God is our Shepherd!

God is our Shepherd!

“The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.” Ps 23:1

Last month we studied YHWH Andonai – “the Sovereign LORD” or “LORD All-Powerful”.  One of the verses we see this in is Isaiah 40:10-11.   

10 See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power, and his arm rules for him.

See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him.

11 He tends his flock like a shepherd:  He gathers the lambs in his arms

and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.

Notice in verse 11 how the Sovereign LORD is shown as a shepherd who carries the lambs in His arms close to His heart.  The word here translated for “Shepherd” is “Râ‛âh.”  It is the same word used in Psalm 28:9 “…be their shepherd and carry them forever.”  It is also used in Psalm 80:1 “Hear us, O Shepherd of Israel, who lead Joseph like a flock…”  Psalm 95 and 100 respectively contain the phrases “…for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care” and “we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.”  God is portraying Himself as a shepherd and we as his sheep, his flock, his fold.  Interestingly enough the same word “Râ‛âh” is also used in Psalm23:1 in the phrase “the Lord is my Shepherd.”  The actual Hebrew for this line is  “YHWH Râ‛âh”. Here is another special compound name of God literally translated LORD Shepherd.  Because the name YHWH is from the very “hayah” meaning “to be,” “I AM,” or “He is” the line is translated, “The Lord is My Shepherd.”  

Now we must remember that the names of God tell us something about who He is, about His character.  To say the Lord is My Shepherd means, like the sheep, we are trusting in Him for our daily provision, guidance, protection, and constant companionship.¹  We trust Him as the “Shepherd and Overseer of your souls” (1 Pet 2:25).  Indeed, He calls Himself “the good shepherd” (John 10:11).  He goes so far as to tell us that as the Good Shepherd He lays down His life for the sheep. He finds those sheep who are lost and brings them back into the fold (Mt 18:12-13; Lk 15:3-7). 

He finds those sheep that are cast down—rolled over in such a way that they cannot get back up on their feet by themselves.  If the sheep stay in this position for very long gasses build up and can be fatal unless the shepherd comes and places them on their feet and rubs down their legs to get the circulation going.  Even then the shepherd must watch over them so that they do not stumble and become cast again.²  The shepherd watches over and protects the sheep as they have only for their defense legs to run and then they cannot even run fast.   So it is that the shepherd must be constantly aware of predators that come to “steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10).  But the shepherd is come that we “may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10).  This is the job of a good shepherd to see that his flock has life to the full through his protection, nourishment, guidance and companionship. 

The shepherd must know where to lead the sheep for their nourishment.  The sheep will over graze and kill off all vegetation if the shepherd does not lead them on to new green pastures allowing the old pastures time to recover from grazing.³  The shepherd must also know where to find still water for the sheep to drink.   

He is a constant companion to the sheep and so he knows each one by name (John 10:3) and they in turn know His voice and will not follow a stranger (John 10:4-5).  Shepherds would commonly put several flocks in a sheep pen guarded by a watchman at night.  In the morning the shepherd would call out his own sheep and they would follow his voice and in such a manner the sheep would divide themselves by following the voice of their shepherd alone.  In this way the shepherd was also leader and an authority over the lives of the sheep.⁴ 

So you can see how helpless the sheep are by themselves to find food and water, to be protected, to live at peace, even to stand up by themselves at times. What a picture of dependency upon the shepherd!  To know His voice, to be His companion, to depend on Him for food and water, for the restoration of our soul, for our protection, for our discipline and our comfort (“your rod and your staff”)– this is what it means to say “I shall not be in want.” That no matter what happens, our trust in the LORD Shepherd.  Let us say with the Psalmist “we are His people the sheep of His pasture” (Ps 100:3) to “our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep” (Heb 13:2o).  YHWH Râ‛âh—LORD Shepherd what a comforting name! 

Oh Good and Great Shepherd, we look to you; we trust in you.  For you care for your sheep with tender compassion meeting all our needs.  Help us to be more dependent on you, more confident in you, having faith in Your abilities to shepherd us well, to lead us in paths of righteousness for Your name sake so that our cup overflows and you anoint us with the oil of your Spirit living in us always!  Amen! 

Footnotes

¹Ryken, Leland, Jim Wilhoit, Tremper Longman, Colin Duriez, Douglas Penney, and Daniel G. Reid. "Sheep, Shepherd." Dictionary of Biblical Imagery. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1998. 782. Print.

² Keller, W. Phillip. "He Restoreth My Soul." A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23,. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Pub. House, 1970. 53-60. Print.

³ Keller, W. Phillip. "He Maketh Me to Lie Down in Green Pastures." A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23,. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Pub. House, 1970. 33-45. Print.

⁴ Ryken, 782.

References

All Scriptures not specified are quoted from Life in the Spirit Study Bible (NIV). Stamps, Donald C., and John Wesley Adams. Life in the Spirit Study Bible: New International Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2003. Print.

God is the Sovereign LORD!

God is the Sovereign LORD!

“But as for me, it is good to be near God.

