Hall of Fame brouhaha

The baseball Hall of Fame made headlines last month when the selection committee declined to elect any new members (the veterans committee did choose a few inductees, but no one the general public has ever heard of). This was widely seen as a referendum on the so-called "Steroids Era" of the past two decades. Many people were quick to praise the committee's actions while others were predictably quick to criticize. One of the more interesting reactions came from The New York Times's Bill Pennington, who wrote an article on January 8 about the unsavory personal lives of many of the past inductees.

Pennington's point seemed to be that there are so many hooligans in the Hall of Fame--alcoholics, gamblers, racists, and the like--that what's the harm in adding to their number drug users whose on-field performance has been equally impressive? The fundamental difference, though, lies precisely in the arena in which the transgressions occurred. Misconduct off the field, however deplorable, has much less bearing on an individual's suitability for enshrinement than does malfeasance that directly impacts the game.

Steroid use undercuts the integrity of baseball. Players who use(d) illegitimate performance-enhancing substances are cheaters. And whether it's fair or not, their accomplishments will be tainted by their steroid use. It should come as no surprise, then, that the Hall of Fame takes a dim view on admitting them to their company.

Our need for an intercessor

The final post in my first week writing for the Growing At Valley blog looks at Job 9-10 and our need for an intercessor. My next week will be in April, and I will reprint those posts here as well!

Job 9-10

Job 9-10 finds the titular man in a sorry state indeed. He has been deprived of every physical possession and pleasure that a man can have taken from him, and perhaps most unsettling of all, he has no idea why he is being subjected to this suffering (much could be said about Job's perspective on disobedience and punishment--the converse case of the obedience-reward dynamic explored on Thursday--but this is for another time). "Although I am blameless, I have no concern for myself; I despise my own life" (Job 9:23). In the depths of his suffering, Job cries out to God, "Do not declare me guilty, but tell me what charges you have against me. Does it please you to oppress me, to spurn the work of your hands, while you smile on the plans of the wicked" (Job 10: 2-3). We feel Job's frustration and we can practically hear the desperation in his voice.

Job needs an intercessor. He needs someone who will plead before God on his behalf, for no matter how upstanding and righteous he may be, Job does not have the standing to petition God as an equal. "He is not a mere mortal like me that I might answer him, that we might confront each other in court. If only there were someone to mediate between us, someone to bring us together, someone to remove God’s rod from me, so that his terror would frighten me no more. Then I would speak up without fear of him, but as it now stands with me, I cannot" (Job 9:32-35).

If Job, whom God Himself describes as "Blameless and upright" (Job 1:8), needs an intercessor, then how much more do we need one too! Fortunately for us, Jesus willingly takes on that role (John 13:36, John 14: 2-3, John 14: 13, Romans 8:34, etc.). And the news gets better: In addition to God the Son pleading on our behalf, God the Spirit represents us before the Lord as well (John 14:16, Romans 8:26-27).

If God is for us, who shall be against us (Romans 8:31)?

Guest post!

A special treat today: A guest post from my wife, Ellen, on Psalm 13 and the prayer of the distressed.

Psalms 12-14

Psalms 13 - The prayer of the distressed

Dietrich Bonhoeffer once wrote that "The Psalter is the great school of prayer." In Psalm 13 we find a prayer that David prayed at a time of great distress. Although in most cases nothing we face today compares with David's circumstances, we can still learn a lot from his example regarding how we ought to communicate with God when we're facing trials in life.

The first thing David does in his prayer is express how he feels to God. He is very honest with God, not conjuring up falsely positive feelings. In that moment, it feels as though God has left him on his own, and he is not afraid to say this. Furthermore, when David asks God for an answer, he states his plea with great desperation ("answer me ...  lest I sleep the sleep of death" (v3).

When we are struggling with difficult circumstances, there can often be a disconnect between how we know we ought to feel and how we actually feel (Rom 7:18). We know we should feel at peace and confident in God's good plan but in fact we feel worry and doubt. David's prayer reminds us that in these times, we should not try to hide these feeling from God (as if He, our Creator, doesn't know how we're feeling). Instead, we should express them to Him. It is only through God's work in our lives that we can feel joy and confidence in the midst of trials. Denying our true feelings or refusing to turn to God until we have corrected them ourselves is never going to work.

Of course it is important to note that, while sometimes we may feel that God has forsaken us, in fact He will never do so (Joshua 1:5). Remarkably, what made possible this relationship with God, on which we can rely completely, is that the Son of God took upon himself the burden of all our sins, crying out on the cross "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me" (Matt 27:46)?

