Bible Study: Gospel of Mark

Discipleship in unexpected places (notes from Pastor Phil Steiger of Living Hope Church in CO)

Mark 2:13-17 – The call of Matthew the tax collector

•         Low and despised class of person – the grace of Jesus is shocking

•         “follow me”—what does it involve/mean? And how did those called respond? Mark 1:20; 8:34; 10:21; 10:52; Matt 8:21-22; John 12:26; 21:18-19

•         Discipleship does not happen by coincidence or caprice – it requires action/change on my part: Philippians 3:12-17; Col 3:12-15

•         Matthew holds a feast: see also Luke 5:29

•         Traditional dietary laws forbade eating with this type – but Jesus took His disciples with him

•         The Pharisees have a different perspective – “tax collectors and sinners”: through this lens we see lots of people who don’t belong

•         Jesus’ perspective = many potential sons and daughters of God

•         Matthew follows and proclaims, not to gain Jesus’ favor, but in response to His grace: Eph 1:7-9, 2:4-8; Deut 9:4-6

We noted in particular, at the end of the exchange between the religious leaders and Jesus, how Jesus again pierces to the heart of the matter: the religious leaders were viewing those at the feast in a degrading, dehumanizing way. Jesus turns their prejudice upside-side down, as if to say, "Oh? So you think these persons are "sick" and "broken," do you? Well then, they need a doctor so they can be made well! (Not, to be condemned, despised, and left in the state they are in.)"

We noted that in other exchanges, Jesus also bursts the rosy "bubble" of the religious leaders, showing them that they themselves were, in fact, broken, sick, blind, etc....from God's perspective, none of us can look at another in a dehumanizing and superior way and be justified in doing so, in the end.

Bible Study: Gospel of Mark

Discipleship in unexpected places (notes from Pastor Phil Steiger of Living Hope Church in CO)

Read Mark 1:40-45  

The untouched and untouchable comes and speaks with Jesus: “If you will…”: Lev 13:45-46

•         What does Jesus do with the untouchable?

•         Jesus commands silence, the leper speaks; Mark 7:35-36

•         The result: Jesus has traded places with the leper: Is 53:4-6; Romans 3:23-26; Gal 1:4-5; Heb 9:13-14

      (In a very salient, powerful way, Jesus shows in this instance, by touching this "unclean" leper, that He became unclean in order to make us clean and bring us healing. His restoration is always holistic, touching us in every part of our being--this physical healing also brought social restoration, for ex.)

We then read and discussed Mark 2:1-12

We shared what aspects of this wonderful, beautiful and heartening story struck us most: the love, determination, and tangible support of this man's friends; the reality of all those jostling people in the house and the roof being slowly torn open to create a way to Jesus for the paralyzed man...

We noted how Jesus surprised everyone by going to what He saw (and sees) as the core human need: forgiveness, reconciliation with God. 

So much effort and fuss to get this man into a place where he could receive physical healing--but Jesus speaks to his need for spiritual healing, first and foremost. Wow...do we understand that as our deepest, truest need?

We also noted the recognition by the religious leaders that Jesus was speaking as (if he were) God, as only God can forgive sin. Jesus was not coming as Prophet, only; He was coming as the incarnation of God--a forgiving God, a God who interacts with the creation and wants to bring wholeness.

Bible Study: Gospel of Mark

The Kingdom of God and Prayer  

(notes from Pastor Phil Steiger of Living Hope Church in CO)

Read Mark 1:35-39

•         Mark 1:21-34 is a kind of “day in the life” of Jesus, full of visible and incredible miracles

•         What did Jesus do after? (1:35)

•         Jesus was in the habit of disappearing to pray: Luke 5:12-16; 9:18-20; 22:39-46

•         What might it communicate to Peter that he had to hunt him down, and then found him praying?

•         The Kingdom of God as both “inward” and “outward”

•         The Kingdom of God is “outward”: it really has consequences in this world

•         But the visible can become an idol: Exodus 20:4-6; 32:1-6; Habakkuk 2:18-19; Psalm 115:2-8; Col 3:5

•         So what is the role of the “inward”?: 2 Cor 4:16-5:5; Romans 8:5-8

•         “…I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.”

