Video Podcasting at Grace

Well, we have been experimenting with Video at Grace, why not check one out. Here is "the Virgin Birth", addressing the critical issue of the importance of Doctrine to today's Christian.

The Virgin Birth from Chad Graham on Vimeo.

For move videos visit our Vimeo video archive.

After Everything, To Stand

Christians are warned in the 6th chapter of Ephesians, that the Christian life is a Spiritual Battlefield. They are told to "Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes". They are even reminded that this battle will be long and hard fought, "so that after you have done everything, you may be able to stand" (see Ephesians 6:12-18).

The Bible describes the nature of this warfare, not as physical, but as a warfare of ideas. 2 Cor 10:5 describes it: "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ".

THE BATTLE FOR HEARTS AND MINDS

The first decade of the 21st Century has seen a great deal of change in Western Culture. The "cold war" of cultures between the culture of death, and the culture of life has broken forth on two fronts.

1) September 11th: Islamo-Fascism (The active, terror side of the Muslim world) opened up a full scale war with the west. While there is a great deal of debate regarding the effectiveness of the West's response, we are in an active war today --a war for the existence of our culture of life and freedom.
2) January 20th 2009: The inauguration of a new administration in the US overturned a political culture of life, and was quickly followed by an overturning of presidential directives against certain forms of abortion, embryo-destructive research, and other life issues.

3) Against this background, is a third cultural movement, the disintegration of the self. "integration" is unity and integrity. "Disintegration", therefore refers to disunity and confusion. This is seen in many places, but comes to root in two key things:

A) The "blur of gender identity" (see Ruth La Ferla, "It's All a Blur to Them," The New York Times, Thursday, November 19, 2009). This issue comes through strikingly in the controversy over the AMA music awards and the performance of American Idol runner up Adam Lambert. The arrangement is that sexuality is not an integrated part of who a person is, but rather a fashion or entertainment issue.
B) The "mechanical worldview". This worldview treats the human being as a mechanical organism consisting only of the body. The body, is ours, it is argued, and we can do with it whatever we want. The Christian worldview, once default in western society has always treated the human person as both body and soul, and thus linked to and belonging to God.

Well, how are these linked? As the West has lost its sense of "self", and come to see individual humans as "entertainments" or as "fashion statements", we have subtly dismissed their inherent worth as those made in the image of God. In other words, if I look on another person as a "disgusting fashion statement", why should I not expose them to my contempt, or worse, harm them?

The West, has therefore lost its will to stand for life, as life has become mere"entertainment". When therefore, mechanical "medical ethics" call for the destruction of the weak and vulnerable, for the convenience of the strong, who will stop them? When the Islamo-fascists care nothing for whether they, or we, live or die, as long as they succeed in their long term goal, who will have the will to halt them?

TWO RESPONSES

In response to this Chuck Colson, has led the way in signing a joint declaration "the Manhattan Declaration", arguing that all "Christians" Catholic Orthodox, or Evangelical must immediately stand together, or fall alone, as the one source that can see cultural renewal, in the cause of life and the dignity of the whole human person. While an evangelical and catholic, could certainly appeal to their culture or government today on these issues, the Declaration contains many affirmations of agreement on the gospel solution, "as Christians we" must work together to reinvigorate "our Christian heritage" in the culture of life. It argues that Christians of every stripe are writing together and consider that, "It is our duty to proclaim the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in its fullness, both in season and out of season”". A great statement of truth.


Conservative evangelicals such as Al Mohler, feel this is a critical statement to sign today, saying: "I want my name on that list. I surrendered no conviction or confessional integrity to sign that statement" (see "Why I signed").

Others wonder if that is the answer? A personal friend of Mohler, John MacArthur, another conservative evangelical, argues that while he would "obviously agree" with the positions of the statement on social issues, it lacks the one true solution to them. The gospel alone is the final answer, the ultimate means of changing peoples thoughts, feelings and worldview, it creates a culture of life, yet, "This is precisely where the document fails most egregiously", MacArthur argues (see "Why I did not sign").

It should be obvious to the careful student that the Roman Catholic Church and the Evangelical tradition do not share uniformity on the gospel itself. Rome argues that human sacramental works, done many times throughout the life of faith are both necessary, and the only means of salvation (see the Catechism of the Catholic Church art. 1129, 1252, 1262, 1263). Evangelicals argue that works cannot be a part of the process, but justification before God is recieved by faith in the atoning work of Christ completed once for all in the past. (see Calvin's Instituted Book 3, sections 16-17).

THE BIG QUESTION
The question must be, "what effect then can a joint effort, of the Catholic and Evangelicals to reform the culture through 'our duty to proclaim the Gospel', if we proclaim a different gospel?". It seems to be a wasted effort, with the troops firing at two different objectives. On the other hand, should a lack of agreement there, keep us from joining hands with anyone who wants to do what is right?

Allistair Begg, who also will not sign, writes, "Ultimately, the Gospel is the issue and it needs to govern issues of lesser or secondary importance, including those mentioned in this document. It is my prayer that the truth of God’s Word will bring the Gospel to bear on these important issues that are affecting our culture today." (see "Questions").

