Inductive Biblical Thinking

²⁵ See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him who warns from heaven. ²⁶ And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heaven.” ²⁷ This expression, “Yet once more,” denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. ²⁸ Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; ²⁹ for our God is a consuming fire.   Hebrews 12:25-29

Moses was the one who warned on earth from Mount Sinai.  And what was his warning?  They were warned not to do certain things.  “Thou shalt not…”  And so God told those under the old covenant that they must not indulge in idolatry and sin.

In the verses quoted above, God now speaks from heaven through his Son, Jesus.  His covenant, the new covenant is unshakeable – unlike the old covenant which is shaken and removed.  If the word given through Moses was heard with awe and reverence, how much more should Jesus the Word and his covenant be held in awe and reverence?

So how do we worship or serve God with reverence and awe?  The first part of Hebrews 12 warns against sin in various forms.  Since God sent Jesus to provide forgiveness of sins at the cost of his death on the cross – forgiveness on condition of repentance – those who are under the new covenant are likewise to forsake idolatry and sin.

So we worship and serve God with reverence and awe by living holy lives.

– SSXG

¹⁵ Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you; ¹⁶ however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained.    Philippians 3:15,16  NASB

Paul invites those who are perfect or mature to share his attitude.  Yet apparently there were some who would dare to think differently or have a different attitude than the apostle Paul.  This sounds quite up-to-date.

In the case of the Philippians, Paul was very gracious and expressed his expectation that eventually they will get it.  Eventually God would reveal the truth to them.

Paul’s ‘attitude’ may be referring to his thoughts on how to press on in the faith – but in a sense it doesn’t matter.  The point is that there were those people – and there are those in our day – who think that they can ignore or disagree with the apostle Paul.

To disagree with a writer of the New Testament is to claim an authority above that of the writer.  On what basis?

– SSXG

 

 

⁷ But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. ⁸ More than that, I count all things to be loss ^[c]in view of the surpassing value of ^[d]knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, ^[e]for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, ⁹ and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith…  Philippians 3:7-9  NASB

The Greek word for faith can also mean faithfulness.  So the 2011 NIV has a footnote pointing out that the verse could be saying through the faithfulness of Christ rather than through faith in Christ.

If it means through the faithfulness of Christ, then Paul is not repeating himself at the end when he emphasizes that this kind of righteousness comes by faith.

Also, if it means through the faithfulness of Christ, then Paul is making the contrast sharper between righteousness based Paul’s own efforts and righteousness based on Christ’s faithfulness.

Either way, the contrast is there.  If we are not found in Jesus, having a righteousness that he provides when we put our trust in him; then we are stuck with whatever righteousness we can manage to achieve.  And that’s not enough.

– SSXG

¹⁷ Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us. ¹⁸ For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, ¹⁹ whose end is destruction, whose god is their ^[l]appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things. ²⁰ For our ^[m]citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; ²¹ who will transform ^[n]the body of our humble state into conformity with ^[o]the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.   Philippians 3: 17-21  NASB

We notice in verse 18 that the “walk” or life of many is that of enemies of the cross.  Paul is not concerned here with those who are outsiders and have never known Christ.  And it is for this reason that he is grief-stricken because of their un-Christlike lifestyle.

The frightening part is that their “end is destruction”.  The life we enjoy in Christ is not something to take for granted.  It requires commitment and effort – and time and money – as we “work out our own salvation”.

– SSXG

⁸ But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. ⁹ The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.   2 Peter 3:3-9  NASB

In my earliest posts, I suggested strongly that we need to take our theology from scripture.  Beware the theological system that affirms God’s salvation for only a select group – an elect group.  The ‘any’ and the ‘all’ of this verse prevent us from narrowing the gospel to any subset of humanity.

If we think we are to confine the good news to the Jews [as did the disciples at first], to Europeans [as did many before the age of missions] or to the hypothetical ‘elect’ [as do many in our own day]; we are putting our own understanding – our own system – ahead of the teaching found in 2 Peter 3:9.

May God grant us to understand his word and to love ‘the world’ with his love – the love that sent Jesus to the cross to die for everyone.

– SSXG

 

 

¹What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? ² You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. ³ You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. ⁴ You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.  James 4:1-4  NASB

If we read something like this – that friendship with the world is hostility toward God – we must immediately ask ourselves what do we mean by ‘friendship’?

Does this mean that we cannot have friends who are unbelievers?  Most of us have neighbours and acquaintances that we would categorize as ‘friends’ even though by a spiritual definition they are ‘of the world’ in their outlook and their commitments.

We need to look at the context.  In context, James is concerned about the attitude of at least some of those who claim to be Christian.  Their desire for pleasure is very much like that of their neighbours.   In this case, ‘friendship with the world’ refers to the way they have aligned their values to that of the world around them, rather than to the spiritual values they should have as followers of Jesus.  In fact, the situation is so bad that he accuses them of spiritual infidelity.

May our commitment to Jesus Christ be pure and unmixed with the desire for worldly pleasure.

– SSXG

²⁴ “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“Therefore I have hope in Him.”
²⁵ The Lord is good to those who wait for Him,
To the person who seeks Him.
²⁶ It is good that he waits silently
For the salvation of the Lord.   Lamentations 3:24-26  NASB

It strikes me in this scripture that “The Lord is my portion” comes first.  Those who seek him and who wait for him find that he is good.  Those who do so also see God’s salvation or rescue from their suffering, whether deserved or not, from the hand of God.  [See the previous chapters to this point.]

However, we are to seek the Lord for himself.  Jeremiah’s portion’ is not what the Lord gives him – not even his goodness and his salvation.  Jeremiah’s portion is the Lord himself.

– SSXG

²¹ This I recall to my mind,
Therefore I have hope.
²² The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,
For His compassions never fail.
²³ They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
²⁴ “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“Therefore I have hope in Him.”
²⁵ The Lord is good to those who wait for Him,
To the person who seeks Him.
²⁶ It is good that he waits silently
For the salvation of the Lord.     Lamentations 3:21-26  NASB

Many years ago a friend drew my attention to this scripture passage.

Lamentations is, as the name indicates, a lament.  But verse 21 is a turning point in the lament.  Up to this point Jeremiah expresses grief at what God has done in punishing his people and in Jeremiah’s own suffering as the prophet called upon to express God’s (unwelcome) call to repentance.

However, in verse 21, he begins to voice hope.  He has hope because he reflects on the love and compassion and faithfulness of God towards his people despite the circumstances.

It is the content of his reflection that is important, of course.  But perhaps it is well to note that he calls or recalls this to mind.  He deliberately meditates on the love, compassion and faithfulness of God.

They are in his mind – to be recalled – in part because of his own experience of God, of course, but also because he has a knowledge of the history of God’s dealing with his people as found in scripture.

It is likely that the tribulations experienced by Jeremiah would exceed those experienced by the reader of this blog.  However, the principle applies.  We can and should remind ourselves of God’s love, compassion and faithfulness to us personally.  We can and should remind ourselves of his love, compassion and faithfulness as demonstrated in scripture.

– SSXG