Andrew Shearman: Becoming God with skin on
Today Karen and I arrive in Africa – land of religious fervor and conflict. In places like the Sudan, the Muslims don’t just want to kick out the Christians, they want to kill them. They don’t deal well with ambiguity. As Blaise Pascal said, “Men never do evil so completely and …
By Seth Barnes
Today Karen and I arrive in Africa – land of religious fervor and conflict. In places like the Sudan, the Muslims don’t just want to kick out the Christians, they want to kill them. They don’t deal well with ambiguity. As Blaise Pascal said, “Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction.”
One of the things that the Muslims struggle most with is the Christian understanding of the Trinity. Islam is a black and white religion – it gives comfort to those who want to know what they need to DO to please God. Here – do these five things and you will please Allah.
Actually, it reminds you of the Old Testament. With the advent of Christ, things got complicated. He’s fully man and fully God – what is that about? He’s Jesus, son of man, and Christ, son of God – how do you reconcile that?
Andrew Shearman does his best to unpackage this mystery in our conversation, a snippet of which I’ve excerpted below.
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Dear Dadi Seth,
We are happy you and mom reached safely in africa.Dear Dadi we are continiouly praying for your all visit.I am very bless by the wonderful teaching of Ps.Andrew.We are praying him and all his ministry work.God bless both of You.
Ps.Emmanuel.
While many would characterize Andrew’s teaching on this clip as ‘new age,’ it is orthodox and biblical. Scripture says that the Holy Spirit “descended upon” Jesus “in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, ‘you are my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:22) Psalm 2:7 says, “I will proclaim the decree of the LORD, ‘you are my son, today I have fathered you.’”
Paul’s mystery that was “hidden for generations” in Colossians 1:27 is “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” The same Holy Spirit which descended on Jesus after his baptism, though He was “filled with wisdom and the favor of both God and man” (Luke 2) since childhood, is the one which came upon them in the upper room in Acts 2 on the day of Pentecost, just as Jesus had said, “when the Paraclete comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth…” (John 15:26) And it is the same one which is in us as “a treasure in an earthen vessel” (2 Cor 4:7).
These things are mysteries.
Consider the following themes and phrases from Philippians 1,2, and 3:
“Jesus”- fellowship in the gospel, from the first day, day of Jesus Christ, sharing the grace, longing for Christ Jesus (Phil. 1)
“Christ”- fellowship in the Spirit, day of Christ, mind of Christ Jesus, single mind, form of God, emptied, in every way like a human being, the name which is above all others, behavior, have run, toiled (Phil. 2)
“Lord”- fellowship in His sufferings, joy in the Lord, supreme advantage, loss of all things, power of His resurrection, pattern of His death, the prize, pressing forward to the mark of the high calling, eyes fixed, Lord Jesus Christ, transform our body, glorious body, all things under his mastery (Phil. 3)