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The Illusion of Freedom

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The first section of Proverbs 5 (Prov 5:1-6) highlighted the deceptiveness of appearances. Not all is as it seems, and sexual immorality covers itself under the illusion of freedom. In this closing section, we see that deviation from God’s standards—what the culture calls “sexual freedom”—is not really free.

For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the Lord,
And he ponders all his paths.
The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him,
And he is held fast in the cords of his sin.
He dies for lack of discipline,
And because of his great folly he is led astray (Prov 5:21-23, ESV).

Jesus Solana (2012), Creative Commons

Jesus Solana (2012), Creative Commons

Pursuing immorality is like snapping the handcuffs, donning the straitjacket, locking the cage, or triggering the land mine. You thought to hunt a foxy partner, but the real hunters will “cry ‘havoc!’ and let slip the dogs of war.”[1] You are the prey, fit only to become a fur scarf or set of mounted antlers.

Notice first that God sees everything (Prov 5:21). Nothing we do is really in secret, though we reason with ourselves that it is so. To be free from the prying eyes of men is still to be under the fiery, knowing gaze of the Almighty. The First Catechism, a children’s version of Christian theology, summarizes:

Can you see God?
No. I cannot see God, but he always sees me.
Does God know all things?
Yes. Nothing can be hidden from God.[2]

Do these lines inspire you with hope or terrify you with despair, when you consider your sexual life of the past week or month?

Notice second that sin is ensnaring (Prov 5:22). We think that a little sin will produce a little happiness; otherwise, we wouldn’t do it! We must realize instead that every time we sin, we take up the yoke and subjugate ourselves to a harsh master. We choose slavery, not freedom. We more closely resemble unwelcome critters, to be caught and disposed of, than carefree gazelles, frolicking through glade and meadow.

Notice finally that, for the wicked, freedom is elusive (Prov 5:23). The sinner would rather die than become disciplined. The immoral person is full of “great folly” that leads him astray. He missed his turn and will never reach his destination. Life and freedom elude him; they’re always just out of reach.

Those final words (“led astray”) are significant because, in the Hebrew text, they represent the same vocabulary as was used in Prov 5:19 and Prov 5:20. Solomon commanded his reader to be “intoxicated” by the love of his spouse, and not by the forbidden woman. “Intoxicated” could also have been translated as “swerving astray” or “reeling” to show the repetition. The translators of the NET Bible[3] explain it this way in a note: “If the young man is not captivated by his wife but is captivated with a stranger in sinful acts, then his own iniquities will captivate him, and he will be led to ruin.”

The message is clear: sexual “freedom” is an illusion. Fools set their own traps and surprise themselves by springing them. The simple claim insufficient knowledge or education, and their traps are no less painful. Even those who ought to be wise struggle in the chains of self-love, self-focus, self-pity, and self-centered fear or insecurity.

Is there hope we’ll ever find the way of life and enjoy God’s delightful wisdom?

Appearances are truly deceptive. How could the son of a carpenter be, as the Nicene Creed states, “very God of very God?” How could one born in obscurity and killed in infamy provide God’s righteousness to any who want it?

Immorality has real consequences, and the pure and righteous one suffered so we immoral ones might be washed clean.

Marriage has phenomenal delights, and the Great Bridegroom chose to die and not demand his rights as Husband. In so doing, he didn’t coerce his Bride, but won her allegiance for the long haul.

Sexual freedom is truly an illusion. Jesus submitted to the cross and the grave so we could be free of both forever; he proved it by his glorious resurrection. Now we get to image him to the world. Find your freedom in self-denial. Obtain life through your death. Secure satisfaction by serving and satisfying others, especially your spouse.

The wise person sees the culture’s illusions, blasts them with Bible dynamite, and wins others to radically selfless, Christ-like joy, far more exciting than either religious prudishness or enslaving immorality.

[1] Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, III.1.273.

[2] Suwanee, GA: Great Commission Publications, Inc., 2003, Questions 11 & 12.

[3] Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C, 1996-2005.

Bible Study and the Cross of Christ

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Knowable Word LogoMelissa McDonald, who blogs at The Cross and the Kitchen Sink, just began a short series on how to study the Bible. It might look terribly familiar to what you’ve seen at Knowable Word, but we assure you we’ve never even met. We’ve said from day one that we’re not the only ones doing OIA. Here’s more proof, if you needed it.

