Key Concepts in Romans 3:24-26

Notes for the Ekklesia Meeting
Sundays @ 10:00 a.m. Info: (651) 283-0568 Discipleship Training Ministries, Inc www.dtminc.org Today’s Date: April 22, 2007


Key Concepts in Romans 3:24-26
by Dan Trygg

This passage of Scripture is "pregnant" with significant words that are very important to grasp in order to get a handle on what the New Testament is teaching. In order to help us, we need to look briefly at the background of these terms, since they are somewhat obscure to us in modern-day English.

1.) Justification -- "being justified" -- This is primarily a "law court term". It was the common
word used to describe being acquitted of a charge in a court case. In the eyes of the law,
and in the eyes of God in this passage, to be "justified" means to be "declared innocent".
It meant that you were viewed and treated as innocent, "just-as-if-I'd-never-sinned",
...whether you really were innocent, or not. The Greek word is a participle form of the
same word as "righteous" or "righteousness", hence "being righteous-i-fied" or "being
made right" would be a good translation. What does this mean? It means that God views
and treats you as a righteous person, not as a sinner.

2.) Freely -- This word is an adverb, describing or modifying the verb, "being justified". How
are we justified? Freely, without cost, as a free gift, for nothing, or without any causal
action on my part -- these are all definitions of the same Greek word.

3.) Grace -- "by His grace" -- This phrase tells us where the free justification is coming from.
Other options for this word are: "unmerited (unearned by us) favor, graciousness,
good will or generosity". Clearly, the grace or graciousness comes out of the richness
and fullness of His good heart toward us.

4.) Redemption -- Lit., "from ransom" -- This is a term that refers to buying something out of
bondage, indebtedness, or obligation to another by paying a price or ransom. It was used
in the Old Testament for property and the slavery, or bond-service, of Israelites (e.g.,
Leviticus 25:23-34). It was also commonly used in the general Greek culture as a slave
market term for buying a slave out of bondage to another, setting him free by paying the
purchase price to return to his real home and identity.

5.) Propitiation -- This word refers to the just means, methods or place where the release,
removal and satisfaction for sin is made. This word was used in the Greek Septuagint
translation for the "mercy seat", which was the lid that covered the ark of the covenant in
the Holy of Holies. It was upon this mercy seat that blood was sprinkled once a year on
the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) as a satisfying offering to indicate God's acceptance
of the people's worship of the past year (Lev. 16). The blood was also put upon a goat,
which was led out into the wilderness and released, symbolically taking the sin of the
people outside the camp. In the Greek culture, the emphasis of this word was that it
referred to the sacrifice necessary to placate the anger of the gods. Paul's use of the term
here is that God displayed the redemptive payment of Jesus as a satisfactory, just means,
method, and location by which His wrath and judgment against sin could be satisfied and
removed. Jesus became the sacrificial offering to appease and remove wrath, so that
none could question God's justice and integrity. Cf. I Jn. 2:2; 4:10.

What Comes With Justification?

Notes for the Ekklesia Meeting
Sundays @ 10:00 a.m. Info: (651) 283-0568 Discipleship Training Ministries, Inc www.dtminc.org Today’s Date: April 22, 2007

What Comes With Justification?
by Dan Trygg

"Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have obtained our access by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us." Romans 5:1-5

The first half of the first verse sets the stage for this entire paragraph, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have…” Paul begins to describe the benefits that accompany the new standing we have before God. The foremost and most important benefit is that now we have peace with God. We were once considered children of wrath by Him, because of our sin (Eph. 2:1-3). Now, because we have claimed the redemption price of the Lamb, Jesus’ death for our sin, we are no longer objects of His wrath. The debt and offense of sin has been removed, so God does not perceive us as enemies any longer. Instead, we are His friends (Jn. 15:13-15), and He actually delights in us, because we have believed that Jesus came from God, and we have chosen to love Him (Jn. 16:26,27). Note that the peace we have with God is “through Jesus Christ”. We haven’t made the peace, Jesus did. Only He was able to offer a sacrifice that was satisfactory and sufficient to purchase peace (propitiation - Rom. 3:25). We have only aligned ourselves with Him, and have accepted Him as our Peace (Eph. 2:11-18).

By means of Jesus, and His sacrifice, we now have access to grace, and even to God the Father. Before, we did not. We were excluded from God’s presence and had no hope of finding acceptance with Him. Through Jesus, all people, whether Jews or Gentiles, can have access to the Father (Eph. 2:11-18). What does this mean? This word picture is taken from the royal court of most kings of that time. You could not just come to visit the king. Most people were never permitted into the king’s royal throne room. Only a matter of supreme importance to the interests of the king or the country would warrant being granted an audience with him. Kings were people of great power, so their time was very valuable. Their time and attention was preciously guarded. In the book of Esther, for anyone to come into the king’s presence without being invited was punishable by death, unless the king chose to spare you by lifting his scepter toward you. Even Esther the queen was afraid of entering into his chamber without being called for, because she was afraid that he might not acknowledge her (Est. 4:11), his own wife! With that background, we can appreciate better what Paul is saying here. In Christ, we have free access to the King of the Universe! He will always welcome and acknowledge us, and even be favorably inclined toward us, because of Jesus. Proverbs 3:32 tells us that God is intimate with the upright, and Psalm 25 indicates that He is willing to teach the humble, and even has secret counsel to share with those who revere Him. None of this would be possible if it were not for the sacrifice of Jesus’ life on our behalf. Just as the veil of the temple, which separated the most holy place from the common people, was torn from top to bottom at the time of Jesus’ death (Matt. 27:51), in the same way Jesus opened the heavenly throne room to all of us who trust in Him. By the blood of Jesus, we can come openly and boldly into God’s presence in prayer, knowing with full assurance that He will accept us and hear our concerns (Heb. 10:19-22). Once again, the offering of Jesus’ life was a free gift, an act of grace, which God freely gave to us. By faith we have obtained access to this grace, and it has become ours. The Greek verb tense indicates that the grace has become ours. We didn’t just get it at the point we believed, but we got it and still have it. We obtained it, and it remains ours. We are still covered by grace, and we stand and remain standing in this grace.

