Faith and the Bible, part 2

And now, moving on to part 2 of my paper. "What does it mean to read the Bible faithfully?" In this section, we'll look into the instances and applications of faith in the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, the positive and the negative halves of the old covenant, and its relationship to the new covenant that arrives in the New Testament.


First of all, readers of the Bible should not be alarmed by the stark difference in tone between the Old and New Testaments in regard to faith. I don’t believe the new covenant was ever meant to say the Abrahamic covenant was wrong. Otherwise, why would God establish it in the first place? That would be admitting God made a mistake, which is a direct violation of His perfect character. Likewise, salvation by faith in Jesus Christ isn’t supposed to liberate people from obedience to the Ten Commandments, and keeping orderly lives (2 Corinthians 5:9-10). If that were true, what would be the point of upholding the Constitution or living under the laws in an organized society?

According to Paul, the Law in itself contained a positive and negative factor (Galatians 3:18-19). On the positive side, it revealed facets of God’s sovereign nature and His transcendent dominion over the creation. It also taught His followers how to conduct themselves and model their lives in ways that were pleasing to Him. On the negative front, those same commandments, the actions God specifically instructed His people not to commit through His servant Moses on Mount Sinai (Exodus 20:3-17) point out the utter depravity of mankind. In other words, when we see what we ought not to do, it further highlights the depth of our sin and how much we have fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). How is that? It’s our core nature. We are sinners: therefore we sin.

Paul explained that while the Law is pure and innocent on the surface, obedience to it alone is insufficient to gain access to God’s mercy. The Law’s purpose was not to redeem mankind, but to indicate how mankind has fallen short, and therefore needs salvation from his transgressions. In other words, it exposes the sin of the old nature, directing man to the light of a new nature in God. I can't do it alone. I can’t “save” myself under my own power: so I need God’s help. The Law tells us what sin is, thereby opening the door for us to disobey God (Rom.7: 7). As sinners at heart, we are bound to the law by our old nature and are therefore condemned to death by it.

How are God’s Commandments in fact a death sentence for man? Let me give two reasons. First, if what Paul says is true, being that we are slaves to sin and therefore death (Romans 3:23 & 6:16), then we have absolutely no hope of obeying every commandment ordained by God. Because our nature is imperfect, our actions must reflect it as such on the surface. It’s like looking at a distorted image presented from a cracked mirror. This is why salvation through the law alone is impossible. Second, the law in itself is helpless; it can’t bring us back to God. That would be saying I did something to earn God’s favor, which exalts my pride and my actions. It eliminates Jesus’ sacrifice from the picture.

This is where I find the basis for faith. Paul stated that when Christ came to the Earth born of a virgin to be a sacrificial lamb, the need for the law ended. He believed that God issued the Commandments to show how everyone stood guilty before Him, forever incapable of bridging the gap through their own devices (Galatians 3:19). It would teach them about God’s character and His sovereignty, and how their sinful humanity pales in comparison so that when the Messiah finally arrived, they could better understand his work (Hebrews 10:1-4). Concepts such as clean and unclean, baptism, circumcision, and Jewish or Gentile descent no longer held their former meaning. Accessibility to God’s grace was open for everyone who had faith that Jesus was Lord and believed in His death and resurrection (Romans 10:9-10).

To Be Continued...


Oh yeah. Minor note. Happy 21st birthday, me. :)

Song of the Day: Alathea - "Save Me"

Verse of the Day: "I will go before you and will level the mountains ... I will give you the treasures of darkness so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who calls you by name." - Isaiah 45:2-3

Faith and the Bible, part 1

Well, it's reflection time again, folks. I really liked posting my personal thoughts on the human nature and feelings of Jesus Christ last month in The Compassion of the Christ. So I decided to give it another try. Looking back into my saved files, I came across a term paper I also put together for Religion class during my freshman year. It's a very introspective look into how I define faith and how it pertains to my daily reading of the Bible, God's Word. I feel that, in light of my New Year's resolution to read the Bible in its entirety by the end of this year, it's vitally important to look back at why God wants us to study His Holy Word, and to understand His teachings.

