A study of Song of Songs 5

 

Throughout the centuries there has been much debate over Song of Songs. Whether this piece of literature should be understood as simply literal or if there is a deeper meaning pointing to the relationship between Christ and His church.  As we study Song of Songs chapter 5, I am convinced that there is benefit in using both hermeneutics.  Chapter 5 is unique among the other chapters of this book, because it describes the first major disagreement between the two lovers.[1]  Song of Songs 4:1-5:1 is about the wedding and their first night together.  Chapter 5:2 is now a different scene, and what we find is the wife asleep in bed.  However, she still has a level of consciousness probably directed towards her husband—“I was asleep but my heart was awake” (Song 5:2).  Solomon then comes home in a way that seems to surprise his new wife.  This concept is realized in verse 2 where he says, “open to me, my sister, my bride”.  John Macarthur says regarding this passage, “It appears that Solomon returned home earlier than expected and wanted to give his bride a romantic surprise”.[2]  Everything about this scene, so far, is romantic and perfectly showing the wonderful workings of marriage.  That is until Solomon’s wife replies, saying, “I have taken off my dress, how can I put it on again? I have washed my feet, how can I dirty them again?” (Song 5:3).  Her response then causes Solomon to leave the house and disappear into the night.  The feeling that Solomon had which lead him to leave is not known from the text.  The only thing that is communicated to us is the fact that Solomon had “turned away and had gone” (Song 5:6).  The focus so far seems to be on Solomon’s wife, and for the rest of the chapter she is the character that we as readers follow.   After Solomon’s departure, the bride regrets reposing at his invitation, and she then goes on a search for him.  Song of Songs 5:6 says, “… I searched for him but I did not find him”.  In her searching the watchmen find her wandering the streets.  According to verse 7, the watchmen rough her up.   This is definitely a possibility, considering that it was dark out and she would have had unfamiliar features, because she was a Shulamite (Song 6:13).  Her experience was very different with the watchmen than what she encountered in her dream in chapter three.  According to Song of Songs 3:1-4, she dreamt of searching for her beloved in the city and when the watchmen had found her they were unusually helpful.  Quite contrary to what actually took place in chapter five.  Finally, in verse 8 she comes across some women.  It is important to note that when she meets these “daughters of Jerusalem”, she doesn’t complain about the guards (Song 5:8).  Rather, she says to them: “for I am lovesick” (Song 5:8).  Apparently finding her husband was of greater concern than the cruelty of the watchmen. 

Looking closely at this song, one can almost feel the regret she had for not responding to Solomon’s romantic wooing.  And one gets a real sense of the desperation she clearly felt as she searched for her husband in the night.  There is another way to study this passage.  That is to look at it as allegorical.  I am convinced that it would be edifying to study this passage as it relates to Christ and His church.  I want you, dear Christian, to think about the times in your life when you were lethargic in your walk with Christ.  There are many things in this fallen world that beckons us to take our eyes off of Christ.  Indeed there are times for us all when our love and zeal for the Lord cools down.  Oh what a joy to know that even if “we are faithless, He remains faithful” (1Tim. 2:13).  Those whom God has truly saved, He does not let go—Jesus said, “ I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand” (John 10:28). 

Notice in verse 2 it says, “open to me, my sister, my darling”.  This is a beautiful picture of Christ’s faithfulness and compassion.  When we become stagnant in our faith, God does not abandon us.  He comes in love and His words for us are tender.  Also notice in verse 2, that her “heart was awake”.  When we as Christians are not seeking Christ, our hearts become restless.  Think about your life, about the times when you are preoccupied with the things of this world.  Does this not ring true for you? That your heart still desires Him.  You know that He alone satisfies.  If a person can continue in sin, and never seek the Lord, and not feel any remorse than they ought to examine themselves as the Apostle Paul says, to see if they are “in the faith” (2Cor. 13:5).  Once a person is born-again, only Jesus can satisfy their hearts.

