Theology Leads to Doxology

My friend, Becky Pliego, is hosting a series throughout April entitled Doctrines in the Kitchen.

Becky says: "Many years have passed since God opened my eyes, and my ears. And now I understand that one cannot be a true Christian if the Word of God is not engraved in one's heart and mind. It is not about going to church or being part of a certain ministry. It is about abiding in the Word of God.

This is the reason why we have prepared a delicious, wonderful banquet for you. We want you to taste and see that studying the Word of God, that digging deep into it is sweeter than the joys you'll find in any other book, it is sweeter than anything else! Those doctrines, which in a book may look "arid" have the power to change your heart."

I can only testify to the truth of this statement. My testimony is included there, where I share how studying the doctrine of Christ filled my emptiness.

I would encourage you to go along to Becky's website and join with us as we share how studying theology has led, not to dead orthodoxy, but to a joyful doxology, and hearts full of praise as we see our Sovereign Lord exalted and lifted high!

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!

How unsearchable his judgments,

and his paths beyond tracing out!

“Who has known the mind of the Lord?

Or who has been his counselor?”

“Who has ever given to God,

that God should repay him?”

For from him and through him and to him are all things.

To him be the glory forever! Amen."

(Romans 11:33-36)

Clarity

A few years ago at our old church, as a sign of commitment and dedication to God for the coming year the congregation were asked to recite the prayer of Brendan, the Navigator. This prayer began “Lord, I will trust you, help me to journey beyond the familiar and into the unknown. Give me the faith to leave old ways and break fresh ground with you. Christ of the mysteries, can I trust you to be stronger than each storm in me?” My husband and I both felt very uncomfortable with this prayer, especially with the title “Christ of the mysteries”, and didn’t join in.

Since then I have discovered why this prayer made us so uncomfortable. For the God of the Bible is not shrouded in mystery and unknowing, rather as Daniel tells us “there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries” (Daniel 2:28). God ultimately reveals Himself through His Son, Jesus Christ - “No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.” (John 1:18).

In Genesis, we read that man’s eyes were first opened when Adam and Eve disobeyed God “and they realized they were naked” (Gen 3:7). Yet this opening of their eyes to their sinful condition only resulted in spiritual blindness. We read in Romans 1 that despite God clearly revealing his invisible qualities throughout creation, man turned away from God. God’s wrath against man is then revealed by Him giving them over to the sinful desires of their heart, shameful lusts and a depraved mind unable to see the Truth.

Blinded. Helpless. Hopeless.

A promise from Isaiah rings out into this hopelessness: “I was found by those who did not seek me; I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me.” (Isaiah 65:1). And John’s gospel paints a vivid description of this: “As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” Having said this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.” (John 9:1-7).

A man blind from birth. There is no indication given that this man was seeking Jesus, it was rather Jesus who saw him and went to him. It was Jesus who gave him sight. Does this not describe our own experience of Jesus too? Spiritually blinded, not seeking God, but then God in His great mercy opened the eyes of our heart that we might see Him, repent and believe.

Now that we can clearly see, I believe we have an obligation to clearly speak. It is becoming fashionable to see confusion and mystery and doubt in the matters of God – but this is simply not true, we have been blessed with a revelation of the Father Himself! “No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him” (Luke 10:22). There are those for whom the language of Jesus is not clear, and who are unable to hear what he says – those who do not belong to God. Yet “he who belongs to God hears what God says” (John 8:47).

Paul recognised the necessity of clear speech as he coveted the prayers of the church: “And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.” (Col 4:3-4).

The mystery of Christ is no longer hidden in obscurity. He revealed Himself when He came to this earth 2,000 years ago, to live a sinless life in perfect submission to His Father, to lay down His life that we might be saved from our sins, to rise again in triumph from the grave to give us a living hope and an inheritance kept in heaven for us which can never perish, spoil or fade. This is surely the greatest message of hope, and it deserves to be proclaimed with boldness and clarity!

Undone

“Open my eyes to see You, Lord”, this has long been my heart's cry,

To see You blazing in Your Glory, exalted o’er the heavens above;

I thought the clearer I saw You, I’d feel warmth and glow inside,

Instead I’ve been laid low before You, undone by Holy Love.

You spoke and then the earth shook open, trembling at Your Holy Word,

And then You called for the sea’s waters, poured them out onto the land;

I saw Your Glory so brightly, as Your judgement began to fall -

I fell onto my face before You, undone by Righteous Hands.

No man can stand before Your gaze, O Almighty, Sovereign Lord,

We are naked, sinful, wretched, exposed in our guilt and shame;

But then You gently said “O child, your Heavenly Father I remain”,

I bowed still lower before Jesus, undone - He took my blame.

Your mercy's beyond comprehension, even now as nations shake,

Today's the day of our salvation, Sovereign Lord, open eyes to see;

Give me grace to preach with boldness the gospel You’ve poured into me,

I’m ready Lord, for now I'm broken, undone, emptied of me.

