Wed, 08 Sep 2010 04:59:49 -0800WeeblyThu, 02 Sep 2010 13:12:52 -0800http://www.teccoe.org/2/post/2010/09/new-posting8.html In Matthew chapter 19, it’s recorded that a young man who was very rich once asked Jesus, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”  Jesus answered, “…if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments”.  And when the man asked “which ones?”, Jesus answered, “‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”

Without any recorded hesitation, the man said, “All these things I have kept from my youth”, and then added, “What do I still lack?”  He must have felt very self-satisfied, proud and justified before God.
Clearly, the man understood that his entire eternal welfare was connected to his ability to obey God’s law as found in the Ten Commandments.  And in his estimation of himself, he had kept them all, even when he was young.  Further, he asked Jesus if there were any other commandments just to make sure he had not overlooked any.

Not too many people would have responded to Jesus as this man did.  Many would admit that they had broken some along the way like perhaps lying or stealing.  But generally, they would say they stack up pretty well against these commandments, and are in good shape as regards inheriting eternal life.

But Jesus didn’t let go of the matter yet.  He said to the man, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”  However, we’re then told that after the man heard that, he left sorrowfully “for he had great possessions.”

Many people think that this is a teaching of Jesus against being rich.  The Bible certainly warns of the dangers of being rich.  The Apostle Paul warned the young pastor Timothy that “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil” (1 Timothy 6:10) like greediness, but no where in the Bible does it say that being rich is wrong.

So why did Jesus tell the man to sell all of his possessions, give the proceeds to the poor and then follow Him?

The first commandment is, “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3).  Jesus was essentially saying to him, ‘You say you have kept all the commandments since your youth.  Well, let Me test you on the very first commandment.  Who do you love and serve more, your wealth or Me?  Have your riches essentially become an idol to you?  You say you’ve always loved your neighbor as your self, so here’s an opportunity to help the poor’.

When Jesus included the command, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’, He was not just giving one more command, but was providing what is in fact the very sum of the law.  All of the commandments are to have as their motive love for God and love for our neighbors.  As such, all of the commandments are linked together.  If one commandment is broken, then God considers all of them to be broken since every infraction is a violation of the fundamental law of love.  We read, “whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all” (James 2:10).

Jesus was not just trying to make the man sorrowful, but was helping him to see that he had not kept all of the commandments, but had essentially broken them all since his real love lay with his wealth and himself.

If God still requires absolute perfect obedience to His moral law and the young man has in fact not kept these laws since his youth, then what about his hope of eternal life?  Or anyone’s for that matter since we humans have never truly kept the Ten Commandments?
It would have been better for the man if instead of going away sorrowfully, he had then cried out, “Then what must I do to be saved?”  That question would have been an admission that by himself he was lost and would not inherit eternal life, that he had offended God by his sins.  In fact, his use of the word inherit should have reminded him that eternal life, like an inheritance, cannot be earned, but is a gift.

Jesus probably would have answered as the Apostle Paul did to the Philippian jailer who asked the same question.  The Apostle said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:32).  And to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ is to believe that Jesus, God Himself in the flesh, came to obey the law completely on behalf of believing sinners.  He also came to pay the debt for their disobedience of God’s law.

In this way Jesus has acted as a Substitute for fallen men, women and children.  And the fact that Jesus rose from the dead bodily is proof positive that God has accepted Christ’s substitutionary work on behalf of breakers of God’s laws like you and I.

To believe this is to truly inherit eternal life, and the proof of this belief is a changed heart that now seeks to obey God’s law out of a genuine love for God and for one’s neighbor.  

We don’t know for sure what ever happened to this man, but in Mark’s account of his encounter with Jesus, he adds that, “Jesus, looking at him, loved him” (Mark 10:21).  What an encouragement that is to young people, rich people, and all people who sincerely come to Jesus and ask about the true way to heaven.  “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). ]]>Fri, 09 Jul 2010 09:25:02 -0800http://www.teccoe.org/2/post/2010/07/new-posting7.html “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died”  John 11:21  

Somehow, Martha, in the midst of grief and confusion over the death of her brother Lazarus, assumed that this terrible tragedy would not have occurred if Jesus had only been there to prevent it.  Even her sister Mary would echo this same lament (v.32).  They had genuine faith in Jesus, but it became obscured by their feelings and preconceived notions of what Jesus should have done.  Their understanding and trust were weak because of a vague understanding and knowledge of Jesus and His purposes.
First see in Martha’s lament that she acknowledged Jesus to be absolutely powerful and good, but she allowed her own desires to rule her feelings rather than yield to Christ and His purposes.  At no time did Jesus promise that He would prevent the death of Lazarus by His Presence.  As such, she had faith, but it was not mixed with revealed truth.

