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Study your way through Romans 8

We’ve completed our Young Adults study through Romans chapter 8. Next week (Lord willing) we’ll begin studying through John 13-17 together. During the study, I passed these questions out to group leaders to help guide your discussions. If you’d like to go through them yourselves, or go back over some things you thought about during the past few weeks, here they are–60 questions to get your heart and mind into God’s word in this amazing chapter.  You can download the document here. Or just scroll on down…

Study Questions for Roman Chapter 8

For Self-Study or Group Discussion

  1. See verse 1. Why is the idea of “no condemnation” so important for a Christian to grasp? (No condemnation for anything we’ve done, said, thought…) What makes it hard to grasp? What antidote are we given for when it is hard?
  2. Think about what Paul must mean by verse 2. How do verse 3 and 4 explain verse 2.
  3. What is the most important kind of freedom a human can experience, based on verse 2?
  4. In verse 5, “flesh” and “Spirit” do not mean “body” and “soul” or even “old me” and “new me.” Paul is probably talking about “Humanity without God (flesh)” and “the Holy Spirit.” Along those lines, how do you see verse 5 lived out all around us? What about how even Christians can experience some version of both of these things?
  5. Why is learning to set our mind on the things of the Spirit is so important, based on verses 6-8?
  6. What are the “things of the Spirit”? What practical ways can we “set our minds” on them?
  7. Look at verse 9. Based on what he wrote in v.5-8, why do you think Paul felt the need to clarify what he meant by “in the flesh”?
  8. Why are the truths of verse 9-11 so encouraging? How can thinking about, memorizing, trusting, and depending on these truths help you, practically, on a daily basis? What struggles could they address?
  9. Of all of 8:1-11, what’s the most encouraging or strengthening thing you see?
  10. How would you tell non-believing friends about the truths in 8:1-11? What particular truths here might help you talk about the gospel with people who need to hear?
  11. What does Paul mean by “debtors” in verse 12? Remember, by “flesh” Paul means something like, “Our humanity when we don’t have God in our lives,” all our impulses, desires, fears, etc… Are you aware on anybody who thinks humans owe their humanity obedience? Think about the power of verse 12 to address that idea. (Especially—WHY specifically, is the Christian under no obligation to the flesh? The answer is verses 9-11, and verse 13).
  12. What do you think of how Paul describes the role of the Holy Spirit in verses 13-17?
  13. How is verse 13 the exact opposite of what our culture thinks is true today? What does that tell you about the inevitable results of the way most people think?
  14. The word “for” in v.14 implies a very close relationship between v.13 and v.14. So…how does v. 14 explain what “putting to death the deeds of the body by the Spirit” means, and vice versa?
  15. How would the average person who doesn’t follow Jesus define the word “life.” (As in, what it truly means to be “fully alive,” for them.) Now, define “life,” based on verse 13. Define “life” based on verses 14-17. How is this different from the definition of the world around us?
  16. According to verses 14-17, what does someone get if they are not being led by “the flesh,” and instead, being led by the Spirit? Since “the flesh” promises such suffering if we don’t obey it, how do we see God’s answer to the flesh’s threats in these verses?
  17. In 8:12-17, what’s the most encouraging or strengthening thing you see?
  18. How would you share the gospel with your friends, based on the truths in 8:12-17?
  19. This passage discusses sonship, the status of heir of the family, and how it describes our connection to God. He is our Father. We are his children, (as opposed to slaves). Now, notice how the idea of suffering came into Paul’s thinking immediately (in v.17). Being God’s child forever doesn’t mean I won’t suffer in this life. So…what do I need to remember (v.18)? Why is this knowledge so essential, so practically necessary?
  20. For verse 18 to be able to help me, what does the Bible assume I know all about?
  21. If a friend said to you, “how do you stay hopeful with all the suffering in the world,” what would you say? What would say, based on verse 17 and 18?
  22. The whole creation waits for…what (based on verse 19-21)? How are we personally involved in what the creation is waiting for? How does all this help you define what Paul means by “glory” in verse 18? How do you feel about that?
  23. Why are things in the physical world (at least the earth) messed up, based on verse 20-22?
  24. What are we waiting for, based on verse 23? What does this mean, and how does it relate to our present experience in life, based on verse 15? (Notice the key word connecting the two verses.) (Maybe think about it this way: What do these two things mean: “we have been saved” and “we will be saved”?)
  25. How would you describe the Christian life to a friend, based on verses 24 and 25? How would you comfort a discouraged brother or sister in the Lord, based on these verses? How would you pray and motivate yourself to press on, based on these verses?
