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Introduction to Acts (The Continuing Adventures of Jesus #1)

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INTRODUCTION

The book of Acts has often been called “The Acts of the Apostles,” which is certainly what the book describes, primarily beginning with Peter in Jerusalem and then following Paul’s missionary journeys all the way to where the book ends in Rome. But many commentators have pointed out that it is particularly the Holy Spirit who empowers and drives the ministry of the Apostles, and so others have suggested a revised title “The Acts of the Holy Spirit,” which is also good and helpful. But if we read the first sentence of Acts, Luke seems to have yet another layer in mind: these are the Acts and Words of Jesus continued.

The opening line of Acts also highlights the nature of the book: it’s a book of action and words, adventures and messages: from jailbreaks to shipwrecks to sermons, miracles, baptisms in the middle of the night, mobs, beatings, and conspiracies, it ranks among the most fast-paced adventure stories of the Bible. And Luke is teaching us that these adventures are what Jesus does through His Spirit, working through His people.

THE TEXT

“The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach…” (Acts 1:1-3)

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

This is the “beloved physician” (Col. 4:14) Luke’s second book on the acts and teaching of Jesus (Acts 1:1, Lk. 1:1-4). As in that first account, Luke is particularly concerned with eye-witness testimony that confirms the certainty of the Christian message (cf. Lk. 1:2-3). “Theophilus” means “lover of God” or “beloved of God,” and therefore, it works as a generic title for any believer, but the formal address of “most excellent” suggests that Luke may have had a particular man in mind as well (Acts 1:1, Lk. 1:4).

Luke’s first volume recounted what Jesus began to do and teach until He was taken up (Acts 1:2). But He wasn’t taken up into Heaven until He had given commandments by the Holy Spirit to His apostles, whom He had personally chosen previously (Acts 1:2, cf. Lk. 6:13-16). It was to those apostles in particular that He proved Himself alive after His death by many signs (Acts 1:3). In fact, He showed Himself alive for forty days between His resurrection and ascension, giving signs and teaching them the things concerning the kingdom of God (Acts 1:3).

THE KINGDOM OF GOD

John Calvin says that during these forty days, Jesus “briefly set down the end of the doctrine of the gospel; namely, that God may reign in us. Regeneration is the beginning of this kingdom, and the end thereof is blessed immortality; the middle proceedings are in a more ample going forward and increase of regeneration.” The reign of God begins in the capture of the capital city of a man and its complete surrender, and it proceeds until the whole country is subdued to His righteousness and holiness. He who begins that kind of work always completes it (Phil. 1:6). This is the central adventure of Christian faith: submitting to Jesus wherever He leads.

The book of Acts begins and ends with this message of the “kingdom.” The book closes: “And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him, preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him” (Acts 28:30-31). Closely related to the “kingdom” theme are the last two words of the book in Greek: parresia and akolutos. The word parresia means “boldness,” and akolutos means “unhindered.” We will return to these words throughout our study of the book of Acts, but suffice it to say for now: these are the hallmarks of the Kingdom of God. Citizens of the Kingdom are bold and unstoppable, and this is because Jesus reigns in them. We will see throughout our study that every attempt to stop the gospel failed: prisons, stoning, persecution, mockery, mobs, lies, even the sins of God’s people. At every point, King Jesus broke through, and the mission continued boldly and unhindered.

WORD & DEED

The other thing Acts emphasizes and Luke underlines here in the opening is the unity of word and deed. Jesus is our Savior and Lord by His actions and His teaching (Acts 1:1). He proclaimed the gospel with all authority, and then He accomplished the gospel with all authority. He proclaimed the authority to forgive of sins, to cast out demons, and to raise the dead, and then He suffered for our sins, destroyed the power of the Devil on the cross, and rose from the dead. This is also the mark of all faithful Christian leaders. Jesus warned against the scribes and Pharisees, telling His disciples that they ought to do what they teach but not what they do (Mt. 23:3). “For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers” (Mt. 23:3). Faithful leaders, like Jesus, lead by action and prove their teaching by their lives.