Fear God and give Him Glory

Yesterday as I awoke to the unbelievable pictures from Japan’s earthquake and tsunami, I realised that we were not simply watching pictures demonstrating the awesome power of nature and man’s complete helplessness in the wake of that power. We were witnessing the hand of Almighty God at work, shaking the peoples of the earth from their complacency, in order to bring them to repentance towards Him.

Almighty God had suddenly become much more Almighty, and it put the fear of God into me. As I prayed, I realised I was feeling exactly the same as I’d felt a few months ago as I struggled with the Glory of God. Then, I was overcome by the searing brilliant light of God’s Holiness and my inability to stand before Him. In the presence of His Awesome nature, His complete and utter Goodness, my sin was all too apparent. All my instincts were crying out to me to run and hide to save myself (where to? Where can I flee from Your Spirit?) – and yet from out of that Holiness my Heavenly Father was calling to me to come to Him, gently reassuring me that in Christ my sins were forgiven and I was able to approach Him, with confidence, in Christ, my conscience now cleansed, a new creation. I’m still not sure I’ve entirely recovered from this. I’m not sure I want to recover from this. I pray the stunning good news of the Gospel message is something I never get used to.

I felt exactly the same yesterday. Seeing Almighty God at work in the world in such a powerful way, bringing man up short to realise he is but dust, to focus his attention on things eternal, his need of a Saviour before a Holy God, put the fear of God into me.

I began to wonder whether the events in Japan were, in fact, a demonstration of the Glory of God. And as I read my Bible last night, I came across this passage:

“Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth—to every nation, tribe, language and people. He said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.” (Rev 14:6-7)

Fear God and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come. Have we come to the hour of His judgment? I don’t know. I do see shaking of the nations, political and economic turmoil. And I see a merciful God who continues to give man every opportunity to repent and believe, as shown by the angel who has the eternal gospel to proclaim to every nation, tribe, language and people. I see mercy and judgment working together. Tozer clarified this for me this week: “Between His attributes no contradiction can exist. He need not suspend one to exercise another, for in Him all His attributes are one. All of God does all that God does” (The Knowledge of the Holy). The attributes of God are not vying against one another as some would have us believe, with love trumping justice, for example. No clearer example exists of mercy and judgement working together than at the cross, where the judgment of a Holy God against sin was satisfied by the death of His Beloved Son, enabling mercy to be shown to sinners like you and me.

God’s mercy and judgment acting together. Provoking a response of fear. Resulting in Glory to God and worship and praise of His Name.

May God indeed have mercy on us all.

Revelation from the peaks

Ben Nevis, in Fort William

The Highlands in Scotland now possess a little piece of my heart. Having just spent a few days in the town of Fort William, snuggled at the foot of Ben Nevis, the tallest mountain in Britain, the beauty of the place completely won me over. Towering mountains surround this small town. Typical Scottish weather meant it was damp and overcast much of the time we were there, obscuring much of our view, but there were tantalizing glimpses of the peaks.

Majesty shrouded in mystery.

Show me a mountain and I feel a surge of adrenalin as I imagine climbing to the top and feeling the exhilaration of my reward of seeing the view from the top. I did in fact climb to the top of Ben Nevis, about 10 years ago, and was well rewarded for my efforts! These days I have to be content with ascending via gondolas, or walking around in the foothills with my 5 year old in tow – but we’re working on his walking skills : )

It struck me this week how much of my experience of God has taken place on the mountain peaks.

It was on Mount Sinai that I was broken before a Holy God who revealed His Law to Moses.

It was from the Sermon on the Mount that I was undone as the full extent of the Law was expounded by Jesus.

It was from a high mountain that I bowed before the revelation of the Glory of Jesus as He was transfigured before His disciples.

It was from a hill called Golgotha that Jesus Himself paid the penalty for my sins against a Holy God through His atoning death, which bought my redemption, forgiveness of sins, and reconciliation with my Heavenly Father.

It was from the Mount of Olives that the Risen Jesus ascended to Heaven to become my High Priest and Mediator, interceding for me at the right hand of His Father.

I believe it will be to the Mount of Olives that Jesus will return again, to bring salvation to His Bride, and when every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord, to the Glory of His Father.

God reveals Himself from the mountains. The apostle John recounts: “One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God” (Rev 21:9-10).

In these days in which we are living, I believe we would all do well to cry out to God to take us to the tops of the mountains in order that He may grant us to see with a clearer vision.

In the last days

the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established

as chief among the mountains;

it will be raised above the hills,

and all nations will stream to it.

Many peoples will come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,

to the house of the God of Jacob.

He will teach us his ways,

so that we may walk in his paths.”

The law will go out from Zion,
the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

He will judge between the nations

and will settle disputes for many peoples.

They will beat their swords into plowshares

and their spears into pruning hooks.

Nation will not take up sword against nation,

nor will they train for war anymore."

(Isaiah 2:2-4)

With You I've Already Won

I love to hear testimonies of how God has worked in the lives of my friends. My confidence and praise in God increases each time I hear these examples of how the Living God has worked through a situation to refine and bring forth the gold of a faith which continues to triumphantly declare “Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, His love endures for ever!” (Psalm 118:1).

