Blessed is the man.

Psa 1:1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;

-----We have to ask ourselves why this even needs to be stated?

-----Our temptation is to say, “Look how happy they are; they are always so carefree and jovial. They don't withhold anything from themselves. If they want sex, have sex. If they want to lie, they lie. If they want to be lazy and abandon their responsibilities to find fulfillment, they do. They linger over hard drinks and spend the night in revelry. They don't give any thought to there actions if its good or bad. They have money and power. And when they don't they can just get high and forget about it.”

-----The rest of the Psalm is devoted to defending the thesis that we must depart from such people for happiness' sake.

Call to Ministry

-----During my senior year of high school I went to my first youth conference. God used the speaker at that retreat to put the desire to preach in my heart. During the four times I heard him speak I only remembered him reading from the Bible once. He rejected the doctrine of original sin, and he said nothing of the gospel. His concern was that we would no longer eat at Taco Bell or buy clothes from any corporation that didn’t pay its foreign workers an amount he considered fair.

-----I was dismayed that anyone would pay this man to speak to thousands of youth and was sure that the students left the conference more ignorant of the scriptures than when they arrived. In the days that followed I asked myself, “Where are the teachers that are going to undo what this man has just done?” I decided that I could be such a teacher. Except for a period of about a month when I neglected the Word, I have consistently felt confident that I should dedicate my life to teaching God’s people.

-----My goal ultimately is to spend my life teaching the scriptures. I want to follow in the path of the great expositors who have come before me. I want to faithfully nurture a body of believers. I believe that what the church in America needs more than ever are men who will preach the whole council of God, not men who are blown like leaves to whatever topic strikes them as appropriate. I hope that Southern Seminary will give me the tools I need to faithfully proclaim the Word.

"Of Course It Does Nothin'; It's Only A Symbol!"

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?

-Romans 6:3-

What he intimated in the last verse -- that Christ destroys sin in his people, he proves here by mentioning the effect of baptism, by which we are initiated into his faith; for it is beyond any question, that we put on Christ in baptism, and that we are baptized for this end -- that we may be one with him.

-John Calvin-

I do not think it stretches the words beyond ordinary use to say that Romans 6:3-4 describes the symbol of dying with Christ rather than the instrument of dying with Christ.... Now here's the analogy I would suggest to show that this language can be the language of symbol, not instrument: "All of us who have put on the ring of marriage have, by putting on this ring, forsaken all others to cleave only to our wives. Therefore by this ring I am united to my wife alone and dead to all others."... In that analogy, the vows stand for faith in Christ, and the ring stands for baptism. And the point is that we often talk this way. We often speak of the symbol as though it brings about what it only signifies.

-John Piper, October 1, 2000-

What is baptism's effect? Does baptism do anything? Many Evangelicals would say, “Absolutely not, baptism does nothing.” Piper echoes this sentiment. He and many of us, when we hear someone say something like, “Baptism now saves you (1Peter 3:21),” can only hear, “You are justified through the act of baptism.” This is clearly the mindset that Piper was arguing against when he spoke the words above. It is a good thing to argue against, because there are some that reject justification by grace, through faith and say that the act of baptism produces saving grace (ex opere operantis ).

But does baptism do nothing? Calvin clearly didn't think so. He had no problem saying that baptism initiates us into Christ's faith and that it joins us to Him. Does this mean that he rejected Sola Fide (justification through faith alone)? Possibly, but he did say that it initiates us “into His faith.” Plus, I am not about to start accusing Calvin of such things.

I personally do not know what baptism does; although, I have heard some very right-sounding suggestions. I am really only writing to point out the logical fallacy in Piper's argument. When he compares the act of baptism to a wedding ring he is begging the question in a very subtle way. He argues that baptism is only a symbol for the faith by which one is covenanted to God, and to do this he uses the symbol of another covenant. Clearly his argument can only be accepted if you already believe that baptism is only a symbol.

