Jonathan Hart's Blog

How Did Jesus Plug In?

2012-02-18T00:52:00.000-06:00

As a new pastor, I already struggle with how to feel like my ministry is “100%” in terms of faithfulness and fruitfulness. Perhaps if you are in a ministry career, or even just a disciple of Christ trying to fulfill His commission, you do too. I feel the need to plug into the power source of God because, after all, it's His ministry. I just can't seem to access the divine power plant. Then, I remember something the Holy Spirit spoke to me once. Jesus’ ministry was not 100% because He was “plugged in” to the divine power of God. It was because He “only did what He saw the Father doing” (John 5:19). This was the guarantee for success! All the sudden, ministry and mission seem not limited to just the objective power of God, but the very heart and will of God that we are to abide in. Jesus did not say we have to understand why the Father is doing a certain thing, just that our goal must be to discern what the Father is doing and then commit to that end. Imagine how the power of God’s Holy Spirit would be unleashed upon this world if only the Church, a minority of the global population, did that - focused all our spiritual energy only on looking for what the Father is doing and then joining that work, following that voice. This is how the Kingdom is breaking in and how it will be "on earth as it is in heaven."

Shane and Shane on the Fiery Furnace

2012-02-17T13:44:00.002-06:00

I've had a song stuck in my head that I've known for a few years but am reminded of the profundity of its message. Below are an excerpt and two videos. The excerpt is part of the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. The first video below it is of Shane Barnard and Shane Everett explaining their fresh encounter with this old story. The second video is the song itself with lyrics. It is renewing to my personal faith experience to be reminded that even these biblical heroes were able to claim God's power boldly in the face of certain death but also to say, "But even if He does not..." our faith in Him is not changed. Enjoy.
¹⁶ Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. ¹⁷ If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. ¹⁸ But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” (Daniel 3:16-18)

Beacon Article on Covenant

2012-02-16T21:54:00.003-06:00

Greetings church family,

As the new year is well underway, I am experiencing anew that life’s pace is rarely a respecter of the calendar. There are a few times a year society’s pace slows or quickens, but circumstances have not given us a celebratory break to acknowledge the successful completion of 2011. In ministry this takes shape in the form of weddings, funerals, crises, births, jubilant praises and desperate cries for divine help. The needs of our community and our own needs for spiritual sustenance continue in full force. But as I experience these things as a still relatively new pastor, I’m reminded of something else that is unaffected by circumstances.

This past week in our Disciple I Bible Study class, our theme was COVENANT. We read 35 chapters of scripture that all had the common thread of God’s covenant with humanity. We learned that covenants are not like contracts, which often have loopholes or an escape clause. Ancient near eastern covenants were made with blood and sacrifices. And they typically required at least one person’s life for restitution if broken. All through the Bible we see God as a Covenant-Maker and Covenant-Keeper. In April we will celebrate the ultimate expression of covenant faithfulness as we remember the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, whose life was given in order to fulfill the covenant between God and humanity that we have been breaking repeatedly since our first days.

I encourage you this week as you prepare to enter Lent (which begins on Wednesday, Feb. 22) to open your Bible and pray – read about, praise, give thanks, and cry out to the only One who has never broken covenant and never will. And know that because of His faithfulness, our unpredictable circumstances and ever-changing lives have an infinitely reliable and constant opponent. And He wins.

Grace and peace,
Pastor Jonathan

Below are the lyrics to a song we sometimes sing in our contemporary services called “Your Grace Is Enough” by Matt Maher. He writes about God’s covenant and that God’s grace is sufficient for us because He keeps His covenant. Feel free to read it this week (or sing it!) as a reminder of who God is and why we praise Him.

Your Grace Is Enough

Great is Your faithfulness O God

You wrestle with the sinner’s restless heart

You lead us by still waters into mercy

And nothing can keep us apart

So remember Your people

Remember Your children

Remember Your promise O God

Your grace is enough

Your grace is enough for me

Great is Your love and justice God of Jacob

You use the weak to lead the strong

You lead us in the song of Your salvation

And all Your people sing along

Yeah Your grace is enough

Heaven reaches out to us

Your grace is enough for me

God I sing Your grace is enough

I’m covered in Your love

Your grace is enough for me for me

CCLI Song No. 4477026

Matt Maher

CCLI License No. 975213

Divine Metaphors

2012-01-03T16:36:00.002-06:00

As I begin the new year I look back over my first full teaching experience as a pastor - an Advent study on Adam Hamilton's book, The Journey. One thing that sticks out as I reflect back on this study as a whole is this: our Lord had no shortage of divine metaphors in His story upon which to draw.

