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I have seen my wife grow in the past year more than I have seen her grow in our entire 17 years of marriage – and this growth didn’t require a new wardrobe. I am speaking of her spiritual growth and more specifically her love for God’s Word.
A couple of years ago she began to be impacted by a teacher of the Bible. Her name is Kay Arthur and she is a refreshing departure from the “Bible Study” norm. She doesn’t publish predigested opinions on how to interpret and apply Scripture. Unfortunately, much Sunday School, Small Group and personal material is called “Bible Study” but doesn’t actually facilitate much time “studying” your Bible.
What I almost instantly saw in my wife was that she began asking questions of the text: “How does this here line up with this over here?” She actually began to study her Bible – and not just study it but began to see more clearly its implications to her life. This enlightenment is 100% a function of the indwelling power of the promised Holy Spirit but I believe it was Kay’s method and paradigm that catalyzed the change.
I can see this very clearly in the form of an analogy. We all need to be fed – both spiritually and physically. As believers we typically gather once or twice a week corporately to “be fed.” This is absolutely vital for our spiritual health. At some point in our Christian walk, however, we must begin to feed ourselves – not in lieu of the corporate gatherings but in addition to them. Obviously, this should take place early in the Christian life just as self administering physical nourishment becomes a part the early development of any child. As our hunger for God’s Word grows we want more than we get on Sunday mornings – that’s just not enough.
So we feel compelled to be in God’s Word but many of us, if not most of us, have never been taught how to eat properly. Yes, there are manners and methods in our eating. Just as we can choke on food we have ingested too fast or experience a bad taste from food that has sat around because we’ve neglected it for a long time, there are certain ways in which you can properly and deliberately ingest God’s Word so that you actually realize the benefits of the nutrients within.
To take the analogy one step further and involve Kay’s influence on my wife, let’s consider fish. If we serve fish on Sunday mornings in our corporate gatherings, to be sure there will be some good southern fried catfish (or maybe sushi for some of us). So, in a healthy church where God’s Word is held in high regard and there is a commitment to teach truth, one can be well fed. But how do we teach people to fish – to catch their own fish throughout the week? So that day in and out they can “feed” themselves?
There is a world full of fishing methods and manners and to each his own. But, if there is a method that works consistently – a bait that repeatedly yields fruit, then by all means teach it to me! Kay’s studies don’t predigest the word’s of Scripture with the bold assumption that she knows what the Holy Spirit intends to teach you through a certain passage, she teaches you to fish. And she does not explain it in some pious instructional video where you have to imagine floating on still waters early in the morning but she takes you to the sweet spot, points out where you should cast your bait and then tells you why. She might give you some direction on bait types and the advantages or disadvantages of such but she gets YOU to catch the fish.
If you have ever been fishing or hunting and have been successful you know that joy of making your catch. Compare that joy and experience to hearing of someone else’s catch or watching it on a hunting or fishing show. Maybe the show or testimony whets your appetite but there is nothing like the thrill of the hunt and harvesting that fruit on your own.
Kay would be the first to tell you that inductive methods of Bible study are not original to her. However, God has unquestionably used her to help many folks learn to fish for themselves. She has simply assembled a few charts to give some structure to your thought and narrowed down a wide range of baits that you can use for any given passage and encouraged people to feed themselves – and she has quite the track record to back her up.
I have been cautioned, and rightfully so, that there is a place for the daily reading of God’s Word as opposed to an in depth study. The “study” it could be argued is what intimidates folks. First of all, I believe to neglect the general reading of God’s Word would be a detriment to your deeper study. If all you do is in-depth study then you’ll never get to some parts of God’s Word. You could easily find yourself only doing a deep study of two or three books in a given year. It could take you 30 plus years to get through the Bible that way – I don’t know if I have that much time left!
Allow me one last analogy; consider a mine shaft. Let’s say we are mining for gold. If I stop at the first few nuggets and spend the bulk of my time mining those, I could very well miss a part of the mine that has more and/or more significant nuggets. I could also not see certain pitfalls along the path if I am so caught up in the details. So, it would behoove me to regularly inspect the entire extent of the shaft to know its length and breadth as well as identify particular places. BUT, if we never dig out any nuggets, then we have never seen any real benefits from the mine.
It is certainly that way with God’s Word. We must consider and be familiar with the entirety of it – it is foolish not to. However, if we fail to glean any truth that is applicable to our lives, then our time there was much less than what God intended for it to be.
Reading the Bible through gives you an entirely different perspective. It helps you paint the overall big picture of God’s redeeming plan for His people and provides a context for the doctrines we will inevitably wrestle with as we do deeper study. But which comes first? We could debate that. All you have to do is be able to read to begin intentionally and systematically reading through the Bible, so in that sense it would certainly take less effort. So I’d say that for the newer Christian, that is certainly a great place to start.