Earlier, she and her sister had sent word to Jesus that Lazarus was dying, no doubt intending for Jesus to come immediately.  But instead of responding as they might have wished, He remained exactly where He was for two more days.  He then revealed His purposes by saying, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of Man might be glorified through it” (v. 4).  He also later told His disciples, “Lazarus is dead.  And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe” (v.14).  Jesus had very specific purposes in mind that would come as a result of the death of His dear friend.  Completely counter to Martha’s wishes, He would not be there.  In fact, He intended for Lazarus to die!  His death would be a means of glory for God and Himself, and it would also be a means of strengthening the faith of Martha, Mary and the disciples.
Friends, is it not true that we too have preconceived notions of how God should act in the events of our lives and the world around us?  When this happens, we’re driven by our feelings, not truth.  We have definite ideas of what God should do and not do.  This becomes evident when we’re quick to attribute those things we consider good to God, but if something contrary to our desire happens, we often say, “Well God allowed it”.  As if to imply that somehow God stepped out of the way and was not there.  Isn’t that the same as saying, “Lord, if You had been here, this wouldn’t have happened”?  But has God ever promised us a life immune from grief, or difficulties?  Has He ever said this world would be free of terrible tragedies?
Yes, like Martha, we have faith in God’s ability and His goodness, but faith must rest on truth, God’s revealed truth.  He never said He would spare you this illness, or this death of a loved one, or this depression, or any other affliction you may be experiencing.  But God did say, “I am the Lord and there is no other; I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I the Lord do all these things” (Isaiah 45:6-7).  He said, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways” (Isaiah 55:8), and “All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).  Let us learn to subdue our feeble faith cry of “If only…” and instead submit ourselves to God’s holy and infinite wisdom and purposes for His children.
Secondly , we can observe that Martha and Mary had very limited views of the Person of Jesus Christ.  They knew Him as sent from God, but they still did not fully see Him as God Himself in the flesh.  They somewhat superstitiously reasoned that Jesus must be bodily present in order to heal their brother, not fully knowing and believing that His divine powers reached beyond His physical Presence.  They didn’t fully understand that His divine purposes went beyond their limited view and desires.  Perhaps, because of His absence, they even thought of Him as cold and uncaring.

But when Jesus finally did arrive at their home and was told of the death of Lazarus, we read these very poignant words: “Jesus wept” (v.35).  Now they could see in Jesus the supremely compassionate and caring character of God Himself in His tears.  Now they could see that God in the Person of Jesus is a “merciful and faithful High Priest… for in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted” (Hebrews 2:17-18).  They would witness the life giving power of God Himself as Jesus spoke “Lazarus, come forth!”  They would come to know that Jesus used the death of Lazarus to strengthen their faith in Him as the One in whom “dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9).
Whenever we have distressed and distorted understandings of God’s purposes in our lives, the cause can rightly be attributed to our weak views and understandings of the Person and the work of Jesus Christ.  Jesus said, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (14:9).  And so, when we believers say with the Apostle Paul that, “I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 3:20) in His dying for our sins, let us not separate this love and purpose from the love and purpose of God the Father Himself.  Indeed, they are the same!  And this is because “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself” (2 Corinthians 5:19).
Jesus said this of believers; “My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him” (John 14:23).  Therefore, as believers, we need never say, “If only you had been here…”.  Jesus is God and is always with us in the Person of the Holy Spirit.  We can be assured that all of God’s workings in our lives and the world around us are for His glory, for conforming us to Jesus Christ, and for the strengthening of our faith.  We can know these things because God “has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6). ]]>Fri, 23 Apr 2010 09:20:27 -0800http://www.teccoe.org/2/post/2010/04/new-posting6.html The following is an excerpt from my paper, “Godly and Ungodly Repentance” that was delivered at the RCF Conference, Sharon, MA
April 13-15, 2010:

The late John Murray, former professor at Westminster Theological Seminary, provided a very helpful definition of repentance when he wrote, “Repentance consists essentially in change of heart and mind and will.  The change of heart and mind and will principally respect four things: it is change of mind respecting God, respecting ourselves, respecting sin, and respecting righteousness”.  This change of mind respecting sin is such that the truly penitent sinner sees sin as that which has alienated him from God whom he now desires and loves.  He detests his offenses against God who has been good, forbearing and longsuffering in His dealings with him.  He wants to be done with sinning like one who longs to be rid of a dreadful disease.  David knew this detesting of his sin when he wrote, “My sin is always before me.  Against You, You only have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight – that You may be found just when You speak, and blameless when You judge” (Psalm 51:3-4).  He would also write regarding his sin, “Innumerable evils have surrounded me; my iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of my head; therefore my heart fails me.  Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me; O Lord, make haste to help me!” (Psalm 40:12-13).  And these pleas for deliverance have their foundation in the hope of God’s pardoning mercy, out from which flows a sincere repentance characterized by sorrow for and abhorrence of sin.

As such, one mark of a true Godly repentance is that it emerges from a real loathing of sin.  The true penitent sees sin as a barrier to his communion with God in his prayer life.  When his sin is left un-confessed and un-repented of, he avoids coming into the presence of God in prayer because he’s ashamed.  Like Peter he says, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” (Luke 5:8).  He keenly feels what God spoke to Israel: “Your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear” (Isaiah 59:2).  He hates sin because he knows and feels it to be absolutely contradictory to that gracious new principle of life in Christ within him.  Its remnants are the enemy within which act as an impediment to his carrying out the deepest desires in his heart for God.  Like the Apostle Paul he says, “I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good.  For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man.  But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.  O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:21-24). 

