Studying the Bible with Humility

During our vacation last month, my family and I visited Redeemer Community Church, a nondenominational Bible church in Little Rock, Arkansas. I have been listening to their minister Bob Lepine's online sermons and reading his blog for some time now. Although we were unable to meet Mr. Lepine during our visit since he was away on vacation at the same time, we enjoyed our time with the church. Our son Christopher loved it because the guest speaker was an Army chaplain.

A couple of Sundays ago, I was listening to Bob Lepine online as he was preaching through the twenty-first chapter of the Gospel of Luke, a text focusing on the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem and the coming of Jesus Christ in power and glory.

In the introduction to his multi-part lesson on this text, the preacher presented the four major views of the end times: historic premillennialism, dispensational premillennialism, postmillennialism, and amillennialism. He explained that your view of the end times will influence the way you interpret Luke 21.

Then the pastor said something that I found extremely interesting. He warned the congregation to hold their views softly, with a large dose of humility, because there is a good chance that you are wrong.

He pointed out that many biblical doctrines are very clear and need to be held firmly. For example, every Christian would affirm that Jesus is the only Way to the Father. "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me'" (John 14:6). However, some biblical doctrines are less clear and more difficult to understand. Bob Lepine reminded the church that whether they chose to believe the historic premillennial view, the dispensational premillennial view, the postmillennial view, or the amillennial view, they had a 75% chance of being wrong. However, that is not an excuse to ignore difficult passages in the Bible. Mr. Lepine encouraged the assembly to wrestle with such passages, but to do so with humility.

I had not thought of it in such a way before, but I found Bob Lepine's advice to be wise. We should hold on to clear biblical teachings firmly, but hold on to less clear understandings of the Bible softly. We may be wrong, and we need to be open to correction.

The Hope of Christ's Return

"The Lord isn't really being slow about His promise, as some people think. No, He is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment.

"Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, He will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames. But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth He has promised, a world filled with God's righteousness.

"And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in His sight" (2 Peter 3:9-14, New Living Translation).

The Heart of Christianity

"Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing (2 Timothy 4:8, NIV).

Christians can be passionate concerning many things. We love worship music. We are passionate about Bible study. We are driven to help the widows, the orphans, and the poor among us. We are passionate about pursuing justice, righteousness, and high ethical standards.

But above all, we are passionate about Jesus Christ. We love to hear about what he has done for us. We love to think about his character, his words, and his actions. We love to let other people know about him. And we look forward to his return above all other expectations.

Jesus Christ is the heart of Christianity.

Halloween Hell

This is my planned communion meditation for this coming Sunday at the Contact Church.

When I was a teenager, I would go to the latest scary movies with my friends during this time of year. You could always count on being scared by movies like Friday the 13th or The Nightmare on Elm Street during the Halloween season.

In recent years, Guts Church in east Tulsa has sponsored a Hell House in the weeks leading up to Halloween. When people visit their haunted house, they see a depiction of the horrible consequences of living and dying without Christ in their lives. They get a glimpse of hell.

When you think about it, nothing is more frightening than the prospect of facing an all-powerful, all-knowing, and completely holy God with unforgiven sin in our lives. The Bible warns us, "It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Hebrews 10:31). Jesus warns us, "I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after killing the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him" (Luke 12:5). God warns us that sinners face "the fiery lake of burning sulfur" (Revelation 21:8).

As we remember Christ's sacrifice on our behalf when we take the Lord's Supper today, we remember that we were heading toward hell at one time in our lives. As Paul wrote to Titus, "At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life" (Titus 3:3-7).

Since Jesus died and rose again for us, those of us who have believed the message of the cross and have been changed by it do not need to dread hell. We can now look forward to the day Christ returns to usher in "a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness" (2 Peter 3:13), a time and a place in which we can live forever in a state of peace with God and each other.

Dad, Why Would Someone Go to Hell?

Christopher and I had another interesting conversation before bedtime tonight. Here is how it went...

Christopher: "Dad, why would someone go to hell?"

Me: "Well, people go to hell for ignoring God and doing things their own way without considering what God wants."

Christopher: "Like killing someone?"

Me: "Yes, that would be one reason for going to hell. But even if you have ignored God and done things your own way, you can be forgiven. You don't need to go to hell because of what Jesus has done to forgive you."

Christopher: "How can you be forgiven?"

