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March 6, 2022

“James the Slave” Devotional Commentary on James 1:1

“James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes dispersed among the nations: Greetings” (James 1:1).

The book of James was written by one of Jesus’ brothers. But when he introduces himself, he doesn’t bother mentioning that. Why do you suppose that is? The answer could completely transform the way you live your life today.

James the Brother Slave of Jesus

The author of James was almost certainly Jesus’ brother. Yet he makes no mention of that in the opening greeting where writers established their credentials. Why not? You might expect he would make much of it. “James, from the blessed womb of Mary, from the household of Jesus, sibling of the Holy One.”

He doesn’t mention being Jesus’ brother because being it was irrelevant in establishing his spiritual authority. Growing up in the same house with Jesus and having the same blood in his veins was an interesting claim to fame from an earthly perspective, but spiritually it is no credential at all. You could be a brother of Jesus and not even go to heaven. God’s kingdom is a spiritual family, not a blood family.

If you think you are a Christian just because you were born and raised in a Christian home and you went to church all your life, think again.

“The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing” (John 6:63 ).

The home you grew up in counts for nothing. Going to church all your life, in itself, counts for nothing. Going to church does not make you a Christian any more than going to MacDonald’s makes you a hamburger.

“ … We regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer” (2 Corinthians 5:16).

Flesh and blood relationships are not what matter in the kingdom of God.

“While Jesus was still talking to the crowd … someone told him, ‘Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.’ he replied to him, ‘Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?’ Pointing to his disciples, he said, ‘here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.’” (Matthew 12:46-50).

Think about this. Placing your faith in Christ gives you a greater position than if you had given birth to Jesus.

James decides his blood relation to Jesus isn’t worth mentioning, but notice what he does mention:

“James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ” (James 1:1).

The credential that gave James credibility, the thing about him that really mattered, was the fact that he considers himself a slave of God and a slave of Jesus, whom he calls “Christ” (Messiah) and “Lord.” James’ authority came not from Christ’s sibling, but from being his slave. Prior to the moment James presented himself to Jesus as a subject to his King and a slave to his Master, James was just another lost soul on his way to hell.

High Office

Contrary to how it hits our modern ears, the claim that James was a slave of Jesus Christ was not a lowly claim. It was a claim to a high office.

According to Ephesians 6:6, all believers are to live as slaves of Christ. But when used as a title, “slave of Christ/God” refers to a spiritually prestigious role. In ancient culture it was a high honor to become the personal slave of a king or dignitary. Only the most revered names in biblical history held the title “slave of God.” The phrase is most often applied to Moses. It is also used of Joshua, the Patriarchs, Job, Samuel, Isaiah, the prophets, Jude, Timothy, David, Daniel, Peter, and Paul. And in the book of Isaiah, the ultimate slave of the Lord is the Messiah himself.

“Slave of God” is a title for select individuals chosen by God to be his spokesmen and to lead his people. And that’s exactly what James was. By Acts 15 James had become arguably the most influential and respected leader in the entire worldwide Church.

Application

Everyone looks to something in life as a badge of honor (fame, money, some skill or accomplishment or possession, or, in James’ case, his calling as Jesus’ slave). Which things in life are you prone to think of as badges of honor that determine whether your life is a success or failure? And how would it be different if your only answer were, “Am I a slave of Christ?”

Leaders in the kingdom of God carry that title because God wants to make much of the fact that what they say is exactly what God told them to say. And that’s what a slave is—someone who does what his master wants rather than what he wants.

And while that title isn’t applied generally to all believers in this age, it is applied to believers multiple times in the book of Revelation. It will be the final vocation for all Christians (Revelation 22:3). Our destiny is to have that high position that the Apostles and Prophets had in this life—to be people characterized more than anything else by the fact that we do and say exactly what God desires.

The more we live for the will of God now, the more we grow into our destiny. And as we make progress in that direction, we move lower in the world’s eyes even as we rise higher in the household of God.

As often as you can remember today, aspire to true greatness, consciously striving to function as a slave of Christ, doing nothing but his will all day long.

*****

Notes“… James … ” (James 1:1)

James was a very common name, so it’s significant that this James provides no further identifier. Not James the son of so-and-so, or James from this city or that city—he just says, “I’m James” and expects everyone in all the churches around the Roman Empire to immediately know exactly who he was. That tells us this had to be a James who was very prominent and well known in the early church. It is famous James, which narrows the possibilities to two: James the Apostle and James the brother of Jesus.

If it had been the Apostle, we would expect him to mention that Paul and Peter do in their epistles. Also, James the Apostle died very early on, in Acts 12. It’s much more likely the author is James, the brother of Jesus.

And that’s easy to believe once you study the book because his language and way of teaching is so similar to that of Jesus. No other writer in Scripture sounds more like Jesus than James. Almost every point James makes can be found clearly stated in Jesus’ teachings. His phrasing, the topics he chooses, and his style are so similar to the way Jesus spoke that many scholars wonder if a lot of the statements in the book of James are actually quotations from Jesus that weren’t recorded anywhere else.

“… To the twelve tribes … ” (James 1:1)

There are three views on what James meant by the phrase twelve tribes. Some say it refers to all Jews. Others say it refers specifically to believing Jews. And others suggest the meaning is spiritual Israel (the Church).

The first view can be ruled out because the book assumes the readers to be believers. For example, in 2:1 James assumes the readers have faith in Christ.

The third view (a spiritualized use of “twelve tribes” to refer to the whole Church) would be consistent with the way Peter writes. However, unlike 1 Peter, James has a very Jewish flavor. For example, in 2:2 we see that their meetings took place in synagogues.

It appears, then, that the book is addressed to Jewish Christians. However, this is not to imply that there is a different gospel for Gentiles and Jews. There is one gospel for all, and any other gospel is a false one (see Galatians 1:8).

And there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile with regard to salvation (Galatians 3:28). The idea that Paul taught grace and faith (but not repentance or obedience or law), and Jesus and James and Peter taught repentance and law and obedience (but not grace and faith) does not hold up. Jesus taught salvation through grace alone (Lk.18:12-14). So did James and Peter and John (Jas.2:1, 1 Pe.1:1-5, 1 Jn.5:1). And Paul taught repentance (Acts 17:30) for both Jew and Gentile (Acts 20:21), and that true faith will obey the commands of God (1 Cor.13:2), and that we are not free from the law of Christ (1 Cor.9:21). There is only one message for all believers.

Most likely, James addresses Jews because at the time he wrote, the gospel had not spread to the Gentile world in any significant numbers. James was probably the first book written in the New Testament. Most scholars date it in the early 40’s, before Paul went on all his missionary journeys spreading the gospel in the Gentile world.

The book is addressed to believing Jews, but everything in the book of James applies to all believers.

The only other New Testament writer to use the term “slave” as his only credential was Jude, who was another of Jesus’ earthly brothers.

The word here is doulos, which refers to someone who was purchased and owned by his master. So “slave” is a better translation than “servant.”

Revelation 1:1, 2:20, 7:3, 19:2,5, 22:3,6.

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Published on March 06, 2022 16:24

February 23, 2022

Escape from Paradise Chapters 21-23 Study Questions

Chapter 21 MeaningsI’m No Murderer

The chapter opens with Adam terrified of the Ruler’s justice and striving to justify himself on the basis that he hadn’t acted on his murderous thoughts. Yet his guilt remained.

This illustrates Jesus’ teaching that sins of the heart are just as sinful as the actions they produce (Matthew 5:22,28).

Adam’s Vision

A shining figure in white robes who calls himself Michael appears to Adam and tells him what he wants to hear. This illustrates Satan appearing as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14).

I Have to Do It My Own Way

When Adam decides to become a cottage person (a Christian), he still refuses to go to the high country because he wants to do it his own way. Abigail acquiesces, which leads to their downfall.

This illustrates that no one can come to God in his own way. There is only one narrow road that leads to God (Matthew 7:14). God destroys those who try to approach him in any unauthorized way (for example, Nadab and Abihu in Leviticus 10).

I’m Hungry

Abigail is apprehensive in the lowlands at first because she senses an oncoming battle with temptation.

“I’ve missed several banquets now, and I’m hungry. And I can feel part of me hoping to stumble across some fruit.”

When we drift from intimacy with God, our souls become dry and empty. This makes us susceptible to sin, which masquerades as real food and drink to satisfy our cravings.

