| Passage: John 13-15 On Monday, November 19, 2018, Yujin wrote,
Jesus demonstrated a culturally humiliating act of service toward His disciples. He washed their feet like a slave. What prompted this? What motivated Him? The text says that Jesus knew that the Father had given Him all things and that He was about to return to God both in presence and power. The word for "knowing" is not the typical Greek word ginosko, which has to do with the acquisition of information. The word is oida, which suggests perception and awareness. Jesus not only knew what He had and where He was going; He deeply felt it. When a monarch recognizes that there is no contest to his power, he does not have to put on airs. King David could dance ridiculously before the Lord along with the servants because his throne was secure. Jesus endured the cross and shame because of the joy set before Him (Hebrews 12:2). Insecurity is the root of pride, selfishness, and contempt for others. Jesus found His security in the unfailiing will and power of the Father, who initiated and would complete Jesus's mission on earth. Jesus was the Lord. Jesus was the Teacher. He was the ruler and sovereign over all creation. There was no contest. He did not need to make a defense. He had no burden of proof. He could humiliate Himself to the fullest extent and lose none of His authority. No one was more humble, unselfish and loving than Jesus. Friends, where is your security? Are you constantly striving to prove yourself or defend yourself before others? Must your ego and ability and achievement be stroked? Are you concerned about those who would usurp your position, eclipse your reputation and influnce, or take away your comfort and tenuous security? Yet, consider this:
Knowing - no, not simply knowing, but perceiving and being fully aware of - the love of Christ for us, are we not totally secure in Him? Since God has given us Christ and everything with Him, what do we have to fear? What do we have to defend? Who can take away anything of substance from us? We can suffer the deepest humilitation without losing any of what God has promised us in Christ Jesus our Lord. What is the secret to true humility, genuine unselfishness and sincere love for others? It is this: that we are completely secure in the presence and promises of God. We strive to be more humble, more unselfish and more loving and often come woefully short. But perhaps our efforts would be better directed toward knowing Christ and finding our total security in Him. For when we are secure in Him, we can completely let down our defenses and find the freedom to be truly humble, unselfish and loving. |
| Passage: John 13-15 On Wednesday, November 18, 2015 (Last Updated on 3/20/2023), Yujin wrote,
Notice the intimate connection Jesus makes with His disciples. (1) Whoever receives the disciples, it is like receiving Jesus. (2) The disciples will suffer persecution as Jesus did. (3) Jesus promises a reward for whoever ministers to one of His disciples. (4) He calls His disciples "little children" or "little ones". I point all these out, because these texts help us to understood a well-known but misunderstood text in Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus' parable of the sheep and the goats, where the sheep were good and blessed with eternal life while the goats were evil and condemned to eternal punishment:
This text is often used to commend charity toward the poor and needy, that whatever a person did for a poor person or a needy person was the same as them doing it for Jesus. I do not believe this is what Jesus meant. Jesus was not identifying with every poor and needy person in the world, regardless of their spiritual and moral state. I believe He was speaking of His disciples. Notice he calls them "brothers and sisters of mine." This reference Jesus assigned to His disciples (cf. Matthew 12:48-50). Jesus never called people in general His brothers and sisters. He used this particularly with only those who did the will of the Father (cf. Matthew 12:50). Jesus would send His disciples into the world. They would represent Him. How people received them and their message would determine their eternal destinies. Many, including Mother Theresa, taught that acts of charity was the way of salvation in light of a passage like this, but this would contradict the message of justification by faith, which is taught throughout the New Testament. What is more, it is a misunderstanding of this text, which is in the context of a global outreach, for Jesus says "all the nations will be gathered before him" (Matthew 25:32). Recall when Jesus sent out the 72 disciples and the 12 disciples, He told them that those that did not show them hospitality and receive their message would be judged more harshly than Sodom and Gomorrah (cf. Matthew 10:14-15). The message of Matthew 25 is an encouragement for Jesus' disciples, who carry something like Abraham's covenant blessing ("I will bless those who bless you; Whoever curses you I will curse" - Genesis 12:3). The disciples of Christ would be His representatives on earth, so that as people related to them, Jesus would count this as their doing the same to Him (cf. John 13:20) and would reward them accordingly (Matthew 10:42). Thus, Matthew 25 is not a general command to perform acts