There is a lesson to be learnt from the bride’s response to her husband’s romantic call.  As we have already looked at, she makes excuses and remains in bed.  Matthew Henry says regarding verse 3, “frivolous excuses are the language of a controlling laziness in matters of religious faith; Christ calls us to open up our lives to him, but we pretend we do not have the inclination, or the strength, or the time.”[3]  Solomon then “extends his hand through the opening” (Song 5:4).  Immediately after this, her feelings were “aroused for him” (Song 5:4).  Isn’t it amazing that while we are in the midst of our negligence of cultivating our relationship with God, the Holy Spirit can shine in “our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ” (2Cor. 4:6).  This amazing enlightening work of the Holy Spirit captivates the affections of our heart and gives us all the motivation we need for Christian living.  This is what we find in the text.  Her feelings “were aroused for him” (Song. 5:4).  Immediately after verse 4, she gets out of bed to go to Solomon.  As we know, Solomon had already turned away from the door.  Verse 6 says, “I opened to my beloved, but my beloved had turned away and had gone! My heart went out to him as he spoke”.  Henry says of this verse, “She did not open up to him at his first knock, and now she came too late.  Christ wants to be sought while he may be found (Isa 55:6); if we let the opportunity pass, we may miss our means of access.  Christ justly rebukes our delays and suspends his provision of assurance to those who are careless”.[4]  What shall the Christian do while in this state?  The answer lies in verses 10-16. 

While regretting her foolishness, the bride focuses on her husband’s attributes.  She remembers his character.  Peter exhorts us saying, “prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1Peter 1:13).  We ought to think upon Christ; His grace, His promises, and His beauty—just like the bride exults her husband.  This perfectly depicts the heart of a regenerated sinner.  The driving force behind true Christian faith, is that one may gain Christ.  Surely the Christian is not without sin, but their heart is made new; and only the riches of Jesus Christ can satisfy them.  I wonder if you Christian have ever found yourself in a state of depleted vitality in your faith, and then by the work of God you remember how Christ had so delighted your heart in the past when you were more diligent in seeking Him. 

The church can certainly relate to the bride in this passage of scripture.  May we as Christians listen and obey Christ when He speaks to our hearts.  My prayer is that we will not find ourselves filled with regret at not heeding His tender calling.  Praise God for His tender mercy, and how He treats us with love.

                                                                   Bibliography

Macarthur, John. The Macarthur Bible Commentary. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc. 2005

Henry, Matthew. The New Matthew Henry Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan 2010

---

[1] John Macarthur, The Macarthur Bible Commentary (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc. 2005), 749

[2] John Macarthur, The Macarthur Bible Commentary (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc. 2005), 749

[3] Matthew Henry, THE NEW MATTHEW HENRY COMMENTARY (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan 2010), 948

[4]  Matthew Henry, THE NEW MATTHEW HENRY COMMENTARY (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan 2010), 949

Following Jesus

                   There are hundreds of religious figures throughout history, coming from all nations.  By far, the most influential person who has lived is Jesus Christ.  Jesus’s ministry only lasted a few short years, and yet He has impacted the world in a massive way.  Jesus claimed to be God, and said to lose one’s own life for Him would be better than gaining the whole world and rejecting Him.  Most people are certainly not willing to give up even a small percentage of their life to Him, yet He said, we must give be willing to lose even our lives for Him.  People must either accept Jesus as the God of all creation or another fool.  C.S. Lewis wrote, “A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher.  He would either be a lunatic—on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of Hell” (Lewis 1959, 52).  If He is to be accepted as what He claimed to be—God of the universe and Savior of all mankind, then everyone ought to listen to what He said and obey Him.  To come to Jesus, one must be willing to lose everything on earth, to gain eternal life and even God Himself; but if one does not obey Jesus, then the consequence is experiencing God’s wrath eternally.

            Jesus has made it very clear as to what He requires of His followers.  Jesus wants people to love Him more than anything else in life.  All obedience to Christ comes from delighting in Jesus as the greatest treasure (John 14:21 NASB).  Jesus said, “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26).  Our love for the Lord Jesus should be so much greater than our love for anyone else, that it should seem like we hate anyone else in comparison.  “By adding ‘more than me’, it is plain that he permits us to love, but not more than we love Him” (Just 2003, 240). 

            Jesus also said that we must go to war against personal sins (Mark 9:43-47).  Fighting and hating sin flows from love for God.  This battle is essential if someone wants to follow Christ; because Jesus said, “If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go in hell” (Matt. 5:30). 