Conversely, the more we feast on the true food that God offers, the less vulnerable we are to temptation.

Chapter 22 MeaningsThe King of the Lowlands

Adam discovers that shining angel in his vision is the king of the lowlands. This illustrates that Satan is the “god of this age” (2 Corinthians 4:4), “the ruler of the kingdom of the air” (Ephesians 2:2), and “the prince of this world” (John 14:30).

What is Freedom?

“Twice that day he had felt trapped—deprived of freedom. Once when he emerged from the pond and couldn’t find his way home, and again in the city when the gates closed behind him. … too many options had terrified him just as much as too few. The strange thought lodged itself in his mind—What is freedom?”

This illustrates that freedom has nothing to do with the presence or absence of restrictions. Rather, it is the ability to be what one was created to be.

Unbelievers imagine themselves to be free when they throw off all God’s laws and follow the impulses of the flesh. But they soon find that the flesh is the cruelest of all slave drivers (John 8:34). True freedom is to love the good and be unrestrained in pursuit of it.

A train “freed” of its tracks is not free at all, because it cannot function as a train. Though train tracks are very confining, only allowing travel in the direction they lay, they free the machine to fulfill its purpose. In the same way, God’s laws, rather than taking our freedom, set us free (James 1:25, 2:12).

The Belt of Truth

Abigail’s belt, which is to remind her of her experiences in the cottage (God’s Word), was given to protect her from danger. She removes it because of the discomfort it causes in the lowlands, and because she doesn’t sense any danger.

This represents the belt of truth, which is part of the spiritual armor (Ephesians 6:14), without which we cannot stand. Truth chafes against our flesh when we wander from the Lord’s way, and we are prone to set it aside when we don’t sense danger.

After letting down her guard, Abigail is then mesmerized by the birds (the world’s entertainment) and falls asleep.

This illustrates a believer falling into a spiritual stupor rather than remaining alert.

“You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet” (1 Thessalonians 5:5-8).

Go Get Her!

Charles exhortation to Watson, “Go get her!” illustrates the command that we energetically strive to rescue brothers and sisters in Christ when they wander.

“Snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear— hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh” (Jude 1:23).

“Remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins” (James 5:20).

I Will Be with You

As Watson trembles in fear of his mission, the Ruler assures him, “I will be with you.”

This illustrates Jesus’ words after sending us on the most difficult of all missions.

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20).

It is awareness of this promise that enables us to carry out such a mission, especially in times of fear.

It’s More Serious Than That

When Abigail becomes ill, Adam asks if it could be the fact that she has gone without banquet food.

“She shook her head. ‘It’s more serious than that. I need a doct—’ a fit of coughing interrupted her words.”

This illustrates Christians who go without fellowship at church, prayer, or time in God’s Word and develop various spiritual maladies (depression, anger, fear, discouragement, apathy, etc.). Such people often believe that Scripture, prayer, and fellowship would be superficial remedies. They need something “deeper,” such as psychotherapy.

Chapter 23 Meanings

The Medicine

Abigail wanted a remedy other than the banquet, and she got one. Alexander gives her medicine made from fruit. This illustrates the counsel of the ungodly (Psalms 1:1). The world’s wisdom, astonishingly, can empty the gospel of its power (1 Corinthians 1:17).

As a result, Abigail became more open to the idea of eating fruit. Worldly counsel points to the ways of the world, not God’s way.

Loss of Joy

When Abigail begins eating fruit, she loses her joy. This illustrates the loss of joy that comes from indulging in sin. It was for restoration of that joy that David pleaded when he repented (Psalm 51:12).

As time goes on, Abigail becomes incapable of enjoying anything other than fruit. When we drift from God, we lose our access to the one who enables enjoyment of earthly pleasures (Ecclesiastes 5:19). When this happens, we can find ourselves unable to enjoy good food, marriage, the creation, or anything else.

When Adam suggests returning to the hall, Abigail resists because her friends are judgmental. Often it is when we are clinging to a sin that we find others judgmental. In reality, it is our own conscience judging us (Romans 2:15).

“I’ll Stop”

“’I’ll stop. Okay?’

Morning arrived with a chill that awakened Abigail to a world of misery. She sat up in a bed of watermelon rinds, banana peels, and apple cores.”

This illustrates the weakness of mere resolve. When a person is in the clutches of enslaving sin, they may resolve never to do it again. Hours later, resolve crumbles and they indulge with abandon.

The Damage of Sin

Abigail’s beauty gives way to hideous disfigurement. This illustrates the damage sin does to the inner man and the resulting ugliness and filthiness in the eyes of God. More than anything else, when David repented, he pleaded for cleansing. He knew he had become disgusting in God’s eyes, yet only God could make him clean (Psalms 51:2,7).

And not only does sin make us dirty, it damages us. It diminishes spiritual sensitivities, sears the conscience, clouds our understanding, weakens our faith, and puts distance between us and God.

The Wind Was Against Her

When Abigail tries to escape, no matter which direction she runs, the wind is against her. The meaning of this portion is revealed in the sequel, At War with the Wind: the Fight for Abigail.

**********

Chapter 21 Study Questions

EXCERPT

But then why did he feel so guilty? He imagined himself in the Ruler’s courtroom and shuddered. Did he deserve what Levi got just for having murderous thoughts he never even acted on? It was a prospect he refused to accept … but couldn’t deny.

QUESTION 1

In Matthew 5:21-22, Jesus equated murderous thoughts with murderous actions. But if angry thoughts don’t hurt anyone, why do we still deserve punishment for them?

MY ANSWER

Sin is not mainly about breaking rules. It’s about unfaithfulness to God. If a man tells his wife, “I fantasize about the woman next door all day every day, but don’t worry. I won’t act on it,” she won’t say, “Oh good. I’m so glad to hear of your faithfulness.” She will be distressed because it’s not just his body that belongs to her, it’s also his heart. And the same is true of our relationship with God. He has an even greater claim on our hearts—our affections, our desires, our longings, our whole inner man—than a wife has on her husband.

QUESTION 2

Someday Jesus will pass judgment on every soul ever born (John 5:22). How should this information affect believers and unbelievers? See Acts 17:30-31; Romans 14:10-12; 2 Corinthians 5:10-11.

MY ANSWER

It should cause all people to fear God.
Acts 17 – It should cause unbelievers to repent and turn to Christ for the forgiveness of sins.
Ro.14 – It should cause believers to avoid sin, lest we incur consequences on judgment day.
2 Cor.5 – It should motivate believers to try to persuade unbelievers to repent and be saved.

QUESTION 2B

Christians have money, possessions, family, and friends. So in what sense have we given up everything to follow Christ?

MY ANSWER

We give them up in the sense that they no longer belong to us. We acknowledge they all belong to Christ. And instead of using them for our own benefit, we now use them for kingdom purposes. We manage them as stewards for as long as the Lord is pleased for us to manage them, but we are managing them for the purpose of Christ’s glory, not our own.

EXCERPT

Spellbound, Adam rose in awe of the glorious creature, yet at the same time, something about him set Adam at ease. The great being exuded benevolence and goodness.

QUESTION 3

Satan masquerades as an angel of light, and his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness (2 Corinthians 11:14-15). Knowing his, if Satan appeared to you, what characteristics would you expect him to have?

MY ANSWER

I would expect him to seem very righteous and holy, morally pure, and to quote a lot of Scripture. I would expect him to speak highly of Christ.

EXCERPT

Adam considered this. “I feel like the answer is somewhere in the middle. … I think I want to be a cottage person. But I don’t want to take it to the extremes of people like Kailyn or Watson. Moderation in all things, right?”

QUESTION 4

Our society tolerates religion, but not religious extremism. Is it possible to be a Christian without being an extremist? See Luke 14:25-33.

MY ANSWER

No, it is not. It’s impossible to imagine a commitment more extreme than the one described in this passage.

QUESTION 5

What does Scripture teach about moderation in following Christ? See Romans 12:11; Revelation 2:10.

MY ANSWER

A moderate Christian is not saved. Christ calls for zealous, whole-hearted commitment to the point of death.

EXCERPT

I’ve decided I want to be a cottage person. … But I have to do it my own way, here, in the lowlands. This is my home.

QUESTION 6

What would you tell a person who wants to become a Christian, but on his own terms, keeping the world as his home? See James 4:4. Is it possible to be a Christian without a willingness to turn your back on the world? Why does James call them adulteresses?