of charity. It is a description of how God will determine the saved and the unsaved at the end of the age. It will be based on how people receive His messengers and message. How fitting that this parable follows the parable of the talents, which refers to the Lord sending out His servants into the world. The righteous sheep will receive and support the disciples of Christ. The wicked goats will reject them. Therefore, brothers and sisters, let us receive and support one another in the glorious work Jesus has left for us to do in declaring the Gospel of eternal salvation through the death and resurrection of Christ. Let us take heart because we are His ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:20), for we no longer live for ourselves but for Him who died for us and rose again (2 Corinthians 5:15). As we go, we bring with us an aroma of life and an aroma of death, depending on how we are received (2 Corinthians 2:15-16). |
| Passage: John 13-15 On Wednesday, November 19, 2014, Yujin wrote,
I have written about this elsewhere, but it bears repeating. I believe this verse captures the essence of answered prayer. When the disciples were abiding in Christ and His words were abiding in them, they could pray for anything, and it would be given to them. It was a genuine promise; but it was also a conditional promise. It was conditioned on them abiding in Christ and Christ's words abiding in them. When they were delighting in the Lord and pursuing the things He desired of them, they could be assured that their prayers would be answered. Observe that the promise had a two-fold condition. It was not simply that they were abiding in Christ, which speaks of their devotion and love for Him. There was also the condition of His words abiding in them, which implies that they were doing just what He wanted them to do. For example, Paul wanted to go into asia minor to preach the Gospel, but the Holy Spirit prevented him from doing so (cf. Acts 16:6). Paul's devotion to the Lord is without question, but God had a different will for him at the time. So, when Paul sought to go into asia, God's answer was, "No." Yet, God never said, "No" to anything Jesus prayed. This is because not only was Jesus abiding in the Father, He was always doing just what the Father wanted Him to do (cf. John 5:19, 30; 11:42; Hebrews 5:7). Friends, do you want to know a sure fire way for more or all of your prayers to be answered? Focus your affections on the Lord and align your will to His will:
Let us understand that we do not inform God of anything through our prayers. He already knows all that we need before we ask Him (cf. Matthew 6:8). When we consider the Lord's model prayer for His disciples, it is all God-ward, and no part of it has to do with personal or worldly interests (cf. Matthew 6:9-13). Even the part, "Give us this day our daily bread...," when understood correctly, is more an expression of devotion than a request for God to supply one's daily material needs (cf. Proverbs 30:7-8, where "daily bread" is simply a request for just what is needed to best honor the Lord). Then, what is prayer? Prayer is for us more than for God. By prayer, we learn to humble ourselves before God. By prayer we practice speaking back to God what He has already commanded us to do, and His answer to us, then, becomes a vehicle to show whether we have rightly understood His will. By prayer we acknowledge our dependence upon God and receive His peace in the midst of troubling circumstances. As Oswald Chambers wrote, "It is not so much that prayer changes things, but prayer changes me, and I change things." God works through our prayers to transform our attitudes and our minds and our wills so that they are aligned with His. So, back to the question, what is prayer? It is a God-ordained means by which we learn to align our will with God's will. |
| Passage: John 13-15 On Tuesday, November 19, 2013 (Last Updated on 11/18/2014), Yujin wrote, Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father (John 14:12). Friends, this verse has garnered some controversy. Charismatics have turned to this verse to support the notion that Christians today are promised to do a greater kind and number of miracles than even Jesus. Even a notable expositor, like John Piper, have understood this verse to suggest this. But is this right? I don't think so. I find the exposition by Tom Schreiner a better reflection of Jesus' teaching in this verse. Here is both the link and the text of his exposition here: THE GREATER WORKS IN JOHN 14:12 What does Jesus mean in John 14:12 when he says, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the one who believes in me the works I do shall he do also, and greater than these shall he do, because I go to the Father"? Before I suggest an interpretation a few comments will be made about the context. In verse 12 itself the promise cannot be limited to the apostles, for Jesus says that anyone who believes will do greater works. In the wider context of John 14 Jesus' main purpose has been to assure his disciples that his absence from them will be even better than his personal presence. He is going to prepare a place for them so that they can be with him forever (John 14:3-4), and an eternal future with Jesus can only be secured by his atoning death. The cross