It would be difficult to miss Paul’s emphasis on the importance of faith in chapters 3 and 4 in the book of Romans. Paul in Romans 3:22 tells us that God’s righteousness by which we are justified is credited to us through faith in Jesus Christ. In fact, from that point on through chapter 4, he uses the words “faith” and “believe” more than twenty times.
It is clearly apparent that Paul appears to feel strongly about the contrast between justification by faith and justification by keeping the Law. This is why it is essential to drive home the point that faith must be composed of complete denial of trust on our own righteousness through the Law, and a complete and total dependence on Jesus Christ and His righteousness. [1]
Faith is a gift of God. And this is out of necessity. In our lost state, we were dead in our sins and trespasses, and could not reach out to God, nor did we truly desire to do so.
“7For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. 8Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” (Romans 8:7-8, ESV)
The term “dead” is speaking of our spiritual condition. We were totally unable to respond to God. Even if we engaged in religious acts, we were still dead. Paul himself was zealously religious, persecuting the church in the name of in religion. But he was spiritually dead.
Before we came to saving faith according to Scripture, we were completely dead, spiritually speaking. Ephesians 2 describes the dire state of our spiritual condition.
1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
(Ephesians 2:1-3, ESV)
In our unsaved state, we are unable to receive God’s truth according to 1 Corinthians 2:14. While we may have been able to understand the facts of the gospel intellectually, we are unable to truly comprehend the full meaning of the gospel, at least to the point of genuine conviction and surrender. It requires the Holy Spirit to illuminate God’s truth for us, opening up our hearts to receive and embrace the gospel. In our natural or unsaved state, we are blinded by our sins and unable to truly grasp the meaning of God’s revealed truth. It is through the illumination of the Spirit that we are able to respond to the ministry of the Word as it conveys the effectual call to salvation.
In our unregenerate state, being dead in our trespasses and sins, we were inclined to follow the ways of the world. The term “world” describes human society’s propensity to operate in opposition to God. This includes not only those whom we would readily classify as sinners, engaging in vile acts, but also those who are considered religious who are attempting to better themselves apart from the saving grace of Jesus Christ. The world encompasses all attitudes that are in variance to God, regardless of the degree of opposition, whether mildly indifferent or outright rebellion and hostility. [2]
Paul also points out that we were under the influence of Satan in verse 2 of Ephesians chapter 2. Regardless of whether or not we consider or recognize this fact, this is what the Bible says about us in our sinful state. We may not be as completely bad as we can be, but we were blinded by Satan to the gospel (2 Corinthians 4:4).
We were completely blinded to God’s truth and were in bondage, held in captive to Satan’s dominion. In our lost state, we cannot recognize our lost condition and our need for the Savior.
Scripture paints a very vivid and dismal picture of our lost condition. But this is what makes God’s Grace so amazing and so sweet. In fact, the description of our hopeless state, the fact that we could not choose to reach out to God on our own, is what magnifies God’s Grace and brings Him all the glory! It was all of Him and none of us. It was not a case where He met us half way and then the rest was up to us. No! It was all of Him and absolutely none of our effort! The faith that we exercised was a gift of God Himself.
Paul quite often paints a very grim picture of our spiritual condition before giving God’s remedy for our sinful state. In Ephesians 2:1-5, Paul says that we were dead in our transgressions and sins, and that it was God who had to make us alive in Christ. What can a dead man do? Nothing! He cannot respond, cannot do anything to revive himself. It takes someone else to rescue and revive them.
Scripture is replete with passages that affirm God’s sovereignty in salvation. John 1:13 says that those who do believe “were born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” Acts 13 describes the response of the Gentiles to the message of the gospel. Verse 48 says that “and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.” The word order is extremely important here. It does NOT say that those who believed were then appointed to eternal life, but rather those who “were appointed” then believed. Lydia in Acts 16:14 first had her heart opened by the Lord in order to respond to the gospel.
God’s sovereignty in salvation in no way negates human responsibility. People must repent and believe in order to be forgiven. Scripture demands a response to the gospel message. But the reason that we respond is through the sovereign work of God to open our hearts in order to enable that belief to take place. Without that work, we are dead in our sins, unable to respond. In our natural unregenerate state, without the work of the Holy Spirit, the message of the gospel seems foolish to us (1 Corinthians 2:14). But the work of the Holy Spirit precedes our faith, and ultimately causes our response in faith to take place.
The fact of our total inability is abundantly emphasized in Scripture. When we truly understand how utterly helpless we were, it magnifies God’s grace, and should humble us, producing a deep appreciation for what Christ has done on our behalf.
[1] Jerry Bridges, “The Gospel for Real Life” [NavPress, 2003], pg.115
[2] Ibid, 117
Thursday, May 07, 2009
Friday, April 17, 2009
When is it Time to Leave a Church?
Here is a good article by John MacArthur addressing the issue of when it is time to leave a church. While I don’t think it is acceptable to just leave a church at the first signs of trouble, I do believe that there is a point where it is time to leave. However, the first course of action should be to approach the leadership and give time for possible correction to take place. Think about it; if everyone took off at the first signs of trouble, how would there be any chance of corrective action to take place? I think there is something to be said for sticking things out for awhile and battling for the truth. Not in a disruptive manner, but with a desire for restoration to take place with a heart attitude of love. So when do we finally decide that enough is enough? I think it depends on the situation, on a case by case basis. But this article gives some excellent sound advice.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
My Absence
I know I have gotten lazy with my posting here. I have been co-teaching a class on evangelism at our church and have been busy with a few other things. I plan to jump back in here this upcoming week and start posting again.
I am also about to join the ranks of the jobless. I just received notice from my employer that my position is one of many that are being eliminated effective June 1. This came as quite a shock and was unexpected, but apparently due to changes in the economy they felt they needed to make some big cuts quickly. So effective immediately, I am looking for a new job. Not sure what God is going to lead me to, but I am sure that He has things under control.
My strongest desire and passion is teaching God’s word, but until the Lord would open up the opportunity for full-time (vocational) ministry somewhere, I need to support my family. So I am making my contacts and networking, and I already have some leads. But I would ask all who are reading this to keep me and my family in your prayers as we go through this troubling time.
I am also about to join the ranks of the jobless. I just received notice from my employer that my position is one of many that are being eliminated effective June 1. This came as quite a shock and was unexpected, but apparently due to changes in the economy they felt they needed to make some big cuts quickly. So effective immediately, I am looking for a new job. Not sure what God is going to lead me to, but I am sure that He has things under control.
My strongest desire and passion is teaching God’s word, but until the Lord would open up the opportunity for full-time (vocational) ministry somewhere, I need to support my family. So I am making my contacts and networking, and I already have some leads. But I would ask all who are reading this to keep me and my family in your prayers as we go through this troubling time.
Happy Easter
1 Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. 2And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. 4And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. 5But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. 7Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you." 8So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9And behold, Jesus met them and said, "Greetings!" And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. 10Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me." (Mathew 28:1-10, ESV)
Friday, April 10, 2009
The Death of Jesus
45Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.
46And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
47Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias.
48And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink.
49The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him.
50Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
51And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
52And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
53And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
54Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.
(Matthew 27:45-54, KJV)
Saturday, February 07, 2009
Our Reconciliation to God
Scripture quite clearly points out the fact that our sins have separated us from God (Isaiah 59:2). The result of our sinful state has made us enemies of God, and included with those who are hated by God. While it may not seem palatable that God actually hated us in our sinful state, Scripture actually states that very fact.
10For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. (Romans 5:10, ESV)
Psalm 5:5 also tells us that God hates all who do evil.
5The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers. (Psalm 5:5, ESV)
This is a description of God’s righteous hatred of us because of our sin. The description of us as enemies of God is not the result of our sinful hatred of Him, but of God’s attitude toward us as the result of sin. [1]
As Charles Hodge explains in his commentary on the book of Romans:
“The word “enemies” is applied to men not only to describe their moral character, but also their relationship to God, as they are objects of His displeasure. There is not only a wicked opposition of the sinner to God , but a holy opposition of God to the sinner." [2]
But like the notion of God’s wrath, this hatred of sinful man is difficult to understand because of the association with the human concept of hatred. The human expression of hatred is usually associated with a sinful attitude. However, God’s expression of hatred is the result of His righteous, holy revulsion against sin and an antagonistic attitude aimed at all who rebel against Him. [3] We were completely alienated from God and unable to do anything to reconcile our relationship with God. The act of reconciliation was only possible solely through God (Colossians 1:21-22)
The very fact of God reconciling us to himself is amazing. We had no strength or power to help ourselves. In fact, we had no desire to do so. Our minds were by nature hostile to God and we had no desire to be reconciled to Him (Romans 8:7). [4]
It was God who took the initiative to reach out to us. He sent His Son to die as our substitute, satisfying His righteous justice and absorbed His wrath that we deserved as a result of our rebellion against Him. We did not reach out to Him. He made the first move to reach us. God performed everything that was necessary to ensure our reconciliation. It was God who softened our heart, enabling our belief to take place. It was God who was offended by our actions, and yet He was the one who sought to reconcile us! (Romans 5:10)
This work of reconciliation though, must be received by us individually in order for it to be appropriated on our behalf. This is why Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:19-20:
19that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ,God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. (2 Corinthians 5:19-20, ESV)
Christ having completed reconciliation for us, now makes an appeal for us to receive that reconciliation. And again, it is God who makes the appeal to us, even though we were the ones who made the offense. What an incredible display of God’s mercy and grace![5]
But another important word that Scripture uses to describe the work of Christ (used extensively of Paul in Galatians and Romans), is the word justification. The word appears approximately forty times in the New Testament. To gain an understanding of the meaning of this word, look at Romans 3:20. [6]
20Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. (Romans 3:20, NIV)
To put it more literally as in the ESV, “by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight”.
So then, to be justified is to be declared righteous. God has forgiven us of all our sins and views us as righteous in His Son. [7]
To understand how this can take place, we need to understand our legal union with Christ. In the beginning of human history, God appointed Adam as the legal representative (federal head) of the whole human race. However, when Adam sinned, he brought guilt and depravity upon the entire human race. Every person born after Adam and Eve inherited a sin nature from their birth. This is what David spoke of in Psalm 51:5.
5Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.(ESV)
This describes the presence of the sin nature even before birth before any sinful acts were ever committed. [8] The term “all sinned” in Romans 5:12, means more than simply the fact that every individual commits acts of sin, even though as a result of the fall we all sin due to our inherent sin nature. Since Adam was the legal representative of the human race, all bear the consequences of Adam’s actions. (Romans 5:18-19) This is the reason, like David, that we were born with original sin. As a result, we were all subject to the wrath of God.
Our heart from birth is inclined toward sin, prior to actually committing any sin. It is this inner inclination to sin that lies at the root of all the sins that we commit. This sinful bent was transmitted to us from Adam who was our first legal representative before God. Our nature was enslaved to sin and permeates every part of our lives, tainting every action of ours; even our best intentions are never as good as they should be. The phrase that describes our condition is “total depravity”. It does not denote that we are all as bad as we could be, but rather that every action is affected by sin, and therefore can never be meritorious in the eyes of God. This is why Scripture calls our works of righteousness “filthy” or “polluted” garment (Isaiah 64:6), since they fall woefully short of the perfect righteousness that God’s law demands.
It is important to understand our sinful nature, rather than merely our individual sins, in order to realize the magnitude of the depth that sin permeates our life.
It took Christ, who was the second or last Adam, to act on our behalf to impute His righteousness as our legal representative. Romans 5:14 tells us that Adam was a “type of Him who was to come”. In other words, Adam was the first divinely appointed legal representative of the human race. Adam’s sin forfeited the righteousness of those who were legally represented by him. In order to restore righteousness, the same pattern must be followed, but with a reversal of what took place. God made Christ the new legal representative of a new humanity, wrought through His obedience to death in order to gain justification for those who follow Him.
15But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. 16And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. 17For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.
18Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 19For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. (Romans 5:15-19, ESV)
This reconciliation is something that is permanent and eternal. Because it was accomplished through Christ it can never be nullified. This is despite the fact that even as believers we may not always do things that please God. Despite our inconsistencies and failures, we will never be cut off from God again.
1There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:1-4, ESV)
Through this work of Christ, we can experience a true peace with God.
1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:1, ESV)
It is this peace that should provide a deep gratitude for what God has done for us. The wall that was between us and God has been removed, and we now can experience a peaceful relationship with God, where we cry out “Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15).
[1] Jerry Bridges, “The Gospel for Real Life” [NavPress, 2003], pg. 85.
[2] Charles Hodge, “Romans” [Crossway, 1993], pg. 134.
[3] Jerry Bridges, “The Gospel for Real Life” [NavPress, 2003], 85
[4] Ibid, 85-86
[5] Ibid, 86
[6] Ibid, 93-94
[7] Ibid, 94
[8] Ibid, 24
10For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. (Romans 5:10, ESV)
Psalm 5:5 also tells us that God hates all who do evil.
5The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers. (Psalm 5:5, ESV)
This is a description of God’s righteous hatred of us because of our sin. The description of us as enemies of God is not the result of our sinful hatred of Him, but of God’s attitude toward us as the result of sin. [1]
As Charles Hodge explains in his commentary on the book of Romans:
“The word “enemies” is applied to men not only to describe their moral character, but also their relationship to God, as they are objects of His displeasure. There is not only a wicked opposition of the sinner to God , but a holy opposition of God to the sinner." [2]
But like the notion of God’s wrath, this hatred of sinful man is difficult to understand because of the association with the human concept of hatred. The human expression of hatred is usually associated with a sinful attitude. However, God’s expression of hatred is the result of His righteous, holy revulsion against sin and an antagonistic attitude aimed at all who rebel against Him. [3] We were completely alienated from God and unable to do anything to reconcile our relationship with God. The act of reconciliation was only possible solely through God (Colossians 1:21-22)
The very fact of God reconciling us to himself is amazing. We had no strength or power to help ourselves. In fact, we had no desire to do so. Our minds were by nature hostile to God and we had no desire to be reconciled to Him (Romans 8:7). [4]
It was God who took the initiative to reach out to us. He sent His Son to die as our substitute, satisfying His righteous justice and absorbed His wrath that we deserved as a result of our rebellion against Him. We did not reach out to Him. He made the first move to reach us. God performed everything that was necessary to ensure our reconciliation. It was God who softened our heart, enabling our belief to take place. It was God who was offended by our actions, and yet He was the one who sought to reconcile us! (Romans 5:10)
This work of reconciliation though, must be received by us individually in order for it to be appropriated on our behalf. This is why Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:19-20:
19that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ,God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. (2 Corinthians 5:19-20, ESV)
Christ having completed reconciliation for us, now makes an appeal for us to receive that reconciliation. And again, it is God who makes the appeal to us, even though we were the ones who made the offense. What an incredible display of God’s mercy and grace![5]
But another important word that Scripture uses to describe the work of Christ (used extensively of Paul in Galatians and Romans), is the word justification. The word appears approximately forty times in the New Testament. To gain an understanding of the meaning of this word, look at Romans 3:20. [6]
20Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. (Romans 3:20, NIV)
To put it more literally as in the ESV, “by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight”.
So then, to be justified is to be declared righteous. God has forgiven us of all our sins and views us as righteous in His Son. [7]
To understand how this can take place, we need to understand our legal union with Christ. In the beginning of human history, God appointed Adam as the legal representative (federal head) of the whole human race. However, when Adam sinned, he brought guilt and depravity upon the entire human race. Every person born after Adam and Eve inherited a sin nature from their birth. This is what David spoke of in Psalm 51:5.
5Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.(ESV)
This describes the presence of the sin nature even before birth before any sinful acts were ever committed. [8] The term “all sinned” in Romans 5:12, means more than simply the fact that every individual commits acts of sin, even though as a result of the fall we all sin due to our inherent sin nature. Since Adam was the legal representative of the human race, all bear the consequences of Adam’s actions. (Romans 5:18-19) This is the reason, like David, that we were born with original sin. As a result, we were all subject to the wrath of God.
Our heart from birth is inclined toward sin, prior to actually committing any sin. It is this inner inclination to sin that lies at the root of all the sins that we commit. This sinful bent was transmitted to us from Adam who was our first legal representative before God. Our nature was enslaved to sin and permeates every part of our lives, tainting every action of ours; even our best intentions are never as good as they should be. The phrase that describes our condition is “total depravity”. It does not denote that we are all as bad as we could be, but rather that every action is affected by sin, and therefore can never be meritorious in the eyes of God. This is why Scripture calls our works of righteousness “filthy” or “polluted” garment (Isaiah 64:6), since they fall woefully short of the perfect righteousness that God’s law demands.
It is important to understand our sinful nature, rather than merely our individual sins, in order to realize the magnitude of the depth that sin permeates our life.
It took Christ, who was the second or last Adam, to act on our behalf to impute His righteousness as our legal representative. Romans 5:14 tells us that Adam was a “type of Him who was to come”. In other words, Adam was the first divinely appointed legal representative of the human race. Adam’s sin forfeited the righteousness of those who were legally represented by him. In order to restore righteousness, the same pattern must be followed, but with a reversal of what took place. God made Christ the new legal representative of a new humanity, wrought through His obedience to death in order to gain justification for those who follow Him.
15But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. 16And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. 17For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.
18Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 19For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. (Romans 5:15-19, ESV)
This reconciliation is something that is permanent and eternal. Because it was accomplished through Christ it can never be nullified. This is despite the fact that even as believers we may not always do things that please God. Despite our inconsistencies and failures, we will never be cut off from God again.
1There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:1-4, ESV)
Through this work of Christ, we can experience a true peace with God.
1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:1, ESV)
It is this peace that should provide a deep gratitude for what God has done for us. The wall that was between us and God has been removed, and we now can experience a peaceful relationship with God, where we cry out “Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15).
[1] Jerry Bridges, “The Gospel for Real Life” [NavPress, 2003], pg. 85.
[2] Charles Hodge, “Romans” [Crossway, 1993], pg. 134.
[3] Jerry Bridges, “The Gospel for Real Life” [NavPress, 2003], 85
[4] Ibid, 85-86
[5] Ibid, 86
[6] Ibid, 93-94
[7] Ibid, 94
[8] Ibid, 24
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Understanding the Opposition
18We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.
19We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.
20And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. 21Little children, keep yourselves from idols. (1 John 5:18-21, ESV)
Excerpt from “What Are We Up Against?” by John Piper
Satan's Opposition to Evangelism and Missions
The most compassionate and loving thing you can do for any person is to lead them into eternal life and joy through faith in Christ. To feed, clothe, heal, house, and educate a person without a view to their being converted to Christ is not truly loving, any more than merely giving a person pain killers for their fever is when you could offer them the antibiotic that would take the infection away. Therefore feeding, clothing, healing, housing, and educating are good, but they become truly loving as part of a call to repentance and faith in Christ. So evangelism and world missions are the centerpiece of the mission of a compassionate church.
And to be as effective in our compassion as we long to be, we need power, supernatural power. Why? Not only because human hearts are proud (John 5:44) and hard (Acts 28:26-28), but also because the whole world lies in the power of the evil one and he is actively engaged in opposing all we do in evangelism and world missions.
Some examples:
1. Satan Blinds the Minds of Unbelievers2 Corinthians 4:3-4, "Even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers."
So even before we arrive on the scene with the gospel, Satan is exerting a stupefying, deadening, blinding effect on the minds of the world. We need power to overcome this supernatural effect of the evil one.
2. Satan Snatches the Word Away from People Who Hear
Matthew 13:4, 19, "A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them . . . When any one hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in his heart; this is what was sown along the path."
Once the process of evangelism has begun, Satan increases his efforts. He is pictured as a flock of birds swooping down on seed that fell on a path. He tries his best to take away the Word that is preached so that no serious thought is given to it. He may use radio or TV or crying babies or squabbling spouses or broken cars or troubles at work or sexy billboards. Anything to take the Word out our memory and out of our consideration. Satan hates meditation.
