New Posting 03/06/2010
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. New Posting 12/15/2009
“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. New Posting 11/25/2009
“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). New Posting 10/13/2009
“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! New Posting 07/02/2009
New Posting 04/09/2009
“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 New Posting 03/03/2009
“Do you love Me…?” John 21:15 First Post! 02/18/2009
“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 |