Jesus was born in Bethlehem but raised in Nazareth. Both of these are tied to prophecy. Isaiah 11:1 talks about a "shoot" or "branch" coming out of the defeated stump of Jesse, the line of King David. This word for "shoot" or "branch" is the Hebrew word netzer, which traditionally is where Nazareth gets its name. So Jesus' hometown was a place of no seeming worth, but a place named for the hope of the Messiah! Bethlehem was a small town, too, but one of great significance. Jews of the time were quite aware of the prophecy of Micah 5:2 which tells of a messianic ruler coming out of Bethlehem. But that's not where the significance stops. Bethlehem in Hebrew means "House of Bread." Jesus was born in a manger in Bethlehem, a feeding trough where the creatures of God feed. He would later call Himself the "Bread of Life" in John 6:35 and then would refer to a loaf of Passover bread as His body, given and broken for the sins of the world (Luke 22:19).

Our Lord certainly had no shortage of divine metaphors upon which to draw as He pointed from His life to the very essence and activity of God the Father. This makes me wonder what divine metaphors in my own life or the lives of those around me I might be missing, metaphors pointing to the presence and movement of God like giant billboards though I remain unaware.

An Observation on Prophets

2011-12-12T22:42:00.009-06:00

Biblical prophets are first acquainted with their own evil before they can say “Thus saith the Lord.” In our day, some prophets like the ego trip of “thus saith the Lord” without first saying, “Woe is me. I am undone! For I am a man of unclean lips and I speak to a people of unclean lips” ~Isaiah. We must first be fully acquainted and willing to face our own evil before being able to humbly submit to God whereby we may be given a confidence in the Spirit to speak His truth.

Forgiving and Forgetting

2011-11-29T16:16:00.002-06:00

Hebrews 10:15-18:

"And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us; for after saying,

'This is the covenant that I will make with them
after those days, says the Lord:
I will put my laws upon their heart,
and on their mind I will write them,' (Jeremiah 31:33)

He then says,

'And their sins and their lawless deeds
I will remember no more.' (Jer. 31:34)

Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin."

Too many times we contrast forgiving and forgetting, do we not, as if God exhorts us to forgive while not expecting us to forget. I find it blessedly intriguing that His own model of forgiveness is not such.

Limitating Speech

2011-11-16T16:53:00.001-06:00

I am a talker. I actually have a small level of what I would go so far as to call anxiety when I fear not getting out of my mouth the finished product of what is in my head in conversation. But it hit me today that there are crucial moments, such as when a surgeon yells out a life-saving instruction, when a military leader says "go" or "fire," or when a parent yells "STOP!" to a child walking obliviously into the trajectory of an oncoming vehicle. In fact, there are crucial hours, a whole series of moments such as an entire surgery or the hours Houston spends communicating to astronauts during a crisis oriented shuttle mission. During these crucial moments brave people give up sleep, emotional impulses, and instinctive preferences in order to keep going in a life-saving or even world-changing way.

But this is not my normal daily experience. Many times throughout my day I desire to operate beyond limitations - some natural and some that should be self-imposed - in order to waste energy and words on what is not a crucial moment.

The Missionary Power of Prayer

2011-11-09T13:08:00.000-06:00

I read a quote on Twitter the other night by E. Stanley Jones (1884–1973), the great 20th century Methodist missionary to India. It read as follows:

@E_StanleyJones "Prayer is commission. Out of the quietness with God, power is generated that turns the spiritual machinery of the world."

As a missionary of the gospel of Jesus, Jones had a clear understanding that the activity of God in the world flowed out the nature of God being in mission to save the world. Thus, the life of the child of God and disciple of Jesus is to flow out of union with this missionary God. So, as Jones states, prayer becomes commission. Communing with God leads to being commissioned by God. As we dwell in the presence of God seeking His heart, His mind, and His will, we end up encountering the One who is redeeming us and those around us and relentlessly pursuing the lost sheep (Matthew 18:12-14). And out of this quiet dwelling in God and with God, we yield ourselves to the power of His Spirit to move through and among us in such a way that "the spiritual machinery of the world" is turned. Hallelujah! Prayer leads to action - both by God and ourselves.