is the means by which Jesus prepares a place for his disciples. Verse 12 on "greater works" is another assurance that Jesus' absence will actually be beneficial for those who believe in him. In verses 13-14 Jesus promises in his absence to answer prayers uttered in his name, and verses 15-17 promise the Spirit to those who obey Jesus' commandments. Thus, in Jesus’ absence the disciples will do greater works, their prayers in Jesus' name will be answered, and they will have the power of the Holy Spirit. And one day Jesus will return to take believers home. I think the greater works Jesus has in mind are not greater miracles in terms of signs and wonders. Instead, the greater works done by those who believe in Jesus refer to the work of the Spirit in people's hearts, a work of the Spirit that has greater dimensions now that Jesus has ascended to the Father. Four arguments support this interpretation. 1. The "greater works" cannot refer to signs and wonders that are greater in quality than those done by Jesus because no believer ever has or ever will do greater miracles than Jesus. He raised the dead, opened the eyes of the blind, restored hearing to the deaf, cast out demons, healed the lame, calmed a stormy sea, etc. No miracle-worker has even come close since the days of the apostles, and even the apostles did not do any signs and wonders that were greater. 2. But perhaps John means that believers will do greater works in the sense that we will do more signs and wonders than Jesus? But the Greek word for "greater" used here does not refer to a greater number of works. If John wanted to refer to a greater number of works, he probably would have used the Greek word polla meaning "more." A careful study of the word "greater" (meizn) in John’s gospel shows that the word consistently refers to something that is greater in quality rather than something that is greater in number. For example, in John 19:11 Jesus says to Pilate "he who delivered me up to you has the greater sin." In other words, Judas' sin is a more serious sin (not greater in number!) Than Pilate because he actually betrayed Jesus. Some other examples:
The most significant example is from John 5:20 where Jesus says, "And greater works than these he (the Father) shall show to him (Jesus) that you may marvel." This verse is very close to John 14:12 because in both verses Jesus speaks of "greater works." Jesus is contrasting here his healing of the lame man on the Sabbath (John 5:1-16) with the greater works that he would do in the future. The greater works in the context appear to the communication of spiritual life (John 5:21,24-25), the judgment of all (5:22), and the future resurrection from the dead (John 5:29). The point here is not that these works are greater in number, but they are qualitatively superior to the healing of a man who was lame. These works are superior because they will last forever, while the lame man got sick again and died. To conclude this second point: the greater works do not mean believers will do more works than Jesus, but that they will do works qualitatively better than those Jesus did in his ministry. These better works are due to the outpouring of the Spirit after Jesus' ascension. [Note: Incidentally, there is no evidence from church history that any believer did more miracles than Jesus anyway, and this verse is not limited to those who have the gift of healing; it refers to all believers.] 3. The word "works" in John’s gospel in some contexts clearly includes Jesus' miracles (John 7:3, 21; 9:4; 10:25,32,33,37,38). But even though the word often includes the idea of miracles, the word "works" cannot be limited to signs and wonders in John’s gospel. For example, John 6:28-29 identifies the "work of God” as "believing in the one whom the Father sent." And in John 8:39 Jesus exhorts the Jews to "do the works of Abraham," and there is no record of Abraham doing miracles, and so Jesus must mean, "do the good deeds of Abraham." John 14:10 is especially interesting, for their Jesus says, "The words which I speak to you I do not speak From myself, but the Father abiding in me does his works." Here the "words" of Jesus in the first part of the verse are defined as his "works" in the latter part of the verse. Thus, we have clear evidence in the near context (compare also verse 11) that the word "works" should not be restricted to signs and wonders. Indeed, when John wants to speak of miracles, he consistently uses the word "sign." "Sign" is the unambiguous word John uses to describe miracles, and the word "works" is a more general term, which may include miracles, but does not necessarily focus on signs and wonders. All of this suggests that the first part of verse 12 where Jesus says, "the one who believes in me the works I do he shall do also" does not mean that believers will do miracles and signs and wonders to the same extent as Jesus. The word "works” is a general term, and thus Jesus is simply saying that you will do works of the same quality as I did and more. It should also be noted that Jesus' miraculous works were unique in the sense that such "signs" manifested his unique glory from the Father (John 2:11), and John tells us that the signs Jesus did were performed so that "you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and in order that by believing you might have life in his name" (John 20:30-31). Thus, Jesus' miracles were in one sense a unique manifestation of his glory and divinity. This is not to deny that miracles can be done today. The point is that Jesus’ miracles were unique, and no one in church history or in the Bible has ever matched Jesus in miraculous activity. 