Revelation 11:15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever."
15 Καὶ ὁ ἕβδομος ἄγγελος ἐσάλπισεν· καὶ ἐγένοντο φωναὶ μεγάλαι ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ λέγοντες· ἐγένετο ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ κόσμου τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν καὶ τοῦ χριστοῦ αὐτοῦ, καὶ βασιλεύσει εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων.
There are some questions around this verse that I'm not sure if I can handle in a blog post. But I do know that these Christological passages fascinate me. We know from Ephesians 1 that Christ is indeed on His throne and that He is indeed in control of everything. So what does this passage mean?
Getting back to what I wrote way back in chapter 1, it would seem that John had a very close fulfillment of these passages in mind. Yet I know many who take this to mean that Christ is not currently ruling earth, but that Satan is now (i.e. the god of this earth). So what do we make of this? Ephesians 1:22 tells us that all things are under His feet. I would consider the world to be part of "all things." This means that there is a contradiction (which is impossible) or we're reading something wrong somewhere.
As a rule, I like to use a clear passage to help interpret a more difficult passage. Ephesians 1 is crystal-clear. Meanwhile, here we are dealing with apocalyptic literature that is rich with symbolism and is ambiguous as to the time of its fulfillment. This forces me to say that this has already happened. I may later regret writing this, but it's where I am now. I also realize that there may be other passages I am not considering.
Theology geeks may find this conversation interesting, but I do want to keep this blog fairly devotional. I focus on these Christological passages because I like thinking about Jesus and His reign over all of creation. It amazes me that this God who created everything (and Colossians tells us all things were created through Him and for Him) also knows me personally and I can know Him as well. He condescends to humanity by giving us special revelation through His Word. It's an incredible blessing to know the Living God.
Does this fill your heart with awe and wonder? It should certainly empower your life. Not in a health and wealth kind of way, but in a way that encourages you to walk by the Spirit and not by the flesh. Does it?
Showing posts with label ephesians. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ephesians. Show all posts
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Prayers for Boldness
Ephesians 6:19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.
19 καὶ ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ, ἵνα μοι δοθῇ λόγος ἐν ἀνοίξει τοῦ στόματός μου, ἐν παρρησίᾳ γνωρίσαι τὸ μυστήριον τοῦ εὐαγγελίου, 20 ὑπὲρ οὗ πρεσβεύω ἐν ἁλύσει, ἵνα ἐν αὐτῷ παρρησιάσωμαι ὡς δεῖ με λαλῆσαι.
This is at the very end of the passage on the armor of God. Paul gives his readers a prayer request. He needs prayers to declare the gospel boldly. Think about this for a minute. This is the Paul who converted jailers because he would talk to them about the gospel while they were chained to him. This is Paul the missionary church planter who suffered all kinds of hardships so that he could spread the gospel. He still wanted prayers so that his mouth would be opened ἐν παρρησία, or in boldness. After all, that was how he had to speak.
It's fascinating to me that I read this today. I've been having conversations with a coworker who has been exhorting me to spend more time witnessing. He is absolutely right, though I'm still not convinced that million dollar bill tracts really do anything positive and may indeed be more of a negative than anything. Nevertheless, at least he's doing something. He sees a lost world and looks for opportunities to have his mouth opened boldly.
I do not shy away from opportunities to have spiritual conversations with people. I'm just not very good at bringing it up. I don't think it is very effective to force it, but I also know that people need to brought to these conversations. I don't think it is reasonable to expect to be like Philip finding the Ethiopian eunuch trying to figure out the book of Isaiah.
I want desperately to have opportunities to talk to people about Jesus. After all, that's one of the reasons why I'm in seminary. So what I get from this passage is that I also need to be more intentional in my prayers that "words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly." Quite convicting.
19 καὶ ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ, ἵνα μοι δοθῇ λόγος ἐν ἀνοίξει τοῦ στόματός μου, ἐν παρρησίᾳ γνωρίσαι τὸ μυστήριον τοῦ εὐαγγελίου, 20 ὑπὲρ οὗ πρεσβεύω ἐν ἁλύσει, ἵνα ἐν αὐτῷ παρρησιάσωμαι ὡς δεῖ με λαλῆσαι.
