Check out this position paper on Modesty. This church has taken an official position on modesty. Ought the church do this?
I think so.
http://www.cverc.org/PositionPaper_Modesty.pdf
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Going Home
I recently announced that I would be moving my family back to California. There I have been asked by a close friend to help start and pastor a new church plant. This is something I can look back and see that God has been preparing me for for quite a while. The place we are moving to is smack dab in the middle of our families. While it is difficult to say good-bye to so many wonderful families here in Georgia, we are excited about this new work the Lord has for us.
Please pray for my family as we are basically moving into the role of missionaries. I will need to find a full-time secular job to provide for my family. We are also searching for housing. Pray that God would prepare the hearts of the people He has for this new work. We will be moving the second week of June.
Some have asked me about this new church. This will be a Reformed Baptist church. We will also focus on family integration. I have pasted below the paper we have been presenting to interested families in California. This is not a completed work but simply a running tab on our ideas and convictions for what the church should look like. The points are in no particular order.
For those of you in California who are reading this post and are interested in joining this group of believers or have more questions, please email me at rcole@effinghamchristian.org.
Here it is:
Thoughts on Church
* Family Integrated- This means that the church emphasizes the worship and learning of the entire family of God together (parents and their children, the elderly, singles, widows, widowers, etc.) rather than age segregated children’s church during worship and age segregated Sunday school. Deut. 6:5-9
*Patriarchal Emphasis/ Marriage Roles- The church will have an emphasis on the biblical teaching of the husband being the spiritual head if his household. Men will be encouraged to be lovers of their wives and children. Men will be encouraged to be diligent students of scripture, be leading their wives in the learning of God’s word, and be responsible for the teaching of God’s word to the children that God has placed under them. It is the belief of the church that if men are faithfully fulfilling their role as leader, both by teaching and being an example, children will effectively grow in the Lord. There will be regular meetings among the heads of households to grow in doctrine, leadership, and accountability in order to encourage men to fulfill their role.
The church will emphasize the fulfillment of the biblical roles of husbands and wives as taught in Holy Scripture, recognizing that God instituted marriage and roles and men and women are to strive to fulfill those roles, through the power of the Holy Spirit, in order to have a blessed house. Ephesians 5:22-33
As we recognize our role as the Church as it relates to orphans and widows, we will minister to the orphans and widows the Lord graces us with. We count it a privilege to minister to women and children who have been affected with the death and/or abandonment of the head of the household. We recognize that it is only the grace of God which keeps us from the same predicament. Furthermore, we recognize that the sin which led to this predicament is no worse than our own yet perhaps more visible.
*Ministry- The patriarchal and family growth of the church emphasis negates the need for Sunday programs and/or midweek programs for children. Rather children should spend time with their families learning from their parents. Ministry opportunities should be filled by saints who see needs and are willing and ready to be used in that particular area. While midweek youth and children’s programs will not exist, the pastors may choose from time to time to offer additional worship gatherings during the week. For example, a time for general question and answer.
* Worship- Worship would be based on the regulative principle, simply meaning that if Holy Scripture does not prescribe the element then it shall be avoided. Worship will be viewed as the church’s one opportunity to worship God corporately as a body of believers. It will be based on the sole purpose of bringing glory to God for His gracious act of redeeming the souls of undeserving people. Worship will be pure, authentic, and reverent, understanding that God inhabits the praise of His people, and therefore should be viewed as something that is pleasing to our Lord. Worshiping, as a body, on the Lord's Day should be a time of sweet communion with God, where His word is faithfully and accurately taught, Jesus is glorified, and true fellowship takes place, believers with God and believers with other believers. (Acts 2:42)
*Music- The category of a song (hymn, praise song, etc.) doesn’t automatically make it more holy than another song. Each song that is sung should be doctrinally accurate, and helpful in the praising and glorifying of God. Thus each song will be examined by the elders of the church in areas of being doctrinally correct, etc. A pastor/elder will lead in music.
*Sunday School- Sunday School will consist of a short teaching, by an elder, on a subject of the elders’choosing as He/they see fit for the body. A discussion on the discourse that was just presented by the pastor will be led by the pastor and will be an interactive time including all members present (children to adults). The pastor will have sent the sermon text, as well as key questions, that will be addressed in the coming sermon for families to discuss during family devotions in order to prepare for worship on the Lord’s Day. These questions, as well as other points made in the discourse, will be discussed by the congregation. The point of this format is to have direct access to the pastor as a congregation so all members may be further edified by clarifying and getting a clearer understanding of the discourse. Children will be encouraged and given a chance to participate in the discussion.
*Government- The church will be governed by a plurality of elders, with power being equally given among the elders. Each elder will be responsible for the shepherding of families in the church. Consequently every family in the church will have an elder that is encouraging their spiritual growth as a family. New elders will be approved and ordained by the elders of the church. New elders will meet the qualifications listed in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1.
*Fellowship/Hospitality- This church views fellowship and hospitality in high regard. The family of God should fellowship with one another frequently. This builds strong relationships within the body that is helpful in spiritual growth. Monthly potlucks after Sunday service will encourage fellowship, as well as families opening up their homes to fellowship and practice Godly hospitality. Acts 2:42-47
*Mentoring- Older men and women will be encouraged to fill their biblical roles of helping the younger men and women in their quest to live a life that is honoring to the Lord. Titus 2
*Covenantal- This church will be covenantal in its view of God’s plan to save His people. It is the belief of the church that God has one elect people that he chose from before the foundation of the earth (Eph 1; Gal 3). These people are all saved in the exact same manner, an effectual call by God in where the individual responds to the Holy Spirit in a response of repentance and commitment to God and His word. God has lovingly and graciously chosen for Himself, before the foundation of the earth, a people to be His, based upon His own purpose. God is very clear in His word that He has always had a remnant throughout history, and this remnant He will call, from many tribes and tongues, until Christ’s glorious return. We recognize that because the natural man does not and cannot understand the things of God and because the natural man’s mind is hostile to God and cannot please God, that God alone can enable man to respond to the calling of the Holy Spirit. (1 Cor.2; Rom. 3 and 8; John 6; Eph.2)
*Sacraments- The sacrament of baptism will be practiced as clearly stated in scripture, mainly as prescribed in (Acts 2:41) Those who are part of the New Covenant as stated in (Jeremiah 31), specifically those who have repented of their sin trusting in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sin, are to be baptized, immersed in water, as a sign of the seal of the Holy Spirit which indwells them as a result of God’s calling. The sacrament of the Lord’s Supper or Holy Communion will be practiced as prescribed in Holy Scripture and described in the LBC. It is an ordinance instituted by Christ as a remembrance of His death which purchased us from damnation and brought us into fellowship with the Father. This sacrament will be practiced on a weekly basis and will be the culmination of the worship service. It is to be practiced only by those who are in the New Covenant, as described above, and who are not living in consistent, unrepentant rebellion toward God in any area of their life. Taking the elements in this case will bring judgment upon the soul who makes light of the bread and body of the Lord, as described in (1 Corinthians 11). These two sacraments, when administered and/or taken properly, will serve as a means for Man to be reminded of God’s grace to His people and of our proper reverence for Christ.
* Evangelism- The church will recognize and obey the great commission taught by Jesus Christ, namely the taking of the gospel into the world. Matthew 28:19-20
* Church Discipline- The church will submit to the biblical process of church discipline as found in Matthew 18. We will do this as our commitment to our brothers and sister in Christ in order to maintain the purity of Christ’s bride. We recognize that the goal in each and every step of church discipline is the restoration of the believer first to God and then to the local body.
* Accountability- Accountability is first and foremost done by the Holy Spirit in the life of every individual believer. Through clear expository preaching of the word of God, the Holy Spirit will lead in teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16). The responsibility of every believer is to respond to the spoken word of God, through the help of the Holy Spirit, in acts of obedience. We also recognize that as we live together in a dead and decaying world that is passing away along with its lusts (1 John 2:17), we are striving to offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is our reasonable act of worship. This is done by not being conformed to the pattern of the world (Romans 12:1-2). We are instructed to make no provision for the lusts of the flesh but to put on the righteousness of Christ (Romans 13:14). The Lord has commanded us as brothers and sisters in Him to hold one another accountable to this standard as our part in our sanctification, becoming more like Christ. At the point of our water baptism we declared to the Church that we were going to count the cost and follow Christ. The Church is to hold us to that declaration. While it should grieve us to see one another in sin, we should be willing to lovingly confront one another and encourage them to repent and follow Christ. This is done only after we have acknowledged the wretchedness of our own sin, confessed and repented ourselves. At the same time, accountability is much more than the confrontation of sin. Confrontation is accountability gone bad. Accountability is an open invitation and expectation from one believer to another to sharpen one another as iron sharpens iron (Proverbs 27:17). Way before confrontation there ought to be confession. We are to confess our sins one to another and share the forgiveness of Christ as we remember and celebrate our own forgiveness. An acknowledgement of one’s own sin and a willingness to confront another’s is what will lead to revival in the Church. Again, it begins only when I see the sin of others and wish that mine were so pretty.
