More on the matter of sin…

We were talking about  original sin…that which we inherit from our first parents, Adam and Eve. The everyday sins we commit are because of original sin, it is our very nature. That is until we come to Christ, and He gives us a new nature…HIs. However, we still continue to commit sins. Why you ask???  Good question and the answer is not simple. Think first of all just how many generations there possibly are from Adam and Eve to our generation. Too many to even think about, but there are plenty. And down through those generations, the “sin gene” has multiplied and multiplied and warped and warped…you get the picture, right?  For most of us the question becomes what do these warped genes do? In reality, they “are us.” All of the character qualities, good and bad, proceed from those genes and are made better or worse by our family life, all of the influences around us, particularly mom and dad, sometimes grands if they were an integral part of our upbringing, school teachers, Sunday school teachers, scout leaders, etc., etc. All of these people, their places and things influence who we become. And…most of this “becoming” happens during the first four years of our lives. Now if that influence is negative you can just imagine how warped our character and the outworkings of our lives can become on into adulthood. The biggest and best influence in our young lives of course is Christ, and godly parents and grands. God ordained marriage and instituted the home, primarily to be the place of nurturing, the place of comfort and peace, the place where God is the head of the household and Dad and Mom administer His rule for your best good. Most, unfortunately not all, children that grow up in this kind of environment grow into well-rounded, God trusting individuals. When parents “train up a child in the way it should go” as the Scripture says, there is far less chance of them going of into sin. But…some do and I have seen more than my share in my years as a chaplain, interacting with inmates. One of the most interesting statements I heard way too many times was this one: “my father was a preacher (or deacon, ss teacher, elder, etc) and on Sunday he preached one thing but at home, the rest of the week, he was someone else, and I hated him! Why does this happen??? Well one reason is that we tend to hide those qualities we know are not right…hide them at times from ourselves but mostly from those around us. Or at least we think we hide them. Not always true. When this hideous distortion happens, generation after generation, the young “loose” themselves and their very attitude becomes a distortion, they “act as if…” one of the key statements of those in prison I talk with. Acting as if is pretending to be someone you are not…and unfortunately the actor sometimes gets lost in the pretend person. Yes, it is complicated but when thought through, it is very realistic. Let me give you one you will recognize and you will get a better understanding of what I mean: the person who comes to Sunday School and Church, Bible under their arm, ready to give a testimony, act as usher, take up the offering…that person is acting as he/she thinks a Christian should act…but then goes home with the family, and acts and talks like anything BUT a Christian, mistreats their partner, is unkind to the children, and on and on. If you take a good look at Galatians chapter five, you will find two lists…one is the fruit of the flesh…the list of ungodly character qualities that mark a person not controlled by the Spirit of God but allowing his/her flesh to do the controlling. The other list is the fruit of the Spirit…the result of yielding to the Holy Spirit of God, as we are suppose to do, and letting Him lead us into a godly lifestyle. This list is sometimes referred to as the very character of Christ and of course, we are told over and over in the Scripture that we are to be “like Christ.” And so we are…next time we will talk about the fruit of the Spirit, and I will give you some personal experiences to show how God the Spirit dealt with me in my younger Christian life to “grow me up.”

Some thoughts on a teaching about sin…

Bill has been teaching in Sunday School about sin. The church here in Valley Forge is a small one, however just about everyone involved are very well versed in the Word, so some good discussions come about during this hour. One of the things I love about adult Sunday School classes! I have spent a good bit of time pondering the lessons, and pondering the matter of sin and it’s outworkings. Possibly, this is due to my years of teaching in a prison setting, where the “fruit” of sins (with an s) is only too evident. In that setting, the question always becomes what do we do about it! We cannot just say “don’t do it”…it doesn’t work that way. So, where does that leave us?

Interesting question and once again, worth pondering and/or thinking about. We all should…we have to first give thought to it’s origins which is with Satan and his revolt against God in defiance of God’s authority over him and all the other angels, all created beings and responsible to God for everything. We know Lucifer didn’t like that and wanted to be independent of God’s authority over him, so he rebelled and we are told many, many of the angelic host rebelled with him and they were expelled from the presence of God as a regular thing. Following that rebellion, Lucifer watched God create, and when he saw Adam and Eve, he saw his opportunity to ruin what God was doing. He took an opportunity to talk with Eve, nice words we can read in Genesis…and she listened to his idea of being “like God” and followed Satan’s counsel with the fruit of the tree, she ate a piece of it. Sin had now come into God’s new creation.

