Divine Sovereignty: Our God Reigns

Posted on December 18, 2012 by John

The undeniable fact of God’s absolute sovereignty in creation, providence and salvation is at the very core of and essential to fundamental Biblical belief. The teaching of God reigning from His throne is repeated over and over in scripture. ( 1Kings 22:19; Psalms 11:4; 45:6; 47: 8,9; Isaiah 6:1-6; Ezekiel 1:26-28; Daniel 7:9, 10; Hebrews 12:2; Revelation 3:21; 4:1-11 ). We are told constantly in no uncertain terms that the LORD reigns as king, exercising dominion over all, the small and the great alike. ( Psalm 47; 93; Isaiah 24:23; Matthew 10:29-31 ). God’s dominion and rule are total: He wills as He chooses and carries out all that He wills and no one can stop Him. He exercises His will in everyday life and in the marvelous miracles He still performs.
God’s reasoning creation; men and angels, have a free agency. That is, the power we have of personal logical and rational choice with regards as to what we will do in this life. We wouldn’t be moral beings that are answerable to our God if this were not true. Neither would it be possible to differentiate, as the Scripture does, between the evil purposes of humans and the good purposes of God, who sovereignly overrules human activity as a planned means to His goals ( Genesis 50:20; Acts 2:23; 13:26-41 ). Yet the undeniable fact of free agency confronts us with one of the mysteries of God. God’s sovereign control over our free actions is as complete and total as it is over all else. How this is possible we do not know. Yet in spite of all of this, God is not, nor can He be the author of sin. God has conferred responsibility on us for our thoughts, words and actions.
The 93rd Psalm teaches us that God’s sovereign rule (1) guarantees the stability of our world against the forces of evil (2) confirms the trustworthiness of all of God’s word and (3) calls for the worship of His children. The entire Psalm expresses joy, hope and confidence in God.

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Sanctification: The Spirit and the Flesh

Posted on August 6, 2012 by John

Sanctification, that part of our salvation experience that is at times so misunderstood and improperly taught. Our sanctification, that is our becoming more like Christ is taught clearly in Scripture. However, its practical application may not be taught so clearly. However, if we look to either the Westminster Confession of Faith, or the 1689 London Baptist confession, we will be able to more clearly understand the doctrine of sanctification.
These works define sanctification as “the work of God’s free grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness.” It is a lifelong continuing process worked by God in us, freeing us from sinful habits and forming in us the Christ-like affections, dispositions, virtues and actions. It does NOT mean that our sinful dispositions are immediately erased and expunged. It is also understood not to be a mere counteraction whereby sin is merely repressed or restrained. Neither is it a balance where our good actions balance out with our sin. Sanctification is real transformation, not just the façade giving the appearance of transformation, but a transformation where sin in our life is progressively being destroyed.
“Sanctify”, means to set apart to God for His use. After salvation, God works in His children to conform them to “the image of His Son” (Rom. 8:29). This moral renovation in which we are progressively changed from what we once were, flows from the agency of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:13; 12:1,2; 1Cor. 6:11, 19, 20; 2Cor. 3:18; Eph. 4:22-24; 1Thess. 5:23; 2Thess. 2:13; Heb. 13:20, 21). God calls his children to holiness, and then graciously gives them what they need to obey. (1Thess. 4:4; 5:23).
To better distinguish sanctification from regeneration, we could define regeneration as birth, and sanctification as growth. In regeneration God gives us desires that were not in us before regeneration. He gives us godly desires such as the desire for God, holiness, prayer and worship. The desire for glorifying God’s name in and to the world, and desires to love and help others. In sanctification, the Holy Spirit “works in you, both to will and to work” according to God’s purpose and plan, enabling His children to fulfill their new godly desires (Phil. 2:12,13). Christians become more Christ like as the fruit of the Spirit is progressively formed in us (2Cor. 3:18; Gal. 4:19; 5:22-25).
Regeneration is an act that happens in a sometimes indiscernible moment, bringing a person from spiritual death to life. It is exclusively God’s work. Sanctification is an ongoing process that is dependent on God’s continuing action in the believer, and the believer’s ongoing struggle against sin. God’s design for sanctification is neither activism (self-reliance) nor apathy (passivity – waiting on God), but human effort that is dependent on God (2Cor. 7:1; Phil. 3:10-14; Heb. 12:14). In sanctification we abide in Christ, asking for His help and receiving it (Col. 1:11; 1Tim. 1:12; 2Tim. 1:7; 2:1). It is understood that without Christ’s enablement we are unable to do good works, but also that He is ready to empower and strengthen us for all that we must do.
God’s own revealed moral law that was expounded and modeled by Christ is the standard to which the work of God in sanctifying His saints is directed. The supreme standard for Christians to model is the love, humility and patience of Christ himself (rom. 13:10; Eph. 5:2; Phil. 2:5-11; 1Pet. 2:21).
Yet through all of this we daily find within ourselves contrary provocations, our old fleshly nature keeps putting roadblocks in our path and constantly tries to drag us back to self. It is through the Holy Spirit that our regenerate desires and purposes are sustained. The conflict of the two is bitter and sharp. Paul said he was unable to do what is right, and unable to restrain himself from doing what was wrong (Rom. 7:14-25). This frustrating conflict will be with us as long as we inhabit this shell that we call a body. But yet by carefully watching out for temptation, praying against it, and practicing opposite virtues, we may with the Spirit’s help mortify (put to death) old bad habits and sin (Rom. 8:13; Col. 3:5).
In our walk with Christ we will be exposed to temptations of all kinds. These temptations are not impossible to resist if we rely on Christ (1Cor. 10:13). By remaining faithful to Christ and relying on His strength to resist sin, we will experience many deliverances and victories over sin through Him.

