The Secret to Bible Reading

Bible reading can be difficult. Why do some Christians seem to get so much out of their Bibles, but when I read the passage I get…spiritual crickets? Why is my Bible reading so uneventful? What’s the best way to come at this common problem among believers?

King David has the answer. It’s a prayer:

Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.

Psalm 119:18

Pray this humble prayer every time you read the Scriptures—that’s what David means by law here—and watch the Lord do his thing. Don’t be bashful about it; this is part of our inheritance in Christ. He died for us so we can see his glory in his word now. It’s yours in him today.

Our Cries for Help

Sometimes when we ask God for help with something, he first answers us by showing us just how bad it is (spoiler alert: it’s much worse than we think). Just when we are beginning to feel that we can’t go on, that this sin, or struggle, or unbalanced equation must be killed, defeated, or solved, it’s as if it rears up before us stronger than ever! Now the waters really begin to rage. Now we catch a whiff of just how foul the cauldron really is. It can feel so discouraging. Why doesn’t he just help us?

He is helping us. He’s showing us our desperate condition so that we might move into real, earnest, desperate prayer. He wants us to cast ourselves fully and completely upon him. Consider our dear brother David:

The cords of death encompassed me;
    the torrents of destruction assailed me;
 the cords of Sheol entangled me;
    the snares of death confronted me.

 In my distress I called upon the Lord;
    to my God I cried for help.
From his temple he heard my voice,
    and my cry to him reached his ears.

Psalm 18:4-6

Don’t lose heart! It has often been noted that the darkest hour comes before the dawn. Lean into your guilt, mark your temptations, stare your challenges in the face; behold the depths of evil, the powerful snares, and the impossibilities all around you. And then, when you are almost completely overwhelmed, you will call upon the Lord in distress and anguish of spirit. And then he will do something amazing. He will bow the heavens and come down (verse 9), he will fly to you upon a cherub (verse 10), he will unleash his fury against your enemies and save you by his own hand, and you will praise him for it (whole psalm). For he loves to save the broken spirit out of all its troubles.

The Gift of Being

This week I’m reading a little book called Enduring Divine Absence: The Challenge of Modern Atheism which was written by my friend Joseph Minich (very sharp dude). It’s a fascinating study of how modern technology (man’s knowledge of and *apparent* control over nature) makes atheism seem like a plausible philosophical option, and how this relates to the hiddenness of God and his purposes in revealing himself (and not revealing himself). I want to share a quote from this book with you, but first a little ordering of our thoughts.

In the book he does some philosophical heavy-lifting (at least for normal people like me) which quite blew my mind. Everything that exists (but which could very easily not have existed) has gone from not existing (and not having to exist) to existing. How? By receiving its being. “If a thing does not have its being in itself,” writes the Minich (by which he means, if a thing did not create itself), “it must have it in another” (44). Therefore, everything that exists but didn’t have to, received its being from that which never received its being at all but exists in and by itself (I told you, heavy-lifting).

One payout of this concept is that it shows us why the being or existence behind and under everything that exists must also be personal, namely, because this being chose to give us existence, as a gift. We see that this Being is a Personal Agent who wills and acts. He donated our being to us all, whether “we” are people, animals, plants, or even elements. He is the one who bridged the gap between the possibility of our existence and our actual existence, even though he didn’t have to.

Very well, enough! Now you are ready for the quote:

The gap between what must exist and what does but need not exist is necessarily mediated by a non-necessary donation from what necessarily exists, and that requires will and personality. Our act of existence is suspended in and is a donation of Existence Himself—Being Himself, Life Himself—in whom all things are what and as they are—from whom are all things, for whom are all things, and in whom all things hold together.

Wowzers. Truly “he is actually not far from each one of us, for ‘In him we live and move and have our being’” (Acts 17:27-28). Let’s trust this astounding God with our lives today.

Courteous as Knights

The Apostle Paul is known for his ultra-dense and at times cryptic language. He often swings the sword of the Spirit in high spiritual battle, and his blade strokes can be difficult to follow. Even the other apostles didn’t understand everything he said (2 Pet 3:16). But, every once in a while (usually at the end of his letters), Paul can be very down to earth and even downright practical. Consider the following verses:

Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. For we ourselves were once foolish… Titus 3:1–3

The Greek word behind our English “courtesy” here means, “The quality of not being over-impressed by a sense of one’s importance, gentleness, humility, courtesy, considerateness, meekness.” (BDAG). Christians are to possess and display this spirit to others. The qualities of patience and meekness are commonly confused with weakness and timidity. However, this is a call to great spiritual strength—the kind we can only possess in Christ. Because living this way toward others is not easy. It is the life of true chivalry.