So, as per the norm with me, part 1 of this feature will serve as the introductory chapter. It will delve into some of the concepts that go hand in hand with Christianity, such as justification and righteousness, and the method in which these correlate with the idea of faith. It'll drop a few basic pointers to start things off, such as the debate between faith and works, the old covenant and the new covenant, and things like that. Then it'll leave off with the question that sets the tone for this paper's general direction - "What does it mean to read the Bible faithfully?"

Now, far be it for me to set the universal standard for a perfectly faithful reading of the Bible. God knows I don't always keep up my dedication to a daily reading, and quite often I enter into it with a half-hearted, nonchalant attitude. So please don't interpret my ideas like that - this is just how I personally view faith as it pertains to the Bible. Others who read this may have their own ideas about how their faith works, and that's perfectly fine. I'm not out to challenge them. What I do hope will happen is that reading this will stimulate others to look toward the Bible as the one, true authority in this matter, and then generate their own thesis for faith based on God's Word.

So, onward with part 1 of "Faith and the Bible" ...

There is no doubt in my mind that the concept of faith is integral to the study of Christianity and God’s Word, the Bible. To me, it contains life-altering applications and it can mean the difference between those who accept the truth of God’s mercy and salvation and those who don’t. The apostle Paul says that a man is justified by faith apart from the law, and that faith in Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior is credited to him as righteousness, as with Abraham. (Genesis 15:6, Romans 3:22,28). Justification then is God’s declaration that man is “not guilty” for the sin that separates him from His glory (Elwell 238). Thus, an attitude of faith is how I check myself daily to make certain that I’m right with God.

I feel it’s important to note that none of this is possible through any of man’s efforts. God set into motion the redemption of man back unto Himself through Christ’s sacrifice of atonement (Rom. 3:25), which served to pay man’s price of sin in death. Paul stated that because man is justified by faith, then he has access to the glory of the Lord (Rom. 5:2). I’m in full agreement. If I believe by faith that Jesus was crucified to pay the penalty of my sin and was resurrected to life, then according to Paul I have the promise of God’s salvation. It is not because I’ve earned it; my pride is excluded (Rom. 3:27) from the matter, but because of my faith in what God’s saving grace has already accomplished.

That statement alone begs this question. If faith is so vital to understanding Christianity, where does the Biblical context fit into the picture? In other words, if an attitude of faith is important in life, what does it mean to read the Bible faithfully?

God decreed that a daily reading and meditation on the Book of the Law is important to having a prosperous and successful lifestyle (Joshua 1:8). This command fell in line with the Abrahamic covenant God established with the people of Israel. People of faith in the Old Testament were generally those who obeyed God’s commands, maintained God-like lifestyles, and were usually capable, influential leaders in their own right. Men like Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David and Samuel quickly spring to my mind. Sure, they made mistakes. Their lives were just as full of sin as mine, yet they remained faithful to God in the roles He called them to play. They lived under the “old covenant” that was made available to them at that time.

With Jesus’ death and resurrection, a “new covenant” was born. People no longer had to embrace faith by means of the high priests and church scribes, or through ancient traditions like circumcision. The way to God became available to all who believed in His promise of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ. Faith became the first stepping-stone to the development of a personal relationship with God. Paul went on to elaborate that hope and love also make up the heart of a devoted Christian (1 Corinthians 13:13). William Stacy Johnson said that a traditional reading of Scripture requires a rule of faith, a rule of hope, and a rule of love (TARS, 122). Faith represents our foundation, hope is the attitude and focus, and love, “the greatest of these,” is the application, putting everything into action. As I see it, the idea of faith expands to a wider dimension in the New Testament. Does that mean the concept of faith in the Old Testament is no longer valid? To paraphrase Paul, "Certainly not!" For the sake of Christianity’s survival, the entire Biblical canon must be preserved and validated as truth. Each has to support the other (TARS, 2). So what does it mean to read the Bible faithfully? It involves treating the New Testament as a perfect fulfillment of the Old Testament, thereby preserving the Scripture’s unity, an understanding of faith in relation to grace and works, and an application of Biblical faith to our own lives.

To Be Continued...

