Jesus Died for Me

“Christ as our propitiation is a precious thought because it means that the wrath of God that we deserved was removed. Christ absorbed it, and took it away. He became the curse for us and took away the judgment of God. God was propitiated by God.”
– John Piper in his sermon, “The Greatest Thing in the World”

Jesus died for me. What a thought. When I meditate upon that thought, I scarce can take it in. It is almost too terrible, too wonderful, too scandalous. In the scriptures, there are two kinds of death described – physical and spiritual. Certainly, when we say that – “Jesus died for me” – we are not simply saying that Christ died a physical death in our place, for we all, like everyone who has lived before us, will die a physical death.  Don’t misunderstand me.  The physical death of Christ was certainly necessary, for our propitiation, but it was not enough.

Of Facebook and Barney Fife – part 2

A Few More Thoughts on “Facebook and Barney Fife”

If you are a Christian and you ever feel the idol of “Facebook Righteousness” rising up in your heart, and you start loading your pistol and looking for “law breakers”, I offer these thoughts…

a. Cultural/Personal Variation – It might be considered that Christians come in many shapes and sizes. Some Christians feel comfortable using strong language. Some do not. Some feel comfortable drinking a beer. Some do not. This may or may not be a matter of sin. What defines a swear word for you or I, may not be defined as a swear word by others. Paul spoke of this plainly in 1 Corinthians 10 when he talked about the issue of meat sacrificed to idols. We must realize that areas of cultural variation in certain areas of ethical and moral behavior exists among gospel believing Christians. We simply have to live with that.

Of Facebook and Barney Fife

Recently I read a post on Facebook from a friend (yes, I have those) who was bemoaning the fact that many of her Christian friends do not meet her expectation of how to behave on the social network.  She said that she was “saddened to see so much vulgarity come out of the mouths of people on Facebook who call themselves believers.”  As my friend was shocked at the Vulgarity among Christians, I must admit that I am often disheartened by something else: the Self-righteousness among Christians.  Sometimes the self-righteousness and anger that is displayed on Facebook in the name of Christ can be very discouraging indeed.  It seems to me that the judgmentalism and self-goodness that is expressed on FB does the gospel far more harm than the vulgarity ever could.  It can also be a bit disconcerting to see the resistance to self analysis that exists in believers whose most empirically, self-evidential claim is the fact of our depravity.  Doesn’t most every Christian who asserts the Gospel of Christ begin with the fact that we are big, fat, sinners?  Yet, on that theological truth, how forgetful we are.  I include myself in this.

Made to Fly – A Poem by Callie Melton

This is a poem written by my daughter – Callie Melton.  She calls it “Made to Fly”.  Whenever I read it, it makes me think of heaven.  My heart yearns to dwell in that place where earth and sky are one, where the curse has been removed, where our doubts no longer master us,…where our faith has become sight and we dwell together with our God in the garden that he has prepared for us.

Click “Read the rest…” to read the poem.

C.S. Lewis on “Pride”

From Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
Chapter titled “The Great Sin” – p. 108 in Collier

I now come to that part of Christian morals where they differ most sharply from all other morals. There is one vice of which no man in the world is free; which every one in the world loathes when he sees it in someone else; and of which hardly any people, except Christians, ever imagine that they are guilty themselves. I have heard people admit that they are bad-tempered, or that they cannot keep their heads about girls or drink, or even that they are cowards. I do not think I have ever heard anyone who was not a Christian accuse himself of this vice. And at the same time I have very seldom met anyone, who was not a Christian, who showed the slightest mercy to it in others. There is no fault which makes a man more unpopular, and no fault which we are more unconscious of in ourselves. And the more we have it ourselves, the more we dislike it in others.

Trying to go back to what I think I know

Our College Bible Fellowship finished up our study on the life of Peter this past Sunday morning.  The passage we have been looking at was from John 21:1-19.  There are several things in this passage that speak deeply to me. In this post, I would like to share just a few things in particular.

Trying to go back to what I think I know

” 1 After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. 3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. 4 Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?”