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Trust but Verify

Posted on April 9, 2012 by John

Do you remember the famous Ronald Reagan quote of, “trust but verify”? It was given at a time when we were being asked to trust a source that had been at times untrustworthy. This same statement can be applied to a variety of instances and circumstances in our lives and dealings with people.
If you were to want to buy a horse, and the owner told you that she was only five years old, don’t you think it would make good business sense to verify her age? In horses this is commonly done by looking at their teeth. Very worn or missing teeth could be a fair indication if you were being told the truth.
Well then what about buying a used car? In this case one or two checks would certainly be insufficient to determine if the price being asked is fair and reasonable. In years gone by a wise car buyer would take the prospective purchase to his mechanic for a good going over. Checks would be made for compression in the motor, hidden rust in the car body or chassis, or evidence or repairs of damage due to a wreck. Today a prospective buyer can do his initial checks online.
Buying a house can open up a multitude of inspections and checks to be made to verify the validity and trustworthiness of statements made by the seller.
The whole issue in each of these cases is to validate and verify the items value, safety, stability and the truth of the seller’s statements.
While these are worthy things to validate and verify, there is a claim that was once made to mankind that is much more life changing than the purchase of a horse, car or house. This was a claim that would determine where we would spend eternity.
This was the claim of Deity by Jesus Christ. Jesus claimed to be God incarnate. Now if a man was going to claim to be the savior of the world, the Messiah, God in the flesh, how would he go about proving it? How would he validate and verify His claim?
I don’t think that any better a proof of validation for a claim of being God could be found than in doing things only God could do. Hence in Scripture we have several miracles, or proofs if you will, that lend credence to the claim of Christ’s divinity.
Let’s start with the forgiveness of sin. In the Gospel of Mark in chapter two, we’re told of the healing of the paralytic. Jesus did not start with the healing, he started with the forgiveness of sin. In verse 5 we read; “When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, son, thy sins be forgiven thee”. Immediately the scribes began to reason in their hearts, “Why doth this [man] thus speak blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God only?” The point was clearly seen. By forgiving the man’s sin, Jesus claimed to be God. The scribes were absolutely correct in their statement that only God had the authority to forgive sins. Now their issue was one of faith. You see, they had none. They were walking by sight and not by faith. An onlooker to this scene would have to trust that what Jesus said was true because you cannot “see” sin forgiven. We cannot see our sins forgiven since we must trust Christ for that.
Jesus aware in His spirit of their thoughts, proposed to validate His claim. It was understood absolutely that God the creator was the only one capable of healing not only sin filled lives, but also providing physical healing. He had already addressed the sin in the paralytic’s life, now He was going to address the physical need in this man’s life. In verses 9-11 of Mark chapter 2 we find the words; “Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, [Thy] sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house.”
Without a doubt, Jesus made the claim of Deity and He backed it up with undeniable proof, a proof that was seen by all.
Too often we make the mistake of seeing Christ’s miracles as a primary part of His ministry to the poor and the sick. We have come to build a social gospel based on the idea that Christ came to heal the sick, to care for widows and orphans and feed the hungry. We fail to see the miracles for what they really are. The primary reason for the miracles was to bring God glory by validating who Jesus was. The miracles proved beyond a doubt that Jesus was the Son of God, that is, God incarnate. The provision of healing of not only the physical results of sin, but also the spiritual results of sin is the secondary reason for the miracles. We need not confuse the two, or put the healings in primacy to the glory of God.
Today, there is confusion over the social gospel. We believe we must help the sick, the widows and orphans and the outcasts of society because that’s what Jesus did. We place the true Gospel in second or third place and by doing so we mislead people however unintentionally.
As Christians we must validate our claim to being the children of God. We must validate the claim of God on our lives by presenting the true Gospel first. That true Gospel is the forgiveness of sin and spiritual rebirth through Jesus Christ that brings glory to God. Out of our spiritual healing we bring forth a compassion for lost souls of our fellow man. And finally, out of a renewed relationship to God, we bring forth our fruits, our good works that further serve to validate who we are by bringing God His rightful glory. And who benefits? Well, the poor, the widows and orphans, the outcasts of society.

