Romans 8: "More Than Conquerors"

31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then can condemn? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?36 As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;

we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”[l]

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[m] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The overall passage of Romans 8 ("Life through the Spirit") discusses the difference between living by the Holy Spirit and living according to the flesh. Yet in the former, there will be suffering in the present -- for future glory. Our assurance is that the Spirit will help us through our struggles and suffering because, after all, our God is gracious and loving.

I am singling out the above section from Romans 8, because it is an awesome reminder of who we are and the hope we live for. Although at times we may feel the weight of the world on our shoulders, or perhaps pressure from our culture/peers to conform, the reality is that we live for something much greater. And even more importantly, we are loved by God. This is a love that never fails, always hopes, and always perseveres. This passage provides complete evidence of how God acts in our lives and reminds us of who "has our back". God, the Creator of the universe and giver of life, is this person.

In particular, I am enthralled by the imagery evoked by verse 38. There is absolutely nothing that separates us from the love of God that is found in Jesus Christ -- not demons, not time, not even death! If that does not lend hope for Christians, then I do not know what will.

Story of Jonah

This past weekend, my church held its annual summer conference. The theme of the conference was on "calling", as in being "called" by God for a purpose or mission. One of the pastors gave a sermon on the book of Jonah in the Old Testament, which made me remember how much I liked the story of Jonah. This post is a reflection of this affinity..

The book of Jonah revolves the prophet of the same name, who is called by God to the city of Nineveh to proclaim the word of God and call its citizens to repentance. Failure to repent will result in their destruction. Comically, the prophet Jonah does not like the mission he receives and attempts to flee from his duties. This results in him being famously swallowed up by a whale, an entire city in sackcloth and ashes (including animals), and an angry diatribe from the prophet toward the Lord. All the aforementioned are unique to the book of Jonah. Needless to say, of all the books of the Old Testament, Jonah's story is perhaps the most entertaining one.

First off, how could one reasonably expect to escape God, the Creator of the world and ruler of Heaven, by fleeing? Jonah did, or at least tried as hard as possible to run away. The prophet simply did not want to travel to Nineveh and deliver the warning God had for them. It's a complete farce and, as expected, God "catches up" to Jonah and persuades him to fulfill his calling. The interesting thing to point out is that, despite half-heartedness from Jonah in delivering the message, the whole city of Nineveh quickly responds in repentance. Perhaps this is a strong indication that calling is more important than the caller. Furthermore, the final exchange between God and Jonah is also farcical -- Jonah suggests that he understands God's intention all along and whines that his efforts were unnecessary. Jonah obviously has never heard of Job.

Back in college, I took a course on the Old Testament. The professor was a rabbi who definitely knew her (strange, right?) ins and outs of the texts. I had known of the book of Jonah at that point, and therefore wrote an entire essay analyzing the merits and legitimacy of the book itself. Below are certain excerpts I copied from the essay:

