Reconciled

How the Bible says the end will come - Part 3

2007-10-07T08:21:00.000-05:00

Before we take a look at Rev 20 and consistent hermeneutics, I would like to make a few applicable points. First, historically, the interpretation of the first few verses of Rev 20 has at times brought much shame upon Christ. Churches have split, families have feuded and friends have become hateful to one another, all over the meaning of the words “a thousand years”. We must resolve ourselves, as brothers in the Lord Jesus Christ, not to dishonor him even when we disagree.

Another preliminary consideration is this: Rev 20 is the only place in the Bible which specifically mentions a millennium. Now this fact does not diminish its importance in relation to the whole, but it should remind us that our interpretation of these verses must be held in the context of Rev itself, and ultimately, in the larger framework given to us in all the Scriptures. It does mean, however, that there is a good chance that a person’s millennial view might not be well informed by and consistent with the rest of the Bible if little study has been done.

Another preliminary point is this: I have come to settle upon an interpretation of Rev 20 which would historically have been labeled as “amillennial”. It is at least somewhat significant for me to point out that I initially held a dispensational premillennial view, and as I studied eschatology with more vigor I found significant biblical inconsistencies within that view. This led me to tentatively hold what would be called “historic premillennialism”. As I studied further, I continued to find inconsistencies in premillennialism in general and finally came to my current resting place – “realized millennialism” or amillennialism. I think it is the only framework which is fully consistent with all that the Bible has to say about how the end will come. And most importantly, realized millennialism is the only view which is completely gospel-centric.

Yet another point, Revelation is a book full of metaphors and symbols and images. Even the premillennialists cannot deny this. One of the base principles in hermeneutics is due consideration of the literary type of the document in question. Revelation is full of figurative language. Revelation is an apocalyptic text. These things cannot be denied. And lastly, what is the overall purpose of Revelation? It is to magnify the glory of Jesus Christ as the only true comfort and motivation for worship among suffering saints. With these things in mind, let’s look at Rev 20.

Rev 20:1-3

1Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. 2And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 3and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.

Then I saw…

Throughout the book of Revelation, these are words John repeats indicating that what he is “seeing” is part of the vision or visions he is communicating to us. What we see here in chapter 20 is a recapitulation of what has already been seen earlier in the book. In chapter 12 we see that through the incarnation and redemptive work of Christ, Satan has been soundly defeated. Here in chapter 20 we see another vision of what Christ has done to Satan at the cross. This interpretation is solidified when we consider what Jesus himself said in John 12:31-33 : “31 Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. 32And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself." 33He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die.” Likewise, the Greek word that John uses in Rev for Satan being bound is the same word Jesus uses in Matthew 12:22-29 : “22 Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. 23 And all the people were amazed, and said, "Can this be the Son of David?" 24But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, "It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons." 25 Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. 26And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 28But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29Or how can someone enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house.” Therefore it is the first advent of Christ and what he accomplished in it by which the devil is currently bound!

Does the notion that Satan is currently bound line up with our experience? Compared to Old Testament times – the time before the first advent of Christ, has his message been squelched or has it explosively expanded to encompass the ends of the earth? Prior to Christ’s first advent, the gospel was largely contained solely within one ethnic people – Israel. Now, the gospel has encompassed all the earth! Though Satan has certainly not been annihilated, his activity in this gospel age has been so curtailed that he cannot prevent the spread of the gospel to the nations of the world. The church – Christ’s kingdom on this earth – is conquering the nations! So the “thousand years” is figurative language for this gospel age in which you and I currently live.

How the Bible says the end will come - Part 2

2007-06-19T14:03:00.000-05:00

Implications of the "two-age construct" for premillenialism

In the comments on the last post, Rick pointed out that there is certainly a sense in which the age in which we live has been punctuated by historical events which subdivide this age into "ages" or "times". This is a valid point. Yet, it does not have an effect on my overarching notion here - Luke 20:27-40 clearly distiguishes between two "meta" ages: this age, and the age to come, and the character or nature of each of these ages is revealed.

So, how does this "two-age construct" that we see in Luke 20 prove that premillenial eschatology is wrong? Well, to answer that, let's look back at the text. This age is characterized by: marriage, death and dying, natural men, and the coexistence of righteous and wicked men. The age to come is characterized by: no marriage, no death and dying, resurrected men, and the only ones who attain to eternal life are those who are worthy. Whatever the stripe of premillenialism positted, the pre-miller's millenium cannot square with either of the natures of the ages presented in Luke 20 (or Matt 13).

Under the premillenialist scheme, there will be some kind of earthly reign of Jesus for 1000 years. Most pre-millers which I have talked with say that the saints will reign with him on the earth during this 1000 years. So... are they resurrected? If so, then that falls under the nature of "the age to come" in Luke 20. So... is there death and dying during this supposed 1000 years? If so, then that means we are still in this age. Hmmm... Do you see the problem? The millenium, as the premillenialist would posit it, cannot conform to or be consistent with the clear teaching of Luke 20 and Matt 13.

Next post, I'll talk about Revelation 20 and consistent hermeneutics...

How the Bible says the end will come - Part 1

2007-04-23T20:27:00.000-05:00

What you end up believing about the “last days” is dependent upon the hermeneutic you approach the Bible with when studying the subject. One of the fundamental principles of hermeneutics is that we allow clearer passages to guide us in our interpretation of those which speak about the same subject, but are more obscure. It is this hermeneutical principle which serves to simplify biblical eschatology.

Eschatology has to do with history in general as well as the end of history as we know it in this age. Before we can deal with the numerous difficult figurative passages in the Bible which deal with some of the details of history, we ought to have a notion of the broader and more basic structure of all of redemptive history. The “big picture” is made clear at many points throughout the NT in passages which are not apocalyptic, figurative, or prophetic. There are three broad biblical constructs which clearly show us the overarching structure of biblical eschatology:
1) The two ages
2) The general judgment
3) The eschatological kingdom

It is my intention of deal with each of these and possibly some related implications in a series of upcoming posts. I will deal with the first one here.

If I had to pick one principle which was foundational to a biblical understanding of the “last days”, it would be this first construct – the two ages. It is formative to a proper understanding of much Bible doctrine in general (not only eschatology).

The Bible clearly teaches us that there are only two “ages” – this age, and the age to come. (The Greek word “aiwn”, translated “age” or sometimes “world” is the keyword under examination here.) In order to see the importance of this terminology it is necessary to overview its prolific usage throughout the NT. There are at least 17 places in the NT where this kind of terminology is used: Matt 12:32; Luke 16:8; Luke 18:30; Luke 20:34-36; Mark 10:30; Rom 12:2; 2 Cor 4:4; 1 Cor 1:20; 1 Cor 2:6, 8; 1 Cor 3:18; Gal 1:4; Eph 1:21; Eph 2:2; 1 Tim 6:17-19; Titus 2:12; Heb 6:5. The Bible makes it obvious that there is a clear distinction between the two ages. The age in which we live right now is evil, temporal and spatial (Gal 1:4; Luke 20:35). As we will see in a future post, d.v., the age to come has already been inaugurated and has broken into this age with Christ’s first advent – Christ is king already (Eph 1:21; Titus 2:11-12; Heb 6:5), yet the age to come has not been fully consummated. The age to come will be consummated upon the second advent of Christ. This age and the age to come, then, taken together, exhaust all time. The proof of this assertion can be seen in Matt 12:32 and its parallel in Mark 3:29 – not being forgiven in this age or in the age to come is being guilty of an eternal sin. Therefore, this age and the age to come are viewed in these texts as including all possible times in which one may be forgiven. The next logical question is, “How does Scripture distinguish between these two ages?” In other words, what are the qualitative differences we see described in the Bible between the two ages? There are two passages which will help us at this point: Luke 20:27-40 and Matt 13:24-43.

In Luke 20, what are the differences between this age and the age to come?
• This age
o Marriage
o Death and dying
o Natural men
o Righteous and wicked co-exist
• The age to come
o No marriage
o No death or dying
o Resurrected men
o Only the worthy attain

In Matthew 13, this age is a time of sowing and the end of this age is a time of harvest. What differences between the ages do we see here?
• Time of sowing (this age)
o Mixed wheat (good) and tares (evil)
o Natural condition
• Time of harvest (the end of this age)
o Only the wheat (good)
o Shining-as-the-sun condition (glorified)

From these passages, it is clear that this age and the age to come are qualitatively different, and the primary difference is that between the natural and supernatural order. What are a few of the implications of what the Bible teaches here?
1) Luke 20:35 teaches that attaining to the age to come is equivalent to attaining to the resurrection of the dead. Therefore, the resurrection of the dead is the door out of this age, and into the age to come. And when does this resurrection occur? It occurs at Christ’s second advent (1 Cor 15:22, 23, 50-55; 1 Thess 4:16).
2) Matt 13:39-43 refers to the same event as Luke 20:35. It is clear that it is a reference to the judgment of the wicked and the resurrection of the righteous which occurs at the return of Christ (Matt 24:30, 31; 25:31).
3) Titus 2:12 teaches that the second coming consummates this age and ushers in the age to come in all its fullness. Jesus’ coming brings the consummation of the age (Matt 28:20). The last day of this age is the day of Christ’s return and it is the first day of the age to come (John 6:39).

Points in summary, this post:

The basic scheme of biblical eschatology is truly simple. There are, of course, many difficulties (exegetically and doctrinally) to be worked out, but the basic structure of biblical eschatology is plain and it is simple: there are two ages – this age and the age to come. Every biblical prophecy finds its fulfillment in one of the two ages.

Pause for just a moment and let the simplicity of the biblical scheme of eschatology sink in. Jesus comes back. This age is over, and the new age begins. Biblical eschatology is humiliatingly simple. There is nothing sensational here. Biblical eschatology is not too complicated for you to know well. There are two ages: one temporal and natural, and the other eternal and supernatural. If you understand this, you understand more about eschatology than most of the “prophecy nuts” of our day.

Next post:

Implications of the two-age construct for premillenialism

Long time, no post

2007-04-17T11:01:00.000-05:00

Whew! Sorry its been so long since i posted - alot of things going on in life right now! Good things. I love being a daddy. I'll be posting soon on eschatology - stay tuned!

A little light reading...

2007-02-16T15:35:00.000-06:00

He already loves good books!

Pics are up!