* Summary- This church will exist solely to glorify our God by obeying His word in every aspect of our lives. Godly accountability will be emphasized (men to men/ women to women), realizing that Godly people need the love, encouragement, and admonishment of others in order to be reminded of our purpose on this earth. We recognize that since salvation is of God ALONE, a love of God and His word and a humility of spirit should be a goal of every person in God’s universal church including this one. In short we exist solely to bring God glory for He alone deserves that glory, in that He sent His Son to purchase His people from the ultimate consequence of their sin by shedding His spotless blood upon a cross and rising from the grave. Hallelujah, He lives forevermore!
LBC- London Baptist Confession (1689)
Please pray for my family as we are basically moving into the role of missionaries. I will need to find a full-time secular job to provide for my family. We are also searching for housing. Pray that God would prepare the hearts of the people He has for this new work. We will be moving the second week of June.
Some have asked me about this new church. This will be a Reformed Baptist church. We will also focus on family integration. I have pasted below the paper we have been presenting to interested families in California. This is not a completed work but simply a running tab on our ideas and convictions for what the church should look like. The points are in no particular order.
For those of you in California who are reading this post and are interested in joining this group of believers or have more questions, please email me at rcole@effinghamchristian.org.
Here it is:
Thoughts on Church
* Family Integrated- This means that the church emphasizes the worship and learning of the entire family of God together (parents and their children, the elderly, singles, widows, widowers, etc.) rather than age segregated children’s church during worship and age segregated Sunday school. Deut. 6:5-9
*Patriarchal Emphasis/ Marriage Roles- The church will have an emphasis on the biblical teaching of the husband being the spiritual head if his household. Men will be encouraged to be lovers of their wives and children. Men will be encouraged to be diligent students of scripture, be leading their wives in the learning of God’s word, and be responsible for the teaching of God’s word to the children that God has placed under them. It is the belief of the church that if men are faithfully fulfilling their role as leader, both by teaching and being an example, children will effectively grow in the Lord. There will be regular meetings among the heads of households to grow in doctrine, leadership, and accountability in order to encourage men to fulfill their role.
The church will emphasize the fulfillment of the biblical roles of husbands and wives as taught in Holy Scripture, recognizing that God instituted marriage and roles and men and women are to strive to fulfill those roles, through the power of the Holy Spirit, in order to have a blessed house. Ephesians 5:22-33
As we recognize our role as the Church as it relates to orphans and widows, we will minister to the orphans and widows the Lord graces us with. We count it a privilege to minister to women and children who have been affected with the death and/or abandonment of the head of the household. We recognize that it is only the grace of God which keeps us from the same predicament. Furthermore, we recognize that the sin which led to this predicament is no worse than our own yet perhaps more visible.
*Ministry- The patriarchal and family growth of the church emphasis negates the need for Sunday programs and/or midweek programs for children. Rather children should spend time with their families learning from their parents. Ministry opportunities should be filled by saints who see needs and are willing and ready to be used in that particular area. While midweek youth and children’s programs will not exist, the pastors may choose from time to time to offer additional worship gatherings during the week. For example, a time for general question and answer.
* Worship- Worship would be based on the regulative principle, simply meaning that if Holy Scripture does not prescribe the element then it shall be avoided. Worship will be viewed as the church’s one opportunity to worship God corporately as a body of believers. It will be based on the sole purpose of bringing glory to God for His gracious act of redeeming the souls of undeserving people. Worship will be pure, authentic, and reverent, understanding that God inhabits the praise of His people, and therefore should be viewed as something that is pleasing to our Lord. Worshiping, as a body, on the Lord's Day should be a time of sweet communion with God, where His word is faithfully and accurately taught, Jesus is glorified, and true fellowship takes place, believers with God and believers with other believers. (Acts 2:42)
*Music- The category of a song (hymn, praise song, etc.) doesn’t automatically make it more holy than another song. Each song that is sung should be doctrinally accurate, and helpful in the praising and glorifying of God. Thus each song will be examined by the elders of the church in areas of being doctrinally correct, etc. A pastor/elder will lead in music.
*Sunday School- Sunday School will consist of a short teaching, by an elder, on a subject of the elders’choosing as He/they see fit for the body. A discussion on the discourse that was just presented by the pastor will be led by the pastor and will be an interactive time including all members present (children to adults). The pastor will have sent the sermon text, as well as key questions, that will be addressed in the coming sermon for families to discuss during family devotions in order to prepare for worship on the Lord’s Day. These questions, as well as other points made in the discourse, will be discussed by the congregation. The point of this format is to have direct access to the pastor as a congregation so all members may be further edified by clarifying and getting a clearer understanding of the discourse. Children will be encouraged and given a chance to participate in the discussion.
*Government- The church will be governed by a plurality of elders, with power being equally given among the elders. Each elder will be responsible for the shepherding of families in the church. Consequently every family in the church will have an elder that is encouraging their spiritual growth as a family. New elders will be approved and ordained by the elders of the church. New elders will meet the qualifications listed in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1.
*Fellowship/Hospitality- This church views fellowship and hospitality in high regard. The family of God should fellowship with one another frequently. This builds strong relationships within the body that is helpful in spiritual growth. Monthly potlucks after Sunday service will encourage fellowship, as well as families opening up their homes to fellowship and practice Godly hospitality. Acts 2:42-47
*Mentoring- Older men and women will be encouraged to fill their biblical roles of helping the younger men and women in their quest to live a life that is honoring to the Lord. Titus 2
*Covenantal- This church will be covenantal in its view of God’s plan to save His people. It is the belief of the church that God has one elect people that he chose from before the foundation of the earth (Eph 1; Gal 3). These people are all saved in the exact same manner, an effectual call by God in where the individual responds to the Holy Spirit in a response of repentance and commitment to God and His word. God has lovingly and graciously chosen for Himself, before the foundation of the earth, a people to be His, based upon His own purpose. God is very clear in His word that He has always had a remnant throughout history, and this remnant He will call, from many tribes and tongues, until Christ’s glorious return. We recognize that because the natural man does not and cannot understand the things of God and because the natural man’s mind is hostile to God and cannot please God, that God alone can enable man to respond to the calling of the Holy Spirit. (1 Cor.2; Rom. 3 and 8; John 6; Eph.2)
*Sacraments- The sacrament of baptism will be practiced as clearly stated in scripture, mainly as prescribed in (Acts 2:41) Those who are part of the New Covenant as stated in (Jeremiah 31), specifically those who have repented of their sin trusting in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sin, are to be baptized, immersed in water, as a sign of the seal of the Holy Spirit which indwells them as a result of God’s calling. The sacrament of the Lord’s Supper or Holy Communion will be practiced as prescribed in Holy Scripture and described in the LBC. It is an ordinance instituted by Christ as a remembrance of His death which purchased us from damnation and brought us into fellowship with the Father. This sacrament will be practiced on a weekly basis and will be the culmination of the worship service. It is to be practiced only by those who are in the New Covenant, as described above, and who are not living in consistent, unrepentant rebellion toward God in any area of their life. Taking the elements in this case will bring judgment upon the soul who makes light of the bread and body of the Lord, as described in (1 Corinthians 11). These two sacraments, when administered and/or taken properly, will serve as a means for Man to be reminded of God’s grace to His people and of our proper reverence for Christ.
* Evangelism- The church will recognize and obey the great commission taught by Jesus Christ, namely the taking of the gospel into the world. Matthew 28:19-20
* Church Discipline- The church will submit to the biblical process of church discipline as found in Matthew 18. We will do this as our commitment to our brothers and sister in Christ in order to maintain the purity of Christ’s bride. We recognize that the goal in each and every step of church discipline is the restoration of the believer first to God and then to the local body.
* Accountability- Accountability is first and foremost done by the Holy Spirit in the life of every individual believer. Through clear expository preaching of the word of God, the Holy Spirit will lead in teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16). The responsibility of every believer is to respond to the spoken word of God, through the help of the Holy Spirit, in acts of obedience. We also recognize that as we live together in a dead and decaying world that is passing away along with its lusts (1 John 2:17), we are striving to offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is our reasonable act of worship. This is done by not being conformed to the pattern of the world (Romans 12:1-2). We are instructed to make no provision for the lusts of the flesh but to put on the righteousness of Christ (Romans 13:14). The Lord has commanded us as brothers and sisters in Him to hold one another accountable to this standard as our part in our sanctification, becoming more like Christ. At the point of our water baptism we declared to the Church that we were going to count the cost and follow Christ. The Church is to hold us to that declaration. While it should grieve us to see one another in sin, we should be willing to lovingly confront one another and encourage them to repent and follow Christ. This is done only after we have acknowledged the wretchedness of our own sin, confessed and repented ourselves. At the same time, accountability is much more than the confrontation of sin. Confrontation is accountability gone bad. Accountability is an open invitation and expectation from one believer to another to sharpen one another as iron sharpens iron (Proverbs 27:17). Way before confrontation there ought to be confession. We are to confess our sins one to another and share the forgiveness of Christ as we remember and celebrate our own forgiveness. An acknowledgement of one’s own sin and a willingness to confront another’s is what will lead to revival in the Church. Again, it begins only when I see the sin of others and wish that mine were so pretty.