•         The proclamation was primary – Peter’s first guess at why Jesus came is wrong: 1 Cor 4:1-2; 1 Peter 2:9

“…discipleship consists not in attempting to control God’s work but in following God’s Son.” (James Edwards)

Sunday evening service

Sanctification—Walking in holiness in a sinful world

Leviticus 20:1-8, 22-26

What does it “look like” or mean (esp., vis-à-vis the culture around us) for God’s people to walk through this life as set apart?

How does God explain to His people (now us) the reasons for being sanctified/living holy lives? (note God’s parenting style: firm and clear boundaries, along with explanations for them)

[We must sanctify ourselves because God is our God, and He is holy; He has set us apart; following the behaviors or religions of those around us will get us “spewn out” or “vomited out” of our land…finally, God has sanctified us so we can belong to Him and have communion with Him]

Ezekiel 36:17-28

What do we see in this passage about walking in a worldly rather than godly way?

How does the kind of life we lead reflect back on and affect God?

What is God’s heart toward us? What will He do for us in terms of our sanctification and ability to walk in holiness?

[when we walk in sin, we defile His name/soil His reputation; God will sanctify His people for the sake of His reputation—He wants to be known for His true glory and holiness; He will change our hearts]

Some New Testament expansion of these concepts:

*Col. 1:9-14

Eph. 4:1-3

I Thess. 2:11-12

Rev. 3:4

*James 4:3-5 (cf. Matt. 6:24)

*I Peter 4:1-4

I Peter 3:15-16

2 Cor. 6:14-18

*Acts 4:13

[We should be following the example of Jesus in how we live. Our full allegiance should belong to Him, not to following how the world does things, or trying to achieve success and popularity with the world system. People should be able to look at our lives and know that we are disciples of Jesus.]

And, ending where we began the series ;-)

Remember—

John 17:13-21—Jesus prayed that we all (believers) would be sanctified

I Peter 1:2—it’s part of the Spirit’s work in this world/in us to sanctify us (see also Rom. 15:16)

I Thess. 5:23-24—God sanctifies our whole being to present us before Jesus at the end of time

Pondering: How has my idea of what this means and what sanctification “looks like” changed or expanded after this study?

Sunday Evening Service

Sanctification

How are we to understand it? And what does it “look like” to have God sanctify us?

First instance of its teaching is Exodus 13 (see previous post); second time it features prominently is in Exodus 19

Exodus 19:9-11, 16-20

            What is happening here? Why do the people need to sanctify themselves?

(see also Exodus 24:12-18; 33:17-23 and 34:1)

Exodus 34:27-30, 34-35

What is happening between God and His people? What happens between Moses and God, and Moses and the people?

[God is making a covenant with the whole people of Israel; Moses is allowed to speak intimately with God and apprehend His glory—note the miraculous nature of the encounter, with Moses surviving without food or water, clearly in some kind of altered state as he communes with God. Sadly, the people find Moses’ shining face “too much,” too scary and overwhelming, and he must veil his face when speaking to them.]

The New Testament framing and expansion on these things: II Cor. 3-4

II Cor. 3:5-11

What is Paul saying about the ministry that God entrusts to us as Christians?—what comparison is Paul making here?

            What is Paul saying about our sufficiency and competence for this ministry?

II Cor. 3:12  pause: What is our hope that makes us bold?

II Cor. 3:12-18  Woah!  How is Paul tying together the story of Moses’ shining face with (what should be)

   our experience of God’s glory?

II Cor. 4:1  pause: What is the therefore? Why do we not lose heart?  (note 4:2 as a response to God’s mercy toward us)

II Cor. 4:3-6

WOW, again! What iconic, dramatic miracle does Paul reference as our example of what God does in our minds?

