When Jesus Became a Man, Did He Stop Being God?

Posted on July 1, 2014 by Dana Dill

The-Lamborghini-WRC-snygoWarning: Hypothetical situation ahead. The following situation happened to me and, if you are around young (and old) Christians, will probably be asked of you as well.

Imagine you were approached by a middle schooler at church after a Bible study on Philippians 2. In the Bible study, the middle school heard Philippians 2:5-8 read and preached on, which says:

(Jesus) did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

After the Bible study is finished, this astute middle schooler approaches you and asks this one question, “When Jesus became a man, did He stop being God?” What would your answer be?

How are we supposed to think about Jesus’ incarnation? How are we supposed to maintain His full Deity and His full Humanity without compromising the two? What does it mean that Jesus emptied himself (Philippians 2:5-8)? Bruce Ware offers one of the most helpful illustrations of what the Bible means when it says that Christ emptied Himself in the incarnation:

Imagine, first, going into a new car dealership for the purpose of test-driving a brand-new car. As you are looking around the showroom floor, a salesman approaches and talks to you about several models on display. Your eye lands on a particularly bright and shiny car, brilliantly reflecting the sunlight streaming in. You ask if you can test-drive this beautiful, shiny car, and the salesman agrees. As you leave for your test-drive, you decide to drive out in the country for a bit, and in doing so you come upon some unpaved dirt roads. It so happens that this area had received torrential rains for the past several days, so these dirt roads are extremely muddy. Nonetheless, you drive this new shiny car on those muddy back roads for several miles, spinning the tires and enjoying how the car handles in these slipper conditions. Returning the car to the dealership, you pull into a lot and drive it right back onto the showroom floor – now caked all over with mud!

“When the salesman sees you and his car, he comes over and exclaims, ‘What have you done to my car?’

“At this you calmly reply, ‘I haven’t taken anything away from your car; I’ve only added to it!’

And of course, the point is correct. The beautiful shine of the car is still there. Its luster and beauty haven’t been removed. But what has happened is that something else has been added to the car that prevents these qualities from being able to shine through. The beauty of the car has not been destroyed or even diminished, but that beauty has been covered over by the mud. One might even say this: the glory of the car is every bit as much present as it was previously, but this glory cannot be seen for what it is because of the covering of mud. Taking on the mud, then, has added something that results in its appearing less, while in fact it is only more. (Taken from The Man Christ Jesus, p. 20-21)

In becoming Man, Jesus did not cease to be God, but in taking on a complete human nature, His glory as God was hidden or concealed in the weakness of His humanity. When Jesus became a Man, He covered Himself with a created, limited, and finite human nature. As the mud covered the glory of the car so Christ’s humanity covers the glory of His Deity. The brilliant shine of His Deity (His God-ness) was hidden under the cover of His ordinary humanity.

Still fully God, He became fully Man so He could bring Man fully back to God. What a Savior.

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The Saturday Post(s)

Posted on June 28, 2014 by Dana Dill

Saturday Post

Lessons from the Creed. This is from one of my interns at our middle school ministry about what the Apostles’ Creed says about the nature of Christianity. Needless to say, I am proud.

Jesus Calling. A very helpful look at the best selling devotional Jesus Calling. I also recommend Challies’ helpful book review here.

10 Questions for a Six Month Spiritual Checkup. When was the last time you sat down and reflected upon the health of your soul? Here are 10 helpful questions to ask when you do.

How to Minister With Someone Who Just Had a Miscarriage. Very helpful stuff here. “As common as this kind of loss is, it is stunning how many well-meaning people have no idea how to best care for those who have lost an unborn baby. Here are a few tips for those interested in knowing helpful ways to care for a couple who have just experienced this loss and be sensitive to the pain they feel.”

How to Talk to Your Soul. Very helpful piece on the importance and practice of preaching God’s Word to yourself. “There are a handful of psalms in which the psalmists speak to themselves. These are the ones I want to consider. There are times when we must learn to speak to ourselves.”

A Plea to Come Forward. Ever noticed how the front row at church is often empty? Here are some reasons why it may be good to sit there yourself.

5 Questions for Christians Who Believe the Bible Supports Gay Marriage. “On such a critical matter, it’s important we think through the implications of our position, especially if it means consigning to the bin of bigotry almost every Christian who has ever lived.”

4 of the Best Pieces of Marital Advice I Have Ever Heard. I’ve been doing a good bit of premarital counseling lately, and I’ve married quite a few folks over the years. There’s lots of great advice in the Bible and other books, but here are 4 pieces of advice that have really helped me throughout my marriage.