What would happen if we tweaked Piper's argument? What if we replaced the wedding ring with the wedding ceremony (after all baptism is more ceremonial than it is ring-like)? In that case, we must say that even if two people claim to have the devotion that the wedding ceremony corresponds to, they are not united until the ceremony. And if a man convinced a woman to have sex with him because “a marriage ceremony is only a symbol for the devotion that I already have toward you,” she will soon find his devotion fleeting. Perhaps we are united to Christ through Baptism and that ceremony obliges us to be devoted to Christ. Perhaps when a baptized person stops trusting Christ he is being unfaithful to the union he entered through baptism. And perhaps all this can be said without undermining Sola Fide. Of course, that's just a possibility.

A Letter From Africa

For everyone who is wondering how Shawna is doing in Africa I am posting this email from her. I have cleaned it up some. Please pray for her to see and savor Jesus Christ while she is in Africa.

------- I've kinda written a rambling email. A lot of things happen in two weeks. I'll try to write it out before I come to the internet cafe next time. I've made some really good friends. I like it here. Chichewa is the language it's not too hard so that's good. I don't know that much, but that's fine.
-----There are 7 other girls than me. We hit it off quickly. Tessa, Sara, and Monica and I are one group. Monica and I (she's the oldest 27) always stay up the latest and get up first. We've laughed a ton. But we're kinda split. I'm with one group and theirs is another group. There seems to be problems with the split for some people. I think it’s fine, but oh well.
-----It's fun here though. It's really pretty. The people here are the nicest people I've ever met and there are so many beautiful people here too. Africa's not at all what I imagined. The landscape is kind of plain with few trees. But the sky is huge! I don't know why it's so big. The big dipper is upside down from us. And the moon is different too--instead of being half on the side, it's on the bottom so it looks like it's smiling at us. I told everyone what Greg said and they laughed. There aren't that many animals here in Malawi. There are a ton of ants. You can get them all of you in a second. But they don't bite or anything so it's not bad-just annoying.
-----I'm staying in a house on the top bunk. We have running water. I haven't gotten sick at all since we've been here. I've learned how to knit and crochet and we cook from scratch a lot. One of the girls Tessa and I made banana bread for breakfast. A lot of things remind me of Memaw and how she does it. O yeah, we have done a lot of dishes. The short term teams come and it appears that we are the maids. But it's fine. We drink warm tea in the mornings and night. We have guards and I make it for them at night. I take a bath at least every other day.
-----Children of the Nations since we didn't really know before hand has houses with house parents and aunties where around 20-30 kids live. These kids were the worst of the worst. Now they are healthy looking. They were the ones who were abused the most and had worms coming out of their nails. But I'm not sad around them cause they are always so happy and nice. I love being around them.
-----We just got a schedule. On Mondays and Wednesdays we'll be teaching. The books look so old. I'm teaching math, English, and general studies which tomorrow will be about animals, what they're for and how to take care of them. My first day is tomorrow. And each classroom is a small building with even smaller windows. I chose a class because of the brightness of it. They don't have electricity in them. The younger kids don't have chairs. The middle grades have chairs. The oldest have some desks. I don't really know what to do tomorrow. I'm by myself. But I'm sure it will be fine.
-----These kids are the most well behaved kids I've ever seen. They are always dirty. In the outer villages the kids have flies swarming them like on the commercials. We got out there and helped the widows. I've fed pigs and ducks, got water from the well, which the Malawian interpretations said I did a very good job cause the other people's water came very slow. ha. When we do that kind of thing the kids and adults will stand around us and laugh at us. That part is kind of uncomfortable. But the kids just love us. Not to sound boastful, but they want to touch you and play with you.