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The Atonement

Posted on March 10, 2012 by John

Atonement is a reconciling of separated parties. It is the restoring of broken relationships. The atonement is made by making amends, giving satisfaction for wrongs done, or by the blotting out of offences.
According to the Scriptures, every person sins and therefore needs to make atonement. But, we as humans do not have the power and resources to do so. We have sinned against our Creator and offended Him whose nature it is to hate sin and to punish it. (Jer. 44:4; Hab. 1:13; Ps. 5:4-6; rom. 1:18; 2:5-9) Those who have sinned have broken fellowship with God and therefore cannot be accepted by him unless atonement is made. Since there is sin present in even the best and most noble of our actions, anything we may choose to do to make amends can only worsen our situation by increasing our guilt. In Proverbs we find; “the sacrifice of the wicked is an abominable thing to the LORD”. There is not any way for us to establish our own righteousness before God. (Job 15:14-16; Is. 64:6; Rom. 10:2, 3)
However, against this backdrop of our hopelessness, the Bible relates the grace and mercy of our God, who Himself intercedes to provide the atonement that our sin made necessary. God’s grace is the focal point of Biblical faith. From the opening lines of Genesis, skillfully woven through the Scriptures story of redemption, to the final word in Revelation, god’s grace shines through with awesome and amazing glory.
When God brought the nation of Israel out of bondage in Egypt (a type of our bondage to sin), He established as part of the covenant a system of sacrifices that had at its very core the shedding of blood “to make atonement for your souls (Lev. 17:11). These sacrifices were “types” as they pointed to something better. Sins were forgiven when the sacrifices were faithfully offered, but it was not the blood of animals that blotted out the sins of the people (Heb. 10:4). It was the blood of the “anti-type”, Jesus, whose death was anticipated by the sacrifices. Christ’s death on the cross atoned not only for our sins, but also the sins of the Old Testament saints who looked forward in faith to that coming day. The sacrifice was sufficient not only for our sins that we had committed, but also for every sin that we and the rest of the redeemed would ever commit. (Rom. 3:25, 26; 4:3-8; Heb. 9:11-15).
According to the New Testament, Christ’s blood was shed as the final sacrifice (Rom. 3:25; 5:9; Eph. 1:7; Rev. 1:5). Christ redeemed his people by paying the ransom for our souls. It was his death that was the price paid that freed us from the slavery and guilt of sin (Rom. 3:24; Gal. 4:4, 5; Col. 1:14). In the death of Christ, God reconciled us to Himself, overcoming His hostility that our sin provoked ((Rom. 5:10; 2 Cor. 5:18, 19; Col. 1:20-22). The cross was our propitiation to God. That is, it satisfied His wrath towards us by atoning for our sins and so removing them from His sight (Rom3:25; Heb. 2:17; 1 John 2:2; 4:10). The cross made this possible because in His suffering Christ assumed our identity and endured the retributive judgment due to us, that is, the curse of the law” (Gal. 3:13).