How Does a Pastor Deal With Carnal Christians in His Church? This is not only helpful for pastors, but for anyone who knows Christians who look more worldly than heavenly.

One Reason Why Soccer Hasn’t Been Popular in the USA. Demonstrated by the minions.

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Jesus Has Ruined My Reputation

Posted on June 27, 2014 by Dana Dill

140228155048-whispering-gossip-story-topAs a Christian, my reputation has been ruined.

Before becoming a Christian I did a really good job at making people think I am a good guy. I made sure to do chores at the right time in order to incur the praise of my elders. When I wrestled in high school, I did a good job displaying myself as a hard worker by always putting in 110% in practices; especially when the coaches were watching. I got decent grades. I respected my teachers. I didn’t get into any real trouble. I was awesome at being awesome.

I had a great reputation in the eyes of just about everyone, but then Jesus ruined everything. He exposed me for who I really was. Among all the gossip I had been the victim of in high school, Jesus’ gave the worst. He tore down the reputation I had been building for myself and exposed the real me.

How did He do that? No, He didn’t audibly speak to people about my secret sins. He didn’t come to anyone in a miraculous vision. Those things would be unnecessary because the most damning thing for me had already been revealed. Jesus ruined my reputation from the cross. Milton Vincent explains it perfectly:

The Cross exposes me before the eyes of other people, informing them of the depth of my depravity. If I wanted others to think highly of me, I would conceal the fact that a shameful slaughter of the perfect Son of God was required so that I might be saved. But when I stand at the foot of the Cross and am seen by others under the light of the Cross, I am left uncomfortably exposed before their eyes. Indeed, the most humiliating gossip that could ever be whispered about me is blared from Golgotha’s hill; and my self-righteous reputation is left in ruins in the wake of its revelations. With the worst facts about me thus exposed to the view of others, I find myself feeling that I truly have nothing left to hide.

After repenting of my sin and putting my faith in Jesus Christ as my Savior, I was naked before the eyes of the world. There was no more hiding or faking it. In becoming a Christian, Jesus’ Cross forced me to admit that I am not the righteous young man I was posing to be, but I was the scum of the earth. I deserved nothing less than what Christ endured on the cross. By becoming a Christian, I committed PR suicide. Since then, there has been no going back. My reputation has been eternally ruined and for that I am eternally grateful.

Not only am I grateful that my empty self-righteousness has been crushed, but I am thankful for what the exposing work of the Cross has done for my relationships with others. Trying to hide the truth about who you really are is exhausting work. Every moment of every day is spent keeping the mask on and hoping that no one finds out who you really are. In contrast, after being exposed by the Cross, I was freed. No longer did I have to pretend. I was finally able to have truly honest and open relationships. Again, Vincent describes it well:

Thankfully, the more exposed I see that I am by the Cross, the more I find myself opening up to others about ongoing issues of sin in my life. (Why would anyone be shocked to hear of my struggles with past and present sin when the Cross already told them I am a desperately sinful person?) And the more open I am in confessing my sins to fellow-Christians, the more I enjoy the healing of the Lord in response to their grace-filled counsel and prayers (James 5:16). Experiencing richer levels of Christ’s love in companionship with such saints (Ephesians 3:14, 17-19), I give thanks for the gospel’s role in forcing my hand toward self-disclosure and the freedom that follows. (Taken from A Gospel Primer for Christians, p. 34-35).

So there it is. Jesus has ruined my reputation. He has taken away any credibility I may have had in the world’s eyes. But far from being angry, I am grateful. The reputation I was building for myself may have fooled others, but it didn’t fool God for a second. He knew who I was. He saw the face behind the mask and He chose to love me. He dealt with my sinful heart and my self-righteous disguise at the cross. And from the ruins of my shattered reputation He has given me new life.

Indeed, I am a great sinner with a an even greater Savior.

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A Preacher’s Reflections from Summer Camp

Posted on June 26, 2014 by Dana Dill
The last sermon.

The last sermon.

This past weekend I had the privilege and responsibility to preach up at Cedar Lake in Big Bear, California for Grace Brethren’s Youth Summer Camp. Upon driving home (while trying not to get car sick on the winding mountain roads) I found my mind racing with reflections from my experience. I thought they would be beneficial for me to write them down and maybe even encouraging or helpful to you as well. In no particular order, here are reflections from the guy in the pulpit.