However, those new Christians, and all the ones that are not so new, that aren’t “studying” God’s Word, MUST learn to fish at some point – and at my church, the latter outnumber the former. Kay has taken a timeless study method and designed a way to help even children of the faith begin to study their Bibles. As an additional point, I would venture to say that Kay’s approach is not only unintimidating, it will fuel the desire to be reading through God’s Word as well.
I really don’t mean to sound like Kay Arthur’s new marketing strategist; I have merely experienced firsthand the benefits of her ministry. Not only has God used her to be a catalyst for my wife’s spiritual growth, I have been using the method in my morning studies. I am convinced that the inductive method as she has so simply structured it is the best tool for anyone to not only catch their own catfish but to skin them as well.
It has now been just over a year since our petition to you for assistance in our adoption of Bethlehem and Tewdrose. Through those many months, God has been shaping and molding our family in many ways – ways we never could have expected. Growing your faith, by definition, isn’t a comfortable undertaking. Nonetheless, it is a basic part of existence for every believer pursuing a life lived to honor our Savoir. In light of that truth, I’d like to share some of what God is teaching us.
Every day, I grow, in ever so small increments, to understand on a deeper level God’s pursuit of His glory. As I first wrestled with this idea, I struggled with its seeming contradiction. On one hand, we have a God who loves us very much. A God who loved us so much that he planned the cruel, suffering death of His only Son as a payment for the sins of His adopted children. Peter preaches at Pentecost, “This Jesus, [was] delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God,” Acts 2:22-23. And Paul writes to his Roman converts, “We were reconciled to God by the death of his Son,” Romans 5:10.
On the other, we have a God who appears to be a megalomaniac – obsessed with Himself! The Bible depicts a God who will pursue His own glory at all cost. “I am the Lord, that is my name; my glory I give to no other nor my praise to carved idols.” Isaiah 42:8. Even humans made in His image were ultimately created for this purpose. “Everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made,” Isaiah 43:7.
The more I read Scripture, the bigger my God gets. If God is who He says He is, and He has done what He says He has done, then ascribing our deepest affections and sincerest praise to anything other than Him is entirely empty. I can’t imagine an endeavor any more void of significance than for God to command our passionate pursuit of any other end than Himself.
So when God says that we are created to worship Him, is that really megalomania or is it just another facet of His perfect love. The most loving thing God can do is command our avid admiration of Himself.
In light if this truth I’d like to challenge you, “How big is your God?” Does He merely desire us to live comfortable lives in pursuit of the American dream? Or, does He, amid all the ups AND downs of life, desire us to be satisfied in Him? John Piper, senior pastor of teaching at Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota, says it best: “God is most glorified in us, when we are most satisfied in Him.”
Secondly, God is teaching us, through the process of adoption, how he views His children. Through his sovereign grace He chose us to be His. It was grace because there is nothing in us that would make us choose God or earn His salvation: “For all have sinned and fall short…” and we “were dead in our trespasses and sins…” Romans 3:23 & Ephesians 2:1. Grace by definition is “unmerited favor,” getting something that you haven’t earned. Bethlehem and Tewdrose have done nothing to earn our favor. They bring nothing to our family equation that we don’t already have – except their love and devotion! And honestly, as we are just about to celebrate their fourth month as part of our family, they are still learning to set their affections on us. A perfect picture of our relationship with our adopted Father!
So my second challenge to you is to see yourself as an adopted child of God: “for you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons [and daughters] by which we cry out, ’Abba, Father!’” Romans 8:15. Before our adoption, our master was sin, Romans 6:16-18. We obeyed it and we were devoted to it. But now, as God’s children, the most obedient we can possibly be is to set our deepest affections on Him. For, He has created us for His glory and, after all, He is most glorified in us, when we are most satisfied in Him…
Hickory Horned Devil in Autumns Hand
Have you ever held a Hickory Horned Devil in your hand? I have – granted, it was a gloved hand.
This is a rather fascinating creation that brilliantly displays the attention to detail and creativity of Jesus Christ, the author of the Creation event! Jesus, the Word, was not only with God in the beginning, but as John 1 and Colossians 1 tells us “all things came into being through Him,” and “all things have been created through Him and for Him.” (John 1:2 & Col 1:16)
Cedarmore never fails to provide natural entertainment. This caterpillar helped our family pass a couple of hours the past two nights. We played with it, observed it and researched it.
Here is a link to some more detailed scientific information. Unfortunately, this type of caterpillar doesn’t form a cocoon (or chrysalis) in the open so we can’t observe the metamorphosis. This type burrows into the ground to do its business. You can see a picture of what the moth counterpart looks like here.
We also discussed the clear evidence of God’s desgin in such a creature. It never ceases to amaze me how eager some are to ignore the lack of evidence for the gradual change over time to produce such a beautiful, complex and unique creature. It’s also interesting that at the root of the word “creature” we find the word “create.”
