Good article... wise words. :)
http://www.relevantmagazine.com/life/relationship/features/28648-opposites-attack
26 Mar 2012
Bonhoeffer on Abortion
Bonhoeffer on Abortion: 
Dietrich Bonhoeffer is claimed as a patron saint by theological schools, ranging from God is Dead to evangelical conservatives. Eric Metaxas sees his biography as one step in the rescue of Bonhoeffer from the most bizarre misuses of his thinking.
Along the way he points out, for example, Bonhoeffer’s clear and strong views on abortion. They are decisive on the immorality of it, and pastorally compassionate toward the persons in crisis.
________
Recent posts from John Piper —
Dietrich Bonhoeffer is claimed as a patron saint by theological schools, ranging from God is Dead to evangelical conservatives. Eric Metaxas sees his biography as one step in the rescue of Bonhoeffer from the most bizarre misuses of his thinking.
Along the way he points out, for example, Bonhoeffer’s clear and strong views on abortion. They are decisive on the immorality of it, and pastorally compassionate toward the persons in crisis.
Destruction of the embryo in the mother’s womb is a violation of the right to live which God has bestowed upon this nascent life. To raise the question whether we are here concerned already with a human being or not is merely to confuse the issue. The simple fact is that God certainly intended to create a human being and that this nascent human being has been deliberately deprived of his life. And this is nothing but murder.
A great many different motives may lead to an action of this kind; indeed in cases where it is an act of despair, performed in circumstances of extreme human or economic destitution and misery, the guilt may often lie rather with the community than with the individual. Precisely in this connection money may conceal many a wanton deed, while the poor man’s more reluctant lapse may far more easily be disclosed.
All these considerations must no doubt have a quite decisive influence on our personal and pastoral attitude towards the person concerned, but they cannot in any way alter the fact of murder. (Quoted in Eric Metaxas, Bonhoeffer, 472, paragraphing added)
________
Recent posts from John Piper —
- Trayvon Martin, Race, and the Gospel
- I Was Warned by Job This Morning
- What's the Difference Between Jesus and the Lawyers?
23 Mar 2012
Spirit of Rejection... be GONE!
"So then, brothers,we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him." ~ 1 Corinthians 8:12-17
So I've been thinking about something latley. My life as a kid. I've been wondering if I felt rejected as a child, and therefore now I am living that out in my life. Or still living in the spirit of rejection. It's not that my childhood was terrible or unhappy, but I've just been wondering about it. I have 2 reasons for why I've been thinking about this, 1) my family was expecting me to be a son 2) my grandfather.
Let me tackle the more simple of the two... my family was expecting me to be a son. I don't know why... or how... but from weird Chinese superstition my family was expecting me to be a son, and even had a boy's name waiting for me when I was born. Let's try to explain this a little more... Chinese families favour sons because they carry on the family name. My dad was also the oldest son in the family, so for them to be expecting a son... I think I must've been a pretty big deal. When I turned out to be a daughter, I wonder if there was disappointment. There must've been... especially from my grandmother. She cares so much about her reputation and "status" in the family... that having the first male grandson would bring her. I don't know if it was in my head, or I just don't understand her, but I always felt like she favoured my brother over me. (He's the first male grandson.)
Perhaps this is why I always had this attitude that I could do whatever boys did... and I'm just as good. Perhaps subconsciously I've been fighting for my place in the family to fight the rejection that I felt because I was a daughter and not a son. Now add this in with a mother who doesn't really encourage girly behaviour and dressed me up as a boy as a kid... and didn't encourage girly dresses and stuff... that's probably why I am the way that I am now. Now I'm almost 30... I think I'm finally starting to find myself... and where I really fit in between my trying to be a boy... and the girly side within me.
Now for the more complicated part of the equation... my grandfather. You see, he had 2 wives... and growing up, my grandfather was only around for lunch... and then he would leave and return to his other home. Maybe a part of me always called that "his real home." I don't know... as a child I didn't understand.. and now... I still don't understand what was going on. I know my grandmother must've felt quite rejected... she carries around a very large spirit of rejection... (God bless her soul, I hope she can find the freedom that is in Jesus soon!). So... I think I eventually subconsciously developed a sense that we were the rejected grand children. It's not true... but as a child, you absorb... and that's what I absorbed.
I think this is the base of much irrational fears of rejection and abandonment. BUT... God has given me His Spirit... and I am a child of God. I live by the Spirit... which will put to death all of this... which were the result of the deeds of the flesh. I do not fall back into that fear... or a spirit of slavery to these things, but I live free and full of life in Christ. So spirit of rejection, I BREAK you. I claim my identity in Christ as a beloved daughter of God that no matter what my past has dictated, I am free from that because Christ has given me the Spirit of adoption and I am now part of a bigger family who loves and accepts me for who I am regardless of my gender.
So I've been thinking about something latley. My life as a kid. I've been wondering if I felt rejected as a child, and therefore now I am living that out in my life. Or still living in the spirit of rejection. It's not that my childhood was terrible or unhappy, but I've just been wondering about it. I have 2 reasons for why I've been thinking about this, 1) my family was expecting me to be a son 2) my grandfather.
Let me tackle the more simple of the two... my family was expecting me to be a son. I don't know why... or how... but from weird Chinese superstition my family was expecting me to be a son, and even had a boy's name waiting for me when I was born. Let's try to explain this a little more... Chinese families favour sons because they carry on the family name. My dad was also the oldest son in the family, so for them to be expecting a son... I think I must've been a pretty big deal. When I turned out to be a daughter, I wonder if there was disappointment. There must've been... especially from my grandmother. She cares so much about her reputation and "status" in the family... that having the first male grandson would bring her. I don't know if it was in my head, or I just don't understand her, but I always felt like she favoured my brother over me. (He's the first male grandson.)
