tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47323222432699275122024-03-18T23:30:57.056-05:00LivingToGodMusings on Scripture, theology, culture, and living every moment of life to the glory of GodSean Lillishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17385296145962738120noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732322243269927512.post-13459117616897545212016-03-23T13:47:00.000-05:002016-04-24T22:16:25.982-05:00Why Have Your Forsaken Me?<div>
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q-KasHwua7s/VvLl7744geI/AAAAAAAAAL4/GRiRA9wJ4nU8BZXfGrmNrgmSrmcDhy-7w/s1600/Lamb%2Bof%2BGod%2B-%2BAtonement.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q-KasHwua7s/VvLl7744geI/AAAAAAAAAL4/GRiRA9wJ4nU8BZXfGrmNrgmSrmcDhy-7w/s320/Lamb%2Bof%2BGod%2B-%2BAtonement.jpg" width="320" /></a>This coming Sunday is Easter. We, along with millions of other Christians around the world, will celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In a sense we celebrate it every day, but this day we purposefully direct our attention to the miracle of the empty tomb and all that it means for the people of God, both today and for eternity.</div>
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Of course, there would be no tomb apart from the cross. As we celebrate a risen Savior, we remember a dead Savior. Just three days earlier, Jesus had died, and with that death He purchased redemption for us. The resurrection is the evidence of the sufficiency of that transaction. The Father’s wrath was born by the Son in our place. Birthed in the love of God for the enemies of God, the Son of God died that we might be the children of God. The brightness of Easter Sunday is possible only because of the darkness of Good Friday.</div>
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And dark that day was! In fact, the sky literally darkened as Jesus drew His last breaths. Before He died, He cried out a question that captures the significance of that moment in time. It is a quotation from Psalm 22: <b>“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”</b> The emotional impact of that statement upon us is tremendous, yet it should not overshadow its theological impact. What does it mean for the Son to be forsaken by the Father?</div>
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To get an idea of what was taking place here, we need to remember what the relationship was between the Father and the Son in eternity past. The first lines of John’s Gospel tells us: <b>“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning”</b> (John 1:1-2). For all of eternity, the Son of God was with the Father. The idea conveyed in these verses (as well as John 17:5) is a close, intimate orientation toward one another. This was the eternal relationship of the Father and the Son and it was the only one that Jesus had ever known—the loving, approving face of His Father.</div>
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We can get a better idea of this relationship when we understand the Bible’s highest expression of fellowship with God. Moses’ blessing upon the Israelites in Num.6:24-26 capture this idea: <b>“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.” </b></div>
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On the other hand, to have the Lord’s face turned away from you brought with it a terrible sense of fear and dread. David writes in Ps.27:8-9, <b>“My heart says of you, ‘Seek His face!’ Your face, Lord, I will seek. Do not hide your face from me, do not turn away from your servant in anger; you have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, o my Savior!”</b> From eternity past and throughout His earthly ministry, the Son was turned toward His Father’s face. And His Father’s face was turned toward His Son’s in an expression of love and pleasure.</div>
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Until that dark day on Golgotha.</div>
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On that day, when He who knew no sin was made sin for us (2 Cor.5:21), when the Son of God bore the sins of mankind upon His body (1 Pet.2:24) and experienced the curse in our place (Gal.3:13), His cry from the cross vocalized an experience He had anticipated with overwhelming dread the night before in the Garden of Gethsemane. Where before He had always known the loving face of the Father, His human nature now became the vehicle by which He experienced in His whole Person the wrath of His Father.</div>
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On that day the Father did not cease to love the eternal Son, nor did He cease to be pleased with Him. There was no rift within the Godhead. To suggest otherwise is to blaspheme. Rather, on that day, the Father judged the Incarnate Son. It was for this purpose that He took on human flesh and a human nature (Phil.2:5-8). It was Jesus Christ’s—the God-Man— experience of God as Judge, captured in a derelict cry from a wooden cross, which makes the celebration of Easter morning possible for you and me. He did this for us. His Father sent Him to be the Savior of the world, and He obediently submitted to the will of His Father, so that the Lord’s face could shine upon us. In that hour He turned His face from His Son so that He could eternally turn it toward us and give us peace.</div>
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The proof is an empty tomb.</div>
Sean Lillishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17385296145962738120noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732322243269927512.post-46897487819385489022016-01-11T17:21:00.000-06:002016-01-11T20:23:27.223-06:00Suffering For the Glory of GodTrials are a reality of life, and one doesn't have to be a Christian for too long before discovering that trusting in Jesus doesn't grant us a free pass from pain and suffering. In fact, as we have been learning in our study in James on Sunday mornings at my home church, trials are not just a possibility for believers; they are a certainty. James writes, "Consider it all joy, brethren, <i>when</i> you encounter various trials..." (James 1:3). Not if, but when. Trials are used by God to produce Christlikeness in us. They are a tool in the hands of the Master Craftsman for fashioning us into the man, woman or child that He created us to be.<br />
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Okay. we get that. We don't always like it, but we get it. But let's take this topic of trials and God's purposes one step further. One of the classic examples in the Scriptures of the purpose of trials is found in John 9. As Jesus is traveling with his disciples, he encounters a man who had been blind since birth. The disciples pose a question to the Lord: who is to blame for the man's blindness? Was it because of his sin, or perhaps his parent's sin? This is a perfectly logical question, because sometimes there is a correlation between sin and difficult circumstances.<br />
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But the disciple's question also reveals a deficiency in their thinking. They imagine that this trial <i>must</i> be the result of sin. They don't seem to allow for any other possibilities. In posing this question, the disciples reveal an inadequate understanding of both God and His purposes and methods as well as the purpose of trials. Helen Keller is famous for saying, "The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but not vision." The disciples could see, but they needed to have their vision of God enhanced. Jesus, the "light of the world," does just this (John 9:4). He corrects this deficiency in their understanding, and in doing so, he blows open their neatly-packaged theological systems. And ours as well.<br />
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Jesus tells His disciples that sin was not the reason for the man's blindness. Rather, his condition existed "so that the works of God might be displayed in him" (John 9:3).<br />
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I can imagine that at this moment the disciples stopped in their tracks and did a double-take at their Master. What in the world does this mean? They could understand blindness as a consequence for sin, but Jesus specifically denies that as the reason in this case. It has nothing to do with sin. Rather, it is for the purpose of revelation. This man has endured this trial all these years in preparation for this very moment, so that "the works of God might be displayed in him." In His providence, God had permitted this incredibly difficult trial so that, in an encounter with the Lord Jesus, the glory of the works of God might be publicly portrayed in such a way that people would realize that Jesus is who He claims to be--the Son of God and the Savior of the world.<br />
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Texts like this have a way of shattering our preconceived notions of how God is "supposed" to do things. Is our category for God big enough to handle what Jesus is revealing about our Father and His purposes?<br />
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Consider the trial that you may be enduring right now. You have prayed and scoured your mind to try and identify and confess any sin that might be the cause of this trial. You have tried everything but you can't do anything to change the circumstance. You know that you are to find joy in the midst of the trial, but joy seems out of reach. Is it possible that you, like the disciples, need the doors blown off your understanding of God and His purposes?<br />
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Perhaps what you are enduring has a greater purpose than you have been considering. Perhaps God has allowed this situation or this person or this issue into your life so that He might use you to display His works to others. Could this change your perspective? Could it cause you to look at the trial--and God--in a new and greater way, knowing that God is at work in you and through you to display His power? Perhaps even change your prayer from "Lord, please remove this trial," to, "Lord, please use this trial to reveal Yourself through me."<br />
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And as we begin to comprehend that God uses trials in this way, an amazing thing is produced in the midst of our trials: joy. Joy in the knowledge that God is the Author of our lives. Joy in the realization that this trial may be used by the Lord to reveal Himself to others. And joy in the acknowledgment that our God is far bigger and greater than what we have imagined Him to be.<br />
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Sean Lillishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17385296145962738120noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732322243269927512.post-39505644167905616792015-07-30T14:37:00.000-05:002015-07-30T16:50:31.185-05:00Not Another Boy<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H4Yd2k91YVE/VbqTyEpBcyI/AAAAAAAAALE/ssxCjN88E3s/s1600/hands.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H4Yd2k91YVE/VbqTyEpBcyI/AAAAAAAAALE/ssxCjN88E3s/s1600/hands.jpg" /></a>"Another boy!"<br />
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Those are words stated by a Planned Parenthood staffer during the dissection of an aborted baby. A boy. A baby boy. Call it a lump of tissue. Call it a symbol of choice among an evolved, civilized people. Call it whatever you want, but as we herniate ourselves attempting semantic gymnastics, let us at the very least have the guts to call it for what it is.<br />
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Another boy.<br />