  26. Explain v.25. Is it true? For you? How?
  27. Based on this whole passage, what is complete, and what is incomplete, about our salvation? How can this help us work through the struggles we face in daily life? What knowledge do we need to have in order to be able to understand our difficult world?
  28. In 8:17-25, what’s the most encouraging or strengthening thing you see?
  29. What’s a way we could share the gospel with our friends, based just on the truths in 8:17-25?
  30. How does the Holy Spirit help us make it through life’s sufferings, based on v. 16 and v. 26? What do you think about this? How do these words affect you when you read them?
  31. Paul assumes, in verse 26, that “weakness” is part of our experience in this rough, messed up world. What do you think about the fact that this word is in this verse?
  32. Do you ever struggle to know what to pray for in general? Do you ever struggle to know how to pray for a particular situation? Based on verse 26, What is God’s answer for that problem? What do you think about that? Notice the odd phrase “groanings which cannot be uttered” in v.26 (“groanings too deep for words” ESV)” in verse 26. This is how the Spirit helps us when we do not know what to pray. There are several thoughts on what this means—the Spirit himself praying to God in ways too deep to understand; the Spirit praying in our hearts to God while we remain silent; and the Spirit praying through us, even verbally, as when people pray in tongues. Regardless of the exact way we’re meant to understand it, do you see the comfort in these verses? How?
  33. Do you ever worry you might pray the wrong thing and ruin God’s plan for your life? Based on verse 27, does not knowing what to pray for ruin God’s will or stop his plan for our lives? Why not? How does that make you feel?
  34. There’s a lot going on these days. Are you ever confused by it all? How do verses 26-27 help you in this struggle?
  35. Verse 28 is famous. Why, do you think?
  36. Verse 28 starts with “and,” so we know it adds to the thoughts that came before. How does v.28 continue and add to the thoughts Paul has been developing in verses 18-27?
  37. Find and note all the sources of comfort Paul writes about in v.18-28.
  38. Notice the word “for” at the beginning of verse 29. That means this verse explains verse 28. How do verses 29-30 help explain what Paul meant by “works everything together for good” in v.28?
  39. How are verses 29-30 meant to bring comfort to us? Do they comfort you? Why?
  40. If you had to sum up the vision of life presented in verses 18-30 in one sentence, how would you? How is this different from the visions of life most people around us have?
  41. How are verses 18-30 different from what you hear on the news?
  42. How does most of American thought, media, and daily life for most people fit into verses 18-30?
  43. What are some ways we could share the gospel with our friends, based just on the truths in 8:18-30?
  44. In 8:18-30, what’s the most encouraging or strengthening thing you see?
  45. What are the answers to the questions in verse 31? What do you think about that? Do you ever struggle to believe what Paul is implying in verse 31? When? Why?
  46. How does verse 31 add to our understanding of verses 28-30? How does verse 28 enrich our understanding of verse 31? Why are these things important to know?
  47. Answer the questions Paul asks from verses 31 to 35, using only one or two words for each answer. Why did he ask these questions? Why does the Holy Spirit want us to think about all this?
  48. How does the statement in the second half of verse 33 answer the question in the beginning of the verse?
  49. How does the statement in the second half of verse 34 answer the question in the beginning of the verse?
  50. How do verse 33 and 34 relate to each other? Why is it important for us to think about these things?
  51. There is an interesting connection between v.35 and 2 Corinthians 11:26-27 and 2 Corinthians 12:10. What does this connection tell you about Paul’s authority to ask the questions he asks in Romans 8:35?
  52. Why is the answer given to the question in verse 35 is so profound and important for us to know and believe? What do the things listed in verses 35 and 36 usually make us think about God’s love in our lives?
  53. How can someone be called a “conqueror” (v.37) even they are going through the things listed in verse 35 and 36?
  54. How do verses 38 and 39 explain verses 37? Are these things helpful to know?
  55. How do verses 38 and 39 connect to, and help enhance our understanding of, verse 28?
  56. How could each of the things Paul lists in verses 38 and 39 make someone feel like they’re separated from God’s love? Have you ever thought about this before?
  57. In what ways should we expect to experience God’s love, based on verses 38-39 and verses 32-37? What about if we incorporate the rest of the chapter? Is this how most people think about God’s love?
  58. What is a way we could share the gospel with our friends, based just on the truths in 8:28-39?
  59. In 8:28-39, what’s the most encouraging or strengthening thing you see?
  60. What do you think about Romans 8? What’s your favorite part of it? Have you seen anything new in the chapter in your time studying through it? What is it, and how has it affected you?

