BECOMING A Suden of he Bible
Editor’s NOTE
Welcome to Issue 6, Friends! This time around we are focusing on BECOMING: A Student of the Bible. And by that, I mean a student of the whole bible. I think most Christians today would say they are pretty familiar with the New Testament, but have limited knowledge when it comes to the Old Testament. Of course, we live in a postJesus era under the “new covenant” of grace and it can be tempting to assume that much of the Old Testament has little value to Christians here and now. But, we would be wrong in that assumption! Here are 3 of the most common objections to studying the Old Testament: It's too boring. Whether it's the detailing of the Law in Leviticus or the seemingly tedious genealogies, parts of the Old Testament can seem really boring out of context. These are great opportunities to read a biblical commentary, get insight from a trusted teacher, and to read the Bible existentially- that is, to put yourself in the situation and consider it from that point of view. Sometimes, what looks to be boring can be of tremendous importance. it’s Too difficult to understand. Well, this is the point where we have to take our call as disciples seriously. A disciple is essentially a learner, and in following Jesus we have a lifelong responsibility to grow in the knowledge of our Lord. Without a doubt, there are parts of the Bible that are difficult and may take some working out, but that doesn't give us permission to exist on spiritual milk our whole lives. We must move on to solid food. it’s Not relevant to modern culture. We know that all Scripture is God-breathed, and because God is unchanging, His truth- which is the only truth- is unchanging. The culture of our day hates biblical morality, thinking itself to be too tolerant or too intellectual to be constrained by such principles. But, there is truly “nothing new under the sun”, as King Solomon said. Just a simple review of Genesis shows us that the issues of our day have been seen and dealt with for thousands of years. The Bible speaks to all areas of life at all times. No matter where we find ourselves in our Christian walk today, out of our desire to be mature followers of Christ, we must to commit ourselves to a continual process of growth and learning. And sometimes that means digging in to difficult or unfamiliar territory. Don't be intimidated- we know that if we are in Christ, the “Spirit of all truth” guides us! In putting this issue together, the prayer of the BECOMING team is that you will come to a fuller understanding of God's truth revealed in both the Old and New Testaments. Of course, we can only realistically scratch the surface of this topic here in the magazine, so I urge you to check out the Resources on page 20 (and at www.becomingmag.com) to find our favorite books and websites to help you grow in your knowledge of the Lord. Always BECOMING,
Shannon
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in this ISSUE
FEATURES
4
Missing Links
8
Connecting Covenants
10
Dwelling Places
14
Now & No Ye
16
Couner-Culure Commitment
TOOLS & APPLICATION
7
Navigating God’s Big Picture
18
How To: Sudy he Bible
19
Q & A, My Favorie Things
20
Building Blocks
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Missing Links Writen by Shannon Basso
Discover how he "meanarrative" of Scripture is vial o our undersanding of God and our ability o comprehend His purpose in redemptive hisory. It's no rocke science, we promise! Read on…
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Up until a few years ago,
I lived my life as a New
Testament Christian. I understood its themes and it was (mostly) comfortable there. Whenever I found a reference to the Old Testament that I didn't understand, I just skipped over it. Studying the Bible as a whole never really occurred to me. The stories of Noah and Jonah- put on the mental shelf long ago as mere children's stories- were eclipsed by the weighty and "more important" story of Christ. The links between Old and New remained largely unconnected for me. So, there I was, calling myself a follower of Christ for 25 years without understanding half the Book I professed to be so devoted to!! Saint Augustine said, "The New Testament lies hidden in the Old, and the Old Testament is unveiled in the New." In other words, the Old and New testaments are inseparable and not understanding their interconnectedness is like missing a link in a chain- it just doesn't work. If you grew up in the church like me, you probably have plenty of David-and-Goliathtype stories locked in memory, but with little understanding of their purpose in the overall story. How's your comprehension of the Tabernacle or the Exodus from Egypt or Abraham's life? All these things foreshadow Jesus in amazing ways- rich little nuggets of truth that we miss if we never seek to understand the overarching storyline of the