Reformed or Arminian- What Difference Does Theology Make?(Introductory Post)

Today I'm beginning what I think will become a series of articles regarding my own theological journey, and delving into Arminian and Reformed theology. I will admit at the outset that recently I have been finding myself drawn to classic Reformed theology. Yet I will also admit that further study on these topics will be of benefit and could lead me into different conclusions. Since I am but a beginner in this field, I will beg your indulgence.

But I am most concerned with the question of why thinking about these issues is important: does one's Christian theology (system of beliefs about the nature of God and other Bible truth)-- whether Arminian or Calvinistic-- make any practical difference in the way we live as believers? I know this topic can be controversial, however my aim is not to stir controversy but rather to analyze and explore these two main theological belief systems, Arminianism and Calvinism, with a view towards finding the good and beneficial in each, while guarding against the bad and detrimental.

I also believe the topic is important because popular teaching in the American church today seems to shy away from thinking deeply about the big questions of life, and likewise from digging into the rich truths of Scripture. Judging by much popular Christian teaching (whether from books, television ministries, or mega-churches) the American church seems mostly preoccupied with life in the "here and now", and with a Christianity that is utilitarian.

The Christian faith is immensely practical, but the practical truths it offers are not merely supposed to be Christianized version of worldly wisdom regarding such things as relationships, handling money, or success in life. I believe that it is only as we properly interpret the deeper truths in our faith, recognizing their divine source and empowerment, that we will be able apply Bible wisdom in a practical way to our marriages, our jobs, decisions, etc. Thus it is critical to develop a sound theology that properly interprets and applies bible truth, as a foundation upon which to build our lives. Wrong theology means wrong thinking about the nature of God and mistaken ideas about our faith-- these can range from minor errors on issues of relatively little consequence to complete heresy that will lead us blindly down a path of destruction...

In the New Testament Paul frequently warns and admonishes in his epistles regarding the importance of teaching of sound doctrine (1 Timothy 1: 10, 1 Timothy 6: 3, Titus 2:1).

In Titus 1: 9, Paul does not see the teaching of sound doctrine as a peripheral matter but as one of the chief qualifications and responsibilities of the "overseer" (leader in the church).

What are the theological underpinnings beneath popular Christian teaching today? Is there an Arminian flavor or foundation to them? Is current charismatic thinking influenced by Arminian beliefs? Does Calvinistic belief present a danger or something positive to those denominations that hold to it? These are the types of questions I will be raising.

My Theological Pilgrimage... so far

I have been a Christian almost a quarter of a century. Maybe I shouldn't admit to that fact, as perhaps I ought to be a lot more spiritually advanced than I am. My first church was a Baptist church in New York City, conservative theologically but moderate when it came to social prescriptions. In other words, unlike more conservative Baptist congregations, dancing, going to movies, make-up for women, drinking alcohol, kissing (or not) on a first date, etc., were seen as personal choices within the realm of Christian liberty.

My church had a few "Navigators" in it, and these "Navs" persuaded me to join a group doing The Navigators 2:7 (based on Colossians 2:7) book, a discipleship training course that took several years (with a few breaks) to complete. In the summer of 1985 I also attended a Navigator-run eight week training program in Syracuse, NY. All attendees were encouraged to trust God to help them find jobs in Syracuse so they could pay for their room and board (all were successful, by the way). The program included about 60 men and women, all living together in the same dorm (on different floors of course), and included Bible reading and study, quiet times, teaching on discipleship, and the admonition that we not date other trainees, at least for the duration of the summer. The experience in trusting God and the teaching I learned during this period was excellent and helped me grow in my understanding of God and of how to live as a Christian.

These were the start, as I now see it, of my theological formation. I was learning important truths, as well as learning and beginning to practice spiritual disciplines, but I hadn't ever really looked at all the truths I was learning as a whole package. If asked at that time, I would have had no clue whether I was "Calvinistic" or "Arminian" in my theology. I don't recall encountering much teaching about these theological systems at church, nor from the Navigator teachers; neither did the subject come up in conversation with Christian friends.

What I now realize is that the Baptist church I was attending did indeed have Calvinistic theological roots. I can recall now sermons that explained "total inability", and other Calvinistic concepts. But somehow, I never really delved into the subject very much on my own. Over the years (from 1984-2000) there wasn't much teaching in this church about such topics as healing for today, tongues, or prophecy, subjects I would later encounter regularly at the charismatic churches I began attending from 2001 forward. It hadn't troubled me that the church wasn't preaching on these topics, just as categorizing my beliefs according to a theological system didn't seem all that important to me either, at the time. However after marriage, and with my wife dealing with chronic illness, and also under the influence of certain friends and loved ones, we became interested in charismatic teaching. We were intrigued by its generally positive message, that God is for you and wants to bless you, and also the idea that gifts missing from the church for centuries-- like prophecy, miraculous healing, speaking in tongues-- were now being restored or re-discovered. We began to hear teaching about "healing in the Atonement", "positioning yourself for blessings", and about the notion that some problems may be caused by demons and that as Christians we could use our authority to cast out these demons and be delivered of the problems related to them. My wife and I found the messages new, appealing and hopeful.

Unanswered Questions

And yet, I had many unanswered questions. The phenomenon of tongues I had observed seemed like it could easily be self-induced, though for me it was a practice that did bring personal edification. My wife and I did encounter that which seemed to be demonic-- yet trying to cast out demons did not really seem to work, even when others with more experience than us were doing the "deliverance".

Healing in the Atonement?

On the issue of healing especially, I was confounded. If "healing is in the Atonement" (Christ's death on the Christ atoning for sin and its consequences, including, presumably, sickness), it would seem then that healing is guaranteed to all believers, as surely as forgiveness of sins is always granted our faith in the death of Christ on the cross. In fact teacher of this doctrine did imply that physical healing was likewise guaranteed. Yet, experience often seemed to go against the teaching. Earnest people I knew might pray for healing without receiving it. People seemed to deal with sickness and colds, no matter what their level of faith and practice of these doctrines. And of course I, like many, personally knew two sincere Christians who not only had not been healed, but had even succumbed to death at the hand of serious illness (cancer, rare brain tumor). Though apparently living Christian lives with no blatant sin and having sought the Lord diligently and passionately for healing, with others praying for them as well, these folks died. How was one to explain such cases? It seemed the answer coming from Pentecostal/Charismatic teachers was that there wasn't enough personal faith, or defective faith in the community. Or in the cases where someone had died prematurely, we were not discerning something about that person's life that the Lord could see (like hidden sin, or perhaps, future sin). I felt these answers placed a great burden of guilt and condemnation on those not healed-- after all, the implication was that their defective, small faith had led to the unfortunate results. Of course, teachers would acknowledge "mystery" in these events, but the charismatic view we were hearing still seemed to lean in the direction of explaining them as man's failure to exercise faith in such a way that God would have been prompted to act.

The Bottom Line

This seems to be the bottom line with this theology, and what troubles me about it-- the emphasis on getting God to act. Yes, such teaching states that we are only asking God to do what He has already promised He will do, or has given us authority to carry out. And yet in this way of approaching God, there seems to be this tendency-- that instead of relating to God as the all-powerful One from whom we take our marching orders; the One who sustains us in our utter dependency upon Him and who sovereignly orders our lives in keeping with His plans-- the charismatic instead seems to try to get God to act, rightly emphasizing man's responsibility to act on his faith, but in such a way that it seems an effort to manipulate God and may become a demanding, even presumptuous attitude towards Him. Now I'm not accusing all Charismatic/Pentecostals of this, I'm just observing this tendency among many popular teachers of this ilk, in the emphasis of their teaching: God wants you: prosperous and successful (spiritually, but also financially to be sure); healthy (not sick), fit (eating a God-ordained diet); to be a positive role model to the world through our "success in life" which demonstrates our obvious favor with God. On the positive side, this theology exhibits confidence in the goodness of God, and He is seen as One who desires (and has the power to) abundantly bless His people. However, on the negative side, there is the tendency to define blessing in terms of things going our way (the extreme being the so-called "health and wealth" gospel-- never getting sick and/or getting healed immediately, receiving promotions at work, getting financial blessings, having good relationships, etc.). There is little talk in this popular theology of the suffering and trials God uses to refine us, or more importantly, our obligation as "set apart" people to seek God's kingdom, holiness and righteousness in our lives. Sometimes teaching from this school does acknowledge that God disciplines us and shapes our faith through trials. However the framework is still man-centered-- you only undergo these trials because you haven't learned the particular lesson God is trying to teach you. In other words, God only lets these things happen to you because you are acting like a blockhead, but if you were doing right, you would be just sailing through life.

What's the big deal about theology?

What does all of this have to do with theology? I think, whether consciously or not, our behavior reflects our theology-- our beliefs about God's nature and about the Word and how He communicates to us. Now many if not most Christians I've known accept the Bible as the revealed Word of God and understand that we must be submit to its teaching as the standard for our lives and the final arbiter of truth. The Protestant Reformation was in large part about restoring the primacy of Scripture as the infallible, divinely-inspired authority, as opposed to the Roman Catholic Church or papal authority having such infallibility.