-pondering: that we are actively blinded spiritually (by Satan and his demons) apart from God

-pondering: that it takes the Creator God speaking light into us to see the glory of God in Jesus Christ

II Cor. 4:7-11

-what is meant to be the “final word” in our lives—what should people see when they look at our lives?

II Cor. 4:13-14

-what is this “same spirit of faith” with the psalmist that Paul quotes?—see Psalm 116

Nuggets to “take home”: 

v       We are insufficient for the task God calls us to, and blind—God gives us the competence we need, and calls forth light in our darkness of mind so we can see Him

v       We are meant to be beholding and reflecting God’s glory—glory exceeding anything we read about in the Old Testament! and we are to be becoming more and more like Jesus

v       God’s glory and the life of Jesus are meant to have the “final say” in our lives—when people look at us, no matter what we are going through, they should be seeing the treasure of God’s presence in our lives

v       We can know and believe (“have faith”) that God cares about our state of being when we are afflicted in life—as Psalm 116 says, God will deliver us from death, tears, and stumbling—we just need to ask

v       We therefore have HOPE in this life, and for our existence after the final work of Redemption!

Sunday Evening Service

What is Sanctification and to Sanctify?

also translated as set apart, consecrate, devote or hand over (wholly) to the Lord

Strong’s Hebrew 6942: a primitive root; to be (causatively, make, pronounce or observe as) clean (ceremonially or morally):--appoint, bid, consecrate, dedicate, hallow, (be, keep) holy(-er, place), keep, prepare, proclaim, purify, sanctify(-ied one, self), X wholly.

Strong’s Greek 37: from 40; to make holy, i.e. (ceremonially) purify or consecrate; (mentally) to venerate:--hallow, be holy, sanctify.

38:from 37; properly, purification, i.e. (the state) purity; concretely (by Hebraism) a purifier:--holiness, sanctification.

40: sacred (physically, pure, morally blameless or religious, ceremonially, consecrated):--(most) holy (one, thing), saint.

How is it relevant to us? ;-)

John 17:13-21—Jesus actually prayed that we all (believers) would be sanctified

I Peter 1:2—it’s part of the Spirit’s work in this world/in us to sanctify us (see also Rom. 15:16)

I Thess. 5:23-24—God sanctifies our whole being to present us before Jesus at the end of time

The first teachings on “sanctify” in Scripture:

(note Genesis 2:3 marks the first time God “sanctifies” something: the Sabbath/day of rest)

Exodus 13:1-15; Deut. 15:19-20, Number 8:13-19 (home study: Ex. 4:22-23; Ex. 12)

 

First, what is God asking them to sanctify or devote to Him (Ex. 13)? (their firstborn--of human, animals)

Why does He ask them to do this?

            -because the lives of the firstborn were spared during the last plague in 

            Egypt—in that sense, perhaps “owed”

            -reminder that they did not belong to themselves or control their destiny

            -the process of sanctifying the firstborn would serve as a reminder of the 

             Passover and how God spared them and rescued them (were to teach this to their children)

(Num. 8)

            -we see God set up the Levite clan as the "substitute" for the firstborn that are owed

            -God provides a way for both redemption of the firstborn, and means for a sanctified group of   

              individuals to be able to live lives of worship before Him (since an unconsecrated people would  

              die/be unable to fulfill the call to worship)

Seeing this through the eyes of the New Covenant in the Blood of Jesus Christ:

Note Jesus as the Firstborn: (see also Ex. 4:22-23), Luke 2:22-24, Romans 8:29, Col. 1:15, 18

        -God gives His firstborn in place of ours/us!  