I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge” Ps 73:28

A name.  What’s in a name?  Is it really just a word or words we use to identify something?  In the Old Testament a name often captured the essence of the person.¹  When God tells us one of His names in the Scripture, we should be careful to glean the proper understanding of what He is telling us about Himself by using a specific name for Himself.  We have studied the name Immanuel and YHWH.  Now let’s take a look at Adonai.

Adonai is an emphatic form of the words “'âdôn  'âdôn” a root Hebrew word meaning to rule or be sovereign (a controller).  Often this root word is translated “lord” or “master” or “owner”.²   This word can also mean “firm” or “strong” and is used to reference people with a general recognition of  superiority (I.E. lord, master, prophet, priest, captain, governor, prince, and king). ³  Adonai is a derivative of this root word.  This is a unique word is an emphatic form of “'âdôn  'âdôn” which is used only as a proper name of God.  Often we find the word Adonai combined with the Tetragramaton for a combination of YHWH Adonai.  This compound name for God is found in 291 OT verses.  Of these verses 271 are found in the prophets and 210 are found in the book of Ezekiel.  This compound name of God is translated by modern versions of the bible in different ways.  The KJV, NASB, and ESV translate this as “Lord GOD,” which does denote in the word “Lord” the idea of master.  However, the CEV translates the same compound name as “LORD All-Powerful” and the NIV translates it as “Sovereign LORD.”  When we combine what we know of YHWH meaning “I am” or “I will be,” we get the meaning of “I am All-Powerful” or  “I am Sovereign.”

It is interesting to note that when the Lord speaks to Ezekiel to speak on behalf of Himself to the people He says “…Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says…’” (Eze 2:4) and later “…But when I speak to you, I will open your mouth and you shall say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says…’” (Eze 3:27).  This is the name that God is calling Himself.

When we start to look at the context surrounding the name YHWH Adonai, we gain even more understanding of aspects of this name of God.  Let’s look at a few together:

Ps 60:20 Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign LORD comes escape from death.

Here the Psalmist sees the “All-Powerful, Sovereign LORD” as the only one who can save us and give us an escape from death.

Ps 71:5 For you have been my hope, O Sovereign LORD, my confidence since my youth.

Ps 71:16 I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, O Sovereign LORD; I will proclaim your righteousness, yours alone.

Here the Psalmist sees the Sovereign LORD as his hope and confidence because of His mighty acts and the perfect righteousness that belongs to the Sovereign LORD alone.

Ps 73:28 But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.

The Psalmist here sees the Sovereign LORD as good and as a refuge because of all the deeds the Sovereign LORD has done.  The All-Powerful, Sovereign LORD is our master, our mighty one, to whom all authority is given in heaven and on earth and to whom no other power or ruler could compare.

Ps 109: 21 But you, O Sovereign LORD, deal well with me for your name's sake; out of the goodness of your love, deliver me.

Here the Sovereign LORD is entreated to deal favorably with the Psalmist because part of His All-Powerful nature is to deliver and to be good.  Who would want to follow an All-Powerful bad leader, anyway?  Could there be any sense of justice in such a case?  Could there be any hope of benevolence toward his subjects?

Ps 140:7 O Sovereign LORD, my strong deliverer, who shields my head in the day of battle—

We can look to the Sovereign LORD for deliverance, to be strong on our behalf and to shield us when times get tough and the battle rages.

Ps 141:8 But my eyes are fixed on you, O Sovereign LORD; in you I take refuge--do not give me over to death.

The dictionary tells us “Sovereign” means “having supreme rank, power, or authority; preeminent, indisputable; greatest in degree; utmost or extreme; being above all others in character, importance, excellence, etc.”⁴  What a beautiful description of who God is!  He is supreme over all.  He has all the power.  He is the ultimate authority.  He is the preeminent one.  There was none before Him.  He is indisputable.   He is extreme.  He is above all others in character.  He is most important.  He defines excellence.

The All-Powerful, Sovereign LORD is our refuge, our shield, the one who does mighty deeds, whose character is above all others, and who deals with us beneficially, who knows everything.  We can take confidence in the All-Powerful, Sovereign LORD, because He will sustain us.  “Sovereign LORD” – what a wonderfully powerful name!

Footnotes
¹ Ryken, Leland, James C. Wilhoit, Tremper Longman III, Colin Duriez, Douglas Penney, and Daniel G. Reid. "Name." Dictionary of Biblical Imagery. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1998. 583. Print.
² Meyers, Rick. E-Sword. Strong’s Concordance entry: H113. Computer software. E-Sword. The Sword of the LORD with an Electronic Edge. Vers. 10.0.5. Rick Meyers. Web. <http://www.e-sword.net/>.
³ Meyers, Rick. E-Sword. Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Definitions entry: H113. Computer software. E-Sword. The Sword of the LORD with an Electronic Edge. Vers. 10.0.5. Rick Meyers. Web. <http://www.e-sword.net/>.
⁴ "Sovereign | Define Sovereign at Dictionary.com." Dictionary.com | Find the Meanings and Definitions of Words at Dictionary.com. Web. 11 Feb. 2012. <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sovereign>.

