Paul is an apologist - a defender of the faith. In fact, he is probably the apologist par excellence of all church history. The book of Galatians is one apologetic document that came from his pen. Every serious Christian should focus on this wonderful work. We can learn much about how to defend the faith just by studying it. For example, it becomes obvious that Paul's defence of the faith was never meant to do what only the Holy Spirit can do, namely bring people under conviction of "sin, righteousness and judgment" (John 16:8-11). It is basically meant to strengthen believers. For sure, it is never meant to win an argument against an unbeliever. Josh McDowell stated, "Apologetics is not for proving the Word of God but simply for providing a basis for faith." (Evidence That Demands a Verdict, p. iii). McDowell makes the amazing observation that though the majority of those to whom he has spoken did not deny his evidence, they did not accept Christ as Savior and Lord. "This is not because they were unable to believe - they were simply unwilling to believe." (op.cit.p. i) In Galatians 1:10 Paul showed a right attitude in approaching people with the evidence concerning the truth of Christianity. We need to watch our attitude. Then in verses 11-12 he spoke to the Galatian saints who had been troubled by the Judaizers who claimed to be the true Christians. They had been influenced by suggestions that he made up his own gospel. In another article we shall see where this all went.
Questions to Ponder:
1. Why do you think Paul focused on helping the saints in the Galatian churches rather than on the unbelieving Judaizers? Was this a departure from his normal evangelistic outreach?
2. How has evidence for the truth of Christianity affected you?
Showing posts with label purposeful living. Show all posts
Showing posts with label purposeful living. Show all posts
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Saturday, March 8, 2008
A Proud Church in a Proud Society (Rev. 3:14-22)
Pride was the fault of Nebuchadnezzar, the Old Testament Babylonian king (Dan. 4). Pride was the fault of Herod, the New Testament ruler of the Jews (Acts 12:21-23). As a result God made the first man insane and the second He killed Such judgment has happened many times over throughout history. The reason is God’s utter hatred for pride. “I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech” (Prov. 8:13). In Revelation 3:14 the Lord Jesus is identified as “the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God.” As such, to a proud church He appears with all certainty, finality and ultimate authority. The principle is just this: A people who are proud and think they need nobody’s help are a people who are doomed to failure.
• First, let us consider A city too rich and too proud for its own good (3:14). Of all the seven cities represented in our Lord’s letters to the churches one stood out for its wealth. That was Laodicea. They accumulated riches by becoming an important center of trade and communication. In addition, they produced a fine quality of famous glossy black wool. So wealthy was Laodicea that after the great earthquake of A.D. 17, which destroyed it, the people refused imperial help in rebuilding the city, choosing rather to do it entirely by themselves. Incidentally, they also had a famous school of medicine, and a special ointment known as “Phrygian powder,” famous for its cure of eye defects. However, their wealth could not change the fact that the city had poor water. It came from one of two sources, either from hot springs or from a cooler source. But both were over six miles away leaving the water lukewarm after traveling through a long aqueduct from those sources. Their wealth could not solve this water problem.
Why is this important? Many people think money can buy them anything, including happiness. No one questions the value of wealth. It provides us a dimension of well-being, security in the event of emergencies. However, it also provides the occasion to become self-sufficient and very proud. So, wealth could be our undoing. Mark Twain saw this at the end of the 19th century. He said, “The offspring of riches is pride, vanity, ostentation, arrogance and tyranny.” During that same era another great man, the Englishman Samuel Butler, stated, “The truest characters of ignorance are vanity, and pride and arrogance.” Our present society has become arrogant and proud in many ways. Does that make us ignorant to our precarious position? God says it does. “Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Prov. 16:18). We must learn that our wealth cannot buy us everything.
• But in that proud city is a church. That’s a good thing because the city needs some godly influences. Jesus said, “Ye are the salt of the earth … Ye are the light of the world” (Matt. 5:13-14). He then encourages His disciples to let their light so shine that men, in seeing the Christian’s good works, would then glorify God. But something was wrong with this church. It did not influence the city; the city influenced it and so we have … a lukewarm church. It was the same temperature as the city in which it lived.
And so, secondly, A church too rich and too proud for its own good (3:14-22). They even make the claim, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing” (3:17). How similar is that to the claim of the city! We must remember that money isn’t everything. Jesus continued His thought in Matt. 5:13 when He stated that believers are the salt of the earth, “But if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.” Remember, there is one thing the rich city could not improve on – their poor water. The same is true of the church. This church was lukewarm. We will reserve that thought for next week.