I am challenged by the words of this missionary saint that we have but one thing to do in order to shake the spiritual realm with the power of the divine Creator and Savior of the world - pray. And out of this seemingly passive action, all other actions of eternal consequence find their purpose and motivation.

Let us pray.

What do you think of Paul?

2011-10-24T16:14:00.006-05:00

I just finished reading the book of Acts while following along in The Grand Sweep: Daily Response Book, written by Ellsworth Kalas. Kalas says, "Some people love the apostle Paul and some dislike him intensely, but everyone agrees he is a key figure in the Christian faith" (p.183). I have to admit, five years ago, even as a Christian who affirmed the Bible as God's Word that is authoritative and the primary source of theological truth, I was in Kalas's second category.

I did not like Paul. It seemed like everyone at my Southern Baptist college was obsessed with him, and I just didn't get it. It wasn't that I didn't think his writing was true. But when I read the stories of his life and his letters I could never feel completely comfortable with the tone. It seemed I must not understand his time, context, and the acceptable "posture" of the way he spoke and wrote. He seemed arrogant. He seemed proud. He seemed adamant about things that seemed to me more about personal preference (such as the conviction that one should avoid marriage if possible).

I just finished reading the book of Acts, not for the first time. And I can honestly say that, now, Paul is one of the figures in Christian history I admire most. His testimony, his conviction, his focus on the mission of God revealed in Christ, and the character traits he evidenced through his life and ministry strengthen my faith and challenge me to a life of more purity, fervor, passion, and commitment. He is a disciple of Jesus who I think I can sometimes misread or under-appreciate.

What are some things you admire about Paul? What are some things that turn you off or rub you the wrong way as you read about his life in Acts and his own letters in the New Testament? Please feel free to comment on this post and offer your response.

Pluralism illustrated... What Oreos and North American religion have in common

2011-09-24T00:26:00.004-05:00

In North America, religious conversation seems to be getting more relaxed in a way that would seem like good news for Christians. We are allowed to talk about Christianity more with people in how it relates to religious belief systems on the whole without seeming like a threat. And more people seem to be saying to devoted followers of Christ that they too admire the person of Jesus and even have faith in Him. The problem that is increasingly occurring to me is that as I engage in conversation with people about "how this Jesus guy fits into the mix of things," that's exactly what it becomes for many people - a mix. Jesus is no longer an Oreo among cookies...among which there is no comparison.

There just isn't any other cookie that could be mistaken for an Oreo. An Oreo is still a cookie; it has the properties of a cookie and can be defined as a cookie by its characteristics. But the Oreo used to stand out. (In fact, it is still claiming to be Milk's favorite.) But if the cookie aisle were to continue on the trajectory it is on, it would eventually become the Oreo aisle. The variety of this one beloved kind of cookie is exploding! And all the sudden, the parameters for what defines an Oreo are being held loosely, they are expanding, some are falling away completely to add more variety for the consumer's customization, pallet, and personal preference. Let us have as many versions of one thing as we possibly can so that we can all live in "peace" and be "ok" as we satisfy our own egocentric view of what the best Oreo should be as if it wasn't Oreo that originally defined itself. [Peace is not, it seems, being unmistakably sure of the identity of the Oreo and knowing confidently whether one wants an Oreo or not.] This is pluralism. And when it comes to cookies, I'm not saying this is bad. I would be a hypocrite to say so, in fact. But this is telling of how our cultural mindset is changing. And it is good to be aware of as Christians engage in religious dialogue (in the broad sense...or "cookie" level) with others.

P.S. If there was only one other variety of Oreo besides the original, I would want it to be Double Stuff. This is a spiritual parallel in itself.

