My Prayer-Wish for 2012

~ That God’s name be honored more and more by all professing Christians.

~ That more Christians would truly seek God’s kingdom first than their own personal advancement and fame.

~ That members of the Church of Jesus Christ would truly demonstrate to the world that they belong to God by loving one another in the truth.

~ That the Lord would continually meet the needs of His people that they might be able to faithfully fulfill the Great Commission.

~ That believers would learn to humble themselves before God and seek His forgiveness and the forgiveness of those whom they have offended.

~ That by His Spirit, Christ would lead His Church to daily overcome worldliness, temptation and sinful desires.

~ That true followers of Christ Jesus would live their lives in light of the return of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.

The Presence of the Kingdom: A Review

(This is my review of the book "The Presence of the Kingdom" by Jacques Ellul)

In this book, the author simply explores and answers the question, “How should the Christian live in the modern world?” In this age of technological advancement and mass media, Ellul vigorously pleads for Christians to live out their identity as the salt of the earth and light of world to this decaying and darkened society. Christ calls His followers to function as “visible signs” of the presence and reality of God's kingdom here on earth.

In order to fulfill their mission, Christians ought not to separate themselves from the culture as most pietists do. However, they ought not to be triumphalistic either, engaging themselves deeply into the culture in order to conquer it or “redeem” it. While modern men are fascinated with, even enslaved by, technology and progress, Christians, however, should be preoccupied with God's kingdom and His righteous rule in the world, living as loyal subjects of King Jesus in all areas of life by the power of His Spirit. They should never forget that God has placed them in this fallen world in order to bear witness to Him who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. This seems to be Ellul's main message in this book.

Ellul of course recognizes that the task of witness-bearing is not an easy responsibility. In fact he identifies several obstacles and enemies that every Christian has to contend with in seeking to remain faithful to his calling in the world.

First, the world is not only a place of warfare but also a force that tries to exert pressure upon the Christian so as to conform to its wicked ways. This makes obedience to God's will for him difficult. Ellul quips, “The fact of living in the world, from which we ought not to escape, is a stumbling block for our faith” (p.9). Second, the reality of sin also renders the Christian weak and ineffective in bearing witness for the truth of the gospel of Christ. Third, we may also add to the equation the devil himself, completing the number of the believer's age-old arch enemies, namely, the world, the flesh and the devil. Ellul is aware of these enemies when he writes,

Living in the world we are living in the domain of the Prince of this world, Satan, and all around us we constantly see the action of this prince, and the result of the state of sin in which we are all placed without exception, because in spite of all our efforts and our piety we share in the sin of the world. We are involved in it because in spite of our faith we are and remain sinners; we are also involved in the sin of humanity through the various “orders” of life created by God, so that when a person of my family, or of my nation, commits sin, I am responsible before God for this transgression (p.9).

This leaves us desperate of ourselves. However, this desperation should not make us totally discouraged. We should instead recognize that though “it is impossible for us to make the world less sinful...it is impossible for us to accept it as it is” (p.9). Thus as Christians, we must learn to live in this tension in the world, being fully aware that God calls us and equips us by His Spirit to live as His people, serving as God’s preservatives and light-bearers exactly in this tense situation. Our lifestyle that is consistent to our calling as citizens of God’s kingdom brings genuine transformation that the world needs.

In terms of concretizing this Christian lifestyle, Ellul observes that this is not all about techniques. The techniques which the world propagates will not foster real change in man or the society where he lives in. This is because man has this mistaken idea that with modern technology comes transformation. What modern technology has actually accomplished, according to Ellul, is that it helped shift our focus from end to means. Rather than thinking of what is good and just, and what brings peace and order to society, people start to think about how to make things work and how to do things efficiently. These have become man’s preoccupation.

This shift of mindset somehow affected many Christians. Thus instead of influencing society by being the salt of the earth and light of the world, Christians try to seek influence using social, economic and political means, thinking that these powers would accomplish the Christian task. By doing so, Christians have resorted to the means which natural man uses.

But no matter how hard the natural man tries to transform society and to make it a better place to live using man-made techniques, the result is always further destruction, decay and deformation of the society. The natural man, regardless of his ingenuity in creating technology, whether social, political, or economic, is totally hopeless in his attempt to promote lasting change in the world. The reason of course is that, the modern natural man employs strategies that only address the external issues of life, leaving the internal, most basic issue and need of the individual and society unmet. Thus at the end of the day, technology and mass media further enslave the sinful man rather than liberate him.

However, the power that is at work among believers is able to effect genuine transformation for every man and society that it touches. Only the Holy Spirit quickens dead spirits of men and causes them to do what is right and good, bringing personal and corporate peace, order and freedom. Ellul believes that the Christian faith alone is able to transform society not because of the Christians per se, but because of its revolutionary agent and king, i.e., the Holy Spirit and the Lord Jesus Christ. When the kingdom of God is lived out faithfully by sinful men who are led by the Spirit of God, following their Lord and King, genuine revolution takes place in this fallen world.

