Discernment – Page 2 – Wisdom From the Word

Engagement and Education Part 2

Some decades ago, at the beginning of the 1990’s, I took a certificate program in adult and continuing education at our local university. Given that Jesus has called and anointed me to teach this was a good use of my time. Something that stands out for me during this time was a debate I had with some of my classmates. We were all working in our respective fields and had education as part of our role to varying degrees. At the time two things that were popular were a focus on facilitation and felt needs. We were encouraged to respond to the felt needs of adults and be facilitators not teachers.

I engendered some debate and was pretty much a lone voice with the concern I raised. I shared that from my perspective there wasn’t anything wrong with the idea of teaching and I saw facilitation as something a good teacher did. I also asserted that a responsibility of good teachers was not only to respond to felt needs but to discern what people actually needed and teach them that as well. In light of that let’s review our calling and responsibility as believers in light of what Jesus instructed.

¹⁸ And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. Matthew 28:18–20 (NKJV)

Of interest here is that Jesus didn’t instruct us to respond to felt needs, He instructed us to teach and observe all the things that He had commanded. While Jesus did respond to felt needs; He healed the sick and fed the hungry, His broader messianic mission is presented in Luke.

¹⁸ “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; ¹⁹ To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” Luke 4:18–19 (NKJV)

Jesus response to felt needs was always in the context of His broader mission, calling people to repentance and submission to the kingdom of God, which is what The Great Commission in Matthew 28 reinforces. After all Jesus began His mission this way.

¹⁴ Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, ¹⁵ and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” Mark 1:14–15 (NKJV)

This shows us that while Jesus responded to felt needs, it was an aspect of His ministry and should be an aspect of ours, it now dominates and twists our culture. If we look at our current culture wars and outrage, felt needs dominate. We see it in the socialist agenda, the gender debates, the political groups and on it goes. We have come to the place where we deny reality out of a desire to enshrine felt needs rather than support truth and reality. We are living in a season that Paul warned us about.

³ For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 2 Timothy 4:3 (NKJV)

We are there and it is not a good place to be, thus I leave us with a reflective question. Where in our culture is the church taking ground? If your answer is that it isn’t, here is the next question. Do we capitulate to our culture or change strategies?

We will look at strategy next time.

Engagement and Education Part 1

Here I am going to share a bit about my role the last few years of work prior to retirement. Not to reminisce, but to look at how it relates to our mission as believers and our broader role and responsibility as the body of Christ. I was the Director of Engagement and Education in one of the legislative offices. As the Director of my team, my responsibility and the role of my staff was to engage and educate both within the organization and externally. I also played a role in setting organizational direction as a member of the Strategic Leadership Team.

Engagement was about the responsibility to engage with those within or aligned with the purposes of the organization to create alliances and educate them around common interests. Engagement and education with those outside and not aligned with the purposes of the organization took the form of sharing and building or furthering relationships.

The role of the office was provincial which meant that I needed to keep my staff engaged with the broader issues in the province but also needed to keep my staff in the two major cities 300 kilometres apart engaged and focused on the same mission across the province. In terms of the broader structure my boss reported to a standing committee of the Legislature so his authority came from that relationship and he then delegated that authority to those of us that reported to him.

Now let’s apply this to the church, beginning with a passage I suspect most of us are familiar with to some degree.

Here the making of disciples (not just converts) was the mission and it required, and still does, both engagement and education. The scope of the mission is outlined in Jesus final command before His ascension.

⁸ But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8 (NKJV)

Practically this means, as noted above in my job example, that we need to engage with and educate both within and outside the church. By church I am referring to people not buildings. Engaging within the body needs to focus on building relationships leading to discipleship (education). Engaging outside the body needs to focus on sharing the truth of the gospel (education) and seeking to bring others into the kingdom then discipling them.

It is one thing to simply encourage us to go and do but prior to issuing His commands Jesus modeled for His followers how to do the work of the kingdom and trained them. After He commissioned them, He said upon leaving that the Holy Spirit would come and continue to help them. We still need the Spirit as the reality is that what Jesus commanded in Matthew 28 and Acts 1 requires strategy and intentionality on our part. I encourage you to seek Him in this regard.