* Summary- This church will exist solely to glorify our God by obeying His word in every aspect of our lives. Godly accountability will be emphasized (men to men/ women to women), realizing that Godly people need the love, encouragement, and admonishment of others in order to be reminded of our purpose on this earth. We recognize that since salvation is of God ALONE, a love of God and His word and a humility of spirit should be a goal of every person in God’s universal church including this one. In short we exist solely to bring God glory for He alone deserves that glory, in that He sent His Son to purchase His people from the ultimate consequence of their sin by shedding His spotless blood upon a cross and rising from the grave. Hallelujah, He lives forevermore!
LBC- London Baptist Confession (1689)
Friday, January 27, 2006
Is the Safety On?
A friend of mine showed me his firearm recently. My first question was, “Is the safety on?” Why this question? I had a respect for the weapon. Not too many of us would grab a loaded gun and toss it around and handle it flippantly. Why not? We would be scared of shooting someone, especially ourselves. In the same manner, we would not pick up a soldier’s sword and proceed to flip it through the air swinging aimlessly this way and that. Most of us could not even pick it up with one hand much less wave it around. Yet when it comes to the Sword of the Spirit, we toss it around, playing with it blindfolded as if it were a plastic toy unable to do any damage. Have we forgotten Hebrews 4:12:
For the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (emphasis mine)
The ironic part is that this is done mostly by those of us who profess to understand the weapon that it is. We get into doctrinal and theological debates with one another, proudly tossing back and forth passages from Holy Scripture like juggling clowns in the circus. The only difference is that the clowns are using plastic batons. But that is just the beginning of the discussion. As the debate proceeds we move from the harmless juggling of plastic batons to the throwing of darts. We spout out Bible verses confidently not only missing the mark, but often not even hitting the board. This might not be too bad if it were the Dart of the Spirit.
So what is the answer? Humility. Humility recognizes there is only one Master Swordsman. His name is Jesus. If our name is not Jesus Christ, we ought to approach the Sword a little more cautiously. Do not presume to know how to handle the instrument flawlessly. Do not take the weapon out of its context. Spouting out verses in a heated debate suggests a lack of respect and reverence for the Word.
Most of us would not appreciate a surgeon who says, “Toss me the scalpel.” Most surgeons use a pen to first mark the exact spot of the incision. They proceed with a still and steady hand, understanding that the slightest bump or shake could mean the difference between life and death. If only the Word were but a scalpel. It’s not. Praise God! It is living and active! He used it to perform life and death surgery on our heart!
Let us remember the power of the weapon we hold in our hands. Let us not presume to have mastered its use. Let us approach it with humility and respect. It is too heavy for but one man to both hold and direct its path. Every time we open our mouths to speak its context, let us tread slowly lest we hurt ourselves or those around us. Let us do our best to present ourselves to God as “one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).
Remember what your parents taught you, never run with sharp objects in your hands. You may fall and get hurt!
In His Grace.
For the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (emphasis mine)
The ironic part is that this is done mostly by those of us who profess to understand the weapon that it is. We get into doctrinal and theological debates with one another, proudly tossing back and forth passages from Holy Scripture like juggling clowns in the circus. The only difference is that the clowns are using plastic batons. But that is just the beginning of the discussion. As the debate proceeds we move from the harmless juggling of plastic batons to the throwing of darts. We spout out Bible verses confidently not only missing the mark, but often not even hitting the board. This might not be too bad if it were the Dart of the Spirit.
So what is the answer? Humility. Humility recognizes there is only one Master Swordsman. His name is Jesus. If our name is not Jesus Christ, we ought to approach the Sword a little more cautiously. Do not presume to know how to handle the instrument flawlessly. Do not take the weapon out of its context. Spouting out verses in a heated debate suggests a lack of respect and reverence for the Word.
Most of us would not appreciate a surgeon who says, “Toss me the scalpel.” Most surgeons use a pen to first mark the exact spot of the incision. They proceed with a still and steady hand, understanding that the slightest bump or shake could mean the difference between life and death. If only the Word were but a scalpel. It’s not. Praise God! It is living and active! He used it to perform life and death surgery on our heart!
Let us remember the power of the weapon we hold in our hands. Let us not presume to have mastered its use. Let us approach it with humility and respect. It is too heavy for but one man to both hold and direct its path. Every time we open our mouths to speak its context, let us tread slowly lest we hurt ourselves or those around us. Let us do our best to present ourselves to God as “one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).
Remember what your parents taught you, never run with sharp objects in your hands. You may fall and get hurt!
In His Grace.
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Together for the Gospel
Check out Together for the Gospel. This is a conference to be held in April. There are a few of us going. They have an interesting blog going on their web site.
Thursday, January 05, 2006
Reformed? So What?!
Total depravity.
Unconditional election.
Limited atonement.
Irresistible grace.
Perseverance/Preservation of the saints.
All true yet all meaningless as simple words on paper or spoken from a pulpit. Give me a $50 gas card and I'll be grateful. But if I don't have a car to put the gas in, it is pointless. The same is true for sound doctrine. Receiving sound doctrine is vitally important. Receiving the correct blood is also important but if the heart is not beating, it’s a waste of blood. If the sound doctrine is not lived out, it has no purpose. Sound doctrine in a dead life is dead doctrine.
There are a lot of us in reformed circles who have fallen prey to this travesty. We know what we believe but we don’t believe what we know. It has not caused change in our life making us conformed more to the image of Jesus Christ. If I really believe a parachute will save my life from the jump I’m about to make, I will do more than just hold it and show it off on the way down; I am going to strap it on my back as tight as I can stand it. And so the question is, do I live like God is sovereign? Do I live like my very life depends on the grace of God? Is my excitement in the content of the Truth of God or in the idea that I can explain it? Unfortunately for many, our excitement is in the idea that we actually know the truth more than the next guy. We actually hold the correct key that opens the mansion. The problem will be when we are not allowed up to the door. What will keep us from approaching? Our pride. Correct doctrine does not leave room for pride. A pastor’s teaching may sound right on and be absolutely correct interpretation but if it is taught with pride, it is false doctrine. If we really believe what we say we believe, then we ought to be the most humble people who ever walked the face of the earth!
A new favorite passage of mine is 1 Peter 3:15.
… always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you…
Anyone who is reformed should love this verse! This is why we study so hard and practice defending our doctrine in the mirror.
Again, the problem is that we do what I have just done. We leave off what comes before and after it. The beginning of verse 15 says, “but sanctify Christ as Lord in you hearts…”
The end says, “yet with gentleness and reverence.”
The greater context tells us the point of the passage. We are not being exhorted to be closet Christians and when someone knocks on the door to crack it open and whisper, “There’s a Christian in here.” This passage is not suggesting or even implying any form of passive Christianity. Nor is it suggesting or implying a “proud that I know more than you” Christianity. What this passage is DEMANDING is a life that is out-rightly, blatantly, unashamedly being lived for Christ and his glory. A life that is being offered as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God as a reasonable act of worship. A life lived righteously in the face of the world that tells us to live for ourselves. And when the world confronts us, which it will if we are living this way, we will be forced to give a defense for turning our back on the world’s system. I don’t care if you can explain predestination if you don’t live like you are.
Don’t love doctrine more than you love people.
As you come to doctrinal conclusions and make them your own, if you are right, it’s not because you figured it out!
Person 1:
Do you love Jesus?
Yes.
Do you live Jesus?
Yes.
Are you reformed?
What’s that mean?
Let’s talk.
Person 2:
Do you love Jesus?
Duh.
Do you live Jesus?
I can tell you who He is.
Do you live Jesus?
I can tell you why He came to earth?
Do you live Jesus?
I can tell you who He died for.
Do you live Jesus?
Not really because I’m depraved. That’s the T in TULIP. Totally depra…
Do you live Jesus?
No but I’m reformed.
Reformed? So what?!!
Unconditional election.
Limited atonement.
Irresistible grace.
Perseverance/Preservation of the saints.
All true yet all meaningless as simple words on paper or spoken from a pulpit. Give me a $50 gas card and I'll be grateful. But if I don't have a car to put the gas in, it is pointless. The same is true for sound doctrine. Receiving sound doctrine is vitally important. Receiving the correct blood is also important but if the heart is not beating, it’s a waste of blood. If the sound doctrine is not lived out, it has no purpose. Sound doctrine in a dead life is dead doctrine.
There are a lot of us in reformed circles who have fallen prey to this travesty. We know what we believe but we don’t believe what we know. It has not caused change in our life making us conformed more to the image of Jesus Christ. If I really believe a parachute will save my life from the jump I’m about to make, I will do more than just hold it and show it off on the way down; I am going to strap it on my back as tight as I can stand it. And so the question is, do I live like God is sovereign? Do I live like my very life depends on the grace of God? Is my excitement in the content of the Truth of God or in the idea that I can explain it? Unfortunately for many, our excitement is in the idea that we actually know the truth more than the next guy. We actually hold the correct key that opens the mansion. The problem will be when we are not allowed up to the door. What will keep us from approaching? Our pride. Correct doctrine does not leave room for pride. A pastor’s teaching may sound right on and be absolutely correct interpretation but if it is taught with pride, it is false doctrine. If we really believe what we say we believe, then we ought to be the most humble people who ever walked the face of the earth!