Bible. Add, on top of that, that we've been taught to pick apart the Bible to suit our daily situational needs. That's fine for certain purposes! I have several verses that are dear to me and provide encouragement and strength in times of trouble. But, if all we know about Paul's letter to the Philippians is "Do not be anxious about anything…", or "For God so loved the world…" from the Gospel of John, then it stands to reason we might be missing quite a lot. It seems silly when we think of it this way, but this is the method many Christians use to study the Word, and it can amount to a very limited understanding of redemptive history. If we are to become mature and sanctified Christfollowers, we must take an interest in the whole council of Scripture, as challenging as it may be. If we disregard any portion of Scripture or if we dissect the story down to individual verses, we get an incomplete picture of God's nature and His intentions for human history. In God’s Big Picture, Vaughan Roberts highlights some vitally important information:
here’s what The Bible is... A book written by one Author. Although, there were many writers of Holy Scripture, we must remember that "all Scripture is God-breathed" and that its writers were under the influence of the Spirit of God to reveal the exact message He wanted revealed (2 Tim 3:16; 2 Pet 3:16). The Bible, above all else, tells God's story. Written with one clear and constant message. It is the story of God's plan to redeem His creation through the Son Jesus. This is what we call the metanarrative, or "big story", of the Bible. While the Bible has much to teach us, we must always keep in mind that it is a book about God. When we study it, our first question should not be, "How does this apply to me?", but "What does this tell me about God?".
here’s what the Bible IS NOT… A book of stand-alone sayings or stories. Author and pastor, Tim Keller, says that many of us "read the Bible as a series of disconnected stories, each with a 'moral' for how we should live our lives. It is not. Rather, it comprises a single story telling us how the human race got into its present condition and how God through Jesus Christ has come and will come to put things right." Extracting individual verses or stories without respect to context can often lead to misunderstanding. Every piece relates to the larger whole which is why we should work toward a good understanding of the entire Bible. A collection of independent books... that have no reference to the others. Each book of the Bible is one part of the larger whole and must be studied and understood within that larger context. It is amazingly complex and, at the same time, simple and straightforward in it's main message. Vaughan Roberts says, "If we want to understand any part of the Bible properly, we must consider where it fits in [God's] great plan and how it contributes to it."
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remember two things “God is the hero of the Bible from beginning to end, and He never changes... He is the same God in both the Old Testament and the New: holy, just, loving, and sovereign. For example, His deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt not only foreshadows the redemption Christ achieved; it also speaks, in and of itself, of the grace and power of God.” Vaughan Roberts We keep 2 dimensions in mind when we study the Bible: the historical and the relational. Wherever we land in the Bible, we ought to seek to identify what the passage has to tell us specifically about God, as well as considering how it fits into the overall story of redemption. For example, we see the coming Christ hidden at every turn in the Old Testament- Abraham's near sacrifice of Isaac, the Exodus from Egypt, the Mosaic Law, the Temple, King David, the words of the prophets… all of these things, in one way or another, point us to our need for redemption and God's plan to accomplish it through Jesus Christ. At the same time, they also tell us about God and our relationship with Him. These connections are gems to be discovered as we study and learn and press on to maturity in faith. Although, we could never plumb the depths of the richness of His story, we do seek to know the God who says, "let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth" (Jeremiah 9:24).
we are Storytellers At the end of the day, there is only one story that matters, for even our individual stories are woven into God's grand plan. Our culture, though it may not say it outright, loathes His metanarrative. If sinful humanity had it's way, it would eliminate the big story altogether and opt for autonomy, where each individual self governs according to what he or she believes is best. In this worldview, we are all independent of each other and of an all-encompassing story, thereby freeing us from responsibility to others and, most importantly, from God.