Perhaps this is why I always had this attitude that I could do whatever boys did... and I'm just as good. Perhaps subconsciously I've been fighting for my place in the family to fight the rejection that I felt because I was a daughter and not a son. Now add this in with a mother who doesn't really encourage girly behaviour and dressed me up as a boy as a kid... and didn't encourage girly dresses and stuff... that's probably why I am the way that I am now. Now I'm almost 30... I think I'm finally starting to find myself... and where I really fit in between my trying to be a boy... and the girly side within me.
Now for the more complicated part of the equation... my grandfather. You see, he had 2 wives... and growing up, my grandfather was only around for lunch... and then he would leave and return to his other home. Maybe a part of me always called that "his real home." I don't know... as a child I didn't understand.. and now... I still don't understand what was going on. I know my grandmother must've felt quite rejected... she carries around a very large spirit of rejection... (God bless her soul, I hope she can find the freedom that is in Jesus soon!). So... I think I eventually subconsciously developed a sense that we were the rejected grand children. It's not true... but as a child, you absorb... and that's what I absorbed.
I think this is the base of much irrational fears of rejection and abandonment. BUT... God has given me His Spirit... and I am a child of God. I live by the Spirit... which will put to death all of this... which were the result of the deeds of the flesh. I do not fall back into that fear... or a spirit of slavery to these things, but I live free and full of life in Christ. So spirit of rejection, I BREAK you. I claim my identity in Christ as a beloved daughter of God that no matter what my past has dictated, I am free from that because Christ has given me the Spirit of adoption and I am now part of a bigger family who loves and accepts me for who I am regardless of my gender.
21 Mar 2012
Fruit in unexpected places...
"For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, 'Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.'" ~ 1 Corinthians 1: 26-31
Recently, God used a time when I was so broken and dead on the inside to bring me to my knees in humility. Or perhaps He just wanted to drive a point home... which was no matter what state I am in, if I am obedient, He will use me to bring Him glory.
Back in 2007... a year which is full of much frustration for me, I was helping out at my home church every Friday night at our high school fellowship. (AKA Petros). Don't miss the point, I loved those kids... each and everyone of them. I had a lot of fun with them... but I also knew that I wasn't investing as much time and effort... and basically myself as I would've liked... always leaving me to wonder if my presense even had much impact on them. Because I was still in a place of a lot of hurt... I wasn't quite as transparent with them as I would've liked... and therefore resulting in a wall between us.
Awhile back, one of those kiddies got in contact with me. (I guess they're not really kiddies, since they're all in university now..) I was floored to read her message. I think it actually made me cry. Hahaha.... :P I never knew that I had any impact on them... but I guess now I know. And recently I found out that she went and took mystory (the video from several months ago) and had shared it. Hahaha... I am humbled. Because that was not me... the only way I could have left any impact or impression upon those kiddies was if God had done it.
Sometimes God gets me to do things which makes no sense to me at the time... but later (and sometimes it's years later) God reveals the reason. I think this is God's way to encouraging me and remind me that no matter how much something doesn't make sense, God had purposed it and it will all be for His glory. And it will all make sense... eventually.
Thank-you God. You are so awesome!
Recently, God used a time when I was so broken and dead on the inside to bring me to my knees in humility. Or perhaps He just wanted to drive a point home... which was no matter what state I am in, if I am obedient, He will use me to bring Him glory.
Back in 2007... a year which is full of much frustration for me, I was helping out at my home church every Friday night at our high school fellowship. (AKA Petros). Don't miss the point, I loved those kids... each and everyone of them. I had a lot of fun with them... but I also knew that I wasn't investing as much time and effort... and basically myself as I would've liked... always leaving me to wonder if my presense even had much impact on them. Because I was still in a place of a lot of hurt... I wasn't quite as transparent with them as I would've liked... and therefore resulting in a wall between us.
Awhile back, one of those kiddies got in contact with me. (I guess they're not really kiddies, since they're all in university now..) I was floored to read her message. I think it actually made me cry. Hahaha.... :P I never knew that I had any impact on them... but I guess now I know. And recently I found out that she went and took mystory (the video from several months ago) and had shared it. Hahaha... I am humbled. Because that was not me... the only way I could have left any impact or impression upon those kiddies was if God had done it.
Sometimes God gets me to do things which makes no sense to me at the time... but later (and sometimes it's years later) God reveals the reason. I think this is God's way to encouraging me and remind me that no matter how much something doesn't make sense, God had purposed it and it will all be for His glory. And it will all make sense... eventually.
Thank-you God. You are so awesome!
20 Mar 2012
Praising Others is Not Optional
Simple concept... but such a hard thing to live out... for myself anyways.
Praising Others is Not Optional:
God-centered praise of those who are not God is not optional. A fire not stoked goes out. A refrigerator unplugged rots the eggs. A garden not tended erupts with weeds. Affirmation is the fire-stoking, refrigerator-electrifying, garden-tending side of relationships. Relationships in which commendable things are not commended, but overlooked, take on a flavor. The relationship is marked, and we take on a reputation to those around us.
Barnabas is called the “son of encouragement.” What’s my reputation? Mr. Crabby Pants? Old Lady Battle-Axe? Miss Nit-Pick? We bring refreshment to relationships when we unleash so many affirmations that those around us lose track.
I am not suggesting a checklist approach to life. Healthy affirming is more organic, a way of living. It’s more like romance than rocket science. It’s less like knitting (with its knit one, pearl two) and more like the weather – how much rain is enough? Well, that depends on how dry it’s been. And what are you trying to grow – a watermelon or a tumbleweed?
Jesus said, “As you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.” (Matthew 25:41) If you didn’t affirm them, you didn’t affirm him.
