A Prayer For Panting

As a deer pants for flowing streams,
so pants my soul for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God,
for the living God.
When shall I come and appear before God?
-Psalm 42:1-2

Two things I am convicted by as of late. The first is that the God I believe in is the living God. Admittedly this is sadly easy to forget when learning a dead language and when reading a bunch of dead guys' books. Easy still more when in constant conversation about concepts and ideas that truly are lifeless apart from the Person of God. Thanks be to Him that His Word is living and active (Heb. 4:12), which so beautifully leads me to repent and remember that my God is not dead--never was, never will be. He is the living God and God of the living (Lk 20:38).

Secondly I am convicted about my longing for God, my desperation for Him. I pray to be like the deer whose very life depends on the water. I pray to be like the author, who seemed to understand his immense need for God. I see how God is not like stagnant, murky waters, but is like fresh, flowing waters. He is not a God that I should just settle for and hope that I might live; He is the God Who is deeply desirable in Whom I know I do live! I pray for eternal panting of the neediest kind.

I understand that some of these words may make no sense to some people who read this. The categories I use may seem confusing. "Why even long for God at all like this?" you might ask. Well trust me, there are times, many times, where I ask the same question. Sometimes it just doesn't mean much. Sometimes they are just words on a piece of paper. But reality hurts wonderfully when I am smacked in the face with the power of Jesus Christ.

I am reminded of something many people call the gospel--the truth that this God actually entered into the world He created, the world that had turned away from Him, and He walked completely innocently among us all. He taught, he preached, he healed, he loved, he challenged, he rebuked. He called people out; he got angry at stubborn, arrogant people; he ate with the fringe shadows of culture. Eventually he gave himself over to the people who hated him. He allowed himself to be mocked, abused, beaten, laughed at, only to then be nailed to a cross and be put to death gruesomely.

Yet in that he conquered our rebellion, our hatred, our selfishness--my numbness and deadness--and rose from the dead to prove once and for all that he truly is God, the living God. His words resound today as he said, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die" (Jn 11:25-26). He is calling everyone now to turn to him, to turn from death to life because we can only have life in him who lives forever.

I hope I have made myself more clear. Life is at stake.

By His Grace.

Are You Restless?

This is brief meditation as I work through one of my texts for a class.

What is restlessness?
I just quickly took a glance at a dictionary definition of restless (I love the Dictionary function the Mac by the way); here's what I found--"[A person or animal] unable to rest or relax as a result of anxiety or boredom." I haven't heard too many conversations these days about cats or kangaroos being restless, so I will refrain from delving into this issue with animals. However, with these "tough economic times" restlessness is an everyday reality to the teacher who might lose her job in the latest round of layoffs, or the father who has lost 50% of his 401k in the past eight months. I am accused often of restlessness because I bite my nails; I simply argue that it's just fun. However, are any of us willing to go so far as to say that restlessness is actually sinful?

What is sin?
Before entering into thoughts of restlessness, it would be important first to define sinfulness seeing as how the idea or concept of sin is a bit muddled these days, often being played down to a weak slap on the wrist with a feather. A basic definition of sin is "placing something else, anything else, in the supreme place which is [God's]" (Erickson, 598). Sin is making anything else a god besides God.

Further thinking here requires us then to ask "What is God like?" because our definition of God is going to influence the magnitude of offense in replacing Him with something else. For example if we define God as Crest toothpaste, replacing Him with Colgate doesn't seem that bad. But if God is the God of the Bible, the God who is all-powerful, all-knowing, fully good, loving, just and holy, deserving of our praise and worship, replacing Him with our significant other or money or whatever is frighteningly horrible. Too often we are guilty of making God out to be as trivial as the former instead of recognizing the reality of the latter.

Sin can be an action, like stealing, where the object becomes greater than the God who is our Provider (Matt 6:25-34). Sin can be something we would consider part of our nature, like selfishness or greed. Jesus famously teaches that not only are adultery and murder sins, but that our lustful desires and unjustified anger are sins as well (Matt 5:21-30). Finally, I would venture to say that we all could quickly admit that we are imperfect people, never doing everything "right." If I am allowed to define rightness as always keeping God in his rightful place, then I can suggest that we are all sinners, and to this the Bible would agree (Rom 3:23).

