"You are guilty; your pardon is of God."
-C.H. Spurgeon, "Prince of Preachers"
(1834-1892)
Monday, June 30, 2008
Notable quote...
"You are guilty; your pardon is of God."
-C.H. Spurgeon, "Prince of Preachers"
(1834-1892)
Sunday AM Series: Romans
Pastor Joel Santti: Romans 3:1-31
What advantage then...?
Verse 1 asks the question which frames the rest of the chapter: What advantage then has the Jew?
-They are God's chosen people.
-Given the word (oracles) of God (v. 2).
-But time and again, they rejected Him.
Verses 3-4 underscore the fact that unbelief doesn't change the truth of God: let God be true, but every man a liar.
In verses 5-8, God's judgments are seen as true and righteous (see Psa. 19:9).
Verse 9 confirms that all, regardless of ethnicity, gender, or social status, are under sin.
Verses 10-12 flesh the above point out: There is none righteous...There is none that understandeth...there is none that seeketh after God...there is none that doeth good.
To illustrate, Paul examines humankind's conversation in verses 13-14.
Verses 15-18 indict humankind's conduct.
Verses 19-20 render God's judgment through the law: and all the world may become guilty before God.
But...verses 21-23 declare how God's righteousness through faith in Christ can reverse the guilty "verdict".
Key words to look for in verses 24-26: justification, redemption, and propitiation- all results of Christ's finished work.
Verses 27-28 show that it isn't by individual acheivement (boasting), but faith that justifies.
Verses 29-31 point to the law's fulfillment (completion).
What advantage then...?
Verse 1 asks the question which frames the rest of the chapter: What advantage then has the Jew?
-They are God's chosen people.
-Given the word (oracles) of God (v. 2).
-But time and again, they rejected Him.
Verses 3-4 underscore the fact that unbelief doesn't change the truth of God: let God be true, but every man a liar.
In verses 5-8, God's judgments are seen as true and righteous (see Psa. 19:9).
Verse 9 confirms that all, regardless of ethnicity, gender, or social status, are under sin.
Verses 10-12 flesh the above point out: There is none righteous...There is none that understandeth...there is none that seeketh after God...there is none that doeth good.
To illustrate, Paul examines humankind's conversation in verses 13-14.
Verses 15-18 indict humankind's conduct.
Verses 19-20 render God's judgment through the law: and all the world may become guilty before God.
But...verses 21-23 declare how God's righteousness through faith in Christ can reverse the guilty "verdict".
Key words to look for in verses 24-26: justification, redemption, and propitiation- all results of Christ's finished work.
Verses 27-28 show that it isn't by individual acheivement (boasting), but faith that justifies.
Verses 29-31 point to the law's fulfillment (completion).
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Sermon notes, other info coming Monday...
Sermon notes from Romans 3 coming tomorrow, along with other info about upcoming 4th of July events. In the mean time, it appears that our church has caught the eye of at least one driver for a major home improvement store. Maybe he'll come back when he can spend more time...
Thursday, June 26, 2008
PBS: "Jesus in China"
Flipping through the channels the other night, I ran across PBS's "Frontline". They featured Christianity in China. Titled Jesus in China, it looked at the relationship between the "house church" (underground) movement and the communist government. While Christian brothers and sisters are beginning to see daylight in the form of less restrictions from the government, they still deal with the specter of living in a police state.
Among the more interesting thoughts from the program:
“They’ve tried to catch me several times, but they never succeeded because God protects me.” says Wang Guiyan, who runs [a house] church. “Christianity is freedom. But Chinese Christians, they still have restrictions. They are not completely free.”
----------
In case after case, the Chinese government gives a variety of reasons other than faith to arrest local house church leaders. Sometimes, they demolish the house churches altogether. But the government’s attempts to control the underground church have largely failed to diminish their faith.
----------
“The gap is becoming larger in China between the rich and the poor, the powerful and the powerless,” he says. “I believe only Jesus, and not the communist party, can save this country and its people.”
----------
At the most recent Communist Party congress, President Hu Jintao made an historic move, adding the word “religion” to the party constitution for the first time. He urged party leaders to strike what he called a harmonious balance between church and state.
But not everyone trusts the party’s new friendly face toward religion. Fan Yafeng, a lawyer specializing in religious freedom, tells Osnos that the government’s acceptance of Christianity is strategic.
“To control the Chinese society, the government sometimes chooses to be lenient and sometimes tough,” he says.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Is it really that bad?
I happened upon a news story while sorting through the news of the day, an AP piece in which the title summed up most of the article: Everything seemingly is spinning out of control.
Really? I thought to myself. Here's some excerpts:
Midwestern levees are bursting. Polar bears are adrift. Gas prices are skyrocketing. Home values are abysmal. Air fares, college tuition and health care border on unaffordable. Wars without end rage in Iraq, Afghanistan and against terrorism.
