"Take the helmet of salvation" (Eph. 6:17).
We've seen how Satan attacks believers with his two- edged sword of doubt and discouragement. But he doesn't stop there. He tries to take you beyond discouragement to despair by robing you of hope. Unless you're careful, his attacks will be successful when you're battle-weary.
The prophet Elijah is an illustration of that truth. The highlight of his ministry came atop Mount Carmel, where he slew 450 prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18:40). Yet immediately after that great victory, he fled for his life because Queen Jezebel threatened to kill him (1 Kings 19:1- 3).
He ran from Mount Carmel into the wilderness of Beersheba, where he "sat down under a juniper tree; and he requested for himself that he might die, and said, 'It is enough; now, O Lord, take my life, for I am not better than my fathers'" (v. 4). He went on to moan, "I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Thy covenant, torn down Thine altars and killed Thy prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away" (v. 10).
Elijah lost hope because he failed to see his circumstances through the eyes of faith; he was attempting to fight the battle on his own. He allowed himself to become emotionally, physically, and spiritually spent, and became overwhelmed with self-pity. He felt utterly alone.
But God hadn't abandoned Elijah. He was still in control and His people were numerous (v. 18). But Elijah had, in effect, removed his helmet of salvation and received a near-fatal blow to his confidence in God's blessing on his life.
There may be times when, like Elijah, you lose your confidence and doubt God's faithfulness. At such times, putting on the helmet of salvation means taking your eyes off your circumstances and trusting in God's promises. You may not always sense His presence or understand what He's doing, but be assured He will never leave you or forsake you (Heb. 13:5) and His purposes will always be accomplished Rom. 8:28).
Saturday, September 22, 2007
The Gospel: Conventional vs. Emerging Brian McLaren shares two gospels, one new and one old.
Those of us who have been keeping a wary eye on the Emerging Church know that to understand the movement we need to understand Brian McLaren. Though it is not quite fair to label him the movement’s leader, he certainly functions as its elder statesman and his writing seems to serve as a barometer for the movement. But anyone who has read his books will know just how difficult it is to pin down what he really believes. So often he is deliberately vague and mischievous and opaque, making suggestions but stopping short of actually saying, “This is what I believe.”
It was with some interest, then, that I read his understanding of “two views of Jesus’ good news” in a pre-release copy of his upcoming book Everything Must Change. In a chapter entitled “How Much More Ironic,” he lays out the gospel as he understands it, set against the gospel as traditionally understood by Protestants. In an endnote he defines this just a little bit further to say it represents a Calvinistic, evangelical Protestant, understanding of the good news.
So here, under four headings, is McLaren’s portrayal of what he calls the “conventional view” of Jesus’ good news:
The Human Situation: What is the Story We Find Ourselves In? God created the world as perfect, but because our primal ancestors, Adam and Eve, did not maintain the absolute perfection demanded by God, god has irrevocably determined that the entire universe and all it contains will be destroyed, and the souls of all human beings—expect for those specifically exempted—will be forever punished for their imperfection in hell.
Basic Questions: What Questions Did Jesus Come to Answer? Since everyone is doomed to hell, Jesus seeks to answer one or both of these questions: “How can individuals be saved from eternal punishment in hell and instead go to heaven after they die?” “How can God help individuals be happy and successful until they die?”
Jesus’ Message: How did Jesus Respond to the Crisis? Jesus says in essence, “If you want to be among those specifically qualified to escape being forever punished for your sins in hell, you must repent of your individual sins and believe that my Father punished me on the cross so he won’t have to punish you in hell. Only if you believe this will you go to heaven when the earth is destroyed and everyone else is banished to hell.” This is the good news.
Purpose of Jesus: Why is Jesus Important? Jesus came to solve the problem of “original sin,” meaning that he helps qualified individuals not to be sent to hell for their sin or imperfection. In a sense, Jesus saves these people from God, or more specifically, from the righteous wrath of God which sinful human beings deserve because they have not perfectly fulfilled God’s just expectations, expressed in God’s moral laws. This escape from punishment is not something they earn or achieve, but rather a free gift they receive as an expression of God’s grace and love. Those who receive it enjoy a personal relationship with God and seek to serve and obey God, which produces a happier life on earth and more rewards in heaven.
And here, now, is the “emerging view” of the good news under those same four headings:
The Human Situation: What is the Story We Find Ourselves In? God created the world as good, but human beings—as individuals and as groups—have rebelled against God and filled the world with evil and injustice. God wants to save humanity and heal it from its sickness, but humanity is hopelessly lost and confused, like sheep without a shepherd, wandering farther and farther into lostness and danger. Left to themselves, human beings will spiral downward into sickness and evil.
Basic Questions: What Questions Did Jesus Come to Answer? Since the human race is in such desperate trouble, Jesus seeks to answer this question: “What must be done about the mess we’re in?” The mess refers both to the general human condition and its specific outworking among his contemporaries living under domination by the Roman Empire and confused and conflicted as to what they should do to be liberated.
Jesus’ Message: How did Jesus Respond to the Crisis? Jesus says, in essence, “I have been sent by God with this good news—that God loves humanity, even in its lostness and sin. God graciously invites everyone and anyone to turn from his or her current path and follow a new way. Trust me and become my disciple, and you will be transformed, and you will participate in the transformation of the world, which is possible, beginning right now.” This is the good news.
Purpose of Jesus: Why is Jesus Important? Jesus came to become the savior of the world, meaning he came to save the earth and all it contains from its ongoing destruction because of human evil. Through his life and teaching, through his suffering, death, and resurrection, he inserted into human history a seed of grace, truth, and hope that can never be defeated. This seed will, against all opposition and odds, prevail over the evil and injustice of humanity and lead to the world’s ongoing transformation into the world God dreams of. All who find in Jesus God’s truth and hope discover the privilege of participating in his ongoing work of personal and global transformation and liberation from evil and injustice. As part of his transforming community, they experience liberation from the fear of death and condemnation. This is not something they earn or achieve, but rather a free gift they receive as an expression of God’s grace and love.
Following his summary of the two views of the good news, McLaren says his readers will recognize that the conventional view is commonly described as “orthodoxy” while any departure from it is heresy. While he affirms that the conventional view has a lot going for it, he says “more and more of us agree that for all its value, it does not adequately situate Jesus in his original context, but rather frames him in the context of religious debates within Western Christianity, especially debates in the sixteenth century.”
Before turning to a discussion of six unintended negative consequences of the conventional view, he makes this statement about conventional theology. “The basic shape of the story is similar despite [denominational or traditional] differences in details: earth is doomed, and souls are eternally damned unless they are specifically and individually saved, and the purpose of Jesus was to provide a way for at least a few individuals to escape the eternal conscious torment of everlasting damnation. Supporters of the conventional view can justify it with many questions from the Bible, and in so doing they bring much of value to light. But many other passages of the Bible are marginalized in the conventional view, and it has proven to entail many unintended negative consequences.”
This book is an attempt to answer two overarching questions: What are the biggest problems in the world? and What does Jesus say about these global problems? Those who know McLaren from his previous books will not be surprised to learn that “Jesus in the conventional view has little or nothing to say regarding the world’s global crises.” Clearly, then, an alternative is needed—an alternative that will allow Jesus to speak to the crises in the world.
But if Jesus did not come to proclaim that He had come to reconcile sinful men to a sinless God through his substitutionary atonement, what then was the central message of Jesus? Well, I haven’t quite finished the book yet, but this seems to be the best summary so far: “When Jesus proclaimed his central message of the kingdom of God, he was proclaiming not an esoteric religious concept but an alternative empire: ‘Don’t let your lives be framed by the narratives and counternarratives of the Roman empire,’ he was saying, ‘but situate yourselves in another story … the good news that God is king and we can live in relation to God and God’s love rather than Caesar and Caesar’s power.’” Another summary of Jesus’ message reads like this: “The time has come! Rethink everything! A radically new kind of empire is available—the empire of God has arrived! Believe this good news, and defect from all human imperial narratives, counternarratives, dual narratives, and withdrawal narratives. Open your minds and hearts like children to see things freshly in this new way, follow me and my words, and enter this new way of living.” Jesus took that message to the cross, an instrument of torture and cruelty that He used “to expose the cruelty and injustice of those in power and instill hope and confidence in the oppressed.”
So, according to McLaren, Protestant theology has had it wrong all along. We’ve missed the message of Jesus by reading sixteenth century presuppositions into the Bible. We’ve read the Bible with faulty lenses and have arrived at a flawed and false view of Jesus.
It seems clear to me that Everything Must Change is another step down the steep path that leads farther and farther away from biblical orthodoxy. McLaren seems to be fully aware of the path he is taking and of the crowd he is taking with him. I fear for them all. It seems increasingly clear to me that the new kind of Christian is starting to resemble no kind of Christian at all…
It was with some interest, then, that I read his understanding of “two views of Jesus’ good news” in a pre-release copy of his upcoming book Everything Must Change. In a chapter entitled “How Much More Ironic,” he lays out the gospel as he understands it, set against the gospel as traditionally understood by Protestants. In an endnote he defines this just a little bit further to say it represents a Calvinistic, evangelical Protestant, understanding of the good news.
So here, under four headings, is McLaren’s portrayal of what he calls the “conventional view” of Jesus’ good news:
The Human Situation: What is the Story We Find Ourselves In? God created the world as perfect, but because our primal ancestors, Adam and Eve, did not maintain the absolute perfection demanded by God, god has irrevocably determined that the entire universe and all it contains will be destroyed, and the souls of all human beings—expect for those specifically exempted—will be forever punished for their imperfection in hell.
Basic Questions: What Questions Did Jesus Come to Answer? Since everyone is doomed to hell, Jesus seeks to answer one or both of these questions: “How can individuals be saved from eternal punishment in hell and instead go to heaven after they die?” “How can God help individuals be happy and successful until they die?”
