weekend trip

‘Bout to head out the door to load up the cars and head down the beach with my boy Patrick and his youth group from Creedmoor Rd. Baptist. I’m leading three sessions for their fall retreat, teaching on portions of Hebrews 11 and the first three verses of chapter 12.

So, if you’re of the praying type, please pray that this weekend would play a small part in encouraging us all to be motivated by the gospel to live by faith, pursuing personal holiness and running after Christ.

Pray for the students, as well as Patrick and Keri Harmon and Stephanie and myself.

Our sessions will be on Saturday morning and afternoon and Sunday morning.

Thanks!

And as always, Go Dogs! Beat Tennessee!

good times for everybody

Saw this the other day and found it absolutely hilarious. Enjoy!

john 15:5

“… for apart from me you can do nothing.”

Jesus’ words in John 15 are ringing in my ears. “Apart from me you can do nothing.” Nothing. Nothing, that is of eternal significance. Eternal significance, that is, being the only thing that matters. Am I living like this is the truth? Would a detailed daily schedule of my day show that I believe this? Sadly, probably not.

I re-read a chapter out of John Piper’s Brothers, We Are Not Professionals this morning and was deeply challenged regarding my prayer and devotional life.

Here’s what Piper writes:

A pastor who feels competent in himself to produce eternal fruit–which is the only kind that matters–knows neither God nor himself. A pastor who does not know the rhythm of desperation and deliverance must have his sights only on what man can achieve.

But brothers, the proper goals of a pastor are unquestionably beyond our reach. The changes we long for in the hearts of our people can happen only by a sovereign work of grace. …

We are called to labor for that which is God’s alone to give. The essence of Christian ministry is that its success is not within our reach.

God’s purpose is that we get the joy of service but that He gets the glory. ’Whoever serves, [let him do so] as one who serves by the strength that God supplies–in order that in everything God may be glorified‘ (1 Peter 4:11).

Piper here is hitting the nail on the head. The only thing that I would add is to say this: The pastor is not the only one this truth applies to. Piper’s book is directed to pastors, and so he is speaking to this particular group.

But Christian, this matter of “apart from me you can do nothing” applies to you too.

And it applies to me.

I am called to labor for spiritual growth and fruit in my life. I am called  to labor for the growth in other Christians’ lives as well (regardless of being a pastor or ‘only’ a member of a church). I am called to draw near to God. And you are too.

These will only come about through a work of God, which he ordinarily does through using prayer. I must “draw near to the throne of grace” to “receive mercy and find grace to help,” and I must do this often. And so must you.

Apart from him, we can do nothing.

philippians 2:1-4

Working through the book of Philippians for Dr. Black’s Greek 3 class, and I find myself this week studying the famous Christ-hymn in Phil 2:5-11. But what caught my attention was Paul’s words leading up to his appeal for the Christians at Philippi to have the humility-filled, servant-oriented mind of Christ in them.

In verses 1-4, (indeed in the whole section – 1:27-2:11 – and in the entire book!) Paul is calling on the church to be ONE. There is one body, one bride, one Church — and the church is to live like it…

 Here, in the humble Bert Watts paraphrase, are Paul’s words:

Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any comfort from love, if there is any fellowship in the Spirit, if there is any affection and mercy, bring my joy to completion by being of the same mind, having the same love, being united in spirit, thinking one thing: not anything according to contention nor according to conceit, but in humility considering one another as being of more value than yourselves, each one not watching out for your own interests, but each of you watching out for the interests of others.

Isn’t it so clear what Paul is getting at? One mind, one love, one spirit and thinking one thing: Considering others more valuable than yourselves.

I look out for number one (me!) more often than not. It takes discipline — and love — to consider others as more valuable than myself. But God through Paul calls me – and you – to just that. To love God and others enough that we’d look out for other people first, loving and serving them as Christ loved and served us.

Can the church live this way? I believe we can. In the power of the Spirit and walking after Christ we can. What a difference that would make in the eyes of a watching world!

I fear far too often they see a church that looks just like any other gathering of people — contention, strife, superficial relationships…

But in reality we are the body of Christ, the bride of Christ, the hope of the world. May we, loving our Savior and loving our brothers and sisters, become more committed to live like it.

the priesthood of believers: a privilege and a responsibility

One area in which I hope to grow this fall (and continually throughout my life!) is in interceding for my brothers and sisters in this global Christ-created family. I’ve known the exhortations to do this (James 5:16, for example) and the examples of this (John 17), but what I’m learning in actually participating in it is the joy it brings, the love it builds, and the dependence (on God) it expresses.