We will delve more into strategy next week.

People, Pace and Presence

While hiking in the mountains with a group of people this past summer I was at the front and in conversation with someone near me I said, “When you are leading you need to pay attention to two things, people and pace.” The idea here being that you need to make sure everyone is okay on the hike and you need to set a pace that people can follow. Now, you likely noticed that I added the word presence to my title. I will explain why.

In carrying this idea over to our spiritual journey with Jesus I think these three elements are important. Who are we walking with? Are we able to walk together at a functional pace? Notice I said functional, not comfortable. At times we need our walk challenged. Lastly, and most important, are we walking in Jesus’ presence?

I enjoy hiking and I enjoy working with others. When I was working, at times I had staff who were open to having supervision while walking. It is hard to take notes but I found walking dialogue often more effective than sitting in an office. There is something about walking with others, which may be why Paul used the analogy.

¹ And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, ² in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, ³ among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. Ephesians 2:1–3 (NKJV)

¹⁰ For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10 (NKJV)

Paul describes our pre-conversion life as a walk, but a walk, ‘according to the course of this world’ whereas after our conversion our call is to walk in the ‘good works’ that the Lord prepared before for us.

Thus, when people say ‘God has a plan for your life’ that is true. There is no guarantee however that we will ‘walk’ it out. This is where people, pace and presence come in. What helps us walk it out is those we walk with. We need to find those we can keep pace with and also those who will push us beyond things we think we are capable of doing.

When I was younger, I learned a good deal in a few months from a gentleman name Rene. He wasn’t a spiritual mentor nor do I think he planned to be a mentor, he just was. My first winter out of high school I spent working for a trucking company moving oil rigs, at times in brutally cold conditions. I worked mostly with Rene Bilidou, farmer in the summer, truck driver in the winter. I was the swamper, which meant Rene drove and I walked and ran around behind the truck (imagine a very large tow truck to try and get the image) while we tore down and put oil rigs back together on oil leases and hauled components to the next site.

That is the background. Rene taught me many things, pushed me to do things I didn’t think could be done, and was patient in teaching me when I failed. Being 19 at the time, I of course had plenty of great ideas on how to do things, most of them wrong. Rene had the wisdom to let me try and fail so that I was in a more teachable space and then he would show me how to do things correctly. Rene was a practical rather than a spiritual mentor. In our Christian walk we need spiritual mentors who are also practical and walk with us like that, mentors who allow us to make mistakes, help us learn from them, and keep pointing us in the right direction.

This leads us to presence. The key factor in our walking with others is pursuing Jesus’ presence. We need to pursue Him ourselves and we need to walk with others who both pursue Him and push us to do the same. The potential for failure is this endeavour is readily available, for example, consider the following verse.

²⁴ God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Acts 17:24 (NKJV)

Paul said Yahweh doesn’t dwell in material structures and he also noted in 1 Corinthians (3:16-17 and 6:19-20) that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, his point being to affirm what he said in Acts. In the Old Testament the temple was built and sacrifices were made to create sacred space and Yahweh dwelt on the mercy seat of the ark of the covenant. Yet at Jesus crucifixion Matthew, Mark and Luke all reference the veil in the temple being torn. This meant two things, Yahweh was coming out of the temple and would be available everywhere (think of Acts 2 and the Spirit being poured out at Pentecost) and that as Hebrews says, there was now free and bold access to the throne of grace, the mercy seat (Heb. 4:14-16).

Let me pull this back together. I am in Saville as I write this, and yesterday I visited an ornate old church building and as I left reflected on what I had been writing. Of note, I didn’t encounter His presence there. In terms of People, Pace and Presence, People walked together to build this and other amazing edifices (we have our own in North America) but at some point, they walked away from His presence and began following religion instead of Jesus. They reverted to thinking that buildings rather than His body, the church, could contain His presence. While we may use buildings to serve His purposes, it is people that host His presence. Thus, in our individual walks we need to find people with whom we can keep pace and with whom we encounter His presence.