The repentance of an unregenerate sinner is far different.  His turning from his sin is only out of a heightened sense of fear and dread of impending judgment.  His mindset regarding sin has only to do with the consequences of sin.  The sinner in this case will often attempt to reform himself, but his efforts will not be out of love for God.  Instead, self-love provides the only real motivation for his efforts to flee the wrath to come.   King Saul provided a tragic example of this legal ungodly repentance on the occasion of his disobedience in the matter of the Amalekites.  Samuel exposed Saul’s failure to obey God in utterly destroying them along with their livestock.  To this Saul confessed, but attempted to excuse himself by saying that “I feared the people and obeyed their voice”.   Further he pleaded with Samuel, “I have sinned; yet honor me now, please, before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me, that I may worship the Lord your God” (1 Samuel 15:24,30).  Saul’s conscience was stricken, and he was sorry for what he had done, but his repentance came only out of fear and a desire to perhaps reverse Samuel’s pronouncement of the loss of the kingdom along with an anxious desire to keep up appearances before his subjects.  There was no true sense of having offended God, no hatred and taking ownership of his sin, just fear and dread of the consequences of his disobedience.  Saul even tried to draw Samuel into his disobedience by asking him to return and worship with him, to sacrifice the animals which should have been destroyed.  In this way, Saul might have maneuvered Samuel into appearing as if he sanctioned this use of the spared animals.

Concerning this legal repentance, Scottish minister John Colquhoun (1748-1827) wrote, “Let conscience but be pacified, and the tempest of the troubled mind allayed, and these false penitents will return with the dog to his vomit, until some new alarm revive their convictions of sin and danger, and with them, the same process of repentance. Thus many sin and repent, and repent and sin, all their lives. Or it may be, distress of conscience makes a deeper impression, and fixes such an abiding dread of some particular sins that a visible reformation appears. Yet in this case the sinner’s lusts are only dammed up by his fears, and were the dam but broken down, they would immediately run again in, their former channel with increasing force”.  And yet, many true penitents are able to look back and see how God used this legal ungodly form of repentance as a prerequisite to real Godly repentance in that they were graciously helped to see their utter inability to reform themselves and to be reconciled to God through the keeping of the law. ]]>Sat, 06 Mar 2010 14:51:27 -0800http://www.teccoe.org/2/post/2010/03/new-posting5.html One of the most sweeping statements encompassing God’s eternal redemptive plan came from the very lips of Jesus who said, “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out” (John 6:37).  This declaration presents all the immensity of the transcendent and mysterious will of God in His sovereign choosing of a people for Himself, while at the same time bringing this divine purpose to pass within the structure of human responsibility.

One question that arises from Christ’s statement, however, is why someone would “come” to Christ at all.  That is to say, what exists within a man or woman that would ever incline them to desire and therefore, seek God?

In examining this question, let us first look at what the Apostle Paul wrote to the Romans; “For whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.  Moreover, whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified” (8:29-30).  Clearly one can learn from these verses that God’s “redemptive chain” for an individual begins with God “foreknowing” that person.  In fact, it is the basis upon which God predetermines to call and irresistibly bring to Himself those whom He desires to redeem, justify and glorify.  But what does it mean?

Many would claim “foreknowledge” means that God, Who because of His infinite knowledge, is able to look down through the tunnel of time and see who will respond to the message of grace through Jesus Christ.  One writer has even termed this foreknowledge to be a kind of “preacquaintanceship” such that God is “fully acquainted with what we now are long before we ever existed as persons”.  He went on to affirm that God sees our fallen nature and our depravity, and yet, in spite of this, the writer comes to the troubling conclusion that “God has predestined those to be saved whom He knew would respond to His grace”.  This same writer indicated that he has no knowledge of what it is that God “foreknows” about an individual that would cause him to believe, and is therefore compelled to assign a mysterious element, resident in man, which is directly related to, and is the cause of an individual’s predestination by God.

Let’s work through the logic of this thinking.  Scripture plainly attests that God knows everything about an individual, past, present, and future.  Psalm 139:15-16 declares, “My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.  Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.  And in Your book they were all written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them”.  Thus, God certainly is “preacquainted” with our every thought and action before they ever came to pass.  However, the text also clearly states that all our days have been ordained before our birth.  This means that it is God Who has pre-decreed our every thought and action, not us!

Now, at this point, one might still persist in maintaining that God’s ordination of our days is prefaced and dependent upon His knowledge of our future thoughts and actions.  But if this were true, then God’s will would not be independent of our will.  God’s ordaining of our days would be subject to our yet to be fulfilled inclinations to respond or not to the gospel call.  If that is true, then God is not absolutely sovereign.  In fact, He would not be God at all, but one more being who is subject to external circumstances.  The Psalmist wrote, “Our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases” (115:3).  Now in order for this statement of the Psalmist to be true, God’s will and His subsequent activities must be entirely free of any circumstances or the influence of any other being.  But if God’s predestination of His people is dependent upon some mysterious inherent desire or ability in them, then God is subject to His own people!  Clearly, a god who is dependent on a “mysterious” quality in some people to choose Him is a fabrication and an idol!

