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There are many, widely differing views on water baptism.
- Is it necessary for salvation or not?
- Is it by sprinking or by immersion?
- Is it for infants or those of have come “of age”?
- When and how, by whom and in whose name should one be baptized?
- Is it required for church membership?
- Then you have several other baptisms mentioned in the Bible -
- what about baptism for the dead?
- baptism of fire?
- Holy Spirit baptism?
Many who hold a particular view have a long church and family history in that tradition. Furthermore, each view claims to have strong biblical support. Two people arguing about baptism can each come up with various “proof” verses for their position.
All of this is a recipe for any discussion about water baptism to be very emotional and divisive.
And yet, baptism is of critical importance in the Bible and we must be willing to shed our bias and objectively explore what the Bible has to say about it. To overcome our deeply rooted affection for a particular tradition of baptism, I recommend going through the following chronology of biblical baptism. This study will take us through most of the Bible and you will see the progession of baptism through history. Many problems are introduced when the student of baptism stops at one particular point in the progression without taking the time to see how it all fits together.
The key to understanding the progression below, is the understanding that God has different administrations, or dispensations, and that the rules change. For, example circumcision is no longer a requirement. Disobeying the Sabbath or dishonoring parents are no longer causes for death. I could go on but in short, the rules change in different administrations. Salvation comes only through Christ’s work, but God imputes that righteousness on those who respond in faith to his requirements. For a Jew in Moses’ time, there were many requirements of faith (keeping the law, circumcision, baptisms, etc.). For a person today, there is one: believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
While there are numerous baptisms described in the Bible, many Christians today only know of one, and it is one that is actually not described in the Bible, but rather according to their particular church tradition. Consider Apollos in Acts 18:24-28, who was a godly man, yet know only of one baptism. Aquila and Priscilla took him aside and “explained to him the way of God more accurately.”
- Prior to the law, I know of no baptisms mentioned in the Bible.
- Under the law, various baptisms or ceremonial washings were required. It was a Jewish thing, like circumcision, Sabbaths, diet, etc.
- Part of the preparation in becoming a priest was a baptism (Exodus 29:4-9; Numbers 8:1ff).
- Ceremonial (not actual) cleansing from various unclean events. Numbers 19:9-10, 13, 20, 21 show that these washings were necessary for salvation for the nation of Israel as a statute forever. Hebrews 9:10 used the word “baptisms” when referring to these washings.
- Israel was promised that as an entire nation they would become priests (Exodus 19:6; Isaiah 61:6) and that God would wash them as part of the New Covenant (Isaiah 4:3,4; Ezekiel 36:25). Remember that ceremonial washing was required of priests, so if the whole nation is to be priests, then all must be baptized.
- In the NT, John the Baptist came preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.
- This baptism was for the whole nation (Matthew 3:5), not just 30-year old males entering the priesthood, and not just people who had done something unclean, it was for every Israelite, in preparation for the kingdom (Matthew 3:2) (remember the promise, mentioned in point 2.c. above, for them to be a kingdom of priests).
- This baptism was necessary for salvation (Matthew 3:6-11; Mark 1:4-5; Luke 3:3)
- This was the long awaited start of the ushering in of the kingdom of God and the New Covenant and came after a 400+ silence (Malachi to Matthew).
- Jesus reiterated that the Kingdom and the New Covenant were near for the nation of Israel by connecting his own ministry to Isaiah 61:1-6 in Luke 4:16-21.
- Jesus gives the “Great Commission” to the eleven disciples. It is also a Jewish thing. It involves making disciples (or “followers”) of many nations – i.e. many nations would come to God through the nation of Israel in the coming kingdom, exactly according to prophecy. The conversion process (see Mark 16:16ff) involved believing and being baptized, then the person would be saved, then they would perform many miracles as proof. Despite many Christians’ claims to be following the Great Commission, this is very different from the conversion process a person goes through today. Even Paul stated that baptism wasn’t part of his commission (1 Corinthians 1:17).
