Looking Down On Sinners

I came across this in the daily Bible study on Ephesians 2:11 in TableTalk magazine:

Paul reminds the Gentiles of their desperate situation before Christ came and shows them that they have no reason to look down upon the Jews. We, too, should remember how far off we were from God before Jesus so that we never haughtily look down upon those who do not know the Savior. We are not inherently better than those who are outside the covenant community, but have as much need of the gospel as they do.

Here is an excerpt of what I wrote this morning in response to this verse/commentary:

I am not in any way better than my friends, acquaintances, coworkers, and family members who do not know Jesus. I need the gospel just as much as they do. Be careful not to elevate yourself in pride. How does pride manifest itself in this manner in my life?

 - When I think that God doesn’t care for and love my lost friends/coworkers. He does love them. But in what manner does he love them? He sent Jesus as a full and open offer of redemption and grace, free of any meritorious works on our part. God sent Jesus for sinners and we are all sinners. Many will reject Jesus, few will he save.

 - When I think that God is unable to save them. When I am rightly disgusted by the sins of the lost, I may quickly jump to the conclusion that they are irredeemable. This betrays God’s grace shown to me and all others who he has saved.

This says it all about the royal wedding...

"Plus this world is in such a sad state, isn't this a wonderful way to distract us from what's going on in the world?"

 - A Syracuse, NY watcher of the royal UK wedding.

It would be really easy for me to get all cynical about the above quote, but "There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing" (Proverbs 12:18). Let's go with that.

I agree with the woman who said, "...this world is in such a sad state...". It is. The world truly is in a sad state. If I had to guess, this is what I think would be on her mind: recent unrest across many countries, carnage from tornadoes, seemingly unending wars, and many other things which presently dominate the headlines. Or maybe she was wrapped up in these sorrows: the death of a loved one, a struggle to pay rent, the everyday stress of life, etc. Earthly sorrows abound for all people. Earthly joys also grace our lives. But overall, what can be said about the world? Is there a certain hope or not?

A common remedy to assuage the pain of sorrows is to simply distract the mind with more light, happy, and often fleeting things. In this case it is a marriage celebration clothed in grandeur. But can temporary distractions give a mind lasting happiness and hope? Obviously not. What can? Doesn't the Christmas-time song go like this: "A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices!" The hope that the world longs for is the incarnate Son of God, Jesus Christ.

So enjoy a fancy wedding for now. Nothing wrong with that. But don't ever seek relief from the sorrows you face by gripping to anything other than the hope which is found in Jesus.

Meditations on Desire, Part 4

I would recommend catching up on this multi-part series on desire if you haven't read the previous posts. You can start here.

With the idea established that we should pray for the things we desire, let me present an example that might illustrate things more clearly. Here is what goes on in my mind often:

• I want to begin a relationship with a godly young woman with the main intention of seeking marriage.

• I am hesitant when this desire meets my mind. I don't really know why this happens. Perhaps I think that desiring such a thing is of a lower order in the "important things to pray for" category. I have a hunch that this hesitation is unbiblical.

• Naturally, I should test my desires to see if they are right or wrong ( James 4:3 ).

If we are all beggars as Luther wrote in his last hours, and we really can claim nothing of our own, we cannot keep our own hearts beating nor can we make the sun rise tomorrow, then should I not take this into consideration as I want a godly future wife? I certainly cannot make her my own or purchase her (maybe I could where shotgun weddings are commonplace). I have nothing I can call my own! Perhaps I could do no wrong in asking for a wife, provided the motives are not sinful. Perhaps it is good and in accord with the biblical nature of prayer that I should ask for things that I do not have which I want.

Let me offer a brief prayer of what I have been praying to God regarding these things. I leave a blank for the thing for which we desire.