Is restlessness sinful?
So back to the original question: Are any of us willing to admit that restlessness is sinful? Here I draw from the text in my class, which discusses various effects from sin. In it, the author writes how restlessness is one such effect:

Finally, sin often produces restlessness. There is a certain insatiable character about sin. Complete satisfaction never occurs. Although some sinners may have a relative stability for a time, sin eventually loses its ability to satisfy. Like habituation to a drug, a tolerance is built up, and it becomes easier to sin without feeling pangs of guilt. Further, it takes a greater dosage to produce the same effects. In the process, our wants keep expanding as rapidly as, or more rapidly than, we can fulfill them. It is alleged that in answer to the question, "How much money does it take to satisfy a man?" John D. Rockefeller responded, "Just a little bit more." Like a restless, tossing sea, the wicked never really come to peace. (Erickson, 635 bold added)

Are you restless?
I meditate on this because I do not think restlessness is relegated only to these "tough economic times." I saw it living in a fraternity house where the each night needed to surpass the next in how much alcohol was consumed. I went to a school where guys thought the next girl would be the "best they'd ever had." I interact with people now who think that buying a home will complete them, where getting married will solve all the problems. I see it in the classic example given above dealing with drugs, when a little fix becomes a large problem. And because "we are all sinners" I must really first look at myself and see that my restlessness is in how I will do in school, how I can support myself, how successful I will be in the church...yes, even in finding someone who I could call my wife. I am willing to admit several of I am sure many other issues in my life where I am restless and thus sin by replacing God with my little gods of success, money, and marital bliss. I guess I am wondering if you are willing to do the same.

Rest for the restless heart
It would suck if I just ended there, instead of asking "Where do we go from here?" The author of my text in this section only describes the effects of sin, but does not share what the solution is. I propose that even if I got straight A's in school (which I would be a miracle), I would want all the money; if I had all the money I wanted to take mad crazy people out for good food and drink I would want the big church; if I planted the big church with lots of people who love Jesus; I would want the amazing wife. Something would always be nagging at me. I would remain restless.

The only answer I know of to restlessness is rest and the Bible gives the only solution that I personally know of--Jesus--Who leads us into our complete rest in God now and forever. Jesus said,

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (Matt. 11:28-29)

In our labor He calls us to Himself for rest. In our burdens He beckons us to Himself for rest. As Moses led the people of Israel through the wilderness to the Promised Land, Jesus leads us through the depth of our sin by His death on the Cross in order that we might find rest in God, the ultimate, final, eternal Promised Land (Hebrews 3:7-4:13).

Augustine sums this up well in his Confessions as he reflects back on a life filled with restless pursuits, including a strong desire to hook up with women, writing poignantly over 1600 years ago:

Thou hast formed us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless till they find rest in Thee.

In His Rest.

Free From God's Wrath, Firmly Rooted in His Favor: Reflections

I understand that if you tried reading this, you may have fallen off at some point. The paragraphs are long and I may not be a strong enough writer to keep your attention for that long. Totally understandable. But here I conclude with my reflections on this biblical doctrine that has a profound affect not only on my life, but on the entire world.

If we're honest with ourselves, we can't ignore it. We can try and suppress it as much as we want--we think we are succeeding in that--but it stares us all right in the face. The bloodied body of Christ on the Cross has had a deeply profound affect on every corner of the globe, impacting every life that has ever entered or will ever enter this world. He reigned gloriously as King from the Cross when he died and continues to reign over us all as our risen Lord.

Here are my reflections.
________________________

The doctrine of propitiation carries with it enormous practical implications. For one, it is very personal to me as I struggle with feeling accepted by others and by God. To know that out of love God sent his Son, Jesus “to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10) and that “the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal 2:20b) is extremely assuring in the midst of this constant battle. A consistent gratitude for this reality allows me to experience God’s unsurpassing grace and extend it to others.

Secondly, the doctrine of propitiation presupposes God’s wrath of all man because of our sin, thus I am not only grateful for Christ’s sacrifice for me, but I am motivated to evangelize those who do not know Jesus because God’s wrath still remains on them (John 3:36). However morbid the warning may be, the promise is all the more amazing because it is wrapped up in God’s love, grace, and mercy all found in Christ on the Cross. Propitiation tells us that we do not need to work hard for God’s acceptance or to appease his wrath because Jesus has accomplished it all! This is beautiful news to those like me, always striving to be accepted by someone, whether it be parents, a significant other, a superior at work or God himself.

Thirdly, the doctrine of propitiation should not be minimized by any means. In the introduction, I alluded to an ongoing debate over the so-called controversy surrounding Christ’s propitiatory sacrifice where some see it more as expiatory. The Bible leaves no room for this substitution of terms because it robs the very clear attribute of God’s wrath and his hatred of sin, of which he does not merely wipe clean, but actually satisfies throughout Scripture (see Isa 5:25; Jer 6:11ff). We are by nature children of wrath, dead in our trespasses and sins (Eph 2:1-3) so knowing that Jesus, who knew no sin, became sin on our behalf that we might be called the righteousness of God (2 Cor 5:21), he also became on the cross the vessel of God’s wrath that we are supposed to be (Rom 9:22). This only intensifies the exquisite harmony of Scripture and the complete, sacrificial love of God found in his redemptive story, allowing not just for sins to be dismissed as expiation suggests; propitiation instead addresses sin, its weight, and its punishment all in Christ’s death on the Cross, fulfilling his own words, that he came to give his life and be a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).

