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Fasting
March 7, 2022
Christian fasting is a believer’s voluntary abstinence from food for spiritual purposes.1 Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, 192.
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Christian fasting requires Christians.
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Christian fasting must be voluntary, not coerced. 2 Although true fasting must be voluntary, legitimate authorities do have a right to call fasts, and we ought to obey those authorities when possible.
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Christian fasting always has a spiritual purpose.
Of course, fasting does not refer to abstinence from food necessarily. We can legitimately speak of fasting from many things (i.e., Paul speaks of fasting from sexual relations in 1 Cor. 7:5); however, when the Bible speaks of fasting it is almost always referring to food.
Categories of Fasts
Types of Fast
- 1.
- Normal fast: abstinence from all food.
- 2.
- Partial fast: limited diet without total abstinence.3 Daniel 1:12
- 3.
- Absolute fast: abstinence from all food and water.4 Ezra 10:6
- 4.
- Supernatural fast: requires God’s direct intervention.5 Deuteronomy 9:9
Scales of Fast
- 1.
- Private fast: done by an individual.6 Matthew 6:16-18
- 2.
- Congregational fast: done by a local/regional church body.7 Acts 13:2
- 3.
- National fast: called by "secular" authorities.8 2 Chronicles 20:3 In the United States, we’ve had five: John Adams and James Madison each called one; Abraham Lincoln called three.
Occasions for Fasting
- 1.
- Regular fast: occurs at predictable intervals throughout the week/month/year. By Jesus’ time, the Pharisees were fasting every Tuesday and Thursday (which is part of the reason Christians traditionally fast on Wednesday and Friday).9 Luke 18:12, Didache 8
- 2.
- Occasional fast: called as a special time of prayer for some cause.10 Matthew 9:15
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Lent
The word "Lenten" comes from the old English "lengthen" in reference to the lengthening days of Spring. In other languages, it is usually referred to by some derivative of the Latin quadrigesima ("fortieth"). Lent is a (1) partial, (2) congregational, and (3) regular fast.
The history is difficult to trace, but similar practices appear all across the world very early on. These early Lenten fasts would have been closely tied to baptisms traditionally performed on Easter. They were an act of communal piety as the congregation prepared to recieve newly baptized Christians. For example, Didache 7:4 gives this instruction:
By the First Council of Nicea, Lent is firmly established as a liturgical season of fasting and normalized.And before the baptism let the one baptizing and the one who is to be baptized fast, as well as any other who are able. Also, you must instruct the one who is able to be baptized to fast for one or two days beforehand.
Why should we fast?
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Jesus fasted and assumes his followers will.11 Matthew 4:2, 6:16
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Fasting was characteristic of the apostolic church.12 Acts 13:2-3, 14:23
Fasting does not earn us any merit or points before God. Although we may associate fasting with some special prayer request, fasting does not give us leverage over God’s will.
How does fasting change me?13
- 1.
- Fasting helps us mortify the flesh. It serves as a physical sign of our spiritual battle wherein we are called to put sin to death in us.14 Colossians 3:5-10
- 2.
- Fasting strengthens our repentance.15 Daniel 9:1-5
- 3.
- Fasting directs our thoughts toward God.16 Daniel 10:2-5
How do I start?
- 1.
- Start small with partial fasts.
- 2.
- Learn the nuts and bolts through traditional regular fasts like Advent and Lent, and use these seasons to mark your time.
- 3.
- Fast before you come to the Lord’s Table.
- 4.
- Participate in semi-private fasts with your spouse.
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The goal is to become comfortable with fasting as a tool in your spiritual toolbelt. Just as we have to learn how to pray, read the Bible, or worship, we must learn and develop habits of fasting.
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Natural Motivations
- Romans 2:12-16 tells us that the unbelieving Gentiles are “a law to themselves.” Classically, this is called natural law.
- The law of nature proper applies to those things which obey necessarily.
- The law of reason applies to rational agents (i.e., humans) which have freedom to voluntarily obey/disobey.
