which I have spoken to you; behold, my angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I visit, I will visit their sin upon them." 35Then the LORD sent a plague on the people, because they made the calf, the one that Aaron made.
1The LORD said to Moses, "Depart; go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought up out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, 'To your offspring I will give it.' 2 I will send an angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 3 Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; but I will not go up among you, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people." 4When the people heard this disastrous word, they mourned, and no one put on his ornaments. 5For the LORD had said to Moses, "Say to the people of Israel, 'You are a stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would consume you. So now take off your ornaments, that I may know what to do with you.'" 6Therefore the people of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward.

Exodus 33:12-23
12Moses said to the LORD, "See, you say to me, 'Bring up this people,' but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, 'I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.' 13Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people." 14And he said, "My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." 15And he said to him, "If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. 16 For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?"
17And the LORD said to Moses, "This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name." 18Moses said, "Please show me your glory." 19And he said, "I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name 'The LORD.' And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. 20But," he said, "you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live." 21And the LORD said, "Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, 22and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen."

Introduction

1. Today, we celebrate the 44th year of Singapore’s independence. Looking at the success that the nation has achieved, you may be tempted to think that it has always been this way. But Singapore’s story began in moments of pain and anguish. Given our small size, lack of resources, and absence of a hinterland, the leadership of Singapore saw it as imperative to be a part of Malaysia. Yet, it was not to be. 44 years ago, Singapore was expelled from the Federation of Malaysia over fundamental differences. So while nations declare independence with great fanfare, it was different for Singapore. Lee Kuan Yew, the Prime Minister at that time, said this on national television during the declaration of independence - “For me, it is a moment of anguish. All my life, my whole adult life, I have believed in merger and unity of the two territories…”.

2. The next day, The Sydney Morning Herald, made this comment “An independent Singapore was not regarded as viable 3 years ago. Nothing in the current situation suggests that it is more viable today”. Such was the anguish that the Prime Minister fell sick a few days after Singapore’s independence. When the British Prime Minister Harold Wilson expressed concern, Mr Lee Kuan Yew replied “Do not worry about Singapore. My colleagues and I are sane rational people even in our moments of anguish. We weigh all possible consequences before we make any move on the political chessboard… Our people have the will to fight and the stuff that makes for survival”. Singapore’s most defining moments were birthed out of moments of deep anguish.

3. In Exodus 33, we find another nation at a moment of deep anguish and pain. The year is not 1965, but 1446 B.C. The nation is ancient Israel, the people of God. The episode begins with the nation in great anguish because of their grave sin against God. It ends with God showing His glory and turning their anguish into one of the most defining moments in their history. Perhaps, you are also at a painful place in your life, and you’re wondering if there is hope. Perhaps God wants to show you today, that there really is. Let’s get into the text today and see what God is saying to us. Come with me to Genesis 32:30.

(I) Moses speaks to God and God shows him the severity of Israel’s sin (Exodus 32:30-35)

4. 30 The next day Moses said to the people, “You have sinned a great sin. And now I will go up to the Lord; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.” Moses goes to talk to God in the hope that ‘perhaps’ God would forgive their sin. He says to God, “Alas, this people has sinned a great sin. They have made for themselves gods of gold. 32 But now, if you will forgive their sin—. “If you will forgive their sin...” his sentence hangs in mid air, he doesn’t finish it. Because he realizes that there was no basis for God to forgive the sins of the Israelites. Nothing in them merited forgiveness from God. They were guilty as charged.

5. So Moses moves to offer himself as a sacrifice in the place of Israel. He said please blot me out of your book that you have written. Punish me instead of them, Moses is saying. Wipe me out instead of them. Let me take their place! But God says, an emphatic ‘No’. 33 “Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot out of my book. No. Each individual who had sinned had to be personally responsible. God makes this clear in verse 34, where he says in the day when I visit, I will visit their sin upon them. He speaks about a future day of judgment, the ‘Day of the Lord’, a day of reckoning when God would punish sin decisively. In the mean time, God sends a plague, as an immediate and visible expression of judgment upon his people. We read that in verse 35. It is a foretaste of the wrath of God to come.

6. But what made the sin of the Israelites so terrible anyway? In verse 35, it says that the Lord sent the plague because they made the calf. Verse 31 says they had made for themselves “31 gods of gold”. In Exodus 19:4. God declared, “You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself” God, the LORD was the one who had brought them out of the land of Egypt to bring them to himself. He had parted the Red Sea, quenched their thirst, and filled their tummies, all in order to bring them to Himself, to be His treasured possession. The ONE who created them, was also the ONE who redeemed them, provided for them, and the ONE who would ultimately satisfy them. He rightly deserved their worship, adoration and trust. He was their God, they were His people!

7. But when Moses was delayed in coming down, instead of continuing to trust in the goodness and care and faithfulness of God, they decided to take matters into their own hands, gave their ornaments to Aaron, and made ‘gods to go before them’. Aaron of the calf: Exodus 32:4: “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt” Instead of acknowledging God, they turned their trust, affection, devotion and worship to a holy cow! Romans 1:22 “Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles”. You see sin isn’t just breaking God’s commandments. At the most basic level, sin is refusing to acknowledge God and worship Him for who He is – it is IDOLATRY. It is replacing God with something else. It is spiritual adultery!

Application I: See the sinfulness of your own sin

8. When we read about idols, for those of us from an Asian upbringing we perhaps remember the idols or deities that our parents or grandparents worshiped. Since we don’t do that ourselves we think that we are free from idols. But God said in Ezekiel 14:3 that the elders of Israel had ‘set up idols in their hearts’. Jesus said in Matthew 6:21, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”. Idols are not just physical objects that we physically bow down to. No. They are first and foremost, objects of affection that we bow down to, in our hearts. Martin Luther explains that, “A god (idol) is whatever we expect to provide all good, and in which we take refuge in all distress… whatever you set your heart on and put your trust in, that, I tell you, is your true god”.

9. What are those things you turn to in your moments of uncertainty, or pain, or discomfort? Where do you turn to give you a sense of fulfillment, significance and safety? Do you look at the wealth that you have amassed? Or the career that you have built? Perhaps, it is the children that you have raised? God forbid, do you look to the faithful service that you have rendered to the LORD, as a sort of payment to God to gain his favor? You know, you may say with your lips that God is your only true God, that Jesus is your only hope, and sing it loud with gusto, but still deep in your heart, treasure something else instead of God. What are the real gods you are worshipping? What have you taken into your heart that is not the LORD? Allow God to surface them today, so that we can smash them together and exalt the true God in our hearts. Do we see the sinfulness of our sin, in the light of the glory of a Holy God?

10. But, there is a surprising twist at this point in this story. Alongside the perfect justice of God, we find God saying in verse 34 that my angel shall go before you. He would still give His sinful people some semblance of his presence with them. Where does this come from? It’s His perfect love. His mercy. His desire to be with His people.

(II) God speaks to Israel, they mourn & lay down their ornaments (33:1-11)

11. As we go on, Exodus 33:1 shows God speaking to Moses saying, “Depart; go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought up out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘To your offspring I will give it.’ 2 I will send an angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 3 Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey. This promise goes back hundreds of years to the time of Abraham, where God had promised Abraham in Genesis 17:8 “I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojourning, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God” In spite of their sin against God, God would still be bringing them into the land that he had promised. He would still drive out their enemies. In spite of the faithlessness of his people, God was faithful to his promises!

12. His faithfulness is an expression of his perfect love towards his people. But, at the same time his faithfulness also points to his faithfulness to his own perfect justice. And so, we also read, Exodus 33:3b that, even though He will give them the gifts that he has promised, He still has say “I will not go up among you, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people” . He can’t go with them in his full glory because his holiness would consume them, it would destroy them.

13. How did the people respond? They laid down their ornaments, as a sign of mourning, a sign of humility before their God. Exodus 33:4 When the people heard this disastrous word, they mourned, and no one put on his ornaments.

Application II: Humble yourself before God

14. When you see the holiness and perfect justice of God in light of your own sinfulness, you get humble before him. You mourn. You cast yourself on his mercy, and wait for Him to do what He wants with you. You begin to see that you don’t have it all together – and even if you did, it isn’t really ‘all together’ because it will unravel when God judges. Have you come to that place of mourning in light of God’s holiness? You have to. It is the first step towards spiritual rebirth, renewal and revival. It is the first step towards a deep and lasting experience of God. It is an invitation for God to do as he pleases with you. Humble yourself before your creator, your Master.