If God’s predestination of His people is not dependent on His “preacquaintanceship” with them, then what is the basis?  Let’s begin by examining our condition prior to our conversion.  In Psalm 14:2-3 we read, “The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek God.  They have all turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is none who does good, no, not one”.  These verses make crystal clear the fact that there is no one who is without sin.  They also very plainly declare that no one even seeks or pursues God.

Now, is this lack of seeking a result of ignorance?  The Apostle Pau wrote, “The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteous of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.  For since the creation of the world, His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened” (Romans 1:18-21).  Our natural sinful inclination is to actively “suppress” the truth, not respond to it.

Paul wrote elsewhere, “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, just as the others” (Ephesians 2:1-3).  This confirms the description of mankind given to us in Genesis; “…the intent of man’s heart is evil from his youth” (8:21).  Again, we see the active pursuit of sin which is the natural outworking of our sinful natures.

If foreknowledge only meant that God could see our thoughts, inclinations, and desires, then all He would ever foresee would be our ceaseless “suppress(ing) of the truth” and the “fulfilling of the desires of the flesh and of the mind”.  No one would be predestined for salvation on that basis.

In Ezekiel we read, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.  I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep my judgments and do them” (36:26-27).  And in Ephesians we read, “But God, Who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)” (2:4-5).  Both of these passages speak of God’s divine initiative in changing a person’s heart such that they are enabled and made willing to obey God in faith and repentance.

Let’s pull together what we’ve discovered.  Firstly, apart from God’s intervention, there exists nothing within a man, woman or child that would ever cause them to respond to the proclamation of the gospel.  Secondly, the reason for this lack of response is that it is a heart condition.  That is to say, we are born with sinful, self-serving, God-hating hearts and therefore, are not inclined or disposed to obey God.  Thirdly, it is God Who changes our hearts and minds to seek and embrace Christ Jesus as Savior, and obey Him as Lord by faith, that too a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8).  So if we go back to our question of “what exists within a man or woman that would ever incline them to desire and therefore, seek God?”, we are driven to the conclusion that nothing is there!  This ability and desire only comes from God’s sovereign, gracious and immeasurable electing love divinely applied by the Holy Spirit upon an individual of His choosing.  That’s grace and grace alone!

Believer, don’t congratulate yourself on your great decision to believe in and follow Jesus Christ.  Instead, be amazed and wonder that, through the gift of faith, such a lowly sinful creature like yourself would be rescued from eternal damnation and brought into a state of adoption with the very Creator of the universe.  In eternity past, God set His intense desire and intimate consuming love upon you so that in the course of time, you would be brought into union with Himself because of the work of Christ’s fulfilling the righteous requirements of the law in His perfect life, His death on the cross, dying in your place for your sins, and His resurrection from the grave whereby He has purchased new life for His blood-bought people.  God has made it possible for even you to be one of the many sons which He is bringing into glory.

Perhaps you haven’t experienced this love of God to you through faith in His Son Jesus Christ.  Perhaps you know of Christ, but you are not in Christ.  If the words in this article have concerned you in this regard, then possibly God is in the process of changing your heart condition, so that you now have a desire to begin seeking Him for salvation.  Call out to God now for mercy.  Believe in Christ Jesus as your Savior, repent of your sins and begin to serve Him as your Lord.  Remember Christ’s words, “…the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out”.  By God’s sovereign grace may you too come to Christ by faith and experience God’s marvelous and glorious love to you.

]]>Tue, 15 Dec 2009 07:58:25 -0800http://www.teccoe.org/2/post/2009/12/new-posting4.html “For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil”   Ecclesiastes 12:14

“Tiger’s Turmoil”.  That was one of the front page headlines in today’s paper.  The sub-headline was, “Endorsement deals could be put at risk”, and a CEO from an entertainment and sports marketing firm was quoted as saying, “Unfortunately for Tiger, the situation is not over”.

Tiger Woods is arguably the most talented professional golfer who ever played the game and he has accumulated in excess of one billion dollars in earnings.  Some 80% of those earnings have come from product endorsements which are in no small part due to what was his pristine public image.  But suddenly everything is turned upside down.  The man who cherished privacy, even naming his luxury yacht “Privacy”, now finds himself at the very center of public scrutiny and ridicule.

All that was done in secret is now abruptly exposed to the full light of day.  What was he thinking?  Did he really imagine he could keep his affair hidden?  Did he consider himself too clever and careful to be ever found out?  Did he think his remarkable popularity somehow made him immune from any repercussions?  What about others who would be affected?  What is he thinking now?  Those fleeting moments of secret pleasure in an adulterous relationship… were they worth it?  Now what?

Is his public image and reputation his main concern?  Is he worried about his financial fortune which could be seriously eroded in an ugly divorce?  And those wildly lucrative product endorsements… could he lose them?  Are those his main concerns?  We really don’t know.  But there’s an even more important question… and it’s personal.  It seems to be our natural inclination to be fascinated with other people’s failures and catastrophes, particularly those of celebrities.  We wonder how their lives are affected, we criticize, judge and look down on them, but we rarely ask ourselves, what if it had been me exposed in this way?  What about my life?  Do I have unconfessed and unrepented of sin?   Secret sins?

