Author: Jonathan Dodson

4 Reasons to Read & Obey God’s Word

Posted on January 10, 2011

1) We should submit to God’s word is because the Bible is God’s authoritative word. It claims, not just to be authoritative, but to be absolutely authoritative. There is no higher authority to appeal to than the word of God. This might sound a bit circular. Submit to God’s word because it claims to be God’s word. But anyone or anything making a claim to absolute authority, must necessarily appeal to no greater authority. If reason, then reason is the absolute authority (not Scripture) or history, not something else. To appeal to something else to verify Scripture as ultimate authority would render it not absolute. Instead, that greater authority would be absolute.

I am not saying that reason is naturally unfit for reading Scripture. What I am saying is that Scripture, not reason, is the ultimate authority. The Bible is the final arbiter of truth. One reason for this is that reason is naturally flawed. It starts with unbelief in God as the arbiter of truth. It starts with faith in reason not faith in God. What we all need is nothing less than the rehabilitation of our reason so that it believes in God. We need forgiveness from the eternal Creator for placing faith in reason instead of faith in Him, for adoring our rational faculties over adoring his eternal glory. The gospel of Christ accomplishes just that, and his Word returns us to the gospel over and over to experience the blessing of walking under his word and in his grace.

2) We should obey God’s word because we love him. Jesus himself said: “If anyone loves me he will obey my commands” (Jn 14:21, 23). Obedience is not to be confused with legalism. Legalism attempts to earn God’s favor, but obedience is a free expression of having already received his favor. Obedience to God’s word is an expression of our affectionate devotion to him. Obey God’s word because you love him.

3) We should submit to God’s word because it draws us into communion with him. Scripture is God’s personal word to us. Unlike most religions, in Christianity God speaks personally to us. He is, in a way, standing at the foot of our bed and inviting us to delight in his perfect love and approval of us in Christ. He wants to fellowship with us: “God is faithful who has called us to fellowship with his son Christ Jesus our Lord” (1 Cor 1:9). John tells us that Jesus is the Word of God made flesh (Jn 1:14). God’s personal word to us in ultimately heard in Jesus. He is the way we hear God’s word. When we embrace God’s word, we can enter into communion with him.

4) We should read and obey God’s Word because it matures us. 2 Timothy 3:17 says “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.” (2 Tm 3:16). If you want to be a more mature spouse, parent, son, daughter, employee, person, then you’ll need the training of the Word of God and the grace it supplies to form you into a better version of yourself. In this way, you can also be a blessing to others through good works. The word of God matures and equips us to bless others.

In summary, obedience to God’s word is honoring to Him, an expression of our love, draws us into communion with all three loving, speaking persons of the Trinity, matures us to look like him, and equips us to do good works that bless others. Scripture is the personal, authoritative Word of God that, despite cultural objections, when obeyed brings us deep joy and God great glory. For these reasons, read and obey God’s word!

Gospel.Community.Mission Events/Topics in Jan

Posted on January 7, 2011

My January is pretty full of speaking opportunities. I’d appreciate your prayers that these events would be great occasions for the gospel and not for my pride. Please pray that God would do things that are disproportionate to who I am as I speak.

Community on Mission Mini-conference (TX) – three talks on the Three Gospel Conversions for churches in greater Denton, Texas.

Man in the Mirror Summit (FL) – a talk on “Why Christian Character Isn’t Enough” & Workshop: “How the Gospel Makes & Multiplies Disciples”

Acts 29 Quarterly (NE) – I will speak on The Failure of the Missional Church as well as connect with The Core Community Church for some coaching and a roundtable on N.T.Wright’s View of Virtue vs. Gospel-formed Character.

How to Read the Bible Devotionally

Posted on January 5, 2011

To start the year, our church staff will be reading Scripture together. In order to equip and encourage them, I shared how I go about personal devotions and gave an example from my recent devotions in James. While we all connect with God in a variety of ways, there are Scripture reading universals that aid in cultivating communion with God. I hope these are helpful for some of you.

1. Determine your Reading in Advance. Pick a book of the Bible, use a lectionary, or devotional guide, or a reading plan. The reason for this is twofold: 1) It is easier to maintain a Scripture reading discipline if we know what we are going to read next. It keeps your reading from being random. 2) Knowing what you will be reading can foster reading in context so that you can grasp God’s intended meaning in the text for you.

2. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you to Teach you in Specific Ways. Depend on the Spirit of God who searches out all things, even the depths of God, to draw you into God’s presence (1 Cor 2). Ask the Spirit to open your mind and heart to what God wants to do in you. Ask the Spirit to draw your attention to whatever God wants to accomplish in you—warning, encouragement, conviction, insight, worship, repentance, joy, confession, reconciliation.

3. Pray God’s Promises to Commune with you back to Him. Memorize several of them and ask him to deliver on his promise, e.g. “God is faithful, who has called us to fellowship with his son, Christ Jesus our Lord” (1 Cor 1:9). I memorize these promises and pray them back to God, pleading with him to make good on them. For example:

“Father, you are faithful, and I ask you to prove your faithfulness in drawing me into fellowship with Jesus. I don’t really desire to be with Jesus this morning, so out of your faithfulness overcome my sinful indifference and draw me into deep fellowship with Him.”