So, it stands to reason that if we don't know and adequately understand the One story, the most important story, we will find it difficult to pass it on to those He has placed in our path. Consider the story of Mary, the mother of Jesus. When the angel, Gabriel, came to announce the coming Savior, God had not spoken for 400 years. Not a word, not a warning, not a prophecy. Just silence. But, Mary's ancestors had been storytellers of the One story, and by their faithfulness, the one chosen to bear our Savior humbly and expectantly accepted her destiny. And, it is with the same passion and conviction that God's story is to be on our lips, as wellall day, everyday.
We have been entrusted with the Good News, a message whose power lies in the proclamation of it! So, in our lives- in our work, our marriages, with our families and our friend, we must know the story and tell it. Live it. Breathe it. Sing it. Proclaim the good news of the gospel- the gospel that is woven into every page of the Bible. It is God's BIG picture.
“SO WE RISE EACH MORNING AND EMBARK AS STORYTELLERS TO THIS GENERATION, TO FUTURE GENERATIONS; STORYTELLERS OF ONE STORY. FOR REALLY, THERE IS ONLY ONE STORY TO SHARE: HIS.”
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ANN VOSKAMP
NAVIGATING GOD’S BIG PICTURE Start Here
Consider relational context. What does this tell you about God? What application might it have for you?
Consider historical context. Where are you within the Bible story? Where have you been and where are you going?
Consider the original message to the original audience. Take care to recognize literary techniques such as poetry, proverb, historical narrative, and interpretation.
Are you in the Old Testament? How does this point to Christ in the New Testament?
Are you in the New Testament? How does this passage fulfill what has come before (Old Testament)?
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Connecting Covenants Writen by Shannon Basso New Covenant? Eternally saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Got it! Old Covenant? Dn’t really understand it, not sure it applies to me, never really paid much attention... Can you relate? As Christians today, we can be tempted to wonder, and are sometimes falsely led to believe, that the Old Testament Law and sacrificial system have little relevancy to us in a post-Christ world. Of course, we absolutely affirm that the Law is no longer over us to condemn us. But, we must also remember the words of our Lord: “If you love me, keep my commands” (John 14:15) We have been saved to keep the law, thereby pointing the world to Christ and showing our love for Him. Use the Old Covenant/New Covenant comparison chart (facing page) and the following “important points to know” to deepen your understanding of the Covenants and guide your future study: God saves by substitution. Throughout the Bible, we see that God saves by providing a substitute to die in the place of others. When Abraham, resolved to be obedient to God, raised his hand to sacrifice his beloved son, Isaac, God intervenes and provides a ram to take Isaac's place. And, in behalf of sinful humanity helpless to save themselves, God intervenes and sends Himself as a substitutionary sacrifice to atone for sin and reconcile a people to Himself. "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).
God saves through faith alone, in Christ alone, by grace alone… always. The Old Testament (OT) practice of sacrificing animals could not bring eternal forgiveness. Jesus is very in clear in telling us the He is the ONLY way to God. John the Baptist proclaims Him as the "Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world" (John 1:29). So, if faith in Christ is the only way to salvation, you may wonder how people were saved in the OT before Jesus appeared in history? The means for salvation has always been faith. Genesis 15 tells us that Abraham was considered by God to be righteous because "he believed God"; he had faith. The OT saints did not have the full details of Christ's coming, but they understood they were sinners and they trusted God to be their Savior. R.C. Sproul explains: "It is important to understand that salvation occurred in the Old Testament in the same manner that it occurs in the New Testament. When Paul speaks of Abraham's justification as being by faith, that is shorthand for saying that Abraham was justified by the righteousness of Christ." God's law still stands. Our culture loves to argue that the "rules" of the Bible are no longer relevant to our day. It is important to understand that there were 3 types of "law" in the Old Covenant: civil, ceremonial, and moral. The civil law, or judicial law, applied to the nation of Israel before God’s people became the church, and is no longer applicable to us. The ceremonial law, rules pertaining to the sacrificial system, was made obsolete by the final saving work of Jesus. However, God's moral law, which represents his unchanging character, stands forever. Jesus tells us that He did not come to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it! Upholding God's law was of utmost important to Christ. The apostle Paul says in Romans 6, "Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?" Although, we are saved by grace and are no longer bound by the requirements of the Law, we are not free to disregard it- and why would we want to? True gratitude for God's grace drives us to glad obedience! As Christians, we strive for this: to delight in God's law AND in the riches of His grace.
