Just Words or Words with Power?

And when he saw their faith, he said, "Man, your sins are forgiven you." And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, "Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?" When Jesus perceived their thoughts he answered them, "Why do you question in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Rise and walk'? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins" - he said to the man who was paralyzed - "I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home." And immediately he rose up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went home, glorifying God.

Luke 5:20-25

When I was a (much) younger Christian, the story of Jesus healing the lame man made no sense to me. At all. When Jesus asked which was easier, the forgiveness of sin or giving the ability to walk, my reaction was "Making someone walk is much harder. The other part is just words."

Clearly I hadn't done much maturing (or sinning) yet.

In our day, it is a bit easier to see how the healing of the lame man was secondary to the forgiveness of his sins. We live in a day where doctors can fix many physical problems through several means - medicine, prosthesis, implants, etc. Medical science has given hearing to the deaf, a voice to the mute, and children to the barren. 

There is still no cure for sin other than the forgiveness found in believing on Jesus Christ. The words of Jesus to forgive sins are not just words. They carry the power of God.

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Romans 10:9

Yesterday's Reading: Luke 1-9:50

Reading the New Testament in 40 Days

I attend a church in the Wesleyan denomination, and the church has challenged us to read through the New Testament in the 40 days leading up to Easter. I'm only two days late starting the project (I did my first reading yesterday), so I'm not behind too far to give up before starting. Today and tomorrow I'll be reading two days worth to catch up with everyone else. For the next few weeks I'll be updating the blog with my progress and thoughts on the day's reading. Later today I'll post something about what I read last night.

Potent Quotables

Jesus is the hero of the play, and we are the bit-part players, the Fifth Servant and the Seventh Footman who come on for a moment, say on word, and disappear again, proud to have shared his stage and, for a moment, been a tiny part of his action.

N. T. Wright, Justification

On not judging a brother

Last week, Twitter was all abuzz about Elevation church, Steven Furtick, and some of the . . . um, odd things going on there. To recap, Elevation engineers the spontaneous baptisms that are seen there and teaches the adults and children than Furtick is some kind of prophet or something through their Code and coloring pages based off that Code (see #4).

Honestly, this probably shouldn't be that shocking. Furtick has invited T D Jakes, a known prosperity gospel preacher, to speak at his church and later blasted all those who thought that throwing Jakes under the tent of Christian brotherhood during the Elephant Room 2 thing was a bad idea with his "Hey Haters" YouTube video. So I'm not going to address that.

My concern is the number of people who see this stuff (at Elevation, Mars Hill, or a local church down the street - wherever we see highly questionable to outright sinful practices in the church) and say "Hey, who am I to judge a brother in Christ?" or worse, "Leave him alone! He's a fellow Christian and we shouldn't question his ministry practices."

That's not Biblical.

For now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler - not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. Purge the evil person from among you.

2 Corinthians 5:11-13, ESV

The church should be calling out pastors who are leading their flock the wrong way. The church alone is capable of saying "No, that is wrong - it is not orthodox Christianity, it is leading people astray, and we will not quietly watch a pastor lead people away from Christ." When something is as obviously wrong in a church as one of their foundational statements (may I say, statements of faith?) is about loyalty to someone other than Christ, it is not mean or unchristian to point out the error. It may be what someone needs to hear to get on a path following Christ instead of man.

Sunday Catechism - Heidelberg Q1

Question:
What is your only comfort in life and death?

Answer:
That I, with body and soul, both in life and death, and not my own, but belong unto my faithful Savior Jesus Christ; who with His precious blood has fully satisfied for all my sins, and delivered me from the power of the devil; and so preserves me that without the will of my heavenly Father not a hair can fall from my head; yea, that all things must be subservient to my salvation, wherefore by His Holy Spirit He also assures me of eternal life, and makes me heartily willing and ready, henceforth, to live unto Him.