MY ANSWER

No, it is not possible. Loving the world is adultery against God because just as a woman’s heart belongs to her husband alone, so our heart belong to God alone. Loving the world is unfaithfulness to God. I would tell such a person that he has to make a choice between Christ or the world, just as you wouldn’t marry a woman until she broke up with her other boyfriend.

EXCERPT

I’ve missed several banquets now, and I’m hungry. And I can feel part of me hoping to stumble across some fruit.

QUESTION 7

What should you do if you feel yourself secretly hoping an opportunity to commit a certain sin presents itself? See Isaiah 55:1-2.

MY ANSWER

I need to remind myself that the sin I’m hoping to stumble into seems like “bread” (something that would satisfy) but it isn’t. And it will cost me that which will satisfy.

Chapter 22 Study Questions

EXCERPT

Abigail removed her belt … “It’s supposed to be a reminder of my experiences in those rooms. He told me to wear it in times of danger and it would protect me. … I don’t sense any danger here.”

QUESTION 1

Give a practical example of how one might lose a spiritual battle because of failure to utilize the spiritual armor in Ephesians 6:11-17.

MY ANSWER

An example of a loss because of failure to use the shield of faith: I face a powerful temptation and it feels impossible for me to resist. I feel like I can’t handle it. The Bible tells me I will never be tempted beyond what I can withstand. Instead of using the shield of faith, I don’t believe that promise, so I become convinced that I can’t resist in this instance. Once I think that, resisting become impossible, and I fall.

Or I fail to believe God when he assures me that the sin will not satisfy and his presence would.

Example of failure due to failure to fit my feet with the readiness of the gospel of peace: I have such a foggy understanding of the gospel that the enemy tries to confuse me or deceive me, I’m not quick enough on my feet with the truth to withstand his efforts. So I become confused or deceived.

EXCERPT

“Watson, go get her!”QUESTION 2

What does Scripture teach about rescuing a wandering brother or sister? See James 5:19–20; Galatians 6:1; Jude 1:23; Matthew 7:3–5; Luke 22:31–32.

MY ANSWER

James 5 – If the wanderer isn’t rescued, the result is a multitude of sins and ultimately, death. And it is our responsibility to rescue one another.

Gal.6 & Jude 1 – Rescuing a wanderer is dangerous to the rescuer. We must be on guard so we don’t fall into the same sin. And we must also be gentle about it.

Mt.7 – We must remove unrepentant sin from our own lives before calling someone else to repentance.

Lk.22 – When Satan comes after a saint, we should pray for that person. Working us over is easy for Satan (like sifting wheat) and there is the real possibility of our faith failing. When we recover, we should seek to strengthen others.

QUESTION 3

Read 1 Timothy 4:16. What are the implications for those you attempt to rescue if you fail to watch your life and doctrine closely?

MY ANSWER

The implication is that if I don’t watch my life and doctrine closely, it’s less likely I’ll be able to save others. My neglect of my spiritual life could cost someone else his spiritual life.

EXCERPT

“I will be with you.”QUESTION 4

Jesus is not with us physically. And God exists everywhere. So in what sense is Jesus with his people? See Matthew 28:20, John 14:18, 2 Timothy 4:17.

MY ANSWER

God exists everywhere, but he is not “with” everyone in this sense. Being with us means he turns his face toward us to show us favor. And when Jesus does that, blessings flow from him. They can take countless different forms. And they usually take a form other than the form we might have chosen. For example, in 2 Timothy 4:17, most people would want blessing to come in the form of being released from custody. But instead, it came in the form of strength to endure the ordeal. But God’s way of blessing us is always better than our own ideas of blessing. It’s better to be in prison and have joy and strength then to be free without joy and strength.

CHAPTER 23 Study Questions

EXCERPT

“She glanced again at the grapes. “May I ask—what is in the medicine?”

“It’s a complex recipe, but the sweetness you taste is from those little grapes. They have wonderful healing properties.”

QUESTION 1

For problems such as depression, anxiety, fear, and other problems of the soul, many Christians go to secular psychologists for healing. What does Psalm 1:1-2 teach us about this practice?

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Published on February 23, 2022 17:19

Escape from Paradise Chapters 21 & 22 Study Questions

Chapter 21 MeaningsI’m No Murderer

The chapter opens with Adam terrified of the Ruler’s justice and striving to justify himself on the basis that he hadn’t acted on his murderous thoughts. Yet his guilt remained.

This illustrates Jesus’ teaching that sins of the heart are just as sinful as the actions they produce (Matthew 5:22,28).

Adam’s Vision

A shining figure in white robes who calls himself Michael appears to Adam and tells him what he wants to hear. This illustrates Satan appearing as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14).

I Have to Do It My Own Way

When Adam decides to become a cottage person (a Christian), he still refuses to go to the high country because he wants to do it his own way. Abigail acquiesces, which leads to their downfall.

I’m Hungry

Abigail is apprehensive in the lowlands at first because she senses an oncoming battle with temptation.

“I’ve missed several banquets now, and I’m hungry. And I can feel part of me hoping to stumble across some fruit.”

When we drift from intimacy with God, our souls become dry and empty. This makes us susceptible to sin, which masquerades as real food and drink to satisfy our cravings.

Conversely, the more we feast on the true food that God offers, the less vulnerable we are to temptation.

Chapter 22 MeaningsThe King of the Lowlands

What is Freedom?

This illustrates that freedom has nothing to do with the presence or absence of restrictions. Rather, it is the ability to be what one was created to be.

The Belt of Truth

After letting down her guard, Abigail is then mesmerized by the birds (the world’s entertainment) and falls asleep.

This illustrates a believer falling into a spiritual stupor rather than remaining alert.

Go Get Her!

Charles exhortation to Watson, “Go get her!” illustrates the command that we energetically strive to rescue brothers and sisters in Christ when they wander.

“Snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear— hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh” (Jude 1:23).

“Remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins” (James 5:20).

I Will Be with You

As Watson trembles in fear of his mission, the Ruler assures him, “I will be with you.”

This illustrates Jesus’ words after sending us on the most difficult of all missions.

It is awareness of this promise that enables us to carry out such a mission, especially in times of fear.

It’s More Serious Than That

When Abigail becomes ill, Adam asks if it could be the fact that she has gone without banquet food.

“She shook her head. ‘It’s more serious than that. I need a doct—’ a fit of coughing interrupted her words.”

Chapter 20 Study Questions

EXCERPT

QUESTION 1

In Matthew 5:21-22, Jesus equated murderous thoughts with murderous actions. But if angry thoughts don’t hurt anyone, why do we still deserve punishment for them?

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Published on February 23, 2022 17:19

February 13, 2022

Exodus Old and New: A Biblical Theology of Redemption by L. Michael Morales

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Biblical Theology

This book is a biblical theology of the theme of the exodus (or more accurately, exile and restoration from exile) throughout Scripture. I’m thrilled to see the recent increase in popularity of biblical theology. I believe much needless division in the church has been the result of an over emphasis of systematic theology and neglect of biblical theology. Books like this one will do a lot to remedy that problem.

The New Exodus

The most helpful of Morales’ points is his discussion of the new exodus—the promise from the early pages of Scripture that there would someday be a true, final exodus that would fulfill all that was left unfulfilled in the historical exodus.

He begins by showing how the exodus pattern is all over Scripture. Moses even presents the story of God calling Abraham with terminology from the exodus. Though it happened prior to the exodus, the readers of Genesis would be familiar with exodus language and would recognize it in the way the Abraham story was conveyed. It is a design pattern of God calling his people out of places of death to salvation.

Called Out of Exile

The story of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt showcases God’s power over the pagan gods, the creation, and the forces of evil personified by the great serpent. The Passover shows that the deliverance was not merely a rescue from bondage, but a salvation from death. The author shows how the Exodus from Egypt is simply a continuation of the theme of rescue from exile that begins with humanity’s exile from the Garden of Eden. All of Scripture is the story of God delivering man out of exile.

And like each of the rescue stories, Israel’s return from Babylon fulfills the promise only in a very limited way. The Jews understood this and looked for a future completion of the promise of restoration from exile. They knew they were still in exile even in Jesus’ time. Though they were in the land, they had no king and nothing close to what the prophets had promised regarding the return from exile.

The final fulfillment would come from the servant of the LORD who represents Israel who would suffer and redeem.