3. Read slowly by moving from Text to Theology to Life. I usually read through a number of books of the Bible throughout the year, reading slowly from beginning to end. Because the goal is commune with God and not theological study, I spend 2-7 days in a passage or chapter—the 7 Year Bible Reading Plan! The point of reading slowly is to actually meditate, to ruminate on the depth of meaning in the text. Too often we breeze over the text with very little reflection on its meaning. Soak in the text. Ask lots of questions, both of the text and yourself.

TEXT: Read the Text by asking the question: “What did it say then?”

THEO: Move from what it says to: “What does it say about God?”

LIFE: Then connect the what the text says, and how it communicates God, to your life: “How should I respond?” (See #2)

4. Respond to God in prayer by repenting, rejoicing, interceding, meditating, etc! Delight in God’s presence as he has revealed himself to you in Christ through the Spirit. Thank him deeply.

What I Want for 2011

Posted on December 30, 2010

As the year winds down, and I reflect on how I need to grow in Christ, I’ve taken some time to look back on the year and spot some weaknesses. It’s been quite helpful, not condemning at all. Growth in Christ is what brings us deep joy. The trouble is that many of us are so preoccupied with petty joys that we fail to slow down long enough to find deep joy. We’re moving too fast for joy, for intimacy with Christ. So where am I weak? Where do I want to grow? In wisdom.

I Want Wisdom

I’ve been reading through James in my daily devotions along with my Fight Club. A major theme that has emerged is wisdom. This is a dominant theme in the book (along with suffering, good works, our speech, and our wealth), but it is wisdom, in particular, that has my attention. On the threshold of a new year, a new decade, and my 37th year, I want to become wise. I don’t want just more knowledge; I want to use knowledge in such a richly applied way that it bears fruit in wisdom, that in turn nourishes others.

I don’t want just more knowledge; I want to use knowledge in such a richly applied way that it bears fruit in wisdom.

What is Wisdom?

As it turns out, biblical wisdom is very different from what typically comes to mind. The image that jumps to mind is that of a slightly older man, hair flecked with grey, who measures his words and offers advice from his years of living. While this can be helpful, it’s not the picture of biblical wisdom. Alternatively, we may think of words well-timed: “Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a word timely spoken” (Prov 25:11) Indeed, words can be wise or be foolish, but wisdom, according to James, goes even deeper.

James tells us that God promises us generous wisdom if we will ask with faith (1:5-6). Using the wrong notion of wisdom, I have taken this to mean that God will tell me what to do with my life, what decision I should make, what his will is for a particular issue. But wisdom is deeper than that. Reading this verse along with the rest of James, it makes better sense to read the promise of wisdom as a promise for God to reveal his character (not merely his “will”) in our lives. Wisdom is not just the revealing of God’s will, but the revelation of God in us.

Wisdom is More than Words

When we ask God for wisdom in life, we should be asking him: “How do you want to form Christ in me through my circumstances?” James says it like this: “Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom” (3:13). In other words, wisdom is seen not just heard. It is visible in our conduct amidst life circumstances.

Those who are easily frustrated, embittered, or angered reveal their fundamental foolishness, a refusal to ask for character-forming wisdom in life. Biblical wisdom, however, humbly searches out God’s purposes to change us in life circumstances. It sees every setting, however difficult or delightful, as sovereignly arranged to bring us closer to Christ (in imitation & intimacy). We are given wisdom (how to change), when we humbly ask God what he is doing around us. In fact, what he is doing around has everything to do with what he wants to do in us. Wise people ask God how he wants to form Christlike character in us.

People who want wisdom ask: “How do you want to form Christ in me through my circumstances?”

How Can I Become Wise?

If wisdom is more than words, and our conduct reveals our wisdom-forged character, how then do we get wise? James tells us to pray. Not cheap, passing prayers, but real conversation with God. Actually, more than conversation, pleading or praying with faith.

Wisdom begins by slowing down enough to ask God how he wants to change us (Jas 1). We see how God wants to change us by humbly reading his Word and looking for what needs to change (Jas 3). Then, after seeing it, wisdom purifies us, it replaces impure motives with pure ones. It might expose an addictive pattern in social networking as narcissistic, lead you to repentance over self-worship, and into rest in God’s perfect approval and love. When wisdom operates on us at a deep heart level, it will lead to a real change in conduct. The reason for this is that the Spirit is the wisdom of God. We will be slower to seek the praises of men (checking social networks incessantly), slower to speak, slower to anger, prone to listen, serve, and endure. Wisdom so forms Christ in us that we don’t have to be right. It bring us so close to Jesus that we don’t have to be loved by everyone. It makes us into people who gently reason with others and are patient with those who “just don’t get it.” Wisdom aligns us with Christ.

Wisdom gets under our skin and changes us, purifies our motives, and brings us right alongside Christ.

Wisdom doesn’t come from old age; it “comes from above” where every good and perfect gift originates. Wisdom is: “pure, peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits…” (3:17). Wisdom is more than words and deeper than direction; it is God revealed in us. Wisdom gets under our skin and changes us, purifies our motives, and brings us right alongside Christ. When God tells us to ask for wisdom, He doesn’t want to merely to give us “the answer”; he wants to give us himself.

I’m hopeful that God will generously give me wisdom in 2011. I’ll continue to ask those around me to pray for and with me, to encourage me to search for Christ-forming character in all my life circumstances, whatever the Lord appoints. Though perhaps not at the top of your list, I do hope that you’ll seek God for wisdom this year too.