Jesus’ Message: How did Jesus Respond to the Crisis? Jesus says in essence, “If you want to be among those specifically qualified to escape being forever punished for your sins in hell, you must repent of your individual sins and believe that my Father punished me on the cross so he won’t have to punish you in hell. Only if you believe this will you go to heaven when the earth is destroyed and everyone else is banished to hell.” This is the good news.
Purpose of Jesus: Why is Jesus Important? Jesus came to solve the problem of “original sin,” meaning that he helps qualified individuals not to be sent to hell for their sin or imperfection. In a sense, Jesus saves these people from God, or more specifically, from the righteous wrath of God which sinful human beings deserve because they have not perfectly fulfilled God’s just expectations, expressed in God’s moral laws. This escape from punishment is not something they earn or achieve, but rather a free gift they receive as an expression of God’s grace and love. Those who receive it enjoy a personal relationship with God and seek to serve and obey God, which produces a happier life on earth and more rewards in heaven.
And here, now, is the “emerging view” of the good news under those same four headings:
The Human Situation: What is the Story We Find Ourselves In? God created the world as good, but human beings—as individuals and as groups—have rebelled against God and filled the world with evil and injustice. God wants to save humanity and heal it from its sickness, but humanity is hopelessly lost and confused, like sheep without a shepherd, wandering farther and farther into lostness and danger. Left to themselves, human beings will spiral downward into sickness and evil.
Basic Questions: What Questions Did Jesus Come to Answer? Since the human race is in such desperate trouble, Jesus seeks to answer this question: “What must be done about the mess we’re in?” The mess refers both to the general human condition and its specific outworking among his contemporaries living under domination by the Roman Empire and confused and conflicted as to what they should do to be liberated.
Jesus’ Message: How did Jesus Respond to the Crisis? Jesus says, in essence, “I have been sent by God with this good news—that God loves humanity, even in its lostness and sin. God graciously invites everyone and anyone to turn from his or her current path and follow a new way. Trust me and become my disciple, and you will be transformed, and you will participate in the transformation of the world, which is possible, beginning right now.” This is the good news.
Purpose of Jesus: Why is Jesus Important? Jesus came to become the savior of the world, meaning he came to save the earth and all it contains from its ongoing destruction because of human evil. Through his life and teaching, through his suffering, death, and resurrection, he inserted into human history a seed of grace, truth, and hope that can never be defeated. This seed will, against all opposition and odds, prevail over the evil and injustice of humanity and lead to the world’s ongoing transformation into the world God dreams of. All who find in Jesus God’s truth and hope discover the privilege of participating in his ongoing work of personal and global transformation and liberation from evil and injustice. As part of his transforming community, they experience liberation from the fear of death and condemnation. This is not something they earn or achieve, but rather a free gift they receive as an expression of God’s grace and love.
Following his summary of the two views of the good news, McLaren says his readers will recognize that the conventional view is commonly described as “orthodoxy” while any departure from it is heresy. While he affirms that the conventional view has a lot going for it, he says “more and more of us agree that for all its value, it does not adequately situate Jesus in his original context, but rather frames him in the context of religious debates within Western Christianity, especially debates in the sixteenth century.”
Before turning to a discussion of six unintended negative consequences of the conventional view, he makes this statement about conventional theology. “The basic shape of the story is similar despite [denominational or traditional] differences in details: earth is doomed, and souls are eternally damned unless they are specifically and individually saved, and the purpose of Jesus was to provide a way for at least a few individuals to escape the eternal conscious torment of everlasting damnation. Supporters of the conventional view can justify it with many questions from the Bible, and in so doing they bring much of value to light. But many other passages of the Bible are marginalized in the conventional view, and it has proven to entail many unintended negative consequences.”
This book is an attempt to answer two overarching questions: What are the biggest problems in the world? and What does Jesus say about these global problems? Those who know McLaren from his previous books will not be surprised to learn that “Jesus in the conventional view has little or nothing to say regarding the world’s global crises.” Clearly, then, an alternative is needed—an alternative that will allow Jesus to speak to the crises in the world.
But if Jesus did not come to proclaim that He had come to reconcile sinful men to a sinless God through his substitutionary atonement, what then was the central message of Jesus? Well, I haven’t quite finished the book yet, but this seems to be the best summary so far: “When Jesus proclaimed his central message of the kingdom of God, he was proclaiming not an esoteric religious concept but an alternative empire: ‘Don’t let your lives be framed by the narratives and counternarratives of the Roman empire,’ he was saying, ‘but situate yourselves in another story … the good news that God is king and we can live in relation to God and God’s love rather than Caesar and Caesar’s power.’” Another summary of Jesus’ message reads like this: “The time has come! Rethink everything! A radically new kind of empire is available—the empire of God has arrived! Believe this good news, and defect from all human imperial narratives, counternarratives, dual narratives, and withdrawal narratives. Open your minds and hearts like children to see things freshly in this new way, follow me and my words, and enter this new way of living.” Jesus took that message to the cross, an instrument of torture and cruelty that He used “to expose the cruelty and injustice of those in power and instill hope and confidence in the oppressed.”
So, according to McLaren, Protestant theology has had it wrong all along. We’ve missed the message of Jesus by reading sixteenth century presuppositions into the Bible. We’ve read the Bible with faulty lenses and have arrived at a flawed and false view of Jesus.
It seems clear to me that Everything Must Change is another step down the steep path that leads farther and farther away from biblical orthodoxy. McLaren seems to be fully aware of the path he is taking and of the crowd he is taking with him. I fear for them all. It seems increasingly clear to me that the new kind of Christian is starting to resemble no kind of Christian at all…
Friday, September 21, 2007
Q&A WITH DR. RC. SPROUL
How can we as Christians ascertain when God's Word was applicable only to a certain culture and therefore may not be applicable to us today?
The real question here is, Is everything that is set forth in Scripture to be applied to all people of all time and of all cultures? I don’t know any biblical scholar who would argue that everything set forth in Scripture applies to all people at all times. Since Jesus sent out the seventy and he told them not to wear shoes, does that mean that evangelists today would be disobedient unless they preached in their bare feet? Obviously that is an example of something practiced in the first-century culture that has no real application in our culture today. When we come to the matter of understanding and applying Scripture, we have two problems. First, there is understanding the historical context in which the Scripture was first given. That means we have to go back and try to get into the skins and into the minds and languages of the first-century people who wrote down the Scriptures. We have to study the ancient languages—Greek and Hebrew—so that we can, as best as we know how, reconstruct the original meaning and intent of the Word of God. The second difficulty is that we live in the twentieth century, and words that we use every day are conditioned and shaped by how they are used in our here and now. There’s a sense in which I’m tethered to the twentieth century, yet the Bible speaks to me from the first century and before. How do I bridge that gap? I also think we need to study church history so that we can see those principles and precepts that the church has understood as applying across the centuries and speaking to Christians of all ages. It helps to have a historical perspective. You’ve heard the cliché that those who ignore the past are doomed to repeat it. There is much to be learned through a serious study of the history of the world and the history of the Christian faith, and how other generations and other societies have understood the Word of God and its application to their life situation. By doing that, we’ll readily see elements of scriptural instruction that the church of all ages has understood not to be limited to the immediate hearers of the biblical message but to have principle application down through the ages. We certainly don’t want to relativize or historicize an eternal truth of God. My rule of thumb: We are to study to try to discern a difference between principle and custom. But if after having studied we can’t discern, I would rather treat something that may be a first-century custom as an eternal principle than risk being guilty of taking an eternal principle of God and treating it as a first-century custom.
The real question here is, Is everything that is set forth in Scripture to be applied to all people of all time and of all cultures? I don’t know any biblical scholar who would argue that everything set forth in Scripture applies to all people at all times. Since Jesus sent out the seventy and he told them not to wear shoes, does that mean that evangelists today would be disobedient unless they preached in their bare feet? Obviously that is an example of something practiced in the first-century culture that has no real application in our culture today. When we come to the matter of understanding and applying Scripture, we have two problems. First, there is understanding the historical context in which the Scripture was first given. That means we have to go back and try to get into the skins and into the minds and languages of the first-century people who wrote down the Scriptures. We have to study the ancient languages—Greek and Hebrew—so that we can, as best as we know how, reconstruct the original meaning and intent of the Word of God. The second difficulty is that we live in the twentieth century, and words that we use every day are conditioned and shaped by how they are used in our here and now. There’s a sense in which I’m tethered to the twentieth century, yet the Bible speaks to me from the first century and before. How do I bridge that gap? I also think we need to study church history so that we can see those principles and precepts that the church has understood as applying across the centuries and speaking to Christians of all ages. It helps to have a historical perspective. You’ve heard the cliché that those who ignore the past are doomed to repeat it. There is much to be learned through a serious study of the history of the world and the history of the Christian faith, and how other generations and other societies have understood the Word of God and its application to their life situation. By doing that, we’ll readily see elements of scriptural instruction that the church of all ages has understood not to be limited to the immediate hearers of the biblical message but to have principle application down through the ages. We certainly don’t want to relativize or historicize an eternal truth of God. My rule of thumb: We are to study to try to discern a difference between principle and custom. But if after having studied we can’t discern, I would rather treat something that may be a first-century custom as an eternal principle than risk being guilty of taking an eternal principle of God and treating it as a first-century custom.
Let Trials Bless By C. H. Spurgeon
Knowing that tribulation worketh patience. (Romans 5:3)
This is a promise in essence if not in form. We have need of patience, and here we see the way of getting it. It is only by enduring that we learn to endure, even as by swimming men learn to swim. You could not learn that art on dry land, nor learn patience without trouble. Is it not worth while to suffer tribulation for the sake of gaining that beautiful equanimity of mind which quietly acquiesces in all the will of God?