Why is this topic important? We cannot deny the fact: Our American churches are wealthy. How do we treat that? Is there any place in God’s plans for money? Can He approve of us if we have money? The answer is to be found in Luke 6:1-15. Practically every commentator agrees that the parable of the unjust steward refers to how wise ungodly men are in the use of their money for their temporal and finite needs. Without question the moral of the story is that Christians should make wise use of all of their resources for what is eternal and everlasting. It is also believed that the unjust steward had probably illegally charged these men interest which he buried in the initial debt, and intended to keep this money for himself. If this is correct, the steward was not reducing the amount his master was to receive. The master, in seeing the manner in which the steward relieved the burden of others to put others in his debt, commended the steward. As Christians, we should use our resources, both monetary and spiritual, to relieve the burdens of the poor and those in need so we may be well received into the kingdom of heaven. The whole point of teaching here is to appreciate values. The unjust steward began to value temporal things. We should value the good in spiritual and eternal things. The lord saw a valuable prudence in his steward. The Lord Jesus teaches us to look to the future—to invest in eternal securities. Our goods should be laid on the altar that we may have an abundant entrance into eternal life. We are not to trust in riches but are to use them as means to a desired end. If we trust in riches, we become a servant to mammon (money), a servant to the god of greed. If we trust in God the Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, then we view our money as a gift of God and realize that the best use we can make of our money is to use it so others may be brought to Christ.
Verse for This Week: “I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech” (Prov. 8:13).
Your Step for This Week: Choose someone you know who is proud. Develop a list of what you see as symptoms of his pride and why he would be proud.
Prayer for This Week: Help me, Lord Jesus, to be humble in my service for You, not holding on to any wealth you have granted me but to use it for Your kingdom.
• First, let us consider A city too rich and too proud for its own good (3:14). Of all the seven cities represented in our Lord’s letters to the churches one stood out for its wealth. That was Laodicea. They accumulated riches by becoming an important center of trade and communication. In addition, they produced a fine quality of famous glossy black wool. So wealthy was Laodicea that after the great earthquake of A.D. 17, which destroyed it, the people refused imperial help in rebuilding the city, choosing rather to do it entirely by themselves. Incidentally, they also had a famous school of medicine, and a special ointment known as “Phrygian powder,” famous for its cure of eye defects. However, their wealth could not change the fact that the city had poor water. It came from one of two sources, either from hot springs or from a cooler source. But both were over six miles away leaving the water lukewarm after traveling through a long aqueduct from those sources. Their wealth could not solve this water problem.
Why is this important? Many people think money can buy them anything, including happiness. No one questions the value of wealth. It provides us a dimension of well-being, security in the event of emergencies. However, it also provides the occasion to become self-sufficient and very proud. So, wealth could be our undoing. Mark Twain saw this at the end of the 19th century. He said, “The offspring of riches is pride, vanity, ostentation, arrogance and tyranny.” During that same era another great man, the Englishman Samuel Butler, stated, “The truest characters of ignorance are vanity, and pride and arrogance.” Our present society has become arrogant and proud in many ways. Does that make us ignorant to our precarious position? God says it does. “Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Prov. 16:18). We must learn that our wealth cannot buy us everything.
• But in that proud city is a church. That’s a good thing because the city needs some godly influences. Jesus said, “Ye are the salt of the earth … Ye are the light of the world” (Matt. 5:13-14). He then encourages His disciples to let their light so shine that men, in seeing the Christian’s good works, would then glorify God. But something was wrong with this church. It did not influence the city; the city influenced it and so we have … a lukewarm church. It was the same temperature as the city in which it lived.
And so, secondly, A church too rich and too proud for its own good (3:14-22). They even make the claim, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing” (3:17). How similar is that to the claim of the city! We must remember that money isn’t everything. Jesus continued His thought in Matt. 5:13 when He stated that believers are the salt of the earth, “But if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.” Remember, there is one thing the rich city could not improve on – their poor water. The same is true of the church. This church was lukewarm. We will reserve that thought for next week.
Why is this topic important? We cannot deny the fact: Our American churches are wealthy. How do we treat that? Is there any place in God’s plans for money? Can He approve of us if we have money? The answer is to be found in Luke 6:1-15. Practically every commentator agrees that the parable of the unjust steward refers to how wise ungodly men are in the use of their money for their temporal and finite needs. Without question the moral of the story is that Christians should make wise use of all of their resources for what is eternal and everlasting. It is also believed that the unjust steward had probably illegally charged these men interest which he buried in the initial debt, and intended to keep this money for himself. If this is correct, the steward was not reducing the amount his master was to receive. The master, in seeing the manner in which the steward relieved the burden of others to put others in his debt, commended the steward. As Christians, we should use our resources, both monetary and spiritual, to relieve the burdens of the poor and those in need so we may be well received into the kingdom of heaven. The whole point of teaching here is to appreciate values. The unjust steward began to value temporal things. We should value the good in spiritual and eternal things. The lord saw a valuable prudence in his steward. The Lord Jesus teaches us to look to the future—to invest in eternal securities. Our goods should be laid on the altar that we may have an abundant entrance into eternal life. We are not to trust in riches but are to use them as means to a desired end. If we trust in riches, we become a servant to mammon (money), a servant to the god of greed. If we trust in God the Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, then we view our money as a gift of God and realize that the best use we can make of our money is to use it so others may be brought to Christ.