References

All Scriptures not specified are quoted from Life in the Spirit Study Bible (NIV). Stamps, Donald C., and John Wesley Adams. Life in the Spirit Study Bible: New International Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2003. Print.

I am is with you!

“I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you,

and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence.” Ex 33:19 

Moses had just brought the flock he was tending for his father-in-law around the back side of the desert and came upon the mountain of Horeb, called the mountain of God.  He notices a bush, not because it is a great bush, but because the bush was on fire.  Nothing new here, Moses has undoubtedly seen bushes burn before.  Most likely he has burnt some himself as fuel for the campfire on the edge of the desert where not much grows and it gets cold at night.  But then he notices something special about the fire and the bush.  The fire continues to burn and the bush is not consumed.  Normally the bush would burn up but this one does not.  So he turns aside to see this strange sight.  How odd…the bush does not burn up—he’s thinking.  Right there, God reveals Himself to Moses, calling his name “Moses!  Moses!”  Moses replies, as we all should when God calls our name, “Here I am.”  God tells him to take off his sandals because this is holy ground.  Then He proceeds to tell Moses He is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  He has seen how His people are being mistreated at the hands of the Egyptians and He has come down to rescue them.  He tells Moses He is sending Him to Pharaoh to bring His people the Israelites out of Egypt. 

But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" 12 And God said, "I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain." 13 Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' Then what shall I tell them?" 14 God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.' " 15 God also said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers--the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob--has sent me to you.' This is my name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation. Exodus 3:11-15

The Amplified Bible renders verse fourteen as follows, “And God said to Moses, I AM WHO I AM and WHAT I AM, and I WILL BE WHAT I WILL BE; and He said, You shall say this to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you!” 

God chose this name for Himself to be referred to by His people.  He could chose any name but He chooses this one. The verb He uses here is “hayah,” meaning “to be.”¹  In the first person, this verb is translated “I am” or “I will be.”  Verse twelve also uses this verb when God says “I will be with you.”  Moses would have heard and understood the similarities.  Verse fifteen also uses a derivative of this verb when God says “The LORD, the God of your fathers.”  The word “LORD” is the third person singular form of the verb hayah² and is in its original form “YHVH.”¹  

This is called the Tetragrammaton meaning “the four letters” (the Hebrew letters are: Yod, He, Waw and He).  This four letter Hebrew word has its own name for a good reason.  It is the most common name for God in the Old Testament (over 6,500 uses).  Most Bibles will translate “YHVH” as “LORD.”  Part of the reason for this is that the name “YHVH” was not pronounced by the Jewish people so as not to break the third commandment.   

“In modern Hebrew, grammar [in] this matter is so serious and important, that the verb ‘to be’ (‘I am’) is not used in the present tense at all!  An Israeli will therefore state in Hebrew:  “I teacher ... I clever”, omitting the verb 'to be' (I am) in the present tense.  Usage of the Hebrew verb ‘HOVEH’ (I am) would imply referring to oneself as being the Almighty!”³ 

So the proper pronunciation of the word was lost.  Later the vowel points for the word Adonai meaning “My Lord” were added.  Altogether then the pronunciation became Yahweh (as the letter Waw [V] is pronounced as “W”).⁴   

NIV Life in the Spirit Study Bible notes, “The Lord gave himself the personal name ‘I AM WHO I AM’ (from this is derived the Heb Yahweh), a Hebrew phrase that indicates action.  God was in effect saying to Moses ‘I wish to be known as the God who is present and active.’…Inherent in the name Yahweh is the promise of the living presence of God himself day by day with his people…It expresses his faithful love and care and his desire to redeem his people and live in fellowship with them.  This corresponds with the fundamental promise of the covenant, ‘to be your God’ in Gen 17:7 which is the first and fundamental promise on which all other promises rest.  It means that God unreservedly binds himself to his faithful people to be their God, their shield and their reward [as he proclaims in] Gen 15:1.  It also means that God’s grace, pardon, promises, protection, guidance, goodness, help and blessing are given to them in love (Jer 11:4; 24:7; 30:22; 32:38; Eze11:20; 36:28; Zech 8:8).  All Christians inherit this same promise through faith in Christ (Gal 3:16).  The Lord states that this will be his name forever (v. 15).⁵ 

When God says “hayah – I AM,” He is declaring Himself as self-existent.  “The basic thrust of this verb describes the state of existence. As the third person form of haya, Yahweh literally means ‘He is,’ or ‘He exists.’  It is a description of who God is. He is the self-existing one.  When God told Moses ‘I am that I am,’ that is the first person singular form of haya, ‘ehyeh.’ It may be said that from God's perspective He is ‘I am,’ but from our perspective ‘He is.’” ⁶ 

When the Samaritan woman at the well told Jesus “‘I know that the Messiah’ (called Christ) ‘is coming…’” and Jesus replies “I who am with you am he” she would most likely have understood Him as saying “I AM.”  This is the reason why the Jews in John 8:59 picked up stones to stone Jesus because they had understood Him correctly to say “I tell you the truth, before Abraham was born, I am!”   It is not by accident the Messiah was called “Immanuel—which means, ‘God with us’” (Mt 1:22).  He has chosen the name “I AM” to remind us that He is always with us and has always existed. 