Therefore, from a systematic theological perspective, we as lay Christians, pastors, and theologians, must seek to defend humbly the key doctrine of propitiation against those who attack it in the name of love because its bearing on our personal lives, our worldviews, our ministry, and most importantly our view of God is too great to ignore, for as A.W. Tozer once wrote, “Low views of God destroy the gospel for all who hold them.” In doing so my hope is that we all will grow to know God’s love even more greatly that we in turn can share Christ’s magnificent propitiatory sacrifice with the world out of joy and gratitude for what he accomplished, and ultimately glorify him with fervent worship forever as favored saints in his kingdom.

By His Grace.

Free From God's Wrath, Firmly Rooted in His Favor: Part 4

The New Testament on Propitiation

The English translation of “propitiation” from the Greek, hilastērion, occurs four times in the New Testament: Romans 3:25, Hebrews 2:17, 1 John 2:2, and 1 John 4:10. Though this may seem limited, the concept itself is scattered throughout the New Testament beginning with Jesus. He taught his disciples that he “must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priest and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised” (Matt 16:21; cf. Mark 8:31; Luke 9:22) because he “came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45; cf. Matt 20:28). Jesus knew that through him God’s wrath would be turned away explaining what happens if people do not obey him when he said, “Whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him” (John 3:36b). Jesus, the Christ, God incarnate (John 1:1, 14) understood that he was the one who would free mankind from its sins as his propitiatory sacrifice ushered in an expansion of atonement and God’s favor across national boundaries—so both Jew and Gentile could participate (Eph 2:15-16)—and also time boundaries—from the temporal to eternal—all summed up well in his words, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16, emphasis added).

This introduces issues of continuity and discontinuity between the OT and NT, which can be addressed partially in looking at Paul’s use of “propitiation” in Romans 3:25. Leading up to this section (Rom 3:21-26), Paul establishes convincingly that both Jew and Gentile alike are totally depraved as sinners who deserve nothing both the utter wrath of God (1:18-3:20). In a loose way, this echoes back to the Passover in Exodus as God’s judgment and wrath was not partial, but applied to everyone (cf. Ex 12:12-13). Thus Paul writes, “For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (vv. 22b-23). And just like the Passover, but with greater implications, Paul continues to say that those who believe “are justified by his [God’s] grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins” (vv. 24-25; cf. 1 John 4:10). Christ’s shed blood averts the wrath of God as with the Passover, yet in receiving him by the faith the individual is also justified and redeemed. Furthermore, Paul’s use of “propitiation” in this context most likely describes Jesus as the “mercy seat” found in the tabernacle, which provides overtones to the Day of Atonement.

Advancing the theme further is the writer of Hebrews, who states, “Therefore, he [Jesus] had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people” (2:17). This clear reference to the Day of Atonement establishes Jesus as “high priest,” yet he was different from all others. For one, his offering did not include making propitiation for his own sins because he was without sin (Heb 4:16). Secondly, the propitiatory sacrifice made was not an animal, but Jesus himself! Here we see the reference back to Genesis where God provides the sacrifice, but in this instance it is God’s flesh being given up. The writer of Hebrews writes that our great high priest Jesus,

Entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing eternal redemption. For if the sprinkling of defiled persons with the blood of goats and bulls and with ashes of a heifer sanctifies for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. (vv. 12-14)

The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross was infinitely superior to those of animals, which could never take away sins (Heb 10:4), making him “the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance” (v. 15). Also, Jesus’ propitiation was greater than the others in that it was ultimate; there is no longer a need for an annual atonement because he offered himself up as the final, everlasting atonement (Heb 10:11-17). Finally, the faithfulness of Jesus’ offering should be noted as it contrasts the vain sacrifices made in much of Israel’s history who came only to do the will of his Father (Matt 26:36-44) and who “humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Phil 2:8).

Therefore Jesus’ propitiatory sacrifice is continuous with the Old Testament insomuch as the Old Testament allows with its partial fulfillment of propitiation, yet it is gloriously discontinuous in that Christ’s sacrifice is offered to all mankind (1 John 2:2), once for all satisfying the wrath of God, placing those who put their faith in him in God’s eternal favor. Jesus is the perfect sacrificial Lamb of God, the only who can take away the sins of the world (John 1:29) and who, along with God, is the temple of the new creation, filling it entirely with their glorious presence (Rev 21:22-27) where there is no more crying, no more mourning, no more pain, no more sin, no more shame, and no more death (Rev 21:4). Jesus Christ as our propitiatory sacrifice is the greatest gift of God’s grace mankind has ever known.

By His Grace.

Free From God's Wrath, Firmly Rooted in His Favor: Part 3

So I started a series of posts explaining a biblical theology of the doctrine of propitiation. This began over a month ago, but all blogging ceased since that time due to inclement weather, which caused my fingers to freeze, disabling my ability to type. Only recently have they thawed allowing me the chance to finish this up. I will be posting the rest of them up today, but if you are interested in the previous posts, click here for part 1 and here for part 2.

