Diversity is a popular and powerful word in our culture today. Because many use it to argue for moral relativism, Christians are often wary of the term. However, diversity is part of the beauty of God’s creation. The diversity of language, culture, and race are part of God’s design. Since religious freedom is critical for true faith, a religiously diverse culture should be expected. But affirming and protecting the necessity of religious freedom does not imply that everyone is “right” or that religion is man-made. Even within the church we often struggle with our unity and diversity. Ephesians 4 helps us to understand how they relate (see also 1 Cor 12). Paul teaches that our calling as believers is inherently corporate and that we are unified by our faith in God (vv. 1-5). Within this unity and for the sake of building unity, various gifts have been given to individuals (vv. 6-16). There should be diversity of function and expression within the unity of the church. However, the unity of the faith and the accomplishment of ministry through the body is more important than its diversity, which is the means by which this unity is accomplished. Our culture makes diversity the ultimate value and purpose of individual distinctiveness. Individualism and diversity are indeed a beautiful and functional reality of the church, but they are not the church’s foundation or purpose. They are the means and expression of unity in Christ for the accomplishment of his mission and for the glory to God.
Knowing God through Obedience
"All true knowledge of God is born out of obedience."John Calvin, Institutes
The truth of this principle is expressed in John 14:21:
"He who has my commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him." (NKJV)
The manifestation of Jesus is on the other side of knowing and keeping his commandments. What, then, is theology and biblical scholarship that is not born out of obedience?
(Originally posted Aug 04)
Got Wisdom?
“Buy truth, and do not sell it;buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding.”
Prov 23:23
This verse clearly teaches that all believers must go to college. Just kidding. I’m not sure paying for a formal and institutional education was the norm at this time. Besides that, one would be assuming that such an education would offer truth and wisdom!
So how does one buy truth? He does not literally buy truth. This is figurative language for counting the cost. Truth and wisdom must be diligently sought. We are not born with it uploaded into our brains. It requires time, energy, concentration, work, and diligence. It is not always easy. But it is worth the price. Truth and wisdom are worth any earthly resource one possesses. Thus, one also is not to sell it. It is possible for one to choose to keep such earthy resources instead of gaining wisdom. Or one may even forsake the truth and wisdom one has obtained to chase after such temporal goods.
I am finally done with my formal education. But I am committed to being a life-long learner. I will read, study, discuss, experiment, practice, listen, write, and observe till I die. I am on a mission to discern truth and gain wisdom at every turn.
Genesis 19: Lot the Loser
Lot was a despicable man. When begging the men of Sodom not to ask for his angelic guests, he offered his own virgin daughter for them to have their way! He reasoned that he was responsible for the men since they “have come under the shelter of my roof.” Are his daughters not even more so under the shelter of his roof? What a gross failure to value, love, and protect his daughters. I would hate to think how he cared for them each day if he would do this. It seems that men should fight and sacrifice to protect their women and children. Then, in the face of grave warnings, Lot lingered in the city. He clearly had allowed his heart to be poisoned by the flesh and sin of the city. He had trouble pulling away. The fact that he dwelt here at all is an obvious statement about his judgment. His wife also had been hooked, evidenced by her disregard for the warning not to look back.
After escaping with only his two daughters, Lot lived in fear. His fear was first revealed when he asked the men not to make him go to the hills. Ultimately, though, fear drove him out of the city to live in a cave. To live in fear is not just cowardly, but a revelation of Lot's lack of relationship with and trust in the Lord.
The scheming of his daughters, in addition to the heart of his wife, also reveals the quality of Lot and how he had failed to teach them the ways of God and his care for them. The abhorrence of Lot is finally emphasized by the ease with which his daughters were able to get him drunk and sleep with him.
Lot was a selfish, cowardly, irresponsible, foolish, fleshly, gullible, undisciplined man. And although I despise him, I pity him. Most of all, I am shaken by the fact that we all have the capacity to come to such a condition. May I entrust myself to God and obey and trust him. May I bravely teach, care for, and protect my family. May I maintain a heart of purity and a disciplined mind and body. May I be alert to evil, danger, and temptation.
"Train Up a Child"
“Train up a child in the way he should go;even when he is old he will not depart from it.”
Prov 22:6
The definition of “train” in the Dictionary of Biblical Languages With Semantic Domains is “disciple, i.e., broadly instruct in accordance with proper rules of conduct and behavior which would include both principles and teaching holy ritual.”
Disciple your children. Teach your children. Training is primarily teaching. But it cannot be one class, or one semester, or only in class. Training is life teaching. Discipleship implies and walking through life together and giving instructions along the way. Discipleship would naturally include example and demonstration as well. This is also teaching.
The other day, Dana and I discussed this question: “Why are we educating our children?” Education cannot be an end in itself because knowledge is an incomplete virtue. Knowledge is valuable and important, but the most significant issue is what one does with his knowledge. Many have wrought great evil and destruction with their knowledge. Children are to be trained in the way they should “go.” The main concern is not merely what they know, but what they do. Thus, we must broaden the view of Christian education to wisdom. Wisdom adds righteousness and fear of God to knowledge. God’s purposes for us are to love him and love others. All education and knowledge, then, is gained in order to fulfill God’s purposes.
Training a child has this broader goal in mind for it does not simply convey knowledge, it teaches a way of life – “in the way he should go.” It is a way, a path that goes on and on. It is not just a particular skill or behavior. As the definition above states, it includes principle and holy ritual. Principles are eternal truths that transcend particular circumstances. Principles inform wise and right decisions no matter what the particular problem or choice one faces. “The way” is one that will last one’s entire life. Thus, when the disciples are old, they will still be able to follow it.
This way is not a personal, traditional, or cultural way. It is the way one “should” go. This assumes a right way, a transcendently true way. Therefore, the child is taught God’s way – the way of righteousness, love, and wisdom.
"Hurricane Wilma Lashing Cuba" - 2005.
The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their roaring. Mightier than the thunders of many waters, mightier than the waves of the sea, the Lord on high is mighty! Psalm 93:3-4