Years later when Moses asked God to show him His glory, God hid Moses in the cleft of the rock and let His goodness pass in front of him, proclaiming His name saying “The LORD, the LORD the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness…”  God here proclaimed “Yahweh, Yahweh” as the name He chose to grant Moses his request to show him His glory.  God has chosen to reveal Himself as Yahweh, the God who is, who has always been, who always will be, the One who is with us day by day expressing His love to us.  Yahweh – what a beautiful name!

Footnotes

¹ Strong’s and Thayer’s definitions from: Meyers, Rick. Vers. 9.0.3. Franklin, TN, 2010. Computer software.  http://www.e-sword.net/.

² Barker, Kenneth L., and Donald W. Burdick. "Exodus 3:15 Study Notes." The NIV Study Bible: New International Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1985. 91. Print.

³ "Restoration of the  Sacred Name." Bible Revelations Studies,Hebrew Hebraic Roots,Restoration Israel,Sacred Names. 16 May 2010. Web. 31 Dec. 2011. http://www.revelations.org.za/NotesS-Name.htm.

⁴ Wikipedia contributors. "Tetragrammaton." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 21 Dec. 2011. Web. 31 Dec. 2011.’

⁵ Stamps, Donald C., and J. Wesley. Adams. "Exodus 3:14 Study Notes." Life in the Spirit Study Bible: New International Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2003. 97. Print.

⁶ Dulle, Jason. "Yahweh or Jesus: What Is God's Name?" Institute for Biblical Studies - (OnenessPentecostal.com). Web. 31 Dec. 2011. http://www.onenesspentecostal.com/yahorjesus.htm#foot1. 

References

All Scriptures not specified are quoted from Life in the Spirit Study Bible (NIV). Stamps, Donald C., and John Wesley Adams. Life in the Spirit Study Bible: New International Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2003. Print.

All Scriptures marked AMP are quoted from "The Amplified Bible." BibleGateway.com: A Searchable Online Bible in over 100 Versions and 50 Languages. Web. 16 Dec. 2011. <http://www.biblegateway.com/>.

God huddles with us, overshadowing us!

“‘The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him

 Immanuel’ – which means, ‘God with us.’” – Matt 2:23 

Imagine the amazing anticipation, the eager excitement, the innocent inquiries…heaven is poised gaping down on earth.  The fullness of time had come.  The moment for which eternity waited was here.  The promise of the ages—the Eternal One—is about to break into time.  Heaven quivered. The heavenly hosts stood amazed.  Such an act of humility had never been seen before - such stooping, such abasement, such abnegation. The King would become a peasant.  The Absolute Ruler would become a servant.  The Righteous Judge would become a subject.  Holiness would dwell in the middle of the profane.  Love would be present at the heart of a hateful world.  Omnipotence would be found completely dependent.  Omniscience would learn to walk.  Omnipresence would somehow exist in 2 cells.  Love – it must be love – which had prompted such a decision.  Desire for restoration of relationship, to allow all people a way to come freely to Him, devoid of the sin that would disbar them from His presence, this is what drove Him to do it.  Imagine all of Heaven holding its breath in the sheer wonder of it all.  Remember Heaven knows the Ultimate Holiness of God that would be present in the muck and mire of a sinful world.  Heaven knows the Majesty and Splendor of His presence.  It marvels at the idea all that could even fit into a human body.  But Heaven also knows of His great love and compassion—His desire to relate to His people.  Earth, however, well, only one person on earth may have known when that incredible moment occurred when Heaven came to earth, when the power of the Most High overshadowed a young teenager in Nazareth. 

That was the moment “God, without ceasing to be God, was made a man.”¹  God chose to reveal Himself not as a cold, hard ethical standard, not as a set of rules to be followed, or even a story to be recited.¹  God chose to reveal Himself as a person with whom you should have a relationship.  Why did God choose to reveal Himself in this way?  Because He desires relationship with us.  Because He loves us.  He would go out of His way, did go out of His way, to show us just how closely He desires to be with us. 

Here is one of the central points of the incarnation of Christ.  God came to earth and died for our sins so that God could be with us, so that He could be in us, so that He could live in us. 

Most people think of the incarnation in terms of what Jesus did to forgive our sin, but it's so much more than that.  I believe the Father's love drove Him to send the Son, fully understanding and knowing the cost, but willing to pay that price, because He wanted to bring us back into unbroken relationship with Himself.  Think of it, He purposely created man with free will and the capacity for relationship.  Why would He have done that unless He wanted us to relate to Him?  Sin is tragic, but it is the effect of sin – separation from God – that is the real catastrophe.  Is it possible that one of the ways He made us in His image is with this capacity for relationship? 