I continue by tracing through other vital Old Testament passages, before moving into the New Testament. I conclude with reflections, both for myself and for the world.
________________________

The Passover & The Day of Atonement

Sacrifices continued to be made throughout early biblical history, most notably in God’s covenant with Abram (Gen 15) and the ram that took the place of Isaac in Abraham’s testing (Gen 22), but neither of these contribute to the development of propitiation in ways that have not already been addressed. The two passages that do warrant attention are those that include the two most significant sacrifices in the history of Israel, the first Passover in Exodus and the institution of the Day of Atonement in Leviticus.

The Passover (Ex. 12:1-32) refers to the tenth and final plague on Egypt right before the Exodus, the most significant event in Israel’s history up to the time of Christ, including “over 120 explicit OT references in law, narrative, prophecy and psalm.” By mere adjacency in the story, the Passover should be seen as a key section in the Old Testament. This tenth and final plague of God relates the story of God passing through the land of Egypt to “strike the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast (v.12), yet also “passing over” the households of Israel which had blood spread on the doorposts and lintel (vv. 3-7, 13). In the narrative, Moses commands the elders of Israel to follow exactly as the Lord says, thus the firstborn of Israel live, while the rest of Egypt suffers immensely to the extent that “there was not a house where someone was not dead” (v. 30). The Passover was an event, but it also became a memorial day on which a feast was to be had in remembrance of what God did (vv. 14-20, 26-27).

At the center of was the unblemished lamb and its blood. The final plague included all firstborns, both Egyptian and Israelite; God’s wrath and judgment was impartial. The only thing that distinguished Israel was the slaughtered lamb’s blood on the lintel and doorposts; without this sign, judgment would have fallen on them. Watts suggests, “The special instructions regarding the animal indicate that Passover is an atoning sacrifice.” The salvific, propitious nature of the lamb’s slaughter and blood should not be ignored as the meaning of sacrifice deepened for the nation of Israel at such a crucial juncture in its history, a meaning they would have been reminded of as often as they celebrated the Passover feast. It is no surprise then that Jesus Christ himself is considered the Passover Lamb by several New Testament writers (John 1:29, 36; 1 Cor 5:7b; 1 Pet 1:19) culminating in the book of Revelation as the slain Lamb who is praised and worshiped (5:6-16).

Although the first Passover lamb was propitious, the annual Passover feast was for remembrance, not atonement. As the people of Israel became a more solidified nation, God implemented a sacrificial system, which included atoning sacrifices (Lev 1:1-6:7). The most important sacrifice, however, was made on the Day of Atonement, instituted by God at Mt. Sinai (Lev 16:1-34), Israel’s most solemn holy day when the entire nation fasted (v. 31). Only on this day once a year, the high priest alone was to enter the Most Holy Place through the veil which separated it from the Holy Place with the blood of a bull as a sin offering for him and his house along with the blood of a goat for the sins of the people (vv. 11-15) and by this he will have atoned for his sins and the sins of all the people for the entire year (v. 34). So running concurrently with the growing identity of Israel as a nation was the explicit nature of sacrifice, which contained an atoning purpose, “for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life” (Lev 17:11).

The brief study of Genesis established that sin provokes the wrath of God and brings death and this did not change for the Israelites; they were responsible to God for their sin, deserving his wrath and their own death. The fact that God established a sacrificial system and a Day of Atonement is further testimony to his love, grace, and mercy, as he allowed an animal to be substituted on behalf of the people who sinned against him. Yet as the story of God’s chosen people progresses what becomes transparent is that sacrifices are offered up to God in vain, neglecting God’s call for repentance and obedience of the heart (1 Sam 15:22; Ps 51:16-17; Isa 66:3; Amos 5:21-24; Mic 6:6-8), with God remaining wrathful. Though this is the case, God established the statute of the Day of Atonement forever (Lev 16:31), ultimately being fulfilled forever through the final Day of Atonement, namely Jesus Christ’s substitutionary sacrifice on the cross. The writer of Hebrews picks up on this, with Christ as the archetype of both the high priest and the perfect sacrifice entering into the holy places once for all to atone for the sins of mankind with his own blood (Heb 9:11-14).

More on this will be discussed in the next section, but for now what is important to know is that the theme of propitiation is fully developed in the Old Testament as early as the Passover, but more explicitly with the giving of the law and the establishment of the Day of Atonement. As mentioned previously the people of Israel continued to miss the point of this gracious gift God had given, hypocritically offering sacrifices while remaining in sin. So God, in his great patience, yet soberly warning, says through the prophet Malachi to close the OT canon, “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction” (4:5-6).

By His Grace.