A new favorite passage of mine is 1 Peter 3:15.
… always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you…
Anyone who is reformed should love this verse! This is why we study so hard and practice defending our doctrine in the mirror.
Again, the problem is that we do what I have just done. We leave off what comes before and after it. The beginning of verse 15 says, “but sanctify Christ as Lord in you hearts…”
The end says, “yet with gentleness and reverence.”
The greater context tells us the point of the passage. We are not being exhorted to be closet Christians and when someone knocks on the door to crack it open and whisper, “There’s a Christian in here.” This passage is not suggesting or even implying any form of passive Christianity. Nor is it suggesting or implying a “proud that I know more than you” Christianity. What this passage is DEMANDING is a life that is out-rightly, blatantly, unashamedly being lived for Christ and his glory. A life that is being offered as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God as a reasonable act of worship. A life lived righteously in the face of the world that tells us to live for ourselves. And when the world confronts us, which it will if we are living this way, we will be forced to give a defense for turning our back on the world’s system. I don’t care if you can explain predestination if you don’t live like you are.
Don’t love doctrine more than you love people.
As you come to doctrinal conclusions and make them your own, if you are right, it’s not because you figured it out!
Person 1:
Do you love Jesus?
Yes.
Do you live Jesus?
Yes.
Are you reformed?
What’s that mean?
Let’s talk.
Person 2:
Do you love Jesus?
Duh.
Do you live Jesus?
I can tell you who He is.
Do you live Jesus?
I can tell you why He came to earth?
Do you live Jesus?
I can tell you who He died for.
Do you live Jesus?
Not really because I’m depraved. That’s the T in TULIP. Totally depra…
Do you live Jesus?
No but I’m reformed.
Reformed? So what?!!
Thursday, December 08, 2005
Survival of the Foulest
Was Darwin right? Is the theory of evolution consistent with Scripture? An emphatic, NO! But… was Darwin on to something that is consistent with Scripture? Perhaps. Every movie plot deals with the tension between two ideas: right vs. wrong, good vs. evil, strong vs. weak. Why is this the focus of Hollywood? Because Hollywood strives to produce films with which people can relate. Like it or not, Hollywood is an accurate representation of our society. And like it or not, what we have seen in our society is the survival of the strongest. What makes the strongest strong? It is what is embraced by the majority of people. It is in this basic idea that Darwin was correct. Were my ancestors next-door neighbors to Sponge Bob? No way! While evolution is one of the most foolish concepts a depraved mind has ever conceived, that is not the focus of this article.
I will present three pieces of evidence that suggest a more accurate concept is the, “Survival of the Foulest.”
1. Television Ratings. Take a moment sometime to visit http://www.parentstv.org/. What you will see will astound you, maybe. There you will find explicit descriptions of the shows you friends, family, and perhaps even yourself dedicate hours of your life to watching. Why do we watch it night after night, week after week? Because it is entertaining to us. Which means we take pleasure in what we see. Back to my point, which shows receive the best ratings (the most people watching)? The shows that are able to show the most disgusting, raunchy, most immorally sexual, most foul scenes are the ones people prefer. We, as a culture, take pleasure in adultery. We take pleasure in sexual immorality. We take pleasure in murder. Basically, take a jog through the Ten Commandments and the rest of Scripture and you will find that everything that disgusts our holy God brings us pleasure. It is in the success of prime time television we see The Survival of the Foulest.
2. Fashion Trends. Why is it we are paying more and more for less and less? I’m not talking about the quality of the fabric. I’m talking about the amount of fabric. Clothing that is popular is that which shows the most flesh. The goal is to be as naked as possible without being legally nude. Before too long, there will be no such thing. I don’t think I need to belabor this point with my readers. The point is simply this: It is in fashion trends that we see The Survival of the Foulest.
3. The Church. What? Did he say the church? Yes, he did. What is the number one way to grow a local church? Adulterate the Word of God. Make people comfortable in their sin. Get them in church without them knowing they’re in church. Get them to say a prayer without them knowing they are talking to a holy, holy, holy God who detests their sin and is ready to pour out His wrath upon it. Tell them God loves them just as they are. Unfortunately, when they try to enter the Wedding Feast “as they are” they will realize that is not acceptable. The Lord Himself clothes us with the garment required to enter the Feast. He clothes us with the righteousness of Christ because we have none of our own.
So unfortunately, in a day when the Church should be standing in the face of a lost and dying culture, it has become the clearest evidence of The Survival of the Foulest.
I will present three pieces of evidence that suggest a more accurate concept is the, “Survival of the Foulest.”
1. Television Ratings. Take a moment sometime to visit http://www.parentstv.org/. What you will see will astound you, maybe. There you will find explicit descriptions of the shows you friends, family, and perhaps even yourself dedicate hours of your life to watching. Why do we watch it night after night, week after week? Because it is entertaining to us. Which means we take pleasure in what we see. Back to my point, which shows receive the best ratings (the most people watching)? The shows that are able to show the most disgusting, raunchy, most immorally sexual, most foul scenes are the ones people prefer. We, as a culture, take pleasure in adultery. We take pleasure in sexual immorality. We take pleasure in murder. Basically, take a jog through the Ten Commandments and the rest of Scripture and you will find that everything that disgusts our holy God brings us pleasure. It is in the success of prime time television we see The Survival of the Foulest.
2. Fashion Trends. Why is it we are paying more and more for less and less? I’m not talking about the quality of the fabric. I’m talking about the amount of fabric. Clothing that is popular is that which shows the most flesh. The goal is to be as naked as possible without being legally nude. Before too long, there will be no such thing. I don’t think I need to belabor this point with my readers. The point is simply this: It is in fashion trends that we see The Survival of the Foulest.
3. The Church. What? Did he say the church? Yes, he did. What is the number one way to grow a local church? Adulterate the Word of God. Make people comfortable in their sin. Get them in church without them knowing they’re in church. Get them to say a prayer without them knowing they are talking to a holy, holy, holy God who detests their sin and is ready to pour out His wrath upon it. Tell them God loves them just as they are. Unfortunately, when they try to enter the Wedding Feast “as they are” they will realize that is not acceptable. The Lord Himself clothes us with the garment required to enter the Feast. He clothes us with the righteousness of Christ because we have none of our own.
So unfortunately, in a day when the Church should be standing in the face of a lost and dying culture, it has become the clearest evidence of The Survival of the Foulest.
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
Take it to Heart
Last Saturday, one of our church members, Randall Payne, was shot in a hunting accident and he did not survive. Randy loved the Lord and is now worshipping Him 24/7. Actually, Randy is no longer experiencing 24/7. He is now in that eternal state of worshipping His Creator. Some would say that scripture says, "to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord." It is true for the believer that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord, but that's not what the scriptures say. 2 Corinthians 5:8 says, "we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord." Do you see the difference? Not only is the principle of being in the Lord's presence instantly true, it is preferred. Randy is where he prefers to be.
So, what do we do now? First we must attend the funeral, the house of mourning. Read Ecclesiastes 7:2 "It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, because that is the end of every man, and the living take it to heart." (emphasis mine) The Lord says a funeral is better time spent than a party. Why? Because we will all, one day, be the guest of honor at a funeral. We will all, one day, be the one to be mourned. Attending a funeral brings this fact to the front of the mind. One considers his life and his relationship with the Lord or whether there is a Lord. A funeral forces us to step back from the temporary and focus, if only for an hour, on the eternal.
Why is this important? Because we do not know when our eternity will begin. Randy was 42 years old. He was doing something he loved to do, hunt. He had all intentions of returning home to his wife and seven children.
And then...the accident. Or was it an accident? Let us look a little further down in Ecclesiastes to 7:13-14, "Consider the work of God, For who is able to straighten what He has bent? In the day of prosperity be happy, But in the day of adversity consider - God has made the one as well as the other so that man will not discover anything that will be after him."
God makes our good days. And God, yes God, makes our bad days. Yes, God makes our bad days. A wise man once said, "God does not make accidents, He makes appointments." How true. Read the last part of the last passage again. "So that man will not discover anything that will be after him."
Inside of the purpose of God's own glory, God created us for a relationship with Himself. That relationship is based on faith, trust, and obedience. If we knew events that were to come and were able to prepare for them, what need would we have for faith, trust and obedience? We are totally, one hundred percent dependent on the Lord for every breath and every need. And that is how He intended it to be. And so as our appointments unfold, let us run to Him, our rock and our refuge. He is the all sovereign, all powerful, omniscient, merciful, gracious, loving, ruler of the universe. Where else will we find our every need? He is in control of all things and all things are in His control.
This grievous event took us by surprise, but it was no accident. Believer, rest assured God does not make accidents. He filled His appointment book before the foundation of the world. And every name has its own time.
