Romans 5-8 in 15 Words

"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)

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.

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 saint 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.

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 The enmity has been replaced by peace.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.

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."

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!

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!

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). No condemnation and no separation--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.

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.

Sola Deo Gloria!

Responding to the "Angry God" Perception

Do 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:

For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, 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 while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. (NASB, 1995, emphasis mine)

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.

Spurgeon on the Importance of Participating in the Local Church

“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

                                   

The Power of Grace

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.

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.

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.

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.

A "Seeing" Motif in John 1:35-42

There 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 "looked at  Jesus as He walked," then speaks to two disciples that were with him, declaring "Behold, 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.

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 seek?" 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.

The disciples respond that they wish to know where Jesus is staying, to which He in turn responds, "Come and you will see" (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 saw where He was staying", remaining with Jesus for a period of time.

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 found 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.

Here is a screenshot from Logos tracing this motif:

Yellow and Pink

A children's classic by William Steig came across my desk today.

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.

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?

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.

A Review of 50 Shades of Grey: A Movie I've Never Seen (And Won't)

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 50 Shades of Grey, 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.


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 50 Shades of Grey, 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:

"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)

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).

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.

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.

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.

Instead, I am seeking to imitate Paul's example as I write this review. I do not need to see a movie like 50 Shades of Grey 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)."