The thing that compounds a deficiency in affirmation is a surplus of corrections in a relationship. Corrections outweigh affirmations. They have greater impact individually. The sting of rebuke outweighs the fresh whiff of a bouquet of affirmations. A person sniffing flowers when a bee stings quickly forgets the flowers, even if the bouquet is very large. If a pattern of corrections is outweighing the affirmations, the sting stays with us, and added corrections are like picking at the scab made by the sting.
A rash word is like a sword thrust (Proverbs 12:18). It only takes a moment to cut somebody with a sword, but it takes a long time to heal, and is aided by ointment, and even then it might leave a scar. Affirmations are like ointment that can assist the healing.
When we don’t affirm those around us enough, they stop hearing our corrections, eventually stop listening to us altogether, and perhaps become oppositional toward us. Conversely, affirmations gain a hearing for us. The principle is this: people tend to be influenced by those who praise them. It’s true in marriages, families, classrooms, churches, and even true in our relationship with God, for what does he inhabit? Answer: the praises of his people.
Puritan Richard Baxter said, “They love those who best esteem them highest. The fault of these admirers can be extenuated and easily forgiven. If you would have his favor, let him hear that you have magnified him behind his back and that you honor him…”
John Calvin says, “We readily believe those whom we know to be desirous of our welfare, connecting the hearing of those around us with our manifest goodwill toward them, which is made manifest by commending them when they reflect Christ.”
Affirmation is the purpose of the universe – specifically affirmation of God. Lord, help me honor you and refresh others by commending the work you are doing in them.
____________
This was the third and final installment of Sam’s blog series, “Practicing Affirmation: The Art of Praising Others” (part one, part two).
Praising Others is Not Optional:
God-centered praise of those who are not God is not optional. A fire not stoked goes out. A refrigerator unplugged rots the eggs. A garden not tended erupts with weeds. Affirmation is the fire-stoking, refrigerator-electrifying, garden-tending side of relationships. Relationships in which commendable things are not commended, but overlooked, take on a flavor. The relationship is marked, and we take on a reputation to those around us.
Barnabas is called the “son of encouragement.” What’s my reputation? Mr. Crabby Pants? Old Lady Battle-Axe? Miss Nit-Pick? We bring refreshment to relationships when we unleash so many affirmations that those around us lose track.
I am not suggesting a checklist approach to life. Healthy affirming is more organic, a way of living. It’s more like romance than rocket science. It’s less like knitting (with its knit one, pearl two) and more like the weather – how much rain is enough? Well, that depends on how dry it’s been. And what are you trying to grow – a watermelon or a tumbleweed?
Jesus said, “As you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.” (Matthew 25:41) If you didn’t affirm them, you didn’t affirm him.
The thing that compounds a deficiency in affirmation is a surplus of corrections in a relationship. Corrections outweigh affirmations. They have greater impact individually. The sting of rebuke outweighs the fresh whiff of a bouquet of affirmations. A person sniffing flowers when a bee stings quickly forgets the flowers, even if the bouquet is very large. If a pattern of corrections is outweighing the affirmations, the sting stays with us, and added corrections are like picking at the scab made by the sting.
A rash word is like a sword thrust (Proverbs 12:18). It only takes a moment to cut somebody with a sword, but it takes a long time to heal, and is aided by ointment, and even then it might leave a scar. Affirmations are like ointment that can assist the healing.
When we don’t affirm those around us enough, they stop hearing our corrections, eventually stop listening to us altogether, and perhaps become oppositional toward us. Conversely, affirmations gain a hearing for us. The principle is this: people tend to be influenced by those who praise them. It’s true in marriages, families, classrooms, churches, and even true in our relationship with God, for what does he inhabit? Answer: the praises of his people.
Puritan Richard Baxter said, “They love those who best esteem them highest. The fault of these admirers can be extenuated and easily forgiven. If you would have his favor, let him hear that you have magnified him behind his back and that you honor him…”
John Calvin says, “We readily believe those whom we know to be desirous of our welfare, connecting the hearing of those around us with our manifest goodwill toward them, which is made manifest by commending them when they reflect Christ.”
Affirmation is the purpose of the universe – specifically affirmation of God. Lord, help me honor you and refresh others by commending the work you are doing in them.
____________
This was the third and final installment of Sam’s blog series, “Practicing Affirmation: The Art of Praising Others” (part one, part two).
11 Mar 2012
The Journal Entries... 2
August 30th, 2011
I was at Kingdom Culture with Kris Vallotton and he said "Your destiny relies on your history, testimony and prophecy."
I wrote: ... then perhaps one day there will be a generation where boys and girls are both confident in their relationships with Christ that they can love each other as brothers and sisters in the way that God had intended.
...
God I will continue to trust that you will continue to lead me to where I need to go. I'm still at CKM for a reason and you let me get into CUHK for a reason. So I will wait to see what your purpose for making me do school this way is. I want to be that light that people had prophesized over me. Help me to be that light.
August 30th, 2010
"Having faith often means doing what others see as crazy. Something is wrong when our lives makes no sense to unbelievers." ~ Francis Chan from Crazy Love
August 30th, 2009
"So we set our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." ~ 2 Corinthians 4:18
And then God said: You said you wanted eternal joy and not temporary/momentary happiness, here is the answer. You want to see heaven on earth? Then keep traveling on the road less traveled. You wanted to know the desires of my heart. To break your heart with the things that break my heart. I didn't give you a passion to have you work a cushy well praying job within HSBC risk management. That HSBC door was opened because it was the only way you would come all the way back to Hong Kong at that time. But what are you doing now? Do you want to waste another 10-20 years before you'll answer my calling for your life? Great things require great sacrifice.
Trust me. Just trust me and take the plunge into the raging river.
I was at Kingdom Culture with Kris Vallotton and he said "Your destiny relies on your history, testimony and prophecy."