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What is the Old Covenant?
What is the New Covenant?
God made many covenants with his people in the Old Testament. However, when we refer to the Old Covenant, or "the Law", we are commonly referring to the Ten Commandments and the sacrificial system set up to atone for the sins of the people when those commands were broken.
Through His life, death, and resurrection, Jesus institutes a new covenant between God and man. Unlike the repetitive animal sacrifice of the Old Testament, Jesus' sacrifice would never have to be repeated. Those who believe in Him are justified by His blood and given the gift of eternal life.
The Law shows us God's nature and character. The 10 Commandments aren't just some arbitrary rules to obey set by a God who likes to make things difficult for us. The commands of God proceed from the very nature of God. We know that God cannot lie (Titus 1:2), and He therefore expects that we do not lie, either- commandment #9. The Law reveals who God is and sets the standard of how He wants us to live.
CHRIST: A Perfect Life. In the living of a perfectly righteous life, Jesus satisfied every requirement of God's Law. He did for us what we were unable to do for ourselves! When we believe in Christ, his perfection and righteousness is imputed, or transferred, to us such that we become blameless and holy before God. "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Cor. 5:21).
The Law shows us our need for a Savior. The apostle Paul says in Romans 3:20, "through the law we become conscious of sin". As we recognize our inability to uphold God's commands, we see how our sin choices have separated us from a holy God. In order for the Israelites to atone, or make amends, for their sin against God, a system was instituted that required the people to sacrifice animals, for "without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness" (Hebrews 9:22). Here, a chilling realization: Forgiveness for our rebellion against God requires the shedding of blood; it requires taking a life.
CHRIST: the Sacrificial Lamb. Because of Jesus' life of perfect obedience, He was able to offer Himself unblemished to God. In His suffering and dying, Jesus took on the due penalty of the Law and endured the punishment in our stead. Through Him, we are cleansed of sin, our fellowship with God is restored, and we are freed from bondage to sin and eternal death. Jesus is called our Passover lamb because just as the blood of a lamb on the doorposts of their houses delivered the Israelites from slavery and death in Egypt, so the blood of the Lamb of God on the "doorposts of our hearts" delivers us from slavery to sin and eternal death.
The Law is a shadow of Christ, who was to come. We see that the Law served it's purpose of revealing personal sin, but it was never a means to eternal forgiveness. "It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins" (Hebrews 10:4). The Law points us to the promised Messiah, the one who would be crushed for our sin, bear the iniquity of us all, and ultimately present us blameless before God. The Israelites in the Old Testament yearned for the coming of the promised King, the only one able to permanently bring them to peace with God through the shedding of His blood. Although Christians today are no longer under law but under grace through faith in Christ, we seek to uphold the moral law out of gratitude and a desire to glorify God.
CHRIST: the Risen Savior. The apostle Paul says that if Christ is not raised from the dead, we have a worthless religion! Why is the resurrection so important? First, it is proof that what Jesus said about Himself is true. Jesus claimed equality with God and the ability to forgive sin. Had he simply died as any other human that would have been the end of the story, and there would be no reason to believe His claims. Second, it is proof that God accepted the offering of the Son. Death is the penalty for sin, but Jesus' sacrifice was pure and "it was impossible for death to keep its hold him" (Acts 2:24). The grave was not able to hold Jesus because it had no power to- death is reserved for the unrighteous, and so it had no claim on Jesus Christ.
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large and had several important pieces that were full of symbolism that actually pointed toward Jesus Christ, the one who sacrificed himself once for all sin on the cross.