Yet even among those who agree that the Word is authoritative, there exists radical differences in biblical interpretation leading to widely varying conclusions about its meaning and application. Particular interpretations add up to a "theological world view", through which one reads Scripture and applies it. Ideally, we should come to the Bible with no pre-conceived theological system in our minds, instead allowing its truths to form whatever theological conclusions we may draw. Yet it seems that mankind, in its sinfulness and its weakness, is certainly fallible when in comes to interpreting the infallible Word. If even sincere Bible-believing Christians don't agree on interpretation and often draw different theological conclusions, shouldn't we just try to overlook or minimize such differences and work together where we do agree? There is some truth in this statement. Certainly Christians ought to exhibit humility, knowing that as flawed beings we will make mistakes in Scripture interpretation, and have as yet an imperfect understanding. We ought to respect our brothers and sisters in Christ as they, like us, attempt to come to a correct reading of Scripture.

The Need for Solid Theology in an Increasingly Secularized Age

Yet at the same time, we live in an era in which the necessity for a sure reading of Scripture and an un-compromised proclamation of its truth is, perhaps, the great need of the hour. As we battle an increasingly pervasive secular world view that says believing in God is outdated and unreasonable; and that only uninformed, unscientific, foolish people still believe in God, "truth" is being defined as that which can be measured or proven by science. Anything falling outside of this "provable" realm is considered opinion, and the are of religion has become relegated to personal preference, where one opinion is as good as the next-- "if it's true for you, that's great". Thus truth, if there is such a thing, say the secularists, is only to be found in observable facts that can be proven via scientific methods. All other "truth" is subjective, relative, unprovable. But scoffing at even the possibility that truth exists is not new. After all, Pilate asked Jesus "what is truth?".

Christians believe that God has revealed life-altering, critical truth about Himself, through the world He created, then deeper still through the divine revelation that is the Bible, and most fully through His Son, Jesus Christ, the One who is the embodiment of the Truth.

But even in the church there is an alarming tendency away from dependence upon the authority of Scripture as final truth. The "seeker-sensitive" approach to gaining converts makes growth in numbers, rather than preaching the unadulterated message of the gospel, its highest concern. Many who defend the truth of Scripture are relying more on statistics and surveys and polls to make their points, as if the truth of the Bible must be validated by worldly methods. As mentioned earlier, popular Christianity, from T.D. Jakes to Joel Osteen to Joyce Meyer to Benny Hinn, over-emphasizes the "now" benefits of Christianity ("Your Best Life Now"), rather than sounding the primary battle cry that we must learn to serve God in holiness, with an eye on heavenly rewards. Many charismatics and Third-wave teachers increasingly emphasize new revelation, declaring new "prophecies" that seem to threaten the primacy of the authority of Scripture in the life of the church. "Hearing God" directly through impressions and inner promptings has become a popular way of approaching God or seeking His will, but is it truly biblical? And for many, worship has become primarily about experience-- good worship being measured by how it feels emotionally, and great worship being when one feels the "presence of God" in some tangible, physical, mystical way.

This long introduction brings me at last to the themes I want to explore, whether there may be a connection between the Arminian way of thinking (which seems to have become dominant in the American church), and the developments in the church described above, some of which are alarming. Or is there a Calvinistic mindset that lies underneath some of these dangerous trends?

I must leave this further discussion to my next article.

Tags: Arminianism vs. Calvinism, Reformed Theology, Arminian Theology, Popular Christianity, doctrine

The Darkness Within My Own Heart: Regarding the Michael Richards Incident

By now you have heard about actor Michael Richard's ("Kramer", of Seinfeld fame) recent racist diatribe against two hecklers at a comedy club where he was doing his stand-up routine. Flustered, Richards lost his temper and began screaming and hurtling racist insults at the two African-Americans. Certainly the language Richards used in personally attacking these people cannot be condoned in a civilized society-- moreover, on the street, these kinds of words can get people killed. Yet while Richard's words were certainly horrific, it seems to me that there is a kind of self-righteous hypocrisy in the standards people use to condemn the "celebrity" (not too long ago, Mel Gibson and his anti-Semitic tirade were a target) caught making such an outburst.

Because I would venture to say that all people have both good and bad impulses in them. Who among us has not at one time or another harbored dark thoughts, or worse yet, acted upon our baser impulses? Have you ever cursed someone on the highway, been a "road rage" maniac, picked a fight with someone, cursed a telecommuter, not given up your seat on the bus for an elderly person or pregnant woman, etc, etc? I am not excusing or justifying any of these actions; I am only saying that we live in a society full of people, including ourselves, who, in thousands of incidents every day, give vent to rage or selfishness or evil in all the myriad forms that the sinful human heart produces.

Yet because we are made in the image of a holy God, I think there is something deep within us-- I call it God-given conscience-- that recognizes that acting upon the evil impulses within makes us into something less than we can or ought to be. And we desire to curb and to fight such impulses, because the Creator has told us that we must love our neighbor as ourselves. In order to do so, we must war against the selfishness and darkness we find within ourselves. In doing so we will become the noble creatures we were created to be, capable of expressing honor and love and goodness.

Would any of us want to be judged and forever defined by a single particularly bad incident or evil act in our lives? And whatever evil impulses we have actually acted upon, there are probably far worse thoughts we have secretly entertained, perhaps reasoning that thinking it is not as bad as doing it. However the standard of a holy God is not only that we refrain from the evil act, but also that we not even entertain the evil thought, the thought being the father of the deed. With such a standard, is there any among us not guilty of sin? What if our ugly, secret thoughts were publicly broadcast? Is there any among us with mind and heart so clean that they would volunteer for such an airing?

So yes, as a society that aspires to be decent and good, let us not allow reprehensible and evil deeds to go unchecked, but let us also extend grace to our neighbor, knowing that the evil within his heart that causes him to sometimes do awful things is the same evil that is within me, and could result in the same acts in my life, but for the grace of God.

And it is the grace of God to which we must turn, if we are to escape the curse of the sinful human heart. On this Thanksgiving Day, let us thank the Lord that he did not leave us in this world without a remedy to this age-old problem, but sent His Son Jesus Christ to become our sin-bearer, the One who takes away the sin of the world. Only in Him will we find the freedom we are searching for.

Tags: Michael Richards, sinful human heart, grace, grace of God, Jesus Christ, Thanksgiving Day, thanksgiving

About the New Labels at Jordan's View

As mentioned in the previous post, Blogger Beta allows posts to be categorized using a "labels" system, similar to the way Google's Gmail allows one to apply labels to each message. I hope the system will prove to be helpful for readers looking for areas of particular interest to them as they peruse this blog.

So here's a quick rundown of each of the labels-- the label name/link, followed by what's included under each:

About Jordan's View/ Blogging

Included here are any posts referring to new developments here in Jordan's View, or on the subject of blogging in general.

Blips on the Blogosphere

This was a series of posts dealing with interesting posts I had encountered on other blogs and wanted to bring to readers' attention. I hope to be able to continue this series.

Blogging tools

This section is about tools used in the writing of blogs.

Christian Carnival

The Christian Carnival is a gathering of blog posts that each week is hosted by a different blogger. Its aim is to highlight interesting Christian blogging by bringing together in one place an assortment of writings. It can give you a good sense of the pulse of the Christian blogosphere. In this section I was basically announcing or directing readers over to the Carnival.

Christian Carnival (hosted at Jordan's View)

These were the Christian Carnivals that I hosted here at Jordan's View.

Christianity

Any posts dealing with Christianity, though most of my posts will be labeled more precisely than this.

Christianity and Science

Any posts dealing with the relationship of Christianity and scientific inquiry.

Cultural Commentary

This is a broad label including posts dealing with culture (mostly American), current issues, analysis of trends and more.

Discipleship

Posts dealing with how to be a better disciple/follower of the Lord Jesus, growing in maturity and faith.

From Me to You

Posts of a more personal nature

GodBlogCon2005

Posts referring to GodBlog Con 2005, which was the first ever Christian "God bloggers" conference and was held at Biola University last fall. GodBlogCon2006 recently took place but I did not have a chance to attend.

Humor

My attempts to make you or myself laugh.

Marriage

Posts on marriage-- I need to write a few more of these.

Reformed Christianity

I think I may be writing a lot more on this topic in the future.

Reviews

My book and movie or any other kinds of reviews

Theological Musings

I will likely be trying to write more of these types of articles as I reflect on theological concerns.

Utilizing the Internet

Anything that helps one to better utilize the great resources on the Internet.

Why I Am a Christian

Any posts that express or defend the faith, either as personal testimony or as a broader apologetic.

Tags: Jordan's View, labels, Blogger Beta features, categories

Boldly Switching to Blogger Beta

Update: 11-20-06: Haloscan comments and trackback have now been restored (hurray!), thanks to the assistance of Matt Hayward, who was kind enough to assist me personally when I got stuck applying his solution. Now I just have to get rid of the Blogger comments that also appear. Also, check out the "Multi-Style Labels", which functions as my new "categories" section. Click on any of the three buttons to change the style/view of the labels. This ingenious hack to the Blogger Beta template comes from Ramani at Hackosphere... plus, in more news, I am working on a NEW post, really I am...

Update 11-18-06:
Well I'm happy to report that creating label "categories" in beta Blogger was not as daunting or time-consuming as I assumed it would be, since you don't have to individually edit every post, but can create labels and apply them to multiple posts from the dashboard. So the blog is basically updated, in terms of post categories, resource links and basic look. I will be tweaking it, of course, and again, that's the nice thing about the Beta version-- it's a lot easier to move things around.

Now the only serious issue remaining is transferring my old comments/trackbacks from Haloscan here. It seems Haloscan is working on an official solution that will be posted soon. So in the meantime I'll relax and let them do their job while I get back to writing ...