The next phrase is kind of interesting, “and we exult in hope of the glory of God”. I don’t know about you, but I don’t use the word, “exult”, very often. The NIV renders it as “rejoice”, but that doesn’t quite grasp the whole meaning, either. The word basically means to “boast”. In a context like this, it also takes on the flavor of joy and delight. In other words, we could translate it as, “we take delight in, and love to talk about, the hope of the glory of God”. What does this mean? Remember, this is the second time the word “glory” occurs in this book. The first time was in 3:23, “…for all have sinned, and lack the glory of God”. This gives us some context for understanding 5:2. What we were lacking, now we have an opportunity to partake of, once again. With justification comes a renewing of the influx of God’s glory into our lives, through the Holy Spirit. This is something to not only get excited about; it is something to crow about, to boast about! It is not something we have done, so we are not boasting in ourselves. We are boasting in God and His incredible salvation. Who else, besides followers of Jesus, actually have the abiding presence of God’s Spirit come to dwell in their hearts to fill them with His glory?

“But not only this, rather we can also boast in our difficult-circumstances.” Why can we boast? Because we know that God can use the testings and afflictions in our lives to produce perseverance, which can bring about proven character, which, in turn, works out the very hope we have been talking about, the glory of God established and made visible in our lives.

This is very similar to what James, the brother of the Lord Jesus, wrote about in his letter, “Consider every joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have a complete effect, so that you may be mature and whole, lacking in nothing” (Jas. 1:2-4).

Note the similarities:

(1.) we will experience trials or testings of our faith;

(2.) testing of our faith produces perseverance;

(3.) remaining steadfast under trial produces mature character, wholeness and equipping in our faith.

Note, too, that our response to the trial is critical. The temptations would be to

(a.) compromise our beliefs;

(b.) give in to the test and engage in sin; and

(c.) give up too soon, so that we do not get the full benefit from the test.

The man or woman of faith will look beyond the immediate test to see the eternal perspective. They will remember that God has permitted the test in order to strengthen them. They will rejoice that God can even bring growth and benefit out of such a difficult circumstance.

We also have the assurance that our hope is sure. We will not be disappointed or put to shame for believing in Jesus, or for remaining true to Him under trial. How can we know that? Because God has poured out His love into our hearts by means of the Holy Spirit which He has given to us. We have an internal witness of God’s love, the Spirit, who testifies to us that we are children of God (Rom. 8:15-17). He is given to us to be a seal of God’s ownership upon our lives, a down payment, or engagement promise that Christ will return to completely fulfill the salvation He has begun in us (II Cor. 1:22; Eph. 1:13,14; 4:30; Phil. 1:6). The reality of the presence of the Spirit in our lives is a guarantee that God will keep His promise to us.

Verses 6-10 serve as a further support that our hope is dependable. Paul reminds us of the contrast of God’s magnanimous grace in light of our absolute inability and unworthiness to deserve His love or concern.

Christ died for us

(1.) while we were powerless; and,

(2.) while we were undevoted to Him (vs. 6).

We had nothing whatever to offer God to motivate Him to action to save us, …nothing based upon any performance on our part, or even based upon a mindfulness toward Him. In verse 7, the apostle points out that a person may be willing to die for someone whose life was especially good or valuable. In our case, however, God demonstrated His love for us while we had done nothing good or valuable. In fact, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (vs. 8)! Verse 10 tells us that we were even God’s enemies when He sent Jesus into the world to die for us! Since God, at such great personal cost, showed His love toward us when we were so very unworthy, how much more will He be willing to do to save us, now that we have responded to Him? If He gave Himself for us totally when we wanted nothing to do with Him, how much more do you think He would be gracious to us, now that we have become His children? If He sent Jesus to save us when we were powerless and hostile in mind toward Him, how committed do you think He will be to those who show an interest in following Him? There can be no doubt about it. We can be certain that He will save us.

Finally, we take delight in, and love to talk about, God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ. Once we understand the incredible love and grace of God, we cannot help but glory and boast in Him. He is awesome, and His love is beyond our ability to fully comprehend (Eph. 3:14-19). How can we not boast in and take delight in our Father in heaven, who has loved us with such great love? How can we not brag on our Savior, who gave Himself totally for us, when we had done nothing for Him? In addition to what He has already done for us, we have the further promise from Romans 8:32, “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?” There is nothing that He would withhold, …nothing that He will not do, …no length to which He will not go, …no price He would not pay, to ensure that those who have trusted in Christ Jesus will be saved to the uttermost, to the complete fulfillment of God’s salvation plan (Heb. 7:25). Nothing will stand in His way. How can we not love Him who first loved us with such love?

What this Blog is all about

Every week I prepare a teaching for our little Church called The Ekklesia Fellowship. Each week I post that weekly teaching. In our church gatherings, because they are purposely small, we provide and actually encourage dialogue about the topic on which I teach each week.

This space will be no different. I want to encourage you to post questions and make comments about what you read here. Wrap your arms around what is said and "try-on" the teaching to see how it fits you. Maybe you have a personal experience that demonstrates first hand what the teaching is about. Maybe you have an insight into the Word, that will ad to what the teaching says. Maybe you disagree with my conclusions or exegesis of the passage.

Please be free and encouraged to express all this, but please do so in a way that seeks to edify.

Speak the truth in love.

But SPEAK!!!!!

I look forward to reading your responses and insights, which I'm sure will minister to others as they read what you have to say.