Yet our text sets forth a singular fact, which is not according to nature but is supernatural. Tribulation in and of itself worketh petulance, unbelief, and rebellion. It is only by the sacred alchemy of grace that it is made to work in us patience. We do not thresh the wheat to lay the dust: yet the Rail of tribulation does this upon God's floor. We do not toss a man about in order to give him rest, and yet so the Lord dealeth with His children. Truly this is not the manner of man but greatly redounds to the glory of our all-wise God.
Oh, for grace to let my trials bless me!
Why should I wish to stay their gracious operation? Lord, I ask Thee to remove my affliction, but I beseech Thee ten times more to remove my impatience. Precious Lord Jesus, with Thy cross engrave the image of Thy patience on my heart.
This is a promise in essence if not in form. We have need of patience, and here we see the way of getting it. It is only by enduring that we learn to endure, even as by swimming men learn to swim. You could not learn that art on dry land, nor learn patience without trouble. Is it not worth while to suffer tribulation for the sake of gaining that beautiful equanimity of mind which quietly acquiesces in all the will of God?
Yet our text sets forth a singular fact, which is not according to nature but is supernatural. Tribulation in and of itself worketh petulance, unbelief, and rebellion. It is only by the sacred alchemy of grace that it is made to work in us patience. We do not thresh the wheat to lay the dust: yet the Rail of tribulation does this upon God's floor. We do not toss a man about in order to give him rest, and yet so the Lord dealeth with His children. Truly this is not the manner of man but greatly redounds to the glory of our all-wise God.
Oh, for grace to let my trials bless me!
Why should I wish to stay their gracious operation? Lord, I ask Thee to remove my affliction, but I beseech Thee ten times more to remove my impatience. Precious Lord Jesus, with Thy cross engrave the image of Thy patience on my heart.
Our Help in Prayer
READ Romans 8:26-27
Does this sound familiar? Determined to spend more time in prayer, you come to the appointed hour, drop to your knees, open your mouth and—draw a blank. Sure, you manage a few words about what you need the Lord to do for you and your family, but you should be praying for more than that, shouldn’t you?Yes, you should. The Christian’s needs are indeed God’s concern; not even the smallest detail escapes His notice. However, He tells His people to imitate Jesus: they should “not merely look out for [their] own personal interests, but also for the interests of others” (Philippians 2:4).Selfless prayer, though, isn’t natural to us.
We too easily think of God as a genie—someone to do our bidding as we live life our own way. Thankfully, God has supplied a Helper. The Holy Spirit, our willing and able partner in praying effectively, intercedes for us when we can’t “pray as we should” (Romans 8:26).How should we cooperate with the Spirit’s intercession for us?
First, we must recognize God’s authority, holiness, and glory.
Then, we need to submit our lives to his leadership. When we do, God’s will and desires become foremost in importance for us.
Finally, we must submit our future to Him, trusting that He will bring great good out of negative as well as positive events in our lives.In submission to the Lord, we will discover greater peace and joy. We’ll also find new words for our prayers.
Even more importantly, we will develop a deeper understanding of God’s greatness.
Does this sound familiar? Determined to spend more time in prayer, you come to the appointed hour, drop to your knees, open your mouth and—draw a blank. Sure, you manage a few words about what you need the Lord to do for you and your family, but you should be praying for more than that, shouldn’t you?Yes, you should. The Christian’s needs are indeed God’s concern; not even the smallest detail escapes His notice. However, He tells His people to imitate Jesus: they should “not merely look out for [their] own personal interests, but also for the interests of others” (Philippians 2:4).Selfless prayer, though, isn’t natural to us.
We too easily think of God as a genie—someone to do our bidding as we live life our own way. Thankfully, God has supplied a Helper. The Holy Spirit, our willing and able partner in praying effectively, intercedes for us when we can’t “pray as we should” (Romans 8:26).How should we cooperate with the Spirit’s intercession for us?
First, we must recognize God’s authority, holiness, and glory.
Then, we need to submit our lives to his leadership. When we do, God’s will and desires become foremost in importance for us.
Finally, we must submit our future to Him, trusting that He will bring great good out of negative as well as positive events in our lives.In submission to the Lord, we will discover greater peace and joy. We’ll also find new words for our prayers.
Even more importantly, we will develop a deeper understanding of God’s greatness.
Radio Program Alert! Brannon Howse on MCP
On the Wednesday September 26th episode of The Mike Corley Program, Brannon Howse will be our guest. Brannon is President and founder of American Family Policy Institute and Worldview Weekend, America’s largest national Christian worldview conference series. Brannon has been a guest on over 600 radio and television programs, including “The O’Reilly Factor” (Fox News); The News on MSNBC, “Truths That Transform” with Dr. D. James Kennedy; “The G. Gordon Liddy Show,” “The Michael Reagan Show,” and many others. Brannon and I will be discussing the Christian worldview, why many Christians do not have a biblical worldview and what we can to have the right perspective.
LISTEN HERE live at 1pm ET/12 noon CT, or on a delay at our OnePlace.com site.
LISTEN HERE live at 1pm ET/12 noon CT, or on a delay at our OnePlace.com site.
Small Churches MUST "Depend on Creativity"?
Every once in a while you run across a leader in the Church Growth Movement that has a verbal slip which reveals their thinking, and exposes the rotten root structure that this movement is based on. Now perhaps this church leader doesn't realize what he's just said, and his statement may not reflect his true beliefs, but have a look at point 3 in his list (don't bother looking for point 2). He says: "It's important to learn from churches bigger and smaller then you. Churches that are smaller have to be even more creative, because their success depends on it".
I certainly hope he doesn't believe that ANY church's success depends on human creativity. The Apostle Paul never talked like that; he spoke as though success depends on God, and he didn't want to do anything that would replace or "enhance" the Gospel with human wisdom and cleverness. ... [Read Link]
I certainly hope he doesn't believe that ANY church's success depends on human creativity. The Apostle Paul never talked like that; he spoke as though success depends on God, and he didn't want to do anything that would replace or "enhance" the Gospel with human wisdom and cleverness. ... [Read Link]
Considering the Qur’an By Nathan Busenitz
As the central religious text of the Islamic faith, the Qur’an is believed by Muslims to be “the last book of guidance from Allah, sent down to Muhammad (pbuh) through the angel Gabriel (Jibra’il). Every word of the Qur’an is the word of Allah.”[1]
But did the Qur’an truly come from God?
But did the Qur’an truly come from God?
The Qur’an teaches that previous revelation also came from God, including the writings of Moses (2:87; 3:3), David (4:163), and the gospel of Jesus (5:46–48). Elsewhere the Qur’an affirms these previous scriptures (2:91; 3:14, 84; 4:47), asserting that God has protected his revelation in them (5:48; 18:28). It also teaches that “Muhammad is to consult the scriptures already revealed if he is in doubt about what is revealed to him” (10:94–95).[2] Thus, the Qur’an claims to be in perfect harmony with the revelation God gave earlier through Moses, David, and Jesus (2:136).
When confronted with the fact that the Qur’an is at odds with the Old and New Testaments, Muslims contend that it is the Bible that has been corrupted.[3] Hence, it is argued, the Jewish and Christian scriptures have been tainted, not the Qur’an. But there are significant problems with this claim.
For starters, the Qur’an implies that the Old Testament was trustworthy at the time of Mary (66:12), John the Baptist (19:12), Jesus (3:48–50; 5:113; 61:6), and even at the time of its own composition, since it commands Jews and Christians to follow what had been revealed to them in their Scriptures (5:47, 68). The Qur’an also claims that the gospel confirms the truth of the Torah (5:49), and calls Jews and Christians “People of the Scripture” (2:44, 113, 121; 3:78, 79; 5:43; 6:92; 7:157; 10:95).
The Qur’an testifies that its main purpose is to provide a revelation for Arabic speaking people, who could not understand (or did not have access to) the Scriptures of the Jews and Christians (Surah 46:11–12; 41:2–3; 20:112; 39:29; 12:2). There is no suggestion that this new revelation (the Qur’an) was needed to replace any corrupted Scripture. In fact, the Qur’an claimed to be a verification of the earlier revelations such as in the Torah and the Gospel, that went before it (Surah 10:37; 12:111).[4]
The Qur’an thus implies that the Old and New Testaments had not yet been “corrupted” when the Qur’an was completed (in the late sixth or early seventh century).
Moreover, the Qur’an claims “to be the guardian of previous Scriptures, therefore any Muslim who claims that there has been a corruption of the text of the Torah [of Moses] or the Injil [Gospel] also, inevitably, charges the Qur’an with failure in its role in ‘guarding’ them (Surah 5:48).”[5] The Qur’an therefore bears witness to the veracity of the Old and New Testaments, at least as they existed in the sixth century A.D.
The Qur’an says that no one can change the Word of God. If the Jews did corrupt the Word of God then it would mean that the Qur’anic statement is unreliable, a concept that would be blasphemy to Muslims. The only possible conclusion in the light of the Qur’an is therefore that the copies of the pre-Islamic Scriptures (known as the Torah and the Injil) were available in the days of Muhammad as they are available today i.e. that they are valid. Since Christians have ample documentary evidence from before Muhammad’s time, they can confidently assert that their Scriptures are trustworthy.[6]
This, then presents a major problem for those who hold to the inerrant inspiration of the Qur’an. By it’s own admission, the Qur’an must be consistent with previous revelation from God. But it does not take long to see that the Bible and the Qur’an are not compatible. “It should come as no surprise to well-informed Muslims who know that, in the final analysis, the claims of Christianity and Islam are incompatible. This incompatibility is behind the Islamic assumption that, in one way or another, the Bible has been corrupted.”[7] When it is demonstrated that the Bible has not been corrupted, both from textual evidence and from the claims of the Qur’an itself, it is the Qur’an—not the Bible—that is discredited.
