I know I would. Apparantly Southern Baptists would not. At their convention this year, the the SBC passed a resolution prohibiting alcohol use. Steve McCoy goes through this issue at length as to why he is opposed to this extra-biblical resolution that the SBC has now imposed on its pastors. They passed a five part resolution which can be found here. Three of the five resolutions are good. But the first two are, well, extra-biblical.
RESOLVED, That the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Greensboro, North Carolina, June 13-14, 2006, express our total opposition to the manufacturing, advertising, distributing, and consuming of alcoholic beverages; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we urge that no one be elected to serve as a trustee or member of any entity or committee of the Southern Baptist Convention that is a user of alcoholic beverages
So, as a result, the SBC is in "total opposition" to some of the actions of Jesus, (turning water into wine is actually manufacturing an alcoholic beverage, just through an unusual process) and would urge that Jesus not serve with them on their committees.
I think a good rule of thumb is that if you make a "pious" rule that excludes Jesus, it's probably not a good one to have. We should follow Christ's example, not that of the Pharisees. It seems that the SBC has gotten a bit confused on this point of late.
Phew.
I'm glad I'm not a Southern Baptist.
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Perseverance
Today I was running on the trail on Cherokee Blvd, and was met by God in a fairly strange way.
He enabled me to run when I couldn't anymore.
It was hot today. I started running, and I started fast. My first mile was in 6:20. When I am in shape, on a cloudy day at maybe 60 degrees that works, but it doesn't on a sunny day at 85 when I'm out of shape. So I lasted maybe a mile and a half, and took a walk break. I ran somemore, then took another break. Eventually I started sprintint up the hills and walking down them, because I couldn't move once I got to the top. With 1.5 miles left, I wanted to see whether I could just jog it the rest of the way in. I lasted 80 seconds. I really just couldn't move anymore. (I ran the hiils really hard, and didn't have any water until I could get back.) But anyways, with about a mile left, a quote entered my mind. It is "a godly man perseveres not on his own strength but on God's."
I don't know what happened, but I realized that this run could look a lot like the Christian life. It hurts. I had gotten to the end of myself. But I still needed to finish. So I stopped walking and ran that last stretch. It wasn't blazingly fast, proably around 7 minute pace, but I don't know of I mile I have ever ran that included that much pain. I repeated that quote through my mind the entire six minutes and sixteen seconds that I was running that stretch. I finished. I finished with a pretty good sprint at the end, but I didn't have anything left.
So I left realizing something. The run in and of itself mean very little. I ran. Big deal. But, I think God showed me something about the nature of Christian perseverence. God can enable perseverence, and as Christians we should have faith, and know that He can do it. I need to translate that into my fight against sin.
A godly man perseveres not on his own strength but on God's.
Lord, make me a godly man.
He enabled me to run when I couldn't anymore.
It was hot today. I started running, and I started fast. My first mile was in 6:20. When I am in shape, on a cloudy day at maybe 60 degrees that works, but it doesn't on a sunny day at 85 when I'm out of shape. So I lasted maybe a mile and a half, and took a walk break. I ran somemore, then took another break. Eventually I started sprintint up the hills and walking down them, because I couldn't move once I got to the top. With 1.5 miles left, I wanted to see whether I could just jog it the rest of the way in. I lasted 80 seconds. I really just couldn't move anymore. (I ran the hiils really hard, and didn't have any water until I could get back.) But anyways, with about a mile left, a quote entered my mind. It is "a godly man perseveres not on his own strength but on God's."
I don't know what happened, but I realized that this run could look a lot like the Christian life. It hurts. I had gotten to the end of myself. But I still needed to finish. So I stopped walking and ran that last stretch. It wasn't blazingly fast, proably around 7 minute pace, but I don't know of I mile I have ever ran that included that much pain. I repeated that quote through my mind the entire six minutes and sixteen seconds that I was running that stretch. I finished. I finished with a pretty good sprint at the end, but I didn't have anything left.
So I left realizing something. The run in and of itself mean very little. I ran. Big deal. But, I think God showed me something about the nature of Christian perseverence. God can enable perseverence, and as Christians we should have faith, and know that He can do it. I need to translate that into my fight against sin.
A godly man perseveres not on his own strength but on God's.
Lord, make me a godly man.
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Philippians 2:13
I have come across a verse in the Bible recently that I already knew, but just realized how chock full of good stuff it is. The verse is Philippians 2:13.
"For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure."
