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Articles from this month's issue of the Berean News |
Perspectiveby Larry UrbaniakMany of us often refer to the Bible as “the word of God.” We believe the Bible to be divinely inspired. We believe in its authority and use it as the standard for the way we live our lives. We consider ourselves students of the Bible. It holds a most important place in our church fellowship. Our love for the scriptures is one of the ties that bind us together. Despite all this, should we call the Bible, “the word of God?” Does the Bible call itself “the word of God?” Are we sometimes misreading or misinterpreting scripture when we think “Bible” when scripture does refer to“the word of God?” The first chapter of John is very clear that it is Jesus who is the word of God, not the Bible. In fact, it tells us that the word existed long before the Bible was written. And the word (logos) was made flesh. The son of God (Yahweh) had a prehuman existence. He lived with God in the spiritual world. He gave up his spiritual nature to be born as a human and live and die on earth. Because of his death and resurrection, salvation is possible for us if we believe in him. Part of the confusion may occur because translators translate different Greek words as “word” without distinguishing them. An example of this is in the first chapter of I Peter. Verse 23 says that we are born again by the word (logos) of God. And the word of God lives and abides forever. This clearly refers to Jesus. But in verse 25 we are told that the word is gospel that was preached. Here the Greek is not “logos”, but is“rhema.” Most translations do not make a distinction. I John 2:14 says that the word of God abides (or lives) in us. Is this talking about scripture or about our Lord Jesus? The Greek is“logos.” John 15:4 quotes Jesus as saying that we are to abide in him and he will abide in us. Through God’s spirit, our Christ and Lord live in us. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For 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.” (KJV) I have heard many sermons in which this verse was used to describe the scriptures. And I must confess that I had always thought that it was the Bible that was sharper than any two-edged sword. But the Greek translated as “word” here is “logos.” And the entire context is one about our Lord Jesus and his high priesthood. It is he (and not the Bible)who is the discerner of my heart’s thoughts and intents. I gain a little different understanding of this verse now. It has become more“alive” to me. The point of all this, for me at least, is not to somehow lessen the impact or import of the Bible in my life. It is, however, to continue to try to correctly interpret and apply scripture. I hopefully will be more careful in how I use the term “the word of God.” And I will check out more closely what any particular Bible verse is referring to when it uses the term. Perhaps I have begun to gain a clearer perspective on the word of God. |
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Roy's Reflections Who’s Number One? The Russian Novelist, Ivan Turgenev, once received a letter from a friend who summed up his philosophy of life with this phrase: "I have decided that the real problem in life is learning to put oneself in second place." To which Turgenev replied, "I have decided that the real problem in life is learning what to put in firstplace." In Biblical ideology, the real problem in life is learning who to put in first place. On the slopes of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem there is a beautiful garden visited by thousands upon thousands of pilgrims and tourists each year. There you can feast your eyes on the carefully tended flowers that bloom almost all year round and the beautiful, centuries-old olive trees with incredibly large trunks. There too, as you walk about, you can move back in time, to the last hours of Jesus' life which he spent in that very spot: the Garden of Gethsemane. Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane. He said to His disciples, "Stay herewhile I go over there and pray." He took along Peter, and Zebedee's two sons, and began to experience sorrow and distress. Then he said to them, "Myheart is nearly broken with sorrow..." (Mt. 26:36-38). TheGreek words used for "sorrow" and "distress" in thispassage are very strong words. They describe Jesus as being in a state of despair, a state of overwhelming anguish. His body is trembling in this experience. It is partly because He is a young man, in His early thirties, about to die in a very horrible way; partly because His mission appears to be ending in failure. But at the heart of it all is His monumental confrontation with the real problem in life: who to put in first place. Jesus prays in a very human way, "God,let it pass from me!" But on each of three occasions, He comes to the final resolution of the problem:"Still, let it be as You will, not I ... Your will be done" (Mt.26:39,42). It is important to understand Jesus' words as the climax of a growing and