Closing Note: As I begin to blog again (hopefully more regularly and fruitfully for a change), I am not seeking to make definitive statements in hopes of impressing people or conform readers to my way of thinking as if Abingdon can't wait to get a hold of my ideas and print them in mass. Now that I am a pastor of a church, I recognize why newsletter articles were actually once very valuable to people are to some still. This blog will go beyond that. My hopes are that I can say things that trigger thoughts perhaps someone has not had as they walk the road of their Christian faith and that I can begin conversations that others can pick up and offer reflections that help further growth. So feel free to offer a different perspective, a corrective, questions, or comments of any kind.

Grace and peace,
Jonathan

Noah's Lemon Face

2011-09-22T20:11:00.001-05:00

"Sacred Profanity": Judges 6:25-27

2011-03-17T15:40:00.009-05:00

I preached this sermon this morning for Dr. Kalas's "Theology and Practice of Preaching" class. It was a joy and a privilege.

One sacred morning some villagers awoke and came out to see up on the hill their place of worship torn down. A different kind of altar was set up. On it was roasted bull. They realized that the wood used to burn the sacrificed bull was one of their idols, an Asherah pole. One of their own had bucked the acceptable vices of culture to follow the instructions of a forgotten God. The rebel, Gideon, was the son of a tribal leader. He claimed his family was the least of the tribe of Manasseh, and he was the youngest of his father’s house. But the night before, God had called him "valiant warrior." And in Judges 6, God used him for a valiant purpose - to make the profane into something sacred. When the villagers saw the abomination on the hillside, they did not see eradication; they saw transformation. The difference may seem subtle, but their idolatry had not vanished. It had been converted into something else. Something profane had been made something sacred.

A brief story will illustrate the difference. Matt is an unusual pastor who meets potential church members by playing bar trivia in…you guessed it…a bar. He has lunch with Jeff almost every week, because Jeff is a “seeker,” someone who is searching for “something”…that can only be found in the Person of Jesus and His redeeming love. Jeff is in his mid-twenties and grew up in the church but quit going when he was about 15. Matt often opens conversation by asking, “What kind of questions about faith do you have?” Jeff usually talks about common things. But recently he asked Matt, “How do you know when it's time to let God in your life." Taken aback, Matt said, “What do you mean?" Jeff replied, “You know, I'm just afraid that if there's a time to let God in, I've missed it. I’m just afraid that now I have too many addictions and too much stuff in my life that I could never get all my stuff straight and let God in." Matt said, “Jeff, you don't have to do that." Then, Matt continued to explain how God enters into our brokenness, desiring to transform our infirmities and deliver us from our bondages.

Jeff illustrates an important problem. Many people who have grown up in the church are under the impression that they have to eradicate profanity, filth, from their life (AS IF THEY COULD ON THEIR OWN) before God will come near them, because “God is holy and can’t be in the presence of sin.” But this is not the picture painted by Judges 6. Gideon’s altar is beside the rubble that was once an altar to Baal. And it did not disappear from the story! It is the profanity after which and into which God's grace and mercy breaks in. The bull sacrificed to God was burned using an Asherah pole. The profane had been redeemed for a sacred purpose.

You might be thinking that this is a nice little sermon for people like Jeff, lost souls whose lives are filthy and out of control. We, on the other hand, are mostly people who walk with Jesus and perhaps have done so for quite some time. But the fact is Israel was God’s chosen people. Lest we think too highly of our sanctification, we remember our depravity. For, like Israel, the people of God, we feel that we too are “prone to wander…prone to leave the God [we] love.” Our lives, too, may reflect some profanity, maybe obvious, maybe subtle. So, I ask, what altars exist to other gods in our village, in our homes, in our closets, on our computers, or hidden deep in the remotest parts of the heart…perhaps even erected right beside an altar to the Lord? What profanity is God desiring to make sacred? And will you let Him? Will you pray,

“Come thou Fount of every blessing

Tune our hearts to praise Thy name

Turn our idols into altars

Making sacred what was profane”?

The Heart of God in Christ

2011-02-28T19:43:00.002-06:00

I love having a blog, but unfortunately I find that I often don't feel like a have much to say. Preaching is one thing (finding an inspiring combination of "Scripture" and "idea"), but I haven't quite figured out how to keep the blogwheel turning. Consequently I have two major blog problems - 1) I don't post often, and when I do 2) the post is long. This post is a two-fold victory. I just posted a week ago, and this post is just short food for thought :). I hope it enriches you even in a minuscule way.