Fulfillment

Morales does a wonderful job throughout of showing the fulfillment of all these themes in Jesus. Sometimes the effort to show how Jesus fulfills Old Testament themes can be a bit forced, but that is not the case in this book. The connections the author draws are very clear.

I highly recommend this book. And for those who don’t want to take the time to read the whole volume, much can be gained from listening to the podcast interview of the author on The Naked Bible Podcast, January 9, 2022

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Published on February 13, 2022 13:41

February 6, 2022

Spiritual Maturity and Living for Feelings

The Definition of Maturity

Maturity is when you go from living by feelings to living for feelings.

A child (or an immature adult) lives by feelings. He has an impulse, and he acts on it. He feels like putting something in his mouth, so he puts it in his mouth. He doesn’t feel like doing a chore, so doesn’t do it.

Immature adults are no different. They get mistreated at church, so they stop going to church. They don’t feel affection for their spouse, so they don’t show affection. Behavior is driven by how they feel.

Maturity comes when they move from living by feelings to living for feelings. Instead of their behavior being driven by how they feel, it’s driven by how they want to feel.

They want the feelings that go along with good health and strength, so they say no to the cookies. They want the feelings that go along with having an ordered life, so they get up and do the chores they don’t feel like doing. They want intimacy with their spouse, so they show warmth and affection when they don’t feel like it.

Spiritual Maturity

That’s natural maturity. Spiritual maturity is when that same process happens in the spiritual realm. It’s when you behave the way you behave in an effort to feel the way God feels. You take whatever actions are most likely to result in loving righteousness more and hating sin more.

Some Christians see the problem of living by feelings and wrongly assume the solution is to ignore feelings and focus only on actions. This is the opposite of what Scripture calls us to. The highest goal in the whole Christian life is to love God more. We are called to take delight in him, desire him, rejoice in him, hope in him, and find satisfaction in him. Emotions are not the foundation, but they are final goal.

The mature Christian doesn’t read his Bible, prayer, or go to church just to follow Christian rules. He does it in an effort to move from feeling the way he currently feels about God to feeling the way he wants to feel. He wants to go from feeling dry and distant from God to enjoying fullness and intimacy with God. So he takes the actions necessary to bring him to that point.

Fake It ‘Till You Make It?

Is this “fake till you make it”? No. There is nothing fake about working toward a goal. If a weak person goes to the gym and works out hard every day, is he faking strength until he makes it? No. He’s not faking strength; he’s building strength. Acting the way you should act in an effort to feel the way you should feel is not faking the right affections; it’s building them.

At least, it should be. If you just force yourself to do the right thing without making it an effort to change your affections, then it is faking. It all depends on your goal—and attitude. We must never be content to simply do the right things while leaving our affections disordered. Doing the right things should be a tool for changing our feelings, not a substitute for right feelings.

For an in-depth study of what love for God is and how to increase it, see the Loving God with All Your Heart sermon series.

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Published on February 06, 2022 14:33

January 30, 2022

Life from the Spirit

A New Perspective on the Holy Spirit

I learned something about the Holy Spirit the other day. Something I never understood even after decades of Bible study and a whole lot of post graduate theological training. This was new to me, even though it’s on page one of the Bible.

I learned it from listening to the Bible Project podcast, which I highly recommend. The host, Tim Mackie, is a scholar in the field of biblical theology. You can find the two episodes on the Holy Spirit here and here.

The Spirit of Power? Or Something More?

I’ve always thought of the Holy Spirit mainly in terms of power. The Spirit empowers us, he enables us, he gives spiritual gifts and activates them, powers them—he’s all about power and enablement.

And that’s true, but it’s not really the most important aspect of what the Spirit does. Our first introduction to the Holy Spirit in the Bible is in the creation account, where he hovers over the waters and turns the uninhabitable emptiness into a garden paradise fit for human habitation.

The word for “spirit” in the Bible is also the word for “wind” or “breath.” The Holy Spirit is like the breath of God. When God exhales on the primordial chaos, it’s transformed into an ideal environment for life. The picture is of God sending out his very life into the creation.

The Spirit as the Life-Giving Breath of God

The next occurrence is where God forms man out of dirt and then breathes life into him. He also breathes life into the animals. God’s Spirit, who is a person, is also the animating force that makes life out of nonlife.

Medical science cannot define life. Examine a corpse one second after the person dies and you will find all the chemical components that supposedly produce life. It’s all still there, yet the person is dead. What’s the difference in the person a minute before death vs. a minute after? Answer: the breath of God is removed.

Psalm 104:30 When you send your Spirit, [the sea creatures] are created, and you renew the face of the earth.

In verse 29 he says, “When take away their breath, they die and return to the dust.”

Job 34:14-15 If it were his intention and he withdrew his spirit and breath, all mankind would perish together and man would return to the dust.

So that’s how the Bible introduces the Holy Spirit in the Bible. More than anything else, the Spirit is the giver of the life of God. And not only for humans, but also for animals and the whole creation itself. The features of this world that sustain life—the food, water, sunshine, oxygen, beauty—all of it comes from God exhaling his very life into the creation.

As the cohost of the Bible Project podcast said, it’s a very enchanted way of understanding the world. Not enchanted in the sense of having to do with magic, but simply in the sense of having invisible life that animates it.

Supercharge Your Bible Reading

God introduces the Spirit to us this way on page 1 of the Bible so that whenever we see the Spirit later in the Bible, we will say, “Oh, the Holy Spirit. I should expect to see the infusion of life from God here.”

This insight has transformed the way I read Scripture because the Spirit appears so frequently. Just one quick example—the other day I was reading about the Church in Ephesians 2:

Ephesians 2:22 And in [Christ] you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

It’s easy to just read past that last phrase without even noticing it. But if we stop and import the picture we are given in Genesis, the verse fills up with richer meaning. In the Church, we are being built into a temple, God’s dwelling place. And it happens at the hands of the life-giving, energizing force that creates flourishing breathed out of God himself.

When God Inhales

All of that happens when God exhales—what about when he inhales?

After the flood, God knew that the same problems that caused the flood still existed after the flood. Mankind would be just as evil as ever. But something happens that makes God decide he would never send another flood to wipe out humanity again—“even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood” (Genesis 8:21).

What was the event that moved God to say this?

Genesis 8:20 Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and, … sacrificed burnt offerings on it. 21 The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground because of man ….”

God made this promise in response to his pleasure in Noah’s worship. But notice how Scripture describes that pleasure. “The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma.” The word “smelled” is from the same root as the word “breath.” That makes sense, since inhaling and exhaling are both movements of air.

Given the picture the previous chapters in Genesis have painted, the idea here is that just as God’s life and favor comes to us from within God when he breathes out on us, so our worship is infused with life and favor by God when he breathes it in. The picture is not that Noah did something inherently worthy of reward. Rather, he did something rather ordinary, but God’s act of breathing it in infused that act with such goodness that it moved God to make his magnanimous promise. God’s Spirit gives life coming out and going in.

What amazing thought! When we ask, “What do I have to offer God?” we rightly think, “Nothing.” The idea that we could, on our own, generate something worthy of God’s favor is laughable. But when God, in his mercy, chooses to inhale our worship, that act of breathing it in transforms our lame offerings into something so glorious that it’s enough to delight the heart of an infinite being.

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Published on January 30, 2022 13:40

January 3, 2022

Escape from Paradise Chapters 19-20 Study Questions

Chapter 19 MeaningsWalk with the Wind

The saying, “Walk with the wind and you won’t want the fruit,” illustrates Galatians 5:16.

“I say then, walk by the Spirit and you will certainly not carry out the desire of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16).

What an amazing promise! You will not gratify the desires of the flesh. And what is the requirement for receiving this promise? Walk by the Spirit. The more we keep in step with the Holy Spirit, the less we cave to the desires of the flesh.

Adam Tasted … Nothing

Tasting the food illustrates having fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ by “feasting” on (receiving and enjoying) his grace. I depicted this in terms of enjoying food because God so often compares himself to food and drink in Scripture (water of life, bread of life, honey, milk, wine, the richest of fare, etc.). God’s grace strengthens, satisfies, nourishes, and gives life to the human soul much like food and drink to the human body.

Adam’s inability to taste the food on his first visit illustrates those who read the Bible, listen to sermons, and expose themselves to gospel ministry but do not have a satisfying experience of fellowship with God through it.