---------------
"It is pretty scary," said Charles Truxal, 64, a retired corporate manager in Rochester, Minn. "People are thinking things are going to get better, and they haven't been. And then you go hide in your basement because tornadoes are coming through. If you think about things, you have very little power to make it change."
---------------
The can-do, bootstrap approach embedded in the American psyche is under assault. Eroding it is a dour powerlessness that is chipping away at the country's sturdy conviction that destiny can be commanded with sheer courage and perseverance.
---------------
And maybe this is what the 21st century will be about — a great unraveling of some things long taken for granted.
---------------
My response when I read this? It's bad, but it's not as bad as it's been before, nor as bad as it will get. First of all, it's not as bad as it's been before and the Bible gives me a pretty good idea that this is the case. Take Genesis 6:1 and following. God sees that man's wickedness is great and that "every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." Then the very next verse says "and it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart."
Genesis 6 is what is known as "the days of Noah" and they seem to be a sort of benchmark for God to measure wickedness and depravity. In fact Jesus uses Noah's time to give us a hint as to when His second coming shall be: But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. (Matt. 24:37). So, although it is bad (and not getting much better- see 2 Tim. 3:13) it has been worse and will be once again. But as long as we're here, we have a chance to parner with God to forestall the decay and depravity- provided we don't add to it with our actions.
Just a thought...
Really? I thought to myself. Here's some excerpts:
Midwestern levees are bursting. Polar bears are adrift. Gas prices are skyrocketing. Home values are abysmal. Air fares, college tuition and health care border on unaffordable. Wars without end rage in Iraq, Afghanistan and against terrorism.
---------------
"It is pretty scary," said Charles Truxal, 64, a retired corporate manager in Rochester, Minn. "People are thinking things are going to get better, and they haven't been. And then you go hide in your basement because tornadoes are coming through. If you think about things, you have very little power to make it change."
---------------
The can-do, bootstrap approach embedded in the American psyche is under assault. Eroding it is a dour powerlessness that is chipping away at the country's sturdy conviction that destiny can be commanded with sheer courage and perseverance.
---------------
And maybe this is what the 21st century will be about — a great unraveling of some things long taken for granted.
---------------
My response when I read this? It's bad, but it's not as bad as it's been before, nor as bad as it will get. First of all, it's not as bad as it's been before and the Bible gives me a pretty good idea that this is the case. Take Genesis 6:1 and following. God sees that man's wickedness is great and that "every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." Then the very next verse says "and it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart."
Genesis 6 is what is known as "the days of Noah" and they seem to be a sort of benchmark for God to measure wickedness and depravity. In fact Jesus uses Noah's time to give us a hint as to when His second coming shall be: But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. (Matt. 24:37). So, although it is bad (and not getting much better- see 2 Tim. 3:13) it has been worse and will be once again. But as long as we're here, we have a chance to parner with God to forestall the decay and depravity- provided we don't add to it with our actions.
Just a thought...
Monday, June 23, 2008
Less than two weeks away...
Our church will be proudly taking part in Willard's Fourth of July parade and festivities...
Our theme will be God and Country.
Stay tuned for updates as the day draws closer.
Save the date: Friday, 7/4/08
Sunday AM Series: Romans
Pastor Joel Santti: Romans 2:12-29
On God's Law and the people of the Old Covenant
-Gentiles didn't have God's law delivered to them as did the Jews, yet they had a law "written on the heart" in their consciences.
-Those who had God's law boasted in it and became proud and arrogant, forgetting the original purpose of the law.
-see verse 20: a form of knowledge
a form of something is not complete.
Paul spoke of those in the last days who would have a "form of godliness, but denying the power thereof".
-form vs. knowledge: from mind to heart
-vs. 25-29
Circumcision was an outward sign to God but if someone didn't live the inward truth behind that sign, it meant nothing.
We need an inward sign that God is present.
-Our daily challenge is to look into the mirror of the word of God so that we can launch out into our daily walk (see James 1:22-25)
On God's Law and the people of the Old Covenant
-Gentiles didn't have God's law delivered to them as did the Jews, yet they had a law "written on the heart" in their consciences.
-Those who had God's law boasted in it and became proud and arrogant, forgetting the original purpose of the law.
-see verse 20: a form of knowledge
a form of something is not complete.
Paul spoke of those in the last days who would have a "form of godliness, but denying the power thereof".
-form vs. knowledge: from mind to heart
-vs. 25-29
Circumcision was an outward sign to God but if someone didn't live the inward truth behind that sign, it meant nothing.
We need an inward sign that God is present.
-Our daily challenge is to look into the mirror of the word of God so that we can launch out into our daily walk (see James 1:22-25)
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