Two verses occurred to me simultaneously the other night as I was praying and I put them together to draw a conclusion I had never thought of. Now, right off hand I know that methods like these are how heresies are born but go with me for a few moments and hear out the conclusion. Then, feel free to leave tirades of appalled horror in the comment section.

Scripture tells us that "out of the mouth the heart speaks." I am aware that this is a proverb, a truth by which we humans are to live wisely. But I believe this also sheds amazing light on God's act of speaking creation into being. He created/spoke from His own heart. (Now, if that's not flattering!) Scripture also tells us that Jesus Christ is "the Word [Which] became flesh and dwelt among us." Jesus is the "Word" of God. While human reason is limited and corrupted, it seems one could conclude from these two witnesses of Scripture that Jesus, in a sense, is God's heart made flesh (or at least the content of God's heart). He is the incarnate Son of God by Whose life of words and acts we can witness the substance of God's own heart.

So, you want to know the heart of God? Look at the Person of Jesus Christ.

Out of God's heart He SPOKE all things into being. And Jesus is not just something God spoke among all the other spoken things. He is the very Word of God Himself.

"Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place..."

2011-02-21T11:16:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I read the daily reading in My Utmost for His Highest, a daily devotional classic by Oswald Chambers. Oswald included one snippet of a verse that really got my gears turning. The conclusion I came to in just a few seconds of reflection is the subject of this post - coming away with Jesus versus going out with Him in ministry.

One might say that the theme verse of invitation for the Christian believer is Matthew 28:16-20, what has come to be known as the Great Commission: "Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." This is an out-of-comfort-zone type of passage. When I read it I think of a lifelong response to Jesus as He says, "Let's get to work." I take a deep breath, I roll up my sleeves, and I prepare to be active, exhausted, and uncomfortable as I seek to do what Christ has commissioned me to do as His follower.

Now, of course, there is great joy, peace, and such that come from a life devoted to living in God and fulfilling His soul-satisfying work. But here's the truth: I am not one to be most energized by the passage above. I prefer the words of Mark 6:31: "Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, 'Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.'" When I read this I respond, "Great! When do we get to leave? This is wonderful! How long do we get to stay with you by ourselves resting in the quiet place?" I am thankful to God that as I learn what it means to follow Him, He is also teaching me about myself and how He made me.

The pair of these verses challenges me on several different levels. First, I notice that Mark 6:31 is not a commission. Jesus does not beckon or send His followers to rest. The first passage is the commission. So, the challenge is that the Christian life isn't about just resting in Jesus, but about ministering to God's lost and broken world as we live in Him. A second observation follows this up - Mark 6:31 is an invitation Jesus gives His disciples after they have worn themselves out in Kingdom ministry. In Mark 6 leading up to this verse, Jesus had sent the disciples out to stay in people's houses, preach repentance, cast out demons, and cure the sick. And as the verse says, they didn't even have time to eat! They were busy and they were fully involved in Kingdom work. So Jesus' invitation to come away with Him and rest is a reward that comes after the fulfillment of His commission, His sending. It's a "filling up" after the demanding "drain" of outpouring ministry.

It's easy for me today to read this verse and think, 'Well that's nice for the disciples. They walked with Jesus, didn't they? So they get to hang out with Him at the end of a long day of ministry.' Some might have this thought and conclude that we are now to interpret this commission and invitation as life and death. We live doing ministry and serving Jesus and when we're done with our labor we get to die and go rest with Him. I don't think this is accurate. In fact I think it's fatally draining! I know from experience I can't last a day serving Jesus if I am not also daily walking with Him, spending time alone with Him in "the quiet place," and resting in Him. As followers of Christ we are both servant of God and child of God. As a child of God / follower of Christ (NOT just as a future pastor!) I am called to the uncomfortable, demanding, and draining task of participating in God's Kingdom work. He is redeeming this world and He uses His church to bring people back into relationship with Him by living out and proclaiming the good news of Jesus and what He is actively doing in the world. But as I dedicate myself to this work I am reminded of the importance of getting away with God alone. Even Jesus Christ had to do this, getting away alone with His heavenly Father (Mt 14:22-23, Lk 5:16, etc.). We have the opportunity to spend time alone resting with Jesus and the Father in the Holy Spirit daily in the secret place. Daily time in prayer, daily time in God's Word, daily time receiving His love and giving our love back to Him. This is the simple and classic, but biblically necessary gift that so many saints who have gone before have urged as devotional practice. We as Jesus' followers have the gift of "coming with Him by ourselves to a quiet place and getting some rest."