This is at the very end of the passage on the armor of God. Paul gives his readers a prayer request. He needs prayers to declare the gospel boldly. Think about this for a minute. This is the Paul who converted jailers because he would talk to them about the gospel while they were chained to him. This is Paul the missionary church planter who suffered all kinds of hardships so that he could spread the gospel. He still wanted prayers so that his mouth would be opened ἐν παρρησία, or in boldness. After all, that was how he had to speak.
It's fascinating to me that I read this today. I've been having conversations with a coworker who has been exhorting me to spend more time witnessing. He is absolutely right, though I'm still not convinced that million dollar bill tracts really do anything positive and may indeed be more of a negative than anything. Nevertheless, at least he's doing something. He sees a lost world and looks for opportunities to have his mouth opened boldly.
I do not shy away from opportunities to have spiritual conversations with people. I'm just not very good at bringing it up. I don't think it is very effective to force it, but I also know that people need to brought to these conversations. I don't think it is reasonable to expect to be like Philip finding the Ethiopian eunuch trying to figure out the book of Isaiah.
I want desperately to have opportunities to talk to people about Jesus. After all, that's one of the reasons why I'm in seminary. So what I get from this passage is that I also need to be more intentional in my prayers that "words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly." Quite convicting.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Imitating the Father
Ephesians 5:1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.
1 Γίνεσθε οὖν μιμηταὶ τοῦ θεοῦ ὡς τέκνα ἀγαπητὰ
As I started to look through this chapter to pick something to write about I realized that this verse pretty much says it all. We are to be μιμηταὶ τοῦ θεοῦ. I'm pretty sure that the word μιμητης is where we get our word "mimic" from. We are to mimic God because we are His beloved children.
This has far-reaching implications, doesn't it? As children of God we see Christ as an example for us. He is certainly more than an example as He was the perfect lamb that was slain for our sins, but He is also an example of how we are to behave. He is certainly not less than an example. Christ's life shows us how to live ours.
This also has implications for me as a father. My son is naturally going to imitate me. I can see where he already does. What kind of an example am I setting for him? The old phrase, "Do as I say, not as I do" is absurd. It didn't work for me as a child and I don't think it works for any other child. It's just an excuse to tell our children that grownups can be hypocrites. I certainly do not want to communicate that to them.
Read the rest of the chapter and you will see how this plays out. Paul gives several tangible examples. And note how he ties this back to the end of chapter 4 as well. That also gives us some examples. If you are in Christ you see the expectations of you. This does not merit our salvation, but is the natural result of it.
How does this verse hit you?
1 Γίνεσθε οὖν μιμηταὶ τοῦ θεοῦ ὡς τέκνα ἀγαπητὰ
As I started to look through this chapter to pick something to write about I realized that this verse pretty much says it all. We are to be μιμηταὶ τοῦ θεοῦ. I'm pretty sure that the word μιμητης is where we get our word "mimic" from. We are to mimic God because we are His beloved children.
This has far-reaching implications, doesn't it? As children of God we see Christ as an example for us. He is certainly more than an example as He was the perfect lamb that was slain for our sins, but He is also an example of how we are to behave. He is certainly not less than an example. Christ's life shows us how to live ours.
This also has implications for me as a father. My son is naturally going to imitate me. I can see where he already does. What kind of an example am I setting for him? The old phrase, "Do as I say, not as I do" is absurd. It didn't work for me as a child and I don't think it works for any other child. It's just an excuse to tell our children that grownups can be hypocrites. I certainly do not want to communicate that to them.
Read the rest of the chapter and you will see how this plays out. Paul gives several tangible examples. And note how he ties this back to the end of chapter 4 as well. That also gives us some examples. If you are in Christ you see the expectations of you. This does not merit our salvation, but is the natural result of it.