I wrote: ... then perhaps one day there will be a generation where boys and girls are both confident in their relationships with Christ that they can love each other as brothers and sisters in the way that God had intended.
...
God I will continue to trust that you will continue to lead me to where I need to go. I'm still at CKM for a reason and you let me get into CUHK for a reason. So I will wait to see what your purpose for making me do school this way is. I want to be that light that people had prophesized over me. Help me to be that light.
August 30th, 2010
"Having faith often means doing what others see as crazy. Something is wrong when our lives makes no sense to unbelievers." ~ Francis Chan from Crazy Love
August 30th, 2009
"So we set our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." ~ 2 Corinthians 4:18
And then God said: You said you wanted eternal joy and not temporary/momentary happiness, here is the answer. You want to see heaven on earth? Then keep traveling on the road less traveled. You wanted to know the desires of my heart. To break your heart with the things that break my heart. I didn't give you a passion to have you work a cushy well praying job within HSBC risk management. That HSBC door was opened because it was the only way you would come all the way back to Hong Kong at that time. But what are you doing now? Do you want to waste another 10-20 years before you'll answer my calling for your life? Great things require great sacrifice.
Trust me. Just trust me and take the plunge into the raging river.
6 Mar 2012
It's gonna be worth it...
This is the latest song....
I don't understand Your ways
Oh but I will give You my song
Give You all of my praise
You hold on to all my pain
With it You are pulling me closer
And pulling me into Your ways
Now around every corner
And up every mountain
I'm not looking for crowns
Or the water from fountains
I'm desperately seeking, frantic believing
That the sight of Your face
Is all that I'm needing
I will say to You
It's gonna be worth it
It's gonna be worth it
It's gonna be worth it all
I believe it, I believe it
When I see Your face, it's gonna be worth it all
Even through trials and tribulation
When I see Your face, it's gonna be worth it all
You're gonna be worth it
You're gonna be worth it
You're gonna be worth it all
Oh but I will give You my song
Give You all of my praise
You hold on to all my pain
With it You are pulling me closer
And pulling me into Your ways
Now around every corner
And up every mountain
I'm not looking for crowns
Or the water from fountains
I'm desperately seeking, frantic believing
That the sight of Your face
Is all that I'm needing
I will say to You
It's gonna be worth it
It's gonna be worth it
It's gonna be worth it all
I believe it, I believe it
When I see Your face, it's gonna be worth it all
Even through trials and tribulation
When I see Your face, it's gonna be worth it all
You're gonna be worth it
You're gonna be worth it
You're gonna be worth it all
5 Mar 2012
Monday Morning Musings...
How is it possible that it is once again March?!
Anyways... so last week in the midst of my random internet surfing, I came across an ad for a job. My old church E3C was looking for a new Children's Director/Pastor. Let's get real honest here for a moment... I seriously considered applying for the job, and wanting it. And if they'd have me, to give up on everything here to move back to Edmonton.
Last week I reached my breaking point. I couldn't understand why I was at this job, I even forgot why I was in school... I wanted to just give up on all of it and run away. To run back to where I was comfortable, where I was safe... I just couldn't stand Hong Kong anymore.
It got to the point where I got to class on Saturday, and completely disengaged myself from the group... our class only has 10 people and our prof. So when I disengage, it's pretty obvious. It also didn't help that I had to do do role play in Chinese... and I just couldn't get over the language and cultural barrier that's been pre-set up for me. I've set up that wall for myself... and my classmates constantly reinforce that wall for me. It's not their fault... but their concern has been turning into a confirmation that my Chinese is poor as is my understanding of Hong Kong culture. (I don't say Chinese, because it's not Chinese culture. It's Hong Kong culture...)
After my horrid performace in class... I pretty much spent the rest of that class trying to figure out how I could either transfer into an English speaking program somewhere in North America... or better yet to just quit and apply for that job I'd seen earlier in the week. The idea of returning to my old comfort zone was... well... comfortable.
Then came God's slap in the face... to wake me up I guess. I got to 180 to find out that Enoch was speaking on Calling. Blah. Calling... the same word that came up when I was deciding between Hong Kong and Cambodia. That this is all a part of His calling for me. More... BLAH. :P
Walking into the calling that God has for me has not been an easy road. It's been lonely... it's been tough... and then I hear Bomi Kim's voice blasting "it's gonna be worth it" in my head, and God opens more doors or hints at them... and I know that I must continue to persevere down this narrow path that God has destined for me to walk. Most of my brattiness is starting to leave... but there's still a part of me that wishes to run away to hide in my corner... because I know that this road will only get rougher.
It's gonna be worth it...
It's gonna be worth it all...
Anyways... so last week in the midst of my random internet surfing, I came across an ad for a job. My old church E3C was looking for a new Children's Director/Pastor. Let's get real honest here for a moment... I seriously considered applying for the job, and wanting it. And if they'd have me, to give up on everything here to move back to Edmonton.
Last week I reached my breaking point. I couldn't understand why I was at this job, I even forgot why I was in school... I wanted to just give up on all of it and run away. To run back to where I was comfortable, where I was safe... I just couldn't stand Hong Kong anymore.
It got to the point where I got to class on Saturday, and completely disengaged myself from the group... our class only has 10 people and our prof. So when I disengage, it's pretty obvious. It also didn't help that I had to do do role play in Chinese... and I just couldn't get over the language and cultural barrier that's been pre-set up for me. I've set up that wall for myself... and my classmates constantly reinforce that wall for me. It's not their fault... but their concern has been turning into a confirmation that my Chinese is poor as is my understanding of Hong Kong culture. (I don't say Chinese, because it's not Chinese culture. It's Hong Kong culture...)
