Pursuing the Fruit of the Spirit

A Reader's Review of "Puritan Portraits"

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 22:42:00 +0000

"In former days, preaching and devotion were seen as correlates—faithful Bible teaching fed hearers with truth to trust, digest, and live out, and faithful Christians looked for, and longed for, didactic displays of biblical thought and teaching by which to shape their self-management in both living with God and relating to family, friends, colleagues and other human beings." (J.I. Packer)

It is this truth, set against the backdrop of "the slimmed down, man-centred idea of devotion to God that has currently become all too common," that J.I. Packer seeks to bring to the forefront as he introduces us to the book "Pu ritan P ortraits," a compilation of introductions he wrote for the Christian Heritage editions of some of the most celebrated Puritan classics.

One might ask, "What is appealing about reading a bunch of introductions?" I would reply, "You obviously have not read a book with a J.I. Packer introduction." Many who are familiar with the author and some of his books ("Knowing God," "A Quest for Godliness," "Concise Theology," etc.) will most likely know of his intimate knowledge of the Puritans... and perhaps, in their own reading of the Puritans, they have come across an introduction written by Packer (many will be familiar with his introduction to John Owen's "Death of Death in the Death of Christ").

Packer, in the book "Puritan Portraits," introduces us to:

Henry Scougal, "The Life of God in the Soul of Man"

Stephen Charnock, "Christ Crucified"

John Bunyan, "The Heavenly Footman"

Matthew Henry, "The Pleasantness of a Religious Life"

John Owen, "The Mortification of Sin"

John Flavel, "Keeping the Heart"

Thomas Boston, "The Art of Manfishing," "The Crook in the Lot," and "Repentance"

...and gives us an in-depth look at two giants of the Puritan era:William Perkins and Richard Baxter.

PART 1

"Puritan Pastors at Work," Packer shares the rich pastoral legacy of the Puritans, complete with a strong emphasis on the historical context in which these men served. In the midst of the persecution that arose from The 1662 Act of Uniformity, many of these men stayed the course and dedicated their lives to shepherding God's flock. He writes, "They put their preaching of the gospel first, because they believed that in God's economy this was the prime means of the grace by which God saves souls; but they buttressed their preaching ministry with catechizing on the one hand and counseling on the other, and thus made it immeasurably stronger in its impact." This threefold trajectory of gospel ministry was the Puritan standard, a methodology that is (unfortunately) vastly missing from the modern evangelical landscape.

PART 2

"Puritan Pastors in Profile" is the second part of the book, in which Packer's biographical introductions are showcased...

Henry Scougal

Scougal (a favorite of George Whitefield), according to Packer, was "a holy man excelling as a preacher, catechist, and worship leader." In "The Life of God in the Soul of Man," Packer celebrates the fact that he "never loses sight of the inwardness of true religion, as a state of being that starts in our hearts, nor of the fact that it is a supernatural product, 'having God for its author, and being wrought in the souls of men by the power of the Holy Spirit'... we do not find him slipping into the self-reliant, performance-oriented, surface-level, ego-focused, living-by-numbers type of instruction that is all too common among Christians today."

Stephen Charnock

This ministry partner of Thomas Watson, was "intensely analytical," and the author has no qualms about pointing out some of his quixotic quirks. Of Charnock, Packer writes, "his power of boiling down and compressing... can leave the wisdom and truth he sets forth... at a distance from our inner being... his writing reveals him as a man of bony thoughts who sees it as our part rather than his to put flesh on the bones and warm up the thoughts so that they gain heart-piercing power... Evidently, he thought that the dramatising and interiorising of gospel truth was for his hearers to do by personal meditation, rather than for him to attempt by pulpit rhetoric." Nonetheless, in his book "Christ Crucified," the "Reformed and Puritan understanding of penal substitution at Calvary is expressed with plain and simple precision."

John Bunyan

Packer writes of Bunyan's conversion (for more on this, see "Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners") and call to ministry (pulpit and pen), and then mentions his incarceration for nonconformity before closing the biographical portion by mentioning his "years of distinction" as a powerful preacher and accomplished author (it was during this time that he authored "The Pilgrim's Progess"). "The Heavenly Footman," the author explains, "is a single sustained exhortation to run, to run hard, and to keep running, along the path of life." He continues, "Bunyan assumes that his readers already know the objective truths of the gospel... and now concentrates on raising consciousness and generating commitment with regard to gaining heaven and escaping hell... his intensity almost overwhelms you."

Matthew Henry

This "precocious, bright, lively and Bible-loving" man, explains Packer, was grounded in "Puritan beliefs and behaviour patterns (daily prayer, Bible reading, self-watch, and self-examination; journal keeping, and practice of the presence of God; scrupulous morality and generous philanthropy, thorough-going Sabbatarianism, and hard work for the other six days of the week." Shortly after he died, "The Pleasantness of a Religious Life" (a compilation of six sermons he preached on the Christian life) was released. In this book, "Henry's aim is to make us see that real Christianity is a journey into joy, always moving us on from one joy to another, and that this is one of many good and strong reasons for being excited and wholehearted in our discipleship."

John Owen

Of Owen and his classic book, "The Mortification of Sin," Packer says: "I owe more... to John Owen, than to any other theologian, ancient or modern... [he] has contributed more than anyone else to make me as much of a moral, spiritual, and theological realist as I have so far become. He searched me to the root of my being. He taught me the nature of sin, the need to fight it and the method of doing so. He made me see the importance of the thoughts of the heart in one's spiritual life, He made clear to me the real nature of the Holy Spirit's ministry in and to the believer, and of spiritual growth and progress and of faith's victory. He showed me how to understand myself as a Christian and live before God humbly and honestly, without pretending either to be what I am not or not to be what I am." Coming from a man like J.I. Packer, this is noteworthy... we would do well to follow suit and seek counsel from the pen of John Owen. After rightly affirming Owen's status as "the weightiest Puritan theologian," the author proceeds to describe his ministry. The literary audience of this brilliant Puritan were "readers who, once they take up a subject, cannot rest till they see to the bottom of it..." those who consider "exhaustiveness of coverage and presentation of the same truths from many different angles not exhausting, but refreshing." In preaching, he "bowed before his own maxim, that 'a man preacheth that sermon only well unto others which preacheth itself in his own soul.'" The classic work on killing sin (a set of sermons on Romans 8:13) entitled "The Mortification of Sin" helps the reader to understand what sin is in order to put it to death. "Mortification is Owen's subject, and he is resolved to explain from Scripture the theology of it–that is, God's will, wisdom, work and ways regarding it–as fully as he can."

John Flavel

After describing the Puritan (and biblical) understanding of the heart, Packer chronicles the ministry of John Flavel. During his first six years of pastoral ministry, Flavel "gained distinction as a preacher of the classic Puritan type, expository, analytical, didactic, applicatory, searching, converting and edifying, with divine unction regularly empowering his pulpit work. His writings reveal him as clear-headed and eloquent in the plain Puritan style, orthodox, Christ-focused and life-centered in his subject-matter, with his mind always set on advancing true godliness, with peace and joy in the Lord." Like many of the other Puritans written about in this book, Flavel endured persecution after he was forcibly removed from his pulpit due to the Act of Uniformity, but pressed on with a type of "renegade ministry" (like any nonconformist would). In his book, "Keeping the Heart," "Flavel leads us into... the most basic of all the disciplines of the Christian's inner life–basic to worship and prayer; basic to faith, hope and love; basic to humility, peace and joy; basic to pure-heartedness and steady obedience."

Thomas Boston

"As Boston had a sensitive spirit," says Packer, "so he had a first-class mind, a retentive memory, and a way with words... He had matured early; his theological convictions were clear, his sense of call to a preaching and shepherding ministry was strong, and his insight into the vistas opened by biblical texts was already deep." J.I. Packer does an excellent job of prefacing Boston's views on "the call of God to shepherd His flock" (a concise summary of "The Art of Manfishing" full of sound biblical wisdom for the pastor) with Westminster (as in The Westminster Assembly) theology and Puritan evangelism and catechesis. Of "The Crook and the Lot," Packer says, "along with his permanent purpose of leading the unconverted to faith and the new birth, his clear purpose is to discipline Christ's disciples in reverent, realistic, hope-filled humility, as they face up to the inescapable imperfections of life in general and their own lives in particular." In the third section of Packer's biographical sketch of Thomas Boston, he lays out the biblical view of repentance (contrasted with the unbiblical view held by many in the Middle Ages), before introducing us to Boston's own treatise, "Repentance". In it, he writes of "the necessity, nature, and urgency of repentance, and the folly of ignoring or postponing this life-and-death issue" and "explains that repentance is a matter of the heart, a lifetime's task, a gift of God's Spirit through God's Word, a change involving conviction, distress, faith in Christ, humiliation of heart, 'holy shame' and violent self-dislike, a confessing, renouncing, and turning from all one's sins as one knows them and a sincere, whole-hearted turning to God in total commitment to obedience henceforth and forever."

PART 3

In "Puritan Paragons," the author takes a closer look at two eminent Puritan pastor-theologians [on the eve of publishing this review, my computer crashed... this section of my review has been limited to a set of quotes from the book that pertain to these men]...

William Perkins

"At first Perkins ran wild, but then was converted (details not known); a passion for theology now replaced the devotion to astrological studies that had marked him hitherto, and he impressed his peers by the thoroughness and speed with which he mastered the things of God."

"During the years that Perkins preached his pen was busy and he left behind him almost fifty separate treatises of various kinds, covering the whole range of theology, spirituality and ethics, and including several major pieces of biblical exposition. Perkins’s special strength both in preaching and on paper was to be systematic, scholarly, solid and simple at the same time. No one else in world Protestantism had hitherto produced material of Perkins’s type and range, at Perkins’s level of lucidity"

"in daily life he was a man of peace, studied moderation, and a personal sanctity that impressed everyone. He was faithful in fulfilling his role as a professional academic and a college tutor, but it is clear that his wider ministry at Great St Andrews, and the popular writing that went with it, were his chief concerns."

"Perkins gave prime attention throughout his ministry to the religious concerns already indicated—each person’s need of regeneration; the quest for the peace and joy of assurance; the duty and discipline of self-examination to uncover one’s sins, and of invoking Christ constantly by faith to cover them by His blood; the experience of flesh-spirit conflict; the reality of falls and recoveries as one travels the path of obedience; battles against doubts, discouragements and depression; the practice of lifelong repentance, and conscientious avoidance of wrongdoing."