• Various pieces of evidence lend legitimacy to the book of Jonah as biblical text, and to the individual of Jonah as a true prophet. The presence of themes such as universalism, repentance to God, and God’s compassion echoes biblical traditions found in other prior books, such as the book of Isaiah. As exemplified in Isaiah 43:7, the God (Yahweh) worshiped by the Israelites is proclaimed to be same deity worshiped by other peoples. “Everyone” including foreigners and eunuchs are called to partake in God’s “glory”. In calling the inhabitants of Nineveh to repent to “his” God, Jonah expresses the tradition of universalism. God’s own words appear to uphold this tradition at the end of Jonah, when He rhetorically asks Jonah “should I not be concerned about Nineveh?” (Jonah 4:9). Biblical Schlar John Collins notes that the book of Amos also reflects universalism in the prophet’s final vision, which suggests that “Israelites are not favored by God, but that God lords over all people and is responsible for everything that happens” (158).
• The story of Jonah also depicts a God whose character is consistent with what is revealed to other prophets. God is active and intervening throughout the story, from sending a storm to conversing with Jonah. Just as the Elijah and Elisha narratives contain extraordinary events, like ravens providing bread and meat for the prophet (1 Kings 17:6), so does the book of Jonah, as when the fish “provides transportation” for the prophet and the bush “give[s] shade over [Jonah’s] head, to save him from his discomfort” (Jonah 4:6). Perhaps the best indication of God’s character is His great compassion for the Ninevites. God first offers the opportunity for the Ninevites to repent for their sins –through sending a prophet to deliver the message. Subsequently He relents in the destruction of the city.
• Jonah is shown to be a very self-centered prophet, even after God offers him a second chance to do God’s work. He expresses little concern for the lives of the Ninevites. Instead, he cares much more for his own reputation and the possibility of being labeled a “false prophet”. This is first evidenced by his terse “cry” to the Ninevites to repent, “Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” (Jonah 3:4). The terseness of Jonah’s calling may imply of his desire to see the people of Nineveh continue leading their sinful lives, which would ultimately result in their destruction. His selfish desire contrasts the often lengthy and repetitive preaching by other prophets for the people to change their away –examples by Joel and Jeremiah have already been noted. In addition, there is no reference in the narrative to Jonah himself partaking in the repentance rituals. The impassiveness of Jonah is odd in the tradition where prophets were seemingly the first to take action: the prophet Isaiah “walked naked and barefoot for three years as a sign and a portent against Egypt and Ethiopia” (Isaiah 20:3), while Ezekiel laid on his side for 390 days and ate food baked “on human dung” (Ezekiel 4).
• Throughout Jonah’s interactions with God, examples of his reverence of God are rarely found. His actions and speech towards God contrast with attitudes of adoration and devotion as one expects in response. This is epitomized by the revered reaction towards God by the prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel. In contrast to Jonah’s displeasure at God’s work, Isaiah proclaims his unworthiness to stand in His presence. “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips…” (Isaiah 6:5). Ezekiel similarly falls on his face and is “stunned for seven days” following his divine encounter. Isaiah and Ezekiel are both deeply afraid of God’s holiness, which is evidently a fear not shared by Jonah. Aside from referring to God as “Lord” and offering a prayer, Jonah appears to treat God casually –as one treats a human acquaintance. He attempts to run away, becomes angry and, most significantly, believes he can predict God’s character and actions. This sense of arrogance is exemplified by his question “Is not this what I said while I was still in my own country?” (Jonah 4:2). Unlike other prophets, Jonah thinks he has God “figured out”.

I thought the conclusion to this essay was very written and, because it encompasses the purposes of this blog post, I thought I would end with them:

Contrary to popular perception, Jonah is not the main character of the narrative. The story is primarily about God and only secondary about the prophet, since God is the protagonist active in on every occasion. God is the one who: calls Jonah, sends a storm, provides a fish to rescue Jonah, judges Nineveh, and teaches Jonah about His character; His presence is all-encompassing. In the book of Jonah, God is shown to be a personal God. Jonah himself can be interpreted as merely a foil to highlight God’s power and character. As previously shown, the prophet Jonah possesses numerous personal flaws such as deep-seated selfishness and lacking compassion.

The last chapter of the book of Jonah indicates the main theme of the story: God’s boundless compassion. His compassion is available for everyone, regardless of nationality or even former belief. All God requires is repentance from sin, and people can be assured that He will relent when they repent. Like many of the other prophets, Jonah’s calling for the Ninevites to repent implies a need of Israel to repent for her sins. One can argue that the quickness and willingness of Nineveh’s response represents a model for Jerusalem. But God’s mercy sometimes can become the basis for pride and prejudice –which is evident by Jonah’s attitude toward the Ninevites. When Jonah’s selfish concern for the plant (Jonah 4:8) is compared to God’s concern for Nineveh, the sheer absurdity of the comparison testifies of the extent of God’s compassion. God is not limited to humans; He is also compassionate towards animals (Jonah 4:11).

Matthew 6: "Do Not Worry"

25 Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

28 And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you – you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

I am admittedly a profound worrier. Perhaps out of previous life experiences, I often worry about the present and the future. For example, I worry (albeit much more before than presently) about Mandy, about possible job changes, about making enough money, and about my family’s wellbeing. It’s foolish in hindsight because I have no control whatsoever on most the things I worry about – yet I persist in worrying.

Do you sometimes feel that a specific passage in the Bible was written just for you? Well, this is the passage for me. During my college years, my pastor introduced this passage to me so that I could worry less. I have ever since read this passage to myself whenever I find myself worrying.

In the passage itself, the main message is – as its title suggests—“do not worry”. It is a teaching Jesus passed down to his disciples, to remind them that our Father is in absolute control and that we ought not worry about things. Jesus points how the little things are taken care off: the flowers, the birds, and the grass of the field. In the same manner, the message given is that, just as He cares for the rest of creation, God will take care of us. Our instructions are very simple to follow – instead of indulging in worries of this life, we are to seek “first his kingdom and his righteousness.”