(III) Moses speaks to God (again), and God shows him His glory (33:12-23)

15. So Moses speaks to God again, on behalf of Israel. Come with me to verse 13. If I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people.”

16. Moses pleaded with God, not on the basis of his own righteousness, but on the basis of God’s righteousness. Moses’ prefixes his prayer with “If I have found favor in your sight”. This favor was not a favor that he had earned because of something that he had done to please God, but rather a favor that God had bestowed on Moses out of His sovereign grace. Remember that when God first called Moses, he was a fugitive on the run for murder. Remember God’s anger against Moses for constantly refusing to speak on God’s behalf and for not circumcising his son? No, Moses was a sinner like everyone else. But God, in His grace, chooses to ‘know Moses by name’ and bestow ‘favor’ upon him. In verse 19, God says ”I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy” (Exodus 33:19). That is why the King James Version has verse 13 as “...if I have found GRACE in Thy sight, show me now Thy way, that I may know Thee”.

17. Pleading on the basis of God’s grace, God gives Moses a surprising answer: verse 14 He said, “My presence will go with you.” Moses can hardly believe his ears. So He appeals to God again - verse 15, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here” God affirms that he meant what he said. He said, “This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.” Although Moses had heard it twice, he still could not believe it. There was really no basis in the character of the people for God to do this! Moses could not grasp it fully, but He knew that the answer had to be in God’s character. So he takes a risk and prays a bold prayer. He cries “Show me your glory.” In effect, Moses was crying out “Show me who you are. Tell me what you are really like. I need to know! It is our only hope!”

18. And God replies, verse 19, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ God agrees to do this. But he has to warn Moses, verse 20 “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.” Moses was still sinful and would perish in the presence of the full glory of God. But God does pass by and He does show Moses His glory. Exodus 34:6 tell us that as he passes by Moses, He declares of Himself “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the 3rd and 4th generation.” He tells Moses who He is. He is both perfect justice and perfect love.

19. How does he reconcile these two aspects of His glory for Moses? By providing a place for Moses to hide. verse 21“Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, 22 and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by” God hides Moses in the rock so that he could see the glory of God and yet not perish. And on this basis, Israel is forgiven. The book of Exodus ends with God’s glory filling the tabernacle (Exodus 40:34). But the story gives you a nagging feeling that it isn’t over just yet. Turn with me to Exodus 40:35. It says that “Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle” Moses still could not be in the full glory of God. Something more had to come to fully reconcile God’s perfect justice with His perfect love.

20. BB Warfield once said that the "The Old Testament is like a chamber richly furnished but dimly lighted." It’s like there are pieces of furniture in this chamber, but because of the dim lighting, we can’t really see clearly what they are. We can more or less make out the silhouette of a chair or a table, but we don’t know for sure. The New Testament is like a bright light that shines into this chamber and suddenly, we see clearly what is there. And as we shine the light of the New Testament into Exodus 33, we see Jesus Christ reconciling the perfect justice and perfect love of God.

21. At the end of Chapter 32, God does not accept Moses’ offer to die in the place of Israel because Moses had his own sin to deal with. Hebrews 3:5 tells us that “Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant… but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a Son”. Jesus Christ is the true and better Moses. The sinless one, who, when he offered himself to God in the place of the people, unlike Moses, God accepted it as a worthy and perfect substitution and sacrifice for our sin.

22. 1 Corinthians 10, Paul says. “For I want you to know, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, 2and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3and all ate the same spiritual food, 4and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. Paul says that the Rock that followed the Israelites represented Jesus Christ! Moses was hidden in the cleft of the Rock and was shielded from the wrath and anger of God. We are hidden in Christ and thus also shielded. That’s why Paul can say in Ephesians 1:7 “IN HIM we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace”. God has placed us into Christ, into Him, into the Rock!

23. Finally, let’s look at 2 Corinthians 4:6. Talking about how we get saved Paul says “For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ”. When we see Jesus Christ and what he has done for us on the cross, we see the glory of God. We see God as He is really like!

Application III: See the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ

24. When Moses had an encounter with God, when he saw God’s glory, it wasn’t just a nebulous experience. There was content, there was solid doctrine involved. Martin Lloyd Jones once said, “99% of our problems as Christians arise out of our ignorance of God”. When Moses was hidden in the cleft of the rock, God declared to him, God spoke to Him, God gave Moses His Word, when he said, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty,” This is profound doctrine! God’s encounters with his people are never separate from a revelation of who He is. So don’t ever undermine the importance of knowing your Bibles, or of knowing doctrine. How do you know whether the burning in your heart is a work of the Holy Spirit, or the curry that you had for lunch? By the revelation of God in the Holy Scriptures, where God declares, as He did to Moses, “This is who I am! This is what I am like!”

25. Yet, encountering the glory of God IS an experience. A deep and profound experience. Moses encountered God “passing by”! When we gaze into the gospel, God shines a light into the darkness of our hearts to reveal His glory in Jesus Christ. Romans 5:5, says that God’s love is “poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit”. So, don’t undermine the need for a deep and personal experience with God either. The same Martin Lloyd Jones also said this, “We must not be content until we have had some manifestation of the activity of God… Here is the crucial matter. Do we individually and personally really believe that God still acts, can act and will act - in individuals, in groups of individuals, in churches, localities, perhaps even in countries? Do we believe that He is as capable of doing that today as He was in ancient times - the Old Testament, the New Testament times, the book of Acts, Protestant Reformation, Puritans, Methodist Awakening? Do we really believe that He can still do it? If He is the great Jehovah - I am that I am, I am that I shall be, unchanged, unchanging, unchangeable, the everlasting and eternal God - well, He can still do it.” So, don’t undermine true doctrine, and don’t undermine true experience either. See them drawn together in the Gospel! See the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ!

Conclusion

26. How does God turn Israel’s pain and anguish into their defining moment. How does God to that for an individual, a society or a people? Tim Keller said, “[The gospel] is the solution to each problem, the key to each closed door, the power through every barrier… All our problems come from a failure to apply the gospel.” It’s through a revelation of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. It’s seeing God as He really is. It’s a revelation of the Gospel.

27. Perhaps you are a non-Christian, sitting in our services and searching for God (if he’s really there). Or perhaps you’re a Christian, you’ve been attending church all your life, but you’ve never had an experience of the reality of God. Or maybe some of you come with hurts, or disappointments with God and the church. Or perhaps, some others long for a deeper walk with God, a greater victory over sin.

28. Whatever needs you bring, and whatever questions you have. God brings you to the same place, and it happens more than once - an encounter with Him through the Gospel. He brings you to that place where you see the sinfulness of your sin. He brings you to that place of humility, where you cast yourself completely on His mercy. And, he shows you His glory, in the face of Jesus Christ. So come, acknowledge the sinfulness of your sin, lay down your ornaments and humble yourself, and pray that God would show you His glory in the face of Jesus Christ.

Studies in Jonah - Part III

2009-08-17T20:22:00.003+08:00

Jonah in Jonah

What does Jonah do, say and experience ?
–Hears God – 1:1; 3:2
–Flees from God’s presence – 1:3, 5, 10
–Pursued by God (Wind and storm - 1:4, 7)
–Hurled into the Sea – 1:15
–Swallowed/vomited out by fish - 1:17; 2:10
–Prays from belly of fish – 2:1-9
–Goes to Ninevah and preaches judgment – 3:2-5
–Angry with God, flees again – 4:1-5
–Rebuked/taught by God (Plant, worm, wind sun – 4:6-10; Dialogue with God – 4:2-4, 8-10)

Act 1: Hearing and fleeing

Jonah hears God, but flees. 1:3,5,10 tells us that Jonah was “fleeing from God’s presence”, and 4:1-5 tells us Jonah got angry and went “east of the city”. Do you recall any other OT characters that heard God and fled?
(Genesis 3:8,24; Isaiah 53:6a; Romans 3:9-12)

What does this tell us about Jonah and his standing with God?
–Jonah was sinning against God. Sin isn’t just about doing bad things, it is about being in rebellion against God

Act 2: Pursued, swallowed and vomited out

How does God respond to Jonah’s fleeing? (1:4,7)
–God pursues Jonah

Why does hurling Jonah into the sea calm the storm? (1:12,15)
–Jonah knew that he had sinned against God, and that the only right payment for sin was death.

