Summarizing God and Sin

When we speak of original sin, we often do so in the context of our humanity.  Perhaps, instead, for just a moment, we might consider addressing this issue from the context of the Holiness of God.

What does it mean to be Holy?  Webster defines Holy as exalted or worthy of complete devotion as one perfect in goodness and righteousness.  This is actually an excellent definition, and one that has Biblical roots from which we can work.  Let’s start from the second half of the sentence: one perfect in goodness and righteousness.

The perfection of God is an essential Christian theme.  God is perfect in every aspect.  We will address this point again soon.  Perfect in goodness means that God is the ultimate boundless Goodness.  We have discussed the problem of evil already, and how God allows evil but manipulates all things to His perfect intension.  God, Himself, does not create evil; God is perfectly Good.

The perfect righteousness of God is the problem that burned inside of Martin Luther.  We owe the match light of the Protestant Reformation to the concept of God’s perfect righteousness.  Once again, we will come back to this point shortly.

One other key Biblical distinctive about God is justice.  God is perfectly just.  This perfect justice is the problem that we will discover in scripture.  One of the key historical points concerning doctrine is that into the late Middle Ages, the work of Jesus on the cross was considered to be a ransom paid to the devil for the sinful world.  Anselm of Canterbury in the eleventh century put forth the understanding of scripture that the ransom paid by the blood of Jesus was actually to God.  The key to understanding this logic is to understand the perfect justice and righteousness of God.

Now, let’s introduce sin into the picture.  Remember, we are examining this question from the perspective of God, not man.  When man commits the original sin, man has done a number of things that are hugely problematic.  There are Old Testament Biblical passages that discuss the inheritance of curses for a thousand generations. (We will leave eschatological calculations out of the mix for now.  It’s a long time!) If we assume the progenitor status and federal headship of Adam, by either standard, mankind is now in a whole world of hurt due to the original sin.  Why was this such a big deal?  The problem is that God created Adam perfectly capable of fulfilling the Law, the law written on his heart as the creation covenant of obedience.  If Adam had kept the Law, we might all be perfectly righteous and without death.  It is, of course, difficult to speculate on the what ifs of theology.  But Adam did sin, and now Adam was no longer perfect.  Perfection is the standard of our most Holy, righteous, good and just God.  Perfection.  You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5:48 ESV) Now what?

This is the problem of sin.  God has an expectation of perfect goodness and righteousness.  He isn’t going to look away from sin, because He is perfectly just as well.  Justice must be satisfied.  Also, now that mankind has sinned, God is just a little bit put out and ticked off with mankind.  Sin is offensive to God.  Offensive.  We have offended God.  Not only does He expect perfect righteousness, but we offended Him as well.  Are you feeling comfortable with the situation still?

So, here is the situation from the context of a perfect, Holy, righteous, good and just God.  We have through sin, failed in perfection, are no longer Holy or righteous or good, and God’s perfect justice demands punishment for us.  Oh, yes, and God’s wrath is heading our way.

Here is an easy question: what are the wages of sin?  Death!  Of course.  Everyone can come up with that one.  So, let’s put things into some perspective here.  Adam took a bite of fruit from the wrong tree.  For that transgression, all of mankind for at least a thousand generations is condemned to die and remain in hell forever.  If you have any argument about mortal versus venial sins that you want to discuss, do so now in this context.  How much worse can we be punished?  There is, of course, more to that discussion; but it behooves us to have laid that foundation for later discussion.

That, my friends, is not fire and brimstone.  That is plain and simple Biblical truth.  All of the churches from Eastern Orthodox to Roman Catholic to Reformed, Confessional Protestants hold this to be the truth.  It is only from this position of sheer, utter devastation, that we can begin to understand our next topic: Grace.

– Troll –

Hebrews 7—Melchizedek, Part 2

In Judah God is known; his name is great in Israel.  His abode has been established in Salem, his dwelling place in Zion.  There he broke the flashing arrows, the shield, the sword, and the weapons of war. Selah  (Psalm 76:1-3 ESV)

The LORD says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.” The LORD sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter.  Rule in the midst of your enemies!  Your people will offer themselves freely on the day of your power, in holy garments; from the womb of the morning, the dew of your youth will be yours.  The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind, “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.”  (Psalm 110:1-4 ESV)

For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. He is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace. He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever.  (Hebrews 7:1-3 ESV)

Types and shadows are the tool of covenant theology that the writer of Hebrews keeps hammering.  Rather than dwell for long in the Psalter, I just want to point out that the order of Melchizedek runs through the whole Old Testament.  It is the High Priesthood of that better Covenant that is made first with Abraham, and then finally by Christ, through Christ, for his elect, who are both natural and grafted in members of the Covenant family of Abraham. 

I want to start by enumerating a few interesting tidbits.  First, Melchizedek blesses Abraham; and by giving him a tithe, Abraham recognizes Melchizedek as the Great High Priest who intercedes for him with God.  Second, one chapter later, Abraham has no need of an intercessor, because God talks directly to him.  In a moment, we will examine why that is the case.  Third, Melchizedek is called the king of peace.  Fourth, Melchizedek is dropped into the story without antecedent or genealogy, and then seemingly disappears again.  The writer of Hebrews implies that he continues a priest forever.