Several things jump out about this verse and should be noted. First of all, it is a very interesting insance of the conflict between God's sovereignty and man's responsibility. In verse 12, Paul tells us to "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;"m yet, right after this he talks about how it is God who works in us both to will and to do. There is no attempt to explain how these both could be, but just like Mark Dever's "riddle of the OT" in Exodus 34:7 (those who went to New Attitdue understand) the apparant contradiction must be intentional, because Paul sets them right up next to each other.
Work out your salvation.
It is God who works.
Now wait a second here, if it is God who works, why am I supposed to work? Or even how can I work? Can't I just sit back and let God do the work? Hehe. I love the Bible.
Here's my arrogant attempt at trying to answer this mystery in part. First of all, I feel that one of hte reasons that Paul urges us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling is because God actively works in us to a degree that often times it is hard to discern Him working in us. I can be confident that God is working in me, leading ultimately to my salvation, but does that mean that I shouldn't fight sin, or that I shouldn't get up out of the bend in the morning to have my quiet time? If I do actually overcome a temptation, I can rightly conclude that it was God working in me to do so, but can you always tell that when you are being tempted?
Secondly, and this is related, I think that this is yet another verse tat shows how fundamentaly flawed the Arminian worldview is. Do you have free choice? Does God hold salvation up to everyone equally, so that everyone, in their own independant power chooses to accept or reject God? I think not. "For it is God who is in you both to will and to do for His good pleaure." If God is in you to will, can you say that your will is independant of God? God causes you to will to do something, and He helps you do it. He changes our will. That is how we are saved, He chacnges our will so that we can come to Him and accept the offer of the gospel.
Although this verse is written in a book to believers in the church in Phillipi, I think that this verse applies to every human, when it is coupled with Romans 9:22-23. Even unbelievers, who despise God and actively reject Him all their lives and will face the judgement seat of God and will be damned, I believe that God is in them both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
God has ordained the world as it is, by His good pleasure, in a way to make His glory known. Part of this act of making His glory known is in the just condemnation of sinners who did not exercise faith in Christ for the forgiveness of their sins. Romans 9:22 talks of God "wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known." This is not the desire of a sadist, but rather a God who is showing forth His justice.
They were supposed to work out their salvation in fear and trembling. But it is God who needed to work in them, but didn't. Is the fault with God? No! "For He says to Moses 'I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy and I will have compassion on whomever I wll have compassion.'" (Romans 9:15 quoting Exodus 33:19) God is not obligated to work in us, but again, works in us "for His good pleasure."
That is why we exist, that is why He has redeemed us that exercise faith in Him, that is why Christ died, that is why Adam sinned. All "for His good pleasure."
Now, I realize that I have been talking in circles this entire post, and did not actually gain the answers to anything. That is what happens when you explore an apparant contradiction. You can discover what the Bible says and how the Bible answers it, and I can come and present that. I can do no more. "Lord, my heart is not haughty, Nor my eyes lofty. Neither do I concern myself with great matters, Nor with things to profound for me." (Psalm 131:1)
Part of faith is simply believing and accepting the Bible as true and accepting the God of the Bible as God and believing that the Bible describes Him accurately. CAn we correct Scripture if it seems to harsh? Do we omit parts of scripture because they are inconsistent with our own philosophical beliefs? (ex. Jesus being the only way, Man not having free will, man not being autonomous, God not saving everyone, homosexuality a sin, wives submit to husbands, or even, go and make disciples.) My desire is that whoever reads this submits to the Bible as truth if they are not doing so already.
"For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure."
Several things jump out about this verse and should be noted. First of all, it is a very interesting insance of the conflict between God's sovereignty and man's responsibility. In verse 12, Paul tells us to "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;"m yet, right after this he talks about how it is God who works in us both to will and to do. There is no attempt to explain how these both could be, but just like Mark Dever's "riddle of the OT" in Exodus 34:7 (those who went to New Attitdue understand) the apparant contradiction must be intentional, because Paul sets them right up next to each other.
Work out your salvation.
It is God who works.
Now wait a second here, if it is God who works, why am I supposed to work? Or even how can I work? Can't I just sit back and let God do the work? Hehe. I love the Bible.
Here's my arrogant attempt at trying to answer this mystery in part. First of all, I feel that one of hte reasons that Paul urges us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling is because God actively works in us to a degree that often times it is hard to discern Him working in us. I can be confident that God is working in me, leading ultimately to my salvation, but does that mean that I shouldn't fight sin, or that I shouldn't get up out of the bend in the morning to have my quiet time? If I do actually overcome a temptation, I can rightly conclude that it was God working in me to do so, but can you always tell that when you are being tempted?