Yet Again, God’s People Love God’s Word. One of the things that made this a very unique preaching experience for me was the amount of preaching asked of me. I was asked to preach seven different sermons spanning from Friday night to Monday night. Though many may think that this is a good way to make sure kids never want to come back to summer camp, the result seemed to be the exact opposite. Amidst the crazy games, pranks, and laughter, the students of Grace seemed to have increasing desire to hear God’s Word and the more they heard, the more excited they seemed to get. In fact, during the last night’s bonfire, many students shared with the group that one of their highlights was all that God was revealing to them through the preaching. I guess Jesus wasn’t lying when He said that His sheep will hear and follow His voice (John 10:27).

The Bible’s Doctrines Excite Youth. This is somewhat attached to the last point, but merits its own thought. Not only did the students seem to appreciate the preaching, they seemed to especially love the doctrines they were learning. Throughout camp the students learned about the abundant Trinitarian blessedness of God, the work of general revelation in proclaiming God’s glory, the total depravity of mankind in sin, the active and passive obedience of Christ’s atoning work, the propitiating work of Jesus Christ, and more. For those of you who scoff at the amount of material in the list above, remember, seven sermons. Again, by the last night’s bonfire, I heard many students stand up and say things like, “Praise God that Jesus is the propitiation for my sins,” “I have never felt worse about my sin or more excited about my Savior,” or my personal favorite from a 6th grade guy, “I am really into the gospel now.” Just another experience that confirms what I believe scriptures to say, the doctrines of God’s Word are the very source of Christian faith, living, and joy. God’s Truth is always a cherished gift among God’s people.

Take Heart, Good Youth Groups Definitely Exist. I was so blessed to meet the leaders and students of Grace Brethren Church. In a day where many (understandably) say that youth ministry is in crisis, youth groups like Grace are a kiss on the lips. What about Grace made it so refreshing? First, the youth leaders demonstrated a clear love for Jesus and a great desire to help their students realize how glorious He is. They played hard with the students and laughed deeply with them too, but it was easy to see that their greatest desire was the students joy in Christ. Throughout the week I was blessed to hear their shepherd hearts speak about their love and labor for the students. Second, I was refreshed by the leadership of the youth pastor, my friend Eric Durso. Eric has a deep desire to know and make known the Word of God. He wants his youth ministry to make disciples who make disciples. Do not be mistaken, he knows how to lead the kids into a good time (I am definitely stealing the games they played for our own youth), but it is easily observed that, above all, he is devoted to fighting for the joy of His students in Christ in everything he does. Third, I was refreshed to hear the thankfulness of the leaders and students for their local church. As I spoke with students and leaders, I repeatedly heard them speak about all their pastors and church leaders with thankfulness and joy. In a day where youth groups can tend to feel distanced from the larger church body, I was grateful to hear of their love for all the family of God they were apart of. So if you are in the Simi Valley area and looking for a local church, make sure to check out Grace Brethren. I believe these kids response to the teaching they received had much to do with (1) the power of God’s Word and (2) the health of the church/youth group they hail from. Good work Grace!

The guys giving me a group birthday hug.

The guys giving me a group birthday hug.

The Familial Love of the Church. J.C. Ryle once said, “The family likeness among true believers is a thing that deserves special attention. To my own mind it is one of the strongest indirect evidences of the truth of Christianity. It is one of the greatest proofs of the reality of the work of the Holy Spirit.” This was evident this week. Although I had met the entire youth group on Friday, by Monday I felt like they were my family. I was sad to leave them on Monday night and happy to see a few of them Facebook friend my after I returned home. Truly, Christ has purchased for Himself a church that is connected in profound way. Despite the diversity of God’s people, there always exists a marvelous unity. We all have the same blood running through the veins of our souls.

Christ-Centered Does Not Mean Party Pooper. I reject and disdain the dichotomy that people will postulate about being either a boring and faithful youth group or a fun and superficial youth group; as if those are the only two options. This dichotomy was exploded this week as I witnessed Grace do some of the craziest and most exciting games I have ever seen (like I said, I am definitely stealing them) and watch them all eagerly gather together to hear God’s Word preached for 45-55 minutes. They screamed, laughed, and shouted with all they were AND they listened intently, wrote notes vigorously, and asked questions earnestly. This youth group was both fun and faithful just as it ought to be.

Kids Are Not Dumb. I have met a lot of folks who think teaching middle schoolers is like teaching kids who are dumb. They will say things like: don’t use words more than two syllables; don’t go longer than 5 minutes; hand out juice boxes and crackers at the end. I reject this. Although I completely agree that we need to teach kids at the appropriate level, I think the level is much higher than most practice. Kids may not be educated, but they are not dumb. If they don’t know a term, then all we need to do is teach them that term and, guess what, they’ll learn it. Before Sunday morning, none of the students knew what the active and passive obedience of Christ was, but by Sunday night, they were able to explain it and its significance for us. God has made us smarter than most realize. Our kids minds are ready to be taught. Please, be encouraged to give milk to babes, but don’t dilute it with water.