YA Home Groups Update

UPDATE FOR SATURDAY, JUNE 6: Due to the responses we’ve already received, we are quickly approaching the limit of our available space. Those of you who sign up from here on out may have to drive a little further than we originally intended to reach your group—and it is possible that we will reach full capacity today or tomorrow. Either way, you will receive an email telling you where your group location is by Monday morning, or you will receive an email letting you know we’ve put you on a waiting list. Updates  will be posted here on the blog, so if we can’t get you into a home group this week, keep an eye out here—we may be able to add groups in the coming weeks. 

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Now that Governor Wolf has announced he will be moving our area into his “yellow” phase tomorrow,  we are preparing to take advantage of the loosened restrictions on gatherings by meeting in home groups instead of holding our weekly Young Adults Zoom meetings.

We have host homes around the area prepared to accommodate meeting safely, in limited numbers, for a time of studying the Word and praying together. We believe we have enough space, but of course, it is limited.

The groups will happen at our usual meeting time—Monday nights at 7:30 pm. These groups are open to anyone 18-29 years of age who wishes to find Christian fellowship during this time of restricted social gatherings. 

Here’s how you can get involved.

  1. Use this link to register.
  2. We will assign you a home group, and email you the details about your location. (Though we will work to keep you in or near your zip code, we are tailoring numbers to spaces, so we may need to shift people around to accommodate different spaces.) Be checking your email so you don’t miss the info.
  3. Head to your location to meet on Monday at 7:30.

Thank you, and feel free to email ebrown@ccphilly.org with any questions.

NOTE: We will be monitoring the situation with the curfew in Philadelphia, and in touch with any of you that affects, with updates. 

The Only Lamp for Our Feet

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Note: Friends, normally, this is something I’d say on a Monday night, instead of posting it here. Though it lives on the world wide web, this blog is for the Young Adults of Calvary Philly, and at the moment, this seemed to be the best way to get it out to you guys.

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How are Christians who have light skin to love neighbors and friends who often face a different world, simply because their skin is darker? How does someone like me, with light (white) skin, act on the knowledge that, even though my friends with dark skin are no different than me in terms of anything that affects our common humanity, they have had to face all kinds of experiences that I never have, and may in fact have a long family history of such experiences that is very different than mine?

For those of us who have been able to live our lives without facing the obstacles that our black friends have faced—it is a time to reflect on this fact, and to think about how we can help those around us.

So, how can we help? As you all know, there are a lot of people with answers to that question. There is no shortage of counsel; no shortage of people ready to tell us all, white or black, what to do. Many checklists to read, many causes to donate to, many numbers to text and graphics to post and marches to join. And if you’ve undergone the heart change that happens when someone meets Christ—you do care, you must care, about people around you who are hurting.

