How can God's wrath & His love coexist?

Some of us really need to read this. If you have ever wondered how Heaven & Hell could both exist, let me try to bring clarification. And, I am open to further explanation if anyone would benefit. 

I have told some of you that I am doing an in-depth study of the book of Romans. I recently completed a study very similar to this in the book of Galatians. In essence, I am taking each phrase of text in the book & examining it in its original language & then developing commentary as I read through several commentaries & studies. This proved life-changing in Galatians & have considered making it available as a resource to others. 

That led me to this point: God's wrath is in vivid detail in Romans 1, yet how can God's wrath coexist with His love? Specifically when we consider Jesus' teaching on anger (comparing it to murder). Let's consider: 

(For clarification, I am using Stott's outline as my guide)

What is God's wrath? 

For one, God's wrath is not like our wrath. As humans, our wrath or anger is mostly "an irrational & uncontrollable emotion, containing much vanity, animosity, malice, & the desire for revenge" (Stott, 71). God's wrath is empty of these ingredients. 

For those of us who have ever wrestled with God's wrath, I must conclude that we are approaching this viewpoint from the wrong perspective... we haven't yet understood the biblical description of God's holiness. God's wrath is His righteous opposition towards evil; He refuses to support evil & will not become indifferent towards it. 

Against what/whom is God's wrath revealed?

Paul said that God's wrath is being revealed "against all godlessness & wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness." Evil arouses/awakens God's anger. 

Stott said, "Scripture is quite clear that the essence of sin is godlessness. It is the attempt to get rid of God &, since that is impossible, the determination to live as though one had succeeded in doing so" (72). 

When people choose to live as though they have "gotten rid" of God, their human rebellion reveals God's wrath. They have chosen to live for themselves rather than for God & others; it is the ultimate in self-centeredness. They are deliberate in suppressing God's truth in order to pursue their own self-centered path. 

How is God's wrath revealed?

Consider these quotes:

"When we hear of God's wrath, we usually think of 'thunderbolts from heaven, & earthy cataclysms & flaming majesty', instead of which his anger goes 'quietly & invisibly' to work in handing sinners over to themselves" (Neill, 12)

God's wrath "operates not by God's intervention but precisely by his not intervening, by letting men & women go their own way" (Ziesler, 75). 

"God abandons stubborn sinners to their willful self-centeredness, & the resulting process of moral & spiritual degeneration is to be understood as a judicial act of God. This is the revelation of God's wrath from heaven" (Stott, 75). 

Conclusion:

I have often been blinded by my own sin. The majority of the time, my greatest enemy is my pride, my refusal to accept anything that challenges my ego. I have found that the most loving thing someone can do is to confront my harmful behavior & action. Rather than act indifferent towards my sin, people who love me the most will confront me. Yet, there comes a point when after they have confronted me time after time & if I do not turn from that behavior, they will allow me to face the consequences of my actions. 

The mere thought of God handing me over to my own sin is terrifying. Yet, I do not have to fear for I am trusting Christ as my Savior. And for those who trust & believe in Christ, they realize that God's wrath has been poured out against their sin upon Jesus. Jesus literally bore the sins of those who trust & believe. As one of my seminary professors said, "There is more injustice in Heaven than there is in Hell." Each of us are deserving of God's wrath. Everyone of us has lived for themselves & pursued their desires rather than God. Yet, God lovingly sent Jesus to pay the penalty of our sin. For those who would die to self & live to Christ, forsaking all hope except Jesus, these would be called the children of God.

To be continued...

A favorite turned into a movie!

ESV Scripture Memory Cards are Ready

ESV Scripture cards baby! [For those of you who do not understand why I am so excited about doing these in the ESV (English Standard Version) of the Bible, it's because of the ESV's readability & integrity to the original languages.]

Now accepting pre-orders for ESV (or NASB) Scripture Memory Cards ($35) designed by yours truly. See Monday's post for a fuller description. By the way, the card holder/keychain comes in 4 lovely colors: white, black, orange, & pink (girls love pink!). Please specify your preference. 

Stott on Romans 1:1-6

Here are a few of my favorite Stott quotes out of his commentary on Romans (verses 1-6): 

The scope of the gospel is all the nations (v.5-6)

"What he (Paul) is affirming is that the gospel is for everybody; its scope is universal. He himself was a patriotic Jew, who retained his love for his people & longed passionately for their salvation (9:11ff.; 10:1). At the same time, he had been called to be the apostle to the Gentiles. We too, if we are to be committed to world mission, will have to be liberated from all pride of race, nation, tribe, caste & class, & acknowledge that God's gospel is for everybody, without exception & without distinction." (p.51-2)

The goal of the gospel is the honour of Christ's name.

"The highest of all missionary motives is neither obedience to the Great Commission (important as that is), nor love for sinners who are alienated & perishing (strong as that incentive is, especially when we contemplate the wrath of God, verse 18), but rather zeal - burning & passionate zeal - for the glory of Jesus Christ... Some evangelism, to be sure, is no better than a thinly disguised form of imperialism, whenever our real ambition is for the honour of our nation, church, organization, or ourselves." (p.53)

Scripture Memory Cards ROCK!