"Basic too to all Perkins’s work was his insistence that Holy Scripture must be received as the teaching and testimony of God, and that interpretation must take the form of applying biblical principles to the interpreter’s own times and needs."

"Majestic and magisterial, expository and evangelical, informal and applicatory, Perkins’s preaching set standards for the whole Puritan movement thereafter, just as it brought benefit to great numbers in the Cambridge of his own day."

"...we should call William Perkins the Father of Puritanism, for it was he more than anyone else who crystallised and delimited the essence of mainstream Puritan Christianity for the next hundred years."

Richard Baxter

"Though he was, as we would say, ecumenically oriented, sympathetically alert to all the main Christian traditions and happy to learn from them all, he constantly equated the Puritan ideal with Christianity... and all his writings display him as the classic mainstream Puritan that he ever sought to be."

"Baxter appears throughout his ministry as the very epitome of single-minded ardour in seeking the glory of God through the salvation of souls and the sanctification of the church."

"The quiet peace and joy that shine through these almost clinical observations on himself are truly impressive; here is an endlessly active man whose soul is at rest in God all the time as he labours in prayer Godward and in persuasion manward."

"Puritanism, as Baxter understood it and as modern scholarship, correcting centuries of caricature, now depicts it, was a total view of Christianity, Bible-based, church-centred, God-honouring, literate, orthodox, pastoral, and Reformational, that saw personal, domestic, professional, political, churchly, and economic existence as aspects of a single whole, and that called on everybody to order every department and every relationship of their life according to the Word of God, so that all would be sanctified and become ‘holiness to the Lord’.

"Puritanism’s spearhead activity was pastoral evangelism and nurture through preaching, catechizing, and counselling (which the Puritans themselves called casuistry), and Puritan teaching harped constantly on the themes of self-knowledge, self-humbling, and repentance; faith in, and love for, Jesus Christ the Saviour; the necessity of regeneration, and of sanctification (holy living, by God’s power) as proof of it; the need of conscientious conformity to all God’s law, and for a disciplined use of the means of grace; and the blessedness of the assurance and joy from the Holy Spirit that all faithful believers under ordinary circumstances may know."

EPILOGUE

In the epilogue, Packer poses a sobering question: "Should clergy no longer spend their strength teaching the faith, preaching the gospel, and seeking the salvation of souls; should believing parents no longer labour to share their faith with their children, and believers with their neighbours; should the practice of evangelism be abandoned; should the Bible and Christian books be left around the house unread; and should church people settle for being the nicest persons in the world according to the world's specifications; how long do you think the church would remain a going concern?" Next, he lays out the Puritan pastoral ideal as put forth by John Owen in his "The True Nature of a Gospel Church" and Richard Baxter in his "The Reformed Pastor". The book closes with the reexamination and continuation of the previous question: "can the church survive without pastors of this quality today, fulfilling their ministry according to Puritan specifications?"

I recommend that the contemporary western Christian culture reflect upon this line of questioning and meditate upon what the Scriptures say before answering. I agree with J.I. Packer that we would do well to recover the Puritan pastoral ideal, and I recommend the book "Puritan Portraits" as both a primer for those who are unfamiliar with the Puritans, and a guidebook to Pastoral Theology for those already acquainted with them.

Other books by J.I. Packer:

Effective December 1, 2009, Federal Trade Commission guidelines state that bloggers receiving any kind of compensation should disclose that information clearly on their blog when posting a review of the product... that being said: I RECEIVED A FREE DIGITAL COPY OF THE BOOK. CLEAR ENOUGH?

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Post-Election Quotables

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 22:50:00 +0000

There is no shortage of commentary the day after an important election in this country. The following is a compilation of excerpts from several helpful articles I read this morning. There is a lot of information to take into consideration as we move ahead as The (seemingly) Divided States of America, and we would be wise to observe and reflect upon much of what is said...

In Michael Barone's article, "Two Americas," he describes the great divide amongst this countries' citizens as evidenced by the stark contrast between conservatism and liberalism:

There are plenty of smart and creative and successful people in both Americas. But they don’t like to mix with each other these days...

...One America tends to be traditionally religious, personally charitable, appreciative of entrepreneurs, and suspicious of government. The other tends to be secular or only mildly religious, less charitable, skeptical of business, and supportive of government as an instrument to advance liberal causes.

The more conservative America tends to be relatively cohesive. Evangelical Protestants and white Catholics make common cause; the 17th-century religious wars are over. Southern or northern accents don’t much matter...

...The more liberal America tends to be diverse. Like Obama’s 2008 coalition, it includes many at the top and at the bottom of the economic ladder.

Albert Mohler, in his article, "Aftermath: Lessons from the 2012 Election" calls Christians to pray for civil leadership in the midst of moral decline. We have a sovereign Savior who is in control and calls for us to be in the world, but not of it... and though He upholds the universe by His power, we have a responsibility in proclaiming the truth of the gospel to our fellow image-bearers:

Christians must now pray for our President. As the Apostle Paul instructs us, “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.” (1 Timothy 2:1-2 ESV) We should eagerly and urgently pray for our President. We should pray for his health and his family, for his stamina and his character. We should even pray that he and his administration will be remembered as one of the greatest of our nation’s history, measured even by the convictions that are most important to us.

We are rightly and deeply concerned. We must pray that God will change President Obama’s heart on a host of issues, ranging from the sanctity of unborn life to the integrity of marriage. We must push back against his contraception mandate that tramples upon religious liberty. Given the trajectory of his first term in office, we are urgently concerned about a second term, knowing that the President will never again face the electorate.

As the President acknowledged in his speech last night, our nation faces huge challenges. We must pray that President Obama will lead in a spirit of national unity and mutual respect, bringing Americans together to resolve these ominous problems. Incredible responsibility now rests on his shoulders. He has won a second term, now he must rightly lead...

...The nation is divided politically, but that divide points to a division at the level of worldview. The 2012 election makes clear that Americans are divided over fundamental questions. Americans are divided into camps that define and see the world in fundamentally different terms. The election did not cause this division, it merely revealed it. This deep division at the level of worldview presents President Obama with a daunting political challenge, but a worldview crisis is an even greater challenge for the church...

...Evangelical Christians must see the 2012 election as a catastrophe for crucial moral concerns. The election of President Obama returns a radically pro-abortion President to the White House, soon after he had endorsed same-sex marriage. President Obama is likely to have the opportunity to appoint one or more justices to the U.S. Supreme Court, and they are almost sure to agree with his constitutional philosophy...

...Clearly, we face a new moral landscape in America, and huge challenge to those of us who care passionately about these issues. We face a worldview challenge that is far greater than any political challenge, as we must learn how to winsomely convince Americans to share our moral convictions about marriage, sex, the sanctity of life, and a range of moral issues. This will not be easy. It is, however, an urgent call to action...

...Christians must never see political action as an end, but only as a means. We can never seek salvation through the voting booth, and we must never look for a political messiah. Nevertheless, Christians do bear a political responsibility, established in love of God and love of neighbor. We are rightly concerned about this world, but only to a limited extent. Our main concern is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Over at American Vision, Leah Smith offers some wise counsel to Christians in her article, "The Election is Over... Now What?" She presents a much-needed critique against professing evangelicals and provides pratical steps toward obtaining a robust biblical worldview while making disciples:

Once upon a time Christians knew what they believed. They knew why they believed it. We often shake our heads at what goes on the world. We don’t like the anti-Christian laws being passed, more government control, our freedoms regulated and the general secularized state of our nation. However we have failed to recognize who dropped the ball. Christians have lost something very basic and precious: the ability to articulate the gospel. Most Christians profess to believe in the Great Commission that Jesus commanded, to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them inthe name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (Matt 28:19)

How do we suppose nations will become discipled if we are unable to give even a reasonable answer for the hope that lies within us? How do we expect to handle confrontations without being blown away by any intelligent worldly answer?

She concludes with a call to action...

1. Get a biblical worldview. We are secular humanists and we don’t even know it. The Barna Group reports that only 19% of Christians who profess they “have made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ that is important in their life today” and who “are certain that they will go to Heaven after they die only because they confessed their sins and accepted Christ as their savior” — hold a biblical worldview. Even if you love the Lord with all your heart– statistically, it’s very likely you do not have a biblical worldview. It is imperative we get one.

2. Get married and have a family. Atheists can do this too, so it is imperative that we hold a biblical worldview with which we approach every thought, action, decision and idea within the family unit. Why have a family? It is the backbone of society. That is why when you delve into the roots of socialism, you find the strategic intent to destroy Christianity and the family. Do we want a biblical society? Start by having a biblical family. I believe there are very few who have the “gift” of singleness. Find a good mate. Use wisdom... Raise up godly, clear-thinking Christians who will take dominion as God commands.

3. Have children, and if possible, lots of them. The Bible doesn’t suggest that we “be fruitful and multiply”, it commands us to. Having one or two kids is not multiplying; it is not growing the population. That is barely a replacement rate. Meanwhile, the Muslim culture continues to out-populate everyone with an average birth rate of 6 per household. Get busy people.

4. Bring up my children with a Christian, bible-based education. If we want to expand the Kingdom, do not, I repeat, do not give our kids away to the government. I cannot be so arrogant as to think I can compete with the humanistic brain washing they receive five days a week. They are not “salt” or “light” yet, so I mustn’t be pretentious in thinking my one child is going to evangelize or survive a humanist indoctrination centre. That’s like throwing your kid in a shark-infested pool and thinking he’s a good swimmer, so he should be able to make it to the other side, no problem. There is too much to say on this, but basically, if I am a Christian parent, a Christian education needs to be mandatory.

5. Get educated in:

Basic apologetics (the defense of the Christian faith): The Bible doesn’t require us to be experts. However, 1 Peter 3:15 tells us to have a logical answer for the hope that lies within us. The fact that most of us don’t understand logic and reason is beyond pathetic. It’s apathetic. There are some great resources out there for some basic training and education. There are even audio books, so no one has an excuse to be a dumb Christian anymore.

Basic theology: We have a problem. There are atheists that understand our Christian history and theological background better than we do. It is a skewed and distorted version, but it is sad that they know more than many of us. And because we don’t know our own presuppositions (or what that even means), they are formulating new and absurd arguments daily that we can’t refute. That is not good. Not good at all. So learn about presuppositions and learn some basic orthodox Christian doctrine and theology – and even more importantly, why it is truth.