Randy was prepared for his appointment. Are you?
So, what do we do now? First we must attend the funeral, the house of mourning. Read Ecclesiastes 7:2 "It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, because that is the end of every man, and the living take it to heart." (emphasis mine) The Lord says a funeral is better time spent than a party. Why? Because we will all, one day, be the guest of honor at a funeral. We will all, one day, be the one to be mourned. Attending a funeral brings this fact to the front of the mind. One considers his life and his relationship with the Lord or whether there is a Lord. A funeral forces us to step back from the temporary and focus, if only for an hour, on the eternal.
Why is this important? Because we do not know when our eternity will begin. Randy was 42 years old. He was doing something he loved to do, hunt. He had all intentions of returning home to his wife and seven children.
And then...the accident. Or was it an accident? Let us look a little further down in Ecclesiastes to 7:13-14, "Consider the work of God, For who is able to straighten what He has bent? In the day of prosperity be happy, But in the day of adversity consider - God has made the one as well as the other so that man will not discover anything that will be after him."
God makes our good days. And God, yes God, makes our bad days. Yes, God makes our bad days. A wise man once said, "God does not make accidents, He makes appointments." How true. Read the last part of the last passage again. "So that man will not discover anything that will be after him."
Inside of the purpose of God's own glory, God created us for a relationship with Himself. That relationship is based on faith, trust, and obedience. If we knew events that were to come and were able to prepare for them, what need would we have for faith, trust and obedience? We are totally, one hundred percent dependent on the Lord for every breath and every need. And that is how He intended it to be. And so as our appointments unfold, let us run to Him, our rock and our refuge. He is the all sovereign, all powerful, omniscient, merciful, gracious, loving, ruler of the universe. Where else will we find our every need? He is in control of all things and all things are in His control.
This grievous event took us by surprise, but it was no accident. Believer, rest assured God does not make accidents. He filled His appointment book before the foundation of the world. And every name has its own time.
Randy was prepared for his appointment. Are you?
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Galatians 1:6-7
I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.
The first subject, verb and direct object we see in this passage is you (subject), are deserting (verb), and Him (direct object). (I've been working with my daughter on English). This is quite an accusation being delivered to the Galatians. He is calling them deserters. This is the same Greek word (metathemi) used to describe military desertion. It means to transfer one-self, change sides or parties, turn away from someone. They have deserted Christ and they have done it not long at all after Paul left from delivering the gospel to them. Paul says he is amazed. He wonders. He is at a loss for words at how quickly and hastily they have turned away. And they have not just turned away from the correct gospel, they have turned away from Christ Himself! Wow! When we distort the gospel we do not just have incorrect doctrine; we are deserting Christ! Any time there is a turning away, there is a turning to. When they(or we) turned away from Christ, they were turning away from His grace. They turned to a different gospel. The "gospel" being spoken of is a "gospel" of law. As mentioned in earlier notes (vv.3-5), Judaizers were teaching people they must obey the law in order to be saved. As Paul mentions, this is not really even a "gospel." Why? Gospel, by definition, is "good news." What is so "good news" about having to do the impossible to be saved? Besides, that would not be "being saved." That would be "saving ourselves."
Although they turned away quickly, Paul does not fail to mention they were troubled, or disturbed, in the process. Was the Holy Spirit convicting and they ignored Him? Or is he saying there was dissension in the church as a result? I don't know.
What I do know is that these perverts (the Judaizers) were doing this willfully! The Greek word for "want to" or "would" distort means, "to will, wish, desire, implying active volition and purpose." Why do I call them perverts? That's what they were doing. They were committing spiritual adultery; turning from from a grace relationship with Christ to an obedience relationship with the law. They were perverting the gospel of Jesus Christ.
A couple of interesting notes from these verses:
1. Paul is speaking to believers. We know this from his greeting and from his comment in verse six, "Him who called you." He is speaking to the called. Let us preach the gospel, the real gospel, to ourselves daily. Let us not be deceived into the idea that we can earn our salvation through our obedience, lest He call us deserters!
2. How can we know when we are turning away? When we turn away from Christ (the person) we almost always turn to an idea, such as obedience or good deeds. Let us always keep the focus of our faith on the person of Christ!
The first subject, verb and direct object we see in this passage is you (subject), are deserting (verb), and Him (direct object). (I've been working with my daughter on English). This is quite an accusation being delivered to the Galatians. He is calling them deserters. This is the same Greek word (metathemi) used to describe military desertion. It means to transfer one-self, change sides or parties, turn away from someone. They have deserted Christ and they have done it not long at all after Paul left from delivering the gospel to them. Paul says he is amazed. He wonders. He is at a loss for words at how quickly and hastily they have turned away. And they have not just turned away from the correct gospel, they have turned away from Christ Himself! Wow! When we distort the gospel we do not just have incorrect doctrine; we are deserting Christ! Any time there is a turning away, there is a turning to. When they(or we) turned away from Christ, they were turning away from His grace. They turned to a different gospel. The "gospel" being spoken of is a "gospel" of law. As mentioned in earlier notes (vv.3-5), Judaizers were teaching people they must obey the law in order to be saved. As Paul mentions, this is not really even a "gospel." Why? Gospel, by definition, is "good news." What is so "good news" about having to do the impossible to be saved? Besides, that would not be "being saved." That would be "saving ourselves."
Although they turned away quickly, Paul does not fail to mention they were troubled, or disturbed, in the process. Was the Holy Spirit convicting and they ignored Him? Or is he saying there was dissension in the church as a result? I don't know.
What I do know is that these perverts (the Judaizers) were doing this willfully! The Greek word for "want to" or "would" distort means, "to will, wish, desire, implying active volition and purpose." Why do I call them perverts? That's what they were doing. They were committing spiritual adultery; turning from from a grace relationship with Christ to an obedience relationship with the law. They were perverting the gospel of Jesus Christ.
A couple of interesting notes from these verses:
1. Paul is speaking to believers. We know this from his greeting and from his comment in verse six, "Him who called you." He is speaking to the called. Let us preach the gospel, the real gospel, to ourselves daily. Let us not be deceived into the idea that we can earn our salvation through our obedience, lest He call us deserters!
2. How can we know when we are turning away? When we turn away from Christ (the person) we almost always turn to an idea, such as obedience or good deeds. Let us always keep the focus of our faith on the person of Christ!
Friday, October 07, 2005
Heaven's Gates Update
A couple of weeks ago I had a great lunch with Pastor Bob Rogers of Rincon FBC. We talked briefly about the Heaven's Gates and Hell's Flames drama. Pastor Bob assured me that there were more hands up than I was able to see from my position in the room. I assured him I would make that right on my blog.
For the complete post on this drama see my post dated Wednesday, August 31 titled, "Hell's Flames at Heaven's Gates?
For the complete post on this drama see my post dated Wednesday, August 31 titled, "Hell's Flames at Heaven's Gates?
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
Back From Gulfport
Last week a group of eight people (3 from Ephesus) went to Gulfport, Mississippi to help with hurricane relief. The group went as representatives of Effingham CARES. Once we arrived, we met up with the Effingham CARES missionary there in Gulfport. Rick Thomas and his wife Wanda have parked there RV in the parking lot of Cross Point Church where several other church groups from around the country arrive weekly to help out. Each week a new team from Effingham meets up with the Thomas' to minister to the people in Gulfport. The Effingham CARES team has adopted a community in order to build relationships with the people there. This was such a blessing to me and the rest of the team. Of particular interest, was Ms. Mamie. Ms. Mamie is an 83 year-old woman who rode out the storm in her weathered down home.
In addition to Ms. Mamie's home we cleared trees from several other homes and helped to clean and repair the neighborhood church being used as a distribution center. The folks at Victory Temple Worshp Center were a tremendous blessing to us. Isn't amazing when you go to serve others and leave knowing in your heart that you were the most blessed?
On Friday we hosted a neighborhood block party where we served over 100 hamburgers and hotdogs to residents of that community. We had several opportunities to share the gospel.
Some of us had the opportunity to travel to the most devastated area. Wow. While in Gulfport, I had my camera bag stolen out of the church van. I have been so frustrated about that. I don't care about the bag. I had the camera around my neck. But my jump drive was in the bag and is probably now in a dumpster somewhere. On that jumpdrive were about 100 family pictures and several important files. None of them able to be replaced. And then I remembered what I saw along the Gulf Coast. Many got away with only the clothes on their backs. Several did not get away. Those who did returned to see their homes completely gone. Nothing left but the cement slab. Surely in those homes were more than hundreds of family pictures. Gone. Yes, even pictures that last from generation to generation are temporary. It is at these times it is sweet to have the Spirit testify withour spirit that we are children of God and that is eternal.
Consider Psalm 148:7-8:
Praise the Lord from the earth, sea monsters and all deeps; Fire and hail, snow and clouds; Stormy wind, fulfilling His word.