4. The greater works, then, refer to the extended work of the Spirit, which will occur when Jesus ascends to the Father. This is not to deny that the Spirit was active previously in significant ways. But the work of the Spirit on earth was intensified with Jesus' ascension. Note that Jesus specifically says that "the greater works" will occur "because I go to the Father." Going to the Father, then, provides the reason or ground for the greater works. But why does Jesus' going to the Father make possible greater works? The rest of John's gospel answers that question. In John 16:7 Jesus says, "It is better for you that I go, for if I do not go, the paraclete will not come to you, but if I go I will send him to you." This fits beautifully with John 14:12. Jesus says that it will be better if he goes because only when he goes will the Spirit be sent. And John 16:8-11 makes it clear that the Spirit, when he comes, will convict unbelievers of sin, righteousness, and judgment. Such conviction of sinners is clearly another way of describing the "greater works” which will occur after Jesus goes. Greater than any healing is the inclusion of one's name in the book of life. Jesus reminds his disciples of this when they are so excited about casting out demons in Luke 10:20. "Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven." John 7:37-39 is another passage, which helps us understand why greater works will be done when Jesus goes to the Father. In v 38 Jesus promises "rivers of living water will flow from the belly of the one who believes in him." I think Jesus is saying here that life-giving water will flow from believers to satisfy the thirsty souls of others. The apostle John notes, however, that such living water is to be identified as the Holy Spirit. V 39, "But this he said of the Spirit which those who believed in him were about to receive, for the Spirit was not yet given because Jesus was not yet glorified." Why wasn't the Spirit given to believers yet so they could satisfy the thirsty souls of others? John says that it was because "Jesus was not yet glorified." In other words, Jesus had not yet gone to the Father and accomplished his work on the cross. He had not ascended to the right hand of God, and this outpouring of the Spirit would only occur after he was glorified, after he had gone to the Father. Again, the "greater works" are the works that are possible when the Spirit is poured out. John 20:21-23 also confirms this interpretation. There Jesus breathes the Spirit on the disciples, which in a symbolic way anticipates Pentecost. When the Spirit comes, they will have the power in the name of Jesus to forgive sins and to retain them. The greatest work of all is surely for sins to be forgiven, and this verse hints that such a work was available to believers more extensively after Jesus had given his life for sinners and ascended to the right hand of God. The book of acts supports the interpretation that "the greater works" are possible after the outpouring of the Spirit as well. The Holy Spirit is not poured out until after Jesus has ascended. Note how Luke emphasizes Jesus' ascension in Acts 1:9-11 as a prelude to the pouring out of the Spirit in Acts 2. Also, Acts 2:33 specifically says that "after Jesus was exalted to the right hand of God, he received the promise of the Holy Spirit, and poured out this which you both see and hear." Again a direct connection is made between Jesus' ascension and the giving of the Spirit. One final word: that greater works are done by believers after Jesus' earthly ministry in no way diminishes the ministry of Jesus, nor does it suggest that our ministry is somehow better than His! I have argued that the greater works refers to the work of the Spirit through believers in convicting unbelievers of their sin, and mediating forgiveness of sins in the name of the risen Lord. But such work is not our work! It is the work of the risen Lord in us and through us. The Lord Jesus Christ exalted and glorious works in concert with God the Father through the Holy Spirit. He is the one doing the work, and He is worthy of all the glory! |
| Passage: John 13-15 On Monday, November 19, 2012 (Last Updated on 11/18/2014), Yujin wrote, “I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill this passage of Scripture: ‘He who shared my bread has turned against me.’ (John 13:18). As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. So Jesus told him, “What you are about to do, do quickly.” (John 13:27). While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled (John 17:20). Some have suggested that God did not predestine Judas Iscariot to betray Jesus. But that would be wrong. Just in these few references in John, it is clear that Judas was destined beforehand to betray Jesus in keeping with Old Testament prophecy (cf. Psalm 41:9). Now, while it is accurate to say that Judas, along with rest of humanity, condemned himself to hell and destruction because he was a sinner by nature and also sinned, it would not be accurate to say that Judas just happened to betray Jesus. God foreordained it. Even as God raised up Pharoah to display His glory through Him by destroying Him (Romans 9:16-18), He raised up Judas, so that though Judas' betrayal Jesus could die for the sins of the world. Therefore, while people are responsible for their heart-rejection of God and the corresponding condemnation, God can still use these "vessels destined for wrath" to achieve His glorious purposes for His "vessels destined for mercy" (Romans 9:22-23). Notice, that Jesus does not even try to dissuade Judas from his fate. He does not pray for Judas' restoration as He prayed for Peter. He simply predicts it and even hastens it ("What you are about to do, do quickly"). There was absolutely no hope for Judas. Not only was He not chosen for salvation, but He was chosen for a most awful task among those that are self-condemned. As Jesus would say of him, "It would be better for him if he had not been born" (Matthew 26:24). This is another side of the doctrine of election, but here we are not speaking of salvation and damnation but rather of how God uses people, whether believers or unbelievers, to achieve His purposes. This is in keeping with the message of Proverbs 16:9, In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps. and Proverbs 16:1, To humans belong the plans of the heart, but from the Lord comes the proper answer of the tongue. These proverbs teach that while people are responsible for the response of their hearts, God has power over the direction and outcome of their behavior. He orders these outcomes to fulfill His glorious purposes. As God orders the outcomes of unbelievers, He also does this for believers: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28). Friends, I include this discussion so that we might have a clearer perspective on the biblical teaching on God's sovereignty and human responsibilty. This will help us to have a proper view of God and ourselves, so that we might not belittle God nor think too highly of ourselves. ----------------------- This is just to spur reflection... Who was Jesus' audience when He spoke about the promise of the Holy Spirit that would come to remind the disciples of everything Jesus said to them? Who was Jesus promising that He would answer anything they asked of Him (John 14:40)? Who was Jesus speaking to when He said that He was the vine and they were the branches in John 15? Who was He calling "friends" in John 15:15 - Was it all believers or the Eleven? When He was predicting coming persecution, was He saying every believer will be persecuted or these disciples in particular? Now, if Jesus was speaking to the Eleven (cf. John 15:27; minus Judas, who left to betray Jesus in John 13:30), shouldn't we acknowledge this and be careful when we try to apply these promises to ourselves today? One of the tenets of proper biblical hermeneutics is understanding the audience being addressed. Why is this important? Would instructions by a manager at Walmart to his workers apply to workers in non-Walmart stores as well? What about a teacher's instructions to her first grade children? Would we apply these same instructions to adults? What about the laws given to the citizens of Uganda? Would we try to enforce them in the U.S.? Therefore, understanding audience is important. Some things may have universal application, but other things may not. Even in our present text, Judas (not Judas Iscariot) tries to discern whether some of what Jesus told them also applied to the world at large: "But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?" (John 14:22). In Jesus' prayer in John 17, he prays for three different groups: For Himself in John 17:1-4; For His disciples in John 17:6-19; then for those that believe from the witness of the disciples in John 17:20-23. Friends, the Scriptures contain many great and wonderful commands and promises, but not all of these are meant for everyone, nor are they meant for all time. Therefore, it behooves us to carefully discern from the context whether the given truth is universal or particular to a certain group; whether it is timeless or limited in scope. I wish every teaching of Scripture was spelled out in such a way that it is absolutely simple and clear for anyone to immediately understand; however, simplicity does not negate the need to search, and while no complex tools are needed to discern meaning, time and effort are certainly required. Thus, we read in the Scriptures, And if you look for it [wisdom] as for silver Dear friends, I wish you happy searching and discovering! Thus, the more time and effort you put in to read and study the Bible, the greater and clearer your understanding will be of God and His will. Even if it seems hard at first, I encourage you not to give up. In keeping with the promises of God, your diligent and extended searching will not be in vain. I am a living testimony to this truth. |