Basic evangelism: I need to learn how to witness. Not hand out a tract, I mean how to present the gospel in a real conversation with people I meet... My goal is to learn of the most prevailing religions and cults in my city (where I am it would be atheism, Sikhism, Mormonism, J.W.’s, etc) and be well read enough that I can carry a conversation with them and understand what it is I am dealing with. I would love to see churches offer classes on the religions in their community and teach their congregations how to talk and witness to their community. Churches ought to teach basic apologetics as it is a good foundation for evangelism.

6. Women... know your feminine role. I believe the discipling of the nations will happen quickly when women go back to being women, with joy and celebration. When there is family harmony within a biblical context, and husbands love their wives and are leading as the Bible outlines, societies change. Governments change. Children are back in the hands of their own parents and that affects everything. Yes, sacrifices must be made to make this happen, however, we are in a time that if we want our grand children to live in a nation free of slavery and persecution, it is crucial that we make these sacrifices now.

Russell Moore presents a biblical paradigm that is sure to hit many professing Christians of the "religious right" between the eyes. In "Christians, Let's Honor the President," Moore reminds us of our responsibility to submit to authority and pray for our nation's leaders. Most importantly, he rightly divides Scripture to state his case:

Many of us have some disagreements with the President. As a conservative Christian, I believe unborn children have certain inalienable rights, including the right to life, and I wish President Obama would work to protect them. I believe freedom of conscience is the preeminent right in a civil society, and the Administration’s incursions on religious liberty are troubling. I don’t plan to back down one bit on these matters, even as our forefathers Isaac Backus and John Leland relentlessly stood up to the founding generation of leaders on behalf of religious freedom and human dignity.

We are going to disagree with the President on some (important) things; there will be other areas where we can work with the President. But whether in agreement or disagreement, we can honor. Honor doesn’t mean blanket endorsement...

...Christians, above all people, should pray for and show respect for our President and all of our elected officials. After all, unlike those who see politics as ultimate, we recognize that our political structures are important, but temporal, before an inbreaking kingdom of Christ. We don’t then need to be fomented into the kind of faux outrage that passes for much of contemporary political discourse. And, unlike those who see history as impersonal or capricious, we see behind everything a God who is sovereign over his universe...

...There’s a time to vote. There’s a time to campaign. And there’s a time to petition. But, through it all, let’s be the people who, even as we speak with conviction, are marked by kindness and respect. When we have to differ with President Obama, let’s do that, with backbone. But let’s make sure we do all this with honor, with respect, with prayer, and, most of all, with love.

I will be praying for our civil leadership; for their salvation and ability to govern righteously. By grace, I will submit to their authority while challenging foolish and/or ungodly policy. I will continue to labor in the Gospel to the glory of God and for the joy of the saints. I will seek the Kingdom of Heaven first and praise the Lord Jesus Christ... the King of kings and Lord of lords. Christians are not a defeated people, even when the future looks bleak. We share in Christ's victory!

The Covenant of Works Demonstrated from the Prophets

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 17:51:00 +0000

Over at Reformed Baptist Fellowship, there is a great article authored by Dr. Richard Barcellos, where he presents the biblical evidence of a covenant between God and Adam at creation. Here is a notable excerpt:

5 The earth is also polluted by its inhabitants, for they transgressed laws, violated statutes, broke the everlasting covenant. 6 Therefore, a curse devours the earth, and those who live in it are held guilty. Therefore, the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men are left. (Isa. 24:5-6)

The curse which extends to the earth came about due to a violated covenant. Since the earth was cursed due to Adam’s sin as our representative, Adam broke covenant with God in the garden of Eden.

The prophet Hosea may help us further. In Hosea 6:7 Israel is likened unto Adam. “But like Adam they have transgressed the covenant; There they have dealt treacherously against Me” (Hos. 6:7). Both Adam and Israel broke a covenant imposed upon them by God. Both disobeyed and violated a covenant. Both covenants were conditional, requiring the obedience of those in the covenant to enjoy the benefits of the covenant. “…in the day that you eat from it you will surely die” (Gen. 2:17; cf. Exod. 19:5-6 for the conditional nature of the Mosaic Covenant).

Barcellos concludes:

A sinless image-bearer was called by God to be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth with others like him. He was to subdue the earth and rule over other creatures, starting in the garden of Eden and going out from there. He was made of body and soul outside the garden. He was put in the garden to begin the task assigned to him as a priest. He was given a law to obey and a helper to compliment him so he could fulfill his task. He was a son of God. He was a spokesman for God (i.e., a prophet) and a ruler (i.e., king). He was in covenant with God. But he violated God’s covenant. He sinned. He transgressed God’s law. He was subsequently cursed, clothed with animal skins, then exiled from the garden at its eastern edge (Gen. 3:8-24). In essence, Adam got kicked out of God’s house. Now he’s sinful, is a terrible image of God, a covenant breaker, and no longer the keeper of God’s garden-temple. What will God do now?

4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, 5 so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. 6 Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God. (Gal. 4:4-7 NASB)

You can read the full article HERE

More resources by Dr. Richard Barcellos...

Reformation Day 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 20:48:00 +0000

Happy Reformation Day! Today, we Protestants celebrate the symbolic beginning of the Protestant Reformation (it was on October 31, 1517 that Martin Luther nailed his "95 Theses" on the door of "Castle Church" in Wittenberg, Germany). I'd like to highlight some great "Reformation Day" resources I've found throughout the web...

Over at Crossway, they've made Greg Forster's book "The Joy of Calvinism" available for FREE download:

At Ligonier, along with the Mystery of the Trinity special I mentioned the other day, they are offering R.C. Sproul's "Luther and the Reformation" series for FREE download (MP3 & MP4) as well:

Desiring God has FREE digital downloads of John Piper's biographical sketch entitled,"Martin Luther: Lessons from His Life and Labor":

More Reformation resources:

Don't forget to check out the various pages on this blog... there are some great Reformation resources in the "Historical Theology" section as well as a number of classic and contemporary Reformed/Evangelical articles on the other pages.

What Is the Trinity?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 18:00:00 +0000

R.C. Sproul's "What Is the Trinity?" (from the popular "Crucial Questions" series) is available as a FREE download (until 10/31) over at Ligonier:

Click below for more information...

Dangerous Calling

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 01:25:00 +0000

There is a special at Westminster Bookstore (ends 10/31) featuring "Dangerous Calling" by Paul Tripp. It looks like a much-needed resource for Pastoral Ministry, and a must-have for ministers of the Gospel. The book is only $12 (or $10 if you order 5 or more) and the conference DVD is only $15!

Check out this video from Paul Tripp:

Also, there's a free Leader's Guide and Discussion Guide to the DVD, in order to assist you in your small group or leadership training.

Additional books by Paul Tripp:

Pillars of Grace

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 15:24:00 +0000

In celebration of Reformation Day, Reformation Trust is making Steven Lawson's "Pillars of Grace: A Long Line of Godly Men" available for just 99¢ from now until October 31st...

Click the image below for more information:

Additional Reformation Trust books by Steven Lawson:

Foundations: An Overview of Systematic Theology

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 01:27:00 +0000

Ligonier Ministries is making "Foundations: An Overview of Systematic Theology" available for a donation of any amount. The list price for the 8 volume DVD alone is $150... but they're including a study guide and a CD of the lectures in MP3 format as well.

Click below for more information...

More great resources from R.C. Sproul and Ligonier Ministries:

New (Old) Books...

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 17:00:00 +0000

I obtained several great books today. Many of them are old, but most are in really good condition. Here are the titles (click on the images to learn more)...

I am really excited about Benjamin Keach's text on typology. I am fascinated by the biblical study of types and metaphors, and it looks to be a good resource for such an endeavor. The "Dogmatic Theology" by W.G.T. Shedd is actually Zondervan's three volume edition, which is a welcome addition to my growing Systematics section (and they look sleak as well). Berkouwer's "Studies in Dogmatics: Holy Scripture" is also a great addition to my Systematics collection, which I see myself returning to regularly in my study of the doctrine of Scripture. I've been trying to get my hands on Carson & Beale's "Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament" for years, so I am extremely happy I was able to get a "gently used" copy at a low price. There were a couple Historical Theology additions also: Shelley's "Church History in Plain Language" and Torbet's "A History of the Baptists" (of which I am eager to look at since I am ignorant of much of credobaptist heritage). I was also able to get my hands on a few coveted commentaries by F.F. Bruce, Charles Bridges, D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones and Derek Kidner.

A Puritan Theology

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 22:37:00 +0000

This newly released Systematic Theology by Joel Beeke and Mark Jones–which draws from the labors of theological giants such as John Owen, William Perkins, and Thomas Goodwin–is currently 50% off at Westminster Bookstore. A volume of tremendous historical significance, this work is not only a must-have for Pastors, Theologians, and Church Historians... but all seeking to grow in the knowledge of Christ. This book is certain to be a reference tool par excellence for students of Scripture for years to come:

Here are are some notable recommendations...

"A landmark book in every way." (J.I. Packer)

"A necessary text for seminarians and all serious students of theology." (Derek Thomas)

"An indispensable guidebook to Puritan thought and practice..." (Michael Haykin)

"An enduring reference work as well as devotional resource." (Michael Horton)

"This work is scholarly, well-researched, precise, and comprehensive in scope, yet accessible in style." (Steven Lawson)

"I will be returning again and again, both for scholarly reference and personal devotion." (Carl Trueman)

A Simple Understanding of the Profound Gospel

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 16:28:00 +0000

I have listened to several sermons over the last few weeks in order to help prepare me for teaching on "the spiritual gifts"... during this time I have been challenged and blessed by the work of many pastors and theologians. I was especially struck by the words of Stuart Olyott (former pastor of Belvidere Road Church in Liverpool, England) towards the end of his sermon on 1 Cor. 14:1-25...

"Away with the 'simple gospel' mentality. Now, we thank God the gospel is simple–even a child can know that he's a great sinner and that Jesus Christ is a great Savior–and he can know that as a great sinner, he can call on the great Savior and be saved. You can put the gospel so simply, but because you can put the gospel simply, and because simple people can be saved by the gospel, don't be content to only have a simple understanding of the gospel... because the gospel is not simple. It's because the gospel is so profound, that it saves the simple. It's because the gospel is so profound, that it can be put so simply... but if you are content only with a simple understanding of the profound gospel, then you have cause–on the ground of Scripture–to be utterly ashamed... because Scripture says, 'in understanding, be men.' And the man with the highest intellect, and the longest life, and the most advanced spiritual perception–should he spend every waking hour studying the gospel–he will never plum it's depths or scale it's heights... it is the gospel of the infinite God! Any meeting which does not stretch the mind... any Christian book that does not inform the mind... any spiritual exercise which does not envigorate the mind–should be forsaken.