See how great this man was to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of the spoils! And those descendants of Levi who receive the priestly office have a commandment in the law to take tithes from the people, that is, from their brothers, though these also are descended from Abraham. But this man who does not have his descent from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior. In the one case tithes are received by mortal men, but in the other case, by one of whom it is testified that he lives. One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when Melchizedek met him.  (Hebrews 7:4-10 ESV)

This is a key point the writer of Hebrews is making.  Melchizedek is not of the same lineage as Levi.  It is very tempting to assume that Melchizedek is some sort of preincarnate, dropping into the story to set Abraham on the correct path.  But Salem was a real place, and it had a real king.  No true incarnate diety would take authority of a kingdom of man.  But as a type and shadow, this works very well.  Melchizedek blesses Abraham.  In the next chapter, Genesis 15:6, we are told that the basis of Abraham’s righteousness is his belief in the promise of God.  What purpose then is this passage of Genesis 14 in the overall narrative?  The writer of Hebrews tells us that by translation, Melchizedek is the king of righteousness.  We’ll have to take his word for that, of course.  So, in one man, we have king of righteousness, by name, and king of peace, by location in Salem.  First, Abraham receives blessing from this Great High Priest, Melchizedek, the king of righteousness and the king of peace, and then Abraham offers Melchizedek a tithe, recognizing him as greater than himself, and then God declares Abraham righteous based upon his faith in the promise and blesses Abraham.  Later in Genesis 22, Abraham will obediently offer his son as a sacrifice to God, but God refuses the sacrifice.  Remember, it will be Abraham’s Seed, Who in His incarnation is also a natural branch of Abraham, Who is indeed sacrificed to God. 

Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, rather than one named after the order of Aaron? For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well. For the one of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests.  (Hebrews 7:11-14 ESV)

While this whole line of argument seems obscure to us today, let’s break this down and try to view this from a redemptive historical picture.  We must start with the audience again.  The audience of Hebrews are predominantly Jewish Christians.  As such, they have spent their whole lives in the religious context of Moses and Aaron and Levi as priests.  Melchizedek not being of the family of Levi or Aaron is exactly the point.  Aaron and Levi are associated with the Law as given through Moses.  Melchizedek is not.  Jesus is not from that branch of the family. 

But there is a larger point and that is in the first phrase: Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek?  Indeed.  This is such an important question and we are so bogged down on who this Melchizedek guy is, we totally blow over this basic and fundamental question.  The writer of Hebrews just told us that we are ready to move onto advanced Christianity, so we should not need to dwell on the basics.  I agree with Paul on this point.  We never outgrow the basics, because fallen man, left to himself will always turn back to himself for answers.  So, the writer of Hebrews makes an assumption that we are meant to make as well.  Perfection is NOT attainable through the Law; otherwise, this argument doesn’t make any sense.  This is a huge point and cannot be overstated.  The answer to the writer’s question is obviously that there would be no need for Jesus as incarnate deity if perfection were possible under the Law.  This is the whole point of the Gospel.  This is what Jesus keeps pounding into the Pharisees.  This is what Paul finally understands.  This is the central point of the distinction between Law and Gospel.  The whole message of Hebrews hinges on this very point.  If we were capable of perfection through the Levitical priesthood, what further need would we have for Jesus?

This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life. For it is witnessed of him,

            “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.”

For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness (for the law made nothing perfect); but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.  (Hebrews 7:15-19 ESV)

This section, again, gives some to think of Melchizedek as some preincarnate.  Clearly, this passage refers to Jesus.  As such, it is obvious that He arises by the power of an indestructible life.  But does that phrase also refer to Melchizedek?  No.  The line of argument is about genealogy.  Just as Melchizedek was not of the same lineage as Abraham, neither is Jesus of the same lineage as Aaron or Levi.  The indestructible life of Jesus does allow Him to continue as priest forever.  But this is not the big point of this section either.

Focus on verses 18-19.  A former commandment is set aside.  What is set aside here?  The Levitical priesthood interceded based upon the Law and the Covenant of Moses; therefore, the Mosaic covenant is no longer in force.  It was not capable of making anything perfect.  The Law is only capable of teaching us about our sin.  That was the whole purpose of the Law.  Now, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.  Remember again the audience.  Only the Great High Priest dared to draw near to God under the Levitical system.  Now, with this new hope, this new covenant, this new Great High Priest of the order of Melchizedek, we can all draw near to God.  This is truly amazing stuff, and it puts a dagger into the notion of Temple worship and the Mosaic Covenant. 

And it was not without an oath. For those who formerly became priests were made such without an oath, but this one was made a priest with an oath by the one who said to him:

            “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, ‘You are a priest forever.’”

This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant.  (Hebrews 7:20-22 ESV)

We have already seen that this quote is from Psalm 110.  What is this oath to which the Psalmist refers?  For just a moment, let us remember all of those Old Testament covenants that we discussed recently.  Three were Law Covenants: creation, Noah and Moses.  We know that Abraham is different.  The missing covenant is that with David.  Remember that David wrote many (roughly half) of the Psalter.  This one in particular is a Davidic Psalm, and it refers to the Davidic Covenant.  Let’s go, once again, to 2 Samuel 7:8-17 and read about the Davidic Covenant.  Two key points are at once obvious.  First, there are no blessings and curses.  This is a straight royal grant.  This covenant is of the same type as that with Abraham.  Second, we come to 2 Samuel 7:12.  When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.  The assumption is that God is talking about Solomon.  It makes sense within a Jewish Old Testament manner of thinking.  Notice the number of the noun offspring.  We know from later in the sentence that this is one person.  The writer of Hebrews is directly applying this verse to mean Jesus.  It is the Kingdom of Heaven that will be established.  It is Jesus who will be the Son of God.  It is the throne of Jesus that will be established forever.  This promise was about Jesus.