2007-02-08T14:59:00.000-06:00

Here's one pic for y'all...

More can be found here...

More mercy and grace

2007-02-06T14:28:00.000-06:00

God has chosen to lavish on me some more mercy and grace! Elijah Turner Graham was born Monday morning at 7:05. He weighed 8 pounds, 5 ounces, and was 21 inches long. Momma and baby are healthy. What a blessing from the Lord!

Sorry for the inactivity, but...

2007-01-30T20:14:00.000-06:00

we've got a baby due! TODAY! I will be posting soon, d. v.

Perspective

2006-12-02T09:21:00.000-06:00

Are you joy-FULL? You and I ought to be. Oh how full of joy we ought to be!! If we are not, it probably means we are not looking at life from a biblical perspective. If this is not true, explain to me how to make sense out of passages like Acts 5:40-41 and Acts 16:23-25? How can it be that the apostles and Silas simultaneously suffered and were joyful? If my professor is right, the answer is found in their perspective – how they interpreted life. How do you interpret the common everyday events of your life? Do you see everything that happens to you as sweet providence from the hand of the Lord? Is God for you or against you? Rest assured, he is either for you or against you. What about these times of spiritual complacency you are going through? What about your laziness in discipline? Your lukewarm affections for your Creator? You should ask, “What are you trying to teach me Lord?” Do you see that he is trying to teach you just how desperately you need him for life, both today and into eternity? Do you see how gentle and kind and longsuffering he is with you even as you live as though he were not as significant as your comfort or your pleasure or your schedule? My dear brothers, you and I can live with a perspective like Paul’s and Silas’. How? Look at Christ. Gaze intently and closely and carefully and long upon him in his word – that is where he has revealed himself! Pick a gospel and read it carefully. See the love he has for you and love him more for it. Your life is but a vapor. Won’t you give it up completely because you see that your Master and Messiah gave his? You are not your own – you are a slave – and a slave is not better than his master. Won’t you die to yourself that you might live to Christ? Won’t you sell everything you have so that you might have the pearl of great price?

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Imago Dei

2006-10-07T15:32:00.000-05:00

The Image of God in Man

26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
28 God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
(Genesis 1:26-28)

What does it mean to be an “image-bearer” of God?

The primary point of this section of Genesis 1 is that mankind has been created in the image of God and therefore has been made to image him. It can be said that man was created an analogue of God. What this means is that man’s thinking, willing and doing is analogous to God’s thinking, willing and doing. Those things pertaining to our natures as men are derivative from the nature of God, and our creation as image-bearers of God – “God’s offspring” (Acts 17:28) - is peculiar to man.

It should be noted here that, in fact, all of creation bears some analogy to God. It is evident from the pages of the Bible that there are analogies to God from virtually every area of creation. We see analogies used where God is compared to inanimate objects (God the “rock of Israel”, Christ the “door of the sheep”, the Spirit as “wind”, “breath”, and “fire”, etc); plants or the produce of them (God’s strength like the “cedars of Lebanon”, Christ the “bread of life”); animals (Christ the “Lion of Judah”, the “Lamb of God”); abstract ideas (God as spirit, love and light; Christ as way, word, truth, life, wisdom, righteousness); etc. This point is a study unto itself.

But the emphasis of the verses in view here is that man, created as a bearer of the image of God, was created as the captain or crown of creation. No other creature possesses man’s exalted position in God’s created order. The psalmist sings:
3 When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained;
4 What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him?
5 Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty!
6 You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet,
7 All sheep and oxen, And also the beasts of the field,
8 The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, Whatever passes through the paths of the seas.
(Psalm 8:3-8)

Because man alone is created in the image of God, God has commissioned man alone to reproduce in creation God’s own activity. The bearing of God’s image means that we “image-forth” him. How is it that this imaging-forth occurs in the cosmos? It is by our doing the very things which God himself does! It is of note when considering this, that no other creature has been endowed with this ability. If we closely examine the pattern of God’s creative work in Genesis 1 we see that God takes primal components from days 1 and 2, reforming and restructuring it all into a more glorious pattern, evaluating the work of his hands and resting and enjoying his creation. Adam is to follow God’s example, taking the creation, being thankful for it, using his God-given creative power to reform it into a more glorious pattern, evaluating the work of his hands and enjoying their fruit with God and others. That is exactly what it means to bear the image of God.

So when God created Adam in his own image, part of what that means is that he empowered (enabled) him and his posterity to live in active obedience to the divine commission to which he called him – to fill and to subdue (Genesis 1:28). How do we see Adam fulfilling this command in Genesis 2? We see Adam “subduing” through his word through the work of his hands (Genesis 2:15, 19). And with the introduction of Eve we see Adam empowered to “fill” the creation with other image-bearers.

If we think about all of this in the context of the Garden of Eden, we see that God’s mandate to exercise dominion is very specific. The Garden may be seen as a model of heaven itself – the temple of God. Adam and Eve’s reproduction of other image-bearers would progressively fill Eden and even all the earth. As the image-bearers moved forth, they would in effect expand the very throne-room of God as they went. It is interesting to note the mention of gold and precious gemstones in Genesis 2:11-12. It is not a far-fetched notion to think that these materials were just mediums for the beautification and expansion of the Garden. We see the eschatological end of this notion in Revelation 21. Eventually, this notion will be fulfilled in the new heavens and new earth, where the entire world is a replica of the throne room of God, and just like in the Garden of Eden, God will dwell with his people.

At this point it might be profitable to ask: Is the notion presented here of man imaging-forth God indeed biblical? Here are two biblical examples, briefly introduced, to support the notion which has been proposed:
1)In Exodus 25-31, God lays out a blueprint for the construction of the tabernacle in the wilderness. God’s plan for the tabernacle is divided into seven speeches, each one beginning with the phrase “Yahweh spoke to Moses saying”. If we look at each of these seven proclamations closely we see that they correspond in striking ways to the seven days of creation. There is much symbolism in the carvings, furniture and implements in the tabernacle to the Garden and world model of Genesis 1 and 2.
2)Another clear correspondence is found in God’s promises to Israel regarding Canaan as the promised land – a land much like the Garden of Eden. Israel is promised Sabbath rest if they obey Yahweh by subduing and filling the land.

At this point we should see that Adam and Eve had a tremendous responsibility and calling as image-bearers. They and all their posterity were to expand the throne room of God, the kingdom reign of God, to the farthest reaches of creation.

The Problem

The problem is that Adam disobeyed God. Through Adam’s disobedience in Genesis 3, the image of God in him is marred. This marring of the image of God in man by man’s sin is what we refer to as “The Fall”. And this is the beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ! If we miss the meaning of man bearing God’s image then we cannot see the fullness of beauty in the Gospel and the Great Commission.

The Solution

Wonder of wonders, after the disobedience of the first Adam, God did not repeal his commission to man to image him forth rightly in creation. We might wonder why God did not wipe mankind out and start all over again. In our wisdom, that may seem right, but it is not so according to the wisdom of the Creator. God repeatedly confirms with each restatement of his covenants that his original mandate stands, and with each covenant he progressively designates more specifically and clearly the Man who truly would subdue and fill the earth.

Jesus Christ, the most real and true man, the divine image of whom Adam was the prototype, fulfills the divine commission. He, the man who is God, completely fills the mandate of the Father – to subdue and fill the earth – and he empowers His people to do likewise. Image-bearing finds its perfect expression in Jesus Christ who is both God and man.

Ponder Anew

2006-10-05T19:38:00.000-05:00

Romans 4:16 tells us that if we have the faith of Abraham, God forgives all our sin and engages to pursue us all of our days with goodness and mercy. If we relinquish all our self-confidence and bank on the promises of God for our happiness and security, then we stand justified and clean and free before the Lord God Almighty, the King of creation! God promised Abraham: “I will bless you, so that you will be a blessing… By you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Genesis 12:2-3) There was an utterly amazing transaction that happened between God and Abraham. Abraham believed God, and God justified Abraham (Genesis 15:6). Abraham took God at his word and rested in his promise – so much so that he was ready to obey God in sacrificing his own son – the very son through whom God had promised to give Abraham a great posterity! Abraham wholly and completely banked on the promises of God for his security and happiness, and God justified him. God acquitted Abraham of all of his sins: past, present, and future. The death of Christ purchased Abraham’s redemption 2000 years earlier and my redemption 2000 years later. Abraham did not know how God could acquit sinners and still be just. He simply left that in God’s hands and banked on God’s word of promise. Today, we know how God can be both just and justifier. So our faith and our hope is in Jesus Christ.

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise him, for he is thy health and salvation!
All ye who hear,
now to his temple draw near;
praise him in glad adoration.

Praise to the Lord, who o'er all things so wondrously reigneth,
shelters thee under his wings, yea, so gently sustaineth!
Hast thou not seen
how thy desires e‘er have been
granted in what he ordaineth?

Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper thy work and defend thee;
surely his goodness and mercy here daily attend thee.
Ponder anew
what the Almighty can do,
if with his love he befriend thee.

Praise to the Lord, who, when tempests their warfare are waging,
who, when the elements madly around thee are raging,
biddeth them cease,
turneth their fury to peace,
Whirlwinds and waters assuaging.

Praise to the Lord, who, when darkness of sin is abounding,
who, when the godless do triumph, all virtue confounding,
sheddeth his light,
chaseth the horrors of night,
saints with his mercy surrounding.

Praise to the Lord, O let all that is in me adore him!
All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before him.
Let the amen
sound from his people again,
gladly for aye we adore him.

(Words: Joachim Neander (1650-1680), 1680)

Conversion to Christ (conclusion)

2006-08-26T11:39:00.000-05:00

But, thank God, there is a fourth great truth. This truth, unlike the first three, cannot be learned from nature or from our own consciences. This is a truth which was designed by God to be told to neighbors and preached in churches and carried by missionaries; namely, the glorious good news that God has decreed a way to satisfy the demands of his righteousness without condemning the whole human race. He has taken it upon himself, apart from any merit in us, to accomplish for us our salvation! The wisdom of God has ordained a way for the love of God to deliver us from the wrath of God without compromising the righteousness of God. And what is this wisdom?
Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and folly to the gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:23-24)
And again:
God put Christ forward 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 our former sins; it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies him who has faith in Jesus.
How is it possible for the righteous Judge to exonerate sinners who have been ungrateful for his great goodness?
God made Christ to be sin who knew no sin so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21).
And again:
Christ bore our sins in his body on the tree (1 Peter 2:24).
He died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring us to God (1 Peter 3:18).
If the most terrifying news in all the world is that we are under the judicial condemnation of our Creator and that he is bound by his righteousness to pour out wrath on our ingratitude, then the greatest news in all the world is that God was willing to sentence his own Son in our place (Galatians 3:13) and thus demonstrate his righteous allegiance to his own glory, and still save sinners like you and like me!

