Bibliolatry

Have you ever heard someone say, "don't make the Bible your idol?"  Where exactly does this idea of bibliolatry come from?

I wouldn't say that the accusation of bibliolatry comes from having a high view of scripture or even "sola scriptura"; I'd say bibliolatry occurs when people hold reading the Bible and doing what it says over coming to Jesus Christ. 

That's what Jesus accuses the Pharisees of doing in John 5:39 (You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.

John 17:3 says, "This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent."

There are going to be a lot of people who know their Bible really well and even followed it really well, except for the coming to Jesus part, who don't make it in the end; I mean even Satan knows the scriptures. And vice versa, there will be many who make it who never picked up the book like the thief on the cross or those who come to Jesus on their death bed, not to mention all the patriarchs that predate Moses who had no scriptures whatsoever. The key is knowing God not necessarily the Bible.

I do believe the Bible is 100% authoritative for instruction and correction but only because of who the Author is, but in order to know the Author's intent, we need to know the Author, otherwise we end up with all kinds of wild interpretations. "But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God." 1 Peter 1:20-21

And it's the Holy Spirit that teaches us what the scriptures mean: "when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. (John 16:13-14)

Private interpretations without the Holy Spirit's input lead to bibliolatry because they lead people to serve a god of their own invention rather than the one true God, which we can label as whatever -olatry we want, but ultimately it is what all idolatry is. 

Whether it's done with the Bible, a translation, a theology, some other religion's scriptures, or a block of wood, I don't see any difference. No one comes to the Father except through Christ Jesus. And if studying the Bible doesn't bring us to Him, and through Him the Father, daily in repentance and worship because of the Spirit's instruction, then we've elevated the Bible beyond it's intention.

This article was written in discussion with Aaron Armstrong's article My Bible . . . My Idol?  He has some great insight and questions that he raises on this issue, and I encourage you to read it as well.

Known

On Sunday nights, I’ve been teaching a discipleship class called Known.  It’s all about a what a personal relationship with Jesus looks like.  In this post, I’ll present the basic premise of the class, and in subsequent posts, we’ll start digging deeper into scripture about what this relationship is all about. 

My goal is to post something from the class every Tuesday, so I guess since we have Matthew Mondays, we’ll call this Relationship Tuesdays:

So what’s the class all about?

Many Christians come to faith in Christ Jesus through an invitation because of a friend’s testimony, a child’s Sunday School lesson, or maybe a pastor’s sermon, and it most likely included some variation of the phrase “have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ” or “personal savior”.  If like me your surrender to Christ was somewhat different, I’m sure you’ve at least heard these phrases and maybe have even used them when telling others about your faith.

But what does it mean to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ?

A personal relationship with Jesus has two main principles: knowing about God is not the same as knowing God; relationship is a two-way road--in other words it’s not just enough to know Jesus, we must be known by Him—and finally God doesn’t just offer us the opportunity to be in relationship with us, He is zealous for a relationship with us.  He has made all the overtures, and our decision is to accept Him or spurn Him.

God also sets up the guidelines of what the relationship will look like.  He defines what it takes to be in relationship with Him, He defines what’s necessary on our part to maintain the relationship, and He offers not only to teach us what it takes but also offers us grace when we fall short and power to do what He’d like us to do.

Over the next few weeks will be looking at how God defines the relationship He wants with us, what it takes to know Him, and what it takes to be known by Him.

Next Week: Knowing God vs. Knowing About God

Christian Immigration Issues

This weekend I crossed the border into Mexico for a weekend mission’s trip, helping a church plant paint their new church.  Things are not great in Mexico right now, with the drug wars, kidnappings, and murders, but when you go where God leads and do the work He calls you to do, you also have to put yourself in His hands and trust that live or die, He’s in control. 

Everything went fine though.  I saw some soldiers patrolling but that was about it, until the ride back.  While we waited in line on the bridge, we saw a group of young men swim across the Rio Grande to the U.S.  They crawled out of the water and scurried over to and under the fence, looking all around to make sure no one could see them, which was somewhat funny since they were in full view of hundreds of people on the bridge who were all pointing at them and talking animatedly.