In this Psalm, David is able to find encouragement by reminding himself of God's love and salvation and goodness, on which he can rest assured. But it is interesting (and encouraging) to note that, although this Psalm ends on a more positive note, not all Psalms (prayers) have to (e.g., Psalms 44, 88). God always desires to hear our prayers, even if we are at a point where we only feel doubt and fear (Hosea 7:14).

Obedience and reward

What is the relationship between obedience and reward? I look at that question through the lens of Joshua 21-24.

Joshua 21-24

God keeps His promises. It is sufficient simply to have faith that this is true without requiring proof of it (Deut 6:16, Hebrews 11:1), but God knows our hearts even better than we do. He delights in encouraging us--and glorifying Himself--by demonstrating His faithfulness. In today's passage we see God's promises fulfilled in totality. "Not one of all the Lord’s good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled" (Joshua 21:45).

As he calls them home in Chapter 22, Joshua praises the eastern tribes for their adherence to God's commands. Entering into the promised land is a long-awaited prize for these tribes, but is it their merit that earns them this bounty? Is God beholden to them for these parcels? Or is it an outpouring of God's grace that such restoration is even conceivable for the Israelites?

More broadly, what is the relationship between obedience and reward? Many hundreds of years after Joshua's death, Jesus tells the parable of the talents (Matthew 25: 14-30). A man charges three servants with looking after a portion of his wealth while he is away. Upon his return, as faithfully as they have carried out this mission, so does he lavish them with praise and additional responsibility. It is not difficult to see ourselves in this story, and indeed its key theme of stewardship underpins the entire Christian life.

We are given eternal life through faith in Jesus (John 3:16, John 14) and clear instructions to spread the Gospel far and wide (Matthew 28: 18-20). Far from being our fair wage (Romans 6:23 tells us we are due exactly the opposite), it is a testament to God's character that we are allowed to participate in these things. God doesn't owe us anything. We owe him. It is thanks entirely to God's surpassing grace that just as Joshua, "The servant of the Lord," was laid to rest in the promised land (Joshua 24: 29-30), so too do we anticipate the promised land of eternal life with God.

"Well done, my good and faithful servant." How my heart longs to hear those words.

What do covenants tell us about God?

In today's installment of my contribution to the Growing At Valley blog, I consider Genesis 16-19 and why God makes covenants.

Genesis 16-19

Why does God make covenants? He is the Creator, making not just something from nothing but everything from nothing (Genesis 1-2). Surely a being with such power and majesty need not bind Himself to man by entering into agreements with him. Indeed God does not need to do this, but He does so anyway. Why?

God enters into covenants to reveal more of His character to us. You see, relationship is central to the Christian life. In the beginning of everything, even before time itself, the three persons of the Godhead existed in perfect, eternal relationship to one another (Athanasian Creed). In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve enjoyed the presence and company of God, who when walking through the garden might call out to them if He didn't see them (Genesis 3: 8-9). And even after sin entered the world and man was cast out from the garden, we can once again have eternal life by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. It's not eternity in a vacuum, however; it's eternity in relationship with God.

And so in Genesis 17, we see God enter into a covenant with Abram. Not just any covenant, either, but a sweeping bond in which God promises "I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you" (v. 7-8).

By so doing, God reveals more not only of the relational aspect of His character but also of His redemptive plan. God is trustworthy and always keeps His promises (Psalm 111, Psalm 145:13, John 8:26, Titus 1:2, etc.), and as we meditate on these truths, our hearts cannot help but be moved to worship.

What happened to Israel?

In this post, originally published at growingatvalley.blogspot.com, I look at Romans 9-10 and Paul's lament for Israel.

Romans 9-10

Paul begins Romans 10 with this lament, "Brothers and sisters, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved" (Romans 10:1). In Genesis 17, though, God establishes His covenant with Abram. So what happened to Israel? The Old Testament is rife with examples of Israel's disobedience to God, but would their inability to observe the Law really keep them out of heaven?

The problem is that in a post-resurrection world, obedience to the Law isn't enough to get us into heaven in the first place. John the Baptist warns about the danger of complacent confidence in birthright salvation (Matthew 3: 7-10), too, but even that isn't the real issue at hand. Sin is the real issue. So great is the gulf between man and God, so stark the contrast between our wretched sin state and God's perfect holiness, that reconciliation is only possible through the atoning blood of Jesus (John 14:6, Romans 10: 9-10).

Our own efforts and works will always fall far short of what is required of us. That is why we cannot keep the law, why we cannot construct our own road to heaven. In Jesus, though, the work has been done that we could never do; the price has been paid that we could never pay (Matthew 5:17, Romans 10:6, 2 Cor 1:20). What an encouraging thought, that when we stand before the holy Judge--as we all will--sentence will be passed not according to our own righteousness but according to Jesus'.

