I am currently teaching through Hebrews with the college class at our church. It has been a remarkable study for me. One thing that I recently had to teach through that I have always struggled to really embrace was Hebrews 4:15:
Heb 4:15
For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.
Don’t get me wrong, I understand the passage and I believe that Christ was indeed tempted in all points as we are and that He didn’t sin. My problem has always been the fact that based upon my understanding of the hypostatic union, because of the full deity of Christ He really couldn’t have sinned. I am ashamed to say that this truth always made verses like Hebrews 4:15 seem a little “not so special”. I mean, if He was tempted, but He really could never have given in, that’s not much of a temptation. Obviously I never said things like that out loud, or even intended to think that way, that’s just where I was.
During my study of Hebrews and to my great delight I was thoroughly rebuked by John Piper and C.S. Lewis in regards to my foolish thinking regarding the temptation of our great High Priest.
In his sermon on this passage Piper recounts Lewis responding a weak minded person like myself.
Fifty years ago C.S. Lewis imagined someone objecting here: "If Jesus never sinned, then he doesn't know what temptation is like. He lived a sheltered life and is out of touch with how strong temptation can be." Here is what Lewis wrote in response to that objection:
A silly idea is current that good people do not know what temptation means. This is an obvious lie. Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is . . . A man who gives in to temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour later. That is why bad people, in one sense know very little about badness. They have lived a sheltered life by always giving in . . . Christ, because He was the only man who never yielded to temptation, is also the only man who knows to the full what temptation means—the only complete realist.
Jesus knows the battle. He fought it all the way to the end. And he defeated the monster every time. So he was tested like we are and the Bible says he is a sympathetic High Priest. He does not roll his eyes at your pain or cluck his tongue at your struggle with sin.
I have never been so delighted to be rebuked so harshly. The whole book of Hebrews has been an amazing blessing that has resulted in my seeing and savoring Jesus more than ever. This truth though, about our truly sympathetic High Priest, is something that has really gripped me and caused me to fall on my face before my sinless Savior.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
What's Going On Inside of Me? (Part 2)
In part one we established why we do what we do starting with the heart and ending with behavior and actions. [If you haven't read that yet I would encourage you to read it first] No one screamed stop yet, so lets move on to part 2 and discuss specifically how this relates to our response to temptation. Once again I am going to attempt to use the circles to illustrate how this works itself out biblically.
First of all let's talk about Proverbs 4:23.
Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.
This is the reason that the heart is at the center of the circle. It is the command center. We are told here to watch over our hearts, other translations use a more urgent term; guard your heart. This verse bears a couple of questions. First, what do we guard our heart from? Second, how do we guard our heart? It would seem clear that we are to guard our hearts from sin and temptation. Since our behavior flows from that which fills the heart (Matt. 12:34) we must build a fort of protection around it to keep it from being filled with evil. Here is how I think that works out practically.
I think that James 1:13-15 describes what you see above perfectly:
First of all let's talk about Proverbs 4:23.
Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.
This is the reason that the heart is at the center of the circle. It is the command center. We are told here to watch over our hearts, other translations use a more urgent term; guard your heart. This verse bears a couple of questions. First, what do we guard our heart from? Second, how do we guard our heart? It would seem clear that we are to guard our hearts from sin and temptation. Since our behavior flows from that which fills the heart (Matt. 12:34) we must build a fort of protection around it to keep it from being filled with evil. Here is how I think that works out practically.
As you can see, I would argue that a Christian should guard his heart with an overflow of affection for God. This establishes a fortress around our hearts that is naturally combative to anything that would try to enter that might be anti-God. As you see the white representing the affections think about the white blood cells that God has so richly blessed our earthly bodies with. If something foreign begins to enter into our bodies and try to establish itself the white blood cells immediately go into action to destroy the enemy. Romans 8:13 says that we should be "putting to death the deeds of the flesh". This describes the Christian in preventative attack mode and is illustrated below:
This is a picture of those times in our lives where our affections are overflowing to an active onslaught against sin. This are those time in life where it seems that resisting and fleeing temptation are automatic. As you can see the heart is overflowing and shooting at temptation with both barrels. The temptation doesn't even penetrate to the point where it is considered by the intellect and will. The Christian is so deliberately seeking God in thought and deed that temptation doesn't even stand a chance. It is at these times in life when we must fall on our face before God in worship and adoration for the gift of the Spirit through which we can put to death the deeds of the body. If for a second we begin patting ourselves on the back for the great job we are doing we should stop in fear and trembling lest we stumble:
But unfortunately, as a result of our depravity we don't always do as we should, or as we'd like to. It is at those times that we echo the words of Paul in Romans 7: 18-20
...I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. 19 For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. 20 But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.I think that this is what's going on when we find ourselves giving in to the lusts of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life (1 John 2:16). This is illustrated below:
I think that James 1:13-15 describes what you see above perfectly:Let no one say when he is tempted, " I am being tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.
When are we tempted? James is clear that it is when we are drawn away by our own lust, or you could say our own affections. When we become self focused and not God focused we lose our fort, and our heart is left vulnerable. We contract a spiritual HIV and our immune system against sin is no longer functioning like it once did. Even the simple temptations can now prove to be fatal.
So what is the treatment? How can we avoid this horrid disease? Proverbs 4:23 is the answer. We must guard our hearts kindling Godward affection. This affection is born out of regular study and meditation on God, His Word, and our Savior. This is the person James describes in James 1:25 who stoops and gazes into the law of liberty (parakupto) as opposed to a casual listening or reading and a subsequent quick forgetfulness.
May God grant us hearts that are guarded by an overflow of affection for Him and that resist temptation for His glory.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
What's Going On Inside of Me? (Part 1)
Over the past month or two I have been thinking a lot about the intricacies of a Christian's response to temptation. What's going on inside of a Christian when he is on the warpath against sin and slaying the dragon of temptation with the greatest of ease? On the other hand, why does the same Christian who slayed the dragon so easily last week, encounter a seemingly weaker dragon this week and fall prey to it? What changed? Was it simply a behavior change? Did his thinking falter? Is it a mind thing? Did his desires change? What happened?