How does this verse hit you?
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
The New Self
Ephesians 4:22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
22 ἀποθέσθαι ὑμᾶς κατὰ τὴν προτέραν ἀναστροφὴν τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον τὸν φθειρόμενον κατὰ τὰς ἐπιθυμίας τῆς ἀπάτης, 23 ἀνανεοῦσθαι δὲ τῷ πνεύματι τοῦ νοὸς ὑμῶν 24 καὶ ἐνδύσασθαι τὸν καινὸν ἄνθρωπον τὸν κατὰ θεὸν κτισθέντα ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ καὶ ὁσιότητι τῆς ἀληθείας.
Paul is cranking up the exhortations in this book. He spent the first three chapters covering the gospel and now he starts getting into commands. It is vital that we do not read any of these commands in a vacuum. The assumption for all of these is that we will have appropriated the first half of the book before we try to apply the second half. This is vital or else we are straying into legalism, which Galatians tells us does not save us.
I love this passage because of its implications for personal transformation. I've been through some pretty serious sins in my life and I still find them tempting. However, I do not subscribe to the AA model of "once a always a " where you fill in your personal sin (i.e. drunkenness, gluttony, lust, etc.) Instead, I take the command of this passage to heart.
Paul is saying that we have an old self. Remember from the early part of chapter 2 that we were dead in our trespasses and sins. We were like the prodigal in the parable of the two sons. We were lost. But God transformed us from the inside-out. He made us alive together in Christ. That is what Paul refers to here as well. We are to put off the old self, be renewed in the spirit of our minds, and then put on the new self.
I think that the middle is key. How are we renewed? We spend time in God's Word. We spend time with God's people. We sing songs that tell us more about God. We avoid things that pollute our minds. I am not a hardcore separatist, but I don't watch any TV either. There is just too much on TV to pollute my mind. I have to be careful when I am online (more careful than I am sometimes) so as not to feed the lust of the eyes. It is an ongoing battle to be sure. The word ἀνανεοῦσθαι is a present passive infinitive. As an infinitive it is difficult to pin down exactly how to take this, but the fact that it is in the passive tells me that this is something that happens to my mind.
What are you doing to renew the spirit of your mind? It forces me to ask myself the same question. Sure, I have my daily quiet times and read good books, but I also know that there are more positive things I can do and I can avoid some negative things as well. How about you?
22 ἀποθέσθαι ὑμᾶς κατὰ τὴν προτέραν ἀναστροφὴν τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον τὸν φθειρόμενον κατὰ τὰς ἐπιθυμίας τῆς ἀπάτης, 23 ἀνανεοῦσθαι δὲ τῷ πνεύματι τοῦ νοὸς ὑμῶν 24 καὶ ἐνδύσασθαι τὸν καινὸν ἄνθρωπον τὸν κατὰ θεὸν κτισθέντα ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ καὶ ὁσιότητι τῆς ἀληθείας.
Paul is cranking up the exhortations in this book. He spent the first three chapters covering the gospel and now he starts getting into commands. It is vital that we do not read any of these commands in a vacuum. The assumption for all of these is that we will have appropriated the first half of the book before we try to apply the second half. This is vital or else we are straying into legalism, which Galatians tells us does not save us.
I love this passage because of its implications for personal transformation. I've been through some pretty serious sins in my life and I still find them tempting. However, I do not subscribe to the AA model of "once a
Paul is saying that we have an old self. Remember from the early part of chapter 2 that we were dead in our trespasses and sins. We were like the prodigal in the parable of the two sons. We were lost. But God transformed us from the inside-out. He made us alive together in Christ. That is what Paul refers to here as well. We are to put off the old self, be renewed in the spirit of our minds, and then put on the new self.