3. Satan Does Deceptive Signs and Wonders
Matthew 24:24, "False Christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect." 2 Thessalonians 2:9, "The coming of the lawless one by the activity of Satan will be with all power and with signs and wonders of falsehood, and with wicked deception for those who are to perish."
Satan has always been a great imitator. When the rod of Aaron turned into a snake as a sign of God's power, the Egyptian sorcerers turned their rods into snakes too by their secret arts (Exodus 7:11). One reason the new age fads are going to sweep so many away in our day is that they are not just fads: they have real satanic power behind them and there will be real signs and wonders worked not by God but by Satan, and people will be deceived. Revelation 12:9 says Satan is the deceiver of "the whole world."
4. Satan Uses People to Hinder Others from Believing
When Paul preached to the Roman proconsul on the Island of Cyprus in Acts 13, he was eager to hear the Word and was about to believe. But there was a Jewish false prophet and magician there named Elymas. Acts 13:8 says he resisted Paul and Barnabas and tried to turn the proconsul away from the faith. But then Paul was filled with the Spirit and saw what was really happening in the spiritual realm and said,
You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind and unable to see the sun for a time. [Notice the use of power!]
He calls Elymas a "son of the devil." That is what Jesus called the tares in the parable of the wheat and the tares in Matthew 13:38. The tares are the sons of the evil one. So Elymas is a tare that Satan has sown in a strategic place to hinder the faith of a possible new convert. In this case Paul counter attacked with supernatural power: "You shall be blind for a time"!
5. Satan Hinders Mission Efforts in General
In 1 Thessalonians 2:17-18 Paul tells the church that he had endeavored eagerly to come to them "again and again, but Satan hindered us." Satan devotes significant energy to messing up missionary plans and hindering the advancement of the gospel.
6. Satan Throws Christians in Prison and Persecutes Them
Revelation 2:10 (to the church in Smyrna), "Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life."
This is mainly what Peter has in mind in 1 Peter 5:8 when he says, "Satan prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experience of suffering is required of your brotherhood throughout the world." The jaws of the lion are the "experience of suffering" caused by Satan.
Knowing What We Are Up Against
All of this is simply to illustrate what it means that "the whole world lies in the power of the evil one." What we are up against is a global power that touches, and in some measure controls, all culture and society. This power is not opposed to most ordinary things of life that you do: eating, sleeping, working, as long as you just go along like the world, he is willing to live and let live. But he is extraordinarily opposed to the centerpiece of compassion: advancement of the gospel. He blinds; he snatches the Word; he deceives with signs and wonders; he uses people to hinder faith; he messes up missionary plans; and he persecutes and throws in prison. If we are going to make headway against the kingdom of Satan, it means war. It means a conflict of kingdoms. It means learning the meaning of the kingdom of God in the world and how to exercise its power.
[This article can be read in its entirety as desiringGod.org]
By John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: desiringGod.org
Saturday, December 20, 2008
The Scapegoat
The definition of a scapegoat is one who is made to take on the blame for the actions of others; actions that they were not responsible for. History has shown that this has been applied to both individuals and groups. One prominent example in history is that of the Jews.
But the greatest scapegoat in history is our Lord Jesus Christ. While the term scapegoat is a term not directly used In reference to Him in Scripture, the male goat that was used in the Old Testament sacrificial system is actually a picture of the ultimate sacrifice for sins that Jesus made through His death. [1]
Leviticus describes the sacrifice on the Day of Atonement. In chapter 16, verses 6-10, two goats were cast lots over. One was chosen as a sin offering and the second was to be presented live before the Lord to make atonement, so that it would be sent into the wilderness as the scapegoat.
7"He shall take the two goats and present them before the LORD at the doorway of the tent of meeting. 8"Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats, one lot for the LORD and the other lot for the scapegoat. 9"Then Aaron shall offer the goat on which the lot for the LORD fell, and make it a sin offering. 10"But the goat on which the lot for the scapegoat fell shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make atonement upon it, to send it into the wilderness as the scapegoat. (Leviticus 16:7-10, NASB)
The first goat was killed and its blood was sprinkled over and before the mercy seat in the Holy Place. The Holy Place was where God manifest His presence, and this sacrifice was a picture of the propitiatory sacrifice Jesus made on the cross (the propitiation was discussed in a previous post).
But the second was used to symbolically take the sins of the people and carry them away, once and for all. The priest would lay hands on the head of the goat, confessing the sins of the people. The goat was then released where it would carry on itself the sins of the people to a solitary place, where it would never be seen again. This goat was referred to as the scapegoat, because it bore all the guilt and sins of the people, taking it away into the desert. [2]
20"And when he has made an end of atoning for the Holy Place and the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall present the live goat. 21And Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the people of Israel, and all their transgressions, all their sins. And he shall put them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is in readiness. 22The goat shall bear all their iniquities on itself to a remote area, and he shall let the goat go free in the wilderness. (Leviticus 16:20-22, ESV)
Because the goats represented the work of Christ on our behalf, we say that Christ became our scapegoat, who bore all the guilt of our sins, removing them from the presence of God the Father. Our sins were placed on the Lord Jesus Christ and were carried away, literally, to be remembered no more. One of the verses of Scripture that beautifully expresses this reality is Psalm 103:12.
12as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
(Psalm 103:12, ESV)
This expression signifies a distance as far reaching as we can express through our human vocabulary. This is an infinite distance that describes what God did with our sin. All our sin was removed from God’s presence forever. Jesus literally accomplished what the goat could only do symbolically. Now that our sins are removed, we can enter into the presence of God boldly (Hebrews 10:19, KJV). [3]
But there is more from Scripture that describes what God has done in terms of taking away our sin, taking it out of sight.
Isaiah 38:17
Isaiah 43:25
Hebrews 8:12
Hebrews 10:17-18
This great truth should comfort and inspire us. We should find comfort in the fact that we are completely forgiven in Christ. We, who were previously stained with the guilt of sin through Adam, are now cleansed and completely forgiven. Our sin inherited through Adam, has been taken out of God’s sight to be remembered no more. As a result of the removal of those sins, we should be motivated to deal with those that we commit in our daily lives. In the Old Testament, the sins were carried away only symbolically, but through Jesus Christ, it has become a reality for us.
It is imperative that we believe the testimony of God given to us through Scripture in order for us to live out the implications of the gospel in our lives. We receive such incredible benefit in our lives as a result of the work of Christ on our behalf. One profound benefit is with our conscience. Our conscience was given t us by God to serve as a moral compass. This conscience bears witness of God’s Law. However, as a result of our sin, our conscience has a tendency to become hardened, resulting in insensitivity to our violation of God’s Laws. But as we commit to grow in Christ, our conscience becomes more sensitive to sin as we become more convicted of our violation of God’s Law. As we face the reality of our sinfulness, we need to cling to the fact that Jesus has already removed our sin and carried it away forever, permanently taken away from the presence of God, and is no longer remembered by Him. Our guilt has been removed! [4]
Hebrews 9:14 expresses this cleansing of our conscience from the guilt of sin.
14how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.
(Hebrews 9:14, ESV)
But to subjectively experience this cleansing, we must first acknowledge what our conscience tells us concerning our sin, respond with an attitude of repentance, and by faith trust in the cleansing blood of Christ. Romans 4:8 tells us that our sin will never be counted against us. We have been freed from a guilty conscience, enabling us to engage our lives in service to God.[5]
At this point it is profitable to discuss another theological term called expiation that you may not hear very often. This term may sometimes be confused with propitiation; however it has a different meaning. Propitiation, if you recall, refers to the work of Christ in absorbing God’s wrath as our substitute. Expiation, on the other hand, refers to the removal or putting away of our sin through Christ. Both of these acts accompany each other in the work of Christ, as symbolized through the two goats on the Day of Atonement. The first goat being killed and its blood sprinkled on the mercy seat represents the propitiation through Christ’s work. The second goat, through symbolically removing our sin, represented the work of expiation through Christ.[6]Both propitiation and expiation are terms that are vital in our understanding of Christ’s sacrificial work.
It is particularly important to reflect on the work of Christ and understand the concept of expiation, realizing that our sins have been completely removed, understanding we have been freed from guilt, allowing us to effectively serve God. The work of Christ was final, everything was accomplished on our behalf and we need to build a deep appreciation for it in our everyday lives. That we would exclaim as Charles Spurgeon did in his sermon “Expiation”.
"May we put our hand upon the head of Christ Jesus; as we see him offered up upon the cross for guilty men, may we know that our sins are transferred to him, and may we be able to cry, in the ecstasy of faith, "Great God, I am clean; through Jesus' blood I am clean.""[7]
[1] Jerry Bridges, “The Gospel for Real Life” [NavPress, 2003], pg. 57-58.
[2] Ibid., 58
[3] Jerry Bridges, “The Gospel for Real Life” [NavPress, 2003], pg. 59.
[4] Ibid., 65-66
[5] Ibid., 66
[6] Ibid., 67
[7] Charles Spurgeon, “Expiation” [The Spurgeon Archive; www.spurgeon.org]
But the greatest scapegoat in history is our Lord Jesus Christ. While the term scapegoat is a term not directly used In reference to Him in Scripture, the male goat that was used in the Old Testament sacrificial system is actually a picture of the ultimate sacrifice for sins that Jesus made through His death. [1]
Leviticus describes the sacrifice on the Day of Atonement. In chapter 16, verses 6-10, two goats were cast lots over. One was chosen as a sin offering and the second was to be presented live before the Lord to make atonement, so that it would be sent into the wilderness as the scapegoat.
7"He shall take the two goats and present them before the LORD at the doorway of the tent of meeting. 8"Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats, one lot for the LORD and the other lot for the scapegoat. 9"Then Aaron shall offer the goat on which the lot for the LORD fell, and make it a sin offering. 10"But the goat on which the lot for the scapegoat fell shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make atonement upon it, to send it into the wilderness as the scapegoat. (Leviticus 16:7-10, NASB)
The first goat was killed and its blood was sprinkled over and before the mercy seat in the Holy Place. The Holy Place was where God manifest His presence, and this sacrifice was a picture of the propitiatory sacrifice Jesus made on the cross (the propitiation was discussed in a previous post).