Also, Chan Kilgore wrote a great article at The Resurgence about “Reading the Bible Through the Cross.” I appreciate his perspective that the cross is not simply the message of Scripture, but the very lens through which we must read Scripture.

The cross of Christ crushes self-righteousness within us and calls us to enter into the very presence of a holy and righteous God, where we can receive grace and mercy. It is this grace and mercy that transforms our heart as we soak in the Scripture. The cross represents more than Christ’s death. The empty cross represents the deity of Christ, his incarnation, his perfect life, his death, his resurrection, his ascension, and his reign at the right hand of the Father. It is before this cross that we must read Scripture.

Check it out!

What You Should Know About the Bible

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Knowable Word LogoThe last few weeks spawned some great articles to help your Bible study.

9 Things You Should Know About the Bible – Joe Carter at The Gospel Coalition lists 9 brief facts about the history and use of the Bible. From defining the word “Bible” to recounting the history of printing to explaining various approaches to translation, Joe’s article will give you a concise and understandable introduction to important facts. I was surprised to see that sales of the NIV exceed those of the KJV, and that the NLT is the third most popular translation.

The Big Story of the Bible – In this post, Yancey Arrington explains that “there is a way to read the Old Testament, even Numbers and Leviticus, that will bless you and not send you away in despair.” The trick is to see the Old Testament as a road to Jesus. Arrington explains the theology behind a Jesus-centered way of reading the Old Testament. For practical tips on how exactly to read the OT this way, see my post on how to see Jesus in any Bible passage.

Check it out!

Seeing Jesus in Daniel

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Knowable Word LogoWe contend that the whole Bible is about Jesus.  That’s why we should be able to see Jesus in any passage.

And we delight in showing you that we’re not the only ones who think this way.

To that end, we recommend you check out a post at The Gospel Coalition by Matt Smethurst.  Smethurst recently interviewed professor Sidney Greidanus about his book Preaching Christ from Daniel.

Greidanus speaks helpfully about the main point of Daniel, the historical context, and the centrality of Christ.

Check it out!

You are Now Approved to Study the Bible

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Sometimes people don’t study the Bible because they feel unqualified.  I’m here to tell you that you’re ready.  You’ve graduated.  You’re accepted for the position.

I just finished a 41-part series on how to study the Bible, but that’s not the source of your credentials.  Your qualifications go much deeper.  Consider Paul’s exhortation to Timothy.

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth (2 Tim 2:15, ESV).

Observe Paul’s command: “present yourself to God as one approved.”  The main verb is “present,” not “approve.”  We make all kinds of mistakes when we get this wrong.

Mistake #1: Present yourself to God to get his approval.

Sometimes we think we need to be qualified before we can approach the Lord (even through Bible study).  Paul says you’ve already been approved, so present yourself accordingly.

Mistake #2: Fail to present yourself, fearing God’s disapproval.

This mistake is the ugly stepchild of the first one.  Sinners who think they need God’s approval eventually stop trying to get it.  They keep failing, so they give up.

Mistake #3: Present yourself to men as one approved.

This is the classic mistake of religious people.  We think that if others respect and appreciate us, we must have arrived.  Either we seek people’s approval, or we act superior as those already approved.  In either case, we focus on the wrong thing – ourselves.

Mistake #4: Present others to God as one approved.

We make this mistake when we find our worth in the success of those we lead.  The Judaizers in Galatia were guilty of this error (Gal 6:13), as am I.  Every week in my 5-and-6-year-old Sunday school class, we sing a song with the names of the books of the Bible.  Subsequently, parents express amazement at how well their children know all the books.  It must mean I’m a great teacher, which must mean I’m gaining God’s approval for my service…

The Challenge: Present yourself to God as one approved.

You don’t need to get approved.  You are approved.  Notice what Paul wrote to Timothy earlier in the chapter:

You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus (2 Tim 2:1).

Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel (2 Tim 2:8).

[The elect] may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory (2 Tim 2:10).

Remind them of these things (2 Tim 2:14).

Paul repeatedly draws attention to the fact that we can’t earn God’s approval.  Our reconciliation with God is initiated by grace, accomplished by Jesus’ death and resurrection, and accompanied by eternal glory.  Timothy must constantly remind his people of these things.

He must constantly remind himself.  We must remind ourselves.  “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved.”  It’s hard work to remember these things.