Thus Ellul can say, “Whatever work is undertaken by man does not reveal its meaning or its value save in Jesus Christ and through the Holy Spirit” (p.102). He adds, “If Christians have a special mission here [on earth], it is due to the fact that they are witnesses to an event on which all other events are based, an event which took place in history, and an event which sums up and guarantees all other events, personal or historical, and renders history and life irreversibly. This event is the intervention of God in the course of human history, it is Jesus Christ” (p.108).

The book does not really offer concrete easy-steps to readers in terms of prescribing a lifestyle for Christians to follow in order to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. The author himself admits this when he writes, “My aim was not to give ready-made solutions, but only to open the way for a work of the renewed church” (p.113). He nevertheless gives suggestions as to what Christians should bear in mind as they seek to live the reality of God’s kingdom out in the world as individuals and as body of believers, the church.

One of the things he points out is that we Christians must be aware of our weak or abstract, if not dead, witness-bearing of the power of the gospel of Christ before the watching world. The reason why the world is in such a mess is partly because Christians have forgotten who they are and why they are in the world. Additionally, they have abandoned the powerful means which God has entrusted to them, i.e. the gospel, which is the power of God for the salvation, in all its aspects, of those who believe.

Further, Ellul shows that if Christians are to effect radical change in the world, they have to take their identity and calling seriously, engaging themselves in ordinary human activity, proclaiming the gospel to the world both in meaningful words and kind deeds. In order to actualize this transformation, Ellul points out that Christians themselves must have been, first of all, transformed by the renewing of their mind, which the Holy Spirit alone can do by the Word of God.

I think Ellul’s analysis of the culture is right on target. While he is not against technology per se, he is denouncing the increasingly destructive influence and control of modern technology not only on Western civilization but particularly on the Christian faith. His observation of our failure as Christians to live out our identity and mission in the world is also quite indicting. While he prescribes no easy solutions, his critical thought helps us to think deeply our life and lifestyle before the watching world.

I would not fault Ellul for his lack of suggestions on how to address the Christian dilemma in the world. From my other readings of his life and writings, I came to realize that he tried to live out what he taught and preached. He was actively involved both in the church and the society, serving as a consultant to the Ecumenical World Council of Churches from 1947-53 and was a member of the National Council of the Reformed Church in France. He also had a long academic career and participated in local civic affair where at one point he served as Deputy Mayor of his hometown in the mid-1940’s. Finally, he was also involved in ministering with many troubled youth and drug addicts.

If there is anything that he accomplished in this book it is the fact that he reminds us that faith and obedience in the living and loving God who called His people out of slavery from sin and worldliness by His Spirit constitute our best weapon to let the kingdom of God in Christ be seen and felt by the world.

A Testimony of God's Grace in My Life

Grace is one of my favorite biblical words because of the depth it reveals. It was just an ordinary word for me from way back then. But the word became of utmost importance to me when God enabled me to understand what He did in the life, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ for sinners like me.

Search for Peace and Acceptance

I grew up in a "dysfunctional" and nominal Roman Catholic family from the province of Capiz in the Philippines. My father was an alcoholic and a habitual gambler. My mother, though religious and outwardly good, was a notorious nagger. She drove my father crazy most of the time. I was both a victim of and a witness to their frequent quarrels. This made us siblings feel ashamed of ourselves and our family as well. Two of my older brothers married as early as eighteen just to get out early of my parents' authority.

Early in my life I longed for peace and love which obviously I have not experienced from my family. As a result I have tried to be good and intelligent so I can be accepted and loved. I have performed well in trying to please others except my family. I became rebellious to my parents. I learned to disobey and dishonor them by not heeding their advices and not being good to them. I told myself that I don't want to be like them and not to do the same mistakes they have done to us their children.

Yet I noticed that the same things I hated in them were gradually being developed in me. I learned to smoke and drink hard liquors early in high school. Later I became addicted to gambling, too. Unknown to my parents, I stole money from our cash box. I used them to satisfy my gambling and impulsive-buying habits.

I also became critical with other people. Outwardly I looked nice and good. I was a hypocrite. I was one of the best students in school. I always top my religion subjects in high school and know a good number of facts from the Bible and the Roman Catholic Church. Yet others did not know the evil I was trying to hide with my outward behavior. They did not see the pain and guilt I was trying to bury with my good performance and behavior.

I tried to look for ways to be at peace with others and to be acceptable. I thought serving God in the church would help. I thought being in the church could get rid of the evil I have inside. So I joined the church choir. I served as one of the altar boys that assists the parish priest during the mass. I became very religious. Like many young people I tried to be more knowledgeable. I thought knowing a lot of things would make me a better person.

Still I did not get what I longed for. Even though many of my friends seemed to have admired me and have told me a lot of good things about me still it did not matter. I also started reading the Bible so I would look more religious but the words were too deep and the teachings were quite strange for me to understand at that time. It did not help me at all and I got very frustrated. So I gave up trying hard.

