CRAFTED

What if I were to say that God, in his infinite wisdom and might, punishes the believer by and through the sin of others?

Groundwork:

Hebrews 12: 3 says: ‘Consider Him who endured from sinners such hostility against Himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted’.

The book of Hebrews was written to believers who were under grievous cultural attack. In that time Christians were living among a culture that was very antagonistic and violent towards Christ and His teachings. Because of this believers were being put in prison, having their possessions stolen from them, and having the right to buy and sell taken away. It was undeniably a very difficult time. But the writer of Hebrews implores Christians to not lose heart because the very strife they are enduring is the same Christ himself endured.

Verse 4 continues: ‘In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood’.

The writer sympathizes with the believer, but to a point. He says that even though they have indeed suffered, they have yet to suffer as Christ has suffered. Christ had to shed his blood in his struggle against sin and the author’s audience had yet to bear that burden.

As blatant as the statement is, there is more depth to it than it seems. Whose sin are they struggling against?

They are not striving against their own sin, but the sins of others!

It gets heavier.

In verse 5 it says: ‘And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him.”’

Discipline here is not meant to be translated punishment but training.

It gets even heavier.

Verse 6 says: ‘For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives. ‘

Quite literally the writer just said that the sinful acts of others put upon believers were ultimately the action and decision of God. Some translations use the word scourge instead of chastise, which makes this word even weightier. In other words, God trains the one he loves, and scourges those whom He receives.

But why?

Hebrews 12:7-11: ‘It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.’

God disciplines us because we are his children and he is our Father.

As a father I know it is necessary to discipline my son. For all his acting out and disobedience I constantly need to remind myself that it is because he is begging me for boundaries. He needs to be given a framework of right and wrong and it is my responsibility as a parent to provide those examples and show him how to properly use them. If I don’t discipline him how will he ever know that I love him?

In the same way, God disciplines us because he loves us. And who are we to question how he chooses to do so? If it is in the will of God for us to suffer because of the sins of others we should accept it as good for our sake so that we might grow in Him. It may be painful for a time, but it will yield peaceful fruit of righteousness. 

c.

AND THEN THERE WAS ONE

As modern evangelicals we are arrogant.

There is a contingency amongst believers, a large contingency, that is of the opinion that God needs us to be a part of redemption. That Christ's atoning work on the cross is somehow empty without action from us. Is by grace alone through faith alone really too much to understand?

I don't think it would be reaching to suggest this ideology stems from a certain level of ignorance, though I would admit much of the responsibility rests on the shoulders of the teachers they sit under. For too long pastors have catered to a congregation, avoiding hard truths and sticking to a style of preaching which affirms congregants egos rather than their soul. Because of this a body of believers is left with a theological foundation that can hardly withstand the least of tests and leaves many feeling the need to act of their own accord.

Not surprisingly, this has Biblical roots tracing back to the sacrificial system of the Old Testament and Tabernacle. The sacrificial system was instituted by God as a prefigure to Christ. Though not atoning for sin specifically, it acted as a transfer of guilt to an innocent animal who was then "punished" for the sins of the people through slaughter or being driven out of the land. There were hundreds of priests in the Tabernacle, chosen by God through the line of Levi. Priests would work in the Tabernacle performing sacrifice for the sins of the individual who came with an offering. Because of this constant performance of sacrifice there was no place to be seated within the Tabernacle, symbolizing the priestly duty never being finished.

Of these hundreds of priests there was one High Priest who on the Day of Atonement would make a sacrifice for the sins of all of Israel (in some sense, I may clarify in a future blog). Under the cover of blood the High Priest would enter into the Holy of Holies and offer sacrifice for his sins and for Israel. This ceremony would be performed once a year and would be followed by great celebration and feast.

This system was flawed.

Hebrews 10: 1-4 says:

'For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.'

Further down in verse 10 it says:

'by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.'

The writer of Hebrews makes clear argument that there is nothing we can offer to cleanse ourselves of unrighteousness. The old sacrificial system is useless! Through the propitiating work of Christ alone are we saved.

Why then do we continuously try and offer "sacrifices" to God in exchange for sin? It's undeniable. We attempt to barter with God on an almost daily basis, trying to exchange good works for forgiveness of sin. Do we really think that much of ourselves? 

Now, this is key.

Earlier I mentioned that there were no seats within the Tabernacle for any priest to sit, symbolic of the work of a priest never being finished. In Hebrews 4:14 we are told that 'we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God' and 'when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God (Heb. 10:12)'.

He. 

Sat. 

Down.

Christ has done what no High Priest before him could do. He finished his work. We should rejoice in His redemptive work, and instead we proudly proclaim we can do better.

We are indeed an arrogant Bride.


c.

BARTON BRIDGE

I haven't had the time to write in here in a couple of days. Which is frustrating. I felt as if I were in a good rhythm. I was going to write tonight, but I didn't.

Tomorrow I'll write something I hope turns out well.

c.

SMALL TOWNS

How self-serving are we?

