Trusting God's Justice and Truth in Love
Summary
In our exploration of the Old Testament, particularly the challenging narratives like the Canaanite invasion, we are confronted with the profound truth that God's ways are beyond our full comprehension. We must trust that the Bible, as God's Word, reveals His will, even when it challenges our modern sensibilities. The exclusivity of the gospel, which declares salvation through the cross and atonement of Jesus Christ alone, is another such challenge. When we attempt to judge God by our standards of justice, we lose our theological grounding. Romans 3 reassures us that God is both just and the justifier of those who have faith in Jesus. This understanding should guide our reading of both the Old and New Testaments.
The concept of circular reasoning often intimidates believers, but it is essential to recognize that all fundamental beliefs, including those of the Enlightenment, are circular. Our faith is not blind but is supported by evidence and reason, yet ultimately, it is a faith that sees with the eyes of belief. Jesus' words, "My sheep hear my voice," remind us that intellectual arguments alone are insufficient; it is the Spirit's work that draws people to recognize and follow the Savior.
In addressing cultural conflicts with Scripture, we must prioritize preaching the gospel. While apologetics can answer questions, it is the gospel that transforms hearts. When discussing sensitive topics like homosexuality, we must adhere to the biblical text, which consistently affirms God's design for human sexuality. The Bible's teachings on this matter are clear and consistent, pointing to the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman.
Truth must be delivered with love, as emphasized in 1 Corinthians 13. Our tone matters, and while there are times for bluntness, our motivation should always be love. Listening well, as Jesus did, helps us discern the right tone and message for each situation. Social media presents both opportunities and challenges for sharing the gospel. We must engage thoughtfully, ensuring our online interactions reflect the love and truth of Christ.
Key Takeaways:
1. Trust in God's Word: The Bible reveals God's will, even when it challenges our understanding. Trusting in God's justice and the exclusivity of the gospel is essential for a grounded faith. [21:10]
2. Circular Reasoning in Faith: All fundamental beliefs involve circular reasoning. Our faith, supported by evidence and reason, ultimately rests on the recognition of Jesus' voice and the Spirit's work. [23:27]
3. Gospel-Centered Apologetics: While apologetics can address questions, the gospel is the transformative power that leads to salvation. Prioritize sharing the gospel in all discussions. [25:38]
4. Biblical Sexuality: Scripture consistently affirms God's design for human sexuality, emphasizing marriage between a man and a woman. This truth must be upheld with clarity and compassion. [28:58]
5. Truth in Love: Delivering truth with love requires genuine care and good listening. Our tone should reflect Christ's love, balancing firmness with compassion. [32:32]
Youtube Chapters:
[00:00] - Welcome
[19:45] - Understanding the Canaanite Invasion
[21:10] - Trusting God's Justice
[22:27] - Circular Reasoning in Faith
[23:44] - The Role of Apologetics
[25:38] - The Power of the Gospel
[26:14] - Addressing Homosexuality in Scripture
[28:58] - Consistency in Biblical Sexuality
[30:16] - Truth and Love in Communication
[32:32] - Balancing Tone and Message
[34:01] - Social Media and the Gospel
[36:37] - Challenges of Digital Communication
[38:38] - Addressing Church Abuse
[41:16] - Forgiveness and Justice
[43:21] - God's Wrath as Love
[46:49] - The Importance of Gospel-Centered Churches
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
1. Romans 3:21-26
2. John 10:27
3. 1 Corinthians 13:1-7
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Observation Questions:
1. What does Romans 3:21-26 reveal about God's justice and His role as the justifier of those who have faith in Jesus? How does this passage relate to the sermon’s discussion on trusting God's justice? [21:28]
2. In John 10:27, Jesus says, "My sheep hear my voice." How does this statement relate to the idea of circular reasoning in faith as discussed in the sermon? [24:13]
3. According to 1 Corinthians 13, what are the characteristics of love, and how does this passage guide the way we should deliver truth, as emphasized in the sermon? [32:32]
4. How does the sermon address the challenge of cultural conflicts with Scripture, particularly in relation to biblical sexuality? [28:58]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does Romans 3:21-26 help us understand the balance between God's justice and mercy? In what ways does this passage reassure believers about God's character? [21:28]
2. The sermon mentions that all fundamental beliefs involve circular reasoning. How does John 10:27 support the idea that faith is ultimately about recognizing Jesus' voice and the Spirit's work? [24:13]
3. In what ways does 1 Corinthians 13 challenge us to deliver truth with love? How can this passage guide our interactions, especially when discussing sensitive topics like biblical sexuality? [32:32]
4. The sermon emphasizes the importance of prioritizing the gospel in all discussions. How does this focus on the gospel address the cultural conflicts mentioned in the sermon? [25:38]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when you struggled to trust God's justice. How can Romans 3:21-26 help you find assurance in God's character during challenging situations? [21:28]
2. Consider a belief or value you hold that might involve circular reasoning. How does recognizing Jesus' voice, as mentioned in John 10:27, strengthen your faith in that belief? [24:13]
3. Think of a recent conversation where you had to deliver a difficult truth. How can the principles of love outlined in 1 Corinthians 13 guide you in future interactions to ensure your tone reflects Christ's love? [32:32]
4. Identify a cultural conflict you have encountered regarding biblical teachings. How can you prioritize sharing the gospel in that situation, as emphasized in the sermon? [25:38]
5. The sermon discusses the importance of listening well, as Jesus did. How can you improve your listening skills to better discern the right tone and message for each situation? [33:09]
6. Social media presents both opportunities and challenges for sharing the gospel. What steps can you take to ensure your online interactions reflect the love and truth of Christ? [34:01]
7. Reflect on your understanding of biblical sexuality. How can you uphold the truth of Scripture with clarity and compassion in your discussions with others? [28:58]
Devotional
Day 1: Trusting in God's Mysterious Justice
In the face of challenging biblical narratives, such as the Canaanite invasion, believers are reminded that God's ways are beyond human comprehension. Trusting in God's Word requires faith in His justice and the exclusivity of the gospel, even when it challenges modern sensibilities. Romans 3 assures us that God is both just and the justifier of those who have faith in Jesus. This understanding should guide our reading of both the Old and New Testaments, helping us maintain a grounded faith. [21:10]
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9, ESV)
Reflection: In what area of your life do you struggle to trust God's justice? How can you actively choose to trust Him today, even when you don't understand His ways?