But how do we know what we should do? For the follower of Jesus, there is only one answer to that question—we go to the word of God. The word of God tells us what to care about. It tells us what kinds of things to act on, and what kind of action to take. It tells us what kinds of words to speak, what kind of listening to commit to, and how we need to love people.

It will direct us into things like…

  • Consideration of someone else’s pain—not an attempt to feel their particular pain, but an ability to feel pain that they feel pain“Weep with those who weep…”
  • Active reaching out to those who are hurting. “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” 
  • Honest acknowledgement of any resentment or dislike of people for their skin color or cultural traits—or any reason whatsoever. “Confess your sins…” “Receive one another, just as Christ also received us.
  • Finding active ways to help people who need help. Let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.”
  • Building church communities where racial differences are not ignored, any more than differing talents or giftings are ignored, but enjoyed and treasured, because we understand that God created diversity, because no one kind of human can fully display His glory—it takes both male and female, a whole range of personality types, and every skin tone from pale beige to ebony black—to even begin to reflect a piece of the kaleidoscope of his glory. You have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation…”
  • The ability to listen first, and speak last. “Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath…”

But friends, it will do more than this. The word of God brings us into the presence of God and shapes us to be like God.

Every voice out there right now is clamoring for your attention, and every movement wants to shape you into its own image.

Here is the freeing, clarifying truth, one that we desperately need to remember in the days ahead—you only have one Lord, and you are called to be conformed only into His image.

Only one voice actually merits your attention, and you find it in God’s word, written down, in your hands. It will be the lamp to your feet in these confusing, difficult days. It is, in fact, the only light. No organization, no hurting person died for you—only the risen Lord died for you. If we yield ourselves to listen and follow Him, He will lead us forward. He will keep us from being paralyzed by pain, or stifled by fear, or numbed by indifference. He will keep us from hurting when we mean to help, or wasting our energy, or failing to speak when we must.

He will keep us active. He will enable us to be true agents of healing. And He will keep us focused on the greatest injustice (the injustice of sin against God Himself), and the greatest shame (the shame we all bear outside of Christ’s forgiveness), and the greatest love: the love of God in Christ that forgives men and women of all sin, and heals them of all hurts.

Preach the love of God.

Preach the kingship of Christ.

Preach the forgiveness of sins.

Preach the unity of believers.

Invite everyone in to the family.

It’s the only hope.

Info for Tonight’s YA Zoom Meeting (6/1)

Tonight, Lord willing, we’ll be on Zoom together again. The info is below…

Topic: Phillyyoungadults Monday Night Meeting

Time: June 1, 2020 07:30 PM Eastern Time

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85718537730?pwd=Q2J2M2o5MGZIaGRndFZmT2xPU1d0QT09

Meeting ID: 857 1853 7730

Password: 5emWJw

As in the previous weeks, we have about 90 spots available. We hope that will accommodate everyone who wants to join in. If we end up over capacity, and you can’t log in (we’re sorry!), we plan to have a recording of the session available tomorrow. Check back here for a link.

See you soon!

Another Lesson from Isaiah

This is from Alec Motyer’s short meditation on Isaiah 7:18-8:8. It covers the same scripture as a previous post.

…In its way the most obvious lesson to leave from Isaiah’s analysis of the political process is how concerned we should be to make our elections of our leaders a much more prolonged and committed matter of prayer than we usually do, and to be constant and earnest in our prayers for those who are in positions of leadership and influence. It is an apostolic injunction to pray “for kings and all who are in authority” that we may lead an undisturbed and quiet life in all godliness and seriousness (1 Tim. 2:1-2).

It is an easy injunction to overlook, but one we neglect at our peril.

Astute words from this excellent book.

More help for your personal study

Crossway Books recently posted another short, helpful set of instructions to help improve our personal bible study—A 7-Step Approach to In-Depth Bible Study.

Here are the highlights:

1. See the structure.
Start with looking for the structure of the passage. The first key question is How did this author structure or arrange this text?