But not all sinners. Everybody is not saved from God’s wrath just because Christ died for sinners. And this is the fifth great truth we need to hear: there is a condition you have to meet in order to be saved. “What must I do to be saved?” is probably the most important question any human can ask.

The answer in Acts 16:31 is, “Believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved.”

In John 1:12 it is that we must receive Christ: “To all who received him… he gave power to become children of God.”

In Acts 3:19 it is, Repent!; that is turn away from sin: “Repent therefore, and turn again that your sins may be blotted out.”

The answer in Hebrews 5:9 is obedience to Christ: “Jesus became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him.”

Jesus himself answers the question in a variety of ways. In Matthew 18:3 he said that childlikeness is the condition for salvation: “Truly I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

In Mark 8:34-35 the condition is self-denial – the willingness to lose your earthly life for Christ: “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.”

In Matthew 10:37 Jesus says the condition is loving him more than anybody else: “He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” (See also 1 Corinthians 16:22; 2 Timothy 4:8)

And in Luke 14:33 the condition for salvation is that we be free from the love of our possessions: “Whoever does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.”

These are some of the conditions that the New Testament says we must meet in order to benefit eternally from the death of Christ on the cross. We must believe on him, receive him, turn from our sin, obey him, humble ourselves like little children, love him more than our family, friends, possessions, and even our own life. This is what it means to be converted to Christ. And this alone is the way of life everlasting.

But what is it that holds all these various conditions together? Is there a truth which unites them all? I think the answer is given in the little parable we read at first:
The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up; then from his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
The person who is converted and brought into the kingdom of heaven has discovered a treasure – namely, Christ – and is impelled by joy to sell all he has to have this treasure. You are converted to Christ when Christ becomes for you a treasure chest of holy joy! We are converted when Christ becomes a treasure in whom we find so much delight that trusting and obeying him and turning from all that belittles him becomes our normal habit.

There is no evidence in the Bible that God will accept people who come to him out of any motive other than desire for joy in him. You cannot please God unless you come to him in search of reward. Hebrews 11:6 says,
Without faith it is impossible to please God. For whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
When Peter focused on his sacrificial self-denial and said “we have left everything and followed you” (Matthew 19:27) Jesus pointed out his pride: “There is no one who has left anything for my sake who will not receive a hundredfold now and in the age to come eternal life.” Jesus was saying “Peter, if you don’t come to me because I am greater treasure than all those things you have left then you don’t come to me at all.” You think far too highly of yourself if you think you are anything more than a little baby branch sucking righteousness, peace and joy from Christ, the vine! The condition of salvation is that you come to Christ in search of reward, finding in him a treasure chest of holy joy.

Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live. (Isaiah 55:1-3)

Conversion to Christ (continued)

2006-08-23T18:32:00.000-05:00

The first truth we must face is that God is the Creator and we owe him profound gratitude for all we have. Your own experience in life is powerful evidence for this. Have you ever done something for someone only to have them fail to respond in gratitude? How did that make you feel? (Angry, like they were inconsiderate, etc.) Why do you think our hearts jump so quickly to judgment when someone fails to show gratitude when they have been the recipient of great kindness? The real reason is because we were created in the image of God. Your judicial sentiment which automatically holds me guilty if I ignore you after you’ve just snatched my child from in front of a speeding car is the voice of God in you. We involuntarily hold people accountable for ingratitude because we were created in God’s image. Therefore, you know in your heart that there is a God to whom we owe genuine gratitude.

The second truth we must deal with is connected to the first: we have not felt, nor do we now, nor will we tomorrow feel the depth and consistency of gratitude to God which we owe him as Creator. Our own consciences are sufficient to convict us in this regard. We know that we do not render to God the very gratitude which we demand for ourselves from our neighbor. The judicial sentiment in our heart which holds other people guilty for ingratitude bears vivid witness to the truth that God holds us guilty for our astonishing ingratitude to him. And if we try to suppress this witness in our own hearts, the Bible makes it plain:
the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of men who by their wickedness suppress the truth… For though they knew God they did not glorify him as God or give thanks to him but they became futile in their thinking and their senseless minds were darkened.
(Romans 1:18-21)
Is it clear to you that everything you have is a gift from God, and that as a creature you are dependent on him for life and breath and everything? Has your life been filled with the joy of gratitude to God which is proportionate to his infinite kindness to you?

Built on these first two great truths is the third: we must face the truth that God’s wrath abides upon us even this moment if we are outside of Christ, and it does so because of our ingratitude. You know that your own judicial sentiment will not allow indignities against you to be ignored. How much more so is this true of God’s own dignity! God is righteous and that means that he must uphold the worth of his own glory! When we, by our own ingratitude, belittle the worth of God’s glory it demands wrath and justice from God. God alone is infinitely worthy and therefore our defamation of his character in our utter ingratitude brings down upon us righteous eternal destruction. The wages of sin is eternal death (Romans 6:23), and this is the most terrifying truth in the world.
(To be continued...)

Conversion to Christ

2006-08-19T11:18:00.000-05:00

44"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. 45"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, 46who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

Matthew 13:44-46

Not everyone will share eternally in God’s joy. Is that true? WHY? Why is it that not everyone will share in God’s joy forever? This is true because there is a condition which must be met in order for you to live in him and enjoy him forever. WHAT is that condition? What is the condition which must be met in order for you to live in him and enjoy him forever? What is the condition which must be met before you can be a part of the kingdom of God?

The condition is that you obey the command of Psalm 37:4 : Delight yourself in the Lord. But many people take more delight in money or sex or recreation than they do in God, and so they have no share in God’s saving mercy. They are lost. What they need is conversion to Christ. Lest we move on too fast from this statement, consider: What is the case with you today? Do you take your greatest delight in Christ? Do your habits prove that you delight in the Lord? Does your conversation? What about your thinking?

We live in a superficially Christian society where thousands of lost people think they do believe in Jesus. As we consider conversion to Christ, I want to challenge you to think about the times in which we live and examine yourself carefully. The phrase “Believe on the Lord Jesus and you shall be saved” is virtually meaningless in our society. Drunks on the street say they do. Unmarried couples sleeping together say they do. People who haven’t sought worship or fellowship for 10 years say they do. Every stripe of world-loving church attendees say they do.

My responsibility as a teacher is not just to repeat precious biblical sentences, but to speak the truth of those sentences in such a way that it will prick the conscience of the hearer, helping you feel your need for Christ. I hope to take this sweet truth in Matthew 13:44-46 and make it as sharp as I can in the hope that some hearts will be stabbed broad awake. You may be sitting there thinking “I’m already converted. I don’t need to hear this.”, but before you tune me out let me caution you. The gospel truths I am going to talk about here are the gospel truths that believers themselves go on believing by. So now let’s go on to consider some great truths about reality that make conversion necessary. (To be continued...)

Responsibility of the Listener in Preaching - Part 3

2006-07-14T16:25:00.000-05:00

esponsibilities of the Listener in Preaching

Responsibilities After the Word has been Preached

Review

The Bible actually promotes the idea that you should personally review the message that was preached:

Acts 17:11 - Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.

This is another reason to take notes. Realize that in Shawn’s construction of the sermon, he had to distill a truckload of great biblical information and application into the 40 minutes or so that you will give him. You should dig deeper on your own. Reflection and meditation on the Word preached to you is a foundation for the Lord to build upon. Notice how Solomon said this in Proverbs 2:1-11:

1 My son, if you will receive my words

And treasure my commandments within you,

2 Make your ear attentive to wisdom,

Incline your heart to understanding;

3 For if you cry for discernment,

1Lift your voice for understanding;

4 If you seek her as silver

And search for her as for hidden treasures;

5 Then you will discern the fear of the Lord

And discover the knowledge of God.

6 For the Lord gives wisdom;

From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.

7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;

He is a shield to those who walk in integrity,

8 Guarding the paths of justice,

And He preserves the way of His godly ones.

9 Then you will discern righteousness and justice

And equity and every good course.

10 For wisdom will enter your heart

And knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;

11 Discretion will guard you,

Understanding will watch over you,

Retell

You should make it a point to teach other people this week what you were taught in the sermon the previous Sunday. Study it and preach it over again to yourself until you know it well enough to preach it to someone else. You have been entrusted with something worthy of passing on to others – the very Word of God expounded.

Take Action

Shawn’s sermons are worthless if they don’t change your life. You should act on the truths laid out in his sermons. That may mean you should change the way you believe about something. That may mean you should change some behavior. That may mean you should change your attitude. The primary means that God has designed for changing you are Holy Spirit empowered, conscious and purposeful actions. You should be doers of the Word, and not hearers only.

Responsibility of the Listener in Preaching - Part 2

2006-07-08T17:38:00.000-05:00

esponsibilities of the Listener in Preaching

Responsibilities During the Preaching of the Word

Worship

The value of the music preceding the preaching should not be underestimated. Your singing, prayer, the giving of tithes and offerings, listening to Scripture reading before the sermon, all of these are important acts of worship which you should engage in earnestly. The sermon is not something separate from all of this, but it is the culmination of it. Reverence and responsiveness are critical.

Think

You should carefully evaluate and process all that is expounded from the pulpit (1 Corinthians 14:29). Do not be critical in a negative way; rather, be “positively biased toward the message of Scripture and the messenger.” (from Jay Adams – A Consumer’s Guide to Preaching)

Take Notes

Taking notes can greatly impact the influence of a sermon on your life. The purpose in note-taking is not to produce a transcript of the sermon – we have that available on CD. No, the purpose of taking notes is that it is a statistically proven fact that it helps with recall. Listeners who take notes are much more likely to remember a sermon longer than those who don’t.

Use Your Bibles

Bring your own Bible to church. Just turning to a passage and orienting your mind to where it falls in the text is an important part of the service – it will help you commit it in whole or in part to memory.