As I thought about this more and more I began to have a really strong desire to illustrate this somehow. I thought that if I could get it on paper and see it for myself, it would help me do a better job of guarding my heart with all diligence, and fleeing temptation. It might even be a help to others, so what follows is my initial attempt.
Before we even begin to discuss temptation I think we must conclude what a Christian looks like from the inside out, and what makes him different from a non-believer.
The Unbeliever
Here is our first chart, this is my proposal of what a non-believer looks like from the inside out:
Let me explain. First off you can see the gray heart of stone at the core of the unbeliever. God has not replaced this heart of stone with a heart of flesh. You see that surrounding the heart is nothing but sinful flesh. The green circle is the intellect and will. The intellect makes active decisions to choose what the will desires most. The will, will always desire the overflow of the heart, which in the case of the unbeliver is always to please their sinful flesh (Romans 3:10-18, Romans 8:8, Romans 14:23). The blue circle then represents actions and behavior. The unbeliever acts on the sinful choices made by the intellect through the will representing the sinful desires of the heart.
The Believer
Below is chart #2. This is my proposal of what a believer looks like from the inside out.
As I thought about this more and more I began to have a really strong desire to illustrate this somehow. I thought that if I could get it on paper and see it for myself, it would help me do a better job of guarding my heart with all diligence, and fleeing temptation. It might even be a help to others, so what follows is my initial attempt.
Before we even begin to discuss temptation I think we must conclude what a Christian looks like from the inside out, and what makes him different from a non-believer.
The Unbeliever
Here is our first chart, this is my proposal of what a non-believer looks like from the inside out:
Let me explain. First off you can see the gray heart of stone at the core of the unbeliever. God has not replaced this heart of stone with a heart of flesh. You see that surrounding the heart is nothing but sinful flesh. The green circle is the intellect and will. The intellect makes active decisions to choose what the will desires most. The will, will always desire the overflow of the heart, which in the case of the unbeliver is always to please their sinful flesh (Romans 3:10-18, Romans 8:8, Romans 14:23). The blue circle then represents actions and behavior. The unbeliever acts on the sinful choices made by the intellect through the will representing the sinful desires of the heart.
The Believer
Below is chart #2. This is my proposal of what a believer looks like from the inside out.
You can see right off the bat that the believer above looks different. There has been a change on the inside. The gray heart of stone has been replaced with a red heart of flesh (Eze. 36). You can also see an area of white surrounding the new heart. These are new affections found in the believer as a result of the new heart. The believer can now seek after God, do good and please God. Unfortunately the sinful nature is still there represented by the black circle. The good news is that the heart is no longer surround by or in bondage to it. However, because of the curse of sin the flesh will always be battling agaist the Godward affection in the believer.
Here is an example of what the battle looks like and the subsequent results:
This is what takes place when the beleiver falls prey to the lusts of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life (1 John 2:16). The affection for God is [temporarily]overcome by the sinful flesh. This results in the intellect making the active decision to choose what the will wants and the will wants to satisy the flesh (the overflow of the heart). Therefore the subsequent behavior and actions sinfully carry out the intellects active decision to choose what the will desires most which was to satisfy the sinful flesh which was an overflow of the heart...whew, that's a keyboard full.
Now let's take a look at the bright side:
This is what it looks like when the Christian wins the battle against the flesh, when by the Spirit he is putting to death the deeds of the body (Romans 8:13). You see that heart is overflowing with affection for God which leads right into the will and intellect. The intellect then actively chooses what the will desires most which is to please and make much of God. The subsequent actions and behavior are then an overflow of the will to please God which is an overflow of the Godward affection of the heart.
So what say you? Is this really how it works, is it biblical or just philosophical. Does it make sense or is it wacky? I'm going to wait to post part 2 which actally deals with the response to the temptation until I see if what the meta thinks of part 1.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Perseverance of the Saints - Affirmations and Denials
A colleague and myself were tasked to come up with a set up affirmations and denials regarding the doctrine of perseverance today. This is a draft of what we came up with and I would be interested to get your input.
Perseverance of the Saints
A. We affirm that true believers will persevere in the faith to the end of their earthly lives. (Matt 10:22, Heb 3:14, Matt 24:12-13, Gal 6:9, Col 1:21-23)
We deny that those who are true Christians can fall away permanently and end up in hell.
B. We affirm that professing believers who do not persevere to the end of their earthly lives were not true believers. (1 John 2:19, Matt 7:22-24, Luke 18:9-14)
We deny that those who fall away and stay away were ever genuine believers. (1 John 2:19)
C. We affirm that God is the One Who preserves Christians. (John 6:35-40, John 10:27-40, Phil 1:6, Jude 24-25, 1 Peter 1:3-5)
We deny that Christians preserve themselves in their own power. (Eph 2:8-9, Phil 2:13)
D. We affirm that there are biblical passages that appear to contradict this teaching by warning against apostasy. (Heb 2:4, Heb 6:4-9, Heb 10:26-29, Heb 12:4, Matt 10: 32-33, 1 Cor. 15:1-2, 2 Peter 2:1)
We deny that these passages actually contradict this teaching. Rather, there are exegetical explanations for these passages that do not contradict the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints.
E. We affirm that these warning passages are legitimate warnings against apostasy that should be taken seriously by all believers. These warnings are prospective and are designed to elicit faith that perseveres to the end. (Phil 2:12, 2 Cor 13:5, 2 Peter 1:10)
We deny that these warning passages are not applicable to believers and can, therefore, be ignored. (Acts 20:27)
F. We affirm that the elect are saved through perseverance, not apart from it. (John 15, 2 Peter 1:10)
We deny that the cliché, “once saved, always saved,” is sufficient to adequately describe this doctrine.
I'll be interested in your feedback.
Perseverance of the Saints
A. We affirm that true believers will persevere in the faith to the end of their earthly lives. (Matt 10:22, Heb 3:14, Matt 24:12-13, Gal 6:9, Col 1:21-23)
We deny that those who are true Christians can fall away permanently and end up in hell.