C.S. Lewis summarizes this spirit well: “No warrior scolds. Courteous words or else hard knocks are his only language.” Courtesy is not weakness. It is strength subdued. Bringing out the big guns (openly wielding the authority of our various offices and stations in life) is our last move, and only when forced. On the personal level, we never lash out at our enemies, or those who do not know God. We are patient with them, and kind to them. We address them with respect. Why? Because we were once the very same way. And if Jesus can save us, he can save them too.

Lampin

Lampin is a slang term that signifies the act of chilling or hanging out. As it turns out, this may be a strangely instructive term in exposition of our text, where simply being what we are in Christ illuminates others like a lamp. Let’s read it:

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:14–16

In these few words, our Lord tells us who we are and what to do with it. We are the light of Christ in a world of endless night (always nighttime, never Festivus-eve). We are the light of the world, or the word may signify the universe—so that we are like the stars of heaven—and should therefore let our lights shine even as the heavenly luminaries, which never cease to smile upon the earth with their kind twinklings. After all, it is the light of our “Father who is in heaven” which we shine forth to others.

Christian, let your light shine. Be what you are in Christ, and do what you do in Christ, as a display of God’s life-giving light to those around you. Let your good works and words go forth freely, enlightening lost sinners and encouraging those who have been found by Christ to do the same. In this way, we are God’s visible messengers of the kingdom of heaven on earth. And that’s the church in a nutshell.

Classic Christianity 104

To conclude our brief glance at the creeds of the early church, we end with an important piece which rounds out the theology of classic Christianity. The deity of Christ was first attacked and subsequently defended by ancient Christians, but, there were those who confessed its mighty truth while denying its complement, his true human nature—without which no human can be saved. The church’s clap back to this is called the Chalcedonian Definition, which was written in the year of our Lord 451 in the city of Chalcedon, in modern day Turkey. It neatly asserts the true humanity of Christ in straightforward language and is to be honored by quiet reflection upon its great Subject, the God-Man Jesus Christ.

We, then, following the holy Fathers, all with one consent, teach men to confess one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the same perfect in Godhead and also perfect in manhood; truly God and truly man, of a reasonable [rational] soul and body; consubstantial [coessential] with us according to the manhood; in all things like unto us, without sin; begotten before all ages of the Father according to the Godhead, and in these latter days, for us and for our salvation, born of the Virgin Mary, the mother of God, according to the Manhood; one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten, to be acknowledged in two natures, inconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably; the distinction of natures being by no means taken away by the union, but rather the property of each nature being preserved, and concurring in one person and one Subsistence, not parted or divided into two persons, but one and the same Son, and only begotten, God the Word, the Lord Jesus Christ, as the prophets from the beginning [have declared] concerning him, and the Lord Jesus Christ himself has taught us, and the Creed of the holy Fathers has handed down to us.

Classic Christianity 103

When it comes to upholding the biblical doctrine of the Trinity in the face of spiritual opposition, few names deserve the honors which we accord to Athanasius of Alexandria (an Egyptian city which sits upon the Mediterranean Sea). This distinguished Church Father battled head-to-head against Arius himself, the raging heretic who denied the eternal deity of our Lord Jesus Christ. Athanasius terminated false doctrine of this foul sort with extreme prejudice. His readiness to go to bat for the doctrine of God anytime, anywhere, against anyone, inspired the famous saying, Athanasius contra mundum, or Athanasius against the world.

Like it’s predecessor the Apostles’ Creed, the Athanasian Creed was not penned by the champion whose name it bears. But it preserves for the church the rich essence of the doctrine of the Trinity as the great saint held it with a clear conscience. Its basic premise is that one must believe in the triune God in order to be saved. This stands to reason, seeing that our Savior is no mere creature, but the God-Man. Therefore, to deny his deity is to deny him. And who can do that and yet be saved?

It is much lengthier than the Apostles’ and Nicene creeds, yet it commands our thoughtful perusal. Truly our triune God is wondrous in his being and works.

Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the catholic faith [The word “catholic” means “universal,” and it is in this sense employed by the Athanasian creed, thus signifying the universal church of all Trinitarian believers worldwide.]

Which faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly.

And the catholic faith is this: That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity;

Neither confounding the persons nor dividing the substance.

For there is one person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Spirit.

But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit is all one, the glory equal, the majesty coeternal.

Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Spirit.

The Father uncreated, the Son uncreated, and the Holy Spirit uncreated.

The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible, and the Holy Spirit incomprehensible.

The Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Spirit eternal.

And yet they are not three eternals but one eternal.

As also there are not three uncreated nor three incomprehensible, but one uncreated and one incomprehensible.

So likewise the Father is almighty, the Son almighty, and the Holy Spirit almighty.

And yet they are not three almighties, but one almighty.

So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God;

And yet they are not three Gods, but one God.

So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son Lord, and the Holy Spirit Lord;

And yet they are not three Lords but one Lord.

For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity to acknowledge every Person by himself to be God and Lord;

So are we forbidden by the catholic religion to say; There are three Gods or three Lords.

The Father is made of none, neither created nor begotten.

The Son is of the Father alone; not made nor created, but begotten.

The Holy Spirit is of the Father and of the Son; neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding.

So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Spirit, not three Holy Spirits.

And in this Trinity none is afore or after another; none is greater or less than another.

But the whole three persons are coeternal, and coequal.

So that in all things, as aforesaid, the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshipped.

He therefore that will be saved must thus think of the Trinity.

Furthermore it is necessary to everlasting salvation that he also believe rightly the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.

For the right faith is that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and man.

God of the substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds; and man of substance of His mother, born in the world.

Perfect God and perfect man, of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting.

Equal to the Father as touching His Godhead, and inferior to the Father as touching His manhood.

Who, although He is God and man, yet He is not two, but one Christ.

One, not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh, but by taking of that manhood into God.

One altogether, not by confusion of substance, but by unity of person.

For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man, so God and man is one Christ;

Who suffered for our salvation, descended into hell, rose again the third day from the dead;

He ascended into heaven, He sits on the right hand of the Father, God, Almighty;

From thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies;

and shall give account of their own works.

And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting and they that have done evil into everlasting fire.

This is the catholic faith, which except a man believe faithfully he cannot be saved.

Classic Christianity 102

God is the subject of theology—it’s right there in the name, the study of God. As Christianity sprouted up and grew in the ancient world, the first doctrine it was called upon to defend on a grand scale was the doctrine of God. Heretics arose in plenty, denying that the Son and Spirit were fully God. This theological warfare is reflected in the crisp Trinitarian language of the Nicene Creed. It adds explicit Trinitarian theology to its predecessor, the Apostles’ Creed, and stands to this day as a pillar of the ancient church, carved from the marble of Scripture. Take a few minutes to steep your mind and heart in its brilliance and richness:

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made.

Who, for us men for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.

And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life; who proceeds from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets.

And I believe one holy catholic and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Classic Christianity 101

One of the beauties of the Reformed faith is that it is self-consciously rooted in the theology of the early church, in particular, in its creeds. For example, John Calvin’s celebrated work The Institutes of the Christian Religion is an extended commentary upon the very oldest of them, the Apostles’ Creed.

This document of antiquity was not penned by the apostles, yet it sets forth in mini the Apostolic Doctrinal Universe (henceforth the ADU). Let’s fetch a cask of this finely aged theology from the cellar of church history, shall we? It is the first vintage made from the raw grape of Scripture. Take a few minutes to savor its various aromas and notes for yourself:

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic [or universal] church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.

It doesn’t get more classic Christianity than that.

Politics and Religion

That clever chap GK Chesterton has been quoted as saying, “I never discuss anything else except politics and religion. There is nothing else to discuss.” An astute observation. However, as to the exact balance of things, I think we could stand to lay on a bit more of that second item, blessed religion.

People need God. It’s easy to party-up and promote the earthly principles of politics through a Christian veneer. We may even gain a good following by preaching to the godless political choir. Instead, let’s unleash the eternal truth of God upon the people.

Contemplate God! Know him in his attributes. Trust him in his gospel. Love him in his loveliness. Obey him in his laws. Adore him in all things. Bathe in the splendor of his gospel grace for sinners and talk about him all the time.