In addition to being incompatible with previous revelation from God, the Qur’an contains its own internal contradictions, such as urging religious tolerance in one place (2:256) and then commanding Muslims to fight and kill those who do not believe (9:29; 9:5). In another place (7:54 and 32:4), the Qur’an claims that the earth was made in six days. But in 41:9–12, it teaches that eight days were needed to create the world.[8]
The Qur’an also purports certain scientific inaccuracies, claiming that human beings are formed from a clot of blood (23:14), that the sun rests in a muddy spring in the west (18:86), that mountains were created to hold down the earth and prevent earthquakes (31:10-11; cf. 16:15; 21:31; 78:6-7; 88:17, 19), that there are literally seven heavens (2:29; 17:44; 41:12; 23:17, 86; 67:3; 71:15-16), and that meteors are a form of divine retribution being hurled at devils who might try to spy on the heavenly council (37:6-10; 72:8-9; cf.15:16-18; 67:5; 86:2-3).[9]
The Qur’an contains historical errors as well. As one non-Christian author explains,
At sura 40.38; the Koran mistakenly identifies Haman, who in reality was the minister of the Persian King Ahasuerus (mentioned in the book of Esther), as the minister of the Pharoah [sic] at the time of Moses. We have already noted the confusion of Mary, the mother of Jesus, with the Mary who was the sister of Moses and Aaron. At sura 2.249, 250 there is obviously a confusion between the story of Saul as told therein, and the account of Gideon in Judg. 7.5. The account of Alexander the Great in the Koran (18.82) is hopelessly confused historically; we are certain it was based on the Romance of Alexander. At any rate, the Macedonian was not a Muslim and did not live to an old age, nor was he a contemporary of Abraham, as Muslims contend.[10]
Examples such as these are indications that the Qur’an is not the word of God, in spite of what it claims to be.
If space permitted, we could also consider other religious texts, such as the Hindu Veda or the Book of Mormon. In each case, we would again find that the supposed inspired text falls far short of the Bible. Consider, as just one example, the test of predictive prophecy: “Other books claim divine inspiration, such as the Koran, the Book of Mormon, and parts of the [Hindu] Veda. But none of those books contains predictive prophecy. As a result, fulfilled prophecy is a strong indication of the unique divine authority of the Bible.”[11]
Perhaps the greatest difference between the Bible and all other religious books is that the Bible teaches a message of salvation by grace, whereas every other religious system teaches salvation by human works (Micah 7:18; Eph. 2:4–10; Titus 3:3–7). “All other religions we know of teach salvation by meritorious works. Christianity is the only religion that teaches salvation solely by grace through faith alone.”[12] This again is evidence of the uniqueness of the true God and His true Word, the Bible.
When confronted with the fact that the Qur’an is at odds with the Old and New Testaments, Muslims contend that it is the Bible that has been corrupted.[3] Hence, it is argued, the Jewish and Christian scriptures have been tainted, not the Qur’an. But there are significant problems with this claim.
For starters, the Qur’an implies that the Old Testament was trustworthy at the time of Mary (66:12), John the Baptist (19:12), Jesus (3:48–50; 5:113; 61:6), and even at the time of its own composition, since it commands Jews and Christians to follow what had been revealed to them in their Scriptures (5:47, 68). The Qur’an also claims that the gospel confirms the truth of the Torah (5:49), and calls Jews and Christians “People of the Scripture” (2:44, 113, 121; 3:78, 79; 5:43; 6:92; 7:157; 10:95).
The Qur’an testifies that its main purpose is to provide a revelation for Arabic speaking people, who could not understand (or did not have access to) the Scriptures of the Jews and Christians (Surah 46:11–12; 41:2–3; 20:112; 39:29; 12:2). There is no suggestion that this new revelation (the Qur’an) was needed to replace any corrupted Scripture. In fact, the Qur’an claimed to be a verification of the earlier revelations such as in the Torah and the Gospel, that went before it (Surah 10:37; 12:111).[4]
The Qur’an thus implies that the Old and New Testaments had not yet been “corrupted” when the Qur’an was completed (in the late sixth or early seventh century).
Moreover, the Qur’an claims “to be the guardian of previous Scriptures, therefore any Muslim who claims that there has been a corruption of the text of the Torah [of Moses] or the Injil [Gospel] also, inevitably, charges the Qur’an with failure in its role in ‘guarding’ them (Surah 5:48).”[5] The Qur’an therefore bears witness to the veracity of the Old and New Testaments, at least as they existed in the sixth century A.D.
The Qur’an says that no one can change the Word of God. If the Jews did corrupt the Word of God then it would mean that the Qur’anic statement is unreliable, a concept that would be blasphemy to Muslims. The only possible conclusion in the light of the Qur’an is therefore that the copies of the pre-Islamic Scriptures (known as the Torah and the Injil) were available in the days of Muhammad as they are available today i.e. that they are valid. Since Christians have ample documentary evidence from before Muhammad’s time, they can confidently assert that their Scriptures are trustworthy.[6]
This, then presents a major problem for those who hold to the inerrant inspiration of the Qur’an. By it’s own admission, the Qur’an must be consistent with previous revelation from God. But it does not take long to see that the Bible and the Qur’an are not compatible. “It should come as no surprise to well-informed Muslims who know that, in the final analysis, the claims of Christianity and Islam are incompatible. This incompatibility is behind the Islamic assumption that, in one way or another, the Bible has been corrupted.”[7] When it is demonstrated that the Bible has not been corrupted, both from textual evidence and from the claims of the Qur’an itself, it is the Qur’an—not the Bible—that is discredited.
In addition to being incompatible with previous revelation from God, the Qur’an contains its own internal contradictions, such as urging religious tolerance in one place (2:256) and then commanding Muslims to fight and kill those who do not believe (9:29; 9:5). In another place (7:54 and 32:4), the Qur’an claims that the earth was made in six days. But in 41:9–12, it teaches that eight days were needed to create the world.[8]
The Qur’an also purports certain scientific inaccuracies, claiming that human beings are formed from a clot of blood (23:14), that the sun rests in a muddy spring in the west (18:86), that mountains were created to hold down the earth and prevent earthquakes (31:10-11; cf. 16:15; 21:31; 78:6-7; 88:17, 19), that there are literally seven heavens (2:29; 17:44; 41:12; 23:17, 86; 67:3; 71:15-16), and that meteors are a form of divine retribution being hurled at devils who might try to spy on the heavenly council (37:6-10; 72:8-9; cf.15:16-18; 67:5; 86:2-3).[9]
The Qur’an contains historical errors as well. As one non-Christian author explains,
At sura 40.38; the Koran mistakenly identifies Haman, who in reality was the minister of the Persian King Ahasuerus (mentioned in the book of Esther), as the minister of the Pharoah [sic] at the time of Moses. We have already noted the confusion of Mary, the mother of Jesus, with the Mary who was the sister of Moses and Aaron. At sura 2.249, 250 there is obviously a confusion between the story of Saul as told therein, and the account of Gideon in Judg. 7.5. The account of Alexander the Great in the Koran (18.82) is hopelessly confused historically; we are certain it was based on the Romance of Alexander. At any rate, the Macedonian was not a Muslim and did not live to an old age, nor was he a contemporary of Abraham, as Muslims contend.[10]
Examples such as these are indications that the Qur’an is not the word of God, in spite of what it claims to be.
If space permitted, we could also consider other religious texts, such as the Hindu Veda or the Book of Mormon. In each case, we would again find that the supposed inspired text falls far short of the Bible. Consider, as just one example, the test of predictive prophecy: “Other books claim divine inspiration, such as the Koran, the Book of Mormon, and parts of the [Hindu] Veda. But none of those books contains predictive prophecy. As a result, fulfilled prophecy is a strong indication of the unique divine authority of the Bible.”[11]
Perhaps the greatest difference between the Bible and all other religious books is that the Bible teaches a message of salvation by grace, whereas every other religious system teaches salvation by human works (Micah 7:18; Eph. 2:4–10; Titus 3:3–7). “All other religions we know of teach salvation by meritorious works. Christianity is the only religion that teaches salvation solely by grace through faith alone.”[12] This again is evidence of the uniqueness of the true God and His true Word, the Bible.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
"Take the helmet of salvation" (Eph. 6:17).
The Roman soldier's helmet was a crucial piece of armor designed to deflect blows to the head--especially the potentially lethal blow of a broadsword. Soldiers of that day carried a swift and precise dagger designed for close- quarter hand-to-hand combat. But they also carried a giant broadsword, which was a two-edged, three to four-foot long sword. It had a massive handle that, similar to a baseball bat, was held with both hands. With it they could take broad swipes from side to side or deliver a crushing blow to an opponent's skull.
To protect us from Satan's crushing blows, Paul tells us to "take the helmet of salvation." Now considering all he's been telling us so far, he was not saying, "Oh, by the way, go get saved." Paul was addressing believers. Unbelievers don't have to put on spiritual armor. They aren't even in the battle. Satan doesn't attack his own forces.
In 1 Thessalonians 5:8 Paul describes the helmet of salvation as "the hope of salvation." That implies Satan's most fierce and powerful blows are directed at the believer's assurance and security. Therefore Paul was encouraging believers to have confidence in the salvation they already possess. He knew that doubting their security in Christ would render them ineffective in spiritual warfare--just as a blow to the head renders one's physical body incapable of defending itself.
As a believer, you should have the assurance that you are secure in Christ. If you don't, you haven't put your helmet on, and that makes you vulnerable to discouragement and doubt. Romans 8:29-30 assures us that all whom God justifies He sanctifies and glorifies. No one is lost in the process.
Jesus said, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand" (John 10:27-28). That's a wonderful promise. So don't let your enemy rob you of the joy and assurance of knowing you belong to Christ, for the Lord will never let you go (Heb. 13:5).