developing lifestyle. We hear them echoing in the Gospel message which takes us back to the time when Mary learns she is with child and will give birth to the Savior of all mankind. She cannot intellectually grasp this or understand it, but instead of fighting it and demanding reasons and demanding proof, she says, simply, "Let it be ... I am the servant of the Lord. Let it be done to me as you say." (Lk.1:38) Mary's quiet acceptance of theWill of God in this situation becomes a symbol of the lifestyle modeled for us by Jesus, all the way to the Cross. It was the acceptance of the Will of God in every moment of His life that made Jesus who He was and enabled God to bring Him to fullness of life. Jesus was able to be the most complete person He could possibly become because God was first in His life. Stand back and reflect on where the world is today: all the talk in our time about wanting to know the meaning of life; all the talk about wanting to become fulfilled persons; all the talk about wanting to discover our true selves; all the self-help books filled with complicated language and pop-psychology prescriptions for living the good life. Do you remember how the poet Dante made his trip through the "Circles of Paradise" In his long and arduous journey he found one simple key to the meaning of our human existence: "In His Will (that is, in the Will of God) is our peace." This is so simple we tend to ignore it. And yet it is probably the most profound truth of the Gospel. It is what Jesus istalking about when He calls us to accept the Rule of God as "the one thing needful" in life. To let God rule in our lives! That is what makes us fully human. That is what makes us free, capable of loving, capable of hoping, capable of becoming the unique individuals we have been created to be. "Do not fear Mary. You have found favor with God. You shall conceive and bear a Son and give Him the Name of Jesus. Great will be His dignity and He will be called Son of the Most High ... and His Reign will be without end." (Lk. 1:30-33) The greatest Good News ever to break into our human existence is the Good News of God's Love as He has revealed it in Jesus Christ. The God who created you loves you so much that He continuously acts in your life to bring you to fulfillment. This is Gospel! This is Good News! We of the Berean Bible Church of Lombard believe that we see this most clearly in our Lord Jesus Christ. And so we gather together as a people of hope, to celebrate and rejoice in the reality that God loves us so much He wants us to become complete, fulfilled persons. And so we are a people of joy, and a people of action. Because we see what is happening in the world and in our personal lives against the background of what God has done in Jesus Christ, we are making this announcement today -- to our families, to our friends and neighbors, to our enemies, to the whole wide world: God loves you infinitely and wants you for His own. No power on earth can thwart God's plan for the ultimate fulfillment of His creation. We are the servants of the Lord. Let it be done to us as He says. God's will be done! If we want to find the wisdom to know God's Will for us in our individual life circumstances, we must pray, following the example of Jesus Himself. When Jesus went into the Garden of Gethsemane to prepare for the most monumental decision of His life, He said to His disciples, "Stay here while I go over there and pray." (Mt.26:36) The problem for many of us is that we haven't yet learned how to pray. We don't know what prayer really should be. We think prayer is asking God for things, informing God of our unfortunate circumstances. Prayer is listening! Prayer is positioning ourselves to receive spiritual guidance! Often we are like the young man in the story who wanted to point his life in a new direction. He went into a church, took paper and pencil, and proceeded to write down a long list of things he was going to do to change his life. He signed his name to the paper, placed it on the altar and then sat down to wait for God's approval. After a time, the voice of God spoke to his inner heart: "You are going about this all wrong. Tear up what you have written." Reluctantly, the young man followed God's instructions. Then he heard the voice of God say to him, gently, "Take a blank piece of paper and sign your name at the bottom. I willfill it in." The real problem in life is learning who to put in first place. Put God first in your life and, like Jesus’mother Mary, you will hear yourself say, "I am the Servant of the Lord. Let it be done to me as He says." Make a list of all your goals and ambitions, all your hopes and dreams, all your heart's desires. Sign your name at the bottom. Then erase the list, and let God fill in His own list. |
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Viewpoints