Father God, giver of all good things, you know that I am a creature of desires. Foremost, please make my desire for you greater and greater with each turn of the Earth. Show me the good things that you give God. Grant me the Holy Spirit, for this is the greatest thing that you give to sinful man. Purify my desires so that when I desire things auxiliary to you they may ultimately be for your glory and my good in Jesus. I ask for _________ . Good Father, if it pleases you to give me this thing, please grant it to me for my joy and your glory. Give me patience while I wait on your loving hand. If my request is not to be fulfilled as I see it, may I know and live in the truth that you are all sufficient and more than enough to make me live a contented live in thee. In the name of the Savior in whom I find all my Amens.

Meditations on Desire, Part 3

So I originally had what I was going to post for this blog written out but I lost it somehow. Fortunately I was able to capture most of my thoughts via the sound recording function on my phone yesterday. Technology is a blessing and a curse. Mostly a blessing it seems. Anyways, onto the post!

If I become thirsty and want a drink of water, soda, juice, beer, whatever, then I will naturally do what I can to acquire the beverage and parch my thirst. Let's say I'm at a restaurant with my parents and I don't have any money and I find myself to be thirsty. What will I do? I will ask my parents to buy me a drink so that my thirst can be quenched.

Read this:

And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

That was Luke 11:5-13.The bold words are my own edits.

I remember hearing a sermon on this passage sometime last year and while I don't remember what the message's main point was, I remembered this passage. Let me preface my discussion by noting that the passage here mainly speaks of asking and receiving. What is the thing Jesus is talking about receiving here? The Holy Spirit. I just wanted to get that out of the way and make sure that this is presented as the clear, literal, meaning of Jesus words so that in my forthcoming discussion on this passage, I will not overly force an outside idea on the text. You came here to read about desire and you got a brief note on reading and applying Scripture. That one was free. ;-)

Back to desire. If I ask my parents for a drink, they will give it to me because they are friends to me and they enjoy giving good things to me out of love and joy. Now if I am desirous of something that is not a beverage, and I am praying to God, communing with him, what am I to do? What should I ask of God? It seems that I should ask for the things I want. It would seemingly belie the teaching of this text in Luke to do otherwise. Now, in saying this I am assuming that the desire is not ending in asking for something that is sinful or is something that should not be prayed for. Yes, if you were wondering, we can pray for the wrong things, just see James 4:3.

I am actually going to stop this post right here and present an example of wanting something specific in the next post...if I included it the post would become far too long for rodent-like attention span of my generation. And I like to keep my few readers in suspense. :-)

Meditations on Desire, Part 2

want
1. to feel a need or a desire for; wish for:

Want. I want to go ride my jet ski. I want to go get ice cream. I believe that there are many misconceptions about what "want" is truly defined as. Want is intangible. It is a feeling. To want something is not to require it, although something required may indeed be wanted. I want to go see Iron Man 2, but I don't require this. I require proper hygiene to maintain my physical body, and I want to brush my teeth after I finish writing.

You may be immediately jumping to the comparison between want and need, but let me ask you to stick with me on wanting a little longer. To want is not inherently evil. I am not a Stoic. I am not of the philosophic system that decrees all desire as inherently bad and unnatural. Epictetus, a Stoic, stated:

"Freedom is secured not by the fulfilling of one's desires, but by the removal of desire."

Now I do not seek to explore the concept and definition of freedom in this post, but a brief comment is called for. If a man is to be completely removed of desire, will this man have any true soul? How can a human being with a volitional nature operate without forces that press them on in all directions of life? To strip a man of desire is not to free him, but to effectively turn him into a functional piece of fleshly machinery. Want - desire - is not evil. Lest I leave many confused, the wants of man have indeed become totally depraved and affected by the evil which is sin, but desire in itself is of no evil. I digress...

It seems to me that I certainly have some manner of "freedom" as Epictetus would mention, but I do still conflictingly have desires. I can somewhat identify with this ancient Stoic in the sense that desire can often bring confusion and frustration within one's mind. I think this is perhaps a more natural reflection of the human state. If we had no desire, how pitiful the human race would be.

Next entry in the series: I will address a specific example in my life where desire frustrates and confuses and try to explore this and offer some thinking points...especially for my own sanity.