New Testament Archives - Page 118 of 208

Mechanics of Forgiveness

Christ Church on March 31, 2019

Introduction

Every time we say the Apostles’ Creed, we confess that we believe in the forgiveness of sins. This is reasonable we might think—isn’t forgiveness of sin the entire point? Yes, it is the entire point, but it is also part of the point that this forgiveness is entirely grace, and must never be considered an entitlement. It is not something we deserve. And remembering this is tougher than it looks.

The Text

“And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Eph. 4:32).

Summary of the Text

Forgiveness proceeds from a certain disposition. It flows out of a particular kind of character, a certain kind of heart. That disposition is one of kindness. The one who would forgive must be tenderhearted, and the word that is translated as tenderhearted here is actually telling us that our forgiveness must be visceral—from the viscera, from the gut. The requirement is then given, which is that we must forgive one another, going back and forth. The assumption is that life in covenant community will require this kind of thing, which further means that pride of face is out. Not only so, but a constant critical spirit is also out. Paul then requires us to be imitative in our forgiveness. We are to imitate God’s forgiveness of us through Christ in how we forgive one another. And this in its turn provides a key to help us understand one of the difficulties that arises with those who take forgiveness seriously.

The Forgiveness Transaction

When someone has wronged someone else, they have not just transgressed or broken a rule. They have also incurred an obligation, a debt (Matt. 6:12). And, as we all know, debts must be paid. Now when a sin is committed, the sin by itself may be the thing that has to be paid off, or it might be the “sin + damages” that has to be dealt with.

Suppose you get in a quarrel with someone, and in the heat of your temper you call them an insulting name. When you go to put this right, the debt that you owe is the obligation you carry to seek that person’s forgiveness. “Will you please forgive me for calling you that name?”

But if you called them that name, and then deliberately broke something of theirs in your anger, you now have two things to do. The first is to seek forgiveness, as in the first scenario, and the second is to make restitution (Ex. 22:12). And when you make restitution, you should add at least 20% to the value of whatever it was (Num. 5:7).

The Transaction Part

In order for forgiveness proper to have occurred, it is necessary for the offender to seek forgiveness, and for the one who was wronged to extend it. If someone steals your car, you can’t really run down the road after them yelling that you forgive them. The transaction is not happening. And if the offender truly repents, but the other person refuses to forgive, then reconciliation between them is impossible. It takes two for the transaction to happen.

When everything is running smoothly, here is the nature of the transaction. The one seeking forgiveness acknowledges his wrong, and does so without pointing to all the extenuating circumstances. In doing this, he is asking the wronged party to make a promise, and the promise sought is that he will not, on a personal level, hold the offense against the one who committed it. When the one extending forgiveness does so, when he says I forgive you, he is in fact making that promise. I italicized the word personal above because the one forgiving may have other responsibilities that must take the misbehavior into account (as a boss, spouse, elder, etc.)

Now if someone makes that promise, and then, in a subsequent quarrel, resurrects the old offense, what he is doing is breaking his promise. And that is a new sin, requiring him to seek forgiveness. “I promised you that I wouldn’t throw that episode in your teeth, and here I just did. I broke my word. Please forgive me.”

And Not a Patch Job Either

There is a stark difference between seeking forgiveness, and trying to round up acceptance of your excuses. In the same way, it is often easier for us to accept an offender’s excuses than it is to forgive him. Forgiveness presupposes genuine, deliberate wrong. And we want to say, “I can’t forgive that. He did it on purpose.” But actually, that is the only time you can forgive. There is a stark difference between an inexcusable sin and an unforgiveable one. All of them are inexcusable.

And because we live in a tumblesome world, it is often the case that our actions and our motives are mixed. In other words, perhaps a portion of it was excusable, while the rest of it was not. As C.S. Lewis points out, when dealing with others, we tend to amplify the excusable parts of our own behavior and minimize the inexcusable parts. And when it comes to the faults of the other person, we do the reverse.

But in this Christ requires of us absolutely honest weights and measures. We are required to have the same standard for ourselves that we have for others (Matt. 7:1-2).

But How . . .?

The dilemma I referred to earlier is caused by an offender who refuses to acknowledge what he or she did—or worse, does in an ongoing fashion. How can you give when someone has not asked for it?

We have to break this into two portions. According to our text, what is the basis of our own forgiveness before God? God forgives us, it says, “for Christ’s sake.” But what Christ did was accomplished two thousand years before you acknowledged your sin, two thousand years before you committed it, and on top of it all, two thousand years before you were born. Everything about your forgiveness was settled, with the exception of your experience of it.

That leads to the second part. We experience the forgiveness of God when the subjective burden of our guilt is removed, and removed forever. This is when the transaction happens.

So we are to imitate that. Say that someone has wronged you, and has not repented of it. Can you forgive them? Yes. Can they experience that forgiveness? No. Think of it this way. You take the forgiveness that you have determined to give to them the moment they ask for it, make sure it is packed well, put it in a box, and wrap it up in gift wrap. You have special place for it, near the door, and you watch the driveway the way the father in the parable of the prodigal son watched the road.

The transaction has not happened, but you are on tiptoe, wanting it to happen.

As God in Christ forgave us.

The Love Chapter – Part III

Christ Church on March 31, 2019

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The Text

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. ²And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. ³And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

⁴Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; ⁵does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; ⁶does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; ⁷bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

⁸Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. ⁹For we know in part and we prophesy in part. ¹⁰But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

¹¹When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. ¹²For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

¹³And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love (1 Corinthians 13).