Suggestions for Prayer:
Praise God for your eternal security in Christ!
To protect us from Satan's crushing blows, Paul tells us to "take the helmet of salvation." Now considering all he's been telling us so far, he was not saying, "Oh, by the way, go get saved." Paul was addressing believers. Unbelievers don't have to put on spiritual armor. They aren't even in the battle. Satan doesn't attack his own forces.
In 1 Thessalonians 5:8 Paul describes the helmet of salvation as "the hope of salvation." That implies Satan's most fierce and powerful blows are directed at the believer's assurance and security. Therefore Paul was encouraging believers to have confidence in the salvation they already possess. He knew that doubting their security in Christ would render them ineffective in spiritual warfare--just as a blow to the head renders one's physical body incapable of defending itself.
As a believer, you should have the assurance that you are secure in Christ. If you don't, you haven't put your helmet on, and that makes you vulnerable to discouragement and doubt. Romans 8:29-30 assures us that all whom God justifies He sanctifies and glorifies. No one is lost in the process.
Jesus said, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand" (John 10:27-28). That's a wonderful promise. So don't let your enemy rob you of the joy and assurance of knowing you belong to Christ, for the Lord will never let you go (Heb. 13:5).
Suggestions for Prayer:
Praise God for your eternal security in Christ!
Perfect Willingness By C. H. Spurgeon
Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power. (Psalm 110:3)
Blessed be the God of grace that it is so! He has a people whom He has chosen from of old to be His peculiar portion. These by nature have wills as stubborn as the rest of the froward sons of Adam; but when the day of His power comes and grace displays its omnipotence, they become willing to repent and to believe in Jesus. None are saved unwillingly, but the will is made sweetly to yield itself. What a wondrous power is this, which never violates the will and yet rules it! God does not break the lock, but He opens it by a master key which He alone can handle.
Now are we willing to be, to do, or to suffer as the Lord wills. If at any time we grow rebellious, He has but to come to us with power, and straightway we run in the way of His commands with all our hearts. May this be a day of power with me as to some noble effort for the glory of God and the good of my fellowmen! Lord, I am willing; may I not hope that this is a day of Thy power? I am wholly at Thy disposal; willing, yea, eager, to be used of Thee for Thy holy purposes. O Lord, let me not have to cry, "To will is present with me, but how to perform that which I would, I find not"; but give me power as Thou givest me will.
Blessed be the God of grace that it is so! He has a people whom He has chosen from of old to be His peculiar portion. These by nature have wills as stubborn as the rest of the froward sons of Adam; but when the day of His power comes and grace displays its omnipotence, they become willing to repent and to believe in Jesus. None are saved unwillingly, but the will is made sweetly to yield itself. What a wondrous power is this, which never violates the will and yet rules it! God does not break the lock, but He opens it by a master key which He alone can handle.
Now are we willing to be, to do, or to suffer as the Lord wills. If at any time we grow rebellious, He has but to come to us with power, and straightway we run in the way of His commands with all our hearts. May this be a day of power with me as to some noble effort for the glory of God and the good of my fellowmen! Lord, I am willing; may I not hope that this is a day of Thy power? I am wholly at Thy disposal; willing, yea, eager, to be used of Thee for Thy holy purposes. O Lord, let me not have to cry, "To will is present with me, but how to perform that which I would, I find not"; but give me power as Thou givest me will.
A Testimony of Faith
READ Acts 8:4-39
Yesterday, we listed the three facets of a Christian’s personal testimony. Today, let’s look at a biblical figure who exemplified these qualities.
In Acts 8:5-6, Philip brought the good news of Jesus Christ to Samaria, and the crowd there listened intently. It must have been thrilling for him to see such warm receptivity to the gospel. In spite of this, he demonstrated obedience to the Lord by immediately following instructions to leave and take the message to Gaza. Philip’s godly character was evident in his sensitivity to the Lord’s call and his willingness to obey at once, no matter the cost.
We also see that Philip’s conduct matched his character. He let godly principles guide him, and his actions lined up with his beliefs. Had Philip chosen to disobey God, or if his faith had not been genuine, his behavior would have revealed those feelings, and his testimony would have been worthless.
Whether Philip was speaking to large crowds or an individual, his words pointed to Jesus Christ. In verses 25-39, he taught Scripture to a traveler and then baptized the man.
Philip considered his words carefully and made sure his conversations directed others to the Savior.
Philip is an example of a believer who trusted in Christ, regardless of the situation. His devout, unwavering faith revealed itself in the way he testified with his life. As you approach different situations throughout the day, try to be like Philip—let the Lord guide your character, conduct, and conversation.
Yesterday, we listed the three facets of a Christian’s personal testimony. Today, let’s look at a biblical figure who exemplified these qualities.
In Acts 8:5-6, Philip brought the good news of Jesus Christ to Samaria, and the crowd there listened intently. It must have been thrilling for him to see such warm receptivity to the gospel. In spite of this, he demonstrated obedience to the Lord by immediately following instructions to leave and take the message to Gaza. Philip’s godly character was evident in his sensitivity to the Lord’s call and his willingness to obey at once, no matter the cost.
We also see that Philip’s conduct matched his character. He let godly principles guide him, and his actions lined up with his beliefs. Had Philip chosen to disobey God, or if his faith had not been genuine, his behavior would have revealed those feelings, and his testimony would have been worthless.
Whether Philip was speaking to large crowds or an individual, his words pointed to Jesus Christ. In verses 25-39, he taught Scripture to a traveler and then baptized the man.
Philip considered his words carefully and made sure his conversations directed others to the Savior.
Philip is an example of a believer who trusted in Christ, regardless of the situation. His devout, unwavering faith revealed itself in the way he testified with his life. As you approach different situations throughout the day, try to be like Philip—let the Lord guide your character, conduct, and conversation.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
The Importance of a Sincere Testimony
READ Psalm 78:1-7
What is a testimony? Some Christians think it’s simply a brief account of how God has worked in their life. While that may be partially true, our testimony is much more than just a short story.One important aspect of our testimony is our character, which should include a spirit of obedience.
Do we follow God’s instruction on occasion but ignore Him the rest of the time? An obedient spirit follows the Lord’s guidance, no matter what. Sometimes our actions may outwardly display obedience, but nobody—with the exception of God— knows what lies within our heart. What He sees is our true character, and it should line up with the story we tell others to glorify Him.Our conduct, or what we do, is another facet of our testimony. If what we say conflicts with our behavior, then we cloud our witness. Unbelievers may consider us hypocritical or doubt the genuineness of our faith. The way we act should confirm who we are in Christ.
Finally, a third part of our testimony is our conversation. As Psalm 107:2 says, “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so.” This gives us an opportunity to tell others what God is doing in our lives. Our words can be significant to an unbeliever who doubts the existence of God or the divinity of Christ.When our character, conduct, and conversation fail to match who we are in Christ, we hamper our ability to reach others with the gospel. A testimony can make the difference between doubt and faith in the life of an unbeliever. How authentic is your personal testimony?
What is a testimony? Some Christians think it’s simply a brief account of how God has worked in their life. While that may be partially true, our testimony is much more than just a short story.One important aspect of our testimony is our character, which should include a spirit of obedience.
Do we follow God’s instruction on occasion but ignore Him the rest of the time? An obedient spirit follows the Lord’s guidance, no matter what. Sometimes our actions may outwardly display obedience, but nobody—with the exception of God— knows what lies within our heart. What He sees is our true character, and it should line up with the story we tell others to glorify Him.Our conduct, or what we do, is another facet of our testimony. If what we say conflicts with our behavior, then we cloud our witness. Unbelievers may consider us hypocritical or doubt the genuineness of our faith. The way we act should confirm who we are in Christ.
Finally, a third part of our testimony is our conversation. As Psalm 107:2 says, “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so.” This gives us an opportunity to tell others what God is doing in our lives. Our words can be significant to an unbeliever who doubts the existence of God or the divinity of Christ.When our character, conduct, and conversation fail to match who we are in Christ, we hamper our ability to reach others with the gospel. A testimony can make the difference between doubt and faith in the life of an unbeliever. How authentic is your personal testimony?
Slaves of Christ
Kurios and doulos are the two sides of the relationship [between a master and a slave in Roman times]. A slave is someone whose life belongs totally to someone else, absolute ownership, absolute control, absolute subjection, absolute obedience, absolute loyalty, absolute dependence. Slavery then was a social relationship between two persons where one had nothing, willed nothing and received nothing but what the master authorized, desired and provided.
Now if [we] don’t grasp that idea of slavery . . . [then] it’s hard for us to really understand the essence of what it is to be a Christian. You are a slave of Jesus Christ. You are owned. You have been purchased by His blood, Acts 20. You have been bought, not with silver and gold, but with, what?, 1 Peter 1:18 and 19, the precious blood of Jesus Christ. You have been purchased, Revelation 5:9. You have no independent rights. Slaves had no rights. Slaves owned nothing. They could not own their own property. In the eyes of the law they were not citizens, they could hold no public office. They were completely under the discretion and the provision and the protection and the care and the abuse (in an earthly sense) of their owner.
. . . The Spirit of God took the slave metaphor because it was the best metaphor to describe our personal relationship to Christ. He bought us, He owns us. We are devoted to Him and to Him alone. To be obedient to Him at all times, we have no will but His will. He is our Lord, we confess Him as Lord. That’s exactly what He demanded. You remember the words of Luke 9:23? We’ve repeated them so many times. “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself.” That’s slave talk. That’s slave talk. “Take up his cross and follow Me.” It’s the end of you, the end of your life. You’re finished, it’s over, you’re done. You are now the slave of Jesus Christ. And it’s not burdensome. Jesus said, “Take My yoke because My yoke is easy and My burden is light and you’ll find rest.”