Secondly, and this is related, I think that this is yet another verse tat shows how fundamentaly flawed the Arminian worldview is. Do you have free choice? Does God hold salvation up to everyone equally, so that everyone, in their own independant power chooses to accept or reject God? I think not. "For it is God who is in you both to will and to do for His good pleaure." If God is in you to will, can you say that your will is independant of God? God causes you to will to do something, and He helps you do it. He changes our will. That is how we are saved, He chacnges our will so that we can come to Him and accept the offer of the gospel.
Although this verse is written in a book to believers in the church in Phillipi, I think that this verse applies to every human, when it is coupled with Romans 9:22-23. Even unbelievers, who despise God and actively reject Him all their lives and will face the judgement seat of God and will be damned, I believe that God is in them both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
God has ordained the world as it is, by His good pleasure, in a way to make His glory known. Part of this act of making His glory known is in the just condemnation of sinners who did not exercise faith in Christ for the forgiveness of their sins. Romans 9:22 talks of God "wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known." This is not the desire of a sadist, but rather a God who is showing forth His justice.
They were supposed to work out their salvation in fear and trembling. But it is God who needed to work in them, but didn't. Is the fault with God? No! "For He says to Moses 'I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy and I will have compassion on whomever I wll have compassion.'" (Romans 9:15 quoting Exodus 33:19) God is not obligated to work in us, but again, works in us "for His good pleasure."
That is why we exist, that is why He has redeemed us that exercise faith in Him, that is why Christ died, that is why Adam sinned. All "for His good pleasure."
Now, I realize that I have been talking in circles this entire post, and did not actually gain the answers to anything. That is what happens when you explore an apparant contradiction. You can discover what the Bible says and how the Bible answers it, and I can come and present that. I can do no more. "Lord, my heart is not haughty, Nor my eyes lofty. Neither do I concern myself with great matters, Nor with things to profound for me." (Psalm 131:1)
Part of faith is simply believing and accepting the Bible as true and accepting the God of the Bible as God and believing that the Bible describes Him accurately. CAn we correct Scripture if it seems to harsh? Do we omit parts of scripture because they are inconsistent with our own philosophical beliefs? (ex. Jesus being the only way, Man not having free will, man not being autonomous, God not saving everyone, homosexuality a sin, wives submit to husbands, or even, go and make disciples.) My desire is that whoever reads this submits to the Bible as truth if they are not doing so already.
McKay's
Ok, for all you people out there that think they have mastered the McKay's free bin, I just wanted to let you know that by the incredible providence of God, I am better than you. (Just kidding, but I WAS extremely fortunate.)
I picked up Transforming Grace by Jerry Bridges from the McKay's free bin on Monday.
I just don't know if the free bin gets much better than that.
I picked up Transforming Grace by Jerry Bridges from the McKay's free bin on Monday.
I just don't know if the free bin gets much better than that.
Monday, June 12, 2006
Growth
Thus ends the longest period of silence on "The Blog of Steele" since its inception.
Unfourtuntely, I still don't have time to post one of my trademark long, deeply theological reflections on life and everything in it, (by the time I get done with them,) so I have one simple thought I want to post.
Growing is painful. I feel like this summer has been (well, at least so fa) a time of growth for me, and it's been painful. It's like, "Hey, let's undergo massive heart surgery again! Yesterday's surgery and the one the day before that just didn't cut it."
Phew. I wish I could say that I get relief in sleep, but there have been at least twice this summer where heart surgery was done on me in my dreams. Have you ever been convicted of sin by your reactions to something in a dream?
But, this is a pain that I desire and continue to desire. Hopefully, it will lead to fruit.
Unfourtuntely, I still don't have time to post one of my trademark long, deeply theological reflections on life and everything in it, (by the time I get done with them,) so I have one simple thought I want to post.
Growing is painful. I feel like this summer has been (well, at least so fa) a time of growth for me, and it's been painful. It's like, "Hey, let's undergo massive heart surgery again! Yesterday's surgery and the one the day before that just didn't cut it."
Phew. I wish I could say that I get relief in sleep, but there have been at least twice this summer where heart surgery was done on me in my dreams. Have you ever been convicted of sin by your reactions to something in a dream?
But, this is a pain that I desire and continue to desire. Hopefully, it will lead to fruit.
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