B. We affirm that professing believers who do not persevere to the end of their earthly lives were not true believers. (1 John 2:19, Matt 7:22-24, Luke 18:9-14)
We deny that those who fall away and stay away were ever genuine believers. (1 John 2:19)
C. We affirm that God is the One Who preserves Christians. (John 6:35-40, John 10:27-40, Phil 1:6, Jude 24-25, 1 Peter 1:3-5)
We deny that Christians preserve themselves in their own power. (Eph 2:8-9, Phil 2:13)
D. We affirm that there are biblical passages that appear to contradict this teaching by warning against apostasy. (Heb 2:4, Heb 6:4-9, Heb 10:26-29, Heb 12:4, Matt 10: 32-33, 1 Cor. 15:1-2, 2 Peter 2:1)
We deny that these passages actually contradict this teaching. Rather, there are exegetical explanations for these passages that do not contradict the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints.
E. We affirm that these warning passages are legitimate warnings against apostasy that should be taken seriously by all believers. These warnings are prospective and are designed to elicit faith that perseveres to the end. (Phil 2:12, 2 Cor 13:5, 2 Peter 1:10)
We deny that these warning passages are not applicable to believers and can, therefore, be ignored. (Acts 20:27)
F. We affirm that the elect are saved through perseverance, not apart from it. (John 15, 2 Peter 1:10)
We deny that the cliché, “once saved, always saved,” is sufficient to adequately describe this doctrine.
I'll be interested in your feedback.
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Piper on Fighting Lust
This is an excellent article by Piper on fighting lust. I have copied it in its entirety below.
A N T H E M Strategies for Fighting Lust
By John Piper November 5, 2001
I have in mind men and women. For men it's obvious. The need for warfare against the bombardment of visual temptation to fixate on sexual images is urgent. For women it is less obvious, but just as great if we broaden the scope of temptation to food or figure or relational fantasies. When I say "lust" I mean the realm of thought, imagination, and desire that leads to sexual misconduct. So here is one set of strategies in the war against wrong desires. I put it in the form of an acronym, A N T H E M.
A – AVOID as much as is possible and reasonable the sights and situations that arouse unfitting desire. I say "possible and reasonable" because some exposure to temptation is inevitable. And I say "unfitting desire" because not all desires for sex, food, and family are bad. We know when they are unfitting and unhelpful and on their way to becoming enslaving. We know our weaknesses and what triggers them. "Avoiding" is a Biblical strategy. "Flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness" (2 Timothy 2:22). "Make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires" (Romans 13:14).
N – Say NO to every lustful thought within five seconds. And say it with the authority of Jesus Christ. "In the name of Jesus, NO!" You don't have much more than five seconds. Give it more unopposed time than that, and it will lodge itself with such force as to be almost immovable. Say it out loud if you dare. Be tough and warlike. As John Owen said, "Be killing sin or it will be killing you." Strike fast and strike hard. "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" ( James 4:7).
T – TURN the mind forcefully toward Christ as a superior satisfaction. Saying "no" will not suffice. You must move from defense to offense. Fight fire with fire. Attack the promises of sin with the promises of Christ. The Bible calls lusts "deceitful desires" (Ephesians 4:22). They lie. They promise more than they can deliver. The Bible calls them "passions of your former ignorance" (1 Peter 1:14). Only fools yield. "All at once he follows her, as an ox goes to the slaughter" (Proverbs 7:22). Deceit is defeated by truth. Ignorance is defeated by knowledge. It must be glorious truth and beautiful knowledge. This is why I wrote Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ. We must stock our minds with the superior promises and pleasures of Jesus. Then we must turn to them immediately after saying, "NO!"
H – HOLD the promise and the pleasure of Christ firmly in your mind until it pushes the other images out. "Fix your eyes on Jesus" (Hebrews 3:1). Here is where many fail. They give in too soon. They say, "I tried to push it out, and it didn't work." I ask, "How long did you try?" How hard did you exert your mind? The mind is a muscle. You can flex it with vehemence. Take the kingdom violently (Matthew 11:12). Be brutal. Hold the promise of Christ before your eyes. Hold it. Hold it! Don't let it go! Keep holding it! How long? As long as it takes. Fight! For Christ's sake, fight till you win! If an electric garage door were about to crush your child you would hold it up with all our might and holler for help, and hold it and hold it and hold it and hold it.
E – ENJOY a superior satisfaction. Cultivate the capacities for pleasure in Christ. One reason lust reigns in so many is that Christ has so little appeal. We default to deceit because we have little delight in Christ. Don't say, "That's just not me." What steps have you taken to waken affection for Jesus? Have you fought for joy? Don't be fatalistic. You were created to treasure Christ with all your heart – more than you treasure sex or sugar. If you have little taste for Jesus, competing pleasures will triumph. Plead with God for the satisfaction you don't have: "Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days" (Psalm 90:14). Then look, look, look at the most magnificent Person in the universe until you see him the way he is.
M – MOVE into a useful activity away from idleness and other vulnerable behaviors. Lust grows fast in the garden of leisure. Find a good work to do, and do it with all your might. "Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord" (Romans 12:11). "Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord" (1 Corinthians 15:58). Abound in work. Get up and do something. Sweep a room. Hammer a nail. Write a letter. Fix a faucet. And do it for Jesus' sake. You were made to manage and create. Christ died to make you "zealous for good deeds" (Titus 2:14). Displace deceitful lusts with a passion for good deeds.
Fighting at your side,
Pastor John
A N T H E M Strategies for Fighting Lust
By John Piper November 5, 2001
I have in mind men and women. For men it's obvious. The need for warfare against the bombardment of visual temptation to fixate on sexual images is urgent. For women it is less obvious, but just as great if we broaden the scope of temptation to food or figure or relational fantasies. When I say "lust" I mean the realm of thought, imagination, and desire that leads to sexual misconduct. So here is one set of strategies in the war against wrong desires. I put it in the form of an acronym, A N T H E M.