...From Whom All Blessings Flow

2010-11-04T07:32:00.011-05:00

Have you ever thought about the first line of the Doxology?...Really thought about it? It says, "Praise God from Whom all blessings flow."

I recently realized that I have had a stigma for a little while now about giving God credit for certain things. I am not convinced that the stigma is completely invalid or illegitimate, but I do think it might contribute to an unnecessary hesitancy towards something I could do with a little more confidence in my life of faith. I have, at particular points in my life (and some more than others), been exposed to people who seem to walk so closely with Jesus and have so much faith in the sovereignty of Almighty God that they attribute everything to Him. Where the rub comes for me is that most of the things they attribute to God involve themselves, personal little "blessings" no one else really seems to benefit from in the larger scope of God's economy. From this self-referenced confidence in God's ever active Providence in their personal life, they zoom out into the society around them and are further willing to attribute bigger things to God. Still other Christians claim God's active role in such things as helping football players score touchdowns and finding a bottle of soap in an unfamiliar store while never really saying much about God's activity in society at large or even on a global level.

In the past few years as I have gotten older, lived in a place or two other than my "hometown," and experienced things like service in Hospice with death and dying, etc., I find it hard to affirm God's active roll in things like "touchdown scoring" while at the same time admitting that there are immensely tragic things that seem to simply lack God's preventative activity. So this is the source of my stigma in question. But the other day I was singing the Doxology in my bathroom (it's true) and James 1:17 suddenly popped into my mind. James 1:17 says, "Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow." I know...I italicized a lot in that verse. But look - EVERY (not just some), GOOD THING (good with no apparent stipulations), comes FROM ABOVE...FROM THE FATHER. So the question: is a winning touchdown good? Is finding that obscure grocery item or making it to a movie on time good? Hmmm...

Then I do what every good student of God's Word does. I read the verse in context. I said above that "good thing" has no apparent stipulations. But, in the verses of chapter 1 before v.1:17, James is talking about circumstances and trials. His discussion is not lightweight. It is about persecution and hardship, not putting your shoes on or brushing your teeth. James makes an important point (apparently one his audience is struggling with) that we should not blame God for temptation or evil that we experience. And we should recognize that if anything good is present in our life - even if that "good" is humility brought about by extreme and trying circumstances - it is to be attributed to the source of all good Itself. For, there is nothing "good" outside of God. I think James would agree that even if something good exists in a way that seems to us to be apart from God (such as, say, a non-Christian doing a great moral service), I bet we could trace its origin back to God as the source of goodness, if for not other reason than He is the Creator of all things and nothing could exist without His Creating activity, but possibly even the fact that God can and does work through anyone and anything.

Still, I am challenged to realize that ALL good things come from the Father of lights, the God "from whom all blessings flow." Even though James deals with some pretty heavy stuff, what if I do experience a small act of kindness? Perhaps I should give God more credit for the minuscule "blessings" in my life. After all, I'm not just trying to live any random life; I am pursuing a life in Him, in the One from whom all blessings flow. Just some food for thought as we head toward a holiday that could easily just be a mundane ritual of eating too much literal food ;)...

Is God’s Spirit with/in all?

2010-04-12T19:21:00.008-05:00

If He’s everywhere all the time, is He also “in” or “with” sinners in their unrepentant sin?

A friend of mine texted me the question above to which I had to reply in an email. My reply is below. If you have any comments, questions, or challenging push-back I would love to receive it.