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Two simple words, the significance of their meaning dependent upon their surroundings and who is uttering them. Proclaimed from the delivery room, they represent joy and happiness as another boy is welcomed into the world. From this Planned Parenthood clinic, they represent the horror of a conscience seared by sin and wickedness<br />
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Another boy<br />
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Together, these two words represent one dead baby. Separately, they represent an untold throng of boys who preceded this precious life, snuffed out by crushing forceps and dismembered on a plate for parts.<br />
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Another boy.<br />
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As a people who claim to stand for justice and the rights of those who cannot speak for themselves, this is a test of those claims. Do we truly stand for justice, or is justice simply defined by whatever pulls on our collective heartstrings at any given moment? Is justice a constant? Or is it dependent upon whatever the media chooses to sound the klaxon over in order to whip the civilized into a moral and ethical frenzy? When a lion is "taken" by a dentist, the conscious of a nation collectively mourns and shouts for justice. How much more should that conscience mourn and shout for justice when the one taken is "another boy"?<br />
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Another boy.<br />
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The biggest obstacle for people to get past in order to change their minds about the nature of abortion isn't that it protects choice. It's that it means admitting that abortion is and always has been murder. It's easy to get upset over a dead lion. Doing so doesn't mean admitting culpability for millions of other dead lions. In order to change one's mind about abortion, however, that is exactly what one has to do; strip away all the whitewashed terms like "choice," "reproductive rights," and "tissue" and call it for what it is.<br />
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Another boy.<br />
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What is his name? What are the names of the boys (and girls) who collectively form the "another"? When will we finally stand up and declare that everything else that we worry about when we step into the voting booth pales in comparison to our moral obligation to stand up for the boys and girls who die each and every day in this country? There is no greater issue of justice then this. May our voices go forth with a new pronouncement from this day forth:<br />
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Not another boy!<br />
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<br />Sean Lillishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17385296145962738120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732322243269927512.post-15762666120930247372015-07-25T11:14:00.000-05:002015-07-25T12:03:48.225-05:005 Questions To Ask Yourself Before Leaving Your ChurchMany thanks to the fine folks over at For The Church for running this piece: <a href="http://ftc.co/resource-library/blog-entries/5-questions-to-ask-yourself-before-leaving-your-church" target="_blank">5 Questions To Ask Yourself Before Leaving Your Church.</a><br />
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<br />Sean Lillishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17385296145962738120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732322243269927512.post-61569947011998564072015-06-26T11:52:00.001-05:002015-06-26T14:41:50.454-05:00How Should We Respond To The Supreme Court Ruling On Same-Sex Marriage?The Supreme Court today has issued its ruling, and although most of us probably are not terribly surprised, it is still a blow to the gut for those who believe that a biblical view of marriage is one man and one woman. As Christians, how should we respond?<br />
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<b>We should continue to live by faith. </b>The Lord is still on His throne. Heaven is not in crisis-mode. God's sovereignty is not trumped by the will of man, whether that will is executed in the voting booth or from the bench. That the world would choose to bow before self rather than God is no surprise. But as those who willingly bow the knee to King Jesus, we need not cower in fear nor quit in defeat. Rather, we exalt in hope, because our God reigns!<br />
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<b>We should continue to live the gospel. </b>The gospel of Jesus Christ is the only means of true identity for men and women. Without the gospel, man's identity is just a twisted version of what God originally created. The gospel restores this identity by making all things new, and as Christians we should live resurrection lives before a world desperately in need of the restoration accomplished at the cross.<br />
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<b>We should continue to proclaim the gospel. </b>Because the gospel is the only answer to the sin issue that plagues mankind and twists our understanding of what it really means to be men and women, we must be heralds of this message. Now more then ever, you and I need to declare to the world, in gentle words and in compassionate deeds, one simple thing: Jesus Christ, crucified and resurrected.<br />
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<b>We should continue to invest in our churches. </b>The church is a place for coming together to worship our reigning God, for encouraging one another to be faithful, for helping to bear the burdens of those who are struggling to do just that. We need to continue to build into the church by attending, utilizing spiritual gifts for the building up of the body, and ministering to one another as well as to those outside. Our churches will be ground zero for the coming wave of broken people that will soon be looking for answers and healing, but in order to minister to them tomorrow, we must be investing in our churches today.<br />
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<b>We should continue to invest in our marriages and families. </b>The greatest testimony to a biblical view of marriage and family are biblical marriages and families. We cannot stand in the public square and disavow other's households if our own is in disorder. No one will listen. Our marriages and homes must be built upon the gospel, steeped in truth, and overflowing with grace and love.<br />
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<b>We should continue to pray. </b>And if we haven't been praying, we should start. We should ask the Lord to protect His people, churches, and ministers in the days to come. And if He chooses to permit us to suffer, let us pray that He will provide us with the strength to stand firm. We should entreat Him to break our hearts over our own sin as well as soften them towards those whom sin has crushed. We should implore Him to give us opportunities to tell others what true redemption and liberty really are, and we should beg Him to give us gentle boldness when those opportunities present themselves.<br />
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There are times in history when God permits events to occur that rouse His slumbering children, that causes us to shake off the comfortable blankets of apathy and wipe the sleep from our eyes. The days of mediocre, comfy Christianity in America are gone. Today we step into a new world. May we do so firmly entrenched in the gospel of Jesus Christ, newly aware of who we are in Jesus and of the power of His name. And may we never, ever recover.Sean Lillishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17385296145962738120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732322243269927512.post-74179485141681694412015-03-09T15:12:00.001-05:002015-03-09T16:14:12.700-05:00Romans 5-8 in 15 Words<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"For I am confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." (Phil.1:6, NASB)</blockquote>
Here in this verse, the Apostle Paul summarizes the great theme of security laid out in his magnum opus, the letter to the Romans. In the Greek text, Paul's certainty of the fulfilment of the believer's salvation is expressed in a mere fifteen words (ninety-seven characters--how's that for coming in under the limit for a tweet?), yet it is frontloaded with rich theology.<br />
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The foundation of his confidence is where those who reject eternal security usually go off the rails, for if the fulfillment of salvation is dependant upon us even in the slightest bit, then we have good cause for concern. But Paul does not look to the Philippians as the means of this future perfection. Rather, his confidence is in God (v.3). It is God who set these saints apart as holy (that's what the word <i>saint</i> means), and Paul is absolutely certain that what God starts, He finishes. He will see them through to the end result. He will accomplish what He started. He will not lose a single one, but all who have had this good work begun in them will see it realized. This is no mere hope for Paul the way we so often understand hope, as something that is uncertain of actually coming to pass as when a trembling young man with sweating palms shyly asks a young lady to prom. Rather, this is Paul's certainty, his absolute assurance, his confident expectation. No matter what happens, Paul is confident that God will finish the work of salvation which He started. And the realization will be accomplished through the same means by which it was initiated--through Jesus Christ. His finished work on the cross saved them; His glorious appearing will perfect them.<br />
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Here, then, is the perfect summary statement to describe the extended teaching on the security of the believer that Paul presents in Romans 5-8. Those whom God has justified, Paul writes in Romans 5:1, have peace with God. That is the state of our relationship with God, dear Christian friend. The enmity has been replaced by peace. Where before we were the objects of God's wrath, now, because Jesus has taken our place and bore our punishment, we are now sons. Where before we looked to Him with only the anticipation of judgment, now we look to Him as a son looks to a father. Finally, we are at peace.<br />
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And Paul says that, as a result, we exalt in the glory of God. In Romans 3:23, it was the glory of God which we had fallen short of in our sinfulness. It was this glory, this fulness of all that God is in His being and Person that stood beyond our reach, and now Paul says that we exalt in it! We rejoice in it! We savor it! And when it is revealed in all its majesty on the day of Christ Jesus, it shall not bring death to us, but perfection and completion. Where now we see in a mirror dimly, in that day we shall see face to face. In that day we shall exalt in the glory of God, for that is why we were redeemed in the first place, "to the praise of the glory of His grace."<br />
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Romans 5 continues to demonstrate the reality that our justification by faith is a secure and unchanging justification, for if God has accomplished the greatest, most difficult thing possible--reconciling us while we were helpless sinners and enemies, then certainly He will do the easier thing, which is to complete what He started. He has already done the hard part--saving us. He most certainly will do the easy part--perfecting us. Through Jesus Christ He has transferred us from the mastery of sin and its cadaverous consequence to a new Head, Whose one act of obedience has produced righteousness and life. The wages of sin are most certainly death, but Paul's confidence for the Philippian believers is the provision of the free gift of eternal life!<br />