- Peter reiterated that baptism was necessary when he preached to Israel in Acts 2:38. In Acts 3:19-21, Peter explains that if Israel would repent of crucifying Christ that he would return to establish the kingdom. (Remember, that baptism was an ordinance imposed on Israel until the “time of Reformation”, i.e., the setting up of the millennial kingdom, Hebrews 9:10)
- Israel did NOT corporately repent and Christ did NOT come and establish the kingdom at that time. Instead Israel rejected and even stoned Stephen when he preached to them in Acts 7. I believe that in Acts 7:55-56 Stephen was pronouncing the judgment of Israel (Stephen sees Jesus “standing” up in judgment. See Isaiah 3:13 as an example of the concept of standing up in judgment.)
- In response to Israel’s rejection of Him, God set aside the nation and raised up Paul to be an apostle “to the Gentiles” in Acts 9. See also Acts 28:28; Romans 11:11,25.
- In this new administration, God showed Peter
- that ceremonial uncleanness was no longer an issue in Acts 10:15 and
- that Gentiles could be saved before being baptized (or circumcised!) Acts 10:44-45. We see in Acts 10:47, that Peter baptizes them after they were saved & received the Holy Spirit. Remember in Acts 2:38, Peter had previously shown baptism as a prerequisite to remission of sins (salvation) and the receiving of the Holy Spirit.
- that circumcision was not longer required (Acts 15).
- In this new administration, God showed Paul that all believers are baptized with the Holy Spirit upon belief (Ephesians 1:13; 1 Corinthians 12:13)
- In Romans 6 we see the word “baptized” being used synonymously with “united”, when Paul described our baptism, or unification, with Christ at the time of salvation (not before or after but during, and not water but spiritual).
- In fact, a careful word study of baptism in Greek in the Bible and other ancient literature, shows us that the root meaning is unification.
- In 1 Corinthians 1:17 Paul says baptism was not part of the gospel and not part of his commission and was thankful he had only baptized a few. This is very different from the great commission where Jesus told his 11 disciples that baptism was part of the gospel and part of their commission.
- Ephesians 4:4,5 (Ephesians is one of Paul’s last books and at the end of God’s revelation given to Paul regarding the new administration, the Body of Christ), Paul tells us there is only ONE baptism. I believe that he must be talking about the spiritual baptism that happens at salvation when the Holy Spirit indwells us and we are united with Christ.
In conclusion, there were many things Christ did that we don’t do, not because we don’t want to follow him, but because the administration has changed. For example, Jesus was circumcised according to the law (Luke 2:21), was baptized, he kept the Passover and other feasts, kept the Sabbath, did not keep company with Gentiles, restricted his diet, he kept the whole law, he worked miracles in fulfillment of prophecy (Matthew 11:4-5), and he was crucified. The point is, he did all that so we wouldn’t have to!
Consider meditating on Colossians 2:8-17 as a practical wrap up to this whole issue.
 Twice today I heard news of someone passing away suddenly. One a friend and one a stranger.
This morning someone told me of a car accident they witnessed and of the young woman he had administered first aid to. She did not make it.
Then tonight I found out that a young man I had been speaking to this week died just last night. I was planning to drop in on him at his place of work tomorrow and catch a late lunch once he got off at 2pm. I’m sure he also had plans for today and tomorrow and the weekend. His facebook post earlier in the day Wednesday said “so ready for friday!!!”
No doubt the young woman who died from the car accident also had plans for her weekend.
These deaths were so sudden, so premature for their young lives, affording no goodbyes or closure for their family and friends.
There are a few biblical concepts which come to my mind in the midst of the shock and disorientation which I feel. First, I have to say that my own difficulty in processing the grievous finality of death pales in comparison to those closest to the deceased. It is tempting for us as Christians to rush in with soothing words, yet those who feel the full weight of the loss know all too well that it does not diminish the pain the way we think it ought to. This is why my first recollection from Scripture is that death really is terrible. There is no softening it: death stings.