God-Sent Messengers

In God's appointed time, He sent some people to explain to me the gospel of His Son Jesus Christ. The first person God used to share with me the gospel was Mr. Samuel Colinco, a Baptist minister from Bacolod City. He was a high school teacher. We were roommates at the National Secondary School Press Conference (NSSPC) back in 1986 in Iloilo Province. I was a third-year high school student and a delegate at the conference. He used a gospel tract in presenting to me some important ingredients of the gospel and had me read Bible passages that supported them. Of course I did not understand everything he said because they were new to me. Two words stuck into my mind though after that encounter. The words were born-again and grace. But grace was more pressing to me. After the conference we parted ways but left me with several literature. None of those I really cared to read at all.

When I entered college in Manila, my brother became instrumental in helping me understand more about grace. He was a member of a growing Pentecostal church then and he cared to bring me to their Sunday afternoon meetings to listen to their Bible teacher. Providentially, the Lord used those meetings to increase my understanding of the concepts of grace and born-again or regeneration.

The Beginning Work of God's Grace

Through my brief encounter with the Baptist minister and through the help of my brother and the people in their church, God brought home His salvation message to me. I had seen my own selfishness and pride. Then as they explained to me the reason why Jesus had to die at the cross, I was also being convicted of my hatred against and rebelliousness toward my parents. The Holy Spirit enabled me to understand that Jesus' death is a sacrificial and substitutionary death in behalf of guilty sinners like me.

I understood that God saw the wickedness of humanity, including my hatred and rebelliousness, and He was so displeased. His wrath was upon sinners, including me. But because sinful man is totally hopeless and helpless in saving himself from the wrath of God, God Himself, in His divine mercy, took the initiative to save man from sin and its eternal consequences. God sent His Only Son and offered Him as a substitute for sinners. As a substitute, He not only obeyed God's law perfectly, He also bore the sins of many and paid the just penalty of their sins in His cruel death at the cross of Calvary. Thus, in Christ’s perfect obedience and sacrificial death, man's salvation was achieved for God’s wrath against sin was satisfied and man's guilt has been taken away.

Slowly, I understood these doctrines and through the effectual power of the Holy Spirit I was enabled to see this work of Jesus Christ as the Good News, bearing God’s powerful message of salvation to those who believe. I was led to confess my sins and to cry out to God for forgiveness and mercy. I was also enabled to put my trust in the work of Jesus Christ for my salvation from sin and its horrifying eternal punishment.

Eventually, the grace of God became apparent to me. I understood that God’s grace is something that He gives to an undeserving sinner on account of his relationship with Jesus Christ by faith. Grace is a divine favor given to someone who deserves otherwise. This grace cannot be earned. Not by any good works, but is received by faith alone in Jesus Christ, the One whom God has highly favored.

So this saving grace can only be received by putting one’s trust in the person and works of Christ, the Son of God who became the Lamb of God. There’s no other way grace can be accepted apart from faith in God’s beloved Son. I did believe in Christ and made a profession of faith in His saving work. And I still do by the grace of God.

The Continuing Work of Grace for Sinners Like Me

Since then, the peace that I have been longing for came as a result of the knowledge of God’s grace in Christ. The prophet Isaiah's words in chapter 53 verse 5 became meaningful to me. It says, "But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him and by his wounds we are healed." There is a lot of comfort that comes from the knowledge that God will not take my sins against me anymore; all because somebody has taken my stead and paid for the penalty of all my sins. That’s really amazing! That’s grace. It gripped me from the inside out.

Now I know that God, by His grace, has been working in my life. Now I know that the reason why I believed (and continue to believe) in Christ is all because of His effectual grace. In His goodness and mercy, He regenerated me. He gave me new life. I learned that since birth I was dead, not in physical sense but in spiritual sense, which means, I have been separated from Him and without hope for future blessings.

Apart from God's enabling I cannot come to Him for mercy and I cannot truly repent from my sin because I simply do not have the ability and will to do so. My response in faith in Christ's finished work of redemption and my repentance from sin was a result of His work of grace prepared for me even before the foundation of the world and is the work of the Holy Spirit in me.

Now, by faith in Jesus, His mercy and forgiveness are in my life. I have learned that His grace led me and keeps on leading me to repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. This grace that saved me in the first place is the same grace that is now at work in me, keeping me from falling back to my old life. Thank God! I pray that God will continually give me the power to do good and to live a holy life. I realize that at the time of my spiritual birth the Holy Spirit started to live in me. He gives the will to desire and the power to do what is good and pleasing to God.

God's Grace Enables Obedience and Grants Real Peace

There are several things worth mentioning here that have changed in my life as a result of the grace I received from God. The hate I had toward my parents was replaced by understanding and desire to love and care for them. Instead of blaming them I have learned to forgive my parents. Instead of rebellion I have learned to respect and honor them from the heart. I started to seek to please them and still seek to be pleasing to other people. The most amazing change I have noticed especially is my motivation in doing good. Unlike before, I am compelled to be good and to do what is right to others because I want to express the love God has given me in Christ.