A slave could have some status, but the status the slave had was related to who his master was. That’s why it was an honor to be part of Caesar’s household even though you were a slave. You were a slave at the highest level. And we have no honor for ourselves other than that honor that comes to us because of who our master is, right? And that’s why the apostles could say, “I’m a slave of God, I’m a slave of Jesus Christ.” That’s where the honor came from.
And I submit to Him for all my needs, I’m dependent on Him as my protector and my provider and I submit to all His discipline of my failures and my disobedience that He might conform me more to His will. And I submit to Him someday for that reward which He determines is suitable to give to me when I come before Him and hear, “Well done, good and faithful slave.” Let Him give me what He will.
And by the way, you’re going to be a slave to someone. Being a slave to Jesus Christ is beyond any kind of slavery that anybody ever knew because this master, listen to this one, makes us sons and gives us all the rights of His own sons. He adopts us into His family, calls us joint-heirs with Christ, takes us to heaven where we rule and reign from His own throne and pours out all the lavish riches in His possession forever and ever and ever for our own unmitigated joy and His own glory. Who wouldn’t want to be a slave under that master? What a joy to be a slave of Jesus Christ.
Now if [we] don’t grasp that idea of slavery . . . [then] it’s hard for us to really understand the essence of what it is to be a Christian. You are a slave of Jesus Christ. You are owned. You have been purchased by His blood, Acts 20. You have been bought, not with silver and gold, but with, what?, 1 Peter 1:18 and 19, the precious blood of Jesus Christ. You have been purchased, Revelation 5:9. You have no independent rights. Slaves had no rights. Slaves owned nothing. They could not own their own property. In the eyes of the law they were not citizens, they could hold no public office. They were completely under the discretion and the provision and the protection and the care and the abuse (in an earthly sense) of their owner.
. . . The Spirit of God took the slave metaphor because it was the best metaphor to describe our personal relationship to Christ. He bought us, He owns us. We are devoted to Him and to Him alone. To be obedient to Him at all times, we have no will but His will. He is our Lord, we confess Him as Lord. That’s exactly what He demanded. You remember the words of Luke 9:23? We’ve repeated them so many times. “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself.” That’s slave talk. That’s slave talk. “Take up his cross and follow Me.” It’s the end of you, the end of your life. You’re finished, it’s over, you’re done. You are now the slave of Jesus Christ. And it’s not burdensome. Jesus said, “Take My yoke because My yoke is easy and My burden is light and you’ll find rest.”
A slave could have some status, but the status the slave had was related to who his master was. That’s why it was an honor to be part of Caesar’s household even though you were a slave. You were a slave at the highest level. And we have no honor for ourselves other than that honor that comes to us because of who our master is, right? And that’s why the apostles could say, “I’m a slave of God, I’m a slave of Jesus Christ.” That’s where the honor came from.
And I submit to Him for all my needs, I’m dependent on Him as my protector and my provider and I submit to all His discipline of my failures and my disobedience that He might conform me more to His will. And I submit to Him someday for that reward which He determines is suitable to give to me when I come before Him and hear, “Well done, good and faithful slave.” Let Him give me what He will.
And by the way, you’re going to be a slave to someone. Being a slave to Jesus Christ is beyond any kind of slavery that anybody ever knew because this master, listen to this one, makes us sons and gives us all the rights of His own sons. He adopts us into His family, calls us joint-heirs with Christ, takes us to heaven where we rule and reign from His own throne and pours out all the lavish riches in His possession forever and ever and ever for our own unmitigated joy and His own glory. Who wouldn’t want to be a slave under that master? What a joy to be a slave of Jesus Christ.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Our Good God
In the study of apologetics, one of the most frequently used arguments against Christianity is the problem of evil. It is reasoned that God cannot be both all powerful and all good and still allow evil to remain in the universe. If He is completely sovereign, He can stop evil from happening. If He is completely good, He would not want evil to happen. If God were both sovereign and good, He would surely put a stop to the wickedness going on around us.
The wisdom of men normally solves this problem by denying either God’s sovereignty or His goodness. But this, of course, we must not do. If we are to remain faithful to Scripture, our explanation to the problem of evil must affirm both God’s sovereignty and His goodness.
Evil (meaning sin and its results) is something that touches every aspect of life, from global conflict to personal pain. In such cases, those of us in the reformed camp are usually quick to defend the sovereignty of God (especially when we are removed from the difficult circumstances). But what about the goodness of God? When the problem of evil hits home (in our lives or in the lives of our friends and families), how well do we live out our trust in the fact that God is good?
With that in mind, I’d like to take a few moments and focus on the infinite goodness of God. It is a theme that saturates the pages of Scripture.
Psalm 31:19 tells us, “How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you have wrought for those who take refuge in You, before the sons of men!”
Psalm 119:68 echoes, “You are good and do good; teach me your statues.”
But what exactly do we mean when we say that God is good? The Bible gives us a couple answers to this question. First, God’s goodness means that He is good in His intrinsic character. Along these lines,
Psalm 25:8 says, “Good and upright is the Lord; Therefore He teaches sinners in the way.”
Exodus 34:6 reiterates this point: “And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, ‘The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth.’”
Wayne Grudem summarizes God’s intrinsic goodness in this way; “There is no higher standard of goodness than God’s own character and his approval of whatever is consistent with that character.” It is God’s own character that sets the standard of goodness. Thus, the only proper way to understand goodness is to look to Him. God’s holiness, truth, and love (as Robert Culver notes in his systematic theology) are all inward expressions of His goodness.
But the goodness of God is not only an inward part of His character, which brings us to our second point. It is also seen in His outward acts of righteousness, faithfulness, and mercy toward His creation. In other words, God’s inward goodness overflows and expresses itself through outward manifestations of that goodness to us and those around us. As Louis Berkhof explains, God’s goodness is “that perfection of God which prompts Him to deal bountifully and kindly with all His creatures.”
The Bible is filled with examples of God’s goodness to us. For instance:
Psalm 33:5 explains that, “He loves righteousness and justice; The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.”
Psalm 145:9 agrees, noting that “The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works.”
Because God is inherently good, He acts in a way that is consistently good. We can therefore have confidence in promises like that of Romans 8:28 — “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (emphasis added).
God’s perfect goodness is clearly taught in Scripture, and is therefore a characteristic of God we should never surrender. Rather, it should be a great comfort for us when we come face-to-face with hardship — whether we experiencing pain and suffering first-hand or simply hearing about it on the evening news.
The wisdom of men normally solves this problem by denying either God’s sovereignty or His goodness. But this, of course, we must not do. If we are to remain faithful to Scripture, our explanation to the problem of evil must affirm both God’s sovereignty and His goodness.
Evil (meaning sin and its results) is something that touches every aspect of life, from global conflict to personal pain. In such cases, those of us in the reformed camp are usually quick to defend the sovereignty of God (especially when we are removed from the difficult circumstances). But what about the goodness of God? When the problem of evil hits home (in our lives or in the lives of our friends and families), how well do we live out our trust in the fact that God is good?
With that in mind, I’d like to take a few moments and focus on the infinite goodness of God. It is a theme that saturates the pages of Scripture.
Psalm 31:19 tells us, “How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you have wrought for those who take refuge in You, before the sons of men!”
Psalm 119:68 echoes, “You are good and do good; teach me your statues.”
But what exactly do we mean when we say that God is good? The Bible gives us a couple answers to this question. First, God’s goodness means that He is good in His intrinsic character. Along these lines,
Psalm 25:8 says, “Good and upright is the Lord; Therefore He teaches sinners in the way.”
Exodus 34:6 reiterates this point: “And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, ‘The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth.’”
Wayne Grudem summarizes God’s intrinsic goodness in this way; “There is no higher standard of goodness than God’s own character and his approval of whatever is consistent with that character.” It is God’s own character that sets the standard of goodness. Thus, the only proper way to understand goodness is to look to Him. God’s holiness, truth, and love (as Robert Culver notes in his systematic theology) are all inward expressions of His goodness.
But the goodness of God is not only an inward part of His character, which brings us to our second point. It is also seen in His outward acts of righteousness, faithfulness, and mercy toward His creation. In other words, God’s inward goodness overflows and expresses itself through outward manifestations of that goodness to us and those around us. As Louis Berkhof explains, God’s goodness is “that perfection of God which prompts Him to deal bountifully and kindly with all His creatures.”
The Bible is filled with examples of God’s goodness to us. For instance:
Psalm 33:5 explains that, “He loves righteousness and justice; The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.”
Psalm 145:9 agrees, noting that “The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works.”
Because God is inherently good, He acts in a way that is consistently good. We can therefore have confidence in promises like that of Romans 8:28 — “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (emphasis added).
God’s perfect goodness is clearly taught in Scripture, and is therefore a characteristic of God we should never surrender. Rather, it should be a great comfort for us when we come face-to-face with hardship — whether we experiencing pain and suffering first-hand or simply hearing about it on the evening news.
Monday, September 17, 2007
The Church Versus the World By John MacArthur
Why do evangelicals try so desperately to court the world’s favor?
Churches plan their worship services to cater to the “unchurched.” Christian performers ape every worldly fad in music and entertainment.
Preachers are terrified that the offense of the gospel might turn someone against them, so they deliberately omit the parts of the message the world might not approve of.
Evangelicalism seems to have been hijacked by legions of carnal spin-doctors, who are trying their best to convince the world that the church can be just as inclusive, pluralistic, and broad-minded as the most politically-correct worldling.
Evangelicalism seems to have been hijacked by legions of carnal spin-doctors, who are trying their best to convince the world that the church can be just as inclusive, pluralistic, and broad-minded as the most politically-correct worldling.
The quest for the world’s approval is nothing less than spiritual harlotry. In fact, that is precisely the imagery the apostle James used to describe it. He wrote: “Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (James 4:4).