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In Romans 6-7 Paul turns to the life of the believer and the freedom to live righteous lives, yet even this is related to the security of the believer, for here we read that we have been raised from the dead with Christ. God has given us new life in Jesus Christ, and this new life is the birthday of this good work which He has begun in us and will complete. The flesh rebels, yet the field will be the Lord's!<br />
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Paul's confidence that the battle will be won is expressed in two phrases in Romans 8 which serve as bookends to the chapter: "Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (v.1) and nothing "will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (v.39). <i>No condemnation</i> and <i>no separation</i>--that is the reality for the believer who has trusted in Christ. Truly, then, if God is for us, who is against us? And God really is for us! He gave up His Son in order to set into motion a plan, originated in eternity past, in which He would purchase us for Himself. The scourging, the cross, the tomb, all of it was so that He might purify for Himself a people that are His very own, to the praise of the glory of His grace.<br />
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Romans 5-8, then, encapsulated in fifteen words in the greeting of the letter to the Philippians. What God has started, He will finish. What is incomplete will be completed. What is imperfect will be perfected. And one day, when Jesus returns, we will know this completion, and we will exalt in the glory of God, for He will have completed what He started and fitted us perfectly to glorify Him for eternity.<br />
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Sola Deo Gloria!Sean Lillishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17385296145962738120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732322243269927512.post-12651478952740877972015-03-04T13:45:00.002-06:002015-03-04T14:28:51.774-06:00Responding to the "Angry God" PerceptionDo you see God as angry and vengeful, always ready to punish and judge? If this is you, then I would challenge you to take ten seconds to read Romans 5:6-10:<br />
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For <u>while we were still helpless</u>, at the right time Christ died <u>for the ungodly</u>. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. <i>But God demonstrates His own love toward us</i>, in that <u>while we were yet sinners</u>, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if <u>while we were enemies</u> we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. <span style="font-size: x-small;">(NASB, 1995, emphasis mine)</span></blockquote>
Now, having read this description of God's disposition toward us, and having noted well the condition we were in at the time He acted, ask yourself this: is this the description of an angry, vengeful God? Does it match the perception of God that you have been holding on to all this time? Or is it just possible that your perception of God has been skewed? Be honest with yourself, now.Sean Lillishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17385296145962738120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732322243269927512.post-37332244696873033892015-02-20T10:08:00.003-06:002015-02-20T10:15:44.455-06:00Spurgeon on the Importance of Participating in the Local Church<br />
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<em style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">“I know there are some who say, “Well, I have given myself to the Lord, but I do not intend to give myself to the church.” Now why not? “Because I can be a Christian without it.” Are you quite clear about that? You can be as good a Christian by disobedience to your Lord’s commands as by being obedient? What is a brick made for? To help build a house. It is of no use for that brick to tell you that it is just as good a brick while it is kicking about on the ground as it would be in the house. It is a good-for-nothing brick. So you rolling-stone Christians, I do not believe that you are answering your purpose. You are living contrary to the life which Christ would have you live, and you are much to blame for the injury you do.” -Charles Spurgeon</em></blockquote>
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Sean Lillishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17385296145962738120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732322243269927512.post-87453248341158637252015-02-12T14:08:00.001-06:002015-02-12T15:56:49.004-06:00The Power of Grace<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Lexam Bible Dictionary describes grace as the "gracious or merciful behaviour of a more powerful person toward another." Pretty much everyone would agree that this is a good quality to express and experience, both individually and as a society. And yet we live in a world that, for whatever reason, seems to be caught up in celebrating just the opposite. Power exerted over another, even to the lengths that the other person is humiliated, dehumanized and demeaned. This is contrary to the way that we should treat one another and it is an overturning of the appropriate way for one in power to act towards one under authority. It is, however, not that shocking in a world that is itself held in the grip of the most abusive power ever to exist.<br />
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In the Bible we read of this power that dominates every single person. It is the power of sin. In Romans 3:9, the Apostle Paul states that every single person is under sin. The picture is stark and difficult to accept, and the images these words convey are not enticing. These are not the images of which fantasies are made. Sin is the tyrannical master, pressing down on us and exercising its power over us, simply because it can. This is the authority that sin possesses over each of us. Unless something is done to emancipate us, we are under obligation to suffer sin's every whim and pleasure. It demeans us and breaks us. It rips into us and leaves us as little more than husks of what we were meant to be. "Sin is the grim tyrant," wrote Charles Spurgeon, "to whom, in the first place, man has bowed his willing neck." With a sadism and cruelty that stands unmatched in our world, sin breaks us under its whip, ultimately destroying us forever.<br />
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Contrast this depiction of sin's power with God's use of His power. God does not use His infinite power to dehumanize or demean us, but rather reaches out to us in compassion and grace. His behaviour toward us is kind, patient, compassionate, restorative. His power is not used against us, but rather on our behalf, for our good. It is the gracious and merciful behaviour of one who is more powerful then we are, yet uses that power for our good. This picture of grace reaches its climax in the gospel, where His power is brought to bear on sin and its domination of us, delivering us from the tyranny of its control over us as we reach out with broken fingers to receive it. And having delivered us, this power now conveys us into His family, where we experience His power in all its graces. Even when he disciplines us, He isn't doing it in order to satisfy some depraved desire, but rather He disciplines us as His beloved children, in order that we might come to the understanding that His grace is our good and so desire it even more.<br />
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Our broken world desperately needs to come face to face with this kind of behaviour. It needs to see the expression of power, not in the hands of a twisted and depraved sadist, but rather in the hands that were pierced for our transgressions and for our healing. In a word, our world needs to see the grace of God, and it needs to witness those of us who have been the benefactors of this grace celebrating it with an enthusiasm that super-abounds. <br />
<br />Sean Lillishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17385296145962738120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732322243269927512.post-70084455093054363342015-02-11T14:00:00.001-06:002015-02-11T14:00:16.044-06:00A "Seeing" Motif in John 1:35-42There seems to be an interesting motif built around the idea of seeing and perceiving in John 1:35-42. In v. 36, John the Baptist "<b>looked</b> at Jesus as He walked," then speaks to two disciples that were with him, declaring "<b>Behold</b>, the Lamb of God!" The first term, ἐμβλέπω (emblepo), tells us that John did more then just give passing notice to Jesus as He walked by, but rather he directed his attention toward Him. The second term, ἴδε (ide), reinforces this idea. We often find this term utilized when a speaker wishes to prompt attention toward something or someone--"Look! Pay attention!" is the intent. Together, these terms referring to seeing and perceiving may serve to set in motion a stream of related ideas that form a unity within the narrative with significant theological impact.<br />
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The immediate response of the two disciples to John the Baptist's declaration is to follow Jesus (v.37). This in turn prompts an interesting question on the part of the Savior in v.38: "What do you <b>seek</b>?" ζητέω (zeteo) is a very common word in the New Testament related to searching for something. This seeking may utilize the eyes, as in the search for something that has been lost, or it may involve an intellectual search, as in the process of determining meaning and understanding. The context may indicate a deeper theological meaning is intended, or at least inferred as a double entendre.<br />
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The disciples respond that they wish to know where Jesus is staying, to which He in turn responds, "Come and you will<b> see</b>" (v.39). Here we find a fourth term related to the concept of seeing: ὁράω (horao). The disciples are invited to come along with Jesus, with the promise that they will see. And that is just what they did. They "came and <b>saw </b>where He was staying", remaining with Jesus for a period of time.<br />
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Verses 40-41 records the immediate response of one of the disciples, Andrew, and it is his response that ties together the usage of these terms and brings out their theological force in the narrative: "He found first his own brother Simon and said to him, 'We have <b>found</b> the Messiah.'" (v.41). The word εὑρίσκω (heurisko) can imply an accidental discovery, but it can also be related to a discovery that is the result of purposeful search. John's careful utilization of these terms may suggest the latter. In either case, the motif of seeing and perceiving continues and now finds its full expression. Beginning with John the Baptist looking at Jesus and inviting his own disciples to behold the Lamb of God, Andrew's journey takes him from beholding to seeing what he had been seeking, to perceiving Jesus to be the Messiah, culminating in an evangelistic encounter with his brother Simon that, in effect, begins the cycle again.<br />
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Here is a screenshot from Logos tracing this motif:<br />
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<br />Sean Lillishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17385296145962738120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732322243269927512.post-74598490388598736862015-02-11T11:31:00.001-06:002015-02-11T11:33:11.264-06:00Yellow and Pink<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A children's classic by William Steig came across my desk today.</div>