The Christian faith is not merely a religion of words; nor is it merely a religion of deeds. It is a religion of word and deed, faith and action, doctrine and signs. This begins with faith and obedience: we are justified by faith alone, but we are justified by a living and fruitful faith that always works by love (Gal. 5:6, Js. 2:17-26). As Jesus says, “Why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not do the things which I say?” (Lk. 6:46) Is Jesus Lord? Is He King? Has He purchased you with His precious blood? Isn’t He worthy? Obedience to King Jesus is the greatest adventure.

CONCLUSIONS

The book of Acts is addressed to the “lover of God” or the “beloved of God.” And there’s no one who loves God, except those who are loved by God first (1 Jn. 4:10). But the love of God is no tame, inanimate thing. It was Augustine who put into words what seems implied everywhere in Scripture: the Holy Spirit is the love of God, the love of the Father and the Son. This love of God is poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit (Rom. 5:5).

But the Holy Spirit is the creativity of God, the power of God, the wisdom of God, the fierce loyalty and kindness of God: think of Creation, Noah, Bezalel, Samson, Ezekiel, Mary, Pentecost. This is no tame Spirit, no tame love. This Love is full of life, adventure, joy, and action. Acts is a record of the bold and unhindered Spirit-Love of Christ driving, compelling, pressing His people forward into the Kingdom, compelling the whole world to come with us.

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Clean Hearts & Blessed Fountains (Biblical Sexuality Sunday 2023)

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INTRODUCTION

In January 2022, the Canadian government enacted Bill C-4, effectively criminalizing Christian preaching, teaching, and counseling that upholds Biblical morality for all sexuality. It specifically prohibits “conversion therapy” and defines that therapy as any practice, treatment, or service that seeks to call individuals to embrace the body God created them with and covenant marriage, with a penalty of up to five years in prison. It also condemns historic, biblical teaching on sexuality as “myths.”

A number of faithful men have called for the pastors of Canada to preach messages annually in direct defiance of that law. We, along with many American pastors, are joining them to stand in solidarity with them. With the recent passage of the so-called “Respect for Marriage Act,” American churches have even more reason to stand with our faithful Canadian brothers and to exhort and warn our own American leaders from going down this same path.

Here in this text, we are given an example of a faithful father teaching and warning his children, and his son in particular, to spot the deadly allures of sexual confusion and sin, and to pursue and rejoice in one woman in the fear of God.

THE TEXT

“My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding: that thou mayest regard discretion and that thy lips may keep knowledge…” (Prov. 5:1-23).

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

Solomon warns his son to listen to his father closely in order to stay far away from the seductive lips of the strange woman whose feet go down to Hell (Prov. 5:1-8). That path is paved with regret, sadness, sickness, and poverty (Prov. 5:9-14). Instead, the son is instructed to love the life God has given him and rejoice in the wife of his youth (Prov. 5:15-20). God sees all things, and He has fashioned the world such that a man hangs himself with his own sins and folly (Prov. 5:21-23).

INESCAPABLE DISCIPLESHIP

There is no neutrality anywhere; every square inch of the universe is claimed by Christ. And therefore, every human moment is either submitted to that Lordship or else it is defying that Lordship. This means that children are growing up either being taught that Christ is Lord of everything, or not. This is why God required Israel to teach their children that the Lord is One God and to love Him with singular devotion all day long and everywhere (Dt. 6:4-9). This is what the New Testament calls “the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4). This nurture and admonition includes everything the Bible says about human sexuality. This means that whatever any human authority says, we must obey God rather than man (Acts 5:29). This applies to all men, but it applies particularly to our children.