Verse for This Week: “I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech” (Prov. 8:13).
Your Step for This Week: Choose someone you know who is proud. Develop a list of what you see as symptoms of his pride and why he would be proud.
Prayer for This Week: Help me, Lord Jesus, to be humble in my service for You, not holding on to any wealth you have granted me but to use it for Your kingdom.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Chosen on Purpose for a Purpose (Rev. 3:7-13)
The days of the Great Reformation were special days. They were days demanding great people, people of courage, people of purpose, people on a mission. For example, the French Calvinists (c. 1547) called Huguenots, were committed to upholding Truth. They were faithful in their witness to the belief that justification was by faith alone. For this they were persecuted fiercely. Their enemies also had a purpose – to rid the earth of evangelical Christians. Special courts were set up to try heretics, who were often burned at the stake. As martyrs multiplied, so also did evangelical Christianity spread. These were aided by massive mission efforts from Geneva. This illustrates the truth that people, Christian or nonchristian, with purpose have a reason for living. They get up in the morning, rolling up their sleeves, ready to work for their cause. It is interesting that the Lord chose to plant a church on a mission in a city that had a history of mission. Our passage in Revelation 3:7-13 begins with the city first.
The city of Philadelphia was a city chosen on purpose. It was located due west some 25 miles east of Sardis and about 100 miles east of Smyrna and ideally situated as a gate to the provinces of Lydia and Phrygia. There was a highway from the Aegean Sea that traversed through Smyrna, Sardis, Philadelphia and into the two eastern provinces. It was the Pergamenian king Attalus II (159-138 BC) who had been given the name "Philadelphus," which means "brother lover" because of his love for his brother. He established the city and gave it the task of spreading Greco-Asiatic culture and language in the eastern part of Lydia and in Phrygia. So the city may well have been founded for a social purpose. The great Christian archaeologist, William Ramsey, stated that the city “was a missionary city from the beginning, founded to promote a certain unity of spirit, customs, and loyalty within the realm…” The city successfully carried out its mission as is evidenced by the fact that the Lydian language ceased to be spoken in Lydia by AD 19 and the Greek language took over. Phrygia was a different story, however. It was not converted to Greek.
Why is this important? Our great country of the USA, like Philadelphia, was established to fulfill a purpose. What purpose? History tells us that those who landed on our shores had the aim of evangelizing the pagan natives of the land. Contrast this with the purpose of the Spaniards who landed first in Central and South America. Their goal was to get gold. Later our country was constituted with the words in its preamble, “We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” The purpose of our land was and still is to carry out justice, ensure peace, provide common defense, promote the welfare of all citizens and secure freedom. Successful? Yes! Within this context colleges were born. In the 17th century, Harvard University began as an Indian College to educate Native Americans. Princeton University goes back to its establishment by "New Light" Presbyterians and was originally intended to train Presbyterian ministers. Indeed, Mission Statements are essential but what good are they if not maintained?
Begs the Question: Do we know what God intends for us as a nation? Is it our intent to see that it is accomplished? Am I contributing to the advance or the demise of my great country? What must I do? What can I do?
The church in Philadelphia was a church with mission. She was reminded of this in the first few words. “These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth.” For the first time in all the letters Christ identifies Himself in words that were not quotes from chapter one. This fact makes this a special church. The Lord goes out of His way to claim deity for Himself. He claims to be “holy” and “true,” words used in the Old Testament for Jehovah, Israel’s covenant God. In calling Himself Jehovah of the Old Testament, Jesus Christ guarantees blessings to His people. Furthermore, the activity of this God is to hold “the key of David.” This is a reference to Isaiah 22:22 where the Secretary of the State of Israel, Shebna, who had held the key of David was removed and his office given to another, Eliakim (22:15). The term refers to having complete control over the Messianic kingdom of David. Rev. 3:7 introduces Christ as the only One who holds control over the Messianic kingdom. He alone brings people into the kingdom of God. When the Lord Jesus gave His Mission Statement to all churches at the time of His ascension (Matt. 28:18-20) He prefaced His remarks by saying something identical. “All power is given unto me in heaven and earth.”
Why is this important? Any Christian who is looking forward to the fulfillment of the Abrahamic and Davidic covenants has been introduced to Christ for citizenship in Christ's kingdom. He "opens and no one will shut, and [He] shuts and no one opens." He is the One, the author of the opportunity of salvation. He is in possession of the gates to heaven and the gates to hell. This is His present activity, not just His ability. Men cannot claim this. Pagan gods like Janus, the two-faced god, cannot havethis. Even the pope who assumed this power cannot do it. Only the Lord Jesus who gave mission to every Christian can claim such authority. He does not even pass this key over to Christians. It is His alone, but when Christians carry out their purpose of witnessing, they can do so knowing that genuine results come from the sovereign God, their Savior.