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Yellow and Pink is the story of two wooden figures who become self-aware and attempt to figure out how they came to be. As they discuss the question of their origin, one of them, Yellow, takes on a perspective that they are accidents of chance and time, while the other, Pink, remains skeptical of the idea. Throughout the story, Yellow's explanation for their existence get more and more fanciful as Pink challenges him.<br />
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At the heart of the story is the philosophical question, "Where did I come from?" Am I an accident of nature, or do my uniqueness and intricacies suggest design? As the final pages of the story suggests, Yellow and Pink are wooden figure who exist because a man made them, which begs the question, who made the man?</div>
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Yellow and Pink, while not directly pointing to God as Designer, does offer a springboard for discussing the topic with children in a way that they can comprehend. It is not a slamdunk on evolution, and it should not be utilized that way (I could almost hear the cries of "strawman" reverberating from evolutionists as I read the story.) The classic apologetic argument of design for the existence of God is important and complex, and Yellow and Pink serves to set the stage for starting the discussion with young children in a way that they can conceptualize and understand.</div>
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Sean Lillishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17385296145962738120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732322243269927512.post-40454662037868473952015-02-10T13:56:00.001-06:002015-02-10T15:59:16.153-06:00A Review of 50 Shades of Grey: A Movie I've Never Seen (And Won't)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It goes without saying that attempting to write a review of a book without having actually read it is usually not a good idea. The same is certainly true for movies. It should seem obvious that I cannot speak to the qualities or issues of a movie if I haven't watched that movie. But sometimes I simply cannot in good conscience watch a movie, and yet that same conscience that prohibits me from viewing it also tells me that, as a minister of the gospel, I must speak up. So, I will not watch <i>50 Shades of Grey, </i>nor will I read the book. And yet I will attempt to write a review. Such is the juxtaposition of my conscience's simultaneous prohibitions and compellings.<br />
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One way I could accomplish this would be to comb through other reviews of the book and movie and piece together a review based on what others have said. But as I will argue below, I am not convinced that doing so is appropriate. Instead, I am going to review a statement Paul makes in Ephesians 5:11-12 and apply that to <i>50 Shades of Grey,</i> because I am persuaded that in these verses the Apostle not only makes it crystal clear that Christians ought not see this movie, but he also gives us an example for how to speak the truth on issues like this when we can not participate and so cannot address specific examples. He writes:<br />
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"Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret." (ESV)</blockquote>
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We need to see that these verses occur in a context in which Paul has been drawing a stark dichotomy between light and darkness (beginning in verse 8). As believers, we are to walk as children of light and bear the fruit that is the hallmark of who we are: goodness, righteousness and truth (verse 9) and live in such a way that we try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord (verse 10). Unfruitful deeds of darkness are not pleasing to the Lord and so the Apostle commands Christians to have no part of them. "Do not share in the fruit of darkness," he says. In other words, do not participate in things which are contrary to who you are in Christ. You have been taken from the realm of darkness and "now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light" (verse 8).<br />
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This is important. Paul is building his prohibition in verse 11 on the fact that, as Christians, this is not who we are anymore. These works of darkness belong to a domain that is now foreign to who a Christian is. He does not speak of it directly here, but the image of the cross looms over these verses. As a Christian, I have been crucified with Christ. I have died to who I was and have been raised up to a new kind of life, a life whose fruit is goodness, righteousness and truth and pleases the Lord (see Romans 6:1-11). To participate now in these things that belong to the realm of darkness is to live as though that crucifixion never happened. Paul's prohibition doesn't come from thin air, not does it come from some useless, sex-fearing ethic of another age; it is tied to the eschatological reality of our deliverance from the old era of Adam and into the new era of Christ. Do not participate because that is not who you are anymore.<br />
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Instead of sharing in the works of darkness, Paul directs his readers to expose them. Christians have a responsibility not only to avoid participating in sinful activity but also to expose it for what it really is and where it comes from. How do we expose these secret things that hide in the darkness? By being who we are--children of light. The light of the life-changing, era-replacing gospel lived out in us illuminates every dark crevice in which these deeds are secretly done. The gospel dispels darkness. It reveals secrets. It uncovers every corner of the heart and exposes it to God's goodness, righteousness and truth. I am to walk as a child of light so that everywhere I go, this light will expose the unfruitful works of darkness which are vainly practiced in secret and set them in contrast to the darkness-piercing glory of God.<br />
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Isn't it interesting that Paul gives us no details about what exactly he is referring to as "unfruitful works of darkness"? He does not write a frame-by-frame review of these secret sins. He simply says that they are unfruitful works of darkness of such a wicked nature that he will not shame himself by speaking of them. As I would understand Paul, this probably means I should steer clear not only of the movie itself, but also of reviews, even those by well-meaning Christians, that include laundry lists of the film's depravity. It's just not necessary to read or speak of those things.<br />
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Instead, I am seeking to imitate Paul's example as I write this review. I do not need to see a movie like <i>50 Shades of Grey</i> in order to expose its secrets, nor do I need to give example after example in order to demonstrate its depravity. I do not need to know the details in order to speak with the authority of the Word of God and say that, if you are a Christian, you do not belong in that theater. It is enough that, if you are a Christian, the things depicted in this movie do not belong to who you are in Christ. That is enough. Do not participate. Do not share in these secret works of darkness. I like the way Kevin DeYoung (@RevKevDeYoung) put it on February 10, 2015 in a Twitter post: "If some things should not be spoken, they should certainly not be viewed with popcorn (Eph.5:11-12)."<br />
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<br />Sean Lillishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17385296145962738120noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732322243269927512.post-77784173236969815682015-02-06T16:35:00.000-06:002015-02-06T16:43:54.692-06:00The Christian's Highest AffectionLast night my daughter screamed at her little brother. I mean, she let him have it at the top of her lungs! I had just returned from a conference and had brought her a little box of special soap and he broke the cardboard box that her soap had come in. And when my wife intervened, my daughter yelled at her as well. Over a soap box. At that point, I intervened. And after the intervention was over, I sat down with her to talk about what had happened.<br />
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"Why are you so upset?" I asked. "Because Haddon breaks my stuff and doesn't respect it," was her reply. Even though she wasn't yelling anymore (she never yells at me--one of the perks of being dad, nobody yells at me no matter how angry they might be), I could hear in her voice that the anger remained.<br />
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"It's just a box, honey. And your brother is only three years old. It isn't worth getting so upset that you yell at your brother, and it certainly isn't an excuse to raise your voice to your mom."<br />
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"But it's important to me," she said. "It is special because you gave it to me and he wrecked it even when I asked him not to."<br />
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And there it was. The little box was important to her. She <i>valued</i> it and she had turned on her little brother and her mother in unbridled fury because of the level of importance she had assigned to it. She had elevated her affection for that object over her affections for her family members and when something had happened to this little thing she so valued, she snapped. And she sinned.<br />
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We do the very same thing every time we sin, because sin, at it's root, is the preference of something over God. We were created to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. We were created with the purpose of desiring God over everything else. The psalmist wrote,<br />
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"Whom have I in heaven but You?<br />
And besides You, I desire nothing on earth...<br />
But as for me, the nearness of God is my good;<br />
I have made the Lord God my refuge,<br />
That I may tell of all Your works." (Psalm 73:25, 28)</blockquote>
This is the intent when God created us. This is the way things ought to be. Sadly, this is not the way things are.<br />
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Ever since the Fall, man has been supplanting God's rightful place in our lives with other things. When Eve gave into the serpent's temptation and ate the fruit, she desired something more then she desired God. Her desire for God was to be demonstrated by her obedience to His command, but in her disobedience, she demonstrated that He was not her greatest desire. This pattern has been repeated ever since.<br />
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And so it is with every sin. We sin whenever we desire something more then we desire God. When we yield to the temptation to sin, we are elevating the pleasure experienced in connection with that sin over the value of God in our lives and the joy that comes when things are in their proper perspective. We are declaring that we do not believe that God's nearness is our good, and we are putting our faith in something else. Sin is the unseating of God from the throne of our lives. He is displaced and replaced. And He will not share His glory with another.<br />
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As a Christian, I must learn to understand sin as God sees it. I must learn to see that for me to desire anything more then I desire Him is to sin against Him. This means that I must constantly be aware of the enticements around me, especially those that are not sinful in and of themselves, but can become issues of sin if I elevate them above God. In this series of posts, it is my hope to address how the Christian can do battle with this enemy that continuously seeks to unseat God from His rightful place as our highest affection.<br />