The inner peace continues to reign in my heart as God enables me to understand His patience, forgiveness and mercy toward me in and through Christ. His love becomes clearer as I read the Bible this time. Now I love listening to Biblical preaching and reading good Christian literature.

Yes, I still see the remaining sin within me. I daily struggle with my sinful habits, especially with covetousness and lustful thoughts. I fall oftentimes if not for the grace of God working in my life and giving me the strength to stand against the onslaught of the flesh. God's grace empowers me to obey Him and to resist the sinful desires that daily wage battle against me. I know that in Christ He has bestowed me everything I need for life and godliness through the knowledge of my God and Savior Jesus Christ.

I thank Him for breaking through my life. If not for His undeserving mercy and grace I am still living in my sin and still looking for peace and love from other sources. If not for His abounding grace I am still working my way to Him. I thank God for giving the Lord Jesus for sinners like me. In Him, through the working of the Holy Spirit I am saved and being transformed into His likeness, patiently waiting for that day that He has promised when I can be with Him throughout eternity. All by His sovereign, free grace. All for His honor and glory!

"Make Known His Deeds Among the Peoples" - Part 3

"Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion,
for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel."

His Glorious Presence (v. 6).

Although a male voice praises throughout, but in v. 6 shout is a feminine singular verb. The inhabitant of Zion is also singular and feminine. What is that to us then? Well, while the daughters of Zion in Isaiah 3 were a depraved group, yet, like Miriam in Exodus 15:20, 21, a woman (here in v.6) urged the praise of the Lord upon others. “Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion…”

And what does this female voice urge others to sing? She says, “…for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.” In other words, the whole congregation of God’s people, the inhabitant of Zion, sings of His presence among them. Before, these people do not know God. Now they know who is among them and they sing about His glorious presence. Together they boast of God’s awesome presence in their midst. They sing, “Emmanuel – God is with us. And if God is with us, who can be against us?”

We as the New Testament church sing the same theme. We sing, "God is with us" in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ. God came down to us, lived with us, and walked with us in Christ. And even if our Lord Jesus has ascended back to the Father's side he promised to be with us in our discipling the nations even to the very end of time. Indeed Christ is always with us. He does not leave us as orphans. He is very much involved in our lives in the person of the Holy Spirit. He not only empower us for faithful witness but also for joyful and obedient living even in the midst and in the face of many trials and testings of our faith.

Now, Isaiah looks for the day in which the Lord would be recognized as present in the midst of the people. This was reason for joy. This was reason enough for anticipated joy – joy amid the trials and stresses of surrounding chaos and impending doom. Isaiah challenged the people to live the joy of the hope in promised redemption.

Nowadays, it’s easy to complain about many things – about our government and our politicians, about our husbands or wives, about our children or parents. It’s easy to blame others and criticize others of their unpleasant behavior. And our complaints and criticisms are endless.

Here God calls us to consider His gracious salvation in Christ. He directs our attention to His great commission, in His work of making disciples from every nation, tribe and tongue. And finally, He reminds us of His glorious abiding presence with us in the person of the Holy Spirit who empowers and dwells in us.

These are reasons to sustain heartfelt worship not only on special occasion. these are reasons to drive us to bring the gospel to the ends of the earth. Rather than dwelling on failures and shortcomings – either our own or others, why not consider the glorious work of God or think about how He averted His anger toward us because of Christ. Why not dwell on the glorious harvest of many souls in Christ in many parts of the world as a result of God’s great commission?

I think when we dwell on these things we have all the reasons to stop murmuring and complaining about many things and start praising God. We ought to boast in God’s wonderful grace and love for us in saving us from our sin and misery. And as our appropriate response to His saving grace, we ought to praise Him and proclaim to the world His glory and honor.

May we continue to sing His praises everyday and declare His glorious name and deeds among the peoples of the earth. May our lives shine forth in such a way that the world could truly say, “God is indeed great in your midst.” May God be praised!

God’s Indescribable Gift - Part 2

(part 2 of my meditation on 2 Corinthians 9:15 "Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!" Thanks to my friend Andy Spriensma, whose thoughts I have borrowed a lot here.)

God’s indescribable gift does not only make us generous. It also keeps us humble. Here we are going to focus on that word “indescribable.”

We need to understand that when Paul mentioned about God’s indescribable gift, he was referring to none other than our Lord Jesus Christ. He is God’s ‘indescribable gift.’

In preaching and teaching the Word of God, what is it that we do but tell of this gift. We describe this gift. And that is the proclamation of the gospel, the preaching of the good news.

Pastors like me have been trained to be preachers of God's holy Word in the pages of the Bible. The whole Bible reveals this gift of salvation. Preaching is especially the telling of that gift!