Which approach is right at this time? The question is urgent, for with tripartite alliance of Islamo-fascism, Secular Mechanicalism, and the dissolution of the Human Self and dignity striking all at once with arguments and pretensions against the true knowledge of God, we cannot "sit this one out", as one believer reminded another many years ago, in another urgent circumstance: "For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance ... will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to ...[your current]... position for such a time as this?"" (Esther 4:14).

***

For More Info on significant non-signatories see Tim Challies: "The Manhattan Declaration".

Any Questions?

John Piper has written an excellent article on the recent Tornado in Minneapolis, which occurred providentially at the very time in which a Church group was considering the ordination of homosexuals to their leadership.

Piper's Blog comments are food for thought for all people, especially believers.

The Temple of God-My Body

Whenever any person comes to see God as God, his life must change. David has affirmed this reality about God: "You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar" (Ps. 139:2). Turning from his own thoughts and ways he declared, How precious to me are your thoughts, o God! How vast are the sum of them!" (v. 17).

THE CHALLENGE
I wrote in the preceding post: The Temple of God, how little we tend to think of the temple of God in his church, as a general rule in North American evangelicalism. I have begun to see that there is a boulder, fashioned over decades, tied to our culture and perpetuated by massive inside evangelicalism organizations that has, in its attempt to make the church "user friendly", succeeded in making it an "assembly of the onlooker". And so God is not present in any power at our services. Those who are trying to stop this boulder can't simply swat it aside, but must begin to lay the groundwork of a barrier, they must begin to through down pebbles. that can slow the boulder a little. And many are doing so.

MY BODY
The place to start is in each one of us. God wants holy vessels. Paul warns Timothy, "Guard your LIFE and your doctrine closely" (1 Tim 4:16). That is the theology of the church as the temple of God, the very body of Christ on earth, the expression of God's glory to the world in the salvation of sinners, must go hand in hand with a lifestyle that matches that belief.

I think this is why the Bible, while emphasizing the corporate nature of the assembled church as the temple in which God's Spirit dwells, also refers to each believer's body as such. "do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." (1 Cor 6:19-20).

This individual temple, seems to echo the priesthood of believers and leaves us with a tension between recognizing the individual's standing before God on the one hand, as priest, and the Church's standing on the other as bride and body. To view it only from the side of the church, risks a sacramental view of the church's worship, to view it only from the individual side is to reject the headship of Christ. So both must be preserved.

The context of 1 Corinthians is sexual purity. You don't join the temple of God to fornication! This is why 1 Thessalonians 4 is so forceful, "this is the will of God, your sanctification, that you abstain from sexual immorality". (1 Thes 4:3).

Sexual immorality particularity defiles the temple, but to a lesser extent, so does any lesser form of non-sanctification. However, drawing on the thems of sexual purity, as temples of God, what lusts do we indulge? Prostitution? No, of course not. Monogamous premarital sex? Well... ? How about, "loving" homosexual unions? Vicarious lusts through television and movies?

I think when we start asking these questions we are doing the wrong thing entirely. Why ask, just what is the line that defiles the temple? Why not ask, "how can I sanctify to the utmost, how can I honour the Spirit of Christ in my body? Then, Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also, and live in light of the words of Paul, "to live is Christ".

MOTIVATION
Yet once again, we cannot legalistically set benchmarks and rules for ourselves, the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the spirit is life (Rom 8:6). Only God can sanctify, through our hope and faith in Him, by the spirit. We must begin to see
1) God, as God. If ever any person begins to see God, as God, according to the Scripture they are devastated. And this devestation produces godly sorrow, which leads to repentence, for the Lord, "exults teh humble".
2) Our Bodies as Indwelled by God. He is not a passive observer in our sins or sanctification, he is an active participant, "do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?" (I cor 6:15). Having seen God, as God, and been humbled, we begin to see ourselves in God, as part of Christ's body, as representatives of Christ, as having Christ live within us, then we will finally see
3) The Church as the temple and glory of the living God, and we will cry "better is one day in your church, than thousands elsewhere".

The Temple of God

God, as God

If ever any person begins to see God, as God, according to the Scripture they are devastated. God is not like us. God is Holy, God has infinite power, "who can endure the heat of his anger" Naham asks (Na 1:8). Yet we treat God, as less than God in our culture, in our lives and most devastatingly in our churches, yet: "This is what he LORD has said, 'Among those who are near me I must be regarded as holy, and before all the people I will be glorified" (Lev. 10:3). Does this mean anything?

Isaiah sees God, as God

Isaiah, for example entered the temple to pray, with ordinary, low expectation. He came to the temple, to the place where the glory of the Lord dwelt, without really knowing what the glory of the Lord was, or what the temple was... But suddenly all that changed as the earthy temple began to take on its heavenly reality. The robe of God's glory filled the temple in what must have been a light of glory, (cf. Is 6:2), the temple's foundations "shook at the voice of the one who called, and the house filled with smoke" (Is. 6:4). This is reflected in the book of revelation: "and the sanctuary was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the sanctuary" (rev 15:8).