Dwelling Places
THE ARK OF THE COVENANT
Writen by Jaime Bracket
What do you think of when you think of your body? Does your mind jump to your thighs or those few extra pounds? Maybe you are training for a marathon... or bathing suit season. We spend a lot of time toning, trimming and tucking our bodies- taking care of our health and physical bodies can become all consuming! Lots of words may pop to the surface of your mind with regards to your body but does the word “temple” ever make the top 10? If you are a Christian, your body, first and foremost, is a temple of the Holy Spirit! But, why is that important and what was the temple exactly? The temple is first described as a tabernacle in the book of Exodus. The tabernacle was a tent-like structure that could be set up and taken down to move around with the Israelites as they wandered in the desert (Solomon would later build the first temple for the Lord which was a building that did not move!). The word tabernacle literally means dwelling place. God desired to dwell among his people but, because of the sin of the Israelites, there had to be a separation between God and the people- they had to approach him in the way he prescribed. That approach was through animal sacrifice, which atoned for their sin. The tabernacle was
The centerpiece of the tabernacle was the Ark of the Covenant which initially contained the 10 commandments and, later, other items. Exodus first gives instructions regarding this piece because it was the symbolic dwelling place of God and the rest of the tabernacle was built around it. You can read a description of the ark in Exodus 25; essentially, it was a chest made of acacia wood and covered with gold. The ark’s lid was pure beaten gold. On each end of the covering, there were two cherubim made to face one another looking inward toward the cover with up spread wings nearly touching at the top. The function of the ark was twofold: first, God was understood to dwell symbolically between the wings of the cherubim; second, the covering of the ark was called the atonement cover and it was an integral part of atoning for sins. Once a year, on the Day of Atonement, the high priest sacrificed an animal for the sins of the people and sprinkled its blood on the atonement cover (or mercy seat). This showed that atonement for the people’s sin had been made and they could now call on the mercy of God. The shed blood was powerful symbolism of mercy and judgment. For without the shed blood, when God looked down on the mercy seat, he saw the broken law. However, when the blood intervened, God saw that atonement for sin had been made and that forgiveness could be given. This depicts the forgiveness of sin granted to believers through the death of Jesus Christ! So, when God looks upon a Christian, He does not see their sin but the shed blood of Christ covering
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their sin. If the person he is looking upon is not a Christian, then he does see their sin which has not been atoned for and that person is still under wrath and judgment.
THE TABLE OF SHOWBREAD Another item in the tabernacle with great symbolism pointing toward Christ is the Table of Showbread. This was also made of wood overlaid with gold and contained twelve loaves of bread as well as golden plates for the bread and golden ladles, bowls and pitchers for handling the incense and drink offerings. The most significant objects were the loaves of bread which represented the twelve tribes of Israel. These loaves were offerings of thanksgiving to God for his faithful provision and care of his people. We also understand that the bread pointed to Jesus who would later describe Himself as the “bread of life” (John 6:35). He used bread to symbolize His body when he taught the disciples during the last supper. During that supper the communion bread pointed to the broken body of Christ that would give new life to those who would believe on him for salvation and also points back to the showbread of the tabernacle.
THE GOLDEN LAMPSTAND This was a seven branched candlestick called a menorah familiar to us today. The observable purpose of the lampstand was to give the priests light as they worked in the Holy Place. However, it also symbolically pointed to Jesus who is the “light of the world” (John 8:12). The apostle John who wrote “the true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world” (John 1:9), may have had this object in mind later when he penned, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling [literally, “tabernacled”] among us” (John 1:14). John likely was remembering the tabernacle and its symbolic furnishings.
