Millennial Generation

Interesting article here from USA Today on the spiritual beliefs of today's 18-29 year old young adults, or "Millennials". Read in advance of our upcoming lessons on discipling our teens. Wonder what our teens will be called when they hit 18? Any ideas? And will they be characterized by the same traits mentioned in this article? Let us pray for our children and be faithful in discipleship and in encouraging one another as we journey together.

489 years ago today

Some significant church history, as recounted at the Desiring God blog - may our consciences be "captive to the Word of God"!:

"On April 17th, 1521, Martin Luther appeared before the Diet of Worms under the charge of heresy. A pile of his own writings was set before him, many written in critique of the Roman Catholic Church, and he was asked to either defend or revoke them.

Luther was uncertain about how to respond, so he asked for more time. It was granted. He would appear before the Diet again the next day.

Luther's differences with the Church of Rome had been the result of his own careful study of Scripture. He had read things in the Bible that were at odds with many of the doctrines and practices of the Church in his day, and his conscience under God had become burdened to speak about them.

So he wrote. He originally intended his writing to help return the Church to a more biblical form of Christianity, not cause a split. But few heard him that way. Instead, for most, at least among the religious and political leaders, his cries sounded more like the ringings of rebellion.

On April 18th, when Luther reappeared before the Diet to give his response, his examiner, Johann Eck, restated the question (with some prologue):

Martin, how can you assume that you are the only one to understand the sense of Scripture? Would you put your judgment above that of so many famous men and claim that you know more than they all?

You have no right to call into question the most holy orthodox faith, instituted by Christ the perfect law-giver, proclaimed throughout the world by the apostles, sealed by the red blood of the martyrs, confirmed by the sacred councils, defined by the Church in which all our fathers believed until death and gave to us as an inheritance, and which now we are forbidden by the pope and the emperor to discuss lest there be no end of debate.

I ask you, Martin—answer candidly and without horns—do you or do you not repudiate your books and the errors which they contain?

Luther had his response:

Since then Your Majesty and your lordships desire a simple reply, I will answer without horns and without teeth. Unless I am convicted by Scripture and plain reason—I do not accept the authority of popes and councils, for they have contradicted each other—my conscience is captive to the Word of God.

I cannot and I will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. God help me. Amen.

(Quotations from Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther by Roland Bainton. Paragraphing added.)

* * *

For more on the outcome of the Diet of Worms, see the Wikipedia article.

For more on Luther's life and labors, see John Piper's biographical message on him or buy the book."

Atonement Follow-up

A few weeks ago in class we discussed how some in our day are promoting a diminished (or even antagonistic) view of Christ's atonement for us on the Cross, virtually dismissing the idea of Christ's penal substitutionary atonement. For more on this, read this good article by Mark Dever in Christianity Today.

Also, below are good words by Kevin DeYoung addressing the same issue. Note the reference to Leviticus, which we are reading now in class.

Tony Jones wrote today about "Why Jesus Died." Here's his conclusion, which grieves me deeply:

Some people today may find it compelling that some Great Cosmic Transaction took place on that day 1,980 years ago, that God's wrath burned against his son instead of against me. I find that version of atonement theory neither intellectually compelling, spiritually compelling, nor in keeping with the biblical narrative.

Instead, Jesus death offers life because in Christianity, and in Christianity alone, the God and Creator of the universe deigned to become human, to be tempted, to reach out to those who had been de-humanized and restore their humanity, and ultimately to die in solidarity with every one of us. Yes, he was a sacrifice. Yes, he was "sinless." But thank God, Jesus was also human.

The hope he offers is that, by dying on that cross, the eternal Trinity became forever bound to my humanity. The God of the universe identified with me, and I have the opportunity to identify with him.

Today, and every day, I hang with him on that cross.

What can we say in response to this?

