Author Archives: reveds

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About reveds

Occupation: Pastor, Ebenezer Presbyterian Church, Lennox, SD Education: BS - Christian Education, Sterling College; MDiv. - Princeton Theological Seminary Family: Married, with Four children. Hobbies: Running (will someday run a marathon), Sci-Fi (especially Doctor Who and Sherlock), Theater, and anything else my kids will let me do.

To Sum Up…

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I have learned something new and interesting (to me anyway) this week.  I was translating Ephesians 1:7-14 for my sermon prep on Sunday when I came across one of those words that I don’t think I had ever paid any attention to before.  The word is 17 letters long, nearly impossible to say, is used only twice in the New Testament (the other verse is Romans 13:9. 

I cannot show you the word in Greek here on the blog, but the transliteration is, anakephalaiosasthai.  The word literally translated means “to recapitulate,” or “to gather together under one head.”  Its historic use is as a rhetorical device, such as when Paul uses the word in Romans 13:9, saying “For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

But here in Ephesians, the word seems to take on a totally different meaning.  Here we find that “recapitulation” is actually God’s plan for all of creation in the fullness of time.  Ephesians 1:9 and 10 tells us that God has revealed to us in Christ the mystery of his will, “to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. 

Too often we think about God’s plan in localized terms.  What is God’s will for my life?  Which girl does God want me to date?  Which job should I take to better serve the Lord?  Those are all great questions to ask.  But when was the last time you stopped to consider that your salvation, God’s plan for your redemption, is part of God’s bigger plan for the consummation of all things, for the entire cosmos, as they are drawn together under the headship of our exalted Savior, Jesus Christ? 

One commentary put it this way,

Christ is the one in whom God chooses to sum up the universe, in whom he restores the harmony of the cosmos. Earlier, “in Christ” has functioned to indicate Christ’s being the elect representative in whom believers are included, but now it can be seen that God’s comprehensive purpose goes beyond simply humanity to embrace the whole created order.  To be incorporated into God’s gracious decision about Christ is also to be caught up in God’s gracious purpose for a universe centered and reunited in Christ.

Or as we read in Colossians 1:16 and 20:

For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him… and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

Calvin put it this way,

Out of Christ all things were disordered, and through him they have been restored to order.  And truly, out of Christ, what can we perceive in the world but mere ruins?  We are alienated from God by sin, and how can we but present a broken and shattered aspect?  The proper condition of creatures is to keep close to God.  Such a gathering together as might bring us back to regular order, the apostle tells us, has been made in Christ.  Formed into one body, we are united to God, and closely connected with each other.  Without Christ, on the other hand, the whole world is a shapeless chaos and frightful confusion.  We are brought into actual unity by Christ alone.

For some reason, I have been sort of shell shocked by this concept this week.  I hope that in my preaching I can do this justice.  I encourage you to read the passage (Ephesians 1:6-14) again, praising God for His glorious grace as shown to us in Christ, who is the Lord of all.

What an indocile…

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“But I discipline my body and keep it under control,
lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.”
(1 Corinthians 9:27 ESV)

I haven’t been running since February. I have a list of excuses, but that’s all they are. The simple fact is, I’m not disciplined enough right now. This is evident in my lack of exercise, and in every other area of my life.

It seems that when I’m not running, not disciplining myself in that one area, all other discipline goes out the window too. I’m not very careful about what I eat, nor when. I get lazy with my time, time and work and home. I don’t floss as regularly as I should.

But the lack of physical conditioning carries over into the spiritual, too. When the physical discipline is gone, I notice that my prayer life is anemic, my daily reading and personal study dwindles, and my general disposition towards ministry is grim. I find myself relying on my own strength, running on my own steam, and finding that I’m full of a lot of hot air.

I don’t think this is exactly what Paul had in mind when he wrote about disciplining the body so as not to disqualify his preaching. Read in context, we see that Paul is making a powerful argument about what true freedom in Christ looks like. In Corinthians chapter 6, Paul addresses sexual immorality, in chapter 7, the principles of marriage and singleness, in chapter 8, what to do with food sacrificed to idols. Chapter 9, however, Paul emphasizes the fact that, for the sake of others, he surrendered his rights for the sake of the gospel. He did not claim his rights to receive payment for his work, He did not throw his authority around so that others would serve him. Instead, Paul became all things to all people, and a servant to all that he might win more of them. He kept himself from that which was rightfully his, and did not take his freedom in Christ as license for indulgence, so that he would not disqualify himself and his preaching.

Still, without discipline, I run the risk of disqualifying myself and my preaching. If the well runs dry, the people will turn elsewhere to find water. If, by lack of discipline and self-control, I lead myself into the barren wilderness of spiritual neglect, how can I ever hope to serve as your pastor? My sermons will become just that, my sermons, rather than a faithful, and prayerful proclamation of the Word of God.

If, by never taking time to delight myself in the presence of God through pray and the study of His word, how can I ever hope to share in your joy in the Lord?

There is an old hymn that you all know:

Trust and obey
For there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus
Than to trust and obey

As an evangelical Christian, I’ve got the trust down. I trust in Jesus for my salvation. I know that I am secure in Him, that my sin has been forgiven, that my guilt is taken away, and that, by God’s grace, I now live in the power of the Holy Spirit, the same power that raised Christ from the dead. I love Him, and so I trust Him entirely with my life.

I guess my trouble is with the obey part. If I love Him, won’t I obey Him? Won’t I be listening and watching for the guidance of His Spirit as I attend to His word and kneel in prayer? If I love Him, won’t I want to live my life in a way that shows my love and my gratitude for His tender mercy and lavish grace?

I know that there is in me a desire to walk closely with the Lord, to be found faithful in His eyes, and to live for His glory. In that knowledge, I know that God’s Spirit is working in me, for if I was content in my lack of discipline, then I would be worried. Still, I hear the words of Paul, encouraging me to compete for the crown, to exercise self-control that I might receive the imperishable crown of glory. I know I must be renewed in discipline.

And I find myself in good company. Jonathon Edwards, while known for many things, is also famous for his list of resolutions. I wanted to share just a couple with you here:

Resolved, to study the Scriptures so steadily, constantly and frequently, as that I may find, and plainly perceive myself to grow in the knowledge of the same.

Resolved, that I will not give way to that listlessness which I find unbends and relaxes my mind from being fully and fixedly set on religion, whatever excuse I may have for it-that what my listlessness inclines me to do, is best to be done.

Resolved, very much to exercise myself in this all my life long, viz. with the greatest openness I am capable of, to declare my ways to God, and lay open my soul to him: all my sins, temptations, difficulties, sorrows, fears, hopes, desires, and every thing, and every circumstance.

And so I resolve to be more disciplined in my life, physically and spiritually. And while I make this resolution, I also hear the words of another great Puritan, John Owen, who wrote, “To suppose that whatever God requires of us that we have power of ourselves to do, is to make the cross and grace of Jesus Christ of none effect.” I make my resolution, trusting solely in the grace of Christ to strengthen and support me, for I know apart from Him I can do nothing.

SDG