So... here's the deal. I had possibly my best idea yet the other day. The idea was to design some scripture memory cards that would be ideal to put in your pocket & have with you at all times. Plus, you know me, I had to make them cool looking. The result is below. I got these bad boys in today & they are rock-n-roll incarnate! Click on the image below for details. Better yet, I will go ahead & list it here for you:

100 cards total contain close to 200 verses. They each come with a handy plastic pocket keychain holder & the back text can be customized for your church, ministry, etc. They are available for $35. The passages of Scripture include:

• 1 Corinthians 13
• Deuteronomy 6:4-9
• Hebrews 12:1-11
• Isaiah 53
• John 15:1-17
• Matthew 6:25-34
• Psalm 1
• Psalm 16
• Psalm 19
• Psalm 27
• Psalm 103
• Romans 5:1-8
• Romans 8

I am going to be making these available in 2 translations: NASB & ESV. My first copy is in NASB, but I am quickly going to make them available in ESV. Plus, I am going to be doing a second run before too long with other portions of Scripture. If you have some ideas of verses that should be included, let me know. For now, if you want to place an order, simply email me at ben@thevisiblegroup.net. I will follow up with further details. Enjoy!

Smells like "Euangelion"

Euangelion is the Greek word meaning "good news." It is the origin of our word, 'gospel.' I know you've heard the word 'gospel' used often, but I think it would be helpful to consider it in greater detail. There are many counterfeit gospels out there & it is my desire that you know, taste, & smell the really good news. 

The ESV Study Bible states that the gospel "included not just a call to initial saving faith but Paul's entire message about Jesus Christ & how Christ's saving activity transforms all of life & all of history." 

The gospel is great news. The gospel of God teaches us that despite our inability to live perfectly & our inclination towards sin, God would give His Son, Jesus, on our behalf to reconcile our relationship with Him. 

"The apostles did not invent it; it was revealed & entrusted to them by God. This is still the first & most basic conviction which underlies all authentic evangelism. What we have to share with others is neither a miscellany of human speculations, nor one more religion to add to the rest, nor really a religion at all. It is rather the gospel of God, God's own good news for a lost world. Without this conviction, evangelism is evacuated of its content, purpose, & drive." (Stott, Romans, 48). 

The gospel is about Jesus.

"The whole gospel is contained in Christ." Therefore, "to move even a step from Christ means to withdraw oneself from the gospel." (Calvin, p.15)

Marked by the Lord (like you may have never seen)

The Lord God has given Me the tongue of disciples, that I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple. The Lord God has opened My ear; and I was not disobedient nor did I turn back. I gave My back to those who strike Me, & My cheeks to those who pluck out the beard; I did not cover My face from humiliation & spitting. For the Lord God helps Me, therefore, I am not disgraced; therefore, I have set My face like flint, & I know that I will  not be ashamed... Isaiah 50:4-7

Isaiah 50 is one of the most wonderful passages of Scripture to me. The foreshadowing of Christ is unreal in this chapter as well as chapters following. But, I want to take a different look at it today & maybe reveal something that you may have never seen before. But, in order to do so, we must go to Exodus.

The story goes like this:

"If you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve for six years; but on the seventh he shall go out as a free man without payment. If he comes alone, he shall go out alone; if he is the husband of a wife, then his wife shall go out with him. If his master gives him a wife, & she bears him sons or daughters, the wife & her children shall belong to her master, & he shall go out alone. But if the slave plainly says, 'I love my master, my wife & my children; I will not go out as a free man,' then his master shall bring him to God, then he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; & he shall serve him permanently." Exodus 21:2-6

We must conclude that there are times when this would happen--a free man choosing to remain in slavery to his master. In my opinion, this says much about the master. Who would so willingly remain in slavery? Well, mind you, it depends on who the master is. In Isaiah 50 we have the foreshadowing of Christ & it uses very similar wording to convey that those who serve the Almighty, Loving, & Sovereign God will never be ashamed. "He awakens my ear to listen as a disciple. The Lord God has opened my ear." 

Those who follow Jesus are different. Why? Because slavery to Jesus is better than the royalty of anything else. I guess you could say, Christ followers have been marked by the Lord. They are his disciples. 

I conclude this post, may God bring me to the doorpost & pierce my ear with an awl & may I serve Him forever. I would choose no other way. What an honor to be fulfilled in Christ!

One of the Best Vids I've Seen in a While.

I've got to thank my friend Brad Hill, of the band Seraph, for emailing me this link. What an incredible video! Whether you are into Fantasy Football or not (personally, I am not), you can't help but get a big cheese on your face when you watch this. Enjoy!

Page CXVI: Old Hymns New Ways

What a wonderful project! Here's the scoop: "Page CXVI is a project started with the idea of making hymns accessible & known again. They are some the riches, most meaningful, & moving pieces of music ever written." 

For a limited time you can download the album for free. Click here. 

Via: Justin Taylor

Pray for your Children

Here's Brennan, my "little knucklehead." 