After my horrid performace in class... I pretty much spent the rest of that class trying to figure out how I could either transfer into an English speaking program somewhere in North America... or better yet to just quit and apply for that job I'd seen earlier in the week. The idea of returning to my old comfort zone was... well... comfortable.
Then came God's slap in the face... to wake me up I guess. I got to 180 to find out that Enoch was speaking on Calling. Blah. Calling... the same word that came up when I was deciding between Hong Kong and Cambodia. That this is all a part of His calling for me. More... BLAH. :P
Walking into the calling that God has for me has not been an easy road. It's been lonely... it's been tough... and then I hear Bomi Kim's voice blasting "it's gonna be worth it" in my head, and God opens more doors or hints at them... and I know that I must continue to persevere down this narrow path that God has destined for me to walk. Most of my brattiness is starting to leave... but there's still a part of me that wishes to run away to hide in my corner... because I know that this road will only get rougher.
It's gonna be worth it...
It's gonna be worth it all...
29 Feb 2012
Forty-Year-Old Light on How to Translate “Son of God” for Muslims
I found this really interesting! Hope you enjoy it as well! :)
Forty-Year-Old Light on How to Translate “Son of God” for Muslims:
Forty-Year-Old Light on How to Translate “Son of God” for Muslims:
Writing in 1972, J. I. Packer sheds light on the contemporary debate over how to translate the term “Son of God” in Muslim contexts. A common Muslim misconception is that Christians believe Jesus was God’s Son by procreation with Mary, so that there are at least two gods — the Son and the Father.
Motivated by a desire to remove unnecessary stumbling blocks for Muslims, some have advocated translating the Greek behind “Son of God” in a way that does not carry such biological connotations. That means avoiding such Father and Son language. But historically, the problem of ambiguity in Jesus’ Sonship has been solved by context and teaching, not translation.
What Packer contributes to the debate is the observation that the apostle John already faced this ambiguity when he wrote his Gospel. And he points out that the way John dealt with it was not by rejecting the terms Father and Son, but by making clear in the context what they mean. My conviction is that we should take the risks John did, and let the New Testament context do its work the way he intended.
Packer writes, “John knew that the phrase ‘Son of God’ was tainted with misleading associations in the minds of his readers. Jewish theology used it as a title for the expected (human) Messiah. Greek mythology told of many “sons of gods,” supermen born of a union between God and the human woman.”
But, Packer observes, “John wanted to make sure that when he wrote of Jesus as the Son of God he would not be understood” in those wrong ways. He wanted “to make it clear from the outset that the Sonship which Jesus claimed . . . was precisely a matter of personal deity and nothing less.”
To make sure of this, he did not reject the language of Father and Son. Instead, Packer says, he wrote his famous Prologue (John 1:1–18). “Nowhere in the New Testament is the nature and meaning of Jesus’s divine Sonship so clearly explained as here.”
- In the beginning was the Word. “Here is the Word’s eternity. He had no beginning.”
- And the Word was with God. “Here is the Word’s personality. The power that fulfills God's purposes is the power of a distinct personal being, who stands in an eternal relation to God of active fellowship.”
- And the Word was God. “Here is the Word’s deity. Though personally distinct from the Father, he is not a creature; He is divine in himself, as the Father is.”
- All things were made by him. “Here is the Word creating. . . All that was, was made through him.”
- And the Word became flesh. “Here is the Word incarnate. The baby in the manger at Bethlehem was none other than the eternal Word of God.”
Now after showing us who the Word is, John reveals him as “God’s Son. “We have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father” (John 1:14). “Thus John . . . has now made it clear what is meant by calling Jesus the Son of God. . . [It is] an assertion of his distinct personal deity.” (J. I. Packer, Knowing God [London: InterVarsity Press, 1973], 48–50.)
The difficulties of Bible translation are enormous. My veneration for men and women who have given their lives to it is deep. The debt we owe them is profound. I also have spoken with Muslim background believers who are risking their lives for believing the truth that Jesus is the Son of God. Some feel betrayed by the removal of this language from the Bible.
J. I. Packer shows us that the potential misunderstanding of “Son of God” was there from the beginning. The remedy for it was not the rejection of the term. The remedy was the New Testament itself — in all its controversial and self-interpreting fullness.
In addition to context, there are teachers. The ascended Christ gave teachers to his church to explain things (Ephesians 4:11). And he sent us to the nations to proclaim and to teach (Matthew 28:20). And if we are to teach like Paul (five hours a day in the hall of Tyrannus in pagan Ephesus for two years, Acts 19:9–10) we will need a solid, accurate, reliable text that can bear rigorous scrutiny.
Lord, raise up an army of translators and teachers like this.
[This article also appears in the March 10th issue of World Magazine.]
________
Recent posts from John Piper —
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Wolfhart Pannenberg on Schism
- A. I. M. S. — A New Acronym for Living My Life
- Why Did God Let Paul Become a Murderer?
27 Feb 2012
On Sacrifice
If you haven't noticed, I've been spending a lot of time reading Relevant Magazine on line. Today, I was reading this article on Lent... it was more about sacrifice.
This explaination of what sacrifice means blew me away: "taking something perfectly good and destroying it before God." Sacrifice makes no sense. The words that come to mind is reckless abandonment. To truly sacrifice your life is to live reckless abadoned to Christ. The only way anyone can do that is they believed in a God that is better than what they can currently see and understand. If they believe in a God that is molding them and leading them to be a better person than who they already are, then and only then would anyone willing recklessly abandon their life to God.
Even David knew about this concept that when we offer something to God, it must cost us something: "I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God that cost me nothing." (2 Samuel 24:24)
If you go back to the time of Cain and Abel, when we don't offer something that costs us, God doesn't even care. "... but for Cain and his offering he had no regard." (Genesis 4:5a)
And if you think this is just an OT thing, then we can talk about Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5. Where God simply struck them dead... and this is POST Pentacost!