Responsibility of the Listener in Preaching - Part 1

2006-07-06T18:36:00.000-05:00

esponsibilities of the Listener in PreachinI have profitted greatly from reading Michael Fabarez's Preaching That Changes Lives this summer as part of the requirements for my Homiletics 2 class. I have been struck with an increased sense of responsibility as a listener from the reading of this book, so I figured I'd share. :) Blessings to you!

Responsibilities Before The Word is Preached

How do you prepare for church?
Do you pray for your encounter with the sermon?
Do you pray for your pastor in his preparation during the week?
Have you taken the time to study the next part of the passage which you know will be preached this week?
Do you rise early enough to eat a good breakfast so that your stomach doesn’t distract you during the sermon?

Focus on Preparation

We are taught in seminary that men should not preach without preparation. That is true. But, men ought not hear without preparation either. Which do you think needs more preparation, the sower or the ground?

Study The Parable of the Soils – Luke 8:4-15

Why is coming to church, especially to preaching, so important? Because it is where the seed of the Word is sown in your hearts!

Pray for Something Significant

We should pray for and trust God for a significant encounter with Him through His preached Word every time we come to hear it. Very often our minds and hearts are not in line with God’s. Therefore we should spend more time with God in prayer, asking for His expectations to become ours. If you come into church not knowing what you want, you will probably get what you deserve. There ought to be a sense of anticipation in your heart as you come to church to hear God’s Word preached! You have not because you ask not! Ask and expect God to minister His Word to you!

Pray for the Preacher

If you are looking for a rich sermon from pastor Shawn, you ought to supply him with the needed material. You should realize that your prayers are the means which God uses to make him more of a blessing. You should pray for his preparation to preach to you. You should pray for God to urge him to pray. You should pray realizing that the means God most commonly uses to minister great revival in your life is preaching. Pray fervently for Shawn.

Schedule Around Church

Church should be given a very high priority in your schedule. Paul describes it as “God’s household, the church of the living God, the pillar and the foundation of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15). Scripture requires that we “forsake not the assembling of ourselves together” (Hebrews 10:25), so you should plan your weekends around the gathering of “God’s household”. Be punctual. Sunday morning is the most important time of the week. Wake up earlier and plan a real breakfast. Getting ready for church is so much more important than getting ready for work or class any other day of the week. This should impact your Saturday evening plans.

Brewer reveals new SBC-friendly line of beverages

2006-06-23T18:24:00.000-05:00

Responding quickly to the Southern Baptist Convention’s resolution to ban alcohol, Anheuser-Busch released its new adult beverage, aptly called Drinking Water. Company President August Busch IV stated “We hope this drink will be as popular among Baptists as our top seller Budweiser was”.

Restless and Longing

2006-06-15T19:52:00.000-05:00

Almost everywhere you look the grass is greener than where you

God has made everything beautiful in its time; also He has put eternity into man's mind, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.
Ecclesiastes 3:11

God has reminded me in a fresh way this week that restlessness and longing are essential traits of my heart and yours. That can be a good thing, but it can also be a bad thing. It is good when the object of that restlessness and longing is the Lord Christ and his kingdom and his righteousness. It is bad when it is anything less. God has designed us with a heart-sickness. We try to satisfy this insatiable longing with vacations, food, visual stimulation, music, sports, alcohol, hallucinogens, and on, and on, and on...

Almost everywhere you look the grass is greener than where you stand. This is nothing less than the Spirit of God beckoning you and me to come to him! And yet we turn away from him again and again to a new toy, a movie, an automobile, a tanning bed, or the beach.

Jeremiah said it like this:

My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.

The drugs and alcohol can’t keep you from waking up to reality and your messed-up relationships. The tan looks so artificial and sure does fade quickly. Within a few weeks, maybe just days, that new toy becomes boring and commonplace. What does this mean? Is there any satisfaction there to be found in the greener grass for which we long? No. We have been deceived by the image. We don’t really want the high provided by the drug or the alcohol. We want the eternal reality of bliss behind the buzz. We don’t really want the sweet and cool refreshment of water in the blistering heat of a parched desert. The water is just a picture of the eternal reality underneath it. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. It flows with the water of life, bright as crystal from the throne of God and from the Lamb. You were made for God. The hunger and thirst of your life which cannot be satisfied by anything in this world is God’s constant pleading with you to remember that you were made for him.

Jesus has something to say about this universal unquenchable yearning:

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. And at another place: Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.

Jesus says that those who will be satisfied in the end are those who crave the mercy to be merciful, the grace to be gracious, the purity to be pure, the holiness to be holy – the very righteousness of Christ himself manifested in his body.

Don’t get involved in religious activities. And don’t settle for the meager satisfaction of just being a millionaire.

If the Lord permits...

2006-05-29T11:12:00.000-05:00

It would appear that we are going to be blessed with another child!!!

How beautiful and sweet are the words of Psalm 127!

1Unless the LORD builds the house,
those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city,
the watchman stays awake in vain.
2It is in vain that you rise up early
and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil;
for he gives to his beloved sleep.

3Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD,
the fruit of the womb a reward.
4Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
are the children^[a] of one's youth.
5Blessed is the man
who fills his quiver with them!
He shall not be put to shame
when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.^[b]

The Memphis Declaration

2006-05-06T21:20:00.000-05:00

I have a request. No, it is actually a plea. If you are reading this blog and you are a Southern Baptist, I beseech you, take time to give this article some earnest consideration. I think it is self explanatory. In short, I think what these men have voiced in this Declaration embodies the only way ahead for the Southern Baptist Convention - repentance.

Still wonderin' where the money goes...

2006-05-06T20:38:00.000-05:00

Well, I finally got around to making my first few phone calls. I figured I'd start right here at home. I called four men (three of them members of my church) who I thought might know how the money gets spent. One out of four had an inkling, and he was the one who was not a member of my church. He happened to be one who had served on the Executive Committee (I think that's what he said, maybe Executive Board) of the Alabama Baptist Convention. I didn't really get any good information on exactly how the money gets spent, except that at the state Convention level we have somewhere around 100 employees at the "Baptist building" on the Southern Bypass here in Montgomery.

Thanks to "Gunny" from a previous post for this link to a great article on national contribution comparisons to the SBC.

I found this article noting that $2.4 mil had been given in relief for Katrina. Also includes some other general Alabama Baptist info that is good to know. More to come.

Strange BaptistFire

2006-05-02T21:22:00.000-05:00

I couldn't resist a quick post to advertise the new Strange BaptistFire blog that has just recently appeared. The reason I am excited about the appearance of this blog is because their purpose is to counter the putrid spew of the anti-Calvinist site baptistfire.com. This wouldn't be of such note except for the fact that baptistfire.com was used just recently in my church (Morningview Baptist) to promote division which ended up being very destructive to the body of Christ. I am thrilled to see the authors of Strange BaptistFire taking the time and making the effort to set the historic Baptist record straight.

Where does the money go?

2006-04-29T20:37:00.000-05:00

I'm feeling sick. I've been doing a little research on the Internet lately, and the more research I do, the more sick I feel.

The topic of my research has been my beloved denomination and how the various denominational entities at the local, state and national levels use the funds that get contributed to them. I am a Southern Baptist. I've been a Southern Baptist all my life. I remain a Southern Baptist because I have become one confessionally. I think those great historic Southern Baptist confessions are still the best. Confessions like the Abstract of Principles of 1858 (of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary), or the New Hampshire Confession of 1833, or the Second London Baptist Confession of 1689. And for the record, I'm ok with the BF&M 2000. I am a Baptist. And more specifically, I am a Southern Baptist. And I am very thankful. But I am also sick.

From just my online research, I have found that my state convention's budget is somewhere around $42,000,000. I haven't been able to determine the SBC overall budget, but best I can tell, the International Mission Board's (IMB) is somewhere around $300,000,000. Here's where I start getting queasy. We've currently got somewhere around 16,000,000 members on roll at Southern Baptist churches, and we are currently fielding somewhere around 5300 missionaries (don't know if that is IMB + NAMB or just IMB). But let's just say for the sake of conservative argumentation we double that number just in case its just IMB numbers. Say we've got 10,600 missionaries. That would mean that just 0.06625 of 1% of my denomination's membership are missionaries funded by the SBC. Now that is a sobering statistic.

Now I realize that this is not the fault of the Convention. Local Southern Baptist churches are ultimately responsible for not being more missional than they are. But what concerns me is what I will call the "machine" that we Southern Baptists have built. I'm just an average joe. But common sense tells me that something is dreadfully wrong with our system. How much of the IMB's $300,000,000 budget actually gets to the mission field? What do they do with the rest of it? I'm not insinuating that anybody is trying to hide any of this information, I just can't find it online. How does the $42,000,000 in my state convention's budget get spent? What about my local association - the Montgomery Baptist Association? Maybe I'm being overly pessimistic here, but it sure sounds like, smells like, and looks like alot of pork. I am just one man, but this man wants to be sure that his tithes and offerings are being invested well in the Lord's kingdom. Lord willing, I'm going to start making some phone calls Monday morning.

I sure hope that Dr. Ascol's resolution gets presented and taken seriously at this year's convention. I think it would be a healthy first step in the right direction.

A delectable little morsel from C. S. Lewis

2006-04-15T13:20:00.000-05:00

In reading Has the Church Misread the Bible? by Moises Silva (Grand Rapids: Academie Books, 1987), I came across this C. S. Lewis quote I just gotta share (pp. 65-66). Oh, for some of the mastery Lewis had of our language!

Of the cursing Psalms I suppose most of us make our own moral allegories... We know the proper object of utter hostility - wickedness, especially our own. From this point of view I can use even the horrible passage in [Psalm] 137 about dashing the Babylonian babies against the stones. I know things in the inner world which are like babies; the infantile beginnings of small indulgences, small resentments, which may one day become dipsomania or settled hatred, but which woo us and wheedle us with special pleadings and seem so tiny, so helpless that in resisting them we feel we are being cruel to animals. They begin whimpering to us "I don't ask much, but", or "I had at least hoped", or "you owe yourself some consideration". Against all such pretty infants (the dears have such winning ways) the advice of the Psalm is the best. Knock the little bastards' brains out. And "blessed" is he who can, for it's easier said than done.
C. S. Lewis, Reflections on the Psalms (New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1958), p. 136.