Ultimately, the issue is how much you trust God with your life. If you truly believe that God is in control, then you would have no worries about anything. This is something I am dealing with/beginning to understand more of. At the heart of the matter, our sinful nature means that there will always be things that will cause us to worry or draw away our attention from what is most important. Sometimes we can become myopic and believe that if our concern was fulfilled, then we would be free to deepen our relationship with God. But this is complete wrong. For one, we should not be testing God in such a way; and two, we are making false promises. I know that for my own life, I thought for the longest time that had a found the right job, everything else would be okay. But what ended happening was that, after finding a job, my worry became Mandy.

Music Liners -- "Christ is Risen" by Matt Maher

Aside from music by Hillsong United and a few other songs, my favorite Christian song in recent memory has to be "Christ is Risen" by Matt Maher. It is an incredibly powerful song due in part to the simplicity of its message -- that Christ is alive and has overcome death! In a time where some contemporary Christian music has strayed from central themes from the bible, Maher's song speaks the unadulterated, unchanged truth.

The first time I heard this song was during my church's Easter Sunday worship/celebration. (Methinks "celebration" is the more appropriate term, since that is the significance of the resurrection anyway.) I remember when first singing the chorus...amazing.

As noted above, I really really like the chorus of this song. In particular, it is the lyrics in the form of rhetorical questions that capture my liking for this song. Maher poses two rhetorical questions revolving around the resurrection:

1. "Oh Death, where is your sting?"
2. "Oh Hell, where is your victory?"

These two questions are special because they mock (arguably) the two things we fear the most in our lives, death and evil. I especially like the fact that Maher belittles these two fears, by contrasting them with what Christ has done on the cross. In other words, Christ had overcome death and opened the doors for us to be reunited with our God -- therefore we should no longer fear neither death nor hell. It reminds us of the resurrection power and what it implies for our lives.

The song also calls all believers to "come awake, come awake, come rise up from the grave." The "grave" described is not a burial ground, but serves as a metaphor for the slumber we are prone to fall into. We drift from our responsibilities as Christians -- to the extent of calling ourselves Christians but having nothing to show for it. Maher reminds us that as we are alive in Christ, we should act like it. We should not be slumbering like the young man who falls from the window during Apostle Paul's sermon (Acts 20:7-12).

Finally, along the same lines of the previous paragraph, the last part of the chorus is a reminder for all the churches out there to "come and stand in the light". What is implied (at least from my perspective) is for churches everywhere to shake off any rust and preach the message of the cross once more. Churches, like individuals, can drift off due a number of factors.

Psalm 27

Once again, I will be discussing a favorite biblical passage of mine – but this time from the Old Testament. It comes from the Psalm 27, a passage in which the psalmist (assumed to be King David) cries out to God for help and mercy. The passage is relatively long, but every word is heartfelt.

1 The LORD is my light and my salvation—

whom shall I fear?

The LORD is the stronghold of my life—

of whom shall I be afraid?

2 When the wicked advance against me

to devour[a] me,

it is my enemies and my foes

who will stumble and fall.

3 Though an army besiege me,

my heart will not fear;

though war break out against me,

even then I will be confident.

4 One thing I ask from the LORD,

this only do I seek:

that I may dwell in the house of the LORD

all the days of my life,

to gaze on the beauty of the LORD

and to seek him in his temple.

5 For in the day of trouble

he will keep me safe in his dwelling;

he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle

and set me high upon a rock.

6 Then my head will be exalted

above the enemies who surround me;

at his tabernacle I will sacrifice with shouts of joy;

I will sing and make music to the LORD.

7 Hear my voice when I call, LORD;

be merciful to me and answer me.

8 My heart says of you, “Seek his face!”

Your face, LORD, I will seek.

9 Do not hide your face from me,

do not turn your servant away in anger;

you have been my helper.

Do not reject me or forsake me,

God my Savior.

10 Though my father and mother forsake me,

the LORD will receive me.

11 Teach me your way, LORD;

lead me in a straight path

because of my oppressors.

12 Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,

for false witnesses rise up against me,

spouting malicious accusations.

13 I remain confident of this:

I will see the goodness of the LORD

in the land of the living.