Why does God send the fish? (1:17; 2:6; 2:10)
–To save Jonah from His death

Did Jonah do anything to deserve the fish?
–No, he did nothing to deserve it

Act 3: Preaching judgment

What did Jonah preach, and how did the people respond? (3:4-5)
–Judgment, and they repented. Book of Jonah should have ended here! Revival had broken out, people had been saved. God’s will had been done. Yet, God was not done with the heart of His prophet. The ‘Gospel’ had to go deeper.

How does that compare to how Jonah responded when he heard God’s word?
–Jonah, God’s prophet heard but fled. The pagans heard and responded. Irony.

Act 4: Sulking in the presence of God

Why was Jonah angry and how does God respond?(4:6-10, 4:2-4,8-10)
–Because God is merciful to Israel’s enemies. Did he somehow feel that he deserved the salvation of God?

Why did God appoint the plant ? (4:6)
–“to save Jonah from his discomfort (evil)”

How does Jonah respond when God takes away the plant and brings him discomfort?
–He sulks, thinking that in some way he deserved the plant

What was God teaching Jonah by removing the plant? (4:10)
–Jonah “did not labour for the plant”, he did not deserve being “saved from his evil”

The story ends abruptly. Jonah’s final response is not recorded. How do you think the story ends, does Jonah finally repent?
–Only he could have written the book of Jonah. Who else would be privy to the prayer in the fish. The fact that we can read the book of Jonah, in the way that it has been written probably indicates that he did repent

"We are Jonah" (adapted from Mars Hill Church website)

-In Jewish tradition, Jonah, together with the final three verses of Micah, forms part of the ritual on the Day of Atonement when Jews in repentance confess their sins to God’ (Waltke, p81) In response to the reading of the book of Jonah the people reply, ‘We are Jonah’.

-We are Jonah. Jonah receives the Word of the Lord. We have the Word of the Lord. Jonah is called to a great city. We are called to a great city. Jonah runs. We run. Jonah’s sin affects others. Our sin affects others. God uncovers Jonah’s sin. God will uncover our sin.

-Jonah knows a lot about God, but doesn’t truly believe what he knows. Often, we know about God but don’t truly believe it. Jonah’s repentance begins with confession. Our repentance begins with confession.

-God pursues Jonah for His purposes and Jonah’s good. God pursues us for His purposes and our good.

-This week we are forced to examine our own selfishness, self-righteousness, and reluctance to participate in God’s unfolding plan of salvation in this great city of Singapore and like Jonah, we must own our sin and fly to Jesus.

Studies in Jonah - Part II

2009-08-17T20:21:00.001+08:00

God in Jonah

What does God say, what does God do, what is God like ?

–God Speaks: 1:2 Arise, Go to Ninevah, 2:10 Speaks to the Fish (?), 3:1, God speaks to Jonah a 2nd time, 4:4 Speaks to Jonah, “Are you right to be angry?”
–God Appoints: 1:4 - he hurls great wind, 1:17 - appoints fish, 4:6 “a plant”, “worm”, “scorching east wing, and the sun”
–God has a “presence”: 1:3,
–God of mercy: 3:10, how God related to Jonah (Chapter 4, 1:17), teaches Jonah, 1:3
–God teaches: Chapter 4, the Vine, like a Father

What does that tell me about Him?

–God is Sovereign and Personal
–God uses nature to speak, intervening directly
–God is merciful
–God is concerned about our character (chapter 4)
–God teaches us, through experience (difficult) and word

A Bible Study in the Book of Jonah - Part I

2009-08-17T20:14:00.004+08:00

Reading the Bible for All Its Worth
-Different genres (literary styles) of Scripture viz. letters, narrative, poetry, apocalyptic, wisdom etc. need to be read on their own terms
-Each have their own set of principles and rules that will help us get to what the human author, and thus God, intended to say
-Jonah is an example of a narrative

What are narratives ?
-A narrative is a true “story” that describes God at work in His creation and among His people.
-It glorifies Him, help us to understand and appreciate Him, and provides important illustrations of important life lessons

Old Testament: Genesis, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1-2 Samuel, 1-2 Kings, 1-2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Daniel, Jonah and Haggai

New Testament: Large portions of Gospels and Acts

Principles for Narratives
1. An OT narrative usually does not directly teach a doctrine, but (usually) illustrates a doctrine/doctrines taught elsewhere – so we need to experience the text
2. What people do in narratives is not necessarily a good example for us – frequently it is a negative example
3. A narrative is not an allegory filled with hidden meaning. We should focus on the clear and plain meaning of the text.
4. Not all details are given, what appears is everything that the inspired author thought important for us to know
5. In the final analysis, God is the hero of all Biblical narratives

Jonah and his people…

-Jonah prophesied during the reign of Jeroboam II (2 Kings 14:23-28), in Israel, 782 to 753 BC
-It was a time of political prosperity
-Jeroboam “did what was evil in the sight of the Lord” (2 Kings 14:24), but still expanded Israel farther than his father did
-Jonah thus saw firsthand the restorative compassion of God extended to wayward people

Ninevah and its people...

-Ninevah, probably the capital of the ancient Assyrian empire
-Assyria often opposed Israel and eventually took the Israelites captive in 722-721 BC (see Nahum)
-But, Jonah prophesied during a period when Assyria was not an immediate threat to Israel and when Israel enjoyed peace and prosperity because of the compassion of God

Summary of Revelation

2009-08-17T20:10:00.002+08:00

The Message of Revelation

1. The message of Revelation is that in light of Christ’s 2nd Coming (1:7, 22:7,12,20), God’s people will face perilous times because of Satan and his minions. However, God still reigns sovereign, and will keep His saints. So He exhorts them to endure. Jesus eventually returns to judge and destroy Satan, inaugurate the New Heavens and Earth, and dwell with His people forever.

2. Perilous times – Revelation begins with Jesus addressing 7 churches (3:1-4:22), warning them of perilous times, and exhorting them to endure (2:7, 10-11, 17, 25-26, 3:5, 8-10, 21). Satan and his minions are ultimately behind these perilous times. Symbolic personalities such as the Dragon (Chapter 12), the two Beasts (Chapter 13), the Great Prostitute (Chapter 17), and Babylon (Chapter 18) are used to depict them. At the same time, God takes care of His people, and so they can endure - 144,000 are sealed (Chapter 14:1-5); the 3 angels exalt God as over evil (Chapter 14:6); and God keeps the harvest of His own people (14:16), before meting judgment on the rest.

3. God’s Sovereign reign - John is caught up to the throne room of God, where John encounters God’s glory (Chapter 4). God’s judgment on Satan and evil are symbolized by the opening of the 7 seals (Chapter 6 – 8), the Harvest of the Earth (14:19), the 7 plagues (Chapter 15), the 7 bowls of wrath (Chapter 16). The fall of Babylon (Chapter 18), the marriage supper of the Lamb (Chapter 19), Jesus throwing the beast and false prophet (19:20) and Satan Himself, the “Dragon” (20:10) into the lake of fire symbolizes God’s final triumph. During the thousand years (20:2) when Satan is bound, just prior to his final doom, Jesus reigns on earth. Finally, Jesus inaugurates the New Heaven and Earth, with the New Jerusalem (21:9) descending to earth, and ultimately dwells with His people forever (21:3 – 22:5).

Possible Application

4. Many Christians find it difficult to reconcile their status as God’s children with pain and suffering in this life. Revelation teaches us that it is precisely because we are God’s children, that we will experience persecution, pain and suffering in this life – if the crucified the Lord Himself, are we to expect any better treatment. Thus, we learn to expect pain and suffering. Yet, we are not those without hope, because Revelation also paints a majestic picture of God’s reign, and ongoing and final judgment over the cause of this pain and suffering, Satan Himself. And, so, we can endure, persevere, and continue preaching the Gospel, with the certainty that Jesus will finally win.

5. Revelation also reminds us that our final hope, our final satisfaction, our final salvation is not in the here and now, but when Christ returns to destroy His enemies, and claim His bride. Only then will every tear be wiped away. The Church has become so adept and efficient and living “in this world”, that it has lost much of its power and prophetic edge. What we perhaps need to do is to recapture that eschatological vision of final judgment and victory that will radicalize us out of our respectability to do the will of God on earth. When we realize that this current world is indeed not our home, would we not be freer to spend all, give all, for the Gospel?

Where a man belongs

2009-07-07T22:50:00.003+08:00

Don't know about you, but every now and then, I need this kind of a kick in the butt!