On one occasion Jesus commented on a particular current event to those around him saying, “those eighteen on whom the tower of Siloam fell and killed them, do you think they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem?  I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:4-5).  As regards this current event involving Tiger Woods, Jesus is not here in the flesh to comment.  But we do have the commentary of God’s Word where He warns us that “God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil”.  As if to say, don’t congratulate yourself that you never fell into this trap, rather take what happened to Tiger to heart.  Realize the sobering reality that our sins are not hidden, that God sees all, including our concealed actions and the unseen intentions of the heart and mind.

We read, “He who planted the ear, shall He not hear?  He who formed the eye, shall He not see?”, and “You have set our iniquities before You, our secret sins in the light of Your countenance” (Psalm 94:9; 90:8).  Jesus Himself said, “For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known” (Matthew 10:26).

God has been merciful to Tiger in revealing these things in this life.  In this life there is still opportunity to repent and go to God in confession, believing in Jesus as the One who has paid the debt for sin such that one can be forgiven.  And a true repentance is not being sorrowful over the consequences of sin, but being sorrowful because of sin.  To truly repent is to know that it is “against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight – that You may be found just when You speak, and blameless when You judge” (Psalm 51:4).  What are the potential loss of endorsements and popularity compared to an eternal pardon and an eternal inheritance?

Beloved, see this public exposure as a loving warning.  Be reminded that “it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27) where all will be brought to light, even those things that are secret.  It is for this reason that “Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many” (verse 28).  In Jesus, and in Him alone, is cleansing and forgiveness so that the believer need not fear that Day when every work will be brought into judgment.

]]>Wed, 25 Nov 2009 06:45:39 -0800http://www.teccoe.org/2/post/2009/11/new-posting3.html “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me” Galatians 2:20

Years ago in an Adult Bible Study session, I posed the following scenario for the consideration and comment of the class;

Suppose there is a vicious serial killer who has been duly tried and convicted in a court of law.  As a result, that killer has been sentenced to death.  Now suppose that another person steps forward who has fully kept the law, such that they've never needed to stand trial.  This person then offers to die for the convicted killer.  This would result in the killer being set free and the innocent person dying, and thereby fulfilling the sentence.

I then asked the class to explain "what was wrong with this picture”?  Without hesitation, several class members pointed to the fact that nothing had changed regarding the serial killer, he was still a killer and deserved to die.  The death of the innocent person may have allowed the death sentence to be performed, but the root problem still existed.  The serial killer would continue to kill!  The judge in this case, therefore, is not ultimately a just judge who would allow a convicted killer to continue to walk the streets.

This "story" sounds unbelievable and we're immediately repelled by the lack of ultimate justice.  And yet, there are many who think this type of dealing with a lawbreaker is the type of justice that a holy God administers.

The gospel message in the present age has been trimmed down simply to; “Jesus loves you and has died for your sins.  All you need to do is accept Him”.  And so we see our Savior and Lord reduced simply to the hapless innocent who only took the penalty for our sins and we, therefore, like the unrepentant killer, have been set free to do whatever we please.

There is no doubt that "God made Him (Jesus Christ) who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 2:21) and, "this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe" (Romans 3:22).  And so these verses describe a marvelous exchange.  The condemned sinner, the "object of (God's) wrath", by faith, is not punished for his transgression of the law, but is declared righteous before the judge, as if he were completely innocent.  His sin has been exchanged for the righteousness of another.  On the other side of this transaction, we see the keeper of the law, the innocent one, the righteous party, suffering the consequences of the other's transgressions.  In this way, the former guilty party stands before the judge as justified or innocent, because the requirement of the law, death, has been met in the death of the sinless One.

Well now you say, I've just vindicated the judge in my story of the serial killer.  But God, the righteous Judge, doesn't let the matter end here.  A holy God proceeds to deal with the root issue or underlying cause, which is the sinful nature of the justified believer.  By contrast, in the case of the serial killer, nothing was done to reform or make over the inherent evil heart resident in the killer.

Paul wrote to the Corinthians, "It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, ... our righteousness, holiness, and redemption" (1 Corinthians 1:30).  In this verse then, we comprehend the manifold grace of God in the salvation of the believer.  We see the sinner released from slavery to sin, because Christ redeemed him, which is to say that He paid the penalty for the sins of the sinner.  As a result, we see the believing sinner justified or acquitted before God the Judge by the free imputation of the righteousness of Jesus Christ.  Therefore, "Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen?  It is God who justifies" (Romans 8:33).  But we also learn that hand-in-hand with redemption is a life lived in pursuit of holiness.  Paul wrote, "But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life" (Romans 6:22).  Thus, the evidence of justification is the presence of holiness in the life of the believer.  As we see in our verse above, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me”.  God, therefore, not only declares the guilty lawbreaker to be innocent, but unlike the judge in the story, deals a deathblow to the root cause of the sinner's lawlessness by effecting the death of the unrighteous, unholy, God hating, sinful nature of the believer.  "For we know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin - because anyone who has died has been freed from sin... Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him... In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.  Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires" (Romans 6:6-8,11,12).

In the case of the freed serial killer, you might say he "beat the system" since he's been released from the consequences of his crime and is now free to sin again.  But, "Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires" (Galatians 5:24).  Thus, the integral indwelling principle of sin is put to death and, "...the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness" (Ephesians 4:24) becomes the new disposition and orientation of the true professor's life.

