Just for Fun

I am just curious to know what's on your iPod? I've got sermons by John Piper, Sinclair Ferguson, Matt Chandler, music by a variety of people, and The Whitehorse Inn discussions.

The Sin of Partiality

Yesterday I had the privilege of preaching from James 2:1-13. In this text James begins by stating that you cannot show partiality while holding onto the faith in Christ. He then proceeds to tell about a rich man and a poor man coming into the assembly and how the rich man is treated better than the poor man because of his riches. Then there is verse 5, "Listen, my  beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?"

I stated yesterday that while some have argued that this is referring to those who are "poor in spirit" based on the teaching of Jesus, I do not think that is what James is saying. I believe, based on the context, that James is clearly referring to the fact that God chooses those who are poor (materially) to be rich in the kingdom of God. One reason, I think, is that those who have attached wealth in this world often times (though not every time) place their faith and confidence in their money rather than Christ. This is a Biblical principle. You cannot serve God and money. You are not lay up for yourselves treasure on earth, but rather lay up treasures in heaven. Even Jesus said that it was hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven (after the rich young ruler walked away).

What is interesting about this passage is that in verses 8-13 James shows that we are all guilty of the law and then turns to focus on the gospel of mercy. The fact is no one has perfectly loved their neighbor as themselves. We have all fallen short of this command. And therefore, we are all guilty of sin (verse 8). We have all fallen into this sin based on the economic status of others. We have also fallen into this sin based on skin color, or living arrangements, or jobs, or a thousand of other things. We are all guilty. And God could judge us for that. However, as the last verse says, "Mercy triumphs over judgment."

I don't think this verse is in here just so that we would be better at how we perceive others. I think the point is that God's mercy, through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, triumphs over judgment. If that is true of God, then how much more should it be true of us who are definitely not any better than anyone else? The point I made is that we must realize that when James sets us up as sinners based on the law of God, he is placing everyone on equal ground. Whether rich or poor, you have sinned before God. You and I are in need of a Savior. By God's grace, He sent His Son to bear the wrath of God because of our sin of partiality. He sent His Son to die that we might be made rich in Him (2 Corinthians 8:9). O how great is the mercy of God through Christ that triumphs over judgment for those who place their hope in the righteousness of Christ alone!

Friday's Question

Besides Jesus, who is the most influential person in your life? Why?

Why Blog?

Tonight at the internship with Open Door Baptist Church some discussion came up that caused me to think once again about why I blog. If I'm honest, I have to say that often times I blog simply because I started this thing and people (though few) expect to see something when they come to this site. However, that was not my original purpose. My original purpose was to have another way to minister to the local church that God had called me to shepherd. After leaving my first church I changed blogs and just did it because I had been doing it. Then I went through this time of talking about church planting since that was my plan and I had no desire to really go anywhere else. As usual, God's immediate plan was different. So now I'm pastoring a church in Pulaski, VA and still blogging. But, is there really a purpose in this blog?

My answer has to be yes (or else I'll stop all together). And the reason is to use this as a means to minister to others so that they will treasure Christ above everything else. The reason is that God has called me to first and foremost shepherd the flock of FBC. However, I pray God will use this for His glory and the joy of His people. So with that being said, I may begin to blog less frequently (like I have for the past couple of weeks), but I hope to blog more substantially. This semester for school I am taking classes on Gender Roles, Missions, Evangelism, and an internship focused on the ministry of the Word. I am also preaching through James right now and we are studying Philippians on Wednesday evenings. I hope over the next few months to post on things that I've learned through the studies that I think would help others to treasure Christ.

Friday's Question

I'd like to know what book (outside of the Bible) has influenced your life the most. If you don't mind, take some time to explain how it impacted your life/ministry and any other details that you can think of.

Christians Can't be Passive

As I was praying and reading this morning and confessing my own sin, I came to realize that I am way to passive when it comes to fighting sin. From there I began to realize the number of conversations I've had with other Christians about sin and how it's taken very lightly. From there I began to ask the question, "Why does sin overpower us so often and why do we not seem to mind?"

To answer the second part first is to say that the reason we do not seem to mind is because we do not understand that our sin is an offense to God.  After David had slept with another man's wife he tried to cover it by getting Uriah to come home from war and sleep with Bathsheba. Uriah is a noble man and does not do it so David has him killed in order to cover his first sin by getting Uriah's wife pregnant. After we could easily say that David sinned against Uriah, David himself says he sinned against God. In Psalm 51 David is repenting of the fact that he has done this horrible thing and in verse 4 David writes, "Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight." Until we realize that sin is an offense to the Holy God we will always take it far more lightly that we should.

To answer the first part of my question, however, is because we are often to passive in the fight against sin. Think back to Genesis 4 when Cain is about to kill his own brother. In verses 4 and 5 we see why we have to be active in the fight against sin, "The Lord said to Cain, 'Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. It's desire is for you, but you must rule over it.'" If sin desires us, as it did Cain, then we too must rule over it. There is nothing passive about this. Christians must actively fight against the sin that desires to overcome us and cause us to flee from God. In Romans 7:21-23 Paul helps us to see there is a war going on within us that we must actively fight.

Christians, we can cannot be lazy in our strivings to live for the glory of God. We cannot expect sin and temptation to go on vacation so we can have a rest for a while. We must, by God's grace, fight with all of our might to live holy before God and to rule over sin or else it will rule over us.

I Just Thought it was Cold Today

This morning when I woke up here it was about -12 degrees. To me, that's ridiculously cold. However, after going over to Justin Taylor's Blog and seeing this video I realized it's not so bad.

It's not my Fault!

That's the statement of many of us when we fall short of the glory of God (which is sin). Think back to the fall of mankind into sin in Genesis. Adam blamed Eve. Eve blamed the serpent. We've done it ever since that time. However, preaching through James this past week there is really no way for us to argue that way. Look at James 1:12-13:

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.

If James stopped there we could still have a way out of the blame. We could say something like, "I can't help it, the Devil made me do it. He tempted me." But, James doesn't start there. Instead he goes right after the deep depravity of man.

But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

The point is that it is our deep desires for sin that causes us to turn trials that we face that are meant to develop good in us (James 1:2-4) into a temptation that causes us to sin. Our faith is tested as God develops character in us to conform us to the image of Christ. However, we often times give in to our desires for sin and turn those tests of faith on their heads and dive deep into the sin of unbelief.

Beloved, we must face up the fact that we are sinners. We must realize that our desires are not naturally for God. The only reason we desire Christ is because God has done a gracious work in us to open our eyes to behold Him. That's how James concludes in verse 18:

Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

It is by the will of God that we heard the gospel and were saved. It was God who graciously chose to remove our heart of stone and replace it with a heart of flesh. The depravity of man is deep, but the grace of our God is far more powerful. Praise be to God!

Friday's Question

Last week I began taking Friday to ask a question. Here is this week's question:

What doctrine do you think is the most neglected in the church today? How can we recover it?

Thanks for answering. I hope this becomes a good time of discussion and reflection.

Could use some Help

After reading an article by Ed Stetzer and having a conversation with some friends about it, I'd like to hear some of your thoughts on creative ways to share the gospel. I don't mean how to make the gospel more creative. The gospel is the gospel and is the power of God for salvation. We don't need a new gospel. However, I am looking for creative ways to get that gospel to those within the community. Any thoughts would help.