Every Picture Tells a Story

And this one is not pretty…

Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God. (Psa 20:7)

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In What (or in Whom) Do You Trust?

In What (or in Whom) Do You Trust?

In what, or whom, do you trust? As I reflect upon 2 Timothy 3:16-17, I continue to marvel at those who evaluate Scripture through the lens of their experience. Understanding our emotions, or “feelings” change like the tides but God’s word stands forever, as Peter writes elsewhere, people who profess to be Christians remain predisposed to evaluating divine truth based upon the ever changing criteria of how they feel about an issue at the moment, or this week, or this month, or this year.

Ultimately, they trust in themselves more than they trust in God as they put themselves, or someone else, in the place of final arbiter of what is true or false in Scripture? They demote God and elevate themselves to judge His word? How’s that for arrogance? I remember discussing with a couple of folks the prohibition against women as elders and pastors. They pointed out to me that this passage in 1 Timothy 2 was superseded by Galatians 3 (there is neither male nor female nor free man nor slave…). They continued to point out that Paul had been a strict religious Jew (i.e. a Pharisee) and that his background had prejudiced his thought process. They added something to the effect that “besides, there were special problems with women in Ephesus being uneducated and susceptible to false teachers… so that teaching was limited to a specific geography.”

I was amazed. First, 1 Timothy, Titus, and 2 Timothy were written after Galatians, which, if their theory were true would mean that 1 Timothy 2 superseded Galatians 3. Furthermore, as is often the case, Galatians 3 was taken out of context. It’s about salvation not gender roles---Christ died for the sins of all types of people, regardless of gender or socio-economic background. Third, insinuating that Paul’s cultural prejudice infected his thinking and somehow frustrated God’s “attempt” to give inspired Scripture, kind of elevates Paul as sovereign over God, relegating God to the position of being inept or incapable to communicate as He intended. Fourth, somehow teaching that women in Ephesus were less competent than men, theologically, demeans women. Finally, male leadership in the church is taught in 1 Timothy 2 and 3; Titus 1 and 2, and 1 Corinthians 11. Thus, given the distances between Ephesus (1 and 2 Timothy), Crete (Titus), and Corinth (1 Corinthians) the bogus idea that such teachings preserved and transmitted down through the ages in Scripture does not really hold water.

But what’s at the heart of all this? Experience over Scripture. We elevate our sensibilities over and above the word of God when its teachings collide with our culture or our sinful preferences. When we do so we build our house upon the sand, rather than the Rock. We, as Christians, should know better. Will we judge God? There is a God in heaven. We are not He. He has spoken through His word and we are accountable to Him, not the other way around. Think about it. Do you say, “I know the Bible says this… but…?” Think what you are saying, “I know God says this but I want to do this…” or “I prefer this…” God does not care what we prefer. He wants us to follow Him. The next time you affirm 2 Timothy 3:16 and 17… take time to ponder the implications of what you say you believe:

¹⁶ All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; ¹⁷ that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. (2Ti 3:16-17 NAS)

In what or in Whom do you trust? Do you trust in God and His word, or something less?

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Don't Talk About Sin Talk About Grace

If you don't realize how bad you are then you can't realize how good Christ is! Recently, a visitor at our church complained about the Sunday sermon. I had preached a sermon on repentance as one avenue toward the road to reconciliation with God. At the heart of the message was the grace of God. However, the visitor did not want to hear about sin or fearing God. They wanted to hear about the grace of God. They said something about their God not being "an angry God" but a gracious God. The truth is were we not all sinners deserving death and hell (i.e. the wages of sin) then we would not need the grace of God. Apart from understanding our own sinfulness we cannot understand the glory and wonder of God's grace. As Paul writes in Romans 6:23, the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus. We deserve, we earn, hell but we all, in Christ, receive better than we deserve, God's unmerited favor: grace. Wanting to ignore our sin and our need for repentance, perhaps inadvertently, is wanting to downplay the grace of God. If we are not lost, then we don't need to be found. If we are not dead in our sins and trespasses, then we do not need rescue. If we are not sinners, then we don't need the Savior. But the truth is, we are not good people. We are terrible sinners, which makes Christ a wonderful, merciful Savior. Christ offers forgiveness to all people. He grants it to those who will not reject His gospel. We can only receive grace if we really, really understand our great need as we are revulsed and repulsed by the deformity of our sin. Jesus is a wonderful Savior to those who will receive forgiveness and a divine judge to those who reject Him. There's no away around admitting you're a terrible sinner in need a saving grace. It's at the heart of the gospel.

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