Songs and Meditations on Grace

I was getting ready for work this morning when a song popped into my head, Jaci Velasquez's God So Loved The World. The song is simple enough, but for some reason I thought about it and went to the next verse in Scripture, John 3:17:

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

The reason that this impacted me so much in thinking about this song and these verses was the correlation between salvation and the doctrine of election: Christ did come into the world to proclaim Truth and while He did state that this Truth would pit mother against daughter, and father against son, Christ came with the hope of the Gospel. Christ's entrance into the world was the ONLY way to save us from our path of destruction.

God had given His people, Israel, generations to attempt to obey His law; he would punish them, forgive them, then they would forsake him again. He could not leave redemption to chance or to our fickle nature--He sent Christ into the world to guarantee (not just make possible) the salvation that He would give.

When Christ speaks to Nicodemus in John 3 about being "born again," this is not the same as being educated on what car to buy or what college to attend and then making that choice. Because with most choices in our lives, if we really look deep down, we could see certain motivations that drive us to make those choices--even ones that on the outside appear good, moral and/or altruistic.

The radical nature of the "choice" of following Christ is one that is totally opposite of our thinking: we must "die" to self, giving up our desires to make His desires and will first. Think about that: we must submit to the will of someone else. Have you ever known yourself (or someone else) to purely want to do that, in any situation? Sure, on the outside, a person wouldn't let on that it rubs them a little wrong when they're asked to do something, but apart from Christ's indwelling, would you not act the same way? The Holy Spirit must move in our hearts, changing our hearts to be receptive to the Truth and to truly live for others rather than ourselves.

If the change in our hearts or choice to follow Christ is grounded in ourselves and our own power, rather than Christ, then is it not subject to the same weakness of foundation as all other choices?

I mean, I have a problem with "buyers remorse" sometimes--can you imagine if the salvation decision was as easily abandoned--would God do it that way? Would God, in His infinite wisdom, have Christ die for those who would not ultimately be saved simply because those people did not "choose" to? And this is election: that God not only ordained the vehicle for salvation (which is the birth, life, death and resurrection of His Son Christ) but He ordained the method, means and timing of our justification, sanctification and our ultimate glorification.

I thank God that He holds me firm in His grip and my faith is bound up in Christ's faithfulness rather than my own, and that He drew me to Himself, knowing that Christ had already paid for my specific sins on the Cross.

Fighting a "Lean" Spirituality

Spurgeon, as usual, really grabbed and convicted me this morning. Here's what he had to say (emphasis mine):

"The ill favoured and leanfleshed kine did eat up the seven wellfavoured and fat kine."
Genesis 41:4

Pharaoh's dream has too often been my waking experience. My days of sloth have ruinously destroyed all that I had achieved in times of zealous industry; my seasons of coldness have frozen all the genial glow of my periods of fervency and enthusiasm; and my fits of worldliness have thrown me back from my advances in the divine life. I had need to beware of lean prayers, lean praises, lean duties, and lean experiences, for these will eat up the fat of my comfort and peace. If I neglect prayer for never so short a time, I lose all the spirituality to which I had attained; if I draw no fresh supplies from heaven, the old corn in my granary is soon consumed by the famine which rages in my soul. When the caterpillars of indifference, the cankerworms of worldliness, and the palmerworms of self-indulgence, lay my heart completely desolate, and make my soul to languish, all my former fruitfulness and growth in grace avails me nothing whatever. How anxious should I be to have no lean-fleshed days, no ill-favoured hours! If every day I journeyed towards the goal of my desires I should soon reach it, but backsliding leaves me still far off from the prize of my high calling, and robs me of the advances which I had so laboriously made. The only way in which all my days can be as the "fat kine," is to feed them in the right meadow, to spend them with the Lord, in His service, in His company, in His fear, and in His way. Why should not every year be richer than the past, in love, and usefulness, and joy?—I am nearer the celestial hills, I have had more experience of my Lord, and should be more like Him. O Lord, keep far from me the curse of leanness of soul; let me not have to cry, "My leanness, my leanness, woe unto me!" but may I be well-fed and nourished in thy house, that I may praise thy name.

I often find my spiritual life--my walk with the Lord--in a very bad state. I find my self simply existing or surviving but I know it should not be that way! I talk a great game, knowing my theology and my terms and even how I should pray, but do I do it? NO! I let other concerns grab my attention and before I know it, another day has gone by without prayer or without studying the Word (yes, I often READ the Bible, but I don't study it, meditate on it).

And as Spurgeon states above, even when I do make strides, my own inconsistency tears down the advances I have made because of my lack of discipline. The daily grace that we receive must be replenished; the daily supply of spiritual food through the Word and through prayer is a daily bread that the Lord grants to those who seek it. If it is not asked for, then simple struggles will help to erase strides that a Christian has made in increasing faith and trust in Christ. Of course, it is not of ourselves, but of the Lord--but our minds (and our faith) must be exercised. Just as you tone muscle in the gym or flex your brain in doing a crossword puzzle, so too is our faith toned or flexed when we consistently pray or get in the Word.

People might often wonder why those who have come to the faith need the Gospel preached to them; because we need to be reminded! I sat and watched The Passion of the Christ and I thought to myself, "what graphic images, I will never forget them!" And yet I have! I cannot even now glimpse an image from that movie in my mind! How much more do we need His Gospel in the Word and His grace as it is given to us in prayer! I fight a leanness in spirituality every day, and I must confess that I lose most of the time. Lord help me to feast in your fields and help me to hold fast to Your Word and Your love.

Obedience of Faith

Pastor David had a great sermon yesterday on the obedience of faith. The main text came from Hebrews 11, where we are talking about the subject of Noah building the ark, condemning the world and becoming an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

Pastor David spent some time in Romans 1, where Paul speaks of preaching the Gospel so as to bring about the obedience of faith. It is something that I honestly have not thought much about, in the sense that the Gospel is a command. When Jesus (and the apostles that followed) preached the Gospel, the words given to repent and believe was not just a statement but a command.

If we are obedient, we are granted faith, but even faith is something that is granted to us as a gift. We must be obedient to the command of the Gospel to repent and believe in order to live eternally (it is a hard thing to sometimes swallow, that being man's responsibility coupled with God's sovereignty in salvation, but that is another post). The Gospel is God's answer to our rebellion because the Father's ordaining that His only begotten Son should die on our behalf and thus bear the wrath of the Father relieves us of our role in the very rebellion which separated us from the Father when Adam fell.