The Bible's teaching is that the heart is only reached through the head. You can't get to it any other way. The affections are stirred up by things that we know–and it's when we are informed in our minds, and our hearts are touched, and our affections are moved–that then, the will is brought into action. And the sad thing about so much Christian activity today, is that it seeks to bypass the mind and go straight to the emotions and affections, and try to move the will that way... the will is temporarily moved, and we get all sorts of people who honestly believe they've made a responsible decision for the Lord Jesus Christ, and it's just been an emotional reaction to a sort of 'salesmanship pressure' which has been put upon them... and their mind has been completely untouched. The Spirit of God is the spirit of a sound mind. Forget that, and your whole future Christian life is in danger."

You can listen to the whole sermon here:
Stuart Olyott: "Principles Applying to the Gifts of Prophecy and Tongue"

"The Creedal Imperative" by Carl Trueman

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 20:42:00 +0000

Dr. Carl Trueman of Westminster Theological Seminary talks about confessionalism in this promotion of his new book, "The Creedal Imperative"...

Head over to Westminster Bookstore and get your copy today... only $10!

Mother's Day Gift Ideas

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 04:30:00 +0000

Mother's Day is May 13th. Here are some gift ideas for those moms who love to read!

The True Woman by Susan Hunt

Have you sensed God's call to change your world? Do you believe you can be one of those women who, by her virtue, wisdom, dignity, and faith, makes an impact in her home and community?

Maybe you've heard the call but weren't sure how to maximize the opportunities God has given you. Maybe society's definition of "true womanhood"—claiming it's about reproductive rights, doing things "your way," assuming the power, and gaining control of your life—has clouded your view of who you are in Christ. Or maybe you've just been waiting for a little encouragement and inspiration. In any case, author Susan Hunt says, "Start now." And let this book be your encourager and companion.

Through it you will hear how other Christian women are reflecting Christ despite difficult and sometimes tragic circumstances—and how you can reflect Him too. You'll explore what the Bible has to say about your mission and your identity as a true woman of God. You'll learn how to broaden your sphere of influence in the everyday. And you'll discover how to further develop a biblically shaped and Spirit-driven character that people are drawn to.

Begin today not only to draw closer to God, but also to deepen your impact in all you do. This exhortation to biblical womanhood will set your heart on fire and excite you about the unique opportunity you have as a woman of God. An opportunity to make an impact again and again for eternity.

The Organized Heart by Staci Eastin

The fight against chaos is universal, whether it be the outward chaos of disorder and frenzy or the inward chaos of fear and self-criticism. Even if we already know how to do better, something falls apart between our good intentions and getting it done.

Most books on organization just add more rules to your life, whether it be another plan, another calendar, or another method. This book will show you a different, better way that is grounded in the grace of God.

Jesus taught that true change doesn’t come by the addition of more rules, but from the inside out, with a change of the heart that only the gospel can bring. When you identify the heart problems behind the chaos in your life, lasting change can happen. This will not only reduce the stress in your life, but help you be more effective in your service to God.

Radical Womanhood by Carolyn McCulley

Biblical womanhood is not for the weak. In an age that seeks to obliterate God and His authority, modeling biblical womanhood involves spiritual warfare. Radical Womanhood seeks to equip new believers and long-time Christians alike, exposing the anti-God agenda of the three waves of feminism to date and presenting the pro-woman truth of the Scriptures. Illustrated with numerous personal testimonies, this book will dig deep into the Word and show how it can be lived out today. The foundation and core message of Radical Womanhood is consistent with the traditional complementarian teaching on biblical womanhood. However, the target audience, tone, and style are radically different. Most books on this subject take a heavily didactic tone that assumes an awareness of Christian lingo and a high degree of spiritual maturity. Radical Womanhood has the narrative approach appreciated by postmodern readers, but still incorporates solid, biblically-based teaching for personal application and growth.

Women's Ministry in the Local Church by Ligon Duncan & Susan Hunt

Susan Hunt and Ligon Duncan walk through the Scriptures to help readers better understand what it means to have an effective, biblical women's ministry in the church. The benefits of women's ministries are great: training and discipling, evangelizing, and reaching out to the poor and needy. This book, written by seasoned ministry leaders, provides many proven tools to help start a women's ministry in your church.

Feminine Appeal by Carolyn Mahaney

Carolyn Mahaney identifies with the challenges facing women in today's world and meets them with the guidance of God's Word. The feminine virtues described in Titus 2 have transformed her life and the lives of countless other women. This book will show you the appeal of being a woman who lives for God and helps others do the same.

5 Great Books About the Resurrection

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 12:53:00 +0000

Scandalous

How are Christians to approach the central gospel teachings concerning the death and resurrection of Jesus? The Bible firmly establishes the historicity of these events and doesn't leave their meanings ambiguous or open to interpretation. Even so, there is an irony and surprising strangeness to the cross. Carson shows that this strange irony has deep implications for our lives as he examines the history and theology of Jesus's crucifixion and resurrection.

Scandalous is the latest addition to the Re:Lit series, which highlights important theological truths in accessible and applicable ways. Both amateur theologians and general readers will appreciate how Carson deftly preserves weighty theology while simultaneously noting the broader themes of Jesus' death and resurrection. Through exposition of five primary passages of Scripture, Carson helps us to more fully understand and appreciate the scandal of the cross.

Resurrection and Redemption

What place does the resurrection of jesus Christ have in Paul's teaching concerning salvation? Richard B. Gaffin, Jr. explains in part one that a change has taken place in Reformed theology's interpretation of the center of Paul's thought -- a change that affects how we should approach Paul"s writings. Gaffin discusses this change and the proper way to approach Paul. Part two uncovers the basic structure of Paul's resurrection theology and shows the central place of Christ's resurrection in the whole of Paul's theology. Part three discusses how Paul develops and uses this resurrection theme in several passages and in connection with the doctrines of adoption, justification, sanctification, and glorification. Gaffin's conclusion presents the implications of this study for the problems and program of Reformed dogmatics.

The Christ of the Empty Tomb

You have to hunt for the message of Easter. After all, this is not the joyous welcoming of a baby with the giving of gifts; this is the brutal death of a young man, stripped of any gifts and dignity. Yet, Jews had prayed for him, hoped for him, looked for him and lived for him for generations. But now the one who said he was Messiah was dead, killed by the very ones who had for so long anticipated his coming. How could this have happened? His disciples had spent 3 years following him. and here they were in despair - but then they found the empty tomb. James Boice, one of the church's master communicators, explains the drama, purpose and events surrounding Easter so that it can become an occasion of spiritual joy.

Spurgeon's Sermons on the Death and Resurrection of Jesus

Experience Jesus’ death and resurrection with Charles Spurgeon, one of the nineteenth century’s greatest preachers. In this collection of over forty sermons, Spurgeon takes us through The Last Supper, Jesus’ passion and death, including Christ’s cries from the cross, up to his glorious resurrection. Drawing us into the scripture text for each sermon, Spurgeon uses vivid word pictures and thought-providing concepts to make his points. His direct, practical style, wide choice of topics, and biblically-saturated discussions offer a wealth of wisdom that is still dynamic and relevant today. Both lay readers and clergy will find treasures here in Lent and Easter—and throughout the year.

Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross

This collection of readings, drawn from the writings and sermons of 25 classic and contemporary theologians and Bible teachers, focuses on the wonder of Christ's sacrifice.

In a culture where crosses have become little more than decorative accessories and jewelry, how easy it is for even the most well-intended Christian to rush from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday without thoughtfully contemplating the cross and all that it means. Yet we miss out on spiritual riches when we do.

So that we all may linger at the cross during the Lenten season—and stay near it the whole year through—editor Nancy Guthrie has compiled this special anthology. It draws from the works and sermons of classic theologians such as Luther, Edwards, Spurgeon, Ryle, and Augustine, and from leading contemporary communicators such as John Piper, R. C. Sproul, Francis Schaeffer, John MacArthur, Skip Ryan, and Joni Eareckson Tada to help readers enter into an experience of Christ's passion and anchor their hope in the power of his resurrection.

Each essay in this collection holds to a high view of Scripture and expounds on a particular aspect of the Easter story using the appropriate Scripture passage from the ESV Bible. These readings are sure to prepare people's hearts for a fresh experience of the cross each and every Easter season.

Articles Pertaining to the Resurrection:

"The Spiritual Resurrection of Believers" by Geerhardus Vos

"The Efficacy and Benefit of Christ's Resurrection" by Wilhelmus à Brakel

"Reversing the Fall and Setting Creation Free" by Vern S. Poythress

"The Resurrection of Christ" by J. Gresham Machen

Using the Gospel to Share the Gospel

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 14:08:00 +0000

This great evangelistic resource is only $1.00 over at The Westminster Bookstore. It is an accessible translation of The Gospel of Luke accompanied by an introduction and conclusion based upon the popular Two Ways to Live curriculum from Matthias Media.

Here is the product description:

"Two very popular and effective evangelistic tools:

(1) Two Ways to Live: The Choice We All Face
(2) The Gospel of Luke.

What, we thought, if we combined the two?

That's what 'The Essential Jesus' does. Most of its 80 pages are made up of a fresh and accurate translation of Luke's Gospel. But the text of Luke is preceded by some important background information ('Previously in the Bible') that explains the biblical context and Jewish expectations as Jesus walks on center stage. (This explanation is based on boxes 1 to 3 of Two Ways to Live.) The text of Luke also includes numerous footnotes, helpfully explaining to the modern reader some of the unfamiliar terms and names that appear from time to time.

After Luke's account of Jesus, a summary of the message is presented using the Two Ways to Live framework, concepts and illustrations, but linking back to the content of Luke."

You can even preview the entire booklet here: The Essential Jesus [Preview PDF]

Here are some other great resources from Matthias Media:

Family Worship

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 02:55:00 +0000

"In many churches and homes family worship is an optional thing, or at most a superficial exercise such as a brief table grace before meals. Consequently, many children grow up with no experience or impression of Christian faith and worship as a daily reality." (Joel Beeke)

CLICK HERE to download a free PDF of Joel Beeke's "Family Worship"

Click the image below to purchase the paperback from Westminster Bookstore for only $4.50

"The family is modeled after the very being of God, providing a divine foundation for family worship from creation. This is not a mere idealistic suggestion for the godly family, but is presented in Scripture as a solemn duty."