His righteousness was imputed to us, and our unrighteousness was imputed to Him.
He suffered as our substitute, with the damning record of our sins nailed to the cross by God as the list of crimes for which Jesus died (Col. 2:14; Matt. 27:37; Is. 53: 4-6; Luke 22:37).

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Deeds Not Creeds

Posted on March 9, 2012 by John

Deeds Not Creeds

Some years back, this statement was a popular rallying cry of some Christians who believed that the Church had lost touch with its purpose. They believed that living the gospel took precedence over teaching the Gospel. Or in other words, it is about us being the gospel rather than the Gospel being itself and fulfilling its purpose in the salvation of man. Taken down to its simplest level, while sounding very noble and good, it is nothing more than the law versus the Gospel. It is about works versus faith.
The purpose of this article is not to rehash old arguments, there is information abounding on the web to that end, but to start a series on the various creeds of Christendom and to explain their meaning. That is the basic reason for creeds. To give explanation for our beliefs to an unbeliever, or to help a believer understand their reason for believing. It is apologetics in its most basic form.
Let’s begin with the one most commonly recognized as the first creed of Christendom; the Apostle’s Creed. Some believe this first of the creeds to be so named as it was formulated by the Apostles themselves. Dating of this creed is generally recognized to be from around fifty years after the last writings of the New Testament.
Another time recognized as a possible time of development of the Symbolum Apostolorum is between the second and ninth centuries. It is the most popular creed used in worship by Western Christians.
Legend has it that the Apostles wrote this creed on the tenth day after Christ’s ascension into heaven. That is most likely not the case, though the name has stuck. However, each of the doctrines found in the creed can be traced to statements current in the apostolic period. The earliest written version of the creed is perhaps the Interrogatory Creed of Hippolytus (ca. A.D. 215). The current form is first found in the writings of Caesarius of Arles (d 542).
The creed was apparently used as a summary of Christian doctrine for baptismal candidates in the churches of Rome. Hence it is also known as The Roman Symbol. As in Hippolytus’ version it was given in question and answer format with the baptismal candidates answering in the affirmative that they believed each statement.
The Apostles’ Creed
1. I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.
2. and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord.
3. Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin, Mary;
4. suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into Hades.
5. On the third day He arose again from the dead;
6. He ascended into heaven; and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
7. from there he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
8. I believe in the Holy Spirit;
9. the one holy catholic and church; the communion of saints;
10. the forgiveness of sins;
11. the resurrection of the body;
12. and the life everlasting.
Amen.
One of the first things that is readily apparent with regard to the Christian faith is the belief in one God. We do understand that Judaism and Islam also believe in one God, however that is where the similarities both begin and end.
With statement two we begin to see the beginnings of the doctrine of the trinity. It ties together with statement eight to show us a God that is far different than anything man could ever comprehend on his own. The format in which these statements are made gave rise to the need for other creeds to clarify the doctrine of the Trinity. To deny the Trinity is to deny Christ himself as God and therefore to deny the faith and become heretics and unbelievers. There are today pseudo Christian faiths who deny the Trinity. Jehovah’s Witnesses being most notable is the modern version of Arianism. It was this heresy that give rise to the Athanasian Creed. It is the continued existence of such heretical denominations that give the “ raison d etre” for creeds.
The Virgin birth of the Savior gives credence to the doctrine the humanity of Christ. We believe that Christ was one hundred percent God while also being one hundred percent man. Only His life was of sufficient value to pay the redemption price each of the redeemed. As man, he clearly understood our lives and trials. We now have a sympathetic priest who intercedes for us.
The fact that He rose from the dead, having conquered death, gives us our hope. Our hope of the resurrection of our bodies and life eternal is another foundation of the faith. “If Christ is not risen from the dead then our faith is useless and we are most pitied.”
The Holy Spirit who is our interpreter before God is affirmed here. “With groaning too deep” does He intercede for us. Not only that but again we see the teaching of the Trinity. The understanding of the three persons of the Trinity being of the same substance is critical to our faith. We are not putting our faith in God and His two subordinates, but in God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy spirit; three in one. The belief is mind boggling and awesome, just like our God. Without it, we are no different than any other religion on earth.
Now as to the one catholic church and the communion of the saints; we are referring to the body of Christ, not to any one denomination. God has, over the centuries, allowed us to vary on the non-essentials of the faith. That is church government, administration, worship and other non-essentials. However, they must be no difference or deviation from the basic tenets of the faith. To remove even one of those listed in the Apostle’s creed would make us “of the world” and therefore not Christian.
So now I hope you see there is a reason for creeds and for our knowing them. They do not supersede scripture, but they help us to give a brief explanation for our faith. You will also see that by expressing their faith as “Deeds Not Creeds”, the supporters of this statement have just presented you with their “Creed”.

