Church Requel Blog - Writings of Mark Pierce

3 Regular Referee Return Day Reminders

Today is R³ Day - "Regular Referee Return" Day! This morning we all woke to the welcome news that the NFL and regular referees have settled their dispute and that the NFL refs will be back to work in tonight's game.  What a relief! We no longer will be able to complain about blown calls the replacement refs made. We can all get back to our age-old complaining about the blown calls the regular referees make. 

It's true, isn't it? We have built into us a basic desire for fairness. We want right to prevail. From an early moment in our childhood we've learned to perfectly pronounce: "That's not fair!" In our games, in our elections, in our workplaces and schools, in our courts, we cry for what's right. We only want justice. It's not something we have to learn. It's something that seems a part of our very DNA as human beings.

God's Word has much to say about this topic. Justice is talked about no less than 134 times in the Bible.  Today - on this Regular Referee Return day - I'd like to remind you of 3 important R³ reminders we learn from the Scriptures.

R³ Reminder #1 - Blown Calls Are The Norm, Not The Exception.  We'd like to think that we live in a fair world. In the real world the Seahawks get the touchdown and the win, despite the unseen foul and the Green Bay interception.  Amos 5:7 could easily be the Packers' theme verse of the week:

"There are those who turn justice into bitterness and cast righteousness to the ground."

And here's the real rub. Even when we try to make the right call, we often get it wrong.  In the tons of ink spilled over the blown call Monday night, hardly anyone is writing that the replacement ref blew it because he wanted to blow it. He blew it because he didn't know the rule. He blew it because he was inexperienced. He blew it because he wasn't ready for the NFL.  He didn't blow it because he intended to blow it.  

Do You Doubt Your Own Future Resurrection?

I'm in the midst of writing my first sermon designed to be shared in a public Easter service.  I am careful how I write that lead sentence because it is not my first Easter sermon.  Last year we also conducted an Easter service for Church Requel.  But then, Church Requel met in our living room.  This Sunday evening, we will be meeting at Ontario Christian Fellowship and we have some very special plans.

Sunday night I'll be speaking about the topic of "Resurrection and Doubt."  I don't believe I've ever heard this particular Easter message in my 52 years, yet it is a subject that jumps out to me from my Bible pages.  When Jesus appeared to his disciples, they were startled and frightened.  Their reaction to seeing Jesus in their midst was so obvious that Jesus asked them why they were troubled.  "Why do doubts arise in your hearts?" (Luke 24:38 ESV).  Doctor Luke tells us that the disciples "still believed for joy" (v. 41), an awkward phrase that perfectly describes the scene.  Eugene Petersen puts it well into our vernacular with his Message translation: "They still couldn’t believe what they were seeing. It was too much; it seemed too good to be true."

The disciples dealt head on with their own doubt.  They had little choice.  Even after being told over and over about Jesus' resurrection plans, they were not expecting it.  They were surprised by it.  Here was Jesus himself, suddenly standing in their midst.  And not just a ghost of Jesus.  The physical, touching, speaking and eating Jesus was alive.  It was too much!  It did seem too good to be true!

Today I wonder whether we Christ followers have dealt as honestly with our own doubts about our future resurrections.  Those of us who have been Christians all our lives have learned that doubt is not good.  We are to have faith, especially when it comes to this holy grail topic of the resurrection.  How often have we been reminded of Paul's admonition, "If Christ has not been raised, then... your faith is in vain" (1 Cor. 15:14)?

We Shall Be Raised Imperishable!

The Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:42, "What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable" (ESV).  He is talking about the resurrection of our bodies.  He cannot describe these bodies exactly, but he gives us 4 qualities.  The first quality is that these new and improved bodies will be imperishable.  Have you ever considered just what good news this is?  Take a moment to read through this and, if you are a Christ follower, you will be really excited about what awaits you!

The Greek word used is ἀφθαρσία (aphtharsia), used 7 times in this way and 9 times with its opposite meaning.  Often the word is translated as immortal or unceasing.  That's close, but not completely correct.  The Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament defines it as "a state of not being subject to decay or death."  I know that sounds just like immortality, and indeed it leads to the same place, but it's slightly different and the difference is what I want to write about here.  A few verses later Paul actually uses both this word imperishable and immortality together: 

“Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.  For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.” 
1 Cor. 15:50,53 ESV


So there is a slight difference.  What is it?  The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament helps us to understand.  There are three different senses of this word, ἀφθαρσία, and I think we can see all three senses in our future imperishable bodies.  First, there is the REAL sense of the word - not subject to destruction.  We see a form of this word used in Luke 12:33, when Jesus tells us not to seek after treasures where moths can destroy.  We have bodies now that can be destroyed, but this will not be true of our resurrected bodies.  They will be indestructible.  Because they will be indestructible, they will also be immortal.  And that's good news!