Me: "God wants you to trust him and to turn to him. He wants us to stop ignoring him and living our own way without considering his way of living. He wants us to follow Jesus. The first thing we do when we start to follow Jesus is to be baptized."

Christopher: "I don't want to be baptized."

Me: "Well, maybe someday you will...when you want to follow Jesus. Do you know what baptism means?"

Christopher: "Going into the water."

Me: "Yes, but it is more than just going under the water. When you are baptized, you are burying your old life of ignoring God and doing things your own way. You come up out of the water ready to start a new life of following Christ."

Christopher: "Is that better?"

Me: "Yes."

Christopher: "How?"

Me: "Well, it feels good to be forgiven. And you look forward to when Jesus comes back because you will be able to enjoy being with God forever. None of the bad things in this life will be a problem anymore when that happens. You will have only the good things in life left to enjoy."

Christopher: "You won't have to see anyone die anymore? Mommy won't have to cry?"

Me: "That's right. Only good things will happen for Jesus' followers when he comes back. Nothing bad will ever happen again."

Sometimes my son amazes me. I never considered that a 6-year old boy would ask such deep questions. I hope that I answered them in a way that he understood.

Heaven

I just finished reading Heaven by Randy Alcorn. In the book, Mr. Alcorn makes the case that Christians can anticipate not only going to heaven when we die, but also the time when heaven will come to earth in the end.

His thesis is based on Revelation 21:1-5, which states,

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.' He who was seated on the throne said, 'I am making everything new!' Then he said, 'Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.'"

He challenges the common perception that our final state of existence will be non-physical and boring. At our anticipated resurrection, we will experience an actual physical resurrection just like Jesus did. "If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised" (1 Corinthians 15:13). Since Christ has been raised, his followers hope to be raised like he has been.

In the end, not only will people enjoy the resurrection, but the universe itself will take part in a physical resurrection and be restored to the condition in which it existed before sin entered the "very good" creation of the beginning. "The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God" (Romans 8:19-21).

In the new heavens and new earth, resurrected and glorified people will enjoy the presence of our Savior forever. God will live with us. He will give us opportunities to serve based on how we have handled our responsibilities on the old earth. We will enjoy life with each other without the presence of relationship-destroying sins like envy, pride, hatred, or any other sin. A new culture will develop as we use our gifts and abilities to continually enrich the lives of others.

Although Mr. Alcorn engaged in some speculation about what the future may hold, his general thesis is solid. We can look forward to a new heavens and a new earth in our resurrected and glorified bodies. Christians will enjoy the presence of God forever. To his credit, when he engaged in speculation, he admitted it. He acknowledged that he could be wrong on some of the details, since he was using his imagination to describe in more detail what the Scriptures reveal in a more general manner.

Heaven is a book worth reading. It inspires hope for the future. It warns against the alternative of hell. It motivates people to trust in Christ and to follow him. It encourages the use of one's gifts and abilities to love people and honor God in concrete ways as we await the coming resurrection and renewal of creation. It prompts people to appreciate God in all his glory.

"Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we look forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness" (2 Peter 3:11-13).

The End of Spiritual Gifts

"Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known" (1 Corinthians 13:8-12).

As a young Christian, I was taught that the Holy Spirit ceased to give spiritual gifts to believers when the New Testament writings were complete. 1 Corinthians 13:8-12 was the primary text being used to support the conclusion. As my teachers (who were very good men) reasoned, the "perfection" referenced in the passage was the complete New Testament, since "perfection" could also be translated as "completion." When the New Testament was completed, the gifts of the Spirit would cease.

However, I became skeptical of their interpretation of the passage. Was the Holy Spirit intending to communicate that idea when he inspired those verses? Did the apostle Paul have the completion of the New Testament in mind when he wrote those verses? Would the Corinthian Christians who received the message have interpreted Paul's words in such a manner? Nothing in the context of 1 Corinthians suggested an affirmative answer to any of my questions. The interpretation I had been taught seemed to have been forced onto the passage, rather than derived from it.

A better explanation of the passage could be found in understanding "perfection" as referring to the return of Jesus Christ. Paul had already written, "Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God" (1 Corinthians 4:5). In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul would describe in more detail the return of Christ, the resurrection of the dead, and the transformation of believers. Until then, as I understand 1 Corinthians 13, the Holy Spirit would continue to provide God's people with spiritual gifts.