Mourning
There are many passages in the Bible about mourning. I think the biblical characters would be shocked to see our rather sedate forms of greiving. Mourning in Scripture was an immediate response, it was outward, it was without reserve, and it was for a period of time. Mourning practices included wailing loudly, tearing your clothes, throwing dust or ash on your head, weeping, refraining from normal activities even eating, falling on the ground, playing dirges or other sorrowful music, cutting or pulling out your hair, etc.
For the Day of Atonement, the Old Testament law prescribed a day to “afflict yourselves”. The atonement ritual involved the bloody killing of one bull, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old. Maybe you remember your sorrow, which may have even surprised you, the first time you saw the death of a mere animal. Yet, the Day of Atonement was a sober day not just because of the animals dying. It was for the sin which was being atoned for. Simply put, death is a result of sin, which is a painful, tragic reality. This reality pervades our world such that even the innocent die. Even young men and women die in tragedies, inexplicable in their suddenness.
Mourning is necessary and appropriate and should not be watered down, held back, or dimished. It is right to let the weight of sin and death impact you. Many people are too quick to quote Romans 8:28 “all things work together for good” (which is not really a good translation anyway, but that’s another discussion). We only have to back up to verses 22-23 to see that pain in this life is an inescapable reality.
Romans 8:22–23 (ESV) 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
Thankfully, there is hope. I also noticed in the passages on mourning that they were for a period of time. There are three points I take from this observation: 1) a period of mourning is needed and 2) the process of getting on with life happens after that period of mourning and 3) one does not remain in a state of mourning. The context of Romans 8:18-38 shows that life is full of pain, groaning, moaning, and suffering. It also shows that there is hope after this life. But if we too quickly dismiss the sorrow of sin and death we can’t properly appreciate the joy of our future hope. Christ’s atoning death is significant to me because it is our salvation from death, not in this life, but from eternal death.
Perspective
In Psalm 39:4-5 David prays and in Psalm 90:12 Moses prays. They each pray that God will give them the perspective of how short and fleeting life is.
Psalm 39:4–5 (ESV)
4 “O Lord, make me know my end
and what is the measure of my days;
let me know how fleeting I am!
5 Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths,
and my lifetime is as nothing before you.
Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath!
Selah [Selah means "pause"]
6 Surely a man goes about as a shadow!
Surely for nothing they are in turmoil;
man heaps up wealth and does not know who will gather!
7 “And now, O Lord, for what do I wait?
My hope is in you.
Psalm 90:12 (ESV)
12 So teach us to number our days
that we may get a heart of wisdom.
For David and Moses, facing the sober reality of our frail lives brought them to a place of placing their hope in God and having a heart of wisdom.
Action
What are you placing your hope in? When faced with the reality of death we have an opportunity to 1) embrace the sorrow of it and 2) adjust our lives to be lived with a proper perspective.
Allow your perspective to be adjusted.
Embrace that pain.
Re-prioritize your life on the things that matter.
How are you ministering to those around you? Are you loving them as if it’s your last opportunity?
Are you living for God in a way that reflects the reality that this life is short?
For you and for those around you, once it’s over, it’s over (Heb 9:27).
And lastly, have you personally accepted God’s free gift of eternal life by believing in Jesus Christ as your Savior (Rom 6:23; 10:9)?
Dedicated to Joshua Meyers
I will miss you Sep 23, 1983 – Mar 30, 2011
Ephesians 2:5 (NKJV)
5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
In Ephesians 2:5 the phrase “made us alive together with” is one word in the original Greek manuscripts: συνεζωοποίησεν. “So what?”, you say. Well, I’ll tell you!
The first three letters of the word are a prefix “together with”, in other words, not apart from but united with, joined, together, with, etc. Skip a letter, then the next three mean “alive/enlivened”, the next three mean “to make”, then the last three (among other things) show that the action is completed, point-in-time action.