The outworking of this seemingly  “small” infraction  were of course monumental…the first created human and her partner now had a whole new set of things to think about…and because of the curse God had to put on the rebellious pair, what we call “ORIGINAL SIN” was now a fact. God would not create any more humans, instead Adam and Eve would procreate, but in doing so would pass sin on to the next generation in their genes. And worse yet, as generations passed, the genes were more and more twisted and sin grew even worse. Original sin…do we really understand what that means? In general, I think not…I have been teaching in a prison setting for 30+  years now, and have watched “the church” for 40, and I truly do not think most people get it! What do I mean? Just this: what does original sin mess up? Well, how about everything…if original sin is present from conception on, we are rebellious from the same point. Rebellious against whom? Ultimately God Himself but early on it is rebellion against everyone we come in contact with starting with our parents. And here is where the trouble begins. If and when God’s Word is not used as the standard for human behavior, it is impossible to “train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it. “  Why? Because if God’s instruction is not followed, we use our own judgment and that is faulty unless we have been brought up under God’s law and rule by godly parents…and on and on it goes from generation after generation.

We think of sin as the biggies…drugs, alcohol, illicit sex, murder, etc. Not so, those are sins, with an s. They are the outworkings of the original sin in us when it is uncorrected and let to grow and fester. Understand here that I am talking “in general.” There are certainly exceptions. However, I have carefully looked at some of these exceptions and they really are not…back up far enough in the family life and you will find the flaw…the sin…that was uncorrected, and what appears to be an exception is not. In the Old Testament there is a rule, called the rule of the unrepentant/unruly son…a child who has come of age, and is out of control from his parents perspective goes before the elders, case presented and ruled on. If the elders agree with the parents, the son is stoned to death, and God says “and so shall you keep sin from Israel.” I will put the reference for that portion at the end. What that does is exactly what it says, children know that law is valid, and I dare say it is a determining factor in better behavior. And, there are fewer adults that rebel. Truth is, it is rebellion that is the problem all along. Rebellion against family, later friends and employers, but ultimately against God Himself and that is what He is fighting…and why He immediately in Genesis provides a solution, in chapter 3, He would send a savior to deal with the sin issue once and for all. Next time we will breakdown just what the sins coming out of original sin are…

 

reference to unruly son: Deut 21:18

KNOWING GOD, CON’T with notes by Lynne Farrow

Daniel is one of those books of the Bible that no matter how many times you read it you always come away knowing more about God than you did when you started. Daniel truly and almost completely, knew his God! In this book you will find the most vivid and sustained presentation of the many-sided reality of God’s sovereignty  in the whole Bible.

The Babylonian empire had swallowed up Palestine, and in thinking of the great world-empires to follow, dwarfing little Israel by any means of calculation, the book as a whole forms a dramatic reminder that the God of Israel is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, that the heavens do rule, (4:6) that God’s hand is on history at every point, that history, indeed, is no more than ‘His story’, the unfolding of His eternal plan, and that the kingdom which will triumph in the end…is God’s. I personally feel compelled to say here, in light of our present day circumstances, that the same God of Daniel’s life and time is the same God that oversees our world today…we have so very much trauma and horror going on all around us, it is easy to lose sight of that fact! When the government is so completely corrupt, the church is not what it should be and people tend to constantly do whatever they please, never giving a thought to what God may think or want in our lives. But, that does not have anything to do with His sovereignty…He still is over and controls it all, including the persons and happenings of the US government, the Jewish nation, the Arabs or anybody else, He rules, raises, and puts down at His good pleasure. Therefore, we should not fret…we will…but we shouldn’t, knowing Who is in control of it all! This is the central truth Daniel taught Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, Darius, all kings of some of the nations that Daniel served. Daniel’s prayers and confidence in defying authority, his friends confidence also defying authority,…”the Most High ruleth  in the affairs of men.” He knows and He foreknows all things…His foreknowledge is foreordination; He therefore will have the last word in world history and  the destiny of every man. His kingdom and righteousness will triumph in the end, for neither men nor angels  shall be able to thwart Him!