I have not found anything within the context of 1 Corinthians supporting the idea that spiritual gifts were expected to end at the completion of the New Testament. However, I have found evidence within the text that the return of Jesus would usher in a time of completion or perfection. Therefore, I must conclude that spiritual gifts were expected to continue until Christ returns.

He Got Better

"If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith" (1 Corinthians 15:13-14, NIV).

"And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins" (1 Corinthians 15:17, NIV).

"If all we get out of Christ is a little inspiration for a few short years, we're a pretty sorry lot. But the truth is that Christ has been raised up, the first in a long legacy of those who are going to leave the cemeteries" (1 Corinthians 15:19-20, The Message).

When Christopher was 2 years old, we were driving along a street as he spotted a church building with a cross on it. He exclaimed, "That's a cross!" Janet and I were a little surprised, but we responded, "Yes, that's a cross." Then Christopher asked, "Jesus died there?" I said, "Yes, Jesus died on a cross. Then what happened?" With full assurance, Christopher answered, "He got better."

"He got better." In his own words, our 2 year-old son had articulated an accurate understanding of the most important event in human history: Jesus Christ had risen from the dead after paying the penalty of death for our sins.

His resurrection substantiated everything he had claimed. He really had fulfilled the expectations of the Law and the Prophets. He really had satisfied God on our behalf. He really was the Son of God.

Now, Christ's followers can look forward to the day he returns (1 Corinthians 15:51-57). Yes. "He got better" and he made it possible for his disciples to get better, too.

The Millennium

"Blessed and holy are those who have a part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years" (Revelation 20:6, NIV).

The Christian Standard has published two articles which explain two of the most common views of the millennium held among members of the Churches of Christ and Christian Churches. "Why I Take a Premillennial View" (http://www.christianstandard.com/articledisplay.asp?id=752) explains the classic premillennial perspective (as opposed to the dispensational premillennial perspective with its secret rapture theory). "Why I Am an Amillennialist" (http://www.christianstandard.com/articledisplay.asp?id=754) explains the amillennial perspective. Both authors did a good job in making his respective case, but I will need to research this topic more before reaching any final conclusions about it.

An Interesting Conversation with Christopher

"But everyone will be raised to life in the right order. Christ was first to be raised. When Christ comes again, those who belong to him will be raised to life...But listen, I tell you this secret: We will not all die, but we will all be changed. It will only take a second. We will be changed as quickly as an eye blinks. This will happen when the last trumpet sounds. The trumpet will sound and those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we will all be changed" (1 Corinthians 15:23, 51-52, NCV).

This is the conversation I had with my 4 year old son tonight:

Christopher: "Dad, where is God? Can you show me where he is?"

Me: "We can't see God. He's invisible."

Christopher: "But I want to see him."

Me: "When Jesus returns, he will change us, and then we will be able to see him."

Christopher: "How will he change us?"

Me: "I don't know, but we will be like Jesus. We'll be able to see God."

Christopher: "Will I still be black?"

Me: "I don't know what color we will be."

Christopher: "I hope I'm not dark white."

Me: "I like your color just like it is."

Christopher: "I like your color, too, Dad."

I never know where our conversations are going with a 4 year old, but it's a fun trip.

Joy in God's Presence

"You have made known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand" (Psalm 16:11, NIV).

Christians have much to anticipate. Someday, maybe today, we will see our Lord face-to-face. We will see the one who died for us, who returned to life, who ascended to his Father in order to prepare a home for us, who sent the Holy Spirit to live with us, and who filled us with hope when he promised to return for us.

When that day comes, everything will change. The new heavens and new earth will come into existence. Evil will be eliminated. Satan and his agents will be gone. The fight will be over.

Christians will join with the saints of the past to enjoy the presence of God forever. "Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day---and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing" (2 Timothy 4:8, NIV).

While we wait for his appearing, we experience a taste of the joy that will go on for eternity. We live in gratitude for the one who walked the "path of life" ahead of us, the one who embodied life, Jesus Christ. We receive encouragement from the Holy Spirit's presence and from the words that he inspired in the Bible. We enjoy the company of fellow believers who share our hope that a great day is coming.

But we know that the blessings of this life are just small tastes of what is to come, the eternal pleasures of being with God our Savior.