"Have you seen the Camel Cigarette billboards—the curly-headed, bronze-faced, muscular macho with the cigarette hanging out the side of his mouth? The sign says, "Where a man belongs."

You know what I pray when I think about that sign? I pray that Bethlehem will be filled with men who, when they see that sign, say, "To hell with such lies!"— men who know that where a man belongs is on his knees beside his wife, leading in prayer.

Where a man belongs is at the bedside of his children, leading in devotion and prayer.

Where a man belongs is in the driver's seat, leading his family to the house of God.

Where a man belongs is up early and alone with God, seeking vision and direction for the family.

Men, I challenge you in the name of Jesus Christ our King, be where you belong!"

- John Piper, from "Jesus is precious as the foundation of the family"

Sermon on "Staying in the truth" (2 John 7 - 9)

2009-05-11T18:10:00.004+08:00

So, I preached my first sermon at Redemption Hill Church, on Sunday 10 May 2009. It's on "Staying in the truth - Pursuing sound doctrine" and the text was 2 John 7 - 9.

7For(A) many deceivers(B) have gone out into the world,(C) those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist. 8Watch yourselves,(D) so that you may not lose what we[a] have worked for, but(E) may win a full reward. 9Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ,(F) does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.

I made 4 points:

(i) We must have love in our hearts as we pursue sound doctrine
(ii) We must confess Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man, as sound doctrine
(iii) We are watchful and careful in our pursuit of sound doctrine
(iv) Our pursuit of sound doctrine is ultimately our pursuit of our full joy in God

You can listen to it here, and read the manuscript here, for what it's worth. Once again, I'm amazed at the grace of God...

Summary of Hebrews

2009-04-27T22:51:00.002+08:00

The Message of Hebrews

1. The message of Hebrews is that Jesus Christ is the final and fullest revelation of God to man (1:1-3). He is the exact representation of God (1:3); superior to angels (1:4); crowned with glory and honour, and the founder of salvation because of His death for sinners (2:9-11); greater than Moses (3:3), as the great high priest who has passed through the heavens (4:14, 7:26); separated from sinners and therefore exalted (7:26) and seated at the right hand of God as a Minister in the true tent of God (8:1-2, 10:12-13). He entered once and for all into the holy places by His own blood (9:12); is a priest in the order of Melchizedek (7:17); the guarantor of a better covenant (7:22), and mediates a better covenant enacted on better promises (8:6, 9:15, 12:24) through his blood. He sanctifies His people through the offering of Himself (10:10), suffering outside the gate (13:12). He is the founder and perfecter of our faith (12:2); is the same yesterday and today and forever (13:8). He is the great shepherd of the sheep (13:20) who equips them to do His will (13:20); and all glory belongs to Him (13:21).

2. In view of who Jesus is, the writer of the Hebrews exhorts the Hebrew Christians to pay close attention to the message (2:1) and not neglect this great salvation (2:3); draw near with confidence to the throne of grace (4:16), with full assurance of faith (10:22); leave the elementary doctrines of Christ and go on the maturity (6:1); look to Jesus (12:2); struggle against sin (12:4); love one another with brotherly love (13:1-2); and bear with the writer’s word of exhortation (13:22).

Possible Application

3. The tendency in Christian circles today seems to be either experience or religiosity, in our bid to know God and to live as He would have us. Hebrews teaches us that while there is a place for both experience, and religious observance, what must precede is the supremacy of Jesus Christ over both. Jesus is the final revelation of God to man, and when we look at Christ we see God. To really experience God, we are not to look into ourselves, or even to some external ill defined “warm fuzzy”, we are to gaze at the person of Jesus all that He is and all that He has done if. There we find the experience of Jesus. When it comes to religious observances, we must be careful not to fall into the trap of the Pharisees, who knew not the Scriptures or the power of God. All the Old Testament laws, prophets, sacrifices etc. point to the person of Jesus. Thus, we are to look to Him as the once and for all sacrifice who has fulfilled all the religious observances required of God. That is the basis for our own “religious observances”. That is the basis for our not neglecting this great salvation, and for not falling away from grace.

A review of "What Saint Paul Really Said" by NT Wright

2009-04-15T00:02:00.003+08:00

This is the first time I've actually read NT Wright, and I have been told that his other works clarify some of my criticisms. Nonetheless, I thought this would be useful as a quick and dirty summary for those unfamiliar with Wright. I must admit that I am still confused by some of the things he wrote.. Anyways, this review was done in a huff all the way into the wee hours of Monday! So, I am sure it is really bad... :-)

Introduction

1. Tom Wright, the Bishop of Durham, wrote this book, to “clear a path through to the St Paul of history”. In this book, Wright wrestles with Rudolph Bultman, W. D. Davies, Ernst Kasemann, E P Sanders, and A. N. Wilson, and their conflicting portrayals of Paul. He discusses whether Paul wrote out of a Jewish or Hellenistic context, his role in the foundation of Christianity, and the centre of his theology. Wright thus paints for us a portrait of Paul, his culture, context, influences and affiliations.

2. Wright boldly claims a redefinition of the Christian message. He cuts through history and theology, and proposes a redefinition of such foundational themes of the Bible such as ‘the Gospel’, ‘the righteousness of God’, and ‘Justification’, and in the process clashes, the likes of Augustine, Luther and Calvin.

Paul writes out of his Jewish context

3. Wright argues that Paul is a Shammaite Pharisee, one of the “strictest of the strict”, zealous for Israel’s God and for the Torah. His intention was thus that he and others kept Torah so wholeheartedly, that they would be marked out as those who would be vindicated when YHWH finally acted to save his people.

4. Encountering the risen Christ, Saul of Tarsus came to see that Israel’s destiny had now been achieved in Jesus the Messiah. God had done for Jesus of Nazareth, what Saul had thought he was going to do for Israel. Thus, although Paul came to this new perspective, he remained rooted within his previous covenantal theology. In that process, Wright makes the following clarifications:

‘The Gospel’ is not an account of how people get saved, but the proclamation of the Lordship of Christ

5. Paul is of the view that what the world needed was precisely the Jewish message of God’s covenantal promise to restore Israel, fulfilled in Jesus the Messiah. Thus, Paul still maintains his (Jewish) relentless opposition to paganism, and zealous promotion of Torah observance, but with a radical change in emphasis, to see that all this fulfilled in Christ, for Israel. Simply put, Israel is redeemed in the person of Jesus, and humankind is redeemed, through Jesus, so that the image of God may be restored.

6. ‘The gospel’ is not a system of thought or techniques for making people Christians, but rather the personal announcement of the person of Jesus. Preaching the gospel, to Wright, thus means announcing Jesus as Lord of the world, and seeking to bring that Lordship to bear over every aspect of the world.

‘The righteousness of God’ should not be understood as a law-court metaphor only, but in terms of God’s covenant faithfulness

7. Following his redefinition of “Gospel”, he redefines “the righteousness of God”. Against the understanding of “the righteousness of God” as ‘imputed’ and ‘imparted’, Wright argues that God’s righteousness can only mean God’s own moral quality, expressed in His covenant faithfulness.

8. This covenant faithfulness is expressed, in God’s active power to deal with evil, to save his people, and to do so with impartiality, through delivering his people from oppression. Thus to Wright, you cannot play of God’s justice against His love. God’s justice is His love in action to right the wrongs of his suffering world by taking the weight upon Him.

‘Justification’ is not a matter of how you get saved, but how you tell who was already saved

9. A person comes into relationship with the living God when ‘the Gospel’ in terms of the Lordship of Christ is announced to them, and through this means, God works by His Spirit upon their hearts, and as a result, they come to believe the message, and they join the Christian community through baptism, and begin to share in its common life and its common way of life.

10. Thus, to Wright, ‘justification’ is redefined from how someone enters the community of God’s people, or how someone establishes a relationship with God, to rather how someone could tell that they were part of the community of the true people of God.

Evaluation and Reflections

11. Wright ably answers the charge that Paul distorts the message of Jesus, by painting an eschatological view of redemptive history, and showing the appropriate continuity between Jesus and Paul on the eschatological time-table. Although, he does present a helpful cosmic view of the continuity between God’s Covenant with Israel, and the church, which is ultimately fulfilled in the person of Jesus Chris, Wright seems to neglect the personal element of the gospel. The world is fallen because man, who was to have dominion over creation, disqualified himself through sin and rebellion. The world is “oppressed” because of personal sin. Following redemption through the blood of Christ, the blessings of redemption can flow through redeemed man to creation.