But the second was used to symbolically take the sins of the people and carry them away, once and for all. The priest would lay hands on the head of the goat, confessing the sins of the people. The goat was then released where it would carry on itself the sins of the people to a solitary place, where it would never be seen again. This goat was referred to as the scapegoat, because it bore all the guilt and sins of the people, taking it away into the desert. [2]
20"And when he has made an end of atoning for the Holy Place and the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall present the live goat. 21And Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the people of Israel, and all their transgressions, all their sins. And he shall put them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is in readiness. 22The goat shall bear all their iniquities on itself to a remote area, and he shall let the goat go free in the wilderness. (Leviticus 16:20-22, ESV)
Because the goats represented the work of Christ on our behalf, we say that Christ became our scapegoat, who bore all the guilt of our sins, removing them from the presence of God the Father. Our sins were placed on the Lord Jesus Christ and were carried away, literally, to be remembered no more. One of the verses of Scripture that beautifully expresses this reality is Psalm 103:12.
12as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
(Psalm 103:12, ESV)
This expression signifies a distance as far reaching as we can express through our human vocabulary. This is an infinite distance that describes what God did with our sin. All our sin was removed from God’s presence forever. Jesus literally accomplished what the goat could only do symbolically. Now that our sins are removed, we can enter into the presence of God boldly (Hebrews 10:19, KJV). [3]
But there is more from Scripture that describes what God has done in terms of taking away our sin, taking it out of sight.
Isaiah 38:17
Isaiah 43:25
Hebrews 8:12
Hebrews 10:17-18
This great truth should comfort and inspire us. We should find comfort in the fact that we are completely forgiven in Christ. We, who were previously stained with the guilt of sin through Adam, are now cleansed and completely forgiven. Our sin inherited through Adam, has been taken out of God’s sight to be remembered no more. As a result of the removal of those sins, we should be motivated to deal with those that we commit in our daily lives. In the Old Testament, the sins were carried away only symbolically, but through Jesus Christ, it has become a reality for us.
It is imperative that we believe the testimony of God given to us through Scripture in order for us to live out the implications of the gospel in our lives. We receive such incredible benefit in our lives as a result of the work of Christ on our behalf. One profound benefit is with our conscience. Our conscience was given t us by God to serve as a moral compass. This conscience bears witness of God’s Law. However, as a result of our sin, our conscience has a tendency to become hardened, resulting in insensitivity to our violation of God’s Laws. But as we commit to grow in Christ, our conscience becomes more sensitive to sin as we become more convicted of our violation of God’s Law. As we face the reality of our sinfulness, we need to cling to the fact that Jesus has already removed our sin and carried it away forever, permanently taken away from the presence of God, and is no longer remembered by Him. Our guilt has been removed! [4]
Hebrews 9:14 expresses this cleansing of our conscience from the guilt of sin.
14how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.
(Hebrews 9:14, ESV)
But to subjectively experience this cleansing, we must first acknowledge what our conscience tells us concerning our sin, respond with an attitude of repentance, and by faith trust in the cleansing blood of Christ. Romans 4:8 tells us that our sin will never be counted against us. We have been freed from a guilty conscience, enabling us to engage our lives in service to God.[5]
At this point it is profitable to discuss another theological term called expiation that you may not hear very often. This term may sometimes be confused with propitiation; however it has a different meaning. Propitiation, if you recall, refers to the work of Christ in absorbing God’s wrath as our substitute. Expiation, on the other hand, refers to the removal or putting away of our sin through Christ. Both of these acts accompany each other in the work of Christ, as symbolized through the two goats on the Day of Atonement. The first goat being killed and its blood sprinkled on the mercy seat represents the propitiation through Christ’s work. The second goat, through symbolically removing our sin, represented the work of expiation through Christ.[6]Both propitiation and expiation are terms that are vital in our understanding of Christ’s sacrificial work.
It is particularly important to reflect on the work of Christ and understand the concept of expiation, realizing that our sins have been completely removed, understanding we have been freed from guilt, allowing us to effectively serve God. The work of Christ was final, everything was accomplished on our behalf and we need to build a deep appreciation for it in our everyday lives. That we would exclaim as Charles Spurgeon did in his sermon “Expiation”.
"May we put our hand upon the head of Christ Jesus; as we see him offered up upon the cross for guilty men, may we know that our sins are transferred to him, and may we be able to cry, in the ecstasy of faith, "Great God, I am clean; through Jesus' blood I am clean.""[7]
[1] Jerry Bridges, “The Gospel for Real Life” [NavPress, 2003], pg. 57-58.
[2] Ibid., 58
[3] Jerry Bridges, “The Gospel for Real Life” [NavPress, 2003], pg. 59.
[4] Ibid., 65-66
[5] Ibid., 66
[6] Ibid., 67
[7] Charles Spurgeon, “Expiation” [The Spurgeon Archive; www.spurgeon.org]
Monday, December 08, 2008
Plagiarizing Sermons
17Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. (1 Timothy 5:17, ESV)
It is becoming alarmingly prevalent for many pastors to get their sermons from sources over the Internet or popular books and materials. It is feasible today for a pastor to go to sources on the Internet and download a sermon to be preached from his pulpit on any given Sunday. No prayer or laboring over the Word of God, just click “download” and you have an instant sermon for the upcoming Sunday service. Worse yet, these sermons are being passed off as if it were their own work.
But the Bible gives clear direction concerning the obligation of those in pastoral leadership. And key to the role of the pastor-teacher is just that – to teach. And before the pastor has anything to give to the congregation, he must first be taught and receive instruction from Scripture. The only way to achieve this is for him to be challenged through laboring in God’s truth, pouring himself out over Scripture, allowing it to penetrate his heart and mind. The phrase “labor in preaching and teaching” means to literally work to the point of exhaustion. Should we expect anything less? It amazes me that in many leadership positions in the secular world, how many are willing to wear themselves out for material gain or fame and fortune. This includes those who aspire to be in political office. All this is to achieve and earthly “crown”. It should not be out of the ordinary to expect that someone in spiritual leadership in pastoral ministry should seek to labor with at least as much intensity for spiritual gain and a heavenly crown.
All elders are to be able to teach, but this passage of Scripture points to a particular group of elders who are particularly gifted and driven to preach and teach. The man who stands in the pulpit as the so-called senior pastor week after week, since he is the key teaching pastor, needs to be this type of man. If he shows no inclination to do so, he is unfit for this position. To take the lazy way out cheats himself out of the life changing experiencing of digging into God’s truth, and subsequently deprives his congregation of keen insights that would be normally gained by laboring in the Word of God.
I remember visiting one church close to us some time ago and discovering that the pastor got his whole sermon series from a popular author’s book – practically word for word! Needless to say, I never felt compelled to go back.
It is no wonder that the evangelical church is in such a mess today, when the pulpits are overrun with lazy shepherds who are unwilling to engage in the necessary work of expositional teaching and preaching of Scripture.
Tim Challies published an article entitled “Plagiarism in the Pulpit” a couple of years ago. Challies sites an article published by Suzanne Sataline in the Wall Street Journal discussing this issue. In the article she discusses how this issue has created quite a stir over ethics. Quite frankly, I find the issue of taking another’s work and using it as one’s own blatantly unethical, not to mention patently unbiblical. Apparently Sataline quotes from several Christians who are in favor of this practice. Perhaps it should not come as any surprise that Rick Warren is among those who are in favor of using other people’s sermons without giving credit for the source of the material.
Tim Challies reflected on a couple of reasons as to why this is taking place. One is the laziness on the part of the pastors who are looking for a way to avoid the arduous task of sermon preparation. This, I believe, is the primary cause of the problem. But Tim offers the other side of the coin, which is the pressure that congregations place on the pastor as a result of the on-going “spirit of pragmatism” that has become so prevalent today. Pastors have succumbed to the pressure to be witty and entertaining. The expectations of far too many congregations is that the pastor be some charismatic leader similar to what the secular culture looks for in corporate America. While endeavoring to meet the demands of the congregation in light of this expectation, many pastors simply do not have the time for adequate sermon preparation. I agree that there is certainly quite a bit of pressure from churches to fit this expectation, however, it is the pastor's duty to give the congregation what they actually need biblically, rather than what they want. Perhaps it is time for more pastors to put a stop to the whims of man-made expectations and follow their Scriptural mandate for pastoral ministry. If they cannot fulfill it there, perhaps it is time to move on elsewhere, where they can fulfill their role biblically. I feel that the pastor’s study of the Word of God should be central to what he does. I wholeheartedly agree with this quote from Tim’s article:
“The pastor must lead the way in studying the Word. This must be his primary occupation and must take precedence over other tasks, and even important tasks, such as pastoral counseling or providing leadership.”
I believe that one of the primary problems being faced in the church today is a crisis concerning the lack of recognition of the biblical role for the pastor-teacher. When you think of it, the pastoral leadership is to provide the biblical vision and direction for the ministry of the church. This direction must be gleaned from the careful study of Scripture. And if the leadership fails to provide this, then it should be no surprise that the congregation will fail to function in a biblical manner and its spiritual growth will be severely diminished.
It is becoming alarmingly prevalent for many pastors to get their sermons from sources over the Internet or popular books and materials. It is feasible today for a pastor to go to sources on the Internet and download a sermon to be preached from his pulpit on any given Sunday. No prayer or laboring over the Word of God, just click “download” and you have an instant sermon for the upcoming Sunday service. Worse yet, these sermons are being passed off as if it were their own work.