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In the Image of God

Posted on February 15, 2012 by John

In Scripture we find the doctrine taught that God made man and woman in His own image. (Gen. 1:26,27;5:1; 9:6; 1 Cor. 11:7 7 James 3:9) This gives men and women a relationship to God that no other being in creation has, not even the angels. This special dignity that has been given us is the ability to reflect God’s holy ways at our own level. We as humans were made for this very purpose, and in a sense we are truely human to the extent that we are able to fulfill that purpose.

 

The complete range of God’s image isn’t spelled out in Genesis 1:26,27, yet the context of the passage aides in defining it. Genesis 1:1-25 puts forth our God as a rational, personal, creative being ruling over the universe He has made. He is shown to be morally admirable in that all that He has created is good. Certainly God’s image will reflect these qualities. In chapter 1 verses 28-30 show God blessing his newly created humans and placing them over creation to rule it as His representatives and stewards. The human ability for communication and relationship with other humans and Godis apparent as another facet of that image.

 

God’s image in humanity at creation consisted in a body that is our means of experiencing reality, expressing ourselves and excersising dominion. It also was shown in the creation of our souls and spirits, that is, as personal and self-conscious, with a god-like capacity for knowledge, thought and action. We were created morally upright, a quality that was lost with the fall, but is now being progressively restored for those in Christ. (Eph. 4:24 & Col. 3:10 We were also created for eternal life, the destination of which is determined by our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior.

The fall diminished God’s image in not only Adam And Eve, but also in their progeny, the entire human race. We retain the image structurally, in the sense that we remain human beings, but not funtionally, as we are now slave to sin if we are not redeemed. We are unable to use any power within us to mirror God’s holiness. Only through regeneration can we begin the process of restoring God’s moral image in our lives. We will not however fully and perfectly  reflect God in thought and action untill we are fully sanctified and glorified. This is what we were created to do and it is what the incarnate son of God in His humanity actually did. (John 4:34; 5:30; 6:38; 8:29,46)

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Caskets and Crosses

Posted on January 30, 2012 by John

2Samuel 12:15-23
Psalms 23

There comes a time in each of our lives when God works in ways that we can neither explain, nor understand. One of these instances is that time when a parent must bury a child. It is seemingly so out of order for this circumstance to befall us. In our minds, we are supposed to be born, grow up, get married, have children, grow old and then die; leaving our children to bury us. But, as we know, life has a way of testing us. Testing us in ways that we think so out of the ordinary that we don’t see how we will ever pull through the test and begin to live again.
Almost all of us either know someone, or have experienced personally the grief of burying a parent. Fewer of us though, have gone through the valley of having to bury a child.
To bury an adult child is a grievous thing to experience. There are those that as a result of war have experienced this trying time. To receive that message that a son or daughter was killed in action is truly one of the most difficult roads a parent must tread. We are often consoled by the fact that that child gave their life to either free a people who live without freedom, or they gave their lives to protect our freedoms. Sometimes it is the police officer who dies in the service of others that the parent must bury. At other times it is the firefighter who dies trying to save someone from a horrible fate and give up their lives in the process. The result is the same. A life is given up so that others may go on. A life is sacrificed to maintain another life. And a parent suffers and grieves.
At other times a child is taken from us just because they were being kids. They are living life unaware of the dangers that seek to end their young lives. How many times has a teenager driven off for a fun night out, while waving to Mom and Dad and shouting “don’t worry, I’ll be back”. But, they never make it back.
Still yet are the times when a child dies in a car accident and the parent must bury their child because they survived the same accident.
How do we cope with losing a child? Worse yet, how do we cope with losing an infant? That precious life that has been entrusted to our care and yet that child dies from “crib death” Or, the child is born premature and can’t survive regardless of the efforts to preserve their lives in our best preemie ICU facilities.
We grieve and we try to cope. We do well until we must look at the little casket. A little casket that seems far too small for the hope that is lost. A little casket that holds a body that is so small and yet held so much hope and potential. It is in times such as these that we must turn to the only One who truly understands our pain.
God truly understands our pain and grief. He also has a son who died. He has a son who freely gave up His life so that others would live. He gave up His one and only son to pay a sin debt that we couldn’t pay. He gave up His Son to free us from the bondage of sin and to set us free. He gave His Son so that hope would not be lost. He gave His son to die for me on an old rugged Cross, a cross that should have been mine.