2. Read in context.
Ask, How do the immediate and whole-Bible contexts inform the meaning of this text?

3. Consider the background.
Ask, What was the original setting and circumstance of the author and readers?

4. Grasp the main point.
…we ask the question, What is the main point the author is making? …Our goal is to say, Author, if I’m reading this correctly, here’s what you’re saying:_____; and the author would respond, Yes, that’s exactly my point!

5. Identify the purpose.
Once we’ve identified what the author said, we need to identify why he says it. So, we ask the question, What is the author’s purpose in writing this?

6. Relate to the gospel.
Ask the question, What are a few ways that this relates to the good news of God’s grace for sinners and sufferers?

7. Respond to implications.
Our final step is to draw out and respond to implications. We now ask, What are implications and applications for us today?

The post has lots of helpful details, and it’s not too long.  I recommend you check out the whole thing.

Social Media: a Bad Place for Family Discussions

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“Social media may have connected more human beings to one another than any other moment in human history, but it has also robbed us of quality in our relationships,”
writes Rhyne R. Putman, in a very helpful article entitled: “How Social Media Worsens Theological Divides.”

This has been on display for the world to see in the last few weeks, on Twitter and in the “blogosphere,” as Christians have been debating different issues that pandemics and lockdowns raise for followers of Jesus. If you’ve seen any of this, you’ve noticed that sometimes the exchanges have been…less than pretty. Putman suggests that this has to do with the inherent weaknesses of social media itself:

Even with all this ability to communicate, we still gravitate toward echo chambers that protect us from the risks of having open dialogue. We love protecting our tribes, our labels, and the reassuring safety that comes in numbers. Anyone who challenges us is one click away from being unfollowed or blocked.

We dehumanize theological debates when we only think of people as their ideas. It is easy to get in a comment thread and play trench warfare, lobbing conceptual grenades at others without ever taking a moment to know and understand them as persons or having concern over how they may feel about what you say. When we engage in debates like this, we have forgotten that these social media accounts represent real people made in the image of God, deserving of basic human dignity.

This is true, right? I don’t know how many of you are personally engaged in this kind of a thing, but it is good counsel for the future, and a biblical way to see what many people around us are engaged in. Putman also observes:

Ultimately, we must remember the unbelieving world is watching. Behavior unbecoming of Christians can adversely impact the proclamation of the gospel to the unbelieving world. For this reason, Jesus repeatedly emphasized the need for his followers to love one another in their public witness to the world (John 13:35John 17:21; John 23). With the same spirit, Paul discouraged law court disputes between Christians because of the impact it had on the unbelieving public (1 Cor. 6:1–6). A spirit of irenicism should permeate our debates and disagreements, especially in a post-Christian context in which faithful believers are becoming a minority. 

Why is Putman’s point here so hard to remember sometimes? When I post something online, it’s there for everyone to read. Which means that, almost automatically, social media should be ruled out as a way to have real discussion about hard issues Christians disagree about, especially if our ideas are only half-formed, or we’re still working things out ourselves. But we can’t just think about ourselves, right? Even if I think my ideas are sound and worked out, Christian love leads me to consider anyone else who might engage with my ideas, or even “listen in” to the discussion online.  This is the most obvious application (to this issue) of texts like Romans 14:1, and 15:1, and 1 Corinthians 6:1-8.

Of course, no one should think that hard discussions are somehow opposed to Christianity. Not at all. God has not made the church to be a monolithic group-think organization in which we at the bottom receive our thoughts from those at the top unquestioningly. Healthy Christian community will be full of all kinds of discussion about all kinds of issues. (Things like… How do we relate to current ideas about gender and family? Should we wear masks all the time? What about women being pastors? Which translation of the Bible is best? Should a church support missionaries fully or should they have a network of churches who support them? What does 1 Corinthians 11:14 mean? Who should we vote for in the Fall? What does the Bible really say about the Rapture? Calvinism: true or false? Is home schooling more biblical than public schooling? Are video games ok?)

But it is not a mark of health or maturity to lack the ability to distinguish between which kinds of discussions should happen in public, and which should be private.