A – AVOID as much as is possible and reasonable the sights and situations that arouse unfitting desire. I say "possible and reasonable" because some exposure to temptation is inevitable. And I say "unfitting desire" because not all desires for sex, food, and family are bad. We know when they are unfitting and unhelpful and on their way to becoming enslaving. We know our weaknesses and what triggers them. "Avoiding" is a Biblical strategy. "Flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness" (2 Timothy 2:22). "Make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires" (Romans 13:14).
N – Say NO to every lustful thought within five seconds. And say it with the authority of Jesus Christ. "In the name of Jesus, NO!" You don't have much more than five seconds. Give it more unopposed time than that, and it will lodge itself with such force as to be almost immovable. Say it out loud if you dare. Be tough and warlike. As John Owen said, "Be killing sin or it will be killing you." Strike fast and strike hard. "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" ( James 4:7).
T – TURN the mind forcefully toward Christ as a superior satisfaction. Saying "no" will not suffice. You must move from defense to offense. Fight fire with fire. Attack the promises of sin with the promises of Christ. The Bible calls lusts "deceitful desires" (Ephesians 4:22). They lie. They promise more than they can deliver. The Bible calls them "passions of your former ignorance" (1 Peter 1:14). Only fools yield. "All at once he follows her, as an ox goes to the slaughter" (Proverbs 7:22). Deceit is defeated by truth. Ignorance is defeated by knowledge. It must be glorious truth and beautiful knowledge. This is why I wrote Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ. We must stock our minds with the superior promises and pleasures of Jesus. Then we must turn to them immediately after saying, "NO!"
H – HOLD the promise and the pleasure of Christ firmly in your mind until it pushes the other images out. "Fix your eyes on Jesus" (Hebrews 3:1). Here is where many fail. They give in too soon. They say, "I tried to push it out, and it didn't work." I ask, "How long did you try?" How hard did you exert your mind? The mind is a muscle. You can flex it with vehemence. Take the kingdom violently (Matthew 11:12). Be brutal. Hold the promise of Christ before your eyes. Hold it. Hold it! Don't let it go! Keep holding it! How long? As long as it takes. Fight! For Christ's sake, fight till you win! If an electric garage door were about to crush your child you would hold it up with all our might and holler for help, and hold it and hold it and hold it and hold it.
E – ENJOY a superior satisfaction. Cultivate the capacities for pleasure in Christ. One reason lust reigns in so many is that Christ has so little appeal. We default to deceit because we have little delight in Christ. Don't say, "That's just not me." What steps have you taken to waken affection for Jesus? Have you fought for joy? Don't be fatalistic. You were created to treasure Christ with all your heart – more than you treasure sex or sugar. If you have little taste for Jesus, competing pleasures will triumph. Plead with God for the satisfaction you don't have: "Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days" (Psalm 90:14). Then look, look, look at the most magnificent Person in the universe until you see him the way he is.
M – MOVE into a useful activity away from idleness and other vulnerable behaviors. Lust grows fast in the garden of leisure. Find a good work to do, and do it with all your might. "Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord" (Romans 12:11). "Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord" (1 Corinthians 15:58). Abound in work. Get up and do something. Sweep a room. Hammer a nail. Write a letter. Fix a faucet. And do it for Jesus' sake. You were made to manage and create. Christ died to make you "zealous for good deeds" (Titus 2:14). Displace deceitful lusts with a passion for good deeds.
Fighting at your side,
Pastor John
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Train Wreck
[Please note this this is much longer than a blog post should be. I thought it was important to post the entire essay for the sake of continuity. Thanks for your patience]
I think at some point and time we have all seen, or for some of us even drawn the following diagram:
For some of you this is an old favorite. Others of you may have never even seen this diagram, so let me explain it. The thought process behind the diagram is that right thinking leads to right behavior (actions) which leads to right feelings, and in that particular order.
The diagram is most often used by biblical counselors and pastors when they encounter someone who is making decisions by letting their feelings lead them. For example, someone may say, I don’t “feel” love for my wife anymore. Therefore I am going to divorce her and marry another woman who makes me “feel” more loved. We would say that person is basing their decisions completely on their feelings. They aren’t considering biblical truth, the welfare of the other person or anything other than the way they “feel”. This is indeed a tragedy, and we need to point that person to a change in thinking and certainly a subsequent change in behavior. As you can see in the diagram, the feelings are a “caboose” that follows after the thinking and acting. They may or may not come along. After all, a train can run without a caboose.
In an effort to help change the man’s thinking about leaving his wife, the pastor or counselor will often give him scripture to read and memorize about pleasing God and not being selfish. The hope is that if the man is a believer, once he sees what God has to say about the situation he will change his thinking, resulting in a subsequent change in behavior. Then the pastor or counselor might say something like this “I know that you don’t feel like doing this and that this isn’t necessarily going to make you happy, but this is what God says and you must obey. The good feelings that accompany obedience will come along someday as you continue to obey. Even if they never come you still need to continue to be obedient.”
Let me say one thing before I move forward. All of the statements in the above paragraph are true. The methodology isn’t flawed. We must send people to scripture in order for God to renew their mind resulting in behavior change. However, in my humble opinion, the methodology, as well as the counsel given is incomplete. I think that the reason that they are incomplete is because the train diagram is incomplete, and the train diagram represents our theology of obedience. I consider myself to be a biblical counselor and work for a biblical counseling ministry. I see people everyday that are shackled to a feeling oriented life and need to change. I think that a revisitation of our theology of obedience will refocus us in a way that will glorify God and help people to change for His glory.
Exegetically I have never been able to embrace the train diagram shown above. It just seems like all too often in the Scripture God attaches feelings and emotions to our obedience, so that it seems inappropriate to simply consign them to the “caboose”. Since the train has been a staple of pastoral and counseling nomenclature for decades, I decided not to through out the train, but simply to modify it. I will show you my modified train diagram below, and then attempt to biblically defend why I think it represents a more God honoring view of obedience. (You may have to actually click on the train and open it to read everything clearly)
Here are the changes I made:
1- I added a visible furnace (the heart) so that we can see what is actually making the engine go. I don’t think that we can isolate thinking from the heart. Proverbs 23:7 says: As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.