  

Note Jesus as the Passover and sacrificial Lamb of God: (Isaiah 53:7), John 1:29, I Peter 1:18-19, Rev. 5:5-6, 11-13, Rev. 12:10-11

Death “passes us over” because of Jesus’ blood shed in our place: Heb. 9:22-28, Matt. 26:27-28,  Rom. 3:23-25  (home study: I Cor. 5:7, Heb. 9:14, 28, I John 2:2, 4:10, Rev. 1:5)

Note: “Propitiation” (Greek #2435 in Strong’s)= “an atoning victim” (Strong’s lexicon)  “relating to an appeasing or expiating, having placating or expiating force, expiatory; a means of appeasing or expiating, a propitiation; used of the cover of the ark of the covenant in the Holy of Holies, which was sprinkled with the blood of the expiatory victim on the annual day of atonement (this rite signifying that the life of the people, the loss of which they had merited by their sins, was offered to God in the blood as the life of the victim, and that God by this ceremony was appeased and their sins expiated); hence the lid of expiation, the propitiatory” from Blue Letter Bible. "Dictionary and Word Search for '"propitiation"' in the KJV". Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2011. 29 May 2011

The response we are called to under this new covenant: 

I Peter 2:9 (see Exodus 19:5-6 to link back to OT)   [develop the correct identity]

I Peter 1:14-23 (home study: all of I Peter 1) [purify/sanctify ourselves—through obedience, being born of the                                                                       Word; and love fervently]

I Cor. 6:19-20  [develop correct identity--know we are not our own]

Romans 6:16-23 [Paul's slave metaphor re: our slavery to sin vs. chosen submission to 

                           righteousness/sanctification becomes more vibrant in light of the Passover basis for God's 

                           first teaching on sanctification in Ex. 13]

*Romans 11:32-12:1     [in light of all of God's amazing action on our behalf, the natural response should be 

                                      to offer ourselves--our whole selves--to God daily]

Further home study: Eph. 4:1-6, Col. 1:9-12, I Thess. 2:11-12, Heb. 9 and 10 (esp. 10:19-25)

God has provided the Way for us all to be sanctified, through Jesus' redemptive death and resurrection. The natural response to realizing that we do no belong to ourselves, that our lives are "owed," and to seeing the great and loving action of God on our behalf should result in the spontaneous, daily offering of ourselves to God, to honor all He has done.

Bible Study: Gospel of Mark

Teaching and Divine Authority: Mark 1:21-28

We discussed the notes from Pastor Phil Steiger’s sermon notes on this passage (see http://hccbiblestudy.blogspot.com/2007/12/teaching-and-divine-authority-mark-121.html). 

He emphasizes how almost every time we read about Jesus performing miracles or even calling His disciples, these actions are clearly preceded by Jesus teaching the people from the Scripture. And in this first chapter of Mark, Mark sets up the divine authority of Jesus as first being evident from His authoritative teaching of the Word of God—then, His teaching is followed by healings and deliverance. To these actions of healing and deliverance, the people respond by marveling, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.” (vs. 27) In the words of Pastor Steiger, “Jesus received exactly the reaction he intended. The people heard the teaching of the Kingdom of God and beheld a miracle and their response was shock at the power in the teaching. Instead of creating a group of people who see only the wild and follow only a miracle worker, Jesus properly prepared their hearts and minds by teaching them first.”

We read the story of Simon the sorcerer (Acts 8:9-14), which highlights that miracles and spiritual power can come from something(s) other than God. We also read Paul’s warning in II Cor. 11:13-15 about how Satan will sometimes present himself as an “angel of light”—that evil spirits can and do deceive. Therefore, as I John 4:1-3 instructs, we must be wise about spiritual experiences, and test every spirit to see whether it is, indeed God’s Spirit. If any spirit/teaching/experience denies the divinity and humanity and salvivic work and Lordship of Jesus Christ, it is obviously not God’s Spirit. ;-)  Spiritual experiences are meant to intertwine with our study of Scripture and be part of knowing and understanding God (e.g., “taste and see that the Lord is good” Psalm 34:8). We are experiential beings, and experiential knowing is extremely powerful. The “standard” of Truth, however, is God’s Word, not an individual spiritual experience (i.e., experiences are subject to errors in interpretation, and to deception; see also Gal. 1:8). We must invest in proper teaching, studying, reading, and understanding of Scripture, even in order to properly interpret and understand spiritual experiences and the realm of the miraculous. (Admittedly, much error and deception occurs in the realm of teaching and understanding Scripture, as well, which is why we must be careful and thorough and rigorous, etc.)