In Adam’s case, it was because of his divided heart. His appetite was partly for the Ruler’s spread and partly for Abigail. We will find God when we seek him with all our heart (Jeremiah 29:13).

Chapter 20 MeaningsAbigail’s Pursuit of Adam

Chapter twenty begins with a conflict between Abigail and Watson over whether she should go after Adam. Watson’s warnings illustrate the danger of close friendships or romantic relationships between a believer and unbeliever. While the believer’s motives may be pure, simply desiring to win the unbeliever to the Lord, there is considerable spiritual danger.

In any close friendship, influence flows in both directions. Scripture warns us of this in 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1.

What ultimately happened with Abigail (the cooling of her passion for the Ruler and subsequent captivity in the lowlands) mirrors the sad consequence that so often results from those who seek to win unbelievers to the Lord through a romantic relationship.

Such an approach is dangerous for both parties. It influences the believer in a worldly direction and places the unbeliever in a position of not knowing for sure how genuine his interest in spiritual things really is. He may be excited about going to church and reading his Bible, but is it because of love for the Lord, or is it driven by a desire to please his girlfriend? Or a mix of both?

It’s next to impossible for him to know as long as he is in that relationship. Romantic emotions have a way of confusing motives. So even if some of his motives are genuine, the Christian woman is doing the man a disservice by continuing the relationship.

Taking Hodia to the Lowlands

When Anzu hears that Morax is taking Hodia to the lowlands, he objects.

“The lowlands? What is that going to accomplish? She won’t take fruit. Hodia hasn’t eaten so much as a grape in twenty years.”

“Yes,” Morax acknowledged with a subtle grin, “and she’s proud of it.”

Going to a bar or some other place of evil can be dangerous in two ways. For some, the danger is the temptation to join in the evil. For others, like Hodia, the danger is to be proud of the fact that they aren’t tempted to indulge.

Hodia assumes it is because she’s better than Abigail. She fails to understand that apart from God’s grace, she would be just as susceptible to the evils of that place as anyone else.

If a demon can get us to indulge that pride, it does as much damage as getting us to indulge in immorality.

Don’t Spook Her

When Abigail catches up to Adam after he leaves the banquet, Adramelech is careful to keep quiet so the warriors remain undetected. This illustrates Satan going out of his way to see to it that you are not tempted. He does this to lure you further into his trap.

A man might find himself alone with his girlfriend. And, because neither of them feel any temptation, they move further and further into the trap (extending their time alone together, watching a movie on the couch alone, late at night, when they are tired, etc.). Then, when they are all the way in to the trap, Satan springs the temptation and they fall.

Satan even appears as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14)—whatever it takes to keep us off our guard.

Fruit for the Stomach

Adam says, “What is fruit for if not the stomach? And the stomach for fruit. It’s the most natural thing in the world.”

This argument is modeled after the Corinthians’ saying in 1 Corinthians 6:13 (“Food for the stomach and the stomach for food”). The Corinthians evidently used that argument to justify sexual immorality. Why do bodily urges exist if not to be satisfied?

Paul’s answer is, “The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord” (1 Corinthians 6:13). This is reflected in Abigail’s words, “Your stomach was not made for fruit. The Ruler designed your body with appetites that can only be satisfied by his delicacies.”

Abigail acknowledges it is natural for a merely natural person. This reflects the idea in 1 Corinthians 2:14 and Jude 1:19 which speak of the “natural man” (Greek psuxikos) who does not have the Holy Spirit. James 3:15 uses the same word to speak of the wisdom that is earthly, psuxikos, and demonic. This is what Abigail means by naturalness not being a reliable guide for what is morally good.

Another reason she gives is that eating fruit “strengthens you to resist the wind.” That is, disobedience makes future disobedience easier. The more one engages in sin, the more damage he does to his conscience, searing it as with a hot iron (1 Timothy 4:2).

Additionally, she points out that while he stopped eating fruit, he didn’t stop loving it. This illustrates the fact that what matters most is not what we do, but what we love. Note how many times the word “love” appears in Paul’s description of the most depraved evil:

“People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God” (2 Timothy 3:2-4).

She goes on to point out that one reaps what he sows in his thoughts. This illustrates the principle of Galatians 6:7-8.

“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life” (Galatians 6:7-8).

Today Is the Day

When Adam says he isn’t ready, Abigail insists, “Today is the day,” and gives him a cottage piece that says, “Seek him while he may be found.”

These are references to the following:

“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts” (Hebrews 3:7-8).

“Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near” (Isaiah 55:6).

I Am not My Own

Abigail’s words, “It isn’t just a matter of my heart and soul, but also my body. I am not my own. I was bought with a price and I must honor the Ruler with both my affections and my actions” reflect Paul’s words to the Corinthians:

“You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

Don’t Follow Your Heart

When Adam wanted to follow his heart, Abigail objects. “Your heart is the worst thing you could follow. Nothing will deceive you more thoroughly.”

It seems nothing is more universally believed among Hollywood screenwriters than the maxim, “Follow your heart,” as if the heart could never be wrong. But Abigail is right.

“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9).

Adam counters that he is at peace with his decision. This foolish method of discerning right and wrong pervades not only Hollywood, but the Church. Christians often point to a sense of peace as evidence of God’s guidance.

It should be noted that Jonah had amazing peace while running from God (fast asleep in a deadly storm—Jonah 1:5). And Jesus had no inner peace at all when he was at the very center of God’s will. Anticipating the crucifixion, he sweat drops of blood (Luke 22:44) and said, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” (Mark 14:34).

Even Abigail doesn’t understand her own mixed motives until the wind blows on her. This illustrates the fact that apart from God revealing them to us, we are often unable to discern even our own motives (Proverbs 16:2, 1 Corinthians 4:4-5).

You Can Change Where You Belong

“Abigail, can’t you see that I don’t belong here?”

“Maybe not. But you can change where you belong.”

This is to reflect the fact that at conversion, a person goes from being an outsider to an insider—a foreigner to God’s family to being a member of it.

“Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household” (Ephesians 2:19).

Chapter 19 Study Questions

EXCERPT

“Dishes?” Hodia asked, already on her feet.
…Adam watched the … way people stepped aside for them, pausing their conversations, the looks of admiration-“Are they rich? Or … famous? Or …”
Abigail cocked her head. “Adam, they’re servants.”

QUESTION 1

Scripture calls us to honor those worthy of honor in the church (Philippians 2:29, 1 Corinthians 16:18, Philippians 3:17). What sort of people receive the most honor in your church? What sort of people receive the most honor in your heart? And how does that square with Mark 10:41-42?

MY ANSWER

In some ways, the Church has done poorly in this area. People with impressive gifts, such as in music or other high-profile roles are regarded as more important than those with more ordinary gifts. Very often, people who are wealthy, attractive, or educated are honored above the poor, unattractive, or uneducated. This was a problem even in New Testament times (James 2:2-7).

On the other hand, however, there is still a significant difference between the world and the church. In the church, people are honored when they have love for God, humility, love for enemies, and other virtues produced by the Holy Spirit. And it’s not uncommon for people who are lowly in the eyes of the world to be elders in the church. We honor missionaries who give their lives to reach the lost, while the world despises them.

EXCERPT

“Are you feeling sorry for them?” Abigail chuckled again. “They’re in the kitchen now …” she raised her eyebrows, “with the chef. Everyone at this table envies them.”

QUESTION 2

What are some ways you could follow Christ’s example when he washed the disciples’ feet?

EXCERPT

“So you just keep eating until the food runs out?” Levi asked.
“It never runs out,” Watson said. “That is part of what makes the banquets so enjoyable-the sheer abundance.” He waved his arm in a sweeping motion. “If every person ate all day and all night they would not consume a tenth of the spread.”

QUESTION 3

God has promised abundant provision, yet many times we lack what we desire. What has God promised to provide to us in abundance? See Romans 5:17; 2 Corinthians 9:10; 2 Peter 1:3; 2 Corinthians 12:9.

MY ANSWER

Ro.5 – Grace and righteousness
2 Cor.9 – Our store of seed and harvest of righteousness
2 Pe.1 – Everything we need for life and godliness
2 Cor.12 – Grace to handle torment

EXCERPT

Abigail and Kailyn’s conversation sounded to Adam like a foreign language. Filet mignon, rib eye, rack of lamb, garlic potatoes-what were these strange terms? Adam and Levi exchanged puzzled looks. Could they be talking about food that wasn’t fruit?