14 Wait for the LORD;

be strong and take heart

and wait for the LORD.

I first came across this passage during one of my job interview treks (aka 3-4 job interviews in one day). Perhaps I’ve read this psalm before, but I remember it now for the encouragement I received amidst one interview trek. For this particular occasion, I recall waiting for my next interview at a nearby Barnes and Nobles bookstore – feeling very weary and quite unhappy at my own situation. “Taking self-pity” would not be an inaccurate description. But I somehow opened to this psalm while sitting there and it struck me powerfully in its message. The central message is, as the first couple of lines indicate, trusting in the Lord.

The first part of this psalm is akin to posing a rhetorical question: if God is on our side, of whom should we be afraid? The psalmist rightfully declares that the “Lord is my life and my salvation”, and therefore we are to be afraid of nothing. Our confidence is in the Lord, the Creator of all things. To put this psalm in context, King David likely composed it while he was fleeing from the former King Saul of Israel. We can imagine that David could have felt loneliness and very afraid, as Saul commanded the entire army to hunt down and kill him. Yet even in this dire predicament, David remember to pray to God and ask for His help.

I particularly like verse 4, in which the psalmist declares that his only desire is to “dwell in the house of the Lord”. It creates both a beautiful and inspiring imagery: that even amidst the unrest and uncertainty, we can look to God and seek after Him. Because in God’s dwelling, we are kept safe and forever in the presence of our maker. In present-day society, this “house of the Lord” refers to the churches formed for the express purpose for worshippers to congregate and fellowship together. Because one of the best ways to glorify God is to love and care for one another.

Armor of God

This post will be a discussion of one of my favorite passages from the New Testament. It comes from the Book of Ephesians, chapter 6, in which apostle Paul uses the metaphor of putting on God’s armor to encourage the Ephesians. The title of the passage is appropriately named “Armor of God” (in the TNIV version):

¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

¹⁸ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

The passage is incredibly powerful for the justification it brings to live a righteous life, one in which we do not succumb to evil but always trusts in the Lord. As Christians, it explicitly states that we are to “be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power”; this is the same power that created our universe and raised Jesus Christ from death. Paul points out that our struggles are ultimately not struggles against the world but, instead, against something more sinister: evil. The poetic language used to develop how we are to “be strong” further serves to uplift the reader.

I particularly like the detailed narrative of how we are equipped as soldiers of God fighting “against the spiritual forces of evil”. Accurately describing the warriors of the ancient world, the passage begins with one putting on each piece of armor – first the undergarment, then the belt, followed by the breastplate, the leg guards, and finally taking up the shield, helmet, and sword—while offering reasons for these equipment pieces. The call to “stand firm” is important as a reminder for the significance of how we serve as soldiers – to be steadfast servants in God’s kingdom. Our faith is compared to a shield that blocks out all the enemy’s arrows; the sword with which we fight back with is the Gospel (or “word of God”).

Although I am not much of a poet, I really appreciate the poetic language used in this passage in order to encourage all those who strive to live a righteous life. I often turn to it in moments of prayer –especially for other individuals so they will put on this “armor of God”.

Music Liners -- "Freedom is Here" by Hillsong

My affinity for music is largely in part due to the lyrics contained for specific songs. For this reason, I often hesitate when asked about my favorite music genre or a favorite artist; as there is no pattern for my music tastes. I am inclined to really like the song "Friday I'm in Love" from the punk-Gothic band The Cure to contemporary pop hits like Katy Perry's "Fireworks". Similarly, I like music in a variety of languages. If I seem to possess an overwhelming number of songs by a single artist, then nine times out of ten, it is mere coincidence.

Revelation of my music tastes aside, I thought it would be fun to blog about music lyrics that I really like. I will be adding an explanation for the reasons I like the song in discussion. This will likely become part of a series -- due to the sheer number of songs I like.

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First song I like is a Christian worship song from the famed band Hillsong United. The title of the song is "Freedom is Here" which, as its title implies focuses on celebrating the freedom we can experience from God's love for us. [Hillsong is one of my favorite worship bands, so you will likely be seeing quite a few posts about their songs.]

The specific lyrics from this song I like is:

"...I will not fear, I will not hide your love. All of my life, I cannot deny your love".

