The Body

A few weeks ago I discovered an interesting blog entitled Bioethics.com. The blog's quote of the week for June 16th was as follows:

"If you look at all the discussions surrounding biotechnology, I feel that we are clearly focusing too much on ethics." by Toine Manders, Dutch liberal member of the European Parliament, on discussions in the European Parliament about stem cell research.

What!? Mr. Manders' quote got me to thinking about why bioethics matter -- at least to the believer. Do the scriptures not tell us that we bear the image of God almighty himself? Is this something to be taken lightly? Do we not bear that image even in our mothers' wombs? Does it go away when be become old and feeble? Are the mentally challenged, the maimed, the grotesquely deformed not included?

In a Gnostic worldview the body is something to be discarded. It is simply a mortal coil to be shed. Although I doubt they would admit it, I would suggest that many modern evangelicals are practical Gnostics. However, I have developed a new appreciation for the body from reformed theology. While our present bodies disintegrate a little more each passing year, we look forward to a new and resurrected body. That is, we will not simply float around in the spirit world for the rest of eternity. The bible tells us that Christ is the first fruit of this resurrection to come. So Mr. Manders the body does matter and I think the time spent on bioethics is time well spent.

P.S. How should Christians properly dispose of a dead body? Is cremation biblical?

WWJD (What Would Jesus Drink?)

Apparently the Southern Baptist Convention overwhelmingly passed a resolution last week condemning the manufacture and consumption of alcohol. Moreover, the resolution also suggested that no one who drinks alcoholic beverages should even be elected to the convention's boards, committees, or entities. Kudos to Tom Ascol, a reformed Baptist and executive director of the Founders Ministries, who opposed the resolution and pointed out that Jesus actually turned water into wine. See "Debate on Alcohol use Dominates Resolutions Committee Report Time."

Signs & Seals of the Covenant

Of course, I am an admitted White Horse Inn ("WHI") junkie, but next week's program entitled "Signs and Seals" of the covenant is excellent.  It should be available on June 18, 2006 at the WHI website. The hosts even get into a brief discussion regarding the differences between Lutherans, Reformed Baptist, and Reformed/Presbyterians on the subject of infant baptism.  If your reading this after June 24, 2006, you should still be able to find the program in the WHI's broadcast archives.

Ferguson on Piety

I found this quote on the Monergism, regarding growing in grace, and thought it was excellent.

"This first thing to remember, of course, is that we must never separate the benefits (regeneration, justification, sanctification) from the Benefactor (Jesus Christ). The Christians who are most focused on their own spirituality may give the impression of being the most spiritual ... but from the New Testament's point of view, those who have almost forgotten about their own spirituality because their focus is so exclusively on their union with Jesus Christ and what He has accomplished are those who are growing and exhibiting fruitfulness. Historically speaking, whenever the piety of a particular group is focused on OUR spirituality that piety will eventually exhaust itself on its own resources. Only where our piety forgets about ourself and focuses on Jesus Christ will our piety nourished by the ongoing resources the Spirit brings to us from the source of all true piety, our Lord Jesus Christ."

- Adapted from Dr. Sinclair Ferguson

Hearing or Seeing?

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. Romans 10:17 (ESV)

Have you ever considered which of your five (5) senses is most important to you? I think most people would give up taste first and probably sight last. In-between, I imagine there would be a fair amount of variance in a survey of the same. However, how many of us would give up our hearing last? How often do we behave like the disciple Thomas demanding to see the Gospel ("Unless I see. . .")? I would suggest this is a rather pagan notion. That is, it is the pagans that create graven images of their gods. But the covenant God is a God of the Word. It is through God speaking into the darkness the world and all that is in it was created. Moreover, it is through the preached Word that we are made a new creation. Never to hear the Gospel again -- what a tragedy that would be.

Whirling Wheels and the Gospel

Then the glory of the LORD went out from the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubim. And the cherubim lifted up their wings and mounted up from the earth before my eyes as they went out, with the wheels beside them. And they stood at the entrance of the east gate of the house of the LORD, and the glory of the God of Israel was over them. Ezekiel 10:18-19 (ESV).

Our associate pastor has been teaching out of the book of Ezekiel for several weeks now. Last Sunday, he discussed the passage above regarding God leaving the temple. I thought to myself, how horrifying it must have been when Ezekiel heard the whirling wheels and first realized that God was about to depart. Can you imagine the fear and sorrow that he must have experienced? Yet, despite our sinfulness, our God still shows mercy. How grateful I am that there is a new and better covenant which promises Christ will never leave us or forsake us. Thanks be to God!

Coming to a Waffle House near you. . .

Believe it our not, Wisconsin artist Tim Pahs has developed a new and fun way for you to create graven images. It is the Jesus frying pan! Apparently, they are selling like hot cakes on eBay. How does Mr. Pahs know what Jesus looked like? He based it on the Shroud of Turin, of course. Personally, I am convinced that Dan Brown is behind this.