Sage

"Lord, when did we see You...?" (Matthew 25:37, NASB).

In November 2001, Janet received a phone call from Sarah, an employee of Christian Services of Oklahoma. It had been 10 months since we had completed the paper work for our adoption, but we had not seen any progress in finding a child. With Sarah's call, we believed that things were changing.

In Oklahoma City, a little boy had been born. The original adoptive parents had backed away from adopting him. The birth mother was heart-broken. The adoption agency that had been handling the adoption was contacting other agencies, seeking at least 4 couples who would like to adopt baby Sage so that the birth mother would have a good group of potential parents from which to choose.

Baby Sage was a little black boy with problems. He had a very rare condition similar to Down Syndrome, but less was known about it since only a few cases had occurred in the United States. Sage had 6 fingers on each hand, 6 toes on each foot, a cleft palate, webbed fingers and toes, and maybe a few other cosmetic problems.

When Janet called me at work, both of us were excited about the possibility of adopting Sage. We said, "Yes! We want to be on the list for the birth mother to choose us!" I walked away from the phone to share the good news, and to prepare to take some time off from work to care for our new child.

A few days later, Sarah called Janet with the bad news. We had not been chosen. When Janet called me, I had a hard time finishing my job that day. I was frustrated, sad, and a little confused. I came to believe that God had chosen another family for Sage because he knew that it would be better for the boy. But why had he put us through this? Why had our hopes been raised and then dashed?

I discovered the answer a few years later. A co-worker had been paying attention to our ordeal. She had seen my excitement at finding out that we might be adopting Sage. She noticed the frustration and disappointment when we were not able to adopt him. She told me, "After seeing how you and Janet were willing to adopt a little boy like that, I will never tell anyone to have an abortion again! I never knew that there were people like you two who wanted a baby so much."

Sometimes we do not know the impact of our lives...especially when we are living in disappointing moments. In Matthew 25, Jesus judged the sheep, and they were shocked to discover that the little unnoticed things that they had done for others had been noticed and appreciated by the Lord. On judgment day, I want to be among the surprised sheep, the people who have cared about others without thinking much about the attention that it might bring to themselves.

For anyone reading this blog who may not know, Janet and I were blessed to be at the hospital in January 2003 when our son Christopher was born. We met his birth mother and were able to take him home from the hospital a day later. We had to wait, but God gave us a great gift on that day.

Why Hope?

"But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ will be ashamed of their slander" (1 Peter 3:15-16, NIV).

The apostle Peter expected Christians to be asked, "What reason do you have to hope?" It's interesting that the apostle did not tell Christians to give a reason for their ethical choices or for their doctrinal convictions. He could have done so (and it is appropriate for us to have good reasons for our choices and convictions), but he chose to focus on a reason for our hope. Especially in a context of criticism and persecution, Peter wanted followers of Jesus Christ to be asked about their hope. He wanted us to be known for being people of hope.

This is a challenging passage. Once in a while, I am asked about ethical issues or my understanding of Scripture. However, rarely have I been asked, "Why do you have hope?" Perhaps I need to think more about the return of Jesus Christ. Maybe I need to remind myself continually that I am in the kingdom of a powerful, merciful, and promise-keeping God. Then, perhaps someone may be more inclined to ask me to give a reason for the hope that they will see in my life.

The Home of Righteousness

"But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness" (2 Peter 3:13, NIV).

I love Peter's phrase for our ultimate destination as Christians: "the home of righteousness."
When Jesus Christ returns, everything will change. The universe will be different. I will be different. I will be at home in the home of righteousness.

I will have the right attitude. I will think the right thoughts. I will say the right words. I will act in the right ways. I will be all right...and that is something exciting to anticipate.

However, I am most excited about the expectation of completely right relationships. Nothing will interfere with my relationship with God. I will be as close to him as a man can possibly be. I will worship without distraction. I will be in awe of aspects of his character and power that I have not even noticed in this life.

Furthermore, I will enjoy completely right relationships with other people, angels, and whatever other creatures may live with us in the home of righteousness. No more broken friendships. No more misunderstandings. No more selfishness interfering with us.

Followers of Jesus Christ have an enormous inheritance waiting for us in the home of righteousness. When he returns, we will experience a joy and a sense of fulfillment that cannot even be imagined. May that day come soon, and may everyone I love enjoy that day with me!