Probably no one understands this better than the apostle Paul himself. He has traveled vast portions of the known world of his time preaching the gift of Jesus Christ. He has proclaimed the gospel to both Jews and Gentiles, slaves and rulers, friends and foes. Yet he says that this gift from God, our salvation in Jesus Christ, is “indescribable” (ESV says, “inexpressible” while KJV “unspeakable”).

Now the word “indescribable” has an interesting background. First, it appeared only here in the whole New Testament. Second, it is not found in the Greek version of the Old Testament or in any Classical Greek literature. It was until later, near the end of first century, that an early Christian bishop used the word.

So did Paul just make the word up? If so, ironically here, Paul cannot find a word to express the fact that he cannot fully express or describe the gift of God in Christ.

Thus what Paul really meant to say in using that word is this: We cannot fully express God’s gift. Jesus Christ cannot be described in exhaustive detail. Even the paraphrase The Living Bible translates this verse this way: “Thank God for his Son - His Gift too wonderful for words.”

Now while the Living Bible is not an accurate translation of the original texts it grasped, however, the right meaning of the text. Paul is saying that the gift of God is too glorious and too wonderful for words to do full justice to it.

Paul has seen this gift in the person of Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus. The Holy Spirit has revealed to him the great plan of salvation. He has entertained visions from heaven. He has witnessed the power of Pentecost in his work and he can testify that God’s promises are being brought to completion.

Because of this he has an even greater burden to put all this into human words. But certainly God’s glory cannot be contained in the Greek or the English language, not even in my own language or in any language of the world.

God’s marvelous works of grace cannot be limited to any language. The mystery of the gospel cannot be completely decoded in human language. No matter what distinctions or systems we make of it, the gift of salvation, the Son of God, is “indescribable.”

So in order to keep us from bragging how great and exhaustive our knowledge of Christ is and how effective teachers or preachers of the gospel of Jesus Christ we are, Paul is reminding us that God’s gift is beyond our words.

As teachers or preachers, it is always enticing to hear from students and parishioners how good we are in explaining and applying the Word of God in their lives. That is why preachers and teachers of the Bible must remember that however splendid their sermon or teaching is, no matter how good their points are, no matter how well they have excelled in their interpretation and how creative and articulate the presentation of their ideas is, still, their glorious sermon or lecture pales in comparison to the glorious Gift they are called to proclaim and teach.

Jesus Christ and how He has saved us from our sins, how He was sent from heaven above according to the great electing love of God the Father to come down and rescue us from our sin and misery, to suffer in our flesh, and to die upon the cross for our sins, is too wonderful and too humbling for words.

Yet we speak about Him who was raised on the third day and who declared victory over sin and death, over Satan and the whole world, who has all the power and authority given to Him, and who is our only Savior and our great God. This is the Gift we speak about. And what or who we speak about will always be far greater than how we speak about Him.

This serves as a warning to all of us who think we already know Jesus Christ and do not need to study the Bible or hear about Him more. It keeps us humble because no matter how long we have been a Christian or no matter how long we’ve been reading, studying or teaching the Bible, still our knowledge of Christ is still lacking. We don’t fully know our Lord and Savior yet. Even the apostle Paul admits that God’s gift, our Lord Jesus Christ, is ‘inexpressible,’ ‘indescribable,’ He’s beyond description.

Persistent Praying Presupposes Faith

1Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. 3And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary....And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"
- Luke 18:1-8

The main thing that we need to see in the parable and the concluding statement made by our Lord Jesus in verse 8 is that God will vindicate His elect. God will give justice to His people who have been crying out day and night for vindication. In other words, we can keep on praying for the kingdom of God to come because God will surely hear us and will deliver us from all our woes in this life.

Notice that in the parable, the idea of giving justice or vindication is quite prominent. There are two main characters in this parable. One is a helpless widow who desperately cries out for justice because someone had wronged her.

The other character is an ungodly and uncaring judge who keeps on denying and putting off the widow's request for justice. He was refusing to grant her request for a while because he doesn't care for her. But the widow would not take 'no' for an answer.

So when the widow keeps on coming to him to the point of bothering him and wearing him out, he finally yielded to her request.

I like the way one pastor described a modern version of her persistence. He said, “[The judge] no sooner leaves the courtroom to go home for lunch, than this woman dogs his steps all the way to his house. When he comes out to go back to work, there she is. When he goes home at night, she’s there again. Every morning she is parked at the door of the courthouse, waiting for him to show up. Every day he tells her to get lost, but she keeps coming back. He can’t get rid of her! She’s beginning to dominate his life. He begins to hate going to work, because he’s going to be confronted by this nagging woman!” That's a good description of her persistence.

The judge realized that the only way to get rid of her is to grant her request. So he said to himself, “Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.”

And what's the point that Jesus made out of this parable? It is this: If an unrighteous judge can be moved to grant justice to the persistent widow for the wrong reason, HOW MUCH MORE will the Righteous Judge vindicate His people who cry out to Him day and night out of His love and compassion for them?

Indeed, God is unlike the unrighteous judge. In fact He is the opposite of everything the judge was. God loves us and takes care of us as His children in our Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, we were enemies of God because of our sin and disobedience. Yes, we were dead in our sins and trespasses and were objects of His wrath.

