Status Report: June

It’s that time again—the time when I copy Lisa and post a status report.

Sitting…I wish I could tell you I’m sitting out on the front porch enjoying the summer sunshine. Yesterday I might have been out there, but today I’m at the dining room table/desk again. There’s no sunshine right now and I put a sweater on to water the garden this morning.

Drinking…hot chocolate. I needed something hot and creamy to warm my bones and I’d rather die than put anything creamy in my coffee.

Wondering…what it would be like to go through some sort of major illness and treatment for it while alone.

Surveying…the landscape and noting how good the yard looks after my son’s mowing job. First mow of the year, by the way. Last night, I heard running mowers everywhere. Everyone in the neighbourhood seemed to be out doing that first mow all at the same time.

Enjoying…my May Day tree in bloom and thinking that I really must stop to look at it more often because the blooms won’t last much longer.

Reading…Always Ready by Greg Bahnsen. Yes, same book as last month. In my defense, I’ve been very busy with raking, tilling, and planting and watering. And washing windows, hanging screens, and putting out deck furniture.

Also reading…Romans by Paul. I love that book, but it’s not an easy read.

Painting…nothing. Although I have had “paint the living room ceiling” on my to-do list since April. This summer, I also plan to paint the dining room and as much first floor trim as I can. Outdoors, I plan to paint the railings on the back deck and touch up some of the deck floor paint. And I might paint a few doors, including the garage door.

Anticipating…the wedding.

Thinking…about how I should prepare for a difficult task I’m going to do tomorrow. What should I bring? What should I say? Praying for guidance—for help. I’m asking for the ability to do something well that isn’t one of my natural gifts. And that’s really all I can say about that.

Breaking…dishes and glassware. Really. I don’t know how many times I’ve had to sweep glass up off the kitchen floor in the past month. Thankfully, it isn’t just me doing the dropping or I’d start to worry.

Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy 17

What do Christians mean when they say the Bible is inerrant? The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy tells us what leading inerrantist mean by inerrancy. I’ll be posting a section of this statement each week until I’ve posted the whole thing.

You can read previously posted sections of this statement in by clicking here. After a preface and a short statement, the Chicago Statement contains a section called Articles of Affirmation and Denial.

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Article XV.

We affirm that the doctrine of inerrancy is grounded in the teaching of the Bible about inspiration.

We deny that Jesus’ teaching about Scripture may be dismissed by appeals to accommodation or to any natural limitation of His humanity.

Draw Me a Diagram: Ephesians 2

See previous diagram and a short explanation of what I’m doing in these posts here and here.

Here’s the text from Ephesians 2:8-9:

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (ESV)

When I looked at this, I immediately saw two phrases that are very similar: not your own doing and not a result of works. They are both negative statements—about not doing or not working. When I made the little chart that you see below, I added an unstated your to the second phrase, giving me not of your own doing and not a result of your works.

Okay, since it (or this), which I’m taking to refer to salvation*, is not of your doing and not of your works, where does it come from? It is the gift of God. This is a contrasting parallel, if there is such a thing, to the other two phrases. Salvation is not of your works, but it is a gift. In other words, you don’t earn our salvation, but it comes to you as a gift. What’s more, it is not of your own doing, but of God. The source of you salvation is not you, but God.

I made a simple little sticky note chart or diagram of the relationships between the phrases and stuck it along the margin next to this passage in my study Bible. (If I’ve really studied a passage of scripture, I’ve probably got stickies stuck all over it.) Here’s a scan of that note.

I wish I’d not added the your to not of works, because the contrast between works and gift would be  clearer that way. Similarly, if I’d used not of yourself—which is what some versions say—instead of not of your own doing, there would be a clearer contrast with of God. If I’d done those two things, the chart would be better wouldn’t it?

It’s a good thing the point of making these simple charts is not to have a perfect one, but to learn something about the relationships between the words and ideas in a text of scripture. This chart has flaws, but it still gives a picture of what it means to be saved by grace. That our salvation is by grace means that it has its source in God, not us and comes as a gift, not as a result of anything we do to earn or merit it.

*My apologies to those who think that “it is the gift of God” refers back to faith and that this is the perfect text to prove that faith is a gift. I do believe that faith is a gift, but I wouldn’t use this verse to prove it.