As Pastor Steiger says in his closing: “Where does divine authority—the power of God—begin in my life? It begins with the Scriptures and the life transforming truths of the Kingdom of God. Then, when God reaches down and the miraculous happens, we know exactly where to give the glory.”  Amen

Bible Study: Gospel of Mark

We discussed the following notes and points put together by Pastor Phil Steiger of Living Hope Church in Colorado Springs, CO

Life With Jesus: A Journey of Discipleship

What does it mean to be called?

•         Mark 1:14-15

•         John the Baptist was arrested – Mark 9:31; 13:9-12; 15:15; Acts 8:3; 12:4

•         Mark sets the atmosphere early. What is it?

(the seriousness of the decision: an atmosphere of persecution)

•         What John goes through, Jesus goes through. What believers go through, Jesus goes through. Heb 4:14-16

•         “Jesus came…proclaiming the gospel of God.”

•         “gospel” = ?

•         “the kingdom of God is at hand”

•         What did they expect? What did Jesus bring?

•         Acts 9:9-13; 14:19-22; 2 Thess 1:5-7; Romans 14:13-19; 1 Cor 15:50; Gal 5:18-24

(Kingdom of God is about: selfless living; the spiritual rather than material…)

•         The Kingdom of God is the rule and reign of Christ instead of the rule and reign of this world

•         It is “at hand”: in Christ, God’s rule is here. Luke 17:20-21

•         I need to learn what it is and what a Kingdom life looks like

•         “repent”: Acts 2:37-38; 17:30-31; 11:16-18

•         “and believe in the gospel.” If repenting is what we turn from, believing is what we turn toward.

•         What do I believe about God?

•         Mark 1:16-20

•         The traditional path of discipleship included extra schooling and scholastic ability – if you were driven and capable, you could become a Rabbi’s disciple

•         Jesus’ call to discipleship is different

•         First – He calls us to follow him

•         Jesus initiates: I do not work up a ladder to gain his favor. Eph 1:3-5; 1 Cor 1:1, 9; Col 1:12-14

•         Second – All of us can respond to this call

•         Jesus found them doing what they did best and picked them to change the world

•         Being called by Christ does not mean excellence in order to be called, but excellence because of the call

•         Jeremiah 1:4-5; Ezekiel 2; Is 6:4-7; Jonah 1:1-3; Acts 9:3-6

•         Mark 1:29-31

(wow! Despite our inadequacy, our stubbornness, our sin—Christ cleanses us, calls us, and equips us!)

•         Third – it means a journey of following and learning from Christ with each other

•         “I will make you fishers of men”

•         The necessary and inevitable (?) progress of the faith: Philippians 3:12-16

(hold true to what we have learned, and keep stretching for more!)

Bible Study: Gospel of Mark

Jesus is Always Good News: Mark 1:14-15

We listened to Pastor Steiger’s sermon covering the onset of Jesus’ ministry (listen to the sermon here: http://livinghopecolorado.org/index.php?option=com_music&view=album&album_id=2&Itemid=23 or read the notes (in 2 parts) here http://hccbiblestudy.blogspot.com/2007/08/jesus-is-always-good-news.html and here http://hccbiblestudy.blogspot.com/2007/09/to-be-called-by-christ-mark-116-20.html ).

The first part of the message, focusing on verses 14-15, emphasized how Mark used the term “handing over” to describe John the Baptist’s arrest, and how this is repeated and played out in the life of Jesus and the early martyrs…this sobering situation provides the backdrop for Jesus to begin His ministry. In the “dark hour” and potential fright of looking at this possibility of persecution for bearing the name of Christ and doing what God has called us to do, Jesus always enters with light and joy: He always brings and always is good news!

Jesus’ first “sermon,” His central message, is recorded in v. 15: the kingdom of heaven is here, is present, and we need to (1) repent and (2) believe the good news of Christ. Pastor Steiger emphasizes that Jesus calls us both to leave and turn away from our sin and our spiritual blindness and death, and, to turn to Jesus and fill ourselves with the truth and person of Christ.