Free From God's Wrath, Firmly Rooted in His Favor: Part 2

I am back home. The semester is finished. I am continuing in sharing the paper on propitiation, which I think is important for us all to know, heightened especially during this time when the attention is supposed to be on Jesus more. This part focuses on the beginning, the time of God's glorious creation and the horrific Fall of Adam and Eve. Here we will see that even in the beginning certain themes begin to take shape which affect the way propitiation is developed throughout history. If you missed the first part, I suggest you read it here before checking this section out.
_______________

Creation & The Fall

One should rightly assume that propitiation is not found in the creation narrative in the first two chapters of Genesis for a handful of reasons, which shall be discussed below. Here it is first important to highlight some characteristics seen in the relationship between God and his people that are crucial in laying the groundwork for God’s redemptive and restorative plan. We must begin with God, who is good (Ps 100:5). God created the heavens, the earth and all that is in them and when “God saw everything that he had made…it was very good” (Gen 1:31). The pinnacle of this good creation is mankind, whom he created imago Dei, meaning in the image of God (Gen 1:26-27; cf. 9:6). By command in Gen 1:28-30, God gives man responsibility (v. 28a) and dominion (vv. 28b-30) over all the earth. Further on God gives man, who is named Adam, another command not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil otherwise he will surely die (2:17). At chapter’s end, Adam has a helper and a wife, Eve, both naked before each other and God, unashamed (2:25).

The first two chapters of the Bible paint a picture of the world when propitiation is completely unnecessary. Man, though responsible for and having dominion over the earth, is still under the sovereign rule of the God who created him and commanded him in these things. Under God’s rule, in God’s place, mankind and all of creation are seen as good. The powerful ending of Genesis 2 indicates that this goodness of God’s creation is marked by innocence, untainted by sin of any kind. With sin absent, the wrath of God is unseen in the text, though there is a hint to God’s wrath in v. 17 should man actually be disobedient to his command and eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This would surely bring about death, which is a stark warning in a text filled with God’s goodness, creation, and life. However the case, to this point in the story Adam and Eve knew nothing of God’s wrath experientially.

Everything changes when both Adam and Eve sin for the first time, succumbing to the temptation of the serpent and directly disobeying the command of God (3:1-6). The effect was devastating as seen in their shame at being naked, covering themselves with fig leaves, and also their broken fellowship with God, trying to hide from him when they heard him (vv. 7-8). Furthermore, God remains true to his command: because of their sin death enters into the world, which is spiritual death, marked by their alienation from God, but also physical death, marked by the actual death of the body and of all living things. Combine sin, shame, and death with the curses God places on the serpent, woman, and man (vv. 14-19) and one should easily conclude that God’s wrath has also entered the world. Yet because death did not come imminently for Adam and Eve—Adam living at least 800 years longer (5:3-5)—elements of God’s grace should be acknowledged.

Finally, worth mentioning is the probable first sacrifice implied in Scripture. Genesis 3:21 states, “And the Lord God made for Adam and his wife garments of skins and clothed them.” Bruce Waltke writes that “The substitution of [God’s] skin tunics for their fig-leaf ‘loincloths’ suggests that their own coverings were inadequate to cover their shame and to provide them with their felt need for protection. Since the tunics are made of skin, implicitly it took the shedding of blood, the offering up of life, to provide the needed kind of covering.” The context of the passage does not allow for the interpretation of this “shedding of blood” to mean an atonement or propitiation of any kind, but it may introduce some sort of prelude to the future sacrificial system. Furthermore it was God who made the sacrifice and provided an adequate covering, which could be interpreted as foreshadowing Jesus, the God-man, offering up himself as a sacrifice on the cross, covering our shame once for all. In summary, the first three chapters of Genesis introduce some major components for propitiatory sacrifice—God’s rule over man, man’s sin and death, God’s wrath and grace, and the shedding of blood. Although at this point the sacrifice is in no way related to the other components, these initial chapters of Scripture already establish a very strong case that such will occur further on.

By His Grace.

Free From God's Wrath, Firmly Rooted in His Favor: Part 1

The title serves as the final result in the life of a Christian summed up in a word that seems so foreign to us as Americans and even to those who would claim to be Christians. The word is propitiation.

In the posts that will follow, I shall try and share a paper that I recently wrote for my biblical theology class. I will admit that I am partially using this as an excuse to avoid studying for my two finals that I have tomorrow, but I must also say that I have been planning on doing this, but wanted to at least wait until my paper was returned. The mark was decent enough to give me a modicum of confidence to share it with you all in hope that you may some how benefit from what I learned. The paper is very straightforward and fairly introductory for a graduate level course, but I will expound somewhat where I see necessary. If you have any questions at any point, feel free to write back to me or post a comment; good discussion is necessary to flesh out some of the Bible's most profound truths!
_______________

Part 1: Definition of Propitiation

Propitiation is broadly defined in the New Bible Dictionary as signifying “the removal of wrath by the offering of a gift.”* Applied to Christian doctrine, John Murray states that “propitiation presupposes the wrath and displeasure of God, and the purpose of propitiation is the removal of this displeasure. Very simply stated the doctrine of propitiation means that Christ propitiated the wrath of God and rendered God propitious to his people.” To be even clearer one must acknowledge all mankind is sinful, deserving of God’s wrath, and that the “gift” which “propitiated the wrath of God and rendered God propitious to his people” was Jesus Christ’s bloody, sacrificial death on the cross (see Romans 3:23-25 ESV). This definition and the action it represents are very specific within the sweeping scope of the atoning work that Jesus accomplished on the cross.