What some in past times (and even now--as Solomon says, "There is nothing new under the sun") is that the Gospel is not here to "fix" our temporal, earthly problems, even to bring the world into harmony or some inner peace. On the contrary, Christ himself said in the Gospels that he came to divide with the Truth He delivered. Father from daughter, mother from son--He acknowledged there would be those who would believe, and those who would not. He was not calling people to a better life--He was calling them to lay their lives down. He was giving them a hard teaching, one which required them to set aside their very SELVES and follow Him as Lord and Savior.

And yet, in this obedience of faith, some may feel doubts of abandonment; will God forsake me? This is what the audiences were likely thinking in hearing the Gospel, since throughout the Old Testament, they were so quick to forget the Lord's faithfulness! Also imagine Noah, surrounded by wickedness, no one else righteous, but God calls on him to build an ark, to set apart from the rest of the world, and he did so, in reverent fear of the Lord. One might have felt abandoned, but his faith (as was Abraham's) made him an heir of righteousness because he stepped out in obedience to the command that the Lord gave.

So too we must answer the call and command of the Gospel in our repentance and belief in Christ. Paul's drive to preach to the Gentiles was to spread the Word to them, to bring them to obedience of faith. This is likely why Paul in 1 Corinthians 2 speaks of knowing nothing but Christ and Him crucified; he endeavored to keep Christ the central part of the Gospel. Many can debate about what is like, but in one thing it can be sure, it is separation from God and the only thing that keeps one from that damnation is repenting and believing in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Our obedience in sanctification is quite another thing, but bringing someone to the obedience of faith (with the obvious help of the Holy Spirit) must be done first. If we have truly repented and believed, we will not be abandoned and He will not let us go.

Saint and Sinner

Oftentimes I think it is hard to think of ourselves as both sinners and saints simultaneously--we are "saints" in the sense that we are identified with Christ (if we genuinely believe in Him) since He, having saved us, will sanctify and glorify us. And we are in the communion of saints that have gone before us (see Hebrews 11).

However, I think it is easy for us as Christians to think of ourselves as more saintly than we actually are--we often forget that God declares us as righteous, not that we are actually righteous. As a result, we set up a false dichotomy in our thinking that our sins are not as bad as the next guy and we set up a hierarchy of sin.

My morning Spurgeon reading this morning really illustrates how we become dull to our sin:

Beware of light thoughts of sin. At the time of conversion, the conscience is so tender, that we are afraid of the slightest sin. Young converts have a holy timidity, a godly fear lest they should offend against God. But alas! very soon the fine bloom upon these first ripe fruits is removed by the rough handling of the surrounding world: the sensitive plant of young piety turns into a willow in after life, too pliant, too easily yielding. It is sadly true, that even a Christian may grow by degrees so callous, that the sin which once startled him does not alarm him in the least. By degrees men get familiar with sin. The ear in which the cannon has been booming will not notice slight sounds. At first a little sin startles us; but soon we say, "Is it not a little one?" Then there comes another, larger, and then another, until by degrees we begin to regard sin as but a little ill; and then follows an unholy presumption: "We have not fallen into open sin. True, we tripped a little, but we stood upright in the main. We may have uttered one unholy word, but as for the most of our conversation, it has been consistent." So we palliate sin; we throw a cloak over it; we call it by dainty names.

Christian, beware how thou thinkest lightly of sin. Take heed lest thou fall by little and little. Sin, a little thing? Is it not a poison? Who knows its deadliness? Sin, a little thing? Do not the little foxes spoil the grapes? Doth not the tiny coral insect build a rock which wrecks a navy? Do not little strokes fell lofty oaks? Will not continual droppings wear away stones? Sin, a little thing? It girded the Redeemer's head with thorns, and pierced his heart! It made him suffer anguish, bitterness, and woe. Could you weigh the least sin in the scales of eternity, you would fly from it as from a serpent, and abhor the least appearance of evil. Look upon all sin as that which crucified the Saviour, and you will see it to be "exceeding sinful."

Sin is not a little thing--we must remember who it is the sin is against! Whether it is a "white" lie or capital murder, it is a sin against a holy and righteous God who calls us to strive in holiness and asks us to die to ourselves. Thinking of sin in light manner only cheapens the grace that Christ gave through his sacrifice to satisfy the just wrath of God. In addition, a light view of sin also leads one to think less and less of the repentance that we must daily ask of God for our sins and can lead us to simply take our failings lightly, as if they do not need to be addressed. The war that we wage on sin will continue until we are glorified--part of making our calling and election sure is showing growth in the faith. Growth in the faith cannot exist without a hatred for sin (and a refusal to treat it lightly) and a love for glorifying the Father and His Son.

The Apostle Paul, who wrote so many New Testament epistles called himself the chief of sinners--would it be that we would take sin that seriously.

Our Worldview and Our Identity in Christ

As my wife and I await the arrival of our child, we have the fortunate chance to be studying Ted Tripp's Shepherding a Child's Heart in our Sunday School class. In it, it speaks of addressing the heart or sin issues that underlie the child's behavior--understanding not only the what of the behavior, but the why.

This week I was thinking of the importance of the Gospel in raising up a child in the way that he should go but in addition the importance of the Gospel in forming that child's worldview. We certainly cannot prepare a child for EVERY single situation that the child might face, nor can we shield the child from every bad thing. A proper and full understanding of the Gospel is key to giving the child the tools and framework he needs by the time he leaves home.

To give an example (and this may be a sore spot for some), the subject of drinking. Simply telling a child that he shouldn't drink alcohol because it is not a good thing as a stand-alone statement will not service them at all, not only because (as I read it) it is not borne out in the scriptures but it is not within any framework. Taught within the framework that we are put on this earth to glorify God and enjoy him forever, coupled with scriptural references to moderation (and not drinking to excess) and not causing another brother to stumble, a child can see what is proper for the situation and what is not. Giving a child precepts upon which he can address a situation is important in living the rest of his life--rules simply prefaced with "because I said so" (though there is a place for that at times) will not ultimately stick when the pressure and heat of life come upon the then-grown up adult.

How does this connect with our identity in Christ? A proper understanding of the Gospel informs the child to find his security and who he is in Christ, not in the things or pleasures of this world, or the affections or attentions of others. Even in Christian homes do children grow up to be insecure, for they are not shown the full riches of the Gospel (this is more rooted in an incomplete understanding of our adoption in Christ, but that is another post)! I admit that until I came to Reformed Theology I did not fully comprehend grace or the sovereignty of God; for me it adjusted my worldview where worry was no longer a part of who I was and my desire for glorifying God (through the continuous help of the Holy Spirit) became stronger because of this new understanding.

Preach the Gospel to your kids daily by your words and actions, confronting their hearts and shaping their minds so that they might give glory to God as a first response, even when they have left the home.