Update 11-17-06:
I have been hard at work trying to restore all my resource links and get the blog looking and functioning as I'd like it to. Personally I'm happy with the three column template and the bolder look. Blogger Beta definitely makes it easier to create link lists, and the layout can easily be changed. Also publishing is a snap, just click and it's updated.

However, I have not figured out if there is a way to carry over previous comments/trackbacks my blog had via Haloscan. Apparently there is a "hack" for this but implementing it successfully has eluded me thus far.

Also I expect the task of re-categorizing my posts will be time-consuming, since I'm pretty sure I will have to apply labels to all my old posts, in order to do so.

Let me know what you think of the new layout/look. If you care to, you can comment via email to jordansview@gmail.com, rather than here, since I'm not sure if I will keep the Blogger beta comments system or try to restore the Haloscan system.

Besides all this, I am busy writing a real post :)... and hope to have it up shortly.

11/16/06
Although you probably can't tell, I have already switched this blog over to the new Google Blogger Beta platform, which offers improved functionality to Blogger blogs. The new system is supposed to make it easier to quickly change the layout of the blog, to publish posts, and best of all, to categorize posts by using labels-- a feature not previously offered in Blogger. So far, so good.

However, I haven't yet updated my original blog template using the new Blogger Beta tools, because I'm trying to figure out if, and how, I will be able to keep the many customizations I have made. For example, even though Blogger did not previously offer a way to categorize posts, through web research I figured out a way of creating categories for each post. The task was a bit cumbersome, involving modification of my template each time I wanted to place a particular post in a category. What I'm not sure of is how the old categories I created will work within the new "labels" system of Blogger Beta. I may be forced to delete all the posts that I had created to function as "categories".

Still, I hope to come out of this with a fresh new look, and with a blog that's easier for me to use. I'm hoping too that the site will be easier to navigate, as I expand into 3 columns rather than 2 to better accommodate my many links.

Let's hope the experiment works! (I will back-up my old template, just in case)...

P.S. Also please excuse the look of the blog as I work out all the kinks with links, comments, etc.

Tags: Blogger Beta, Haloscan, Labels as Categories

A Very Brief Post

Dear friends

Since announcing about 2 weeks that I would be returning to Jordan's View I have been wanting to post, but I find myself battling a strange, prolonged achiness and malaise that has been completely exhausting me.

I am perplexed as to what it is, since I don't ever recall experiencing such extreme achiness for such a long duration before. I hope it is nothing more than a bacterial infection or virus that will run its course. A visit to the doctor the other day did not clear up the mystery though. However I was prescribed and have now been taking an antibiotic.

Please do keep me in your prayers as I have become a little worried, not knowing what is behind all this.

Blessings to you,

Alex

P.S. Update 11/14/06 I have confirmed with a specialist that I do have tendinitis and I'm now wearing a splint on my left arm, under the wrist. Arm is still a painful and stiff. I'm supposed to wear the splint for a couple of weeks. Other aches seem to be better. Thanks to God and thanks for your prayers! I am at work on a new post....

Update 11/9/06: I'm continuing to battle with ailments: one which seems to be tendinitis in my left arm, which makes it difficult for me to use the computer. Then I still have some body aches that seem related to a virus. Please keep me in your prayers, as I am anxious to return to Jordan's View. Blessings.

Beyond the Jordan

Well, at long last I think it's time to return to Jordan's View. I plan on easing back into blogging though, not putting pressure on myself to post constantly. I know there's still a danger of allowing the writing and maintenance of the blog to draw me away from higher priorities.

Nevertheless after many months of not blogging (except for a few posts here and there), I feel I have gained some perspective on the place blogging may have in my life.

So I resume blogging with a vision that my blog may join together with the voices of other Christian websites in proclaiming the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ-- and therefore, function as salt and light in this world.

I have also been reflecting again on the personal benefits of blogging. Rightly pursued, blogging can be a discipline that reminds me to watch my life carefully, that I might live up to the high ideals espoused here. However, I will make this disclaimer right at the outset: I know that as a flawed being my blog will often fail to live up to the high calling of Christ. It will fall short, because of my sin. But in this I gave all the more praise to God, who can use me and this blog despite my sinful shortcomings.

While being an ambassador for Christ is a universal call for His followers, each has been sovereignly assigned certain gifts. I believe that the gifts God distributes provide divine clues about our particular roles.

Viewing my gifting in this light, I see blogging as a natural fit. My gifts and interests have led me to consider such vocations as that of musician, worship leader, writer, speaker, teacher, minister. I trust that as I seek God while working on this blog, God will sharpen my ability to follow His call and give me the wisdom and power to pursue what is best. Even more important though, is the pursuit of God Himself. Jesus says, "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness". Walking humbly with the Lord, being obedient to the teaching of the Word as illuminated by the Spirit, depending moment-by-moment on His strength-- are all part of this seeking.

In months to come I hope that this site will be distinguished by:

• Reflective, well-written articles


• Well-organized, regularly updated Christian resource links


• Podcasts of my songs and original songs available for purchase

I would like to write articles that:

• Delve deeply into the implications of the gospel for every area of life


• Grapple with theological questions and convictions I am currently working out in my own thinking


• Analyze and comment upon cultural trends from a Christian viewpoint


• Provide personal Christian reviews of movies and books

Will I get to all of these? Perhaps not. It may be that this blog should limit the topics it covers even more sharply. But I'm looking forward to blogging again, under the vision I've described. I've titled this post "Beyond the Jordan"-- because I believe this blog should go beyond just my view on things, and hopefully reflect something of the truth that I only discover, but God originates and kindly reveals.

Update From Mr. Jordan

To friends and followers of this blog:

I appreciate very much that many of you have been checking in on me. It's very encouraging to see that despite the fact that I haven't posted in a while, people have felt that there was something of value here and have come back. So I'm writing this post to update you all on what's been happening for me recently. Actually I'm a feeling quite inspired again, but still don't feel ready to jump back into blogging. This has been a season of deeper evaluation of my theological beliefs as well as seeking the Lord for future direction.

You see, for the last few years my wife and I had been attending Pentecostal/Charismatic churches (two). Especially because of my wife dealing with illness, we were drawn to the bold message of healing often proclaimed by this type of church. With the calling away of our pastors to Florida, the home church we were attending came to a sudden, unexpected close, and we began looking for another church. But it was at this time I realized that my unresolved questions about the doctrines of healing we had been hearing, coupled with other questions about charismatic practice and my consideration of reformed theology, was perhaps leading me in a different direction.

Partly this had to do with my previous year of blogging, in which I was often exposed to much Reformed thinking. I found myself in agreement with many Reformed people about various issues, and also in much of their critical analysis of the American church. So recently I have been doing further reading and investigation into reformed theology. What bothered me before is that many reformed bloggers/teachers are cessationists. And since to this point I've not been convinced by the biblical arguments of those who argue that charismatic gifts such as tongues, prophecy, healing are no longer valid today, I continue to believe that these gifts are possible today. If so, I long to see fuller expressions of such gifts in myself, and in the the body of Christ. Yet because of my unanswered questions I feel that I can only be confident in pursuing these gifts, personally and corporately, by developing a solid doctrinal understanding of how these gifts should function today.

So I have also been contemplating further theological study, perhaps formal, and considering the possible ways God might be calling me to develop/use my gifts in music, writing and teaching to serve Him more fully. I have long felt I would be happier and more productive doing something more full-time in these areas, especially in some kind of Christian context. With all this on my mind, I have also been considering how it is that a Christian should make important decisions. Should I be seeking direct revelation of God's individual will to me, via some kind of impression or vision? Or should I ask God for wisdom to make good choices, given my circumstances, opportunities, and the application of biblical priorities/principles? As a result I have been re-reading a number of books/articles regarding God's will, mostly from a more reformed viewpoint.

One thing I do concur on very strongly with Reformed thinkers is the sufficiency of Scripture for figuring out these sorts of questions. I certainly don't want to put myself in a position of not being open to God's supernatural direction through, let's say, a vision. But at the same time, I don't want to delay making important decisions in order to wait upon a more personal revelation from God--if in fact waiting for such revelation is not biblically supported or necessary.

So, as you can see, there's a lot on my mind these days, but I'm trusting that this season will bear fruit in terms of helping me to sharpen my pursuit of God's call on my life, that I may love and serve Him more productively.

Faith continues to progress slowly in her healing, with her energy levels better in these past few months. She also has not been working as she has sought to be closer to the Lord. Please continue to pray for her complete healing, for our marriage, and for the wisdom and clarification of future mission that I have been diligently seeking after.

Blessings to all of you in the name of Jesus Christ!

Alex

I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

The band U2 titled one of their most memorable tunes "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For". I remember wondering what they meant at the time (mid 80's), since many in the Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) world claimed U2 as one of their own. I wondered how one could be an enthusiatic, joyful follower of Christ and yet be singing those words.

Today I view their words as an honest expression of what they were experiencing at the time-- whether their words reflect upon the sincerity of their faith or commitment to Christ, I don't know.

I know that right now I feel I can say the same words-- I still haven't found what I am looking for-- about my life, particularly in terms of finding my vocation.

It has been 30 days since I last posted. My intention in abstaining from blogging during this time has been to re-think my purposes, not only for this blog, but also for my life.

I realized I was doing far too much blogging and reading of blogs in a reactionary way, and that what I had to say on Jordan's View wasn't necessarily coming from the core of who I am. But I felt that the Lord would have me be more pro-active, that I should order my priorities and my activities according to a clear sense of my particular mission, and that my blog should reflect this.