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Definite Redemption

Posted on October 27, 2011 by John

When we study Reformed theology we will do well to take special note of the doctrine of “Definite Redemption”. Definite Redemption, which is also referred to as “particular redemption”, or “limited atonement, is the Reformed doctrine about the plan of God with regards to the death of Christ. Without calling into question the infinite worth of Christ’s sacrifice or the sincere invitation of God to all who hear the Gospel (Revelation 22:17), this doctrine unequivocally states that Christ in dying intended to accomplish what He did accomplish. That is, to take away the sins of God’s elect (chosen), and to ensure that each one, without fail, would all be brought to faith through regeneration and be preserved through faith for eternal glory. Christ did not intend to die in this efficacious (having the power to produce the desired effect) sense for everyone. We know this to be false as both Scripture and experience teach us that not all are saved.

In reference to the atonement, some will say that Christ indeed died for all, and that being the case, all without exception will be saved. What that interpretation is actually teaching is Universalism. Universalism has been discredited and rejected by several church councils of ages past and modern mainline Christianity. A second doctrine states that Christ died for us all, but that His death has no saving effect apart from added faith and repentance not foreseen in His death. To state this doctrine another way, He died to make salvation possible, but the salvation of a particular individual was not included in His death. This is known as hypothetical universalism. The third doctrine states that although the death of Christ has infinite value, it was offered to save only some, those who were known beforehand (John 17:24; Ephesians 1:4). This is limited or definite atonement..

Scripture never teaches that all will be saved which rules out actual universalism. The other two views are the same with regards as to how many will be saved. They diverge in regards to the purpose for which Christ died. New Testament teaching shows that God chose for salvation a very great number of the fallen human race and sent Christ into the world to save them (John 6:37-40; 10:27-29; 11:51,52; Romans 8:28-39; Ephesians 1:3-14 & Peter 1:20). Christ died for a particular people. The clear implication is that His death didn’t just make salvation possible, but His death actually secured our salvation (John10:15-18, 27-29; Romans 5:8-10; 8:32; Galatians 2:20; 3:13,14; 4:4,5; 1John 4:9,10; Revelation 1:4-6; 5:9,10). Before Christ died, He prayed. He prayed for those the Father had given Him, not for the world John 17:9, 20). In His prayer, Jesus lifted up those He was going to die for, and promised that He would not fail to save them. These and other passages present the teaching of definite atonement. The Old Testament, with it’s emphasis on the electing grace, corroborates the New Testament giving strong support.

The free offer of the Gospel along with the commandment to preach the Gospel to every corner of the earth, is not at odds with the teaching that Jesus died for His elect people. All who come to Christ will be saved (John 6:35, 47-51, 54-57; Romans 1:16; 10:8-13).

The Gospel offers Jesus. It offers the One who knows His sheep. He laid down his life for His sheep; He calls them by name, and they will hear Him and respond unto salvation.

This is the Gospel that He commanded all His disciples to preach to all the world I order to save sinners.

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Ichabod or Ebenezer?

Posted on October 25, 2011 by John

Ichabod or Ebenezer, two very different names we find in scripture. Two names that can either accuse us or affirm us. the question is, which one best describes our walk with our God?