God's “Junk” On July 6 – 11 of this year the Genetic Congress gathered in Melbourne Australia for the 50th anniversary of Watson and Crick’s discovery of the structure of DNA. Right in the midst of this event, the world’s leading geneticists revealed that an extraordinary mistake has been made by the vast majority of the genetics community. Until recently it was believed by most scientists that up to 97% of DNA (the code or written message containing instructions for every living structure) consisted of randomly-produced sequences that had no function whatsoever. It was labeled “junk” DNA. Evolutionists used this notion to refute the idea of divine creation. They posed the question, why would a perfect God create flawed DNA which is primarily composed of useless genetic trash? An intelligent Creator wouldn’t write nonsense into our genes. But recent studies show that the so-called “junk” DNA has some very vital functions after all. It functions to correct errors and regulate genes, turning them on and off at appropriate times. It is also believed that this non-coding DNA could prove valuable in diagnosing disease, perhaps in developing therapies, even cures for diseases. Apparently the opponents of creation spoke too soon. In reality, DNA actually provides us with remarkable evidence in favor of creation. Remember the old argument? If you found a watch lying on a beach, would you conclude that it was created by natural forces – by the wind and the waves? Of course not. Obviously the watch was the product of human intelligence. Therefore, the argument goes, if a watch required intelligent design, then living things also do. This argument originated about 200 years ago by the English clergyman, William Paley. Then, along came Darwin who attacked the design argument. He claimed that natural selection could result in the same kind of order. But today we have a much better analogy than anything Paley knew about. With our current knowledge of DNA it is more relevant. It goes like this: Suppose you find not a watch but a book or a computer disk on that beach. Are any natural forces capable of creating the written words in that book or the magnetic images on the computer disk? Obviously, not. “For you created my inmost being;
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A Daughter's Heart
Spring Cleaning Remember way back in the old days, when spring cleaning used to be a really big thing? Our moms used to get the bug and start pulling out all kinds of cleaners, rags, mops, and pails, and recruited everyone within reach. It was one of the signs of spring. The weather was turning from snow to rain, the storm windows got changed from windows to screens, and even the tires got switched. We had to put away our winter clothes and bring out our spring things. The rugs got hung up on the line so they would get an airing after the long winter. Once the cleaning got started, it would sometimes work its way over to sorting and organizing the whole inside, including rearranging all kinds of things. Some of us took to this annual frenzy more easily than others. As you may know, I am not a natural cleaner. It’s hard enough for me to clean and organize from day to day, let alone year to year. I haven’t been observing this annual ritual since I left home. My 20 year old daughter didn’t even know what spring cleaning was; I had to explain it! Nowadays we have less reason to make a big deal over the spring. Most of us live within climate controlled homes with built-in storm and screen windows, and use cars with radial tires. We still need lighter clothes, but some closets are big enough to hold clothes for both seasons. Even so, we do need to sort and reorganize occasionally, to keep things from overwhelming us. It doesn’t always happen in the spring, though. Lately, through a series of circumstances, I have had the opportunity to sort through all my stuff in the living room and move a few things around. I have gone through quite a few piles and really made the room much more usable. Right in the middle of doing this, I found myself forced to sort through everything left by my mom when she died. I didn’t do it alone, and above all, I had the Lord granting me the energy to do more work than I ever thought possible for me. It is amazing the amount that was sorted so quickly. The timing was perfect. It really got me thinking about sorting and reorganizing and what that means for me spiritually. It has taken a number of years since my rebirth in Christ to get me to where I am now. When I reflect on the person I used to be and compare that to who I am now, I can see an amazing transformation. I really feel that I have been cleaned up. The promises that exemplify this change in me are worded in Rom. 12:2: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God,” and Phil. 1:6: “I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ.” What relief! What joy! What wonderfully comprehensive promises! I can completely trust my God that he will work in me and change me into a clean and usable person. All I need to do is love him and let his power carry me through his will for me every day. He will remove the dross and put me to the best possible use. Isn’t that great? I am already being transformed, and it feels wonderful. Wouldn’t you like to be cleaned up, too?