God Bless,


Dan

Christ Our Savior And Our Life

Notes for the Ekklesia Meeting

Sundays @ 10:00 a.m. Info: Discipleship Training Ministries, Inc www.dtminc.org Today’s Date: April 8, 2007

Christ Our Savior And Our Life

by Dan Trygg

"…and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed." I Peter 2:24

The plan of God in dealing with sin centers upon the human child born to Mary in Bethlehem. We could explore the details of what God did through Jesus, and why He chose to do it as He did, for many pages. For our purposes here, however, I want to simply introduce four concepts for our discussion:

(1.) Christ for us; (2.) Christ as us; (3.) Christ together with us; and (4.) Christ in us.

(1.) Christ For Us -- Most of us are familiar with this concept. Basically, it means that Christ paid for our sins instead of us. It is like we owed a debt, and we had no ability to even begin to pay it back, so God sent Jesus to pay our debt. In the OT, if someone committed a crime against someone else's property, e.g., theft, robbery, vandalism, or abuse, the judgment of the law was that he/she had to make restitution. If he could not afford to do so in such a circumstance, he could be sold into slavery to repay the debt. In such cases, a close relative could step forward to pay the amount owed in order to free the debtor from his indenture. This person was called a "kinsman redeemer" (e.g., Lev. 25:23-55). Redemption means that a price had to be paid for the release of the debt and the debtor.

Jesus has come from God to be our Kinsman Redeemer. No human could ever pay for the sins of another, since we all have sinned, and the penalty for sin is death (Psa. 49:7,8; Rom. 3:23; 6:23). Anyone who had ever sinned, even one time, would only be able to pay for his/her own sin. It would do no good to offer to die for another. More than money was required to satisfy the debt of sin, it was life itself (I Pet. 1:18,19). From a legal standpoint, once we recognize and acknowledge that we are sinners, the question is, "How can my debt of sin ever be paid for?" Christ's death for us answers this question. Jesus, as a perfect sinless human, was able to offer Himself as a sacrificial payment for the sins of all people. As God the Son, His life was infinitely precious, worth much more than the lives of the entire human race. He paid our debt for us, by offering His very life in exchange for our freedom (Heb. 9:11-14,22-28). This was the meaning of His cry from the cross, “It is finished!”. The Greek word (tetelestai) was the word merchants of that day wrote on the bills of people who paid off their debts. It meant, “paid in full” or “account closed”. This is consistent with what Jesus Himself had said, "The Son of Man came ...to give His life a ransom for many" (Mk. 10:45). As Paul later observed, "…in Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses" (Eph. 1:7; cf. I Pet. 3:18). Jesus’ life was the redemption price which God provided to buy us out of our hopeless debt of sin. All we must do in order to benefit from His provision is to accept His payment offered on our behalf by repentance and faith. Repentance is a change of perspective and purpose. Faith is trusting His provision and faithfulness to do for us what He has offered, and living as if this is true by choosing to follow Him. God expects us to follow (Matt. 28:19,20).

(2.) Christ As Us -- This second aspect of Jesus' work to deliver us from sin has to do with substitution. This idea of paying our debt would not be possible unless Jesus could somehow "stand in" for us. The idea of substitutionary atonement was solidly imbedded in the mind of the Jewish people. They clearly understood that when they offered up an animal on the altar, it was "standing in" for them. They would lay their hands upon the animal, signifying their identity with it and symbolically placing their sins upon it, ...and then they would slay it, signifying their own death. They were taught that the life of an animal or person was in its blood. They were made aware of this principle every day, because they had to butcher and prepare their meat in special ways to avoid eating any blood (Gen. 9:4). The entire OT sacrificial system was based upon this fact, “the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life within it that makes atonement” (Lev. 17:11). The word, “atonement” meant “covering”, so God permitted them to offer the blood of animals as a temporary covering for their sin, until a provision could be made to remove them (cf. Rom. 3:25). In a way similar to the OT sacrifices, Jesus voluntarily took our place. Like a lamb led to slaughter, His blood was shed, and the punishment that was meant for us was forever removed, because His sacrifice was of so much greater value than mere animal offerings (Heb. 9:22-10:10; Isa. 53:1-12; II Cor. 5:21; I Pet. 2:24; Rom. 5:6-11). Somehow He managed to take the punishment which God's wrath demanded, so that God has no more wrath to pour out on those Jesus represented. The death blow that was meant for the rest of us fell upon Him (Isa. 53:8).

(3.) Christ Together With Us -- This third concept is not as familiar to most people who have been exposed to Christian teaching, because it has not been well taught, and it is difficult for people from our cultural background to understand. The concept has been given fancy names by different theologians. Some refer to it as federal headship or corporate personality or as representative solidarity. Basically, the idea is that Jesus somehow represents humanity so perfectly and completely that when He acts, it is as though we also act, ...likewise, when something is done to Him, it is also done to all those He represents. To us, as individualistic-minded Westerners, this makes no sense. To the Eastern mind, however, -- where the group is the center of one's identity, not the individual -- this concept is not difficult to grasp. Paul discusses this in Rom. 5:12-21; I Cor. 15:21-23,45-49; and II Cor. 5:14-17. In his own conversion experience, the resurrected Jesus referred to this reality when He asked Paul, "...why do you persecute Me?" (Acts 9:4; cf. Mt. 25:40) This "in-your-face" encounter he had with this statement of Christ's solidarity with His people probably is why this apostle seems to appreciate and refer to this concept more than anyone else in the NT. It is the basis for most of his teaching about growing as a Christian in Romans 5-8.

As incredible as it may seem, what Paul teaches is that:

When Jesus was crucified, we also were crucified;

When Jesus died, we also died;

When Jesus was buried, we also were buried;

When Jesus rose from among the dead ones, we also rose from the dead ones to newness of life.