12. Wright’s redefinitions of ‘the Gospel’, ‘the righteousness of God’ and ‘justification’ are uncalled for. His argument that ‘the righteousness of God’ can only mean the moral quality that is in God, in no way ‘imputed’ or ‘imparted’ is weak, and flies against text as clear as 2 Corinthians 5:21, and Philippians 3:9. It is noble that he wants to preserve the righteousness of God as a moral quality of God, but does this necessitate cutting off the Biblical teachings of imputation and impartation?

13. His redefinition of ‘justification’ as a way of determining how one is already saved and not how one gets saved is confusing. For Wright, a person comes into relationship with the living God, by belief, baptism, and the sharing of the church’s common life. What then is ‘the message’ that needs to be believed for someone to be saved? If it is just that “Jesus is Lord”, how can that Lordship be expressed without the one Lorded over being crushed by the utter holiness of Christ in his sin? Surely Jesus is Lord, because he must also be Saviour? And because He is a mighty Saviour and Lord, who has dealt decisively with the sins of his people, does that not then free His people to live in grateful community, in life giving service, and in redemptive work for creation?

14. In conclusion, I have enjoyed reading Wright, and found him helpful in pointing us towards a bigger view of the Gospel. Yet, I am troubled, that he does not see his “expanded views” complementary to the more personal elements of the Gospel, but insists on redefining key salvific themes in Scripture. This dangerously maligns personal responsibility for sin, and the rightful righteous wrath of God against sin.

The Funeral - Beautiful Imperfections

2009-04-14T23:42:00.006+08:00

This is a touching video about "beautiful imperfections" made by the Ministry of Community, Youth and Sports here in Singapore, to encourage our young people to get married...

As Christians, I wonder if our tireless pursuit here on earth for the perfect everything (spouse, career, church, pet, haircut, ministry...), often disguised as "Nothing but the best is worthy of Christ!", is in reality a betrayal of our lack of trust in God and His Gospel?

When Christ returns, all imperfections will be done away with... The imperfections of this life create a yearning in us for the perfections of Christ, and the Kingdom He is bringing to earth. May we then learn to love and live as perfectly imperfect for Christ in this present age, knowing that the perfection that He will bring will make it all worth it!

"1Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." Revelation 21:1-4

Two Videos for the Good Friday/Easter Weekend

2009-04-10T12:17:00.002+08:00

A time to come back to cross, a time to come back to Jesus, Lord over all...

Jesus Wants the Rose!

That's My King! I wonder if you know Him ?

Summary of Ephesians

2009-04-03T21:40:00.002+08:00

The Message of Ephesians

1. The Ephesians are to “know” the hope to which God has “called” (1:18), and “walk” in a manner worthy of that “calling” (4:1). They are to “know” two things:

a. The “riches” of God’s “glorious inheritance in the saints” (1:18) which are the “spiritual blessings” (1:3) in Christ, i.e. predestination (1:5), adoption (1:6), redemption (1:7), forgiveness (1:7), and final unity (1:10). Paul uses the shorthand “salvation” (1:13) for this, and it is received “by grace through faith” (2:5, 8) not by “works” (2:9)

b. The “immeasurable greatness” of God’s “power” toward those “who believe” (1:18-19) which is the same power that God used to raise Jesus, and seat him at his right hand (1:19), that breaks down the wall of hostility between man and God, and between man and man (3:16), equips for ministry (3:7), strengthens the saints (3:17), enables the comprehension of God’s love (3:18) et al. This “power” also works to strengthen against the devil’s schemes (6:11).

2. Then, they are to “walk” with “humility and gentleness” (4:2); “patience, bearing with one another in love” (4:2)’ and “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (4:3). These traits are worked out within the church (4:11 - 5:21), the family (5:22 - 6:4) and between slaves and masters (6:5-9).

Possible Application

3. Right practice birthed from right belief – Paul does not begin with the imperatives, but rather with what God has done in Jesus Christ. How they “walk” must be determined by what they “know”. Even when talking about “walking”, the connection is drawn back to the “knowing” e.g. he tells husbands to “love your wives” (the “walking”), as “Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (the “knowing”) (5:25). This distinguishes Christianity from other belief systems. Other systems say, “You obey and therefore you are accepted”. Christianity says, “You are accepted and therefore you obey”. In pragmatic Singapore, there is a tendency to focus on ‘getting the job done’, with the ends justifying the means. The problem with this is that without drawing the link to the Cross of Jesus Christ, we may do good works, but not proclaim Christ. We will have mere religiosity that ultimately does not commend us to God, as only Christ can. We must recover this important link.

4. The Spirit is essential to live and ministry – The Holy Spirit is prominent in Ephesians. By Him, the Ephesians are “sealed” in what Christ has done (1:13). He is the “guarantee” of their inheritance (1:14). Through Him they have access to God (2:18). He strengthens them so that Christ can dwell in their hearts (2:22, 3:15-17). He unites (3:4). He can be grieved (4:30). He is the Spirit of true worship (5:18-20). He is the one that helps them to fight the good fight of faith (6:17-18). In essence, the Holy Spirit is essential in life and ministry. His work is however described in a more qualitative, than quantitative manner. From this observation perhaps that “conservatives” can come to realize the importance of the Spirit, while the “charismatics” can learn not to emphasize outward manifestations (e.g. signs and wonders) over qualitative change in persons and churches.

Joining Redemption Hill

2009-03-28T16:22:00.006+08:00

In the short time that I've been blogging, I've written about coming to gospel-centered convictions, mulled how these convictions are best worked out in the context of a local church, ranted (sinfully) at the lack of such a church here, laid out some desirable characteristics of how such a church may look like, and shared about meeting Simon and visiting Redemption Hill (here, here and here).

After a couple of months of (difficult and emotional) thinking, praying, talking to different people, and arguing even.. in seeking after God's will.. We've decided to trust God, and take a step of faith by joining Simon (and gang) in building Redemption Hill Church. Knowing some sense of "the hope to which he has called", "the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints", and "the immeasurable greatness of his power" (Ephesians 1:18-19), with quiet confidence in Our Lord Jesus Christ, but now knowing what the future will hold, we want to follow where He leads.. Pray for us, as we humbly seek to glorify Christ with our lives! :-)

What You Delight in Matters to God - A (possible) Sermon Outline for Ezekiel 24:15 – 27

2009-03-19T20:22:00.002+08:00

Introduction

1. Losing someone precious is an extremely traumatic event. Mourning is an important part of the grieving process. Tears are needful, and we do well to allow the aggrieved to cry.

2. However, in this case Yahweh tells Ezekiel that his wife will die (verse 16), and he is not to cry but rejoice (verse 16, 17). Was Yahweh being needlessly cruel? What is going on here?

Body

1. This was a “sign-act” where the prophet “acts out” a specific message from God

· “The word of the Lord came to me” (vs. 15) i.e. a specific instance of revelation and not normative.

2. The death of Ezekiel’s wife represented the impending Judgment of God

· The phrase “delight of your eyes” for Ezekiel’s wife in verse 15 is used in verses 21 and 25 Yahweh’s “sanctuary” and the peoples’ “stronghold”. This is the temple in Jerusalem.

3. The 'temple' represented a false sense of security

· The people had sinned against the Lord and still held on to a false security. Yahweh will not have that, and will dismantle it all - from verse 21 “the pride of your (their) power”, “your (their) sons and your (their) daughters”; and verse 25 “their joy and glory”, their soul’s desire”, and again “their sons and daughters”.

· Yahweh’s good gifts had become their delight, their stronghold, their trust, instead of the giver Yahweh Himself. This is idolatry (compare, “delight of your hearts” to how Yahweh describe the Israelites as having “taken their idols into their hearts” in 14:3).

· What are the idols that you have “taken into your heart”? They need not be gross and obvious, but could be anything that we delight in apart from God, even his gifts!

4. Yahweh’s judgment leads to a reckoning of who He really is

· “..and they will know that I am the LORD.” Verse 27.

· In Ezekiel 33:21, the Lord reveals His reluctance to destroy, and appeals to His people to turn from their wickedness - 33: 11. Yet, He is certain to judge if Israel does not turn – 33:20

· The judgment of God can be punitive, or restorative depending on the path they choose.

Conclusion

1. At the heart of human sin, is idolatry “Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images…” (Romans 3:22).

2. All of us are idolatrous in one form or another, thus deserving judgment.

3. Yet God, in his mercy, sent Jesus, the true temple, the His true image to pay for our sin, to receive the judgment of God in our place.