So I remind you.  Don’t study the Bible to get approved.  Study it because you’re already approved.

Jesus died and rose for you to qualify you for a position close to God.  Now, do your best to remember it.  As you remember it, you’ll be ready handle the word of truth rightly because you’ll see this message of grace on every page.

Miss the message of grace, and you’ll no longer handle the word rightly.  But if you trust in Christ you’re still approved, so you can keep trying each day to get it right.

See How to Study the Bible for help along the way.

Remember Jesus in Your Application

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Paul, the great Apostle to the Gentiles, was about to die.  He had fought the good fight; he had run the race; he had kept the faith.  The crown of righteousness was awaiting.

But he had a few final instructions to pass on to his main man Timothy.  One of the most important ones went as follows:

Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, for which I am suffering, bound with chains like a criminal.  But the word of God is not bound!  Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory (2 Tim 2:8-10, ESV).

"At the cross I bow my knee" by Demi-Brooke (2009), shared under a Creative Commons Attribution License

Demi-Brooke (2009), Creative Commons

It’s hard to imagine such a mature Christian needing to say something so apparently frivolous.  How could Timothy possibly forget about Jesus?  Isn’t Jesus the reason he became a pastor?  Isn’t Jesus the one who put the “Christ” in “Christianity”?

But Paul knows what we so often ignore, that one of our primary temptations as Christians is to forget Jesus.  Especially when it comes to studying the Bible.

Isn’t it so easy to think we needed Jesus before we become Christians, but now we need more discipline?  We delight in Jesus and his saving work that rescued us from our past sins, but now we live as though it’s up to us to please God.

We come to the Bible as a book of hope for sinners who can find eternal life by knowing Jesus.  But over the years, we change.  We begin treating the Bible as a book of rules, and we bludgeon ourselves and others into following those rules out of a sense of guilt or duty.  We bind the word of God, and we burden the elect with ethical or doctrinal chains.

I’ve already written about the importance of interpreting every Bible passage through the lens of Jesus.  Now, I highlight the importance of remembering Jesus even in our application.

When studying a Bible passage, you might make a theological connection to Jesus, but your work is not yet done.  Your application must also connect to and derive from Jesus and his saving work: “Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them” (Heb 13:9).

In other words, nothing gets up your gumption for serving the Lord more than grace, grace, and more grace.  You can’t drum up more faithfulness from the inside.  You must be broken by God’s unbelievably high standard, and you must rest in Jesus’ death in your place and obedience on your behalf.  Every day.  Then, you’ll walk the straight and narrow.  And before you know it, you’ll be ready to pass the torch to a new generation.

Here’s what I mean.  Once I served as an elder in a church that hired a young new pastor.  This guy was a fine preacher, and he had been well-trained to preach Jesus.  He got in the pulpit his first week and preached with boldness and clarity.

But he made a few mistakes.  He stumbled over his words.  He got nervous and said a few things that, frankly, were pretty naïve.  After the service, he was discouraged by his failures, and he expected me to hammer him for them.  After all, preaching is important business.  You can’t mislead God’s sheep, or you’re in big trouble.

We evaluated the sermon together, and he braced himself for some well-earned criticism.

I did not ignore the mistakes.  I didn’t approve of them.  But I reminded him that Jesus had already died for them.  Because the gospel was true, this guy was free to make mistakes, even big ones.  I encouraged him to make more such mistakes in the future.  I preferred that he give it his all, making a few mistakes in the process, than that he hold back out of fear of imperfection.  He was free to live his calling as a preacher with confidence that he was accepted by God and already approved.

He had learned all about how to interpret the Bible with a focus on Jesus, but he had to practice applying it with a focus on Jesus.

So, let’s study (and especially apply) the Bible with such great confidence in Jesus that we can “sin boldly,” as Martin Luther advised his student Philip Melanchthon:

Martin LutherBe a sinner, and let your sins be strong (sin boldly), but let your trust in Christ be stronger, and rejoice in Christ who is the victor over sin, death, and the world. We will commit sins while we are here, for this life is not a place where justice resides. We, however, says Peter (2 Peter 3:13) are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth where justice will reign.

How to See Jesus in Any Bible Passage

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Jesus is the main point of the entire Bible.  He said so himself (John 5:39, Luke 24:44-48).  Philip saw it (John 1:45).  Peter recognized it (1 Pet 1:10-12).  Paul knew it (2 Cor 1:20).