THE TEMPLE, THE TABERNACLE, AND YOU The prophet Isaiah tells of a Messiah who would come and sacrifice himself once for all sins; looking back, we understand that Jesus was that final sacrifice. When his work on the cross was complete, the physical temple was rendered useless. In fact, the bible tells us that the thick curtain that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies, where God’s presence dwelt in the temple, was torn in two at the moment Jesus died. This picture of the torn curtain tells us that the access to God that was once restricted was now available through Jesus’ final sacrifice. So, as we connect the dots between the Old and New Testament, we see that the New Testament book of 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says this: Do you no know ha your bodies are emples of he Holy Spiri, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are no your own; you were bough a a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
The price, of course, was the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. After he ascended and the Holy Spirit was given to believers, our bodies became temples of the Holy Spirit. So you see, our bodies are truly not our own. It’s not just meant for our pleasure and to nip and tuck and tan and adorn as we see fit. Our bodies belong to the service of the Lord! We are his hands and feet. And, if you have received Jesus as your Lord and Savior, your body and your everyday life belong to him. The Temple in the Old Testament pointed to the Savior. Well, Christian, Jesus came and he died and rose again and now allows your body to be the dwelling place of his Holy Spirit. So, let’s do what 1 Corinthians exhorts and honor God with our bodies. More importantly, let’s honor the Holy resident who guides us into relationship with our risen Savior!
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GIVE YOUR BODIES TO GOD BECAUSE OF ALL HE HAS DONE FOR YOU. LET THEM BE A LIVING & HOLY SACRIFICE- THE KIND HE WILL FIND ACCEPTABLE. THIS IS TRULY THE WAY TO WORSHIP HIM. ROMANS 12:1
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Now & No Ye Writen by Nicole Ickes & Shannon Basso
Our Christian lives are lived in an “in between” period. Vaughn Roberts writes: “The kingdom of God is both ‘now’ and ‘not yet’. It has come with the appearance of Jesus on earth and through his death and resurrection. He has spoken of the kingdom as a present reality. It has been manifest in his own ministry on earth and it is now possible for anyone to enter it (Mt 12:28, 19:14). But the kingdom is also something we must wait for in the future... If we have placed our trust in Christ, we belong to the new creation, but we have not yet received all its blessings.” So, many of God’s promises are experienced in 2 ways: partially here on earth- the NOW- and completely when Jesus returns- the NOT YET. This is important information for us as Christians, as it not only gives us hope for what is to come but also clear opportunities to experience a portion of God’s kingdom while here on Earth!
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THE REST OF GOD In Matthew 11:28, Jesus proclaims, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Rest was the goal of God’s creation from the beginning with Adam and Eve in Eden, and it is one of His ultimate promises for us in eternity. God wants us to share in His perfect rest. We know that complete rest and peace from sin will not come until Jesus returns again and all things are restored. However, His words show us that in Him we can still experience real rest during our time on Earth. He says in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give as the world gives, so let not your hearts be troubled or afraid.” And, in Matthew 11:29-30, “Accept my teachings and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in spirit, and you will find rest for your lives. The burden that I ask you to accept is easy; the load I give you to carry is light.” One of our deepest human longings is to find a deep sense of rest in the turmoil of life. Only God is able to accomplish this for us (Is. 26:12). When we truly trust in Him, by obeying His commands and believing what He promises, we find “the peace that passes understanding” in the midst of earthly troubles.
A NEW CREATION One of the great contrasts of the Bible is that of life and death, both now and eternally. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 4:16-17, “Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” Even though our outer physical bodies move toward death, our inner spiritual lives experience God’s “new mercies” every morning that give us the strength to live for the advancement of His Kingdom. Paul goes on to reminds us in 2 Corinthians 5:17 that “if anyone belongs to Christ, there is a new creation. The old things have gone; everything is made new!” When we are “made alive with Christ”, our bodies become the temple of the Holy Spirit; not only is He a deposit guaranteeing our permanent residence in the coming Kingdom, He is our Counselor in whose presence we walk and power we rely on everyday. We
look forward to the day we are given “new”, eternal bodies in our eternal home, but until then, we rely on the Spirit to renew our hearts day by day.
SALVATION The Bible speaks of our salvation from sin as being past, present, and future! In the past, Jesus’ death and resurrection saved us from the penalty of sin. Presently, we are being saved from the bondage of sin through the power of the Holy Spirit. And, when we are finally ushered fully into His presence, we will be saved from the presence of sin. It is amazing that in a world full of sin, our Lord made it possible to experience relief and even freedom from its grip! In John 16:33 He says, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” No matter what temptation or trial assaults us, we know that Christ has overcome them all, and we are given the ability in His Spirit to live free from the clutches of sin in the midst of it all.