We guessed that they got spooked or were drug couriers because they came running back without the bags they were carrying and swam back across the river to Mexico.

There’s a lot of debate going on in the U.S. about illegal immigration, and watching the scene unfold below me didn’t really sway me one way or the other, but it did get me thinking about another kind of immigration.

As Christians, we’re immigrating to a new country in eternity because as soon as we believe on and follow Christ we’re naturalized as heavenly citizens. 

Philippians 3:20 says, “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.”

But our heavenly homeland doesn’t have illegal immigration.  No one can just swim across the clouds and slip under the pearly gates.  No one can apply for a visa or vacation there and then leave.  You’re either a citizen or your not, and if you’re not, there’s no hope for gaining access.

And there’s only one way to become a citizen: Jesus says, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.  Truly, truly, I say to you, . . . I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.” (John 14:6 & 10:7,9)

Naturalization as a heavenly citizen starts and ends with Jesus.  And He ask that we repent Matthew 4:17, stop sinning (John 8:11), and follow Him by loving God with everything we have and loving others as ourselves (Matthew 22:37).

Therefore, as a citizen of heaven and an ambassador for Christ, I beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. He made Jesus who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

And working together with Him, I also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain—for He says, "at the acceptable time I listened to you, and on the day of salvation I helped you."  Today is "the acceptable time," and now is your “day of salvation!” *

*Adapted from 2 Corinthians 5:20-21, 6:1-2

Not By Works

How many times must I be reminded that salvation is by grace alone and not by works?

It seems like every time I dare to suggest that following Christ involves things like feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, housing the homeless, preaching the Gospel, or giving away everything for the sake of Christ, someone is gracious enough to remind me that we’re not saved by these works, we’re saved by grace.

Thank you.  I appreciate the reminder.  Sometimes I forget.

(Warning: Rant Alert – Be prepared for mild to moderate lambasting in the remainder of the article)

Deep breath . . . NO DUH!!!

Listen, I gave to charity one time before I knew Christ.  I dropped $5.00 in a Red Cross umbrella at a Target after Hurricane Katrina, and on the drive home afterwards, I stopped at a Taco Bell and was ticked that I didn’t have enough cash to get dessert because of my moment of weak generosity.  I didn’t help my friends, I didn’t love my family, I most certainly never associated with someone beneath my social circle, and I collected stuff to the point that there literally wasn’t room to walk in some of the rooms of my house. 

When I was saved by God’s grace, I sold everything, gave it all away, and now live solely for the sake of Christ and loving others.

Works didn’t save me.  God’s grace saved me, but He saved me into a life of working for Him. 

I’ll tell you what: you “show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.  You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?”  (James 2:18-20)

If you’re quick to throw out that verse about being saved by grace and not works anytime the topic comes up because you don’t want to give up anything for Christ, you’re a lazy servant at best.  Do you know what happens to lazy servants? 

Jesus says this to them:

You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed. Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest. Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 25:26-30)

You can’t work you’re way to heaven, but you can't sit around on your grace all day and hope to get there either.  This is not an either/or thing.  If you don’t have works, you don’t have any evidence of God's grace.  You certainly don't love Jesus.  Because when you love Him, you're compelled to love others.  And love is demonstrated in works.  So repent and get right with God. 

Yikes!  Did I really say it?  You betcha!  Somebody has to. 

For the record, I’m not claiming to be the guy with ten talents.  Most likely, I’m the guy with one, but you better believe I’m going to give a proper account and hand in two when the Master returns.  Not because I want to boast, but because I love Him so much.  If I can give Him three, four, or more, I will.  I’ll give Him everything because He’s worthy.

Will you?

(End of Rant: My apologies to my regular readers.  This post stems from frustrating conversations in other arenas, but everyone needs to vent sometimes.)

An Arsonist in a Flammable World

There’s fire in His eyes, and I’m not using some cheap cliché either.  There is literally fire in His eyes.  The Arsonist’s gaze turns my way, and I can tell He’s looking to light the match in me too.  It won’t take much; I can feel these dry bones aching to combust.

