Mono No Aware

Band: Hammock

Righteousness Cannot Be Mixed

Apostle Paul:

"For our sake [God] made [Jesus] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in [Jesus] we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Corinthians 5:21

Robert Traill:

"If a man trusts to his own righteousness, he rejects Christ's; if he trusts to Christ's righteousness, he rejects his own." Justification Vindicated, 70.

The Most Damning Sin

17th century Scottish Presbyterian Robert Traill:

"...unbelief is the most provoking to God and the most damning to man of all sins." Justification Vindicated, 28.

This means that whatever horrendous sin that you have committed that haunts you is not close to the damning sin of not believing what God has done in Jesus. Jesus came to die for sinners that are haunted by their sins.

What must you do then? Quit sinning? No, first, believe in Jesus and you will be saved.

The most damning sin is removed, not by ceasing to sin, but by trusting Jesus who saves sinners. Faith in the Savior brings the favor of God and eternal life.

Christianity is About Everything

Anthony Hoekema:

"Being a citizen of the kingdom, therefore, means that we should see all of life and all of reality in the light of the goal of the redemption of the cosmos. This implies, as Abraham Kuyper once said, that there is not a thumb-breadth of the universe about which Christ does not say, 'It is mine.' This implies a Christian philosophy of history: all of history must be seen as the working out of God's eternal purpose. This kingdom vision includes a Christian philosophy of culture: art and science reflect the glory of God and are therefore to be pursued for his praise. It also includes a Christian view of vocation: all callings are from God, and all that we do in everyday life is to be done to God's praise, whther this be study, teaching, preaching, business, industry, or housework." The Bible and the Future, 54.

This means that everything matters. Christianity is not about one corner of spirituality in your life at the exclusion of the other things you do and are. The work of Jesus has implications upon everything, that is, every-single-thing. If all is to be be done for the glory of God, which the Bible declares that it so clearly is (1 Cor. 10:31), than every part of life becomes packed with meaning, becuase every part of life becomes an event of worship.

How to Come to Jesus

Jonathan Edwards:

"If ever you truly come to Christ, you must see that there is enough in him for your pardon, though you be no better than you are. If you see not the sufficiency of Christ to pardon you, without any righteousness of your own to recommend you, you never will come so as to be accepted of him. The way to be accepted is to come--not on any such encouragement, that now you have made yourselves better, and more worthy, or not so unworthy, but--on the mere encouragement of Christ's worthiness, and God's mercy." "Pardon for the Greatest of Sinners," in The Works of Jonathan Edwards, Vol. 2, 113.

My Earth Day Post

The apostle Paul in Romans 8:19 writes:

"For the anxious longing of the creation awaits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God."

Creation is good. The earth is good. It is so because it was created by God. However, the earth, Romans 8 tells us, has been "subjected to futility" by God. It is enslaved with corruption. It has been cursed because the sin of the first man, Adam (Gen. 3:17). Therefore the earth is "groaning" and suffering "the pains of childbirth" (Ro. 8:22), yet is does so "in hope" (Ro. 8:20).

The subjection of the earth is not unto futility forever. It was subjected by God "in hope." Hope is carrying the whole cosmos, because one Day it will be free from corruption and decay. The earth is longing for that Day.

Therefore today isn't really earth day. There is a much better one coming.

The earth, in fact all of creation, as commentator Douglas Moo points out, is "craning" its "neck to see what is coming" (The Epistle to the Romans, 513). The earth, as it were, holds it breath in eager expectation and "anxious longing" for the revealing of God's sons (Ro. 8:19). When the sons of God are revealed the earth will be transformed and renewed. What was distorted and damaged and destroyed because of the sin of humankind and the judgment of God against that sin will be renewed and restored and redeemed. This Day that is coming is the Day when God's sons will be revealed.

Who are these sons? They are those whose condemnation because of sin has been removed because they are "in Christ" (Ro. 8:1). They are those who are trusting Jesus, and thus have the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of God, dwelling within them (Ro. 8:9). Sons of God is not a general term for all humanity. The sons of God are those who trust the Son of God, who was God incarnate--Jesus--who died for sinners. The creation, the earth, awaits the day when God restores the "glory of the children of God." On this coming Day God will fully conform those who are trusting Jesus, the Son of God, into the very "image of [God's] Son," Jesus (Ro. 8:29).

On this Day, the glory will be restored and the curse will be removed and sin will be banished from all creation. The creation will then experience the glory that it has hoped for. Groaning will be gone. God will renew and remake creation into the new heavens and the new earth where righteousness dwells.