A Reader's Review of "Charles Spurgeon: Prince of Preachers"

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 23:08:00 +0000

I am, once again, thankful for my friends at Christian Focus Publications, who included me in another "book review blog tour". This time around, the book is "Charles Spurgeon: The Prince of Preachers" (a Trailblazer biography for children) by Christian Timothy George. I had the honor of reading about one of my heroes in the faith: the Prince of Preachers, Charles Haddon Spurgeon. Many have profited from this man's teaching and preaching... his sermons, devotionals, books and commentaries continue to bless hundreds (if not thousands) of people each year, and I am numbered amongst these countless benefactors. I will continue to rely on Spurgeon for equipment and edification in the years to come and encourage others to look to him for guidance.

This book is separated into 10 chapters, each one representing a chapter of Spurgeon's life. Such life-events as his conversion (chapter 2), his marriage to Susannah Thompson (chapter 5) and the disastrous collapsing balcony at Surrey Music Hall (chapter 6) are included along with familiar biographical information (such as his bouts with depression and gout, the founding of The Pastor's College and The Stockwell Orphanage, and the advent of The Downgrade Controversy).

Overall, the book was very well-written. Here is an example of the author's masterful manipulation of words:

"Closing her eyes, she touches the window to feel the fury of the winter weather. A shiver runs down her spine. Snowflakes dance outside, following the wild movement of the wind. She dreams of dancing too, dancing outside in the snow, to the rhythm of the icy air."

The one problem I had with the book was the liberty the author took "fictionalizing" Spurgeon's bio... until I realized Trailblazer books were historical fiction. With historical fiction, the challenge is providing enough historical detail to remain true to the subject and characters, while providing entertaining fictional themes to draw the reader in. I understand that biographies usually lack color and dialogue, so in order for an author to make characters compelling, mere historical information is not adequate for the purposes of telling the story. I appreciate Christian George's artistry in weaving a tall-tale about the Queen of England in with the life of The Prince of Preachers (chapter 1 and 10), culminating in the harmonization of life events in a character-driven conclusion.

What is especially helpful about this book is that it seeks to teach the young reader biblical truth and ethical values. Throughout the story, there are moments where the author presents an interaction between Spurgeon and another character. His wisdom and humor shine through to us as we witness pastoral advice and charisma. George's book is also useful in that it includes multiple appendices, including a timeline of major historical events with significant moments of Spurgeon's life.

Overall, I would say this is a great introduction to the life and ministry of Charles Haddon Spurgeon. I look forward to reading this to my children and will encourage them to read it themselves when they are able. Christian George does a great job of grabbing the attention of the reader and holding it throughout the entire book.

Here are a few books that Charles Spurgeon wrote:

Check out these Spurgeon links:
The Spurgeon Archive
Spurgeon Gems
Spurgeon Quotes

Effective December 1, 2009, Federal Trade Commission guidelines state that bloggers receiving any kind of compensation should disclose that information clearly on their blog when posting a review of the product... that being said: I RECEIVED A FREE DIGITAL COPY OF THE BOOK. CLEAR ENOUGH?

A Reader's Review of "From the Resurrection to His Return"

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 18:04:00 +0000

I'm very grateful for the folks at Christian Focus Publications who have selected me to write a review for one of their "book review blog tours". This time around, I was pleased to receive and read "From the Resurrection to His Return" by D.A. Carson. I did not hear any buzz about this book prior to seeing the advertisement for the blog tour, but I have read several other books by this renowned theologian and enjoyed them thoroughly. All I knew about this book was what the title implies... that it has something to do with the resurrection of Jesus, the present evil age, and His second coming. I also knew that it would be thought-provoking and well-written, given the author's intellectual endowment and communicative prowess. I am thankful for Christian Focus Publications and their continual dedication to sound resources; I'm humbled by their consideration of me to co-labor with them in their passion for equipping the saints.

My prayer is that you read this book (it is very short... around 50 pages) and let the truths impact your walk in Christ. We live in a cursed world and need to be grounded in Scripture in order to identify/deny error and know/speak truth. May we act on the exhortations of Dr. Carson in his book "From the Resurrection to His Return: Living Faithfully in the Last Days".

Here is what Christian Focus has to say about the book:

"This is not another book on what view to hold about the reality of Jesus’ return but it is about how to live in the light of his imminent return. D.A. Carson accurately determines that the Christian church has always lived in what the bible terms ‘the last days’… the period between his ascension to his Father in heaven and his return on the clouds of heaven.
Based on Paul’s teaching in 2 Timothy 3, D.A. Carson gives wise counsel to today’s church to avoid false teaching and to seek good mentors, those who will lead us in truth. He shows that to rely on worldly wisdom is folly, that the world is utterly sinful, but rather to cling to the Bible as the source of our counsel and guidance and help. But more than that he shows us that it is in holding the Bible out to a needy world we take its message to where it is needed the most.

To live in the last days is not to hang on in quiet desperation but to boldly take the word of God and apply it to every situation knowing that it will meet every need just as it has throughout the two millennia since Jesus promised to return again. That is how to live in the last days!"

Simply put, this book is an exposition of 2 Timothy 3:1-4:8. In this passage of Scripture, the apostle Paul is warning his young disciple Timothy of the onslaught of false teachers that would plague the church during the intermediate period between Christ's resurrection and second coming. He, in classical Pauline fashion, presents the problem and then fleshes out the practical implications towards a holistic ministry approach in the midst of such vile danger.

The book is divided into 5 chapters:

1. Living in the last days [2 Timothy 3:1-9]
2. Hold the right mentors in high regard [2 Timothy 3:10-11]
3. Hold few illusions about the world [2 Timothy 3:12-13]
4. Hold on to the Bible [2 Timothy 3:14-17]
5. Hold out the Bible to others [2 Timothy 4:1-8]

Living in the Last Days

The first important point Carson makes, is that Paul is writing primarily to Timothy in his own historical context and not most specifically warning him of events to come. The presence of false teachers existed in the first century and have continued throughout church history. While the church in the 21st century also deals with the deception of false teachers, this is not a new phenomena that we contemporary Christians are ill-equipped to deal with. The Apostles themselves, along with the Church Fathers, on down through the Reformation... truth has been assailed by soldiers of folly. The important thing to note is that the Word of God is our armory, furnishing the church (past/present/future) with an arsenal of spiritual weaponry to engage and defend (cf. Col. 4:6; 2 C or. 10:3-6; 1 Tim. 1:18-19; 6:12; 2 Pet. 3:13-16; Jude 3).

The author then shows how Paul categorizes the characteristics of such ungodly men:

"The first four in the list depict selfishness..." [3:2: "lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant"]... "The next two terms suggest socially destructive behavior..." [3:2: "revilers, disobedient to parents"]... next, "there are four ‘un’ words... that mark literally the absence of something..." [3:2-3: "ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable"]... followed by "sins that reflect speech and behaviour" [vv. 3: "malicious gossips, without self-control"]... "Paul then lists two more ‘un’ terms..." [3:3: "untamed, haters of the good"]... then, "four items that show perhaps that Paul is moving from characteristics of the age to the false teachers themselves whom he is confronting in his letter..." [3:4: "treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God"]... and finally, the "list ends with a clause rather than with a single word or two..." [3:5: "holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power"]... Carson continues to say, "they may sport a certain appearance of godliness but they deny its power... their religion is rich in form and verbal profession, but what is missing is the transformed life."

What I find especially important is Carson's comments regarding the "treachery" of these deceivers:

"The church is usually not too badly troubled by teachers who are, from the beginning, outside the framework of confessional Christianity, teachers who are saying all kinds of things that Christians view as foolish, dangerous, or simply false–because they're recognized as moving in another circle, they're bringing another set of assumptions. By contrast, if you find someone who has been a public teacher of Christianity for some time and who then gradually moves away from the center of the faith, it sometimes takes a while to discern the nature of the drift. When the first people to notice begin to wave a red flag, others say, ‘Oh, come on, you're being much too critical. After all, we trust this person; he's been such a huge help to us.’ It might take a very long time before many people clearly see how serious this drift is.

Such teachers, then, are traitors. They have turned their backs on what they once taught and defended, and so they have become treacherous. It is not uncommon for such people to become rash. They become impetuous in the sense that they do not think through the long-term effects of the stances that they are now adopting. They become conceited, far too impressed by their own new-found opinions and deeply persuaded that the people whom they have left behind are narrow-minded and bigoted. With egos the size of small planets, they become unwilling to think through things out of a confessional heritage anymore; they are too busy telling everybody else how wrong they are."

Hold the Right Mentors in High Regard
In the second chapter, Dr. Carson points to the contrasting admonishment from Paul to Timothy. Though these wicked and vile men have crept in (and will continue to do so), Timothy is to avoid them (3:8), but also "follow" Paul's example with regard to word and deed [3:10-11: "teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, perseverance, persecutions, and sufferings"]. I really enjoyed this chapter, since it deals so much with discipleship/mentoring. It is my conviction, that the contemporary church is lacking in this vital aspect of its definitive nature (Matt. 28:16-20).

As a side note, I'd like to point to the dire importance of disciplemaking within the context of "The Great Commission":

"The Great Commission has three participles: go, baptize and teach (keep in mind that participles are not true verbs but are verbal adjectives). These three participles are dependent upon the main verb “make disciples” which is an imperative or command. Therefore, the three participles (go, baptize and teach) are translated as imperatives because they receive their imperative sense from the main verb." ("The Great Commission" by Brian M. Schwertley)

Carson proceeds to apply the Scriptures to instruct the reader toward the practical manifestations of discipleship. He fortifies his exegesis with sage advice:

"Choose your mentors and then hold those right mentors in high regard. The reality is that, consciously or unconsciously, all of us follow people whether we intend to or not... But we shall be wise if we carefully choose our mentors, in line with the priorities of Scripture."

Again, the source is the Holy Scriptures. This is not only where we need to go in order to protect ourselves from deception, but it is also the fount of truth that supplies us with the knowledge of what is good (cf. Rom. 12:1-2; 2 Tim. 3:15-17).