The implications of this truth are sobering.  A professor of faith who claims forgiveness of sins from Christ's dying for him on the cross, but whose life is not characterized by an active "turning away" from sin, is like the one John describes, "...who says, ‘I know Him,’ but does not do what He commands..." John writes that this person "is a liar, and the truth is not in him... This is how we know we are in Him: Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did" (1 John 2:4,6).  Paul wrote the Romans, "We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life" (Romans 6:4).  Therefore, justification and the aggressive pursuit of holy lives cannot be separated.  We cannot say we're a Christian and at the same time excuse known sin in our lives with, "Well, I just haven't surrendered that part of my life to Christ yet".  These are the words of a hypocrite and a fraud in whom the active sinful nature thrives unchecked by any work of recreating grace.  "Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.  And that is what some of you were.  But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God" (1 Corinthians 6:9b-11).

Make no mistake; I do not say that a professing Christians' life is without sin.  But I do say that a true believer has died with Christ, and a new principle is at work such that the hallmark of his life is active and ongoing repentance and renewal of true righteousness and holiness.  "For it is God Who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose" (Philippians 2:13).

]]>Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:25:13 -0800http://www.teccoe.org/2/post/2009/10/new-posting2.html “And seven times he said, ‘Go again’”  1 King 18:43

The prophet Elijah had been sent by God to the wicked king Ahab to announce a drought in the land, and three years later was sent again to proclaim that God would mercifully “send rain on the earth” (18:1).  It would be on Mount Carmel after the encounter with the priests of Baal that the prophet would bow down in prayer with his face between his knees to petition God to fulfill His promise of rain.

But there apparently was no answer at first.  And while Elijah continued to wrestle with God in prayer, he would repeatedly send his servant to look out toward the sea to look for signs of the promised rain.  Six times there was nothing to be seen, but each time Elijah told him to “Go again”.  Finally, on the seventh time his servant would exclaim, “There is a cloud, as small as a man’s hand, rising out of the sea… now it happened in the meantime that the sky became black with clouds and wind, and there was heavy rain” (verses 44,45).

Elijah never doubted that God would keep his word.  Rather than becoming discouraged or put off by having no evidence of an answer after repeated petitions, Elijah instead became even more fervent and determined in his pleadings with God.  Like Jacob in his wrestling with the Angel, Elijah would not let go until what had been promised had come to pass.  And indeed his faith was rewarded with the appearance of a small cloud which was a token of the soon to come promised rain.

As believers we like quick answer to our prayers.  We’re sometimes like the one who said, “I want patience, and I want it now!”  But God has purpose in causing us to wait.  He teaches us submission to His will and timing such that we come “to find it good to wait for as well as upon God”, as C. H. Spurgeon put it.  When we have to wait for answers, we’re stirred up to examine ourselves, to see if our hearts are right in our petitions.  In this way, we come to see that our motives are often selfish, seeking our own ends instead of God’s glory.  James warned, “You ask and you do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures” (James 4:3).  God’s delayed answers help us “to put off the old man” as we’re progressively led into humble repentance and spiritual transformation.

Elijah was a “righteous man”, but we’re reminded that “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours” (James 5:17).  He was not immune from impatient fervor.  He too needed to learn humility and submission and to search himself as regards his motives.  And when his prayer was ultimately answered, it was not because of any merit of his.  The power he enjoyed in prayer was the result of his persistent conviction that God would keep His word.  He was not deterred by delay; it only caused him to pray even more earnestly.

But we must also observe that for Elijah to be termed a “righteous man” in Scripture means that he was not only saved by grace through Jesus Christ, but that he was also pursuing a godly life, seeking to conform his thoughts, words and deeds to God’s revealed will.  This godly pursuit was not to achieve merit, but was the result of a changed heart giving expressions of love, praise and thanksgiving to his God whom he sought to glorify.  Elijah’s example therefore should encourage every true believer who is diligently seeking to live a godly life to expect answers to sincere prayers which have to do with God’s glory.

Believer, true faith is a persevering faith.  It keeps on keeping on.  The danger comes in succumbing to doubt, in giving way to “an evil heart of unbelief” (Hebrews 3:12).  Faith grabs hold of what has been promised.  It sees what can’t be seen by the physical eye.  Faith is the means by which one is thoroughly persuaded that God is trustworthy.

Britain’s prime minister during World War II, Winston Churchill, once encouraged his fellow countrymen to “Never, never, never, never give up!”  So too with the prayers of the saints… never give up, go again!

]]>Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:05:20 -0800http://www.teccoe.org/2/post/2009/07/new-posting1.html   

“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit” Romans 8:5

 
What do you think about when you’re not thinking of anything in particular?  Generally speaking, what would you say is the prevailing or dominant influence in your thought life?  There are times when we are very specifically thinking about something such as when we’re concerned about a certain problem, or when reading an interesting book, or watching TV, or writing a letter.  But there are other times when our minds are not focused on any one thing exclusively.  It’s at those times when it becomes apparent what we really set our minds upon.

Our verse makes it plain that one is either fleshly minded or spiritually minded.  Now that is not to say that a spiritually minded person never contemplates matters of the flesh, or that a fleshly minded person never thinks about spiritual matters.  The question is, where does one chiefly spend their time in thought… on fleshly things or spiritual things?