Yesterday, my eyes were opened to the reality of my responsibility to this important work of prayer. Reading Timothy George’s Theology of the Reformers for class, I came across these words: 

Luther’s greatest contribution to Protestant ecclesiology was his doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. … The essence of his doctrine can be put in one sentence: Every Christian is someone else’s priest, and we are all  priests to one another.

… This means that the priestly offices are the common property of all Christians, not the special prerogative of a select caste of holy men.

The priesthood of all believers is a responsibility as well as a privilege, a service as well as a status. God has made us one body… Our unity and equality in Christ is demonstrated by our mutual love and care for one another. “The fact that we are all priests and kings means that each of us Christians may go before God and intercede for the other. If I notice that you have no faith or a weak faith, I can ask God to give you a strong faith.” (Luther)

… A community of intercessors, a priesthood of fellow helpers, a family of mutual sharers and burden-bearers, this is the communio sanctorum. (“a community of saints”)

It’s so clear what the implications of the Priesthood of all Believers truly are. (What I’m thinking about my previous thoughts — which stopped about as short as the church catch-phrase “every member a minister”: “Hello, McFly!”) Hebrews 5:1 informs us that the priest “is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God.” How crucial is it then that we fulfill our role, our responsibility, our service then to one another, going to God for our brothers and sisters, making intercession for them? If I truly believe in the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers, I can do nothing less than pray for my brothers and sisters.

I’m thankful to share in this community of saints. I pray that God grows my heart for prayer in loving service of others, for the growth of his body, the church.

new perspective on paul

I’ve added a new page (see index tab above) this morning to the site.

Recently, really spanning over the last several months, I’ve been mulling over the so-called New Perspective on Paul due to some personal questions I’ve had and some ongoing discussion with a couple of friends. Back in the Spring I wrote a paper on the NPP for my Theology class here at SEBTS. The new page contains that paper if you’re interested in an introduction and my brief response to guys like E.P. Sanders, James Dunn and N.T. Wright. (Sorry for the format; I’m still working on how to get it to open up immediately as a Word document without going through a separate link. Any tips?)

In the short version though, here’s my basic responses, both where I can stand with and where I must depart from the NPP:

1. I can stand with the NPP in the call for scholars to ensure that they give a whole and complete assessment of first century Judaism. It is of utmost necessity that we interpret Paul (and the other NT writers) in the full context in which they wrote. This is a needed argument put forth by the NPP scholars.

However, I believe that the NPP goes too far in their conclusions drawn from this topic.  The issue of attempting to earn legalistic works-based righteousness remains far too embedded in the New Testament texts—from the gospels throughout the epistles—to be pushed to the side completely, as the NPP attempts to do. Moreover, this problem is documented in extra-biblical sources that date from before Christ and through the years of the early church. Therefore, Christian scholars ought to listen well to the criticism raised by Sanders and others, and examine the first century culture; but this must be done with precision and care, not allowing the pendulum to swing away from traditional readings further than the data allows it.

2. I can stand with the NPP in calling for a renewed focus on the corporate aspect of salvation. Far too often (and I’m including the SBC in this assessment) the American church culture overly individualizes salvation. Like everything else in the West, we make it all about the one person. That is not the biblical model. As N.T. Wright notes, “The gospel creates, not a bunch of individuals, but a community” (What Saint Paul Really Said, 59). We cannot support the cavalier, John Wayne Christianity that runs rampant today. The NPP recognizes this and seeks to respond appropriately. (For more, see the helpful series on Community at the UnlikelyChristians blog.)

3. I can stand with the NPP in reminding the traditional interpreters of Paul not to remove the doctrines of  salvation, justification and election from the biblical meta-narrative of Scripture. New Perspective writers strongly argue for the continuity of the people of God and the plan of God, noting that Christ was the plan from the beginning and that in Christ God brought about the fulfillment of the promises made the Abraham. I comment N.T. Wright and others for calling us to be clear on this point. And, as Bryan Chapell notes, in a cultural context that is highly responsive to narratives over propositions, this is all the more necessary.

