Happy New Year!

Happy New Church Year that is. This first season of the church year is Advent (“coming”), beginning four Sundays before Christmas.  This is a time for preparation for the coming of Christ, both in the incarnation at Christmas and His second coming at the end of the world.  In earlier years, this preparation was markedly penitential, due to the fact that Jesus became incarnate to die for us to atone for our sins. Therefore, the historical liturgical color used was purple, which is the color of royalty, but also of sorrow and repentance. But since the liturgical revisions of the 1960s, the focus has become more anticipatory and hopeful in character. Because of that, the alternate color for Advent is blue, which is the color of spiritual love, fidelity, anticipation, hope, and royalty.

The first candle is the prophecy candle or the candle of hope. In this candle we look forward with hope to Jesus' birth being the fulfillment of God's prophecy.

The second candle is the Bethlehem candle or the Candle of Preparation. Here we prepare for the advent of our Lord.

The third (and pink) candle is the Shepherd candle or the candle of joy. The angels that appeared to the shepherds gave a message of joy.

The fourth candle is the angel candle or the candle of love. The angels brought a message that Jesus was born for us because he loves us.

For the birth itself, the white Christ candle is lit, to remind us that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God.

Genesis 6:1-4: Why the Flood and Why Noah?

-or-

From Zondervan's "The Beginner's Bible"

Genesis 6-9 tells the story of Noah and the flood, but many people get hung up on Genesis 6:1-4, because it is ambiguous and taken out of context quite often. Some say the whole story is just a myth, but the New Testament often mentions Noah and the flood story as fact, not myth (Matthew 24:37-38, Luke 17:26-27, Hebrews 11:7, 1 Peter 3:20, 2 Peter 2:5). These verses are simply the story of why the flood happened and why Noah was saved.

• When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose. Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.” The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown. -Genesis 6:1-4

This text does not explicitly say who the sons of God and the sons of man are, but some have claimed they are angels intermarrying with people to create a hybrid giant race.  This is ridiculous, baseless, and easy to refute.  First of all, logically, good angels would not sin in this way and fallen angels could never be considered sons of God. Also, angels cannot procreate since they are spiritual beings without bodies (Hebrews 1:14). Thirdly the Bible explicitly says that angels are not sons of God in both the Old and New Testaments.  Job 38:7 makes the distinction between angels (stars of the morning) and the sons of God. The New Testament explicitly states that the angels are not sons of God in Hebrews 1:5:

• For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”? Or again, “I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son”?

So, who are the Sons of God? Every time the Bible uses the phrase it is talking about people who have faith in God.

• “You are the sons of the Lord your God. You shall not cut yourselves or make any baldness on your foreheads for the dead. -Deuteronomy 14:1
• "They have dealt corruptly with him; they are no longer his children because they are blemished; they are a crooked and twisted generation." -Deuteronomy 32:5
• "If I had said, “I will speak thus,” I would have betrayed the generation of your children." -Psalm 73:15
• "In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence, and his children will have a refuge." -Proverbs 14:26
• For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. -Romans 8:14-16
• “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. -Matthew 5:9
• [F]or in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.... And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” -Galatians 3:26,4:6

So then, who are the children of men? In the general sense everyone, but here being opposed to the children of God, it means the children of only men, and not God, or unbelievers. Ezekiel 31:14 explains that children of men are powerful men that are prideful and so God will "cast them out." This becomes clear when the Genesis verses are read in context. At this point there were two civilizations. One civilzation is from the descendants of Cain (Genesis 4:17-24), and they are are unbelievers, so the sons of men only, not sons of God. The other civilization is from the descendants of Seth, who carry the covenant promise, so his descendants are faithful sons of God (Genesis 4:26). As Saint Augustine says in the City of God, Book XV, Chapter 1 - Of the Two Lines of the Human Race Which from First to Last Divide It, "Of these two first parents of the human race, then, Cain was the first-born, and he belonged to the city of men; after him was born Abel, who belonged to the city of God." Faithful men intermarried with the unbelieving women and it affected their faith. Just like God told the Israelites later on not to marry unbelievers and when they did, they strayed and worshiped idols.

At the same time this was happening, there were large powerful men, who began to take control and become leaders for the first time in human history, because they could dominate others. It is explained in Numbers 13:32-33, that the Nephilim is simple a name for "people of great height." They began relying on their own power and strength, rather than on God. These are the wicked things that people were doing mentioned in verse 5. By the time that Noah (a descendant of Seth as shown in Genesis 5) came around, he was the only one clinging to promise of messiah and remaining faithful to God. Tying this into the context of the verses after verse 4, that is why he was chosen.