And so for about a month or so, I have not posted here, nor have I done my usual reading of many other blogs. I've felt a bit guilty about this, feeling that I was somehow letting someone down. Nevertheless I felt it was the right thing to do-- I needed to quiet my soul and seek God first.

So what I have discovered thus far?

Well, I think that the blogosphere has continued onward quite merrily and happily without my presence, and though I have missed it, I have found myself feeling peaceful and content without the "pressure" of blogging. That pressure was self-imposed, in the sense that I have the choice on any given day whether or not to participate in the blogosphere, nevertheless, viewing blogging as a ministry, I have felt a certain obligation to maintain the quality and output of this blog.

But I know that in order to not waste time, to be fruitful, and to be true to God's calling, I must define my personal mission statement. Such a statement will help me to determine what role blogging should play in my life and ministry. I am not quite there yet, and realize that it takes time and much reflection to figure these things out. Besides, I'm quite sure that even with some of the particulars defined, there will be future refining of this mission statement. Still, I feel a need to call a halt to activity as I seek God and reflect on such matters.

I continue with the faith that if I should return to blogging, it will be with a renewed, re-invigorated sense of energy and purpose borne from this time of reflection and seeking of God.

Happy Resurrection Sunday!

Dear friends:

I hope your celebration of Easter this past Sunday was both meaningful and full of joy (I know mine was)! I spent this past Easter Sunday in fellowship with the good people of Trinity Church International, the Bayside church that my wife and I call home, and was really encouraged by the entire service. I also had the opportunity to sing a song during the Communion, which was a great honor and seems to have blessed the service. Afterward, I drove my wife to the airport She has flown down to Florida to spend a week and a half long vacation/visit with her family in Florida. I remain here in New York-- my intention being to seek the Lord and also get my home office space organized (including assembly of a new desk and chair I recently purchased on-line, and which have been delivered today).

Recently, the faithful pastors of our church, Bob and Nancy, felt God calling them to a new work, one that will entail them moving down to Florida. Though God has not yet revealed to them all the specifics of His new call for them, Pastors Bob and Nancy are certain that God is telling them to leave New York.

So this past Sunday's Easter celebration had a bittersweet quality, as it included the last sermon Pastor Bob will preach to our congregation. Next Sunday, we are scheduled to have our final service as a church-- and Pastor Bob will not preach a sermon. The service will instead contain congregational testimony about what God has done in our lives during the time we have fellowshipped together. Afterward, there will be a fellowship around a "pot-luck" meal. I'm looking forward to our gathering, thought I anticipate this meeting too will be bittersweet. Unfortunately my wife will not be able to attend this last special service, as she will not yet be back from her time away in Florida (we scheduled her travel plans long before hearing the recent news that our pastors would be leaving).

I want visitors and regulars coming to Jordan's View to know that I have taken a brief sabbatical from writing, as I seek the Lord about the future, and also try to get myself very organized, as mentioned above. I am in the midst of writing a post inspired by the cross and its significance, and (God-willing) will begin regular posting again shortly.

Please keep us Faith and me in your prayers during this time of seeking the Lord.

I trust that all is well with you, my visiting friends. May the Lord continue to show His mercy, kindness and faithfulness to all who seek Him.

The Lord is good!

Yours in Christ,

Alex

Christian Carnival: March Madness Gone Mad Edition

Suddenly, Festus shouted, "Paul, you are insane. Too much study has made you crazy!"

But Paul replied, "I am not insane, Most Excellent Festus. I am speaking the sober truth. Acts 26: 23-25, NLT

Personally I don't have "March Madness" (the kind that's related to basketball, anyway), but I am quite mad, in my own special way (aren't you?--see quote above).

Anyway, March Madness Gone Mad Christian Carnival is up (at last-- kept checking yesterday but couldn't find it) over at ...in the outer blog. I have a post represented, in all the truthful "madness".

A Theological Question

Yesterday, I received by email this theological question from a woman seeking a viewpoint on the issue of whether the baptism of the Holy Spirit is something required for salvation. I was quite honored that this person, though we are unacquainted, apparently felt I could provide some enlightenment on this question, and I felt from reading her message that the issue was kind of urgent for her-- so I sent her a response by email right away. I think that the question she raised is an interesting one, and I asked her permission to post her question and my response here, which she has kindly granted.


Hello Alex...

I have done a search for an answer you likely would be able to enlighten me (about).

I am a born again, baptized believer and am part of the United Methodist church. There's been a real moving of the Spirit in our church.

Heading straight to my question, I'm asking what the thinking is on a believer who has not received the "baptism of the Holy Spirit" - and whether they go to heaven or not? I'd never heard one wouldn't until yesterday. This was in my home church and said by my pastor.

I've taken proper steps today by contacting his secretary to make an appointment to discuss this. She has not called me back yet, but she will. I'm pretty sure my pastor had a funeral to do today.

He told the congregation about the Sunday prior; many received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, evidenced by tongues, many slain in the spirit and healings. That wasn't really news to me. However, the next statement WAS. And I did find it disturbing. He said, "unless you've been baptized in the Holy Spirit, you'll be left behind". I played that sentence over in my head several times. Never had I heard that and I even thought surely he didn't mean "not going to heaven" left behind. However, I phoned my friend and asked her if she thought he meant just that. She is our pastoral care pastor and she said 'yes', that is what he means. I said, "how can he say that?"

Needless to say, I may sound off base by contacting you, but I truly would like another viewpoint. I'm open to whatever you explain. It doesn't mean I'll take it as the final word, but I honestly will appreciate your input. I know I don't know you. I have no intention to make a fuss over it in any manner except to get it straight in my own heart, mind and spirit. It does concern me to hear this as I know my husband has not received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. He was baptized as a young believer, but I'm sure my pastor speaks of a different baptism. I know he is talking [about] 'one and the same' baptism.

If you are free and can reply, I'd appreciate it. Again, if this is not what you 'do', then please excuse this intrusion. I know God will supply the answer soon enough.

Blessings,

Jan Partin


Dear Jan:

I thank you for the excellent question, and will try to give you a biblical answer.

First off, I would say right away that this is an area where sincere Christians disagree. Many believe that the "baptism in the Spirit" refers to the moment we are converted and we receive the Spirit:

"For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink (I Cor 12:13)"

Jesus told Nicodemus that to be born again, one must be "born of the Spirit".

"I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit (John 3: 5-8)"

So entering the kingdom of God means being born of the Spirit--- some also interpret this to mean the same thing as being "baptized in the Spirit".

However, classic Pentecostal and Charismatic belief is that there is a "baptism in the Holy Spirit" that is an experience subsequent to conversion, and often manifests speaking in tongues, although there is debate as to whether or not tongues must always be part of the experience. Those that argue for this kind of baptism in the Spirit usually look at the examples of various individuals in the book of Acts. It seems that some of these examples show people who were already believers then receiving a baptism in the Holy Spirit.

The disciples certainly had a progressive experience of receiving the Spirit. Before Pentecost, I think that they were definitely converted, as we see in Jesus' prayer for them in John 17:

"I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. 8 For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. 9 I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. 11 I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name—the name you gave me—so that they may be one as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled. 13 "I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. 14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world."

This passage clearly shows that they the disciples had been chosen --that they belonged to God--and none of them was to be lost, except for Judas. Jesus also said that the disciples are "not of the world"-- in other words, they have been born from above-- "born of the Spirit" (John 3). Yet later on, these disciples who already belonged to God would also receive the "promise that was to come" -- a baptism "with the Holy Spirit" which Jesus Himself promised them (Acts 1:4-5).

Is the pattern by which the disciples received the Holy Spirit normative for today? That is perhaps a question for another time. For now I'd like to answer this question, which is relevant to our topic:

What is required for someone to be born of the Spirit or born from above, becoming a child of God?

John 1:12 says:
"Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God"

I John 5: 1, and also verses 11-12 tell us:
"Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well... And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life."

Paul taught the Galatians:

"Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father." So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir (Galatians 5: 6-7)"

"I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? (Gal 3: 2)"

"You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ (Gal 3:26-27)"

So it is very simple, whoever believes in (puts their trust in Jesus Christ) receives His life, becomes a child of God and has received the Spirit, having been baptized into Christ.

Now as to whether this person has, as a result, already been "baptized in the Spirit", or may later receive an experience of being "baptized in the Spirit" in which they speak with tongues and receive a special infilling of the Spirit, are matters that are debated all the time, even among Pentecostals and Charismatics who do believe in a later experience of "baptism in the Holy Spirit".

From the passages above, I think that the Bible is very clear on what it takes to be saved, whereas what one believes about the doctrines of the baptism of the Holy Spirit depend upon how one interprets certain passages of Scripture-- and these interpretations have been debated for hundreds of years. Therefore I would argue that it is possible to be a true believer and yet to not have experienced what many define as the "baptism of the Holy Spirit." Indeed, most Pentecostals have traditionally argued that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is something that happens to believers-- a second experience of receiving the Spirit that follows the initial experience of receiving the Spirit at conversion.

So your pastor's pronouncement that people who have not been "baptized in the Spirit" [according to his understanding and definition of the term] are not saved, seems to go beyond the scriptural requirements for being saved, which is repenting and believing on Jesus Christ. It also seems to contradict the usual teaching in Pentecostal circles that it is believers who receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit in the first place.

After hearing Peter's great sermon on the Day of Pentecost, the people were "cut to the heart" and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" Peter told them:

"Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call (Acts 2:39-39)"

So for Peter, the gift of the Spirit was something to be received upon believing, repenting and being baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.

