Life

I imagine that I will title many Blogs "LIFE" over the course of this blog,. but for good reason. It is a necessity to focus on the wrath of God and the pain in this world, but only when leading to the life that God has promised and gives today. The flip side is also true. Life is so much more beautiful when viewed in light of God's wrath and the suffering of this world. It is at this point where we do more than quote scripture, we proclaim "Jesus is life!" Just as Jesus did not end with death, but was resurrected to life on the third day so we have a resurrection to hope in.

Though we were objects of wrath, because of God's love, we are made ALIVE with Christ. This life brings us to the heavenly realms with Christ. Notice we are "made" alive. Two things: 1) It is not by our own power. 2) It has been done and is happening. "For by one sacrifice he has made perfect those who are being made holy" Hebrews 10:14.

Discover the Life with Christ. It fulfills, it completes, it makes us perfect in Christ. Living by our own nature causes death. Our world causes death, whereas our God regenerates and creates life. All Glory and honour belongs to Him who alone is immortal and gives immortality.

Remember What We Forget

Remembrance day is a time of reflection. For most, it's a day where we give honour to soldiers past and present. For others, it is also a day to remember our mistakes as to not repeat them. But yet, what else are we forgetting?

In the book of Revelation, the church in Ephesus forgot something that we often forget. Here is Revelation 2:1-7:

¹ “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:

These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. ² I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. ³ You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.

⁴ Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken [your first love (NASB)] ⁵ Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. ⁶ But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

⁷ Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

Have we fell into the same trap as the Ephesians? Let's think of a few things:

First: The Ephesians were doing good! Expelling false doctrine, persevering through hardships and persecution. It sounds like a great church. Then why would they be called out on forgetting their first love? Are they, or better yet, are we not remembering our first love by memorizing scripture, reading scripture and holding everyone else to having right beliefs?? By believing what we believe is true even through the low points in life?

This is good stuff, but if its all we have then we too have forsaken our first love. We have forgotten that our hope does not lie in a belief or right doctrine but in our mighty king, Jesus, who is extending grace to us in awesome communion. Our hope is in our LIFE with Christ, not our right beliefs. Of course right beliefs fall under our life with and in Christ, but right beliefs never trump being with Christ.

Of course we could allegorize this passage since there are other things that replace our first love and that is fine. But, the problem the Ephesians had is also our problem.

Remembrance day is a time of reflection. For most, it's a day where we give honour to soldiers past and present. For others, it is also a day to remember our mistakes as to not repeat them. Just like the latter, let's remember the past mistakes of the church and not repeat them. Let's not forget our first love.

The Trinitarian Essence of God

A quote from Stanley Grenz:

"Because throughout eternity and apart from the world the one God is love, the God who is love cannot but respond to the world in accordance to his own eternal essence, which is love. Thus, this essential characteristic of God likewise describes the way God interacts with his world. 'Love,' therefore, is not only the description of the eternal God in himself, it is likewise the fundamental characteristic of God in relationship with creation. With profound theological insight, therefore, John bursts forth, 'For God so loved the world that he gave . . .' (John 3:16)."

Theology for the Community of God, 72.

In preparation for preaching on the Trinity this quote screamed at me with all importance. Though Grenz had lots to say to build up to this point there are a few things to point at.

1) In discovering who our Trinitarian God is, we see that God in essence is the God we see active in this world. If we simply analyze God in who he is in himself then we forsake the very essence of God. But we must affirm what Grenz states: that God does not need us to exist. He exists in his essence of love before the creation of the world.

2) I wonder then, why did God create the world? If he was in and of himself complete in his community of love, why bother creating. Maybe the fullness or completeness of God overflows. If Love's purpose is to love someone else, is it not complete when it finds the other to love. Maybe not. Maybe the point of Love is to keep loving beyond. Maybe God's essence overflows. So God in overflowing Love creates the world.

3)Despite if that is true or not and since we know the world does in fact exist, Grenz points out that since God's essence is love, then God indeed interacts with his creation with love. God is love.

What's with the Trinity?

So I am preaching on the Trinity in the upcoming month and have been reading up in my books I have gathered over the years. Here are some valuable quotes when considering this intense doctrine:

"The Way God is revealed and experienced in history corresponds with the way in which God actually is" A.E. McGrath summarizing Karl Rahner

"The 'mystery of salvation' happens first; then we move on to formulate doctrines concerning it"

A.E. McGrath

Robert Jensen is not the most quotable guy but basically, The Title 'Father, Son, & Holy Spirit' is not just a means to understand the Trinity and his roles but revelations in scripture of who God is. His name is Father, Son & Holy Spirit.