            There is indeed a cost for following Christ.  Jesus said, “For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it?” (Luke 14:28).  If somebody wants to be a follower of Christ, they have to give their entire life over to God—this is a “death to self”.  “He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal” (John 12:25).  A “death to self” is absolutely necessary, and it will only happen when a person becomes so overwhelmed by God’s glory that everything else fades in comparison.  Following Jesus is only for someone “who is ready to go contrary to his natural inclinations and desires in his life here on earth, to wound, grieve, deny, crucify, mortify self in repentance and sanctification” (Lenski 1942, 864).

            Something else that goes along with following Christ is persecution.  If someone wants to follow Jesus, then they must be willing to receive persecution that comes in many forms—it is inevitable.  Jesus told His disciples, “If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:20).  So following Jesus means one could potentially lose everything in life (money, status, relationships etc.) and even become murdered.

            The cost of following Jesus may be considered great, but the cost of not following Jesus is infinitely greater.  Although losing everything that is considered valuable is hard, and getting tortured and killed is a terrifying thought, it is not nearly as horrible as coming “face to face” with a wrathful God.  Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, “They must not fear men.  Men can do them no harm, for the power of men ceases with the death of the body.  But they must overcome the fear of death with the fear of God.  The danger lies not in the judgment of men, but in the judgment of God, not in the death of the body but in the eternal destruction of body and soul” (Bonhoeffer 1959, 218).  The damnation that happens as a result of turning down the grace of God is massive.  Jesus said of Judas (the one who betrayed Christ), “It would be good for that man if he had not been born” (Mark 14:21).  To die without Christ means, one must then experience the eternal wrath of God.  Jesus said, speaking of unbelievers, “Depart from me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matt. 25:41).  Jesus compares God’s wrath with fire, probably because fire inflicts extraordinary pain; but this fire goes on forever without end. 

            The biggest cost of rejecting the Savior is not just experiencing His wrath.  The worst part of not following Jesus is missing out on the greatest blessing of the gospel—gaining God.  To stand before Jesus Christ when He is in all His splendor and glory, with His holy angels, and hear Him say “depart from me”, would be worse than anything.  Knowing that God is the most beautiful, majestic, glorious and amazing being; and to not spend eternity with Him would be more painful than anything else.  John Piper wrote, “The best and final gift of the gospel is that we gain Christ” (Piper 2005, 11).

            Jesus has made it very clear as to what a person needs to do to be His follower, and that there will be a cost.  If people truly “count the cost”, then they would realize that the cost of following Christ is very small compared to what has to be paid apart from Christ.  “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18).  Following Jesus is either a fool’s way, or the most magnificent adventure that could ever happen or be imagined.

REFERENCE LIST

Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. 1959. The cost of Discipleship. New York, NY: Rockefeller Center.

Just, Arthur J. 2003. Ancient Christian Commentary on Scrpiture: Volume 3 Luke.                       Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.    

Lenski, R.C. 1942. The Interpretation of ST. John’s Gospel. Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg                     Publishing House.  

Lewis, C.S. 1952. Mere Christianity. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers.

Piper, John. 2005. God is the Gospel. Wheaton, IL: Crossway books.

Psalm 97

             Psalm 97 starts out with a declaration, “The Lord reigns…” (v. 1).  This is the theme of Psalm 97.  This particular Psalm is an Enthronement Psalm, and so it is about the Lord’s power, dominion, and glory.  It is similar to Psalm 96, because they both are about God’s rule, and praising Him. Psalm 97 is in correspondence with Psalms 93, 95-99.  These Psalms all declare that the Lord reigns. These Psalms all act as an answer to the question that arose in Psalm 89—namely, does the Lord reign?  The reason why this question was asked is because of the seemingly failed Davidic Covenant.  Jerusalem was trampled underfoot in 587BC.  So the question comes out: does the Lord reign?

 The first six verses are devoted to this fact: The Lord reigns!  Verse two states, “[c]louds and thick darkness surround Him”.  The Hebrew word for darkness here is Araphel.  It means gloom, and often symbolizes the ignorance of sinful men.  The fact that clouds and thick darkness surround God means that we cannot comprehend all of who God is.  We are not able to understand fully His ways.  However, one thing is sure—“Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne” (v. 2).   We can take comfort in the fact that everything God does is good; and righteous; and just. 