- Unbelievers can (and often do) come to accept natural law because they are human, but natural law is ultimately a reflection of God’s eternal law.
- Christians and pagans alike have historically held that happiness is achieved through being what you are.
- Modern people tend to think in terms of self-definition.
- Pre-modern people (including most Christians) believed that identity was imposed, so to be what you are is to follow God’s natural law.
- All people can naturally see that perfect happiness comes from perfect holiness (i.e., what we were made to be).
- Perfect holiness can be achieved through perfect obedience to the natural law, but as Paul points out later in Romans, perfect obedience is impossible.
- Bottom-line: Happiness is a legitimate, natural motivation for holiness, but we still need something more to achieve it.
Richard Hooker, Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity, 80:
“Good always results when things observe the course of their nature, and evil results when they do the opposite…”
Supernatural Motivations (1 Peter 1:13-21)
- v.16: “Be holy, for I am holy.” (quoting Lev. 11:44)
- Holiness/sanctification/righteousness is attached to a supernatural motivation, namely, the holiness of God.
You are a child of a holy Father (vv. 14-15)
- God has adopted you into his family (see vv. 3-4)
- Families have characterisitics:
- Names
- Traditions
- History
- Families have expectations for behavior.
- The defining characteristic and highest expectation for God’s family is holiness (i.e., to bear the name of Christ is to be holy).
Your Father is a righteous judge (v. 17)
- God judges (1) impartially and (2) according to one’s deeds.
- An impartial judge does not give special treatment to his children.
- See 1 Corinthians 3:10-15
- God judges our works.
- Specifically, God judges our efforts in building up his Church.
- Good works are rewarded; bad works are destroyed.
- Bottom line: Salvation does not free you from judgment; therefore, the judgment of God ought to serve as motivation for our holiness.
You were purchased at the price of Christ’s life (vv. 18-21)
- “Ransom” (lutroo) means, in this context, “to buy back.” This, then, is slave language. One master has purchased the servants of another.
- Man is always bound by slavery to something. Even the most free man on earth serves someone else.
- Consider the story of Naaman (2 Kings 5:18). Even in his pre-Christian faith, Naaman was bound to another master, but we are free from other masters.
- We have an obligation to our kurios as douloi.
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FPC Starkville Wednesday Bible Study
Growing in the Holy Spirit:
Sanctification and Sex for the Saints
February 9, 2022
Martin Lifer
Sanctification/Holiness – God’s Will for You.
Per the NT letters, arguably THE supreme goal and daily focus & prayer of elect & saved Christians:
Our sanctification by God’s grace, in preparation for Jesus’ Return so that
(b) we – as his holy ones – will be blameless to see Him & to be one with Him.
Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. Heb. 12:14
Cf. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Matt. 5:8
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Turning to 1 Thessalonians Sanctification/Holiness – God’s Will for You.
General Context of Letter and of Paul’s & his team’s relationship to the church:
Confirmation of the Thessalonian Christians’ salvation: “… how you
turned to God from idols (i) to serve the living and true God and (ii) to wait for his Son from heaven, Whom He raised from the dead, Jesus – Who delivers us from the wrath to come. 1 Thess. 1:9b-10
THE supreme goal and daily focus & prayer of elect & saved Christians:
Our sanctification by God’s grace, in preparation for Jesus’ Return so that
(b) we – as his holy ones – will be blameless to see Him & to be one with Him.
Prayer of Paul, Silvanus & Timothy for the Thessalonian Christians: “… and may
the Lord make you increase & abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, so that
He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.
For this is the will of God: your sanctification. 1 Thess. 4:3a
For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness (sanctification). 1 Thess. 4:7
Now may the God of Peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He who calls you; He will surely do it! 1 Thess. 5:23-24
The context of 1 Thessalonians and, specifically, 3:9-10 & 4:1-2 4:3-9, as well as 4:9-12, 4:13-18 & 5:1-11.