Entire dependence upon God

2006-04-14T18:13:00.000-05:00

onday

Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created. (Revelation 4:11)

As we anticipate the arrival of our pastoral candidate, nothing could be more important than for us to have the mind of Christ. As I have been seeking to obtain this in my own life I have set myself on the consideration of the humility of Jesus as our Master and example. The day and time of my departure from this life is firmly fixed - oh, how I want that hour to find me ready for it in joyous slavery to my Lord!

As I consider biblical humility, it seems to me the proper place to start is to look to Jesus in order to determine what the principles were which he lived by when he was here. If he is indeed my example in his lowliness, I must understand the principles in which that humility was rooted and own those principles myself.

Jesus repeatedly acknowledged his own dependency upon the Father (John 5:19-20, 26, 36; 6:27; 12:49-50; 13:3; 14:10). If Jesus recognized his dependence upon the Father, how much more so should we as his disciples? As you meditate on Revelation 4:11 today, consider that God, in his creation of the universe, made man, the creature, a partaker of his blessedness and perfection. He revealed himself in and through us by communicating as much of his glory and goodness as the creature was capable of receiving. But this life which God bestowed was not imparted all at once; rather, each moment continuously by his mighty power. From the nature of this relationship between the Creator and the creature we see that humility is properly defined as total dependence upon God. It is the first virtue and the highest duty of the creature and its enemy, pride, is nothing more than the loss of it. Man lost his right relationship with God in the Garden of Eden – he lost his humility. Jesus came to bring humility back to earth and saved us by way of his own humility.

There is nothing more natural, insidious, difficult or dangerous than pride and we possess in ourselves alone no ability to cast it out. Let us look to Christ and study his character until we are broken down under a sense of our own pride and our souls are filled with love and admiration of him and his lowliness. Let us ask God for a determined perseverance in discovering how lacking we are in the grace of humility and for grace to see how powerless we are to obtain what we seek. And let us believe and ask Jesus Christ himself to impart to us this grace of humility as a part of his wonderful life within us.

Ingratitude

2006-04-04T06:19:00.000-05:00

For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Romans 1:21-23
Honor and thanks are due God. How grateful are you to God for the abundance of blessing he has toward you? Paul shows here ingratitude as the sin which opens the door to all manner of wickedness. He who has ears, let him hear.

My interpretation of 1 Corinthians 7:14

2006-03-17T17:51:00.000-06:00

For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. (ESV)

The overall context of the passage (read verses 10-24) is clear enough – Paul is giving the Corinthians direction regarding spiritually mixed marriages. This is significant to the proper interpretation of verse 14. Paul is clearly talking about a marriage where one spouse is a believer and the other is NOT. This must guide our thinking when we come to verse 14. We must deal with the verse as it stands and not begin here by putting on our covenant-colored glasses (as I would argue the paedos do). Paul says, “For the unbelieving husband is made holy”. In the Greek, “is made holy” is one word. It is the verb form of the adjective “holy” Paul uses at the end to refer to the children. Recognize, the unbelieving spouse is UNBELIEVING! What can Paul mean, then, by “is made holy”? He CANNOT be saying that the unbelieving spouse is fit to be considered saved, for that goes against what he has just stated – that the spouse is unbelieving! So there must be some other usage Paul has in mind for “is made holy”.

This is a good place to note the argumentation of the paedos. Many of them I have read interpret this verse as an argument for infant baptism, arguing that the latter part of this verse clearly implies that children of even one believing parent fall under what they call “the pale of the church” (huh? I haven’t found that in the Bible either). A cornerstone of paedobaptist theology is that “the covenant” is the sole basis of infant baptism and that the ground of baptism is thus identical for adults and children. What they have neglected in their interpretation of verse 14 is to deal sufficiently with the text! What EXACTLY is the holiness that the children possess? What EXACTLY is the holiness that the unbelieving spouse possesses? And is there any difference between the sense of the two? If we draw a distinction and try to make the holiness of the children different from that of the unbelieving spouse, it clearly detracts from the logic of Paul’s argument in the verse. Paul’s argument is based upon a similarity between the two parties! He’s directing the believer to remain with the unbelieving spouse because of the POWER of the Gospel in the believer’s life! “Covenant” status of the children is no encouragement to remain with the unbelieving spouse if it does not apply to the unbelieving spouse. Paul’s argument overall is illogical if there is a distinction drawn between the possession of holiness on the part of the children over against the unbelieving spouse. It is my humble opinion that the paedos are guilty of eisegesis at this point. Let’s get back to exegesis.

Paul says: “the unbelieving [spouse] IS made holy” (emphasis mine). Recognize that within this small phrase is a paradox. “Holy” and “unbelieving” are commonly contradictory terms. So the question is what does Paul mean? Look at the verse. It appears clear from the text that Paul considers the case of the children parallel to the case of the unbelieving spouse. Here is the clear logic: IF the unbelieving spouse is holy, THEN the children are holy – NOT because one is CAUSED by the other, but because they are LIKE CASES – THEY ARE BOTH ALIKE. John L. Dagg says this in his Manual of Theology (by the way, he’s one of the best systematic Southern Baptist theologians, and he’s buried in Hayneville!):

a believer and an unbeliever may lawfully dwell together...The intercourse of a married pair with each other, and that of parents with their children, must be regulated by the same rule. An unconverted husband or wife stands on the same level with unconverted children. If intercourse with the former is unlawful, intercourse with the latter is equally unlawful. [The contrary decision] would sever the ties that bind parents to their children, and [force them to leave their children]. By showing that this monstrous consequence legitimately follows from the doctrine, he has furnished an argument against it which is perfectly conclusive.

This interpretation assigns an identical meaning to the holiness of the children and the sanctification of an unbelieving spouse. If the holiness of an unbelieving spouse falls short of qualifying him/her for baptism, then according to Paul’s reasoning, the holiness of believers’ children fall short as well. I believe this to be the true meaning of the text and commend it to you.

Mental "disorders" & Biblical counseling

2006-03-05T08:52:00.000-06:00

Recently I was asked:

Based on your experience, in the area of Christian counseling, is it possible that some folks actually have medical conditions that lead to various mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, obssesive compulsive, etc. and it is not due to a sin problem?

My response:

There are legitimate organic causes which can and do contribute to people’s problems. For example, someone might have a real physiological problem with their pituitary gland and that might be a contributing factor in their behavior. So yes, there are organic causes which must be considered when evaluating and counseling people. The problem is that secular diagnosis will NEVER address the whole problem because it will not address the whole of man (physical as well as metaphysical (spiritual)).

With that in mind, it should be obvious that many diagnoses in “clinical psychology” today are merely attempts at classification of behaviors. If you really think about it, it is ironic that the medical community exults (and generally excels) in cold and hard physical facts and the interpretation of them (or “science”) yet they cannot avoid in diagnosis the reality of something unseen and metaphysical like emotions. Such psychiatric diagnoses as manic depression and bipolar disorder are merely observations and classifications of behavior that cannot be tested for and verified by scientific means. For example, there is not a test you can run on the blood of an anxious person in order to verify anxiety as a medical (physical) condition. You might, however, if you tested hundreds of patients experiencing anxiety, find a pattern or “chemical signature” that was common to the majority. The question then becomes: what EXACTLY is the first cause? Was there something seen or unseen that originally caused the chemical “imbalance”, resulting in the observed behavior? Or was the original cause of the observed behavior a physiological fluctuation in the chemicals within the individual?

I hope you can see that these questions are not solvable merely by science, and it is because they are founded upon fallacious presuppositions. The system that begins with only that which can be seen is doomed from the outset.

The true Christian counselor takes both the physiological and the spiritual into consideration when counseling. That is why a Christian counselor might work with a doctor in a case where an individual suffering from anxiety might use medication to assist in overcoming anxiety in the short term. The overarching principle that would apply in every case, though, is that the individual is RESPONSIBLE for their behavior – EVEN WHEN THERE IS A PHYSIOLOGICAL FACTOR. The Bible says that we are responsible for our behavior - PERIOD.

When closely examined, the labels used in diagnostic “clinical psychology” usually end up being nothing more than excuses to justify sinful behavior.

The Doctrine of Providence

2006-02-15T20:05:00.000-06:00

Sorry so long since I've posted! School is killin' me (but I'm lovin' it!)

Article IV of the Abstract of Principles:
God from eternity, decrees or permits all things that come to pass, and perpetually upholds, directs and governs all creatures and all events; yet so as not to destroy the free will and responsibility of intelligent creatures.

All things owe their original creation as well as their continued existence with all their various properties to the will of God.
- Hebrews 1:3 – He upholds all things by the word of His power
- Colossians 1:17 – He is before all things and in Him all things consist
- Nehemiah 9:6 – He alone is creator and preserver
- Acts 17:28 – In Him we live, move and are
- Ephesians 4:6 – He is over all, through all, and in all

All things, both in heaven and on earth, from the seraphim down to the tiny atom are ordered by His never-failing providence. Dr. Charles Hodge said,
To suppose that anything is too great to be comprehended in His control, or anything so minute as to escape His notice; or that the infinitude of particulars can distract His attention, is to forget that God is infinite… The sun diffuses its light through all space as easily as upon any point. God is as much present everywhere, and with everything, as though He were only in one place, and had but one object of attention… He is present in every blade of grass, yet guiding Arcturus in his course, marshalling the stars as a host, calling them by their names; present also in every human soul, giving it understanding, endowing it with gifts, working in it both to will and to do. The human heart is in His hands; and He turneth it even as the rivers of water are turned [Proverbs 21:1]. (Systematic Theology, I, p. 583)

God determines when, where, and under what circumstances every person is born, will live, and die. He does whatsoever He wills. His distribution of His favors lies solely within His own will. Some get riches, some honor, some health, some talents of this kind, some talent of another kind. Others are poor, unknown, dishonorable, victims of disease, living lives filled with all manner of wretchedness. Some are the beneficiaries of growing up in Christian homes, and others live and die in the darkness of paganism, never having heard the Gospel. To a very large degree, these things that have absolutely nothing to do with individual choice decide a person’s eternal destiny. Both Scripture and everyday experience teach us that God gives to some what He withholds from others (see Matthew 11:25-30). Only the doctrine of the Fall and Redemption can give us true understanding regarding what we see around us. God does not simply “watch over” the universe He has made, as if he had set the creation to spinning and then retreated to watch what then would come to pass. No, He is everywhere present and active, the all-sustaining ground and all-governing power of all that is.

