Category: Theology

manna: more than bread

SHORTLY AFTER THE LORD set them free from Pharaoh, the Israelites started to grumble against Moses in the desert, saying, “What shall we drink?” for the water was bitter. God told Moses to throw a log into the water, and instantly the water became sweet (see Exo. 15:22). People then complained of having nothing to eat, saying, “Would that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger” (Exo. 16:2-3).

Manna is a white coriander type of seed that tastes like wafers and honey. The word manna means, “What is that?”

God heard the grumblings of the Israelites and said to Moses, “Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not” (Exo. 16:4). In the morning, dew lay around the camp. When it dried, there was a fine, flake-like frosting on the ground, which the Hebrews called manna, literally meaning, “What is that?” They survived on manna till they came to the border of the land of Canaan, the land of promise.

Although manna was a physical manifestation, it is also meant to remind us that God is the source of all our needs. Manna is about receiving provision from God. The instruction to gather enough manna for each day was meant to build trust in God for provision and care. If a person tried to collect more than needed or to store the manna for the future, it would grow wormy and foul (see Exo 16:20).

In speaking about the manna God provided from heaven, Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world” (John 6:32-33). He added, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst” (6:35). Jesus is the living bread. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. Jesus said, “And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh” (6:51).

Steven Barto, BS Psy, ThM

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture references contained herein are from the English Standard Version (ESV).

salvation

AT ITS CORE, SALVATION means “deliverance,” especially of humanity, from sin’s power and effects.1 From a biblical perspective, its root-meaning encompasses “width,” “spaciousness,” “freedom from constraint,” “deliverance,” and more. The Exodus of the Jews from Egypt can be considered an example of salvation. Relative to New Testament references, salvation (sotēria) also indicates deliverance, preservation, hints of wholeness, soundness, and health.

Much of God’s grace is ongoing and touches on countless areas of daily existence, from restraint over runaway evil to inspiring and life-saving creativity; from governmental and other institutions in human society to numerous examples of love and kindness; from the selfless actions of our emergency first-responders to the soldiers who stand between us and our mortal enemies.

It is the endless and unmerited grace of God that fuels each of these interventions and benevolent actions. Goodness begins with God. God wishes all to prosper and to come to forgiveness. Although God’s grace restrains sin in this present age, this does not change anyone’s foundational disposition to sin, nor does it in any significant manner purify fallen human nature or negate the consequences of sin.2

God pours out grace on undeserving sinners because He wishes that no one should suffer eternal death and damnation. David recognized the compassion God has for all He has made, and His forbearance of judgment proves He clearly takes no pleasure in doling out punishment. Ezekiel 33:11: “As I live, says the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways; for why will you die, O house of Israel” (italics mine).

scope and intention

Salvation began to work in us the moment we recognized our need for a Savior and came to believe in the atoning death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Our old self died with Jesus, and we rose with him as new creations. Salvation moves outward, operating through election, regeneration, and conversion. God’s plan of redemption that puts salvation into motion—an incredibly perfect and powerful plan for redemption built on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Now, responsibility changes hands. We become answerable to God relative to the plan of salvation.

Regeneration in its simplest definition is moving from the state of being dead in trespasses and sins to being made alive in Christ unto righteousness. J.I. Packer describes regeneration (i.e., “new birth”) as an inner recreation of fallen human nature through the power of the Holy Spirit.3 This new birth necessarily involves effective change in our disposition from sin and lawlessness to one of obedience, trust, and love. When there is true repentance (a “turning away from” past rebelliousness, unbelief, and abject disobedience) there is opportunity for spiritual growth.

God, being rich in mercy and possessing great love for us, makes us “alive” together with Christ, to the extent that He shows us the immeasurable riches of His grace and kindness in Christ (Eph. 2:4-7).

There must be a decisiveness in our putting on this “new birth.” Assuming we have admitted to our lost state, we must now choose complete renewal. This involves recognizing that we were buried with Christ by baptism into death. When Christ walked out of the grave we walked out with Him. We have been raised from the dead by the glory of the Father so that we too might walk in newness of life. In deciding to live “a new life” through Christ, we are choosing righteousness. And yet, this choice must be made new each day as we go forth in obedience.

Steven Barto, BS Psy, ThM

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture references contained herein are from the English Standard Version (ESV).

References
1 R.E.O. White, “Salvation,” in the Evangelical Dictionary of Theology (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2017), 768.
2 Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994), 663.
3 J.I.Packer, “Regeneration,” in the Evangelical Dictionary of Theology (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2017), 734-35.

romans 12: transforming power of the gospel

WHEN THE APOSTLE PAUL says “…Do not be conformed to this world” (Rom. 12:2), he is using the Greek word aion, which means “space of time” or “present time.” The Aramaic word alma has a deeper meaning: “surrounded in time.” Paul is warning us not to be squeezed into the mold of the present age.