"Children are a gift of the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward." Psalm 127:3

I could've never imagined the joy I would experience by having a child. Yet, almost immediately I sensed the responsibility that I would have to lead my wife & my children in spiritual leadership. I am learning to be more vocal in my leadership & praying to God that He would help me take more initiative in things such as family Scripture study, prayer, & service. Although I tend to be very passionate about my convictions, sometimes I do not communicate them as well as I would like; I tend to expect people to read my thoughts. I think sometimes the difficulty for well-intentioned men in leading their families is that they lack a practical way to lead their family toward godliness. I have been encouraged by my men's group & the different ways in which they seek to lead their families; I will share further insight in subsequent posts. But for today, I would like to offer you some prayers to pray over your children & others' children. I would like to thank my wife for pointing me to these. If you have family devotion times that work for you, I would love to hear more about them & how you go about doing so. 

That they will have a real born again experience and come to know God personally. (John 3:3)

That they will have soft, tender hearts to hear the voice of the Lord and that they will walk humbly before Him. ((Isaiah 57:15; 66:2; 1 Peter 5:5-6)

That they will love the Lord with all their heart, soul, mind and strength. (Mark 12:50)

That God will pour out His Holy Spirit upon them. (Isaiah 44:3-4)

That they will love the Word of God, love to pray, and love to fellowship with the saints. (1 Peter 2:2; Psalm 55:17; Hebrews 10:25)

That they will love righteousness and hate evil. (Psalm 97:10; 101:3; Amos 5:15; John 17:15-16; Romans 12:9)

That they will hate lies and deception and seek after truth. (Psalm 51:6; 119:30; 163; Proverbs 12:22; 13:5; 19:9)

That they will stand up for truth and never compromise; that they will stand and keep on standing against all opposition. (Ephesians 6:13-14)

That they will hate the spirit of this world, but instead, bring God's love and salvation to the needy in this world. (John 17:18; Philippians 2:15; 1 John 2:15-17)

That they will understand true justice and have discernment regarding good and evil, the holy and the profane. (Leviticus 10:10; Isaiah 59:14-15; Jeremiah 15:19; Ezekiel 22:26)

That they will seek God with all their hearts. (Psalm 27:8; 105:4; 119:2; Proverbs 28:5; Zephaniah 2:3)

That their whole spirit, soul and body will be kept pure and blameless unto the coming of the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 5:23)

That God will give them godly wives and husbands. (2 Corinthians 6:14-18)

That they will love and embrace children and establish godly homes. (Psalm 27 and 28: Malachi 2:15)

That God will keep them from accident, harm, sickness and danger, and all enemy attack. (Psalm 91)

Finally Alive by John Piper

Consider this endorsement by Adrian Warnock for Finally Alive:

"Have I been born again? is not a question to be answered hastily. In this book, Piper strips away our complacency, arguing that many people falsely believe they are Christians. Because no issue could be more critical, I believe this is the most important book Piper has written." 

I would like to implore every reader to allocate time to read this book. How awful to think yourself a Christian, when it is otherwise! Further, how tragic to be convinced by someone that you are born again when it hasn't taken place! I urge you to consider this study as a gift from God to help you discern whether you are truly a Christian or if you are simply religious.

You can purchase, download a free ebook, or listen/read/watch the sermon series that inspired it at desiringgod.org. 

Jerry Bridges Seminar

On Saturday morning, Cornerstone Church of Knoxville hosted author Jerry Bridges. Bridges spoke on the Sovereignty of God, the Goodness of God, & the Discipline of God. I was out of town, but I went to Cornerstone's website & downloaded the 3 sessions. As well, you will find a session called "The Fear of the Lord" by Bridges from 3/5. Go to www.cornerstonechurchofknoxville.com, click on 'Media & Links', select 'Seminars', & Download the MP3s. 

NEW WEBSITE LAUNCH! www.benfinchphotography.com

Ben Finch Photography has finally launched a new website. It is much more user friendly & professional... and the landing page points viewers to a page that they can choose to visit the website, blog, or client proofs & ordering page. You can check it out at the following link:www.benfinchphotography.com. I would love to hear your thoughts & impressions of the site. So go visit it already! 

Bridges on the Providence of God

" God's providence is His constant care for & His absolute rule over all His creation for His own glory & the good of His people... His own glory & the good of His people. These two objectives are never antithetical: they are always in harmony with each other. God never pursues His glory at the expense of the good of His people, nor does He seek our own good at the expense of His glory. He has designed His eternal purpose so that His glory & our good are inextricably bound together. What comfort & encouragement this should be to us. If we are going to learn to trust God in adversity, we must believe that just as certainly as God will allow nothing to subvert His glory, so He will allow nothing to spoil the good He is working out in us & for us." - Jerry Bridges, Trusting God, 23-24

If you do not like free stuff, do not read!

Something that I have enjoyed quite a bit is my subscription to christianaudio.com. Besides the wonderful library of audiobooks, there is the monthly gift of a free audiobook when you create an account with them. The account is free & there are no strings attached. I just downloaded this month's free audiobook: Donald Whitney's Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life. Although I have read it, I am going to burn it to a disc & enjoy listening to it on my ride down to Atlanta at the end of this week. Sweet nectar of life!