2- I added a coal car called Godward Affection. You could change the name to Religious Affection or Delighting in God, etc.
3- I added an arrow showing that the coal from the coal car of Godward Affection is being placed into the furnace of the heart and this is what is resulting in the motion of the train. As you can see, when there is Godward Affection in the heart, it results in joy and gladness (which you can see coming out of the smokestack). This is what fuels the train and enables it to pull the car of obedience.
I know, I know, I can hear the question that you are asking. Why did you wreck the train? Well I had to. As I mentioned above I truly think that this represents a more God honoring and biblical theology of obedience. Let’s take a look at some of the Scriptures that have driven me to this conclusion:
Deut 28:47-48
Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joy and a glad heart, for the abundance of all things; therefore you shall serve your enemies whom the LORD will send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in the lack of all things; and He will put an iron yoke on your neck until He has destroyed you.
It seems clear in this text that God commanded more than just obedience. In this case it wasn’t okay for the feelings/emotions to be consigned to the caboose. It didn’t say that these bad things would happen simply because they didn’t serve God, but because they didn’t serve God with joy and a glad heart. I think that in this case they would be lacking joy and gladness coming out of their smokestacks!
Ps 100:2
Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before Him with joyful singing.
Serve the Lord with what? Once again, in this passage you can’t just hope the gladness would come along, and say even if it doesn’t just obey. God commands glad obedience.
2 Cor 8:1-3
Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia, that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality. For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord,
Take a look at the example that the Macedonians are for us. Paul says that their abundance of joy…overflowed in the wealth of their liberality. You see the joy they had in God, even in the midst of great affliction, preceded their actions and was a causative factor in their obedience. The affection for God and joy came first. Then came the action. The liberal giving was an overflow of joy.
2 Cor 12:9-10
And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.
In Philippians 3 Paul says that we should consider him an example. Let’s do that for a moment. Look at the progression of the passage. As Paul think about the amazing grace of God which is completely sufficient for him, it results in him not just exalting Christ in his weakness, but gladly exalting Christ.
Heb 10:32-34
But remember the former days, when, after being enlightened, you endured a great conflict of sufferings, partly by being made a public spectacle through reproaches and tribulations, and partly by becoming sharers with those who were so treated. For you showed sympathy to the prisoners and accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and a lasting one.
As the Hebrews meditated on the truth that they had a better possession and a lasting one, it resulted in them accepting joyfully the seizure of their property. They didn’t just accept it, they accepted in with joy as a result of meditating on the future grace of God in Jesus.
Heb 12:2
Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Christ is our ultimate example. We see clearly in this passage that the joy that was set before was the motivation to endure the cross. He didn’t just think, then act, then hope for some joy. He clearly new the Father was accomplishing his will, and even in the midst of sweating blood, his meditation on that truth produced joy. That delight in the father and joy was what carried Him to the cross.
So those are just some of the biblical reasons why I could never totally embrace the original train and had to create a modified version. I earnestly think that failing to teach people to obey in this way can lead to the following problems.
1. Duty driven obedience that can result in legalism
2. Hopelessness in the Christian walk.
3. Ultimate trust in the flesh to change based on “positive” thinking.
Now let’s unpack how these three problems can practically flesh themselves out if we fail to pursue Godward affection.
1. Duty driven obedience that can result in legalism
I can hear what you are saying…But it IS our duty to obey God. I completely understand that. Christ says “If you love me, keep my commandments”. We must obey God; it is a non-negotiable in the Christian life. The problem is when the motivation for obedience is completely based on duty. Maybe this quote from Dr. John Piper in Desiring God will help clarify what I am trying to say:
Consider the analogy of a wedding anniversary. Mine is on December 21. Suppose on this day I bring home a dozen long-stemmed red roses for Noel. When she meets me at the door I hold out the roses, and she says, “O Johnny, they’re beautiful, thank you,” and gives me a big hug. Then suppose I hold up my hand and say matter-of-factly, “don’t mention it; it’s my duty.”
What happens? IS not the exercise of duty a noble thing? Do not we honor those we dutifully serve? Not much. Not if there’s no heart in it. Dutiful roses are a contradiction in terms. If I am not moved by a spontaneous affection for her as a person, the roses do not honor her…The fact is, many of us have failed to see that duty toward God can never be restricted to outward action…The real duty of worship is not the outward duty to say or do the liturgy. It is the inward duty, the command – “Delight yourself in the Lord!” (Psalm 37:4). “Be glad in the Lord and rejoice!” (Psalm 32:11)…
If I take my wife out of the evening on our anniversary and she asks me, “Why do you do this?” the answer that honors her most is, “Because nothing makes me happier tonight than to be with you.”
Remember the children of Israel were not threatened curses in Deuteronomy simply for disobedience, but for not serving the Lord with joy and a glad heart. God does not get the glory that is due him when we obey him simply because we want to avoid a curse, or don’t want to be punished. We must labor and plead with God to kindle affections in our heart that makes our delight in Him the motivation for all of life.
Presenting flowers to your wife on your anniversary simply because it is your duty can quickly turn into legalism. You do it because you know that you have to and so you can check that box off this year. Think about how the same principle might apply to our devotional life, serving our spouse, etc. If the thinking in the original train is simply about what we must do and what could happen to us if we don’t do it; then beware, legalism might be creeping up behind you.
2. Hopelessness in the Christian walk.
What if the train does just keep going without the caboose? What if the feelings never come? Where is joy? We must help our counselee’s distinguish between the affections for God and the warm and fuzzy feelings that we don’t want them to live by. If they are thinking about the right things and then subsequently doing the right things, but their motivation is wrong (not founded in affection for God and a desire for Him to be glorified) then they will probably be living a miserable obedient life. Motivation is so important that we must illustrate it for ourselves and for those that we are trying to help.