So, logically, if the writer of Hebrews is pointing to both the Covenant with Abraham as well as the Covenant with David in distinction to the three law covenants, Jesus is certainly the guarantor of a better covenant.  Everything that Jesus mediates is a gift from God, not tied to a blessings and curses situation.  Those three covenants have to be reconciled, but that is why we needed Jesus to come.  He had to fulfill those covenants for us. 

The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.  (Hebrews 7:23-25 ESV)

This section is plainly straightforward to us today, in our Trinitarian view of Christ.  If we have some odd Arian type of theology, then this is more problematic.  Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses are the archetype of this theology in our century.  But we need to be careful with so many of the liberal views that chip away at the Gospel and deity of Christ.  To these wolves, we must shout the charge of blasphemy. 

For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself. For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.  (Hebrews 7:26-28 ESV)

We finish up chapter 7 with a brief discussion of the sacrifice of Jesus.  I say brief because the writer of Hebrews was brief.  I will not be nearly so succinct.  From the first line, why is it fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens?  The writer tells us.  There are two reasons and we are elaborating on the first.  He has no need to offer sacrifices for his own sins.  He doesn’t have any sin.  His sacrifice pays for our sin.  Because he was made perfect, he only had to do it once.  Goats and lambs and bulls and pigeons cannot cleanse us of our sins.  They can only cover up our sins.  This is the mercy seat language of the Old Testament.  His sacrifice is so much better.  It does more than just cover up.  It reconciles us through Christ, to God the Father, by the power of the Holy Spirit.  How is he made perfect?  This works on two levels.  He is God, so when He became incarnate, He was made perfect from the start.  But also, He is made perfect in a progressive sense by living a perfect, sinless life while incarnate under the curse of Adam.  This life creates the conditions of a perfect sacrifice.  He is wholly human and wholly God and completely sinless as such.  Perfection incarnate.  He does what no man under the Law is capable of doing.  He becomes that perfect sacrifice for us.

My friends, I am going to say this differently that what we heard last week.  It’s in the text so watch closely.  He did this once for all.  That statement cannot be more plain and yet it cannot be more overlooked and abused.  Those other priests must atone for their own sins daily (plus every year on the Day of Atonement,) because they are not perfect and the sacrifice that they offer is insufficient to the job.  Therefore, in response to this paragraph from the notes, my answers would be different.

What has the blood of Christ done for you? Where do you need His blood in your life? Often we most need the blood of Christ at those times we're victorious. Victorious times can actually be dangerous times, although **** spoke for all of us in saying he could use the challenge of victorious times right now.

The blood of Christ, for me, purchased redemption, cleansing my sin, reconciling me to God, allowing me to approach His throne boldly and with confidence on the Last Day, knowing that I am not to be judged by my own merits, but rather by the perfect righteousness of Christ that was imputed to me as a gift of Grace through the power of the Holy Spirit.  In my life, His blood has already freed me from the yoke of sin, so that my works are sanctified by that same Grace from the Holy Spirit.  Because I have the knowledge of the Gospel and what the Blood of Christ has already done for me, once and for all, I can live accordingly in gratitude and obedience to His will.  I am not ever going to be victorious in this life, in the way in which that question was asked.  My victorious time will come on the Last Day, at Judgment, when I will hear the words, “Well done, my good and faithful servant,” as if I had done something to earn them.  My victory in this life is the certain knowledge of that victory that was paid for me by Christ’s blood for that victory on my behalf on the Last Day.  And that, my friends, is plenty enough for me.

--Troll--

Hebrews 6

This chapter has two distinct parts.  The first part flows from the last portion of chapter 5, discussing the elementary doctrine as opposed to the mature doctrine.  The second part sets up the explanation of the order of Melchizedek.  Let us look closely at each part and set the stage for chapter 7.

We left the last discussion with a discussion about the Word of Righteousness and the powers of discernment.  And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.  Ephesians 4:11-14.  The mature Christian has to exercise his mind.  Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.  Romans 12:2.  But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.  Hebrews 5:14.  Am I pummeling the equinus rigamortis?  Perhaps, but it is only because I saw him flinch.

Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.  

Repentance from dead works is an interesting phrase, worthy of its own series of posts.  James talks about dead faith, but what is this about dead works?  The answer is clear from all that we have discussed thus far.  Works are not the path to righteousness; works are the path from righteousness.  Why are we to leave behind discussion of what is essentially the Gospel?  Because the writer wants us to understand how all of the Old Testament types and shadows fit together with the revelation of Jesus Christ in the New Covenant.  This is the next level to which he would have us aspire.  Of course, Paul never really thought you could assume the Gospel.  He spends the first part of every letter reiterating basic doctrine, always making sure that the foundation is solid before building upon it.  In our day, this approach is more necessary than ever.

For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned.

We spend so much time on this concept, worrying about this and that person falling away.  Really, if you have the proper reformed categories, this is a non-issue.  Let me explain.  Let’s assume for a moment that Romans 9-11 and several other places in the both the Old and New Testaments are accurate in discussing the idea of the elect.  I like making this assumption because I believe that it is true.  But for those Arminians who read this, let’s just make the assumption for a moment.  How does that presupposition effect the above passage?  The elect cannot fall away.  Jesus states that He is the Good Sheppard and He will not lose even the least of His flock.  So, to whom, then, is the writer referring that may have fallen away?  They cannot be the elect, because the writer states that it is impossible to restore these to whom he is speaking.  At this point, some might try and apply that phrase from the Synoptics of which this is an example: But he said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” Luke 18:27.  Here is the difference.  The writer of Hebrews specifically discusses covenant blessings through the Holy Spirit.  Then, he talks about crucifying Jesus once again.  The point is this.  Not all who are part of the visible church are actually part of the invisible church.  Was Judas a circumcised Jew?  During life, did he receive the blessings of being within that covenant community?  Is he a part of the True Church?  In the same way, Baptism brings us into the covenant community.  But not all who are Baptized are part of the True Church.   