We are commanded in Ephesians 5:18: "be filled with the Spirit". Since this is a command of Scripture, it must be something we as believers can do. Some of the results of this filling include the following:

"Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ (Eph 5: 19-21)"

Right now, I am re-reading book titled Absolute Surrender by Andrew Murray (Note: the edition I'm reading, from Christian Literature Crusade- 1978, is slightly different than this web version I've linked to). He was a great preacher and teacher from the last century, whose sermons and addresses have been published in book form. Mr. Murray's argument in the book is that Jesus requires our absolute surrender, and that it is in fully surrendering our lives to Jesus that we open the way for the Holy Spirit to come and take full possession of us. This makes a lot of sense to me, and Mr. Murray makes his case on biblical grounds.

So my belief is that when we believe on Jesus Christ we receive Him, His Life, in the form of the Holy Spirit, to dwell in us. This is what it means to be born again of the Spirit. However, the potential is there to be filled with the Spirit, and indeed, this should be our goal as Christians, since it is commanded. I think that this involves not only putting away the sins that so easily entangle us (Hebrews 12:1), but also, surrendering ourselves fully to God. But what the experience of being filled will look like in different people I think varies. Some may fall down, some may speak in tongues, some may have visions, some may prophesy. But Paul, inspired by the Spirit, says that the "greatest of these is love".

"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing (I Corinthians 13: 1-3)"

Paul is saying that spiritual experiences are not as important as loving others. A life lived in the Spirit isn't necessarily characterized by dynamic, spectacular experiences. The fruit of the Spirit should be manifest in anyone who claims to be filled with the Spirit:

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other (Gal 5: 22-26)"

Personally, I want to go deeper in the Lord and have a fuller experience of His Spirit, that I may know God better and love others more deeply, because according to Christian teaching-- as seen in Paul's letters and of course in our Lord's instructions-- that's what Spirit-filled living is really all about. Thank you for writing, your question convicts and challenges me as well.

Blessings to you in Christ's name,

Alex

Book Reviews Coming Shortly

As mentioned in a previous post, I'm going to try my hand at reviewing books here at Jordan's View. The first two books I intend to review in the near future are titled The Barbarian Way, by Erwin Raphael McManus and The Slumber of Christianity: Awakening a Passion for Heaven on Earth, by Ted Dekker. Interestingly, the two books, both sent to me from Thomas Nelson publishing, deal with a similar topic-- both look at the state of the church today, and both present a vision of what the church ought to be, challenging the reader to become more passionate in the pursuit of Christ.

I'm glad to be reading these kinds of books at the moment-- they're just what the doctor (Holy Spirit, that is) ordered. Be on the look out for the reviews to be posted within the next week and a half.

Blips on the Blogosphere 8

Cerulean Sanctum: Battling Testaments!
Is the New Testament at odds with the Old Testament? Dan Edelen notes that some seem to emphasize one testament over the other, but argues that the church ought to be a "Whole Bible" church.

the evangelical outpost: Soul Mates and Manly Men
Joe Carter's advice for the lovelorn is very funny and tongue-in-cheek, and there's truth in it as well.

Phases of a Relationship with Blogging | Mark Rivers
This post reminds of my own blogging journey and recent post, My Life As a Blog.

Fundamentalism, the ECM, Authentic Christianity, False Apostles, Deceitful Workers, Angels of Light—and a Coda for Adrian about "Tone"
Phil Johnson has a lot to say here. Some great points about how to argue biblically (as opposed to in a PC way) in the blogosphere.

Making Disciples: Teach Them To Obey
A good word from a bold NYC pastor, who also happens to be my biological brother.

My Life As a Blog

In February of 2005 (I think it was February 11th, to be exact), I posted my first article on this blog. For me, blogging was an experiment-- I wasn't necessarily planning to become a blogger. The fact that one could start a blog in minutes using Blogger software made it very easy to start -- here I had written this little piece about Paul McCartney that I was calling A New Rock and Roll Spirit?, and in just 10 minutes I was publishing it for the entire world to see. It really is an amazing technology, when you stop and think of it.

I wasn't even a regular blog reader at the time. I had Chuck Colson's "Breakpoint" bookmarked as a homepage, and modeled my blog after that site-- Christian cultural commentary, but with a personal touch.

But as I continued blogging I started to realize its potential as a communication tool, one that gave me complete creative control (how often do you get that!), and one which could be used to try to make an impact on the world. As Christians we have a mandate to be "salt" and "light" in a decaying and dark world, and I was discovering that bloggers could use their influence for good.

I began visiting blogs, mostly Christian, noting the way others were blogging. There were the pundit-type blogs that make quick points, present many links, and seem to throw many bits of information at you. Then there were blogs with longer, more reflective articles. There were scholarly blogs, often written by professors or pastor-theologians, and more personal "journal" blogs, documenting the details of people's daily lives. Some blogs featured truly excellent writing, others were less articulate.

I went to the first-ever God Blog Conference, and met many like-minded folk. I was impressed with the caliber of people I met there-- men and women of great intelligence-- erudite, articulate and desirous of using their ample gifts to make an impact for Christ.

I asked myself: what kind of blog did I want to be? I decided one way I could be of service was to make my blog a good resource, since I'm good at researching and finding things on the Internet. So I created resource links, many of which I developed simply by using some of the hundreds of sites I already had bookmarked in my own travels on the web.

As I began posting various articles, I've wanted to discover my specific niche in the Christian blogosphere. I tend to write best by bringing a philosophical/theological bent to my musing about say, the message of John Lennon's song, Imagine. A songwriter/musician myself, I like to talk about the creative process. I enjoyed writing a review of Paul McCartney's last album, Chaos and Creation in the Backyard. In another post, I analyzed more deeply one of the songs from that album, Follow Me, delving into the spirituality of Mr. McCartney. I discovered the Christian Carnival, a weekly gathering of posts from various Christian bloggers from a wide range of denominations and perspectives, and had the privilege of twice hosting the carnival (#96 and #110), here on Jordan's View.

Still, I'm not sure I have yet found my niche completely. But even more important, I have wanted, and still want, my blog to be integrated with my life and calling. I do not want it to become a distraction away from whatever God is doing in and through me, but hopefully, to be a helpful, even spiritual discipline I can use to help me discover and pursue that calling.

Many of the blogs I have been drawn to over the past year are written by bloggers who are reformed in their theology, and I have admired their sharp writing and strong Scripture-based arguments. Yet, as I continue to hammer out my own theological beliefs, I must admit I don't find myself able to fully embrace the five points of Calvinistic theology (T-U-L-I-P), though there are some ideas there that I do find convincing. I have followed the blogosphere debate between cessationists and continuationists on the matter of spiritual gifts for today-- and come out feeling that the cessationists have not proven their case (at least in my mind)-- yet also with lingering questions over just what can we expect in the areas of healing, tongues and prophecy today. Certainly the cessationists are not wrong in pointing out that there is much in the practice of such gifts out there that is not biblical. In my life I continue to reflect on these matters and will hopefully write about them more often.

I have also been honored by some book publishers contacting me recently, and sending me books to read. So I soon hope to be posting book reviews.

But the bottom line is that I have seen that my blog is a reflection, an extension, of me. It is only going to be as effective and fruitful as I am. The deeper I go in my walk with Jesus, the more fully surrendered I am to His will, the more powerful this blog will become-- in terms of impacting others in a lasting way. That's why I haven't been blogging too much recently-- I have had to deal with myself first.

I believe that as I become sharper in my walk with the Lord, my blog will also become a sharper, more effective instrument for ministering to others. Focusing on Jesus, and dealing with the hindrances and sin in my life, I will run more swiftly and effectively, the race that is set before me.

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12: 1-2)"

You Mean Traditional (Biblically-Styled) Marriages Work? Shocking!

It's interesting how often I've seen this phenomenon: scientific studies that present themselves as amazing new revelation, but actually only confirm the ancient truth and wisdom that followers of Christ and of the Bible have known all along. For example, a Nestcape News article titled The No. 1 Way to Make Your Wife Happy reports on the results of a sociological study conducted by researchers at the University of Virginia. Some of the "shocking" conclusions of the study, published in the journal Social Forces, include the following:

The most important determinant of a woman's marital happiness is the emotional engagement of her husband. A wife cares most about how affectionate and understanding her husband is and how much quality time they spend together as a couple.

Women who do not work outside the home report happier marriages and spend more quality time with their husbands.

Women who have more traditional attitudes report more affection and understanding from their husbands. Such attitudes include the idea that women should take the lead in care of the home and family, while men take the lead in earning money.

Commitment matters. Women who share with their husbands a strong commitment to a lifelong marriage are more likely to report that they are happy in their marriages and happy with the affection and understanding they receive from their husbands, compared with women who do not have such a commitment to marriage. Shared commitment seems to generate mutual trust and higher levels of emotional investment on the part of husbands, both of which are factors that promote marital happiness among women.

Fairness also matters in shaping the quality and character of women's marriages. Married women are happier in their marriages when they think housework is divided fairly, and they perceive their marriage to be equitable. They also spend more quality time with their husbands when they think housework is divided fairly. What's fair? It's up to each couple, and it's not necessarily a 50-50 split.