I think that the middle is key. How are we renewed? We spend time in God's Word. We spend time with God's people. We sing songs that tell us more about God. We avoid things that pollute our minds. I am not a hardcore separatist, but I don't watch any TV either. There is just too much on TV to pollute my mind. I have to be careful when I am online (more careful than I am sometimes) so as not to feed the lust of the eyes. It is an ongoing battle to be sure. The word ἀνανεοῦσθαι is a present passive infinitive. As an infinitive it is difficult to pin down exactly how to take this, but the fact that it is in the passive tells me that this is something that happens to my mind.
What are you doing to renew the spirit of your mind? It forces me to ask myself the same question. Sure, I have my daily quiet times and read good books, but I also know that there are more positive things I can do and I can avoid some negative things as well. How about you?
Monday, July 26, 2010
Doxology
Ephesians 3:20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
20 Τῷ δὲ δυναμένῳ ὑπὲρ πάντα ποιῆσαι ὑπερεκπερισσοῦ ὧν αἰτούμεθα ἢ νοοῦμεν κατὰ τὴν δύναμιν τὴν ἐνεργουμένην ἐν ἡμῖν, 21 αὐτῷ ἡ δόξα ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ καὶ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ εἰς πάσας τὰς γενεὰς τοῦ αἰῶνος τῶν αἰώνων, ἀμήν.
This is arguably the end of the doctrinal half of Ephesians. I might argue that it continues until 4:16, but the point is that this kind of a doxology typically marks a break. Paul is again emphasizing the majesty and glory of God. This glory is manifested in the church and in Christ Jesus. Note that I write church with a small c. The church is τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ (dative form). It is not that body that has its headquarters in a small country inside Rome. It is the body of believers throughout the world.
What I want to emphasize is the phrase Τῷ δὲ δυναμένῳ ὑπὲρ πάντα ποιῆσαι ὑπερεκπερισσοῦ. The gloss I have for ὑπερεκπερισσοῦ is "exceedingly abundantly." Whenever I come across one of these phrases in Paul I tend to think of Luke Skywalker convincing Han Solo to go into the detention area to rescue Princess Leia. he tells him that "the reward will be...well, much more wealth than you can imagine." Han Solo replies, "I can imagine quite a bit."
God can deliver more than we can imagine. It is more than αἰτούμεθα ἢ νοοῦμεν. I take that in two directions. One is that we cannot ever out-imagine God. He has blessings in store that we cannot comprehend. However, the second direction modifies the first. When I think of blessings I tend to think of material things. I think that goes with being an American. It's really very short-sighted as well. God's blessings go beyond what we ask our think. We know from Romans that the Holy Spirit intercedes for us because we do not pray as we ought. I think this is similar. God will give us more than we ask or think because we do not ask or think rightly.
You may recall that Han Solo ended up getting tremendous blessings, but not what he signed up for. He was in it for the money, but he ended up getting dear friends and a wife. Plus, he got to be part of something much bigger than himself. The metaphor falls short because the gospel is so much more than that and the church is even more glorious than the Rebel Alliance. But I think that you get the idea.
Are you in awe of how much God has in store for you as a believer? Are you satisfied when your best life now does not involve material things?
20 Τῷ δὲ δυναμένῳ ὑπὲρ πάντα ποιῆσαι ὑπερεκπερισσοῦ ὧν αἰτούμεθα ἢ νοοῦμεν κατὰ τὴν δύναμιν τὴν ἐνεργουμένην ἐν ἡμῖν, 21 αὐτῷ ἡ δόξα ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ καὶ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ εἰς πάσας τὰς γενεὰς τοῦ αἰῶνος τῶν αἰώνων, ἀμήν.
This is arguably the end of the doctrinal half of Ephesians. I might argue that it continues until 4:16, but the point is that this kind of a doxology typically marks a break. Paul is again emphasizing the majesty and glory of God. This glory is manifested in the church and in Christ Jesus. Note that I write church with a small c. The church is τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ (dative form). It is not that body that has its headquarters in a small country inside Rome. It is the body of believers throughout the world.