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Viewpoint
Ours is a God is of Abundance Abundance is defined in The American College Dictionary as 1. An overflowing quantity or supply (e.g. of grain), 2. Overflowing fullness (e.g.of the heart ), and 3. Affluence, wealth. Synonyms are copiousness, profusion. Abundance clearly states that one has an oversupply above the need. The need can be satisfactorily provided for if the supply was just “full”. Therefore, when the supply is in abundance the need is guaranteed to always able to be provided for satisfactorily, and there can be no doubt of this, because extra is always there to provide for any unexpected contingency. Such is the clear statement concerning our God. It is stated in one context as a guarantee to meet the requirements of every need. Phil 4:19: “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” In another context it is stated in terms of abundance above the need, and even the desire. Eph 3:20, 21 “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, (21) to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Yes,our God supplies our daily food, our daily fullness of heart, our affluence, our wealth in spiritual things, and abundantly so. This should raise our faith, our zeal, our living in Christ to a level beyond the reach of doubt. But it is sadly not so with too many Christians. We’ve all heard some Christians say that they don’t know if they are worthy of the promises that God makes to them, or if they will ever be qualified to be in the bride with Christ. The scriptures assure us of two very relevant perspectives on this point. Which perspective we hold will determine whether we grow into the perfection that God has designed for us, or whether we just wilt on the vine, and are discarded, continuing to disappoint even ourselves. From one perspective the scriptures assure us that of ourselves we can do nothing,and we can in no way please God: John 15:5, 6 "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." (6) "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.” Jesus even spoke the same concerning Himself in His relationship with God: John 5:30 "I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.” And since Jesus also said in John 6:44 "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him;” we see that we are in Christ only because it is God’s will, and both we and Jesus can do nothing outside of God’s will. So clearly of ourselves we are nothing, and can do nothing. Outside of Christ we would be cast off and burned. But if we continue to live in that view after we are in Christ, is that not self-defeating, and receiving the spirit in vain? Being in Christ, we are supposed to have His view of life, not our old one. This brings up the second perspective in Jesus’ words, John 6:39 "This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.” Jesus was absolutely sure he would fully accomplish the Father’s work as long as He stayed in the Father’s will! And it needs to be the same for us. As Paul said in Phil 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” And Jesus said in Matt. 19:26, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." We understand as in 1 Cor 3:7, “So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.” The success then of our salvation is dependent on how well we know God, and how well we trust God and obey God in all that He has promised He will bring to perfect completion in our lives. And what do we read of this? 1 Pet1:3, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” 2 Cor. 9:8, “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.” Titus 3:6, 7, “which He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” Heb. 6:17, 18, “Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.” You can see by what is quoted in the above verses that not only is God the only source of power and strength for what is to be accomplished in us, but all that He provides for us has been provided in abundance! There is no possibility that we are short of anything we need to accomplish the fullness of God’s will in our lives. There is none who can say that he or she is not abundantly provided for in mercy, grace, knowledge, power, strength, and faith and wisdom to accomplish all that God desires in their lives. And none who can say also that they are not abundantly provided for to overcome all the temptations of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life (1 Jn. 2;16), and to overcome against flesh and blood, against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places; even against Satan himself. (Eph. 6:12) There are two great guarantee scriptures that address these issues. In Romans 8:35-39 we learn that absolutely nothing (except our own will) is able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. In 2 Pet. 1:5-11, we learn that if we progress in the fruit that God desires each of us to have, then an “abundant” entrance will be ministered to us into the Kingdom of Heaven. How then can anyone who calls themselves “Christian” live and wade in the doubt and despair of their own human frailties? Such are not truly Godly nor Christian for they have no true faith and trust in God and in His promises, and they also have no faith in Christ to raise them above their fallen status. Forthose who are truly Christian, the truth of the human status is well known, but it is not held on to, it is not revisited, it is not continuously lived, but it is rather put behind as all prior things, even things of profit, that the Christian might gain Christ. Phil. 3:8, “Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ.” Let us not live in our ever inadequate humanity, but rather to our ever abundant God. Living to God, through His Son, for His glory, our lives will ever be abundant in Him, as He is to us.
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