This is fundamental Christian doctrine. If we do not understand this, or at least learn to apply its reality on a practical level, we will not be able to move into maturity. The basis for freedom from bondage to the flesh, from the power of sin, and from the demands of the law are firmly established upon the reality of our union with Christ in His death, resurrection, and even His ascension (Eph. 2:5,6). The fact that there is a "new person" that we can "put on", as well as an "old person" that we can now "put off" is also founded upon this same principle.

(4.) Christ In Us – This fourth component of God’s provision deals with the power to live as Jesus would live. In Colossians 1:26-29, Paul speaks of a mystery that was unknown and hidden from past generations, but which has now been manifested to God’s people. This mystery is described by the apostle as “Christ in you, the hope of the glory”. What glory? The glory or radiance of God’s abiding presence within us (cf. Jn. 1:14; Heb. 1:2; II Cor. 3:4-4:6; Jn. 17:20-22). This is crucial. This is where the power for change in our lives comes from. It is Christ in us. In Galatians 2:20, Paul says, “I have been crucified in Christ. I (myself) no longer live, but Christ in me lives. But now what life I live in flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and delivered Himself up on my behalf.” Christ lives in me. How does He live in me, if He is sitting up in heaven at the Father’s right hand? Through the presence of the Holy Spirit, who dwells in each believer. Jesus spoke of this in Jn. 14:16-18. The Holy Spirit is sent to live within us, so that we would not be alone, desolate or friendless. He is sent to be our Helper, one who will empower and enable us to do what we cannot do on our own.

I still have the choice regarding how I want to live, …by my own self-understanding and self-strength, …or by the power, wisdom and leading of Jesus who lives in me. In either case, I will get the consequences, or resulting fruit, of my choices. If I choose to live by self-understanding and self-will, then I will get the same results I have been getting up until now in my life. My life will, at best, be ruled by human ingenuity and self-discipline. It will still be a very limited, human existence. At worst, it will be foolish, wasteful, self-centered and self-destructive. If I choose to live by the leading and power of the indwelling Christ, however, then the consequences and fruit of my life will be very different. People will see something in us that is hard to explain or relate to from their own experience. We will do things that sometimes don’t make sense to them. We will be willing and able to serve and help others joyfully, and seem to be refreshed by it. They will see a new joy in our lives, a new freedom. We will begin to grow and make changes in our lives. We will have a new motivation to put aside destructive patterns in our lives, and choose to establish healthy ones. We will become more gracious, kind and compassionate toward others. We will be willing to help others, with no strings attached. Our lives will be characterized by amazing love, incredible peace, overflowing joy, remarkable patience, abundant kindness, wonderful goodness, positive faith, consistent dependability and persistent self-control, the fruit of keeping in step with the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:16,22,23).

Overseeing One Another

Notes for the Ekklesia Meeting

Sundays @ 10:00 a.m. Info: (651) 283-0568 Discipleship Training Ministries, Inc www.dtminc.org Today’s Date: November 26, 2006

"Overseeing" One Another

by Dan Trygg

"Y'all pursue peace with all, and the set-apart-ness without which not anyone will see the Lord, looking-over

...lest anyone [might be] coming-short away from the grace of God

...lest any root of bitterness sprouting up might incite as a mob, and by means of it many might be contaminated

...lest anyone [might be] sexually immoral or profane, like Esau, who for one meal sold his own birthright. For you know that afterwards, wishing to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for an opportunity for a change-of-mind he did not find, even though with tears he earnestly sought for it." Hebrews 12:14-17

We have been examining passages that advocate interactive Body-life, the ministry interplay God intended for us to exercise one to another. It is amazing how much of the New Testament is really about this dynamic, and yet most people are largely oblivious to it. This is partially due to a lack of clarity in translation, and partially due to the model of "doing church" that most of us have been nurtured under. The Scriptures clearly tell us to "examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good" (I Thess. 5:21). The Protestant Reformation was the result of such questioning, and it has been a corrective toward health. The reformers, however, carried over many of the beliefs and practices of Catholicism. It is up to us to rediscover and utilize the power of the priesthood of all believers as God originally intended, by setting us to work at building up each other and watching out for one another in ways the Bible describes.

As we come to chapter 10 in the book of Hebrews, the writer has been addressing Jewish Christians who have been considering retreating from their new found faith back into Judaism. In chapter 10, he (or she) recounts the strong faith they have exhibited in the past (10:32-39), enduring trials, difficulties, and persecution for their faith in Jesus. Chapter 11 lists example after example of recognized OT heroes of faith, people who also endured similar struggles in their pursuit of God's will for their lives. Chapter 12, then, begins with an admonition to put off the encumbrances and sins that hinder, and exhorts them to run with perseverance the "faith-race" set before them. Remember that Jesus Himself endured shame, reproach and suffering, and they have yet to come close to the level of opposition which He faced. Furthermore, they should not be surprised that their Christian experience should sometimes be painful, for God is a Father who disciplines and reproves His children. He desires to deepen and mature our character, and sometimes that means He must confront our sin. Discipline is no fun. It is painful, for the moment, but it produces a good result. Therefore, they should pull themselves together, and cooperate with the purposes of God, so the lessons He desires to teach could be quickly learned, and they would have a chance to heal. To stubbornly resist Him will only extend the time when we are under discipline, and we will only be miserable.

This is the flow of thought leading up to our selected verses. At this point, the author definitely changes over from the theoretical to the practical, giving application to specific areas for their attention. Note the following:

(1.) The admonition is addressed to them as a group. The Greek verb form indicates that the imperative is made to "y'all". This is important to understand, as we follow the passage down through what is being said.