QUESTION 4

There is a kind of sweetness to sin, which is why it’s so tempting. Contrast the satisfaction that comes from sin with the satisfaction that comes from what God offers. See John 4:13–14, 6:27.

MY ANSWER

The satisfaction from sin is incredibly short-lived. It usually degenerates into regret moments after it’s over. But no one ever regrets communion with God. If a person attempts communion with God and fails, that can be boring, but actual fellowship with the Lord is always satisfying.

Secondly, the happiness sin brings is fragile. There have been Christians who have sung songs of joy while burning at the stake. That’s how powerful the joy of God’s presence is. It can carry us through the most excruciating loses and suffering. The pleasures of sin can’t even begin to do that.

QUESTION 5

Skim the section headings in your Bible in 2 Samuel 11–24 and consider how a few moments of “sweetness” effected the rest of David’s life. What are the parallels between David’s experience and Proverbs 5:3–14?

MY ANSWER

Indulging his eyes and then his body for one night was, no doubt, pleasurable. But the rest of David’s life was indeed bitter as gall and his sin cut him like sharp as a double-edged sword. Death dominated his house for the rest of his life. His years were consumed by the cruel and his enemy (one of his sons) took everything from him. The groans that came from David in those years were cries of sheer agony and regret and he came to the brink of utter ruin in view of everyone.

EXCERPT

As the servers brought tray after tray to the table, Levi leaned toward Adam. “We’ll all be sick tonight!”
… “No we won’t …” Watson explained. “The chef’s delicacies are unlike fruit in every respect. You may indulge as you please. Indeed, the more you consume, the better you feel.”
“It doesn’t hurt your gut?” Levi asked.
Watson shook his head. “No nausea, no discomfort, no obesity, no adverse effects of any kind. Every bite brings only improved health and growth.”

QUESTION 6

There is no danger of over-indulgence in God’s grace because God satisfies our desires with good things (Psalm 103:5). What are some examples of how the same desire might be satisfied with good things or bad things?

MY ANSWER

We have a natural desire for honor. It is evil to seek to satisfy that desire with human applause (Mk.9:33-35), but it is good to seek honor from God (Ro.2:7).

The desire for happiness can be fulfilled by running after the pleasures of sin or by enjoying fellowship with God (Ps.16:11).

QUESTION 7

When God satisfies our desires with good things, the result is renewed youth (Psalm 103:5). What are some examples of that? And what are some examples of the opposite effect when desires are satisfied with bad things?

MY ANSWER

When I have had desires to experience the presence of God, to understand his Word more deeply, to show love to people for his sake, to edify the saints, or to do God’s will in some way, and those desires have been satisfied, I am energized in life. Regardless of how I feel physically, I have increased energy and motivation for life.

In times when I have indulged the flesh in sinful pursuits, afterwards I felt drained and life itself had less appeal.

QUESTION 8

Regret is one of life’s most painful emotions, and we all have regrets. What are some of the things you do in your life that you never regret?

MY ANSWER

In my sinfulness, there have been times when I have done the right thing and had feelings of regret because my heart still loved the sin. But I have never regretted anything I have ever done that resulted in experiencing God’s presence.

And in the long term, I do not regret any time I have resisted temptation

EXCERPT

“If you never feel over-full,” said Adam, “and the more you eat, the better you feel, and it never runs out, what makes you stop eating?”
“Only lack of appetite,” Watson said.
“And Judas desires,” Abigail added.

QUESTION 9

What is the one restriction on who may feast on God’s delicacies? (To whom is the banquet offered?) See Isaiah 55:1; Matthew 5:6; Revelation 22:17.

MY ANSWER

It is offered only to the hungry.

QUESTION 10

How would you describe your current level of hunger and thirst for God?

MY ANSWER

Woefully inadequate. I pray on a daily basis for God to ignite greater desire for him in my heart.

EXCERPT

Charles smiled behind a gray beard. “It’s not like it’s rocket science, Layth. The chef does all the work. All I have to do is get it from the kitchen to the table without dropping it.”

QUESTION 11

The Greek word for deacon means “server” and was used of waiting tables. In what ways does the task of church leaders resemble that of a waiter? See Matthew 20:25–28; 1 Peter 5:2; 2 Corinthians 4:5.

MY ANSWER

The primary task is one of serving. The waiter does not produce the food. His job is to simply get it from the chef to the customer without messing it up. The pastor’s job is to get the nourishing truth of God’s Word from the Scriptures to his hearers without distorting it, adding to it, or subtracting from it.

Also, church leaders are to feed God’s Word to the people like a shepherd feeding sheep (Jn 21:15-17).

QUESTION 12

What are some examples of how a pastor could fail in his task of getting the meal from the Chef to the congregation without messing it up? See 1 Corinthians 1:17; 1 Thessalonians 2:5.

MY ANSWER

1 Cor.1 – by mixing it with human wisdom (such as psychology or philosophy)

1 Thes.2 – by contaminating it with sins of greed (using preaching for financial gain) or flattery (using the ministry to gain favor in the eyes of men).

EXCERPT

The joy you see in him grew up out of the soil of bitter suffering.

QUESTION 13

What are some ways joy can grow out of the soil of suffering? See 2 Corinthians 12:10; James 1:2–4;12; 2 Corinthians 4:16–17; 1 Peter 1:6–7; Matthew 5:10–12.

MY ANSWER

2 Cor 12 – When we believe that the power of Christ rests upon those who are weak, we will delight in our weakness.

James 1 – When we believe trials can produce perseverance resulting in spiritual maturity, we will consider those trials pure joy if we value perseverance and spiritual maturity.

2 Cor 4 – When we believe that our troubles are accomplishing for us an eternal weight of glory, we will rejoice if we value eternal glory.

1 Pe.1 – When we believe that trials refine and prove our faith, we will rejoice in them if we value genuine, refined faith.

Mt.5 – When we believe God will reward us greatly for enduring persecution, we will rejoice and be glad when we are persecuted if we value great reward.

EXCERPT

Walk with the wind … and you won’t want the fruit.

QUESTION 14

Read Galatians 5:16. What an amazing promise! You won’t gratify the desires of the flesh. What is the requirement for receiving this promise? And what does it mean in practical terms?

MY ANSWER

We won’t gratify the desires of the flesh if we walk by the Spirit. Walking by the Spirit means living life in step with what the Spirit desires. All through the day we are faced with countless decisions. And most of the time we know what the Spirit would have us do. We know when he would be more pleased if we got up rather than stay in bed, made a phone call instead of turning on the TV, put the fork down and push the plate away, spend some time in prayer, clean up a mess—in each case, if we do what we know he wants us to do, we remain close by his side. But if we go with the impulses of the flesh, with each little decision we move a little farther from him. And after hours of doing that, when a big temptation hits, we find we have no spiritual power. But when we have remained by his side, then his power will be available to us in the moment we face a major conflict with the flesh.

QUESTION 15

What significance do you see in the fact that living by the Spirit is described in terms of walking?

MY ANSWER

Describing life as a walk reminds us that each moment that goes by you take a step in some direction. Every action, every word, and every thought you have is a step moving you one increment closer to some destination.

QUESTION 16

What are some specific changes you could make in your life to walk by the Spirit more?

MY ANSWER

The change I’m currently working on is to be more aware that my goal is to be a servant of Christ. I want a higher and higher percentage of my decisions to involve conscious awareness of this goal. I find it much easier to live the right way when I think this way, but I’m currently finding it difficult to remember except when I’m having my devotions.

EXCERPT

He tasted nothing. … It was like eating air.

QUESTION 17

What is it that Satan prevents unbelievers from seeing/experiencing? See 2 Corinthians 4:4. Why would that be such a priority for Satan?

EXCERPT

Which was worse-feeling confused and condemned in the banquet hall, or empty and dry in the orchard? Both were unbearable.

QUESTION 18

Why might an upstanding person feel confused and condemned at church while a former murderer has a delightful experience? (see 1 Corinthians 2:14; 11:31)

MY ANSWER

Someone who is “upstanding” in the eyes of the world, but who is not accepting the Word of God into his heart, will not understand it. Those who don’t repent of their sin will come under God’s judgment. But those who judge themselves (discern their own sin and repent of it) are forgiven by God and enjoy fellowship with him.