LIFE OR DEATH

The basic choice before us and our children is: life or death? The path of all sexual confusion and immorality leads to death; sexual obedience is the path of life (Prov. 5:5-6). This same choice is between, on the one hand: productivity, fruitfulness, and joy, and on the other hand: futility, barrenness, and sorrow (Prov. 5:10-14). Sexual obedience begins by submitting with gratitude to the biology God has given, as well as rejoicing in the respective assignments and glories that come with your body. And from the earliest ages, honoring those differences with all modesty and purity and joy. This requires joyfully teaching boundaries and enforcing them. This should be done in faith (not fear), trusting that what you’re actually insisting on is the natural goodness of the created order, like teaching them to walk or talk or sing. This should include lots of healthy physical affection, compliments, and good humor. The central “well of life” in a family is the affection, respect, and loyalty between a man and his wife (Prov. 5:15-19). Whatever you are saying, you are either confirming or contradicting by your marriage. The strongest protection from the Devil and all predators and lies is the unity of husband and wife (1 Cor. 7:5, Eph. 4:26-27).

APPLICATIONS

Run from all temptation: Joseph ran from Potiphar’s wife (Gen. 39:12). Jesus says to cut off the hand that causes you to sin, pluck out the eye (Mt. 5:29). It’s striking that He says this again, specifically when He warns against causing little ones to stumble (Mt. 18:6-10). Run from sexual temptation, but also run from all bitterness, wrath, and strife in your home that may cause your children to stumble.

Repent of all your sins: “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God… For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God… Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth: fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry… put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him” (Col. 3:1-10).

Sin deforms the image of God; repentance in Christ reforms and restores the image of God. But Christian repentance is impossible apart from regeneration. You cannot “mortify therefore” unless you have been raised with Christ. But if you have risen with Christ, then you are dead and your life is hidden with Christ in God, and repentance is simply agreeing that all of your sin really is dead. And if it is dead, then you are clean and free. Full repentance includes confession to God, people sinned against, and new obedience.

Clean hearts see more clearly than dirty hearts. Sin-laden hearts have eyes with logs in them, and you can’t see dangers clearly and know how to avoid them, whether for yourself or your children (Mt. 7:3-5). There are several biblical principles for wise and faithful parenting (e.g. faith, joy, obedience, fellowship), but parenting is a lot more like cooking than a math problem. There is a general recipe to follow, but depending on a number of details, your taste must be well trained to know what is needed next. And that is only possible with clean hearts.

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The Law of Kindness (KC)

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INTRODUCTION

The Bible says that a man who doesn’t sin with his words is perfect and has tamed something wilder than beasts and serpents (Js. 3:2-8). If this is the case ordinarily, how much more so are we up against it in a world that has embraced profanity, perversion, lies, and violent words and has the technological ability to send and multiply them exponentially around the world?

But this is one of the marks of a new heart in Christ. No man can tame the tongue (Js. 3:8), and out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks (Lk. 6:45). Therefore, only a new heart from God can turn the tongue into a well of blessing, and when He does, it is exponential blessing.

THE TEXT

“She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness” (Prov. 31:26).

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

The Proverbs 31 woman is the culminating summary of Lady Wisdom who was introduced in the opening chapters of Proverbs, as the woman a young man should seek to marry with all his strength. While wisdom certainly is understanding, knowledge, skills, and virtues, the picture of wisdom as a woman is not merely a picture, but part of the point is that seeking, finding, wooing, and marrying a good woman, and building a home with her under the blessing of God is where wisdom is found and cultivated. So wisdom is woman to be pursued, and a good woman embodies that wisdom, particularly in her words. But ultimately Christ is the wisdom of God and on His tongue is the law of kindness (1 Cor. 1:24, 30). Therefore, in every Christian home, everyone is learning to speak that glorious dialect.