When those who do not have true faith participate in the Sacraments, particularly in Communion, they are doing exactly the unforgivable sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.  By partaking in Communion without the faith that goes with it, they are, in a very real sense, crucifying Jesus again.  The believer goes beyond the crucifixion to the resurrection.  The reprobate only goes to the cross, but never to Easter.  Therefore, they may appear to drift in and out of covenant community during their lives, without ever truly being believers.   

This is not to suggest that we are fruit inspectors.  All sheep will certainly stray for a time.  But their path back is not blocked, for they return for true repentance, because they understand the source of their righteousness before God.  So, like the rain that falls on all ground, all those that receive the Sacraments may not produce good fruit, because that ground was not fertile.  They were not among the elect.  That ground was only going to product thorns and thistles.  Therefore, all of this drifting away was inevitable.

Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things—things that belong to salvation. For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do. And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

OK, my friends.  What exactly is going on in this paragraph?  Let’s start with the phrase things that belong to salvation.  Salvation is about judgment.  We cannot lose track of that point.  The door to salvation is faith in the redeeming work of Christ on the cross, in His propitiating sacrifice.  Now, let’s examine God’s justice.  For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do.  Does this sentence undo every other line of scripture concerning justification?  And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.  How does one have the full assurance of hope until the end?  You have that assurance by knowing that our justification is independent of these works.  Remember how this section began, talking about repentance from dead works.  God will not overlook your good works any more than He will overlook your sin, if you want to base your righteousness on your own works.  The point is that, outside of Christ, there are no good works in terms of God’s righteousness, only the righteousness of man, which Paul told us was rubbish.  Jesus Christ sanctifies our  works as well as the rest of us.  After we are justified by faith, we are sanctified by faith so that even our works now are sanctified and truly good works, not those dead works of above.  The only way to be imitators of those who inherit the promise is to be one of those who inherit the promises.  And since you are one of those, act like it.

For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, saying, “Surely I will bless you and multiply you.” And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise. For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

In Bible study, we referred to the Covenant ritual of God with Abraham.  Here is that passage from Genesis 15:17.  When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces.  In these rituals, there were always TWO things passing through the pieces.  The first thing is the Great High King.  The second thing is the vassal king, and the blood of the animals was sprinkled upon the second king to remind him of the curses.  The conditions, the blessings and the curses, all fell upon the second king.  Notice the Covenant ritual of God with Moses from Exodus in chapter 24 and of the Aaron in chapter 29.  The blood was cast upon Moses, the Israelites, the altar, the Law, Aaron.  In the first example, God, the father, and God, the Son, pass through the pieces. They are clearly of the same substance.  All of the Covenant responsibility falls upon God, not on Abraham.  All of the Covenant responsibility at Sinai falls upon Israel, not God.  These are two totally different types of Covenants.  Finally, Jesus had gone behind the curtain, into the Holy of Holies, on our behalf.  He is the firstborn from the dead.  He tears open the veil and allows us to end boldly, in confidence, in His name.

He is the eternal Great High Priest of the order of Melchizedek.  In the next post, we will finally come to Melchizedek.

--Troll--

Hebrews 2

After careful thought, I decided that I needed to go backwards and get us caught up to the present.  Next week, we are entering into a key point of the book, but perhaps without the background necessary to understand the argument.  Hebrews builds an argument in much the same way as the Book of Romans.  Perhaps no two other Books in the whole of the Bible build up momentum and construct an argument with such tightness and clarity as these two.  Therefore, we need to continue from where we left the story.

The first word of chapter 2 is therefore.  Already, we have to start looking back into chapter 1 to see the antecedent of therefore.  Chapter 1 argues that Jesus is the Messiah, and much loftier and greater than the angels.  Therefore, we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.  As we finish the first paragraph, the question that must be asked is: what is the topic?  The topic is salvation.

Let us pause for a moment and consider salvation.  Remember the audience to whom the writer is speaking: believing and converted Jews.  Throughout the whole of this epistle, it is vital to remember that audience.  Because of that audience, the writer will make some assumptions, assumptions that we should perhaps clarify.  Salvation is not about the here and now, in this present evil age.  Salvation is not about these Last Days, after the revelation of God’s redemptive plan through Jesus Christ and His Incarnation, Life, Death, Resurrection and Ascension.  Salvation is about the result of these events upon our verdict on Judgment Day, after the Second Coming of Jesus when He will gather his sheep and separate the wolves.  This whole argument, then, will be about the end game.  This book is about Salvation.  Keep that in mind.  When we come to passages about works, remember that those passages have this vital assumption in mind.  We are talking about Salvation first, and works second.

Look now at verse 5.  What is the meaning of the world to come?  This phrase will filter back into the argument later in the letter, so let us be sure to understand it now.  We are talking about the world after the Second Coming, when the elect are resurrected and living with Christ in His Eternal Kingdom.  The world to come is not this present world in these Last Days in which we currently live.  This is a vital point.  The writer is setting up this contrast intentionally.  This is the contrast that we have discussed in the past concerning the types and shadows of the Old Covenant, Mount Sinai, the original covenant people (the Jews), Israel, Jerusalem, Moses and the Law, with the fulfilled and fully realized counterparts in the Age to come, the world to come, where each becomes their real selves, the New Covenant, Mount Zion, the new covenant people (believers in the promise of salvation through the redeeming work of Christ), the full and complete Israel with its adopted members, the heavenly Jerusalem discussed by John, Jesus and the Gospel.  I have tried to maintain parallel construction of that last sentence so that you may see clearly the types and shadows of the old juxtaposed with the fully realized new.  This is what the writer of Hebrews is doing in this book.  He is setting up this vision of our future.  Why?  We will come to that eventually.