First, we must acknowledge that there is no “spirit of God” that is not the Holy Spirit. In Scripture, the Spirit of God = the Spirit of Christ = the Holy Spirit. He is a Person who is in distinction of Personhood from the Father and the Son, but is of ONE ESSENCE with the Father and the Son in the single Godhead.
There IS a place in Scripture where God is not - unholiness/sin. Holy God cannot be in the presence of that which is not holy. Perhaps, rather, that which is not holy cannot be in the presence of holy God. Reference the Holy of Holies in the Temple and look at all the regulations of that setup. It was crazy strict and specific as to who could enter when and how.
Third, we must not be in the business of protecting the “omni’s” (my language). We grow up hearing that God is omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient, omni-everything! But, this is a simplification for our own understanding in an attempt not to LIMIT this God of ours. Because we think, of course, that would be blasphemous! He does not need our protection and we will never do justice to ALL that He is. Instead of beginning our theology from the “omni’s,” we must begin it with Scripture and move outward.
Does it really limit a holy God to say that His Spirit is not in the presence of an unholy sinner or further yet, within him/her? Isn’t this just consistent with His character and His holiness?
Last, it is important to note that though holy God cannot be in the presence of the unholy, Christ a) cameand b) died for all. This shows my theological bias as a Wesleyan. God extended grace FIRST through Christ. Christ did not only die for those He foreknew would accept Him. Grace preceded our response. Thus, Christ is the Mediator/Advocate Who died for all and is currently seated at the right hand of the Father interceding for us and our lost world. So, even though holy God cannot be in the presence of the unholy, in the Incarnation, HE CAME to that which was unholy to extend grace that ALL might have the opportunity to enter into the Holy of Holies, the presence of God, and remember, the veil was torn.

In short, the answer to your question is, “No,” the Holy Spirit is not “everywhere,” including the heart of an unrepentant sinner.

I found my friend's reply wonderfully encouraging and wanted to include it as well:

Thank you Jonathan

I appreciate you taking the time to write such an in depth answer to my questions. It means a lot. It is so true that we can’t do God, Jesus, or the Spirit of God justice in how act, and especially not in words. That’s why He is Holy and perfect, and indescribably great. I’m thankful that God knows this and has shown His grace for us, through the sending of His only begotten Son Jesus, who died that we may have life in Him and be saved by His grace through faith in Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 2:8).

It is amazing to think that the Holy God of the universe has compassion on us, and He and His Son Jesus who are One, want to have a relationship with us. I’m thankful that like you said, God’s grace that leads us to repentance came first in Jesus Christ the Son of God and bridged the separation between man and God. I’m also thankful that it is God’s grace through Jesus that picks us up every time we fall down, and is continually growing and perfecting us and our love for God, Jesus, and people, and faith in Jesus Christ and God the Father. I realize more and more everyday and when I fall down that I am continually being molded to be like Christ and that this work inside me and transformation will only be complete when we get to heaven. Praise the Lord that God’s grace and faithfulness sees us through in His love back to Him our Father in Heaven.

It makes sense that a Holy God can’t be in the presence of unholiness. Praise the Lord that because of God’s grace extended through Jesus imperfect man can now enter into a relationship with God through Jesus and be continually sanctified and perfected, and saved as His child. (THE VEIL WAS TORN). Your point number five is awesome. Because of sin we were separated by God, but Jesus became our way to the Father and our Salvation, extending the grace of God to us and saving us from sin and certain death. So, even though holy God cannot be in the presence of the unholy, in the Incarnation, HE CAME to that which was unholy to extend grace that ALL might have the opportunity to enter into the Holy of Holies, the presence of God, and remember, the veil was torn – I completely agree!

Me again: I pray we would be edified in conversation about such things as God transforms us. Blessings!

Jonathan

Going Through the Motions

2010-01-23T10:43:00.008-06:00

In C. S. Lewis' Mere Christianity he talks about "not feeling it" in regards to the Christian life with God. His basic point is that Christian discipline is a virtue of action regardless of feeling. It is obedience, not to be confused with obedience to the Law, but obedience to Christ with Whom we are to be in relationship and in Whom we are to remain even on the days we "don't feel it." Because we cannot always stay on the Mount of Transfiguration (pitching tents and hanging out as Peter desired), we must accept that most of our time will be spent in the valley. Of course, we have the Holy Spirit of God that Jesus the Son sent to be with us in the in-between time - the time after His ascension in the body but before His returning in the body at the final Resurrection Day. In summary, on a Saturday that I'm lacking motivation I'm having to remind myself that "going through the motions" has been given a bad rap by my generation of church-goers, but going through the motions is exactly what we're supposed to do when we are "not feeling it."

May we read the words on the page even when it doesn't seem like the "Word of God" that it might have yesterday (the Holy Spirit will still indwell the words to make them Word if we are obedient...and if we ask Him).