| Passage: John 13-15 On Thursday, February 23, 2012 (Last Updated on 11/19/2012), Bill wrote, This passage is one of the most symbolic of Jesus' Heart - that of a servant. (John 13:1-7, 14-17) 1 It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" 7 Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand." 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. If you really consider the image of the creator of the universe on his knees washing the feet of His disciples, it's startling to say the least. What should we take from this humble act? In verse 1 John writes that Jesus would 'love them to the end'. Jesus is preparing for the ultimate sacrificial act - giving of his life for the worlds sins. And his thoughts are still of teaching them what it means to be a disciple of Christ. It's interesting that it doesn't say he will love them to His end, but to 'the end'. This is more correct of course because Jesus will not 'end' at his death, but he will rise. And Jesus will never stop loving us (his own). The washing of the feet is certainly a symbolic act - demonstrating the heart of a servant, demonstrating humility, and sacrifice and selfless love. Jesus tells his disciples to do as he has done, and that no master is greater than his servant. The life of a Christian is the life of a humble servant, loving others sacrificially and selflessly. They say to be humble doesn't mean to think less of ourselves, but to think of ourselves less. While it can be difficult to love others as ourselves we can never say that our God didn't do as he preached. I have always loved leaders that led by example and what an example we have set before us in Christ. |
| Passage: John 13-15 On Sunday, November 20, 2011 (Last Updated on 11/19/2012), Yujin wrote, Friends, time to time I receive corrections in what I have written. And I always welcome them. Often it shows that someone has deeply considered what I have written and also embraced their Christian responsibility to correct their brother, so that as iron sharpens iron, one brother can sharpen the other. I include both the correction and my reponse. I hope it might be instructive for everyone. Today, a dear brother sent me this correction based on what I wrote regarding prayer: I wonder about Jesus' intent in scolding the Pharisees, in this context. Is it really for us to be concise, mundane and unemotional in prayer to the creator of the universe? Isn't "many words", really referring to the Pharisees long winded self serving display's of worship. Not honest, emotional, passionate, spontaneous celebration or joy or even long casual conversations with your best friend? Wasn't the whole point of Christ that we can be closer, emotionally to God?
Consider:
Is David dancing wildly in a loin cloth offensive to God? How about the psalmist pleas to lift up your hands or cry out, or shout to God. Isn't Christ intent to call out hypocrisy not passionate displays of worship. Doesn't Christ himself lose all formality (even sacrificing his dignity) as he cries out in the Garden of Gesthame, sweating blood.
Are you really against emotional worship? Do you really see it as heretical teaching?
As you are well aware many in our church (not me) espouse to this style of worship - are you rebuking them and their pastor?
Your friendship and mentorship has been instrumental in my personal growth with Christ, and i point this out with respect.
Here was my response:
You are absolutely right that Jesus' rebuke regarding the "many words" was against showiness and not that prayers should be "concise, mundane and unemotional." There is really nothing in your email with which I disagree, except perhaps that you may have misunderstood what I wrote.
I reread my post, and I confess that I still don't see where I argue that prayers need to be unemotional or mundane, or even concise. I just mentioned the "many words" passage because it is in keeping with the principle that prayers are toward God and not toward man. In my explanation, I wrote that Jesus taught against self-serving, ostentatious prayers that seek fanfare rather than worship. This does not mean prayers must be emotionless, just that they must be God-ward.
I heartily agree that a primary mission of Jesus was to draw us near to God. In fact, the Bible even says just this: "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you" (James 4:6). But again, I'm not sure how what I wrote is contrary to this. In fact, I wrote that a primary reason for prayer is that our wills might be aligned to God's will. Isn't this also drawing us closer to God, as Jesus said, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments" (John 15:10). And Jesus taught that those who do the will of God are His true mother and brothers and sisters (Matthew 12:50).
I have nothing against passion and emotion in prayer. After all, the Psalms, which are like a great collection of prayers, are often very impassioned. I have nothing against spontaneity in prayer. I actually much prefer spontaneity to pre-thought out, written or standardized prayers, because oftentimes this latter type tends to tempt the composer into thinking of performance rather than worship.
Regarding David's "undignified" display before the LORD in worship, David certainly was not seeking the praise of men, for even his own wife criticized his unbecoming display. He was not concerned with what men thought but what God thought, before Whom he would be even more undignified if it would please Him. The religious rulers were just the opposite. They were only concerned with their own dignity and how they appeared before men.