THE TORAH OF GRACE

The word “Torah” is the word for “law,” and it refers specifically to the first five books of Moses, but Christ is the end of the law for everyone who believes (Rom. 10:4). The word “Torah” generically means “guidance” or “instruction.” So on the one hand, the mouth of wisdom includes teaching the grace of the law of God, the goodness of the law of God, the sweetness of the law of God: “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul… the statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart… more to be desired are they than gold… sweeter also than honey” (Ps. 19:7-11). “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous” (1 Jn. 5:3). On the other hand, the mouth of wisdom guides and instructs in grace, in kindness, toward grace and kindness. Ultimately, these two things are the same: for against the fruit of the Spirit “there is no law” (Gal. 5:22-23).

LIES & FLATTERY

The law of kindness is first of all truthful: “A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth worketh ruin” (Prov. 26:28). And while straight lies, cheating, and all deception must be renounced and repented of, flattery is often excused under the guise of being nice or kind. Flattery is false, insincere, or excessive praise, usually with the aim of either avoiding conflict or gaining some favor. Socrates said that flattery is a show of friendship but not the actual fruit. The evil woman flatters with her tongue; her lips drip honey, luring to sexual immorality (Prov. 2:16, 5:3, 6:24). Flattery is satanic, going all the way back to the garden (Gen. 3:4-5). True biblical love confronts sin in love (Lev. 18:17-18, Eph. 4:15).

Flattery may happen in a refusal to address sin or problems, and flattery may occur angling for honor or friendship or gifts. The Psalm says that those who flatter have “double-hearts” (Ps. 12:2); they have ulterior motives. But the law of kindness is sincere, single, simple (2 Cor. 1:12). The first Christians were characterized by this “singleness of heart” (Acts 2:46). The center of this kindness and singleness of heart is the fear of God; it is not “eyeservice,” or being “menpleasers” (Col. 3:22). It speaks always fully aware that Christ is in the room.

A TREE OF LIFE

As opposed to the hatred and destruction of lies and flattery, good words are a tree of life (Prov. 15:4). In particular, words of blessing are like good food for the soul: “The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life” (Prov. 10:11). “By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted: but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked” (Prov. 11:11). “A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth: but the soul of the transgressors shall eat violence.” (Prov. 13:2). In other words, we are always “eating” our words, either for good or for ill: “A man’s belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled” (Prov. 18:20). “Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel” (Prov. 20:17). But the tongue of the wise is health (Prov. 12:18).

APPLICATIONS

Pray, write, and say blessings over one another: Husbands, bless your wives literally (Prov. 31:28). Here are a few: “Be thou the mother of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them” (Gen. 24:60). “Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an army with banners” (Song 6:4). Parents, especially fathers, say blessings over your children: “That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace” (Ps. 144:12).

When my children were young, I would say this over my sons: “May the Lord bless you and keep you and make you a mighty man; may you fight sin, Satan, giants, and dragons, through Jesus Christ our Lord.” And I said this over my daughters: “May the Lord bless you and keep you and make you wise and beautiful; and may your children and grandchildren rise up and call you blessed.” Quote/imitate Scripture and write your own for bedtimes, Sabbath dinners, birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, etc.

We want to continue to cultivate a culture of blessing: “And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, The LORD be with you. And they answered him, The LORD bless thee” (Ruth 2:4). “By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted” (Prov. 11:11). And all of this is based on the fact that God’s Word and God’s ways are blessings. His command in the beginning was simultaneously a blessing (Gen. 1:28). And in Christ, His single-hearted word to us is hesed, His covenant faithfulness, His lovingkindness, to a thousand generations.

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The Duty of Ordered Love & the Sins of Identity Politics (State of the Church 2023)

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INTRODUCTION

As the Christian foundations of our society continue to crumble, animosity is the inevitable result, because in this New World that Christ rules, there is no other integration point, no other peace, no other fellowship. It is literally Christ or nothing. But this doesn’t stop rebellious men in their pride from forging false integration points, politically, culturally, or racially, but since they are all idolatrous rivals to Christ, they will only succeed in deforming men, inciting malice and envy (Ps. 115:8). Our presbytery recently adopted the following statements in order to address our current situation, proposing them to the full CREC to be adopted as memorials:

ON ETHNIC BALANCE

We believe the human tendency to congregate around shared affections is natural and can be good—it creates the blessing of cultures and subcultures, for example. But as with all natural goods in a fallen world, there is a temptation to exalt it to a position of unbiblical importance, thus making it an idol. While an ethnic heritage is something to be grateful for, and which may be preserved in any way consistent with the law of God, it is important to reject every form of identity politics, including kinism—whether malicious, vainglorious, or ideologically separatist/segregationist.