Philippians: I Press On

Christ Church on March 24, 2019

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The Text

“Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.15 Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. 16 Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind. 17 Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern. 18 For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: 19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things 20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself” (Phil. 3:12-21).

1) How are we to understand and imitate Paul’s striving?

– What is the difference between Justification and Sanctification?

2) How does this represent maturity of mind for the Christian?

– What does constant use look like?

3) What’s so important about citizenship?

– How is this linked to being “led by the Spirit of God” as sons of God?

Colossians as Cornerstone #6

Christ Church on March 24, 2019

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Introduction

We conclude this letter by noting the emphasis that this section places on both words and names. Paul is concerned with the prayers of the Colossians, and their speech toward others outside, and for those who minister there in that region. He always wants them to pray for him, that his speech would be unfettered and plain. In addition to this, Paul concludes with a number of greetings to individuals, each of whom had a life, face, and story.

The Text

“Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man . . .” (Col. 4:2-18).

Summary of the Text

As Paul wraps up this short letter to the Colossians, he does so in characteristic fashion. He tells them to continue in prayer, and tells them to be watchful in that prayer with thanksgiving (v. 2). He asks to be included in their prayers, that God would open opportunities to preach about the mystery of Christ (v. 3). He wants to make this mystery manifest, as he ought to do (v. 4). He then tells the Colossians to walk in wisdom with regard to outsiders, making the most of the time (v. 5). And he tells them to have their speech be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that they can make adjustments as they answer all kinds of men (v. 6).

The beloved and faithful Tychicus, who is delivering the letter, will bring them up to date (v. 7). He was sent to encourage the Colossians, and find out for Paul how they were doing (v. 8). Onesimus is with Tychicus, and he will fill in the gaps (v. 9). Aristarchus is in prison with Paul, and he sends his regards. Mark, the nephew of Barnabas, should be received by them if he comes (v. 10). This indicates that the quarrel between Paul and Barnabas has been repaired, and it perhaps shows us why Barnabas wanted to stick with Mark after the Jerusalem council (v. 10). Jesus (called Justus) belonged to the circumcision party, but despite this was in fellowship with Paul and was a fellow worker with him (v. 11). This indicates that the circumcision party had a liberal wing. Epaphras, remember, was the likely founder of the church at Colossae, and Paul commends him highly (v. 12). In addition, we see that he was also ministering with great zeal in the nearby towns of Hierapolos and Laodicea (v. 13). Luke, beloved physician, sent his greetings, as did Demas, before his falling away (v. 14). The church in Colossae was in close communication with the church in Laodicea, and their church was of a size that it was able to meet in the house of Nymphas (v. 15). They were instructed to swap letters with the church in Laodicea (v. 16). Paul wants Archippus to be encouraged by them—he was perhaps laboring in Laodicea also (v. 17). And with that, Paul signs off (v. 18).

Continue in Prayer

When the gospel is preached efficaciously in the world, the entire body of Christ is involved in it. Note that Paul does not say that he is “an apostle,” and that he therefore has it well in hand. He wants believers to lift him up so that he might be able to lift up Christ in the message he preaches. This involves propositional content, certainly, but Paul didn’t need prayer in order to learn that propositional content. He knew that already, but still required the prayers of the saints. There was a time when Spurgeon was asked about the secret of his power, and his answer was “my people pray for me.”

Think of it this way. When the gospel is preached, the church should be swinging for the fence. The preacher might be the hands holding the bat, but the reason the ball goes over the fence has to do with the placement of the feet, and how the hips rotate.

Seasoned With Salt

We can determine in part what Paul intends by “seasoned with salt” by looking at the result he believes it will obtain. There are three parts to the exhortation. The first is “let your speech be always with grace.” That is the baseline. That is what you are communicating. Your words are to be rooted and grounded in grace, and the fruit that your words bear are to be equally gracious. And what is grace but undeserved favor? Our message is grace, proceeding from grace and heading toward more grace. All of it is grace upon grace. The second part to the exhortation is “seasoned with salt.” Whatever your gracious words are, put some salt on it. Grace needs salt. Like eggs, which are wonderful, grace still needs salt. You would have to be a raccoon to eat eggs without salt. And salt is the kind of thing that seasons different things differently—what does salt do to corn, and to watermelon, and to prime rib? These are all types of variegated grace, and salt is an additional grace. What kind of grace do you offer to outsiders, and how much salt do you put on it? That depends, and we see the third part—“that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.” In the verse prior, Paul told them to walk in wisdom, and wisdom understands the mystery of timing.

The Mystery of Christ

The mystery of Christ is something that was hidden for long ages past, but the responsibility now is for the emissaries of the church to make this mystery plain. The word rendered in verse 4 as manifes tmeans to reveal, or make clear. It comes from a root word which means shine.

All through the Old Testament, the Christ was the promised one. When He came, He lived a perfect sinless life, so that it could be imputed to us. He died on the cross, so that the penalty for our iniquity might be fully paid. He went into the grave so that we might come out of the grave. He was raised to life for our justification, and when He ascended into the heavens, it was so that we might not know Him after the flesh any longer. We worship the Christ of the cosmos, the one in whom all things are transfigured.

And as we worship Him, here today, as we worship, we are declaring to the world His manifest Deity, and the glories of His mediatorial reign. Nothing will ever be the same.

Philippians: No Other Confidence

Christ Church on March 17, 2019

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The Text

Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe.

²Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation! ³For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh, ⁴though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: ⁵circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; ⁶concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

⁷But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. ⁸Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ ⁹and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; ¹⁰that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, ¹¹if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead (Philippians 3:1-11).