Day 2: Embracing Faith's Circular Reasoning
All fundamental beliefs, including those of the Enlightenment, involve circular reasoning. Faith in Jesus is not blind but is supported by evidence and reason. Ultimately, it rests on the recognition of Jesus' voice and the Spirit's work in our lives. Jesus' words, "My sheep hear my voice," remind us that intellectual arguments alone are insufficient; it is the Spirit's work that draws people to recognize and follow the Savior. [23:27]
"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1, ESV)
Reflection: How can you cultivate a deeper awareness of the Spirit's work in your life today, beyond intellectual understanding?
Day 3: The Transformative Power of the Gospel
While apologetics can address questions, it is the gospel that transforms hearts and leads to salvation. In cultural conflicts with Scripture, believers must prioritize preaching the gospel. The gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, and it should be at the center of all discussions. [25:38]
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek." (Romans 1:16, ESV)
Reflection: Who in your life needs to hear the gospel today? How can you share it with them in a way that is both loving and truthful?
Day 4: Upholding Biblical Sexuality with Compassion
Scripture consistently affirms God's design for human sexuality, emphasizing marriage between a man and a woman. This truth must be upheld with clarity and compassion, especially when discussing sensitive topics like homosexuality. Believers are called to adhere to the biblical text while delivering truth with love, as emphasized in 1 Corinthians 13. [28:58]
"Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." (Genesis 2:24, ESV)
Reflection: How can you engage in conversations about biblical sexuality with both clarity and compassion today?
Day 5: Communicating Truth in Love
Delivering truth with love requires genuine care and good listening. Our tone should reflect Christ's love, balancing firmness with compassion. Social media presents both opportunities and challenges for sharing the gospel, and believers must engage thoughtfully, ensuring their online interactions reflect the love and truth of Christ. [32:32]
"Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person." (Colossians 4:6, ESV)
Reflection: How can you ensure that your communication, both online and offline, reflects the love and truth of Christ today?
Quotes
"Either the ways of God are right or we're lost. Either the Word of God truthfully tells us God's ways and indeed the Bible is God's Word then we're lost. We are left with the impossibility of explaining to ourselves or to others any of the inscrutable dimensions of the will of God. All we know is God's will revealed." [00:20:03]
"Our assurance is that God is both just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus and we have to read the Old Testament the same way we read the New Testament with that same confidence and particularly in relation to the Canaanite invasion, scripture does tell us that God waited patiently, they refused to repent, they filled up the measure of their disobedience." [00:21:28]
"There is no answer to fundamental questions that is not essentially circular. You're just choosing on the basis of evidence and reason and we believe with the eyes of faith what is the right circle. So in the Enlightenment, they tried to say let's get out of the circle of Revelation it operates simply on the basis of reason." [00:22:39]
"We have evidence for the Scriptures, we have evidence for the inspiration of the scriptures but fundamentally we're still having to do the thinking and so it is just don't be intimidated by someone who says it's a circular argument. Just ask them, okay let's have your argument, how do you know you are even existing right now in order for us to have this conversation?" [00:23:48]
"One of the dangers when somebody asks a question like that is to give them truth, to do this full apologetic and to try and help them see but never to preach the gospel. And I think we have to be very careful that we don't take confidence in our ability to give them a compelling answer without also telling them the truth of who Christ is and what he's done for them." [00:25:11]
"Every single declaration in Scripture about human sexuality is amazingly consistent in pointing to the fact that God made us male and female, that he made us for each other, that he established marriage as the only rightful demonstration of the conjugal relationship, that it is always to be a man and a woman." [00:28:47]
"The truth without love for other Christians and those who don't know Christ is a noisy gong. Tone matters. We also don't want to compromise truth. How can we practically in our day-to-day interactions with others deliver truth in love? We touched on this a little bit earlier today but here it is again." [00:30:04]
"There is a time actually to speak bluntly and directly so it's not that we just have become effeminate as men in the way we confront or teach. There is to be a manly vigor in the church and there are times we speak prophetically and there are times we confront just as a father would have to confront a disobedient child." [00:31:58]
"Sometimes as Christians we don't always listen long enough and carefully enough to know exactly what's being asked of us so that we'll know the right tone as well as the right message to respond. So cultivating good listening I think is a key as well." [00:33:33]
"I think our technologies have grown up faster than we have in a lot of ways. We have abilities to speak across the world in an instant and many people, most people just aren't mature enough to handle that. This medium has come on very quickly and given us new reach. We don't fully understand it." [00:34:11]
"Digital media present a form of crack cocaine in a social setting and it up in things such that it's now considered irresponsible if a Christian leader does it respond within you know 15 minutes to something posted on social media which frankly I will never see somebody's got to tell me it's there." [00:36:46]
"We begin by not excusing the church leaders and one of the more distressing things in life is to hear about church leaders who've been abusive but you know we have to overlook that because they're so gifted from the Lord. Well, that's just terrible, appalling to be utterly rejected." [00:38:31]
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