These two lines are incredibly powerful --and true-- in my opinion. Part one of the first line ("I will not fear") emphasizes the feeling that derives from our awe of God. He is our God and Savior, but also our Creator who was able to speak our world into being. The love He has for us can seem frightening in this manner; especially as the love is greater than deeper than we can fathom. Part of the first line conveys a common reaction we have to this love we experience -- we can be prone to hide it or, worse, not share it with those around us. Sometimes the world feels so big and the number of Christians so small. I know at times I try to hide the fact that I am a Christian, simply because it is tempting to just conform to the environment/culture surrounding me. But this should not happen. Neither you nor I should ever hide the love God has shared with us, because it is the essence of our identity -- not our jobs, cars, houses, or other possessions.

The second line arguably speaks even truer than the first. The message conveyed in very straightforward: God's love for us is beyond time and is not something we can deny it. Even when we feel unworthy or having sinned, we can feel that God is far away because He is ashamed of us. Yet the truth is, our God is a merciful and loving God -- slow to anger and abounding in grace. As long as we acknowledge our sins and mistakes, He is willing to welcome us back and forgive those sins/mistakes. And this is for all our lives. His love is not to be denied.

Book Review: I Kissed Dating Goodbye (by Joshua Harris)

This was one those books that one would never think about reading...because it sounds silly. But it turned to be a very well-written book offering a refreshing perspective on a touchy subject. I must admit that at first it was not a voluntary read. The girl I was dating at the time recommended that I read it and, as a good boyfriend, I obliged her. We ultimately broke up but not because of the book. Instead, I think the book made the break up easier to bear.

Anyway, this is a book review and not on personal life. The book is an unique take on dating from Joshua Harris, who is currently a senior pastor at the Convenant Church in Maryland (at least that's what the book biographies). Interestingly, the book was written by Harris when he was 21; it contains many personal insights on the subject of Christian dating. The title of the book "I Kissed Dating Goodbye" is actually an honest admission by the author -- he stopped dating for a number of years due to the realization that dating was distracting him from living for God. It is audacious but very authentic.

Harris writes the book through an explanatory narrative of what the current outlook on dating is, how it can be sinful, and how we can overcome it through building a new lifestyle. The target audience is clearly teenagers or those in the early twenties, but it can be helpful for Christians of all ages. It was certainly helpful to me -- so much that I brought my own copy.

Throughout the first half of the book, Harris focuses on the concept of love that people come into contact with through their everyday lives. He goes into detail about the differences between worldly love and godly love: that the latter is beyond temporary pleasures and is eternally good. One of the central ideas outlined is that "the joy of intimacy is the reward of commitment". In other words, relationships fall apart because lovers tend to jump the boat and become physically intimate (read: have sex) with one another without emotional commitment. This is very dangerous as the relationship is not one built on trust or care or faith, but on temporary pleasure. Harris argues that most relationships fall apart due to the lack of commitment.

In addition to his analysis of the culprits behind defective dating of today (e.g. culture, peer pressure), the author addresses the challenges of living a date-free life. The main challenges he writes about is patience. Or rather, it is the patience that derives from trusting God with your life and being confident that God has greater plans than we ourselves can ever imagine. I think this point is very well taken -- the lack of patience is another major contributor to failed marriages, relationships, etc. Sometimes we want to rush into things when the wiser course of action is to wait and take it slow.

Harris concludes with a set of practical rules one can follow to lead a life of purity, such as new attitudes on those of the opposite gender as well as on singlehood. Another key idea is the guarding of one's heart against impure thoughts or sinful cravings. Ultimately, marriage will happen to (almost?) everyone. It is God's reward for us living the correct manner.

Overall, I feel like this is a fantastic book for anyone (Christian or not) to read on dating. The language is easy to understand, and Harris includes a number of fascinating stories based on his own experiences. For example, he writes about a couple who did not share a first kiss until wedding day on the altar. It definitely changed my perspective on dating and what singlehood means. Now I think I shall read it again.

In parting, I want to leave a quote that spoke to me powerfully when I read it. It still does due to my interest in Mandy:

"I'll freely admit it -- I often have difficulty trusting God. When it comes to my love life, I have a nagging fear that He wants to keep me single forever. Or I fear that He lets me marry, He'll match me up with some girl to whom I won't feel attracted...

...I feat that God might forget me. Instead of trusting in His perfect timing, I often try to take things into my own hands. I grab my life's calendar from God and frantically begin to pencil in my own plans and agendas. 'God, I know You're omnipotent and all that,' I say, 'but I really think You missed the fact that this girl over here is my destiny. If I don't go after her now, my future will pass me by!' Eventually I sheepishly hand back the scheduling of my time, energy, and attention, saying, 'Of course I trust you, Lord, but I just think You could use a little help'" (81).