Still, I resist.  I am afraid.  I turn to run, but where can I go.  He’s everywhere I look.  His fire calls to me; it beckons: “Come and die that you might truly live.”

“I am alive,” I retort, but it’s a lie.  I’m not even sure what “life” is, but I know I haven’t got one.

I am alone yet surrounded by others fleeing the flame. It’s hard to tell where we’re running in the darkness, but we can’t stop lest we be consumed. Some have surrendered to His fire, and from the depths of the inferno, they plead with us who run: “Turn back! Turn back!  That’s the road to destruction. Turn back!”

I laugh.  How can I not?  They’ve given up everything to the Arsonist, and they have the audacity to lecture me for running?  I call them names.  I tell them to put out the flames.  I tell them to run with me, with us.  We can outrun the fire in His eyes. It’s easy, way more easy than confronting Him.

I don’t know how it happens exactly. I’m sure if I look back at the path I’ve taken it would make sense, but somehow I . . .

I fall.

Lying on the ground, I know I’m broken.  There’s no coming back from this one.  I’ve done too much damage.  I look up and see two feet like molten bronze in front of me.  It’s the Arsonist.  He’s finally caught up with me. 

“I’ve never left you,” He says. His voice is like leaves in the breeze.  He reaches down and pulls me to my feet.  And for the first time, I pause and look deep into the fire in His eyes. 

It’s love.  Burning.  Passionate.  Zealous. Obsessive. Love.

The fire burns for me. 

It burns in me. 

I’m baptized in it. 

And then the water comes.  It’s alive, pouring out of the Arsonist like a flood, but it doesn’t douse the flames; it fans them.  Suddenly, I’m ablaze in love.  I can’t contain it; it’s bubbling over like a volcano ready to blow.

The Arsonist turns me toward the runners, and I’m horrified by what I see.  The runners are dry, hollow, just kindling ready to spark.  They’re running toward a chasm of flame, but it’s not the same as the Arsonist’s.  It’s dark.  Flame without light, without love.  He points toward them, and tears fall from the fire in His eyes as He says, “Go, tell them to turn back to Me.”

So, I go.  I tell them about Jesus.  I tell them how He wants to set their world on fire, so they don’t burn it down.  Some turn. Others do not.  And my tears mingle with the Arsonist’s.  Oh how I wish they could know the heights and depths of the flames of His love.

For our God is a consuming fire. (Hebrews 12:29)

Were Jesus’ Prayers Answered: Eternal Life

Part 5 of a 5 Part Series

I was given the opportunity to teach the college group at our church once again this Sunday, and our topic of discussion was based on Romans 6:23.  If you grew up in church, this ought to be a familiar verse.  It says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  This verse ties in very well to my discussion here on the blog about whether Jesus’ prayers in John 17 were answered or not, as you’ll see later in the post. 

I think there are two questions that ought to be addressed in understanding this verse.  1.  What is Sin?  2. What is eternal life?

Awhile back I wrote a post entitled: What is Sin?  I address the sin question in depth there, and I encourage you to read it if you want a more lengthy study, but sin basically boils down to anything that is not loving God with all your heart, soul, and strength, and anything not loving your neighbor as yourself.  If you do anything, and I stress anything, outside of these two areas, it’s sin.  You’ve fallen short.  You’ve earned death, and you’ll not find one person on Earth outside of Jesus Christ who can say they’ve lived that life.

So what’s eternal life?

It seems like such a self-evident answer.  Living forever, right?  In Jesus’ prayer in John 17, He begins by praying this: “Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You, even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life.”  Again, there’s that idea of the gift of God being eternal life.

And yet we all die.  Do we have eternal life or not?  Is it just in the resurrection that we live forever, or did God answer Jesus’ prayer when He prayed it? And C.S. Lewis once said, “You have never met a mere mortal.”  Everyone technically lives forever; the concern is usually location.

But to really answer this question of “what is eternal life”, we have to look at verse 3, where Jesus defines in very specific terms what eternal life is: “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”

Eternal life is knowing the One True God.