This is not a matter of what we give... I think at the heart of it really is about our heart. Do we love God enough to give Him something will cost us, to give Him our very best, and to give Him our all?
In the past 2 years or so, the story of sacrifice that has been on my heart has been the story of Abraham and Issac (Genesis 22). Issac was God's promise to Abraham fulfilled. Abraham was already over 100 years old, and he had to wait so long for God to fulfill His promise... and one day, God just asks him to sacrifice his son. If that's not sacrifice, I don't know what is. Awhile back, I prayed a very dangerous prayer. I asked God to give me the same type of faith that Abraham had. I asked Him to take me to a place where I would be able to lay ALL things down at the altar, even if those things were the fulfilled promises of God that I had waited so long for. I asked him to show me what these things were which were my "Issac"... and to take me to the place where I can say, these are not mine, but yours, so teach me to be able to lay them back on the altar for you if you ask.
Here's the thing... God doesn't ALWAYS come like He did in Abraham's story with Issac. Sometimes, God doesn't come at the last minute to stop you, sometimes, He lets you go through with the whole sacrifice, and you really DO have to let go. Would you still trust God? Would you still continue to recklessly abandon your life into his hands? Even when God seems to witholding his promise to you, or delaying his promise... would you keep hanging onto Him?
This explaination of what sacrifice means blew me away: "taking something perfectly good and destroying it before God." Sacrifice makes no sense. The words that come to mind is reckless abandonment. To truly sacrifice your life is to live reckless abadoned to Christ. The only way anyone can do that is they believed in a God that is better than what they can currently see and understand. If they believe in a God that is molding them and leading them to be a better person than who they already are, then and only then would anyone willing recklessly abandon their life to God.
Even David knew about this concept that when we offer something to God, it must cost us something: "I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God that cost me nothing." (2 Samuel 24:24)
If you go back to the time of Cain and Abel, when we don't offer something that costs us, God doesn't even care. "... but for Cain and his offering he had no regard." (Genesis 4:5a)
And if you think this is just an OT thing, then we can talk about Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5. Where God simply struck them dead... and this is POST Pentacost!
This is not a matter of what we give... I think at the heart of it really is about our heart. Do we love God enough to give Him something will cost us, to give Him our very best, and to give Him our all?
In the past 2 years or so, the story of sacrifice that has been on my heart has been the story of Abraham and Issac (Genesis 22). Issac was God's promise to Abraham fulfilled. Abraham was already over 100 years old, and he had to wait so long for God to fulfill His promise... and one day, God just asks him to sacrifice his son. If that's not sacrifice, I don't know what is. Awhile back, I prayed a very dangerous prayer. I asked God to give me the same type of faith that Abraham had. I asked Him to take me to a place where I would be able to lay ALL things down at the altar, even if those things were the fulfilled promises of God that I had waited so long for. I asked him to show me what these things were which were my "Issac"... and to take me to the place where I can say, these are not mine, but yours, so teach me to be able to lay them back on the altar for you if you ask.
Here's the thing... God doesn't ALWAYS come like He did in Abraham's story with Issac. Sometimes, God doesn't come at the last minute to stop you, sometimes, He lets you go through with the whole sacrifice, and you really DO have to let go. Would you still trust God? Would you still continue to recklessly abandon your life into his hands? Even when God seems to witholding his promise to you, or delaying his promise... would you keep hanging onto Him?
24 Feb 2012
Needs to stop losing things...
I absolutely HATE losing things. I am one of those people who will kick herself over and over again about being retarded... and then replay the situation over and over in my head to try and figure out how it is that I can be so completely thick-headed. (Yes, I can be quite hard on myself.) I will also repeat over and over (like a broken record) that I CANNOT believe that I lost *fill in the most recently lost item*!
So... to lose my ring, not only once, but twice within the past 6 months... and also my Octopus card (an Octopus is one of those things you just cannot walk around HK without...) not once but twice... there has been a lot of arse kicking of self. I know exactly where and how I lost the first ring and the first Octopus. How exactly I lost the second ring and second octopus I actually have no recollection. I have an idea as to where I lost these items, but I have no idea. Oh... and I managed to lose ONE earring in Shanghai, how, I also do not know.
It's getting really bad... I've become even more scatter-brained than ever... what is going on?!
So... to lose my ring, not only once, but twice within the past 6 months... and also my Octopus card (an Octopus is one of those things you just cannot walk around HK without...) not once but twice... there has been a lot of arse kicking of self. I know exactly where and how I lost the first ring and the first Octopus. How exactly I lost the second ring and second octopus I actually have no recollection. I have an idea as to where I lost these items, but I have no idea. Oh... and I managed to lose ONE earring in Shanghai, how, I also do not know.
It's getting really bad... I've become even more scatter-brained than ever... what is going on?!
23 Feb 2012
21 Feb 2012
prime numbers
I had this most random thought as I was walking home the other night... the ways of God are like prime numbers. There is no pattern to them... you can't multiply numbers together to get to them, they are unique, and well... they just ARE.
hahaha... maybe that was just God's way of explaining something to me in a way that would make most sense to me... through math? Hey, don't judge, we all think and function differently. :P
hahaha... maybe that was just God's way of explaining something to me in a way that would make most sense to me... through math? Hey, don't judge, we all think and function differently. :P
15 Feb 2012
C. S. Lewis on the Danger of Love
Such a wise man... that C.S. Lewis is...
C. S. Lewis on the Danger of Love:
C. S. Lewis on the Danger of Love:
If you were having a cup of tea with C. S. Lewis on Valentine's Day, and you asked him sincerely, "Mr. Lewis, am I better not to love because it's so risky?" — he might say something like this:
Of all arguments against love none makes so strong an appeal to my nature as “Careful! This might lead you to suffering.”