God foretold of His appearing as a man over 700 years in advance speaking through the prophet Isaiah, “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel.” 

The Hebrew for Immanuel literally means “With us (is) God.”  “I am” is with us.  The Hebrew is from two words “’im” and “’el.”  ‘Im is an adverb or preposition meaning “with (that is, in conjunction with)…  specifically equally with.”²  The root of this word is “‘amam” which is defined as “A primitive root; to associate; by implication to overshadow (by huddling together)”²  The other Hebrew word comprising Immanuel is “‘el” which means “strength; as adjective mighty; especially the Almighty”²  So Immanuel to the Hebrew mind may have intimated the idea of God huddling together with us, overshadowing us with the strength of His Almighty Presence. 

Immanuel: With us is God—huddling together with us, overshadowing us with the strength of His Almighty Presence! 

Previous to that incredible moment when God stepped down into time, Mary had asked how this could be since she was a virgin.  Notice how Gabriel, the messenger angel, answers her.  “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.  So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.” Lk 1:35  

Isn’t that interesting, God tells us Immanuel is coming.  Immanuel, God huddling together with us, overshadowing us with His Almighty Presence, and when Mary asks how this will be she is told the Holy Spirit (God’s presence) will come upon her and the power of the Most High will overshadow her.  Immanuel will happen to Mary just as His name reminds us.  Immanuel: With us is God—Huddling together with us, overshadowing us with the strength of His Almighty Presence!  But the promise was not just for Mary, it is for all those who believe in God.  This is our God, the One who promises to be with us, who huddles together with us, overshadowing us with the strength of His Almighty Presence! 

Life was not meant to be lived outside of the awareness of His Presence.  His strength becomes our strength when we live in His Presence.  Pastor Bauman once said, only Christianity elevates joy and love as normative.  It’s about relationship.  Joy in loving Him and each other.  Loving the joy He is to each of us.  He has given everything for you.  He has done everything to make Himself available to you.  What are you doing with Him? 

He is closer to us than we are to ourselves.  He waits for us to commune with Him, to acknowledge Him there huddled together with us overshadowing us with the power of His presence.   

“You have said, Seek My face [inquire for and require My presence as your vital need]. My heart says to You, Your face (Your presence), Lord, will I seek, inquire for, and require [of necessity and on the authority of Your Word].” Psa 27:8) AMP

Don’t struggle, just snuggle.  He’s waiting for you…right there where you are. 

Footnotes

¹ Lucado, Max. God Came Near: Chronicles of the Christ. [Portland, Ore.]: Multnomah, 1987. Print.

² Strong’s and Thayer’s definitions from: Meyers, Rick. Vers. 9.0.3. Franklin, TN, 2010. Computer software.  http://www.e-sword.net/. 

References

All Scriptures not specified are quoted from Life in the Spirit Study Bible (NIV). Stamps, Donald C., and John Wesley Adams. Life in the Spirit Study Bible: New International Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2003. Print.

All Scriptures marked AMP are quoted from "The Amplified Bible." BibleGateway.com: A Searchable Online Bible in over 100 Versions and 50 Languages. Web. 16 Dec. 2011. <http://www.biblegateway.com/>.

Discipleship Roadmap

“..until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and

become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” Eph 4:13

Life is like a journey and we are all on it.  Our journey as Christians has a destination, heaven.  However, this journey is unlike other journeys because we don’t prepare to go on the journey.  We prepare while we are on the journey for the journey’s end.  So how do we prepare?  We become disciples.  Why do we need discipleship?  It’s what creates solid Christians.  It’s not enough to be called a disciple.  We need to be a disciple.  Disciples are constantly growing into the likeness of the master.  Jesus taught and showed His disciples how to live.  I believe the church should do the same.  We should encourage each other to follow the great commandment and the great commission. 

Great Commandment

Mark 12:30–31  Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’  The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these

Great Commission

Matthew 28:18–20  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.”

How does the Church help with these?  I’m glad you asked.  That’s been the focus of leadership discussions for months now.  How do we create a Roadmap for Discipleship?  Do you ever wonder how to get “plugged in” at church?  Do you want to help but you’re not sure how to go about it?  Ever think about what it would take to disciple a new believer?  What is the proper output of the church?  These are just a few of the questions the leadership at church are asking themselves in an effort to better understand what a Roadmap for Discipleship should look like for our church. 

Why do we need a Roadmap?  A Roadmap charts possible courses to destination.  It shows certain legs of the journey, stops along the way, and things to avoid. A Roadmap assists you on your way to a destination.  Is it the only way to the destination?  No.  But it’s usually a tried way and it’s a common way for people to rally around.  It gets people headed in the same direction.  And direction is important because it determines outcome.

Here’s the Roadmap:  CONNECT, GROW, SERVE.  Seems simple, certainly memorable, but does it really map out Discipleship?  We think it does.  Here’s how we’re looking at it.

