Conflicted Assurance Prevails (1 Cor. 10:1-13; COD Heads 5, Arts 1-9)

The Apostle Paul shows where God's people have failed and disappointed the Lord in the past. The Lord's people have fallen into idolatry while calling it proper worship. This is intended to sober God's people and awaken us to see that we too are prone to these temptations. The Apostle Paul interjects at the conclusion of these examples that God is faithful. How can God being faithful encourage us when we doubt his goodness? Why is it so assuring that God will keep us until the end?

Impartial to God’s Law (James 2:1-13)

One of the challenges of the Christian life is not allowing our earthly perspective to get in the way of our heavenly perspective.  We are people called to arrive at heaven.  We are people called to have the orientation of heaven ever before us as we sojourn through this age.  So, how is this worked out?  On the one hand we are struggling sinners called to honor the Lord and on the other hand we are called by a perfect God.  So, how are we to live our the righteous requirements of the law in light of our sinful struggle?

The Epiphany of Fighting (1 Timothy 6:11-16)

Paul has exhorted Timothy and the church to live a peaceful and quiet life before the Lord in this letter to Timothy.  This would seem to imply that we do not fight, but seek peace at all costs.  However, Paul exhorts Timothy now to fight.  How can Timothy seek peace and fight at the same time?  What is the point of this fighting?  Or is this fight something else and we are just imposing our view on the fighting?

Glory to God Alone (1 Timothy 5:17-25)

As we walk through this world as human beings there is no doubt that we are tempted to live our lives to please man.  This is a real and honest temptation that we face, but why is that so wrong?  Why do we live our lives before the face of God?  Why is it so essential to live our lives before the face of God as His redeemed people?

Who is Like God? (Micah 7:14-20)

The Lord is a God who is serious about his justice.  He will deal with the foreign people who make a mockery of His name and He will drive out His people who also make a mockery of His name.  This is something that we expect a sovereign God to do.  This expectation is not what makes God necessarily unique from all the other gods.  What is the ultimate thing that makes God unique for the other gods?  How do we have a relationship with this God?  How do we know that he really is the Lord of lords and the King of kings?

Wanting the Whole Person (Micah 6:1-8)

The Lord offers Israel a series of options regarding sacrifices that might relieve them of the coming exile.  You would think that Israel, with a sacrificial system, could offer the Lord enough sacrifices to turn away the foreign army.  You can almost imagine the people thinking about going to the temple, pooling resources, and making the priests work overtime to gather together enough to avoid impending doom.  This is possible until the Lord asks them about child sacrifice.  Does the Lord really want them to sacrifice their children?  If there is not enough then what can appease this Holy God?  How can we please such a sovereign, mighty, and holy God as mere fallen creatures?

Needing the Spirit Beyond the Means (Romans 7 (LD 26; BC 15)

Romans 7 is a passage that is debated about its application.  Some say that this is Paul under judaism, Paul in a pre vs post conversion, a regenerate man looking at unregenerate man, and the theories continue.  How can Paul be talking about the issue of human sin and the law?  What if Paul is just laying out that fallen man is so sinful that fallen man cannot attain the holy God apart from Christ?

Resurrection and Incarnation (1 Corinthians 15:45; BC 19)

We talked last time about the incarnation of Christ being something that is challenging for us to understand because it is a doctrine that is difficult to grasp.  It does not make sense that the second person of the Trinity would take on flesh like our flesh.  It does not make sense that He would submit to death and then be raised up again.  Why all this drama?  What is the purpose of Christ taking on the flesh and then dying?  How does this have a meaningful impact right now instead of at the end of our 80 years of walking this earth?

The Mysterious Incarnation (1 Timothy 3:16 (BC 18)

The incarnation of Christ is a very difficult doctrine for us to understand.  In fact, I would say that as human beings it is an impossible doctrine to fully understand. This doctrine teaches that Christ, who is from all eternity, took on real human flesh to ratify the promises of God. If this doctrine is so difficult to understand then why do we want to study this doctrine?  What could be beneficial about it regarding our day to day life?