But the Bible gives clear direction concerning the obligation of those in pastoral leadership. And key to the role of the pastor-teacher is just that – to teach. And before the pastor has anything to give to the congregation, he must first be taught and receive instruction from Scripture. The only way to achieve this is for him to be challenged through laboring in God’s truth, pouring himself out over Scripture, allowing it to penetrate his heart and mind. The phrase “labor in preaching and teaching” means to literally work to the point of exhaustion. Should we expect anything less? It amazes me that in many leadership positions in the secular world, how many are willing to wear themselves out for material gain or fame and fortune. This includes those who aspire to be in political office. All this is to achieve and earthly “crown”. It should not be out of the ordinary to expect that someone in spiritual leadership in pastoral ministry should seek to labor with at least as much intensity for spiritual gain and a heavenly crown.
All elders are to be able to teach, but this passage of Scripture points to a particular group of elders who are particularly gifted and driven to preach and teach. The man who stands in the pulpit as the so-called senior pastor week after week, since he is the key teaching pastor, needs to be this type of man. If he shows no inclination to do so, he is unfit for this position. To take the lazy way out cheats himself out of the life changing experiencing of digging into God’s truth, and subsequently deprives his congregation of keen insights that would be normally gained by laboring in the Word of God.
I remember visiting one church close to us some time ago and discovering that the pastor got his whole sermon series from a popular author’s book – practically word for word! Needless to say, I never felt compelled to go back.
It is no wonder that the evangelical church is in such a mess today, when the pulpits are overrun with lazy shepherds who are unwilling to engage in the necessary work of expositional teaching and preaching of Scripture.
Tim Challies published an article entitled “Plagiarism in the Pulpit” a couple of years ago. Challies sites an article published by Suzanne Sataline in the Wall Street Journal discussing this issue. In the article she discusses how this issue has created quite a stir over ethics. Quite frankly, I find the issue of taking another’s work and using it as one’s own blatantly unethical, not to mention patently unbiblical. Apparently Sataline quotes from several Christians who are in favor of this practice. Perhaps it should not come as any surprise that Rick Warren is among those who are in favor of using other people’s sermons without giving credit for the source of the material.
Tim Challies reflected on a couple of reasons as to why this is taking place. One is the laziness on the part of the pastors who are looking for a way to avoid the arduous task of sermon preparation. This, I believe, is the primary cause of the problem. But Tim offers the other side of the coin, which is the pressure that congregations place on the pastor as a result of the on-going “spirit of pragmatism” that has become so prevalent today. Pastors have succumbed to the pressure to be witty and entertaining. The expectations of far too many congregations is that the pastor be some charismatic leader similar to what the secular culture looks for in corporate America. While endeavoring to meet the demands of the congregation in light of this expectation, many pastors simply do not have the time for adequate sermon preparation. I agree that there is certainly quite a bit of pressure from churches to fit this expectation, however, it is the pastor's duty to give the congregation what they actually need biblically, rather than what they want. Perhaps it is time for more pastors to put a stop to the whims of man-made expectations and follow their Scriptural mandate for pastoral ministry. If they cannot fulfill it there, perhaps it is time to move on elsewhere, where they can fulfill their role biblically. I feel that the pastor’s study of the Word of God should be central to what he does. I wholeheartedly agree with this quote from Tim’s article:
“The pastor must lead the way in studying the Word. This must be his primary occupation and must take precedence over other tasks, and even important tasks, such as pastoral counseling or providing leadership.”
I believe that one of the primary problems being faced in the church today is a crisis concerning the lack of recognition of the biblical role for the pastor-teacher. When you think of it, the pastoral leadership is to provide the biblical vision and direction for the ministry of the church. This direction must be gleaned from the careful study of Scripture. And if the leadership fails to provide this, then it should be no surprise that the congregation will fail to function in a biblical manner and its spiritual growth will be severely diminished.
Friday, November 28, 2008
A Sad Story Concerning Holiday Shopping Greed
I just read this news story today. A Wal-Mart employee was trampled to death as frantic shoppers stormed through the front door, eager to grab some spectacular bargains. It is astounding that greed can be carried this far, that someone would loose their life over attempting to get a good deal on some merchandise. According to the news report, many of the approximately 2,000 shoppers standing in line arrived around 10:00 PM Thursday night! It is amazing what people are willing to do to satisfy their lust and greed for material possessions.
For a nation filled with people who are disgruntled over corporate greed and are disenchanted with the wealthy, claiming that they are only concerned with money and not the common man on "Main Street", it is amazing how many are so blind that they cannot recognize their own selfish greed. It is also interesting how they certainly like the merchandise produced by those so-called greedy corporations. Stories like this illustrate the attitude of ingratitude so prevalent today, especially at a time when we are to be reflecting on the things we should be thankful for. This type of greed is antithetical to an attitude of thankfulness.
Scripture so clearly points out the attitude of the world, especially concerning greed (covetousness).
29They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents,(Romans 1:29-30, ESV)
Scripture also provides plenty of warning to believers not to be caught up with worldliness, pointing out the harmful destructive effects of greed on their lives, particularly in relation to their faith.
6Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, 7for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. 8But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 9But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. (1 Timothy 6:6-10, ESV)
Luke 12:15
Hebrews 13:5
Colossians 3:5-7
It is unfortunate that sadly, many professing believers have gotten caught up in worldly lust for more wealth.
For a nation filled with people who are disgruntled over corporate greed and are disenchanted with the wealthy, claiming that they are only concerned with money and not the common man on "Main Street", it is amazing how many are so blind that they cannot recognize their own selfish greed. It is also interesting how they certainly like the merchandise produced by those so-called greedy corporations. Stories like this illustrate the attitude of ingratitude so prevalent today, especially at a time when we are to be reflecting on the things we should be thankful for. This type of greed is antithetical to an attitude of thankfulness.
Scripture so clearly points out the attitude of the world, especially concerning greed (covetousness).
29They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents,(Romans 1:29-30, ESV)
Scripture also provides plenty of warning to believers not to be caught up with worldliness, pointing out the harmful destructive effects of greed on their lives, particularly in relation to their faith.
6Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, 7for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. 8But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 9But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. (1 Timothy 6:6-10, ESV)
Luke 12:15
Hebrews 13:5
Colossians 3:5-7
It is unfortunate that sadly, many professing believers have gotten caught up in worldly lust for more wealth.
Sunday, November 09, 2008
The Propitiation for Our Sins
One word that summarizes what Christ did by drinking the cup of wrath on our behalf is propitiation. It is unfortunate that this word is not used in many modern versions of the Bible, such as The New International Version, which uses “atoning sacrifice” in place of propitiation. Perhaps this is an attempt to avoid difficult and misunderstood terms. But propitiation is a good term because it succinctly describes the work that Christ did on our behalf, and believers would do well to familiarize themselves with it.
The usual definition given for this word includes “to appease” or to “placate”. However, this definition seems a bit deficient in sufficiently describing what Christ accomplished. The usual definition alludes to merely soothing or softening the expression of God’s wrath. Furthermore, it could be taken to mean making concessions to appease an aggressor with the implications of sacrificing principle, which is definitely not the case. [1]
The description of the turning aside of wrath by taking away sin also does not seem to satisfy the real meaning of propitiation. This definition describes a mere deflecting of God’s wrath. But God did much more than just deflect God’s wrath for us. [1] Jesus Christ, as our substitute, fully absorbed God’s wrath. God’s wrath was completely spent which was necessary to satisfy His justice.
Isaiah 53 foretold of this outpouring of God’s wrath.
“4Surely our griefs He Himself bore,
And our sorrows He carried;
Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten of God, and afflicted.
5But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,
And by His scourging we are healed.
6All of us like sheep have gone astray,
Each of us has turned to his own way;
But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.”
(Isaiah 53:4-6, NASB)
But perhaps the best word that describes what Christ did is the term exhausted. God unleashed all the fury of His wrath against sin on His beloved son. Every ounce of its fury was laid on Jesus, completely exhausting it so that we would not experience any of that wrath. We could say that the cup of God’s wrath was turned upside down, completely emptying it. There is nothing left in that cup for those who have placed their faith in Christ. [1]
It was this knowledge of what He would have to endure that caused Jesus the agony He expressed in the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:44) and why He cried out in agony on the cross “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46).
But it was at the end of those grueling hours on the cross that Jesus cried out in victory, “It is finished” (John 19:30). The wrath of God was finally satisfied; there was nothing left that needed to be paid.
All of this is a display of the great love that God has for us.
“9In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1 John 4:9-10, ESV)
The work that Christ accomplished was not that of Jesus, being kind and gentle, needing to persuade the Father not to pour out His wrath on us. God purposely sent His own Son on a mission of grace and mercy. This fact of God’s love is clearly affirmed in such passages as John 3:16 and Romans 5:8. [2] God is not content with displaying His wrath, even though it is necessary as a result of the curse of the Law, but desires to display His love. John Piper explains in “The Passion of Jesus Christ”:
“But the love of God does not rest with the curse that hangs over all sinful humanity. He is not content to show wrath, no matter how holy it is. Therefore God sends His own Son to absorb His wrath and bear the curse for all who trust Him. “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us” (Galatians 3:13).” [3]
Scripture describes God’s justice, mercy, wrath and love being fully expressed in Christ’s sacrifice. This is what enables us to experience the “unsearchable riches of Christ”. [4]
“3among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—” (Ephesians 2:3-5, ESV)
Realizing what was accomplished through the sacrifice of Christ should produce in us an attitude of deep appreciation and humility. Our Savior endured suffering that we cannot completely fathom. He endured this grief willingly on our behalf, taking on God’s wrath so that we would not need to suffer it for ourselves. Reflecting on these facts is all part of experiencing the unsearchable riches we have in Christ.
1. Jerry Bridges, “The Gospel for Real Life” [NavPress, 2003], pg. 53-54.
2. Bridges, pg. 55
3. John Piper, “The Passion of Jesus Christ” [Crossway Books, 2004], pg. 21
4. Bridges, pg. 56.
The usual definition given for this word includes “to appease” or to “placate”. However, this definition seems a bit deficient in sufficiently describing what Christ accomplished. The usual definition alludes to merely soothing or softening the expression of God’s wrath. Furthermore, it could be taken to mean making concessions to appease an aggressor with the implications of sacrificing principle, which is definitely not the case. [1]
The description of the turning aside of wrath by taking away sin also does not seem to satisfy the real meaning of propitiation. This definition describes a mere deflecting of God’s wrath. But God did much more than just deflect God’s wrath for us. [1] Jesus Christ, as our substitute, fully absorbed God’s wrath. God’s wrath was completely spent which was necessary to satisfy His justice.