 First is “Connect” (Matt 7:7, Heb 10:24-25). We want to be connecting people with who we are and what we believe.  This could look like attending Sunday worship services, a home group, Next Generation Ministries, or new believers classes.  We want to get people connected with with the Lord,  each other and with the church.  We want new guests to create a connection with long time church attenders.  We want to create a connection like family, where you belong, are loved, and have a place where you fit in.

Second is “Grow” (2 Pet 3:18, Eph 4:15).  We want to help people grow up in maturity as a Christian, in short, to become Christ-like.  This could also be where we help people discover God-given spiritual gifts, talents, and skills.  Help them take inventory of life needs and develop a personal growth plan.   This plan vary from person to person including such items as attending classes on Water Baptism, Baptism in the Holy Spirit, Development of Spiritual Gifts, Addiction breaking, Marriage, Parenting, Theology, Bible Study, etc.  The goal is to help them mature in the areas where they feel like they could use help.

Last is “Serve” (1 Pet 4:10, Gal 5:13).  We want to help people understand that mature Christians have an output to their faith.  Christianity is not meant to be an input only proposition.  Serve is where could help people learn about servant-leadership by sharing expectations, values, and characteristics of servant-leaders.  We would teach them to lead by use of spiritual gifts, talents, and skills and to lead by lifestyle of commitment to live like Christ.  We would try to help them find a place to connect and grow in a place of service whether in the church or out in the community as “salt and light.”

We are excited about the Roadmap because it gives us a common vision to rally around.  Something to say when people ask, “So what is your church like?”  You might say, “Well, at our church we  Connect, Grow, and Serve. 

We Connect with each other as the Family of God.  We get Connected with the programs and ministries of the church. We seek to Connect in unity with the other evangelical churches in the area as well.

We Grow in relationship with each other, God and our beliefs.  We Grow in our Christ-likeness. 

And we Serve.  We Serve each other, the community, and the world though the gifts, talents, and strengths God has given us.”

The Roadmap lets us know what we are about and where we are going as a body.  It helps us understand what we are striving for.  It gives us a collective identity in the growing process.  Sometimes maturity can seem elusive.  Kind of like trying to quickly become more patient...but having a Roadmap, a methodology, a pattern to follow helps take some of the elusiveness out of it.  More like spending considerable time praying to be more patient, where you are learning to do it by actually doing it.  The Roadmap gives us some practical steps to follow to become more Christ-like.

We all find ourselves at different levels of Connecting, Growing, and Serving.  In one sense we move from Connect to Grow to Serve, but in another we are always Connnecting, Growing, and Serving. 

References

All Scriptures not otherwise specified are quoted from Life in the Spirit Study Bible (NIV). Stamps, Donald C., and John Wesley Adams. Life in the Spirit Study Bible: New International Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2003. Print.

God wants us to be Sanctified

“until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and

become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” Eph 4:13

Sanctification has multiple meanings.  “Sanctification means to make holy, to consecrate, to separate from the world, and to be set apart from sin so that we may have intimate fellowship with God and serve him gladly.”¹  In the OT, sanctification is pictured primarily in two ways—ceremonial rituals that picture holiness and obedience to the moral law of God.  In the NT, it is simply becoming Christ-like, a progression toward the goal of becoming like God and Christ.²  Where justification is a once for all action; sanctification has three states.  First, initial sanctification (or positional sanctification), which is similar to justification, is done once at salvation and complete for the believer (1 Cor 6:11, 2 Th 2:13).  Second, practical sanctification is the continuous process throughout the Christian’s entire lifetime where they choose to become like Christ.³  “A man is not considered holy because of the things he does not do.  Virtue cannot be judged by the vices from which a person abstains.  There must be a positive conformation to the Image of Christ.”⁴ (2 Th 2:13, 1 Th 5:23)  Third and last, there is final sanctification.  “Sinless perfection and being wholly sanctified await the Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.”⁵  

We are focusing here on practical sanctification.  “In both the NIV and NASB, ‘sanctify’ and ‘sanctification’ are translations of the same Greek words—hagiazo (‘to make holy’ or ‘to sanctify’)...Thus, the concepts of sanctification and holiness are related (sometimes identical)…”⁶  The OT focuses on sanctification as a setting aside of things as holy to the Lord, and the NT focuses on the believer setting aside himself as holy to the Lord.  When things were set aside for the Lord, two things happened.  First, these items were not to be used for ordinary purposes any more.  Second, they were to be used in the manner prescribed for holy duties.  In other words, their useful function changed from one thing to another.  The same happens for us as Christians our lives and bodies are set aside now as holy and used for different purposes as described by the Lord.  Here are some examples:

“Sanctification is here a matter of casting off evil practices (Rom 13:12), shunning immorality (1 Cor 6:18), putting off the old nature (Eph 4:22), putting away immoral conduct (Eph 4:25; Jas 1:21).  Laying aside every weight of sin (Heb 12:1)…In more intense imagery this becomes a putting to death of sin (Rom 8:13, Col 3:12, 14) or crucifying of it (Gal 5:24)….Also present is the imagery of not being conformed to a sinful lifestyle (Rom 12:1; 1 Pet 1:14).  