We find Ichabod in 1Samuel 4:22. Israel had acted presumptuously by taking the Ark of God into battle. Now this was a common thing to do in ancient times. The warring factions would each carry a representation of their god into battle believing the stronger of the gods would prevail thereby giving that particular gods people the victory.

In Israel’s case, they had been recently defeated in battle. They presumed wrongly that it may have been since they didn’t have the Ark of the LORD with them. They may have been remembering the battle of Jericho. In that particular case, God himself gave the order to carry the Ark as the Israelites circled Jericho. Joshua and Israel were acting in obedience to the command of the LORD.

At this time in Israel’s history they were not being obedient to the LORD and the disobedience started with God’s priest Eli. Eli’s sons were living a life of sin while also serving as priests of God. People of that day were the same as we are today. They responded to fraud in the ministry and followed the leadership into sin. They had forgotten or ignored the promises of God given previously. Instead of coming to God in repentance and prayer, they tried to figure out their problem on their own. When we do things our way we risk the name Ichabod that is; “The Glory has departed from Israel”, or in our case we have broken fellowship with God.

We as humans are prone to do this. We look to ourselves for solutions to our needs rather than going to God and then waiting on God. Two of the greatest examples of this are Abraham and Joshua. Abraham listened to his wife and didn’t wait on God’s promise. (Genesis 16) The result was Ishmael and the still on going misery we see today from the result of that sin. Then we see Joshua making a covenant with the Gibeonites in Joshua 9. Joshua’s problem was simple, he never asked God about these apparent travellers from “a distant country”. Why is this an issue? Exodus 34:12 -16 “Watch yourself that you make no covenant with the inhabitants of the land into which you are going, or it will become a snare in your midst. “But rather, you are to tear down their altars and smash their sacred pillars and cut down their Asherim—for you shall not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God— otherwise you might make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land and they would play the harlot with their gods and sacrifice to their gods, and someone might invite you to eat of his sacrifice, and you might take some of his daughters for your sons, and his daughters might play the harlot with their gods and cause your sons also to play the harlot with their gods”.

Now we understand that both Abraham and Joshua were men after God’s heart, but they were still men. They fell into Adam’s sin, that is, running their own lives and not allowing God to lead. They, like the Israelites of Samuel’s time were guilty of the sin of presumption.

Now move forward to Samuel 7. Here we see how to live before God and seek His will. Samuel led the revival and repentance of Israel. As much as Eli misled the people, Samuel led them correctly. They put away their idols, fasted, prayed and repented. They were still scared of the Phillistines, but they went on into the battle asking Samuel to be in constant prayer. The result was; “Now Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, and the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel. But the LORD thundered with a great thunder on that day against the Philistines and confused them, so that they were routed before Israel”. 1Samuel 7:10 What a difference a prayer makes. By the way, the Ark of the LORD was nowhere in sight.

As a result of the battle a lesson was learned. Samuel set up a memorial stone to remind the Israelite nation of God’s help. He raised his Ebenezer, that is “the LORD has helped us”. This stone may be considered what Hebrews refers to as “types and shadows of things to come” or a Christophany ( an image that represents Christ).

In the New Testament Christ is referred to as a cornerstone, Matt 21:42; a stone of stumbling and offense, Matt 21:44. We the church are the stones built upon Him.

Now as to our daily walk with Christ, which name most describes your walk with Christ?

Is your current condition like Ichabod? You feel so alone that you think God has deserted you? If that is the case, turn around and repent. Let your walk with God be revived and renewed. Turn around He’s waiting on you.

Is Christ your Ebenezer? Praise God, do not take it for granted. You were created with a purpose. God has a plan for you. Keep seeking and serving.

If you are lost and separated  from God, then I leave you with this. Your life will never have any meaning apart from Christ. Turn to Him in faith, trusting Him only to save you. Let him become your Ebenezer.

 

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Can you Pass the Test?

Posted on August 31, 2011 by John

2 Corinthians 13:5

From the cradle to the grave our lives are composed of a series of tests. Actually, in this day and age the tests start before you’re born, they start while you’re still in the womb. In addition to the medical tests we have our entire lives we must add the tests in school that never seem to end. To make matters even worse, we will have tests to get a job, tests to keep a job and tests to promote to a new job. Yet, all these tests combined are not as important as the one great test we must all take. That is, the test of how we stand in our relationship to God.