ON ANTI-SEMITISM

We believe the conversion of the Jews is key to the success of Christ’s Great Commission, and it is incumbent upon us to pray and labor toward that end. While, apart from Christ, the Jews are as all others––alienated from God—they have remained an object of God’s care because the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable. God’s plan for converting them is for them to see Gentile nations under the blessings of Christ’s lordship, thus leading them to long for the same. Hence, the cancerous sin of anti-Semitism has no place in God’s plan.

THE TEXT

“And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these” (Mk. 12:29-31).

RIGHTLY ORDERED LOVES

Biblical love is treating others lawfully from the heart. And Augustine’s definition of virtue as “rightly ordered love” is inherent in being created, finite creatures. We cannot love everything and everyone infinitely; we must choose and calibrate our loves. Sin is disordered love: loving evil or else loving something good too much or too little. Our loves are ranked in the greatest commands: we must love God first, above all else, heart, mind, soul, and strength, and then we must love our neighbors as ourselves (Mk. 12:30-31, cf. Lev. 19:17-18, 33-34). Jesus is teaching this same ordering of loves when He insists that loyalty to Him and His people must rank over our own families and will sometimes even appear as a hatred of them or even your own life (Lk. 14:26, Mt. 12:48-50, Lk. 12:53).

But Jesus also affirmed the fifth commandment over certain church fundraising programs (Mk. 7:10-12), promised to abundantly restore families and lands to those loyal to Him (Mk. 10:29-30), and honored His own mother greatly (Jn. 19:26-27). Jesus was closer to some disciples than others: the 70 were closer than many, the 12 were closer still, but Peter, James, and John were His closest friends, while John was His best friend. A certain sentimentalism resents this as “not fair” or even “hateful,” but this is the way God made the world. This applies to friends (Prov. 27:6, 17), marriage (Mk. 10:9), and children (Is. 49:15, Mt. 23:37). Bitter and envious sentimentalism resents this and will eventually defend every form of treachery.

LEARNING TO LOVE RIGHTLY

Christ is the only true integration point of all things (Col. 1:20). But this reconciliation is not an obliteration of differences, loyalties, or loves. The fact that that there is neither male nor female in Christ Jesus does not abolish a husband’s duty to his wife; nor does his godly favoritism mean that he hates all other women. In fact, the Bible insists that we learn love from the lesser to the greater, from the closer to the further away, from the more concrete to the more abstract. The right kind of love of self teaches us to love our neighbors, beginning with those closest to us (Eph. 5:28), and ultimately teaches us to consider others better than ourselves (Phil. 2:3). David says that he learned to trust in God from his mother’s breast (Ps. 22:10). This covenant loyalty charges families to provide for their own before others, and so learn godliness and generosity there first (1 Tim. 5:4, 8), which, when done rightly, prepares justice, mercy, and hospitality for strangers and emergencies (cf. Lk. 10:25, Lev. 19:33-34). But it is not true love to give what you don’t have (2 Cor. 8:12), and where ordered covenant loves are despised, all talk of “love” is empty, aimless, selfish, and destructive. Just as you cannot really love God (whom you have not seen) if you do not love your neighbor (whom you have seen), neither can you love your neighbor whom you barely know if you do not love the neighbor who lives with you (1 Jn. 4:20).