These were the thoughts of god which filled Daniel’s mind, as witnessed by his prayers…the best evidence of a man’s view of God: “Blessed b the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and might are His. He changeth the times and the seasons, He sets up and removeth kings, He gives wisdom, He knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with Him. The LORD our God is righteous in all His works which He doeth.” Is this how YOU view God???? Is this what we say to God in our own personal prayers? Do we express these kind of ‘feelings’ to God as we pray? Do we thank Him for His moral perfections, His gracious faithfulness, graciousness that keeps us humble and dependent, awed and obedient, ad it did Daniel? By this standard we may measure how much or how little, we know God!

KNOWING GOD, CON’T

Now that I am fairly settled in my new home It’s time to get back to my blog. Forgive me friends for being away so long, but I’m finding EVERYTHING takes me longer to do than it use to…such is life, am just glad I will be celebrating my 75th years in a couple of days and I’m still ambulatory, lol!

I picked up the book again yesterday, read through my recent blogs and found some interesting new things in the next section, so here goes…

Dr Packer makes a very valid point concerning knowing God and Godliness, and knowing about God. I think we all as believers understand there is a difference and may even think we know what it is, including me…however, there is more to it than what is on the surface. This is what I discovered, for me if for no one else. He goes back to a portion of Scripture in Daniel, 11:32, “they that know their God shall be strong and do exploits” and rendered this way in the RSV, “the people who know their God will stand firm and take action.” The context is this…contrasted to the vile person, whose action is abominable, and who corrupts by smooth and flattering talk the conduct of those who have no viable relation-ship to God. This contrast speaks very loudly to the fact that action taken by those who do know their God is really their reaction to the ungodly trends they see going on around them. While their God is being defied and disregarded, they cannot rest; they feel they must DO something! The dishonor done to God goads them to action.

To really get the flavor, you should sit down and re-read the book of Daniel, it’s not very long, but note the places where Daniel will not bow to the worldly things that were going on around him and in some cases, being required of him…he stood against them. These were his “exploits” and his statement for Godliness in his day and in his own personal life. He and his three friends stood against the corruption of Darius’ kingdom. And two additional kings after Darius’ death. Daniel KNEW his God and lived what he knew to be true. He was willing to pay the price, did pay it and was rescued, very obviously rescued, by God Himself! Does all of this sound familiar????? It should, it is very similar to the day we are living in! Daniel stood for his God, was well known for that also and in some cases it was used against him. He lived a very long life and served many kings of differing kingdoms because he was so wise and trustworthy. Next time we will talk more about this subject.

Continuing “Knowing God” by J.I. Packer with comments by Lynne Farrow

What will be some of the themes we will be thinking on as we continue this study? Well, the Godhead of God involves the qualities of the Deity of God. GLORY! The qualities and attributes of the Holy One are so awesome to think about let alone putting them all together in one study and then pondering them, as Mary did concerning the little things of Christ as she saw them happening. How wonderful it must have been for her to have many precious memories of her own to keep in her heart. Well, we can do the same thing here as we contemplate His wonderful attributes and qualities. Let’s begin a list:

His self-existence and infinity, His eternality, His unchangeableness! I do not know about you, but I can “think” ahead @ God always will be! But…to think back, even though I know the truth of “always,” I cannot fathom back, that He always was…my mind seems  to want to bend when I try to think of “always was” and had no beginning! It is just more than my poor, human mind can “get.” So, I just accept it as true. The line of infinity stretches from all the way back to before there was probably nothing but the Triune God, then forward to …to when?????  I remember a Star Trek episode from Deep Space Nine where there were beings that kept saying to each other, pertaining to the humans they were encountering, “they are linear.” They meant in time…I understand that eternity has no time, it just “is.”  Again, my mind wants to bend. So, we can think of our Father as “always” and be content to ponder that. Unchangeableness…that is a powerful image…no change, always the same, unmoved by circumstances. That comforts my heart like little else. I can go to Him and know there is no change in Him, the way He loved me yesterday is the way He loves me today.