All of history and every particular event in it is its own part of progress toward a predetermined end. Put a man in a time of real danger and most often his innate, instinctive response proves these truths. Even the reprobate is often found appealing to God in such times of danger. The fact that this is true in our experience testifies to the universal sense in man of his own moral responsibility and dependence upon God (see Romans 1:18-21).
A conundrum?
Does this doctrine do violence to the nature of man? Wicked men are called the rod, staff, axe, and saw in His hand (Isaiah 10:5-15). The Bible everywhere teaches this universal, providential control of God, and yet, at the same time the Bible everywhere teaches that man is fully responsible for all his actions. How can the responsibility of man and the doctrine of God’s providence be reconciled? I would assert that there is no contradiction here. The only violence done is done to the proud heart of a man. A man always does what he wants to do the most - always and without exception. If a man then does according to his volition, who other is to be held responsible for his own actions which proceed from his own will? Man does not like the sound of this because it places him firmly and squarely in the need of Someone outside of and above him.

Commentary - Part 2

2006-01-19T11:14:00.000-06:00

Forthcoming will be a series of posts in which I will focus on

I could proceed to speculate on what the author means by use of the term “traditional” by including here the definition that was offered in “the letter” that was mailed to the membership of Morningview back in September. There would be no shortage of errors I could point out in that definition, but rather than do that, I want to engage my readers on a much more basic level. The original letter that was mailed to Morningview members back in September and most of the rhetoric generated by that group (this latest “Advertiser letter” included) reveals what I think is a basic problem in rational thought or reasoning, and I think it has mainly to do with the presuppositions upon which the reasoning construct is built, and it is this observation which I will discuss.

If you are a Christian, it should be evident to you that the world around you does not begin with a system of reason founded upon the doctrine of God. The world does not see the Bible as the final authority on all things. Certainly there are variants and extremes in the field of philosophy, but all of philosophy can be segregated into two distinct and antagonistic schools – there are ultimately only two types of philosophy: one begins with God and the other begins with man. The Christian should see this basic antithesis clearly. Consider the fact that since the earliest days there has only been two counsels. There is the counsel of God, and the counsel of the creature. Now, to the unregenerate man, these things are foolishness (1 Corinthians 1:18-25). We should not be surprised that the unregenerate man thinks the way that he does. What is surprising, though, is when Christians integrate worldly reasoning constructs into their systems. This is tantamount to embracing that which is evil as good! This is the innate problem with so much of evangelicalism today – the supplanting of the wisdom of God with the “wisdom” of this age; hence, the relativism and subjectivity so prevalent in so-called Christianity today. It is treacherous ground that we stand upon when we do not see clearly the sharpness of the contrast in presuppositions upon which systems of thought are built. That's all I have time for now, but more to come on the implications of what I have said here...

Commentary - Part 1

2005-12-24T16:03:00.000-06:00

orthcoming will be a series of posts in which I will focus on

Forthcoming will be a series of posts in which I will focus on “the Advertiser letter” (see my previous post). Let me be clear up front - my purpose in this series is not to resort to personalities in an attack on the author, but rather, to address the contents of the letter itself. There are issues throughout the letter that I wish to address, so there will be many posts in this series, Lord willing. We who are Morningview have all heard enough rubbish and my aim herein is to entice of my readers a fair hearing and study of the matters I take up. My hope is that the body of Christ would be edified in this endeavor. May God make clear to us all what is true and right as well as what is fallacious and crooked.

Forthcoming will be a series of posts in which I will focus on

What is meant by the author's use of the term “Calvinism”? What the author intends by the term “Calvinism” is most likely defined by what is found at the website which the author references later in the letter. I will not spend time or energy here critiquing the “baptistfire” website, but suffice it to say that its representation of Calvinism is perverted and ignorant and should not be trusted as a defining source on the subject. I would address the author(s) of that site directly if they would only reveal themselves (the mere fact that the site is authored anonymously should serve to discourage anyone from seeing it as a credible resource). If you want to get a quick feel for what Calvinism is really about, go here. It would appear that the author equates “Calvinism” with the doctrine of limited atonement. This is a practice which is a common occurrence when Calvinism is first encountered. The doctrine of limited atonement usually appears so offensive to people today because it is so diametrically opposed to the understanding of atonement that most folks today are in possession of (just because you possess an understanding of a thing does not necessarily mean it is a biblical understanding). To assert that Calvinism stands in opposition to the truth of John 3:16 is simply fallacious. There are hosts of Calvinists (of which I am one) who embrace and love every jot and tittle of the verse, and it in no way contradicts my Calvinistic theology, but rather establishes it. The argument then that Calvinism disregards or is contrary in any way to John 3:16 is on its face illogical. It has been my experience that most folks who are frenetically opposed to “Calvinism” are so because they see that either the doctrine of total depravity or the doctrine of limited atonement is holistically incompatible with their current system of theology. What this would mean in most cases is that the whole of their theology must be rebuilt from the foundation up, implying that their entire system was flawed. Very offensive stuff to the flesh.

Smells like Calvinism in here!

2005-12-22T18:45:00.000-06:00

The following letter was posted on the Montgomery Advertiser's website today:

Letters

ONLINE EXTRA LETTERS

Are you aware that Calvinism is taking over our traditional Southern Baptist churches? It's done in a very secretive and deceiving way.

I was among the many who had never heard of Calvinism until it appeared in our church unannounced. Please go to www.founders.org to read about some of their beliefs. You'll find some alarming information.

For instance, they believe Jesus died only for the select and elite. We believe in John 3:16. They believe in pre-destination. Our former pastor admitted to being a "Five Point Calvinist." Go to www.baptistfire.com for more information.

By the time the majority of the members are aware of this movement toward Calvinism, it's too late and you have lost your church. This has happened at Morningview Baptist Church. Unfortunately, the church has split. This is sad and there should be something that could be done about it. Some of our members have been in this church for more than 50 years and they are devastated.

Morningview Baptist is starting a school to be opened in August 2006. It is a fact that children will be taught Calvinism. It will be named Cornerstone Christian Academy.

My prayer is that the Southern Baptist Convention will take an active role in ridding our traditional Baptist churches from the movement toward Calvinism. We live in a great country that is founded on religious freedoms. Start your own church and leave ours alone.
XXXXXXXXXXX
Montgomery

I have obfuscated the name of the author because I do not wish to encourage any foolish judgments in the minds of my readers. Comments on the content of the letter will come shortly...

1 Peter 4:2

2005-11-26T17:03:00.000-06:00

As a result, it is now possible to live the remainder of your time in the flesh no longer following human desires, but following God’s will.

Now this is a powerful promise as well as a humiliating principle (hard truth)! As we saw in verse 1, the attitude that God calls us to have results in a type of commitment that will endure through great trial. Let us remember again the immediate audience of Peter’s epistle. It is to refugees who have been scattered about, fleeing for their lives because of a terrible persecution. This commitment which God calls us to have in the face of such persecution is no more (and no less) than the commitment that Jesus had in His enduring suffering for our salvation! Jesus was teaching this principle when He said that if any man would come after Him, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Him (Matthew 16:24-25). Taking up the cross is indicative of knowledge and commitment. This is not some blind sort of faith that embraces persecution in a stupid and ignorant manner (post-modernity), nor is it a sort of faith that embraces persecution for some reasons of meritorious spiritual gain (asceticism). No, this is a faith that sees the cost, has counted it, and for the joy that is seen with those eyes which see the unseen, endures, persevering to the end, realizing that Christ Himself is the reward. We have just been reminded in verse 1 that the One who suffered in the flesh for us endured that suffering according to knowledge. He saw and understood and joyfully embraced the Father’s purpose in His suffering. Peter says that as a result of us arming ourselves with this thought (attitude) we are now able to live committed and yes, victorious lives in our battle with the flesh. Think again about the immediate circumstance into which Peter wrote this epistle. There were most assuredly believers being martyred for their faith daily (even as they continue to be to this day). Peter instructs us here that, being armed with this attitude, what little time we have left to live in the flesh should be spent crucifying it. Even if God does not require us to die as martyrs, we must live as martyrs! This is the very same principle which Paul lays out in Romans 14:7-8. Self-denial or mortifying the sinful desires of the flesh is the result of being armed with the attitude that Christ had in His suffering in the flesh. What Peter is saying here is that what has been done for you in Christ’s suffering bears itself out in your life as death. Christ’s death in the flesh necessarily means that your life in the flesh is to be a crucifixion of it, and that dying to the flesh is truly life and evidence of it (see Philippians 1:21; Ephesians 4 and 5; Romans 6:11; 2 Corinthians 5:15; Galatians 2:19-20).

One related principle we should consider here which is very practical is the principle which might be called “radical amputation” found in Matthew 5. What Peter has exhorted the refugees to is radical obedience in the face of radical persecution. This is helpful to us as we consider progressive sanctification in our own lives. The application of the principle that Peter has just set forth – that it is now possible for us to live the remainder of our time in the flesh no longer following human desires, but following God’s will – very often requires radical amputation in our personal lives. The underlying principle here is the believer putting off the “old man” and the desires of the flesh, and putting on the “new man” which is the likeness of God (Ephesians 4). In Matthew 5, Jesus teaches us that sometimes there is a need for a radical “put off”. It is a put-off with a shock effect. A “let go and let God” quietest mindset is not biblical. God’s design in the redemption of man through Christ is that man, still being present in the body of flesh, should cooperate with the Divine. The underlying principle in what Peter is teaching here is the same principle Jesus taught in Matthew 5:29-30 – and it is very practical. If there is something in the flesh which causes us to sin – the implication here goes directly the desires of the heart. Jesus says that whatever it is that makes it easier for us to sin, we must take whatever action is necessary, even radical action, in order to rid ourselves of it. Implied here is that we must think and do (remember 1 Peter 1:13; 4:1). We must prepare. We must count the cost. We must act definitively and irreparably (ex. Cortez burning his ships). We should take purposeful action to make it hard, uncomfortable and difficult to sin. Paul says the same thing in Romans 13:14. Denial of self in a radical way is what is in view here. Does watching TV lead you to sinful thoughts? Never watch TV. Do you view pornography on the Internet? Sell your computer. And in the mean time, unplug it and set it on the kitchen table to remind you of your sin. Take radical steps to deal with your sinful desires. We should also notice that in His examples Jesus uses the right eye and the right hand. This should further signify to us the extreme nature of the amputation which Jesus is advocating. The amputation is to take place even if it means that the most predominant member should be cut off. Jesus is saying that self denial is that important. By His suffering, even to death, He said that our sin was that serious. The suffering of Christ in the flesh and your personal walk are inseparably intertwined (Matthew 21:28-32).