PROVOKED TO JEALOUSY

The Bible teaches that envy is the satanic lust at the heart of much animosity (Js. 4:1-5), and vain glory and pride often feed and provoke this bitter envy (Js. 3:14-16, Gal. 5:26). But the more faithful God’s people are, the more provoked to envy their enemies will be (e.g. Gen. 26:14). However, there is also a godliness that provokes love and good works (Heb. 10:24, 2 Cor. 9:2). The Bible says that this is what God is doing with the Jews in particular, saving the Gentile nations first “to provoke them to jealousy” and “emulation” (Rom. 11:11, 14) “until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in” (Rom. 11:25). As it relates to the gospel, the Jews are no different than any other nation, but as it relates to covenant history, the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable (Rom. 11:29). Paul says, “For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh… As concerning the gospel, they areenemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes” (Rom. 9:3, 11:28). Paul’s example teaches us to hate what God hates (all vain glory, malice, lies, theft, unbelief, etc.) and to order our covenant loves faithfully (family, church, nation, etc.).

CONCLUSION

The vision in Revelation is of a great multitude that no one can number from every nation, tribe, people, language, standing before the throne worshipping the Lamb (Rev. 7:9-10) and the kings of the nations bringing the glory and honor of the nations into the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:24-26). This vision is of a glory that is both one and many, with unity and diversity.

No scheme of man can ever conjure this, and so we reject all identity politics: socialism, social engineering, racial vain glory, and all ethnic animosity. The gospel restores families and nations without putting them in a humanistic blender or coercing a false unity through superficial diversity (guilt manipulation, quotas, etc.). True virtue is a rightly ordered love, beginning with your own people, gathered around shared loves, with worship of the Lamb at the center.

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His Banner Over Me is Love (Christmas 2022)

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INTRODUCTION

The Song of Songs is both a love song between Solomon and his wife, as well as an allegory of the love of God for Israel, prefiguring the incarnate love of Christ for His Bride, the Church.

When the Word became flesh, He “tabernacled” among us, dwelling with us like a faithful bridegroom, come for His faithless bride. When He came, He came to build a new house, the Church, which turns out is a feasting hall, but this is the kind of festival that organizes the participants into platoons and regiments. The love of God establishes the armies of God.

THE TEXT

“He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love” (Song 4:2).

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

Literally, the bride says that she has been brought to a “house of wine,” which may literally refer to King Solomon’s palace, but the broader allegorical allusion would be to the tabernacle and temple, where wine was regularly offered as a drink offering to the Lord (e.g. Ex. 29:38-40). But drinking wine was strictly prohibited in the presence of the Lord (Lev. 10:9). So it is very striking when Jesus turns around 150 gallons water of purification (for going into the temple) into wine at a wedding feast, and then He proceeds to establish a feast with wine in His presence that we celebrate until the end of the world (Jn. 2:1-11, 1 Cor. 11:26).

The word for “banner” can be translated as “ensign, military standard, or tribal division.” The same word is used elsewhere in the Song: “Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an army with banners… Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, andterrible as an army with banners?” (Song 6:4, 10). The book of Numbers also used the same word many times to describe the tribes of Israel arrayed as a war camp around the tabernacle and how they go out to battle (Num. 1:52, 2:2ff, 10:14ff).

AUGUSTINE’S WELL-ORDERED LOVE

In City of God, Augustine says, “It seems to me, a brief and true definition of virtue is ‘rightly ordered love’” (Book XV. 22). And he cites our text as it is translated into Greek: “That is why in the holy Song of Songs Christ’s bride, the City of God, sings, ‘Set love in order in me’.” The connotations of “banner” with the military organization of Israel make sense of this translation.

CONCLUSION

At Christmas, God came for His wayward bride in His love, but that love not only saves and rescues, it offers the wine of joy and celebration. And yet, this is not an anarchic joy, it is the joy of the Lord, and therefore, it is a joy that drives us to greater holiness, greater virtue, greater militance. Because Christ was born, we are the armies of God. Because Christ is born, our festivals are warfare. So guard your hearts. Guard your families. And guard this joy. “Then the Lord awoke as from sleep, like a warrior shouting because of wine.” (Ps. 78:65).

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