He is an Almighty God, omniscience and omnipotent…Almighty says to me in the natural or physical realm, He is indeed an Almighty God…think in terms of all the wonderful, powerful physical things He has/is does…the Red Sea, the Resurrection, fulfilling prophecy to the letter, Jesus and the fig tree, feeding the 5,000, and on and on. His Almightiness is wonderful to behold! His omnipotence on the other hand, I view as more personal His quality of omnipotence. Jesus raising the dead, the demoniac in the cemetery, all the little things He does for us individually that others may not even know about but YOU know it…as a single senior citizen who lives along and makes her own decisions, I love that I can lean on Him for aiding me in decisions and at times, make them for me. I love it, truly. We know He is Spirit, Jesus said so and I do not really understand that but I believe it entirely. His wisdom is beyond anything we can possibly understand. A godly man from the past, Charles Hodge, said this: “What is God? the answer read as follows…God is  Spirit, infinite, eternal, just, wise, good, unchangeable and truth in HIs very being.  Few today, to our shame as teachers, are taught simple, straightforward messages on the nature of God.

There are so many wonders concerning our God and Father, that it is difficult to tell just a few. He is beyond fully describing and for me personally, beyond telling. I have journaled most of my Christian life. I have recorded many of the wonderful happenings that God was behind or just, plain did! I learned as the years went by that I could trust Him with anything…anything at all! There have been times when I did not know what to do, could not make a decision, and turned to Him and asked Him to make the decision for me. He did…how do I know? His Spirit bore witness to my spirit with the peace of Christ and I just, plain KNEW! How do I love Him???? In too many ways to count or tell but I will tell you this. You can trust Him! You can count on Him. Practice it, and you too can know the “peace that passes all understanding,” I promise.

Excerpts from Knowing God by J. I. Packer and comment by Lynne Farrow

Many times we are tempted to ask if studying theology is necessary, will it be time well spent???? Well, the answer is some people will indeed benefit, others will not…it is up to the individual how much of God we individually desire. Some would think it irrelevant to our lives today when in reality…and I speak from personal experience…nothing could be more important to how we should and can live our lives. Our era is very, very complex. It seems to me, only God can lead us in a clear, firm path. There is so much confusion, so much noise from all kind of sources, almost NO place to quiet ourselves just to think. God says in His Word to “be still, and know that I am God.” In past generations, life was much more simple, more difficult and hard on the people who were living it, but there was not the confusion and noise that we have today. And, it is constant! I personally enjoy the evenings, in my room, quiet, comfortable and I find God is there waiting for me to quiet me. It might be a good idea to start this journey by stating five basic principles of our faith:

1. God has spoken to man, and the Bible is His Word, given to us to make us wise unto salvation.

2. God is Lord and King over His world; He rules all things for His own glory, displaying His perfections in all that He does, in order that men and angels may worship and adore Him.

3. God is Savior, active in sovereign love in all that He does through the Lord Jesus Christ, to rescue believers from the guilt and power of sin, to adopt them as sons and daughters, and to bless them accordingly.

4. God is Triune; there are within the Godhead three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And the work of salvation is one in which all three act together, the Father purposing redemption, the Son securing it, and the Spirit applying it.

5. Godliness means responding to revelation in obedience and trust, faith and worship, prayer and praise, submission and service. Life must be seen and lived in the light of God’s Word. This, and nothing else is true religion!

We are going to take a journey and examine these basic and very relevant truths about our Father. We’ll learn deep and revealing truths about Him and how he acts toward us and shows His incredible love toward us. The better we understand Him and His character, the more we will grow ourselves and become like Him. That is the object of our salvation…clear our slate, so to speak and grant us a new start. Then we start on the path of sanctification, which  is what we are doing here, the way to move to Christlikeness. It is a long and at times difficult trip. But again, I will speak from personal experience, surely very worth the effort it takes. God is a great God, and a wonderful Father. He wants the very best for each one of us. If we are willing, He will move Heaven and earth to make us like His dear Son, the first born among many brethren.

Tomorrow, we will look at the “why” of studying the Godhead…why are we doing it…what is our motivation. That’s tomorrow’s blog.