Today, when I hear people screaming prayers or yelling the name of Christ in a crowded room with others, sometimes I think that these people think they will be heard for their shouting, their repeated and drawn-out cries of the name of Jesus. Sometimes, whether they are fully aware of this or not, when they try to outshout someone else in the crowd, are they not just trying to show how much more impassioned they are and their prayers more spiritually deep. This concerns me. I know some can hardly think to pray because it can be so distractingly noisy in some "pray out-loud" prayer services. I am convinced that some pastors are deliberately loud so that they can try to stir people's emotions and "encourage" them to be loud themselves and impassioned too, and so that they can create an emotionally-charged environment, which they believe is more conducive to "true" worship. When I see such things I recall Jesus' teaching in the Sermon on the Mount (see Matthew 6) with respect to how not to pray. Prayer must always be God-ward.
Who says emotional worship is heretical? I do not. Aren't we to love God with all our hearts as well as our souls and minds? The idea is to love and worship God with the whole of our being, which must include our emotions.
Now, in previous sharings I have spoken strongly against what I consider are unbiblical displays of emotion, which have closer ties with the practices of cults than the movement of the Holy Spirit (e.g. Here's a blog that talks about the influence of Hindi Kundalini on the neo-charismatic movement: http://kevininman.org/home.cfm?feature=1511160&postid=934763). Now, you are right that I differ with some in our church regarding the manifestational gifts of the Spirit, of which I am more convinced than ever that they have ceased with the apostolic church of the first century. But even if they did not, the current practices do not coincide with the biblical record (I can share more on this at the appropriate place in our readings). But let it suffice to point out here that none of these gifts were given for personal edification or for grand displays of power. These gifts were given to build up the body of Christ; therefore, the gibberish passing for tongues today that are a part of many charismatic, and unfortunately some of our, prayer services serves no purpose in building up the body of Christ. And neither Jesus nor Paul ever taught that self-edification was good. Interpreters of 1 Corinthians 14, the primary text for supporters of "ecstatic" tongues and self-edification today, fail to read the irony and sarcasm in Paul's words, and have taken his irony as Gospel truth. These are some of the same people that read Paul's rhetorical question, "Do all speak in tongues?" and answer, "yes," when the strong force of the literary device as well as the context demand a "no." And so these leaders teach that if you don't speak in tongues you are unsaved. These leaders by their misinterpretation of the Scriptures have also inadvertently sparked many emotional excesses leading to the bizarre displays of people barking like dogs, laughing uncontrollably, falling backward en masse, or shaking as if possessed by a demon. These are hardly the way the Spirit works - at least as far as the biblical record is concerned. Now, if this is the kind of emotion you have in mind, while I would not use the word "heresy," as this term has a more particular meaning, I would say these outbursts are certainly unbiblical.
Worship should be full of emotion but not a display of emotions. Worship should fully engage our minds but not be a mere academic exercise. Worship should fully engage our lives but in obedience to God's Word and not in mere ritualistic acts. This is some of how I understand biblical worship.
