Saved For Himself

I'm in Numbers on my Through-the-Bible-in-a-Year journey, and a peculiar verse in chapter 3 struck me today.

Numbers 3:13-- "On the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated for my won all the firstborn in Israel, both of man and of beast.  They shall be mine: I am the LORD."

Here is what the ESV Study Bible has to say about this verse: "In the last plague, every firstborn male Egyptian and every firstborn of their cattle died, but the firstborn Israelite boys and cattle were spared.  So after this, all Israelite firstborn boys and cattle were dedicated to God."

The significance of this verse hit me between the eyes.  What God is saying is this: "I spared them and saved them; therefore, they are now mine."  God doesn't save us so that we can continue living for ourselves; He saves us for Himself.  This is the purpose of the cross.  Titus 2 says that Christ "gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possessions who are zealous for good works."

That is why He saved the Israelites, and it's why He saved us: He saved us for Himself.

A Whopper of a Promise

2 Corinthians 9:8- "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times you may abound in every good work."

Wow, that's quite a promise.  All grace to have all sufficiency in all things at all times for every good work.  It really covers all the bases, doesn't it?

Declared Righteous

For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. ~Romans 3:28

You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. ~James 2:24

These two verses have always frustrated me. Yes, I knew that simple answer-- "Oh, James isn't talking about justification the same way Paul is," but that never really satisfied me because no one ever really tried to back up that claim; they just said it like that settled it. But it never really settled it for me-- until now.

The perfect analogy hit me yesterday while I was driving and wrestling with the whole question of justification (yeah, theologizing in the car, don't make fun...). To justify means "to declare righteous," but if you think about it, there are multiple ways that someone can be declared righteous. For example:

Imagine that you're on trial for robbing a bank. The lawyers and witnesses have all had their say, and now the judge will decide whether or not you are guilty. The judge finally bangs the gavel. "Not guilty," he says. You've just been declared righteous.

Now imagine that the press has been following this case closely. The next morning, the front page headline reads in big letters, "NOT GUILTY." The newspaper just declared you righteous. But their declaration is very different than the judge's. The judge actually changes your status-- from prisoner to free man, from condemned to innocent, from guilty to not guilty. All that the paper does is publish these results, and declare what has already taken place. The paper could print whatever it wanted, whether or not it lined up with reality (how true that is!)-- but that wouldn't change your status before the judge. But the paper's job is to report accurately what has taken place, and proclaim to the world, "This man is not guilty!"

That's exactly the two different ways that Paul and James are talking about justification. Romans 1-3 is full of legal terms-- guilt, redemption, innocent, accountable, just, etc. It is obvious that Paul is using the word justification in its legal sense-- the judge of all the universe declaring sinners "not guilty." But in James, the context is very different. There, you have phrases like, "I will show you my faith by my works," and talk about demonstrating actual love for your neighbor not just in word but in deed. It's clear that James is talking about justification in the newspaper sense-- publishing the results of the trial.

So what do you get when you put Romans and James together? To keep using the current analogy, let's say that the judge declares me not guilty in the bank robbery case. The proper way to celebrate that verdict is not to then go out and rob a bank saying, "Yay, I'm innocent!" The message of Paul and James, taken together, is this: "God has declared you righteous; why is your life not declaring that too?"

Deeper Still

I've been thinking a lot since yesterday about the role of a pastor/preacher, and I think I've come up with a helpful analogy.

My role as a preacher (and really, I think, this applies to any godly person who is seeking to know Christ more), in relation to a congregation, and even to my friends and family, is to act as a scuba diver. Most of the people in the congregation, when it comes to knowing God, are content to "sit on the beach" as it were, searching the endless horizon and watching the beautiful sunsets. And to some extent, that's okay; the beach is a stunning place to be.

But as a scuba diver, I've been brought by the Holy Spirit beneath the waves, to the incredible coral reef that lies just out of sight of the beach. I am to be staggered and awed by the character and works of God revealed in Scripture just as a diver would be when seeing the vivid colors and patterns and life of the reef. My duty and privilege is to daily swim back to the ones I love and say, "You've got to come and see this! It's more beautiful than you can imagine down here. You think this is beautiful up here? You've got no idea! Please, come deeper still!"