Do you?

Now, in seminary I was told that we have to be very careful here.  Apparently, some ancient Christian interpreters thought they saw Jesus in every detail of the Old Testament.  So Rahab’s red cord (Josh 2:18) was treated as a prophecy of the flowing blood of Christ that would save her and her family.  Or, Abraham’s servant’s 10 camels (Gen 24:10) were understood as the 10 commandments which would be fulfilled in Christ.

Not every passage of the Old Testament is a direct prediction of the life or death of Jesus Christ.  Some passages tell stories of what happened long before Jesus’ birth.  Other passages contain songs or prayers or rebukes or instruction.

So what did Jesus mean when he said that all the Scriptures were about him?

Luke 24:46-47 provides a helpful template.  Every passage of Scripture reveals Jesus by explaining at least one of the following truths:

  1. The Messiah would suffer (die).
  2. The Messiah would rise from the dead.
  3. We must repent of our sin and be forgiven.
  4. This message (that the Messiah’s death and resurrection make forgiveness possible) must be preached to all nations.

Here’s the key point: we must first understand the main point of an Old Testament passage before we can connect it to Jesus.

We shouldn’t look for Jesus in every detail.  Jesus isn’t necessarily in every detail.  But his message is there.  The message of the whole Bible is a unified message that boils down to those 4 points from Luke 24:46-47.

For example, the call of Abram in Genesis 12:1-9 is about how God chose one man to be the focal point of blessing the whole world.  What’s the connection to Jesus?  His message is for every nation.

Here’s another example: when God asked Abraham to sacrifice his only beloved son (Gen 22), he was showing Abraham (and us) how the Messiah had to die and rise from the dead.

When innocent Daniel was tossed into the lion’s den and came out unharmed (Daniel 6), he demonstrated the Messiah’s death and resurrection.

When Moses and Solomon wrote Laws and Proverbs, God was showing us how high his standards really are.  He had to expose our inability to perform so we might learn to repent of our sin and be forgiven.

Please try this at home.  When you read the Bible (especially the Old Testament), always ask which of Jesus’ 4 points is being addressed.  Decent interpretation depends upon it.

Why OIA is the Best Bible Study Method

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A few days ago, I outlined the OIA method of Bible study that we follow.  In short, it stands for Observation, Interpreation, and Application.

I’ve already made one audacious claim: that everyone has a Bible study method.  Today I’d like to make another: that OIA is the best method one can use to study the Bible.  Let me support this claim with three reasons.

1.  It works for any person anywhere of any age

It can be taught to PhDs and other “professionals” and get quite complex and profound.  It can be taught to 3 year olds just learning to talk.  Anyone in between can use this method to great profit, understanding the main ideas of what God has communicated and becoming more like Christ as a result.

2.  It’s the way God designed all communication to work

OIA is nothing new or innovative.  It is simply an attempt to outline the steps by which any human being communicates with another human being (observing what was communicated, interpreting the meaning, and responding appropriately).  God made communication to work this way, so of course the Bible works the same way.

Let me illustrate.  If I met you on the street, you might observe me walk up to you, smile, and stick out my hand.  You would interpret that I mean you no harm and simply want to greet you.  You would apply the gesture by reaching out your own hand, taking my hand with yours, and saying “hello” or some similar sentiment.  Communication has now taken place.

Let’s say I ask you a question.  You might observe the raised inflection at the end of my sentence (the question mark), a resultant silence, and raised eyebrows on my face.  You would interpret these signs to mean that I want you to answer the question.  You would apply the interaction by answering the question, frowning in thought, holding up a finger to request more time, or running away in terror.

We simply cannot escape OIA.  We do it all the time.  We should employ it when we study God’s Knowable Word.

3.  It’s how Jesus interpreted the Bible

Jesus is the Lord (Phil 2:11) and the author of Scripture (1 Peter 1:11).  We should learn from him how to read Scripture.

Look at Matthew 21:42-44 as an example.  Notice how Jesus observes the Old Testament text in verse 42, interprets it in verse 44, and applies it in verse 43 (implying that his listeners should believe the truth and make some changes in their lives).

