by Eric Holter on August 5, 2006
“But if, while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have also been found sinners, is Christ then a minister of sin? May it never be!”
Galatians 2:17
Paul confronted Peter in Antioch for standing aloof from the Gentiles when his fellow Jews arrived from Jerusalem. Paul recalls this story in his letter to the Galatians as a means of defending the gospel. The issues at hand were not small but the truth of the gospel was at stake—and not just the facts of the gospel, but how the gospel is lived out.
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by Eric Holter on July 5, 2006
“Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me–to keep me from exalting myself!”
2 Corinthians 12:7
The apostle Paul was blessed with a glimpse into the glories of heaven. He saw and heard things that cannot be uttered. I would think that such an unobscured view of the glory of God in heaven would have the most positive, sanctifying, God exalting, eternity desiring effects on Paul. Indeed, I’m sure it did. Yet, even so, Paul was also in grave danger as a direct result of these revelations. Embedded in his corrupt flesh was the prideful tendency toward self exaltation. In our perfected state – after death – the glories of heaven will only produce perfect God centered joy. But because of our current corruption these same glories carry with them the potential effects of prideful self exaltation. God knew that Paul’s revelations would inevitably lead him to boasting. So for this very reason God assigned him a messenger of Satan. Some form of constant pain, severe enough that Paul entreated God three times for its removal, was given to him. But it was not removed because God knew that should this man, having received such great heights of revelation, would surely fall into the snares of pride and end up boasting.
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by Eric Holter on June 10, 2006
“So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done.’”
Luke 17:10
The context for this exhortation toward unassuming, obligatory service is Jesus’ command to forgive – even the same person seven times in the same day. Because I am forgiven so much and so often, withholding forgiveness or presuming that my forgiving is a big deal is laughable. When I forgive it’s no great shakes – I’m only fulfilling my most basic obligation as a forgiven sinner.
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by Eric Holter on June 5, 2006
They said to him, “Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing. Behold, the money which we found in the mouth of our sacks we have brought back to you from the land of Canaan. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord’s house?”
Genesis 44:7-8
Joseph’s brothers protested against the accusation of theft. They were indignant, even offended, that such men as themselves would be accused. They appealed to their character and their righteousness against the charge, “far be it from your servants,” “how then could we steal.” Their protest against the specific charge was genuine since they had been set up by Joseph. Yet when the silver cup was discovered they tore their clothes and fell down. They confessed before Joseph “God has found out the iniquity of your servants.”
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by Eric Holter on May 5, 2006
“For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Luke 14:11
It will be much easier for me if I humble myself than if I must be humbled by external means. When pride rules in my heart I strive and strain, kicking against the restraint of rules, or responsibilities, or any of the circumstances God ordains to rein me in. But if I walk in humility, those implements which impose restraint will be worn comfortably.
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by Eric Holter on April 5, 2006
“When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried out with an exceedingly great and bitter cry, and said to his father, “Bless me, even me also, O my father!”
Genesis 27:34
In the very moment, being famished, and the smell of Jacob’s tasty red stew filling the room, a very small thing, like a bowl of porridge, seemed more desirable to Esau than a much bigger thing, his birthright. Thus Esau despised his birthright, a big thing far off, for stew – a small thing immediately available. Unbelief is like that, it uses time and distance to distort the true value of precious things. To despise means to think little of, to be dismissive toward, and to disregard. Esau thought little of, and was dismissive of, the true value of his birthright – when it seemed far off. Esau was an earthy man, a hunter, a man of the fields – he lived in the moment and gave little thought to tomorrow. Better, he thought, was good stew right now when hungry, than a birthright which could only be enjoyed in the distant future.
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by Eric Holter on March 10, 2006
“But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished!”
Luke 12:50
How good it is to come out the other side of a trial. Trials are painful, but they accomplish a good purpose. But going through them is no fun. All trials are designed to produce a fruitful harvest of righteousness and they always ultimately improve our lives and increase our joy. How good it is to enjoy the fruit of righteousness which has been born of an accomplished and completed trial.
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by Eric Holter on March 5, 2006
“…that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I say this so that no one will delude you with persuasive argument.” Colossians 2:2b-4
The world goes after gold. But the gold a Christian seeks is the wisdom and knowledge of God. I should go hard after such wisdom. Sadly, it is the tendency of my flesh to undervalue the wisdom and knowledge of God, and overvalue things that are easier to be had. No wonder the book which is so chock-full of wisdom begins with repeated exhortations to heed wisdom’s call and resist the tendency toward naiveté and simplicity. Neglect and complacency are the enemies of wisdom and understanding. To take my ease and be satisfied with my current understanding is a death knell for my soul. Rather I am called to a pursuit, a search, a quest for the wisdom and knowledge of God. To give up on this hunt is to heed the call of fools, which ends up in destruction. But to pursue wisdom and explore out its depths is to inherit treasures far beyond any earthly find.
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by Eric Holter on February 5, 2006
“Isaac said to them, “Why have you come to me, since you hate me and have sent me away from you?”
Genesis 26:27
Isaac’s life was not easy. Growing up, he was the son of a sojourner and a constant stranger. I don’t think he liked the sojourner’s life because the Bible records that when he grew up he settled himself in Beer-lahai-roi. But that wasn’t to be – a famine drove him away from his home. Famines are massively stressful events. When we read about this famine, it unfolds over just one verse, but for Issac it represented weeks, perhaps months of dwindling supplies and dwindling hope for rain and harvest. As circumstances grew more and more bleak, he was forced to uproot his household. Such a circumstance is not easy to endure.
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by Eric Holter on February 4, 2006
Eric Holter, February 4th, 2006
INTRODUCTION
“But encourage [exhort] one another day after day, as long as it is still called ‘Today,’ so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” Hebrews 3:13
A few years ago I took special notice that among the gifts listed in Romans 12:8 was the particular gift of exhortation – “he who exhorts, in his exhortation…” I had not really thought about exhortation as a distinct spiritual gifting before. I began to wonder what made a person an exhorter as opposed to a teacher, a prophet or an administrator for that matter. What precisely was exhortation, and how would one exercise exhortation according to his measure of faith – in obedience to the teaching of Romans 12:8? While I had some understanding of how the other gifts in this list functioned, I hadn’t considered how exhortation as a ministry would be actively and intentionally pursued.
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