4. Thus, the judgment of God is either punitive or restorative in Christ. Punitive if we will not turn to Him in faith, restorative, if we turn to Him in faith, trust Him in His taking our punishment for our sin - take Him in as the true “delight of our hearts”. Which path will you choose?

Summary of 1 Corinthians

2009-03-19T20:20:00.001+08:00

The Message of 1 Corinthians

1. Two key issues Paul deals with in 1 Corinthians, are division in the Corinthian church (1:10, 11:18); and the defense of his apostleship (4:14-15, 9:1-3, 11:1, 15:8). Paul addresses specific areas of disharmony, and reminds them that he is their “father” (1:14-15) in the gospel. He appeals to the gospel, as the justification for change, culminating in a reminder that it is a matter of “first importance” (15:3). Specifically, in dealing with:

a. Factions along personalities (1 Corinthians 1:10-18 and 3), ultimately Christ, “whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption” was their one “source” (1:30);

b. Sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 5, 6:12-20), he urges them to “cleanse out the old leaven”, because “Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed” (5:7) ;

c. Lawsuits among believers (6:1-11), he warns that the “unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God” (6:9), and reminds that they were “washed”, “sanctified” and “justified”, “in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ” (6:11);

d. Marriage and divorce (1 Corinthians 7), the believing spouse should stay married so that the unbeliever may be saved (7:16), and reminds that “the present form of this world is passing away” (7:31);

e. Relating to the pagan culture, i.e. food offered to idols (1 Corinthians 8) and idolatry (10:1-22), “food will not commend us to God” (8:8); and we cannot partake in both the Lord’s table and that of demons (9:21); and

f. Propriety in worship (1 Corinthians 11, 14:26-36), including the practice of spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12-14), confession of Christ’s Lordship, is a measure of genuineness (12:3); and the building up of the church (14:12) is the purpose.

Possible Application

2. Expect ‘messiness’ in the Church – The Corinthian church was a ‘messy’ church embroiled in a whole range of controversies. One is tempted to condemn and declare that these are in fact unregenerate pagans poorly masquerading as believers. But Paul does not do that. In fact, he begins his letter, “To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints…” (1:2). The church, at its best, is a collection of sinners saved by grace, being sanctified on an ongoing basis. There will thus be ‘messy’ people among us. If we search our hearts honestly enough, we too will find ‘messiness’ there, just call it sin. We shouldn’t then be too quick to condemn, but instead with gentleness and firmness correct one another, in the gospel, urging one another on towards holiness.

3. Use the gospel in discipline – We have noted that Paul goes back to the gospel and works out its implications when he corrects. Paul notes that the gospel that was “preached” was also the same gospel that they “stand”, and the gospel by which they are “being saved” (15:1-2). The gospel has a continual role in the life of the Christian and of the church. Paul presents the gospel as the real answer to the many ‘messy’ problems in the Corinthian church, and we do well to follow along the apostle’s path. Our church discipline and restoration methods must be infused richly with gospel content. Some of this content can be very firm, for example “deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh”, and we should not mistake gospel discipline with being soft. However, the purpose is always redemptive. In this example, “so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord” (5:5).

Summary of Galatians

2009-03-12T23:46:00.002+08:00

The Message of Galatians

1. The message of Galatians is that justification (2:15-16) is through faith in Christ apart from works of the law. This comes across via Paul’s warnings against deserting the gospel; and explanations about the gospel’s origins, the purpose of the law, and the work of the Spirit. Paul begins abruptly with shock at how the gospel was being quickly deserted (1:6), and anathemas against those who preached a different gospel (1:8-9), be they man or angel. He goes on to explain the gospel’s divine origins (1:11), and its endorsement by the Apostles (2:7-9). He however implies that apostolic endorsement wasn’t necessary (1:16-17; 2:6). Perhaps to reinforce this point, he tells of how he opposed Cephas “to his face” because he was “not in step with the truth of the gospel” (2:11-14). He thus elevates the gospel above every human or even angelic authority.

2. The law was put in place to lead God’s children to faith, as a “prison” and “guardian”. A “prison” because the law revealed the sins of God’s people, thus condemning them and holding them in captivity (3:21-23). A “guardian”, because it was in place only until Christ came to justify and redeem His children (3:24, 4:2, 5). They were justified by faith and received the Spirit (3:2-3) by faith. Thus, the Galatians were to make progress in holiness not by works of the law, signified by circumcision (5:2-7, 11-15), but by standing firm in the freedom that is in Christ (5:1), “walking by the Spirit” (5:16), being “led by the Spirit” (5:18), and thus bearing the “fruit of the Spirit” (5:22).

Possible Application

3. Sanctification - Against legalism where our standing before God is judged by our performance in Christian matters, Galatians teaches that we are saved by grace, apart from the works of the law (2:15-16). Against antinomianism where the tendency is to see faith in Christ as a ‘ticket to heaven’ with no bearing on our behaviour and character, Galatians teaches us that the one who truly has faith in Christ, must have received the Spirit of righteousness (3:2-3) and live “in step with the truth of the gospel” (2:14). Thus, in my walk with God, I must be constantly repenting of my sinfulness and of my (self) righteousness i.e. any good work done apart from God’s grace. And I should be seeking to live out the implications of the gospel in my life, empowered by the Spirit. Perhaps for the church, instead of self-help therapeutic programmes, we should be teaching and leading people into a clearer understanding of the truth of the gospel and its implications on life. The gospel if truly believed should see its expression in holy living.

4. Standing for the truth - In some quarters, people are all too ready to pick a fight at the most obscure issues e.g. KJV-Onlyism, while in other quarters, fighting is anathema with peace and the preservation of so-called ‘Christian’ unity kept as the ultimate goal e.g. even to the extent of accommodating those who preach a ‘Prosperity Gospel’. Paul demonstrated in Galatians that he was prepared to fight. He called down curses on those preaching a different gospel (1:6-9), and even went as far as to oppose an Apostle (2:11-14). That he was prepared to fight, should be a lesson to the second camp, that there are indeed matters of faith worth fighting for, and that there are indeed hills that we must die on. Else we risk betraying our God, and the next generation. What he fought over should be a lesson to the first camp. Paul fought over the distortion of the gospel, and the failure to live out the implications of the gospel, not over some obscure and dumb matter that does not have a bearing on salvation. Galatians teaches that we must be prepared to fight, but that it must be over gospel matters, nothing more and nothing less.

Book Review - The Difficult Doctrine of the Love of God by D.A. Carson

2009-03-12T23:32:00.002+08:00

Introduction

1. “The Difficult Doctrine of the Love of God” was written by D A Carson, Research Professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. First published in 2000, the book was adapted from a series of four lectures, first delivered in 1998 at the Dallas Theological Seminary to seminary students. It takes on an informal tone, although the language can be somewhat technical due, perhaps, to the original intended audience.

2. Carson begins by explaining why the doctrine of God’s love is ‘difficult’. He observes that the prevailing culture (post-modernity) often considers the benevolence of God outside of the Biblical framework, and abstracted from complimentary truths about God such as His sovereignty, holiness, wrath, providence, and personhood. Even within Christian circles, God’s love is often portrayed as more obvious than it really is, failing to recognize real difficulties in integrating the Biblical data on God’s love with His sovereignty, impassibility, justice and wrath.

The five strands of God’s Love

3. Addressing these concerns, Carson takes the full range of Biblical data, and posits that there are five related but distinguishable ways in which God’s love is portrayed. These are not five independent ‘loves of God’, but rather nuances or strands of the one ‘love of God’. None should be absolutised and made the controlling grid by which the others are referenced, but rather, all five must be held together in biblical proportion and balance. These are:

i. God’s intra-Trinitarian love (John 3:35; 5:20; and 14:31) which is the peculiar love of the Father for the Son, and of the Son for the Father;

ii. God’s providential love (Genesis 1-2; Matthew 6:26; and 10:29) over all that He has made;

iii. God’s yearning and salvific love (Ezekiel 33:11; John 3:16; 15:19; and 1 John 2:2) that pleads with sinners;

iv. God’s elective love (Deutronomy 4:37; 7:7-8; 10:14-15; Malachi 1:2-3; and Ephesians 5:25) that is the particular, effective, selecting love towards the elect; and

v. God’s conditional love towards His people (Exodus 20:6; Psalm 103:8-11, 13, 17-18; John 15:9-10; and Jude 21;) i.e. God’s love is sometimes said to be directed toward his own people in a provisional or conditional way – conditional, that is, on obedience.