Human Love : God's Love (Analogy)

I am by no means a theologian or even close to claiming one. But sometimes I develop ideas that may be interpreted as theology. The following is one of such ideas -- derived through my experiences of pursing Mandy. It's about the similarities between the dynamics of pursing a human interest and possibly with how God pursues us.

I shared this with a close friend last month and he said it was interesting. Just thought that I would share it with all of you (imaginary audience?) too.

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First the argument I will make is this: liking someone who doesn't really like you back is analogous to...God's love for us. Although this analogy holds true only for a fraction of the whole (of course), it has some legitimacy.

The main explanation is that when we like someone (the more appropriate term may be "fall in love"), we begin to care about this other person's life so much more. This special someone, the object of our affections, often comes into our thoughts and, if our affections are sincere, the end-goal of our actions will evolve into bringing happiness to this individual. Because when this person is happy, we inevitably become happy ourselves -- happiness begets happiness, joy upon joy. For those who have experienced this feeling, it's very much like a "high" (nothing associated with drugs, but strictly a state of mind). And even if we are rejected, these sentiments can linger and sometimes manifest into something even deeper (e.g. limerence).

The reason I think these human sentiment is analogous to God's love for us is due to our ignorance and, sometimes, even rejection of His love. God's love is unconditional for us and He always cares about us, but we can forget about this fact when temporal difficulties stray into our life. We are also prone to not realizing the depth of this love -- one that is full of grace and even ready to welcome us back with open arms (e.g. story of the prodigal son). In short, God loves us and we often do not realize it. Nor perhaps realize the depth of this love.

So you may begin how the analogy is starting to shape together. Just as the human object of our affections may be ignorant or even downright reject us, we similarly do the same to God. More disturbingly, the latter occurs much more frequent than the former. Is not the most important commandment "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, and strength?" If so, then how often do we give God this undivided attention and worshipful praise He has commanded? For myself, the truth is my thoughts are on God only in moments of prayer or in fellowship with other Christians. The fact that God still loves us despite of our ignorance/rejection speaks volumes of the power of His grace, compassion, and also of the resurrection power.

Now, I can be quite wrong in conjuring this analogy. God's love resembles little of our human affections for one another. God's love is not prone to the imperfections that sin can perpetrate. But I think it is a very interesting analogy nonetheless -- one that allows me to understand a spiritual truth through human experiences. Perhaps more importantly, it brought awareness into an area which needs to be changed.

Sunday Message: Broken & Useful

[This is the first blog post on the topic of spirituality/Christianity. While I am consider myself a devout Christian, I am by no means a capable theologian. It is definitely possible that some of my points are flawed or unsound. The main point is to share what I learned and experienced through this medium...]

The past Sunday's message was on the subject of brokenness and what it means to our lives. Brokenness is defined as the imperfections we see around us, such as houses fallen into disrepair, relationships devoid of care and love, etc. We all have experienced this as brokenness is a central characterization of the post-Fall era for humankind. Perhaps some more than others.

A main biblical passage given is 2 Corinthians 4:1-7, titled as "Present Weakness and Resurrection Life":

¹ Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. ² Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. ³And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. ⁴ The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. ⁵ For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. ⁶ For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”^[a] made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.

⁷ But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. ⁸ We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹ persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. ¹⁰ We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. ¹¹ For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. ¹² So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

Apostle Paul's point is stated in verse 4, that what we preach to others is the gospel of Jesus and not of ourselves. We can be tempted to think that the effectiveness of our ministry is contingent on our personal qualities like eloquence, charisma, charm, etc. But in reality, whether we are effective in our ministry depends not on our own strivings but on the grace of God. God pours out His Spirit into us, thereby transforming us into vessels of light that obliterate the darkness around us. What is important is not the holder but what the holder is holding (as indicated in verse 7, we are merely jars of clay).

The message giver at my church also noted that Paul juxtaposes the new covenant (New Testament) with the old. For example, the old covenant was recorded on stone tablets, marked by finite glory, veiled, and was essentially a ministry of condemnation. On the other hand, the new covenant is recorded in people's hearts, underscored by eternal glory and is a ministry of the Spirit. However, there is seemingly a paradox as Paul's life was marred by his initial persecution of Christians.