1 Peter 4:1

2005-11-19T20:18:00.000-06:00

Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with that thought, because whoever has suffered in the flesh has come to a parting of the ways with sin.

Looking back to 1:13, we see Peter exhorting us to buckle the belts of our minds for action, keeping level-headed, setting our hope entirely on the grace that will be brought to us at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Notice that in 4:1 Peter continues his appeal to us to prepare our minds. The principle that the true mortification of the flesh proceeds from the mind is prevalent throughout the NT (Romans 7:24-25, 8:5-6, 12:2; 2 Corinthians 3:14, 4:4-18; Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 1:21-23, 3:2, 3:10-12). Peter is exhorting us, in the very midst of our affliction, to look to Christ and His suffering and to ever keep before us in the front of our minds the thought that Christ has already suffered greatly on our behalf, and has done so in the flesh. In this is great hope and encouragement for the believer who is in the flame of persecution - to know that God of very God has suffered in the flesh before you as an example for you! In the previous chapter, Peter has just exhorted them to patience in doing good because of the example of Christ. In this verse he teaches us that because Christ suffered in the flesh we should deny ourselves, parting ways with sin and joining Him in suffering (see also Romans 6). The words “arm yourselves” here suggest that in the suffering of Christ we are truly supplied with every effectual weapon we need in order to subdue our flesh. This verse reminds us that if we would mortify the flesh, we must look to Christ and the efficacy of His suffering (death). It also reminds us that when we find ourselves suffering for righteousness’ sake, in that very suffering we are actual partakers in the power of His death! Now remember, the one who is in Christ is dead to sin (Romans 6). In the application of the death of Christ to our lives through the power of the Holy Spirit, we are freed from sin’s dominion over our flesh. Therefore, Peter says, when we suffer in the flesh for doing good we are suffering as Christ did, and the very suffering itself is evidence that we have come to a parting of the ways with sin. Peter is teaching here that the very suffering that we experience for doing good is designed by God to produce in us perseverance and hope – which is exactly what his immediate audience was in need of! Suffering for righteousness’ sake is proof to the believer that he is denying his flesh and is being conformed to the very image of Christ Himself in His death (see Philippians 3:9-10).

Another point worthy of notice is Peter’s usage twice of the word “flesh”. It is used in two distinctly different senses. In the first usage of the term, where he says that Christ suffered in the flesh, what he means there is that the “mannishness” of Christ suffered and died. That nature which Christ took upon Himself, emptying Himself, taking the form of a slave, becoming like a human being (Philippians 2). Christ, as a man, naturally died. In the second usage of the term, he is using it in reference to us, meaning the corruption and sinfulness of our nature. Therefore what Peter means by the phrase “suffered in the flesh” here signifies the denying of ourselves. There is a great and deep truth here. Christ took on our flesh and suffered in it for our sake. Therefore, the whole of our flesh ought to be crucified: this is the heart of the doctrine of redemption.

You are in need of endurance

2005-11-11T11:42:00.000-06:00

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:2-4)

For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. (Hebrews 10:36)

Would you have perfect joy and completeness, lacking in nothing? Then you must have trials of various kinds. James tells us that when we encounter these trials, we should see them for what they are – a grace and blessing of the very sweetest order from the very hand of our good and gracious God. Child of God, know that only the purifying fire of the test can burn away the dross in your heart. What purpose does your Father have in holding you over the flame? O beloved! It is that you may be made perfect and complete, lacking in nothing! No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. What you are in need of is endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised! The fire of the trial is no more than the rod and the staff of the Lord. David understood this full well – Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. Believer, whatever trial you find yourself in this day, be comforted by the knowledge that your Shepherd is the only Good One and His eye is on the sparrow. Patiently look to Christ and do the will of God (faithful obedience) that you may receive what was promised.

He is no mere spectator

2005-10-28T19:49:00.000-05:00

Thou art Jehovah, even thou alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their hosts, the earth and all things that are therein, the seas and all that is in them, and thou preservest them all. Thou art Jehovah, who didst choose Abram, and broughtest him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees, and gavest him the name of Abraham (Nehemiah 9:6-7)

It was no accident that brought Rebecca to the well to welcome Abraham’s servant, or that sent Joseph into Egypt, or guided Pharaoh’s daughter to the baby in the Nile, or directed the millstone that crushed Abimelech’s head, or winged the arrow shot to smite the king in the joints of his armor. And it is no accident that God has providentially delivered my church into her current state of affairs. Every historical event is an item in the orderly carrying out of an underlying Divine purpose. We must be acutely aware of the real and controlling presence of Him who gives even the lightning a mark which to strike (Job 36:32). Our God is the God who secures the complete fulfillment of His plans. Nebuchadnezzar’s humiliation was “to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.” (Daniel 4:17) This precept in no way contradicts the free agency of men, but rather establishes it, for in His image were we made. Throughout the annals of history the varying fortunes of individuals are ever attributed to God’s providential control. He is Immanence and He is Transcendance. Almost everyone admits that God determines when, where and under what circumstances each individual is born and shall live and die. To some He gives riches, to some honor, to some health, and to some various talents. Others are poor, unknown, victims of disease, living lives of wretchedness. Some He brings through faith to salvation; others are left to perish in unbelief. Both Scripture and experience teach us that God gives to some what He withholds from others. And when we would ask “Why?” we would do well to look to our Savior’s words “Yea, Father, for so it was well pleasing in thy sight.” Beloved, remember these precepts of our Father today and exult in them, and be greatly encouraged, fueled by these truths to good works.

Assessment of the situation

2005-10-20T20:52:00.000-05:00

It is clear to me that the only way there will be a win/win for the glory of God at my church is if there is no formal split. A split under any circumstance will at the very least say to the world that the church, in this case my church family specifically, is weak and factious and full of rebellious and self-seeking folk who refuse to repent and turn from their arrogance and be reconciled to each other. If we split, whether we like it or not, that is what the world (our community, association, etc) will see. That is what will have proven itself to be true about us. Most of you know me and where I stand with regard to the Truth. I refuse to compromise on the doctrine that has been passed down to me from my former pastor – because it is Bible doctrine. We must not compromise on the Truth. But I am convinced that there is a way that we can be reconciled to each other. If we have Christ and He has us, we can, we MUST be reconciled.

1 Peter 2

2005-10-16T14:14:00.000-05:00

After teaching the faithful that their regeneration was by the very Word of God (1:22-25), he reminds us again that as we are regenerated by the Word, so also by it are we sustained and grown (2:1-3). In verses 4-10 he proceeds to teach principles which are foundational to understanding the church of Christ as the people of God. Peter identifies the living Stone – the cornerstone of the spiritual building he proceeds to describe – as Jesus Christ himself. He is the foundation of the living. Note the parallelism used by Peter in verse 5 to the OT sacrificial system. The OT dwelling place of God, the temple, was built with stones hewn by the hands of men. But this house Peter describes is made from “living stones” – those who have been made alive in Christ. The OT sacrificial system has been fulfilled in the person of Christ. The OT temple has been replaced by the church – God dwells among and in the midst of His people through the person of Jesus Christ. The comparison here is between the church and the OT temple. The type that was given by the institution of the OT temple has been realized in the church itself. O how this amplifies divine grace! How much more excellent is reality than the type! Peter then gives the reason that God has established this “spiritual house” (v.5) built from “living stones”: it is that we might “declare the virtues of the One who called you out of darkness into His amazing light.” (v.9)

Trouble in my church

2005-09-23T19:16:00.000-05:00

As I had my quiet time this morning, I was grieving over the schism in my church and the Lord was gentle to remind me that for over a year now we have had a small group of men meeting every Tuesday morning to pray for revival for our church. The events which have unfolded are not what I had in mind when I thought of revival. But then God’s wisdom is so high above mine. The Lord reminded me of these confounding ways of His: barren Sarah is mother to a nation; Gideon’s 300 men defeat 100,000 Midianites; a little shepherd boy slays the giant; the prophet is married to the adulteress; through the hatred of politicians as well as the hordes, and the shame of a naked man's death on a cross, God saves His people. I was reminded of Job, who attributed the evil that crushed his children to death to the hand of the Lord. He said, “Shall I receive good at the hand of the Lord and not evil?” And the writer confirms that in all that Job said he did not sin against the Lord.

I was reminded also of a verse from William Cowper's great hymn "God moves in a mysterious way":
Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust Him for His grace,
Behind a frowning providence,
He hides a smiling face.

God bless you today, and God help us to think rightly about His goodness toward us. Please pray for my church.

Infallibility and authority

2005-08-26T15:24:00.000-05:00

That God cannot lie or speak falsely is the essence of the authority of Scripture (2 Samuel 7:28; Titus 1:2). His words must always be trusted. This is the very essence of what authority is. Hebrews 6:17-18 mentions two immutable things: the promise and oath of God, “in which it is impossible for God to lie”. Therefore all the words of Scripture are completely true and without error in any part (which speaks to infallibility). “Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.” (Proverbs 30:5) With regard to authority, God’s words are the ultimate standard of truth. In John 17:17 Jesus prays “sanctify them by Your truth; Your word is truth.” Note that Jesus does not say “Your word is true”. He does not use an adjective but rather a noun (aletheia), to say that God’s word is not simply “true”, but that it is truth itself. This is significant because it establishes for us that the Bible is not simply “true” in the sense that it conforms to some higher standard of truth, but rather to understand the Bible as being itself the final standard of truth. Therefore, written Scripture is our final authority (1 Corinthians 14:37, 2 Timothy 3:16).