The above conclusions seem consistent with the wisdom of the Bible on marriage. Our Lord Jesus re-affirmed the truth that marriage is God's invention, not man's:

"Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, 'Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh'? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate (Matthew 19: 4-6)"

The Apostle Paul's inspired and sublime teaching on marriage reveals God's plan-- a mystery of the highest order-- that the husband-wife relationship mirrors the relationship between Jesus and His bride, the church (Ephesians 5: 25-33). The biblical picture of marriage shows that husband and wife are designed by God to play different but complementary roles, and that rather than confine them, the fullest blessings in marriage come to those who fulfill those roles obediently and faithfully.

Some aspects of these biblical roles include the husband being head of his household (1 Cor 11:3, Eph 5:23), primary provider for his family (1 Timothy 5:8, 2 Cor 12:14), and the spiritual leader in his home (1 Tim 3: 4, 12), who sacrificially and unselfishly loves his wife. The Bible says to husbands, "Love your wives as Christ loved the church", and "love your wife as your own body." It says to wives, "respect your husbands" (Eph 5:33), which means, among other things, loving her husband and children by working hard (primarily in the home), being submissive to her husband's leadership, and being pure and self-controlled (Titus 2: 5).

Given the weakness of human nature, a marriage will not survive without strong commitment. Biblical marriage commitment is a covenant that views marriage as a sacred vocation, a promise made before God and witnesses to remain faithful to one's spouse. The traditional wedding vows that promise to stay together "for richer or for poorer, in sickness and health, as long as we both shall live", aptly reflect the nature of such a commitment.

So it is not surprising (certainly not "shocking") to find that marriages reported in this study that mimic the biblical pattern-- husbands who really love their wives and show it through emotional engagement and being fair about housework; husbands who are good providers; wives who make the home and children their primary focus; spouses with deep commitment to their marriages-- actually do work better and bring more joy and happiness to those in them. It would be interesting also to see whether the marriages in this study that followed more traditional (and seemingly more biblical) models were in fact consciously adhering to a Christian model. I wouldn't be at all surprised if that were the case.

Not that the biblical model is in need of confirmation by scientific studies in order to be proven true-- but perhaps a study like this can help influence some to consider that the biblical picture of marriage does indeed work-- not just by chance, but because it's based on true revelation from the One who invented marriage.

Brooding

In case you're wondering why I haven't posted for a bit, I've been brooding. Trying to figure out lots of stuff, mostly about myself. I do have some post ideas in mind though.

The recent one year anniversary of Jordan's View just passed in February, and I would like to write a post reflecting on my first year of blogging. If you remember to, please also pray for me-- that my walk with the Lord will be renewed as I repent of long-standing sin patterns. And that I'll find new passion, direction and purpose as a result.

I hope to have some new posts shortly. Blessings to you, and thanks.

The Self Life and the Christ Life by A. B. Simpson, Chapter 5

Chapter 5 --JONAH, OR THE SHADOW OF SELF

"Therefore now, O Lord, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; it is better for me to die than to live." (Jonah 4: 3).

This was the best prayer that Jonah ever uttered, if he had only really meant it in the right sense. The greatest need of Jonah's life was to die to Jonah, and his life is just a great object lesson of the odiousness and the foolishness of the spirit of selfishness in any mortal, especially in anyone who professes, or pretends, to work for God and the souls of men. Selfishness is always odious and out of place; but it is never so much so as it is in the man who professes to represent a crucified Redeemer and a loving God.

The story of Jonah is soon told. He was the first of the prophets whose writings have come down to us in the sacred canon. He lived in the reign of Jeroboam II, and it was through his instrumentality that that powerful monarch was enabled to raise Israel from the deep depression into which the nation had fallen, and restore her to the highest point of power and greatness in all the history of the nation.

Sent as the prophet of good tidings to his own people, he gladly went and by his inspired messages cheered on his countrymen, until they had subdued their enemies on every side, and won back their long lost territory from all their foes.

Had Jonah's career terminated at this point he would have gone into history as one of the most successful and brilliant of Israel's long line of splendid prophets. But God gave him a new commission, and sent him unexpectedly with a message of warning to the city of Nineveh, the mighty capital of the Assyrian Empire. This was to Jonah most unexpected and unwelcome. An enthusiastic patriot, he did not want to do anything that could bring the favor of God to the hated enemies of his country. And so the whole self-will of the man rose up in rebellion, and he determined not to go. Disobedience always brings separation from God, and so Jonah was inevitably driven from the presence of God, and looked about for some place where he might escape from the All-Seeing Eye whose glance he could not bear.

It was not difficult to find a chain of providences all working in the direction he wanted to go. And finding a ship at Joppa bound for the coast of distant Tarshish, he secured a passage at once and started for the chosen hiding-place. He was soon overtaken by the messengers of God's mercy and judgment, and, thrown into the sea as a sacrifice to appease the storm, he was swallowed by the great fish which God had prepared, and then thrown out from his living tomb, a resurrected man, where God's message met him again -- his commission was renewed to go to Nineveh, and preach the preaching that God commanded.

This time he went without any evasions or questionings, and for a time it really seemed that he was indeed a crucified man. But alas for human self-assertion! It was not long before Jonah came to the surface again. As long as his work succeeded and the people listened and repented, he was satisfied; but when God, in His mercy, met the penitence of the Ninevites with His mercy, and cancelled His judgment upon them, Jonah was bitterly disappointed and fiercely angry because his reputation as a prophet had been ruined by the failure of his threatenings; and sitting down under the shade of a gourd outside the city gates he fretted and scolded like a petulant and angry child, and finally he passes out of sight altogether, under his withered gourd, as a spectacle of humiliation and contempt, all the glory of his really wonderful work blighted by the dark shadow of himself which he threw over it in his egregious folly and unspeakable selfishness.

There are many lessons taught us by this extraordinary life.

1. We see a man who succeeds most wonderfully in religious work, so long as his work is congenial, but fails completely and utterly breaks down under the first severe test of real character. Jonah did splendid work so long as everything went all right; but the moment things went against him, he went to pieces. How many of us there are who in the sunshine of religious prosperity seem to be extraordinary workers and even ideal saints. It is the test that tells. Character is more than work, and God is leading us, if we will only let Him, through the tests which will bring us to the death of self, and to the place where He can use us as

Only His messengers ready,
His praises to sound at His will,
Or willing should He not require us
In silence to wait on Him still.

2. We see in him a man who obeys and serves God as long as it suits him, but is a stranger to that obedience which knows no choice except the Master's will. "Ye are my friends," the Master says, "if ye do whatsoever I command you." It is no evidence of friendship to Christ to do some things to please Him, to do much that is good and right; the true friend does whatsoever He commands.

3. We see in Jonah a man destitute of the true missionary spirit, a man who thought he was full of zeal, yet had no real love for God or the souls of men. Jehu had zeal enough, but it was zeal for his own cause. Jonah represents those people who will work as hard as you please for their own cause, even for the church, and the work which centers in their own sect, or family or country, but they know nothing of the real missionary spirit. They care not for the Ninevites, the Chinese, or the Africans, and they think it unreasonable waste to pour out our hundreds of thousands of dollars for the evangelization of the world, instead of spending it at home, and using it to promote the welfare of our own people.

4. A man running away from God. When we disobey God, we shall soon want to leave His presence altogether. Adam's single sin soon led to Adam's separation from his Creator, and we find him hiding from the presence of God. It is idle to think that you can indulge in any act of disobedience, and still look up in your Father's face and call yourself His child.

Jonah had no difficulty in finding means to carry on his purpose. The devil has his providences as well as the Lord. The ship was all ready, and it was going to the right place, and Jonah was soon on board, and comfortably asleep in his berth. Alas, the saddest thing about backsliding is, that it brings with it the devil's sedatives, and the soul can calmly sleep amid the fiercest storm, and complacently dream that all is well. There is nothing in all the judgments of God so terrible as a reprobate mind and a soul past feeling.

5. A man pursued by God's police, and brought to his senses by the trials and troubles which he brings upon himself and others. Thank God for the mercy that will not let us rest in our self-complacency and sin. Happy for us that we have a Father who loves us well enough to hurt us and drive us home to His loving breast. The saddest part of the trouble of the back-slider is, that he brings it upon others, and that he has to suffer because of the backslider's sin and folly.

Jonah's shipmates were the first to feel the effects of his disobedience, and to wake him up from his fool-hardy insensibility. Many a time it is not until our fortunes have been wrecked, and our families brokenhearted, that we find out the secret of all our troubles, and come back to Him who has smitten only that He might heal us, and broken only that He might bind us up.

What a pity that we should compel God to bring us back to Himself by the officers of judgment, instead of flying to the arms of His love, and choosing the blessing which He is determined we shall not lose.

6. We see in Jonah a man who had to die to himself before he could do any real good.

The great lesson of Jonah's life is the need of crucifixion to the life of self. Our Savior has used the story of Jonah as the special type of His own death and resurrection, and we know that our Savior's cross is the pattern of ours, and that as He died, so we should die to the life of self and sin.

In the story of Jonah we see God lovingly slaying the selfish prophet, and trying to put Jonah out of his own way, so that God could bless him as He really wanted to. Surely, if ever a man had a good chance to die, it was Jonah, and if he didn't, it was his own fault. He speaks of that living tomb himself as the belly of Hades -- the very bosom of death, and the prayer that he uttered, when in those awful depths, certainly sounded like the voice of a man who meant what he said; and when he came forth, it really did seem as if the old Jonah was going to be out of the picture henceforth. But alas! As we shall see later, he was only half dead yet. God cannot use any but a crucified man to preach about the crucified Savior.