Let’s go back to our earlier example of the man who doesn’t “feel” love for his wife to flesh this out a bit. Let’s say that after confronting the man about leaving his wife he agreed that it would be unbiblical to leave her for another woman. He even agreed that he should begin serving her. Unfortunately his wife isn’t much of a wife. He writes her a love poem every morning and places it on the nightstand so that she will see if when she wakes up. Every morning his wife wakes up and sees the folded paper, crumples it up and throws it in the trash. If this poor man is simply writing the poems because that is what he feels like he is supposed to do, and he is hoping that his own warm and fuzzy feelings will be coming along sometime soon, he is going to fall into despair. In that scenario, if the wife persists, the feelings are never going to come along.
However, if this man has embraced the modified train up front, and if his poem writing is born out of an overflow of delight in God, and a desire to see His amazing God glorified even through difficult circumstances, then he can have joy even as he is rejected (James 1:2-4, Hebrews 10:32-35, Acts 5:41). If his circumstances don’t change then we can assume that in themselves they will never produce joy. His joy must start and end in God. As he becomes more satisfied in God and sees how God continues to give him grace and joy even as his wife is rejecting him, then the caboose might just come. He might feel an additional happiness that God is enabling him to persevere in his circumstances The circumstances don’t make him happy, but seeing God’s grace in the midst of them do (2 Corinthians 12:9).
3. Ultimate trust in the flesh to change based on “positive” thinking.
I’m afraid that the original train can result in a sort of behavior modification that leaves the worship of the Father, reliance on the Son, and enabling of the Spirit off to the side somewhere. Unfortunately, all too often I think we are inclined to use the Bible as a cognitive therapy manual. Cognitive therapy is defined as “a form of psychotherapy that emphasizes the import role of thinking in how we feel and what we do”. They even use homework to help the client change during the week. Oh, how I fear that all too often we substitute a Freudian textbook with the sacred scriptures and help people change their flesh without addressing their heart and affections.
I would imagine that a cognitive therapist could use the original train illustration very effectively in their counseling and would help people change with it. We MUST not settle for behavior change. We must exhort with tears our brothers and sisters to fall in love with Jesus Christ. We must do everything in our power to show them the majesty of God and the beauty of Christ and pray and fast that God would set their heart aflame with delight in Him and affection for Him.
If that is our goal, and their subsequent motivation for change, then the actions car and feelings car will fall into place just fine.
I think at some point and time we have all seen, or for some of us even drawn the following diagram:
For some of you this is an old favorite. Others of you may have never even seen this diagram, so let me explain it. The thought process behind the diagram is that right thinking leads to right behavior (actions) which leads to right feelings, and in that particular order.
The diagram is most often used by biblical counselors and pastors when they encounter someone who is making decisions by letting their feelings lead them. For example, someone may say, I don’t “feel” love for my wife anymore. Therefore I am going to divorce her and marry another woman who makes me “feel” more loved. We would say that person is basing their decisions completely on their feelings. They aren’t considering biblical truth, the welfare of the other person or anything other than the way they “feel”. This is indeed a tragedy, and we need to point that person to a change in thinking and certainly a subsequent change in behavior. As you can see in the diagram, the feelings are a “caboose” that follows after the thinking and acting. They may or may not come along. After all, a train can run without a caboose.
In an effort to help change the man’s thinking about leaving his wife, the pastor or counselor will often give him scripture to read and memorize about pleasing God and not being selfish. The hope is that if the man is a believer, once he sees what God has to say about the situation he will change his thinking, resulting in a subsequent change in behavior. Then the pastor or counselor might say something like this “I know that you don’t feel like doing this and that this isn’t necessarily going to make you happy, but this is what God says and you must obey. The good feelings that accompany obedience will come along someday as you continue to obey. Even if they never come you still need to continue to be obedient.”
Let me say one thing before I move forward. All of the statements in the above paragraph are true. The methodology isn’t flawed. We must send people to scripture in order for God to renew their mind resulting in behavior change. However, in my humble opinion, the methodology, as well as the counsel given is incomplete. I think that the reason that they are incomplete is because the train diagram is incomplete, and the train diagram represents our theology of obedience. I consider myself to be a biblical counselor and work for a biblical counseling ministry. I see people everyday that are shackled to a feeling oriented life and need to change. I think that a revisitation of our theology of obedience will refocus us in a way that will glorify God and help people to change for His glory.
Exegetically I have never been able to embrace the train diagram shown above. It just seems like all too often in the Scripture God attaches feelings and emotions to our obedience, so that it seems inappropriate to simply consign them to the “caboose”. Since the train has been a staple of pastoral and counseling nomenclature for decades, I decided not to through out the train, but simply to modify it. I will show you my modified train diagram below, and then attempt to biblically defend why I think it represents a more God honoring view of obedience. (You may have to actually click on the train and open it to read everything clearly)
Here are the changes I made:
1- I added a visible furnace (the heart) so that we can see what is actually making the engine go. I don’t think that we can isolate thinking from the heart. Proverbs 23:7 says: As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.
2- I added a coal car called Godward Affection. You could change the name to Religious Affection or Delighting in God, etc.
3- I added an arrow showing that the coal from the coal car of Godward Affection is being placed into the furnace of the heart and this is what is resulting in the motion of the train. As you can see, when there is Godward Affection in the heart, it results in joy and gladness (which you can see coming out of the smokestack). This is what fuels the train and enables it to pull the car of obedience.
I know, I know, I can hear the question that you are asking. Why did you wreck the train? Well I had to. As I mentioned above I truly think that this represents a more God honoring and biblical theology of obedience. Let’s take a look at some of the Scriptures that have driven me to this conclusion:
Deut 28:47-48
Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joy and a glad heart, for the abundance of all things; therefore you shall serve your enemies whom the LORD will send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in the lack of all things; and He will put an iron yoke on your neck until He has destroyed you.