I myself, as a scuba diver, have been greatly influenced by a few who have gone before me and dared to forge ahead into the deep unknown. People like Calvin, Spurgeon, Edwards, Piper... men of God who have moved beyond the beauties of the reef and discovered sunken treasures far below. While I explore the beauties of the reef, they bring gold up to me, saying, "You've got to come and see this! You think it's beautiful up here-- you have no idea! There are riches beyond your wildest dreams just a little lower. Please, come deeper still!"

And so I press lower, drawn by the promise of infinite riches further down into the heart of God. I'm on a quest for treasure-- not a hunt for wisdom or knowledge or brownie points with God. I've been captivated by beauty in the shallows, and I have heard tell of wonders that will take your breath away if you are willing to swim to them.

And oh, how sweet will heaven be, when we will no longer have need for the earthly trappings of air tanks and masks, but will be able to swim freely in the endless ocean of the heart of God! In that place, just like the beach paled in comparison to the reef, which paled in comparison to the sunken treasure, so too every earthly glimpse of glory will be consumed and forgotten in the depths to which God will take His people. The oceans of this world grow darker and colder the deeper you go, but there, each step deeper brings more light and warmth and glory. Metaphors cease and words fail in the presence of such splendor.

Oh how I long to get there! Come deeper still with me!

Responding to Bad News

Today, my fiancee Sarah got word that her grandmother was diagnosed with advanced esophageal cancer, and has been given just a few months to live.  She had been having trouble swallowing and eating, and had a few tests done-- and got back the alarming and unexpected results.  It has been a rough month for Sarah's family, as well as a time of uncertainty for my family.  Her dad is going through chemo for colon cancer, and her other grandmother is struggling with declining health and mental faculties.  My dad will be getting back MRI results tomorrow after undergoing tests to figure out the cause of some muscle issues.

In light of all of that, how am I supposed to respond to bad news when it inevitably comes?  And it is inevitable-- Jesus promised as much: "In this world you will have trouble."  Yet even so, He also said that He has overcome the world-- so how should that influence our response to tragedy and bad or unexpected news?  I'm absolutely by no means an expert on suffering-- compared to even the normal tragedies of life, I have led an incredibly sheltered existence-- but I want to know what Scripture has to say on the subject, so that I will be prepared with an anchor deeply rooted in truth when the storms come.  So here are my thoughts, from Scripture, on a biblical response to bad news:

1) Don't be afraid of bad news, because God is worth trusting in  ~Psalm 112:6-7
          For the righteous will never be moved;
               he will be remembered forever.
          He is not afraid of bad news;
               his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD.

Oh, that I would live this out-- to never fear bad news, because God is a trustworthy and firm foundation!  His sovereignty is my assurance, His mercy is my plea, His love is my hope.

2) Grieve with Gospel-centered, hopeful grief  ~1 Thessalonians 4:13-14
          We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, so that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.  For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep.

I want the Gospel to be driven so deeply into my heart that when tragedy or heartache comes, my natural response is Gospel-centered hope.  That's going to take some more significant construction work by the Holy Spirit.

3) Cling to the absolute sovereignty of God  ~Deuteronomy 32:39
          See now that I, even I, am He,
               and there is no god beside Me;
          I kill and I make alive;
               I wound and I heal;
               and there is none that can deliver out of my hand.

In the midst of blinding pain, the greatest hope I can imagine is that even in the midst of that, there is no one who can deliver me out of the hand of my sovereign God who is directing my pain for His glory and my good.

4) Comfort others with the comfort we ourselves have received  ~2 Corinthians 1:3-5
          Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.  For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.

The comfort that God extends to us in the Gospel is not meant to stay with us; God uses our sufferings to make us conduits of grace to others in similar trials.

As Watchmen For The Morning

This is a poem I wrote this morning, while meditating on Psalm 30 and Psalm 130.  It may or not become a song at some point-- I haven't figured that out yet.

Psalm 30:5-- "Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning."

Psalm 130:6-- "My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning."