Atonement Part 3

Since it is quite evident that scripture teaches Penal Substitutionary Atonement (PSA), that is, Jesus paid the price for our sins on the cross. My qualifier regarding PSA is that God’s wrath against sin is not some capricious emotion, it arises from His inherent need to execute justice and punish sin given that righteousness and justice are the foundation upon which His throne rests. Now we turn to how other views relate to PSA followed by whether the church fathers endorsed PSA.

We begin with the other views from my first post on this subject.

• The Ransom Theory. In this view, the atonement was payment made by God to Satan, because Satan held mankind in bondage to sin and death. Origen in particular argued that the cross was a ransom payment equal in value to man’s sin debt, a debt accrued since Adam’s original sin. At the cross, the death payment of Christ, the devil was obliged to release man from bondage. COMMENTS this view doesn’t’ fit with scripture as our sin debt was owed to God not Satan. Satan brough humanity into bondage and brought about the corruption of creation through their sin.

• The Satisfaction Theory. This view of the atonement, sometimes called the “Latin view,” was primarily developed by Saint Anselm in Cur Deus Homo (Why God Became Man). This view sets God’s justice or honor against man’s immense sin debt. The satisfaction view is a reaction against the ransom view. Anselm argued that it was not to Satan but to God that man’s sin debt was owed. Now that man’s sin debt has been exacted from the Son, man can be reconciled to God’s divine justice. COMMENTS this is a variation of PSA.

• Christus Victor. This view of the atonement argues—in the words of its best-known promoter, Gustav Aulén—that “the work of Christ is first and foremost a victory over the powers which hold mankind in bondage: sin, death, and the devil” (Christus Victor, p. 20). This view is a reaction to both the ransom and the satisfaction theories. Instead of payment to Satan or to God, the death of Christ is seen as a conquest in a cosmic conflict. COMMENTS Christs sacrifice was a victory in a cosmic conflict but this view falls under PSA as a n aspect of it, it doesn’t replace it.

• Penal Substitution. This view is often associated with the magisterial reformers Martin Luther and John Calvin. Some studies have demonstrated, however, that key elements of the penal substitution theory are evident in the early years of church history. The word “penal” refers to the divine penalty enacted at the cross. This penalty is more than payment for sin to God (though it is that); it is also the site at which God expended his wrath against human sin. God can be just and the justifier of the ungodly because Christ was our substitute on the cross: he paid sin’s penalty. By his sacrificial death he “cancel[ed] the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands” (Col 2:14). Our sin, in this view, is imputed to Christ, and his righteousness is imputed to us.

• The Scapegoat Theory. René Girard, a Roman Catholic philosopher, is the figure most often associated with the scapegoat theory. He appeals to the motif of the scapegoat, the azazel, from the atonement rituals in Leviticus 16. In this theory, communal tension that would otherwise erupt in violence is dissipated by redirecting that violence toward a scapegoat. When in Christ God makes himself the scapegoat, directing human violence toward an innocent party, he reveals the error in scapegoating and breaks the cycle of violence. This theory has wide acceptance in those (typically mainline) Protestant circles that tend to shy away from or reject substitution theories. COMMENTS The overall theory fails to align with scripture with the exception that Jesus bore our sins as the scapegoat. Scripture says He suffered, ‘outside the gate.’

¹² Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate. Hebrews 13:12 (NKJV)

Just as the scapegoat carried the sins of the nation away from the nation so Jesus took sin outside of Jerusalem to Golgotha. However, this theory presents more as humanism than atonement.

• The Governmental Theory. Hugo Grotius, Charles Finney, and Wesleyan Methodism have championed this view. In the governmental view, Jesus did not pay a penalty for human sin; instead, at the cross he made a display of God’s displeasure with sin. COMMENTS certainly the Father is displeased with sin, we see this in PSA, but scripture is clear that Jesus paid the penalty for our sin.

• Theosis. This view is closely associated with Eastern Orthodoxy. It posits that the joining of man to divinity is the telos, the completion, of humanity. The cross makes theosis possible by its great act of transfiguration from death to life. COMMENTS partaking of the divine nature (2 Peter 1) is a fruit of Jesus sacrifice but as a stand alone theory it fails to deal with what scripture shows us about PSA.