(2.) The main verb is "pursue". This indicates an ongoing process. This is descriptive of either (a.) a long-term objective that will take an extended time to reach; or (b.) a situation that requires continual attention because of a tendency to degenerate from the ideal; or (c.) an ideal that is not necessarily attainable, but is worth striving for. Probably aspects of all three of these delineations come into play as we attempt to live this out.

(3.) There are two main objects of our pursuit advocated in this sentence, peace and holiness.

Peace is reconciled relationships. It is not just the absence of hostility; it is the establishment of friendship. It is important to see that this is a pursuit, not an absolute command. It is not within our power of control to actually cause everyone around us to be our friend. That is why the apostle Paul, in Romans 12:18, said, "If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men." It is not always possible. Obviously, Jesus Himself did not succeed at "having peace with all men". There were some who hated Him, and ultimately killed Him. He, on His part, however, did not hold a grudge toward anyone, as evidenced by His prayer for their forgiveness on the cross, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do" (Lk. 23:34). We are to attempt to be peace-makers, to do what we can to promote understanding and forgiveness, ...to even love and serve our enemies to show them our hearts (Lk. 6:27-35), ...to build bridges, not walls. Ultimately, however, we cannot force their friendship.

Holiness is setting ourselves apart from what is common in order to be devoted to God. A passion to know and serve God drives our choice to live as dedicated to Him. Not just any so-called "holiness" is in mind, it is "the holiness", i.e., the holiness which the writer had mentioned in verse 10. God disciplines us for our benefit, so that we might share in "the holiness of Him" (or, as Peter writes, "that [we] might become partakers of the Divine nature" -- II Pet. 1:4). This holiness will be the required nature of all those who dwell in the presence of God in eternity, for there will be no sin or uncleanness there (Rev. 21:27). It is available to us now, if we will pursue it and learn to walk in it.

(4.) We are given more specific instruction how to carry out our group pursuit of peace and holiness by giving us the responsibility of "overseeing". Verse 15 begins with a very significant word. It is a participle, an

"-ing" word that is used to indicate the process we are to follow to accomplish the task we are to be about. It is a present-tense form, emphasizing the continual, ongoing nature of this process. The word is a form of episkopeō, which literally means to "look over", or to "oversee", something. The noun form, episkopos, is the word often translated as "bishop" (Acts 20:28; Phil. 1:1; I Tim. 3:1,2; Tit. 1:7; I Pet. 2:25), another title for an elder. "Overseeing" was one of the functions involved in shepherding the flock of God's people (Acts 20:28; I Pet. 5:1-3). This is important background to understand, because the thrust of the use of this word encompasses all of that background, and brings it to this verse. Then the verse gives the responsibility of oversight to all of us, not just to the "overseers". It is a shared responsibility. There are some who will be more obviously involved in carrying out this duty, but it is not something exclusive to them. It is a job that belongs to us all. This goes against the grain of hierarchy, and definitely emphasizes God's interest in functionality, not positions of power or influence. It is also an example of wisdom. If the essential element of "overseeing" is to "keep one's eyes open" and watch what is going on in peoples' lives, then it is obvious that any one person, or even a group of people, will always have a limited vantage point. By giving the responsibility to all of us to be "overseeing" each other, it is more likely that problems will be noticed more readily, simply because more people are being watchful for them.

There are three specific things mentioned that we are to be watchful for:

(a.) ...lest anyone [might be] coming-short away from the grace of God. This is a very broad picture. The word translated as "coming-short" means to "lack, be in want of, to be destitute, to be inferior, to be missing, to fall behind (as in a race), or to fail to reach the goal, to come late and miss out on". It is important to see that it is Christians that are in view. This is not about salvation, it is about living up to the privileges and potential God has given. We are to watch out to see any place someone is missing out on, lacking, or failing to grasp God's grace.

(b.) ...lest any root of bitterness sprouting up might incite as a mob, and by means of it many might be contaminated. We are to be watchful for any "root of bitterness springing up". Bitterness is unresolved anger or resentment toward God or another person, ...the very opposite of peace. The word comes from a root word meaning to "fasten on" or to "adhere to", to "stick like pitch", thus, it refers to anger that has become “stuck” to someone. Bitterness originates there, but festers until it has a harsh, putrid flavor to it. It is described as a "root" because it may start out as a small incident, but it grows larger and larger, and produces a bitter fruit. The word picture of the rapidly infectious nature of this problem is captured by the word "springing up". It means to sprout, or shoot up. Interestingly, this verbal form comes from a word meaning to puff up, or swell up, from which the springing forth originates. We are to watch for the development of bitterness among us, because when it does come forth it "incites like a mob", and can turn the minds of others quickly to see the negative and become poisoned with the same attitude.

(c.) ...lest anyone [might be] sexually immoral or profane. The word translated as "sexually immoral" is the Greek word pornos. It originally meant "sex for hire", coming from a root word meaning "to sell". A pornē was a prostitute. In time, the word came to also mean fornication, or any other sexually immoral acts. The word translated as "profane" means to be “common, open to anything”. It comes from a word picture of "walking across the threshold", like anyone could just come and go as they please. It is the very opposite of holiness, i.e., "dedicated for a sacred purpose". A profane person has no scruples, especially about things pertaining to God, so they have no self-imposed restraints or boundaries.

…as Esau, ...found no place for repentance... Esau is used as an example of a man who did not properly value the things of God, and wasted himself on other, more immediate fleshly interests. Later on, he missed an opportunity for something he did desire, but there was no way to change things. The message is that life consists of opportunities that come and go, sometimes with no second chance. Don't waste the grace and opportunities God has provided, or they may be gone for ever. We are to watch for attitudes and behaviors that indicate that someone is not taking seriously his or her calling to be dedicated to God. If we love and value that person, we will speak up about the shortsightedness of his or her behavior. We will not just turn away, while others are enticed by sin. It is our job to call one another to the twin standards of love and holiness.