Isaiah 53 foretold of this outpouring of God’s wrath.
“4Surely our griefs He Himself bore,
And our sorrows He carried;
Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten of God, and afflicted.
5But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,
And by His scourging we are healed.
6All of us like sheep have gone astray,
Each of us has turned to his own way;
But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.”
(Isaiah 53:4-6, NASB)
But perhaps the best word that describes what Christ did is the term exhausted. God unleashed all the fury of His wrath against sin on His beloved son. Every ounce of its fury was laid on Jesus, completely exhausting it so that we would not experience any of that wrath. We could say that the cup of God’s wrath was turned upside down, completely emptying it. There is nothing left in that cup for those who have placed their faith in Christ. [1]
It was this knowledge of what He would have to endure that caused Jesus the agony He expressed in the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:44) and why He cried out in agony on the cross “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46).
But it was at the end of those grueling hours on the cross that Jesus cried out in victory, “It is finished” (John 19:30). The wrath of God was finally satisfied; there was nothing left that needed to be paid.
All of this is a display of the great love that God has for us.
“9In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1 John 4:9-10, ESV)
The work that Christ accomplished was not that of Jesus, being kind and gentle, needing to persuade the Father not to pour out His wrath on us. God purposely sent His own Son on a mission of grace and mercy. This fact of God’s love is clearly affirmed in such passages as John 3:16 and Romans 5:8. [2] God is not content with displaying His wrath, even though it is necessary as a result of the curse of the Law, but desires to display His love. John Piper explains in “The Passion of Jesus Christ”:
“But the love of God does not rest with the curse that hangs over all sinful humanity. He is not content to show wrath, no matter how holy it is. Therefore God sends His own Son to absorb His wrath and bear the curse for all who trust Him. “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us” (Galatians 3:13).” [3]
Scripture describes God’s justice, mercy, wrath and love being fully expressed in Christ’s sacrifice. This is what enables us to experience the “unsearchable riches of Christ”. [4]
“3among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—” (Ephesians 2:3-5, ESV)
Realizing what was accomplished through the sacrifice of Christ should produce in us an attitude of deep appreciation and humility. Our Savior endured suffering that we cannot completely fathom. He endured this grief willingly on our behalf, taking on God’s wrath so that we would not need to suffer it for ourselves. Reflecting on these facts is all part of experiencing the unsearchable riches we have in Christ.
1. Jerry Bridges, “The Gospel for Real Life” [NavPress, 2003], pg. 53-54.
2. Bridges, pg. 55
3. John Piper, “The Passion of Jesus Christ” [Crossway Books, 2004], pg. 21
4. Bridges, pg. 56.
Friday, November 07, 2008
Let’s Not Forget
20Daniel answered and said: "Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might.21He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; (Daniel 2:20-21, ESV)
Well the election is over, and if you are like me, you probably cringe as you think of the next four years under an Obama presidency. Election night is over and the majority of people decided in favor of Barack Obama. While we can sit around in shock as a very liberal agenda is likely to be implemented over the next four years, we need to understand that God is ultimately in control. We need not fear that somehow things are out of control, for God Himself is ultimately in charge of allowing who He wants to rule over a nation.
While we may have been disappointed, we need to keep a Biblical perspective on the matter. While we may not agree with many of the ideas proposed by Barack Obama, he is still going to be our president. And we need to be respectful of his position, even if we disagree. We also need to be supportive of him where possible. Of course, I do not mean that we should just be agreeable with whatever he proposes. But there is a way to disagree, and at the same time show him respect. We still have the right to vote on issues, and we can voice our opinions and concerns to our elected representatives. And there will be future elections. Scripture is crystal clear concerning our obligation to governing authority.
1Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. (Romans 13:1, ESV)
To “be subject” means to obey, to submit to someone’s control or authority. Ultimately, the authority of these leaders came from God. This does not mean that this is unconditional obedience to the point that we are to violate God’s Word. Scripture is clear on that as well (Acts 5:29).
We must also remember that God has ordained civil government to help keep order in society. This does not mean that God approves of all things that civil government does. But without any government rule, there would be utter chaos. Our obedience to civil authority also brings honor and glory to God. Open rebellion brings dishonor to Christ (1 Peter 2:13).
Scripture further teaches us that we are to pray for our leaders. This is what pleases God (1Timothy 2:1-3). We must not forget that God desires for all people to be saved (1Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter3:9). This does not mean that all men will ultimately be saved (will of decree), but rather it is His will of desire. Remember that God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 33:11) .
Also, remember that our citizenship is not of this world (Philippians 3:20).
So as we approach January 2009, let’s keep these things in mind as a new president takes office.
Well the election is over, and if you are like me, you probably cringe as you think of the next four years under an Obama presidency. Election night is over and the majority of people decided in favor of Barack Obama. While we can sit around in shock as a very liberal agenda is likely to be implemented over the next four years, we need to understand that God is ultimately in control. We need not fear that somehow things are out of control, for God Himself is ultimately in charge of allowing who He wants to rule over a nation.
While we may have been disappointed, we need to keep a Biblical perspective on the matter. While we may not agree with many of the ideas proposed by Barack Obama, he is still going to be our president. And we need to be respectful of his position, even if we disagree. We also need to be supportive of him where possible. Of course, I do not mean that we should just be agreeable with whatever he proposes. But there is a way to disagree, and at the same time show him respect. We still have the right to vote on issues, and we can voice our opinions and concerns to our elected representatives. And there will be future elections. Scripture is crystal clear concerning our obligation to governing authority.
1Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. (Romans 13:1, ESV)
To “be subject” means to obey, to submit to someone’s control or authority. Ultimately, the authority of these leaders came from God. This does not mean that this is unconditional obedience to the point that we are to violate God’s Word. Scripture is clear on that as well (Acts 5:29).
We must also remember that God has ordained civil government to help keep order in society. This does not mean that God approves of all things that civil government does. But without any government rule, there would be utter chaos. Our obedience to civil authority also brings honor and glory to God. Open rebellion brings dishonor to Christ (1 Peter 2:13).
Scripture further teaches us that we are to pray for our leaders. This is what pleases God (1Timothy 2:1-3). We must not forget that God desires for all people to be saved (1Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter3:9). This does not mean that all men will ultimately be saved (will of decree), but rather it is His will of desire. Remember that God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 33:11) .
Also, remember that our citizenship is not of this world (Philippians 3:20).
So as we approach January 2009, let’s keep these things in mind as a new president takes office.
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Be Informed Before You Vote
This is a crucial election and I think it is extremely important for voters to clearly understand the issues before they cast their vote. Here is a handy guide from the Ohio Christian Alliance to let you know what the candidates stand for. You can download and print the complete 2008 Voter Guide. Also, if you live in Ohio, go to OhioElectionCentral.com, where you can enter your zip code and get a list of the candidates who will appear on your ballot along with their stand on key issues.
Saturday, November 01, 2008
John Piper on Martin Luther
Excerpt from “Martin Luther: Lessons from His Life and Labor” by John Piper.
Luther Discovers the Book
One of the great rediscoveries of the Reformation -especially of Martin Luther- was that the Word of God comes to us in a form of a Book. In other words Luther grasped this powerful fact: God preserves the experience of salvation and holiness from generation to generation by means of a Book of revelation, not a bishop in Rome, and not the ecstasies of Thomas Muenzer and the Zwickau prophets (see note 1). The Word of God comes to us in a Book. That rediscovery shaped Luther and the Reformation.
One of Luther's arch-opponents in the Roman Church, Sylvester Prierias, wrote in response to Luther's 95 theses: "He who does not accept the doctrine of the Church of Rome and pontiff of Rome as an infallible rule of faith, from which the Holy Scriptures, too, draw their strength and authority, is a heretic" (see note 2). In other words, the Church and the pope are the authoritative deposit of salvation and the Word of God; and the Book is derivative and secondary. "What is new in Luther," Heiko Oberman says, "is the notion of absolute obedience to the Scriptures against any authorities; be they popes or councils" (see note 3). In other words the saving, sanctifying, authoritative Word of God comes to us in a Book. The implications of this simple observation are tremendous.
In 1539, commenting on Psalm 119, Luther wrote, "In this psalm David always says that he will speak, think, talk, hear, read, day and night constantly—but about nothing else than God's Word and Commandments. For God wants to give you His Spirit only through the external Word" (see note 4). This phrase is extremely important. The "external Word" is the Book. And the saving, sanctifying, illuminating Spirit of God, he says, comes to us through this "external Word."
Luther calls it the "external Word" to emphasize that it is objective, fixed, outside ourselves, and therefore unchanging. It is a Book. Neither ecclesiastical hierarchy nor fanatical ecstasy can replace it or shape it. It is "external," like God. You can take or leave it. But you can't make it other than what it is. It is a book with fixed letters and words and sentences.
[You can read the complete article here at DesiringGod.org]
Luther Discovers the Book
One of the great rediscoveries of the Reformation -especially of Martin Luther- was that the Word of God comes to us in a form of a Book. In other words Luther grasped this powerful fact: God preserves the experience of salvation and holiness from generation to generation by means of a Book of revelation, not a bishop in Rome, and not the ecstasies of Thomas Muenzer and the Zwickau prophets (see note 1). The Word of God comes to us in a Book. That rediscovery shaped Luther and the Reformation.