Stop imitating the ideals and opinions of the culture around you, but be inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit through a total reformation of how you think. This will empower you to discern God’s will as you live a beautiful life, satisfying and perfect in His eyes” (Rom 12:2, Passion translation).

According to The Moody Bible Commentary, Romans 12:1 through 15:33 discusses the implications of being right with God, which necessarily begins with the implications of a believer’s spiritual commitment to the gospel (12:1-2).1 Right off the top, we are told to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is our spiritual worship. “Present” is an essential command to stand before God in service to Him (see Rom. 6:13). This is meant to be a lifetime commitment, suggesting completeness; one of full and far-reaching implications.

Marks of the True Believer in Christ

Paul told the Ephesians, “[I] urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:1). This is what Everett Harrison calls “the necessity of a lived-out righteousness in those who are justified.”2 In fact, Harrison says our spiritual service is the practice of righteousness. It is this crucial element that has been missing in my Christian walk, which called for a fearless and rigorous look at my temperament and habits.

Just to be clear, we are not asked to practice righteousness under our own power. Frankly, that would be impossible. “Being” precedes “actions.” The indicative is what God has done for us; the imperative is what Paul calls our “reasonable” service. This is an exhortation. Matthew Henry identifies this as “godliness.”3 Again, this refers to important gospel principles. Henry writes, “Let us render ourselves; all we are, all we have, all we can do.”4 Martin Luther writes, “The true sacrifice which belongs to God is not outside us nor outside that which belongs to us… but we ourselves are this (sacrifice).”5

Not surprisingly, Paul brings righteousness full circle in the final chapters of Romans. He writes, “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of rules… but is the realm of the Holy Spirit, filled with righteousness, peace, and joy” (Rom 14:17, Passion translation). We are also called to right relationship with fellow believers, toward society, and toward our government. We are not to conform to this present age, but we are called to walk in godliness. It is our proper worship. It boils down to rendering ourselves completely to God.

Steven Barto, BS Psy, ThM

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture contained herein is from the English Standard Version (ESV).

References

1 The Moody Bible Commentary, “Romans” (Chicago: Moody Publications, 2014), 1765.
2 Everett F. Harrison, “Romans,” The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Revised Ed., Vol. 11 (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2008), 181.
3 Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1997), 1086.
4 Ibid., 1087.
5 Martin Luther, Commentary on Romans (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1954), 167.

In Christ

WHAT DOES IT MEAN to be “in Christ?” Paul wrote, “For our sake [the Father] made [the Son] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (see 2 Cor. 5). We have been reconciled through the death and resurrection of Christ. Under the Old Covenant, there was an inner chamber in the tabernacle called the “holy of holies.” Inside was the ark of the covenant containing the tablets on which God wrote the ten commandments with his finger (see Exo. 31:18). This holiest place was restricted to the high priest, and then only after a complex series of cleansing rituals. Now, under the New Covenant, those who call upon the Name of Jesus and believe He is the Messiah are redeemed of their sins and washed clean by His righteousness. The veil that separated us from the presence of God has been ripped down, and our relationship with the Father has been restored.

Who Christ Is

Jesus said, “I came down from Heaven” (John 6:38-39). He told others, “My many miracles are a sign of who I am” (John 10:36-39). Jesus boldly stated, “I and the Father are One” (John 10:30-33). More emphatically, He told the Pharisees, “Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad” (John 8:56). Then they said to Jesus, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” (v. 57). Jesus responded, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM” (v. 58). The Pharisees considered this to be blasphemy, so they picked up stones to throw at Jesus but He escaped. At the last supper, Jesus told His disciples “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6).

John writes in his Gospel, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.
All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:1-3).

The writer of Hebrews writes, “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power” (Heb. 1:1-3). Further, the Father said of the Son,”…your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom…” (Heb. 1:8), adding, “You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands” (1:10). God said of Jesus, “Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted” (Isa. 52:13).

I recommend reading Isaiah 52:13 through 53:10 where you will find what many biblical scholars have called the gospel according to God.

Who We Are in Christ

We become entirely new creatures in Christ (see 2 Corinthians 5:17). Not just a propped up, spruced up, remodeled version, but a brand new construction from the foundation to the roof. After all, nothing can be “new” until the “old” ceases to exist. Paul says, “…you are all sons of God through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Gal. 3:26-27) [emphasis added]. In the NIV translation, verse 27 reads, “…you have clothed yourselves with Christ” [emphasis added]. Having been redeemed by the blood of Christ, we are now clothed in His righteousness. Isaiah writes, “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness” (Isa. 61:10) [emphasis added]. When the Father looks at us, He sees us clothed in the righteousness of Christ.