But because of His great mercy and grace, God freely saved us from His wrath through the propitiatory [wrath-removing] death of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of His kindness He forgave us all of our sins, justified us and made us His children by faith in Jesus Christ. Such is the love of God toward us, dear people of God.

Don't you ever think that He has forgotten you when you're suffering and struggling in your life! Don't you dare to say that Christ doesn't care when you are assaulted by the world and the devil each day! Don't even think that God leaves you when you're tempted. No!

Even though Christ is in heaven and waiting for the right time to return, He doesn't leave us like a widow or an orphan. He is not totally remote and uninvolved in your daily struggles. In fact, as the book of Hebrews says, Christ sympathizes with us and he prays for us in time of need. He looks at us with compassion and He does something for us so we can deal with our struggles and pains. When sometimes God is silent to your prayers and longings, don't give up.

Again this is where you must see the role of the Holy Spirit as vital in the Christian life. We confess that both the Father and the Son have sent the Spirit as our Comforter and Enabler. The Spirit's work in us and through us is part of God's providential care so we will not give up but persevere in prayer. The Spirit empowers us to do the will of God and to resist every impulse of our sinful nature to sin (Gal 5.16-25).

He helps you and me to endure every trial and affliction even with joy (1 Thess 1.4-7). He strengthens you in your weakness and even intercedes for you when you do not know what to pray (Rom 8.26-27) and do not WANT to pray.

So you see, Christ's compassion toward us moves Him to equip us with His Spirit so we can keep on praying at all times in spite of the many trials in life.

But dear brothers and sisters, Christ is coming again. We do not know when but He tells us to be ready at all times. And the way to prepare for His coming is to be always on our knees praying, “May your kingdom come, may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

When Jesus comes again He will completely and swiftly establish His eternal kingdom of justice and righteousness. He will put an end to all our pain and suffering and to all our struggles against the forces of this world. But when He comes will He find us persistently praying? Will He find FAITH in us? That's the challenge of Christ's instruction to persevere in prayer.

Willing to Suffer for the Sake of Christ

"For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews,..."
- 1 Thessalonians 2:14

Having heard, received and accepted the Word of God, the Thessalonian saints became imitators of the churches in Judea. In what way did they become imitators of these churches? These churches that the Thessalonians imitate are in Palestine, where many Jews live. These churches are in Christ Jesus, which means they are in union with and belong to Christ. They are to be distinguished from the assemblies of Jews that are also in Judea but are not followers of Jesus Christ.

“Being in Christ Jesus is what makes a group of people a distinctively Christian Church,” says one scholar.[1] Another commentator notes that these churches are composed of “the original church of God in Jerusalem (cf. Gal 1:13; 1 Cor 15:9), now in dispersion (as a result of the persecution which broke out after Stephen’s death), together with her daughter-churches.”[2] These churches suffered persecution in the hands of fellow Jews who did not believe that Jesus is the Messiah of God.

What is interesting to note here is that one of the fiercest persecutors of these churches used to be Saul of Tarsus, who is now Paul the Apostle of Jesus Christ, the one writing them. Paul was there when Stephen was martyred. Now Paul is testifying to them that these churches in Judea have endured tribulations because of their faith in Christ.

Paul’s transformed life to Christ may have served as a testimony of God’s powerful Word and as an encouragement to these young Christians in Thessalonica. Saul the persecutor has now become Paul the persecuted, just like them.

So in the same way the Thessalonian believers have become imitators of these churches in Judea because they suffered the same things from their own countrymen (v. 14b). When they accepted Paul’s message the Jews started to cause trouble in the city by taking some wicked gang members to form a mob.

This mob tried to hunt down Paul and company and when they did not find them they turned to the new converts, particularly to the man named Jason. And they dragged him, together with some of the brothers, before the city authorities, accusing them falsely (Acts 17:5-6). Since then, these believers have been objects of harassment and discrimination by the Jews and local authorities for their undivided loyalty to God and to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Can you imagine yourself being dragged in the middle of the night to the city jail for believing in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? It’s awful, isn’t it? But these young believers are being harassed by their own people who turned against them because of their faith in Christ Jesus.

Often it is true that the most intense persecution we suffer as Christians comes from those who are somehow related to us: a co-worker maybe, a classmate, a relative, or a fellow believer.

Don’t be surprised when a relative hate you because of your strong conviction against sin, injustice, or immorality as a Christian. You will suffer rejection and isolation in this world because of your solid commitment to Christ, His Word and His Church. But be of good cheer. Do not be afraid. You are one with Christ and His Church. You are not alone. There are other believers who are as committed to Christ in their faith and conduct as you are.

Pray together and encourage one another. God promises that He will be with us. No persecution, suffering, sickness, famine, sword, not even death, shall separate us from the love of Christ. No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us and freed us from our sins by His blood. That is our confidence in life. That is our comfort even in death.