Yet Paul's transformation from a persecutor of the church to an apostle demonstrates God's power to transform lives completely. This is the majestic God we worship, as the psalmist in #8 so rightfully notes. The point is that we are a broken people in need of God's mercy -- and God graciously provides! The ministry of the Spirit comes into us and transforms us utterly...completely.

To me, this message highlights the importance of grace in our daily lives -- in addition to the insignificance of any self-perceived constraints. It's not about well we can recruit, but whether we do so in a manner worthy of the calling we have received. God calls us to be His People and blesses us accordingly. Surely he will equip us to fulfill the plans He has for us.

(Biblical) Love

Love is a powerful word, one that transcends across races, cultures, and even history. I am not going to dwell on the significance of the term -- nor of its connotations in the society we live in. For one, I do not have the time (final exams week, remember?) nor perhaps the extensive vocabulary to explain things thoroughly. The purpose of this blog post is to discuss the famous passage in the book of Corinthians on love.

Before diving into the actual passage, it is important to note that in the context of the Holy Bible, love is not defined in human expressions of affection for one another. It is never referred to in that context. Rather, love is always represented by the relationship God has with Creation (aka us). God's love for us is complicated: it is always unrelenting and without bounds, but can at times be perceived negatively for didactic reasons.

In terms of the actual passage from the book of Corinthians (1 Corinthians 13), my favorite translation is the one from the Message version. Below are the lines copied from biblegateway.com (thanks!):

The Way of Love

¹ If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. ²If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing. ^3-7If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love.

Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.
Love doesn't strut,
Doesn't have a swelled head,
Doesn't force itself on others,
Isn't always "me first,"
Doesn't fly off the handle,
Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn't revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.

^8-10Love never dies. Inspired speech will be over some day; praying in tongues will end; understanding will reach its limit. We know only a portion of the truth, and what we say about God is always incomplete. But when the Complete arrives, our incompletes will be canceled.

¹¹When I was an infant at my mother's breast, I gurgled and cooed like any infant. When I grew up, I left those infant ways for good.

¹²We don't yet see things clearly. We're squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won't be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We'll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!

¹³But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love.

Some context for the passage would be helpful. The apostle Paul is communicating to the newly established church in Corinth (in present day Greece?) about the significance of love. Amongst the reasons he raises this issue is the temptations faced by those living in the city of Corinth. Back in the Roman times, Corinth was notorious as a place of debauchery and corrupt by sin. Thus Paul urges the church in Corinth (hence the term "Corinthians") to stand fast and remember what love truly is -- as opposed to the public displays of sexuality around them.

I like the Message's translation of the passage due to the straightforward terminology used by the translator (Eugene Peterson I believe). A central point of Peterson's translation is not to focus on poetic metaphors and jargon, but instead to directly interpret biblical text using language anyone can understand without prior theological training. His translations can be controversial as debated by numerous theologians yet, on the whole, I think it definitely has merit and offers a refreshing account of the gospel.

Overall, this passage (as many of you probably know) describes love in its most desirable form. We all have heard that love ought to be "patient", "kind", "slow to anger", etc. but these quotations are often taken out of the context. Here, Paul describes how fellow Christians ought to treat their brothers and sisters in Christ and plainly states that love is the glue holding everything together. Nothing matters in the absence of this love. Yet at the same time, Paul emphasizes that while this love described derives from God's affection for us, our understanding of it is incomplete. We may think we know what love is through our daily experiences, but this is not true in the grand scheme of things. Our knowledge of God's love, even through many experiences, is only a fraction of the depth of this love. It is as if we only had a drop of water in the desert -- thirsting for even more.

In particular, I really like the translator's choice of adverbs in the last verse to describe faith, hope, and love respectively:

• "Trust steadily" -- our lives can resemble a roller coaster with its highs and lows, but in the end our trust in the Lord should be unrelenting. In other words, we must not let temporary problems cloud our faith in God and what His plans are for us.
• "Hope unswervingly" -- perhaps my favorite of the three, this speaks of hope that is always present and never ending. Our hope in the future ought to be absolute and never to be compromised for something else.
• "Love extravagantly" -- this describes God's love for us which, in a likewise manner, should also be how we love others. Others as in anyone else around us, regardless of any romantic affiliation. We all know to love, but doing so with extravagance may pose a challenge.