Hanging from a stick - click for larger image.
Autumn - click for larger image.Eli - click for larger image.
Eli - click for larger image.
It seems James 1:27 is the most influential and claimed verse of scripture for the family called to adopt. I must admit that it speaks to the core of our family’s hope for how it will change us. We had become entirely too comfortable in our religious routine. We are eagerly expectant of the plow this process of adoption will be to the hardened soil of our lives.
“Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” I can’t say for sure what this verse does for everyone who is challenged to adopt by it. It must, however, have something to do with seeking to practice “pure and undefiled religion.”
For me, a cursory reading of the word “religion” most often raises a red flag. It conjures images of cold, empty, hygienically routine practices. After a deeper look though, the word speaks of deep devotion born out of a set of convictions. The dilemma is that the habits and practices of professing believers that are void of conviction are what typically get associated with the word.
In Colossians 2:18 the same Greek word (threskeia) is used and is translated “worship.” It is not the Greek word used when the healthy worship of God is what is meant. This word is actually used in the negative sense in Colossians as Paul exhorts the believers there not to give credence to any who practice the “worshipping of angels.”
It is in this sense that I believe James uses this word. The avoidance of defiled and impure religious practices is the goal. To keep the exercising of our beliefs and convictions from becoming empty and shallow, James issues a challenge to see to the needs of those less fortunate than ourselves. By definition, religion is the outworking of inward convictions. In other words, what you look like as one who is living a life of faith and repentance in Jesus Christ.
This message falls right in step with the overarching theme of his letter that faith void of works is dead. Only here, James seems to take it a step further. Not only is true saving faith accompanied by visible fruit, but certain disciplines can guard you from becoming spiritually sterile.
So, what application can you make for yourself out of this verse? It doesn’t necessarily mean you have to drop $30k to bring two orphans into your home. There are many opportunities for you to help meet the needs of widows and orphans. Your family can adopt a grandparent at your local nursing home. You can also investigate sponsoring an orphan through organizations like Kingdom Vision International who runs the orphanage in Ethiopia where we found Bethlehem and Theodore.
Regardless of what you do, I encourage you to do something to guard the daily outworking of your and your family’s convictions from becoming “stained” and sterile by this world. A world we are merely passing through…
I have just begun to reread a book by John Piper titled “Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ.” The first chapter is aptly titled “Seeing and Savoring the Glory of God: The Ultimate Aim of Jesus Christ.” As indicated by Piper’s choice of words, the book opens by laying a foundation for the ultimate aim of Jesus Christ. Have you ever considered that Jesus’ coming as God in the flesh to reconcile our relationship with our Creator was not the ultimate aim of his earthly mission?
In this article, I will reference the first chapter of Piper’s book. I believe it to be foundational in our understanding and practicing of healthy worship. I am also convinced that without a proper perspective of the ultimate aim of Christ, we run a serious risk of holding a skewed view of some core doctrine. So let’s investigate Piper’s claim of Jesus’ ultimate aim.
Piper begins by explaining how everything we see is created for God’s glory. Psalms 19:1 says that “the heavens declare the glory of God.” That’s why we have a universe where the planet earth is a mere speck. It isn’t to make a point about us – it is to make a point about our Maker. Contrary to what the world would have us believe, man is made for God’s glory as well. Isaiah 43:6-7, “Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth… whom I created for my glory.” Consider this for a moment. How many of our daily decisions are truly made with our true created purpose in mind? Practically everything our lives revolve around is ultimately for our own glory. Too many times even our well intended humanitarian acts are executed for our own glory – so we can feel better about ourselves. Romans 1:23 says that we have “exchanged the glory of God” for worldly things.
Piper says, “The deepest longing of the human heart is to know and enjoy the glory of God. We were made for this.” He explains by asking, “Why do we go [to the Grand Canyon]? Because there is greater healing for the soul in beholding splendor than there is in beholding self. Indeed what could be more ludicrous in a vast and glorious universe like this than a human being, on the speck called earth, standing in front of a mirror trying to find significance in his own self-image? It is a great sadness that this is the gospel of the modern world.”
So if all of creation, including man, is for God’s glory, why would the gospel event be anything else but for His glory? What do we think Jesus meant when He prayed, “Father, I desire, that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory…” John 17:24? Hebrews 1:3 says of Jesus, “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature.” One of the core issues undermining the soundness of the emergent church movement is that they are more concerned with how their “gospel” is received by man than they are concerned with how effective it is in securing God’s glory. II Corinthians 4:4 describes it as, “…the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” The good news is ultimately about and for His glory.
