Our pastor is preaching a ten-part series on the core values of our church. This morning's sermon was on the importance of doctrine and one of the key texts was Titus 1:1-2.
“Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness, in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began” (Titus 1:1-2 ESV).
Over the last 4-6 months I have been drawn to the book of Titus. In three brief chapters Paul lays forth one of the clearest explanations of the gospel and its implications for good works, relationships, and worship. Today I was reviewing the verses from the sermon cited above and was struck by the great hope that is contained in the title Paul ascribes to God: ho apseudeœs theos - "the God who never lies."
God is worthy of our worship simply by virtue of his position (i.e., creator of the universe and the ground of all being). However, it is wonderful to know that God's character is worthy of praise and honor as well. We are able to honor Him for His goodness as well as His position!
This thought finds great contrast when I think of the limited amount of authority God has given me in the workplace. Those who work under that authority are called to respect that authority by virtue of my position. However, I am weak and fleshly and often fail to lead with clarity, vision, gentleness, etc. (the list could go on and on). In short, there is a disconnect between the honor owed to my position and the honor warranted by my character, person, and work. For God the honor owed His position is synonymous with that owed to His character, person, and work. He is worthy of infinite honor and worth, a worthiness that exceeds our ability to express in its fullness.
He is the God who never lies and who has promised eternal life to all who are in Christ. What He promises will surely come to pass. May we praise Him for his character and for the great work of salvation He has accomplished through Christ and given to all who place their faith and trust in Him.
Grace and Peace,
J
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Saturday, August 15, 2009
A Timely Reminder...
The Friday before the first week of classes is typically the busiest day of the year for the housing office. Normally, ten to fifteen leases is a busy day for us, but on this day we usually have thirty to thirty-five leases. Further, this is also the day on which the school typically schedules its mandatory all-employee meeting for the last two hours of the day. This year was typical in this regard. So on a day in which we have almost three times the number of people to process than any other day in the year, we have two less hours with which to do it. Lest this turn into a gripe session, let me move on to the real reason for which I am posting.
I woke up this Friday morning with stress all over me and in many ways dreading the headaches that I knew would come as the day wore on. I took the two minute commute from my house to the parking lot in front of the Memorial Building where I work to say a short prayer and listen to forty-five seconds of a Jack Johnson CD (my standard go to on stress-filled days). As I got out of my car I saw something that melted the stress that was already building...a rainbow.
After taking in the site for a few moments I walked into work with a renewed sense of God's presence, faithfulness, and goodness.
Thank you Father for this timely reminder in the midst of life's busyness. Help us to fix our eyes on Your goodness, rest in the security of Your faithfulness, and walk in the peace of Your Spirit each day.
Grace and Peace,
J
I woke up this Friday morning with stress all over me and in many ways dreading the headaches that I knew would come as the day wore on. I took the two minute commute from my house to the parking lot in front of the Memorial Building where I work to say a short prayer and listen to forty-five seconds of a Jack Johnson CD (my standard go to on stress-filled days). As I got out of my car I saw something that melted the stress that was already building...a rainbow.
After taking in the site for a few moments I walked into work with a renewed sense of God's presence, faithfulness, and goodness.
Thank you Father for this timely reminder in the midst of life's busyness. Help us to fix our eyes on Your goodness, rest in the security of Your faithfulness, and walk in the peace of Your Spirit each day.
Grace and Peace,
J
Monday, July 13, 2009
John Stott on the Proper Understanding of God, man, and the Atonement
I often struggle to remember the greatness of God's majesty and the ugliness of my sin for which Christ died, was buried, and rose again (Rom 5:6-11). I find in the quote by John Stott below a wonderful explanation and reminder of this truth.
"All inadequate doctrines of the atonement [i.e., the covering and removal of human sin by Jesus Christ] are due to inadequate doctrines of God and man. If we bring God down to our level and raise ourselves to his, then of course we see no need for a radical salvation, let alone for a radical atonement to secure it. When, on the other hand, we have glimpsed the blinding glory of the holiness of God, and have been so convicted of our sin by the Holy Spirit that we tremble before God and acknowledge what we are, namely 'hell-deserving sinners,' then and only then does the necessity of the cross appear so obvious that we are astonished we never saw it before.
The essential background to the cross, therefore, is a balanced understanding of the gravity of sin and the majesty of God. If we diminish either, we thereby diminish the cross. If we reinterpret sin as a lapse instead of a rebellion, and God as indulgent instead of indignant, then naturally the cross appears superfluous [i.e., unnecessary]. But to dethrone God and enthrone ourselves not only dispenses with the cross; it also degrades both God and man. A biblical view of God and ourselves, however, that is, of our sin and of God's wrath, honours both. It honours human beings by affirming them as responsible for their own actions. It honours God by affirming him as having moral character."--John Stott, The Cross of Christ (Downer's Gove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1986), 109-10.
J
"All inadequate doctrines of the atonement [i.e., the covering and removal of human sin by Jesus Christ] are due to inadequate doctrines of God and man. If we bring God down to our level and raise ourselves to his, then of course we see no need for a radical salvation, let alone for a radical atonement to secure it. When, on the other hand, we have glimpsed the blinding glory of the holiness of God, and have been so convicted of our sin by the Holy Spirit that we tremble before God and acknowledge what we are, namely 'hell-deserving sinners,' then and only then does the necessity of the cross appear so obvious that we are astonished we never saw it before.
The essential background to the cross, therefore, is a balanced understanding of the gravity of sin and the majesty of God. If we diminish either, we thereby diminish the cross. If we reinterpret sin as a lapse instead of a rebellion, and God as indulgent instead of indignant, then naturally the cross appears superfluous [i.e., unnecessary]. But to dethrone God and enthrone ourselves not only dispenses with the cross; it also degrades both God and man. A biblical view of God and ourselves, however, that is, of our sin and of God's wrath, honours both. It honours human beings by affirming them as responsible for their own actions. It honours God by affirming him as having moral character."--John Stott, The Cross of Christ (Downer's Gove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1986), 109-10.
J
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