Thursday, September 15, 2005
Ditto:Good Idea
Russ has a link to a great article from Joe Thorn over at Words of Grace Blog . Anyone who blogs needs to read this article. Let us all constantly remind one another of our responsibility to only speak that which is edifying and useful for building up one another. This does not mean we cannot critique and challenge. It simply means if we do it without love in a way that honors our Lord, it is not only useless, it is sin.
Robert
Robert
Friday, September 09, 2005
Who CARES?
This is concerning the same subject as my previous post so I had to think of a new name! Effingham CARES had its first meeting yesterday. The time spent was very productive. We were joined by Dr. Rick Thomas. Rick is a member at Grace Community Church and is a servant of the Lord. Rick will leave tomorrow, Saturday, September 10, for Gulfport, Mississippi. There he will set up camp where he and his wife will remain for at least a month and a half. Rick will be the on-site coordinator/director for the missions teams coming from Effingham. This is where we come in. We need missions teams. This, ideally, will be a one-week commitment. We would leave on Saturday morning and return the following Saturday. If anyone is interested, please let me know ASAP. We will be announcing this at church on Sunday. Let's go serve Christ in Mississippi. More info will soon be available at www.effinghamcares.org.
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
Effingham CARES
I attended a lunch meeting today at Rincon First Baptist. Pastor Bob Rogers gracefully hosted a wonderful time of fellowship. Effingham pastors and church representatives gathered to discuss how the believers in Effingham County can come together to serve the hurricane victims in the name of Jesus Christ. Over an hour and a half the Lord blessed as we shared information and ideas. The outcome is a new organization called Effingham CARES (Christians Actively Responding to Emergency Situations). I now serve as chairman alongside a few other men who will lead this effort. We will be providing centralized giving stations as well as putting together teams of people to go serve on location. We will soon have a web site ready for viewing. Stay posted, as I will give any information updates on my blog.
Galatians 1:3-5
Galatians 1:3 -5
Perhaps the main theme of Galatians is that which was being attacked by false teachers during that time; justification by faith. False teachers, Judaizers, were teaching people they must obey the law in order to be saved. Paul wastes no time getting to the point. He begins here in his greeting setting the record straight. “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ…” If the language here does not prove his point, the context of the rest of the verse does. Let us, however, consider the language first. We understand, I’m sure, charis. This is the word translated “grace.” Read the definition:
A favor done without expectation
of return; absolute freeness of the
loving-kindness of God to men,
finding its only motive in the
bounty and freeheartedness
of the Giver; unearned and
unmerited favor.
This word grace would have been sufficient, but Paul tacks on the phrase, “peace from God.” Isn’t it interesting he does not say peace to God? The word translated peace is the Greek word Eirene.
The word denotes the absence
of or end of strife. It denotes a
state of untroubled, undisturbed,
well-being. When it is combined
with charis it affects the character
of the person. That is, it further
defines that attribute of God,
which initiates the rescue of the
souls of men. Once again, it shows
us that it is God who has initiated
this transaction. Peace as a
Messianic blessing is that state
brought about by the grace
and loving mind of God wherein
the derangement and distress of
life caused by sin are removed. (Italics mine).
If the language has not already convinced the reader, let us move onto the context. Paul tells us how the peace from God our Father and Jesus Christ was transacted. He says it was accomplished through Christ who gave Himself for our sins. And the reason for that was to rescue us from this present evil age or world. Why do we need rescuing? We are on a sinking ship! We are on a plane that is going down! We live in a cursed world whose end is destruction. The scary part is that we deserve the end as much as anybody else. That is why this peace must be initiated by or from God. John tells us in 1 John 2:17 that the world is passing away. Oh the glorious Savior has swooped down from His heavenly abode into the depths of our wretched cave and rescued us from the most hideous of all creatures, ourselves. Let us not forget it is our sin that makes this age evil!
This was all done according to the wonderful blue print designed before the creation of the world. It was done according to the will of our God and Father. That is, it was done according to what God decided was for His good pleasure for His own glory. That means it was on His terms from the beginning. Jesus was simply following the playbook the Father had given Him. The Father was, has always, and will always call the shots.
To conclude this wonderful sermon jam-packed into two, seemingly small, verses Paul once again makes sure glory is given where it is due.
“… To whom (our God and Father) be the glory forevermore.”
The apostle Paul, through the inspiration of the Spirit, had a wonderful way of getting the point across with few words. While his greeting here is more than sincere, he is also teaching the sheep the truth.
Praise God to whom all glory is due!
Definitions taken from, “The Complete Word Study; New Testament.” Spiros Zodhiates.
Perhaps the main theme of Galatians is that which was being attacked by false teachers during that time; justification by faith. False teachers, Judaizers, were teaching people they must obey the law in order to be saved. Paul wastes no time getting to the point. He begins here in his greeting setting the record straight. “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ…” If the language here does not prove his point, the context of the rest of the verse does. Let us, however, consider the language first. We understand, I’m sure, charis. This is the word translated “grace.” Read the definition:
A favor done without expectation
of return; absolute freeness of the
loving-kindness of God to men,
finding its only motive in the
bounty and freeheartedness
of the Giver; unearned and
unmerited favor.
This word grace would have been sufficient, but Paul tacks on the phrase, “peace from God.” Isn’t it interesting he does not say peace to God? The word translated peace is the Greek word Eirene.
The word denotes the absence
of or end of strife. It denotes a
state of untroubled, undisturbed,
well-being. When it is combined
with charis it affects the character
of the person. That is, it further
defines that attribute of God,
which initiates the rescue of the
souls of men. Once again, it shows
us that it is God who has initiated
this transaction. Peace as a
Messianic blessing is that state
brought about by the grace
and loving mind of God wherein
the derangement and distress of
life caused by sin are removed. (Italics mine).
If the language has not already convinced the reader, let us move onto the context. Paul tells us how the peace from God our Father and Jesus Christ was transacted. He says it was accomplished through Christ who gave Himself for our sins. And the reason for that was to rescue us from this present evil age or world. Why do we need rescuing? We are on a sinking ship! We are on a plane that is going down! We live in a cursed world whose end is destruction. The scary part is that we deserve the end as much as anybody else. That is why this peace must be initiated by or from God. John tells us in 1 John 2:17 that the world is passing away. Oh the glorious Savior has swooped down from His heavenly abode into the depths of our wretched cave and rescued us from the most hideous of all creatures, ourselves. Let us not forget it is our sin that makes this age evil!
This was all done according to the wonderful blue print designed before the creation of the world. It was done according to the will of our God and Father. That is, it was done according to what God decided was for His good pleasure for His own glory. That means it was on His terms from the beginning. Jesus was simply following the playbook the Father had given Him. The Father was, has always, and will always call the shots.
To conclude this wonderful sermon jam-packed into two, seemingly small, verses Paul once again makes sure glory is given where it is due.
“… To whom (our God and Father) be the glory forevermore.”
The apostle Paul, through the inspiration of the Spirit, had a wonderful way of getting the point across with few words. While his greeting here is more than sincere, he is also teaching the sheep the truth.
Praise God to whom all glory is due!
Definitions taken from, “The Complete Word Study; New Testament.” Spiros Zodhiates.
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Hell's Flames at Heaven's Gates?
Last night I attended the presentation of Heaven's Gates and Hell's Flames. It is quite sad to witness hundreds of people being taught a false gospel. Here I will point out just a few of the heresies.
1. Satan is portrayed as ruling hell. There he torments and tortures those who have not "prayed the prayer." Look at Revelation 20:10, "And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever." Hell was created for the torture of Satan not for his rule.
2. One scene depicts a mother and daughter at the gates of heaven. The daughter has prayed the prayer but the mother had not. Next, Satan comes out of hell and drags the mom away from the daughter. What?!
3. A girl is in the process of committing suicide. Behind her, Satan is pacing back and forth excited about what he sees. Behind Satan stands Jesus, hopeless and unable to help her. Poor Jesus is no competition for Satan. Or, as I recall, "greater is He (Jesus) that is in you than he (Satan) that is in the world." Does not Jesus exercise authority over Satan and demons at every occurrence in the Scriptures?
4. It is explicitly taught in this production that one's name is not written in the book of life until they pray "the prayer."
5. When a family dies in a car wreck and is reunited with their other daughter who had gone on before them, they simply walk right past Jesus, not even recognizing His presence. This may be a small point for some but it is misleading at best. It definitely minimizes Christ. I believe I will fall on my face when Jesus is before me, regardless of who else I see in that glorious place.
6. My next point has to do with the invitation. This was a classical example of emotionalism and manipulation. With all heads bowed and eyes closed four, maybe five hands are in the air. For every hand we heard about five, "thank yous." With a few hands up we are told that hands are up all over this place. This is called, "Everybody is doing it. Don't be scared or embarrassed."
Also, we are encouraged not to move around too much as we might effect someone's decision. To use a bit of sarcasm, I suppose a possible scene would be a friend who is headed to hell crying to a believing friend, "I almost prayed the prayer, why did you have to go to the restroom. Now I'm going to hell because you couldn't control your bladder."
According to this production, God is not sovereign. Believer, be comforted. Paul says, "to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord." We don't have to worry about spending a few moments in purgatory watching our loved ones being drug into hell.