Let us make this our prayer, modeling it for our children (taken from Charles Spurgeon's Morning and Evening Readings):

"Lord, help me to glorify thee; I am poor, help me to glorify thee by contentment; I am sick, help me to give thee honour by patience; I have talents, help me to extol thee by spending them for thee; I have time, Lord, help me to redeem it, that I may serve thee; I have a heart to feel, Lord, let that heart feel no love but thine, and glow with no flame but affection for thee; I have a head to think, Lord, help me to think of thee and for thee; thou hast put me in this world for something, Lord, show me what that is, and help me to work out my life-purpose: I cannot do much, but as the widow put in her two mites, which were all her living, so, Lord, I cast my time and eternity too into thy treasury; I am all thine; take me, and enable me to glorify thee now, in all that I say, in all that I do, and with all that I have."

What Do You Treasure? (Part One)

Last week our pastor preached on the passage in Matthew 6, where Jesus spoke of earthly treasures and instead of clinging to those so tightly, we should "lay up" treasures in heaven.

He then gave us some diagnostic questions to think about over the week, and I thought that I would post and give some comment/answers to them (from my personal viewpoint).

1. What makes you feel rich? What makes you feel poor? Is your answer to this question articulated primarily in monetary terms? What makes you feel full, satisfied, and successful? Conversely, what makes you feel empty, exposed, uncomfortable?

This one is quite a question indeed, and I think most of us do, on some level, answer it in terms of money. Sure, I'm no Scrooge McDuck, but part of living in America tempts you to look over to your neighbor and say, "Gosh I wish I had a better car" or house, etc. I admit that at times I feel poor because of a type of lack of security by degree. Now what do I mean by that? I have a car, but it has TONS of miles on it and I wonder if it breaks down at any point? I do have fleeting moments where I think of how much I earn and wish I was earning more, but for me it's more of stuff that money can buy that can make some folks (me included) feel a little poor.

But now to the flip side--as for feeling rich, I feel rich in the relationships that I have with others. I am extremely blessed in my family life in that I deeply love all of my family and that most if not all know and love the Lord--I am not estranged with anyone in my family, and unfortunately these days, many people cannot say that. These riches far outweigh any feelings I may have of feeling poor, because at the end of the day, knowing you are loved not only by your Heavenly Father but in your earthly relationships can buoy any sense of loss or lack.

Feeling successful or empty, I think, is often rooted in America's sense of wanting to be secure: you graduate from high school/college, you get a good job, get married, have kids, have a great house, cars, etc. If we look around to see that some have what we want, we wonder what we have done wrong, or if someone has what we have, only better, we feel as if we have failed. It would be easy for me to say that as an attorney, I should be making more money or have a better job, but I have to be content to be where God has placed me at the moment. God really showed me this through the whole job search process as well as John Piper's book, Don't Waste Your Life.

2. What must you get in order to make life sing? Is the answer a physical thing? A large comfortable home? Successful children? Financial Security? A satisfying work life? Good grades at school? Cool parents? Answer honestly – where does Jesus Christ fit into the song of your life?

Looking at this question, I had to think about it hard--at different times of my life (as the Holy Spirit worked on me), some of the above were the answers to the question. I can remember during the first two years of college how I studied SO HARD and yet struggled to get grades that I was satisfied with; it was only after the passage on not worrying in Matthew 6 really got through to me that I got my best grades in my whole time in college. I've never really cared about stuff or houses or even financial security (because I simply look at money as a means to live and buy things I need--this is why it's not as hard for me to give it away).

In thinking about it honestly, I'd have to say being an important part in other people's lives--service would I guess be one of my stronger love languages and I really like to help others, so that makes my life sing. I have to confess, however, that Jesus is not always at the forefront of this as He should be. If I was honest, deep down I wonder if it was to obtain recognition or praise, and I have to fight this, examining why I do things. I struggle much with having a daily quiet time and studying the Word as I ought (see my post on resolutions for the New Year!), so as to keep Christ my focus in my actions.

3. What do you think about most often? How often do you think of money? How often do you think of heaven?

I have to say that I think of money in two circumstances: when something needs to be paid or bought, or if some special need comes up that I think that we can fill. I don't often dwell on money (as in "man, we need $___ to do this or that") for more than a short time--my wife and I have been married a short time but have seen God's provision time and again.

I think of heaven somewhat often, though perhaps not in a glorifying way. What do I mean? Well, I think it is great to think of heaven, but not when you are thinking of it in an escapist way: Paul spoke of "to live is Christ, to die is gain" and that these present sufferings are in no comparison to our future glories in heaven. I am prone to more often think of heaven when I am troubled or in pain, asking the Lord to "take me Lord Jesus" and in a sense, asking Him to rescue me from this God-ordained suffering that will in fact refine me for His purposes. It's something I have to work on, thinking of heaven in a Christ-like attitude, "Thy will be done."

Rather than make this post longer than it already is, I will do the second half of the questions in another post. Feel free to comment, I always enjoy discussion!

Imparting Grace and the Communion of Saints

We had a great small group last night where we talked about the communion of the saints and the importance of being with other Christians in our walk with Christ. We talked about Paul's exhortations at the end of several of his letters to the brothers and sisters at Corinth, Ephesus and Galatia.

Paul encouraged them to show each other love, grace, peace and to agree with one another (one could imply that he would mean as far as the Gospel and charity would allow) and the love and peace of God will be with you.

It's very easy to like someone that you love or already are at peace with--but what about someone who rubs you the wrong way or is mean? And I'm talking about another Christian! The Scriptures tell us that we cannot say that we hate our brother and yet love Christ because that brother that we despise is a part of the Body. This can be so difficult to do and yet we are called to do it.

We often become myopic when looking and judging others for their sin and at th same time forgetting our own struggles and iniquities--"love the sinner, hate the sin" we might be quoted as saying, but does it actually look that way in practice?

Do we "pray" for others by almost gossiping about other Christians struggles and sins? Or do we actively seek their restoration and sanctification by encouraging and praying with them? We as the local body of believers (and as the invisible Body world over and through time) are in this together. We were created for interdependence with one another.

Go and impart grace to one another today, sowing seeds of peace and restoration among the local body of believers and community that you are a part of, so that God may be glorified.

Ringing in 2008

So I stayed up to watch the ball drop last night (and for those who watched ABC, it's a little tough watching Dick Clark, right? But I'm glad he's still plugging on). Then we watched the fireworks from our porch and that was pretty neat.

I always try to convince myself on the eve of a holiday that I have to work the next day. Why do I do this? Because subconsciously my body reacts differently--yesterday morning, not only because I had just gotten back from a road trip to WV but because I had to work, I would have slept until 9 or 9:30 (yes, that's REALLY sleeping in for me). However, I went to bed at about 12:30 this morning and woke up at 7. Phooey.