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Sean Lillishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17385296145962738120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732322243269927512.post-77889712870006351142015-02-06T11:38:00.000-06:002015-02-06T11:38:06.325-06:00Desiring God Pastor's Conference I just returned from the <a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/events/2015-conference-for-pastors" target="_blank">2015 Desiring God Pastor's Conference</a> in Minneapolis and I thought I would share a few thoughts on the experience. In the coming days I hope to post a few remarks on each of the plenary messages.<br />
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This was my first time at a DG conference, so I have nothing to compare it to as a means of judging this year's event from previous events. All in all, I thought it was an excellent conference. The conference theme was"The Rebellion of Man and the Abundance of Grace." There were six plenaries (DG has made the videos available), each of which addressed an aspect related to this theme.<br />
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<li><a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/conference-messages/the-origin-essence-and-definition-of-sin" target="_blank">The Origin, Essence, and Definition of Sin</a> (John Piper)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/conference-messages/in-adam-all-die-sin-s-guilt-and-corruption-and-the-remedy-of-grace" target="_blank">In Adam All Die: Sin's Guilt and Curruption and the Remedy of God's Grace</a> (Bryan Chapell)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/conference-messages/the-wages-of-sin-the-punishment-of-evil-at-the-cross-and-in-hell" target="_blank">The Wages of Sin: The Punishment of Evil at the Cross and in Hell</a> (Conrad Mbewe)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/conference-messages/the-guilt-of-the-nations-and-the-gospel-of-repentance" target="_blank">The Guilt of the Nations and the Gospel of Repentance</a> (Steve Childers)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/conference-messages/make-war-the-pastor-and-his-people-in-the-battle-against-sin" target="_blank">Make War: The Pastor and His People in the Battle Against Sin</a> (John Piper)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/conference-messages/o-that-day-when-freed-from-sinning" target="_blank">O, That Day, When Freed From Sinning</a> (Sam Storms)</li>
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In addition to the plenaries, there were workshop tracks for participants to attend, including tracks for elders, pastors, worship leaders and women (as I understand it, this was the first year that DG invited women to attend the pastor's conference). I wish that there had been more workshops available. As it was, they only offered them on the first day of the conference.</div>
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I enjoyed a series of short talks on the seven deadly sins. A new <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Killjoys-The-Seven-Deadly-Sins/dp/0991277627" target="_blank">book</a> on the topic has been published on the topic and each of the authors took turns talking for about 10 minutes each on one of these besetting sins. It was a unique approach to a subject that usually doesn't find a lot of attention in protestant circles. You can view these talks <a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/conference-messages/the-seven-deadly-sins" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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The bookstore was typical, with recommended reading on the conference theme, and there were the usual representation of seminaries and colleges. A number of ministries were on-site as well, and it was neat to talk with their representatives and hear how God has been working through them. </div>
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I was impressed with the music that led off each session. It was deep, theologically rich, and Christ-centered. I heard a number of songs that I was unfamiliar with, but they were easy to pick up and sing. Far from being performance-oriented, the music was clearly designed to invite conference attendees to participate in worshiping God. I have already recommended several songs to those involved with music at my home church to consider including in our repertoire.</div>
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All in all, the conference was excellent and I enjoyed it a great deal. The plenary messages were the highlight. Each speaker was passionate about his material and subject and crafted his message with pastors in mind. Each speaker is himself a pastor and so understands well the challenges of ministering to people.</div>
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Finally, the conference is in the process of transferring from Desiring God to <a href="https://bethlehemcollegeandseminary.org/" target="_blank">Bethlehem College and Seminary</a>. This year (and next) was a cooperative effort between the two, after which Bethlehem will be taking over organizational responsibilities. </div>
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Sean Lillishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17385296145962738120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732322243269927512.post-78635360778557006972015-01-27T14:59:00.001-06:002015-01-29T11:13:39.199-06:00"God Gave Them Over...""God gave them over..."<br />
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These words, repeated three times, are found in the first chapter of Paul's letter to the Romans, and of all the commentary written on the human condition, these words might be the saddest of all, for they represent the reality of a horror that few are aware exists, much less that is descriptive of them.<br />
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"God gave them over" means that God, in response to man's demand, turns him over to himself. He gives him what he wants. When we reject Him as God, preferring another or other gods, God responds by turning us over to ourselves.<br />
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To some, this may sound pretty good, but here's the problem: we are simply terrible at being God. We suck at it. We are immeasurably bad at it. If being God were playing golf, we would not even be allowed on the course because of how totally devoid we are of any skill whatsoever. It is the highest form of hubris to think that we can do better then God, that we know better, and yet that is exactly what we do when we say, "no thanks, God. I'm not interested in You. I prefer someone else, someone of my own design." This is what we have done in exchanging the glory of the incorruptible for the corruptible. Thinking ourselves so wise, we do the dumbest, most foolish thing we can do. We reject the best for the worst when we should give Him glory and thanks. After all, that is the reasonable thing to do.<br />
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But we are not operating according to reason, a reality made evident by virtue of the fact that we can't even see how terrifically awful we are at being God. Our minds have been darkened. It is a frightening fact that when we reject the truth, when we walk away from the light, we lose all ability to distinguish truth from untruth. Stumbling along blindly, the dangers that lie in our path are not recognized until we have already stumbled over them, and by then it is too late to do anything about it with our new god-powers. And yet we stubbornly continue on, foolishly and irrationally clinging to the fiction which is that we know what we are doing and that we can do it a lot better then God can. We abandon the truth and we embrace a lie. A lie nearly as old as creation itself. A lie which claims that God is superfluous, unnecessary, like a divine appendix. He can stay there so long as He's quiet, but if He causes us any trouble, we are better off without Him.<br />
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And so we declare that, for all practical purposes, God is dead. He has been usurped by another, and this god is in full agreement with us. Because he/she/it is us. This god may take many forms, from a golden calf to a stack of money to a __________-- you fill in the blank. But in the end, no matter the form it may take, what we are doing is declaring that we ourselves are god. We give ourselves the glory and we give ourselves the thanks (how silly we must look thanking ourselves! It's like a monumental delusion of grandeur blended with a heaping scoop of schizophrenia.) And we thumb our nose at the now-useless God and with a hearty "amen" declare ourselves blessed forever.<br />
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And God let's us do it. He gives us over to ourselves: to our lusts, to our passions and to the depravity of our minds. "This is what you want?" He asks. "Very well, this is what you shall receive." And the gavel drops and the sentence is pronounced and we walk out of the courtroom smirking, thinking ourselves so wise. <br />
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And hell begins.<br />
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Because we have exchanged the Lord for a lord, and that is never a wise capital investment. The return is simply atrocious. Furthermore (and oh, this is rich!), as a result of God confirming upon us what we have demanded, we are blinded to the blunder we have made. We barrel on mindlessly, stupidly unaware of the danger because we have demanded that all proximity alarms be deactivated. As a result of this horrible judgment of God--a judgment which we ourselves demanded--our very minds become enslaved to our stupidity. We have not emancipated ourselves from God. We have only exchanged Him for one who does not regard us as He does, but rather enslaves us to ourselves with a hiss and an asphyxiating squeeze.<br />
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There is the irony! Like a snake that begins to devour itself tail-first, so it is the way of man, slowly destroying himself while simultaneously believing that all is well. Sin upon sin, building on itself and then building on itself some more. Higher and higher and with greater depravity, until at last this monstrosity we have been constructing becomes more then we can maintain and comes crashing down. We have demanded more then we can bear. We do not possess the ability to be God and at last that truth dawns on us. But the light which brings this dawning of understanding does not bring with it a relief from the oppressive weight, for it is not the light of salvation. Rather it is the light given off by a destructive fire that never fully destroys and never is extinguished. We have asked for a life without God. God has obliged us in our request.<br />
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And hell begins.<br />
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<br />Sean Lillishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17385296145962738120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732322243269927512.post-21997447148864859922015-01-20T13:39:00.002-06:002015-01-20T14:29:33.291-06:00Christ as the Climax of History<blockquote class="tr_bq">
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In his commentary on Romans<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4732322243269927512#1" name="top1"><sup>1</sup></a>, Doug Moo presents a conceptual framework for understanding what has taken place in Christ. He writes:<br />