I appreciate your rebuke, brother. I hope your kindness and consideration in sharing will also give others boldness to freely respond to me. And if I have missed the point of your rebuke, please clarify by citing something particular that I wrote, so that I can better understand. |
| Passage: John 13-15 On Friday, November 19, 2010 (Last Updated on 11/29/2011), Yujin wrote, Recently, someone asked me about prayer. What is the purpose of prayer? Is it to inform God? Certainly not, since He already knows our thoughts before we think them, as well as every word before we say it, and every need before we tell Him (cf. Psalm 139:2,4; Matthew 6:8). Is it to make sure that we get what we want? Not this either, for God often says "No" to self-serving requests (cf. James 4:3). Some have erroneously encouraged believers to cry, clap their hands, yell, speak in tongues, and call out Jesus' Name again and again, as if by this display God will more likely hear them than by just a few words whispered in their hearts to God. Now, this isn't to disparage spontaneous expressions of emotion, only what is induced or contrived, as if somehow God is hard of hearing or as if in addition to God everyone else needs to take notice as well. Jesus taught against "endless repetition," "babbling by pagans," and even using "many words" (cf. Matthew 6:7). Jesus also taught against ostentation in prayer (cf. Matthew 6:5; Mark 12:40). Prayers for the most part should be without fanfare and private (cf. Matthew 6:6). What then is the purpose of prayer? Is there such a thing as a good prayer and a bad prayer? I believe so. It is the same way that we know a good prophecy from a bad one, or a good teaching from a bad one. We test it by the Word of God, which is the authoritative revelation of God's will. In understanding this we can also understand the purpose of prayer. Let us understand. The purpose of prayer is not to inform God or to get things from God but to align our wills to God's will, even as that will is revealed in His Word. Jesus said in John 15:7, "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you." Wow! What a promise! Whatever we wish will be done for us. This verse is just like the favorite in Psalm 37:4, "Take delight in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart." God will give us the desires of our hearts. But, there is a problem. We don't always get what we ask for in our prayers. What many fail to see in claiming these promises is that there is a condition. In the first, the condition is "if you abide in Me, and my words abide in you." In the second it is "take delight in the LORD." In other words, if your prayer is in keeping with God's will, then you can confidently expect to get what you pray for. Consider another passage, Romans 8:26-27, In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. The context of these verses is Paul's discussion on the experience of present suffering and the expectation of future glory (cf. Romans 8:17-30). Three groanings are mentioned, that of creation (verse 22), that of believers (verse 23), and that of the Spirit (verse 26). Why the groaning? It is because the will of God has not been fully consummated, which refers to the renewal of creation (verse 21) and the redemption of the bodies of believers (verse 23). Now, don't miss the important message that is repeated three times in this text, namely, the working of the will of God. The suffering is according to God's will (verse 20). The expectation of glory is according to God's will (verses 28-30). And the work of the Spirit to intercede on behalf of believers is according to God's will (verse 27). We are concerned here with the third point as it relates to prayer. We don't know "what we ought to pray for." The focus is not on how we pray but what we pray. The Spirit helps us with respect to the content of our prayers, so that what we pray may be "in accordance with the will of God." It is as if the only prayers that get to God, and so the ones that He answers, are those that are in keeping with His will. This text should encourage us to pray even when we are not fully sure that our prayers are in keeping with God's will. After all, Paul encourages believers to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17) and not to be anxious "but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God" (Philippians 4:6). Yet, this discussion should help us know the purpose of our prayers and help us to pray better prayers. When we pray for anything, whether for ourselves or for others, we should not be primarily concerned that our needs get met or that the needs of others are met but that God's will is done. I've run out of time, but perhaps another occasion will afford me the opportunity to show you that the words "Give us this day our daily bread" in the Lord's Prayer is not a request for God to meet our daily needs. It should rather be understood as something like, "Give us just what we need to glorify You most." Again, it is primarily concerned with the will of God and not on getting our needs met (cf. Matthew 6:33-34). In conclusion, friends, how can we have better prayers. Read, study, and meditate on God's Word. When You know His revealed will in His Word, then you can be confident both that your prayers are right and that God will answer your prayers. As an example of this, notice how frequently the prayers in the Bible cite Scriptures (e.g. Acts 4:23-31). |
| Passage: John 13-15 On Friday, November 19, 2010, Yujin wrote, Friends, We read in John 13:3-4, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God, got up from supper, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself. People are amazed when they see others voluntarily give, serve, and sacrifiice without thought to themselves. Yet, Christians do this all the time. What is the secret? Consider Jesus here with His disciples. How could He, their Master and Teacher and Lord, so freely abase Himself to wash their feet? It is because, as the Scripture says, He knew "that the Father had given all things into His hands" and He knew "that He had come forth from God and was going back to God." Jesus was secure in His relationship with the Father, so that He did not need to secure Himself. He trusted that God had His back, so He did not have to worry about defending Himself. In the Father He knew that He lacked nothing; therefore, He could give of Himself freely and without restraint. How can we have this attitude in ourselves? You do not need some "new" spiritual experience or revelation. You have the Word of God, which is the power of the Spirit in you (cf. Ephesians 6:17; John 17:17). You do not need "more" of God. He has already given you His fullness in Christ (cf. Colossians 1:19; Galatians 2:20). As Paul writes in Romans 8:31-32, If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Therefore, let us, who truly know Christ as our Lord and Savior, declare with the ancient choir director in Psalm 73:23-26 to God:
I am always with you; |