This part of the sermon ends with these thoughts: “My relationship with Jesus is primary to my circumstances. It is not my current situation that gives meaning to my relationship with Jesus; it is the relationship that gives meaning and hope to my circumstances. The richness and depth in my relationship with Christ does not flow from my state of affairs; it is something that provides grounding and stability in all conditions.”

To Be Called By Christ: Mark 1:16-20

The last part of the sermon moves from contemplations of the kingdom of heave and Jesus as good news, to an initial look at what it means to a disciple (follower) of Jesus. When we repent and turn to Jesus, what does this mean? What does it look like?

The first account in Mark on this topic, recorded in v.16-20, help us see a few foundational things: First, “Jesus initiates the call...The only qualification Jesus’ disciples seem to have is his desire for them to be disciples. Any achievement tied to following Christ is subsequent to the call—it is not their achievement that draws Christ to them, it is Christ’s call that draws them into the depths and wonders of the Kingdom of God.” Second, “anyone can respond to Jesus’ call. And third, “we are called to a journey. We all learn step by step what it means to follow Christ, and we learn it together.”

May the Holy Spirit work in us an overwhelming desire to know Jesus, to follow Him, to love Him, no matter the cost!

Bible Study: Gospel of Mark

The Bible study group decided to go through the book of Mark for their next study. We will be using the study of Mark by Pastor Phil Steiger of Living Hope Church in Colorado Springs, CO, as our base for learning and discussion.

For our fist evening discussing Mark, we read through Pastor Steiger's introduction to the book (read the notes here: http://hccbiblestudy.blogspot.com/2007/06/mark-jesus-servant-savior-sovereign.html). This gospel emphasizes Jesus as Servant, Savior, and Sovereign. The verse that perhaps best captures the primary theme of this gospel is Mark 10:45 : “For even the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
 
Pastor Steiger's thoughts on the primary themes and message of this gospel end with this:
"The cross is not a moment of failure for Jesus, but the defining event of his sovereignty. Even that level of hatred and suffering does not diminish the power of a savior who came to serve and give his life so that I might live."


John, Jesus, and the Wilderness: Mark 1:4-13

We then went through Mark's account of John the Baptist calling people to repentance, Jesus coming to be baptized, and then the Spirit leading Jesus out into the wilderness. Read the sermon notes on this passage here:

http://hccbiblestudy.blogspot.com/2007/07/john-jesus-and-wilderness-mark-1.html

What really struck us from the study notes was the amazing symbolism of God calling His people to repentance in the wilderness, the very place that symbolizes their “lowest point” of rebellion against God, the place of greatest brokenness. And Jesus comes to this place of our greatest failure and sin, and conquers it…triumphs over the “wilderness” for us, to set the example, and to set us free from our sin and failings!

In the words of Pastor Steiger, “That thing that overwhelms me 100% of the time, that nature that is constantly at my side separating me from my God, has been defeated by the Messiah. In Christ, the wilderness no longer needs to break me.”  Hallelujah!

 

Getting a Grip on Reality (being pained over sin)

“I am not ashamed of the gospel!” Romans 1:16

Well, why would we be ashamed of it? Is there an aspect of the gospel that is meant to be offensive?

Was it offensive to Jewish culture (foolishness to the Greeks)? Yes, but is there something foundational that is offensive?

If you can’t tell where I am pushing, the answer is yes.

Not that the gospel must be offensive, but the gospel stands in direct opposition to the pride of the human heart.

The foundation of the gospel has the ability to deeply offend a proud heart by declaring that no one is truly good. Isaiah 64:6, “all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment.”

The Gospel is meant to offend the proud heart.