• The Moral Influence Theory. In this view, man’s greatest need is not to be reconciled to God; rather, man needs an ultimate moral example, and Christ provides this via his self-giving life and death. COMMENTS there is no atonement here and thus no dealing with the problem of sin, merely humanism disguised as theology.

• The Solidarity Theory. This view argues that Christ at the cross identified with humanity’s suffering and overcame it. In doing so, he brought humanity into a new way of living according to divine justice. While considered newer, this view has roots within other, older views. This view most resembles Christus Victor, and N. T. Wright and the others who adopt the New Perspective on Paul have been this view’s most influential proponents. Jürgen Moltmann and his “suffering of God” theology, too, provide a variation on the solidarity theory.^[1] COMMENTS the primary problem with this theory is that while through the cross Jesus identified with us, and the suffering sin causes, it fails to address the need for justice and the penalty for sin being paid.

As a final point, I referenced the importance of looking to the church father. In his teaching on PSA Sam Storms has pointed out some of those who have held to PSA throughout church history, showing that it is not a product of the Reformation and Protestantism, it is a product of scripture and church history.

Justin Martyr (c. 100-165), Eusebius of Caesarea (c. 275-339), Hilary of Poitiers (c. 300-368), Athanasius (c. 300-373), Gregory of Nazianzus (c. 330-390), Ambrose of Milan (339-397), John Chrysostom (c. 350-407), Augustine (354-430), Cyril of Alexandria (375-444), and Gregory the Great (c. 540-604), all of whom advocated penal substitution in one form or another. Other significant figures who understood the atonement in this way include Thomas Aquinas (cf. 1225-74), John Calvin (1509-64), Francis Turretin (1623-87), John Bunyan (1628-88), John Owen (1616-83), George Whitefield (1714-70), Charles Spurgeon (1834-92), D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981), as well as Billy Graham, John Stott, and J. I. Packer. These are only representative thinkers and represents a small fraction of those who have embraced the truth of penal substitution.

Thus, we close with the famous John 3:16.

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16 (NKJV)

NOTE My next post will look at People, Pace and Presence. If there is a particular topic or subject you would like me to cover or address please let me know in the comments.

^[1] Mark Olivero, “Theories of Atonement,” in Lexham Survey of Theology, ed. Mark Ward et al. (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2018).

Atonement Part 1

I have, as long as I can remember in my Christian journey, held to Penal Substitutionary Atonement (PSA). Prior to even hearing the term, it was what I had been taught and understood from scripture. However, PSA is one theological position among many, though, as noted, it is the one I have always held. Seeing it regularly attacked on social media in recent times has led me to examine it and other views as I have long been convinced that we need to both know what we believe and why. Thus, while I hold to PSA I will present and examine a number of views, as while they are different, they are not all mutually exclusive.

PSA is the position generally under the most attack since it deals with God’s justice and His wrath, topics that many seem uncomfortable coming to terms with. When it comes to PSA some have derisively said that in His crucifixion and resurrection Jesus merely, ‘lost a weekend.’ Others have portrayed Jesus’ crucifixion as ‘cosmic child abuse.’ One of the most recent attacks has come from the popular author John Mark Comer. He came out against PSA while promoting Andrew Remington Rillera’s book Lamb of the Free, which Comer described as a ‘knockout blow’ to PSA. I confess, I haven’t read the book. I have read some reviews and rebuttals but I don’t have time to read every book on every subject nor do I need to – what I need to do is hold any view up to the light of scripture, which I do know. I have long held to what Isaiah wrote.

²⁰ To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. Isaiah 8:20 (NKJV)

Scripture is the standard not the shifting sands of theological opinion.

So, here I will share a spectrum of historical views of the atonement, what I believe and why, and draw some conclusions. I think it is also important to know if a view we hold was held by the church fathers as they were instrumental in sorting out the theology of the church after the completion of the New Testament. They didn’t always agree but they did wrestle through difficult questions and draw conclusions. Many have alleged that PSA is a view that arose in the Protestant church world, which is not trues since it was held by some of the early church fathers. The most important thing for me however, as noted above, is that scripture is the final arbiter.