4. Looking at this comprehensive take on the ‘love of God’, one is struck by common dangers, and controversies that have arisen out of ignorance, overemphasis or neglect of any one strand. Ignorance of the God’s intra-Trinitarian love (and the Trinity itself) could lead to accession that the Christian God is the same or similar with those of other monotheistic faiths. Overemphasizing God’s yearning and salvific love, while neglecting His elective love could lead to denial of God’s election of individuals to salvation. The reverse could lead to a denial of the validity of the free-offer of the Gospel to unbelievers. Neglecting God’s conditional love towards His people, in discipline, could lead to antinomianism, while overemphasizing it could lead to a loss of assurance.

God is Love

5. The first strand, God’s intra-Trinitarian love is how God relates within Himself, while the other four categories are how God relates to His creatures and creation. In discussing this first strand, Carson draws out useful implications, and insights resulting from this love. Firstly, there has always been other-orientation in the being of God (as Trinity). Here, one is struck by the utter uniqueness of God as compared to other (so called) deities. Christianity alone claims, that God is Trinity, and that as such love is bound up in the very nature of God. Secondly, our relationship to Jesus mirrors the relation of Jesus to his heavenly Father (John 17). Jesus mediates the Father’s love to us, i.e. receiving love, so has He loved us. Jesus in turn demonstrates His love for the Father through perfect obedience. In the same way, having received love, we are to love others, and we in turn demonstrate our love for Jesus, by our obedience. While Carson does a good job of describing the intra-Trinitarian love between Father and Son, the analysis would have been more complete if he had included a discussion on the role of the Holy Spirit as the 3rd person of the Trinity.

God’s Sovereignty and Impassibility

6. With regard to God’s love as it relates to His creatures, Carson addresses God’s sovereignty and wrath. Thorny issues such as God’s emotional life in light of His impassibility, man’s responsibility in light of God’s sovereignty, the relationship between God’s wrath and God’s love, and the extent of the atonement are discussed. On issues of God’s sovereignty and human responsibility, Carson argues for compatibilism[1], as a necessary component of a “mature and orthodox view of God”. Carson uses the cross as a poignant example. If the cross, were thought of primarily in human terms, as a conspiracy by the local political authorities of the time, it implies that the cross was an accident of history, and not God’s pre-ordained plan of salvation. Vice-versa, if it were thought of purely as a function of God’s sovereignty, human transgressors are not culpable and immune to charges of transgression. Either way, without compatibilism, the cross is nullified.

7. Reflecting on the affective element in the love of God Carson addresses the issue of divine impassibility and argues that it is incorrect to espouse a form of impassibility that denies God’s emotional life. Rather, impassibility and affections can be held together by noting that God, unlike humans, is in full control of His affections, and He displays them simply because He chooses to. He sustains no ‘passion’, no emotion that makes Him vulnerable from the outside, over which He has no control, or which He has not foreseen. God’s love is thus not generated by the loveliness of the loved, but rather it is generated, in spite of the un-loveliness of the loved, purely by the will of God – He has chosen to love.

8. Carson admits that in these discussions, one has to inevitably retreat to the realm of mystery. This is a somewhat frustrating conclusion to such weighty discussions. Carson’s contribution is helpful in that he posits the mystery primarily in the being of God, rather than in the logical incoherence of concepts. Carson asserts that the deepest mystery is that God has disclosed Himself as simultaneously sovereign/transcendent and yet personal. In effect, it is not merely that the human mind cannot reconcile concepts, but rather that the human mind cannot fully fathom the being of God. Indeed, we are moved then not to resignation, but to doxology, exclaiming with Paul “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!” (Romans 11:33)

God’s Wrath

9. In discussing God’s wrath, Carson notes that like love, wrath includes emotion as a necessary component. However, unlike love, wrath is not an intrinsic perfection of God but rather a function of God’s holiness against sin i.e. where there is no sin, there is no wrath. In contrast there will always be love in God. The price if diluting the wrath of God is thus to diminish God’s holiness and justice, His very character. It is here helpful to note that God is in full control of His affections, including His wrath.

10. Carson also helpfully points out that there is nothing intrinsically impossible about wrath and love being directed toward the same individual or people at the same time. In His perfections, God must be wrathful against His rebel image-bearers, for they have offended Him. God in His perfections must also be loving toward His rebel image-bearers, for that is His foundational character – God is love. Carson points out that these two themes of wrath and love “barrel along” through redemptive history until they find their climax and resolution in the cross, where wrath and mercy meet.

The Cross

11. At the cross, God’s love is displayed at its most affirming, while His wrath is displayed at its most condemning. Truly, only at the cross can justice and mercy meet, and God can be, “…just and the one who justifies…” (Romans 3:26).

12. Also, it is only at the cross, and its central place in the Gospel of Jesus Christ that the five strands of God’s love can be drawn together. Firstly, God’s intra-Trinitarian love ensures the plan of redemption. The Father loves the Son, and decrees that all will honour Him. The way to honour is the obedience of the cross. The Son loves the Father and obeys all that He commands. Secondly, God’s providential love gives clear evidence of God in natural revelation, and calls us to faith in Christ. Thirdly, God’s yearning, inviting, commanding love, supremely displayed on the cross, compels us to come to Him. Fourthly, God’s effective, elective love enables us to see the glory and power of Christ on the cross. Finally, God’s Fatherly love, conditioned upon our obedience as His children disciplines us, changes us and conforms us to the Christ of the cross.

Conclusion

13. Carson’s comprehensive survey and synthesis of the Biblical data is very helpful in giving a comprehensive, Biblically balanced view of God’s love. He deals persuasively and piously with the theological issues that arise, and discusses the very practical implications – popular evangelical clichés, such as “God’s love is unconditional”, “God loves everyone exactly the same way”, and “God hates the sin but loves the sinner” are brought under scrutiny and found wanting. Most of all, this book exalts God by emplacing the deepest of mysteries in His very being; and it exalts Christ, by demonstrating how God’s redemption purposes through the cross, draws together all five strands of God’s love.

[1] Compatibilism does not claim to show how God’s unconditioned sovereignty and human responsibility are compatible. Instead it claims that we can get far enough in the evidence to show that the two are not necessarily incompatible, and that it is reasonable to think of them as compatible. It inevitably raises important and difficult questions that cannot be easily explained.

Physical Attraction and Godly Marriage

2009-02-08T22:18:00.004+08:00

John Piper answers the question, "Is it biblical to think that physical attraction must be a component of a godly marriage?". This is really biblical, and dare i say, sweet.. excerpts:

"The word "biblical" in this question is perhaps intended to take me to a text. And of course the text that comes to mind is, when it speaks to beauty, 1 Peter 3:3: "Don't let your beauty be the outward beauty of the wearing of gold, and the braiding of hair, and the wearing of clothes."

"It doesn't say "fine clothes." It's just "clothes," so you know it's not an absolute, as though not wearing clothes is good thing. It means the jewelry, the hair, and the clothes are not the focus. And our culture needs to hear that unbelievably. Marriages need to hear it, men need to hear it. That's not the main focus of beauty. The focus should be the inner spirit."

"So women should ask, "What kind of spirit should I cultivate for my man?" as well as, "How should I eat and dress and exercise for my man?" And the man should do the same: "What kind of inner spirit makes her flourish?" because there is a kind of spirit in a man that kills a woman or frightens or bores her."

"And a man shouldn't mainly be pumping iron. Because, frankly, most women could care very little about what their husbands look like, unless they're just making fools of themselves. They want a spirit, a strength, a humility, a nobility. They want someone to pick them up and sweep them away. "

"A marriage is a relationship. When you're old, gray, wrinkled, overweight (or underweight), squinty, bent over, and hobbling along, maybe you'll be holding hands at 85 because of the inner beauty."

Read it all here.

Grow old with me, grow graciously with me, grow godly with me :-)

Sovereign Grace Ministries Online Sale

2009-02-06T00:40:00.003+08:00

I got this off Bob Kauflin's blog. The prices are really good.

