In Mark 10:15, Jesus says that anyone “who does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” This text has been misunderstood in different ways through the years since Jesus has said it. One listener who had grown up with the King James Version (which translates this verse, “whoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.” The word “as” can mean “like”, but in this sentence it can also mean “when”; in other words, “whoever shall not receive the kingdom of God when a child…”. Within the context of the New Testament, this clearly different meaning makes no sense, because many adults come to faith in Jesus and enter God’s kingdom long after their childhood is over. But our listener remembers preachers and teachers in their church putting pressure on young children to make a declaration of faith for Christ before it was too late and they missed their childhood’s chance.

This sort of emotional pressure is, of course, unbiblical. But so is the misunderstanding of this verse’s theology. Jesus is teaching his disciples that the only way to come to him is the way a child does - with simple faith that one can receive a gift without doing anything to earn it, and an equally simple faith that Jesus meets our almost selfish need for his love and affection.

Hosts: Aaron Mueller and Chuck Rathert

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To comment on this episode, visit https://saintjamesglencarbon.org/cacg-ep144.

Justification is one of the most important words in the Bible because it’s one of the most important aspects of humanity. The quest to find a reason for one’s existence - in other words, “to justify” oneself - is irresistible.

In a culture which separates the “secular” from the “sacred”, Christians sometimes reduce justification to be a religious or moral issue: we can not do enough good works to make God happy with us, so if we want to be saved we can’t rely on our good works but on Jesus alone. This truth is plainly taught by Scripture, but this view narrows down the scope of justification to the “religious” part of our lives. In this way it becomes easy to go to church, trust in Jesus to get us to heaven when we die, and thus feel justified, while simultaneously going to work on Monday morning and finding our reason for existence in our career success, earnings, number and quality of our relationships.

If justification by faith in Jesus means anything, it must be broad enough to allow me to find my identity in Christ in every aspect of my life. I can never make enough money, or have enough relational success, or be respectable enough, to tell myself I am worthy of existing - only Jesus can love and accept me enough for me to be able to say “I have value because Jesus says my existence is justified since he died and rose from the dead for me.” This concept is what we call justification by faith in Jesus.

Hosts: Aaron Mueller and Chuck Rathert

Subscribe to the show at https://cacg.saintjamesglencarbon.org.

To comment on this episode, visit https://saintjamesglencarbon.org/cacg-ep143.

While the Bible acknowledges that anger can sometimes be righteous—specifically when its target is evil and injustice—hatred is generally forbidden. Jesus calls his people to do good to their enemies and love those who hate them.

However, this creates a tension: sometimes God himself is described as hating those who are opposed to him. How can hatred be wrong if God himself hates?

1. The Perspective of Judgment: One way to answer this is to understand human limitation. We are unable to pass final judgment on each other because we don't know if someone's evil is a temporary state that will be repented of, or if it is "damnably permanent." God, however, knows those who are reprobate and will never stop opposing him. These he hates.
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3. The Capacity for Complexity: Another possibility is to acknowledge the difference in capacity. While we humans struggle to love and hate the same person at the same time, God, in his infinite nature, is able to hate sin while simultaneously loving his creatures.
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5. The Semantic Range: The third, and possibly most accurate, approach is to recognize the semantic range of biblical words for "hate." In both the Old and New Testaments, hatred can mean to emotionally despise, but it can also mean "to be chosen over."

When we say "God hates sin," it falls into the category of emotional or moral distaste. However, when the Bible says, "Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated," it falls into the second category. In that context, there is no sense of emotional malice toward Esau; rather, it is a way of stating that God chose Jacob and his descendants over Esau to be his covenant people.

Hosts: Aaron Mueller and Chuck Rathert

Subscribe to the show at https://cacg.saintjamesglencarbon.org.

To comment on this episode, visit https://saintjamesglencarbon.org/cacg-ep142.