Watching Out for One Another

Notes for the Ekklesia Meeting

Sundays @ 10:00 a.m. Info: Discipleship Training Ministries, Inc www.dtminc.org Today’s Date: November 19, 2006

Watching Out For One Another

by Dan Trygg

"Watch, brothers and sisters, lest it will be in anyone of y'all an unsound heart of unbelief to withdraw away from the living God. Rather, encourage yourselves according to each day, as long as it is called 'Today', in order that not anyone out from y'all might be dried-up-and-made-stiff in a delusion of the error." Hebrews 3:12,13

Several passages in the book of Hebrews emphasize Body-life interaction and accountability for the growth, support, and stability of individual Christians. In the context of the book, the unknown author is writing to Hebrew Christians who appear to be faltering in their commitment to Jesus. They have trusted in Him as their Messiah, but having undergone rejection and ostracism from the Jewish community, as well as persecution, imprisonment, and the loss of their goods, some are beginning to question whether they made the right choice. Some are considering just dropping the focus on Jesus, and attempting to quietly return to their pre-Christian Jewishness. The writer is attempting to show them the importance of remaining true and steadfast to their allegiance to King Jesus, and their testimony as Christians. He (or she) does this by comparing the old Mosaic covenant with the new one established in Christ; by reminding them of the faithfulness of others in the face of suffering and persecution (including Jesus Himself); and by utilizing the history of their forefathers to illustrate how those who kept shrinking back in unbelief not only missed out on the blessings of God, but also incurred His wrath and judgment. The clear message of the book is, "This is the 'better way'. Hang in there, and keep pressing on after Christ in obedience. Those who persist, through faith and patience, will be partners with God in His work, as well as sharers of His blessings."

The message of our chosen topic verse has to do with our responsibility (and privilege) to watch out for each other in the Body of Christ. Our culture tells us to "look out for number one". Often our church culture emphasizes the teaching that says, "look to yourselves, lest you, too, be tempted", implying that we ought to concentrate on minding our own business, and not become busybodies and gossips. While there is a legitimate issue there, we have seen that God set things up so that we would be paying attention to one another’s lives, in order to assist one another in getting through life's struggles together. In addition to this, too often we have painted a picture of the problem of "falling away" that is too simplistic, too black and white, too judgmental. As a result of translations that render the Greek from this perspective, and as a result of preaching that follows this same tack, we miss some of the practical, real-life counsel that God intended for us to gain from this verse. So, let's take a fresh look at this from the nitty-gritty, human-experience angle to see what we can learn from what has been written.

"Watch" -- Though often translated by such phrases as "take heed", "take care", or even "beware", this Greek word, blepō, is one of the most common words used for the act of seeing, i.e., to look at with the eyes; to behold; to gaze upon; to be aware of, perceive, or discover with the senses; or, metaphorically, to consider, regard, discern and understand mentally, i.e., with the "mind's eye". It describes a more vivid or earnest "looking" than some of the other Greek words, implying a more curious, investigative quality of contemplation. How we understand this depends on how we see the entire context. From my English-language, Western church background, I have always understood this as a warning, a "take heed to yourself", a "watch out" or "pay attention" because there is danger up ahead for me. It could be understood this way. The Greek would allow for this. On the other hand, because of the New Testament emphasis on interactive Body-life, and especially because of Hebrews 10:24 (where we are clearly told to consider, or take note of, one another), I am beginning to look at this very differently. I think, now, that the writer was directing the believers to watch out for one another. It is a practical word about interactive Body-life, not so much an introspective warning. Why? Because we can do something practical to help one another, if we see someone else in the unhealthy state of mind the verse describes. It is very difficult to "kick yourself into gear", however, if this is happening to you. I think this will become more clear as we go along, so allow me to get more of the pieces out on the table before I try to put them together. The word is also plural, "Y'all watch..." The responsibility is given to us all.

"lest it will be in anyone of y'all" -- We are to be watching in order to avoid a potential problem. The word, "lest", could also be translated as "in order that ...not", e.g., "in order that it will not be in anyone of your group". The word translated as "it will be" could mean "to exist over time in the future". It does not necessarily mean that our watching will keep it from occurring altogether, rather our vigilance can keep it from continuing.

"an unsound heart of unbelief in the to withdraw away from the living God" -- The word I have rendered as "unsound" is often translated as "evil". When we perceive it that way, we automatically think that the person with this kind of heart is wicked, and is choosing to resist God out of stubbornness and spite. However, the word can also refer to something of bad quality, something sick or in poor condition, something diseased or unhealthy. If we translate it this way, suddenly we see this as a problem that possibly we can help with. Then the passage becomes one of caring for the "sick hearted". The rest of the phrase helps to further clarify. This is a sick heart "of unbelief in the to withdraw from ...God." The word translated as "unbelief" is just a negated form of the word for faith, a heart of non-faith, or non-trust. The consequences of remaining in that state can be devastating, but "unbelief" is something we all experience at times. It was the problem of the father of the demoniac in Mark 9:24, "I do believe; help my unbelief!" When the Lord appeared to Thomas in John 20:27, He said, "...be not unbelieving, but believing". Paul, in II Tim. 2:13, declares that "if we are faithless (unbelieving), He remains faithful; for He cannot deny Himself." So, it is possible for Christians to experience unbelief, and God is willing to minister to us even at that point, if we cry out to Him. What further complicates this scenario in Hebrews 3, however, is that this unbelief is motivating the person to withdraw from God, instead of draw nearer to Him for help. The word literally means to "stand away from", usually translated as to leave or depart, but it can also mean simply "to avoid, to withdraw from, or to keep one's self from". So, the person we are to be especially concerned about is one whose heart becomes unhealthy in unbelief and begins to withdraw, or avoid, God.