So I was awake this morning and thinking of the topic of resolutions and whether to make them, and I thought that often it is what expectations we put on ourselves and the type of help that we use to implement them that causes us to fall short.

Making resolutions in general is similar to choosing what diet to use--a person can look at their weight and state that they are going to cut out several things from their diet only to buckle under the pressure because they have tried to do too much too soon. There is also power in numbers--if you have even ONE person who can do it with you, it can make it seem easier since you've got a friend along in the fight.

I've often made mistakes resolving to make grand changes in my personal devotions. I have bought huge commentaries or books that will help me only to fall from that after days or even weeks.

So, with all of this in mind, I will commit (rather than a more grand "resolve") to moving towards certain goals. Resolutions tend to ask for drastic change (not that sometimes drastic change is never called for). I think that looking at making changes more in the way that our own sanctification works in our walk with Christ can lead to them being more lasting and effective.

But such an attitude must be reinforced by others--no man (or woman) is an island, as John Donne penned. We need each other every day. One price of increased individualism is increased loneliness, depression and despair--every one alive today has (or had) a mother and likely uncles/aunts, grandparents, siblings, but we choose to ignore our resources. Even at church, many check in for service and then run out the minute the service is over! The Church is not a gas station for you to fill up with spiritual fuel and head out on your week! It is a buffet of resources and spiritual nourishment designed by God to help us through this life--Christ guaranteed that we would suffer for His name and that this life would NOT be easy. Is He not faithful to provide the means to endure it?

With all that said, I commit to the following (and I fully hope that anyone who reads this blog would ask me how I am doing):

1. To study (not just read) the Bible for 20 minutes each day, finding a consistent time for this and for prayer.

2. To make a concentrated effort to exercise more consistently throughout the week, not just on the weekend.

3. To spend quality time with my wife once a week (that doesn't involve the TV!)

4. To read one book a month.

And that's it. To me, it doesn't do to have a long list of resolutions and it doesn't help me to make drastic changes that set me up for failure. Any Christian should want to read the Bible more than they did a year ago, if they are progressing along in their sanctification, but even they might not be as consistent in it as they will be in 10 years time. Discipline is practiced and developed, not instantly made. I pray that the Spirit will move upon my heart and give me guidance as I work these out on a daily basis and that most of all that these would all be filtered through a desire to glorify God most of all. For as John Piper has said, He is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.

Happy New Year to all. May God send His blessings upon you this year.

Reformation Sunday Celebration

My wife and I attended a wonderful service Sunday night celebrating the Reformation (as well as what God has done and is doing) at Grace Church here in the Valley, joined by several other Presbyterian churches in the area.

It was a time of worship, prayer, communion and a wonderful sermon. Rev. Mike Sharrett of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Lynchburg (they have a wonderful website which can be visited here) preached on 2 Kings 2: 15-25, where Elisha is addressing three different categories of people shortly after the torch of prophet is passed from Elijah to him.

The first group is skeptical of Elisha's word that Elijah does not need to be looked for, but ultimately Elisha gives in and allows 50 of them to go--when they come back stating they could not find Elijah, he tells them that they should not have gone.

The second group (near the end of the passage) is a mocking group of boys who is representative of those in the town that disdain the message that Elijah brings and essentially call him "baldy"--Elijah then turns to curse these boys and two female bears come from the woods to tear the boys apart.

The third group in this spectrum is a group of those in the town of Jericho that come to Elijah about their water problem--they show themselves blessed to be where they are, yet their water does not allow them to possible grow crops or feed their livestock. Unlike the other groups, they come to Elijah believing that he through his God can help them.

Rev. Sharrett drew parallels to a spectrum of people that receive God's Word: the first group can receive the Word but when the heat of life comes, they run to other pleasures or sensualities for their comfort, forsaking the living water of the Word. The second group who mocks are the ones who disdain the Truth and further condemn themselves before the Father. Finally, the third group hears and treasures the Word, knowing that it gives life, believing that the Father will do what He says.

Rev. Sharrett gave us a challenge to be people of the Word, to read it daily and not just on Sundays--one test that he gave us to tell whether we were people of the Word was not whether we were actually doing it everyday but if we missed it, did something inside us ache for missing it. Part of our regeneration is the changing of our desires--do we desire the Word, even if we are not perfect in our execution and exercise of that discipline?

May we be people of the Word, and do honor to the saints that have come before us, especially those of the Reformation, who liberated the Word from the pulpit, making it available to all and reemphasizing the priesthood of all believers.

Emerging Church/Emerging Conversation

I won't pretend that I know all the distinctions/difference between the above terms, but I know there has been much going on in the blogosphere lately on the topic.

There are many leaders/speakers within this movement, but two of the folks in the conversation, Doug Pagitt and Brian McLaren, have made some suppositions/statements which I find somewhat disturbing.

To start, I have to say that the part of the movement which is probing what it means to be missional (however that is defined) is something that does interest me, insofar as it searches to find how the Gospel is to be practiced or lived out. It's when in trying to be missional that some folks redefine or reshape the Gospel that I have a HUGE problem.

You see, it's folks like Pagitt who state that John MacArthur preaches a perverted Gospel. Yes he said that--see this post.Pyromaniacs: Different Gospels

McLaren in a recent book, Everything Must Change casts the Gospel as a type of social gospel, where Christ came to establish His Kingdom here on earth, and the Gospel is meant to essentially cure social ills and the human condition. (see a great post by Tim Challies on McLaren's newest book here)

There's a sense in which they feel they have a new lease on the Gospel, that they are trying to invent a "new" way to be a Christian, but this social gospel has been preached before, and as Tim Challies mentions, it has been defeated.

McLaren and Pagitt want to leave behind "stuffy" Protestantism and orthodoxy, but if you do this in abandoning basic understandings of justification, atonement, etc, you have no Gospel at all. Jesus did not come to die so that we could have a better world--he died to save us from it and from the wrath of God!

Were the disciples preaching the Gospel to help create a better world? Did they die for that? Did Paul preach dying to oneself everyday because the people he was preaching to needed a better sense of community? NO! He preached to them because they were sinners, and they needed a savior! When Peter speaks in his letter about being prepared to give an answer for the hope that you have, he speaks of the hope in Christ that we have for our salvation, not some social interpretation of the gospel.

Helping and serving others should be a work that is an outflow of the grace that Christ has shown us--it should be a means, not an end of preaching the Gospel, and that's where I fear that the focus of this "conversation" is moving toward.

We have been told in the Gospel that there is one name by which we are saved, and that is through Christ--He said Himself that no one can come to the Father except through Him. If we begin to make the Gospel into a different focus other than the fact that each person needs to come to Christ for salvation, then the Gospel is not preached.