More than watchmen for the morning

I will wait for joy to come

More than watchmen for the morning

Though weeping tarry long

Out of the depths, the miry pit

My soul waits for my God

In His unfailing word I hope

And wait for joy to come

More than watchmen for the morning

I will wait for steadfast love

With God is plentiful redemption

So I will wait for joy to come

His promise is my power

His grace, my only plea

So armed with faith's assurance

I know joy will come to me

My sackcloth turned to gladness

My mourning into song

As watchmen for the morning

I rejoice to see the dawn

He has marked me with forgiveness

Forgotten my iniquity

My soul will sing Your praises

For joy has come to me

As the watchmen for the morning

I will see the final day

The dawning of Your glory

When every tear is wiped away

The Lamb will be the glory

And Christ will be our light

For joy comes on that morning,

The end of weeping's night

Soul, arm yourself with power

To believe God's word is true

Though night is long, 'tis nearly o'er

And joy will come to you.

A Prayer From This Christian Hedonist

Lord,

I grieve my hardness of heart,

the coldness of my love,

the brevity of my joy.

You have planted so much in my heart, and yet harvested so little.

And yet I know from Your Word that You are a God

who is gracious to the point of extravagance,

faithful to the point of death and beyond,

loving with an omnipotent, conquering love that has drawn and bound me to Yourself.

And so I come with reckless boldness to the throne of grace,

with empty hands pleading the blood of the Lamb.

And Lord,

I ask for more.

From You who gives grace upon grace, I ask for more mercy.

From You who are Love itself, I ask for a more tender heart.

From You who are a consuming fire, I ask for more holiness.

I want to know the love that surpasses knowledge.  I want all the fullness of God.  

I want a greater faith 

and greater wisdom 

and greater assurance

and greater joy 

and greater passion 

and greater love.

I ask for these things with a holy greed that I believe honors You.

For I want to serve You more,

bless You more,

glorify You more,

magnify You more,

give more people more reasons for more thankfulness and more praise.

If You leave me in my hardened, empty condition,

I will have nothing for Your people

and nothing for Your glory.

I want, I need Your fullness.  

I have nothing with which to overflow;

Send Your Spirit to cause rivers of living waters to flow in me.

Quench my thirst,

satisfy my heart with Your steadfast love,

and send me out in the strength of the Fountain

for a life of joyful service.

I pray this in the name of the Mediator,

clothed in the righteousness of the Mediator,

in the strength of the Mediator,

for the glory of the Mediator,

Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Another Book

Today in my Through-the-Bible reading, I was in Exodus 32, which recounts the story of the golden calf.  While Moses was up on the mountain talking to God, the Israelites got 'bored,' and had Aaron make a golden idol for them.  God was furious, and if not for Moses' intercession, He would have wiped them all out.  But even though He spared their lives, God still held their sin against them.  "But the LORD said to Moses, 'Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot out of my book.'"

As soon as I read that, my mind jumped to Revelation 20, where we see God's book again: "And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened... And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done."  This is a terrifying scene.  I know my heart, and I know that if I had been at Mt. Sinai, I probably would have been going right along with the idol worship.  Because I was once an idolater too, and even now, I am a saint who struggles with idolatry.  I know that if God kept a record of my sins, I could never stand.

But the scene in Revelation doesn't end there.  It continues: "Then another book was opened, which is the book of life."  Praise God, there is another book!  I will not be judged according to what I have done, because my name is in the book of life.  When I read that this morning, I was humbled and broken and awed.  Truly, it could only be amazing grace that would save a wretch like me and cover over my endless offenses in those other books.  My sins are stacked so high, ingrained so deeply in my soul, written so clearly in those books, that it took the death of the Son of God in my place to blot them out.  So instead of my name being blotted out of the book of life (which is what I deserve), I get my sins blotted out instead.

Praise God, there is another book!

Through-the-Bible Thoughts

Every day that I have the privilege to be in God's Word is a blessing beyond description, but what I take away from the Word is different each day.  Some days are full of rich, deep, beautiful truth, and other days are more about the discipline of dryness-- pursuing God because of who He is, not because of what He gives me.  Today, though, was a particularly fruitful day with my Through-the-Bible reading.  Here is some of what the Holy Spirit was teaching me and reminding me of:

Psalm 34:2- "My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad."