When Jonah came forth from the depths of death he was ready to go anywhere that God wanted him, and when we are dead to self and sin we will not have any question to ask except this one: "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" Then we will go to Nineveh, or China, or any place the Master sends us, with glad and willing hearts.

7. But we see in Jonah a man who, after all, was only half dead, notwithstanding all his suffering and humiliation.

For a time he goes right on faithful and obedient. He preaches to the Ninevites the preaching that God bids him, and the most wonderful revival that ever attended any ministry follows his words, until from the king on the throne to the meanest of his subjects, the people of Nineveh are prostrate at the feet of Jehovah, and pleading for mercy.

But the moment that God hears their cry and disappoints Jonah's predictions of their destruction, the prophet breaks completely down and falls into a fit of petulance and anger, because God had failed to do what he had threatened and destroyed his reputation as a prophet.

It was but another form of the same old self life. A man may give up the selfishness that seeks its gratification in the pleasures of the world, and yet may seek the gratification of the same self life in some religious form. A woman may cease to be the queen of society and the idol of her hero worshipers, yet she may drink in the sweet delight of her influence and sway over the minds and hearts of men, in her very work for Christ, and the influence that she wields over the hearts that she brings under her religious sway.

The orator, as he holds spellbound the hearts of thousands, even when he tells them of Jesus and salvation, may be just as selfish and self-conscious as the actor on the stage, or the politician on the rostrum who speaks only for his personal triumph and ambition. Jonah's very success was his snare, and led him to forget his Master's glory and the real good of the people that he was sent to save, in thinking of his own success and his own glory.

God never can use any man very much till he has grace enough to forget himself entirely while doing God's work; for He will not give His glory to another nor share with the most valued instrument the praise that belongs to Jesus Christ alone.

We can never succeed in our service for God till we learn to cast our own shadow behind us and lose ourselves in the honor and glory of our Master. It is said that Alexander the Great had a famous horse that nobody could ride. Alexander at length attempted to tame him. He saw at a glance that the horse was afraid of his own shadow, and so, leaping into the saddle one day and turning the horse's head to the sun, he struck his spurs into the flanks of the noble steed, and dashed off like the lightning. From that hour the fiery charger was thoroughly subdued, and he never gave his master any trouble again. He could no longer see his own shadow.

Oh, that we could look into the face of our Lord, and then forever forget ourselves! Then He could use us for His own glory and afford to share with us the glory and gladness of our work.

8. We see in Jonah a man whom God had to humble in the dust to save him from destroying his own work.

God loves to make us partakers with Him in the fruits of our work. So He honored Moses and Samuel and Paul, and their names have come down to us associated with their blessed service for the Master; but this was because they loved to forget themselves, and seek only their Master's glory. How different it was with poor Jonah! He was seeking his own glory, and God had to humiliate him, and let him fail altogether in the very thing he wanted. Surely, "God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble." Surely, he that would be chiefest may well become the servant of all; for the Master has said, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it." "If any man serve me, let him follow me; ... if any man serve me, him will my Father honor."

Poor Jonah lost this honor, because he sought it, and Paul found it, because he renounced it, and sought only to live that Jesus might be satisfied, even if Paul should be forever forgotten. This is the spirit of true service, and surely this is the solemn lesson that comes down to us through that humiliating spectacle, sitting, disappointed and rejected under his withered gourd, after the most successful ministry ever given to a human life, but one which brought no recompense to him, because he did it for himself.

9. We see in Jonah the picture of a man who wants to die when he is least prepared to die.

It was a very great mercy that God refused to take him at his word, when he cried with childish petulance, "Lord, I beseech thee, take away my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live." Let us be very careful how we utter reckless prayers. Poor Elijah asked to die one day in a fit of discouragement, and we only hear of him once again as a prophet.

Jonah asked in a petulant moment that he might die, and from that moment Jonah disappears from the page of history and passes into an oblivion which has upon it no ray of hope or light of recompense. The best way to be prepared to die is to be living for some high and noble purpose. The men that are ready to die are the men that are needed most to live for God and their fellow men.

10. We learn one more lesson from Jonah's life, and that is the true secret how to die, and then how to live for God and our own highest interest and blessing.

Thank God, Jonah's life lifts our thoughts to another and a nobler life, even that of the Lord Jesus Christ, who has died for us, and taught us not only how to live with Him, but also how to die with Him, and live the life that has been crucified with Christ, and is alive forevermore.

Not unwillingly, but with His whole heart did He lay down His precious life for us that in His dying we might be saved from death eternal, and then learn to die with Him, and live by Him, the life of unselfish love for God and men.

Not for His own glory did He live and die, but for us and for His Father. He died for us that we might live; yes, He died for us that we might die, and then live the crucified life and the life that is dead to self and sin.

Only through His dying can we truly die. We never can crucify ourselves, but we can be crucified with Christ, and say: "Nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."

Then let us learn to die, and thus let us live, and some day we shall know all the meaning of these mighty words:

He died for me that I might die,
He lives for me that I might live,
Oh, death so deep! oh, life so high!
Help me to die, help me to live.


RESURRECTED, NOT RAISED

Resurrected with my Risen Savior,
Seated with Him at His own right hand;
This the glorious message Easter brings me.
This the place in which by faith I stand.

Men would bid you rise to higher levels,
But they leave you on the human plane.
We must have a heavenly Resurrection;
We must die with Christ and rise again.

Once there lived another man within me,
Child of earth and slave of Satan he;
But I nailed him to the Cross of Jesus,
And that man is nothing now to me.

Now Another Man is living in me,
And I count His blessed life as mine;
I have died with Him to all my own life;
I have risen to all His life Divine.

Oh, it is so sweet to die with Jesus!
And by death be free from self and sin.
Oh, it is so sweet to live with Jesus!
As He lives the death-born life within.

The Self Life and the Christ Life by A. B. Simpson, Chapter 4

The Self Life and the Christ Life by A. B. Simpson, Chapter 4

Chapter 4 --AGAG, OR THE SUBTLETIES OF THE SELF LIFE

"Then said Samuel, Bring ye hither to me Agag, the king of the Amalekites. And Agag came unto him delicately. And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is past. And Samuel said, As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the Lord at Gilgal." (1 Sam. 15: 32, 33).

WE HAVE already referred to this passage as an illustration of the character of Saul. There is still a deeper type of the subtleties of the self life in the picture of Agag which the Holy Ghost has framed into the narrative of this solemn history. Saul and Agag both teach the same great lesson and warning, namely, the peril of a self-centered life, but they teach it in somewhat different ways, and the story of Agag is worthy of our prayerful and heart-searching consideration.

1. His Race. He belonged to the race of Amalek and the family of Esau, who represent through their entire genealogy the life of the flesh. From the very beginning of the human race God has drawn the line of demarcation between two races -- the fleshly and the spiritual man. Just outside the gate of Eden the division began. The family of Seth called themselves by the name of the Lord, and the race of Cain went off and built their city of culture and pride and became the pioneers of the worldliness and wickedness adorned and ameliorated by all the grace of human culture and all the attractions of earthly delight. The separation, alas, soon began to disappear and in the days of Noah the two races had mingled and intermarried, and the progeny was a generation of monsters of iniquity so degenerate and depraved that God turned with loathing from the whole race and pronounced the awful sentence, "The end of all flesh is come before me; I will destroy them with the earth."

After the flood God chose a separate family, the line of Abraham, and again endeavored to keep the chosen people separate. All along that line we see the earthly off-shoots of the family-tree separating from the central trunk and going out into the world. The first of these was Ishmael, the type of the spirit of bondage and sin. The next of these was Esau, the progenitor of a whole race who inherited the earthly spirit of their father, who, for a morsel of meat, sold his birthright and afterwards married with the daughters of Canaan and became as corrupt and polluted as they. In the same line were the descendants of Lot's unnatural daughters, the Moabites and the Ammonites.

Above all these, the race of Esau and Amalek were the representatives of the spirit of the flesh and the world. This was the reason that God pronounced the decree of their extermination. We find that when Israel went out of Egypt and started on their journey through the wilderness on their way to the Land of Promise, Amalek was the first to attack them. It is not difficult to see in this the foreshadowing of the fact that the first adversary that we have to contend with when we leave our sinful past of bondage and iniquity is the carnal nature in our own hearts, which soon asserts itself and tries to force us back to "the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity." This is what Agag represents and this is what each of us has found to our cost to be a very real element in the experience of a Christian life.

2. The name of Agag is next significant. It is from the root "Hak," which is a generic form denoting, like Pharaoh, a ruler. It literally means ruler, and represents the spirit of self-will, self-assertion and independence in the human heart. Its prototype is Lucifer, the prince of light and glory, who, being lifted up with pride and refusing to be controlled, turned from an angel to a fiend, and has become the desperate leader of the rebellious hosts of hell. We see it next in the supreme temptation of the Fall -- "Ye shall be as gods" -- the desire for supremacy. We see it in the spirit of human ambition, in the Oriental despot, in the world conqueror, in the society belle and the political "boss." All belong to the same family. They are of the race of Amalek and the house of Agag. Their cry is like the prodigal, "Give me the portion of goods that falleth to me" and let me go away from parental control and do as I please.