As part of this introduction, below is an overview of theories I have pulled from my online theological library. As I go further, I will present my thoughts, as I always have, in plain language. However, as you look at them remember, two things, first, as noted above, these theories are not all mutually exclusive, secondly the most important thing is what Jesus said.

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16 (NKJV)

Atonement Theories

The various theories of Christ’s atonement describe God’s purposes in Christ’s death and lead to further inquiry about the efficacy of the cross, especially the extent of its benefits and recipients.

Theories of the atonement are rich and complex, because they necessarily involve views of original sin, grace, law, the wrath of God, hell, holiness, righteousness, covenant, the deity of Christ, even the nature of the Trinity. Often a theory is developed as a reaction against other theories. Below is a brief explanation of major theories and a few primary contributors.

^[1] Mark Olivero, “Theories of Atonement,” in Lexham Survey of Theology, ed. Mark Ward et al. (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2018).

Authority and Abiding

Recently I was rereading one of Rick Joyner’s books and was struck by this quote, “Spiritual authority is not gained through knowledge but through our union with Him.”[1] In reflecting on it I see the importance. After all Jesus had some things to say on the subject. He referenced it as abiding.

⁷ If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. John 15:7 (NKJV)

The context here is Jesus talking about the importance of being connected to Him, like a branch is to a vine. It is obvious when we think about it. We don’t see apple or pear branches or grape vines bearing fruit independent of the tree or main vine. The reason is obvious. They need to draw nurture and sustenance from the main vine or branch because it is connected to the roots.

Let me dig a little deeper! Years ago, I kept a bonsai tree in my office at work. What I discovered through some research is that there were two reasons bonsai trees were grown in a shallow dish. One was to occasionally put it in a sink or bucket and soak the tray and roots in water. The other, and more important reason, was that when you prune the branches you need to take the bonsai tree out of the pan and prune the roots at the same time to prevent overgrowth. I prune my apple tree every year but each year the amount it grows more than replaces what I prune. The reason? I don’t pull it out of the ground and prune the roots each time I prune the branches! Every year the roots grow deeper and stronger and so the branches have more to draw on to both grow and produce fruit.

Now back to abiding. Jesus is the source of life for the fruit bearing branches, us. If we want to produce fruit, we need to do the two things Jesus said are necessary. First, we need to abide in Him, then we need to let His words abide in me. Doing this will lead to us walking in spiritual authority and answered prayer. Abiding is about a daily ongoing relationship. Letting His words abide in us is about choosing obedience and adherence to His word.

When our hearts are at rest in Him the desires and words that flow forth from us are carried by, and rooted in, His life. It isn’t just about reading and speaking scripture, it is about abiding and life so that we read and speak the right scriptures needed in the present moment. When we are speaking with someone and we receive a word of wisdom for their situation or a word of knowledge about their life that comes from the Spirit because in that moment we are abiding in the vine, Jesus. Another way of saying this was written by Solomon.

⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; ⁶ In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5–6 (NKJV)

Thus, let’s abide in Jesus and walk in the spiritual authority He releases through us. After all, our spiritual authority is not simply grounded in knowledge about Jesus but through our relational union with Him.

NOTE in my next post, which may take a little longer to research and write, I will address Penal Substitutionary Atonement and some of the other historical theories to help ground us in what scripture teaches and defend us against error.

[1] Joyner, Rick. The Kingdom of Heaven is at Hand (Kindle Locations 504-505). MorningStar Publications. Kindle Edition.

Two Places at Once

Recently I was hiking on top of a mountain and there was a boundary marker delineating the border between two provinces. If I stood with one foot on either side of the boundary I could be ‘in two places at once.’ Cute. Yet, there is a deeper and more important aspect, scripturally we were originally designed to live in two places at once, the natural earthly realm and the heavenly spiritual realm. I believe Adam and could see in both realms, hence Eve could see and interact with serpent, a spiritual being and throne guardian, not a talking snake. I think one of the things that made them aware of their fallen state was the shift in what they were able to see and interact with. Whether that is accurate or not, doesn’t change what we were designed for.