Why is it important to understand the ultimate aim of Jesus? We talk frequently of proper motivation in our worship. That motivation should be rooted in gratitude for the provision of Christ’s righteousness gifted through faith. We should adore Jesus for his willingness to be obedient to the death – the perfect sacrifice to atone once for all our sins. God should hold the ultimate place of affection in our hearts because “He saved us not on the basis of works which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy,” Titus 3:5. This is, without doubt, a healthy motivation. The danger is that we, without a proper understanding of Jesus’ ultimate aim, will ultimately find ourselves as His aim. Ultimately, the gospel event was for the glory of God – not for us. That is precisely why we no longer sing the song “Above All” in our corporate worship. Jesus did think of me when He “took the fall” for my sin. He, however, was not above all else obedient to death thinking of me; He did it to secure His glory!
Let there be no mistake, we are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26) and prepared before creation for His glory (Romans 9:23). We are to rule over His creation (Genesis 1:26). So we are more than just a temporal creation to bring glory to God – we have an eternal element shared by no other part of His revealed creation. Our souls are the only things that will survive the coming Day of the Lord where the earth and all its works will be burned up (2 Peter 3:10). However, we are still purposed for His glory – not for ours. That’s why Piper says that our deepest longings will only be satisfied when we are filling our role as God glorifiers – it is what we were made for! That is why understanding the ultimate aim of Jesus is important for maintaining healthy worship of Him.
Now, for the same basic reason, I firmly believe this understanding can help keep our view of certain doctrine from being skewed. When we study the Word of God with this truth as a backdrop, it helps us see essential doctrines, such as God’s sovereign plan and His just wrath, in proper context.
First, this view will help to reconcile a God that has chosen a people from the foundations of the earth to be His children with the biblical exhortations of human responsibility. The Bible without question, demands that man exercise human responsibility. Scripture is riddled with verses about exercising godly wisdom in our decisions. Additionally, when Jesus said, “whoever believes will be saved,” John 3:16 (and others) I believe He intended for us to conduct ourselves as though any and every person we come into contact with is His image-bearer and is a potential child of His. It is totally beyond the realm of human understanding, however, for God to choose who He will draw to himself. To ignore such a doctrine, though, is to ignore over 100 passages in Scripture that speak frankly of God choosing, electing, calling or drawing His children. More amazing, many times He specifies that this choosing or calling was before creation – as if it had been a part of His plan from the beginning! In Titus 1:1-2 Paul explains his letter’s purpose, “…for the faith of those chosen of God and the knowledge of the truth… in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before time.”
Secondly, this understanding of God’s ultimate aim also helps us to see how a good God must be just. The God of the Old Testament was consistently punishing those who refused to acknowledge His position and power. Scripture also describes a God who will design beforehand, through His sovereign election, some vessels for destruction to demonstrate His wrath and others for His mercy but all ultimately for His glory (Romans 9:22-23). In the Bible, we are shown a picture of both a God of wrath, who didn’t let sin go unpunished as well as a God who used unfathomable means to secure His glory. Do we think that His character has changed today? He is the same yesterday and today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). He will ultimately pour out His wrath on all sin – but the same grace that saves us today has saved all of His children from the beginning. God’s goodness will not – cannot – let sin go unpunished; that is what makes His grace and mercy so magnificent.
So, how does a grasp of the ultimate aim of God reconcile His sovereign electing grace and man’s human responsibility? How does it help answer the question of why He will execute a punishment we all have earned but all will not have to endure? Let’s face it, no one finds it difficult to accept man’s responsibility in making decisions but the idea that God could choose you from before the foundation of the world to be His child for all eternity is hard to swallow. If you don’t grasp that all of creation (including you and me), as well as the cruel murder of the incarnate Son of God, is all for His glory, then you’ll always struggle with God’s sovereign decision not to save all from the final judgment of His wrath.
I don’t want to mislead you by pretending to have completely understood the deep implications of His sovereign will and His saving grace. I can assure you, however, that I find immense peace there – I haven’t always, but I certainly do now. I can absolutely find comfort in a God who I can’t completely figure out. The single thing that has helped me see these difficult doctrines more clearly is viewing the challenging teachings of Scripture with the backdrop of God’s ultimate aim being to glorify Himself.
How can I say that we are called to exercise our human responsibility through godly wisdom? The Scriptures teach it. How can I say that through God’s sovereign plan He has chosen some from the foundations of the world to be His eternal children? The Scriptures teach it. How can I say that we all deserve to suffer the wrath of God for eternity, but He has provided a way for some through faith and repentance to escape it? The Scriptures teach it. How do I reconcile all of that? I can by understanding that He is God, and I am not. I reconcile it by knowing that whatever happens, no matter how things turn out, no matter what I choose to do with whatever responsibility I do have, God will not have His glory stolen. God will ultimately be glorified by whatever means He wills, and I will only be satisfied when my God is glorified through me.
God, help me not to merely grasp this truth, help it to shape my decisions and actions.
Peace thru Grace,
Bert