Several key elements can be derived from this definition of propitiation, including 1) the reality of sinful man, 2) an Almighty God whose is wrathful toward and displeased with us because of our sins, 3) that Jesus Christ is the propitiation for our sins, with 4) the effect being the removal of God’s wrath and displeasure and placing us in a position of his favor. The doctrine of propitiation has been widely disputed, mainly because critics deny the key biblical truth that God is a God of wrath (2 Chr 36:16; John 3:36; Rom 1:18), favoring the term “expiation” (basically meaning to wipe away) instead. Though the debate will not be addressed directly here, it serves to form a question that is the basis of this paper, which is, “Can the theme of propitiation be traced through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation?” The intention in answering this question is then two-fold: 1) to show that the theme of propitiation is in fact traceable, thus being worthy of attention and study and, 2) to see the practical outworking of Christ’s propitiatory sacrifice in order that we might glorify God in all aspects of Kingdom work, from evangelism to the offerings of praise and adoration.

*I am neglecting to put the texts cited here, but do have a bibliography if anyone is interested
________________

By His Grace.

God's Gracious Healing

"I have seen his ways, but I will heal him." -Isaiah 57:18

Much like in the days of Isaiah as he preached judgment against Israel and Judah who continually turned against the Lord, we live in a nation whose heart is far from Him. To say we are a Christian nation is tomfoolery if you ask me. We are dependent on the latest trends and fashions, find our comfort in countless hours of television and movies, spend money we do not have, seek happiness in the wrong places, try to find satisfaction in "casual" sexual relationships, think joy comes in drunkenness and drugs, and are somehow convinced that possessions provide meaning. Bottom line is we are a horrifically idolatrous people. God has seen our ways.

But He will heal us.

How powerful and beautiful this grace that God gives! He knows my disgusting, perverted ways, yet He has healed me through Christ. This is the matchless love of God! Could it be that all the healings Christ performed while walking on this fallen earth embody just this? The healings point not just to a restoration of blindness, deafness, or sickness--mere physical and superficial things--but to a complete restoration in relationship to God through what Jesus Christ accomplished in His life, death, burial, and resurrection. This eternal healing in Christ points to a time when God "will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore" (Revelation 21:4).

God knows my ways. He knows your ways. He knows our nation's ways. But He will heal us by His grace freely given through His Son. May we all repent and draw near to God, Our Healer.

By His Grace.

I Voted Today (With Thoughts of Our True Ruler)

After all the campaigning and talks on the issues and blogging and endless media coverage and all other things, today it all comes to a head.

I voted today, but have been encouragingly reminded of my true ruler, who isn't a president, but King! So yes, today I exercised my right as an American to vote, but very much with certain thoughts in mind and heart as I have been reading through Isaiah. If you read this, keep these in mind regardless of who becomes our next president tonight:

Do you not know? Do you not hear?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
It is He who sits above the circle of the earth,
and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers;
who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
and spreads them like a tent to dwell in;
who brings princes to nothing,
and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness.
-Isaiah 40:21-23

I am the Lord; that is my name;
my glory I give to no other,
nor my praise to carved idols.
-Isaiah 42:8

And finally these striking images from Revelation of Jesus coming to execute final judgment on peoples and nations who refused to repent of sin which he so willingly sought to forgive through the Cross. Here we see our Just King:

he is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.-Revelation 19:13-16

I did vote today. And I will continue submit to the authority of the rulers of this nation (Romans 13:1-7). I will to pray for my country and its leadership.

But I also know who my True Ruler is. To Him alone be all the praise, honor, and glory.

By His Grace.

The DNC & RNC Reveal One Thing: Worship

It's 12:30 am here in Deerfield, where the temperatures continue to drop. I, and many others so I don't just come off as Floridian, had to wear sweatshirts for parts of the day, which was just amazing and refreshing. Yeah, it was a bit overcast, but I don't mind. I will take that over being drenched with sweat the moment I step outside my house in Florida.

Because of time I cannot take too much time to write, but wanted to share one thought that, like many, I hope to build upon at some point in time (knowing me it will go unfinished, but hope one day to develop better discipline).

What I have noticed in both the Democratic National Convention and the Republican National Convention is the same: The worship of both politics and politicians. One need go no further than to either listen to or look at the transcripts of the speeches made by both Senator Obama and Governor Palin who spoke tonight.