-----They sweep their dirt floors a lot with brooms made from twigs. To be so dirty and dusty, everything's kept clean. I've washed clothes by hand and shuck the corn kernels off of the cob to make ufa for nsema which is like really thick grits or corn meal with water. That's their staple food. It's all right.
-----The second night we were here we went to church where they had dinner. You wash your hands with just water, then roll nsema into a ball and pick up beans or this relish stuff up and eat it. So I thought, “Oh, good getting sick right off the bat,” but we didn't. And I don't drink the water, but I brush my teeth with it and wash fruits and vegetables with it so it's not bad. I've used the “squatty potty” once. It's a hole in a concrete floor that you squat over. I try to not drink too much if I'm going to the villages.
-----If you have extra time with the kids they expect you to tell them a story or teach them a song. So me and another girl told Jonah. That skit from church helped me out. ha. People can't say my name here very well, and I laugh and talk in my sleep, but I knew that. One day we went to an outer village and I helped water the garden which they said I was a professional. haha. I guess I did it just a little less awkwardly than the other girls.
-----But we tried sugar cane. You just bite off the outer layer and then take a chunk and chew on it for the juice then spit it out. Everyone here almost always has a piece in their hand. It was really good. It was like watermelon but sweeter.
-----One day we went on a scavenger hunt at the market which is like an open market with different things and you barter with them but they charge white people a lot more money. It's really, really crowded. I liked it, but then I didn't. But we got food to take home to make like a Malawian over fire.
-----While we were there a boy on my team took a picture of a woman with her baby which she said was fine. Then the husband said no we need to receive money for it, so a huge crowd gathered around, and a Malawian intern with us talked to him, and we ended up going to the police b/c the man wanted money. Nothing happened. They just said no. He deleted the picture; they were just trying to get money. So that was kinda funny.
-----Then we were riding in this bus like vehicle with too many people so three of us were sitting up front in two seats. They have police stops a lot on the roads to check licenses and insurance, and I got in trouble for sitting up there and they were going to give us a fine so I moved in the next seat behind which was already too full so I sat on someone's lap and the policeman just looked at me and said no. So I squeezed in. That was funny too, and the Malawian men who were with us were in the back kinda hiding! ha. They're really nice.
-----The kids gave us welcoming programs where they introduced themselves and sang and danced. I love dancing with the kids. It's so great. They said Bible verses too. I think they know more than most of us. The head guy over COTN here is-Chris. I don't really like him. He seems very prideful. I like the rest of his family though.
-----There's this guy here, Quamie, from Sierra Leone, he just left actually, but they speak Kreol and it's so funny. Thank you is tankee, and so he taught us a song in Kreol that said, “Tell'em tankee, tell'em. Tell Papa God tankee. What He do for me I go tell'm tankee,”and stuff like that that sounded exactly like English except for funny. And then someone said will you translate that for us? So me and Monica and Tessa were laughing so hard and then no one else thought it was funny but that's probably the funniest thing ever. I should have waited to tell you that, but I just couldn't.
-----I've met a lot of Malawians because we're on the campus of African Bible College a lot, like for lunch and dinner. Oh yeah we kinda eat the same stuff here as in America. And most people gain weight when they come here because we eat a lot of high calorie starchy foods. So forget that idea about coming back thin. ha.
-----It's cold here at night and in the morning or anywhere there's not sunshine. I didn't bring enough warm clothes. I keep wearing one that's so dirty. But we have a washing machine we can use periodically so it's fine. I'm really glad for my sleeping bag though.
-----Thank you for your prayers! I love you all. Forward this to any other people who may want to know what's going on.

