Let the Light Shine Through

The Scriptures define a saint differently than most people. We tend to save the label for those we deem as super-spiritual, or for those who have accomplished many good works for God’s Kingdom. If you are Roman Catholic, a person must go through a rigorous examination after they die to become a saint. (Too bad the person is not around to enjoy the elevation.) 

In the Scriptures, the designation of a saint is simple. It means “one who is sanctified or holy.”  Now, before we begin getting our measuring sticks out for the judging contest, let us consider that every one of us—you and me—have sinned and we continually fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) So, our self-appointed halo needs to come off our sense of worthiness and we should cast it at the foot of the Cross. 

A Three-Pipe Problem

Perhaps the most famous detective in history is Sherlock Holmes. He, along with his trusty assistant Dr. Watson, solved many complex cases that would otherwise remained a mystery if not for their investigative savvy.

In the famed story The Red-Headed League, Watson tells Sherlock that the evidence surrounding one of their investigations was very mysterious. Sherlock responds to Watson by telling him, “This is a three-pipe problem. Please sit quietly and do not say anything for fifty minutes.” After taking the time to think about evidence for the time it took to smoke his three pipes, Sherlock was ready to solve the mystery.

Some of the mysteries of the life and the Scriptures qualify as “Three-Pipe Problems.” Our problem is that we live in a one-pipe world; never slowing down enough to sufficiently reflect upon the matters that are necessary to solve the questions of life on a deeply foundational level. The result is that we continue to stumble into the same old failures and tendencies that are the root causes to many of our problems to began with.

A Fresh Look at Matthew’s Gospel

“The men who were tax collectors had no fellowship with other countrymen except fellow tax collectors. They were regarded as puppets to the Roman government, and traitors and heathens to the ordinary Jews. They were viewed as unclean and vile, and the average Jew, especially the religious ones, would not even sit at a meal with them, as sharing a meal was viewed as acceptance into fellowship.

Matthew knew what it felt like to have his own countrymen regard him as the chiefest of sinners. He understood the condemning stares and the rejection from the religious men of his day. And yet, Jesus chose Matthew as a member of his inner circle of followers. This is the same tax collector the Holy Spirit used to record one of the four gospels.

Biblical Meditation

Biblical meditation is our quiet time with God. This does not mean we must always be alone in a quiet place to meditate on the Lord and His Word. We can find the quietness of the Holy Spirit’s presence in the midst of the bustle of our day. However, we should seek times of solitude in quiet places to pray and seek the mind of the Lord as a regular practice. This is how meditation is such a vital part of praying in the Spirit. The Lord trains us to pursue His personal direction through waiting, patience and prayer. He slows us down and protects us from making knee-jerk reactions and impulsive decisions.

The proper state of biblical meditation is a pure heart and a spiritual mind, and unlike meditation taught from other religions, it does not focus upon body posture. When we keep our sins confessed up to date, we maintain a pure heart. When we pursue God’s truth and wisdom, we maintain a spiritual mind. From a pure heart and spiritual mind, we can have confidence about the Holy Spirit’s leading because we seek no agenda or purpose but to do God’s will. We also understand that we are created for His purposes and plans. When we maintain a pure heart and walk spiritually minded, we will desire to know and remain faithful to God’s will—not ours.

Does God Still Speak?

Rembrandt

If you want to create a lively-and sometimes ungodly-conversation among believers, ask the simple question, “Does God speak to people today?” It is like tossing a hand grenade into a busy mess hall during boot camp and watching the soldiers rush for the door. Depending upon one’s background and theological bent, the answers will range from ‘of course He still speaks’ to ‘not since the canon of Scriptures has been completed.’ This is a frequent question among young believers, especially in light of the fact they wish to walk free from a dead and lifeless form of Christianity.

Theologians of previous generations must be read carefully, as they were combating errors and heresy unique to their time. This is why we have to be very careful not to ‘over-judge’ the statements from previous generations unless we know with reasonable certainty the layers to the theological battles that raged during their life of ministry. Equally so, we must be careful when using their quotes in our generation, as they may not be bringing out the essential issues we face.

It is easy for us to read famous quotes from writers and theologians and turn them into false dilemmas by using them and presenting an either/or option when more than two options are available. One such case can be illustrated with this quote I ran across some time back while reading puritan writer, John Owen. It is similar to some quotes I’ve read in various systematic theology books that were written during times when the church was battling the dangers of mysticism that is not grounded in sound doctrine.