Psalms 8 is directly quoted in the next few lines.  What is meant by the line you made him for a little while lower than the angels?  Again, what was the antecedent argument to our current argument?  Jesus is much in every way superior to the angels.  But now, for a little while, He is lower than the angels.  This is a direct reference to Jesus condescending to become incarnate through Mary as fully human.  The reason for this will be discussed again shortly, but it is important to understand the direction of the argument.  It sounds a bit like the Gospel of John.  In the beginning was the Word, and now He has become incarnate.  Why?  This passage is about Salvation, so there will be a link developed soon in verse 9. 

But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.  So, the writer is making a direct connection between Grace and death.  Look at that again.  By the Grace of God, He might taste death for everyone.  It cannot fail to be obvious to even the casual reader that has to be some benefit or purpose behind the death of Jesus.  There is Grace involved, and Jesus is dying for everyone.  Why?  Yes, the writer is going to help us out with that.  Remember, this is going to be about Salvation.  What is Salvation?  Salvation is about getting the sheep verdict on Judgment Day instead of the wolf verdict.

For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. 11 For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source.  That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers

Now, if you are like me, this verse was akin to being whacked with a 2 x 4 across the head.  This is the whole point of chapter 2, so let’s break it down.  The first He in this passage is referring to God the Father.  Notice that the writer says for whom and by whom, and yet he does not say through whom.  Through whom is the second person of the Trinity and that is also the second He of this passage.  Who are the many sons to glory?  Look in the mirror.  We are talking about the elect, the believers, the sheep, all those who will be saved on Judgment Day.

I don’t know how to draw any more emphasis to these next two phrases than I have already, but focus now.  I’m going to move the antecedents back into the phrase for clarity.  Watch this.  For it was fitting that God should make Jesus, the founder of their Salvation, perfect through suffering.  Why?  What’s up with that?  Jesus is the founder of our salvation.  Founder means the one who founds or establishes.  So, we have several implications here.  There was no salvation before Jesus.  That’s tricky, but we will deal with the Old Testament patriarchs soon enough.  There is no salvation without Jesus.  This one is not as clearly implied here, but it is the logical flow from the first point.  The founder becomes the foundation, the first born from the dead.  That is the idea that we will be developing later.  Keep hold of that thought.

Now, the second part of that phrase is more difficult.  God makes Jesus perfect through suffering.  This is NOT saying that Jesus was not perfect before.  This is discussing salvation.  Remember the difficult question from earlier.  How does Jesus dying involve Grace?  Purpose.  There must be a purpose.  Jesus is being made a perfect sacrifice.  We have to connect all of the dots.  Remember again that the audience for this letter already know the Old Testament.  They know about the sacrifices and the roles of the priests and the relationship between all these things and the people of Israel.  When we get farther into this epistle, that statement is going to seem odd.  But for now, remember that the types and shadows are known to this audience.  The writer is connecting the dots for them.  So, the issue is that Jesus became incarnate in order to be made a perfect sacrifice.  Now, what’s this about suffering?

As an aside, I don’t want to deal yet with the Trinitarian issues that scream out to us throughout Hebrews.  We have to assume the Trinity and know that we cannot separate the Trinity as we read Hebrews.  The arguments for the Oneness of the Trinity are not contradicted by Hebrews, but that is far too much to tackle while we are developing the Salvation theme. 

Suffering.  The writer continues.  Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.  OK, that makes it clear.  Suffering means to share in flesh and blood.  Another way of saying this is that life, by definition, involves suffering.  Or maybe that Jesus, being God and condescends to incarnation as flesh and blood is suffering relative to His original state.  But finally, the only way to defeat death is to die, and then resurrect his body.  To die from flesh and blood is to suffer the penalty of sin.

Slavery.  We are slaves to sin and death, the fear of death.  When Jesus overcomes death, He frees the believer from the fear of sin and death.  Notice that He doesn’t eliminate our sin or our death.  He frees us from the fear of the Wrath of God, which are the ultimate cause of our fear of sin and death.  Our bodies remain IN Adam.  We will have to die to Adam to be reborn in Christ, unless the Second Coming happens during our lifetime.  While spiritually, those true elect believers in the New Covenant are already dead to sin and reborn in Christ, bodily we must await the Second Coming.

Pushing on to the last passage, who are the offspring of Abraham?  To understand this, we must go back to Genesis 15 and understand two things.  First, based upon what is Abraham deemed righteous.  This is getting back to that question earlier.  If Jesus is the founder of Salvation, how are Old Testament people saved?  The answer is there for us in the Word.  He is deemed righteous based upon His belief in the promise of God.  Abraham knew that Salvation was beyond himself, and that it would require God’s mercy and grace.  Second, the promise of God to Abraham and his offspring gets to the notion of family.  There are natural members of his family, the Jewish branches, and there are the adopted members of his family, those Gentiles grafted into the family.  Sons through adoption are full inheritors of the mercy and grace of God through the Redeeming work of Jesus.  So, don’t forget that we are adopted into this family.

Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

My goodness, that is a mouthful.  Here, we are introduced to the term high priest.  This will also be developed later in Hebrews.  I keep pointing out that the audience is supposed to already understand the types and shadows.  They know what a high priest does.  The writer is connecting the dots.  Jesus is the New High Priest.  He is the First, Last and Only High Priest.  That is the revelation in redemptive history that has brought us into this period in time, these Last Days, the time between the First and Second Comings of Christ.

I want to focus my last thought for this post on the end of verse 17:   to make propitiation for the sins of the people.  I have spoken in great detail in the past about this word.  In some translations, the word is removed, changed, edited, discarded.  But here it is again.  Hilasterion must be translated in some way, and propitiation offers the most full and complete manner of understanding all that Christ accomplishes for us.  As the Great High Priest, Jesus not only washes away our sin, but He reconciles us to God.  Both parts of this are vitally important.  You cannot be saved if you are still in enmity with God.  There must not only be a cleansing of the sin, but a turning away of the Wrath of God from those elect who are Christ’s own. 

So when we get to the last verse, how does Jesus help those who are being tempted?  Does Jesus prevent us from sinning?  No, we are still born IN Adam, under the curse.  We still will fail in our efforts to keep from sinning.  Jesus helps us by becoming the Great High Priest, our Intercessor, our Only Mediator and Advocate.  When does this happen?  He intervenes for us on the Last Day, Judgment Day.  How is this relevant to us now?  Well, for that, we must wait for later chapters.

Therefore is used frequently in Hebrews.  The writer is building an argument.  We must keep straight the points of the argument as we go, so that we understand the full argument at the end.

--Troll--

Does God Love the Sinner, but hate the Sin?

Usually, Troll doesn’t just plow into a topic that falls into the area of Ogre, but today will be different.  Two of my dear friends, in the same week, used the old saw “God loves the sinner, but hates the sin.” In both instances, I stated that I did not agree, but in neither case was the circumstance appropriate to elaborate.  Since this perspective is so pervasive in the US, I thought it needed a good discussion.

The statement above implies a couple of things.  First, it implies that deep down inside, man is basically good.  Secondly, it implies that even if the sin of Adam was federally imputed to all of mankind, the role of the Atonement becomes a clearing of the slate.  This further implies that the standard of God can be less than perfection, because Jesus gives the gift that keeps on giving, unless you are Roman Catholic, in which case you’ve got some work to do in Purgatory.  Both of these examples are works theologies, and typical of the liberal perspective.  Let us look at this statement from a theology of Grace instead of a theology of Works.

Is man basically good?  I’ve addressed this issue many times in the past, but here are just a few passages that speak to the issue.  Jeremiah 17:9, Psalms 5:9, 14:1-3, Isaiah 6:5, 59:7-8, Ecclesiastes7:20, and of course Romans 3:9-12.  We have a problem of sin.  Notice how Paul describes the condition of sin in Romans 5:12-21.  He is contrasting the imputation of sin by Adam on the whole human race to the imputation of perfect righteousness by Christ to the elect through the gift of faith from the Holy Spirit.  The problem here is that we are born sinners and we will die sinners.  We require an alien righteousness, a righteousness that is outside of ourselves, a righteousness that we can obtain from someone else, to satisfy the Justice and Glory of God.  And here is the rub: without this alien righteousness, our own deeds, our own works, condemn us to hell. 

Therefore, can we truly say that God loves the sinner?  Perhaps, if we argue that while we were still enemies of God, He provides us with this perfect righteousness, then we can say that God loves us anyway.  But here is the problem with that line of reasoning.  God doesn’t save everyone.  There is an elect remnant, Romans 9, that God has held back for Himself from before time.  For these, He loves us and gives us the free gift through Grace of faith in the meritorious work of Christ on the Cross.  So, does God love us due to any particular virtue of our own?  Of course not.  He loves us because of the imputed righteousness of Christ that is added to our account.  Without this imputed righteousness, He truly does not love us, but instead, we suffer His Just Wrath.

What if we come to the problem from an Arminian, Semi-Pelagian or Roman Catholic perspective of the Atonement?  What does this mean?  The work of Christ on the Cross was sufficient for all people to wipe our slates clean, in these systems.  Our free will, being thus cleansed of sin, is now capable of following the commandments.  Our salvation is based upon our efforts and works during this life.  If we make an effort, God will forgive the rest in the first two cases, or give us a time in Purgatory in the third case.  Now, I’d like for a moment to discuss how this violates the Holiness of God.  We are saying here that God will accept sinful people into heaven.  Check out Matthew 5:48.  The standard is perfection.  No joke.  Perfection.  Dwell on that bad news for a minute.  Do we really expect that God’s love implies that He will simply overlook our sin?

God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that all who believe in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.  John 3:16.  We all know this verse, but we seem to turn off our brains when reading it and add some stuff that just isn’t there to the equation.  God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that all who believed in Him and followed the commandments and took one step towards Him and prayed the prayer at the altar call and voted Republican would not perish, but have everlasting life.  Hmmm.  All that stuff is not actually in there, (except the bit about voting Republican.  It’s in the Grand Old Pachyderm Revised Standard Version (GOPRSV).)  As C.S.Lewis put it in the Screwtape Letters, just get them to add something to the Gospel, add anything to the Gospel, and then it’s no longer the gospel.  What this verse does say is that the work of Jesus on the Cross is 100% efficacious for all believers.  This means that salvation is based upon faith alone.  Certainly, I could have selected many other passages, particularly in the Pauline epistles, that are more explicit on this subject, but this is from John, and it is very well known.