Song of the Day: Chris Tomlin - "Indescribable"

Verse of the Day: "Consider how the lillies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith!" - Luke 12:27-28

Paradise Regained

Well, today's primary feature was my big meeting with the manager at the Chick-Fil-A in Cherrydale. Earlier this week, the assistant manager informed me, with no rancor or acrimony, that he no longer wanted me to work at the unit. Effective immediately were his precise words. So just like that, I was let go, with no prior notification, no notices, and no warnings that I had done anything to merit being fired. The manager was across the country at a CFA seminar in California and had apparantly passed down word that he'd been wanting to meet with me as soon as possible. I suppose the assistant took the assumption that this was the message he'd wanted to deliver.

Wow! Big newsflash! I'm NOT fired!

Right off the bat, the manager tells me I'm not fired, and I was never supposed to be fired. It seems this was all the outcome of one huge miscommunication. First of all, I was right that issues like new workers being hired and the January slump in sales that affects all restaurant businesses were factors in their lessening of my work hours. But what he'd wanted to talk with me about was basically an update on the standards and expectations that he wants from me on his staff. He laid out a few potential problem spots that others had brought to his attention that he wanted to address with me. Things like moving at too slow a pace, difficulty adjusting my work routine from the Greenville Mall CFA to his free-standing unit, and things like that. He admitted that a big part of that was his fault and the fault of the team leaders for not doing their jobs in coaching the new crew members, working close with them until they could move at the same fast pace that this restaurant demands.

I agreed that those were definitely areas I could work on, and I thanked him for bringing them to my attention. He again apologized for the huge mix-up in the intended message, and to make up for it, he would go ahead and pay me for those hours I was supposed to work this past Monday night (they sent me home immediately after I had received the news, TEN MINUTES into my work shift). I greatly appreciated the gesture, and I thanked him again for his generosity and the professional way in which he handled it, and we shook hands and departed.

WELL! ... this changes everything. No wonder it felt so unbelievably wrong to get the pink slip so suddenly and abruptly. Going into the meeting, I had almost resigned myself to thinking that the reason was merely downsizing and nothing more than that. With lots of new people coming in and not as much labor to spread around, it was the only reason that made any sense. Surely if it was something specific that concerned my performance on the job, they would've warned me or notified me beforehand instead of simply going ahead and terminating me on the spot. But hearing this news changed the whole nature of the meeting. Instead of it being closure to my short-lived tenure at the Cherrydale Chick-Fil-A, I'm now inclined to believe it signified the start of a new beginning.

So, long story short, I've still got my job, and I'm now even more determined to raise my work to a higher level of efficiency. If he wants me to work faster, then I'll do just that, even if I make mistakes every so often. Hey, it's how you make progress in the business world: by learning from your mistakes. But I'll just keep at it and at it until I achieve the speed level he desires. That's my way of saying, "I get the message, loud and clear. I like this job, I feel that I deserve this job, and I'll work harder than ever to prove that your faith and trust in me is well founded."

Anyway, that made my day. The rest of today was blissfully calm and peaceful. HIS Radio is so awesome.

Song of the Day: Mark Schultz - "He Will Carry Me"

Verse of the Day: "O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How gracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will answer you. Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saving, "This is the way; walk in it." - Isaiah 30:19-21

A Golden Day

All it took was a full night and day, and already the rigors of winter term are fading into a remote memory.

Yesterday was just a golden day, the best one I've had in months. I woke up early to see my siblings off to school (or to gloat, whichever you prefer). I went out on a brief shopping errand for my mother who's still recuperating from surgery but improving steadily. Then I visited dear old Shannon Forest Christian School and sat in on their Wednesday Chapel service. It was awesome as always. The praise band was in nice form. I am really impressed with Josh Murphy and how much of a leader he's become. He plays acoustic guitar and he's also the lead vocalist. My sister's up there too, singing with the rest of the female vocalists. It certainly didn't hurt that they played "Here I Am to Worship," which happens to be one of my favorite praise and worship songs.

The designated speaker shared a really touching message about a sermon she once heard and played for us, and how much one person can make a difference in this world with the gifts and talents God has bestowed upon him or her. Jesus said we are "the salt of the earth" and "the light of the world." If salt loses its saltiness, how can it be salty again? It's useless except to be thrown out and trampled by men. In that way, Jesus informs us that as His children, we must make an effort to reach people that don't know His love and truth. We must interact with the world, yet we must not become of the world. We should stand out, not blend in. When we do so, we are like the city on a hill, and our light is visible for miles around. What a shining example to live by and to show others!