So what? So, if you have trusted Christ as your Savior, you are part of that little prefix and are *together* with Christ. You are spiritually ALIVE, he made it so in a single instant! If not, please receive Christ today, by grace you are saved IN Christ!
 There are many wonderful things which happen to a person at the moment they place their trust in Jesus Christ as their Savior.
I heard once that someone counted 51 such things! After searching a while I found that a man named Jim Brettell had catalogued just such a list on www.markkwilliamson.com. I’ve posted them here rather than simply referring you to that site, because we have this cool little feature where the Bible verses will show up if you hover over the reference!
This is a great list to refer to often. One of the greatest struggles in the Christian life is remembering our identity in Christ. There is great practical value in meditating on these things which were accomplished for you by Christ and imputed to you at the moment of your belief in Him as your personal Savior.
-Jesse
13 JUDICIAL CHANGES RELATED TO ADAM’S ORIGINAL SIN IMPUTED
Spiritual Death Removed
- Romans 5:12
- Romans 6:23
- John 5:24
Wrath Removed
- John 3:36
- Romans 5:9-10
- Ephesians 2:3
- Ephesians 5:6
Spiritual Blindness Removed
- 2 Corinthians 4:3-4
Continue reading 51 Things…
It’s a good time for me to post this since the members of The Point have been attending church very faithfully lately  .
I absolutely do not want people attending out of pressure, guilt, because of what others might think, or what the pastor might say.
I would rather people consider instead the spirit of the matter, not the legalism of it. I feel it’s a good time because our people are doing well in this area, so you’ll know I’m not trying to guilt anyone out by sharing this!
In the New Testament, Hebrews 10:24-25 states:
And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
A short “rabbit trail” about the Sabbath.
This discussion is not one about the Sabbath, but the association may come up for you, so let me offer a few brief thoughts. If you want a more complete discussion of the sabbath, post a comment below.
Keeping the Sabbath is the 3rd commandment. I do understand that church attendance is not the same as “keeping the Sabbath”; and it is true we are not under law but under grace. Yet, I don’t know any Christian who argues that it’s ok to violate the other 9 commandments on the basis of “we’re not under law anymore”. In addition, keeping the Sabbath has many underlying principles which are of benefit to us, regardless of the technical, legal details which were given to Israel and not to us.
God himself certainly has no need of being legalistic or bound to any law, yet He Himself demonstrated the Sabbath principle on the seventh day of creation.
Incidentally, the first two commandments are: have no other gods before me and don’t take the Lord’s name in vain. If we do these first two, this third one is easier. If we aren’t doing the third, are we really doing the first two?
I don’t believe we must follow the Mosaic legal code regarding the Sabbath, (which, by the way, called for the stoning of anyone who violated it!). However, I do believe God knew what he was doing and had wise principles in mind when setting up this law.
Some Questions about Church Attendance:
(be honest!)
- What do you believe about the Sabbath, or a day of rest?
- Whatever your belief is, are your actions consistent with what you believe?
- Do your actions agree with the “spirit of the law”?
- How frequently do the “just this once” diversions really occur for you? Be honest, what does your attendance record really look like? What sorts of things replaced this sacred time?
- How will you hear what the Lord so lovingly prepared through the diligence of his workers if you aren’t present?
- How will others receive the benefit of your presence if you are not present?
- If you are not giving the Lord the firstfruits of the week, what are you giving him during the week?
- If we can’t figure out how to give Him something so small, in obedience to Him, are we really giving Him anything?
- At the same time, what are we still expecting from Him?
- Is it really that hard to schedule around such a small window of time – only 2hrs, and it’s consistently scheduled week-in and week out?
The Beauty of God’s Design
When we obey God in this matter, trust Him with our time and give it to Him faithfully, He rewards us with many benefits. Here are some of them.
- The Lord has something for the body from you every single Sunday. Even a “warm body” can still raise the temperature of the room!
- The Lord has something for you every single Sunday!
- Ephesians 4:16 “…Christ— from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.”
- The workers/volunteers are especially energized when you are blessed!