For the Lord to have absolute sovereignty and power means that nothing in all creation can stand against Him. His adversaries will not be able endure the fire that comes from the presence of God (v. 3).  If Satan, demons, and the entire created host that dares to overthrow the throne of God encounters the fire of the Lord’s wrath, they will be burnt up.  God has absolute power over every single one of His enemies.  In verse five it says, “[t]he mountains melted like wax at the presence of the Lord”.  If even the mountains, as immovable and massive as they are, melt before God, then what hope does a man have who stubbornly makes a stand against the authority of God.

The fact that the Lord reigns does not just mean dread for the ungodly, it is also a reason to praise Him. There is another theme in Psalm 97, and it has to do with our response to God’s reign.  Verse one says, “let the earth rejoice; Let the many islands be glad”.  God’s sovereignty is the grounds of the command for the whole earth to rejoice and be glad.  The theme of rejoicing and gladness is also found in verses 8, 11, and 12.  The first command to rejoice and be glad found in verse one, is addressed to all the nations.  In all times, in every place, whether Jew or Gentile, everyone is commanded to rejoice and be glad in the Lord.  The Lord’s reign is the reason to rejoice, because everything we have in life is a gift that flows from His limitless power, and His gracious hand.  Verses 2-6 explain God’s power and dominion—which is the grounds for rejoicing.  

In verse seven, immediately after mentioning the Lord’s glory, the psalmist addresses the idols and false gods of gentile nations.  Verse seven says, “[l]et all those be ashamed who serve graven images, who boast themselves of idols”.  In light of how powerful and amazing Yahweh is, people who worship idols ought to be ashamed.  God is so omnipotent that the psalmist even says, “[w]orship Him, all you gods” (v. 7).  God is far greater than anything, and He triumphs over everything that is set up to be a god.  A good example of God’s power over lesser gods is found in 1 Samuel 5:1-4.  The Philistines capture the ark of God and place it beside their statue of Dagon.  The next morning they found that “Dagon had fallen on his face before the ark of the Lord” (1 Samuel 5:3).  So they put the statue of Dagon back in its place. The next morning, Dagon had once again fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord, but this time the “head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off” (1 Samuel 5:4).  Yahweh is indeed mightier than any so called god.  I wonder if there is anything in our lives that we are exalting above God.  We ought to examine ourselves to see if there are any idols in our lives.  Is there is anything that is capturing the affections of our hearts more than Jesus Christ? 

            In verse eight the psalmist turns the reader’s attention to the relationship between God and His covenant people.  During the time this Psalm was written it certainly referred to the Israelites that had faith in their God.  Now this timeless Psalm can be applied to anyone that has faith in Jesus Christ.  Verse nine again declares God’s sovereignty.  Then in verse ten we “who love the Lord” are exhorted to “[hate] evil”.  If we love God then we are going to hate the things that God hates.  God hates evil, so naturally we will grow in our hatred of evil as we grow in our love for the Lord.  Growing in our hatred of sin is a part of sanctification.  However, this is no easy task, because there are sinful desires that come from inside of us and “wage war against our soul” (1 Peter 2:11).  Praise the Lord that He “preserves the souls of His godly ones” (v. 10).  Finally this Psalm ends with the psalmist commanding us to “give thanks to His holy name” (v. 12).  As people redeemed by God, we have so much to be thankful for.  If we were to die without Christ then we would lose everything.  We would be eternally separated from the most beautiful, glorious, and powerful being; and we would miss out on the amazing adventure of eternal life.  Praise God for His salvation!

           

           

Thoughts inspired by 2 Timothy 2:4

World War 2 was a horrific event filled with countless bloodshed, horrific suffering, and courage that is utterly unheard of in “peaceful” North America.  To be a soldier fighting on the ally’s side was a great honour, and it demanded a lot of courage and perseverance.  The soldier was constantly faced with the threat of death, and the potential doom of losing his beloved homeland.  Bombs were always heard and sometimes it was so deafening that their ears would ring racked with pain.  The stench of blood was the aroma that filled their nostrils when they awoke, and when they succumbed to sleep.  Witnessing friends dying horrible deaths was a regular part of their day.  Always alert, hardly sleeping, hungry, dirty, they fought on with the memories of their family and country to motivate them.