I spoke to numerous old friends and acquaintences at SFC. How wonderful it is to be able to come back and to interact with the old guard like this. Furman may be my home, but Shannon Forest will always be my foundation.

More gushing about SFC. Their Drama team is performing Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap in May! I have been imploring Mrs. Stephens to try her hand at that classic murder mystery for the duration of our time together and I'm glad she's finally doing it. There'll naturally be a few creative liberties taken as there usually are in her Drama class. It won't be an English setting as it was in the original; the story will take place in modern New York. And one or two characters will be double cast (I think Major Metcalfe is one of them). But I know she has plenty of talent to choose from, and I can't wait to come back late this spring and watch this performance!

Even more gushing. Mr. Sell is pulling together another mission trip late this summer (although he's currently been distracted with the Junior class trip to Washington). The last three years, our school has traveled to Cherokee, NC and done some projects at the Cherokee Indian Reservation. We've constructed a gutter system and porch for one of the homes, staged puppet shows at the Tsali Care Nursing Home and Tsali Manor, participated in VBS programs in which we did more puppet shows and acted as chaperones, and had an unbelievably fun time worshipping and growing closer to God and each other at Goosecreek Manor. This year, we will be switching gears and traveling south to Barrier Island. I don't know all of the details as of yet, but it sounds like we'll have similar jobs to do, so that'll be good. The trip is scheduled for July 24-31, so it's still a good ways off right now.

So yes, Wednesday was just awesome. A golden day if I ever heard of one. Can you imagine how great it feels to just go out and be able to do things again, take random trips and visits and talk to people without having to worry about a project in the back of your mind or an upcoming test or quiz. I'm sure that I'll eventually come back down to Earth, but I want to bask in this great, liberating feeling a while longer. So I'll just excuse myself...

Song of the Day: Avalon - "Testify to Love"

Verse of the Day: "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." - Matthew 5:13-16

Winter Term Recap

I've got to stop ignoring my precious journal. It's been sitting here for weeks on end without any updates. Well, I'll just have to do something about that...

Anyway, today I closed the door on my second winter term at Furman. In several ways, this year was just as brutal as last year, maybe even more so. There are so many things that I can point to. I had a contemptable professor who never had the same answer for me twice (if at all). Another professor who misinformed us about our exam dates and ended up pushing our major project for the course forward by a week's time when I was barely halfway done. A subject I have all the love and appreciation in the world for turned into one that gave me fits thanks to the approach it was given. Rounds and rounds of discussion potential thrown off to the wayside in favor of piles of paperwork to give off the impression that I was back in middle school Social Studies class. My mother enduring another bout with surgery, no snow days to be found, and on top of it all, I lost my job.

But you know what? I'm not going to worry about any of that. It's over now and behind me. I prefer to look at all the ways God blessed me these past couple of months. We had a great series on love at BCM, two friends of mine are lined up to do a song interpretation for our Easter TNT (yes, Amanda and Dorothy, I am referring to you), I met new friends and grew closer to old ones, I created a Powerpoint presentation that I ended up having a lot of fun with, we had some awesome Bible Study nights with C.S. Lewis and Mere Christianity, I have my beloved Anne books back and Amanda enjoyed them :), and today was a nice, warm day and I'm back home.

As for my job situation, I'm braced for whatever happens. At least I still have the Greenville Mall, for however long it lasts, to fall back on. I know God is in control of everything and that He will provide the answer for this just as He has done for all of my prayers. For now, I'm content to enjoy a welcome break. Thank God for that.

Song of the Day: Rebecca St. James - "Come Quickly, Lord"

Verse of the Day: "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left." - Matthew 25:31-33

Conflicting Signals

On days like this, I wish desperately that I could choose a different professor for my Theatre 11 class. Almost.

Peyrouse was in top form today, and to a lesser extent yesterday. Which was none too reassuring as that was the due date for my oral presentation on the Oleanna rehearsals I attended. I did the best job that I could, and I even came up with an idea that he said was neat and original for his creative projects. But I felt bad afterwards that he kept cutting me off at various points in my speech whenever I'd talk about the play. The best reasoning he could offer was that he didn't want me to spoil any of the details about the plot. I guess that's understandable, but it's not like I'm telling them anything that hasn't already been stated in the press release and the signs and banners all around Furman. Not to mention the fact that Oleanna is one of the plays in our textbook; they can go read it anytime they like, and I know for a fact that some of them have already. But no, he said, just talk more about the production and the process by which they put it together. So I tried to stick to that, but I'd inevitably keep going off into the play again, at which point he'd cut me off. That left me feeling a little less hopeful about how my final grade will turn out. It could be that he was just playing Devil's Advocate with me, but I don't take chances with my grades. It's just getting harder and harder to know exactly what I need to do to make good in his course.