Click here for a link to Palin's

I am making myself even more vulnerable by saying I am not too much into politics, though I do hold opinions and am a registered voter. This means I am not too aware of protocol at such events like the DNC & RNC. However, I hope I am not the only one who finds it a bit crazy that after nearly every sentence there is loud applause, cheering, or boos. Videos show people waving stuff, jumping all over the place, fainting, screaming, foaming at the mouth...wait, that's more like a Hanna Montana concert, minus the foaming at the mouth stuff...or not. The environments are similar, though the object of worship on stage may look a little older, a little more mom-ish, or be a different gender or race.

And so I've introduced a term that needs defining--worship.

My premise is that these conventions reveal to us just one of so many ways in which we worship and that worship is at the very core of our being. Sadly, we have replaced the God of all things with idols, man-made gods that in reality are just vain expressions of ourselves.

For many tonight it is politics and politicians.
For others it's Hanna Montana
For others it's money
...sex...
...drugs...
...success...
...a comfortable life...
...The American Dream...
...ourselves...

When will we repent of these things and turn back to the One True God who has fully revealed Himself in the person of Jesus Christ? He has come. He has spoken. He has died. He has risen. And He has called us all to repent from our sin of vain idol worship and fall down at His feet in adoration and awe to worship Him, King of kings and Lord of lords.

Without defining worship explicitly, maybe you get the idea of what I'm saying. If not, I know I have left myself open for a strong critique of my logic and premises. That's fine. I'm tired. But this also weighs heavily on my heart.

By His Grace.

In no way should this be read as an endorsement of one candidate over the other. Please do not infer my political affiliation based on comments in this post.

How You Can Be Praying For Me...Through Fearing God?

Some people have told me they will be praying for me while I am here at seminary, which I am extremely grateful for. Paul wrote to the Roman church:

I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf...

Flowing from that were some specific requests for prayer. With that in mind, I appeal like Paul to whoever reads this as a brother or sister in Christ to strive with me on my behalf in prayer:

• To Know That I Am Known By God. This comes from Paul's letter to the church in Corinth. He begins writing about food for idols, but begins by briefly giving a general teaching about knowledge, arrogance, love, and God's knowing us, stating, "We know that 'all of us possess knowledge.' This 'knowledge' puffs up, but love builds up. If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, he is known by God." I find this extremely important for me as I come to a institution of learning to learn about God and His Word. I ask that I never lose sight of why I am here, namely because of my personal relationship with God through Christ which is rooted in love. Knowledge, like prophecy and tongues, is nothing without love (see 1 Cor. 13:1-3).


• To Know The Love Of Christ Surpasses Knowledge. Knowing that I am rooted and grounded in love, I ask that you pray for me as Paul prayed for the church in Ephesus that I "may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge," that I may will then be "filled with all the fullness of God." Here I recognized that if rooted in love, living out of the joy of being known by God, my comprehension and knowledge with be of heavenly things, not worldly. These will help serve Christ's purposes more than 10,000 books read just for the sake of knowing more.


• To Know That True Knowledge & Wisdom Are Rooted In The Fear Of The Lord. Solomon wrote in his many Proverbs that the beginning of both knowledge and wisdom are found in "the fear of the Lord" (Proverbs 1:7; 9:10). My purpose of being here is not in vain. Pursuing knowledge is not wrong in and of itself. My prayer for myself--for that matter my prayer for all professing Christians--is that I pursue knowledge rightly, with the godly motive of love and the fear of the Lord.

This leads me to the conclusion of my prayer requests for now. More specific ones may arise, but for those of you praying for me, these requests will remain on the list for the remainder of my time here on earth.

I wanted to end with some words regarding the fear of the Lord because the term is somewhat misleading. I am reading this book by Graeme Goldsworthy called According To Plan: The Unfolding Revelation of God in the Bible for Biblical Theology that helps flesh out the phrase and its meaning in both a biblical and historical context. Here is what he has to say:

"Sin...involved a rejection of the order of creation and a refusal to accept revelation as the basis of true knowledge. It was the rejection of the principle that underlies the book of Proverbs: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge" (Prov 1:7). We saw how important the process of thought was in the human relationship to God and to the creation. Crooked thinking led to crooked relationships. It stands to reason, then, that the process of redemption involves the restoration of the right way of thinking. The human mind is as much the object of regeneration as is the body or the soul.

If the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge (Prov. 1:7) and the beginning of wisdom (Prov. 9:10), what is it and where does it come from? According to Solomon's dedicatory prayer, the fear of the Lord is linked with the covenant and the ministry of the temple (1 Kings 8:38-43). This is not a terror of God, rather it is a response of reverent awe and trust to the redemptive revelation of God (Deut 4:10; 6:2; 10:12, 20-21). It is the Old Testament equivalent of trusting Christ or believing the gospel. The fear of the Lord is the response of faith to all that God has done to redeem his people, as he himself interprets what he has done by his Word. -pp. 173-174

As you pray for me, a prayer of mine for you is that out of trust and love in Christ you too will pursue biblical knowledge and godly wisdom, knowing that your mind is as much the object of regeneration as is the body or the soul.