Finally, God hates sin.  God abhors sin.  Any who sin, or are born in the condition of sin in Adam, in other words everyone, is condemned to hell.  God went about a rescue mission for an elect remnant of native vines and wild vines (Jews and Gentiles) in which He not only provides a perfect sacrifice that turns away God’s wrath, but also reconciles us to God through Christ Jesus’ blood.  Our sin, the sin of all believers, before we were born, was imputed to Christ.  His righteousness was imputed to all believers, and this righteousness is credited to our account on the Last Day.  Therefore, He lived the Life we could not live.  He died the death we could not die as a perfect sacrifice.  He arose from death and ascended into Heaven, becoming the firstborn from the dead.  On the Last Day, He will raise all of us and clothe His elect in His own righteousness, so that we may walk boldly in Judgment, confident in a perfect righteousness that isn’t our own.  God gets to see us through this perfect righteousness and His Holiness and Justice remains intact.  God, in this way, is not diminished by our sin.  We are accepted immediately and completely, full inheritors of His Kingdom.

Why did God go through all of this for us?  I’m sure He’ll tell us all someday.  Until that Day, the Last Day, we must trust in the scripture and believe.  Our reaction to this gift of faith and mercy is obedience and humility.  We will sin again and again as long as our bodies are IN Adam (until we die), and though it drives us nuts and upsets us that we cannot be the perfect man that Christ was, we persevere in the certain hope that our Salvation is secured in Christ.

That, my friends is why I do not agree with the opening proposition.  The theology of works is not my claim to salvation.  I’ll take grace, thank you.  Don’t give me what I deserve.  I’ll simply accept that free gift that the Holy Spirit has given me.  As bad is the bad news really is, the Good News is much better than you can possibly imagine.

--Troll--

Heidelberg Catechism: The Second Part--Righteousness

While this may not look like much, this section is the meat of Christianity.  The passages in this section are extremely dense.  While you may not have followed all of the links in the past, and the whole Catechism should be read with an open Bible as the verses are given as a part of the catechism, this is a section that is all the more vital in that regard.  Justification is the declaration that we are righteous before God through Jesus Christ by virtue of our faith in Him, alone and apart from works.  The catechism gives you the doctrine, but the verses demonstrate beyond any doubt that the text yields the doctrine.  We are not imposing our own thought on the text, but rather, we are attempting to summarize and organize what is already there. 

21. Lord's Day

Question 54. What do you believe concerning the "holy catholic church" of Christ?

Answer: That the Son of God (Ephesians 5:26; John 10:11; Acts 20:28; Ephesians 4:11-13) from the beginning to the end of the world, (Psalms 71:17-18; Isaiah 59:21; 1 Corinthians 11:26) gathers, defends, and preserves (Matthew 16:18; John 10:28-30; Psalms 129:1-5) to himself by his Spirit and word, (Isaiah 59:21; Romans 1:16,10:14-17; Ephesians 5:26) out of the whole human race, (Genesis 26:4; Revelation 5:9) a church chosen to everlasting life, (Romans 8:29-30; Ephesians 1:10-13) agreeing in true faith; (Acts 2:46, Ephesians 4:3-5) and that I am and forever shall remain, (Psalms 23:6; 1 Corinthians 1:8-9; John 10:28; 1 John 2:19; 1 Peter 1:5) a living member thereof. (1 John 3:14,19-21; 2 Corinthians 13:5; Romans 8:10)

Question 55. What do you understand by "the communion of saints"?

Answer: First, that all and every one, who believes, being members of Christ, are in common, partakers of him, and of all his riches and gifts; (1 John 1:3; 1 Corinthians 1:9; Romans 8:32; 1 Corinthians 12:12-13, 6:17) secondly, that everyone must know it to be his duty, readily and cheerfully to employ his gifts, for the advantage and salvation of other members. (1 Corinthians 12:21, 13:1, 5; Philippians 2:4-8)

Question 56. What do you believe concerning "the forgiveness of sins"?

Answer: That God, for the sake of Christ's satisfaction, will no more remember my sins, neither my corrupt nature, against which I have to struggle all my life long; (1 John 2:2, 1:7; 2 Corinthians 5:19, 21) but will graciously impute to me the righteousness of Christ, (Jeremiah 31:34; Psalms 103:3-4, 10, 12; Micah 7:19; Romans 7:23-25) that I may never be condemned before the tribunal of God. (Romans 8:1-4; John 3:18, 5:24)

We could spend a long time discussing the implication of being of one body with Christ and the substance of the body that is implied with that statement.  The idea of substance concerning the sacrament of the Eucharist is of similar type.  The covenant context, however, is sufficient for understanding of the Body of Christ in this place.

22. Lord's Day

Question 57. What comfort does the "resurrection of the body" afford thee?

Answer: That not only my soul after this life shall be immediately taken up to Christ its head; (Luke 16:22, 23:43; Philippians 1:21, 23) but also, that this my body, being raised by the power of Christ, shall be reunited with my soul, and made like unto the glorious body of Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:53-54; Job 19:25-26; 1 John 3:2; Philippians 3:21)

Question 58. What comfort do you take from the article of "life everlasting"?

Answer: That since I now feel in my heart the beginning of eternal joy, (2 Corinthians 5:2-3) after this life, I shall inherit perfect salvation, which "eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither has it entered into the heart of man" to conceive, and that to praise God therein forever. (1 Corinthians 2:9; John 17:3)

A lot of interesting issues come from this section.  You  might be surprised to hear that there are vast numbers of professing Christians who have the very Greek idea of the soul going to heaven and the body never being reunited with the soul on the Last Day.  It is interesting how this part of the faith seems to be glossed over without much of a discussion.  The old German Lutherans understand this to the nth degree, but have little faith in God's ability to mend resurrected bodies to the perfection that we were intended in the same way that He justifies us to perfection in terms of righteousness.  