4. I must break away from the NPP in the manner in which they unhelpfully redefine (in my view, wrongly) major doctrinal terms. The definitions offered by NPP scholars leave little room for dealing with sin and sinful man’s attaining a right status with God—major issues in Paul’s epistle —while making much of the discussion of how man maintains his status in the people of God. Simon Gathercole helpfully notes that following these trends laid out by the NPP “can lead to a downplaying of sin. This approach to justification can lose sight of Paul’s vital concern for how sinners can be made righteous.” The doctrine of justification by faith and the answer to the question “How can sinful man be in right relationship with God?” are not areas of which the church can afford to lose sight. These areas comprise the very heart of the message of proclaiming Christ’s Lordship, for the news that Christ is Lord, removed from the truth that he has made a way to forgive transgressions, leaves people still separated from God by sin.

summer 09

After an eventful summer of traveling, visiting family and friends, and having two sets of our close friends (Ryan and Katie Hearn, Patrick and Keri Harmon) each give birth to their first child (Blair Hearn and Kayley Harmon), I thought I’d give a pictorial update:

Panama City Beach with the Roberts

July 4th

with my parents on July 4th

Kayley getting ready for the photo shoot

with Tom and Rachel on their Big Day

with Nate and Lenore at Tom’s Wedding

Baby Watts!!!!

 

How ’bout that last photo???!!! Woohoo!!!

a wedding ring for His bride

So I know that this is a repeat for some of you, assuming that I have some overlap of readers with Bryan. But it’s worth sharing for the rest of you…

In light of our effort to be a “Great Commission Seminary,” Southeastern has been taking up a special offering this week for international missions, as called for by Dr. Danny Akin in his challenge for a “Christmas in August.”

Over the week, the seminary raised $60,000 to help missionaries get to the field with the gospel of Christ.

Importantly, it wasn’t just extra money that was given. Many students gave sacrificially, as noted by this from the SEBTS website:

The most poignant gift to appear in the offering plates was a diamond engagement ring, a matching wedding band, and a note, featuring a picture of Lottie Moon, with the words, “For Lottie.” The ring set, which is being appraised, was only one example of the sacrifice students made to make sure that all people who have been called may have the chance to go to the nations, so that all the nations may have the chance to hear of salvation in Jesus Christ.

What a heart for the gospel of Christ to reach the nations. I thank God for this couple and their gift. May it spur us on to similar deeds…

the cross of Christ: of first importance

Wilhite posted some great insight from Greg Gilbert at 9Marks: (My thoughts to come later…not much time this morning, but I wanted to put this on up to get your thoughts going. Feel free to drop a line…)

Time after time, in book after book coming off of Christian presses, the highest excitement and joy is being ignited by something other than the sin-bearing work of Christ on the cross, and the most fervent appeals are for people to join God in doing this or that, rather than to repent and believe. In the process, the story of the gospel is made to be (deliberately or not) rather cross-less. That’s one dangerous problem.

Another problem is not so much the shunting of the cross out of the center, as the remaking of it into something other than the substitutionary, wrath-bearing death of the Savior in the place of sinners for their sins. Thus Jesus’ death is often said to be the result of human evil or greed or power-lust or culture-making or any number of other things coming to their lowest, worst, most concentrated point and killing Jesus, who then conquers that worst-of-all-evils through his resurrection.

Don Carson hit on this in a blog-post some time ago when he wrote that, 

‘In recent years it has become popular to sketch the Bible’s story-line something like this: Ever since the fall, God has been active to reverse the effects of sin. He takes action to limit sin’s damage; he calls out a new nation, the Israelites, to mediate his teaching and his grace to others; he promises that one day he will come as the promised Davidic king to overthrow sin and death and all their wretched effects. This is what Jesus does: he conquers death, inaugurates the kingdom of righteousness, and calls his followers to live out that righteousness now in prospect of the consummation still to come.’

Carson calls this presentation of the Bible’s narrative ‘painfully reductionistic,’ and he’s right. There is no understanding here (explicit understanding, anyway) that sin is an offense against God rather than just an unfortunate circumstance humans have brought on themselves. There’s no sense of Jesus standing in the place of sinners to take the punishment that rightly should fall upon them. And for that matter, there’s no sense that there’s any punishment involved at all—just consequences. No divine wrath, just bad results. In other words, such a presentation of the gospel essentially leaves out of the meaning of the cross exactly what the Bible makes central to it: A) that Jesus was dying in the place of his people, and B) that on the cross he endured punishment for their sin (not just the results of it—the punishment for it), meted out by God the Father in his righteous wrath.”

thanks

Thanks to everyone for your great ideas yesterday. Using the flag as TP stands out as good advice (though, I do think even that would serve to raise the flag to a higher status than it’s worth…) And then, of course, the posting of ”45-14″ (the UGA-USC win record in this matchup) to serve as a reminder of the total domination of which the Little Chickens of USC have been on the receiving end is a great idea as well. I’m sure that will be used in the future for my “friend.” (And, Scott, there is to be no mention of that school from Tuscaloosa on this site.)

In the end, in the name of sportsmanship I’ve decided to simply hand back the flag to my friend (sorry to those this action offends) and hold it over his head that revenge is coming. And it’s going to be glorious.

45-14!