Faith and the Bible, part 3
As a quick interlude, let me just say that I am having a very pleasant winter break. My birthday was grand, it's been awesome to return to the Greenville Mall (especially with the knowledge that Chick-Fil-A will be moving out this summer), and I'm going to choir practice tonight for the first time in months. There's something so special about revisiting your old haunts and rambles. It has a certain air of magic to it that I just can't find the words for.
Anyway, enough of the nostalgia. On with part 3 of "What Does it Mean to Read the Bible Faithfully?"
But how does this preserve the unity of the Old and New Testaments? I think the answer is simpler than people think: the new covenant in Christ is a fulfillment of the old. Richard B. Hays stated that the resurrection ‘event’ enlightens our reading of Scripture as a whole. It teaches us to regard the story of Israel, God’s chosen people, as a witness to His righteousness as revealed in the coming of the Messiah (TARS, 216) foretold by the prophets ordained by God. In other words, the passage to God was by no means denied or kept hidden from the patriarchs of Genesis, the major players in the Exodus event, or anyone who lived before Christ’s arrival (TARS, 226).
Paul reminded his readers that Abraham’s faith, not works justified him as righteous before God (Romans 4:3). Rahab the prostitute harbored Israelite spies in Jericho at the risk of her own life. She had faith in the God of heaven and earth (Joshua 2:11 & TARS, 172-173) that was rewarded with her family’s safety (Hebrews 11:31). Elijah challenged Baal’s followers at Mount Carmel, and his faith in God was rewarded with the fire that came down from heaven (1 Kings 18:38). Isaiah foretold the coming of a Messiah who would redeem mankind as a “suffering servant.” His prophecy was fulfilled 700 years later (Isaiah 53:1-12) through Jesus’ ministry and suffering on the cross. The actions of our favorite characters in the Old Testament were a reflection of their faith (McDowell, 34). This unifies both Testaments and reveals the old covenant’s purpose: to glorify God and to prepare mankind for the new covenant in Jesus Christ.
The second idea I want to consider in a faithful reading of the Bible is a thorough comprehension of what faith means in regard to grace and works. The primary issue I feel many Christians trip over is a common misunderstanding of exactly what grace means. Grace is God’s free, unmerited gift to a sinful humanity, His self-giving engagement to do His works for us and in us (TARS, 115). It can’t be earned or purchased. No matter how good a person I may be, nothing I do can be good enough to earn mercy (McDowell, 143). To suggest otherwise would be to defeat the purpose of God’s grace. The Messiah was sent to die for the sins of man because man couldn’t save himself. God didn’t call us to be saints or embody the Scripture in its totality (TARS, 157) because we can’t do it. Our sinful nature won’t permit it. However, this is by no means God’s fault. He gave us the freedom to choose between sin and obedience, and we chose sin, punishable by death. But God’s promise of grace through salvation by faith saves us from that death.
This brings into question the tricky relationship between faith and works. I mentioned in detail Paul’s teachings that we are justified by the measure of our faith in Christ (Galatians 2:15-16) and that our works alone are insufficient. But what good, James argued, is faith by itself? In his lone New Testament book, he stated that faith without deeds is useless, and that man’s actions are a testament to how much faith he has (James 2:14). Many people would think Paul and James contradict each other on this matter, but to maintain the faithful attitude to reading the Bible, conflict mustn’t exist. The authors’ teachings must agree with each other to collectively form the Biblical truth.
To Be Continued...
Song of the Day: Casting Crowns - "Voice of Truth"
Verse of the Day: "I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice." - John 10:1-5
Anyway, enough of the nostalgia. On with part 3 of "What Does it Mean to Read the Bible Faithfully?"
But how does this preserve the unity of the Old and New Testaments? I think the answer is simpler than people think: the new covenant in Christ is a fulfillment of the old. Richard B. Hays stated that the resurrection ‘event’ enlightens our reading of Scripture as a whole. It teaches us to regard the story of Israel, God’s chosen people, as a witness to His righteousness as revealed in the coming of the Messiah (TARS, 216) foretold by the prophets ordained by God. In other words, the passage to God was by no means denied or kept hidden from the patriarchs of Genesis, the major players in the Exodus event, or anyone who lived before Christ’s arrival (TARS, 226).
Paul reminded his readers that Abraham’s faith, not works justified him as righteous before God (Romans 4:3). Rahab the prostitute harbored Israelite spies in Jericho at the risk of her own life. She had faith in the God of heaven and earth (Joshua 2:11 & TARS, 172-173) that was rewarded with her family’s safety (Hebrews 11:31). Elijah challenged Baal’s followers at Mount Carmel, and his faith in God was rewarded with the fire that came down from heaven (1 Kings 18:38). Isaiah foretold the coming of a Messiah who would redeem mankind as a “suffering servant.” His prophecy was fulfilled 700 years later (Isaiah 53:1-12) through Jesus’ ministry and suffering on the cross. The actions of our favorite characters in the Old Testament were a reflection of their faith (McDowell, 34). This unifies both Testaments and reveals the old covenant’s purpose: to glorify God and to prepare mankind for the new covenant in Jesus Christ.
The second idea I want to consider in a faithful reading of the Bible is a thorough comprehension of what faith means in regard to grace and works. The primary issue I feel many Christians trip over is a common misunderstanding of exactly what grace means. Grace is God’s free, unmerited gift to a sinful humanity, His self-giving engagement to do His works for us and in us (TARS, 115). It can’t be earned or purchased. No matter how good a person I may be, nothing I do can be good enough to earn mercy (McDowell, 143). To suggest otherwise would be to defeat the purpose of God’s grace. The Messiah was sent to die for the sins of man because man couldn’t save himself. God didn’t call us to be saints or embody the Scripture in its totality (TARS, 157) because we can’t do it. Our sinful nature won’t permit it. However, this is by no means God’s fault. He gave us the freedom to choose between sin and obedience, and we chose sin, punishable by death. But God’s promise of grace through salvation by faith saves us from that death.
This brings into question the tricky relationship between faith and works. I mentioned in detail Paul’s teachings that we are justified by the measure of our faith in Christ (Galatians 2:15-16) and that our works alone are insufficient. But what good, James argued, is faith by itself? In his lone New Testament book, he stated that faith without deeds is useless, and that man’s actions are a testament to how much faith he has (James 2:14). Many people would think Paul and James contradict each other on this matter, but to maintain the faithful attitude to reading the Bible, conflict mustn’t exist. The authors’ teachings must agree with each other to collectively form the Biblical truth.
To Be Continued...
Song of the Day: Casting Crowns - "Voice of Truth"
Verse of the Day: "I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice." - John 10:1-5
posted by david @ 9:26 AM
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