I NEED TO KNOW HIM BETTER…

There is a relatively  old book called “Knowing God” by J.I.Packer that I have enjoyed a few times over the years. I like re-reading books that impacted my growth and this one surely did. I am re-reading it now and have decided to share some excerpts from it with you. Lately, due to a new, painful and chronic condition I have developed, I have neglected posting blogs, even reading at times let alone writing or typing has been quite painful. But, thanks to a new, caring doctor and a procedure he uses, I am now more comfortable and able to get “back to business.” Hurricane Sandy has just let our area, I am at Bill’s in Valley Forge..and discovered my copy of that very book is here in my room in the parsonage. So of course I picked it up an thought about re-charging my batteries, so to speak, read and share this wonderful book…I trust you will enjoy it as much as I know I will and if you have any questions or dialogue on the book, email me @eagleone4@comcast.net or message me on Facebook and we will talk.

Knowing God, by J I Packer, excerpts from it directly, and personal, additional comments from personal application by Lynne Farrow

THE STUDY OF GOD, chapter one

It has been said by someone that the proper study of mankind is man. I will not oppose this idea but I believe it equally important and true is that the study of God’s elect is God. The proper study of the Christian is studying the Godhead. The highest science, the loftiest speculation, he mightiest philosophy, which can ever engage the attention of the child of God, is the name, the nature, the person, the work, the doings, and the existence of the great God whom we call Father. There is something exceedingly improving to the mind in a contemplation of the Divinity. It is a subject so vast, that all our thoughts are lost in it’s immensity; so deep, our pride is drowned in its infinity. As we contemplate other subjects, we can come away feeling a kind of self-content and go on our way thinking, “I am wise.” But, when we come to this master-science, finding that our plumb-line cannot sound its depth, and that our eagle eye cannot see its height, we turn away with the thought that vain man would be wise, but he is like a wild ass’s colt.; and with solemn exclamation say “I know nothing.” In contemplating our God…our minds are more than humbled…we are indeed nothing.

Nothing has brought my mind and spirit “low” then soaring, is thinking on the great words of Scripture concerning the attributes of God. I did a study for my men a few years ago, and each attribute in turn just made me feel so insignificate…then privileged, to be called and chosen by such a great and wonderful God, and He allowed me to call Him Father!  (LF)

While this subject humbles the mind, it also will expand it. He who often thinks of God, will have a larger mind than the one that simply plods along this narrow globe. The study will also expand the soul! Nothing will so enlarge the intellect, nothing so magnify the whole soul of man, as a devout, earnest, continued investigation of the great study of the Deity. The contemplating of God can also be a balm for every wound, a quiet spot for every grief, and the Holy Spirit will ensure a balm for every sore spot on the heart.Plunge yourself into the contemplation of God and you will find yourself in the deepest sea, lost in HIs immensity, and you will come forth rested, refreshed and invigorated. I know nothing that can so comfort the soul, so calm the swelling of grief and sorrow, speak to the winds of trial, as a devout musing on the subject of the Godhead.

I have spent years teaching and counseling inmates, and learning “on the job.” The Lord Himself taught me, and as I look back now, I am amazed and humbled to think I ever did such a thing, and according to my superiors, became quite good at the understanding of said subject. I came to the job with a pretty good understanding of the Scripture, but the application of it to this particular group of people was new to me. This I know, devoted love for my Savior and the desire and determination to follow the path He was taking me, caused me to cling to Him and search His heart and mind for the understanding and encouragement of others, that I needed. When you cling to Him, yield to Him continually until there is nothing of “me” left…He shows you His point of view. Couple that view with the spiritual gifts He gave me at salvation, encouragement and mercy, I was able to listen empathetically…and learn…and comfort. You know, there is nothing humanly speaking one can do for a prisoner, but there is much you can do to instruct in the Word and how to personally feed the soul from that Word, to encourage the reading and study of it on a continuing basis. God alone can do for him/her what is needed in His own way, but we have the responsibility to offer the soul-tools to facilitate that end. I cannot tell you here, all that I learned of the God I love and serve, but one of my main reasons for writing a blog and posting on Facebook is to share with others some of the wonders God has taught me over the years.  (LF)

 

 

to be continued…