Therefore, letting scripture interpret scripture by using the Bible's definitions of the terms and taking the story in its context of immediately verses before and after, it becomes clear that this is a story about how God preserved a bloodline of faithful people from Adam and Eve (through Seth) to Jesus, the promised Messiah. That is what the Old Testament is about after all. More specifically, these verses are setting up the story of the flood and are simply the background of why the flood happened and why Noah was saved. Therefore, these verses of Genesis 6:1-8, could be read in this way:

When the unbelieving descendants of Cain began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, the believing male descendants of Seth saw that the unbelieving female descendants of Cain were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose... and they bore children to them, who fell away from the faith due to the influence of their unbelieving mothers. Concurrently, tall, powerful men who trusted in themselves over God, were on the earth. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown.

The Lord saw that the His chosen people were not being faithful to Him, but falling away due to intermarriage with unbelievers and that men were relying on their own power and strength instead of God and His promises. And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. So the Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.” But Noah, who remained faithful to God's promises, found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

The Word of God is a Two-Edged Sword (Law and Gospel)

Paul explains that "the sword of the Spirit is the word of God." in Ephesians 6:17. He also explains that it is a two-edged sword that cuts right to the heart, "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." in Hebrews 4:12. That was also stated by Simeon, when Jesus was taken to the temple as a baby.  He said, "a sword will pierce through your own soul also, so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed." in Luke 2:35.

Since Jesus is the Word made flesh (John 1), he wields the sword.  He even stated that when he said, "I have not come to bring peace, but a sword." in Matthew 10:34. This was obviously not talking about military conquest, since he was peaceful, but he came to bring the Word of God.

Later in Revelation, John explains that when Jesus comes back his word will be a sharp two-edged sword, "From his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword." -Revelation 1:16  He continues to say that church should listen to "The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword." and "repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth." Revelation 2:12,16.  This shows that one edge of the sword is defensive and will protect those who repent.  That is the gospel that those who believe his word will be saved.  The other edge of the sword will be used as a curse.  This is expanded later in Revelation, "Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war.... and the name by which he is called is The Word of God.... From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations.... On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.... And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse." -Revelation 19:11,13,15,16,21

Acts 2:36-38 also explains that the two edges of the sword are Law and Gospel, "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."

God's Word cuts to the heart and lays open the sins of man through the law. It not only wounds us, but kills us to an eternal death.  However, with repentance and baptism, the other edge of the sword of God's Word heals us when we come to faith through the hearing of the word, the Gospel, the good news of salvation, which is the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Paul uses this imagery again in Romans 13:4 explaining that the Gospel side of God's Word is for your good, while the law side carries out God's wrath, "for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer."

You've (Not) Got To Be Carefully Taught

65 years ago, in 1949, the Broadway musical South Pacific made its debut.  It later became a hit movie in 1958. It has been heralded as ahead of its time in terms of racial content, and while I am not debating that, but one thing that has been driving me nuts about the media coverage of it, is the song "You've Got to Be Carefully Taught".  I have put the lyrics below.

You've Got To Be Carefully Taught," (Lyrics from South Pacific.)

You've got to be taught to hate and fear,
You've got to be taught from year to year,
It's got to be drummed in your dear little ear,
You've got to be carefully taught. 

You've got to be taught to be afraid. 
Of people whose eyes are oddly made,
And people whose skin is a diff'rent shade,
You've got to be carefully taught.

You've got to be taught before it's too late,
Before you are six or seven or eight,
To hate all the people your relatives hate,
You've got to be carefully taught!

No, you don't have to be taught. People have always hated the "other." This goes all the way back to Cain and Abel. People are also afraid and threatened of the new, or unknown. The reason for this is that we are sinful, fallen people.  People don't have to be taught sin. What people have to be taught is what Jesus did to conquer sin, death, and the devil.

Original Sin, Total Depravity, and Predestination Verses

Man cannot do good

“All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” – Romans 3:12 (Psalms 14:1-3; 53:1-3)

• Good here means God pleasing, not civil righteousness
• No one can do anything God pleasing due to original sin.  Believing in/choosing/seeking/ God would be God pleasing.  Therefore, we cannot choose God.

Man cannot seek God.

"There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.” – Romans 3:10-11

• If we cannot even seek God, then we cannot go to Him.

Man cannot come to God.

The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. – 1 Corinthians 2:14                           

• If we cannot go to God, then we cannot choose Him.

Man cannot choose God.

Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God – children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. – John 1:12-13

Man cannot earn Grace.

“[I]f righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!" – Galatians 2:21b

[F]or all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. – Romans 3:23

• If our salvation comes from us in any way, then Christ did not do enough.
• The law is thought (ie choice), word, and deed.  Example: 10 commandments
• If we can’t choose it and we can’t earn it, then it must not come from us at all

Grace is not from ourselves at all.

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.  All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts.  Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.  But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved.  And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.  For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. – Ephesians 2:1-9

• Dead men cannot resurrect themselves
• It would make salvation conditional on us.  If we… then we are saved.
• If it does not come from us, it must come from God.