So Paul encourages the believers by saying that in enduring these afflictions as Christians, they are fellow-members of the same body as the Judean churches. Paul already mentioned in 1:6 that they became imitators of him and his co-workers and of the Lord Jesus for they received the Word of God with joy even in affliction. And that’s the ground for Paul to say thanks to God. He is so delighted to see these Thessalonians willing to pay the price of following Jesus Christ even through persecution.

How about you? Are you prepared to suffer for Christ? Are you willing to forsake the comforts of this world for the joy of belonging to Christ?

We see here an emerging pattern or pathway of obedient faith in Christ Jesus. Just as Christ endured suffering for doing the will of God; just as Paul, Silas, Timothy, and the churches of God suffered much affliction because of their labor to get the Word of God out to the world, so also the Thessalonians on account of believing the gospel. So for the sake of the gospel of Christ, are you willing to suffer, whatever that affliction might be?

The Scripture attests that persecution is a natural outcome of being a Christian. We don’t go out seeking persecution here and there, do we? But they come as our priorities, desires, and pursuits as Christians collide with the culture around us. For the believers in Thessalonica to undergo suffering for Christ’s sake proves that they belong to the same body of Christ in Judea and all over the world.

They are, in fact, one with us in this 21st century Philippine context. Their firmness in affliction testifies to the fact that their faith is genuine. And the joy that they manifest proves that the work of the Holy Spirit is present in their lives – joy in affliction…suffering gracefully in the name of Christ. What a tremendous testimony of God’s transforming power to a world filled with grumbling and whining!

As you and I endure many trials we not only unite ourselves with the body of Christ but also testify to the fact that our faith in God and in all that He promised is genuine. Our patience, joy and peace amid these trials further reveal the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. And that’s one way of witnessing to the world about our faith in Christ.

You and I are willing to suffer with joy as Christians if necessary. The world doesn’t like pain and suffering. They are willing to pay the price just to avoid affliction and discomfort. We are different, and we ought to be different. We ought to accept willingly every trial and affliction for doing the will of God. That’s a powerful testimony to the world! That's a powerful witness that we belong to Him who is a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.


[1] Andrew W. Young, Let’s Study 1 & 2 Thessalonians (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 2001), 37.

[2] F. F. Bruce, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, in Word Biblical Commentary, eds. David A. Hubbard & Glenn W. Barker, Vol. 45 (Waco: Word, 1982), 45.

The “Perfections” of Scripture and Their Implications in Hermeneutics

In the history of Bible interpretation, it was the Protestant Reformers who championed four perfections or attributes of the Scripture as they defended themselves against the accusations of Roman Catholic authorities and as they declared the teachings of the Holy Scripture over and against the excesses of Rome and some of the Protestant sects. These perfections also serve as important guides for us modern interpreters in understanding the message of the Holy Scripture.

The first perfection of Scripture is its authority. By this we mean to say that the Holy Scripture is the supreme and ultimate authority in matters of faith and conduct. While we recognize other authorities and standards such as the church council or assembly, creeds and confessions of the church, church leaders, and others, these are subordinate to the Scripture’s authority. Ultimately our recognition of the authority of Scripture is founded on the Lordship of Christ, who attests to the authority of the Scripture (Matt. 5:17-19), and the authority of God, who is the divine author of the Holy Scripture (2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:21). This tells us that the faithful interpreter of the Bible must submit himself to the Lord as he interprets God’s Word.

Consequently, we interpret Scripture with great care and humility, submitting to its commands and precepts, believing its claims and promises, utterly depending on the Holy Spirit’s illumination and enabling in understanding and applying everything that it says. We have no right therefore to twist, modify or undermine its teachings and instructions in order to suit our own personal, cultural, theological or denominational preferences and convictions which are not Scriptural. Nor do we have the freedom to interpret (or reinterpret) Scripture in such a way as to justify our unscriptural beliefs and wrongdoings or minimize our culpability. That is not only an irresponsible handling of the text of Scripture but that is also an irreverent way of interpreting the Bible.

For example, since Scripture clearly teaches that God will inflict “vengeance on those who do not know [Him] and on those who do not obey the gospel of Jesus Christ” (2 Thess. 1:8), we as Bible interpreters and teachers do not have the right to diminish the truth of eternal punishment in order to make the gospel appealing to the unbelieving ears. In interpreting any Biblical passage, the authority of Scripture must guide us in seeing and learning what it really says, not what we want to see and hear from the text.

The second perfection of Scripture pertains to its necessity. The necessity of Scripture “refers to its indispensable service as the God-ordained instrument for the communication of the knowledge of God and of ourselves. Only by means of the Scriptures do we come to know clearly and fully those things which are necessary for us to know in this life, to God’s glory and for our salvation” (From a handout in Theological Foundations class at Mid-America Reformed Seminary; cf. Belgic Confession, Article II). There are things of and about God and about ourselves which could not have been known to us if the Bible was not written.