One of Luther's arch-opponents in the Roman Church, Sylvester Prierias, wrote in response to Luther's 95 theses: "He who does not accept the doctrine of the Church of Rome and pontiff of Rome as an infallible rule of faith, from which the Holy Scriptures, too, draw their strength and authority, is a heretic" (see note 2). In other words, the Church and the pope are the authoritative deposit of salvation and the Word of God; and the Book is derivative and secondary. "What is new in Luther," Heiko Oberman says, "is the notion of absolute obedience to the Scriptures against any authorities; be they popes or councils" (see note 3). In other words the saving, sanctifying, authoritative Word of God comes to us in a Book. The implications of this simple observation are tremendous.
In 1539, commenting on Psalm 119, Luther wrote, "In this psalm David always says that he will speak, think, talk, hear, read, day and night constantly—but about nothing else than God's Word and Commandments. For God wants to give you His Spirit only through the external Word" (see note 4). This phrase is extremely important. The "external Word" is the Book. And the saving, sanctifying, illuminating Spirit of God, he says, comes to us through this "external Word."
Luther calls it the "external Word" to emphasize that it is objective, fixed, outside ourselves, and therefore unchanging. It is a Book. Neither ecclesiastical hierarchy nor fanatical ecstasy can replace it or shape it. It is "external," like God. You can take or leave it. But you can't make it other than what it is. It is a book with fixed letters and words and sentences.
[You can read the complete article here at DesiringGod.org]
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Yeah, This is a Bit Creepy!
I saw this over at Fox News. There was a YouTube video of children singing songs praising Obama as a contribution to his campaign. I just saw this last week, and interestingly enough, the original link was deleted from YouTube! The article is up at Fox Forum, but you can no longer view the video from that link. Not sure what happened to it. However, someone in the comments section provided a new link to the video.
Yes, this is creepy indeed!
Another video clip from FOX with Bill O’Reilly and commentary discussing this issue.
Here is another article discussing a stunt that was pulled by a Middle School teacher, who posted a YouTube video of his students chanting slogans for Barack Obama, and they were dressed in military fatigues! Fortunately, the teacher was suspended for his actions.
I don’t know about you, but this seemingly cult-like following of Obama is more than a little unsettling to say the least. It seems that people just want change for the sake of change, no matter what it is, but that mentality is dangerous. People better think carefully through the issues, because there is a lot at stake here. Obama's politics are radically left-wing.
Yes, this is creepy indeed!
Another video clip from FOX with Bill O’Reilly and commentary discussing this issue.
Here is another article discussing a stunt that was pulled by a Middle School teacher, who posted a YouTube video of his students chanting slogans for Barack Obama, and they were dressed in military fatigues! Fortunately, the teacher was suspended for his actions.
I don’t know about you, but this seemingly cult-like following of Obama is more than a little unsettling to say the least. It seems that people just want change for the sake of change, no matter what it is, but that mentality is dangerous. People better think carefully through the issues, because there is a lot at stake here. Obama's politics are radically left-wing.
Monday, September 29, 2008
The Cup of Wrath
We have previously established from Scripture that God’s wrath over sin is expressed throughout the Bible. And since we are all guilty of sin, we were destined to receive that wrath as a result of God’s righteous judgment against sin in order for God to maintain justice.
We are now going to look at what Jesus accomplished for us to save us from the horror of God’s wrath. In the Garden of Gethsemane in Matthew 26:39 , Jesus prayed to the Father that if it would be His will that “this cup be taken from me” (NIV). Also in John 18:11, when Jesus commanded that Peter put away his sword, He emphatically underscored that it was God’s will that He was to drink “the cup the Father has given me”.
The cup that Jesus drank is usually associated with the crucifixion. This connection is assumed based on the prayer of Jesus in Gethsemane that the Father would spare Him that painful horror and humiliation of dying on the cross. The cup is indeed connected with the crucifixion of Jesus and that assumption certainly is not wrong. But we need to consider what was in that cup.
Several portions of Scripture speak of God’s wrath. [1]
8For a cup is in the hand of the LORD, and the wine foams; It is well mixed, and He pours out of this; Surely all the wicked of the earth must drain and drink down its dregs.
(Psalm 75:8, NASB)
15For thus the LORD, the God of Israel, says to me, "Take this cup of the wine of wrath from My hand and cause all the nations to whom I send you to drink it. (Jeremiah 25:15, NASB)
22Thus says your Lord, the LORD, even your God Who contends for His people, "Behold, I have taken out of your hand the cup of reeling, The chalice of My anger; You will never drink it again. (Isaiah 51:22, NASB)
9Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. (Revelation 14:9-10, NASB)
The cup of wrath spoken of in Scripture is a metaphorical expression of the judgment of God. It was this cup that we would have been required to drink as a result of our sinful rebellion. But Jesus drank from that cup in our place so that we would not have to. Jesus drank all of it as our substitute. [1]
When Jesus was crucified, darkness spread over the land for three hours. It was during this time that Jesus drank that cup of wrath for us. Matthew 27:46 records the cry of Jesus approaching the end of that grueling three hours; “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” Scripture does not reveal to us everything that took place during those hours. The physical suffering that Jesus endured during that time reveals just a glimpse of the anguish that Jesus actually suffered. His soul was in utter anguish as He had to endure being forsaken by His Father. Jesus became sin for us in order to secure our salvation. It was for our sake that God had to forsake His beloved Son.
The words of the apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:21 describe what took place on that day. Jesus was made sin for us as a judicial transaction on our behalf.
21He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Jesus bore each and every one of our sins (1 Peter 2:24), and He did it willingly. What an incredible display of God’s love, that He would offer up His own Son whom he dearly loved to bear the full brunt of His wrath that we rightfully deserved. It was Jesus who was sinless, and yet He was required to take upon Himself our iniquity (Isaiah 53:6). It is this unique love that should cause us to look upon what Christ did with wonder. We will soon be examining a little further what Christ accomplished in His sacrifice in a couple of posts. [2]
1. Jerry Bridges, “The Gospel for Real Life” [NavPress, 2003], pg. 47-48.
2. Bridges, pg. 51-53.
We are now going to look at what Jesus accomplished for us to save us from the horror of God’s wrath. In the Garden of Gethsemane in Matthew 26:39 , Jesus prayed to the Father that if it would be His will that “this cup be taken from me” (NIV). Also in John 18:11, when Jesus commanded that Peter put away his sword, He emphatically underscored that it was God’s will that He was to drink “the cup the Father has given me”.
The cup that Jesus drank is usually associated with the crucifixion. This connection is assumed based on the prayer of Jesus in Gethsemane that the Father would spare Him that painful horror and humiliation of dying on the cross. The cup is indeed connected with the crucifixion of Jesus and that assumption certainly is not wrong. But we need to consider what was in that cup.
Several portions of Scripture speak of God’s wrath. [1]
8For a cup is in the hand of the LORD, and the wine foams; It is well mixed, and He pours out of this; Surely all the wicked of the earth must drain and drink down its dregs.
(Psalm 75:8, NASB)
15For thus the LORD, the God of Israel, says to me, "Take this cup of the wine of wrath from My hand and cause all the nations to whom I send you to drink it. (Jeremiah 25:15, NASB)
22Thus says your Lord, the LORD, even your God Who contends for His people, "Behold, I have taken out of your hand the cup of reeling, The chalice of My anger; You will never drink it again. (Isaiah 51:22, NASB)
9Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. (Revelation 14:9-10, NASB)
The cup of wrath spoken of in Scripture is a metaphorical expression of the judgment of God. It was this cup that we would have been required to drink as a result of our sinful rebellion. But Jesus drank from that cup in our place so that we would not have to. Jesus drank all of it as our substitute. [1]
When Jesus was crucified, darkness spread over the land for three hours. It was during this time that Jesus drank that cup of wrath for us. Matthew 27:46 records the cry of Jesus approaching the end of that grueling three hours; “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” Scripture does not reveal to us everything that took place during those hours. The physical suffering that Jesus endured during that time reveals just a glimpse of the anguish that Jesus actually suffered. His soul was in utter anguish as He had to endure being forsaken by His Father. Jesus became sin for us in order to secure our salvation. It was for our sake that God had to forsake His beloved Son.
The words of the apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:21 describe what took place on that day. Jesus was made sin for us as a judicial transaction on our behalf.
21He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Jesus bore each and every one of our sins (1 Peter 2:24), and He did it willingly. What an incredible display of God’s love, that He would offer up His own Son whom he dearly loved to bear the full brunt of His wrath that we rightfully deserved. It was Jesus who was sinless, and yet He was required to take upon Himself our iniquity (Isaiah 53:6). It is this unique love that should cause us to look upon what Christ did with wonder. We will soon be examining a little further what Christ accomplished in His sacrifice in a couple of posts. [2]
1. Jerry Bridges, “The Gospel for Real Life” [NavPress, 2003], pg. 47-48.
2. Bridges, pg. 51-53.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Finally Back Online
Our broadband and cable service are back up after being out for several days. We are fortunate since there are many who still have no power. Getting back to posting may be a little slow though. I have other things going on right now, including co-teaching a class on evangelism with one of the elders from our church. But I still should be resuming my series on the gospel this week.
There was quite a bit of damage inflicted on central Ohio as a result of last weekend’s wind storm. Power outages affected well over 1 million customers in nearly every county in Ohio. Damage was so widespread that Ohio was placed under a state of emergency. Here are some YouTube videos people have taken of the storm and the damage that it caused.
There was quite a bit of damage inflicted on central Ohio as a result of last weekend’s wind storm. Power outages affected well over 1 million customers in nearly every county in Ohio. Damage was so widespread that Ohio was placed under a state of emergency. Here are some YouTube videos people have taken of the storm and the damage that it caused.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
My Absence From Posting
I know it has been awhile since I have posted here at Authentic Truth. I meant to continue with my series of posts on the gospel this last weekend, but we were hit with the remnants of hurricane Ike this Sunday which inflicted widespread damage in central Ohio and knocked out our power for several days. Our power has been restored, but I still do not have my broadband Internet service restored yet. I am posting this from another location, but I do not have time right now to post anything of any substance at the moment. Hopefully my Internet access will be restored this weekend and I will resume posting once again.