It is impossible to deny the abundant and glaringly innate nature of man to be inward focused, disregarding and forsaking all others. We were selflessly created by a loving God only to arrogantly insist that we are without need apart from ourselves. What good have we done ourselves by scorning God? What good have we done for God?

...every intention of the thoughts of his (mankind's) heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. (Gen 6: 5-6)

How great is God's affection for us and desire for relationship with us that our actions would grieve Him to the  point of being sorry He ever created us.

Apart from Christ we are simply idolaters. Every man and woman since creation has willfully- knowingly or ignorantly- worshiped someone or something other than Creator God. Those who deny this are self-deceived and perhaps the most idolatrous of all. 

There is also the reality that this behavior lives and thrives within the Church. There is a popular 'theology' floating around in many evangelical circles today that teaches impressionable believers that God's sole purpose in our lives is to make example of His love by making us healthy and wealthy. If this is God's will for our lives it would be completely antithetical to His nature. Instead of pointing us towards Him we would be literally forced into an inwardly focused life. This is completely contradictory to everything Scripture teaches us about the character of God and His will for us.  

Christ saved us so that no one could boast (Eph 2:8-9). We were chosen despite our depravity and loved without any merit of our own. What is there to boast in when without Christ we are spiritually dead? (Eph 2:1-3) 

It was by His grace (2 Tim 1:9) and mercy we were called to faith and salvation. 

If this is true how gracious and loving is our God! How can we not only serve and worship Him? How can we continue to follow after the selfishness of our hearts when He holds so much promise? 

Our idolatrous hearts benefit only ourselves. Are we that selfish?

c.

THE STACKS

For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgement, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has spurned the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?

Hebrews 10: 26-29


This was heavy on my heart today.

This leaves me fearful for the those whose 'pastor' puffs up and never shares the gravity of unrepentant sin.

Hell is real and forever is a long time.

So few preach this anymore.

I'll try and write happier things tomorrow.

c.

THE FLOWERS

I don't have the knowledge or the ability to espouse a large theological treatise that is an adequate representation of what I believe. 

Yet.

I've been studying more lately than I have in my entire life and it's been an immense blessing. But the more I learn and discover about my faith the more I feel myself becoming grieved at the state of the Church today. There is a serious lack of actual theological training among many believers that is continuing to weaken the Church with each passing generation. And the most disturbing part is that many in the Church don't see the problem being under-educated in even the most rudimentary parts of their faith.

When did it become acceptable to claim belief in and tout saving grace without know what it true means to be saved? When did it become acceptable to teach a community of believers that all Christ wants for you is to be healthy, wealthy, and wise? When did it become acceptable to essentially disregard and ignore the realities of Hell, and instead sugarcoat the consequences of ignoring Christ's call?

This grieves my soul. 

It honestly leads me to wonder if the current disillusionment with the Church today has to do with a lack of reality, so to speak. I am not going to over-generalize and say this is how all churches are, because I know from personal experience that there are churches that are doctrinally sound and unapologetically Christ-centered. However, there are many, many churches that operate on a system that is focused on a man-centered theology that asks what God can do for us and how can we move God to do our bidding. It's sad, unrealistic, and un-Biblical. Why would the unbeliever inquire after Christ with such faulty foundation? Why would man ever want a God that is under our feet?

I don't have all the answers, but I'm searching after them. 

To His Glory,

c.

BEING CALLED

How much faith does it take to follow a calling?

This is what I am struggling with.

But I think more than that, I think I'm struggling in faith itself. God can open and close doors according to His will- and I'm fine with that. It is ultimately for His name. However, having the faith to differentiate between what is His will and mine- and then to trust that- is something completely different. I've long been a guy who habitually follows his gut feeling, for better or worse. And that isn't always a bad approach to making decisions, with the exception, of course, being outside God's will.

We've been presented with an opportunity that is truly God sent. Yet I am still apprehensive. Despite prayer and obvious actions to the affirmative, I still struggle with accepting real, tangible answers to those prayers. 

This is why I struggle in faith. I'm more concerned with being comfortable then being in His will. 

When Christ prayed in the garden for the Father to pass the cup from his hands, Jesus let his true feelings be known. 

"If there is any other way, Father! Any other way! Take this cup from me! I don't want to die!"

So often we disregard Jesus' humanity and forget he didn't want to die. He didn't want to suffer like He knew He would have to. He implored God the Father if there is any other way to let it be known.

"Nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will" (Matt 26:39).

He gave himself up to save us who are called despite His fear.

I need this to be my prayer. 

To His fame,

c.

AHEAD! YOUNG LION

01.07.2011

Writing is a part of me. It is in my soul.

Despite this, in recent years my writing has waned. In the past four years I could probably count off the number of pieces I have written on one hand. It has frustrated me to the point of questioning my creativity altogether.

I must remember God is creative and therefore His created beings are also creative by design. We are, although depraved and lost, an image of the Invisible. Through Christ's sacrifice may we be an image worth His name.

My goal is no longer poetry, or even short stories. Just to write. I don't have any deadlines or purpose to what will be written. I want to share.

May it be to His glory.

c.