What I want to emphasize is the phrase Τῷ δὲ δυναμένῳ ὑπὲρ πάντα ποιῆσαι ὑπερεκπερισσοῦ. The gloss I have for ὑπερεκπερισσοῦ is "exceedingly abundantly." Whenever I come across one of these phrases in Paul I tend to think of Luke Skywalker convincing Han Solo to go into the detention area to rescue Princess Leia. he tells him that "the reward will be...well, much more wealth than you can imagine." Han Solo replies, "I can imagine quite a bit."
God can deliver more than we can imagine. It is more than αἰτούμεθα ἢ νοοῦμεν. I take that in two directions. One is that we cannot ever out-imagine God. He has blessings in store that we cannot comprehend. However, the second direction modifies the first. When I think of blessings I tend to think of material things. I think that goes with being an American. It's really very short-sighted as well. God's blessings go beyond what we ask our think. We know from Romans that the Holy Spirit intercedes for us because we do not pray as we ought. I think this is similar. God will give us more than we ask or think because we do not ask or think rightly.
You may recall that Han Solo ended up getting tremendous blessings, but not what he signed up for. He was in it for the money, but he ended up getting dear friends and a wife. Plus, he got to be part of something much bigger than himself. The metaphor falls short because the gospel is so much more than that and the church is even more glorious than the Rebel Alliance. But I think that you get the idea.
Are you in awe of how much God has in store for you as a believer? Are you satisfied when your best life now does not involve material things?
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Breaking Down Walls
Ephesians 2:14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility
14 Αὐτὸς γάρ ἐστιν ἡ εἰρήνη ἡμῶν, ὁ ποιήσας τὰ ἀμφότερα ἓν καὶ τὸ μεσότοιχον τοῦ φραγμοῦ λύσας, τὴν ἔχθραν ἐν τῇ σαρκὶ αὐτοῦ,
This verse falls in the middle of the second half of Ephesians 2. Here Paul is explaining how the Jews and Gentiles have been brought together by Christ. I go through this verse every week as I review Ephesians and every time I go through this passage I fail to understand how this can be satisfactorily explained in a Dispensational context. To me, this seems to be part of the Ephesians road away from Dispensationalism.
It's easy to lose the grandeur of this passage when I read this through 21st century Gentile eyes. But if I transport myself back to being a first-century Gentile I begin to see why this is so great. The temple had a section for Gentiles, but you had to be a Jew to get to the holy place. And of course the Most Holy Place was only accessible by one Levite per year on Yom Kippur.
Here Paul emphasizes that Christ has made both Jew and Gentile into one. The curtain in the temple was torn when Christ died on the cross. Galatians 3:28 tells us that in Christ there is no longer a distinction between Jew and Gentile. If you were a first-century Gentile in Palestine and you really wanted to pursue God you would really be kept at arm's length. You couldn't approach Him because you were not a Jew. But as Paul writes to those folks he explains that the distinction doesn't matter anymore. It is all about Jesus and His finished work in His life, death, burial, and resurrection.
Keep in mind that Gentiles were considered unclean. Apart from Christ we are all unclean. The good news is that we can all be washed completely clean in the blood of Christ. Are you ready to leave the filth behind?
14 Αὐτὸς γάρ ἐστιν ἡ εἰρήνη ἡμῶν, ὁ ποιήσας τὰ ἀμφότερα ἓν καὶ τὸ μεσότοιχον τοῦ φραγμοῦ λύσας, τὴν ἔχθραν ἐν τῇ σαρκὶ αὐτοῦ,
This verse falls in the middle of the second half of Ephesians 2. Here Paul is explaining how the Jews and Gentiles have been brought together by Christ. I go through this verse every week as I review Ephesians and every time I go through this passage I fail to understand how this can be satisfactorily explained in a Dispensational context. To me, this seems to be part of the Ephesians road away from Dispensationalism.
It's easy to lose the grandeur of this passage when I read this through 21st century Gentile eyes. But if I transport myself back to being a first-century Gentile I begin to see why this is so great. The temple had a section for Gentiles, but you had to be a Jew to get to the holy place. And of course the Most Holy Place was only accessible by one Levite per year on Yom Kippur.