   Now picture this: a soldier under these circumstances in the trenches playing with a Gameboy. What is his excuse? Because he just felt like checking out of life for a while.  Pretty ridiculous thought isn’t it? I write this sermon to the Christian. To the people redeemed by the precious blood of Christ, “born-again” by the Holy Spirit, who live in “peaceful” North America.  The reason why I painted the picture of the soldier sitting in the trenches during a battle playing video games, is because the reaction that we have pondering that scene is similar to how heaven must feel observing many Christians in North America.  My goal is not to leave you racked with guilt from an indictment, but rather to help open your eyes to the reality of the battle we are engaged in whether we like it or not; and by having your eyes open, your heart may be filled with joy and we may give glory and honour to God. Paul says in 2 Timothy 2:4, “no soldier in active service entangles himself in affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted himself as a soldier.”  Why would the Apostle Paul point out such an obvious fact about soldiers? Or athletes? Or farmers?  It is because Christians are also in a battle, competing for a prize, reaping what we sow. So many Christians become stagnant in their faith. They slowly lose the passion they once had. The affections their heart once had for Jesus slowly diminish. It is sad, and breaks my heart. 

            Have you dear Christian, beloved by God, forgotten about the battle? The thought of a World War 2 soldier sitting in the trenches playing a Gameboy is insane, but the battle that soldier was engaged in does not have as big of consequences as the battle a Christian is thrust into.  The enemies those young men faced were men, but the enemies we as Christians face are devils. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).  The consequences of losing the battle during World War 2 meant missing out on a lovely life on planet earth, but the consequences of losing the invisible battle that has been raging for roughly six-thousand years leads to a suffering more terrifying than anything witnessed under the sun, and it goes on for eternity (Daniel 12:2, Matthew 5:29-30, Matthew 25:31-45, Revelation 14:11); and missing out on eternal life with Jesus Christ on a new glorified earth forever.  The weight of the spiritual battle is much more than World War 2.  Many are laid waste across this continent. They have forgotten about the battle, the Great Commission, the love of Jesus, the glory of God, the blessedness of salvation, and the doom that threatens most people.      

            Do you ever reminisce about past mission trips, or seasons where you “felt” closer to the Lord?  Has the daily grind of life distracted your eyes from Christ?  Has your faith become stagnant by your indulgence of all the entertainment this society offers?  Mission trips have a way of filling us with a sense of purpose. The team of Christians will usually unite themselves in seeking the Lord.  The nature of the mission they are on has a way of awakening the Christian’s senses to reality. To the reality of our Commission to preach the gospel, the hope we have in Christ, and the promise God has given us to never leave or forsake us.  If our society is fleeting, if the humans all around us are perishing, than how silly is it that we continually accumulate useless possessions for ourselves, distract our minds and hearts with entertainment.  So many of us are that soldier that sits in the trenches playing a Gameboy while bombs are exploding all around, and comrades screaming for the mother who nursed them as they lay dying.

            Some of you are prone to worry.  Some wonder why their joy level has depleted as they allow the culture to fill them.  Oh Christian! May you fix your “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” (Hebrews 12:2).  It is no wonder that the writer of Hebrews exhorts us to look toward Christ.  He is the captain of our faith.  He is the one who shed His precious blood for our salvation.  He is the one who made all things and holds them together (Colossians 1:16-17).  He is the one who has given us the Great Commission.  The devil would do anything to divert our eyes from beholding Jesus. It is in Him that we find our strength. It is in Him that our hearts are filled with divine love.  If our hearts catch a glimpse of His glory, then the things of this earth will grow strangely dim.  Paul states that the soldier wants to please the one who enlisted him.  May we strive to please Christ.  Only we have it so much better than a regular soldier.  Our captain has already won the war.  He loves you so much. He will never leave you.  He has given you a purpose.  He has given you a hope—He is coming again to take you away to be with Him for all eternity.  God bless you!