The author then tells of his own personal experience... a nice biographical touch to soften the exegetical edges of the exposition. In this section, he points to the character/conduct of mentors. It is easy to focus on the teaching in our discipleship, with little or no regard to exemplifying godliness. He shares with the reader a story about an old friend (Dave) and his boldness to challenge others to observe him:

"one night I brought two from my Bible study down to Dave. He bulldozed his way around the room, as he always did. He gave us instant coffee then, turning to the first student, asked, ‘Why have you come?’ The student replied, ‘Well, you know, I think that university is a great time for finding out about different points of view, including different religions. So I've been reading some material on Buddhism, I've got a Hindu friend I want to question, and I should also study some Islam. When this Bible study started I thought I'd get to know a little more about Christianity – that's why I've come.’ Dave looked at him for a few moments and then said, ‘Sorry, but I don't have time for you.’ ‘I beg your pardon?’ said the student. ‘Look,’ Dave replied, ‘I'll loan you some books on world religions; I can show you how I understand Christianity to fit into all this, and why I think biblical Christianity is true – but you're just playing around. You're a dilettante. You don't really care about these things; you're just goofing off . I'm a graduate student myself, and I don't have time–I do not have the hours at my disposal to engage in endless discussions with people who are just playing around.’

He turned to the second student: ‘Why did you come?’ ‘I come from a home that you people call liberal,’ he said. ‘We go to the United Church and we don't believe in things like the literal resurrection of Jesus–I mean, give me a break. The deity of Christ, that's a bit much. But my home is a good home. My parents love my sister and me, we are a really close family, we worship God, we do good in the community. What do you think you've got that we don't have?’

For what seemed like two or three minutes, Dave looked at him. Then he said, ‘Watch me... I've got an extra bed; move in with me, be my guest–I'll pay for the food. You go to your classes, do whatever you have to do, but watch me. You watch me when I get up, when I interact with people, what I say, what moves me, what I live for, what I want in life. You watch me for the rest of the semester, and then you tell me at the end of it whether or not there's a difference.’

[he] did not literally take Dave Ward up on his offer: he didn't move in with him. But he did keep going to see him. Before the end of that semester he became a Christian, and subsequently a medical missionary overseas."

What an encouragement this story is... what conviction it has wrought in this readers' heart. My hope is that I might find mentors who embody this biblically-saturated boldness in character and also exemplify the same kind of conduct to those disciples whom I will potentially shepherd. Carson ends this chapter with another great exhortation:

"You who are older should be looking out for younger people and saying in effect, ‘Watch me.’ Come–I'll show you how to have family devotions. Come–I'll show you how to do Bible study. Come on–let me take you through some of the fundamentals of the faith. Come–I'll show you how to pray. Let me show you how to be a Christian husband and father, or wife and mother. At a certain point in life, that older mentor should be saying other things, such as: Let me show you how to die. Watch me.

Those of you who are younger ought to be seeking out mentors who have Paul's characteristics. They know the apostle's teaching; they display mature Christian fruit and conduct. Maybe they have been tested by suffering. They demonstrate love and endurance, patience and faith, joy and steadfastness, a hunger for holiness. In this broken world and sinful world, where in these last days so many siren voices are taking us in different directions, hold the right mentors in high regard."

Hold Few Illusions About the World
The author now concerns himself with the reality of this present evil age. The existence of evil and perpetual persecution are empirical truths. Carson rightly points out, Paul's intentions when he says, "evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse" (3:13):

"Paul does not mean that every generation is necessarily worse than every previous generation. He means rather that in every generation, evil people get worse and worse."

He continues with a calling for believers to have a right view of the world in which we live in:

"Do not be surprised... What is astonishing is that after the bloody century we have just come through, so many people think that if we simply sit around a table and talk we will sort it all out. This attitude is astonishingly naïve. Christians should never, ever, be surprised by evil. While we should always be horrified by evil, we should never be surprised by it. Do not adopt a Pollyannaish view of things. Do not be surprised by evil. Hold few illusions about the world. There are many times we should be horrified–surprised, never."

Dr. Carson concludes the chapter with a story about a pastor friend who developed a relationship with an Orthodox Rabbi. The striking thing about their friendship was the mutual respect regardless of disagreement. It is extremely important that we boldly stand for the objective biblical truths of Christianity , not only for the sake of our own convictions and conscience, but for the sake of others' perceptions in the midst of a relativistic society. We need not be afraid of thinking biblically.

Hold on to the Bible
Carson then moves on to one of my favorite passages of Scripture. What comfort for the saints to know that "the sacred writings" give us "wisdom unto salvation" and that they are "inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness" so those in Christ may be "adequate" and "equipped for every good work" (2 Tim. 3:15-17)! Here, the author pauses to address the problem of information without transformation; and shares some rich gospel truth with the reader:

"there is a way of learning the Bible that masters more and more data, that might even memorize a lot of text, but that somehow doesn't see the Bible as a coherent whole that brings us to faith in Jesus... Some who go by the name of ‘Evangelical’ view the Bible in such scrappy atomistic bits that they can find moralizing lessons here and there, but cannot see how the Bible gives us the gospel of Jesus Christ. But the Bible is not a magic book, as in: ‘A verse a day keeps the devil away’. It is a book that points us to Jesus, and this Jesus saves and transforms. This Jesus by his death and resurrection constitutes the good news that men and women may be reconciled to the living God. Here in this book there is instruction on what God has done in Christ Jesus; here there is the message of Christ dying for sinners, of whom I am chief; here there is the promise of the Holy Spirit given in down payment of the ultimate inheritance; here there is transformation. These Scriptures make you ‘wise for salvation’."

Next, Dr. Carson explains the doctrine of inspiration. He correctly asserts that the text itself is "breathed out by God" and that the writers of the Scriptures are not "inspired" in the same way that the Bible is. He concludes by expounding upon the result of Scripture being "God-breathed" or "inspired":

"This Scripture, this written material, is itself God-breathed. In consequence it is ‘useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that all God's people may be thoroughly equipped for every good work'... We desperately need to think God's thoughts after him...He writes to the church in Rome and tells them not to be conformed to the world, but to be transformed by the renewing of their minds (see Rom. 12:1–2). And that means we must hold on to the Bible, not as a magic book, but one that teaches us how to think and what to think, one that provides an entire frame of reference. It is not that this frame of reference saves–only Jesus saves, not ideas about him. But if we understand what this gospel is, and look at all of the world around us out of the framework of this gospel and this book, then we are able to withstand the subtle allure of passing fancies that drive us away from the God who is our Maker, Redeemer and Judge. Hold on to the Bible."

Hold Out the Bible to Others
The final chapter in this book is the evangelistic exclamation point on Carson's book. Not only is it the climactic ministerial exhortation of "From the Resurrection to His Return", but it is also the thrust of Paul's charge to Timothy. The author highlights the passionate plea of Paul and the power of his language in presenting the young pastor with a high calling: the noble duty of preaching the Word of God (4:2). Dr. Carson rightly extrapolates from the specific exhortation of Paul to Timothy, a general evangelistic application to all believers through all time. If we interpret Scripture in light of Scripture (which we should), shouldn't we come to the conclusion that Paul is making an appeal to the words of Christ Himself ("make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you")? What Paul has presented to his young disciple, he has presented to every member of the body of Christ. The author elaborates:

"This is teaching ministry, whether it is in our home, in small groups, with our children, or when it is one-to-one. Across the back fence, around the coffee urn at work, in evangelistic Bible studies, or during adult Bible classes, Christians constantly are to be teaching and declaring the Word of God... We hold out the Word to others. We therefore think aggressively in terms of teaching the Word of God in every domain of our lives, and through every channel of the church, until men and women come under the sound of the gospel and very many are converted."

D.A. Carson concludes this little book by identifying the collective nature of individual gospel ministry. We are made into disciples and then we make disciples. We are taught, and we teach others. There is a reproductive chain in gospel ministry:

"In the light of Paul's charge to Timothy, one begins to see one's ministry not only in terms of teaching the Word right now, but as part of passing God's truth along to another generation that comes along behind us and takes up the reins, proclaiming this same gospel to yet another generation, world without end, until Jesus himself comes back. This chain that stretches forward also stretches backwards, all the way to the apostle Paul... Now you begin to see how your ministry in your homes, how your handling of this Word as you hold it up to others, how your teaching of a Sunday school class, constitutes part of this massive chain that connects us all the way back to the New Testament, and prepares the people of God for the return of Jesus Christ at the end. That is how Christians live and work in the last days. We hold out the Bible to others."

Review:

I love reading, and admit I was originally disappointed by the short length of this book. However, I quickly realized that the concise nature of it points to the incredible ability of D.A. Carson to communicate (it would probably take the same amount of time for someone to read this review as it would for them to read the book). That being said, I appreciate the ease and amount of time it takes to read and understand this book in order to apply the truth within. This little book is a great example of theology resulting in doxology... from exegesis, to expositional teaching, to practical application. We are given, in "From the Resurrection to His Return," biblical teaching on hermeneutics; discernment and apologetics; the doctrines of sufficiency, authority, and inspiration; suffering and sanctification; and evangelism and outreach... all in less than 50 pages! This little book packs a powerful punch of practical theology, wrought in the right division of the Word. I highly recommend it.

Other Books by D.A. Carson:

Click here: FREE PDF of "From the Resurrection to His Return" (from TGC)*

*HT Andrew Wencl (@AndrewWencl) of "Missions Outlook" for the link!

Effective December 1, 2009, Federal Trade Commission guidelines state that bloggers receiving any kind of compensation should disclose that information clearly on their blog when posting a review of the product... that being said: I RECEIVED A FREE DIGITAL COPY OF THE BOOK. CLEAR ENOUGH?

The Delusion of Autonomy

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 04:18:00 +0000

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones made an observation 60 years ago regarding 'the suppression of truth in unrighteousness' (Romans 1:18) of the modern man. He noticed the rampant 'worship of the creature rather than Creator' (Romans 1:25) that existed and pointed to the continued relevance of the first chapter in Paul's epistle to the Romans. Lloyd-Jones identified the downward spiral of society due to the efforts of the 'natural man' (1 Corinthians 2:14) to esteem himself more highly than he ought. Ironically, the pursuit of human autonomy cultivates the exact opposite effect that it sets out to obtain; namely societal downgrade. He offers a comparison of the self-deceptive anthropocentric social climate of the early 20th century with a nobler time in which the fear of God was more prevalent in daily life.

In light of our observation of the dependence of societal quality on the centrality of God in civilization, Lloyd-Jones explains:

"the same thing is seen if we look at the way in which men spend their time, and contrast it with what was true when men believed in God and worshiped Him. Apart from the enormity of sin, I hate it and protest against it because of the way in which it insults man and debases all his powers and especially his highest powers. While men believed in God, they spent their time in a manner that was ennobling and uplifting. They were out to improve their minds. They read the best books they could find, and their conversation had reference to theology, politics, and other matters which called for the exercise of intelligence... Is there anything which is more tragic than to compare and to contrast the average man of, say, fifty years ago and the corresponding man of today?"