So, let me put Romans 6:23 in perspective for you: Sin is not loving God with everything you have, and the wages of this is death.  But the gift of God is that He forgave you for not loving Him, He paid the wages of sin at the cross, and because of His great love for you, He has made a way for you to know and love Him again through Jesus Christ; this is eternal life.

Eternal life doesn’t start when you physically die; it starts when you come to know God.  And when you know Him, He empowers you to love Him with everything you’ve got (aka stop sinning).  It’s the beautiful circle of grace freely given by God to all who call on His name and believe. Amen.

Come and Buy

“Hey all, the next round is on me!”  You hear that phrase a lot in movies when someone is celebrating in a bar.  In all my years of drinking in bars, I never once heard someone offer everyone in the bar the next round.  Does this really happen?

I guess it did happen to me once.  It wasn’t in a bar, mind you, and it wasn’t a round of drinks either.  But once I drank what this Guy was offering, I haven’t even wanted to go back to a bar or drink alcohol again.  His stuff was so much better.

He came up to me and said, “Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And delight yourself in abundance.” (Isaiah 55:1-2)

And so I bought some of what He was offering, it was free after all, not cheap, but free.  I drank deeply of the Living water.  Ate my full of the broken bread from heaven.  I sipped from the cup of wine he shed for me, and grew from the milk of His word. 

Unlike the drink I was used to, indulging in what He offered didn’t cloud my mind; it made everything clear.  Maybe for the first time in my life, I felt like I could drive myself home, and He was kind enough to show me the path—I had wandered so far, and the road was a narrow one-way street, but it leads straight home. 

I asked the Man who gave me so much for so little how I could ever repay Him, and He said,  “As surely as you feed the hungry, give the thirsty something to drink, invite in the stranger, clothe the naked, and visit the sick and imprisoned in my name, you will have done it to me.” 

“What’s your name?” I asked desperate to know Him.

He face began to shine like the sun as He smiled deeply and said, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son.

But I will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations. For the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death" (Revelation 21:6-7/Exodus 34:6-7)

Like the men of old, I fell before the Ancient of Days and worshipped.  I’ve been worshipping ever since and will be worshipping forevermore.  Come, come and buy without money; the next round is on Jesus!  Holy Holy Holy is the Lord God Almighty who was and is and is to come!

The Cost of Discipleship

This week I got to teach the college Sunday School class at church, and this post stems from the lesson I taught:

We are often taught that salvation is a free gift, and it is.  There is no amount of money or work that you could ever do to merit the grace of God.  Grace is defined as unmerited favor after all.   But salvation is hardly free.  It has a cost.  The cost is that we become disciples of Christ, and in order to do that . . . well I’ll let Jesus tell you how much that costs:  

“If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.

Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.

For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him, saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.'

"Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace.

"So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions.”

"Therefore, salt is good; but if even salt has become tasteless, with what will it be seasoned? It is useless either for the soil or for the manure pile; it is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear." (Luke 14:26-35)

Jesus also says, “Anyone who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is not fit for the kingdom of God.”  (Luke 9:62).

So while you could never afford salvation, it will cost you everything. 

If following Jesus hasn’t cost you anything or has cost you very little, I invite you to give up all that you know is holding you back in your life.  If it’s material possessions, sell them.  If it’s money, give it away.  If it’s family, surrender them to God.  If it’s success, become humble.  Whatever it is that leaves you unfit for the kingdom, there’s no time like the present to repent and turn your life completely over to God.

I Don’t Want to Be Offended (Re: Love Wins)

There’s a lot of controversy in evangelical circles right now over Rob Bell's new book Love Wins.  I’m going to admit right up front that I’ve never read the book.  I read his book Velvet Elvis and watched some of his Nooma videos back in the day, but nothing of his since then.

That said, I can’t really discuss Love Wins in any detail.  I don’t think Bell is saying what people think he is saying.  He comes right out and says what he believes in.  Watch the video and see for yourself:

All that said, the controversy that the book spawned is a little more concerning than the book itself.