Suffering and Trusting in God

Now that I've posted something trivial about sports, I'll turn to the topic of suffering and the really great sermon that our elder Chris preached on this past Sunday.

The passage was from 1 Peter 4:12-19, which reads as follows:

12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. 16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. 17 For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And

“If the righteous is scarcely saved,
what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”

19 Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.

Chris began by stating that Christians who suffer should trust the love of God for a joyful outcome, outlining three points:

1. Be Sure That Suffering Will Come (v. 12)

Suffering in this life, as a Christian, is not a matter of if, but when. Suffering is often utilized by God to test us, to burn away the impurities much like the person who burns away the dross off the gold. Christ told his disciples to count the cost in following Him, because he warned them that as He suffered, so they would suffer. The importance of trusting in the love of God is that we are taken by surprise when we suffer, to the point that we cry out to God, saying "Why is this happening to me? Have you forgotten me God?"

Now, honestly, how many of us have said that when we have come up to suffering or adversity? Many of us have because we forget how God is ALWAYS with us, and is ALWAYS faithful. But God is not only there, but He gives us the grace necessary to rejoice in our sufferings and to cause us to look to God and see His sovereign purpose in it--which is to glorify His name by it (see Rom. 8:18). Notice it is to HIS glory, not yours, that you suffer, so throwing a pity party does not proclaim Him or His gospel in your life.


2. Be Sure That Your Suffering Is For Worthy Reasons (v.15)

It is often that we are bold enough to ask God "Why me" when the suffering is a result of our own disobedience! Peter speaks of evil doing, murder, theft, and even of someone who is a busybody and meddles in another's business. We should not moan in our suffering if we have consciously sinned as Peter mentions. It should be a warning to examine ourselves to make sure that we suffer for worthy reasons.


3. Be Sure That God Has a Sovereign Purpose For Suffering (v. 17)

a. In judgment, God separates the dross from the gold by revealing His glory through the suffering of His Church--in judging His people first, He identifies them as His own, setting them apart for His glory and honor.

b. In producing faith through the suffering, God causes us to put our faith in Him rather than lean on our own understanding or righteousness or flesh. HE must be our portion--we must cling to Christ and in Him alone when we suffer.

c. In connection with the one above, we entrust our soul to God by practicing the faith that He has given to us--this comes in our being sanctified.


In conclusion, Chris reminded us that our motivation for doing good and trusting Him in suffering is that he loves us despite our level of obedience and faithfulness to Him. What a blessed thing indeed!

We Are All Proclaiming Something

I went to men's prayer breakfast this morning and heard a WONDERFUL advocating of family worship. We read from Ephesians 5:22-6:4, a well known (and sometimes misinterpreted) passage of Scripture.

It speaks of the wife submitting to the husband and the husband loving the wife as Christ loves the Church; the visiting pastor (also named David and a pastor of a ARP Church in Blacksburg?) very correctly pointed out that the passage was NOT about the privilege that a man derives from that passage, but in fact the responsibility of men to their families. I am the first to say that I do not practice family worship as I should, and don't pray often enough with my wife--our pastor David pointed out that it takes a real intimacy to pray with your spouse, and this is something that has to be developed through the action of prayer.

The visiting pastor pointed out that there has been a real abdication of responsibility of men/families within the Church when it comes to spiritual instruction and family worship, and certain statistics were thrown out to show how many children leave the faith (being defined as not being a member of a local church) after a certain time subsequent to high school. The percentages were high and some objected to them bringing in examples of the prodigal son, that they don't tell the full story, etc. But focusing in on the numbers or their fallibility misses the point. The passage focuses on the responsibility of the man as head of the family to model and live out his faith by his instruction and discipline. We will be accountable for what WE do--focusing in on the complexity of the situation and other cultural factors will allow us, if we are not careful, to excuse our inaction when it comes to spiritual instruction to the family. We might say, "Johnny has strayed a little bit, but it's that city he's living in--it's too liberal" or "the college he chose doesn't have any good churches nearby" and so on.

But do we ignore the Psalms and Proverbs where it says "train up a child in the way he would go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it?" Do we not try?

I am of a younger generation, and though I do not have children, I am a product of the generation where youth functions and groups were designed to completely fill the gap created by the lack of instruction at home. As time has gone on, more and more "innovations" are put forth to pull more kids in--but if they don't see that lived out at home, there's a disconnect. The whole schematic is backwards. Home should be where the spiritual foundation is laid, and the church in its functions for youth should reinforce what is already or mostly known.

I agree with the visiting pastor--I don't have anything against youth groups--but it asks the youth leader to do more than he's able. If you abdicate your responsibility of spiritual discipline and instruction to the pastors of the local church, do you know what you're saying? "Hey Pastor Bob, would you raise my kids?" Because that's what it really amounts to! You can't shove the kid into youth group (at least the ideal) where the Word is preached and God's commands are advocated and then expect him to come home, see the exact opposite (or at least only apathy toward spiritual things) and be able to process the contradiction! It's like having two parents who have two completely different standards.

And this brings me to the title of this post--we all proclaim something with how we live our lives. Some will say, "I am not evangelist, I don't really know how to witness well" etc. But I would challenge you that are witnessing to people everyday, whether you know it or not--if they know you go to church, even that you are a Christian, you proclaim something. In your relationships, your work ethic, your temperament, and so on.

We as men will be held accountable for how we carry out the responsibility we have been given over our families, and it is something, when I think about it, that shakes me to the core because I know that I have failed miserably in it. But as someone so correctly pointed out this morning, it is not too late to start now.

Christ is not just a part of our life, he should BE our life, permeating our conversation and our thoughts, as well as our relationships with our family. This can only happen through immersion in the Word and gaining knowledge about our God, having His praises on our lips through song and through prayer. What did Paul desire? In 1 Cor. 2:2 he states, "I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Christ and Him crucified." Let that be our prayer today as we love and minister to those to whom we have been entrusted with, and let the Lord deal with us graciously, and not as he ought.

Cheerful Holiness

Spurgeon, as always, continues to amaze me with his words. In today's morning reading (which can be found here), in speaking about Psalm 92:4 he says:

Cheerful holiness is the most forcible of sermons, but the Lord must give it you.

We all acknowledge that the Lord must even give us the faith and grace to continue in this life, but look at the type of holiness that Spurgeon speaks of here. A cheerful holiness--not a prideful, boastful, solemn or dutiful holiness, but a cheerful one--makes the greatest testimony to the work that God has done in you.