NEW HOPE FOR LIVING The Christian life is one of frustration and joy. Frustration as we live in a fallen world and are far off, it seems, from experiencing the fullness of God’s perfect kingdom; joy as, in Jesus, we are given the firstfruits of the Spirit and are able to taste of heavenly things like perfect rest, redemption, and freedom from sin right here on earth. The promises of God are not just hope for the future, they are realities for present life. What should we gain from this knowledge? If we know that we are God’s temple, it should impact how we treat our bodies both physically and mentally, as well as how we care for others and engage with the world. If we know we can experience true peace and rest in this chaotic world, it should compel us to trust Him to provide in the everyday circumstances of life. If we know we are new creations in the Spirit, it allows us to walk free from the bondage of sin and experience His renewal every day. As we wait for the fulfillment of God’s incredible promises in the future, let us seek to know Him and a portion of His promises right now!
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And then, one night, a couple of years ago, I laid in bed completely broken and just gave up. I told my Lord in prayer that what I had been trying all these years wasn’t working, and I was going to stop praying for “him to change” and just pray that God would open my eyes and show me the way to a healthy marriage through His Word, instead. And you know what? He did just that. My marriage hasn’t been the same since.
CounerCulure Commitment Writen Anonymously by a BECOMING reader
“As the church yields to Christ, so you wives should yield to your husbands in everything.” Ephesians 5:24 WHAT?! Isn’t this completely opposite of what my natural, hot-headed, stubborn female self wants to do in marriage? What about what I want? Am I not the girl who enrolled right away in “Philosophy of Feminism” freshman year in college, only to graduate, get married, and find out that as a Christian woman I am to yield to my husband in all things?! It can be difficult balancing a strong personality with God’s call to me to “submit to my husband, as is fitting to the Lord” (Col 3:18). He calls me “to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to (my) own husband, that the word of God may not be reviled” (Titus 2:5). Well, I am about to celebrate my 10 year anniversary, and it has not always been a fairytale marriage. There have been many wonderful times, my husband is truly a great man, and I do love him very much…but there have also been many tears and many nights going to sleep wondering if we could ever be and stay happy. I wondered how God could ask me to yield any further to a fighter personality without losing myself completely in the process.
I searched God’s Word for all He had to say about the way that wives should react to their husbands and strive to be in their marriages; I committed to acting out what I found. Amazingly, I found that abiding in God’s word was transformationalcompletely counter-cultural, completely unnatural at first, but still, absolutely transformational. I found that the more I yielded to my husband in arguments and approached his differing opinion with humility, the gentler, kinder, more loving and more giving he became in return. And, even more importantly, I saw his relationship with the Lord grow in leaps and bounds. 1 Peter 3:1 was truth, and I was in awe…“wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives”. As my husband’s relationship with the Lord grew, our marriage strengthened and I began to see him treat me as the Lord calls a husband to treat his beloved. I am so grateful that by the Lord closing my mouth and opening my eyes and heart, I have experienced 1 Peter 3:7- “husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman…since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.” So, am I still a “feminist”? Well, I guess I am God’s idea of “feminine”- committing to live the way He calls me to live in my marriage as my husband’s loving and grateful wife, enjoying all the blessings that come as a result.
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HOW TO BE A STUDENT OF THE BIBLE 5 Ways to Dig Deeper 1. Use a study bible
2. Read Commentaries
Take advantage of the hard work the editors have done! Individual book overviews, verse notes, and information boxes offer helpful context and references. The NIV & ESV are reliable study bibles. In addition, you can use a reference site like biblegateway.com to look up passages in many different translations .
The word “commentary” may signal the boring alarm in your mind, but a great commentary is anything but boring. You’ll gain great insight, but try to do your own study before letting someone else do it for you. Reliable commentary authors: Sproul, Stott, and Moo.