I’m going to layout what I believe before getting too deep into this.  I believe what the Bible says, “it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).  That judgment leads to eternal life or eternal hell.  Eternal life is knowing the Father and Jesus Christ whom He sent (John 17:3).  Jesus made it possible to know the Father by removing our sins at Calvary, and if you choose to accept this gift, it’s yours.  You’ll be transformed, and you’ll stop doing those things that separate you from God.  If you choose to reject it, you’re damned already.  Damnation means hell for eternity.

To sum up: Hell is real. Everyone does not get a trophy for participation.

Now, let me add some more controversy to the controversy about Rob Bell and whether this salvation can occur post-mortem:

We tend to get riled up at the thought of someone who did not accept Christ in this life getting into heaven anyway.  But let me ask you this: if He chose to extend mercy to someone after death during judgment, would you really be that person who says to God, “It’s not fair.  I spent years on earth serving You, and this person is getting the same thing I am” like the bitter workers in Matthew 20:12? Would it not be better to rejoice in such a case that your brother or sister who was lost is found?

Again I want to be clear that I think in order to be saved in the next life, you need to be saved in this one.  But it’s one of those things that I wouldn’t be upset about if I were wrong.  Jesus was very clear that many who think they’re saved will not be, and many who we might not think ought to be saved will be.  He’s the One who sorts the wheat and chaff, not us.  Let us rejoice with Him in the salvation of any sinner whenever it may happen, and grieve with Him in the destruction of any sinner whenever it may happen.  And rather than worrying about who's going where all the time, let's spend more time pointing everyone to Jesus, most importantly ourselves since He's the only one who can change our destination plans anyway.

Solo Deo Gloria

God's Government

Random Bible Chapter for the Day – courtesy of

http://handykarl.com/randombible/index.html

Isaiah 33

I started writing this, and it turned into a longer study than I anticipated, so I’ll post it in three parts.

Part1: God’s Judgments

The chapter starts out prophesying the fall of the Assyrians (the destroyer destroyed, the betrayer betrayed), and exalting the power of the Lord to do it at His leisure. It goes on to talk about the restoration of Jerusalem and eventually the reign of our King. Praise God!

The part of this chapter that caught my attention and got me thinking was verse 22: “For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; it is he who will save us.”

In the U.S. we have the executive, legislative, and judicial branches complete with checks and balances in order that no one branch would become so powerful as to overshadow the other branches. Historically, one branch or the other certainly overstepped their respective areas and took a little more power than allotted, usually to the detriment of the populace, but such is the nature of our fallen human government.

However, Isaiah assures us that God’s system of government is a means to salvation. So, let’s look at that a little more closely.

Why are his judgments a means to salvation? Reverlations 19:1-2 answers that question: "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for true and just are his judgments.” Truth and justice are the two ways that God’s judgments lead to salvation:

The truth will set you free. (John 8:32)

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished-he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. (Romans 3:23-26)

He Brought Me to His Banqueting Table: A Villanelle

He Brought Me to His Banqueting Table


He brought me to His banqueting table,
Via sacrificial invitation
Through the blood that speaks better than Abel’s.

The foundation of my heart was unstable
Ever slipping in spiritual starvation;
He brought me to His banqueting table.

The deepest desires of my soul were labile,
But He stripped my sinful passion
Through the blood that speaks better than Abel’s.

Though I dared to call His love a fable,
Still He embraced this prodigal son;
He brought me to His banqueting table.

I stand secure because He is able,
Ever desiring to cleanse my sin
Through the blood that speaks better than Abel’s

On my forehead, He has placed His label.
He embraces me in holy adoption.
He brought me to His banqueting table
Through the blood that speaks better than Abel’s.



--For those of you wondering what a villanelle is . . .

Villanelle: An intricate French lyric form, the most famous modern example of which is Dylan Thomas' "Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night." The form consists of five three-line stanzas and a sixth stanza of four lines, for a total of 19 lines. Lines 1 and 3 become a refrain, with line 1 repeated in lines 6, 12, and 18 and line 3 in lines 9, 15, and 19. All the tercets rhyme "aba" and the quatrain rhymes "abaa."