In acknowledging the necessity of the Scripture we are saying that without God’s divine act of revealing Himself more clearly and more fully through the written Word, our knowledge of Him and of ourselves is limited, even defective because of our sin (Rom. 1:18-23). Though “the heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky proclaims his handiwork” (Psalm 19:1), God deemed it necessary to make Himself known to man through the writings of the prophets, like Moses (Ex. 17:14; 34:1, 27) or Jeremiah (Jer. 30:2), the apostles, like John (John 20:31; 1 John 1:4), and other men who were inspired by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:19-21).

This then tells us that in reading and studying the Scripture, by faith and through the enabling of the Spirit, we are engaging ourselves in the pursuit of gaining a better and more reliable knowledge of God, of Jesus Christ, of ourselves and the way we should live as God’s people (Jos. 1:8; Psa. 19:7-14; Ps. 119; Luke 24:27; John 5:39; 2 Tim. 3:15). The necessity of Scripture then gives us the motive and the goal in interpreting the Bible, to know and gratefully thank and worship God for revealing Himself in such a special way. Only the Scripture gives us godly wisdom, which is closely connected to the idea of the fear of the Lord (Prov. 1:7; 9:10; Ps. 119:33-34). Thus in interpreting Scripture we have to bear in mind that the whole written Word has its own overall purpose, while recognizing the unique individual purpose of each writer and the times and audiences they were writing (e.g. Luke 1:1-4; John 20:31).

Third, it is also said that the Scripture is plain and clear for anyone who earnestly seek to know God, His gift of salvation in and through Christ, and His will for us. This perfection is called the clarity or perspicuity of Scripture. Louis Berkhof contends that

“In opposition to Rome, [the Reformers] further defended the clearness of the Bible. They did not deny that it contains mysteries too deep for human understanding, but simply contended that the knowledge necessary unto salvation, though not equally clear on every page of the Bible, is yet conveyed in a manner so simple that anyone earnestly seeking salvation can easily gather this knowledge for himself, and need not depend on the interpretation of the Church or the priesthood” (Summary of Christian Doctrine, p. 20).

As Bible interpreters we must then be careful not to complicate simple commands as “Love your neighbor as you love yourself,” “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor,” or “Honor your father and your mother.” These commandments are simple and need not be allegorized. The same thing applies to the narrative and the truth it portrays.

However, we also recognize that there are different literary genres in the Bible and therefore different literary approaches are required to make sense of the different Scriptural texts (like narrative, prophetic, apocalyptic, parable, etc.). Likewise there are difficult passages in the Scripture that are not easy to understand and this is where the principle that says “Scripture interprets Scripture” or that idea that states “the clearer parts of the Scripture must shed light to the difficult part” applies. The unity of Scripture is also important here. We should not forget that there is one God the Holy Spirit who is behind all the 66 books of the Bible. Literary and historical contexts are also important in this regard. A faithful Bible interpreter cannot afford to disregard the literary structure as well as the environment or background of the author and his audience in trying to understand the meaning of the text.

Responsible Bible interpretation then acknowledges the simplicity of the message of the Scripture, particularly on God’s work of salvation in Christ, while recognizing that there are things that God did not reveal to us (Deut. 29:29). This should move us then to be diligent in studying and understanding the word of God, not giving up when we seem to face dead end.

The sufficiency of Scripture is its fourth perfection. By this “we mean to refer to its adequacy and completeness to regulate, found and confirm the church’s faith and practice. The Bible alone is sufficient to equip the man of God for every good work. It does not require the addition of extra-Scriptural tradition or revelation to provide for the need of God’s people” (From a handout in Theological Foundations Class at Mid-America Reformed Seminary). Again the Reformers vigorously “defended the sufficiency of Scripture, and thereby denied the need of the tradition of the Roman Catholics and of the inner light of the Anabaptists” (Louis Berkhof, Summary of Christian Doctrine, p.20).

Similar to its clarity or perspicuity, the sufficiency of Scripture gives us the assurance that Scripture is our sure foundation and guide in knowing the truth and walking according to the truth. Guided by and dependent upon the Holy Spirit, the faithful Bible interpreters need not look anywhere to find certainty and security in the faith other than what the Spirit has already revealed in the written Word of God. Everything that we need to make us wise unto salvation has been provided by God in the pages of the Sacred Writings.

Thus in keeping with the Scripture’s sufficiency, our hermeneutical approach should be characterized by confidence, not doubting whether or not the Scripture misleads us or confuses us on matters of faith and doctrine. When confronted by two seemingly opposing or contradicting ideas, the interpreter should be convinced that the Scripture contains within itself a way to clarify ambiguity.

These perfections give us reason all the more to love the written Word, to guard its message and to rejoice in the fact that when we are confused we can turn to the Scripture and there find God speaking to us and assuring us that His Word “is a lamp to [our] feet and a light to [our] path” (Psalm 119:105) and can keep our way pure (Psalm 119:9). Thus Paul can confidently say to Timothy,

“But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which is able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:14-16).