It seems clear in this text that God commanded more than just obedience. In this case it wasn’t okay for the feelings/emotions to be consigned to the caboose. It didn’t say that these bad things would happen simply because they didn’t serve God, but because they didn’t serve God with joy and a glad heart. I think that in this case they would be lacking joy and gladness coming out of their smokestacks!
Ps 100:2
Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before Him with joyful singing.
Serve the Lord with what? Once again, in this passage you can’t just hope the gladness would come along, and say even if it doesn’t just obey. God commands glad obedience.
2 Cor 8:1-3
Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia, that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality. For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord,
Take a look at the example that the Macedonians are for us. Paul says that their abundance of joy…overflowed in the wealth of their liberality. You see the joy they had in God, even in the midst of great affliction, preceded their actions and was a causative factor in their obedience. The affection for God and joy came first. Then came the action. The liberal giving was an overflow of joy.
2 Cor 12:9-10
And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.
In Philippians 3 Paul says that we should consider him an example. Let’s do that for a moment. Look at the progression of the passage. As Paul think about the amazing grace of God which is completely sufficient for him, it results in him not just exalting Christ in his weakness, but gladly exalting Christ.
Heb 10:32-34
But remember the former days, when, after being enlightened, you endured a great conflict of sufferings, partly by being made a public spectacle through reproaches and tribulations, and partly by becoming sharers with those who were so treated. For you showed sympathy to the prisoners and accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and a lasting one.
As the Hebrews meditated on the truth that they had a better possession and a lasting one, it resulted in them accepting joyfully the seizure of their property. They didn’t just accept it, they accepted in with joy as a result of meditating on the future grace of God in Jesus.
Heb 12:2
Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Christ is our ultimate example. We see clearly in this passage that the joy that was set before was the motivation to endure the cross. He didn’t just think, then act, then hope for some joy. He clearly new the Father was accomplishing his will, and even in the midst of sweating blood, his meditation on that truth produced joy. That delight in the father and joy was what carried Him to the cross.
So those are just some of the biblical reasons why I could never totally embrace the original train and had to create a modified version. I earnestly think that failing to teach people to obey in this way can lead to the following problems.
1. Duty driven obedience that can result in legalism
2. Hopelessness in the Christian walk.
3. Ultimate trust in the flesh to change based on “positive” thinking.
Now let’s unpack how these three problems can practically flesh themselves out if we fail to pursue Godward affection.
1. Duty driven obedience that can result in legalism
I can hear what you are saying…But it IS our duty to obey God. I completely understand that. Christ says “If you love me, keep my commandments”. We must obey God; it is a non-negotiable in the Christian life. The problem is when the motivation for obedience is completely based on duty. Maybe this quote from Dr. John Piper in Desiring God will help clarify what I am trying to say:
Consider the analogy of a wedding anniversary. Mine is on December 21. Suppose on this day I bring home a dozen long-stemmed red roses for Noel. When she meets me at the door I hold out the roses, and she says, “O Johnny, they’re beautiful, thank you,” and gives me a big hug. Then suppose I hold up my hand and say matter-of-factly, “don’t mention it; it’s my duty.”
What happens? IS not the exercise of duty a noble thing? Do not we honor those we dutifully serve? Not much. Not if there’s no heart in it. Dutiful roses are a contradiction in terms. If I am not moved by a spontaneous affection for her as a person, the roses do not honor her…The fact is, many of us have failed to see that duty toward God can never be restricted to outward action…The real duty of worship is not the outward duty to say or do the liturgy. It is the inward duty, the command – “Delight yourself in the Lord!” (Psalm 37:4). “Be glad in the Lord and rejoice!” (Psalm 32:11)…
If I take my wife out of the evening on our anniversary and she asks me, “Why do you do this?” the answer that honors her most is, “Because nothing makes me happier tonight than to be with you.”
Remember the children of Israel were not threatened curses in Deuteronomy simply for disobedience, but for not serving the Lord with joy and a glad heart. God does not get the glory that is due him when we obey him simply because we want to avoid a curse, or don’t want to be punished. We must labor and plead with God to kindle affections in our heart that makes our delight in Him the motivation for all of life.
Presenting flowers to your wife on your anniversary simply because it is your duty can quickly turn into legalism. You do it because you know that you have to and so you can check that box off this year. Think about how the same principle might apply to our devotional life, serving our spouse, etc. If the thinking in the original train is simply about what we must do and what could happen to us if we don’t do it; then beware, legalism might be creeping up behind you.
2. Hopelessness in the Christian walk.
What if the train does just keep going without the caboose? What if the feelings never come? Where is joy? We must help our counselee’s distinguish between the affections for God and the warm and fuzzy feelings that we don’t want them to live by. If they are thinking about the right things and then subsequently doing the right things, but their motivation is wrong (not founded in affection for God and a desire for Him to be glorified) then they will probably be living a miserable obedient life. Motivation is so important that we must illustrate it for ourselves and for those that we are trying to help.
Let’s go back to our earlier example of the man who doesn’t “feel” love for his wife to flesh this out a bit. Let’s say that after confronting the man about leaving his wife he agreed that it would be unbiblical to leave her for another woman. He even agreed that he should begin serving her. Unfortunately his wife isn’t much of a wife. He writes her a love poem every morning and places it on the nightstand so that she will see if when she wakes up. Every morning his wife wakes up and sees the folded paper, crumples it up and throws it in the trash. If this poor man is simply writing the poems because that is what he feels like he is supposed to do, and he is hoping that his own warm and fuzzy feelings will be coming along sometime soon, he is going to fall into despair. In that scenario, if the wife persists, the feelings are never going to come along.
However, if this man has embraced the modified train up front, and if his poem writing is born out of an overflow of delight in God, and a desire to see His amazing God glorified even through difficult circumstances, then he can have joy even as he is rejected (James 1:2-4, Hebrews 10:32-35, Acts 5:41). If his circumstances don’t change then we can assume that in themselves they will never produce joy. His joy must start and end in God. As he becomes more satisfied in God and sees how God continues to give him grace and joy even as his wife is rejecting him, then the caboose might just come. He might feel an additional happiness that God is enabling him to persevere in his circumstances The circumstances don’t make him happy, but seeing God’s grace in the midst of them do (2 Corinthians 12:9).