We were created to live in two places at once, the natural and spiritual realms, after all, at the consummation of the age the New Jerusalem, the Lamb’s bride, the Holy city, comes from heaven to earth and the two realms are joined. In the meantime, if we have a better understanding of how we are called to function now we can live out of an awareness of both realms.

Paul made some comments about being in two places at once in both Ephesians and Colossians.

⁴ But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, ⁵ even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), ⁶ and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, Ephesians 2:4–6 (NKJV)

² Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. ³ For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. Ephesians 2:4–6 (NKJV) Colossians 3:2–3 (NKJV)

Jesus also had a perspective on this concept.

¹³ No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. John 3:13 (NKJV)

Jesus more than any of us knew what it was to live in two places at once, to be in home in both the natural and spiritual realms. While I don’t expect any of us to fully live this out to the degree that Jesus did, He did set an example for us to follow. We follow His example by paying attention to what Paul wrote.

The obvious practical issue is delineating the how. I know in my own life often during the day my thoughts are drawn heavenward. That is, I am drawn to prayer, worship and reflection, sometimes in the midst of a group of people. It also means that heaven has a perspective on my days and decisions and I need to factor in heavens perspective in my decision making. Lastly, I can simply abide in His presence at any time and all times by turning my mind and heart toward Jesus. This is our call, to believe we are seated with Him and thus set our affections upon Him.

NOTE This post will lead into the next one, Authority and Abiding

Seek First

I last wrote about the kingdom of God, the gospel of the kingdom, which is broader than the gospel of salvation, and the need to understand the church is not the kingdom, it is subsumed under the kingdom of God. In response a friend, Mark, shared his definition of the kingdom of God (he and his wife have been faithfully pastoring for decades), “The liberating invasion, the present manifestation and the future consummation of the rule and reign of God in Jesus Christ.” I like Mark’s definition and as we go a little deeper let’s, look at a verse that I am sure is familiar.

³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Matthew 6:33 (NKJV)

Of note, Jesus didn’t tell us to seek the church, He told us to seek the kingdom of God. Now guess what, the Greek word translated seek means just that, to seek or search for something. Taking Mark’s definition, we should be looking for His kingdom to break into our lives and the lives of others. I don’t think we can make it happen, just as I don’t believe we can create revival. I believe revival is like a natural birth. It isn’t the labour (our effort) that brings on the baby, it is the baby beginning to move down the birth canal that brings on the labour.

Having said that, while I have never been in a revival movement. I have had times of personal revival when I responded to His leading in my life. I have had experiences and seen significant spiritual manifestations in small groups, church conferences and services, which leaves me wanting more! Yet while I know that I can’t create the breaking in of His kingdom I am also aware that I can position my heart to be ready by seeking and expecting it. After all that is the message of the wise and foolish virgins, the need to be prepared, to be ready. Solomon put it this way.

¹ The preparations of the heart belong to man, But the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. Proverbs 16:1 (NKJV)

To that end, let us seek and search for the breaking in of His kingdom in our lives and communities and be found faithful by living with prepared hearts.

Through Kingdom Eyes

In my doctoral work I defined worldview as, “The lens through which we view and interpret reality.” I still hold it as a practical and useful definition, so with that in mind here is a question for us to ponder; do we see and interpret reality through the lens of the church or the kingdom? Do you know they are not the same thing? Is this something you have considered?

Jesus expressed the significance of the new birth in relation to the kingdom in the following way.

³ Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3 (NKJV)

⁵ Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. John 3:5 (NKJV)

For Jesus the new birth was about entrance to and participation in the kingdom. Paul wrote.

¹³ He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, Colossians 1:13 (NKJV)

This means that at our conversion we were birthed into Jesus’ kingdom. We stopped living in darkness and came into light. Once that happened His expectation is that we continue to live in and out of His kingdom (think Romans 12:1-2 or Ephesians 4:17-25 for example). This is where how we view reality becomes important. The church is in the kingdom and an expression of the kingdom. The church is not the kingdom. The kingdom is something much more significant.