God alone grants faith, which reconciles us to God (Subjective Justification)

For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him… – Philippians 1:29

[H]e saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. – Titus 3:5-7

The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. – 1 Timothy 1:14 

• He must have a reason and a means to grant this to us.

We are reconciled through Christ’s sacrifice (Objective Justification)

Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.  But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.  – Colossians 1:21-22

And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. – Hebrews 10:10

Since we cannot choose God, He must choose us, we are, therefore, predestined

Like sheep they are destined for the grave, and death will feed on them. The upright will rule over them in the morning; their forms will decay in the grave, far from their princely mansions. - Psalm 49:14

And if they ask you, 'Where shall we go?' tell them, 'This is what the LORD says: " 'Those destined for death, to death; those for the sword, to the sword; those for starvation, to starvation; those for captivity, to captivity.' - Jeremiah 15:2

He will come and attack Egypt, bringing death to those destined for death, captivity to those destined for captivity, and the sword to those destined for the sword. - Jeremiah 43:11

For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.  And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. - Romans 8:29-30

No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. - 1 Corinthians 2:7

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will-- to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. - Ephesians 1:4-8

In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will… - Ephesians 1:11

…so that no one would be unsettled by these trials. You know quite well that we were destined for them. - 1 Thessalonians 3:3

…"A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they disobey the message – which is also what they were destined for.  But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.  Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. – 1 Peter 2:8-10

When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed. – Acts 13:48

And the Lord added to their number daily those who were to be saved. – Acts 2:47

Hebrews 10:1-39 - Christ's Sacrifice

Christ's Sacrifice Once and For All

v. 1: What is the main argument of this section?

v. 2: How is the argument supported?

vv. 3-4: What is the purpose for the sacrifices offered during the old testament?

vv. 5-9: The writer refers to Psalm 40:6-8 and points to Jesus as the fulfillment of those words. What does Jesus do in his life and ministry to do so (v. 9b)?

v. 10: What accomplishes the will of the Father?

vv. 11-12: How does Jesus differ from the priests of the old covenant?

vv. 13-14: What is happening in world history from the time of Jesus' death and resurrection to the day of judgement?

vv. 15-18: What is accomplished by this new covenant?

The Full Assurance of Faith

vv. 19-22: What is the first result of the sacrifice made by Jesus in the daily lives of those who trust in him?

v. 23: What is the next results listed? What reason is given for the result?

v. 24: How do the results of Jesus' sacrifice spread out and effect others?

v. 25: What is part of the lifestyle exhortations in relationship to gathering for worship?

vv. 26-27: What happens if we continue to "deliberately keep in sinning?"

v. 28: How does this compare with the punishment from the old covenant?

vv. 29-31: What happens to those who "trample the Son of God under foot"?

vv. 32-34: What is the reason people are willing to receive persecution of the sake of the Gospel?

vv. 35-38: Why should we persevere int he faith while we face difficulty?

Book Review/Summary - We Confess Anthology (Herman Sasse)

This book was amazing! It is a must read for everyone. It covers so much ground on so many topics because it is actually a collection of essays and letters from Herman Sasse. They are generally categorized into three sections of Sacraments, Jesus Christ, and the Church. One of the themes throughout though is about confessing itself, which I have notes on below. I have and will continue to quote from this book in many other posts as well.

Confession in the Christian church is threefold:

1. Confession of Sin
2. Acclamation of God (praise, honor, glorify, worship)
3. Confession of Faith
1. It is necessary (Romans 10:9)
2. It is our individual answer evoked by God’s revelation of himself (Mark 8:19)
3. It is our whole church’s unified response to God’s Word (Mathew 6:13)
4. It belongs in the divine service and is similar to prayer because it is directed to God (1 Corinthians 12:3)
5. It is also directed toward the whole world (2 Corinthians 4:5, Colossians 2:6)
1. Confess Christ in your daily life (Matthew 18:19-20)
2. Confess Christ to defend your faith (1 Peter 3:15)
6. It will be fulfilled at the end of the world (Philippians 2:10)
7. Confession can't guarantee purity of doctrine, but purity of doctrine cannot remain without a clear confession.
1. "In removing the authority of the confession, it removes that of the Bible also. If it is no longer possible to say whether a confessional statement is in accordance with Scripture or not, then my doubt is basically not toward the confession but toward Scripture. I have lost confidence in it to interpret itself."
2. "Whether a church is still a confessional church is decided bot by the number of old confessional writings it still possesses but by its living proclamation in preaching, instruction, and pastoral care."
3. “Today there are only a few small groups, mostly small, who are not afraid of being called confessional and orthodox.”

The Grand Unified Theory

In previous posts, I have discussed authority and power; how faith consists of knowledge, acceptance, and trust; that knowledge is justified true belief; and that trust is confidence in character and competence. I have attempted to bring all those together above into a grand unified theory in how they all relate to each other. By now, I think it is obvious that I like taxonomy diagrams :)

2 Samuel 11:1-12:15 - David's Bad Decisions