There is and always has been a fundamental, irreconcilable incompatibility between the church and the world. Christian thought is out of harmony with all the world’s philosophies. Genuine faith in Christ entails a denial of every worldly value. Biblical truth contradicts all the world’s religions. Christianity itself is therefore antithetical to virtually everything this world admires.
Jesus told His disciples, “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you” (John 15:18-19).
Notice that our Lord considered it a given that the world would despise the church. Far from teaching His disciples to try to win the world’s favor by reinventing the gospel to suit worldly preferences, Jesus expressly warned that the quest for worldly accolades is a characteristic of false prophets: “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets” (Luke 6:26).
He further explained: “The world . . . hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil” (John 7:7). In other words, the world’s contempt for Christianity stems from moral, not intellectual, motives: “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed” (John 3:19-20). That is why no matter how dramatically worldly opinion might vary, Christian truth will never be popular with the world.
Yet in virtually every era of church history there have been people in the church who are convinced that the best way to win the world is by catering to worldly tastes. Such an approach has always been to the detriment of the gospel message. The only times the church has made any significant impact on the world are when the people of God have stood firm, refused to compromise, and boldly proclaimed the truth despite the world’s hostility. When Christians have shrunk away from the task of confronting popular worldly delusions with unpopular biblical truths, the church has invariably lost influence and impotently blended into the world. Both Scripture and history attest to that fact.
And the Christian message simply cannot be twisted to conform to the vicissitudes of worldly opinion. Biblical truth is fixed and constant, not subject to change or adaptation. Worldly opinion, on the other hand, is in constant flux. The various fads and philosophies that dominate the world change radically and regularly from generation to generation. The only thing that remains constant is the world’s hatred of Christ and His gospel.
In all likelihood, the world will not long embrace whatever ideology is in vogue this year. If the pattern of history is any indicator, by the time our great grandchildren become adults, worldly opinion will be dominated by a completely new system of belief and a whole different set of values. Tomorrow’s generation will renounce all of today’s fads and philosophies. But one thing will remain unchanged: until the Lord Himself returns and establishes His kingdom on earth, whatever ideology gains popularity in the world will be as hostile to biblical truth as all its predecessors have been.
There is and always has been a fundamental, irreconcilable incompatibility between the church and the world. Christian thought is out of harmony with all the world’s philosophies. Genuine faith in Christ entails a denial of every worldly value. Biblical truth contradicts all the world’s religions. Christianity itself is therefore antithetical to virtually everything this world admires.
Jesus told His disciples, “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you” (John 15:18-19).
Notice that our Lord considered it a given that the world would despise the church. Far from teaching His disciples to try to win the world’s favor by reinventing the gospel to suit worldly preferences, Jesus expressly warned that the quest for worldly accolades is a characteristic of false prophets: “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets” (Luke 6:26).
He further explained: “The world . . . hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil” (John 7:7). In other words, the world’s contempt for Christianity stems from moral, not intellectual, motives: “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed” (John 3:19-20). That is why no matter how dramatically worldly opinion might vary, Christian truth will never be popular with the world.
Yet in virtually every era of church history there have been people in the church who are convinced that the best way to win the world is by catering to worldly tastes. Such an approach has always been to the detriment of the gospel message. The only times the church has made any significant impact on the world are when the people of God have stood firm, refused to compromise, and boldly proclaimed the truth despite the world’s hostility. When Christians have shrunk away from the task of confronting popular worldly delusions with unpopular biblical truths, the church has invariably lost influence and impotently blended into the world. Both Scripture and history attest to that fact.
And the Christian message simply cannot be twisted to conform to the vicissitudes of worldly opinion. Biblical truth is fixed and constant, not subject to change or adaptation. Worldly opinion, on the other hand, is in constant flux. The various fads and philosophies that dominate the world change radically and regularly from generation to generation. The only thing that remains constant is the world’s hatred of Christ and His gospel.
In all likelihood, the world will not long embrace whatever ideology is in vogue this year. If the pattern of history is any indicator, by the time our great grandchildren become adults, worldly opinion will be dominated by a completely new system of belief and a whole different set of values. Tomorrow’s generation will renounce all of today’s fads and philosophies. But one thing will remain unchanged: until the Lord Himself returns and establishes His kingdom on earth, whatever ideology gains popularity in the world will be as hostile to biblical truth as all its predecessors have been.
The Purpose of Our Trials
READ 1 Peter 4:12
Some believers like to portray their lives as perfect and carefree. But in reality, being a Christian isn’t always easy. In fact, sometimes we’ll experience trials that truly test our faith and ability to trust in God.In today’s passage, Peter refers to times of testing as “fiery ordeals.” He says we shouldn’t be surprised when hardships come our way. It’s important to remember that God has a purpose for our trials and will see us through each step of the way. But the question is, What purpose does God have for the trials we face?
First, the heavenly Father will sometimes use painful experiences to cleanse and purify His children’s lives. Trials drive us to the Lord. Then, as we begin to focus on Him, we start to see things from His perspective and often become more aware of our sin.
Second, the Lord at times allows difficulty in our life as a way of testing us—He might be trying our faith, endurance, or devotion to Him. He uses such experiences to reveal something about our spiritual development and to strengthen our faith.Third, God uses suffering to demonstrate His power to sustain us. When He brings you through difficult times, He glorifies Himself.
In turn, this encourages others when they experience trials, because they have witnessed God’s sustaining power in your life.Ultimately, hardships strengthen our testimony. In the midst of adversity, we might feel overwhelmed and discouraged.
But once the storm has passed, we can often look back and see the Lord’s providential hand carrying us through.
Some believers like to portray their lives as perfect and carefree. But in reality, being a Christian isn’t always easy. In fact, sometimes we’ll experience trials that truly test our faith and ability to trust in God.In today’s passage, Peter refers to times of testing as “fiery ordeals.” He says we shouldn’t be surprised when hardships come our way. It’s important to remember that God has a purpose for our trials and will see us through each step of the way. But the question is, What purpose does God have for the trials we face?
First, the heavenly Father will sometimes use painful experiences to cleanse and purify His children’s lives. Trials drive us to the Lord. Then, as we begin to focus on Him, we start to see things from His perspective and often become more aware of our sin.
Second, the Lord at times allows difficulty in our life as a way of testing us—He might be trying our faith, endurance, or devotion to Him. He uses such experiences to reveal something about our spiritual development and to strengthen our faith.Third, God uses suffering to demonstrate His power to sustain us. When He brings you through difficult times, He glorifies Himself.
In turn, this encourages others when they experience trials, because they have witnessed God’s sustaining power in your life.Ultimately, hardships strengthen our testimony. In the midst of adversity, we might feel overwhelmed and discouraged.
But once the storm has passed, we can often look back and see the Lord’s providential hand carrying us through.
Self Love?
Here's a wonderful little book written by a very well known "Christian" minister. Hmmmm...doesn't scripture warn us against self-love?
2 Timothy 3:1 - But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self...5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. 6 For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, 7 always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. 8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith.
2 Timothy 3:1 - But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self...5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. 6 For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, 7 always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. 8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith.
Here's another thought. Where in scripture are we ever told to 'believe in ourselves'?
Old Christianity and God's Will For Suffering By Jim B
An Emerging Church blogger recently took aim at the Family Worship resource that I reviewed last year. His postmodernism apparently conflicted with the male/female family roles, and the call for a return to an emphasis on family devotions the old way: "I am especially interested in hearing from women and parents . . . is the solution to the problem of the family really going to be a 'present return to the old paths'?" You don't have to look far for disdain towards past Christianity; there's not much use for it today. But in this post, Chad reminds us of yet another resource from the past that you can use to deepen your present understanding of the Lord. It's another timeless Puritan classic on the wisdom and sovereignty of God displayed in the afflictions of men. Tomorrow I'll be back with a short example of it, being lived out in the life of a brother who God has been sustaining for years under incredible trials. Chad now continues:
Ecclesiastes 7:13 - Consider the work of God: who can make straight what he has made crooked?
Affliction and pain are common to the life of a Christian. Along with the joy of having sins forgiven and being saved by the blood of Jesus Christ, the Christian is guaranteed to suffer in this present evil world. It is a promise of scripture that all who live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution in this present evil age (2 Tim 3:12). We are even to suffer chastisement at the hand of the Lord for our correction, to wean us from our reliance upon the world, to draw us closer to God and cause us to seek him all the more, being made to see our utter hopelessness and the depth of our sin, and to keep in the front of our minds that only Christ's righteousness gives us any hope. Chastisement is for our good, to grow us in holiness, cf. Heb.12:1-11. By contrast the message coming from so many pulpits today is exactly the opposite. People are told that God wants them to be successful and happy in the things of the world. Some of the largest mega-churches base their entire ministry on teaching you how to gain possessions, wealth, and happiness by having Christ as your savior. They often teach that blessing means worldly gain and that if you are suffering in affliction then you are not living to the potential that God has planned for your life. Wealth and prosperity are to be expected, hardship and pain, they say, means your faith is low and weak. Another teaching common today is that affliction and hardship is something that comes from Satan, from a spirit of oppression, that God would never subject one of his children to trial and hardship, that hardship and trial is of the Devil. Many say that God loves us too much to allow us to suffer. It is your duty, they would say, to shake free of trial and hardship. They say that you have the power to break free of hardship and that if you do not do so - then you are weak in faith. True and strong faith, however, is shown by the one who meets affliction and trial with faith that the Lord is in charge of all circumstances, that our lot in life is from the Lord. It is true and strong faith that seeks the Lord to straighten the crook in one's lot. Instead of trying to raise ourselves up we are instead to humble ourselves under God's hand and providence. "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in Him", Job 13:15.