Monday, September 01, 2008
The Justice of God
Before I further discuss what Jesus accomplished for us, I need to discuss God’s justice. I believe this is essential for us to understand man’s dilemma in regard to his sin. Too many people not only have a distorted view of God’s wrath, but they consequently have a warped view of God’s justice as well.
The Bible explicitly tells us that we will all face judgment before God (Hebrews 9:27). It generally goes without saying that the vast majority of us would want to receive mercy, rather than to receive the full brunt of God’s justice. But we are faced with a huge problem, since God’s justice will come with certainty, not allowing any room to accommodate any concessions. And we also must keep in mind that although God may delay His justice, it will indeed ultimately come to pass. [1]
“6For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, 8dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.” (2 Thessalonians 1:6-8; NASB)
We must also consider that God’s justice is inflexible. The very definition of justice means that “we get exactly what we deserve – nothing more, nothing less.” In human systems of justice, there tends to be tension between justice and mercy, where often one prevails over the other. But this tension does not exist with God; His justice will always prevail. And it is this justice that must prevail in order to keep His moral government from failing. [1]
Drawing from John Owen, Fred Zaspel describes the necessity of this justice.
‘"[V]indicatory justice is the very rectitude and perfection of the Deity. . . . For if such a law were not made necessarily, it might be possible that God should lose his natural right and dominion over his creatures, and thus he would not be God."(21) It would be impossible for God not to punish sin. Without it, justice would not be maintained. It would be a denial of his veracity to impose a law with threats against disobedience and not follow through.’ [2]
In order for God to maintain His justice, all sin must be punished without exception. God never exercises mercy at the expense of His justice. Unfortunately, there are those who believe that God forgives just for the sake of forgiveness. But this is completely contrary to what Scripture teaches. God must impute His justice without exception.
To summarize the main thrust of an illustration given by Jerry Bridges, let’s say that there is a man who is convicted of murder. There is no doubt that he is guilty and has been judged so through due process by the judicial system of that state, and this individual has been given a death sentence. But let’s say that the governor does not agree with the death penalty and grants a full pardon to this man. While the governor would have the authority to do so, what do you think the public reaction might be? It is likely that they would be outraged at this action of injustice. [1]
But when people think that God should relax His justice and simply pardon all of us for our sin, they are asking God to do the exact same thing in the aforementioned scenario. But God’s divine nature cannot do that. You see, this would require God to exalt one attribute, His mercy, at the expense of His justice.
So this is the dilemma of our human condition; if we are to experience forgiveness, God’s righteousness must be satisfied before we can receive salvation for our sins. Since no one has perfectly obeyed God’s law and we are all guilty of breaking God’s law (Romans 3:9-20; James 2:10), we are all under condemnation before God. It would seem that we are without any hope in this world.
But God in His mercy has provided the way of forgiveness of man’s sin through sending His Son, Jesus Christ to suffer and die in our place to satisfy His justice. In fact, this is the ultimate expression of His divine love. John Piper explains:
“The death of Jesus Christ is the ultimate expression of divine love: "God demonstrates his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). Yet the Bible also says that the aim of the death of Christ was "to demonstrate [God's] righteousness, because in the forbearance of God he passed over the sins previously committed" (Romans 3:25). Passing over sins creates a huge problem for the righteousness of God. It makes him look like a judge who lets criminals go free without punishment. In other words, the mercy of God puts the justice of God in jeopardy.
So to vindicate his justice he does the unthinkable - he puts his Son to death as the substitute penalty for our sins. The cross makes it plain to everyone that God does not sweep evil under the rug of the universe. He punishes it in Jesus for those who believe.” [4]
However, it is this expression of divine love that the world looks upon as foolishness. The world does not want to acknowledge that they have actually committed any sinful acts worthy of divine retribution, let alone acknowledge that these sinful acts necessitate the death of Christ, and that there is nothing that man can do to rectify their guilty standing before God apart from the work of Jesus Christ. But their denial of this reality will not in any way change the facts. As Fred Zaspel explains,
“If there is a God and if He is righteous, then all unrighteousness will one day be punished. Indeed the knowledge of this aspect of divine righteousness is innate in every man. Though they deny it, still they "recognize [epignontes] the righteous judgment [dikaioma] of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death" (Rom.1:32). No denial of the facts will alter their reality. Knowing it they hate it, and hating it they deny it, but only to become more culpable. It is one horrible prospect that awaits the sinner.” [3]
But the fact remains that the only remedy for the transgression of man’s sin is the finished work of Jesus Christ through His sacrifice. Only Jesus could satisfy God’s righteousness and justice. I will be discussing more on this subject soon.
1. Jerry Bridges, “The Gospel for Real Life” [NavPress, 2003], pg. 41-43
2. Quoting and commenting on John Owen; from Fred G. Zaspel, “Four Aspects of Divine Righteousness: God’s Justice in Dealing with Sinners”, [Reformation & Revival Journal, Volume 6, Number 4, Winter 1997]
3. Fred G. Zaspel, “Four Aspects of Divine Righteousness: God’s Justice in Dealing with Sinners”, [Reformation & Revival Journal, Volume 6, Number 4, Winter 1997]
4. John Piper, “The Goal of God’s Love May Not Be What You Think It Is”, Desiring God, October 14, 2000
The Bible explicitly tells us that we will all face judgment before God (Hebrews 9:27). It generally goes without saying that the vast majority of us would want to receive mercy, rather than to receive the full brunt of God’s justice. But we are faced with a huge problem, since God’s justice will come with certainty, not allowing any room to accommodate any concessions. And we also must keep in mind that although God may delay His justice, it will indeed ultimately come to pass. [1]
“6For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, 8dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.” (2 Thessalonians 1:6-8; NASB)
We must also consider that God’s justice is inflexible. The very definition of justice means that “we get exactly what we deserve – nothing more, nothing less.” In human systems of justice, there tends to be tension between justice and mercy, where often one prevails over the other. But this tension does not exist with God; His justice will always prevail. And it is this justice that must prevail in order to keep His moral government from failing. [1]
Drawing from John Owen, Fred Zaspel describes the necessity of this justice.
‘"[V]indicatory justice is the very rectitude and perfection of the Deity. . . . For if such a law were not made necessarily, it might be possible that God should lose his natural right and dominion over his creatures, and thus he would not be God."(21) It would be impossible for God not to punish sin. Without it, justice would not be maintained. It would be a denial of his veracity to impose a law with threats against disobedience and not follow through.’ [2]
In order for God to maintain His justice, all sin must be punished without exception. God never exercises mercy at the expense of His justice. Unfortunately, there are those who believe that God forgives just for the sake of forgiveness. But this is completely contrary to what Scripture teaches. God must impute His justice without exception.
To summarize the main thrust of an illustration given by Jerry Bridges, let’s say that there is a man who is convicted of murder. There is no doubt that he is guilty and has been judged so through due process by the judicial system of that state, and this individual has been given a death sentence. But let’s say that the governor does not agree with the death penalty and grants a full pardon to this man. While the governor would have the authority to do so, what do you think the public reaction might be? It is likely that they would be outraged at this action of injustice. [1]
But when people think that God should relax His justice and simply pardon all of us for our sin, they are asking God to do the exact same thing in the aforementioned scenario. But God’s divine nature cannot do that. You see, this would require God to exalt one attribute, His mercy, at the expense of His justice.
So this is the dilemma of our human condition; if we are to experience forgiveness, God’s righteousness must be satisfied before we can receive salvation for our sins. Since no one has perfectly obeyed God’s law and we are all guilty of breaking God’s law (Romans 3:9-20; James 2:10), we are all under condemnation before God. It would seem that we are without any hope in this world.
But God in His mercy has provided the way of forgiveness of man’s sin through sending His Son, Jesus Christ to suffer and die in our place to satisfy His justice. In fact, this is the ultimate expression of His divine love. John Piper explains:
“The death of Jesus Christ is the ultimate expression of divine love: "God demonstrates his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). Yet the Bible also says that the aim of the death of Christ was "to demonstrate [God's] righteousness, because in the forbearance of God he passed over the sins previously committed" (Romans 3:25). Passing over sins creates a huge problem for the righteousness of God. It makes him look like a judge who lets criminals go free without punishment. In other words, the mercy of God puts the justice of God in jeopardy.
So to vindicate his justice he does the unthinkable - he puts his Son to death as the substitute penalty for our sins. The cross makes it plain to everyone that God does not sweep evil under the rug of the universe. He punishes it in Jesus for those who believe.” [4]
However, it is this expression of divine love that the world looks upon as foolishness. The world does not want to acknowledge that they have actually committed any sinful acts worthy of divine retribution, let alone acknowledge that these sinful acts necessitate the death of Christ, and that there is nothing that man can do to rectify their guilty standing before God apart from the work of Jesus Christ. But their denial of this reality will not in any way change the facts. As Fred Zaspel explains,
“If there is a God and if He is righteous, then all unrighteousness will one day be punished. Indeed the knowledge of this aspect of divine righteousness is innate in every man. Though they deny it, still they "recognize [epignontes] the righteous judgment [dikaioma] of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death" (Rom.1:32). No denial of the facts will alter their reality. Knowing it they hate it, and hating it they deny it, but only to become more culpable. It is one horrible prospect that awaits the sinner.” [3]
But the fact remains that the only remedy for the transgression of man’s sin is the finished work of Jesus Christ through His sacrifice. Only Jesus could satisfy God’s righteousness and justice. I will be discussing more on this subject soon.
1. Jerry Bridges, “The Gospel for Real Life” [NavPress, 2003], pg. 41-43
2. Quoting and commenting on John Owen; from Fred G. Zaspel, “Four Aspects of Divine Righteousness: God’s Justice in Dealing with Sinners”, [Reformation & Revival Journal, Volume 6, Number 4, Winter 1997]
3. Fred G. Zaspel, “Four Aspects of Divine Righteousness: God’s Justice in Dealing with Sinners”, [Reformation & Revival Journal, Volume 6, Number 4, Winter 1997]
4. John Piper, “The Goal of God’s Love May Not Be What You Think It Is”, Desiring God, October 14, 2000
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