- Celebrations are more enjoyable when everyone is there!
- A crowd draws a crowd
- Visitors want to be part of a living/breathing vibrant ministry
- This is true regardless of size! Raw numbers do not matter here, but the % participation does. A church of 5000 with only 2500 in attendance is not fully alive and visitors will know it. A church of 50 with only 25 in attendance is half dead and people will sense it!
Whatever your track record, make a committment today to make some extra time for the Lord this coming Sunday. If you come for the sermon but not the Bible study, you are missing a big part of church life. If you come to church but immediately leave to get back to your busy life, you are missing out on God’s principle of rest and recovery. If you are faithful in all these areas, praise the Lord! Keep up the good work and tell others why you think it’s worth it!
 John 14:6 is the oft-quoted verse where Jesus says,
“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
Have you ever considered the context of that verse? It is Jesus’ answer to Thomas’ question:
“Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”
Thomas asked this question after Jesus had just said he did know.
“Where I go you know, and the way you know.”
Thomas’ problem is a classic case of a person having too much of an earthly, physical perspective and not seeing things with spiritual, relational eyes. Thomas keyed in on the words “where” and “the way”. He thought in physical terms. If I say “where” or “the way”, you will think of a location, or a route. This was what Thomas did, but that’s not what Jesus meant! Jesus answer redirects Thomas to himself, the person of Jesus Christ, God Himself. Jesus IS the way. Knowing HIM is the key, not some mapped out route or location. How well do you know HIM? Isn’t a relationship with Him the point being emphasized here? We would do well to check our level of intimacy with Him, rather than always checking our circumstances, or our knowledge.
The next conversation solidifies this point. Now, it’s Philip’s turn to be human! He says,
“Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.”
I believe Philip was also speaking from a physical point of view. He wanted to see the Father with his eyeballs. Jesus’ answer again points us to a relationship with Christ. Jesus said to Philip,
“Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father?’”
The rest of Jesus’ teaching in John 14 explains an interrelationship between God the Father, Son, Holy Spirit and his followers.
Praise God that, through Christ, anyone who believes in Him has been reconciled to the Father, indwelt by the Holy Spirit and now has access to the level of intimacy Jesus spoke of in this chapter. Keep your spiritual eyes centered on the Way, the Truth, and the Life today.
Pray that the Holy Spirit will guide you into a lifestyle of having this perspective and remind you when your physical perspective is getting in the way of seeing the Way!
Telling someone the good news (gospel) of the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ certainly is the most important message we can give anybody. For this reason, it is important to discuss the various methods, although the best method is simply the one you use!
Years back I read a book that helped me tremendously when sharing the gospel. It’s called “Engaging the Closed Minded” by Dan Story.
In the opening chapter Dan Story acknowledges the full range of methods from friendship evangelism to street preaching. Some methods emphasize the grace of God (Gospel), while other methods emphasize the law of God (Law), and still other methods emphasize proving the things of God (Apologetics). He argues that the application of Law, Gospel, or Apologetics depends on the person to whom you are speaking.
We must be aware that not everyone will benefit from the same approach. Since different people go through life with different views of God and different views of salvation, we must adjust our methods to reach them more effectively. This is not to be confused with changing our message. The message does not change, only the method.
When it comes to their understanding of God, people typically fall into one of four groups.
- They believe in God, but do not understand or believe in Jesus as their personal Savior
- They consider themselves to be “spiritual” people or “religious” but do not necessarily believe in the God of the Bible.
- They do not believe in God at all or question His existence (atheist, and agnostics)
- They are “Christian” in name only – by family, or morals, or worldview.
And when it comes to their understanding of salvation, a person typically:
- Feels unworthy of salvation or doesn’t know how to be saved.
- Believes there are many paths to God.
- Doesn’t believe in or rejects their need for salvation, or even the concept of salvation.
- Understands and believes the gospel but chooses to rest on their own merit. They haven’t made the gospel personal.