To my nature, my temperament, yes. Not to my conscience. When I respond to that appeal I seem to myself to be a thousand miles away from Christ. If I am sure of anything I am sure that his teaching was never meant to confirm my congenital preference for safe investments and limited liabilities.…
There is no safe investment. To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness.
But in that casket — safe, dark, motionless, airless — it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. The alternative to tragedy, or at least to the risk of tragedy, is damnation. The only place outside Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers and perturbations of love is Hell.
The Four Loves, (New York, Harcourt, 1960), Kindle Location 1541.
________
Recent posts from "They Still Speak" —
- The Indelible Mark of a Mother's Prayer Training (J. C. Ryle)
- Where There's a Praying Mother, There's Always Hope (J. C. Ryle)
- Christianity Without Discipleship Is Christianity Without Christ (Bonhoeffer)
12 Feb 2012
The journal entries... 1
So... I have decided to take some old journal entries and start putting them up on my blog. This has been something which has been on my heart to do for awhile, and I've decided that the time has come for these things to be shared with others. So this will be my first attempt at doing so! Please, if you read this, give me a shout to let me know what you think.
"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." ~ Hebrews 12:2-3
Jesus endured the crucifixion for joy?! Reconciliation with man brings joy to God. Eternity with Christ, the promise of eternal life, it is for the joy that comes with these promises that Jesus died. The promise of eternity is the secret to eternal joy, the promise of eternity is what gives us the confidence to be bold. When we know what God has promised us... what His son's death on the cross really means for our lives... then we have joy that no one can steal or understand. Then we have a boldness that doesn't make sense.
God you are amazing. Thank-you that my confidence and identity comes from you first. Thank-you that before anything else I am your daughter, your princess, your wife, your lover, your friend and your sister. Before I am these things to anyone else I am these things to you.
"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." ~ Hebrews 12:2-3
Jesus endured the crucifixion for joy?! Reconciliation with man brings joy to God. Eternity with Christ, the promise of eternal life, it is for the joy that comes with these promises that Jesus died. The promise of eternity is the secret to eternal joy, the promise of eternity is what gives us the confidence to be bold. When we know what God has promised us... what His son's death on the cross really means for our lives... then we have joy that no one can steal or understand. Then we have a boldness that doesn't make sense.
God you are amazing. Thank-you that my confidence and identity comes from you first. Thank-you that before anything else I am your daughter, your princess, your wife, your lover, your friend and your sister. Before I am these things to anyone else I am these things to you.
10 Feb 2012
One Thing Remains - Part2
The light just turned on upstairs... ONE thing remains. I blogged this song back in July. And last night we sang this song... and I LOVE this song!
God is taking to a place where only ONE thing remains... which is Him. That in each and every aspect of my life, He is the one and only thing that remains. Was this not the cry of my heart 3 years ago? For God to remove all so that He can mold me to be the woman of God that He desires me to be. So, God is just continuing His work because He brings all good works to completion.
So this is my prayers being answered. He is trying to bring me to a place where all that comes into me is God, and all that flows out of me is God. To that place where the words "Your grace is enough" and "Your love is all that I need" are true in every way.
This doesn't really make anything hurt any less, but it restores the peace in my heart. Which is okay... because having God's peace is better than being in a place of no pain. : \
God is taking to a place where only ONE thing remains... which is Him. That in each and every aspect of my life, He is the one and only thing that remains. Was this not the cry of my heart 3 years ago? For God to remove all so that He can mold me to be the woman of God that He desires me to be. So, God is just continuing His work because He brings all good works to completion.
So this is my prayers being answered. He is trying to bring me to a place where all that comes into me is God, and all that flows out of me is God. To that place where the words "Your grace is enough" and "Your love is all that I need" are true in every way.
This doesn't really make anything hurt any less, but it restores the peace in my heart. Which is okay... because having God's peace is better than being in a place of no pain. : \
2 Feb 2012
If We’re Going to Be Skeptical, Be Skeptical of Our Perceptions
Ouch... this cuts straight into my heart... :(
If We’re Going to Be Skeptical, Be Skeptical of Our Perceptions:
If We’re Going to Be Skeptical, Be Skeptical of Our Perceptions:
There he sat, the scum of society on the footstep of heaven on earth, begging the condescending mercy of pious passersby going in and out of the temple. Enough mercy today and he could eat.
This man was blind. He had been born that way. And it was his own fault. As a fetus this man had sinned in the womb against the Almighty. Either that or his parents had sinned and brought a curse upon him. Whichever it was, he was suffering a just punishment.
Those who had been righteous fetuses walked by and sometimes dropped a coin in his hand. This would merit them even more divine favor.
You see, in the law and prophets God had not explained exactly why one sinful person suffers more than another sinful person. So theologians had deduced that a person’s suffering must result directly from a specific offense(s) against God.
Interestingly, Job’s three friends1 had reached the same conclusions about Job’s suffering. Only God had rebuked them, “you have not spoken of me what is right.”2 He was poised to deliver a similar rebuke.
Jesus’ disciples had learned from the theologians. So seeing the blind man on the temple steps triggered their curiosity: “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
God the Son stopped and looked at the man. Then he gave an answer that would turn their theology on its head and affect the futures of millions: “It was not that this man sinned or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.”
Okay, let’s catch our breath.
Jesus restated: God made this man blind3 in order to demonstrate his power in him. The purpose of this man’s disability was not punishment but proclamation. It’s just that no one knew it until that day.
And when Jesus spoke these words, he understood their full implications. He knew what this moment of proclamation had cost in the currency of this man’s pain.