Thank you for your prayers.

By His Grace.

The God. Our God. My God

I love my home church, Creekside Community Church for so many reasons. The Word is preached clearly and accurately; the people are extremely loving; worship is not confined to the time we express it through music; and I have been fed so fully there.

This past weekend was no exception as I was personally ministered to through the devotion given by Pastor Steve Gregg. One Sunday a month, instead of a sermon (a longer time given for exposition of Scripture), someone usually gives a devotion (like a sharing of meditation on Scripture). Pastor Gregg shared from Psalm 86, which is a beautiful psalm of David. What I share here now is one of a few things that stood out to me as Pastor Gregg was sharing.

He Is The God
There is none like you among the gods, O Lord,
nor are there any works like yours.
All the nations you have made shall come
and worship before you, O Lord,
and shall glorify your name.
For you are great and do wondrous things;
you alone are God.
-Psalm 86:9-10

The first point that is crucial for all to understand is that the God of the Bible is not one god among the pantheon of gods man has created. He is not a god alongside Allah, Krishna, Vishnu, Molech, Baal, or the millions of other gods. He is the only true God (John 17:3). The God of the Bible is a Triune God--God the Father , God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. I am not going to get deep into the doctrine of the Trinity, but you can read more here if you are interested.

The point I am making is that there is no other god like the God of all things, and Him being a Triune God is at the core of that reality. He cannot, nor should He be, likened to any other god, like people have a tendency to do. We should also recognize that we did not create Him, but God created us. Therefore we have no right to dictate what God should be like, again another thing we have a tendency to do. He is the God of all things, He reigns in the heavens, and He can do whatever He pleases (Psalm 115:3). The beauty behind this is that God is pleased to make us happy in Him, as Psalm 37:4 states, "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.". Sadly, those who choose not to acknowledge this wonderful truth miss out on real joy, not the crap shoot joy we seek in temporal things. As David wrote, "You alone are God."

He Is Our God
I continued reflecting on this, that God is not a god among gods, but is the one God and remembered that He is not some distant God who has created things and let them run their course, but that He is intimate with His creation. In fact, He is our God and this "our" implies relationship:

The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
-Deuteronomy 6:4-5

Notice that immediately following the truth given that the Lord is our God and that He is one God, is the command of complete love. This command is given to the nation of Israel in Deuteronomy, but is extended to us all now in these days. This is a communal thing, that we as a people, as a "nation" are to collectively love God with all that we have. Now I am sure that some would say that the command of love is on par with forcing to love, but in reality love of heart, soul and might can never be forced. True love of any kind can never be forced.

This is why we must never neglect meeting together (see Hebrews 10:24-25), letting the word of Christ dwell in us richly, "teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness" in our hearts toward God. (Col. 3:16). This is worship, the lifting up of God, exalting Him in our hearts to His proper place over all things, glorifying Him, He Who is the God and our God.

Again, for those of you who read this and have not given your life to Christ, I tell you that the God of the Bible is our God. Our God "so loved the world [all of us] that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). He is the God who causes the rain to fall on both the good and the evil (Matt 5:45); He gives to all and no one is forgotten or neglected by Him. Providentially we are all given food, drink, shelter, clothing, emotions, etc. by Him in various ways and forms, by His common grace--His kindness and mercy to undeserving sinners like you and me--gives you life in order that you may know Him personally through His saving grace through faith in Jesus Christ--in order that you may know Him as my God.

He Is My God
"I give thanks to you, O Lord my god, with my whole heart,
and I will glorify your name forever.
For great is your steadfast love toward me;
you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.
-Psalm 86:12-13

This whole psalm written by David is in fact an intimate prayer to his God. Not only does he express thanksgiving and love toward God, but he also acknowledges repeatedly God's abiding, deep, everlasting love for him. The God of the this world and of the Bible is so personal that I, along with David and the multitudes can call Him my God. Paul wrote about this on the collective our level in Romans 5:6-8:

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person--though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die--but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

But Paul took this collective outlook on the death of Christ and applied it directly to himself as he wrote to the Galatian churches:

And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and give himself for me
-Galatians 2:20b

Everytime I read this passage I literally get chills because Paul was not present at Jesus' death; in fact, Paul hated Jesus and all people who called themselves followers of Christ even years after Jesus died. Jesus didn't say on the Cross, "This is for Paul of Tarsus." None of this occurred. But by the grace of God through a radically life-changing encounter with Jesus Himself, Paul wrote this piercingly intimate words of Christ's death being applied toward Him. And by faith I can say the same thing, that Jesus loved me and gave Himself up for me. He is my God and no one can take that away from me.

Now, I who am a wretched man who has done nothing but walk in defiance against the God of all things, can worship in Spirit and in truth alongside the people of every tribe, tongue and nation of our God only because of grace extended to me through wholehearted trust in the life, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ--my Savior, my King, and my God.

The God. Our God. My God.
By His Grace.