Jesus spoke about those who set their minds on the things of the flesh when He said, “Do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind.  For all these things the nations of the world seek after” (Luke 12:29).  He didn’t say we should never think about these practical matters such as food, drink and clothing, but that we shouldn’t be anxious about them.  To be anxious is to doubt God who knows what you need and will provide.  Worrying, fretting, being anxious, complaining, and grumbling are all symptoms of setting one’s mind on fleshly matters.

The Apostle Paul also spoke of those “whose god is their belly… who set their mind on earthly things” (Philippians 3:19).  Certainly one who comes to mind in that regard is Esau.  One day he came in weary from the field and wanted some of his brother Jacob’s stew.  Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright as of this day” and Esau replied, “Look, I am about to die; so what is this birthright to me?” (Genesis 25:31-32)  What an exchange!  Esau willingly and recklessly gave up the lasting blessing of his birthright in order to at best only temporarily satisfy his hungry belly with a mess of stew.  How foolish!  And yet, this showed that he chiefly set his mind on fleshly things, not giving any real concern for the spiritual and eternal.  Many live their lives this way.  They spend all their mental energies seeking those temporal and earthly things which can’t ultimately satisfy, “where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in steal” (Matthew 6:19), things which pass away with this world.

Now it can happen that one can be mightily stirred up to think of spiritual things.  A serious, life threatening illness, or something heard in a sermon regarding sin which pricked the conscience, or some great fear can surely cause one to be more spiritually minded, to the point where they can hardly think of anything else.  However, as time goes by and these troubles begin to go away, and if one’s habitual disposition of the mind is to be fleshly minded, then these convictions and resolutions often just diminish and even evaporate altogether.  As the prophet Jeremiah put it, “Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots?” (Jeremiah 13:23).

Jesus taught, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things” (Matthew 12:35).  Commenting on this verse, the puritan John Owen wrote, “Every man hath a treasure in his heart; that is, a prevailing, inexhaustible principle of all his actings and operations.  But in some this treasure is good, in others it is evil”.

In the light of all this, it can be seen that it is crucial for the Christian to cultivate his mind, which is the governor of the heart and soul.  We are instructed to “be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2).  And we know that this renewal occurs as the mind is continuously fed by God’s word as it is preached, taught, read, meditated upon and prayed over.  How wise is the Christian who not only reads a portion of Scripture each day, but has also developed the habit of turning those words over and over in his mind through the course of the day, seeking to understand and follow God’s mind and purposes, to draw closer to God in fellowship, and becoming more like Christ in the process.  It’s like when one savors his food as he chews it to draw out every bit of delight and satisfaction in its flavor and texture.  Likewise, the Christian is one who should guard against what he allows to come into his mind from the world through the eyes and ears.  In order to avoid the snare of setting his mind on the flesh, Job said, “I have made a covenant with my eyes; why then should I look intently upon a young woman?’ (Job 31:1)

One of the catch lines in the current marketing campaign for a major credit card company is, “What’s in your wallet?”  Instead, we should be asking, “What’s in your mind?”  Remember, “those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit” to which the Apostle added, “to be fleshly minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace” (verse 6).

May God bless you.

Pastor Paul N. Wanamaker

]]>Tue, 03 Mar 2009 09:24:01 -0800http://www.teccoe.org/2/post/2009/03/no-title.html“Do you love Me…?”  John 21:15  

The former minister of Gilcomston South Church of Scotland in Aberdeen, William Still, once wrote his congregation these words, “There are still a number on our Roll (I speak with sympathetic understanding) who do not yet see what all the religious talk is all about… But you must allow me to say gently that you are missing the best in life.  If you loved Jesus Christ as I and many members of Gilcomston love Him, you would be prepared almost to crawl to Church to worship Him.  And I want to say in view of God’s blessing upon Gilcomston, and of the wonderful changes that God is working in the lives of those who attend there, no member who is free and able has a shadow of an excuse for not attending regularly.”

Sound too forthright?  Too harsh?  I wonder if Pastor Still hasn’t hit on the real issue behind faithful attendance at worship on the Lord’s Day.  Look at what he says, “If you loved Jesus Christ…?”  This is exactly what Jesus was asking Peter, “Do you love Me…?”  Isn’t that the fundamental issue, love for Christ?

Often I have appealed to absent church members by pointing out their continual and regular need for spiritual feeding on the “Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.  All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (II Timothy 3:15-17).  And it’s true that it is God’s intention to use His Word as a means of not only bringing us into the kingdom, but for preserving us in the kingdom, with a view towards bringing us into conformity to Jesus Christ.  He accomplishes this by placing us under the regular scrutiny of His Word which is “living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

But if there’s no real love for Christ, then God’s Word will only seem oppressive and difficult to take in.  In the sixth chapter of John, we read that after one of Christ’s teachings, many of His disciples, “when they heard this, said ‘This is a hard saying; who can understand it?’” (verse 60).  They refused however, to listen to the answer to their own question, and finally “many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more” (verse 66).  Does that describe you?  Are you using the excuse of God’s Word being too difficult as a cover-up for your own lack of love for Christ, which is shown by irregular attendance at worship?  When Jesus asked if Peter also wanted to go away, he responded, “Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life” (verse 68).