From February 1–28, at the Sovereign Grace store, you’ll find these prices:

(i) Sovereign Grace books (23 of them, including Worship Matters, Worldliness, and Living the Cross Centered Life): US $7 each

(ii) All CDs produced by Sovereign Grace Music (including Together for the Gospel Live, Psalms, Come Weary Saints, Awesome God, In a Little While, and Valley of Vision): US $6 each

(iii) All books in our Pursuit of Godliness series (Why Small Groups, This Great Salvation, and others): US $4 each

During February, there will be normal free shipping in the continental US (library rate). But on all international orders we’re offering a discount of 50% on USPS First Class International shipping.

"Why are we doing this? Well, we figure that most of us have been affected by the present economic crisis. We want to do whatever we can to make it easier for people to benefit from what we produce. We want to serve churches and individuals by providing biblically informed, gospel-centered resources at a low cost. And we’d really like to give it all away, but for now, that’s not financially feasible…So we offer the February sale. Enjoy."

Make your orders here.

Random stuff

2009-02-01T19:17:00.003+08:00

Some Updates

A friend reminded me that I had not been blogging for almost a month.. in some ways, that's a good thing, coz I really have been trying to be more disciplined in how I spend my time, especially when it comes to surfing the web.. full-time work, and part-time studies (the 1 semester, condensed into 1 month Systematic Theology course, by Douglas Milne that I took at BGST was intense, but enriching..) also took up most of my January..

In addition, so much superb stuff (and some really bad stuff) is already on the blogosphere, and I'm really not sure if I can VA (value add) in anyway.. As someone (i can't remember who) once told me, "If you've got nothing good to say, just shut up.".. Heh heh..

Two things I came across

So, instead of sharing anything new, thought I'd point to two pieces of writing that challenged, and encouraged:

(i) Kingdom of God vs Kingdom of Self

This one stung:

"I would ask you again to be humbly honest with yourself as you are reading. If I sat with you and I listened to recording of the last month of your words, whose kingdom, what kingdom, would I conclude those words are spoken to serve? Would it be the kingdom of self with its self-focused demandingness, expectancy, and entitlement? Would I hear a person who is quick to criticize, quick to judge, quick to slam, and quick to condemn, because people are always violating the laws of your kingdom? Is the greatest moral offense in your life an offense that someone makes against the laws of your kingdom? When this happens do you use words as a punishment or as a weapon? Do you use words to rein this person back into loyal service of the purposes of your kingdom of one?" - Paul Tripp, "The Kingdom of Self vs Kingdom of Self"

A prayer from a sinful heart:
Lord, how I've sinned.. Change me, cleanse me.. May the words of my mouth and the mediation of my heart be pleasing to You, my redeemer and my Lord. Amen

(ii) C J Mahaney interviews Wayne Grudem

This next one, of C J Mahaney interviewing Wayne Grudem, just struck me at how down to earth these guys are.. no airs, just 'regular' guys (though giants of the faith) seeking to live in the will of God:

"I find in those times of quietness, when I’m not praying about anything in particular but simply resting in the Lord’s presence, that he will bring to mind solutions for problems, or people I need to contact, or things I need to write, or things I should not spend time doing, or any of a number of other things. I also find that over the course of the entire Bible reading and prayer time a deeper sense of peace and rest in the Lord’s presence comes on my heart."

"For personal enjoyment: I just finished a new Vince Flynn novel, Extreme Measures. I think I have read all of his books and I enjoyed them a lot (the terrorists are the bad guys and the Americans are the good guys, and the Americans win in the end). But I liked this last one the least because it was so inconclusive at the end. I’ve also enjoyed a number of spy novels by Daniel Silva within the last year (the hero is an Israeli Mossad agent). These are “escape” novels that give my brain a change of pace."

"Arizona has such great weather that it’s possible to run outdoors in your own neighborhood year-round. And I drive to a gym about five minutes from my house and lift weights following the general outlines of a program in the book Body for Life by Bill Phillips. A good friend who is a doctor told me that as I age I will continually lose muscle mass and be prone to injuries and weight gain unless I lift weights in addition to aerobic exercises. My motivation in exercising is (1) I feel better and (2) I want to stay healthy to be able to serve the Lord effectively as long as I can in this life. "

Read the whole interview here.

A prayer of thanksgiving:
Lord, thank you for raising up men of faith that have been such a blessing to the body of Christ. In helping us to know You, Your word, and the way You desire us to live here, on earth for Your Kingdom. Grant that they would continue to have the grace, wisdom, strength and empowering to do Your will, and to know You intimately. Grant also that others would see in them something of Jesus, and be edified, encouraged, and enflamed for the Kingdom. Amen.

PS: Interestingly, I tried to follow the Body for Life programme a couple of years ago. But a combination of pure laziness, poor time management, and a nagging doubt if desiring a buff bod was really "in the will of God" made me stop. That's the problem with over-spiritualizing everything I guess.. A simple desire to "feel better", and to "stay healthy to be able to serve the Lord" should be good enough motivation to exercise.. ok, gonna go for a run tonight then..

Discovering God's Will - Sinclair Ferguson

2009-01-04T23:34:00.003+08:00

Someone gave Cindy a copy of Sinclair Ferguson's "Discovering God's Will", first published in 1982. As we are at a place that we need to make some important decisions, I began reading the book..

I wonder why it isn't more widely known.. the first Chapter really sets the tone of the book.. while most books on guidance move almost straightaway to techniques e.g. "how to interpret impressions, dreams, visions and prophecies etc" or "how to discern biblical principles from Scripture", this book begins by telling you that ultimately, its not about you, its about "God's Ultimate Purpose". Some cool quotes from the first chapter:

"God, His glory and His presence form the destiny of the Christian"

"The essence of the Christian life is that God should be glorified in us"

"There is, in fact, no more basic question for us to ask than this: Will this course of action tend to further the glory of God?"

"God will not separate the guidance He gives us in His world , or the way in which He governs circumstances, from His settled purpose of gaining glory for His Son in our lives"

"To live for the glory of God means to imitate Jesus.. to live in dependence on the Holy Spirit who has been given to us with the specific function of bringing glory to Jesus in our lives"

"The way in which God leads us is the way of following Christ in bearing the cross"

"Christlikeness then, in glory, must be preceded by Christ-likeness now, under the cross"

"Will you deny self, take up the cross, and follow Christ into his perfect will for your life?"

Simon's New Blog

2008-12-20T00:59:00.002+08:00

My friend Simon Murphy, pastor at Redemption Hill Church started a new blog.. he's got a good post on preaching the main themes of Scripture, and the transcript of the sermons he's delivered at Redemption Hill.. Check it out here

5 guys and a new blog

2008-12-20T00:52:00.003+08:00

It was just great to meet together, 5 guys (Eugene, Ollie, Simon, Edward, and your's trully) with one passion for the gospel.. I am still amazed at how the Lord connected each of us, and was so thankful at what transpired..

We've started a blog together "Towards a Gospel-centred Church", unabashedly copying the slogan from the church where I'm currently a member, but putting the emphasis where it should be.. ;-P

We plan to write and reflect on what it means to have healthy, Gospel-centred churches.. praying that it would be in some small way a resource for others..

Shalom Christian Media - Amazing Book Sale (15 - 20 Dec)

2008-12-16T22:17:00.006+08:00

Simon, Tarryn, Cindy (aka wife-dear) made a trip to the Shalom Christian Media for their book sale and bought a crazy number of books! (the place was hard to find, but it was worth the trip..)

Was told the books were cheap, but we didn't expect that they would be this cheap!

On top of that, there is a 10% discount on all books; and a special 13% discount for books with "Calvin" or "Calvinism" or Calvin's picture on it, to commemorate the dude's 500th birthday..

Here are some of the crazy prices (b4 discount):

1. According to Plan (Graeme Goldsworthy) - S$13

2. What Jesus Demands from the World (hard cover) (John Piper) - S$15.20

3. Total Church (Tim Chester) - S$12.70

4. Brothers, We are not professionals (John Piper) - $13.10

Sale last till this Saturday.. I encourage you to go down and say hi to Francis if you really want to stock up on some excellent and very sound books, or to get them for Christmas presents..

Dates: 15 – 20 Dec, 08 (about 1 week)
Time: 10am – 9pm (but on Thu until 7pm only)
Address: 8 New Industrial Rd, #03-01, S (536200)
Tel: 6383 4341

Do note:
- payment is by Cash or Cheque only
- parking at Hoe Huat Building, the red building when u turn into New Industrial Rd
- there is a small play area for your children should u wish to bring them along…
- or if u want to park lunch and eat here, sure thing, they can provide the space for it. Coffee and tea are on the house!