Leviticus 16:20-22 "And when he has made an end of atonement for the Holy Place and the tend of meeting and the altar, he shall present the live goat. And Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the people of Israel, and all their transgressions, all their sins. And he shall put them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is in readiness. The goat shall bear all their iniquities on itself to a remote area, and he shall let the goat go free in the wilderness."

Isaiah 53:4-6 "Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned--every one--to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all."

Mark 10:45 "For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Hebrews 2:14-17 "Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people."

Praise God that he sent his Son not just to share in our weaknesses, but to bear our iniquities. Praise God that the Suffering Servant was not just wounded for our identification, but for our transgressions. Praise God that the Son of Man came not just be a restoration of our humanity, but a ransom for our sin. Praise God that our perfect Brother shared not just in our humanity, but shared in our humanity that he might become a high priest in the service of God, a high priest who offered himself once for all as our eternal redemption. Because without the shedding of blood Jesus could have still been human, but without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin."

Praying for Our Teens and the People of Matamoros

Below is a short video that gives an overview of the type work our young people will do on their trip to Mexico and also shows the Gateway facility where they will stay. Take note of the discussion of the needs of the people of Matamoros which can help us to pray specifically for God to work through our kids to meet these needs and for the Gospel to change lives!

Matamoros, Mexico - Edge Short-Term Mission Trips from Adventures In Missions on Vimeo.

In Christ Alone

IMHO, the song "In Christ Alone" by Getty and Townend is one of the best modern-era hymns because of its clear proclaiming of what was accomplished for us by the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. See this beautiful vocal and piano version of this song, and the lyrics below.




In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light my strength my song
This Cornerstone, this solid Ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled when strivings cease!
My Comforter my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand

In Christ alone! - who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This Gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
Till on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied -For every sin on Him was laid:
Here in the death of Christ I live

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine -
Bought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt in life no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life's first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
Till he returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand!

It Really Happened

"If Jesus rose from the dead, then you have to accept all that he said; if he didn't rise from the dead, then why worry about any of what he said? The issue on which everything hangs is not whether or not you like his teaching but whether or not he rose from the dead."
— Timothy Keller (The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism

Here are a good set of posts by Michael Patton summarizing the primary "internal" and "external" evidence for the resurrection.

internal evidence - within the biblical texts themselves:

• Honesty
• Irrelevant Details
• Harmony
• Public Extraordinary Claims
• Lack of Motivation for Fabrication

external evidence - support from outside the biblical texts:

• Preservation of the Documents
• Archeology
• Extra-biblical Attestation
• Survival in a Hostile Environment

HT: Between Two Worlds

God's Love on Good Friday

Kevin DeYoung:
(Bold italics mine)

"If we try to rescue the love of God by diminishing the wrath of God we will end up diminishing the very love we were trying to rescue. The cross demonstrates the love of God not because it speaks to our great worth, but because, in electing grace, it turns away God’s just wrath.

If God simply kept us from being estranged and delivered us from possible peril, then we would surely feel something of God’s mercy. But the Bible demands that we imagine a different scenario, leading a richer experience of God’s love Calvin explains:

Suppose [a man] learns, as Scripture teaches, that he was estranged from God through sin, is an heir of wrath, subject to the curse of eternal death, excluded from all hope of salvation, beyond every blessing of God, the slave of Satan, captive under the yoke of sin, destined finally for a dreadful destruction and already involved in it; and that at this point Christ interceded as his advocate, took upon himself and suffered the punishment that, from God’s righteous judgment, threatened all sinners; that he purged with his blood those evils which had rendered sinners hateful to God; that by this expiation he made satisfaction and sacrifice duly to God the Father; that as intercessor he has appeased God’s wrath; that on this foundation rests the peace of God with men; that by this bond his benevolence is maintained toward them. Will the man not then be even more moved by all these things which so vividly portray the greatness of the calamity from which he has been rescued? (Inst. II.xvi.2)

Divine mercy without divine wrath is meaningless. We have been rescued from much, forgiven for everything, and saved unto infinitely more than we deserve. “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10).