“The positive counterpart to putting off evil is putting on the good (Rom 13:12, 14; Eph 4:24; Col 3:12, 14).  The sanctified life is something one builds on the foundation provided by Christ (1 Cor 3:10-15).   Again, sanctification involves supplementing faith with virtue (2 Pet 1:5).  Sanctification involves producing something that was not present before—a concept implicit in pictures of sanctified conduct as fruit that is produced by a renewed nature (Gal 5:22-23; Phil 1:11)…Sanctification thus becomes a matter of maturing into adulthood and being no longer a child (Eph 4:13-14), of growing up (Eph 4:15), of growing in grace (2 Pet 3:18)…Because sanctification is contrary to the fallen state into which people are born and become acclimated, and because it is a process, the imagery of being transformed and renewed is used (Rom 12:2; Eph 4:23).  If we ask what such a transformed life actually looks like, we can do no better than to look at the passages know as paraenesis (exhortation)—commands in the form of lists of virtues to practice and vices to avoid (Rom 12:9-12; Eph 4:25-32; Phil 4:4-9; Col 3:12-17; 1 Thes 5:12-20; Heb 13:1-5).”⁷

Simply put, God wants us to be just like Jesus to “become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Eph 4:13), “to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Eph 4:22-24), and to “Be imitators of God, therefore as dearly loved children and live a life of love” (Eph 5:1-2).

Father, help us, as you helped Jesus, to do only what we see you doing.  Help us to quit using our lives and bodies for sin and to use them instead for holiness.  Help us to imitate you and to become mature in character so that we might have intimate fellowship with you and a servant’s heart which is overjoyed to serve at your beckoning.  To You be the glory!  Amen!

Footnote

¹ Stampss, Donald C., and John Wesley Adams. "Sanctificaiton." Life in the Spirit Study Bible: New International Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2003. 1988-1989. Print.

² Ryken, Leland, Jim Wilhoit, Tremper Longman, Colin Duriez, Douglas Penney, and Daniel G. Reid. "Sanctification." Dictionary of Biblical Imagery. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1998. 758-759. Print.

³ Duffield, Guy P., and N. M. Van Cleave. Foundations of Pentecostal Theology. Los Angeles: L.I.F.E. Bible College, 1983. 238-39. Print.

⁴ Duffield, 239.

⁵ Duffield, 242.

⁶ Richards, Larry. "Sanctify/Sanctification." Expository Dictionary of Bible Words. Grand Rapids, MI: Regency Reference Library, 1985. 542. Print.

⁷ Ryken,759.

References

All Scriptures not otherwise specified are quoted from Life in the Spirit Study Bible (NIV). Stamps, Donald C., and John Wesley Adams. Life in the Spirit Study Bible: New International Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2003. Print.

Justification is by Faith

“but now a righteousness from God, apart from the law, has been made known…

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace

through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” Rom 3:21, 23-24

God the Father sits in His courtroom behind the bench.  The bench is so elevated you cannot even see Him.  His credentials hang on the bench in front of you.  Nervously you begin reading: Perfect in Holiness (Lev 11:44; Ps 145:17; Mt 5:48; Rev 4:8, 15:4; 1 Pet 1:15-16; Isa 6:3), Righteous Judge (2 Tim 4:8; Ps 11:7, Jn 17:25, Isa 45:21; Jer 23:6), Just Judge (Ge 18:25; Isa 30:8; Job 34:12; Ps 103:6; 146:7), the Truth (Ex 34:6; Nu 23:19,\; Rev 16:7), Omniscient (Ps 147:5, 139:1-4; Heb 4:13, 11:36; 1 Jn 3:20), Omnipotent (Ps 115:3; 135:6; Lk 1:37; Jer 32:17), Omnipresent (Ps 139:7-8; Heb 13:5; Mt 28:20; Deut 31:6), Good (1 Chr 16:34; Nah 1:7; Ps 25:7, 34:8, 100:5, 145:9), Impartial ( 2 Chr 19:7; Dt 10:17; Acts 10:34-35; Rom 2:6, 2:11)  and on and on it goes.  Your eyes begin to blur and you cannot even begin to take it all in.

It slowly begins to dawn on you that you are seated in the presence of ABOSOLUTE PERFECTION.  There is a distinct sinking feeling from deep inside you.  Your own soul which seemed almost white to you before now is fading to a deep gray and then to utter blackness as you realize the incredible holiness in front of you.  Suddenly you remember your utter wretchedness; the deeds of your childhood come flooding in on you and then your adult life as well—and these were deeds for which you “knew better.”  The certainty of your sentence begins to weigh on you.  There is no way—no hope—that you could even begin to compare to His holiness.  You are, without-a-doubt, a law-breaker.  And you are very aware that it is His law you have broken. 