Steven Barto, BS Psy, ThM

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture contained herein is from the English Standard Version (ESV).

Love, Mercy, and Judgment

IT MIGHT SOUND STRANGE to hear the words love, mercy, and judgment in the same breath, but these three concepts are delicately interwoven and must be understood together. They are integral to understanding God’s response to sin. As Paul said, “…the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 6:23). Sin gives rise to God’s righteous judgment. In other words, sin results in an adjudication of guilt and a penalty. Yes, there is punishment for sin, but there also is forgiveness. In this article, we will look closely at God’s steadfast love and infinite mercy, and explore His righteous judgment.

David wrote, “Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered” (Psa. 32:1). David is telling us that God’s forgiveness of sin is the preeminence of His love and mercy. Through undeserved favor, God counts no iniquity against us if we are in Christ (v.2). Rather than try to hide it, David acknowledged his sin. He warns against waiting to pray in the midst of the rushing waters, when the din of sinful indulgence is louder than the smallness of our foxhole prayers. Instead, David says, “…let everyone who is godly offer prayer to [God] at a time when [He] may be found” (v.6). David prays, “You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance” (v.7).

“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?” (Rom. 6:1-2).

Nearly 1,100 years span the time between David’s repentance from his sexual sin and murder involving Bathsheba (see 1 Sam. 11) and the time of Paul’s letter to the Romans. Paul writes to the believers at Rome, “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness” (Rom. 6:12-13). As sinners, we were slaves to our sinful nature. But now, having been set free from the bondage of sin by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we are to become slaves of righteousness (see Rom. 6:17-18).

“Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness” (Rom. 6:16, NRSV).

Sin requires judgment (adjudication) and punishment (a “sentence” or “payment”). In fact, the wages of our sin is death (Rom. 6:23). Moreover, there is no question of our guilt, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (see Rom. 3:23). A transliteration of Romans 3:10-12 essentially states, “As it is written, there is none righteous, not even one. There is none understanding, there is none seeking after God. All have turned away. Together, they have become worthless. There is none who is practicing good; there is not so much as one.”1 Accordingly, we will never be able to save ourselves by our good deeds.

In His infinite grace and mercy, God prepared a plan for our redemption before the foundation of the world. In the Letter to the Hebrews, we learn that under the first covenant gifts and sacrifices were offered that could never perfect the conscience of the worshiper. These “sin offerings” only covered unintentional violations regarding food and drink, various washings, and other regulations of the Law (see Heb. 9:9-10). There were “trespass/guilt offerings” under the first covenant for intentional sins. However, the process was rather complex, and there were no guarantees.

When Christ appeared, he entered once for all into the Holy of Holies—beyond the veil, if you will—not by means of the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood. Christ is therefore the mediator of a new covenant, through which we receive the promise of eternal salvation. Through the death of Christ, we are redeemed once and for all from our transgressions. This was not possible under the first covenant. The Law of Moses was never meant to save us from judgment, but merely to show us the impossibility of fulfilling the Law, thus the need for a Savior. Paul wrote, “…thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness” (Rom. 6:17-18).

God’s righteousness always acts in accordance with what is right. In fact, He is the final standard of what is right.2 God told Isaiah, “I the LORD speak the truth; I declare what is right” (Isa. 45:19). Moses said of God, “…his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he” (Deut. 32:4). Paul tells us that God sent Jesus to the cross to die for our iniquities “…as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins” (Rom. 3:25-26).

Paul writes, “The righteous shall live by faith” (Rom. 1:17). Why is this important? Because “…the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth” (v.18). The power of sin has been broken by the death of Jesus. Why then do countless believers in Christ continue to sin? I will only answer for me. I sometimes forget about God’s love and mercy, and his demand for righteousness. I forget that He is sovereign; that He has not only a right to judge, but an obligation to judge.

There is an intentionality in Paul’s teachings that can be summarized as follows: We must see ourselves as former slaves to sin, and, presently as slaves to righteousness. Sin came with a cost, and someone had to pay. Consequently, sin gives rise to God’s righteous judgment. But, it is through the righteousness of Christ that grace intervenes with the Law of God. Paul took delight in the Law because if it had not been for the law, he would not have known sin (see Rom. 7:22). And when sin is laid bare, we are able to recognize our servitude to it. We will continue to struggle with temptation and sin throughout our journey on earth, but thanks be to Christ we no longer are slaves to sin.

Steven Barto, BS Psy, ThM

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture references contained herein are from the English Standard Version (ESV).

References
1 Bible Hub, “Greek Interlinear Bible,” https://biblehub.com/interlinear/romans/3.htm
2 Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, Second Edition: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Academic, 2020), 243.