We find in 2 Corinthians the Apostle Paul exhorting the Corinthian church to examine themselves individually to see whether they are “in the faith” and can “pass the test“. What exactly is this “test” Paul is referring to? This test is for the assurance of our faith. A test to strengthen us when we begin to doubt. But, you say I never doubt my faith. That is great, that is wonderful, that is really standing strong. However the majority of us can’t say that. The majority of Christians will struggle with their faith many times in their lives.

Let me see if I can, by using Scripture, give you a measure of comfort and support for your faith in your walk with the LORD.

1. Trust in Christ.
The first evidence of our salvation is simple trust in Christ. That He is who He says He is, and that He can do what He says He will do. John 3:16; 1 John 5:1; Hebrews 3:6

2.Obedience to God.
This issue causes great consternation amongst most Christians and therefore much anguish over their salvation. What if God wants me to go to Africa? What if God wants me to give all that I have to feed the poor? What if, what if, what if…. What if you just wait upon the LORD? God isn’t going to call all of us to be preachers, missionaries, or even the church librarian. What He does call us to do is to serve Him and our fellow man in humility and simplicity. The Puritans believed that your vocation or calling from God was whatever it was when He called you be that the butcher the baker or the candlestick maker. If He wants anything else from you He will tell you. Matthew 7:21; 1 Corinthians7:17-24

3.Growth in holiness.
This is what may be referred to as our sanctification. This is the part, the only part of our salvation where we get to help. God wants us to be conformed to the image of His son. Our problem is that we want to do things our way (see Adam) not God’s way. It is similar to your struggles with your children. That alone should give you hope. God is trying to raise you, why won’t you let Him? He has a long resume’ in child rearing. Romans 8:29; Hebrews 12:14; 1 John 3:2,3

4. The Fruits of the Spirit.
This is pretty self explanatory. You should at sometime during you walk with the LORD display at least one of these at any given time. They may be hit and miss but at least one will be there however intermittently. As you grow in your faith, God will help you grow more and more fruit. Look to the parables of the talents and minas for verification of this. Some will also be more prevalent over others and no Christian will be 100% in any one much less all of them. The fruits of the spirit are one of those things where you will get out of it exactly what you put into it unless God brings an increase. Galatians 5:22-24; 1John 3:14-18

5. A positive influence on others.
Remember here we’re not talking about the trumpet blast announcing you and your deeds, nor your prayers on the street corners. We are talking about humble service to God done in a way that those seeing will wonder why you’re different and will give all the honor and glory to God. This is the service given to your fellow Christians for their growth and edification, and the service given to your fellow man as a witness and testimony to them of the love of God to the saving of their souls.

6. Standing firm in the teaching of the Scriptures.
“Study to show thyself approved…”2 Timothy 2:15
This verse is not just for preachers. If each Christian took this verse to heart, we would never have had Jim Jones, David Koresh or Harold Camping ( Judgement Day May 21st 2011), we would not still be dealing with the Mormons or the Jehova’s Witnesses.
How critical is this point? In A.D. 325 a conflict started between Arius and Athanasius. Arius took a position that said Christ couldn’t be God in the flesh as he “hungered”. Athanasius defended the then Church position that recognized Christ’s divinity and therefore the Trinity. Out of these battles came the Nicene Creed and the Athanasian Creed. At one time Athanasius was referred to as “Athanasius Contra Mundum” or Athanasius against the world. At one time the entire church had gone over to Arius. If Athanasius had given up the battle and not know his Scripture so well, we would all be Jehova’s Witnesses today. You see, Jehova’s Witnesses deny the Trinity. It is Arianism in a new dress. @ Timothy 2:15; 1John 4:2,3

7. The testimony of the Holy Spirit within us.
Call it inner peace, inner comfort, peace with God. It is that calm reassurance that can only come from the Holy Spirit living within us. The question is, are you striving to please the Holy spirit and make Him feel welcome? After all, He is just as much a living Being as God the Father and God the Son. Romans 8:15-17

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