If you want eternal life with God, you can have it. Hear the Gospel, repent of your sin, and put your trust in Jesus.

Matthew 8-10

As I wrote yesterday, I am reprinting a series of blog posts I wrote for my church's read-through-the-Bible-in-a-year blog, growingatvalley.blogspot.com. This post, originally published on January 28, 2013, examines Matthew 8-10 and the importance of hearing--and believing--the Gospel.

Matthew 8-10

Jesus' encounter with the centurion at Capernaum (Matthew 8: 5-13) is a short but revealing exchange. I am struck in particular by Jesus' frank commendation of the centurion's faith. "Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith ... Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would" (Matthew 8:10, 13). What encouraging words! Jesus could be equally blunt when it came to the consequences of ignoring the Gospel message, though. When he sends out the twelve, he instructs them, "If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town" (Matthew 10: 14-15).

Jesus does not immediately elaborate as to what exactly that might entail, but he refers elsewhere to the "darkness" and "the blazing furnace," both of which will involve much "weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 8:12, 13:42). Chances are good you don't want to spend eternity in darkness or in a blazing furnace; I know I don't. If you believe what Jesus teaches, though, then the alternative is a life--indeed, an eternity--of following him.

How can you have that? As Jesus tells the parable of the sower and then explains it to his disciples (Matthew 13: 3-9 and 18-23, respectively), it becomes clear that it all begins with hearing the Gospel. And once we have heard, we have the delight and the duty to proclaim (Matthew 5:14-16, 13: 44-46, 28: 18-20). How else will others come to believe if no one tells them of the Good News (Romans 10: 15-19)? It is such joy to follow Jesus; how can we keep that to ourselves?

May we boldly proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ that all may hear, understand, and believe.

Isaiah 18-22 and the consequences of sin

I periodically vow to resume posting here more frequently ... you can see how well I've done in the past. That said, though, I do value writing in this space, and I mean to do more of it. So to start off, I am going to reprint a series of posts I wrote recently for my church's blog, Growing At Valley. The church is doing a read-the-Bible-in-a-year program, and every day someone writes a post about the assigned reading. There are twelve writers participating, and every twelfth week each person must post daily for the entire week. If you're interested in reading along with the church, please visit the church website at http://www.valleycommunityco.org/#/resources/blogs to see the reading plan and other information about the church's online resources.

The first post I wrote was about Isaiah 18-22 and the consequences of sin. I will not reprint the entire Bible text here, but I encourage you to read it for yourself (both on its own merit and because my post will then make more sense). One place you can read the Bible online is www.biblegateway.com; I use the New International Version translation. And without further ado:

Isaiah 18-22

Sin has consequences. It's easy to overlook--or choose to ignore--the ramifications of our rebellion against God, but this will neither delay nor prevent them. Many passages of Scripture speak to God's patience, mercy, and forgiveness, and these are indeed wonderful traits for which God deserves praise and glory. But in the absence of judgment, grace is cheap. It is only against the backdrop of sin and the destruction it engenders that grace takes on any meaning at all. God, who is perfect in holiness, cannot allow sin to dwell in His presence (the brief audiences He grants Satan in Job 1-2 are exceptions that prove the rule). Unfortunately for us, we are sinful creatures to a one (Romans 3:23). As a result, if you fast-forward to the end of time, only two outcomes are possible: Either our sin is paid for and we get to spend eternity with God, or we remain unredeemed and we are consigned to an eternity apart from God.

The terror of this reality is that it's inescapable (renowned atheist Christopher Hitchens famously compared Christianity to a "cosmic North Korea"). In Chapters 18-22, Isaiah issues a clarion call to Cush, Egypt, Babylon, and other cities that destruction is nigh. These prophecies against ancient cities are a temporal reminder of what awaits us all if we do not have an intercessor. It doesn't matter to whom else we turn for redemption; if it is not God, then we will someday find ourselves cowering as Isaiah's words are realized. "Beware, the Lord is about to take firm hold of you and hurl you away, you mighty man" (Isaiah 22:17).

The beauty, however, is that we do have a Savior, God's own Son (Matthew 3:17). If we turn from our sin and put our trust in Jesus, we can wrap ourselves in his imputed righteousness and so be restored to relationship with God. A firm grasp of what would otherwise be in store for us--and why we would receive such a fate--will only serve to deepen our awe at this "free gift" God has given us (Revelation 22:17). Perhaps the greatest lesson we can take away from Isaiah is what God has saved us from. By deepening our understanding of the destruction that will be visited upon those who choose to reject God, we deepen our understanding of the vast dimensions of God's mercy and grace and of His limitless worthiness of our worship.