Sanctification and Sex for the Saints
1 Thess. 4:3-8
For this is the will of God: your sanctification –
that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality (Gk. porneias)
4 that each of you know how to possess his own vessel/instrument [Gk. Skeuos] [ESV – “how to control his own body”] in sanctification (Gk. hagiasmos - holiness) and honor,
5 not in passion of lust/longing, like the Gentiles who do not know God,
6 not to go beyond/transgress and take advantage of his brother [brother or sister] in the action, because the Lord is avenging in all this, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you.
7 For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness.
8 So, he who [ESV whoever] rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you.
Sermon on the Mount, and, specifically, e.g., 5:27-32
Jesus’ Related Teaching on What Defiles a Person, Matt. 15:10ff. and, specifically, 15:19-21.
“For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.” Matt. 15:19
James’ Judgment at Jerusalem Council (Acts 15) re Standards for Gentile Christians – Acts 15:19-21.
1 Corinthians 5-7
1 Cor. 6:9-11 9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators/sexually immoral (Gk. pornoi), nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10 nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God.
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FPC Starkville Wednesday Bible Study
Growing in the Holy Spirit: Sanctification & Faithful, Fruitful Christian Life
February 2, 2022
Martin Lifer
1 Corinthians 1:30-31 - And because of Him [God] you are in Christ Jesus,
Who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption,
so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
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Sanctification/Holiness –
without which no one will see the Lord.
Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. Heb. 12:14
(1) “Positional Sanctification” = “Definitive Sanctification” = Consecrated Sanctification.
God sets apart Christians unto Himself, as holy in and for definitive purposes:
- God’s children
a/k/a citizens & royal priests of God’s Kingdom
a/k/a members of the Church (ecclesia/ “called out”)
a/k/a members of the Body of Christ a/k/a members of the Bride of Christ.
God’s “chosen ones” are “holy and beloved” (Col. 3:12), “beloved children” (Eph. 5:1),
crucified with Christ (Gal. 2:20) and clothed in Him – that is, having “put on Christ” (Gal. 3:27),
“a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation” (1 Peter 2:9), “a Kingdom – priests to his God and Father,” (Rev. 1:6), raised up with Christ & “seated” “with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,” (Eph. 2:6),
God’s “treasured possession” (cf. Deut. 7:6, via 1 Peter 2:9),
“fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.” (Eph. 2:19),
(2) “Progressive Sanctification.” (e.g., Rom. 12:1-2 ff.,2 Cor. 3:18)
(3) “Final/Perfect Sanctification.” (e.g., 1 Jn. 3:2, 1. Cor 13:12, Jude 1:24-25, Rev. 21:2)
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God imputes to us & by His Spirit applies to us Christ’s Righteousness and the Righteousness of His (Perfect) Saving Work
He justifies us by faith in Christ
He secures our holy identity, place & roles with Him and in His House & Kingdom
He inspires us to grow, in Holiness, “Mortifying the Flesh,” Spiritually Maturing, & Bearing Fruit. This growth and its fruit (a) are essential AND (b) will be worked in us by God’s grace & Spirit through our Union with Christ.
ἁãéÜæù
Jn. 17:19 (ESV) And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.
(KJV) And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
(NASB 1977) And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.
(NIV) For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.
êáὶ ὑðὲñ áὐôῶí ἐãὼ ἁãéÜæù ἐìáõôüí, ἵíá ὦóéí êáὶ áὐôïὶ ἡãéáóìÝíïé ἐí ἀëçèåßᾳ. ἁãéÜæù
Jn. 17:20-23 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You have sent Me. The glory that you have given Me, I have given to them, so that they may be one, even as We are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that You sent Me and loved them, even as You loved Me.”
Gal. 2:20 I have been crucified (Perfect Tense, Indicative Mood, Middle Voice) with Christ.
It is no longer I who live, but Christ Who lives in me.
And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Gal. 5:24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified (Aorist Tense, Indicative Mood, ACTIVE Voice) the flesh with its passions and desires.
Col. 3:5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
Rom. 8:13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
Or Is it Christ Jesus who died… for us?