This is a description of "humble boasting"-- a deliberate bragging that points away from oneself.  It's the same thing that God commanded in Jeremiah 9-- "Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the might man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth."  Or like what Paul said in Galatians 6-- "Far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ."  What we are to boast about really has nothing to do with us; it's about openly celebrating the character of God and the omnipotent mercy that has been shown to sinners like us.  I want to become, in this sense, a more boastful person.

Acts 20:24- "I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus Christ, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God."

Oh, how I want this passion!  I don't want to waste my life by considering it valuable, but I want to say with Paul that the most valuable truth that I must commit myself to is "the gospel of the grace of God."  Sometimes I think I've touched that passion, and other times I realize that I have not even scratched the surface of what it means to be so self-forgetful and consumed with the cause of Christ.  I'm not there, but oh how I want to be there!

Acts 20:26-27- "I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all of you, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God."

This is what Paul said to the elders of the Ephesian church after spending three years with them.  God has been continually reminding me of this verse, and of the passage in Ezekiel 3 which Paul is referencing, in relation to my own three-year ministry at Center Presbyterian Church.  I'll be leaving when I graduate in May, and when I go, will I be able to say this?  I have been given the task to testify to the gospel of the grace of God, to declare the whole counsel of God in Bible study and youth group; will I complete my task?  The stakes are dangerously high; if I shrink from teaching difficult or unpopular truth and thus leave them in their sin, God will hold me accountable for their souls.  This is a frightening and sobering prospect, and it drives me to be blood-earnest with them, especially with the youth group kids.  When I leave, I want to be able to say with all seriousness that the kids understand, "I am innocent of the blood of all of you."  Will those words make sense in my ministry?  I pray they will.

The Founder of Life, Faith, and Salvation

I'm doing independent study third year Greek, which has been a lot of fun so far.  Last semester we translated 1 Peter and James, and this semester we're tackling Hebrews (which is really hard!)  Today we translated chapter 2, and verse 10 got me thinking and doing word studies.

Verse 10: "For it was fitting that He, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering."

The word "founder" is translated from the Greek "archegos."  It's a rare word, which only appears 4 times in the New Testament.  Here are the other three occurrences, with "archegos" in bold:

"You killed the Author of Life, whom God raised from the dead."  ~Acts 3:15

"God exalted Him at His right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins."  ~Acts 5:31

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross..."  ~Hebrews 12:2

The word "archegos" means a leader, pioneer, source, initiator, or founder.  The only times it is used in the New Testament, it is used to describe Jesus Christ.  He is described as the Author of life, faith, and salvation.

Jesus is the Author of Life

"You killed the Author of Life," Peter accused the Jewish leaders.  A remarkable,seemingly contradictory statement-- you killed the One who invented life.  Yet this is the mystery of the Gospel.  John 1 says that "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men."  In Colossians 3, Paul writes, "When Christ who is your life appears, then you will appear with Him in glory."  The Author of Life becomes our life.  1 John 5 gives us the precious promise that, "God gave us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.  Whoever has the Son has life."  Whoever has the Son has life, because Jesus IS Life; He is the Author, the Source of Life.  St. John Chrysostom wrote, "The life that He has does not come from another; the author of life has to be Him who has life in Himself."  In Him all things live and move and have their being.  All things were created through Him and for Him.  He is the source of everything that exists, and, as Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 1:30, He is also the source of our spiritual life.

Jesus is the Author of Faith

"Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith."  In the same way that our life is wrapped up in Christ, so too our spiritual life-- our faith-- flows from Him.  He is the vine, and we are the branches.  He is the Author of our faith because He is the giver of faith.  He "grants repentance," gives faith as a gift, says "Let there be light" in darkened hearts, and invades dead souls with the conquering, life-giving, omnipotent love of Yahweh.  And after giving us new life, He becomes the example of perfect faithfulness that we seek to imitate.

Jesus is the Author of Salvation

"The author of their salvation perfect through suffering..."  Jesus is the Author of Salvation because He is the conqueror of sin, the victor over the grave, and the purchaser of the Spirit.  He is the One who sovereignly elects, calls, saves, justifies, and sanctifies us.  "Those whom He predestined He also called, and those whom He called He also justified, and those whom He justified He also glorified."