For instance, imagine a close-knit extended family. To the world outside of the family boundaries, they present one (true) way of seeing them—they work hard, invite their neighbors over to their houses, and take care of each other. They seem to be characterized by total family unity. But what those outside the family don’t know is that, after a long family dinner, when the coffee is being poured, deserts are being served, the kids are playing upstairs, and it’s just family around the table, then the real discussions start. Then, when it’s understood that everyone present loves each other and is committed to each other no matter what, and fundamental unity is the air they all breathe—then the differences between them can come out, and they can have real, difficult discussions. They can debate politics and how Grandma is spending her savings and if the family business is headed in the right direction—and they can even argue and get heated if need be, because those things don’t touch the fundamental reality of their commitment to each other. They will leave that evening, even if they get mad at each other, still family, forever. 

The world outside never needs to see those discussions, or overhear those arguments. It has nothing to do with them. And this is how we should view debates over everything from eschatology to what constitutes faithful Christian witness in the face of Coronavirus. There are a lot of different opinions out there. The Church is full of all kinds of views. Many of us are passionate about how we see things. By all means, debate them. But not on Social Media.

Invite everyone over. Get Tacos. Eat them and enjoy each other. Then clear the table and get down to business.

And if you’re locked down through June 8, try FaceTime with three close friends. Have it out. And then pray for each other.

It’ll beat Twitter every time.

Look to the Light

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I’ve been dipping into the book of Isaiah recently, and I want to follow up on last week’s post about fear by walking through an amazing passage from the book of Isaiah, in chapters 8 and 9. This is really just sharing, since the truth is that the Lord has been using this passage to speak to me personally.

The set up for this passage is that, in chapter 7, Isaiah records a seemingly small, but very momentous exchange between himself and the head of state of Israel, King Ahaz. Ahaz had just received a tip about troop movements related to an international alliance that had formed against Israel, and the King had evidently begun preparations for difficult times ahead, because he seems to have gone to the city’s water supply to inspect its security in case they faced a siege. In other words, this was a time of possible danger to everyone in Israel—even if word hadn’t broken out into the public, it’s likely that tensions were high in the halls of power. What God did was to send Isaiah to the scene to address the king. Isaiah presented God’s word to the King—Israel didn’t need to worry about this alliance; it wouldn’t touch them. And Isaiah made Ahaz an amazing offer: the King could ask for any kind of sign in the sky or on the ground to confirm this word and strengthen his faith. Can you imagine getting this kind of offer?  Straight from God? But Ahaz wasn’t impressed. He flatly refused Isaiah’s offer, and said simply, “I will not ask!” And then, as if to defend himself, added piously, “I will not tempt the Lord.”  You can read the rest of Isaiah 7 to see how the Lord viewed this refusal to rely on a free offer of help. God was not happy.

In chapter 8, Isaiah records that the Lord began to dictate another message for the Prophet himself and the community of people who feared God who had gathered around Isaiah, and, in the middle of incredibly uncertain times, they received these words:

For the LORD spoke thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying: “Do not say, ‘A conspiracy,’ Concerning all that this people call a conspiracy, Nor be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.

God was saying, “Ok, you’ve heard about that conspiracy? Stop talking about it. It only shows fear of man and the circumstances. That’s what everyone else is saying, but not you who know me.” Instead, God said:

The LORD of hosts, Him you shall hallow; Let Him be your fear, And let Him be your dread.

Do you see what God is teaching his people? Worrying about conspiracies—or better yet—worrying about whatever the society at large is worrying about, and talking about it all the time, somehow indicates that…our fear is misplaced? That we’ve taken our fear off the Lord, and directed it towards, and allowed it to be aroused by, something else?