Lastly, the reflections I offered from my last time preaching at camp still hold true:

    • Preaching is still terrifying.
    • My wife is still amazing and instrumental in me being able to preach.
    • Kids are still able to sit still during sermons.
    • Camps are great.

So, there are one preacher’s reflections from another summer camp. Thank you, Grace, for a fantastic week of fellowship. I praise God for all He has done and will continue to do in you as you walk with your eyes fixed on Jesus and your hearts filled with His Spirit. Press on and fight hard.

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Jesus’ Most Unpopular Promise

Posted on June 24, 2014 by Dana Dill

imagesThe Christian’s life is completely built upon the promises of God. Christianity has its eyes set, not on the follower and what they do, but on the Triune God and what He has promised. The promises of God are the life of His people.

However, not all promises offer the same type of thing. Some promises have to do with wonderful things like salvation. For example, all men are promised that if they believe in Jesus Christ (i.e. they put their confidence in Him as Savior) they will be saved (John 3:16). However, not all of God’s promises have to do with salvation or other equally glorious things (comfort, peace, eternal security); some promises have to do with much less desirable realities.

This brings us to one of Jesus’ most unpopular promises. It goes like this:

Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, and you will be hated for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. Matthew 10:21-22

This is not a promise of salvation or comfort or peace or eternal security; it is a promise of suffering. According to this, Jesus promises all believers that their faithfulness to Him will result in hostility from the world. All those who love Christ will be hated by the world. That’s a promise.

Why do I bring this up? Because, more than anything, I need to be reminded of this. Following Jesus will not make me a popular man in the world. This is becoming more and more true every day; especially here in the States. Our current country of temporary residence is becoming less tolerant of those from the Home Country. Although I cling to the precious promises of salvation (John 3:16), peace (Philippians 4:6-7), eternal security (John 10:29), and the others, I need this promise of suffering to create in me a spine of steel to bear up all the suffering and persecution that will come my way. Jesu promises that my pilgrimage will not be sailed through on a cloud of ease, but a road of suffering. The crown of glory must be preceded by the crown of thorns. My Master was hated and promises the same fate for me.

 

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The Saturday Post(s)

Posted on June 21, 2014 by Dana Dill

Saturday Post

Don’t Waste Your Life in Pornolescence. “Pornolescence is that period when a person is old enough and mature enough to know that pornography is wrong and that it exacts a heavy price, but too immature or too apathetic to do anything about it. Pornolescence is that period where he feels the guilt of his sin, but still enjoys it too much to give it up.”

Mommy Guilt & the Cross. “Is there a mother out there that doesn’t feel guilty about her mothering? Maybe most of it, maybe some of it—all of us are committing or omitting things that make us feel guilty. When you know that a dependent person whom you love is counting on you for pretty much everything…it brings the weight of responsibility and the burden of imperfect performance.”

Make Yourself Your Own Dang Quesadilla. A great piece on parenting and the danger of perpetual enabling. “As funny as it is to say, it really is my job to prepare my kids to actually become adults. Maybe I will write it in their high school graduation cards, “Now knock it off and go make yourself a dang quesadilla.”

What is Hell? Sproul tackles the subject of hell. Guess what? It’s helpful.

Why the First Hospital to do Same-Sex Re-Assignment Surgeries No Longer Does Them. “We at Johns Hopkins University—which in the 1960s was the first American medical center to venture into “sex-reassignment surgery”—launched a study in the 1970s comparing the outcomes of transgendered people who had the surgery with the outcomes of those who did not. Most of the surgically treated patients described themselves as “satisfied” by the results, but their subsequent psycho-social adjustments were no better than those who didn’t have the surgery…”

Satan’s Simple Plan. A short and very important truth.

The Bruce Lee of Bartending. And they say juggling has no “real world” practicality…

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Worship Driven Life

Posted on June 19, 2014 by Dana Dill

solitude_photography31Why were you born? Why are you here? Why did God create you and I? Why did He send Jesus to save you and I from our sins? What are we teaching our children about the meaning of their life? What have we made the meaning of our life?

Good questions to think about. As you do, allow A.W. Tozer to help:

God has been busy redeeming people back to Himself, back to the original purpose of their being mirrors of His glory.