Lessons from Corinth

Paul affirms that he did not preach the gospel in a clever way.  He knew that the "god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ"(2Corinthians 4:4).  Paul also understood that no amount of eloquence or intelligent speech would be able to make people into believers.  In 1Thessalonians Paul says, "we never came with flattering speech...".  Why? Because the cross of Christ would be made void (1Corinthians 1:17).
Paul says in 1Corinthians 2:2, "I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.  It is Jesus, who is of Nazareth; a carpenter, who then started ministering to Israel.  It is written of this Jesus: "the blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor" (Isaiah 29:18, Luke 7:22).  Jesus Christ is the center of the gospel, and there is power in the gospel because of Jesus.  This message of salvation is ridiculous to the natural mind.  "For indeed", Paul says, "Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified" (1Corinthians 1:22-23).  This Jesus was indeed a stumbling block for the jews.  It says in Luke 23:35, "even the rulers were sneering at Him, saying, 'He saved others; let Him save Himself if this is the Christ of God, His chosen One".  The jews had their own idea about who the messiah should be, and what he should do, so they tested the Lord in their unbelief.  As for the greek mind, salvation coming from someone punished as a criminal in unthinkable.  Greek philosophy, such as: Stoicism and Epicureanism, make it very difficult that salvation can only be attained through something other than self; and the suffering Christ contradicts their idea of "reality".
Whether jew or greek, it doesn't matter; because when a person hears of this Jesus hanging on a cross for sinful man, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, they catch a glimpse of who Jesus is, it changes everything.  When God shines in our hearts to give "the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ", then the gospel not only becomes believable, but it becomes a message so amazing, so beautiful, so glorious that we would be willing to forsake everything for this Jesus who was nailed to a cross (2Corinthians 4:6).  That is why Paul "determined to know nothing [among the corinthians] except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified"(2Corinthians 2:2. If we try to make the sound eloquent, or if we depend on superior speech to make the gospel believable-- appealing to carnal minds, then the cross of Christ would be made void, and we strip the gospel of its power.
This message we have-- God's message, the gospel, or good news, is not another message concieved in a man's mind.  If anyone believes this message-- truly believes, "it is a demonstration of Spirit and of power" (2Corinthians 2:4).  The greek word for demonstration is "apodeixes".  This word is only found here in the New Testament.  One writer said concerning this word: "the word 'apodeixes' indicates a clearness which is produced in the hearer's mind, as by the sudden lifting of a veil; a conviction mastering him with the sovereign force of moral evidence. Such conviction comes only from the Spirit who works on our hearts in power".  When the gospel is preached and a person truly puts their faith in Jesus Christ, we see a manifestation of the spiritual realm.  We see the result of the Spirit of God "convicting"... "concerning sin and righteousness and judgement" (John 16:8).  We see the result of God's most loving and gracious display of His power.  Look now at 2Corinthians 4:6.  Here there is a quote from Genesis: "Light shall shine out of darkness".  When God first shone light, He just had to say it. In fact everything that God created, He just spoke it into existence.  But for God to shine the "light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ" in our hearts, this took the death of the Son of God. This required of the Lord to walk three decades on the very earth that He so easily created, and it also required that He be put to death on a cross in the sight of all beings.
Believing the gospel, or "being born again" are simultaneous at conversion; and it can only happen by God's power through the Holy Spirit. All of this is accomplished by Christ's death and resurrection...

... so lets exult Jesus Christ! Praise be to God

SCRIPTURE: GOD’S PROVISION FOR SPIRITUAL GROWTH

The Bible is a very controversial subject in our “post-modern” society.  The only way one would believe the Bible is if they believed the one who wrote it—God, “for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God”(2Peter 1:21 NASB).  As Christians we accept the Bible as true, because we believe God is true.  Believing the Bible is one thing, and believing it is necessary for our spiritual growth is another.  So is the Bible essential for our sanctification?  The Bible is absolutely essential for our spiritual growth, because it reveal critical truths that cause our hearts to “run” to God and be satisfied with Him.

So just how important is the Bible for our spirituality?  Well the Lord says through the prophet Hosea: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge”(Hosea 4:6)  This knowledge that Israel was lacking was knowledge on the word of God.  Lloyd J. Ogilvie writes in his commentary on Hosea 4:6, “We are not destroyed by a lack of education, but rather by a lack of in-depth study of the scriptures” (Ogilvie 1990, 67).  For Israel, their ignorance led to destruction during that time.  In the same way scripture is absolutely essential for us if we hope to stay faithful to God.  To neglect reading God’s word is just as detrimental to our souls as neglecting food to our bodies (Grudem 1994, 118).