Alec Motyer comments on these verses this way:

Those who lived under the word and promise of God were thus called to hold aloof from popular clamor for the supposed safety of political alliance and worldly armed strength…Isaiah and his disciples are to have no part in a fear-ridden society but to be conspicuous for a different lifestyle, unmoved by the fears around them; a calm in the midst of life’s storms and menaces…It is not particularly important to know what the world fears; the important thing is that the world should know what the believer fears, namely, the Lord. In the midst of a fearful people, Isaiah and his disciples are not fearless but their fear is differently directed. Their lives are to be governed by a theological awareness of The Lord, Yahweh.

Isaiah continues his prophecy this way:

…Bind up the testimony, Seal the law among my disciples. And I will wait on the LORD, Who hides His face from the house of Jacob; And I will hope in Him. Here am I and the children whom the LORD has given me! We are for signs and wonders in Israel From the LORD of hosts, Who dwells in Mount Zion.

In his (excellent) daily devotional on Isaiah, Motyer observes this about these verses:

They are nourished by a hope that cannot fail. But there is more: sheltering in the Lord, they possess the ‘testimony,’ the ‘teaching,’ the ‘word’ (v 16, 20). This is their light in the darkness… Believers display an unanxious peace, nourish their minds and guide their lives by the Word the Lord has spoken, face the uncertain and cloudy future with calm and certain expectation; they flee constantly to the shrine, the Lord himself who waits to welcome them, and center their lives reverently on his presence…This is the secret of the unworrying people in a worried world…they are different from the ‘world,’ which sees a new scare around every corner.

Then, Isaiah records these amazing words of God, speaking directly to the situation—evidently (can you imagine it?) there were people who felt such an acute sense of being lost without a roadmap for their lives, that they were abandoning materialism and trying to find any higher source of information. More and more people were trying to gain control over a chaotic life through spiritual knowledge and power apart from God, so God gave Isaiah these instructions:

And when they say to you, ‘Seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter,’ should not a people seek their God? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living? To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.

Why look to dark, obscure, uncertain words, when the clear words of light are available for anyone willing to hear? It is because, as Isaiah says, they have no light in them. Or, as Jesus says, they love the darkness. And when men and women love the darkness, only one situation ultimately results:

They will pass through it hard pressed and hungry; and it shall happen, when they are hungry, that they will be enraged and curse their king and their God, and look upward. Then they will look to the earth, and see trouble and darkness, gloom of anguish; and they will be driven into darkness.

Horrible, powerful words Isaiah received. Words to be weighed and meditated on, in our present time, in the midst of the American people of 2020. But then (and not a moment too soon), God directed Isaiah’s eyes from the darkness, to the dawning light:

Nevertheless the gloom will not be upon her who is distressed, As when at first He lightly esteemed The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, And afterward more heavily oppressed her, By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, In Galilee of the Gentiles.

This might be a little obscure to us, but note what area of the world is being spoken about: Galilee. If that rings a bell for you, it should. The Spirit of the Lord focused a beam of light on Galilee, and gave Isaiah a vision of how all this darkness and distress will finally come to an end. Up there in the north of Israel, Isaiah says:

The people who walked in darkness Have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, Upon them a light has shined… For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

It’s almost a pity these words are so associated with Christmas, since their significance goes far beyond December 25th. In fact, they speak directly into May of 2020, and, and next month, and two millions years beyond. Motyer observes:

As always, the people of God must decide what reading of their experiences they will live by. Are they to look at the darkness, the hopelessness, the dreams shattered and conclude that God has forgotten them? Or are they to recall his past mercies, to remember his present promises, and to make great affirmations of faith?

Isaiah insists here that hope is a present reality, part of the constitution of the “now.”

The darkness is true, but not the whole truth, and certainly not the fundamental truth.

Agreed. And this hope is not some ethereal, “maybe it will get better one day” sort of hope, but the concrete hope of a certain person, a Man who conquered death, who promised to come back and fix everything. The king is coming soon, and he has all the wisdom and power to do it. He is executive, legislative, and judicial branch, in himself. He will not fail, or breakdown.

This is the “testimony” kept by the band of followers of the King, who still heed Isaiah’s words. This is the “teaching” and the “hope” that nourishes the community of everyone waiting for him. We can’t feed ourselves on the darkness, and hope to make it through. We must do what those who know God have always done. Together, with the Word in the center, we will look to the dawning light.