Why? Because through your words and actions you display your gratefulness to God for the salvation He has given you. Your sanctification should be permeated by a thankfulness to the God of all things--this is why an overemphasis with what a man has done in the salvation he has attained through Christ (that man came to Christ on his own, etc. without any effectual drawing) can overshadow or deflect such gratefulness (in my opinion) and make the focus of their sanctification wholly one of duty rather than one of cheerfulness and thankfulness.

Glorify God in your sanctification, never forgetting that Christ has died for you--love others and express to others the love you have been shown!

Jesus as Guarantor of a BETTER Covenant

Pastor David continued into Hebrews 7 yesterday, covering verses 18-22:

18 For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness 19 (for the law made nothing perfect); but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God. 20 And it was not without an oath. For those who formerly became priests were made such without an oath, 21 but this one was made a priest with an oath by the one who said to him:

“The Lord has sworn
and will not change his mind,
‘You are a priest forever.’”

22 This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant.

Pastor David began by reminding us the definition of covenant, which is essentially a solemn promise between two parties. A guarantor is someone that assumes responsibilities for paying another's debt or fulfilling their responsibilities (for example, like a co-signer on a car loan).

Beginning in the text, the writer-preacher is quick to point out yet again the weak nature of the Old commandments in how they could not save and did not make anything perfect. The writer also again points to the uniqueness of Christ's priesthood, in that Christ was made priest with an oath (whereas Levitical priests were made priests simply by bloodline)--The LORD swore an oath that Christ would be priest forever. The permanence of such a promise likely had a profound effect on the hearers, yet they were still tempted to go back to what they knew!

The reason that the writer preacher is spending time on this is that the hearers of this message are under much persecution--homes are being destroyed and they are being thrown in prison. It was easy to follow Christ when times were easy and good, and the Romans tolerated their religion--but Pastor David pointed out that when the persecution began, the pressure was trying to push them back to the Old Covenant and all that came along with it.

But the writer's point in showing this "better hope" and Jesus being the guarantor of a better covenant is to show them that Jesus fulfilled the law and superseded the Old Covenant and brought the New Covenant. There is no Old Covenant to retreat to, and yet these hearers wanted to run back to it!

The same pull or force that tempted them to desire the ways of the Old Covenant is the same force that drives us to fall back into old patterns when we come into suffering or strife that tests our faith. When we are stressed and the pressure is brought to bear on our life, we crave the "comfortable" (or at least what we think is comfort). Even as regenerated, new creations in Christ, we grab for the thing which does not satisfy when we are put under pressure, because we think that will satisfy and bring us comfort. But it is a lie! Christ, as the guarantor of a better covenant, is the only thing that will truly satisfy and sustain. We cannot turn to bad language, violence, pornography, gossip, or other vices to alleviate our suffering or make us feel better about ourselves. We must ask the Spirit to cleanse our minds and our thoughts and fight the temptation to revert to patterns which we must surrender to Him.

Lord help us to resist the temptation to fall back into old patterns and instead cling to the Cross, as you are the guarantor of a better covenant and a lasting hope!

Meditating on the Promises of God

After having pulled two 12-hour work days from 6AM to 6PM (I was actually on the road this morning to court by 20 minutes to 6), I'm quite tired, so blogging Pastor David's most excellent sermon from last Sunday will be up tomorrow.

In the meantime, I will turn once again to Spurgeon for something worth thinking about, this taken from my morning reading on Friday July 27th, where Spurgeon quotes 2 Peter 1:4 ("Exceeding great and precious promises"):

If you would know experimentally the preciousness of the promises, and enjoy them in your own heart, meditate much upon them. There are promises which are like grapes in the wine-press; if you will tread them the juice will flow. Thinking over the hallowed words will often be the prelude to their fulfilment. While you are musing upon them, the boon which you are seeking will insensibly come to you. Many a Christian who has thirsted for the promise has found the favour which it ensured gently distilling into his soul even while he has been considering the divine record; and he has rejoiced that ever he was led to lay the promise near his heart.

But besides meditating upon the promises, seek in thy soul to receive them as being the very words of God. Speak to thy soul thus, “If I were dealing with a man’s promise, I should carefully consider the ability and the character of the man who had covenanted with me. So with the promise of God; my eye must not be so much fixed upon the greatness of the mercy—that may stagger me; as upon the greatness of the promiser—that will cheer me. My soul, it is God, even thy God, God that cannot lie, who speaks to thee. This word of his which thou art now considering is as true as his own existence. He is a God unchangeable. He has not altered the thing which has gone out of his mouth, nor called back one single consolatory sentence. Nor doth he lack any power; it is the God that made the heavens and the earth who has spoken thus. Nor can he fail in wisdom as to the time when he will bestow the favours, for he knoweth when it is best to give and when better to withhold. Therefore, seeing that it is the word of a God so true, so immutable, so powerful, so wise, I will and must believe the promise.” If we thus meditate upon the promises, and consider the Promiser, we shall experience their sweetness, and obtain their fulfilment.

**************

Christian, I will simply say that it is quite easy for us to read the Bible as we do any other book, as I myself often do, as if it is an assignment for a grade! But how often are we exhorted to meditate on the promises, to own them and know the God that made them! Read the promises of God and pause, considering the God who has made them in his wonder and glory, crying out at the same time, "wretched sinner that I am!" Yet, wonder in His infinite grace and know that you are His, bought with the blood of Christ! If he can achieve so great a salvation, can He not provide for you in EVERY other manner?

Worry and doubt are rooted in the ignorance (meaning, lack of knowledge) of Biblical principles--and that may offend some, but it is the truth. Why do you think that several writers in the New Testament are rebuking their hearers that they should have moved on to spiritual meat instead of being stuck on spiritual milk? Many of those even in Christendom would want to see signs or experience God in some sweeping emotional way when they have the Word of God right in front of them! He has revealed Himself to us in His Word so that we may know Him and believe, and with the help of His Spirit we can grow in knowledge of Him. We are called to be a sanctified people, set apart for Him--and in this sanctification, we grow in Him.

Christian, meditate deeply on the riches of Christ and the promises of God, and pray that the Holy Spirit lead you to the assurance that only God gives!

Inheriting the Promises of God

Pastor David explored verses 9-12 of Hebrews 6 (which you can read in last week's post), and began the sermon by using a diagram. At one end of the spectrum, there are Principle/Truth/God-focused people and at the other, there are People/Love/People-focused people.

John 17:17 shows the commitment of the Principle folks: Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. 1 John 4:8 shows the passion of those who are people-oriented: Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

But with any spectrum and in dealing with extremes, there must be balance. 1 Corinthians 13, a chapter that speaks on love and speaks that love is patient and endures all things, states in verse 6 that at the same time, "it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth."

This relates to Hebrews 6 in that the inheritance of the promise and the assurance of that promise is gained by the service to the saints (here on Earth) that is a part of our sanctification.