Yes, worship of the loving God is man’s whole reason for existence. That is why we are born and that is why we are born again from above. That is why we were created and that is why we have been recreated. That is why there was a genesis at the beginning, and that is why there is a re-genesis, called regeneration.

That is also why there is a church. The Christian church exists to worship God first of all. Everything else must come second or third or fourth or fifth. (Taken from Whatever Happened to Worship? on p. 56)

Many live their entire lives in rejection of their created purpose. May we all remember each day that our creation, preservation, and salvation are not ultimately about us. We were made for Him.

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The Most Important Word in the Universe

Posted on June 17, 2014 by Dana Dill

galaxy_universe-normalSome years ago, in a faculty devotional at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Dr. Murray Harris proposed this line of thinking:

What is the most important Book in the universe? The Bible.

Which book within the Bible is the most important? Romans.

Which chapter in Romans is the most important? Chapter 3.

Which paragraph in Romans 3 is the most important? Verses 21-26.

Which verse in that paragraph is the most important? Verse 25.

Which word in verse 25 is the most important? Propitiation: “. . . whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.”

Therefore, the most important word in the most important verse in the most important paragraph in the most important chapter in the most important book within the most important Book in the universe is propitiation.

Worthy of our serious reflection. If you don’t know what the word propitiation means check here and then here and then read this book. Don’t put it off. Get to know this word and let it lead you to marvel at the grace and love of God in the cross of Christ.

HT: Ray Ortlund

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Four Bitter Pills Healthy Churches Need to Swallow

Posted on June 16, 2014 by Dana Dill

getty_rf_photo_of_man_taking_medicationCame across a fantastic piece over at The Cripplegate about four unpleasant things that make churches healthy.

We need to realize is that some unpleasantness inherent to a healthy local church is NOT an imperfection, but a necessary attribute of faithfulness. In some pills it is the active ingredients that make it taste bitter. Here are four bitter pills that you may prefer to avoid swallowing, but should view as a sign that you’ve found a good church home. In fact if all four of these “unpleasantries” were absent it would indicate you’ve stumbled into a dangerously inept church.

His four pills, along with short excerpts from each, are as follows:

Healthy churches tend to…

1. Downplay the importance of your personal preference. I’m not saying that a healthy church is one whose leadership refuses to listen to feedback. But, if after careful consideration, the church leaders decide not to accommodate the preferences you harbor that are not mandated in Scripture, you should thank them and decide to commit.

2. Preach sermons that frequently make you uncomfortable. 

3. Insist on formal membership before letting you serve. Some people get all in a huff when they offer to serve on the sound desk or play in the band, only to be kindly informed that they first need to attend a membership class. This may seem like red tape to an immature believer, but a church that lets you serve (especially in a public ministry like singing upfront) without first bothering to ask if you are a Christian, baptized, and in general agreement with what is taught, is a church that is being flippant with a massive responsibility.

4. Be willing to ask you to leave. One of the first questions you should ask the leadership of a church you are considering membership at, is what they would do if you were caught in sin.

I’m not saying all good churches leave a constant bitter taste lingering on your palette. But if you find these attitudes to be too bitter to swallow, perhaps its time to consider whether you’re looking for a biblical, healthy church that please Jesus, or if you are looking for a social club focussed on keeping its clientele comfortable.

I encourage you to read the whole thing here.

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The Saturday Post(s)

Posted on June 14, 2014 by Dana Dill

Saturday Post

Start Preparing to Defend Marriage Within the Church. “Now that people like Matthew Vines are setting out to persuade Christians that God does not oppose same-sex marriage, it’s more important than ever that we think about how marriage fits into the bigger story of the Bible. It’s more than just a question of interpreting a few Greek terms and a handful of verses…”

The Heart of a True Father. Some very stirring thoughts about the Fatherhood of God for those in Christ.

Free Citizens Album. If you haven’t bought the Citizens album grab it for free here.

What Parts of the Bible Are You Ignoring? Some, “passages get ignored because they gross us out or break our fragile understanding of God. But there are other portions of scripture we ignore in an entirely different way – commands that are uncomfortable or nigh impossible to follow. It is so easy to willfully overlook them, much easier than learning how to reconcile them to my life and God’s reality…”

25 Facts on the Importance of Fathers. 25 reasons to hug your dad really hard this Sunday. “Here are 25 facts from social science research on the effects of having a father in the home…”

10 Ways to Love Your Transgender Neighbor. “Here are ten ways to love your transgender neighbor…”

Daaaad! A good video for Father’s day.

Don’t Drive When You’re Sleepy.

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