More on Christian Disagreements

Following up on Chris’ post from the other day, I wanted to share some thoughts from a few hundred years ago from John Calvin. I’m (slowly) reading through his Institutes, and just happen to hit the section talking about how Christians are to handle disagreements over controversial things, right in the middle of all these discussions about life during and after Coronavirus. Here’s some wisdom from Calvin on Christians and disagreements in general:

[P]art of Christian freedom lies in this: regarding outward things that are of themselves “indifferent,” we are not bound before God by any religious obligation preventing us from sometimes using them and other times not using them, indifferently. And the knowledge of this freedom is very necessary for us, for if it is lacking, our consciences will have no repose and there will be no end to superstitions. Today we seem to many be unreasonable because we stir up discussion over the unrestricted eating of meat, use of holidays and of vestments, and such things, which seem to [others] vain frivolities.

But these matters are more important than is commonly believed. For when consciences once ensnare themselves, they enter a long and inextricable maze, not easy to get out of. If a man begins to doubt whether he may use linen for sheets, shirts, handkerchiefs, and napkins, he will afterward be uncertain also about hemp; finally, doubt will even arise over tow. For he will turn over his mind whether he can sup without napkins or go without a handkerchief. If any man should consider daintier food unlawful, in the end he will not be at peace before God, when he eats either black bread or common victual, while it occurs to him that he could sustain his body on even coarser foods, if he boggles at sweet wine, he will not with clear conscience drink even flat wine, and finally he will not dare touch water if sweeter and cleaner than other water. To sum up, he will come to the point of considering it wrong to step upon a straw across his path, as saying goes.

Here begins the weighty controversy, for what is in debate is whether God, whose will ought to precede all out plans and actions, wishes us to use these things or those. As a consequence, some in despair, are of necessity cast into a pit of confusion; others, despising God and abandoning fear of Him, must make their own way in destruction, where they have none ready-made. For all those entangled in such doubts, wherever they turn, see offense of conscience everywhere present.

Freedom in the use of God’s gifts for his purposes

“I know,” says Paul, “that nothing is common” (taking “common” in the sense of “profane”), “but it is common for anyone who thinks it common” [Rom. 14:14]. With these words Paul subjects all outward things to our freedom, provided our minds are assured that the basis for such freedom stands before God. But if any superstitious opinion poses a stumbling block for us, things of their own nature pure are for us corrupt. For this reason, he adds: “Happy is he who does not judge himself in what he approves. But he who judges, if he eats, is condemned, because he does not eat of faith. For whatever is not of faith is sin” [Rom. 14:22-23].

Amidst such perplexities, do not those who show themselves rather bold by daring all things confidently, nonetheless to this extent turn away from God? But they who are deeply moved in any fear of God, when they are compelled to commit many things against their conscience, are overwhelmed and fall down with fright. All such persons receive none of God’s gifts with thanksgiving, yet Paul testifies that by this alone all things are sanctified for our use [1 Tim 4:4-5]. Now I mean that thanksgiving which proceeds from a mind that recognizes in his gifts the kindness and goodness of God. For many of them, indeed, understand them as good things of God which they use, and praise God in his works; but inasmuch as they have not been persuaded that these good things have been given to them, how can they thank God as the giver?

To sum up, we see whither this freedom tends: namely, that we should use God’s gifts for the purpose for which he gave them to us, with no scruple of conscience, no trouble of mind. With such confidence our minds will be at peace with him, and will recognize his liberality toward us. For here we are included all ceremonies whose observance is optional, that our consciences may not be constrained by any necessity to observe them but may remember that by God’s beneficence their use is for edification made subject to him.

(Institutes III.19.7-8)

Later, Calvin adds this bit of wisdom: “It is the part of a godly man to realize that free power in outward matters has been given him in order that he may be the more ready for all the duties of love.” Lots of good things to think about here.

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