The scriptures reveal insight on who we are in relation to God.  This is important because we are called to confess our sins daily and to live Godly lives (Luke 11:1-4, Titus 2:11-12).  It is only the word of God that can penetrate our false image of ourselves and show us the truth.  The author of Hebrews wrote, “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword … and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).  When we saturate ourselves with God’s word, we allow the Holy Spirit to bring us conviction.  William R. Newell wrote concerning the word of God, “we have known people, suddenly arrested in their deepest being by reading a verse of scripture.  The thoughts, and necessarily, the intents of the heart, they found discerned, and themselves the object of an infinite Intelligence, but yet an Intelligence not like at Sinai, when the glory and power and majesty of God were openly displayed; but in the written word of God, which, being ‘living’ and ‘active’, had pierced them.

The Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 3:16, “All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness”.  In this verse Paul gives us a list of four things that scripture is designed to do, and all these things are necessary for our sanctification.  The scriptures “teach” us what we need to know about salvation, the trinity, eschatology etc.  It is important for us to have the right theology, and know the right doctrines that God has revealed to us in His word.  Jesus said, “True worshippers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth” (John 4:23).  So truth matters if we are to worship God correctly.  The scriptures are profitable for “reproof” as Paul says.  The Bible reveals sin in our lives which leads us to confession and repentance of our sins.  The Bible gives opportunity for us to “correct” our lives, because it shows us how to make our lives right.  Also as Paul says, it is profitable for “training in righteousness”.  That is to say scripture shows us how to keep our lives right.

In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he exhorts them to “put on the full armor of God” (Ephesians 6:11).  The very last piece of the armor of God is the “sword of the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:17); this is the only offensive piece of the armor.  Since it is the only offensive piece, it is no surprise that Paul chose this, because in Ephesians 6:17 he states that it is “the word of God”.  In the same chapter Paul urges believers to put on the armor of God so that we would “be able to stand firm against the schemes of the Devil” (Ephesians 6:11).  The reason why the word of God is chosen as the offensive weapon is because the Devil is “a liar and the Father of lies” (John 8:44).  The only way to combat lies is with the truth; and the word of God is the only truth that will help us eternally.  When we are thoroughly equipped with the scriptures, we are able to expose the lies of Satan that would lead us into sin, and instead believe the truth of God (Spurgeon 1891).

So it is clear that without God’s word, we would not be able to see our sinfulness, live in a way that is pleasing to God, and we not stand a chance against the schemes of Satan.  There is another aspect of the Bible that most people are sadly unaware of.  It is the fact that God’s word has the ability to bring satisfaction to our soul.  John Piper says in one of his sermons, “I love the Bible the way I love my eyes—not because my eyes are lovely, but because without them I can’t see ‘the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ’.  Without the Bible I could not know ‘the unsearchable riches of Christ" (Piper 2004).  Part of growing spiritually is falling more in love with God, and how we do that is by seeing more of the all-satisfying, love and glory of Jesus Christ our savior.  The Bible reveals to us our amazing savior, which brings our hearts joy and satisfaction.  The psalmist proclaims in Psalm 119:103, “How sweet are Your words to my taste!  Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth”.  The psalmist clearly understood that God’s word is a letter of love and grace, and that there are great treasures to be found in it. 

So we should be diligent in reading the scriptures, because it is there that the Holy Spirit can reveal the clearest and ultimately, the most life-changing revelations of our glorious God.  If we neglect God’s word then we neglect our own soul.  There is so much wisdom and truth in the Bible, and in contrast the world has so much lies and foolishness.  Without the Bible we would naturally be swept up in lies and folly. 

REFERENCE LIST

Ogilvie, Lloyd J. 1990. The Communicator’s Commentaries. Dallas, Texas: Word Press.

Newell, William R. 1947. Hebrews verse by verse. Chicago: Moody Press.

Grudem, Wayne. 1994. Systematic Theology. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan.

Spurgeon, C.H. The Sword of the Spirit. 19 April 1891. www.Biblebb.com/files/
            spurgeon/2201.htm (accessed 22 September 2010).

Piper, John. All Scripture is breathed out by God and Profitable. www.desiringgod.org/
            resource-library/sermons/all-scripture-is-breathed-out-by-god-and-profitable
            (accessed 22 September 2010).