The next verse gives another word picture for the danger being described. We are to take action in order to keep anyone from among us (definitely, the focus is on us caring for one another in the group) from "being hardened by the deceitfulness of sin", or, as I translated it above, "in order that not anyone out from y'all might be dried-up-and-made-stiff in a delusion of the error". One thing that the Greek clearly says to us here is that this person is not choosing to harden himself. The verb is a passive form, meaning that the person is being acted upon, i.e., it is happening to him or her. The person is not embracing or pursuing the hardness or the unbelief, but they are very much being affected by it. The word picture for "harden" is so helpful here to understand what is going on. The person is becoming "dried-up-and-made-stiff". There was a time when this brother or sister was soft and pliable, but because of circumstances and inner turmoil, they have lost trust, withdrawn from God, and have begun to dry up inside and become jaded in heart. This withdrawal from God, in itself, could be the "error" mentioned at the end of verse 13. The Greek word refers to a "mark-missing", …an attempt to do what they thought was right or good but it missed the target…, an error or mistake. At some level inside, they think they are doing what they need to do for themselves. They think this is the best way, the way that will be less painful. This is complicated by deception. They no longer see things clearly. They will not probably be able to reason their way back to God, at least in the frame of mind they are in. The problem is compounded further if they are back "medicating their pain" with some old behavior designed to make them feel better (Eph. 4:17-19). At least temporarily they will not feel the emptiness so acutely, being "numbed out" by their pleasure-seeking, and they may once again think that they can find the answers to their problems apart from God.

What is to be done? How do we help someone who is in such a state? Most versions translate the beginning of vs. 13 as "exhort one another". The word "exhort" sounds to me like an "in-your-face" kind of admonition, an "I'll-tell-you-what-to-do" in a "tell-it-like-it-is" kind of style. The word in Greek, however, is the word, parakaleō, which means "come alongside to help". It is more often translated as "comfort, encourage, cheer up, or entreat" than "exhort". Certainly, the word picture of "coming alongside to help" is a much more tender, gentle, caring image than simply "exhort". This is more emotional support than instruction, …"being there" to give an emotional "cup of cold water" to refresh their parched souls. It is being the truth in love. When they can no longer think the truth, we can walk it out with them. They need more of our caring presence than just our words. Cf. I Thess. 5:14. Speaking the truth is important, but we need to come alongside as a servant, willing to help. We must listen to discern what is really needed to move them out of their quagmire. Easy or pat answers will not cut it. Their emotional state does not permit them to think clearly, so a teaching will not, by itself, solve the problem. We must give them hope by our willingness to “come alongside”.

Furthermore, the verb is addressed to the entire group, "y'all encourage". We are all able to minister to one another, if we walk in love. The responsibility does not just fall on some counseling corps. It is Body-life. The verb is also ongoing, present action, "y'all be coming alongside to help". This is reinforced by the surrounding words. We are to do it "according to each day, as long as it is called 'today'". In other words, don't put it off. Be ready, be regular, and be responsive to the opportunities and needs as they come up. Don’t let “hardness” settle in.

Prepared to Build Up

Discipleship Training Ministries, Inc

www.dtminc.org

Notes for the Ekklesia Meeting

Sundays @ 10:00 a.m. Info: (651) 283-0568

Today’s Date: October 29, 2006

Prepared To "Build Up"

by Dan Trygg

"And He gave on the one hand apostles, but also prophets, but also evangelists, but also shepherds and teachers, for the equipping/mending/adapting of the saints toward work of service, toward building-up of the Body of Christ."

Eph. 4:11,12

"So what is the outcome, then, brothers and sisters? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for building-up."

I Corinthians 14:26

Here in these two passages, we see both the stated intent of Paul's understanding of his role in ministry, and the application of that intent in the local church. We see both the big picture, as well as the practical instruction given to a particular group to implement this vision. We observe both the theoretical principle, and see the attempt to work that out in a nitty-gritty, down-to-earth specific gathering of believers. We are party to the coach's general game plan, and we also get a brief glimpse of a practice session, where we watch him "work the team", giving specific pointers and direction to sharpen their play. We need to understand this entire concept of "building up", or "edification", from both perspectives. Why? Because we are to be both players and trainers, ...students and teachers, ...receivers and givers, ...those in need of healing and growth, while at the same time we are to be helping others to heal and grow. We are to be the recipients and beneficiaries of the mending and equipping process, while at the same time being prepared to help, heal, and equip others. In fact, it is in doing this service to others that our own healing and giftings become energized and full of vitality. It is as much for our own movement forward in maturity and health, as it is for the benefit of those we serve. We ourselves are strengthened and deepened, empowered and encouraged, fine-tuned and sharpened, as we go about the business that God has for us to do.

In order to more clearly understand this whole process, let us meditate a bit on some of the truths that become evident as you study more about this whole area of "building up" one another.

(1.) We all start out as relatively un-equipped and unskilled at doing this work. This is important for us to note, because we all experience feelings of discomfort, inadequacy, or confusion in working out this process. None of us comes "ready-made" as a full-grown, entirely equipped, mature and well-seasoned veteran of ministry. That should be obvious, but too often we compare ourselves with other people and feel timid, shy, or awkward in our attempts to share, or reach out to one another. There is no other way to grow, however, than to work through and past those uncomfortable feelings and begin to do. We find the will of God in our lives by "testing out by trial", by experimentation (Rom. 12:2). That does not mean we should throw all caution to the wind, and go on without any understanding at all. There is value in study, forethought, observation of what others' do, sharing of ideas, debriefing, etc. There is also the reality that tired people need to rest, wounded people need to heal, and confused people need time to get their bearings. It's not about getting on a "ministry treadmill" from the get-go. My observation, however, is that fear and lack of confidence are two of the biggest hurdles to overcome in this process. The fear and uncertainty is natural, normal, and, to some degree it is even healthy, because it makes us slow down and think through what we are going to do. The emotion is a signal to tell us, "Be cautious. Unfamiliar territory ahead. Pay attention." When it keeps us paralyzed, or we find ourselves just holding back from any experimentation at all, then possibly we are treating the flashing yellow light in our emotions as if it were a stop light. We need to reevaluate what we are feeling, and ask ourselves if we are giving our fears too much power. Getting a new perspective on "the yellow flashing light" can free us to proceed, even though it may feel scary.`

(2.) Expect to be "urged into action" by others.