And that was yesterday. Today's lesson was devoted to discussion about Moliere's The Misanthrope, a very intriguing comedy. I tried to suggest that in Moliere's time, obviously it would be a comedy, but in our period, we could be more specific and call it a farce (in retrospect, perhaps a better term would have been satire. That suits the play's themes better). If it had been any professor but Peyrouse, he would have thought about my comment, offered his input, and we would've tried to work it out together. Paid no attention to what I said, but instead went on to another line of thought. And then, he goes on about how, again, we can feel free to disagree even on the tests, as long as we put the answer Peyrouse wants, then the answer we prefer, and why we prefer it. All well and good, you say? I think so, also. So why, I ask him, did he mark off my answer to a controversial question on the first test, even though my opinion differed from his, I offered up two or three lines of reason to back it up. His response? "Well, you were just whacked on that one" (or something like that). Okay ..... WHY? Tell me why! Tell me what you were looking for! Please, let me know the reason for my error, and I'll be more than happy to correct it! Nope, he can't even give me that. "Go find out from your friends." Even though many of them missed the same questions. Aren't you the teacher? Why can't we talk about it? Why won't you help me understand?

*SIGH* ..... Now I know how Carol feels in Oleanna .....

Dear Lord, please guide and direct me in this situation. You know how it will ultimately turn out. All I ask is that You give me strength and peace of mind, and help me to make the best decisions according to Your will. Help me not to become frustrated and discouraged, for I know that's exactly what Satan wants. Let me continue to depend on Your majesty and grace to take the lead and see me through as You always have. Help me not to gripe and complain, but to be flexible and work with people even if it is hard sometimes. In Your name, Amen.

Song of the Day: Point of Grace - "Better Days" (I'll say it again. You girls are the greatest. You always have just the right song for my moods. May your melodic voices continue to honor and glorify the Lord our God.)

Verse of the Day: "Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life - in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing." - Phillippians 2:14-16

At the Grindstone

Goodness ... this winter term has been short. And busy. Very busy, indeed.

To start off, no, Amanda, nobody deleted any of my content from the previous entry. I personally removed it. As for my reasons ... I'd rather not discuss them right now. Let's just say that I'm afraid at what I'll say concerning it.

Granted, it's not over yet. There are still two full weeks left, plus the exams. But it feels like an eternity already since it began. I've been subjected to a temperamental professor, regressed to a Social Studies course in place of Education 20, participated in an Elementary After School Program, attended 25 hours of Theatre rehearsals as an observer, worked a few nights at Chick-Fil-A, and undertook a big project on children and television.

Talk about a heavy load on your plate. But I'm hopeful that things are finally starting to come together. My theatre analysis is finished at least, so I'm ready to present that next week. I've gotten a decent start on my Powerpoint presentation for my Education media project on children and television, and I've lined up my first interview at Taylors on Monday. I've still got a long way to go on that one. Education 20 is off to a great start with an A on my midterm. The project and the final exam are the only other real grades we'll get, so at least one third of my grade is done. Theatre 11 suffered a setback with my second test coming back as an indefensibly mediocre score. But I have a plan in the works to take care of that. Hopefully my professor will accept it.

BCM has been great as always this term. We're about to finish up a five-week series focusing on the three stages of love: eros, phileo, and agape. We've had some interesting small group discussions on topics like relationships, dating, sex, and the like. I'm really glad to be able to talk about such things maturely and in the Biblical context with a wonderful group of friends. Praise Band has been consistently fun, and we've had some great new songs, but Drama has suffered the past few months. We've hardly had anyone show up at the meetings, and I know it's wearing on my friend Andrew's patience. He's doing his best to lead it, but if no one shows up, what can he do?

I'll have more detailed information later, I hope!

Song of the Day: Alathea - "Save Me"

Verse of the Day: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior..." - Isaiah 43:1-3