But it's not all the good news.  A second sense of the word is the MORAL sense - these bodies will not be subject to perversion.  We humans have an unending ability to take something that God gives us as really good and then perverting it into something evil.  We see this sense of the word when Paul writes to Timothy about men corrupted in mind (2 Tim 3:8) or who are depraved in mind (1 Tim 6:5).  We're reminded that this is the way of the serpent; if we're not careful our minds can be led astray (2 Corinthians 11:3).  Consider for a moment the disgust you may occasionally have with yourself at your weakest, most ungodly moments.  Now consider what this would be like in an eternal heaven, where unlike now, you will be able to see God as he is (1 John 3:2).  We have minds now that can be depraved, that can be led astray, but this will not be true of our resurrected bodies.  They will not be subject to perversion, and because of this, they will also be immortal.  And that's good news!

Still, it's not all the good news.  A third sense of the word is the IDEAL sense - these bodies will not be subject to corruption.  One theme that seems to find its way into science fiction repeatedly is the idea of the man who cannot die but wishes he could.  Immortality would not be a gift to the suicidal.  The sad truth is that many people tire of running this human race long before the 70 or so years we might be granted on this side of eternity.  It is with this sense of the word, imperishable, when Paul writes about the outer self wasting away while the inner self is renewed day by day (2 Cor 4:16) or about the athlete's imperishable wreath.  Now we have souls that can wear out and tire of life, but this will not be true of our resurrected bodies.  They will not be subject to corruption, and because of this, they will also be immortal.

And that really is good news!

Are Human Beings Immortal?

I completed my final Theology II class last evening.  That means final exam time.  Part of our final exam, we were told, was an essay question.  We were informed that there was no official right answer and that we will be evaluated as much for how we think and write and defend our position than for what we say.  When I opened the exam, here was the question:

There are difficulties with the various ways of understanding our intermediate state between death and resurrection.  Are human beings immortal?  Historically, the Church has said, only conditionally.  If humans are immortal only conditionally, what are those conditions?  How does this fit with the affirmation of total depravity?  Does eternal punishment require immortality?  Why or why not?  Is there a part of us (soul?) that never experiences death? What biblical support can you offer for your last answer?

Are you thinking like I'm thinking?  Not a single question at all!  What would you have said?  How would you have answered?  I struggled right out of the gate because I took issue with the presumption that the Church has historically said human beings are immortal "only conditionally."  Our essay length was limited to 2 pages, double spaced.  But the teacher said he would give us grace for a third page if we needed it.  I needed it.  If you are interested in my answer, click "Continue Reading" below.

Dare We Hope That All Men Be Saved?

Last night was week #9 of 10 for my Theology II class at Ashland Theological Seminary.  The evening presented one of the more interesting challenges in my theological education thus far.  Our assignment was two-fold: First, we were to  read Dare We Hope That All Men Be Saved? by Hans Urs von Balthasar.  Second, we were to come prepared for a formal debate.  The proposition in the affirmative? That Christians should hope that all men be saved. 

There were a few secondary wrinkles that made this assignment even more interesting.  I am in a very small class of only six students.  So there is no place to hide.  We were divided up into two teams of three students.  Our position would be determined by a coin toss.  That meant that we had to prepare for both sides of the debate and that we wouldn't know until we showed up exactly which side we would be on.  Finally, at the end of the evening, we were required to turn in our own individual reports arguing our personal viewpoint on the issue, which very well could have been the opposite of what we had just argued in class.

By virtue of the flip of a nickel, my team was placed in the affirmative position.  That meant that I had to argue convincingly and from Scripture why we should hope for the salvation of all men.  Want to know what I really thought?  Want to see my debate prep?  Click "continue reading" to see a reproduction of my work.

Will the Sinner's Prayer Save You?

This past weekend's message led us down an interesting path.  The prodigal son was prepared to tell his father to treat him as a hired servant.  But his father cut him off and told his servants to 'Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet' (Luke 15:22).  This leads us to the question - what is the connection between the heart and the words of the sinner's prayer?  Check out this 3-minute clip from last weekend's sermon.