23. Lord's Day

Question 59. But what does it profit you now that you believe all this?

Answer: That I am righteous in Christ, before God, and an heir of eternal life. (Habakkuk 2:4; Romans 1:17; John 3:36)

Question 60. How are thou righteous before God?

Answer: Only by a true faith in Jesus Christ; (Romans 3:21-25, 28, 5:1-2; Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 2:8-9; Philippians 3:9) so that, though my conscience accuse me, that I have grossly transgressed all the commandments of God, and kept none of them, (Romans 3:9) and am still inclined to all evil; (Romans 7:23) notwithstanding, God, without any merit of mine, (Titus 3:5; Deuteronomy 9:6; Ezekiel 36:22) but only of mere grace, (Romans 3:24; Ephesians 2:8) grants and imputes to me, (Romans 4:4-5; 2 Corinthians 5:19) the perfect satisfaction, (1 John 2:2) righteousness and holiness of Christ; (1 John 2:1) even so, as if I never had had, nor committed any sin: yea, as if I had fully accomplished all that obedience which Christ has accomplished for me; (2 Corinthians 5:21) inasmuch as I embrace such benefit with a believing heart. (Romans 3:22; John 3:18)

Question 61. Why do you say, that you are righteous by faith only?

Answer: Not that I am acceptable to God, on account of the worthiness of my faith; but because only the satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ, is my righteousness before God; (1 Corinthians 1:30, 2:2) and that I cannot receive and apply the same to myself any other way than by faith only. (1 John 5:10)

Vegan warning:  questions #59-64 are the meat!  Notice the density of the references in Question #60.  This is heavy on Romans, but really, a lot of Paul is used here.  It is interesting where the Prophets are woven into the catechism.  If you have doubts that the Old Testament testifies to Christ, these sections should put an end to that stuff.

24. Lord's Day

Question 62. But why cannot our good works be the whole, or part of our righteousness before God?

Answer: Because, that the righteousness, which can be approved of before the tribunal of God, must be absolutely perfect, (Galatians 3:10; Deuteronomy 27:26) and in all respects conformable to the divine law; and also, that our best works in this life are all imperfect and defiled with sin. (Isaiah 64:6)

Question 63. What! do not our good works merit, which yet God will reward in this and in a future life?

Answer: This reward is not of merit, but of grace. (Luke 17:10)

Question 64. But does not this doctrine make men careless and profane?

Answer: By no means: for it is impossible that those, who are implanted into Christ by a true faith, should not bring forth fruits of thankfulness. (Matthew 7:18; John 15:5)

Truly fantastic stuff.  This is outline of Romans 3-8 without mentioning Romans 3-8.  This may be a relatively brief section, but it is theologically dense.

We have seen in this section the basis of our righteousness before a Just and Holy God.  The next section is on the Sacraments.  I'll post on the definition of sacrament and Baptism in the next post, and then we'll tackle the Lord's Supper afterwards.

--Troll--

The Good Samaritan

So, you want practical application?  Let's look at the Good Samaritan in Luke 10, shall we?

25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” 27 And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” 28 And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”

29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

What can we say about this parable?  This is clearly a Law passage from Jesus; He says as much.  There is an imperative at the end, go and do.  Notice that Jesus says to do this and you will live.  Jesus is amazing.  He can be talking about Law and turn it into a vision of redemptive history.  The question was how do we inherit eternal life.  The answer was follow the Law and you will live.  By living, Jesus is referring to Salvation, eternal life.  What is interesting in this parable is that the Pharisees are represented by the priest, while the rest of Israel is represented by the Levite.  The Samaritan is a most hated neighbor, a Gentile.  It is the Samaritan who shows mercy and loves his neighbor.  The irony is that those that uphold the Law and live by the Law did not fulfill the Law in this parable.  The one who was outside of the Law, who may not have even known the Law, fulfilled the Law. 

Jesus is pointing out the great difficulty of actually fulfilling the Law.  If you were to ask the priest if he fulfilled the Law, he would answer without hesitation that of course he did.  If you asked the same of the Levite, he might have hesitated, but then he probably would have reasoned that through the sacrifices he offered at the temple, he did fulfill the Law.  Jesus' idea of fulfilling the Law was actually very practical.  Just do it, my child.

Every Sunday when we leave church, there, at the first stop light down the street, is a beggar.  I sometimes watch and see who will give to the man.  He certainly looks the part.  His beard is so scraggly that no one would be surprised if a bird appeared and flew out from it.  His clothes are dirty, if not tattered.  He has a cardboard sign with some plea written in ballpoint pen, totally unreadable from a car.  There was a time when I would drive by.  I rationalized that he was going to go buy booze; therefore, I wasn't going to support his habit.  If I didn't give him anything, perhaps he would be forced to get a real job.  I looked away and drove by.

Troll asked me if I had been to any movies lately.  I said yes, of course.  Troll asked if I knew where the dollars for the tickets went.  I said yes, they go to the studio and distributer.  Troll asked me whether I thought that those movie studio people needed my $36 dollars for a family of four more than perhaps this man on the corner needed $5.  I told Troll about my reasons for not giving the man money.  Troll asked me, even if I knew that the man would take my money and go straight to the liquor store, is his need any less?  Is it my responsibility to spend the money for the man?  Do I care how the movie studio guys spend their money?  Anyone watching the news lately?  Charlie Sheen?

Try this passage from Matthew 25 on for size.

The Final Judgment

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

I now give the guy on the corner some cash, even if it is just a dollar.

--Ogre--