We just had our final walk-through in the new house, and we're pretty excited. We're not exactly sure what day we'll be closing, but it's definitely this week! Not sure when moving day is, either, but who cares? It's finally gonna be our home!
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| Abbey and Neavey: Ready to pop into the world! |
In much less exciting news, I've decided to bring back the music podcast I was doing last year, starting in January. I started a new blog to go with it. And I've decided to record an album of songs about Jesus in 2011 with a much more acoustic sound than stuff I've been doing with Tara lately.
Thoughts
Thanks to a late-night coffee, I spent a lot of time thinking one night this past week. I came up with not only some New Year's resolutions, but also a long-term plan. Now that my career is finally established and should pretty much cruise if I keep working hard, I can think a little more about what I can do with whatever spare time I can find. 2011 will be interesting enough with a new city, new job, new house, new church, new friends and (oh yeah) new babies. But there are a few things I'd like to do to make it even more satisfying:
- Produce a fantastic "Christian" album to share with the world for free (I came up with a good chorus this week).
- Learn a very old and interesting martial arts kata, probably leopard-style wushu like the leopard in Kung Fu Panda. I'll have to learn the dragon and tiger basics first.
- Record twelve half-hour podcasts for my music show.
Then, for my long-term plan:
- 2012: Record the second Awful Lot of Tigers album
- 2013: Write my first novel
- 2014: Record our "wedding album", a set of instrumental tracks I dreamed up for our wedding but didn't have time to record (might or might not write lyrics for it)
- 2015: Record the third ALoT album (by this time our girls will be old enough to provide back-up vocals)
- 2016: Write my second novel
It's all part of my grand plan to become the most interesting man in the world. By 2017 I'd like to be a VP at this company!
A nice thing about all these plans is that I can do them all at home, and they're very inexpensive--practically free, except that I really need to replace my electric guitar soon. So it will be relatively easy to be a dad and save money while accomplishing my goals. Can't beat that!
Today's Scripture
We've joined a new Bible study group, and they're kind of serious about it. They actually want me to read up and do some thinking ahead of time! So I'm going to interrupt my study of 2 Samuel, sadly leaving King David at a very low point, and get into Paul's letter to the Romans for a while. That's gonna make it a lot harder to pick a key verse!
Romans 1:18 - 2:16 (NKJV)
Key verse: (2:13) "...For not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified..."
Reflection
There's a lot to reflect on here. It's important to know that Paul has just written a lot about sin and God's wrath. He writes that no one has an excuse to rebel against the things of God because we're surrounded by His works (1:20) and the work of His law is written on our hearts (2:15). Paul is writing to Jewish Romans, as we see in 2:17, and he makes a distinction between Jews and Gentiles in verses 14 and 15.
This is important for me as a Christian Gentile. Many talk about "spiritual Israel" these days, but Paul explains the situation clearly enough in chapter 11 of Romans. I, as a Gentile, am among those grafted into Christ's vine in place of the Jews who refused to believe in Him. Although I am adopted into His family and serve His kingdom, I think the Bible makes it clear that I am not one of the true Jews who will eventually be saved (11:26).
I think that Romans 2:13-15, though speaking to Jews, gives me a hint of my situation in Christ. Verse 13 is our key verse, and then Paul says, "...For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them..."
I won't talk about this as if I completely understand it, because it's complicated and there are probably many different views of what Paul means exactly. I'll tell you what I think based on my reading of the Bible, though. It seems to me that this passage could include both saved and unsaved Gentiles because, as Paul often wrote, Gentile believers were not expected to adopt Jewish law. In fact, he discouraged it, even scolding Peter at one point for his hypocrisy in this regard (Galatians 2:14). It seems like many American church members like to think of themselves as God's chosen people, in place of the Jews, but the Bible makes it pretty clear that we're just grafted in and can easily be ripped out if we're not careful (Romans 11:21). Paul said us Gentiles are from an olive tree that is "wild by nature" (11:24), and though we've come a long way in two thousand years, I imagine he would still see us that way today.
So, in my opinion, Paul is talking about both me and my unbelieving friends when he says that when we do things that are within God's law—things that please Him—it shows that the "work of the law" is written in our hearts (2:15) even though we were never given the law (2:14). We can read the Ten Commandments and practice them, but they weren't meant for us Gentiles. But when we follow the law—when we seek to please the Lord because we love Him and we know His ways are right and true—we are justified as doers of the law and not hearers only (2:13).
Does this mean that my unbelieving friends are saved from God's wrath? Based on what Paul wrote in the preceding verses about sin, I don't think so. But it tells me something about their capacity for being saved. If they love their neighbors as themselves and show themselves to be people with the work of the law written in their hearts, they certainly have the capacity to be justified. God tells us over and over throughout His word the kind of heart that pleases Him. Belief in the Son He gave up for us and baptism into His kingdom should be natural for such people if they aren't completely disgusted by the Christians they come into contact with.
My point? To you Gentile believers, I warn you to remember who you are and where you came from. I should see my church family as descendants of those early believers in Greece who received the word of the Lord with gladness and set out to put it into practice with the help of the Holy Spirit. I must do the work of the Lord by loving my neighbor and letting him know the reason for the hope that is in me (1 Peter 3:15). But if I like to lift myself up as someone who keeps God's commandments, I should watch out. Even King David, a man after God's own heart (Acts 13:22), committed terrible deeds (see the "Stir Crazy" post) that had horrible results (2 Samuel 12:15). I need to repent of my haughtiness before I drag the rest of the wild olive branches down with me. I just might save a few more wild ones along the way if I follow the path of humility.
Prayer
Lord, when I associate with nonbelievers, may I remember the grace You showed me when You first made Yourself known to me, a sinner. May I see them not as hopeless reprobates but as wild olive branches, just like me, who need Your grace just like I did. May I always find joy in doing Your work in the world!
Final Thoughts
Tara and I felt so happy walking around in our future home today. We are so blessed. There's a lot to think about, and I hope we won't stress out so much that we forget to enjoy this incredible time in our lives. Thanks for your prayers!
By the way, I just saw a scientology ad on this blog. Please know that I am not about that stuff! I am a Bible-believing member of a Southern Baptist church. I'm not completely conservative in my views, but I stick to God's word and believe in His gospel alone as the power of God for salvation in this world. Just so you know.
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