The Iniquity of our Holy Things

I'm smack in the middle of Exodus in my Through-the-Bible reading, and today I was reading about the garments of the priests in Exodus 28.  Exodus can be a challenging book, but I know from Hebrews that the whole sacrificial system and priesthood pointed forward to the perfect sacrifice and priesthood of Christ.  So I've been on the lookout for connections.  Here's one that jumped out at me:

It shall be on Aaron's forehead, and Aaron shall bear any guilt from the holy things that the people of Israel consecrate as their holy gifts.  It shall regularly be on his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD.  ~Exodus 28:38

God is so holy, and the people so fundamentally corrupted, that even their holy gifts were stained with guilt that needed to be borne and atoned for.  What a humbling reminder this is!  We must remember, in our service to God, that even our holy things need to be washed in the blood of the Lamb.  John Owen writes,

"Believers obey Christ as the one by whom our obedience is accepted by God.  Believers know all their duties are weak, imperfect and unable to abide in God's presence.  Therefore they look to Christ as the one who bears the iniquity of their holy things, who adds incense to their prayers, gathers out all the weeds from their duties and makes them acceptable to God."

The Sinner's Hiding Place

Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,

whose sin is covered...

You are a hiding place for me;

You preserve me from trouble;

You surround me with shouts of deliverance.

~Psalm 32:1,7

How precious is the Gospel!  The knowledge of God's costly grace, freely given to us, is blessing and joy and comfort beyond measure.  Blessed is the one whose sin has been covered-- but covered by what, and by whom?  Verse 7 gives the answer-- we are covered by God Himself, who becomes for us a hiding place from the ravages of sin and wrath.  The hymn "Hiding Place" grasps this sweet truth:

You know the vileness of my heart

So prone to act the rebel's part

And when You veil Your lovely face

How can I find a hiding place?

Lord Jesus, shine and then I can

Feel sweetness in salvation's plan

And as a sinner plead for grace

To Christ, the sinner's hiding place

"Christ, the sinner's hiding place."  What a precious, precious phrase!

God knows, and I know in glimpses, the deep vileness of my heart.  I know who I am and what I deserve, and I am grateful that God daily reminds me of this in His Word.  And even more, I am so thankful that as a sinner I can plead for grace to Christ, the sinner's hiding place.

Hark, the Voice of Jesus Calling

Today in my Through-the-Bible reading I was in Exodus 17, when Israel defeats the Amalekites.  As long as Moses kept his staff raised, the Israelites prevailed, but when he grew tired and lowered his hands, the Amalekites prevailed.  So Aaron and Hur held up his hands, and Israel won the battle.  I was moved by the humility of Aaron-- all he was doing was holding up the great prophet's hands.  It reminded me of the hymn, "Hark, the Voice of Jesus Calling:"

Hark, the voice of Jesus calling,

"Who will go and work today?

Fields are ripe and harvests waiting,

Who will bear the sheaves away?"

Long and loud the Master calls us,

Rich rewards He offers free;

Who will answer, gladly saying,

"Here am I, send me, send me"?

If you cannot cross the ocean

And the distant lands explore,

You can find the lost around you,

You can help them at your door.

If you cannot give your thousands,

You can give the widow's mite;

What you truly give for Jesus

Will be precious in His sight.

If you cannot speak like angels,

If you cannot preach like Paul,

You can tell the love of Jesus,

You can say He died for all.

If you cannot rouse the wicked

With the judgment's dread alarms,

You can lead the little children

To the Savior's waiting arms.

If you cannot be the watchman

Standing high on Zion's wall,

Pointing out the path to heaven,

Offering life and peace to all,

With your prayers and with your bounties

You can do what God demands;

You can be like faithful Aaron,

Holding up the prophet's hands.

Let none hear you idly saying,

"There is nothing I can do."

While the souls of men are dying

And the Master calls for you.

Take the task He gives you gladly;

Let His work your pleasure be;

Answer quickly when He calls you,

"Here am I, send me, send me."