Earth Day rather then simply a human striving to making the earth better (which of course is a very good thing) should be done in the hope of the Day that God transforms creation and reveals His sons. Therefore humanity, especially those who are the sons of God--that claim a relationship with Jesus--should treat the earth well and seek its restoration. However it will not be human striving that ever fulfills the longing and the glory of the earth.

It will be God, the One who subjected the earth to futility in hope of the revealing of the sons of God and the renewal of all creation that follows. This earth day is a day of expectation for a much more glorious Day to come.

What Holy People Think About Themselves

JI Packer:

"Holy people glory, not in their holiness, but in Christ's cross; for the holiest of saint is never more than a justified sinner and never sees himself in any other way." Keep in Step with the Spirit, 105

The Imagination of New American Religions is the Same

Mary Farrell Bednarowski closes out her survey of new American religions (Mormonism, New Age, Theosophy, Christian Science, Scientology, and the Unification "church") in this way:

"Altogether the new religions claim in various ways that to admit sinful actions and intentions without going so far as to admit a sinful nature is an acknowledgment more in keeping with the human task on earth and with human experience than to claim helplessnes in the face of sin and total dependence on God's mercy for deliverance...For the new religions, as we have seen, the denial of original sin or, in the case of Unificationism, at least the helplessness associated with it becomes a means to affirm human freedom and even human necessity--if we need God, God also needs us. And it has led to that universally strong insistence noted in chapter three that we must save ourselves and the planet, and, perhaps, even God...In regard to the grace-works polarity, there is almost no tension at all. 'Works' and responsibiliy will save us." New Religions and the Theological Imagination in America, 138-139.

The imagination of new American religions is pretty much the same 'ole thing of most religions. The theological imagination, not only of America, but of humanity always invents self-help religion.

The beauty and uniqueness of authentic Christianity is that Jesus came to save sinners. Works and responsibility will not save humanity. God does not need us, yet He chose to reveal Himself and enter into the world incarnated in the flesh in the person of Jesus and die on the cross for sinners who cannot help themselves. Jesus died for the ungodly. He did not come to call the righteous but sinners. Total dependence upon the mercy of Jesus is the faith apart from works that brings salvation. There is no other name under heaven by which humanity can be saved.

This is good news for bad people.

God Humiliated and Defeated Satan at the Cross of Jesus

Colossians 2:15:

"God disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in Jesus."

Thomas Schreiner:

"Christ's work on the cross not only broke the power of sin but also spelled the defeat of evil and demonic powers....[God] publicly exposed them and humiliated them....The triumphal procession was a ceremonial parade through the streets of Rome in which some captive leaders and their wares were displayed. The march concluded with the execution of those conquered...The powers have lost their authority due to the cross of Christ. They have been stripped, humiliated, and led to execution. They no longer exercise any control over those in Christ. In context Christ's triumph over evil powers is linked with forgiveness of sins, indicating that in receiving the forgiveness of sins believers have received everything that they need." New Testament Theology, 271.

The Maundy Thursday Meal

Today is the day before Good Friday. Traditionally it is called Maundy Thursday and a day in which things like the Passover and Lord's Supper are reflected upon. The night which Jesus was betrayed, the night He was given over to death, is commemorated on Maundy Thursday.

On a day like today the disciples of Jesus were preparing a Passover meal for Jesus to eat not realizing that in fact it was Jesus who would be giving the meal (Mark 14:14, 23). One could say that Jesus was the meal.

The Passover lamb of the Exodus was pointing toward this very night where Jesus showed Himself as the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. The disciples were ready to reflect upon a day long ago when the Israelites were delievered from Egypt and God rescued His people and did not kill the firstborn son's of those who had the Lamb's blood on the doorposts, but Jesus was preparing them to reflect upon God's passing over of their sins through the death of God's Son, Jesus.

In many ways, it's on odd day to have a meal, but that's what Jesus did. The meal of bread and wine, Jesus' body and blood. One violent and odd dinner.

It's as if Jesus is saying that what happens tomorrow is meant to bring you life, joy, nourishment, and celebration like a meal with friends, and of course it is. Good Friday is not oxymoronic.

The killing of the Lamb of God for sinners removes the wrath of God toward sinners and fills sinners with the favor of God and fellowship with God for all those who in faith receive the meal Jesus offers....which of course is His very Self.

The meal before Jesus death on Maundy Thursday that commemorates the killing of Jesus on Good Friday is the meal that brings eternal life.