Which method best fits each person in these different groups? Spend a few minutes thinking of different scenarios and whether Law, Gospel, or Apologetics would be appropriate. Pray that God will speak to you through his Holy Spirit to show you how to best share the good news of salvation to those around you. If you feel weak in one of these areas, please tell someone about it today who can help you grow in that area.
Many years ago I was admiring the knowledge of a trusted teacher. He said to me,
I’m still confused, just at a higher level!
Sometimes I feel this way in my studies of the Bible. I have been reading the Bible regularly for 32 years and studying it seriously for 21 years, and there are so many things that I still can’t explain. Don’t get me wrong, hard work and diligent study has paid off. I love knowing the Word of God as I do. It is transformative, life-changing. It is sharper than a two-edged sword. Every Christian should study the Word passionately. But I’ve also seen that there are many things in Scripture that are ambiguous, confusing, and hard to explain.
It used to bother me when people talked about the difficulties of understanding the Bible, because oftentimes the people seemed to me to be lazy, or unwilling to diligently study. It is true that many people use the complexity of the Bible as an excuse, but I’ve discovered that, like my wise teacher, there are people who understand an important truth about Scripture. It is both ambiguous and certain.
If you say the Bible is “too hard to understand” and don’t study, you are missing many of its wonderful riches.
But if you say the Bible “can be completely understood by hard study”, you too are missing many of its wonderful riches.
Expert theologians work very hard to remove ambiguity. Translators of many of the modern English Bibles in attempting to create an “easy to read” version have intentionally removed ambiguity that was there in the original language. Again, don’t misunderstand me, much confusion IS cleared up by proper translation and good theology. However, an honest student of God’s word will confess that tensions remain. When I am honest, I must admit that even my most solid doctrines contain some elements of uncertainty. In fact, if we don’t admit that, we run the risk of developing strange, even ungodly, ideas. And on the other hand, if we cannot admit that there IS certainty in Scripture, we also run the same risk. There is both ambiguity and certainty in Scripture.
The proponents of study often quote 2 Timothy 2:15
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
And on the other side, many quote Isaiah 55:8-9
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.”
But both are true! These are both quotes from the same Bible.
Consider Romans 11:33
Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!
and Ephesians 1:17-18 where Paul was praying
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints
So what of it? What can be said in conclusion? God wants us to relate to HIM. The facts of scripture tell us something about HIM. But He leaves enough ambiguity there that we should not put our faith in facts, but in Him. The ambiguities also tell us something about Him, but He presents enough facts about Himself that we are not lost in confusion. So, study hard, read diligently, pursue wisdom and knowledge, but never forget that His ways really are higher than your ways!
Click on the picture to the left and watch the first 7 minutes or so of the video (if you’re in a hurry, skip ahead to chapter one “In the Beginning” and watch for just a minute or two).
My favorite spot is shortly after chapter one begins where it shows the universe exploding into existence upon God’s command!
Pretty amazing, huh?
But, have you ever wonder where God came from? Let’s look at what the Bible tells us:
God was there in the beginning
“In the beginning was the Word…and the Word was God” (John 1:1)
In fact, God was the beginning
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” (Revelation 22:13)
And He was before the beginning, no god existed before him.
“Before me there was no God was formed, nor shall there be any after me” (Isaiah 43:10)
“I am the first and the last, besides me there is no god” (Isaiah 44:6)
How do we wrap our minds around this? Of course, it is impossible to truly comprehend, God is spirit, but we are spirit and body. Our entire human existence has been in the context of physical matter, space, dimension, time, and limits, where things have beginnings and ends. So, to imagine or understand something beyond those parameters is inherently difficult.
Some try to explain this by describing a fictitious man who lives in Flatland. This is helpful indeed but it’s still difficult to understand where the sphere came from. What was its beginning? Who or what created it?
When thinking of God, sure, I can imagine my eyes being opened to another dimension and suddenly understanding more clearly the nature of God. But it’s still hard for me to imagine somehow understanding the origin of God.