Go to my othen blog for further letters from Shawna, and updates from seminary.

James 4:4-10

James 4:1-12

-----What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? [2] You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. [3] You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. [4] You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. [5] Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, "He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us"? [6] But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." [7] Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. [8] Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. [9] Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. [10] Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

-----[11] Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. [12] There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?

Adultery

-----Once James has argued that his audience’s sin was a direct result of idolatrously seeking satisfaction apart from God, he begins to scold them. It is worth noting that James never calls into question their confession of faith or their “decision to follow Christ,” but rebukes them under the assumption that they are united to Christ. He calls them adulterers for being unfaithful to that union.

-----James describes their unfaithfulness as “friendship with the world.” Those who are prone to doubt will use such a statement to inflame their doubts. “I choose the things of the world way too often; I must not really be saved.” Their problem wasn’t that they found themselves frustrated with how much they still loved the world and gave into its temptations. Their problem was that they wanted to make peace with the world. They only relied on God’s grace because they thought it allowed them to love the world with impunity. This was the reason that they found themselves enemies of God. What could possibly stir the fury of God more then one who uses His name to hide one’s disdain for Him, and who, in the process of their hypocrisy, causes much distress and much stumbling for those who take His name in genuine affection?

Push-over God or Harsh Taskmaster.

-----James understood from his audience’s hypocritical religion that they considered God to be a push-over. James, therefore, turns to the scripture to reiterate that He is a jealous God. Still assuming the genuineness of his audience’s profession he argues that the God who made His Spirit to dwell within them would not allow that Spirit to be mocked. This is precisely because He is faithful to Himself, even when we are faithless to Him. “If we are faithless, He remains faithful—for He cannot deny Himself (2 Tim. 2:13).”

-----The reason that they considered Him to be a push-over was because of His grace (Jude 1:4), but James quickly guards against another error. James didn’t want them to then serve God was a harsh taskmaster because of His jealousy. Trying to please such a God would inevitably lead to a reliance on strenuous law keeping and a denial of faith. “But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).”

-----Understanding that faith seeks to receive from God, James encourages them to consider the abundance of God’s grace in verse 6. They were not sacrificing great reward by turning from their worldly pursuits, but they were gaining it. Yes, it was necessary that they sacrifice, not to prove that they could in some noble way put aside happiness, but only in faith that He would give great grace.

What is this grace?

-----James’ audience was led into sundry sins because they envied (2:6) the rich and desired earthly gain. James wanted them to consider such gain as worthless in comparison to knowing Christ (Philippians 3:8). And so he uses the word “grace” to signify the riches of being a friend of God. A careful look at verses 6 through 10 will make it clear that this is James intent.

-----First, the God opposes the proud. He is their adversary. This is placed in contrast with God giving grace to the humble, which would then have to refer to the opposite reality. Therefore when He gives grace to the humble He becomes their friend, and the power that upholds the universe is for them and no longer against them.

-----Second, the reader is told that if they draw near to God then God will draw near to them. Seeking close communion with God is one of the ways that James tells his readers to act in light of the abounding grace of God. They are also told to do this in light of the fact that He will draw close in love. And so God's abounding grace must be or be related to His affection.

-----Finally, they are told that if they humble themselves before the Lord they will be exalted. This exaltation is parallel with the grace given to the humble in verse 6. Consider this command in place of that proverb, “But He gives more grace. Therefore humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.” So the grace that God gives seems to be this exaltation. This isn't a worldly exaltation or it would defeat James' entire argument. This is the exaltation that ultimately exalts God's excellence. He said the poor should boast in in this exaltation in chapter 1 (see commentary on verses 9-11). From verse 5 of chapter 2 we can see that it at least includes God's favor granted (not because of what we have done, of course), being able to trust God, and being part of His kingdom.

-----All these together demonstrate that James appeals to the richness of knowing God to turn his readers from idolatry. Whereas he first used threats he now uses treasure to entice his readers. His audience was to serve God because there is none more desirable to have working for your good. Or to say it another way, his audience was to serve God because His intimate affection is promised. Or to say it another way, his audience was to serve God because He is gracious to grant faith and entrance into His kingdom.

Review

-----You adulterous people [who are unfaithful to your union with Christ]! Do you not know that [affection for] the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world [as you do under the pretense of fidelity] makes himself an enemy of God [for He, as a jealous husband, demands that you be satisfied in Him]. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose [as when the weak and effeminate speak] that the Scripture says, "He yearns jealously over the [Holy] spirit that He has made to dwell in us [, His covenant people]"? But He gives more grace [in that He is not only Jealous, but to know Him is fantastically satisfying]. Therefore it says, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace [as He befriends] the humble." [He isn't going to humble you just to make you miserable.] Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. [Oh! What precious reward.] . Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. [For all these are part of being humble before the Lord.] Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you [to riches in Him that will make sin unappealing].