We might ask the same question. When comparing our time with that of Lloyd-Jones' (60 years ago), have we as a society made progress or have we continued further down the anthropocentric spiral of idolatry?

Genetico-Synthetic Methodology & Sola Scriptura

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 21:08:00 +0000

The Proper Method for Engaging in Systematic Theology:

"The 'Genetico-Synthetic' method of Dogmatics... proceeds on the assumption that the divine self-revelation in Scripture is the principium cognoscendi externum [the external principle of knowing] of theology. The presupposition is that God, and not religion, is the object of theology, and that the object can be known only because, and in so far as, it has revealed itself... the data with which theology deals are not given in the Christian consciousness, but in the objective special revelation of God. This self-revelation only can give us absolutely reliable knowledge of God. Whatever knowledge may be derived from other sources, such as nature and the Christian consciousness, must be tested by the Word of God." (Louis Berkhof, "Systematic Theology" p. 71)

Credo Magazine Book Giveaway...

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 04:42:00 +0000

Credo Magazine is giving away a copy of Gregg Allison's "Historical Theology"...

"This book presents the history of various doctrines in identical order to their appearance in Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology. Rather than following the history of Christianity and learning about various doctrines as they arise, readers can trace the development of vital Christian theology topic by topic.

Most historical theology texts follow Christian beliefs chronologically, discussing notable doctrinal developments for all areas of theology according to their historical appearance. And while this may be good history, it can make for confusing theology, with the classic theological loci scattered throughout various time periods, movements, and controversies.

In Historical Theology, Gregg Allison offers students the opportunity to study the historical development of theology according to a topical-chronological arrangement, setting out the history of Christian doctrine one theological element at a time. Such an approach allows readers to concentrate on one tenet of Christianity and its formulation in the early church, through the Middle Ages, Reformation, and post-Reformation era, and into the modern period. The text includes a generous mix of primary source material as well, citing the words of Cyprian, Augustine, Aquinas, Luther, Calvin, Barth, and others. Allison references the most accessible editions of these notable theologians’ work so that readers can continue their study of historical theology through Christian history’s most important contributors. Historical Theology is a superb resource for those familiar with Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology or interested in understanding the development of Christian theology." (Publisher's Description)

To enter the contest, CLICK HERE.

The True Gospel

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 17:40:00 +0000

I recently had an exchange with a fellow Christian wherein they made the comment:

"The gospel in 3 words is love. Make a friend, be a friend, bring a friend to Christ."

Now, I am not certain if they were saying that the Gospel is love, or if they were saying that the three-tiered "friend" model they presented is girded with love. What I am certain of is, that although the Gospel is rooted in the love of God, it is not merely "love" as a stationary concept or emotion. Nor is it, "Make a friend, be a friend, bring a friend to Christ." We Christians should adamantly oppose and labor to correct such misrepresentations of the Gospel.

Here is my response:

"The gospel is not something we do, but it is [an announcement of] something that has been done... and so we proclaim a message of something that has occurred in a historical context."

The good news is not that we do something. In fact, it is not good news if my efforts are the primary thrust (especially since our best efforts fall short, no matter who we are). Furthermore, a continuous action is not a message. A message is information that is proclaimed. With regard to the good news of the Gospel message, it is the historical information about God, Humanity, Holiness, Sin, Redemption, Judgment, Reconciliation, and Reprobation (though, this is not an exhaustive list, nor an infallible recipe) according to the Bible. The Gospel, therefore, is an informative message (though much more than a mere message) about a variety of biblical subjects; the good news of salvation that follows the reality of human depravity and the need of Christ Jesus the Savior.

While there is much to be said of God's sovereignty in salvation (with regard to predestination, election, regeneration, conversion, faith, etc.), the aim here is to present the external elements and communication of the Gospel, not to plumb the depths of soteriology. That being said, I usually find that people who speak of the Gospel also point to the response of the recipient of the message. This is also considered by many as an aspect of the good news, since the free offer of the Gospel is available to all persons (which is really good news). Many present this response as an essential aspect of the Gospel message. In many cases, however, if the Gospel is proclaimed accurately, a response is implied and not necessarily an explicit element. Furthermore, without going into too much detail, I would argue that Scripture is clear that any human response is a secondary cause... that is to say, the Holy Spirit, according to His sovereign will, 'causes' us to respond to the Gospel (in a way). Nonetheless, all people who have been confronted with the Gospel respond... either positively or negatively.

The following is the presentation of the Gospel (along with a call for response) that I declared to the person mentioned above. I humbly pray that the Holy Spirit not only uses it to inform and instruct Christians as to what the Gospel is, but also that if any unbelievers may read it, that He would give them an understanding and grant them repentance and faith in Christ Jesus for His glory and their joy.

"The all-powerful, sovereign, holy and majestic God, who has no beginning or end, Created the earth and humanity with it. He created man upright and in His image; they had a perfect relationship. Man committed treason by sinning against God when he and his wife were deceived... they disobeyed God and attempted to usurp His position of authority and steal His glory. God cursed the man and woman, the serpent who deceived them, and the earth. Adam and Eve were now separated from God and spiritually dead, and would see physical death as a punishment for their sin. Adam was the representative or federal head of all of humanity, and so we are guilty of the same sin. We have inherited the fallen nature of him... we are not sinners because we sin, rather, we sin because we are sinners by nature. Fortunately, God promised that the Seed of the woman would crush the head of the serpent, and thus, save us from the penalty of sin. He maintained the bloodline through history through Adam to Abraham to Isaac to Jacob to Moses to David and all the way to Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Mary and Joseph. Jesus, who is the Messiah that the Law and Prophets in the Old Testament refer to is God in the flesh... the incarnation of the second person of the Trinity: the eternally begotten Son of God who was the agent of Creation. He lived a perfectly obedient life under the Law, following it completely. He was fully man and truly God... He is a man, because only a man can atone for the sins of humanity; likewise, He is God because only God is perfect and righteous. He willingly laid down His life as a substitution for the penalty of sin. The sin of he/she who believes in Him is covered and removed by His work on the cross. The wrath of God that is justly deserved for sin is satisfied by Jesus' sacrifice. His righteousness, by the application of the Holy Spirit through the instrumental means of faith, is accredited to those who believe in Him as Lord and Savior. We who trust in Jesus and what He has done are declared righteous according to His merits and not our own. He died, putting to death the power of sin... but He was raised to life by the same power of God that gives us faith and new life in Christ by the Holy Spirit. Though we die physically, we will be resurrected and inherit imperishable bodies so that we may live forever according to promises of God in Jesus. The person and work of Christ is the only way sinful humanity is reconciled with their holy and loving Father and Creator. There must be a response to what God has done in Christ... Deny Him, and you will be judged for your sin and incur the just penalty of the eternal wrath of God in the lake of fire... a conscience state of infinite torment and bodily agony/anguish. Respond with repentance (a perpetual lifestyle of turning away from sin and turning toward God) and faith (believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as God and Savior and trust in the Triune God alone as worthy of praise and adoration; treasure Him above all things and live obediently) and you will be reconciled with your Creator and enjoy fellowship with Him for eternity in the place where there is no sin, no pain nor sadness... where every tear will be wiped away."

I welcome your comments, so... if you would like Scripture references, if you have prayer requests or questions, if you disagree or think I missed something crucial, or if you have any suggestions as to how this presentation can be improved (with regard to biblical fidelity)... please leave a comment.

Recommended books on the Gospel:

Election and Perseverance

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 18:42:00 +0000

I've been deeply encouraged and blessed by the books I've had the opportunity to read by God's grace. Lately, there are two that have providentially worked together in order to strengthen the knowledge of the gospel and the doctrines of grace in my life. Not only have they solidified my understanding of distinct doctrines, they have helped shape my comprehension of the way these truths are connected and inseparable. Most specifically, the areas of interest regarding my recent study are the doctrines of election and perseverance... two of the most comforting truths of Scripture, when understood rightly.

"What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles." (Romans 9:22-24)

"The vessels of mercy 'were by nature the children of wrath, even as others'. Both kinds of vessels were clay 'of the same lump'. What did God do toward saving the vessels of wrath? He 'endured them with much long-suffering'. Does not this show tenderness and compassion? Why did He not do more toward their salvation? Because He was 'willing to show His wrath, and to make known His power'. He saw it best, after exhibiting His long-suffering patience and His gracious readiness to pardon them on condition of penitence, to leave some sinners to reap the just rewards of their iniquity, in order that He might thus display His wrath against sin, and demonstrate His power to deal with it as it deserves. He does these sinners no wrong, simply permits them to work out their own destruction; but at the same time He furnishes a lesson to the universe on the hatefulness of sin, and the stable foundation on which the kingdom of holiness rests, not withstanding the efforts of wicked men and of devils to destroy it...

God wishes to 'make known the riches of His glory', and to this end He makes some vessels of mercy, 'preparing them afore unto glory'. We may say, in a word, that when God looked upon the lump of sinful humanity He decided to deal with it in the way which would best serve the purpose of displaying all the attributes of His glorious character, and thus promote the highest ends of His moral government. He might destroy the whole lump; He might transform the whole lump; or He might divide it, and make some vessels unto honor, and others to dishonor. His justice calls for the first course; His benevolence calls for the second; His wisdom calls for the third. By this course He illustrates both His justice and benevolence, and at the same time secures the highest ends of His unerring wisdom. In the case of those who are lost, God permits their self-destruction despite the entreaties of His benevolence. In the case of the saved, God, by the invincible power of His grace, rescues them despite the demands of His justice. In the case of both classes, the compassionate Christ is 'over all, God blessed for evermore' (Romans 9:5)...

Salvation is all of grace, and that it can, therefore, be no reflection on any attribute of God's perfect character if He decline to put forth His saving power on behalf of any given sinner, or number of sinners." (R.C. Reed, "The Gospel as Taught by Calvin", pp. 111-113).

"The faith that saves (a gift of God, according to Ephesians 2:8-9) is so nurtured and cared for by the Spirit of God that no genuine believer apostatizes... it is precisely because the power of God is manifested in preserving the Christian's faith that he can be assured of never losing his salvation...