There is no country where it is so rampant as our own. It appears to us as young mannishness and calls itself liberty, but its end is license, lawlessness and Anti-Christ, that Lawless one who is yet to embody the elements of human wickedness and pride, and end the present dispensation by defying God and man and perishing, like his father, the devil, in his presumptuous pride. This spirit is found in every human heart. It may be disguised in many insidious forms. It may call itself by illustrious names and ape the highest ambitions and the noblest pretensions, but it is Agag and Satan every time. The thing in you that wants to rule, wants to have its own way, to be independent, refuse control, to despise reproof, is wrong in its very nature. The very first thing you need in order to be of any use anywhere is to be thoroughly broken, completely subjected and utterly crucified in the very core and center of your will. Then you will accept discipline and learn to yield and obey in matters in themselves indifferent and your will, will be so merged in His that He can use you as a flexible and perfectly adjusted instrument, and henceforth you shall will only what God wills and choose only what God chooses for you.

This is the real battleground of human salvation; this is the Waterloo of every soul; this is the test question of every redeemed life. This was the point where Saul lost his kingdom and Agag lost his life, and where still the eternal destinies are lost or won as we learn the lesson or refuse to be led in triumph by our conquering Lord.

Beloved, let us mark it well. Let us not miss the warning. Let us remember forever that no man can rule others until he himself is absolutely led of God, that no man can conquer foes till he first is conquered, that no man can lead in triumph the hosts of evil or the hearts of men until he himself is led in triumph the willing captive of the Savior's love and the Master's will.

3. The Decree of Extermination. God has determined that the race of Amalek and the house of Agag should be utterly exterminated. They were not to be spared, but to be destroyed. It was a case of no compromise. There was nothing good in them. The least element of Agagism was destructive and the whole community, with all their goods and belongings, must be put out of existence. Now, this is God's decree against the flesh in us. It cannot be cleansed. It cannot be improved. It cannot be cultivated. It cannot be educated into ideas and principles. It must be exterminated. Now, what is the flesh? Is it the bad principle in man? Is it some outward or inward evil which can be cut away like a tumor by a surgical operation? Listen, "The carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God." There is the uncompromising decree of the total depravity and the hopeless condition of the flesh. But now what is the flesh? Listen again: "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you." There is the distinction clear as a ray of celestial light. Every man who has not the spirit of God is in the flesh, therefore, everything outside the spirit of God is flesh. Therefore, the flesh is not simply the sinful part of human nature, but the whole of human nature. It is the Adamic race. It is the natural man. It is the whole creature, and the whole thing is corrupt and polluted. The tree is so crooked you cannot straighten it without cutting it in two. The tumor is so interwoven with the flesh that you cannot cut it without killing the man. There is no remedy. There is no hope. The old life must be laid down and the new creation, wholly born out of heaven and baptized with the Spirit of God, must take its place as a resurrected life, as a new creation, as an experience so supernatural and Divine that its possessor can truly say, "I am no longer the former man, I have died and Christ has taken my place. It is no longer I, but Christ that liveth in me."

Don't try to sanctify the flesh. Don't attempt to evolve the kingdom of heaven out of the kingdom of hell. It is not evolution, it is creation. It is not morals or manners, it is a miracle of grace and power. Take no risks upon the old man. He will fail you every time. You may think your trained hawk is a dove, but in an unsuspecting moment its beak will be buried in your flesh. Your little wolf may have all the manners of the lamb, but in an evil hour it will destroy all your lambs and perhaps rend you limb from limb. It is hopelessly, eternally corrupt. It cannot please God. It must be utterly dethroned, renounced and crucified with Christ.

4. We see next the attempt of man to compromise with the flesh and to disregard this Divine decree of its extermination. Saul spared Agag that he might grace his triumph, and he kept the best of the spoil that he might sacrifice unto the Lord his God. He obeyed the commandment of the Lord to a certain extent. He defeated Amalek and destroyed the nation in a sense. He did all God told him as far as it was agreeable, and he took his own way just where it was pleasant. His obedience, therefore, was not really obedience to God, but truly self-will. He retained just enough of the flesh to destroy the whole service. The very essence of the disobedience was compromise. The very worst thing about it was that he tried to put the evil to a good use. It was a very insult in the face of heaven to bring the forbidden thing and offer it to the God he had defied. Now this is just the spirit of modern religious culture. Don't go too far. Don't be extreme. Don't be puritanical. Go easy. Be liberal. Meet the world half way. Marry that scoundrel to save him. Take that saloon keeper into the church because you can make good use of his money. Put that brazen-faced woman up in the choir because she will draw her theatrical set to hear her sing. Go to the theater and the play with your husband to get him to go to church with you on Sunday.

Nonsense. In the first place, in such an unequal contest on the enemy's ground the devil will always get the best of you, and instead of being saved the husband will drag to his level the woman that ventured on forbidden ground. The operatic singer, instead of bringing her set under the influence of religion, will bring the church to the level of her set and turn it into a clubhouse and a concert-room. The saloon keeper's money will moderate the tone of the preaching so that it will be a comfort unto Sodom, and vice and sin can sit unchecked, and even count itself the very buttress and pillar of the cause of the holy Christ.

Think you that God will accept such service? Will He who owns the treasures of the universe and could create a mountain or a mine of gold in a moment, and send a thousand angels to sing in His sanctuaries, will He accept the money that is stained with the blood of souls and polluted with the filth of dethroned purity and honor? Will He accept the meretricious service that is sold for sordid gain? Will He go begging to the devil's shrine, and asking his permission to let go his captives that they may be saved? Shame upon our unfaithfulness and our compromise! Oh, for the sword of a Samuel to hew in pieces the compromises that are an offence to heaven and a disgrace to the Bride of the Lamb.

5. We see the fawning pleading of the flesh for indulgence. Agag came forth, walking delicately, mincing like a silly, coquettish girl, smiling, seeking by his blandishments to disarm opposition, to win favor, looking like an incarnation of gentleness and innocence. A perfect gentleman! Surely, he could not harm a child! Surely, no one could dream of doing him harm! Ah, that is the old flesh pleading for his life, pointing out its refinement, its culture, its graces, the good that it is doing and wants to do, its claim upon your consideration and regard. It will decorate your church with the finest taste; it will sing in your choirs with all the harmonies of classical music and attract crowds; it will bring society to your church; it will give you a bright and liberal theology. It is full of humanitarian plans for the relief of the suffering and the uplifting of degradation, and it offers you a Pullman palace car prepaid to the gates of heaven.

Surely, such a beautiful gentle creature should not be rudely slain. But back of all its disguises and fawning, the Holy Ghost will show you, if you will let Him, the serpent's coil, the dragon's voice and the festering corpse of the charnel house.

Death is not always repulsive at the first sight. The daughter of Jairus was beautiful in her shroud, and a flush of life still lingered on her cheek, but she was as dead as Lazarus festering in his tomb. And so that sweet-faced girl, with her fawning charms, that brilliant minister with his intellectual sophistries, that voice that sings like an angel in the choir, are as corrupt and polluted as that poor creature that lies in yonder hospital dropping to pieces in the last stages of corruption, or that red-handed assassin reeking with the blood of his victim. They are both flesh, only at different stages of their moral putrefaction.

6. We see in Agag the flesh feigning death. "Surely," said Agag, "the bitterness of death is past." And so you will find plenty of people in pulpits and pews, on platforms and in obscure corners, who would make you believe that they are utterly dead, and yet who remind you when you get a good look at them of corpses walking around in their grave clothes. They are so conscious of their deadness that you know they are alive. They are so proud of their humility that you would rather they were proud than humble. They are so constantly in their own shadow that they try you by their religious egotism. Surely, dead people don't know it, don't think about it, are unostentatious, unobtrusive, modest, simple, natural, free, and, like good water, without taste, color or consciousness. Oh, for this blessed simplicity and this place of self-forgetting rest! Oh, for this fulfillment of the prayer, "Lord, let me die so dead that I won't know it."

Beloved, there is no danger so great, especially among Christians somewhat advanced, as that of counting ourselves in a place where we really do not live. There is nothing so hardening to the heart as to take the place of self-surrender and then live a life of self-indulgence, self-will and adding to it the greater fault of self-complacency; calling things holy which are not, bringing the standard down to our own experience and filling ourselves with a self-complacent dream. Truly, we are to reckon that we are dead indeed. We are not to reckon that we are reckoned dead, but we are to reckon on a reality, and we are to insist upon it and take nothing less from God or from ourselves. Oh, that we would dare to call things by their right names and have no counterfeit, even from ourselves.

7. We see self exposed and slain. Agag could not deceive Samuel. The old man pierces him through with one glance of the Holy Ghost, and looking at his mincing, fawning figure, we can imagine him saying, "I know you with all your fawning. You are an old murderer. You are a selfish, cruel tyrant. Your sword has made many a mother childless, many an innocent victim has been crushed beneath your lust or hate, and back of all your smiles there is a skeleton and a serpent's sting." And then with that sharp sword he cut through his blandishments and hewed him to pieces before the Lord.

Sin never stops till it reaches its worst, and God shows us in a single sample the possibilities of the evil to which the tiniest seed and fairest bud of selfishness may yet ripen.

Beloved, let us ask God to expose it in our hearts. Let us open our being to the sword of Samuel, which is just the sword of the Holy Ghost. It is described in the Epistle to the Hebrews in these solemn, searching, but blessed words: "The Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."

All that we need to be delivered from any form of self and sin is to really be willing to see it, to recognize it, to call it by its right name, to throw off its disguise, to brand it with its true character, to pass sentence of death upon it, to stand to the sentence without cornpromise, to consent to no reprieve, to give God the right to slay it, and then there is power enough in the sword of the Spirit, in the fire of the Holy Ghost, in the blood of Calvary, in the faithfulness and love and grace of God to make us dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.