Here Paul emphasizes that Christ has made both Jew and Gentile into one. The curtain in the temple was torn when Christ died on the cross. Galatians 3:28 tells us that in Christ there is no longer a distinction between Jew and Gentile. If you were a first-century Gentile in Palestine and you really wanted to pursue God you would really be kept at arm's length. You couldn't approach Him because you were not a Jew. But as Paul writes to those folks he explains that the distinction doesn't matter anymore. It is all about Jesus and His finished work in His life, death, burial, and resurrection.
Keep in mind that Gentiles were considered unclean. Apart from Christ we are all unclean. The good news is that we can all be washed completely clean in the blood of Christ. Are you ready to leave the filth behind?
Great Inheritance
Ephesians 1:11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.
11 Ἐν ᾧ καὶ ἐκληρώθημεν προορισθέντες κατὰ πρόθεσιν τοῦ τὰ πάντα ἐνεργοῦντος κατὰ τὴν βουλὴν τοῦ θελήματος αὐτοῦ 12 εἰς τὸ εἶναι ἡμᾶς εἰς ἔπαινον δόξης αὐτοῦ τοὺς προηλπικότας ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ.
Ephesians is one of those books where it is hard for me to pick just a single short passage and write about it. This book has been transformational in my thinking about God. Any idea of a God who doesn't know the future goes right out the window. Any idea of a God who is beholden to man's "free will" is also destroyed by this book.
First of all, we see ἐκληρώθημεν, which is an aorist passive first person plural verb. The fact that it is passive shows that the inheritance is something we receive rather than obtain. There is a big difference there. Man is not the actor, but has the action done to him. We have obtained this incredible inheritance of eternal life through Christ. Many stories have been written where a long-lost uncle or aunt dies and leaves some ridiculous inheritance. (This is one of my favorites.) We have something even better. We have the God of the universe telling us that we have an inheritance in Him.
Unlike hapless Brewster, we have assurance that this will work out. Why? We know it is true because τὰ πάντα ἐνεργοῦντος κατὰ τὴν βουλὴν τοῦ θελήματος αὐτοῦ. He works all things according to the counsel of His will. In other words, anything that happens is according to the counsel of His will. Katrina? That cannot happen apart from the counsel of His will. The 9/11 attacks? He certainly could have prevented them, but He didn't. I don't want to get into the arguments about theodicy here, but the text certainly seems to say that everything has a reason behind it. We just don't know what that reason is.
Finally, we see why God would bother with sinners like us. He does this for the praise of His glory. It's all about His glory. If God were on earth and subject to psychologists He would be called narcissistic. But the thing is that He is God. Therefore, He alone deserves to have that kind of praise and glory heaped upon Him. And in fact we are most satisfied when we feed that by focusing our attention on bringing Him glory.
This whole book is just amazing. It shows us that God is really big, we are really small, and that this infinite God is also incredibly loving and merciful. I hope that you enjoy contemplating the greatness and glory of this God, whether things are going well for you or poorly. It's a reminder I definitely need.
11 Ἐν ᾧ καὶ ἐκληρώθημεν προορισθέντες κατὰ πρόθεσιν τοῦ τὰ πάντα ἐνεργοῦντος κατὰ τὴν βουλὴν τοῦ θελήματος αὐτοῦ 12 εἰς τὸ εἶναι ἡμᾶς εἰς ἔπαινον δόξης αὐτοῦ τοὺς προηλπικότας ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ.
Ephesians is one of those books where it is hard for me to pick just a single short passage and write about it. This book has been transformational in my thinking about God. Any idea of a God who doesn't know the future goes right out the window. Any idea of a God who is beholden to man's "free will" is also destroyed by this book.
First of all, we see ἐκληρώθημεν, which is an aorist passive first person plural verb. The fact that it is passive shows that the inheritance is something we receive rather than obtain. There is a big difference there. Man is not the actor, but has the action done to him. We have obtained this incredible inheritance of eternal life through Christ. Many stories have been written where a long-lost uncle or aunt dies and leaves some ridiculous inheritance. (This is one of my favorites.) We have something even better. We have the God of the universe telling us that we have an inheritance in Him.