Pastor David made the point first that God's Word is not divided--the same God that passed judgment on the many different nations that persecuted Israel (as well as Israel itself) is the same God that became a man and walked the earth, dying for our sins. God is both Love and Truth. We are called to balance both.

If we are too principle-driven (I don't want to say too God-focused, that doesn't come out right!), we can be wanting in how we love people. I can throw right theology in the face of an unbelieving person who just lost a loved one and while I would be correct, would I be showing him or her love? Truth and Love should be a marriage of concepts, not something divorced from the other, hence the idea of speaking the truth in love. Our speech has the power to heal but also to very quickly and just as easily hurt.

On the other hand, if we are too people-oriented, we can compromise truth to continue pleasing people. To maintain relationships, we rationalize or we bend things so that the people we are trying to please will still remain with us. We need only look to Jesus to refute that--He showed the greatest love through giving His life and in His teaching and His miracles, but not once did He change His methods or His message. He did not tell people what they wanted to hear to appease them--he told them hard truths and some people stopped listening (see John 6), and he said that His Gospel would turn relatives against one another (see Matt. 10) Truth has a place; love has a place. We must show both.

Pastor David then gave his theme: "Assurance of salvation is an intimate, intertwined relationship between the faithfulness of God and the work and love of believers."

Many Protestants may bristle when they see a relation between assurance and works, since we know that anything that we would do does not bring about our justification--but it does assist in having an assurance of that saving work. God through his free grace declares us righteous in calling us to salvation by justifying us, but it does not stop there. The natural outflow of that calling is a prompting to respond not only by accepting the Gospel but to bear fruit! This is what the writer-preacher of Hebrews is talking about when he mentions that the Lord will not overlook the "work" that the hearers have done in serving the saints--the preacher knows that they would not do such works of love for their fellow believers (and non-believers) unless they truly loved the Lord.

This is why the author of Hebrews encourages them to show an earnestness in service to others because it demonstrates not only the love that we were shown through salvation but trusting in God and who He is. We are to imitate those of the faith that have come before us and who have inherited the promises.

Think of it as being laborers in a great company, going down the hall and seeing Noah, Moses, David, Isaiah, Peter, Paul, Augustine, Luther, Calvin, and other Christians through the generations. But it's not just their responsibility to work in the company--we are all called to be a part of it in the body of Christ. As they labored, so are we called to labor--and in that labor we take hold of an assurance of our faith--that the outflow of our faith is the production of fruit which is glorifying to the Father.

Imitate the heroes of the faith today!

He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not?

When Christians talk about the love of God, most will agree that he is very loving to His children--however, there are dear brothers and sisters in Christ that, when reading Hebrews 6, Christians can fall so far as to fall out of the love of God and out of His saving grace.

Our Wesleyan/Arminian brethren would read Hebrews 6 as stating that one who is in the faith can in fact lose their salvation. A simple illustration of humor might sum it up best:

He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not. Like plucking the daisy here, so goes our faith and our standing in Christ (and the differing viewpoints between Arminians and Reformed folks on justification and sanctification has much to bear on this discussion but I will not expand it here--I have written on it before). Some might laugh this off, but in reality it is no laughing matter--this viewpoint may paralyze Christians from realizing assurance of faith in this life. So you have to ask yourself: does God provide a permanent and lasting salvation which is not able to be lost, and is guaranteed? Or can one truly come to Christ and then wholly lose that salvation?

Pastor David explored the first 12 verses of Hebrews 6, which are as follows:

Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 and of instruction about washings, [1] the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do if God permits. 4 For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. 7 For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. 8 But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned.

9 Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things—things that belong to salvation. 10 For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do. 11 And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, 12 so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Now, there's a lot in there, and a lot which can be taken to mean different things if it is not read together and in context. Pastor David made a great point in focusing on the pronouns of verses 1-3 and then 4-8. Notice this! It's quite important as to the audience who he is speaking to, and the group he is speaking of--in verse 1 and 3, he says, "let us leave the elementary doctrine..." then verse 3, "and this we will do..." What does he do in verse 4 when speaking of the impossibility of coming back to the faith and the group that is falling away? He says those who have been enlightened, have tasted, etc. He's not talking about his audience, but another group of people. This is evidenced by his switch in verse 9 back to "in your case..."--the writer-preacher knows he is not speaking about them, he expects better for them, "things which belong to salvation."

Now, either he's talking out of two sides of his mouth and trying very hard to confuse his listeners, or he's warning his audience of another group.

Pastor David then made some observations about the writer's discussion of the group that had fallen away: the enlightenment that the writer spoke of could be the common grace that they had experienced being among Christians or even a common grace that is allowed by God on the earth. The word "enlighten" is the same word used in John 1:9-10 in describing Jesus being the light that came into the world and yet did not know him. The writer goes on to say that these people tasted in the heavenly gift and shared in the Holy Spirit, which Pastor David indicated could very well be allusions to their participation in Communion and even baptism. Further, they may have sat under the preaching of the Word, tasting the goodness of it.

What do we take from all of this? If we conclude that the writer is speaking of one group of people, who are faithful on one side yet able to take in all the benefits and yet fall, then we would all need to be a bit more worried about our salvation than we are. But other texts argue against that:

John 10:28-29: I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.

There is definite purpose in what Jesus said, in that there is nothing that can happen which would snatch us out of the Father's hand, let alone us ourselves! Romans 8:38-40 has Paul exclaiming that there is NO POWER or anything else in all creation which can separate us from the love of God!

Pastor David concluded by saying that this passage is ultimately an encouragement to those who are true believers in Christ and yet it is a warning to anyone who would want to "play church" or trifle with such spiritual matters. Jesus is not something you "try" or be apart of like you would the rotary club--this is spiritual life or death. Today is the day of salvation and do not delay, or you may be spoke of in this way:

"They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. (John 2:19)

God through His Son Christ will lose NONE in the end, and there is nothing, for those who truly believe, that will change that fact, even our own will. Would so great a God provide so amazing a grace that He would save us from drowning only to allow us to jump back in the water and drown ourselves? Some would say yes because God is so loving that he would allow us the choice to turn our backs on Him and do just that. But that's a whole other post.

Visiting Family and Church Activities

When you're attending a recurring church activity, say like your small group, and hear that someone is not there because they have family in town, most folks go, "sure, yeah, that's understandable" and go about their activity.

I was thinking about it this morning (and this is just my thought/conviction)--I'm not sure that's a good thing. If the family is just staying overnight, or you haven't seen them in years, perhaps that's one thing. But what if they're there for a while, or you see them regularly? What are you communicating to your family by skipping God's means of grace for you (encouragement and nourishment through the study of the Word)?