There is something I believe we do without even knowing we do it, which makes this topic so difficult. We assume a context outside of God. We imagine a space in which God exists. A timeline into which He began. A measure of power against which His power is measured. Our difficulty in understanding a limitless God is that we assume there must be something beyond Him which defines those limits. We imagine a limitless God as being HUGE or an eternal God as being really OLD, but can’t truly comprehend words like “limitless” or “eternal” because words like “huge” and “old” imply a context. Those words are always pictured from a point of view outside the thing being measured.
 So, when we attempt to “size God up”, we do our best to picture the biggest, most powerful being ever. It goes something like this: imagine all the power in the whole universe, then imagine someone more powerful than that, that’s God. The problem with that is that we imagine Him as if He is an envelope around all that power. The problem is that envelopes still have limits. Our mental picture is still take from outside, and hence from a vantage point beyond God. We don’t even recognize our arrogance in assuming that perspective!
How can we get back to the proper vantage point? We have to understand that there is NO “IS” beyond God. There is no vantage point beyond God. No power exists beyond God’s. We only struggle with this because we envision the empty space after “beyond”. Do you see how that puts God into a context? But the context isn’t there. God IS the context.
In fact, to even say that God has power is a bit misleading. God is power (1 Tim 6:15).
To say that God has love implies a source of love outside of God. The Bible says “God IS love”. (1 John 4:8)
God IS light (1 John 1:5), truth, and life (John 14:6).
God does not have a beginning, He IS the beginning (Revelation 22:13).
The key to our understanding of God is to worship Him for who He really is. He IS the context. Everything we know and can measure came from His essence, His character, His nature. It is a truly terrifying adjustment of perspective to meditate on this. To imagine that the thing we call “power” is something that came from God, that He himself IS the context for “power”. It isn’t something he just has a whole bunch of, HE IS!!!
It’s interesting when Moses asked God what he should say to Pharoah when Pharoah asked Moses who sent him. The answer: “tell him ‘I AM’ sent you.”
And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”
Let’s hear your thoughts and questions on this! Leave a comment below.
The message I preached Sunday (01/10/10) was from 1 Corinthians 4:6-17 where the apostle Paul urges the Corinthians to imitate him (vs. 16), but not before giving an ironic comparison between them and him. I had to ask myself, do I really want the apostles’ adjectives to describe my life? Is it worth it? I also used 2 Cor 11:23-27 where Paul gives his “résumé” of suffering. What does that mean for me? I aspire to be like the leaders in scripture. Sometimes (like even in last week’s message) I will relate to the apostle’s position and example. Not this week. I’ve never been beaten, etc. and do I really even want to???
First of all, it is worth it.
The One with the power to raise Christ from the dead wants to empower you with that power.
He told Paul in the next chapter after the “résumé”, in 12:9
“My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”
And Paul responded with
Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
I am praying for you friends, that
“ the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, (Eph 1:18-20)
And that you
“may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”
Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, (Eph 3:18-20)
Second of all, I realized when Paul says, “imitate me” he doesn’t mean go looking for a beating. He tells the Corinthians that he was sending Timothy to “remind you of my ways”. We should aspire to DO the things that the apostles DID. So, we don’t aspire to suffer, but we aspire to have the same eternal mindset, focused on the heavenly rewards. However, knowing that suffering is inevitable frees us from the bondage of the fear of it. When we see that it is inevitable we go through that soul-searching process of asking “IS IT WORTH IT?” Coming to the answer or “Yes, it is” then we are left with our minds set on doing those things which lead to godly lives and eternal rewards.
“Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Tim 3:12)
I didn’t mention earlier, but I believe persecution comes in many forms, not just your standard torture/starving/beating stuff. Any trial is a kind of persecution if you recognize that we are in a spiritual battle.
In each of these passages, the pain is worth it, and the response is a renewed desire for godly living and perseverance. Read them and meditate on them today! 2 Cor 4:7-18; Rom 7:24-25; 2 Tim 4:6-8; 1 Cor 15:54-58
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