The functions of the gifts mentioned at the beginning of Ephesians 4:11 are intended to help you acquire perspective, skills, and motivation in order to get you involved in the ministry God has for you to do.

The apostles, as God's "sent ones", are people who generally come in and get things started, and then move on. They are representatives of Christ, ones who have a pioneer spirit, a determination to establish a new ministry in an area or setting where there is none. Whether you think of them in terms of the original apostles, or are open to the possibility of modern day people functioning in this type of role, these are folks who care about the growth and effectiveness of the ministry they initiated, and will attempt to bring needed correction or direction to a church to help it on its way (e.g., the return visits and letters of Paul). They also inspire us with a vision for planting other ministry groups.

Prophets

speak what God reveals to them to say to His people. Paul indicates in I Cor. 14:25, that the message of a prophet is often very direct, sometimes even revealing the thoughts and secrets of the heart. This may take the form of correction or admonition, but in any case it is intended to be for edification ("up-building"), exhortation (lit., "a coming-alongside-to-help"), and comfort. Quite often it is given in confirmation of a course of action, or to address the need to change one's ways. We can also learn from the example of prophets among us to listen for God’s voice.

Evangelists

, too, are given to equip us for the service, to "up-build" the members of the Body. These folks have a passion for proclaiming the Good News to those who have yet to hear it. Their passion, and their example, is meant to agitate, motivate, and remind us to keep the mission of the kingdom of God before our mind's eye. Christ sent us to seek and save that which was lost, to even assault the "gates of hell", the strongholds of the enemy, to free those in darkness and bondage to sin. Evangelists in our Body will serve to keep that burden and focus on our heart. If they are actively using their gift, their experiences will also give us practical examples of how God can use someone in the lives of others. We can learn much that is practical from them, if we are open to learn. They will press our comfort zone, however, because this is their passion. Not all of us are to be exactly like them, but we are to be equipped and motivated by them, to some degree, …enough so that we can effectively "do the work of an evangelist" (II Tim. 4:5), even if we don’t have that spiritual gift.

Shepherd-teachers

are also ones who will motivate and direct us. They observe who we are, and attempt to help us find where and how we fit in the Body. They bind up our wounds, attend to our hurts, and feed us (in teaching) what they perceive we need in our spiritual diet to move toward health and maturity. They also monitor our interaction with others in the flock, to teach us to get along together. They have a passion for the flock, as well as for the individual. We can learn from their example to teach and shepherd others, even though we may not be gifted as they.

All four of these "equipping gifts" are people who communicate the word of God, in one form or another. In each case, because they are teaching new information to people, the truth will confront and will require change. This does not necessarily mean a hard confrontation, though it could be at times. Often it is in the form of an encouragement, a prodding, urging and prompting toward growth.

Finally, there is the "one another" ministering our brothers and sisters in Christ will do for us in the Body. The "equipping ministry" does not just belong to people with the specific gifts mentioned in vs. 11. It is part of what we are all to do for each other. We are all to be "truthing in love" one to another (Eph. 4:15,16). As we do this, we help mend and equip one another, and we help one another find our place in the Body. We are also to watch out for one another, caring for one another, serving one another. Part of the equipping process is that we learn to do for others those kinds of things that were helpful to us (II Cor. 1:4; II Tim. 2:2). The expressions of the equipping gifts become practical ministry models and "tools", which are then employed by the rest of us.

(3.) The purpose of "church", the gathering, the ekklesia, is to be a place where we come together to mend, encourage, equip, and learn to work together.

It is not to be the root of our relationship with God. Our relationship with God should be cultivated and active all week long. We should be developing a consistent walk with God throughout every day. The very word, "disciple", implies that we are to be people of "discipline", meaning that we have a plan, …and develop habits…, that are designed to help us grow. Bible reading, prayer, fasting, fellowship, intentional giving and serving, are ways that we can deepen our spiritual walk.

Why do we come together?

To worship God? I do not see that as our primary purpose for meeting. I see no place in the New Testament where that is given as the main reason for gathering together. The word "ekklesia" refers to those called out to meet for a purpose. God has given us a purpose, an assignment, if you will, that we are to accomplish in our meetings. It is to build one another up, ...to heal, restore, mend, equip, educate, impart skill to, encourage, experiment, nurture, and fortify one another, and to bring us into partner-relationship with one another so that we might be able to accomplish what God has for us to do in this world. That is the assignment God has given for us to accomplish in these meetings. Think about it. It makes sense. We can worship God all day long, any day, when we are apart. God wants us to make full use of the time we are together, when we can employ our gifts and strengths toward edifying one another. God is already full. He does not need our worship. Now, having said that, let me say that we do worship when we are together, because He is the source of our life, and we do enjoy Him and love to sing His praises, and it does edify us to do so, …and because we are free to enjoy the frosting on our cake.

Refocus your thinking. Why am I here? I am here to build up others, and to be built up in Christ. I am here to learn new skills and insight, and to be equipped. I am here to encourage others, and to be encouraged. I am here to move others to take risks in new growth areas, and to accept the challenge to face risk and change in mine.