Jesus wants us to put our love for Him and devotion for Him (things that assist in growing in the grace and knowledge of Christ) before all else--doing this equips us to love our family better! Neglecting such means can only cause us to falter from attending to His Word.

And in some cases, can't you take them with you to small group? Our small group brings their kids to it and they play in another room--what better way to show your visiting family the benefits you receive from your church by showing them first-hand?

This all came to my mind because we have my wife's brother and his family coming into town tonight, and they'll be staying until Sunday. The temptation would be to say to our small group leader (an elder) and our pastor, "well, we have family in town and we can't make small group or go to praise team practice." And they'd likely understand--and perhaps the visiting family would not see anything communicated to them by us NOT going to those activities. But what would they see if we did?

Are You Dull of Hearing?

Pastor David preached on the end of Hebrews 5, where the writer turns to his audience and in one sense rebukes them for not progressing in the faith:

"11 About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, 13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. 14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil."

Now this turning point in the writer-preacher's sermon is important because it illustrates the depth of what he has just said on how Jesus is our high priest. Many in that time who came to the faith identified and understood Jesus as their savior, but many were likely not understanding Christ's dual role as High Priest and the significance of that in relation to the Old Testament. An analogy can be made to those Christians today who claim they are saved (and may very well be so, by God's grace) but only hold to such knowledge at a very elementary level.

Pastor David also referenced Jesus explaining the parable of the sower to the disciples when speaking of those who have become dull of hearing:

"10 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 11 And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:

“‘You will indeed hear but never understand,
and you will indeed see but never perceive.
15 For this people's heart has grown dull,
and with their ears they can barely hear,
and their eyes they have closed,
lest they should see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
and turn, and I would heal them.’


The term "dull of hearing" in the Greek means a type of lethargy, a listlessness that is not just physical, but spiritual. Oftentimes when we think of someone being lethargic, we identify it as a physical condition, not a mental or spiritual one--yet in that lies our downfall. The pleasures of this world gradually hinder our ability to hear and understand spiritual things, because it takes our focus off what is truly important.

A good analogy would be actual loss of hearing: ask anyone in their late 20s or 30s who has lost most of his or her hearing due to listening to music very loud when they were younger, and they will tell you that it didn't happen all at once. They would probably tell you that they listened louder and louder so that they could continue to hear it. So it is with us and the world--the world shows us pleasures and desires and we "turn it up" a little more with each passing instance, while discernment for spiritual things is neglected and our hearing/understanding for it is dulled.

This can happen gradually for us, as we let certain worldly influences and pleasures (TV, things we read, ambitions) desensitize us to our neglect of our walk with Christ. We should not be still on the milk of the faith, but we are, and have not moved on to the meat. In Isaiah 28:9, it says: “To whom will he teach knowledge, and to whom will he explain the message? Those who are weaned from the milk, those taken from the breast? In the next verse it emphasizes how things are built concept upon concept--just like with any other idea structure in life. Theology must be studied to understand the depth and riches of the knowledge of Christ--to understand His salvation more fully, one must grasp the concepts of justification and sanctification and know the distinction.

In being encouraged to move from milk to meat, Pastor David brought out two points or two questions to ask ourselves in seeing whether we are dull of hearing:

1. Can we teach, can we defend the faith?

Now this certainly doesn't mean that we are to become apologists for the faith on a professional level, able to do battle with the fiercest haters of the faith, but it does mean that we should be able to give a reason for the hope that we have in a well thought out response. Does it need to have catch words or certain phrases--perhaps, but the understanding of it should be there--simply saying "God says so" or "that's just what I believe" will not cut it. And it shouldn't, since if we love God and His commandments we should say as David did in Psalm 1, his delight is in the law [2] of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.


2. Does your love of the world and its pleasures keep you from understanding the doctrines of grace?

Sometimes people will often identify the worst sins in the world and quickly think better of themselves than they should. What do I mean by that? Some Christian will say, well I don't murder, cheat on my spouse, etc, so I'm not sinning in such a way that I'm being kept from any understanding! But when did you look a little too long at something you shouldn't have? When did you watch that movie or read that book that degraded or cheapened the faith in your eyes, causing you unconsciously to deny the Gospel and become dull? Such influences and worldly pleasures can make us unable to discern good from evil--we can rationalize and say the entertainment or habit or activity wasn't THAT bad while each time we keep pushing the line we shouldn't cross further and further back.

In addition, such pleasures or desires don't have to be inherently sinful in and of themselves--I'll speak to men for a minute. Is the amount of time that you spend working on your car, your lawn, your job, or golf game stealing from the time you need to be devoting to the Word? There is nothing wrong with ANY of those things, but when we elevate ANYTHING above our desire for Christ, making those things the object of our most attention, we become dull of hearing because we are drawn away from the teaching of the Word to these things which occupy our thoughts.

There's a great line from the Caedmon's Call song (You Created)that goes like this:

"But You created nothing That gives me more pleasure than You"

And this is true! We may try to fill our lives with various things that we think will give us more pleasure, but in the end they will all disappoint--and these things draw us away from the Father and make us dull of His graces!

Now, one caveat to all of this about studying theology and the Word--knowledge can be a great and powerful thing to the believer, as the level of knowledge can directly correlate to the assurance a believer can have (for example, a deeper assurance might be had, by the grace of God, if one understands election). HOWEVER, knowledge cannot be pursued for its own sake--it MUST be couched in a love for the Father and His Son Christ. Apart from it, one may love the study of the object rather than the object of the study--one may look at some scientists who are so interested in researching various forms of cancer that they forget the REASON they are doing so, which is to find a cure.

Jesus is not content to leave us where we are--we were not saved to simply sit on Christ's laurels and wait for heaven, living as if nothing had changed--we are called to advance in the faith, in knowledge and in truth. We must attend to the Word, that by His work and grace we are called to grow in this knowledge and serve Him, not sit and home and watch TV that is at best "neutral" and at worst detrimental to our faith.

Pastor David concluded with Hebrews 6:11-12:

11 And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, 12 so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Christian, get up from your spiritual sluggishness, and hear the Word today!

Good Friday

As I sit and ponder about the significance of today, and what to write, Frank Turk over at his blog has said it better than I could. So read the story of our Lord's journey to the cross, and notice in the Gospels how God ordained this to be, through the means of those like you and I, in crucifying Christ on the Cross. Grieve your sins appropriately which put Him there, for they grieved and offended a holy and righteous God, commanding a punishment be given for them--but praise His Son for dying for your sins on that cross so long ago, so that you might live eternally with Him.

Make no mistake: redemption was accomplished. The fruits of that act (our continuing sanctification and our glorification) have yet to be played out in time, but they will come to pass.

A Good Friday, indeed.