I have written in the past about the perspective George Eldon Ladd popularized, the ‘already not yet’ nature of the kingdom. Jesus has already secured victory through the cross and His resurrection, yet it will not be fully realized until His return.

In the gospels Jesus taught much more about the kingdom than the church. He shared parables about the kingdom because it is the expression of His rule and reign in the earth. As the church expands the mustard seed that was the initial expression of the kingdom grows in the earth. Yet, one of the most significant aspects of the kingdom being represented in the earth is the making of disciples not the production of converts.

In this regard Jesus made some crucial statements.

¹⁴ And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. Matthew 24:14 (NKJV)

Jesus expects us to preach the kingdom and from His perspective the kingdom is evident when we see new converts taught to observe all that He commanded. Jesus wasn’t expressing some dominionist mandate where the church takes over the earth, that happens when He returns as the triumphant king. However, we are to reflect His kingdom values in how we live and our lives are to be a blessing to those around us.

After all, we are either a kingdom influence in our culture, or we are coming under the influence of our culture. Given that the church is called to disciple both individuals and nations let’s be the former.

Earth Mirroring Heaven

Recently I wrote about Yahweh as the Cloud Rider (http://wisdomfromtheword.ca/the-cloud-rider/ ) and how we also see Jesus also described in scripture as the cloud rider. Here we will look at what He rides on, okay, only briefly, what is important is the idea of earth mirroring heaven. David made a very interesting statement in 1 Chronicles.

¹⁸ and refined gold by weight for the altar of incense, and for the construction of the chariot, that is, the gold cherubim that spread their wings and overshadowed the ark of the covenant of the Lord. 1 Chronicles 28:18 (NKJV)

The context is David describing all the preparations he had made for Solomon so that he could build the temple. The interesting part is his explicit reference to the cherubim over the seat of the ark of the covenant as Yahweh’s chariot.

We see Yahweh on His chariot in 1 Kings. Notice that contrary to what is popularly expressed, Elijah was conveyed to heaven by a whirlwind. The chariot is Yahweh making an appearance on the scene.

¹ And it came to pass, when the Lord was about to take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. 2 Kings 2:1 (NKJV)

¹¹ Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. ¹² And Elisha saw it, and he cried out, “My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!” So he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces. 2 Kings 2:11–12 (NKJV)

We also see Yahweh’s chariot in Ezekiel, just without the horses. It is very similar to John’s vision of the throne in Revelation. Thus, we see the tabernacle mirroring heaven. In constructing the tabernacle and the associated objects, Yahweh said to Moses that he was to follow the heavenly pattern.

⁴⁰ And see to it that you make them according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain. Exodus 25:40 (NKJV)

The same idea is reflected in Hebrews where the writer is contrasting Jesus’ eternal priesthood with the priests of Israel.

⁴ For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law; ⁵ who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, “See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.” Hebrews 8:4–5 (NKJV)

Lastly, we look at how Jesus’ function in creation.

³ who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, Hebrews 1:3 (NKJV)

Many modern translations have something like ‘His powerful word’ instead of the phrase ‘word of His power.’ Yet the latter is a more literal and accurate rendering from Greek. The idea is less about the power of His word and more about the continual release of it. Material creation exists because Jesus continually sustains it.

Having presented these ideas, let’s tie them together. Hebrews 8:5 describes the relationship between heaven and earth as the things of earth being, ‘the copy and shadow of the heavenly things.’ The spirit realm is the real realm and the source of everything that we see. Earth, however dimly, is meant to reflect heavenly realities. Just as Eden was the place of His dwelling at the beginning of creation when we look at the end of Revelation (the last two chapters) we see Eden restored but far more gloriously. It is the culmination, the summing up of all things and the final fulfillment of what Jesus instructed us to pray, ‘On earth as it is in heaven.’ The two will become one, fully and finally united. Earth will no longer mirror heaven, it will be transformed and absorbed into heaven. Thus, let us pray with this understanding.

⁹ Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. ¹⁰ Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:9–10 (NKJV)