May we pray when we do not know what to say or frankly don't feel like conversing (Jesus has already been praying for us at the right hand of the Father before we begin and the Holy Spirit interprets are prayers even when they do not consist of words).

May we worship out of thanksgiving even if we are feeling other "lesser" emotions or attitudes. He has done great things for us even when other circumstances or experiences seem to take more space in our memory and attention.

And may we love Him and others in every way we know how.

So...here I go...

Thinking of Easter after Christmas...

2009-01-12T09:54:00.004-06:00

When Liz and I visited her family for Christmas in Slidell, Louisiana, we attended her home church, Grace Memorial Baptist. What impacted me most during the service was not the intended message of the sermon, but rather something that the pastor said toward the end that was thought provoking to me. I would like to think it out in this blog post.

"This world will fall. We have two options: either be raised with Christ or destroyed with the world."

Revelation chapter 13 speaks of "fallen Babylon". This is John's way of referring to the world of man-made empires that will not last. Throughout history, sinful man has tried to glorify himself by boasting of crowning achievements and gaining what he perceives to be control. Babylon is such an example. Rome is such an example, but at the time that Revelation was being written John's audience had yet to see this proven. The Kingdom of God, however was established before the foundation of the earth. This Kingdom is not one of trivial pursuit, perverted desire for control, or a temporary illusion of power. It is eternal and unavoidable. It is here and will come. "This world" as it refers to such godless grasps for power and control "will fall" as we have seen happen throughout history with the tower of Babel, with Babylon, and with Rome.

Believers who take part in the resurrection of Christ are raised from death and saved from the world. It is interesting to me to think about the similarity, and yet the difference between these two. Death is permanent. If you die and are not raised, life ceases for you. This is an unfortunate reality for all of us. The world is temporary in the sense that the material will pass away, and that is something that we would naturally need saving from. At least that's what we've been taught. Though one thing I've been wrestling with for a while now is how God's plan of restoration and redemption will take place, what it will look like. Will God rapture us away to heaven up there and beyond? Or will God actually salvage, no, completely restore, "set to rights" (N.T. Wright) the fallen world that we have known. Will the dying trees be given everlasting life? Will faded grass, suddenly project a hue that we have never known? Might Heaven actually come to earth instead of the earth being destroyed? Could the New Jerusalem that John wrote about in Revelation in fact be an Old Jerusalem transformed? Could rapture mean something that happens to the heart of the sinful person who allows Christ to change him or her, a spiritual relocation from being in and of the world to being "in the world but not of the world"? What if instead of being raised with Christ to ascend from this broken world into a heaven far away, we are raised from death and the sinful world (not earth itself) that will be destroyed in a way that actually brings heaven to earth? Even more amazing, what if the church, believers, the body of Christ as it were, are literally meant to embody heaven on earth until the day the two are combined permanently?

Of course, Heaven could not contain the present evil of this age. It could not be a place where God and sin dwell simultaneously, not without barriers anyway. John describes the New Jerusalem as a place with no barriers. So, when the New Jerusalem does "arrive," when the Kingdom is fully consummated on earth, something will be destroyed. Sin, evil, brokenness, hurt, and all other results of the Original Lie will be no more.

"This world will fall. We have two options: either be raised with Christ or destroyed with the world." This world will fall, but we must make sure we know what is meant by "world". I'm not sure I fully understand yet. But one thing I am coming to understand - it is all about resurrection. This is what makes Jesus different from all other central figures of religion or faith. In Him, through Him, and after His example we are to be raised from death to life.

The pastor at Grace Memorial said, "If you are not raised with Christ, when the world falls, you will not be left standing." This may sound harsh or maybe even arrogant, but there is a humbling truth in it. It reminds me of a verse that most Christians know - "For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" ~ Philippians 2:10-11. There is no hope for withstanding the fall of world (perhaps better termed "the remaking of the world") apart from Christ. The world will not crumble around the one who is not in Christ. Paul said of himself and other believers in Christ, "For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life..." ~ 2 Corinthians 2:15-16.

My prayer for you today is that wherever you are, you will realize that God's grace is sufficient for you, for His power is made perfect in weakness (Cor 12:9a). God bless.