Romans 3:9-20

3:9 What then? Are we better off? Certainly not, for we have already charged that Jews and Greeks alike are all under sin, 3:10 just as it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one, 3:11 there is no one who understands, there is no one who seeks God. 3:12 All have turned away, together they have become worthless; there is no one who shows kindness, not even one.” 3:13 “Their throats are open graves, they deceive with their tongues, the poison of asps is under their lips.” 3:14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” 3:15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood, 3:16 ruin and misery are in their paths, 3:17 and the way of peace they have not known.” 3:18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” 3:19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 3:20 For no one is declared righteous before him by the works of the law, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.

Are you offended? Hopefully not, but I certainly was at one point of my life.

The gospel demands that we come to God in humility. “He resists the proud and gives grace to the humble.” -though He does still love to humble the proud so that He can then give them grace

The gospel demands that we come to God as a child. What does it mean to come to God as a child? Among other things, it is to come with no ability to provide for ourselves, and trusting in our Father to take good care of us.

Having a heart that is not offended at the gospel’s convicting us of sin is the first step, but simply agreeing that we have sin is not enough.

Beyond being aware of our sin we must mourn over it, or have a heart that is broken over our sin.

Ezekiel 9:3-4

9:3 Then the glory of the God of Israel went up from the cherub where it had rested to the threshold of the temple. He called to the man dressed in linen who had the writing kit at his side. 9:4 The Lord said to him, “Go through the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of the people who moan and groan over all the abominations practiced in it.”

God highly values a heart that mourns over the sin that pervades one’s culture.

But even more so God values a heart that mourns one’s own sin.

Psalm 51:17 “a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.”

Our sin should be a burden and shame to us. We should be pained over our sin.

-not fun or enjoyable, not meant to be, but at the same time it ultimately leads us to a place of great joy, having “the joy of our salvation made fresh”.

2 Corinthians 7:9-10

“I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us. For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.”

Being aware of and having sorrow over our sin is not the chief end God is looking for. God is looking for repentance, not just saying we are sorry. We need to be grieved over our sin enough that we want to be changed, repent, and are changed by the power and help of the Holy Spirit.

Repentance causes God to rejoice, not over our sin of course, but over being able to show us mercy.

“He delights in not having to reward us according to our sin.”- (combination of Micah 7:18 and Psalm 103:10)

It is tempting to want to skip over a deep understanding of our sin, but we cannot fully understand the joy of the gospel (good news) unless we are first pained over our sin, enough that we desperately want to be freed from it.

Relief or comfort isn’t meaningful unless there is first a wound or ailment that causes pain. If taking a pain pill takes away a headache there is reason to be thankful for it, but if you have no pain, then a taking a pain pill is just a waste.

Gods’ grace and mercy toward us do not comfort or impact our hearts in a significant way unless our hearts are torn or wounded over our sin.

Aftershave analogy- it stings, but is put on solely for the purpose of soothing. God convicts us of sin not because He wants to shame us, but because He desires to remove the shame of sin from us. The Holy Spirit’s conviction is painful, but He does it because He wants to heal us.

Summary: While the gospel is a cause for great and unprecedented joy in our lives, there is first a foundation that must be set in place.

We must be aware of, grieved over, and desiring to be forgiven and freed of our sin.

The joy of the gospel can only be felt behind the sting of it confronting the sin in us.

Getting a Grip on Reality (Sunday evening study)

Reality Check: Do I really understand what “sin” is?

  

So, what words in Scripture are used to mean “sin”? What kinds of actions and motives do these words cover?

(to do a word study on sin, trespass, iniquity, wrong, unrighteousness in the ancient Hebrew and Greek of the Old and New Testaments, I recommend Strong’s exhaustive concordance and similar study tools. See for ex:  http://www.eliyah.com/lexicon.html  )

Hebrew has a wide range of words for these concepts, which cover:

-doing wrong purposefully, with planning and scheming

-committing offenses out of ignorance

-empty/vain wickedness, esp. in connection to running after idols; being foolish and stupid

-going “off the path” or rebelling against something legitimate

-wickedness that comes from weakness/sickness (of the inner person)

-distorting and perverting things; perverseness, lewdness (“nastiness”)

-doing violence, harm, destruction, and injustice

-a fault or crime     -something worthless    -to miss, to wilt and fall away

-despise and disgrace        -go astray, be deceived, or to deceive and lead astray

Greek has a bit narrower range of these words, but they cover ideas related to:

-doing wrong and injustice   -to miss the mark; to err or fail

-do violence, defraud, and deceive others   -committing an offense or crime    

-impiety (lack of reverence or regard for God)    -slip, fall, stumble  

-to trip up/snare, offend 

So…Why are some things “right” and some things “wrong”? What is the basis for “sin” and “righteousness”? What is the Standard? (Is it some arbitrary or random decision of God?) 