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"God's work in Christ is the center of history, the point from which both past and future must be understood...With Christ as the climax of history, then, history can be divided into two 'eras.' or 'aeons,' each with its own founder--Adam and Christ, respectively--and each with its own ruling powers--sin, the law, flesh, and death on the one hand; righteousness, grace the Spirit, and life on the other. All people start out in the 'old era' by virtue of participation in the act by which it was founded--the sin of Adam...But one can be transferred into the 'new era' by becoming joined to Christ, the founder of that era, thereby participating in the acts through which that era came into being--Christ's death, burial, and resurrection."</blockquote>
I have taken the liberty of creating a graphic to try and capture Dr. Moo's argument:<br />
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As Moo notes, this was the popular way that the Jews understood the division of history. However, Paul nuances his understanding by recognizing that while "the new era has begun--has been inaugurated--...it has not yet replaced the old era. Both ages exist simultaneously..." The ruling powers of the old era are still functional in spite of the presence of the ruling powers of the new era. Moo writes,<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Thus, the 'change of aeons,' while occurring historically at the cross...becomes real for the individual only at the point of faith. The 'change of aeons' that took place in Christ is experienced only 'in Christ.' Therefore, the person who lives after Christ's death and resurrection and who has not appropriated the benefits of those events by faith lives in the old era; enslaved to sin, in the flesh, doomed to eternal death."</blockquote>
The following graphic illustrates this concept.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="1"><b>1 </b></a>Douglas J. Moo. The Epistle to the Romans. Grand Rapids: W.B. Eerdmans, 1996. 25-27.<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4732322243269927512#top1"><sup>↩</sup></a><br />
</span>Sean Lillishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17385296145962738120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732322243269927512.post-20960650186346166502015-01-14T16:10:00.001-06:002015-01-14T17:21:06.942-06:00Trembling At His WordThe last chapter of Isaiah begins like this:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Thus says the Lord:</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Heaven is My throne,<br />
And earth is My footstool.<br />
Where is the house that you will build Me?<br />
And where is the place of My rest?<br />
For all those things My hand has made,<br />
And all those things exist,”<br />
Says the Lord.<br />
“But on this one will I look:<br />
On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit,<br />
And who trembles at My word.</blockquote>
In these verses, the prophet proclaims that the Lord who is sovereign over all of creation says that what He values the most--the one to whom He will turn His gaze--is the one who is poor and has a contrite spirit and trembles at His word.<br />
<br />
I have been thinking about that last line all day. And as I have thought about it, I have been asking myself, "Is this true of me? Do I tremble at His Word?" Do I even want to?<br />
<br />
I recently heard Francis Chan say something related to this as he was recounting something one of his seminary professors had said to his class. It was a warning. A warning that the great danger of seminary is that the student can get into the habit of hearing and knowing the Word of God, but not doing anything about it. That can easily happen in a church as well. It can happen to me. It can happen to you.<br />
<br />
Imagine for a moment what it must have been like to be one of the disciples who accompanies Jesus onto the Mount of Transfiguration. What that experience must have been like! To see what they saw, a glimpse of Jesus glory, Unmasked. Unshrouded. And then this voice comes from heaven: "This is My Son. Listen to Him." I would have been trembling at His word then, that's for sure!<br />
<br />
So why don't I tremble at the reading of God's Word? Why does it not regularly result in an obedient response from me, the appropriate response of a poor and contrite heart that recognizes itself as such? I am good with Bible study, but how about Bible obedience?<br />
<br />
Could it be that I have formed a habit of hearing and even knowing the Word, but not doing anything about it? This is a question I need to meditate upon on a regular basis with a sense of my own poverty and a contrite spirit.Sean Lillishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17385296145962738120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732322243269927512.post-76397530014995635532014-12-20T13:57:00.000-06:002015-02-09T13:14:14.052-06:00No Partition Wall for Whitefield<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5rv8Mf0uCss/VJXRwj19jCI/AAAAAAAAAFg/lal3685U2Ak/s1600/Whitefield.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5rv8Mf0uCss/VJXRwj19jCI/AAAAAAAAAFg/lal3685U2Ak/s1600/Whitefield.jpg" /></a></div>
"The year of 1730, a notable one for American Christianity, witnessed the arrival of 26-year-old George Whitefield, already famous for his evangelical preaching in England. Whitefield, a Church of England priest, welcomed as co-laborers Baptists, Presbyterians, Quakers, Lutherans, Congregationalists, Dutch Reformed, and anyone else who preached individual conversion. As he crossed the Atlantic, he wrote to a clergyman friend in England: 'The partition wall has for some time been broken down out of my heart, and I can truly say whoever loves the Lord Jesus, “the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.'"<br />
<div>
~ Raymond Settle<br />
<br />
Whitefield echos here another great evangelist, the Apostle Paul, who wrote these words to the church in Colossae:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him—a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all. So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity." ~ Colossians 3:8-14</blockquote>
<br />
<br />
For Paul and for Whitefield, the great unifier of the Church is Jesus Christ who "is all, and in all." For believers, this means that certain things must change with respect to how we relate to one another; how we disagree with one another; how we challenge one another. We do no have permission to see anyone with whom we share the benefits of the cross as anything less then as Paul refers to us: "those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved..."<br />
<br />
This does not mean, of course, that we cannot disagree or challenge one another--Whitefield's disagreements with John Wesley are legendary, and Paul was certainly no wilting flower when it came time to address those with whom he disagreed. But in these disagreements, we have no right to see our fellow Christian as less then God does, nor to treat them, publicly or privately, in thought or word, in any manner other then with compassion, kindness, gentleness, and patience. Anything less is to put on the old self and the evil practices that comprise its DNA and to rebuild the partition wall that the Lord seeks to break down in each of our hearts.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
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Sean Lillishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17385296145962738120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732322243269927512.post-56929281126067543752014-10-28T15:12:00.000-05:002014-10-28T15:17:57.741-05:00Why I Use Bible Software...And Don't.I have been a regular user of Bible software since my days in Bible college. I purchased a copy of Logos (back then the software was called Libronix) and it revolutionized my study! I mean it changed everything. All of a sudden I was able to do things like word studies and background information research in mere seconds. Where before I would spend hours in the library in front of the card catalog (remember those?) and then flipping through countless pages in search of the information I needed, my new electronic research assistant did all that for me faster then it took me to open another bottle of Mt. Dew (some research aids will never change!).<br />
<br />
Over the years, my research needs have progressed and changed as I transitioned out of writing research papers for classes and into writing sermons, lectures, articles and Bible lessons for the church. I have kept up-to-date with the latest versions of Logos as they have been released, continually amazed at how much simpler it has become to do even complex linguistic analysis in the original languages. The ability to find what I am looking for in the Bible is literally as easy as typing in part of a single word, and then scanning the generated report for the verse in question. Of course, mobility has increased as well, and today the Bible is just a swipe away.<br />
<br />
Bible software is awesome. I love it. I'm sold on its value and on its power to open up the biblical world and text to the reader. I thank the Lord for it. But along with an acknowledgment of the value of our modern software comes a nagging sense of unease; for all the great leaps we have made in putting Bible study power in the hands of anyone who wants to utilize it, is there any sense that this same ability may actually diminish the capture of biblical truth in our hearts and minds?<br />
<br />
Allow me to illustrate (I am a preacher, after all). When I was about twelve years old, the church I grew up in (and now serve at) hosted a prophecy conference and invited Dr. John Walvoord of Dallas Theological Seminary to present a series of lectures. I clearly remember how Dr. Walvoord stepped up to the platform, laid his Bible on the lectern and proceeded to teach on the doctrine of Christ's return. In and of itself that doesn't seem unusual or unique. What made it so unusual and memorable was how he tied dozens and dozens of passages from the Old and New Testaments together, all quoted from memory, never turning a page in his Bible. I was blown away then, at age twelve, and I have never forgotten that demonstration of the power of the internalized Word!<br />
<br />
Of course this is something of an extreme and unique example. I mean, we are talking about a seminary professor who had devoted much of his professional and devotional life to the study of the Scriptures related to the Lord's return. We would expect him to demonstrate a mastery of his material. I concur. But what I think is unique and increasingly uncommon is how he developed this ability. He did so by devoting himself to the task of hiding the Scriptures in his memory. That doesn't come by accident, nor is it going to come if our default is to hand over to the search engine what we should be disciplining our minds to do. It comes by disciplining ourselves to read the text of Scripture over and over and over until we can see the words in our mind's eye.<br />
<br />
I want to state as clearly as possible that I do not believe that Bible software or mobile Bible apps are an evil thing, or a bad thing, or even necessarily a misused thing. As I said, I use them daily and I thank the Lord for the men and women who have spent countless hours tagging the biblical texts and creating code and datatypes that allow me to do my research in a more efficient way then previous generations ever would have imagined. They are a valuable tool in my expositor's toolbox, just as the bound concordance, lexicon and Bible dictionaries were to expositors a few decades ago.<br />
<br />