Jesus often references Scripture, giving us a window into his understanding of it, but he rarely is as clear as in Matt 21:42-44.  Usually, he assumes or implies the Interpretation, and states the Observation and Application explicitly (for example, see Matt 13:10-17 or Mark 12:35-37).  One place where he Observes and Interprets but doesn’t explicitly Apply is Luke 4:17-21.

In suggesting that OIA is the best method to use, I’m not saying that there’s an easy one-size-fits-all way of plugging every text through an equation.  I’m merely saying that we have a valuable and clear way by which we can understand what God is communicating in his Word.  Our study of the Bible is not arbitrary.

Why We Study the Bible

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Why should we study the Bible?  Couldn’t we just listen to God’s voice inside us?  Even if we ought to use the Bible, shouldn’t we just read it, expecting the meaning to become apparent?  Doesn’t all this “Bible study” stuff get in the way, slow us down, quench the Spirit?

Let me give some reasons why it’s important that we learn how to study the Bible:

1.  Knowing Jesus is eternal life

Jesus said it himself in John 17:3.  He wants what’s best for us, and what’s best for us is for us to know him.  He prayed accordingly the night before he was killed.

2.  The whole Bible is about Jesus

Jesus said it in Luke 24:44-47.  Phillip realized it early on (John 1:45).  Peter declared it much later (1 Peter 1:10-11).

3.  The Bible was written that we might know Jesus and have eternal life

Romans 15:4, John 20:30-31, 1 Peter 1:11-12, Rev 1:1.  It’s an old book, but it was written with you and me in mind!  It wasn’t written to us, but it was written for us.

4.  God thinks it’s noble when we examine the Bible to know Jesus better

Paul explained the main point of the Bible in Acts 17:3.  Some Thessalonians rejected this message (Acts 17:6-7), but the Bereans eagerly searched it out in the text of the Bible (Acts 17:10-11).

5.  It takes hard work to understand the Bible

Some parts are hard to understand, and those who are untaught or unstable will distort them (2 Peter 3:16).  We must be taught well and given a stable foundation if we are to understand the Bible and know Jesus.  Granted, many parts of the Bible are abundantly clear (John 14:6, Acts 4:11-12), yet they, too, are commonly twisted.

6.  We need God’s Spirit to understand the Bible

Our sin and rebellion against God infects everything about us, even our thinking.  No amount of hard work and no foolproof method will guarantee that we interpret the Bible rightly.  Countless universities have courses taught by learned professionals who miss the whole point (see #1-3 above).

But when we trust in the Jesus revealed in the Bible, we receive God’s Spirit, who helps us to know Jesus better (1 Cor 2:6-16).  Those who believe have access to the very mind of Christ because they have his Spirit.

On this blog, we want to help you know Jesus.  We do that by helping you learn to study the Bible.  Let’s keep working to master the methods, but above all, let’s keep our focus on Jesus as we do so.

How’d You Do That? (5/3/12)

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Everybody loves show and tell.  It’s that time in elementary school when you get to show all your friends something that really excites you, and then explain why it’s so exciting.

That’s why some of our blog posts will be given to showing you how to study the Bible, and others will focus on telling you how to do it.  Our hope is that by frequent showing and telling, you will be encouraged to practice these skills in your own study of God’s Knowable Word.

On Thursday, I began a series of posts on the Wisdom of Proverbs.  Even though Thursday’s post was a broad introduction, it still involved some weighty Bible study techniques. So I want to briefly comment on the key principles of Bible study demonstrated there.

1.  Know what the Bible says about the Bible.

We should read the Bible the way God wants us to read it.  Therefore, as we approach any passage of Scripture, we ought to know what the Bible says about the Bible.  On Thursday, I referred to 2 Timothy 3:16, which tells us that every passage of Scripture is useful.  Thus any Bible study we do ought to provide some sort of practical instruction, correction, or training in righteousness.  A Bible study that fails to provide practical help is incomplete.

Also, Jesus himself clearly stated in Luke 24:44-47 that the entire Bible was about Him.  He specifically referenced four components: his death, his resurrection, the forgiveness of sins, and the proclamation of these things to all nations.  So every Bible study ought to lead us to Jesus by illuminating one or more of these four areas.  If we haven’t seen Jesus, we haven’t rightly understood the text.

These two things are not all that the Bible says about the Bible; they’re just the two points I focused on in Thursday’s post.  Please feel free to leave a comment below about other sections of God’s Word that can help us in our study of any passage.

We’ll pick up two more principles tomorrow.