To end the evening with a nice ecumenical seal, those who have prayed "the prayer" are encouraged to go back and speak to their pastor or their priest and get involved.
The gospel is adequate for salvation. The true gospel.
There is a holy God. He created you and me in His image. We fell into sin and now every person born is born into sin. This holy God has a perfect law. We are all guilty of breaking it. We all deserve His just and righteous wrath. For this reason, God sent himself in the form of His Son; the God-man, Jesus. Jesus lived a perfect life without sin. He obeyed the perfect law perfectly. He was innocent; guiltless. He was then crucified. He was accursed. He died a sinner's death. He was the perfect sacrifice; the only acceptable payment or appeasement for the sin of man. All who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. The Lord reveals Himself to those whom He chooses. The Holy Spirit convicts the child of God of their sin according t0 the Word of God. The true child of God then repents of that sin and surrenders his whole life to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. This Christian will suffer trials and tribulation. If a Christian is living in this world according to their heavenly citizenship, they will be persecuted for their faith. This is the will of God. Jesus did not come for us to be happy and have our best life now. He came that we would be righteous. We have none (righteousness) of our own. He imputed His to us (the children of God). Oh what manner of love the Father has lavished upon us that we should be called the children of God. Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any created thing shall be able to separate me form the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Just a final note. I appreciate our brothers and sisters for their love for the lost. They have put many of us to shame in their efforts. I do not doubt their love for the Lord. I simply plea that we not think the sovereign Lord of the universe who holds all things together needs us to use our craftiness to accomplish His work.
In His Grace, Robert
1. Satan is portrayed as ruling hell. There he torments and tortures those who have not "prayed the prayer." Look at Revelation 20:10, "And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever." Hell was created for the torture of Satan not for his rule.
2. One scene depicts a mother and daughter at the gates of heaven. The daughter has prayed the prayer but the mother had not. Next, Satan comes out of hell and drags the mom away from the daughter. What?!
3. A girl is in the process of committing suicide. Behind her, Satan is pacing back and forth excited about what he sees. Behind Satan stands Jesus, hopeless and unable to help her. Poor Jesus is no competition for Satan. Or, as I recall, "greater is He (Jesus) that is in you than he (Satan) that is in the world." Does not Jesus exercise authority over Satan and demons at every occurrence in the Scriptures?
4. It is explicitly taught in this production that one's name is not written in the book of life until they pray "the prayer."
5. When a family dies in a car wreck and is reunited with their other daughter who had gone on before them, they simply walk right past Jesus, not even recognizing His presence. This may be a small point for some but it is misleading at best. It definitely minimizes Christ. I believe I will fall on my face when Jesus is before me, regardless of who else I see in that glorious place.
6. My next point has to do with the invitation. This was a classical example of emotionalism and manipulation. With all heads bowed and eyes closed four, maybe five hands are in the air. For every hand we heard about five, "thank yous." With a few hands up we are told that hands are up all over this place. This is called, "Everybody is doing it. Don't be scared or embarrassed."
Also, we are encouraged not to move around too much as we might effect someone's decision. To use a bit of sarcasm, I suppose a possible scene would be a friend who is headed to hell crying to a believing friend, "I almost prayed the prayer, why did you have to go to the restroom. Now I'm going to hell because you couldn't control your bladder."
According to this production, God is not sovereign. Believer, be comforted. Paul says, "to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord." We don't have to worry about spending a few moments in purgatory watching our loved ones being drug into hell.
To end the evening with a nice ecumenical seal, those who have prayed "the prayer" are encouraged to go back and speak to their pastor or their priest and get involved.
The gospel is adequate for salvation. The true gospel.
There is a holy God. He created you and me in His image. We fell into sin and now every person born is born into sin. This holy God has a perfect law. We are all guilty of breaking it. We all deserve His just and righteous wrath. For this reason, God sent himself in the form of His Son; the God-man, Jesus. Jesus lived a perfect life without sin. He obeyed the perfect law perfectly. He was innocent; guiltless. He was then crucified. He was accursed. He died a sinner's death. He was the perfect sacrifice; the only acceptable payment or appeasement for the sin of man. All who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. The Lord reveals Himself to those whom He chooses. The Holy Spirit convicts the child of God of their sin according t0 the Word of God. The true child of God then repents of that sin and surrenders his whole life to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. This Christian will suffer trials and tribulation. If a Christian is living in this world according to their heavenly citizenship, they will be persecuted for their faith. This is the will of God. Jesus did not come for us to be happy and have our best life now. He came that we would be righteous. We have none (righteousness) of our own. He imputed His to us (the children of God). Oh what manner of love the Father has lavished upon us that we should be called the children of God. Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any created thing shall be able to separate me form the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Just a final note. I appreciate our brothers and sisters for their love for the lost. They have put many of us to shame in their efforts. I do not doubt their love for the Lord. I simply plea that we not think the sovereign Lord of the universe who holds all things together needs us to use our craftiness to accomplish His work.
In His Grace, Robert
Friday, August 26, 2005
Follow-up
Allow me to follow up on my previous post. I pray it did not come across arrogantly. I will say, I do hate divorce. My life has been torn up because of it. I bring that presupposition into my study, I know. Although it may not appear so from the post, I would not go to the firing wall for my position. This is my position thus far. It appears to make sense from the Scriptures. It appears to be consistent with God's character. I continue to search this topic out. The bottom line for my family is that divorce is not an option. By God's grace I will hold true to this declaration. Please read the posts on two of my brothers' blogs here and here. I share their heart.
In His Faithful Grip,
Robert
In His Faithful Grip,
Robert
Thursday, August 25, 2005
I Hate Divorce! Did God Really Say...?
(I reserve the right to sway from my Galatians series at any time)
Is divorce permissible at all? Some say under two circumstances it is. I disagree. After a discussion at church I have been asked to place my position on my blog. So here it is.
The idea of divorce begins, of course in the Old Testament. Deu 22:19 is the first time we see the English word divorce in the Old Testament. Here God sets the tone for disliking divorce. He says the man, even in strong disagreeing circumstances, cannot divorce the wife all his days. Then there is the popular Jer 3:8 where God says He has given Israel a writ of divorce. Even more He says it is because of her many adulteries. What is often over looked though is that in that same chapter God is calling for Israel to return to Him and we know that eventually Israel does return. Divorce is not used with the sense of permanence as we use it today. God is a covenant-keeping God. Of course this paper would not be complete without mentioning the ever so famous Malachi 2:16, “‘For I hate divorce,’ says the LORD, the God of Israel.” No where in Scripture do we see God saying that He has changed His mind about this.
In the New Testament we find seemingly clear instructions on divorce. The pharisees, in Mat 19:3, have done us the favor of asking Jesus, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause at all?" Jesus answers by repeating Scripture and telling of creation and the beginning of marriage. The couple becomes one flesh and “what God has joined together, let man not separate." This response does not seem to make room for divorce for any reason. After all, how is it possible to saw a person (ONE FLESH) in half and them live? But why did Moses command the man to give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away? Jesus, once again, supplies us with this answer as well, "Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery." I think there are a few important points here. First, the text says Moses permitted, not God permitted. Moses is not God. Our sovereign Lord does not necessarily approve of everything he allows to take place. Second, read my point below about the betrothal. Third, Jesus said it was not that way from the beginning. This is not how God intended it. Marriage was not designed with divorce. It was created to demonstrate Christ and the Church. Remember when Christ talked about divorcing the Church. Oh yeah, He didn’t! Marriage was created perfectly as was the earth. Like the earth, marriage has been negatively affected by the fall. At the outset it appears these two passages contradict one another. First Jesus says marriage is a done deal and then he says it’s O.K. to end the marriage for certain reasons. I will show later how this is not a contradiction.
This takes us to the scapegoat of choice. The idea that divorce is justified by adultery has taken over. Here is an easy way out of working on your marriage, one of you have an affair! That is not even what Jesus said in Matthew! Let’s look closely at the two passages used, Mat 5:32
and Mat 19:9. It is important to look at the vocabulary used. The two words used as exceptions are unchastity and immorality. They are the same word in the Greek, porneia. The word actually means fornication which is different from adultery. This will become important when we look at the culture of the context. The text says if divorce happens for this reason, fornication, it will cause the individuals to commit adultery, moicheuw in the Greek. First I will explain the difference between the two words and then we will examine who is being spoken to in these passages. Fornication is sexual intercourse between a man and woman who are not married. Adultery is sexual intercourse between a man and a woman who is not his wife or a woman and a man who is not her husband. Please read the previous two sentences once more, slowly. Some say the word porneia is broad and includes adultery. If this is the case, why is the specific word for adultery used six words later?