3. Small Group Study Being in small group study is a great way to dig deeper into the Bible. Whether you join a group or create your own, make sure the members have study goals that reflect your own. Set expectations for accountability and confidentiality from the beginning. We’re big believers that for a study group, smaller is better- that way, honest relationships can be formed and real issues of faith can be hashed out. Life isn’t always rosy and biblical truth isn’t always easy, so having a safe place to work through hard questions can be a real treasure.
4. Learn from the Experts Many theologians and pastors have their resources available online- most for free! Check out the sermons of pastors John Piper (desiringgod.org) and Tim Keller (timothykeller.com), or the teaching series of R.C. Sproul (ligonier.org).
5. Use your brain Thinking and reflecting is an integral part of working out our faith! Stop relying solely on pastors and bible teachers for understanding. The most fruitful learning always comes when you take your role as disciple seriously and begin seeking God for yourself.
BECOMING Magazine 18
Q & A with...
JESSICA KELTNER Friend of the magazine, Jess Keltner, shares why serious study of Scripture has changed her faith. P lus, she gives us her Top 5 worship resources! Suppose I'm new to Old Testament (OT) study. Give me a reason why this should be something I care about… Jesus Himself was an Old Tesamen scholar! He quoed he "the Scriptures" throughou His ministry and augh it's laws and principles. If we are o be sanctiied (becoming more Christlike), should we no be OT scholars as well? Why do you think it's so important for us as Christians to be familiar with the Bible as a whole? As I began o study he entirey of scripture, he imporan ruths came ino incredible focus: here is ONE God who is he same hroughou all ime. In boh the OT and NT He shows Himself o ALWAYS be boh perfectly loving and perfectly just; Jesus Chris is spoken of hroughou he entire breadth of scripture - sarting in Genesis! You canno separae he OT from he NT. The Bible is ONE grea love sory o us, beginning o end, giving glory o our grea God, deailing he coming of His eernal Kingdom. What effect has studying the OT had on your pre-existing biblical knowledge? It's amazing how he OT brings he NT ino a new perspective and helps us o undersand i beer! For example, I could no fully appreciae he inal sacriice of God's perfec lamb (Jesus), until I undersood he sacriicial sysem of he OT. I was dificul o fully appreciae God's perfec redemptive plan carried ou hrough Jesus withou knowing he symbolism of he abernacle or studying he 0T Messianic prophesies- all of which Jesus fulilled! As you began to dig into Old Testament scripture, what was one discovery that proved to be life-changing? Jesus is no "Plan B"!! There seems o be a general idea ha God decided o send Jesus o earth in response o humanity's rebellion and sin, kind of like a las resor. Bu Jesus' role in salvation was decided from eernity… he has always been the one and only plan! "He was chosen before he creation of he world, bu was revealed in hese las imes for your sake." 1 Peer 1:20 BECOMING Magazine 19
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5 Things I Love: Tim Keller Podcasts (Redeemer Pres. Church app) Commenaries by John So. His insigh has lierally brough me o worshipful ears! The YouVersion bible app. I has Bible reading plans, devoionals, and audio reading of Scripture. “The Lof Sessions” by Behel Music. My favorie album righ now! Srong’s NIV Exhaustive Concordance. I love o study, so his has become a grea resource!
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ISSUE 6: BUILDING BLOCKS The Bible is a book with one consisen overarching soryline:
God’s plan o redeem His people hrough Jesus Chris. www.becomingmag.com pineres.com/becomingmag FB: BECOMING Magazine
TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL: God’s Big Picture by Vaughan Roberts God in Our Midst by Daniel Hyde New City Caechism App Bible in a Year Reading Plans, www.biblegaeway.com
Dear Father, Help me o see your grand sory woven hrough he pages of he Bible and ino my very own life. All of hisory points o you and he grace you’ve shown us hrough salvation in Jesus Chris. Help me o see Your big picture as I learn from Your Word and as I navigae daily life. Give me eyes o see wha you have done and wha you are now doing. Give me passion for Your kingdom’s cause. Amen. Wha new insigh have you gained from his issue?
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____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Wha hings migh you need o change in order o see ransformation?
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