CHAPTER 20“I know I can get through to him. He listens to me.”
“Yes, he does. But how much of his listening is desire for the truth, and how much is desire for you?”

QUESTION 1

What guidance does Scripture give us on the practice of a believer dating an unbeliever in hopes of winning the unbeliever to the Lord. See 2 Corinthians 6:14–7:1, Proverbs 13:20; Psalm 101.

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Published on January 03, 2022 15:57

Escape from Paradise Chapter 19 Study Questions

Chapter 19 MeaningsWalk with the Wind

The saying, “Walk with the wind and you won’t want the fruit,” illustrates Galatians 5:16.

“I say then, walk by the Spirit and you will certainly not carry out the desire of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16).

Adam Tasted … Nothing

In Adam’s case, it was because of his divided heart. His appetite was partly for the Ruler’s spread and partly for Abigail. We will find God when we seek him with all our heart (Jeremiah 29:13).

Chapter 19 Study Questions

EXCERPT

QUESTION 1

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Published on January 03, 2022 15:57

December 19, 2021

The Cure for Holiday Depression

For the audio version of this post, click here.

Gratitude vs. Greed

What do you do when you open a present and it’s not what you wanted? What’s the right way to respond—the godly way? What’s the wrong way to respond? Would it be fair to say the right response is gratitude and the wrong response is some form of greed? It’s gratitude vs. greed—that’s what will decide if you’re happy or unhappy when you receive a gift.

And that applies even if it’s a gift you did want. If your heart is controlled by greed instead of gratitude, you’ll be unhappy even when you get something you wanted, because you’ll just want more. Greed is at the core of all discontent. When you have anxiety on the last day of a really great vacation because it’s almost over—that’s greed, right? Instead of being grateful for all the pleasures you’ve enjoyed on the vacation, you’re just greedy for more.

This is why kids tend to get irritable or depressed on Christmas afternoon. You say, “You have all these toys—why are you unhappy? Why can’t you just be thankful for all the gifts?” The reason is simple—it’s impossible to be greedy and grateful at the same time.

Every time you get a gift, your response will depend on which of those two comes out on top. There is a constant war that rages in every heart between gratitude and greed. And you can tell which side is winning that war by the way you respond to gifts—especially when it’s not the gift you wanted.

Mary’s Joy

One of the most profound examples of what a grateful heart looks like is Mary, when the angel told her what was going to happen.

There’s hardly a Christmas that goes by when we don’t stop at some point and imagine what it was like for Mary. She’s a young girl, marriageable age, and like every other young person she no doubt had hopes and dreams—some kind of idea of what she wanted her immediate future to be like. But then an angel comes and lets her know that her life as she knew it was over.

Luke 1:31 You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.

He goes on to describe all these amazing things about how the child will reign over Israel forever in an eternal kingdom and all the rest. He gets done with all that, and look what she’s still stuck on:

Luke 1:34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

“Could you go back to the part about me getting pregnant, because … I’m not married.” I don’t blame her. There had been special people born before, but always in the normal way—a man and a woman. Imagine being a young woman—probably a teenager—and being told by an angel that you’re going to be pregnant. “Could you expand on that a little?”

Luke 1:35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.”

“So … no man involved?”

Put yourself in her shoes. What will life be like if you get pregnant right now, before you’re married? A teen pregnancy in our culture is one thing. But to be an unwed, pregnant Jewish girl in ancient Israel—your life is over. What are you going to tell your parents? How are you going to explain it to your fiancé? And the legal authorities who might stone you to death? “Oh, this? Yeah—that’s from the Holy Spirit.” You might believe it because you saw the angel (and you know you’re a virgin), but unless God sends angels to everyone else in the village, what are you going to say?

And sure enough, when Joseph finds out, he decides to break it off. He’s going to keep it quiet, so maybe you won’t get stoned to death. But how are you going to make it in that world as a single mom? Not to mention the heartbreak of your fiancé—the man you thought you were going to live happily ever after with—just kicked you to the curb. You’ll probably never be married now. Whatever her hopes and dreams had been, they’re all gone now.

Mary’s Response

So how does Mary respond? She goes to see Elizabeth and says this:

Luke 1:46 And Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, 49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me– holy is his name.”

All she has in her near future is hardship, suffering, poverty, and shame. Future generations will call her blessed, but how many teens do you know that concern themselves with future generations? Most teens can’t really think beyond about age 30, if that far. How many teens do you know who would be thrilled to find out that the rest of their life would be really hard, but future generations would call her blessed?

How did Mary have such an amazing response? It’s very simple: she opted for gratitude instead of greed. Greed would look only at what she lost and the life she had hoped for and would be unhappy and empty. Gratitude focuses on what was given, not on what wasn’t given and results in fullness and joy. I made an effort to illustrate that point in a scene in Escape from Paradise where Adam is explaining to Abigail how she can reduce her cravings for fruit (which represents sin in the book).

The Figurine

*****

He drew a small cottage piece from the pack. He ran a string through it and placed it over her head.

Abigail inspected the wooden pendant. “It’s a carving,” she mused, running her finger over its contours. “Such detail. Who carved this? You can even see the tiny muscles straining in the child’s arms.”

“It’s a father and daughter. The box at her feet is a gift she just opened.”

“And she’s squeezing her father in gratitude,” Abigail said, still marveling at the statuette. “What a beautiful piece. Thank you.”

Breaking from her fixation on the pendant, she looked again at Adam. “But how does this help me turn off my cravings?”

“I’ll ask you the question Charles asked when he gave it to me. Why isn’t the girl crying?”

“Crying? Why would she? She just received a precious gift.”

“One gift. But how many gifts has she not received?’

“What do you mean? There are millions of things she didn’t receive.”

“Exactly. So how can she be so happy while being deprived of a million good gifts?”

Abigail nodded slowly. “Because … her attention isn’t on any of the things she didn’t receive—only on what she did receive.” Abigail studied the piece again. Something inside her melted at the touching display of happy thankfulness between daughter and father. It made her wish she was that little girl.

Adam took the piece from her fingers and turned it over. “There’s an inscription on the bottom.”

Squinting, she struggled to make out the miniscule print. “Si … Silence greed with … gratitude.”

*****

I give you that excerpt because that’s exactly what Mary did. Whatever ideas she had in mind for what gifts she wanted from God in life, he gave her a very different gift. And instead of focusing on what he didn’t give her, she focused on what he did give her and it filled her with joy. And so instead of a bunch of “woe is me” and grumbling and self-pity, we get the Magnificat.

Gratitude Upon Completion

Everything I have said so far is basic, and probably none of that is new for you. But let me add one more perspective on this that, at least for me, really is new. I’ve been learning so much about gratitude in recent years, and what I learned most recently is the concept of letting the moment of completion trigger special gratitude. Here’s what I mean by that: When God gives you a gift, you don’t know the extent of that gift until it’s complete—until you have the whole thing.

My son Josiah wanted to go to college, God granted that desire as a gift of love to Josiah, and right now he is in the middle of receiving that gift. But if you ask Josiah to describe that gift, he won’t be able to until the end of next summer at the soonest, because that’s when he’s set to graduate. Part of the gift is still future, and Josiah doesn’t know what the remaining part of it will be.

When I say we should let the completion of a gift trigger special gratitude , what I mean is it’s good for Josiah to be grateful the whole time he’s in school , but the time of graduation should trigger a special moment of gratitude because that’s when that gift is completed and he can look back on the full gift. Any sooner and he doesn’t have the full scope of the gift in mind ; any later and it wouldn’t be as fresh in his memory , so while it’s good for him to be grateful his whole life for that gift , the most ideal moment for gratitude would be right at the time of completion.

The Problem of Greed

The problem is, when greed enters the picture, we tend to see the moment of completion as nothing but a loss. If you really enjoy college, a greedy heart my see graduation as a loss, because now that gift is over. Now, that might sound a little farfetched (especially if you’re like me and hated school). But it’s not farfetched at all when you apply it to other gifts. For example, a wonderful vacation. Most people feel depressed on the last day of a great vacation. Why? Greed—they want more. So what’s the solution? The solution is to see the last day of vacation as the completion of God’s gift. And it’s at the moment of completion that is the ideal time to be grateful. It’s in the final moment of your vacation that God puts a bow on that gift, and for the first time you’re able to see the whole gift.