At other times I have appealed to church members by reminding them of their covenantal obligation to their fellow church members.  The writer to the Hebrews exhorts Christians to “consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching” (10:24-25).  Is it not God’s intention to have the environment of the Church as a place where the fruits of the Holy Spirit are exercised towards one another?  It’s in the context of the corporate church that the Apostle Paul instructed Christians to “be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).

But if there’s no real love for Christ, then meeting together regularly with Christ’s people will seem bothersome and annoying.  John addressed this in his first letter where he wrote, “He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now… he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes” (2:9, 11).  Sometimes professors of Christ will stay away from worship because of a problem with other Christians in the church.  Is that you?  If we truly love Christ, are we not to love our brother in Christ and walk “with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:2-3)?

The question asked of Peter so long ago still stands, “Do you love Me…?”  Let your answer be the same that was given by Peter, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.”  Then let it demonstrated by faithful service to your Lord in devoted worship.  William Still ended his letter by saying, “Come on now, make a start - that’s the hardest battle.  Once you’ve made a beginning I am sure you will want to continue.  That God may bless you and help you is my continual prayer.”

]]>Wed, 18 Feb 2009 12:06:05 -0800http://www.teccoe.org/2/post/2009/02/first-post.html“Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, before the difficult days come… remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosed”  Ecclesiastes 12:1,6

In the above verses, the preacher of Ecclesiastes provided a final appeal to his readers to attend to the matters he had brought to them, before they are no longer able due to the infirmities of old age, or worse yet, death!  As such, how immensely important it is to settle certain matters in the “days of your youth”.  When one is young and the body and faculties are strong, it is easy to fall prey to the idea that certain important matters can be put off till later.  However, the preacher wrote in verses 3-5 how the “the strong men bow down”, “the grinders (teeth) cease”, “those who look through the windows grow dim (failing eyesight)”and “”they are afraid of height”.  Not only physical breakdown occurs, but consequently the mental and emotional faculties often will no longer be able to operate as they once did.  Memory lapses, confusion and circumstances looming larger than they really are, often accompany old age.  These can indeed be “the difficult days”.

One area in life that needs to be dealt with while the faculties are still operative is the matter of hurts and grudges left unforgiven.  These feelings can often be masked outwardly in earlier years, but the ugly effects of them often begin to emerge when the faculties can no longer suppress them.  Anger, unwillingness to resolve, and unreasonableness are the characteristics of lifelong held feelings of resentment that have matured into bitterness.

And because of this lifelong habit, new hurts simply become added to the others with no resolution.  It can even happen that a kind of self-righteous “nobody has seen the troubles I’ve seen” mentality can emerge, where one can’t even see anymore that perhaps they are the ones who have offended, or that the wrongs they perceive are not even real, or have been blown out of proportion.

How much better it is to resolve such issues as soon as possible.  We’re commanded, “if it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men”, and to “pursue peace with all people” (Romans 12:18; Hebrews 12:14).  Our Lord Himself said, “If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:14-15).  He was essentially saying that the hallmark of true believers is forgiveness, because that is when one looks most like Christ, in whose image the believer is being brought into.  When one doesn’t forgive, that one should then very seriously examine the reality of their confession.

Sometimes it happens that trying to unravel a hurtful matter with the “you said… he said… I didn’t say that” approach is like to trying to unravel a hopelessly tangled ball of twine.  Every effort seems to only create new knots.  It may very well be that the only truly loving, peace-seeking thing to do is to simply overlook a perceived hurt…. and then to forget it!

But these are habits that must cultivated over time, and as early as possible in life.  And it starts by often contemplating the great offense and corresponding owed debt because of sin that we’ve been relieved of by the life, death and resurrection of our great Savior and Lord Jesus Christ.  That was the point of the parable in which Jesus spoke of the man who was forgiven by his master of a debt he could never pay, but then “went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’” (Matthew 18:28).  What an ugly scene Jesus painted in that story, but it so vividly puts forth the terrible picture of an unforgiving, “you owe me… you hurt me”, un-Christian spirit.

The apostle Paul wrote, “whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy – meditate on these things” (Philippians 4:8).  And isn’t in God’s word where we find all that is true, noble, just, lovely and of good report, including Christ-like forgiveness? It is the habitual meditation on God’s word which forms our thoughts, fills our hearts and regulates our behavior.  Indeed, the use of the mind in this way serves to progressively shape the affections and the will to truly love as Christ loved.  To do otherwise is to open the door to spiritually unhealthy thoughts, and ultimately to what can become lifelong destructive tendencies.

Think of it!  How terrible will our days, hours and minutes be on our death beds with unresolved hurts and grudges.  Instead of thinking on and preparing for what lies ahead, instead of passing on a good word to those left behind, we would still be agonizing over what should have been let go in forgiveness and perhaps confession.  After all, that grievance may very well have been something we did and never came to grips with.

By God’s grace, may we heed the word of the Psalmist who wrote, “Lord, make me to know my end, and what is the measure of my days, that I may know how frail I am”, and “teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 39:4; 90:12).

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