Many of these testimonies are not what the world will find successful however. I was crushed when I heard a pastor tell us “People, non-Christians, need to look at your life and say ‘I want what you’ve got’”. This put such a burden on me, that my life somehow had to become attractive from the world’s perspective in order to win souls for Christ. This is not how evangelism works! Our lives are not the gospel – the gospel message is that Jesus Christ laid down his life for our sins, that we might be reconciled to God. This is the good news that we need to proclaim, with our words, and it is the Holy Spirit who will bring conviction and repentance as He wills, as we proclaim that message.

However, I believe that as Christians we can edify one another through our stories, which invariably are not what the world would find encouraging.

One such story is of my beautiful friend, Helen. She is a talented singer/songwriter, and released a couple of albums which received very positive feedback in the late 1990s, and was on the brink of making a big impact in Christian music, when she was struck down by ME. She has battled with ME ever since, having periods of respite, and then falling ill again. Life is a constant battle. Days of brightness and hope contrast with days of sickness and feelings of hopelessness.

We’ve been trying to arrange to meet up for months, and eventually managed to get together for a coffee last week. And I was so encouraged to hear Helen speak so intimately of her Lord and Saviour, of her love for Him, of her struggles to find her place of rest in Him.

This is real faith. When all is seemingly against you, do you continue to turn to the One who knows all things, who searches our hearts and minds, who knows us better than we know ourselves? Will you continue to give thanks to Him, this Good God of ours, when there are no answers? When we can’t make sense of life, will we bow before Him and say we trust Him even then?

And out of the refining process a gold nugget springs forth. Helen wrote and recorded this song in 2009, but has been unable to promote it since. Yet even if the world does not get to hear it, I know that her Heavenly Father hears her singing and delights to hear her voice, and her testimony of His faithfulness. And that is all that matters.

Lost Portrait

For an English assignment at school, when 16 years old, I was asked to discuss the thought that “Inside each one of us there is an evil monster struggling to get out”. I used as my main resource The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde. For those unfamiliar with the story, a handsome young man Dorian has a portrait painted which perfectly captures his beauty. In an act of vanity, he sells his soul to the devil so that his physical beauty will never fade, whilst instead the portrait changes to reflect his decay both physically and morally. The portrait grows increasingly hideous and vile as the story progresses and eventually has to be kept hidden in the attic out of sight, covered up, as it becomes too shocking to set eyes upon.

As a Christian, I have been lugging this vile portrait around with me. As my understanding of God’s holiness has grown, so has the ugliness of my portrait. Any time I dared to peer at my portrait, I would recoil in horror at what I saw there. Exhortations to test myself to examine whether I was in the faith literally ended in despair when confronted by my portrait.

I was the Romans 7 Christian. “What a wretched man I am!” (Rom 7:24).

This week, as I tried looking for this portrait, I realised with some shock that it has gone. Completely gone. God has taken it away. I no longer carry it around with me. I am free from it. Praise God!

This Romans 7 Christian has, by God’s grace, been brought into the full truth of the gospel gloriously set before us in Romans 8.

“Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death” (Rom 8:1-2); “For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry ‘Abba’, Father”. (Rom 8:15); “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Rom 8:37).

The presence of sin in my life is as much a reality as it has ever been. Daily I wrestle with it, I abhor it, I mourn over it, I seek to put it to death, I long, oh how I long for that day when I shall finally be free of it! But I no longer identify myself with it. I count myself dead to sin (Rom 6:11), my sin nature does not have power over me because it is not my master, for I am not under law but under grace (Rom 6:14), it is truly a defeated foe.

The Bible is quite clear as to our position outside of Christ. We were dead in our sins (Eph 2:1), deserving of God’s wrath (Eph 2:3), ungodly (Rom 5:6), enemies of God (Rom 5:10), controlled by the sinful nature (Rom 7:5), slaves to sin (Rom 6:20), living in darkness (Eph 5:8), alienated from God (Col 1:21) separate from Christ, without hope, and without God (Eph 2:12).

BUT NOW, IN CHRIST, all because of His grace, not because of anything we have done, we are new creations (2 Cor 5:17), justified by faith (Gal 2:16), redeemed, forgiven (Eph 1:7), saved (2 Tim 2:10), sanctified (1 Cor 1:2), sons of God (Gal 3:26). We have been marked with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit (Eph 1:13), we have been given righteousness (Phil 3:8), freedom (Gal 2:4), grace (2 Tim 1:9), joy (Phil 1:26), peace (Phil 4:7), and fullness (Col 2:10). We are raised up and seated with Christ in the heavenly realms (Eph 2:6)!

Christ has accomplished so much for us, won so much for us, bought so much for us through His perfect life, His obedience, His death, His resurrection and ascension. Gift upon gift upon gift. And as my understanding of the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints has increased, I see the finished work of Christ on my behalf and I shout in triumph rather than cry out in despair.

The Picture of Dorian Gray has been on my mind for some months. I was toying with the idea of writing a blog post just a few months ago testifying to how my portrait was growing in all its horror as my understanding of God's Holiness and Glory grew. I pray that it gives God a greater glory to testify that instead, He has taken it away.

And I can’t thank Him enough that He has taken it away.

For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. (2 Cor 1:20).