All I am saying is that I know that if I am going to see the Word of God effectively hidden in my heart in any way like it was in Dr. Walvoord's, or the great cloud of those who internalized the Word in like manner, I must not allow myself to give in to the temptation to let my pursuit of that life-giving, sanctifying Word degenerate into just another search-box inquiry. Rather, I must purposefully and prayerfully learn the Scriptures, hide them in my heart, and feed upon them daily so that I can recall them in order to be taught, reproved, corrected and trained in righteousness, fully equipped for every good work.Sean Lillishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17385296145962738120noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732322243269927512.post-69551261405453100902014-07-16T21:24:00.004-05:002014-07-16T21:29:04.445-05:00The Mercies of GodBelow is an excerpt from a sermon I preached at <a href="http://www.cedarvalley.org/" target="_blank">Cedar Valley Bible Church</a> on July 13, 2014, from Romans 12:1-2 entitled, "The Elements of Commitment." You can listen to the whole sermon <a href="http://www.cedarvalley.org/sermons/the-elements-of-commitment/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AazOIKNH1nY/U8cz2mto6dI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/z6QCNMzWcbQ/s1600/Strong_Foundation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AazOIKNH1nY/U8cz2mto6dI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/z6QCNMzWcbQ/s1600/Strong_Foundation.jpg" height="175" width="200" /></a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: left;">
"The foundation of commitment are the mercies of God: 'Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God…' When Paul speaks of the mercies of God, he is referring to the proceeding 11 chapters of Romans where God’s mercies are displayed. Like a beautiful painting on a black canvas, God’s mercies are presented in those chapters against the blackness of our sin, and as such they stand out, they catch our eye. We marvel at them because we see them illuminated against such a black background. As Paul works his way through, he is finally brought to the point of outburst at the end of ch.11: 'For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.' Our salvation and new life are the very expressions of the mercies of God, but the role of these mercies is not complete. We never grow beyond the need for His mercies, because here Paul turns to them and declares that these same mercies, spelled out in terms like justification, sanctification, redemption, and election, are the very basis by which we can and must live as committed Christians."</blockquote>
Sean Lillishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17385296145962738120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732322243269927512.post-56635706956741925802014-07-14T12:34:00.005-05:002014-07-14T21:21:30.109-05:00Seven Benefits of Justification in Romans 5:1-11In the first half of Romans 5, the apostle Paul gives us seven benefits of justification. These benefits come to us, he says, when we are declared righteous by God through faith in His Son (Rom.3:21-30). These are the experiential effects of justification, and they are true for every believer. In Paul's overall argument in Romans, this section moves our justification from the abstract to the concrete. Here we come face to face with what God has done on our behalf, and how it impacts our life today, as well as our eternity.<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Peace with God (5:1): this is the result of the doctrine of reconciliation, which Paul will return to at the end of the section, and so peace with God forms something of a set of bookends within which the other benefits exist. Without this peace, we could not have these benefits, and this peace comes through Christ.</li>
<li>Standing in grace (5:2a): Grace is the atmosphere that we breathe, and it is the ground upon which peace is accomplished. It is a word that encapsulates God's action toward us.</li>
<li>Exulting in hope (5:2b): Hope is confident expectation. It is a certainty that God will do what He says He will do that is based on His character. Our hope is that we will behold the glory of God, and we are confident that it will happen because of our justification.</li>
<li>Joy in suffering (5:3-4): This future-oriented hope equips us to endure the sufferings of the present-day with joy. Furthermore, hope-oriented suffering changes us for the better. Therefore, we do not rejoice in the actual suffering, but rather in the certainty that it is transforming us as it develops perseverance, proven character, and hope. Suffering strengthens us when it is met with the truth that God is accomplishing His purposes in us (see James 1:2-7; Rom.8:28-29; 12:1-2).</li>
<li>The indwelling Holy Spirit (5:5): As an act of God's love, every believers has been given the Holy Spirit, who is the instrument by which God's love has been poured out in our hearts. His present-day ministry to every believer is to develop these character qualities listed above, and He is the demonstration of God's love toward us.</li>
<li>Deliverance from future condemnation (5:6-10): Four terms describe our condition when Christ died for us: helpless, ungodly, sinners, and enemies. The pinnacle of human love is to sacrifice yourself for someone close to you, but Christ did it for His enemies! Left in that condition, there could be no peace, but only the promise of God's wrath. But through Christ, the justified are delivered from any future condemnation.</li>
<li>Present reconciliation to God (5:11): The other bookend to these benefits of justification. The chasm between us and God has been bridged by Jesus and we can now fellowship with Him, and most importantly, glorify Him for all He has done in justifying us.</li>
</ol>
<div>
These, then, are seven benefits of our justification. Each deserves thorough study and contemplation as we think of who we were, where we are going, and how God has provided what we ourselves could never provide. As we study them, may the Holy Spirit use these great truths to accomplish God's purposes in our lives!</div>
Sean Lillishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17385296145962738120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732322243269927512.post-29206510842049022302014-06-23T22:16:00.000-05:002014-06-23T22:19:09.776-05:00An Outline of Revelation<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-u0Gr4Xkw1_c/U6jtSnBcBtI/AAAAAAAAAEA/pnlbQC3a-hk/s1600/Revelation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-u0Gr4Xkw1_c/U6jtSnBcBtI/AAAAAAAAAEA/pnlbQC3a-hk/s1600/Revelation.jpg" /></a>I'm currently studying through Revelation with a few recent high school graduates, and I'm pretty excited that these guys want to dig into the Word! However, Revelation is a tough place to start! Part of what makes it tough, as this picture aptly demonstrates, is trying to understand the basic structure of the book. Toward that, I present here an outline that I think may be helpful to them, and perhaps to you as well if you have found John's masterpiece a wee bit daunting to untangle.<br />
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<u><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Outline of Revelation<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .75in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->I.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]--><span style="text-transform: uppercase;">Introduction:
“The Things Which You Have Seen</span>” (ch.1)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .75in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->A.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Prologue
(vs.1-3)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .75in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->B.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Greeting
(vs.4-8)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .75in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->C.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->The
<st1:place w:st="on">Patmos</st1:place> vision of the glorified Christ
(vs.9-18)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .75in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->D.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->The
commission of the prophet (vs.19-20)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .75in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->II.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]--><span style="text-transform: uppercase;">Letters to the
Seven Churches; “The Things Which Are</span>” (ch.2-3)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l5 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list .75in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->A.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->The
letter to the church in <st1:place w:st="on">Ephesus</st1:place>
(2:1-7)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l5 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list .75in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->B.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->The
letter to the church in <st1:place w:st="on">Smyrna</st1:place>
(2:8-11)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l5 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list .75in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->C.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->The
letter to the church in <st1:place w:st="on">Pergamum</st1:place>
(<st1:time hour="14" minute="12" w:st="on">2:12</st1:time>-17)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l5 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list .75in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->D.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->The
letter to the church in Thyatira (<st1:time hour="14" minute="18" w:st="on">2:18</st1:time>-29)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l5 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list .75in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->E.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->The
letter to the church in <st1:place w:st="on">Sardis</st1:place>
(3:1-6)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l5 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list .75in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->F.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->The
letter to the church in <st1:place w:st="on">Philadelphia</st1:place>
(3:7-13)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l5 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list .75in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->G.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->The
letter to the church in <st1:place w:st="on">Laodicea</st1:place>
(<st1:time hour="15" minute="14" w:st="on">3:14</st1:time>-22)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .75in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->III.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]--><span style="text-transform: uppercase;">The Revelation
of the Future: “The Things Which Are to Come</span> (ch.4-22)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo4; tab-stops: list .75in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->A.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->The
seven seal judgments (ch.4-8:1)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l6 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->1.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->The
vision of the throne (4:1-11)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l6 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->2.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->The