The Attorney’s door opens and in walks Jesus, alone (Rom 8:33-34; Isa 50:8-9).  Wait a minute, this cannot be right…isn’t Satan supposed to be the prosecutor?  Jesus walks over to your table and sits with you.  You rise to your feet as the bailiff announces the case, your case, he utters your name and then chimes in, a little too happy for your liking, “ vs. the Law of Almighty God.  Most Highly Exalted Father God, Creator of all that is, Sovereign Ruler over all, Omnipotent Potentate¸ and Righteous Judge presiding.” As Father God enters, your heart sinks as does your posture, in fact, you feel very week in the knees.  As you collapse into your seat and the trial starts, Jesus looks at you with a smile and then approaches the bench.  “Father this one is written in the book of life for this one has believed in me.” (Ex 32:32; Dt 29:20, Da 12:1; Mal 3:16; Lk 10:20: Rev 3:5, 20:12, 15)  The book is opened and your name is found.  You’ll never forget the Father’s next words as He makes pronouncement on the case—you have been justified by belief in Jesus Christ who has given you His own righteousness…You have been pronounced Righteous.  Praise the Lord!

In order to understand justification, we must first understand what is meant by the word “righteousness.”  “The NT [New Testament] uses righteousness in the sense of conformity to the demands and obligations of the will of God, the so-called ‘righteousness of the law.’”¹  “Righteousness is conceived as judged by the standard of God’s holy law, which is derived from His holy character…”²  So righteousness is the absolute conformity to God’s law and character (His holiness); it is to be faultless or guiltless.³

Interestingly, the Greek root word “dik” conveys “the essential idea of righteousness, or rightness.”⁴  Several Greek words use this same root. The Greek word for “righteousness” is “dikaiosyne” which means “the quality of rightness or justice”⁵  The Greek verb “dikaioo” means “to justify.”⁶  The Greek noun “dikaiosis” means “the act of making right, or justification.”⁷ So we seek the ideas of justification and righteousness are tied closely together.  The verb “dikaioo” is commonly used when speaking of justifying and it means “to acquit,” “to vindicate” or “to pronounce righteous.”⁸  In Romans, Paul evokes a scene from a courtroom in which God sits as judge on the judgment seat of God and makes the case for justification by faith. 

21 But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished-- 26 he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.  – Rom 3:21-26

The tenants of the case are as follows: (Please look up these Scriptures.)

1. God is just.  (He always does what is right.)  – Rom 3:26
2. The law makes us conscious of our sin.  – Rom 3:20
3. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (no one conforms absolutely to God’s law and character—no one is faultless or guiltless).  – Rom 3:23
4. No one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law.  – Rom 3:20
5. God is righteous.  – Rom 3:21
6. Man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.  – Rom 3:28
7. God is the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.  – Rom 3:26
8. God gives His righteousness to those who through faith in Jesus Christ trust in His atoning sacrifice as payment for their sins.  – Rom 3:22; 4:5; Phil 3:9

So justification is the process by which—through God’s redemption, freely by His grace—righteousness is imputed (or credited) to those who believe in Jesus Christ as a sacrifice of atonement for their sins.  – Rom 3:22,24-25; 4:21-25; 2 Cor 5:21

“Justification is the judicial aspect of the conversion experience in which the believer is viewed from God’s perspective.  God the Father, because of the atonement of Jesus Christ, imputes, or credits the righteousness of Christ to the believer. Paul says this “credited righteousness” is not really our own, but is Christ’s (Php 3:9).  God the Father sees believers wrapped in the perfect righteousness of Christ.  This is what allows God to accept mortals in his heaven—since no one can ever be good enough to merit heaven.  The term justification is best understood in the analogy of a courtroom.  Jesus Christ is our advocate, or attorney, who is able to present us before the Father as being credited with his righteousness.”⁹

Footnotes

¹ Milne, B. A. "Rigtheousness." The New Bible Dictionary. Second ed. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1962. 1031. Print.

² Buswell, JR., James Oliver. "Rigtheousness." The Zondervan Pictorial Bible Dictionary. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Pub. House, 1967. 723. Print.

³ Leitch, A. H. "Righteousness." The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible. Vol. 5. Grand Rapids: Regency Reference Library, 1976. 104. Print.

⁴ Buswell, 723.

⁵ Buswell, 723.

⁶ Ryken, Leland, Jim Wilhoit, Tremper Longman, Colin Duriez, Douglas Penney, and Daniel G. Reid. "Romans, Letter to the." Dictionary of Biblical Imagery. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1998. 735. Print.

⁷ Buswell, 723.

⁸ Richards, Larry. "Justify/Justification." Expository Dictionary of Bible Words. Grand Rapids, MI: Regency Reference Library, 1985. 373. Print.

⁹ Stamps, Donald C., and John Wesley Adams. "Biblical Words for Salvation." Life in the Spirit Study Bible: New International Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2003. 1733. Print.

References

All Scriptures not otherwise specified are quoted from Life in the Spirit Study Bible (NIV). Stamps, Donald C., and John Wesley Adams. Life in the Spirit Study Bible: New International Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2003. Print.