3. Ultimate trust in the flesh to change based on “positive” thinking.
I’m afraid that the original train can result in a sort of behavior modification that leaves the worship of the Father, reliance on the Son, and enabling of the Spirit off to the side somewhere. Unfortunately, all too often I think we are inclined to use the Bible as a cognitive therapy manual. Cognitive therapy is defined as “a form of psychotherapy that emphasizes the import role of thinking in how we feel and what we do”. They even use homework to help the client change during the week. Oh, how I fear that all too often we substitute a Freudian textbook with the sacred scriptures and help people change their flesh without addressing their heart and affections.
I would imagine that a cognitive therapist could use the original train illustration very effectively in their counseling and would help people change with it. We MUST not settle for behavior change. We must exhort with tears our brothers and sisters to fall in love with Jesus Christ. We must do everything in our power to show them the majesty of God and the beauty of Christ and pray and fast that God would set their heart aflame with delight in Him and affection for Him.
If that is our goal, and their subsequent motivation for change, then the actions car and feelings car will fall into place just fine.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Overview of Historic Premillenial Eschatology - Links for Distinctives
I don't know that I am going to try and recreate the wheel regarding the distinctives of historic premillenial eschatology. It seems that many other brothers far more educated than I have labored to create charts showing the disctinctives of the various eschatological systems. I will provide links to the best ones that I ran across below and then provide some clarifying comments.
Here is one from Fide-O's blog
Here is a nice overview created by Kim Riddlebarger
Here is probably the most detailed one from Reformed Reader
Here are some nice timeline charts created by Mark Vander Pol
One thing that you will notice as you look through the various charts and graphs is that there is disagreement among them regarding the question of rebuilding the temple in Israel. Because George Eldon Ladd is the undisputed forerunner in this century on Historic Premillenialism I decided to let him have the last say on the temple issue. In his book An Eschatology for Laymen Ladd writes:
Before we leave the millennial question, we should note another form premillennialism has taken, that of Dispensationalism. This is probably the most popular form of premillennialism in America. It holds that the millennium is primarily for the Jews. Israel will be restored to her land, will rebuild the temple, and will reinstitute the Old Testament sacrificial system. At this time all of the Old Testament prophecies about Israel as a nation will be fulfilled literally. This is deduced from the conviction that God has two distinct and separate peoples:Israel and the Church, with two different programs and different blessings. God's program for Israel is theocratic and earthly; God's purpose for the church is universal and spiritual.
Although he was brought up in this theology, the present author can no longer accept it. The reader is referred to chapter two of this book where the future of Israel is discussed. Hebrews 8 says clearly that the age of types and shadows -- the Old Testament cultic system -- has been abolished since the reality pictured in the cult has come in Christ. Romans 11 says clearly that Israel as a people are to be saved, but in the same terms of faith in Christ as the church. Today the church is spiritual Israel, and literal Israel is yet to be regrafted back into the olive tree and be included in the true Israel of God. Therefore, it is impossible to view the millennium as primarily Jewish in character.
After the millennium when the Age to Come has been inaugurated, John sees a new heaven and a new earth, unto which the holy city, the new Jerusalem, descends. Here is an important fact: the ultimate scene of the Kingdom of God is earthly. It is a transformed earth to be sure, but it is still an earthly destiny. Scripture everywhere teaches this. Paul says that "the creation itself will be set free from bondage to decay and obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God" (Rom. 8:21) . Corresponding to the new creation is the resurrection of the body, discussed in another chapter of this book.
I also thought that this link from Spurgeon.com was interested regarding where they thought he came down on the eschatological issues.
This has been a great discussion and I hope that the sharpening can continue.
Here is one from Fide-O's blog
Here is a nice overview created by Kim Riddlebarger
Here is probably the most detailed one from Reformed Reader
Here are some nice timeline charts created by Mark Vander Pol
One thing that you will notice as you look through the various charts and graphs is that there is disagreement among them regarding the question of rebuilding the temple in Israel. Because George Eldon Ladd is the undisputed forerunner in this century on Historic Premillenialism I decided to let him have the last say on the temple issue. In his book An Eschatology for Laymen Ladd writes:
Before we leave the millennial question, we should note another form premillennialism has taken, that of Dispensationalism. This is probably the most popular form of premillennialism in America. It holds that the millennium is primarily for the Jews. Israel will be restored to her land, will rebuild the temple, and will reinstitute the Old Testament sacrificial system. At this time all of the Old Testament prophecies about Israel as a nation will be fulfilled literally. This is deduced from the conviction that God has two distinct and separate peoples:Israel and the Church, with two different programs and different blessings. God's program for Israel is theocratic and earthly; God's purpose for the church is universal and spiritual.
Although he was brought up in this theology, the present author can no longer accept it. The reader is referred to chapter two of this book where the future of Israel is discussed. Hebrews 8 says clearly that the age of types and shadows -- the Old Testament cultic system -- has been abolished since the reality pictured in the cult has come in Christ. Romans 11 says clearly that Israel as a people are to be saved, but in the same terms of faith in Christ as the church. Today the church is spiritual Israel, and literal Israel is yet to be regrafted back into the olive tree and be included in the true Israel of God. Therefore, it is impossible to view the millennium as primarily Jewish in character.
After the millennium when the Age to Come has been inaugurated, John sees a new heaven and a new earth, unto which the holy city, the new Jerusalem, descends. Here is an important fact: the ultimate scene of the Kingdom of God is earthly. It is a transformed earth to be sure, but it is still an earthly destiny. Scripture everywhere teaches this. Paul says that "the creation itself will be set free from bondage to decay and obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God" (Rom. 8:21) . Corresponding to the new creation is the resurrection of the body, discussed in another chapter of this book.
I also thought that this link from Spurgeon.com was interested regarding where they thought he came down on the eschatological issues.
This has been a great discussion and I hope that the sharpening can continue.
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