All those years the man and his parents had labored under a perception that God had brought his judgment upon them for an unknown reason. All those years they had endured insults, indignities, injuries, poverty, loneliness, and isolation. How many were his tears? How many his prayers for mercy? No hope for an education. No hope for marriage. His only vocational option: begging.
And, according to Jesus, this was God’s plan. Was it worth it? We shall see, if God wills.
After his world-shaking statement, Jesus made the man see! In that moment everything changed. See the power of the Word! Light shown into dark eyes. A brain that had never processed optical stimuli was given immediate ability to interpret a visual world.
But even more revolutionary in its repercussions, the man went from being perceived as the object of God’s wrath to being the object of God’s kindness! And everyone discovered that God’s purpose in his blindness was to let the Light of the world shine.
So was it worth it — all the suffering? It all depends on what God gave him in return.
God so loved him that he gave his only Son so that by believing in him, this man would not perish but have eternal life.4 What this man received beyond his miraculous physical healing was the far more miraculous forgiveness of all his sins and eternal life in God’s presence where full joy and pleasures never end.5 Such a gift would be worth a thousand blind lifetimes.
Let us be very careful in interpreting God’s purposes in suffering. The man born blind reminds us that our perceptions and God’s purposes can be very different, even opposite. If we are going to be skeptical, it’s best to be skeptical of our perceptions.
And he reminds us that when Jesus finally reveals the real purposes, we will find them more glorious than we ever dreamed, and his reward so overwhelming that there will be no trace of bitterness, only overflowing gratitude.
3Exodus 4:11: “Then the Lord
said to him, ‘Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?’”
________
Previous posts from Jon Bloom —
Swimming in deep waters...
So I'm currently reading this book called Faithful Women and their Extraordinary God... and I read the following this morning:
"I am come into deep waters" took on a new meaning this morning... It dawned that shallow waters were a place where you can neither sink nor swim. In deep waters it is either the one or the other... Swimming is the intensest, most strenuous form of motion. All of you is involved in it, and yet every inch of you is in abadonment of rest upon the water that bears you up. "We rest on Thee and in Thy name we go." ~ Lilias Trotter
After reading this... some light started to shine upon all that I had been feeling. And simply it is that I feel so incredibly overwhelmed by every aspect of my life at the moment. I feel like I am deep waters, and I am trying to stay afloat on my own efforts, through the flailing of my arms, and kicking of my legs. I am trying to take control over the waters... but if you've been swimming (a sport that I very much dislike)... the more you fight, the more likely you will drown. You must be relaxed and allow the waters AND trust that the waters will hold you up and allow you to float.
It is only February! I have only been 2x for like 3 weeks... yet I feel like my birthday was so long ago, and New Years as well... and honestly for most of January the only thing I have done was bawl my eyes out! And I mean bawl my eyes out... I have shed so many tears that I feel like I should be wrinkled like a prune... but yet there are still more tears fighting their way to be let out of my system. I know that when I decided to take a leap of faith and follow God down this road that I was giving up control of my life... yet somehow I never imagined that when I gave up that control I would feel so utterly and completely at a lost...
30 Jan 2012
Monday Morning Musings...
I must say though... before I plan another trip for Niseko.. or elsewhere within Hokkaido, I must find me someone who can board/ski with me. As much as I love snowboarding, I don't enjoy doing it alone so much... plus it's actually not safe... you're never really suppose to board/ski on your own... And it's always more fun to have someone push you... or wait for. :) Still... I had a pretty good time on the slopes... pushed my own limits a bit... went to the top to attempt the ungroomed black run and ended up sliding down on my butt because once I fell into the powder I couldn't get back up.... and when I did.. I rolled down the hill backwards. THAT was insanely scary! Good thing it was pure powder... and I couldn't get very far before getting stuck in powder again. :P
It was an interesting trip... I don't think I've ever met so many Albertans outside of Alberta in one go... and the surroundings definitely made me feel like I was back in Alberta (I mean Banff is full of Japanese anyways.. ) and haven't sorted whether it made me MORE homesick, or less so... I'm leaning towards more so at the moment. The mountains were beautiful... but it still doesn't compare to the majesty of the Rockies. Yah... I think it really did make me more homesick... to go home and board on the slopes that I know so well... where there will be people who I can board with so I wouldn't have to go solo... and where people speak a language I understand...
Yet... it's been a good time with God. I love being on the mountains because when I am in nature, nothing can distract me... well... other than my own thoughts. There's not work to worry about, there's no school to make me anxious... there is not worldly standard to live up to... just me, my snowboard, the mountains, and God. I wish I could stay in that bubble awhile longer, I don't feel ready to be back in Hong Kong yet. I don't quite feel ready to tackle the struggles of work... or the stress of school... I'm not ready for the crowds of Hong Kong or the materialism... so what can I do? I really don't know.
I think Hong Kong is slowly killing me on the inside.... God help me.
21 Jan 2012
Stretching of my heart...
I need to stop reading these articles... or I need to read them more... :P This article gives some very interesting statistics.
But I totally agree with this line: "Condemning, stigmatising and criminalising abortion are cruel and failed strategies."
When I read this stuff... the amount of babies dying... and the amount of mothers dying... argh... it's all just so heart wrenching. I don't know how to get involved at the moment... so all I can do is continue to pray for the day when God will redeem this. For the day when life is treasured once again... when life matters more than choice...
On another note... I thought it was about time for me to change my pic, and my name... it made sense... and it is good. :)
But I totally agree with this line: "Condemning, stigmatising and criminalising abortion are cruel and failed strategies."
When I read this stuff... the amount of babies dying... and the amount of mothers dying... argh... it's all just so heart wrenching. I don't know how to get involved at the moment... so all I can do is continue to pray for the day when God will redeem this. For the day when life is treasured once again... when life matters more than choice...
On another note... I thought it was about time for me to change my pic, and my name... it made sense... and it is good. :)
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