In his book, "The Crook in the Lot", Thomas Boston expounds upon the bible's teaching that the crooks in our lots are of God's making. That the rough places in life are from God to humble us and to break us of our pride and to wean us from this present world. Boston teaches us that we are to seek the Lord for the remedy to our troubles and to wait on the Lord's timing and that to fight against God's providence and lift ourselves up is to strive with our maker. Here is an excerpt from his book which shows us how all of our circumstances are directly from the hand of the Lord, that they are His making.
The crook in the lot whatever it is, of God's making, appears from these three considerations.1. It cannot be questioned that the crook in the lot, considered as a crook, is a penal evil, whatever it is for the matter thereof; that is, whether the thing itself, its immediate cause and occasion, be sinful or not, it is certainly a punishment or affliction. Now, as it may be, as such, holily and justly brought on us, by our Sovereign Lord and Judge, so he expressly claims the doing or making of it. Amos 3:6, "Shall there be evil in a city, and the Lord has not done it?" Wherefore, since there can be no penal evil but of God's making, and the crook in the lot is such an evil, it is necessarily concluded to be of God's making. 2. It is evident, from Scripture the doctrine of Divine providence, that God brings about every man's lot, and all the parts thereof. He sits at the helm of human affairs, and turneth them about whithersoever He listeth. "Whatever the Lord pleased, that did He in heaven and in earth, in the seas and all deep places," Psalm 135:6. There is not anything whatsoever that befalls us without His overruling hand. The same providence that brought us out of the womb, bringeth us to, and fixeth us in, the condition and places allotted for us, by Him who "hath determined the times, and the bounds of our habitation," Acts 17:26. It overrules the smallest and most casual things about us, such as "hairs of our heads falling on the ground," Matt 10:29,30; a "lot cast into the lap," Prov. 16:33. Yea, the free acts of our will, whereby we choose for ourselves; for even "the king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water", Prov. 21:1. And the whole steps we make, and which others make in reference to us; for "the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps," Jer. 10:23. And this, whether these steps causing the crook be deliberate and sinful ones, such as Joseph's brethren selling him into Egypt; or whether they be undersigned, such as man-slaughter purely casual, as when one hewing wood kills his neighbor with "the head of the axe slipping from the helve," Duet. 19:5. For there is a holy and wise providence that governs the sinful and heedless actions of men, as a rider doth a lame horse, of whose halting, not he, but the horse's lameness is the true and proper cause; wherefore, in the former of these cases God is said to have sent Joseph into Egypt, Gen 45:7, and in the latter, to deliver one into his neighbor's hand, Exod. 21:13. 3. God hath by an eternal decree, immovable as mountains of brass, Zech 6:1, appointed the whole of everyone's lot, the crooked parts thereof, as well as the straight. By the same eternal decree, whereby whereby the high and low parts of the earth, the mountains and the valleys, were appointed, are the heights and the depths, the prosperity and the adversity, in the lot of the inhabitants thereof determined; and they are brought about, in time, in perfect agreeableness thereto. The mystery of providence, in the government of the world, is, in all parts thereof, the building reared up of God, in exact conformity to the pan of his decree, "who worketh all things after the counsel of this own will," Eph.1:11. So that there is never a crook in one's lot but may be run up to this original. Hereof Job piously sets us an example in his own case: Job 23:13,14 "He is in one mind, and who can turn him? And what his soul desireth that he doth. For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me; and many such things are with him."
Let us therefore humble ourselves under God's mighty hand. If you are experiencing hardship or trial, know that this is from the hand of the Lord and let that knowledge humble you. Search the scriptures and you will see that no one who suffered affliction was able apart from the Lord to raise himself up, it was only in the Lord's timing and according to his good pleasure that trials were abated. No man has in his own power to make straight that which God has made crooked.
Ecclesiastes 7:13 - Consider the work of God: who can make straight what he has made crooked?
Affliction and pain are common to the life of a Christian. Along with the joy of having sins forgiven and being saved by the blood of Jesus Christ, the Christian is guaranteed to suffer in this present evil world. It is a promise of scripture that all who live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution in this present evil age (2 Tim 3:12). We are even to suffer chastisement at the hand of the Lord for our correction, to wean us from our reliance upon the world, to draw us closer to God and cause us to seek him all the more, being made to see our utter hopelessness and the depth of our sin, and to keep in the front of our minds that only Christ's righteousness gives us any hope. Chastisement is for our good, to grow us in holiness, cf. Heb.12:1-11. By contrast the message coming from so many pulpits today is exactly the opposite. People are told that God wants them to be successful and happy in the things of the world. Some of the largest mega-churches base their entire ministry on teaching you how to gain possessions, wealth, and happiness by having Christ as your savior. They often teach that blessing means worldly gain and that if you are suffering in affliction then you are not living to the potential that God has planned for your life. Wealth and prosperity are to be expected, hardship and pain, they say, means your faith is low and weak. Another teaching common today is that affliction and hardship is something that comes from Satan, from a spirit of oppression, that God would never subject one of his children to trial and hardship, that hardship and trial is of the Devil. Many say that God loves us too much to allow us to suffer. It is your duty, they would say, to shake free of trial and hardship. They say that you have the power to break free of hardship and that if you do not do so - then you are weak in faith. True and strong faith, however, is shown by the one who meets affliction and trial with faith that the Lord is in charge of all circumstances, that our lot in life is from the Lord. It is true and strong faith that seeks the Lord to straighten the crook in one's lot. Instead of trying to raise ourselves up we are instead to humble ourselves under God's hand and providence. "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in Him", Job 13:15.
In his book, "The Crook in the Lot", Thomas Boston expounds upon the bible's teaching that the crooks in our lots are of God's making. That the rough places in life are from God to humble us and to break us of our pride and to wean us from this present world. Boston teaches us that we are to seek the Lord for the remedy to our troubles and to wait on the Lord's timing and that to fight against God's providence and lift ourselves up is to strive with our maker. Here is an excerpt from his book which shows us how all of our circumstances are directly from the hand of the Lord, that they are His making.
The crook in the lot whatever it is, of God's making, appears from these three considerations.1. It cannot be questioned that the crook in the lot, considered as a crook, is a penal evil, whatever it is for the matter thereof; that is, whether the thing itself, its immediate cause and occasion, be sinful or not, it is certainly a punishment or affliction. Now, as it may be, as such, holily and justly brought on us, by our Sovereign Lord and Judge, so he expressly claims the doing or making of it. Amos 3:6, "Shall there be evil in a city, and the Lord has not done it?" Wherefore, since there can be no penal evil but of God's making, and the crook in the lot is such an evil, it is necessarily concluded to be of God's making. 2. It is evident, from Scripture the doctrine of Divine providence, that God brings about every man's lot, and all the parts thereof. He sits at the helm of human affairs, and turneth them about whithersoever He listeth. "Whatever the Lord pleased, that did He in heaven and in earth, in the seas and all deep places," Psalm 135:6. There is not anything whatsoever that befalls us without His overruling hand. The same providence that brought us out of the womb, bringeth us to, and fixeth us in, the condition and places allotted for us, by Him who "hath determined the times, and the bounds of our habitation," Acts 17:26. It overrules the smallest and most casual things about us, such as "hairs of our heads falling on the ground," Matt 10:29,30; a "lot cast into the lap," Prov. 16:33. Yea, the free acts of our will, whereby we choose for ourselves; for even "the king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water", Prov. 21:1. And the whole steps we make, and which others make in reference to us; for "the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps," Jer. 10:23. And this, whether these steps causing the crook be deliberate and sinful ones, such as Joseph's brethren selling him into Egypt; or whether they be undersigned, such as man-slaughter purely casual, as when one hewing wood kills his neighbor with "the head of the axe slipping from the helve," Duet. 19:5. For there is a holy and wise providence that governs the sinful and heedless actions of men, as a rider doth a lame horse, of whose halting, not he, but the horse's lameness is the true and proper cause; wherefore, in the former of these cases God is said to have sent Joseph into Egypt, Gen 45:7, and in the latter, to deliver one into his neighbor's hand, Exod. 21:13. 3. God hath by an eternal decree, immovable as mountains of brass, Zech 6:1, appointed the whole of everyone's lot, the crooked parts thereof, as well as the straight. By the same eternal decree, whereby whereby the high and low parts of the earth, the mountains and the valleys, were appointed, are the heights and the depths, the prosperity and the adversity, in the lot of the inhabitants thereof determined; and they are brought about, in time, in perfect agreeableness thereto. The mystery of providence, in the government of the world, is, in all parts thereof, the building reared up of God, in exact conformity to the pan of his decree, "who worketh all things after the counsel of this own will," Eph.1:11. So that there is never a crook in one's lot but may be run up to this original. Hereof Job piously sets us an example in his own case: Job 23:13,14 "He is in one mind, and who can turn him? And what his soul desireth that he doth. For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me; and many such things are with him."
Let us therefore humble ourselves under God's mighty hand. If you are experiencing hardship or trial, know that this is from the hand of the Lord and let that knowledge humble you. Search the scriptures and you will see that no one who suffered affliction was able apart from the Lord to raise himself up, it was only in the Lord's timing and according to his good pleasure that trials were abated. No man has in his own power to make straight that which God has made crooked.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
THE BATTLE CRY..............
Below are two songs that are the BATTLE CRY for us here at TRUTH MATTERS. I pray that you will join with us in the Holy Pursuit Of A Modern Day Reformation. Rev. Charles J Paul
Click to hear the song HEAR I STAND
http://www.siberiangrits.com/shema/hereistand.m4a
Click to hear the song THE FIVE SOLAS
http://www.siberiangrits.com/shema/fivesolas.m4a
Click to hear the song HEAR I STAND
http://www.siberiangrits.com/shema/hereistand.m4a
Click to hear the song THE FIVE SOLAS
http://www.siberiangrits.com/shema/fivesolas.m4a
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