In describing Christ's work as the Mediator of our salvation, Calvin explains how we are heirs according to God's pledge:

'[The Mediator's] task was to restore us to God's grace as to make of the children of men, children of God; of the heirs of Gehenna, heirs of the Heavenly Kingdom. Who could have done this had not the self-same Son of God become the Son of man, and had not so taken what was ours as to impart what was His to us, and to make what was His by nature ours by grace? Therefore, relying on this pledge, we trust that we are sons of God.' (The Institutes of the Christian Religion, 2.12.2)

The perseverance of believers in the faith is also clearly taught in John 17:

"Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, 'Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You, even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life. This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do. Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was. I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. Now they have come to know that everything You have given Me is from You; for the words which You gave Me I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me. I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom You have given Me; for they are Yours; and all things that are Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine; and I have been glorified in them. I am no longer in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are. While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled. But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves. I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.“I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. “O righteous Father, although the world has not known You, yet I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me; and I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.'" (John 17)

Here we are privileged to listen in on what has been called the High Priestly Prayer of Christ. In it, He speaks of believers becoming 'one' so that 'the world may believe that You have sent Me' (v. 21). This prayer has been consistently understood by liberals (and, sadly, of late by conservatives, as well) as teaching that organic union (or, at least, corporate expressions of unity) among Christians will lead the world to believe in Christ. If that were true, then Jesus' prayer has never been answered in the affirmative. Indeed, it could only be declared an utter failure...

The unity for which He prayed was not a horizontal unity among men; rather, He prayed for a vertical unity with Himself, as He is one with the Father... The entire prayer is a petition that genuine believers may not be 'lost' as Judas was (v. 12). Since Christ was about to leave His own, He prayed that God would continue to 'guard' them, just as He previously had 'kept' them under His watchful care (v. 12). And He prayed not only for the apostles, but also for those who would come to believe under their preaching (v. 20). The kind of guarding that Jesus had in mind is explained in verse 21: 'that they may all be one, just as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You have sent Me.'

The unity involved in these words is a unity with the Father and the Son, a unity that is as inseparable as that which these members of the Trinity enjoy...

God doesn't make a promise, then change His mind. He never hands us something with one hand, only to take it back with the other. He would never give eternal life to a person and then later kill him spiritually. Eternal life is just that—life that lasts eternally in God's presence. God is true to His word.

"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. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified." (Romans 8:28-30)

Calvin writes:

"Those whom He appointed beforehand, He also called; those whom He called, He also justified' [Romans 8:30] that He might sometime glorify them. Although in choosing His own the Lord already has adopted them as His children, we see that they do not come into possession of so great a good except when they are called; conversely, that when they are called, they already enjoy some share of their election. For this reason, Paul calls the Spirit, whom they receive, both 'Spirit of adoption' [Romans 8:15] and the 'seal' and 'guarantee of the inheritance to come' [Ephesians 1:13-14]; cf. 2 Corinthians 1:22; 5:5]. For He surely establishes and seals in their hearts by His testimony the assurance of the adoption to come." (The Institutes of the Christian Religion, 3.24.1)

A very important verse that makes the truth about apostasy clear:

"They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us." (1 John 2:19)

John is addressing the fact that certain gnostic teachers who had been in the fold had left and had begun teaching their heresy. Previously, they had seemed to be true Christians, because they gave no outward indication of their heretical belief. But their false views of the nature of Christ solidified and came to the fore, and they found that they could no longer fellowship with genuine Christians...

We must maintain that those who denounce the faith never had true faith in the first place. They may have been among believers, but they were not of them...

True believers remain in the faith and in the church. They endure to the end.

"For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame. For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned." (Hebrews 6:4-9)

"For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?" (Hebrews 10:26-29)

While he knew that true believers would not repudiate their Savior, the writer recognized the possibility that some among his readers might not be genuine Christians after all. Therefore, he shows that people may become a part of the visible body of Christ, participating in all of God's wonderful benefits that are provided for the life of the church, but eventually turn their backs on everything they have experienced. There is no way to renew such people to a genuine profession of faith, he says, because there is only one true message—the very one they have rejected. So he describes how great a dishonor to Christ it is for one to hear and taste the gospel only to reject it, and how terrible are the consequences...

To teach that a saved person may be lost is to impugn the fatherhood of God. It is to say that He so poorly raises His children that many become delinquents who 'drop out' or must be disowned by Him... Hebrews says that the Lord 'disciplines' each of His children in order to bring them into line when they go the wrong way; if they receive no discipline, the book teaches, they are illegitimate:

"and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, 'My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor faint when you are reproved by Him; for those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and He scourges every son whom He receives.' It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom His father does not discipline?" (Hebrews 12:5-7; cf. Proverbs 3:11-12)

God disciplines all of His legitimate children, and His discipline gets positive results. God does not allow rebellious children to wander away from the family or become so incorrigible that He must put them out. Those members who leave, or who are permanently put out of the church, as we have seen, are false professors. Calvin writes:

"Wherever punishment is for vengeance, there the curse and wrath of God manifest themselves, and these he always withholds from believers. On the other hand, chastisement is a blessing of God and also bears witness to His love, as Scripture teaches (Job 5:17; Proverbs 3:11-12; Hebrews 12:5-6)." (The Institutes of the Christian Religion, 3.4.32)

Perseverance is the result of true faith, nourished and maintained by the Spirit. But the believer himself must continue to exercise it. He may never sit back and say, 'I'm saved, I may do as I please, since I can never be lost.' To think that way indicates either that he has received very faulty teaching or that he is not a believer.

This precious doctrine of the perseverance of the saints, coming down to us from the Reformation, must be preserved at all costs. We may neither abandon it nor compromise with those who would do so. The certainty of salvation, which Calvin so dearly wished His congregation to know and which he bequeathed to subsequent generations, must not be lost." (Jay E. Adams, "A Certain Inheritance", chapter 15 in "John Calvin: A Heart for Devotion, Doctrine and Doxology", ed. by Burk Parsons)

So, as we have seen from these pastors (in light of Calvin's instruction), these two inseparable doctrines are beautifully and terribly interwoven. The beauty? Christ has, by His active and passive obedience, secured salvation for His sheep. As a Christian, you are the beloved of God, chosen before the foundation of the world to be justified by the gracious instrumentation of faith, which has united you with Christ and set you apart to persevere through sanctifying discipline en route to future glorification. If you confess Christ as your Lord and Savior and have repented of your sin—if you continue to stand firm in the faith and live a life of perpetual repentance that is worthy of gospel—strive to finish the race, for while there are trials, there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. The terror? If you do not believe the gospel—if you do not trust in Jesus Christ as truly man and fully God... as your Savior from sin... as the one and only Mediator between God and man—you are outside of Christ and are on a treacherous path to destruction. The trials you experience are quite possibly a manifestation of the wrath of God and you are dead in your trespasses and sins. If the undeserved gracious atonement of Christ has not been applied to you through faith, the just wrath of God in future condemnation awaits you.

If you, the reader, identify yourself with the former, may the biblical doctrines of election and perseverance be an encouragement to you. Rest in the accomplished work of Christ and look to Him as the author and perfecter of your faith. He has conquered death and our life is inseparably hid with Christ on high. If you identify yourself with the latter, I implore you... repent of your sin, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and rest in His death, burial and resurrection. He lived a perfect and sinless life of obedience under the Law, and willingly laid down His life to be crucified as a substitution for those who trust in Him. While all of mankind is sinful, and all of mankind is deserving of death (the penalty for sin), He was without sin and yet punished for it, so those who are united with Him in His death/resurrection (through faith) would be considered righteous by God and looked upon as they were the sinless Christ. Trust in Jesus, abide with persevering faith, and by the sanctifying Spirit make your calling and election sure.

The Supremacy of Christ in All of Scripture

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 00:33:00 +0000

"The inscripturated word centers its attention on Jesus Christ. He is the seed of the woman who will crush the serpent's head (Gen. 3:15). He is the ark to rescue the people of God (Gen. 7-8). He is the holy Angel of Yahweh (Gen. 16; Gen. 22; Gen. 24; Ex. 3; Num. 20; Num. 22; Jud. 2; Jud. 6; Jud. 13; Ps. 34). He is the seed of Abraham in whom all the families of the earth will be blessed (Gen. 12; Gen. 15). He is the passover lamb (Ex. 12; Lev. 23; Deut. 16; 2 Chron. 30; 2 Chron. 35; Ezra 6; Ezek. 45; Matt. 26; 1 Cor. 5:7b). He is the prophet greater than Moses (Deut. 18:18-19). He is the pillar of fire in the wilderness (Ex. 13-14; Num. 14; Neh. 9). He is the rock struck by Moses (Ex. 17; Num. 20). He is the heir to the Davidic throne (2 Sam. 7:16; Ps. 110; Zech. 12; Matt. 1; Luke 1:67-75). He is the thrice holy Lord of Isaiah 6. He is the great shepherd of Ezekiel 34. He is Mary's baby (Matt. 1:18-25; Luke 1:39-56; Luke 2:1-40), Herod's enemy (Matt. 2:13-23), and Simeon's joy (Luke 2:25-35). He is the twelve-year-old boy in the temple (Luke 2:41-52) and the beloved Son to be baptized (Matt. 3:13-17; Luke 3:21-22; Mark 1:9-11; John 1:29-34). He is the healer of the blind (John 9), the provider for the hungry (Mark 6; Mark 8), and the friend of the outcast (Matt. 9; Rom. 5:8). He is the new temple (Rev. 21:22), the source of living water (John 4; Rev. 22:1-5), the manna that gives life (Ex. 16:1-7; John 6:26-40), the light of the world (John 1:4-5, 9-13; John 3:19-21; John 8:12-20; John 9:5; John 12:34-50; 2 Cor. 4:1-6), the resurrection and the life (John 11:17-27; 1 Cor. 15; Eph. 1:18-23; Phil. 3:7-11; 1 Pet. 1:3-9; 1 Pet. 3:18-22), and the Father's true vine (John 15). He is the spotless lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (Gen. 22; John 1:27-37) and the resurrected lion from the tribe of Judah (Rev. 5). He is the ascended Lord (Psalm 110; Mark 16:19; Luke 22:69; Acts 2:32-33; Rom. 8:33-35; Eph. 1:19b-23; Col. 3:1-4; Heb. 1:1-4; Heb. 8:1-6; Heb. 1o:11-13; Heb. 12:1-3), the ruler of the Church (1 Cor. 11:2-3; Eph. 1:22-23; Eph. 5:22-30), and the returning Judge of all men (Acts 10:38-43; 2 Tim. 4:1-2; 1 Pet. 4:1-6). The sacred scriptures are the instrument by which the Spirit of the living God glorifies Jesus Christ." (Arturo Azurdia III, "Spirit-Empowered Preaching," p. 61) [scripture references in parentheses added]