by Elizabeth | Jul 14, 2011 | Learning Story
Acts 17:16-17
“While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there.”
Okay, I know I’ve been writing about this a lot. But having stood on the Areopagus, in the shadow of the Parthenon, I can’t get over what Paul’s doing here. Tim Keller’s commentary on this passage challenges me to ask:
How do I feel about today’s culture? Do I feel compassion over ignorance of the gospel and enslavement to sin that destroys? Do I feel outrage over idolatry or do I just casually nod and look away? What is the Areopagus of our day? What sermon or lesson should be preached or taught there?
Keller’s comment: “However, on the other hand, his feeling was not simply one of compassion and mercy. Idolatry outraged him. In his speech he accuses these highly sophisticated and intellectual people of “ignorance” (v.29) — nothing could have been more insulting to them! And then he declares the final judgement of God (v.31). So Paul’s feelings that drove him were “complex”. Why? On the one hand, he saw the idolatry in the perspective of God’s holiness as rebellion— and thus he was outraged and indignant. But on the other hand, he saw the idolatry in the perspective of God’s love as slavery — and thus he was movedwith compassion for the people who were enslaved in ignorance and darkness.
by Elizabeth | May 31, 2011 | Learning Story
Prepping for the workshop at General Assembly next week, I reread the article The Centrality of the Gospel by Tim Keller — a great explanation of how both irreligion or religion (legalism) are ways of avoiding Jesus as Savior. Here’s an excerpt. Check out the whole article:
“They are both ways to avoid Jesus as Savior and keep control of their lives. Irreligious people seek to be their own saviors and lords through irreligion, “worldly” pride. (“No one tells me how to live or what to do, so I determine what is right and wrong for me!”) But moral and religious people seek to be their own saviors and lords through religion, “religious” pride. (“I am more moral and spiritual than other people, so God owes me to listen to my prayers and take me to heaven. God cannot let just anything happen to me–he owes me a happy life. I’ve earned it!”) The irreligious person rejects Jesus entirely, but the religious person only uses Jesus as an example and helper and teacher–but not as a Savior. (Flannery O’Connor wrote that religious people think “that the way to avoid Jesus was to avoid sin…”) These are two different ways to dothe same thing–control our own lives.” Tim Keller
by Elizabeth | Aug 24, 2010 | Learning Story
Continuing my study of Galatians 5:16-17, I am focusing today on the last part of v. 17. Scroll down to read the entire verse in context, also because I want you to read Jimmy Davis’s very helpful comments on that post which help us understand even better the difference between the “flesh” and the “sinful nature.”
“They are in conflict with each other so that you do not do what you want.”
Keller says that the “desires” of the sinful nature is the Greek word epithumia, which translates literally into “over-desires” or “inordinate longings.” It is not desire which is bad – it is taking a good thing and making it the key to your salvation: “I’ll die if I don’t have a date to the prom.” “I must have the constant approval of my co-workers[fill in the blank.]” These would be examples of taking desires for good things and making them the driving force of our lives.
Here’s the good news – the Spirit is in us, and it creates desires too. And guess what, these desires are even more powerful than the “over-desires.” What we really want, or desire, is what the Spirit wants. What does the Spirit want? To “glorify Christ” (John 16:14). The Spirit wants to reveal Christ and to make us more like Christ.
And that’s good news. Because even with “flesh” or “sinful nature” bent toward wanting what we think will make us happy or safe or powerful, as Christians, we have new hearts that want what we were really made for – to glorify God and to enjoy God. To love others more than we love ourselves. To give rather than take. To say, “I will be sad if I don’t have a date to the prom, but I won’t die, because God will dance with me.” To know, God’s approval is unfailing because I have Christ’s righteousness and thank God, I don’t have to work work work to please my co-workers, boss, friends, spouse, children.”
Let’s live today asking the Spirit to help us live the way we really want to live.
by Elizabeth | Aug 23, 2010 | Learning Story
16 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.
Are there Bible passages that you slide right past because you’re not quite sure what they’re talking about and they make you uncomfortable, not just because you don’t know what they’re talking about but also because you suspect they’re talking about something that nails you? This is the way the passage in Galatians 5:16- 26 has been for me. Today I read this explanation in Tim Keller’s Galatians study. It really helped me understand two of the key words in this passage: “flesh” or “sinful nature” and “Spirit.” See what you think.
Paul is contrasting the “sinful nature” with the “Spirit” (v.16 and v.17). On the one hand,
Paul speaks of the sarx, which in older translations is rendered the “flesh” and in more
modern translations is called the “sinful nature.” The flesh in the New Testament, when
opposed to the Spirit, does not refer to our physical nature as opposed to our spiritual
nature, but to the sin-desiring aspect of our whole being as opposed to the God-desiring
aspect. How do we know that? Just look at the list of “the works of the sinful nature [i.e.
flesh]” in v.19. “Hatred… jealous… ambition… envy” (v.19-21) have nothing to do with
the physical body at all, but with the spirit. Other works of the flesh do have to do with
the body. Therefore, the sarx is our sinful heart. It is the part or the aspect of our hearts
which is not yet renewed by the Spirit.
On the other hand, Paul speaks of the “Spirit.” At first sight, it may seem that this is a
battle between something inside us (our sinful nature) and outside us (the Holy Spirit). But
since Paul talks of each side as producing character qualities within us, and because of his
language of two kinds of “desires” (v.17), it is evident that this conflict takes place within
us. Therefore, “the Spirit” could be thought of as the renewed Christian heart, renewed
by the Holy Spirit. Our sinful nature was there, naturally, before we were Christians. The
Spirit, however, entered supernaturally when we first became Christians and has begun a
renewal that is now our “new nature.” Paul refers to these two natures as “the old man”
and “the new man” (often translated “old self/new self”) in Ephesians 4:22-24.
by Elizabeth | Jul 10, 2010 | Learning Story
Grace is good; grace is great, but, as many pastors and church folk, and non-church folk, have noted, as St. Paul noted, MISUNDERSTANDINGS about grace lived out abound. Tomorrow I get to teach the seniors about OBEDIENCE, and I’m pretty excited about what I’ve learned and been reminded of. Here is part one — Monday we’ll continue to consider what obedience is all about:
2 If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very naturea God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7 but made himself nothing,
taking the very natureb of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:6-11
Some E.T. thoughts on these verses and where obedience begins. The perfect Sunday school answer: Obedience begins with…
JESUS!!! Jesus didn’t just “model” obedience. He lived it and died it. And because he was raised from the dead, we too are raised to be NEW CREATION. That’s why we live differently in this world.
Obedience relates to worship. It is the question of “Whom do we worship?” Before whom do we bow? If we bow before ourselves, we will do what feels good, what is easiest, follow the path of least resistance. If we bow before Christ as our King, we will ask him what we are called to do in each situation, and we will obey him, even when it does not agree with what we want to do.
But don’t take my word for it, listen to what Tim Keller says:
“Today’s preacher must argue against the self-serving pragmatism of postmodernity. The gospel does say that through it you find your life, but that first you must lose your life. I must say to people, “Christ will ‘work’ for you only if you are true to him whether he works for you or not. You must not come to him because he is fulfilling (though he is) but because he is true. If you seek to meet him in order to get your needs met, you will not meet him or get your needs met. To become a Christian is not to get help for your agenda but to take on a whole new agenda — the will of God. You must obey him because you owe him your life, because he is your Creator and Redeemer.” – Tim Keller, from a contributing chapter of The Art and Craft of Biblical Preaching