If you focus on all the enjoyment you’ve had in that vacation , all the good food, the fun things, the beautiful sights, the rest and relaxation, enjoyment of family —gather it all in and let your heart sing in gratitude in that moment. Do that, and you’ll be happy and full instead of depressed and empty.

The thing that first woke me up to this idea is Nancy Demoss’s book on gratitude , where she tells the story of a teenage girl who was killed in a car accident , and when the police came and notified the family , the first thing the dad did was gather the whole family in the living room and give thanks for the 17 years they had her.

It struck me because when I suffer a loss, in my best moments, I’ll thank God for his purposes in taking that thing away, but it usually doesn’t occur to me in that moment to be grateful for the span of time God did let me have that gift. If a loved one dies, that marks the completion of the gift of that loved one’s involvement in your life.

God gives us countless temporal gifts in this life. But temporal gifts are, by definition, temporary. They are like Josiah’s college experience—they have a beginning point and an end point. And while it’s perfectly appropriate to mourn a major loss (especially the loss of a loved one) , it’s also fitting to take that moment to foster gratitude for the fullness of that gift, now that you know the ending point of it.

Isn’t that what Job did? It was after he lost everything that he said, “The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord.” Why did he mention the giving part at the moment when everything was taken away? It’s because it was in the moment of loss that Job was reminded that the things that were taken away were first given. They were gifts that had a beginning point and an end point.

He understood that the coming and going of gifts is the natural rhythm of life. Temporal gifts are not permanent gifts. Just like your college experience, they have an end date, and it’s on that date that you find out for the first time the extent of the gift. So did Job mourn his losses? Yes. But he also blessed God (just like Mary) because he saw those losses as simply the ending point of gifts he had received from God. The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, and you never know the extent of what he has given until he takes it away.

When I first got to thinking about this principle, I applied it to the big losses in my life (like the loss of my ministry and career several years ago). But recently I’ve been seeing the importance of this in small things. Now this is something that comes into play in my life every day.

Practical Applications

One example is with food. I have a serious eating disorder. I always want more food after eating a meal—always. If I didn’t weigh out my meals and eat only that, if I just ate until I felt satisfied, I would weigh 500 pounds. I always want more food. But the principle has really helped me. Now, I finish a meal, and when I have that impulse of wanting more, I use that as a reminder—the end of that meal was the completing of God’s gift. So now isn’t the time to think about more food. Now is the time to think back on the enjoyment of the food God just gave me and be thankful for it. It sounds simple, but for me it’s been a game changer.

I don’t know which parts of your life might need this. Most of you probably don’t have the same eating disorder I have, but you might have some other gratitude disorder. It might be when the gift of the weekend is over and you have to go back to work. When the weekend is over, that’s the moment to step back and recall the whole, full, completed gift of that weekend—the pleasures, the rest, the freedom—whatever it is you like about weekends, and be thankful. When we’re bummed about going back to work on Monday it’s because we’re just like children who are irritable after opening a whole bunch of presents. We’re operating on greed instead of gratitude. We’re greedy for more weekend.

For someone else, it might be that birthday you don’t want to admit you’re having. Some phase of your life is over, and you weren’t ready for it to be over. Instead of getting depressed when you turn 30 or 40 or whatever, to take that moment to gather in all the blessedness of that past decade and be grateful for it.

And Christmas time is a great time to teach this to our kids and grandkids. After the opening of presents is over, maybe take a moment to put them all in a pile and express gratitude. Recall all the moments of laughter and the smiles and feelings (“What was your favorite part? Remember when your sister opened that gift and was so surprised? I love the part where we were all laughing …” Now that this gift from God of Christmas morning is complete, step back, take it all in, and revel in gratitude to God and the enjoyment of his kindness.

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Published on December 19, 2021 07:42

December 13, 2021

Reversing Hermon: Enoch, the Watchers, and the Forgotten Mission of Jesus Christ by Michael S. Heiser

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

If you read one book by Michael Heiser, I recommend The Unseen Realm. You can find my review of that book here.

Bottom line: I highly recommend The Unseen Realm to anyone who wants to understand Scripture. Reversing Hermon, on the other hand, I would mainly recommend to those who are curious about the book of 1 Enoch and would like to know more about it.

Heiser is known for his work on what he calls the divine council—a group of exalted spiritual beings, higher than angels, who rule with God. These are the beings Scripture is referring to when it speaks of the sons of God, the powers of the heavens, or the watchers. At the tower of Babel, when mankind rebelled against God, he punished them by allotting the nations to various sons of God. These beings were given authority over the nations, but where never to be worshipped. Some of them fell and enticed the nations to worship them anyway. Part of Jesus’ work on the cross was to defeat these powers and reclaim the nations for God.

The most famous passage in the Bible about the sons of God is Genesis 6, which is a very brief account of how the sons of God cohabited with the daughters of men at the time of the Nephilim resulting in judgment by God. Interpreters have offered several suggestions on how to interpret that chapter. Heiser argues that the interpretation endorsed by other Bible writers is the one described in the book of 1 Enoch, since 1 Enoch is quoted favorably in Jude 14-15 and alluded to in other passages. And 1 Enoch suggests that the sons of God were evil spirits who cohabited with women resulting in a race of giants (the Nephilim).

This is all described in The Unseen Realm. Reversing Hermon goes further into explaining 1 Enoch.
1 Enoch is part of what scholars call the pseudepigrapha (books named after famous Bible characters but that were not written by those characters). 1 Enoch was not written by the real Enoch. It was written between the Old and New Testaments—probably a couple hundred years before Jesus’ time. The fact that it is called “Enoch” does not necessarily mean the author was attempting to deceive people into thinking it was written by Enoch. That name may have become attached to the book later.

Heiser does not suggest that 1 Enoch is part of Scripture. But he does regard it as important since it was highly regarded in Jesus’ time and quoted by Jude. If a Bible writer uses language from 1 Enoch in contexts that match the material in 1 Enoch, it stands to reason that the assumptions and perspectives of 1 Enoch would come to the 1st Century readers’ minds.

Heiser shows how many puzzling passages in the Bible make perfect sense if seen from the point of view this interpretation of the sons of God. I found his arguments, for the most part, to be very strong. In a few cases I remain unconvinced. For example, in chapter 4 he describes how God might have revealed the exact date of Jesus’ birth through the stars. It is a fascinating discussion, however he doesn’t address the difficulties in the view. If the star that the magi followed was a constellation, how did it stop over a specific house in Bethlehem?

In chapter 5 he suggests that the women mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus would have called to mind the Genesis 6 story because they each were involved in either sexual immorality or an effort to make themselves beautiful (which 1 Enoch says is one of the skills the watchers taught mankind). It seems to me all people want to look good, especially women. It seems a stretch to say that a reference to wanting to enhance one’s beauty would necessarily make readers think of the watchers in Genesis 6.

Chapter 6, on the other hand, I found extremely helpful. It explains how Mount Hermon/Bashan/Caesarea Philippi/Gog represent the realm of the sons of God, so when Jesus went there and spoke of the gates of hell not being able to withstand the onslaught of his church, it would have been seen as a clear reference to the defeat of the fallen sons of God.

The book also discusses the content of 1 Enoch and the history of the church’s attitudes toward 1 Enoch. He also provides a list of NT passages that may be allusions to 1 Enoch. Some are more convincing than others.

The book is organized into four parts:

• PART I – Genesis 6:1-4 in its Original Ancient Contexts
• Chapter 1 – The Sons of God and Nephilim
• Chapter 2 – The Sin of the Watchers in 1 Enoch and Other Enochian Tests
• Chapter 3 – The Mesopotamian Apkallu, the Watchers, and the Nephilim

• PART II – Reversing Hermon in the Gospels
• Chapter 4 – The Sin of the Watchers and the Birth of Jesus
• Chapter 5 – The Sin of the Watchers and the Genealogy of Jesus
• Chapter 6 – The Sin of the Watchers and the Ministry of Jesus

• PART III – Reversing Hermon in the Epistles
• Chapter 7 – The Sin of the Watchers and Human Depravity
• Chapter 8 – The Sin of the Watchers and the Head Covering of 1 Corinthians 11
• Chapter 9 – The Sin of the Watchers and Baptism

• PART IV – Reversing Hermon in the Book of Revelation
• Chapter 10 – The Sin of the Watchers, the Nephilim, and the Antichrist
• Chapter 11 – The Sin of the Watchers and the Apocalypse

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Published on December 13, 2021 07:37

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