Unlike hapless Brewster, we have assurance that this will work out. Why? We know it is true because τὰ πάντα ἐνεργοῦντος κατὰ τὴν βουλὴν τοῦ θελήματος αὐτοῦ. He works all things according to the counsel of His will. In other words, anything that happens is according to the counsel of His will. Katrina? That cannot happen apart from the counsel of His will. The 9/11 attacks? He certainly could have prevented them, but He didn't. I don't want to get into the arguments about theodicy here, but the text certainly seems to say that everything has a reason behind it. We just don't know what that reason is.
Finally, we see why God would bother with sinners like us. He does this for the praise of His glory. It's all about His glory. If God were on earth and subject to psychologists He would be called narcissistic. But the thing is that He is God. Therefore, He alone deserves to have that kind of praise and glory heaped upon Him. And in fact we are most satisfied when we feed that by focusing our attention on bringing Him glory.
This whole book is just amazing. It shows us that God is really big, we are really small, and that this infinite God is also incredibly loving and merciful. I hope that you enjoy contemplating the greatness and glory of this God, whether things are going well for you or poorly. It's a reminder I definitely need.
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
Loving My Wife
Ephesians 5:25-33
(25) Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,
(26) that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,
(27) so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.
(28) In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.
(29) For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church,
(30) because we are members of his body.
(31) "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh."
(32) This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.
(33) However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
I have often said that this passage and James 4:17 are what govern my marriage. For the most part, I do a pretty good job. However, I also realize that I could do much better. The problem is that I do the things that I think are important to Amanda. I'm great about running errands and getting the kids out of her hair. She appreciates that, but what she wants more than anything is tenderness and affection.
I'm not a real affectionate guy. In fact, I'm pretty dispassionate about a lot of things. Sadly, that often includes my wife. I'm all for sexual intimacy, but I'm not so much for giving her non-sexual affection. This is something that I've been praying about lately.
I have rationalized this in the past by recognizing that Amanda is often pretty crabby in the evenings. This is by her own admission. Noah is wearing her out and if Lily pulls any of her antics it makes things very difficult for her. How do I show affection to someone that is hard to be affectionate toward at the time?
The answer hit me when I was running yesterday. I am to love her as Christ loves the church. Is the church always easy to love? Is it always easy to show grace toward the church? I don't think so. Christ loves us no matter how much we try to push Him away. That needs to be my example to follow. It's not just about service, but it's also about genuine kindness and affection no matter what.
Men, how are you doing with this? I sure hope you're better at it than I am!
(25) Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,
(26) that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,
(27) so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.
(28) In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.
(29) For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church,
(30) because we are members of his body.
(31) "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh."
(32) This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.
(33) However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
I have often said that this passage and James 4:17 are what govern my marriage. For the most part, I do a pretty good job. However, I also realize that I could do much better. The problem is that I do the things that I think are important to Amanda. I'm great about running errands and getting the kids out of her hair. She appreciates that, but what she wants more than anything is tenderness and affection.
I'm not a real affectionate guy. In fact, I'm pretty dispassionate about a lot of things. Sadly, that often includes my wife. I'm all for sexual intimacy, but I'm not so much for giving her non-sexual affection. This is something that I've been praying about lately.
I have rationalized this in the past by recognizing that Amanda is often pretty crabby in the evenings. This is by her own admission. Noah is wearing her out and if Lily pulls any of her antics it makes things very difficult for her. How do I show affection to someone that is hard to be affectionate toward at the time?
The answer hit me when I was running yesterday. I am to love her as Christ loves the church. Is the church always easy to love? Is it always easy to show grace toward the church? I don't think so. Christ loves us no matter how much we try to push Him away. That needs to be my example to follow. It's not just about service, but it's also about genuine kindness and affection no matter what.
Men, how are you doing with this? I sure hope you're better at it than I am!
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