book with seven seals (5:1-14)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l6 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->3.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Six
seal judgments executed (ch.6)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l6 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->4.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Interlude
between the sixth and seventh seal—salvation during the Tribulation (ch.7)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l6 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->5.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->The
opening of the seventh seal (8:1)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo4; tab-stops: list .75in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->B.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->The
seven trumpet judgments (ch.8:2-11:19)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l7 level1 lfo6; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->1.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->The
angel and the golden censer (8:2-6)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l7 level1 lfo6; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->2.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Six
trumpet judgments executed (8:7-9:21)</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->3.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Interlude
between the sixth and seventh trumpets (ch.10-11:14)</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->4.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->The
seventh trumpet (<st1:time hour="11" minute="15" w:st="on">11:15</st1:time>-19)</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->C.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Interlude—seven
principle characters of the end-times (ch.12-13)</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->1.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->The
woman clothed with the sun (12:1-2)</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->2.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->The
red dragon with seven heads and ten horns (12:3-4)</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->3.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->The
male child (12:5-6)</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->4.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->The
angel, Michael (12:7-16)</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->5.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->The
offspring of the woman (<st1:time hour="12" minute="17" w:st="on">12:17</st1:time>)</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->6.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->The
beast from the sea (13:1-10)</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->7.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->The
beast from the earth (<st1:time hour="13" minute="11" w:st="on">13:11</st1:time>-18)</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->D.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Interlude—preparations
for the final judgments of the Tribulation (ch.14)</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->1.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->The
Lamb and the 144,000 on <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">Mt.</st1:placetype>
<st1:placename w:st="on">Zion</st1:placename></st1:place> (14:1-5)</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->2.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->The
first group of angels (14:6-13)</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->3.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->The
blessing of the faithful saints (<st1:time hour="14" minute="13" w:st="on">14:13</st1:time>)</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->4.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->The
second group of angels (<st1:time hour="14" minute="14" w:st="on">14:14</st1:time>-20)</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->E.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->The
seven bowl judgments (ch.15-18)</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->1.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->The third group of angels with seven bowls of judgment
(15:1-8)</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->2.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->The seven bowl judgment executed (ch.16)</div>
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3. The fall of <st1:place w:st="on">Babylon</st1:place> the Great (ch.17-18)</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->F.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->The
Seven Last Things (ch.19-22)</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->1.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->The
songs of hallelujah in heaven (19:1-10)</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->3.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->The
first last thing: the Second Advent of Christ (<st1:time hour="19" minute="11" w:st="on">19:11</st1:time>-16)</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->4.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->The
second last thing: the battle of Armageddon (<st1:time hour="19" minute="17" w:st="on">19:17</st1:time>-21)</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->5.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->The
third last thing: the binding of Satan (20:1-3)</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->6.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->The
fourth last thing: the Millennial reign of Christ (20:4-6)</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->7.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->The
fifth last thing: the release of Satan and the final rebellion of man (20:7-10)</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->8.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->The
sixth last thing: the Great White Throne Judgment and the end of the world (<st1:time hour="20" minute="11" w:st="on">20:11</st1:time>-15)</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->9.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->The
seventh last thing: the new heavens and new earth (21:1-22:5)</div>
<br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->10.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Epilogue
(22:6-21)</div>
Sean Lillishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17385296145962738120noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732322243269927512.post-69095646199757600652014-06-15T12:55:00.001-05:002014-06-15T13:22:01.525-05:00Creation's SongHere is a video that was created by some incredibly talented folks at our church, celebrating our great Creator God! Please consider sharing it with others.<br />
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<br />Sean Lillishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17385296145962738120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732322243269927512.post-71708404913679117232014-05-27T12:04:00.002-05:002014-05-27T12:04:34.954-05:00A Dog Is a Dog Not a Duck: The Law of Identity Seems obvious, right? Well, for most of history it was. The Law of Identity, which holds that a thing can be identified by its characteristics, has long been considered foundational to how we think and reason. These days, however, we can no longer assume people accept this to be a true and necessary presupposition for validating truth-claims, let alone for living life.<br />
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A well-known Christian pastor and blogger recently tweeted that before we can do preevangelism, we may need to convince people of the law of non-contradiction. While I certainly agree, I would suggest that before we can even do that, we may need to first convince them that a dog is a dog and not a duck.Sean Lillishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17385296145962738120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732322243269927512.post-57975775857837967922014-05-20T16:14:00.000-05:002014-05-20T16:14:21.670-05:00The Backdrop to Justification in Romans, or, "Before We Talk About the Good News..."In Romans 1:18-3:20, Paul makes his case for the just condemnation of all humanity. The gospel reveals the righteousness of God (1:16-17) and Rom.1:18-3:20 Paul goes to great lengths to demonstrate that man does not possess that righteousness. The result is that every person, non-religious and religious alike, Jew and Gentile, stands justly condemned and deserving of the wrath of God.<br />
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Then, beginning in 3:21, Paul turns to the gracious provision of the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ, which Barnhouse calls, "the heart of the epistle." But we might ask why didn't Paul start there? Why the spilling of so much ink over such things as sin and wrath and judgement? The reason is that Paul first must demonstrate our need and inability before he turns to how our need is met. The need is great and requires a great provision, but in order to see our great need, and better, in order to see the greatness of the One who meets our need, we must recognize just how dire our situation is. The sinfulness of humanity stands in contrast to the righteousness of God manifested in Jesus Christ. That is the purpose of 1:19-3:20 in Paul's overall argument in Romans.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Cn5odFVWeXc/U3vCUxdkgXI/AAAAAAAAADw/YDW3Z7xx_7M/s1600/Lamp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Cn5odFVWeXc/U3vCUxdkgXI/AAAAAAAAADw/YDW3Z7xx_7M/s1600/Lamp.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></div>
Imagine a room with windows in it. It is daytime and quite a bit of ambient light is flooding the room. You turn on a lamp, and while some additional light is observable as a result, the brightness of the bulb is not really noticeable because there is so much ambient light already in the room. One may not even see any need for a lamp at all.<br />
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But imagine it is late at night and the room is dark. Now the need for the lamp is obvious, and when it is switched on, noticeable light floods the room. The same amount of illumination is being put out, so why the difference?<br />
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Obviously, the answer is found in how dark the room was prior to the light being switched on. The darker the room, the stronger the contrast and the more bright the bulb seems, even though it is putting out the exact same amount of illumination. In the bright room, the light was washed out by the existing light. In the dark room, it's importance and brilliance are evident.<br />
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That is something like what Paul is doing in these early chapters of Romans. It is why he spends so much time talking about the depravity of man and the reality that all are under condemnation. He is darkening the room so that, when he comes to 3:21 and the topic of justification, the brilliance of the light of this good news can shine with exceeding brightness. The contrast of the depravity of humanity and the reality of wrath, judgement and condemnation serve as the darkest of backdrops for the good news of God's provision of the righteousness we so desperately need but can't accomplish for ourselves. And when that gracious provision is finally introduced in 3:21, it stands in brilliant contrast as it shines against the backdrop of all that darkness, just like a light in a dark room.Sean Lillishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17385296145962738120noreply@blogger.com1