That the Bible will not lead us astray in matters of faith and practice is the essence of the infallibility of Scripture (Acts 24:14; Luke 24:25; Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 10:11). Infallibility says that the Bible is absolutely reliable. The texts just listed affirm that every part of Scripture is to be trusted and relied on completely. Infallibility and authority are very tightly related to each other. Scripture must be infallible due to the very nature of authority. If Scripture is truth, then it necessarily follows that it must be without fault or error either at any particular point or in any idea expressed. Therefore, the doctrine of infallibility flows logically out of the doctrine of authority and the doctrine of authority is in its many applications supported by the doctrine of infallibility.

If the Bible is fallible and contradicts itself, then there is no way to know what it means. In any given instance Scripture might mean exactly the opposite of what it says. If Scripture might mean the opposite of what it says, then there would be no way of knowing what the Bible intends for us to believe and do. If we can’t know what the Bible intends for us to believe or do, then in the most real and practical sense, it has no authority over our lives because we can’t know what it wants from us. A self-contradictory Bible undermines knowledge (epistemology), which undermines authority (ethics).

The doctrine of the Trinity

2005-07-20T21:48:00.000-05:00

As God alone may know and reveal what He is, so we must accept His statements, however mysterious or incomprehensible they may be. God is revealed to us as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, each with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence or being (from Article III in The Abstract of Principles of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary). God is revealed to us as Father, indicating a special relation between Him and another person whom the Scriptures call His only begotten Son, the Father being God (Matthew 3:17, 11:25-26, 15:13; Mark 1:1, 14:36; Luke 2:49, 10:21; John 3:16-17, 10:36, 12:26-28). Likewise the Son is called God (Matthew 1:23; John 1:1, 20:28; Romans 9:5; Titus 1:3; Hebrews 1:8). The distinctness of the attributes of the Father and the Son can be clearly seen in the character revealed in such passages as John 3:35, 5:20, 10:17, 14:31, 17:24, Hebrews 1:2, and Philippians 2:6. That the Holy Spirit is revealed as a person of the Godhead is evident in such passages as Matthew 12:18, Acts 5:3-9, 28:25-27, and 1 Corinthians 2:10. The three are one God. The divine essence in each of the persons is such that neither has his own separate divine essence, but each subsists in one divine essence, common to all three. The Scriptures teach everywhere both the unity of God and that there are three divine persons. That the word “Trinity” is nowhere found in Scripture is no objection to the doctrine so clearly set forth.

Use of Greek "rhema" in the New Testament

2005-06-17T15:15:00.000-05:00

There are 70 places in the New Testament where the Greek word “rhema” is used. There is a distinct connection in my thinking between 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Ephesians 5:25-27, Ephesians 6:17, Romans 10:8,14-17, Hebrews 1:3, and Acts 5:30-32. It seems there is a sense in which the spoken word (rhema) has a superior beauty to it (Romans 10:15). The importance of the written word (logos) is everywhere made obvious (and necessary) in all of the scriptures, but it seems there is just something very special about the spoken word specifically in the life of the Christian. There is the “breathing-out” or “saying” of all the scriptures that is attributed to God, immediately followed by a summation of the very purpose of the scriptures (2 Timothy 3:16-17). So it is by the speaking of God (rhema) that we have the (written) sayings (logos) of God. Christ Himself is identified as both the “logos” of God (John 1:1) and the “rhema” of God (Matthew 4:4, John 6:63). It is obvious that one is not used at the expense of the other. If the Christian is to be an “imitator of God” (Ephesians 5:1) he must also “breathe-out” or speak the word of God. If he is to do that effectively, actively, this has at the very minimum the following implication: it must be resident within him. Its use in Ephesians 6:17, when considered contextually, is very practical - the sword is to be used. The idea here is not one of merely the written word, as if Paul were talking about the writings themselves, but the Writings written upon the heart and ready on the tip of the tongue. It is interesting to note that the spoken word is everywhere and in every practical way much more accessible to the masses than is the written word, and it is the specific means which God has set up to redeem men to Himself (Romans 10:14, 17). Therefore, too much emphasis can not be given to the necessity of the spiritual ingestion of the word of God in order that it might at every point in the life of the Christian be written upon his heart and ready on the tip of his tongue. Scripture memorization is absolutely essential.

The relationship between desire and sinful anger

2005-06-16T20:16:00.000-05:00

There is a distinct relationship between desires (pleasures) and sinful anger according to James 4. Anger is produced anytime there is conflict. (Note that all anger is not sinful-Ephesians 4:26.) Anger proceeding from conflict is actually by God’s design and is intended to be used in destruction of the problem. Sinful anger proceeds from sinful desires. Sinful anger is expressed in “wars” and “fights”. According to James 4:1 this comes out of the desires of the heart. Anytime a desire takes priority in the heart over desire (love) for God it is sinful. Sinful desire is at the very heart of sinful anger.

The Inspiration of Scripture

2005-06-10T13:59:00.000-05:00

The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments were given by inspiration of God, and are the only sufficient, certain and authoritative rule of all saving knowledge, faith and obedience. This doctrine, like every other, is based on Scripture and is not the invention of man. The Bible repeatedly affirms that all of Scripture is profitable for us (2 Timothy 3:16) and that all of it is “God-breathed.” It is completely pure (Psalm 12:6), perfect (Psalm 119:96), and true (Proverbs 30:5). The 66 books of the Bible are God’s written revelation to man, given to us by the Holy Spirit, inspired equally in all parts (1 Corinthians 2:7-14; 2 Peter 1:20-21). The truth of Scripture stands in judgment of men; never do men stand in judgment of it. The Spirit-given message is not merely the idea of a passage, but rather the very words (Deuteronomy 18:18-19; Jeremiah 1:9). This may be seen in the manner in which Jesus used the Bible. Consider the Lord’s reply to the Sadducees who denied the resurrection of the body (Mark 12:18-27). He refutes them by the use of one sole word from a historical passage: by the use of a single verb in the present tense instead of the same verb in the past tense. Not “I was”, but “I am the God of Abraham…” Those men therefore are still alive, and Christ has based his argument upon a single word. Another such example is found in John 10:34-35 where Jesus quotes Psalm 82, affirming its inspiration and authority. Upon even a cursory examination, it is surprising to see how frequently and emphatically the Bible speaks of itself.

An often-used verse for proof of the inspiration of Scripture is 2 Timothy 3:16 even though Paul is not addressing directly the proof of inspiration. In the greater context of the passage here, Paul is speaking to Timothy about the practical use of the Scriptures (2 Timothy 1:13-14, 2:1-2, 2:7-9, 2:14-15, 3:14). When studied in context, Paul’s mention of inspiration in verse 16 gives the impression that inspiration is clearly an assumed doctrine in need of no explanation here (which makes its teaching about inspiration all the more powerful – in this sense alone it might arguably be the strongest single verse in proof of the doctrine). Paul says that because God breathed the Scriptures out they are useful. The word in v. 16 translated “inspiration” or “inspired” (theopneustos) is probably better translated “God-exhaled” or “God-breathed”. Since it is writings which are said to be “breathed-out” this must be understood as God’s Word spoken in written form. Paul’s reference to inspiration is to emphasize the priority, authority, sufficiency, and power of God’s word in the four uses he immediately then defines: teaching, conviction (reproof), correction, and discipline in righteousness. These four identified uses serve further to prove the very doctrine of inspiration and the plenary nature of it. First, the Scriptures must be used for teaching. This principle is the very foundation of progressive sanctification. The teaching of the Scriptures reveals to the believer more of the character and attributes of God than he had known previously, as well as his own spiritual state and inability, naturally leading to the second defined use: conviction. The use of the Scriptures to convict the believer of his wrongdoing flows necessarily out of the use of them in teaching. Right thinking is born from the teaching of the Scriptures. The more rightly a believer thinks, the more he agrees with God’s holiness and his shortcoming of it. Conviction then leads the believer to the next logical question – What can be done to correct this situation? Third, the Scriptures then are clearly useful in correction. After crushing us through teaching and conviction, they tear the sin out of the believer’s life and offer in its place the correct response to God. Fourth, the Scriptures prove useful for the next logical need – sustenance. They work with the believer continually to help him order his life with the ultimate goal being godliness (1 Timothy 4:7). In these verses the Scriptures themselves clearly declare themselves both necessary and sufficient.

The effect of this evidence is cumulative. This doctrine of inspiration is not something tenuously deduced from two or three verses. No. It is the explicit, the repeated, the emphatic, the constant declaration of the Bible in all its parts.

Why did Christ die?

2005-06-10T13:10:00.000-05:00

Christ died because his Father killed him. “Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief.” (Isaiah 53:10) One of the greatest paragraphs in all the Bible is Romans 3:23-26.

All have sinned and come short of God’s glory and must be justified without cost, by His grace, through the redemption that has been accomplished by Christ Jesus, Whom God publicly provided (by the shedding of his blood) as an appeasing sacrifice to be appropriated by faith. He did this to demonstrate His righteousness because, in His tolerance, He had passed by sins committed previously in order to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so that He Himself might be just and the Justifier of the person who believes in Jesus.

Christ’s death was God’s justifying the ungodly (Romans 4:5). Yet Proverbs 17:15 tells us “He who justifies the wicked and condemns the just are equally hateful to Yahweh.” How can it be right for God to justify the ungodly? This is the very heart of the gospel – that God justifies the ungodly! Something so profound happened in Christ’s death that millions of sinners can be acquitted. It is God the Father who put forward Christ for slaughter (Romans 3:25). There is this eternal paradox: the Bible reveals God to be infinitely passionate about and joyful in His own name and glory and, at the same time, the Bible reveals Him placing His omnipotent affection on God-belittling sinners who despise His glory and cheapen His name. Is God crazy? Is He in need of counsel? No. The Lord has laid upon Him the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:6). It was not for Jesus’ sin that God crushed Him. It was because He wanted to show His people mercy. He wanted to forgive and heal and save and rejoice over us with loud singing. So in order to accomplish His purpose – to save sinners and at the same time magnify the worth of His glory – God lay on Jesus our sin and abandoned Him to death on a cross. There is a great heaviness to be grasped here. If God was going to acquit sinners then something awesomely terrible had to happen so that His unswerving passion for His glory might not be impugned. That is what Paul is talking about in Romans 3:25 when he refers to the demonstration of God’s righteousness. Christ, the God-man, must die for God to be the “just and the Justifier”. Jesus’ death glorified His Father’s name and saved His Father’s people.