Looking at Revelation we clearly see that this is the fierceness of God's glory coming to judge sin. Is it any different in Isaiah? The prophet seemed to think not. The smoke, the wrath, the glory of God is summed up in his nature, "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is filled with his glory" (6:3). God is Holy, he is set apart, he is sinless and hates sin. He is perfect, he is just, and "He repays those who hate him" (Deut 32:43).

Isaiah suddenly saw God, as God and cried out: "Woe is me" (6:5), a prophetic curse against himself!

Israel sees God, as God

When Israel stood at the foot of mount Sinai: "there were thunders and lightenings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God" (Ex 19:16-17). And this God they met, what was he like? "Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln and the whoe mountain trembled greatly." (19:18). Now how did they respond?

"‘Behold, the Lord our God has shown us his glory and greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire. This day we have seen God speak with man, and man still live. Now therefore why should we die? For this great fire will consume us. If we hear the voice of the Lord our God any more, we shall die. For who is there of all flesh, that has heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of fire as we have, and has still lived? Go near and hear all that the Lord our God will say and speak to us all that the Lord our God will speak to you, and we will hear and do it." (Lev 19:24-27).

God told Moses, "they are right in all they have spoken" (28).

The Disciples see God, as God

Now in the New Testament, we find the presence of God in the Temple of Christ's body, "the word became flesh and tabernacled amongst us" the same word in the OT LXX used of the Tabernacle built by Moses, "and we beheld his glory" (John 1:14). The disciples responded each time they saw God's glory in Christ, the same way, when he demonstrated his power to calm the storm, "they were filled with great fear and said to one another, 'Who then is this?'" (Mk. 10:40). Then on the mount of Transfiguration, a greater glory was seen by the inner three, just as in Isaiah's vision, the earthly temple began to take on its heavenly reality. Peter it is noted, "did not know what to say, for they were terrified" (Mk. 9:6).

The Church sees God, as...

John Prophecied concerning Jesus, "He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with Fire" (Matt. 3:11). As I studied this verse today I began to meditate on the Scripture, and tried to seek an answer as to what exactly this means. He will baptize his followers with the HS and fire. We have seen that the presence of God has been the presence of God, who is Spirit, and exemplified by fire. To this we could add the burning bush of Moses, and the words, "Our God is a consuming fire" (Heb 12:29). It seems John is prophecying the presence of God, through the Holy Spirit will be given. Now John 15-17 seems to bear this out, Jesus will not leave us as orphans, but will come to us, by sending his spirit and then dwell in us forever.

In Acts 2, we read that the disciples where praying and seeking the Lord, when suddenly, "there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house" again the presence of heaven appears on earth, and "divided tongues as of fire" appeared (v. 2-3). This event speaks of the Disciples, "being filled with the Holy Spirit" (v. 3).

Many people witnessed their preaching and "all were amazed and perplexed" (v. 12). God was in their midst. Now the rest of the NT Epistles clarify that the church, as an assembly of believers, "grow into a holy temple in the Lord" and is "being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit" (Eph 2:21-22). 1 Cor. carries this on as well warning that there is a consequence, the church is "God's temple" in which "God's Spirit dwells".

And we show up, if we bother to show up at church at all, with a sense of ... nothing. We are not devastated. We expect nothing, we fear nothing, and we wonder why are churches accomplish nothing! When God's glory appears, what terror will fill the world, "when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengence..." (2 Thes 1:7-8). To paraphrase Jesus, "when he comes will he find faith in his church?"

TOMMORROW

I need to think through the implications of this more, but I need a break till tomorrow.

Grace EFC Podcasts

I am excited to announce the launch of the GEFC podcast ministry.
As our podcast ministry has finally got up to a quality that I am pleased to "own", this new feature will be available here in the sidebar of my blog and on GraceCalgary.ca.

I hope that these expository messages, currently studying the book of Philippians will be used by God to bless you in some way.

Whose Rights and whose wrongs?

I read an interesting quote from Matthew Staver, Dean of the Liberty University Law School: "Whenever a right is granted to same-sex unions, then a right is taken from religious liberty and freedom of speech. Same-sex unions pose a serious threat to freedom of conscience and free exercise of religion."

One person's rights end up trampling another. After all, if it is a "right" for same sex couples to be married in the same way it is the "right" of all people to ride the public bus, then contradicting that right must not be tolerated. Just as we would stop a business from being "White only", we will have to go after a church for being "Straight only".

As this begins to happen, especially with the Canadian "Human Rights Tribunals" we are going to see the "Right" to freedom of religion curtailed quickly. Society's dominant template will not tolerate the Christian church in the very near future.

Christians must be prepared to be hated, as Jesus said, "You are not of the world, therefore the world hates you". It is a sad thing to find the champions of tolerance becoming the most intolerant as the battle for "Rights" becomes more convoluted.

We must pray for the peace of Canada (or the US if you live there), and be sure to speak out for the truth, no matter what the consequence to ourselves. Love for all men, including the gay community compels us.