Begs the Question: Do we have assurance of salvation? Are we faithful in our witness to the Truth?
Verses for Today: "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations …and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Matt. 28:18-20)
Your Step for Today: Thank the Lord for introducing you into His kingdom. Pick out one person with whom you can share the gospel and trust the One Who holds the keys to that person’s future.
Your Prayer for Today: Give me confidence in your ability, Lord. And, also, in your present activity as I witness to the lost.
The city of Philadelphia was a city chosen on purpose. It was located due west some 25 miles east of Sardis and about 100 miles east of Smyrna and ideally situated as a gate to the provinces of Lydia and Phrygia. There was a highway from the Aegean Sea that traversed through Smyrna, Sardis, Philadelphia and into the two eastern provinces. It was the Pergamenian king Attalus II (159-138 BC) who had been given the name "Philadelphus," which means "brother lover" because of his love for his brother. He established the city and gave it the task of spreading Greco-Asiatic culture and language in the eastern part of Lydia and in Phrygia. So the city may well have been founded for a social purpose. The great Christian archaeologist, William Ramsey, stated that the city “was a missionary city from the beginning, founded to promote a certain unity of spirit, customs, and loyalty within the realm…” The city successfully carried out its mission as is evidenced by the fact that the Lydian language ceased to be spoken in Lydia by AD 19 and the Greek language took over. Phrygia was a different story, however. It was not converted to Greek.
Why is this important? Our great country of the USA, like Philadelphia, was established to fulfill a purpose. What purpose? History tells us that those who landed on our shores had the aim of evangelizing the pagan natives of the land. Contrast this with the purpose of the Spaniards who landed first in Central and South America. Their goal was to get gold. Later our country was constituted with the words in its preamble, “We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” The purpose of our land was and still is to carry out justice, ensure peace, provide common defense, promote the welfare of all citizens and secure freedom. Successful? Yes! Within this context colleges were born. In the 17th century, Harvard University began as an Indian College to educate Native Americans. Princeton University goes back to its establishment by "New Light" Presbyterians and was originally intended to train Presbyterian ministers. Indeed, Mission Statements are essential but what good are they if not maintained?
Begs the Question: Do we know what God intends for us as a nation? Is it our intent to see that it is accomplished? Am I contributing to the advance or the demise of my great country? What must I do? What can I do?
The church in Philadelphia was a church with mission. She was reminded of this in the first few words. “These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth.” For the first time in all the letters Christ identifies Himself in words that were not quotes from chapter one. This fact makes this a special church. The Lord goes out of His way to claim deity for Himself. He claims to be “holy” and “true,” words used in the Old Testament for Jehovah, Israel’s covenant God. In calling Himself Jehovah of the Old Testament, Jesus Christ guarantees blessings to His people. Furthermore, the activity of this God is to hold “the key of David.” This is a reference to Isaiah 22:22 where the Secretary of the State of Israel, Shebna, who had held the key of David was removed and his office given to another, Eliakim (22:15). The term refers to having complete control over the Messianic kingdom of David. Rev. 3:7 introduces Christ as the only One who holds control over the Messianic kingdom. He alone brings people into the kingdom of God. When the Lord Jesus gave His Mission Statement to all churches at the time of His ascension (Matt. 28:18-20) He prefaced His remarks by saying something identical. “All power is given unto me in heaven and earth.”
Why is this important? Any Christian who is looking forward to the fulfillment of the Abrahamic and Davidic covenants has been introduced to Christ for citizenship in Christ's kingdom. He "opens and no one will shut, and [He] shuts and no one opens." He is the One, the author of the opportunity of salvation. He is in possession of the gates to heaven and the gates to hell. This is His present activity, not just His ability. Men cannot claim this. Pagan gods like Janus, the two-faced god, cannot havethis. Even the pope who assumed this power cannot do it. Only the Lord Jesus who gave mission to every Christian can claim such authority. He does not even pass this key over to Christians. It is His alone, but when Christians carry out their purpose of witnessing, they can do so knowing that genuine results come from the sovereign God, their Savior.
Begs the Question: Do we have assurance of salvation? Are we faithful in our witness to the Truth?
Verses for Today: "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations …and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Matt. 28:18-20)
Your Step for Today: Thank the Lord for introducing you into His kingdom. Pick out one person with whom you can share the gospel and trust the One Who holds the keys to that person’s future.
Your Prayer for Today: Give me confidence in your ability, Lord. And, also, in your present activity as I witness to the lost.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
