Relationships Matthew 7:1-13

Tonight we looked at what Jesus said about two key relationships: with himself and neighbours. Both are based in being kingdom people, who know we depend on God as our merciful Father. Because we have been treated with mercy, our relationships with others have to shaped by that. Jesus warns that "with the measure you use, it will be measured to you". If we can't find mercy for others, we can't expect it from God. So kingdom people are in no place to take over God's place and announce the condemnation off others, specially since we often have exactly the same faults. Jesus does, however, say there is a time to make assessments; that is when people so hate the gospel that they blaspheme it and attack its messengers. Then we don't "throw pearls before swine".

The key relationship is that we trust God to give us the good gifts of the kingdom - which is the best thing we can be given!

Finally Jesus tells us that the guide in relationships to our neighbours is to treat them as we would want to be treated: the golden rule. It is the "rule of love", not a formula to get people to be nice to us.

It strikes me that a lot of this seems very "everyday" and not all that heroic. In fact greatness in kingdom is lived out in the little things of trusting loving and serving. My prayer is that we'll reach that greatness.

WCF- ordo salutis, law, worship

We had a fun lecture last Wednesday. Well I had fun!

We looked at the ordo salutis in the WCF. A very important and practical topic. I argued that the Gaffin approach which finds the basis of the whole ordo in union with Christ is a good way forward. I also argued that justification on the basis of imputation is essential for reformed, biblical theology. I noted that some people wonder if it is "Christ's righteouness" which is imputed, and I suggested that when you see that justification is on the basis of the work of Christ and given in union with Christ then that is what the WCF means by "imputation of Christ's righteousness". I don't think there are any NT passages which support a doctrine of the imputation of Christ's prescriptive (i.e. active) obedience, and I suggested that the "other" element in justification, along with the cross, is resurrection (c.f. Rom 4:25). I left you to read the notes on the other chapters. The discussion of assurance is specially important, since it shows how the teaching on the decrees and effectual call worked out pastorally.

Tim got us talking about the place of the law in the Christian life and the WCF's three-fold division.

Steve led us in discussing the WCF's view of worship. We talked about the regulative principle and the Sabbath.

Any comments?

Getting Rich Matthew 6:18-34

The sermon on Sunday night (May 6) is on Jesus' teaching on possessions. The big point I want to make is that we have to view all that we own and have in the light of the kingdom. The coming of the kingdom means that the present order will be changed and so the best investment we can make is in the kingdom, for there our treasure is secure (Matt 6:20). The framework in which I want to put this is a new creation eschatology, which is, I think, true to the Bible. There is a danger that we read Matt 6 as dualists and think that Jesus is saying that the created order, including our possessions, are unimportant or even evil. But Jesus says that our Father knows we need food and clothing and he cares so much for his creation that he feeds the birds and clothes the flowers. So the perspective is not that we should avoid the physical and own as little as possible, but that we should recognise that what we own now is part of an order which will be reordered and our great hope is the kingdom. So our love has to be directed to that, or rather to God, not to our possessions.

When we seek first his kingdom and his rigtheousness we are freed to do three things: we can enjoy what we do have for his sake, but not idolise them for their own sake; we can share what we have with others because we want to serve God by serving our neighbours and we can stop worrying about what we don't have, because we know that our heavenly Father owns it all and cares for us.

Jesus challenges us about where we store our riches (vv19-21); how we look at what we have (v22-23); who we serve (v24); and why we worry (vv25-34).

We live in a society which is obsessed with possessions. I struggle to live out Jesus' words, so it is good for me to preach on them. We need to keep challenging each other in the area. "Asceticism" is the intellectually easy (but wrong) answer, it is far harder to work out how to live faithfully and long for the kingdom while we own things and enjoy them.

Does the difference between aceticism, idolatry and owning without being owned make sense?

What are the biggest struggles and temptations in this area?

What have you found helpful in your own discipleship in the area of possessions?

Getting Started

This blog is about having conversations about what I teach. When I teach (at church or college or somewhere else) I am interested to hear how people assess what I've said and I hope we can talk more about it. Life is so busy that often we can't discuss things at the time. This blog is an invitation to come back to me about what I've taught.

My plan is that I'll make at least a short comment about each sermon or lecture. Anyone who was there is free to add a comment, tell me what you didn't get or disagreed with, maybe develop some of the ideas further or ask a question. I'll reply, but I hope other people will join the discussion.

I am not going to put up full notes for anything, because I want interaction from people who are part of my church and college community.

From time to time I'll probably put up some other interesting bits and pieces. Feel free to comment on them as well.