[we broke into groups to read and discuss each series of verses below, and then came back together to share with each other the main points and observations]

What do Leviticus 19:2, I Peter 1:14-16, Matthew 5:48, John 15:12, Ephesians 5:1-2, I John 4:7-12 tell us about the answers to these questions?

(Bottom line: the Standard is God’s character, God’s nature—“right” exists and comes forth from who God is)

What do Ephesians 1:4-6, Romans 8:14-16 and 29, John 10:10, Deut. 28:1-2, 15 and 30:15-19  (see also Isaiah 55:1-3)  tell us about the answers to these questions?

(Bottom line: right and wrong also have to do with who we were created to be, how we were created to be living in fellowship with God, each other, the rest of creation. Right has to do with our Destiny: to be like Christ and be part of God’s Family, to show off God’s glory and grace, to have life to the fullest!)

What do Jeremiah 3:1-23 and I John 1:5-7 (*see also Matthew 7:21-23; Hosea 2; John 15:4-6) tell us about the answers to these questions?

(Bottom line: Sin vs. righteousness has to do with our way of being (not just doing) and, especially, our relationship with God. God’s Standard for us is like the terms of a contract, the terms of His marriage covenant with us—righteousness is about living in intimacy with God.)

Note: sometimes, theologians distinguish between sins and sin:

From Oswald Chamber (Oct. 7): Sin is a fundamental relationship; it is not wrong doing, it is wrong being, deliberate and emphatic independence of God. The Christian religion bases everything on the positive, radical nature of sin. Other religions deal with sins; the Bible alone deals with sin. The first thing Jesus Christ faced in man was the heredity of sin…
The revelation of the Bible is not that Jesus Christ took upon Himself our fleshly sins, but that He took upon Himself the heredity of sin which no man can touch. God made His own Son to be sin that He might make the sinner a saint…He deliberately took upon His own shoulders, and bore in His own Person, the whole massed sin of the human race - "He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin," and by so doing He put the whole human race on the basis of Redemption. Jesus Christ…put [the human race] back to where God designed it to be, and anyone can enter into union with God on the ground of what Our Lord has done on the Cross.

[remember what hooked Eve into going against what God had set up (Gen. 3), and what trap Lucifer fell into (Isa. 14): wanting to be in the place or role of God/being “like” or equal to God]

A core part of sin is refusing to accept our place in the universe as creatures before a Creator.

The Take-Home Stuff:

Some very useful questions to ask ourselves along the way:

¬     Is what I am doing (and thinking, feeling, wanting) something that goes along with God’s nature, with who God is?

¬     Is what I am doing (and thinking, feeling, wanting) something that goes along with how God created me to be and live?

Does it or will it bring me closer to my Destiny (fellowship with God, being like Jesus, making God “proud”/showing off God’s Beauty and Goodness)?

¬     Is what I am doing (and thinking, feeling, wanting) something that will increase my intimacy and love relationship with God? Is it something that belongs in and strengthens my “marriage” with Jesus?

¬     And finally, am I putting myself in the role of God (or wanting something that only God rightly deserves), or am I accepting my creature status and God's status as the infinite God?

Let us pray for the Holy Spirit to convict us of our sin and open our eyes to God’s truth and righteousness (John 16:7-11)!

Over the next couple of weeks, let us all read over Romans chapters 1-8 again as we remind ourselves of the reality and meaning of both our sin and Jesus’ death and resurrection to pay for and cleanse us from our sin!