It is very significant that both of these passages, the only ones in the NT giving this exception, occur in Matthew. It is well known that Matthew was written to a Jewish audience. In that culture the married couple went through a betrothal period of their relationship. Although they were referred to as husband and wife during this time, the marriage had not yet been consummated. It is at consummation that two become one flesh. The vocabulary of the passage suggests it was this betrothal period of the marriage Jesus was speaking of. Although there are vast cultural differences, one might compare this to our engagement. An example from scripture would be that of Joseph and Mary. The same Greek word used for divorce in these passages is the same one used in Mat. 1:19. Here it is very clear that Mary and Joseph were simply betrothed and yet he was going to “divorce” her when he found her to be with child. Though he did not, this would have been the acceptable time to do so for they were not yet “married.” And now my point about the certificate from Moses above. The Deuteronomy passage does not necessarily speak of something other than the betrothal period of marriage. The passage about the certificate of divorce is found in Deut. 24:1-4. But look with me at Deut. 22:23-24. Here we see the virgin girl who is engaged is referred to as "the neighbor's wife." Can you say betrothal? Deut. 24 seems to be speaking of the first period of the marriage relationship, does it not?
In light of this discussion, it is clear that Jesus was, in fact, not contradicting Himself in the passages mentioned earlier.
But what about 1 Corinthians 7? What about it? Show me in that passage where it says believers may get divorced. Paul reaffirms in verses 10 &11 that the wife should not leave the husband and the husband should not send his wife away. It says in verse 15 of the same chapter, “if the unbelieving one leaves, let him leave.” I do not see Paul giving permission for a believer to pursue a divorce.
Finally, some food for thought:
1. Of all the sin mentioned in the Bible, divorce, which God says he hates, is the one sin we may commit under two circumstances? WOW! That’s rich!
2. Is adultery now the unpardonable sin? Oh Robert, of course we should forgive it but it does give us an excuse to commit another sin, divorce. Oh really. Is that what the LORD teaches us with Israel? Remember Hosea?
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
My Study in Galatians
For a period of time you will find my notes from my study in the book of Galatians. I have decided to use my blog for study accountability. So, it is here I will post my study notes. Please do not print them and spend too much time with them because you may hear them in a sermon sometime. I will simply end at the end of my study session whether my time is up or I am interrupted and pick up where I left off. I hope that you, the reader, will be encouraged and exhorted. Praise God we have this privilege. I welcome your comments and questions.
And now…
Paul’s Letter to the Galatians.
Galatians 1:1
Paul was obviously not present with Jesus during Jesus’ earthly ministry. During Paul’s time it was well understood that the qualification for being an apostle was that one was with the Lord. For this reason some accused Paul of not being an apostle. Therefore time and time again, Paul reminds us that the Lord appeared to him (1 Cor 9:1, 1 Cor 15:8) and that his apostleship was from the Lord. Unfortunately, they could not turn to Acts 9:15 and 13:2. His apostleship did not come through the authority or direction of any man or group of men but it came from God. So Paul proceeds in his opening greetings to the churches to identify himself as an apostle and servant of Christ Jesus.
1:2
On his first missionary journey, Paul planted four churches in the province of Galatia. It is my assumption these are the churches he is writing to (1:2). These churches are Antioch (Acts 13:14), Iconium (Acts 14:1), Lystra (Acts 14:6, 8&9), and Derbe (Acts 14: 20-21).
Lord willing, I will pick up tomorrow.
And now…
Paul’s Letter to the Galatians.
Galatians 1:1
Paul was obviously not present with Jesus during Jesus’ earthly ministry. During Paul’s time it was well understood that the qualification for being an apostle was that one was with the Lord. For this reason some accused Paul of not being an apostle. Therefore time and time again, Paul reminds us that the Lord appeared to him (1 Cor 9:1, 1 Cor 15:8) and that his apostleship was from the Lord. Unfortunately, they could not turn to Acts 9:15 and 13:2. His apostleship did not come through the authority or direction of any man or group of men but it came from God. So Paul proceeds in his opening greetings to the churches to identify himself as an apostle and servant of Christ Jesus.
1:2
On his first missionary journey, Paul planted four churches in the province of Galatia. It is my assumption these are the churches he is writing to (1:2). These churches are Antioch (Acts 13:14), Iconium (Acts 14:1), Lystra (Acts 14:6, 8&9), and Derbe (Acts 14: 20-21).
Lord willing, I will pick up tomorrow.
Friday, August 19, 2005
Polytics?
Poly means more than one. Over time church after church after church has split over, sometimes, trivial issues. I will pick on just us Baptists for now. We now have a group of denominations which could be called polybaptists. Some of the issues that have split us were necessary, like God's sovereignty and the doctrines of grace. Others were not so necessary. As I tread into to the latest controversy in the blogosphere, I 'm afraid I am witnessing perhaps the newest division of the polybaptists. It really is sad. This issue of politics; I now call it polytics. I am not in opposition to mature brothers debating any issue. I am in oppostion when it leads to character bashing.
It seems to me, if Christians would simply live their lives as living sacrifices, allowing one another to obey their consciences in obvious areas of liberty, we could blog about the wonderful things the Lord is doing instead of bashing one another for doing things we disagree with. Perhaps I am oversimplifying the issue. I do tend to be a Simpleton. Our church had a wonderful opportunity to worship with a dear brother in the Lord and now we our putting out the fires it caused. Why? Polytics. One brother disagrees with the level his other brothers are involved. He feels they should be more involved with the gospel. The result, he has forsaken the gospel in order to rebuke those he disagrees with. Am I the only one puzzled here? If your conscience does not allow you to get involved, don't. If it does, do everything you find your hands doing with diligence as unto the Lord. But for crying out loud, do not forget to love one another. You could have all the wisdom in the world and be slicker than Slick Willy, but if you have not love you are but a clanging cymbol.
Should Christians be involved at any level in politics? Absolutely. To what level? The Bible does not say. Do not forsake the gospel. I think we all agree there. Let us be about the work the Lord has given us and not worry about being each others consciences is such matters.
Thank you to those who are trying to better the environment we have to live in. Remember our true citiznship is in Heaven. We share that. We all (believers in Christ alone for salvation) represent the same homeland. Let's start acting like it. Let us not now allow polytics to divide us.
This is my humble, perhaps simple, opinion.
It seems to me, if Christians would simply live their lives as living sacrifices, allowing one another to obey their consciences in obvious areas of liberty, we could blog about the wonderful things the Lord is doing instead of bashing one another for doing things we disagree with. Perhaps I am oversimplifying the issue. I do tend to be a Simpleton. Our church had a wonderful opportunity to worship with a dear brother in the Lord and now we our putting out the fires it caused. Why? Polytics. One brother disagrees with the level his other brothers are involved. He feels they should be more involved with the gospel. The result, he has forsaken the gospel in order to rebuke those he disagrees with. Am I the only one puzzled here? If your conscience does not allow you to get involved, don't. If it does, do everything you find your hands doing with diligence as unto the Lord. But for crying out loud, do not forget to love one another. You could have all the wisdom in the world and be slicker than Slick Willy, but if you have not love you are but a clanging cymbol.
Should Christians be involved at any level in politics? Absolutely. To what level? The Bible does not say. Do not forsake the gospel. I think we all agree there. Let us be about the work the Lord has given us and not worry about being each others consciences is such matters.
Thank you to those who are trying to better the environment we have to live in. Remember our true citiznship is in Heaven. We share that. We all (believers in Christ alone for salvation) represent the same homeland. Let's start acting like it. Let us not now allow polytics to divide us.
This is my humble, perhaps simple, opinion.
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
Revival Anyone?
The longer I remain in fulltime ministry, the more I see my own sin. As I am continually confronted with the problems of God's children, I see that I share in their misery. Perhaps, at times, mine is a little more dressed up than theirs, but it is there nonetheless. At the beginning of this year I was challenged by the beloved Jonathan Edwards:
8. Resolved, to act, in all respects, both speaking and doing, as if nobody had been so vile as I, and as if I had committed the same sins, or had the same infirmities or failings as others; and to let the knowledge of their failings promote nothing but shame in myself, and prove only an occasion of my confessing my own sins and misery to God.
- Jonathan Edwards' Resolutions; And Advice to Young Converts pg.18
As we exhort and challenge one another in the things of God, let us never forget that the beginning of understanding any biblical doctrine is to understand our own sin. It is then and only then that we will see scripture properly in the light of His grace. When we understand our own sinfullness, His sovereignty is a "duh."
If we, as the body of Christ, would grasp the concept of how sinful we are, we would focus less on the sin of others, more on the holiness and grace of God and we would see world-wide revival.
8. Resolved, to act, in all respects, both speaking and doing, as if nobody had been so vile as I, and as if I had committed the same sins, or had the same infirmities or failings as others; and to let the knowledge of their failings promote nothing but shame in myself, and prove only an occasion of my confessing my own sins and misery to God.
- Jonathan Edwards' Resolutions; And Advice to Young Converts pg.18
As we exhort and challenge one another in the things of God, let us never forget that the beginning of understanding any biblical doctrine is to understand our own sin. It is then and only then that we will see scripture properly in the light of His grace. When we understand our own sinfullness, His sovereignty is a "duh."
If we, as the body of Christ, would grasp the concept of how sinful we are, we would focus less on the sin of others, more on the holiness and grace of God and we would see world-wide revival.
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