A TRIBUTE....Understanding important truths from the Bible….

Revelation 14:13 NJKV

 Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me “Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’”

“Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.”

The instructors in the Bible School I attended were a varied and as a whole were a poorly equipped group of men.  But there were a few exceptions and one in particular stood out.  He was a gifted preacher; he was an excellent Bible student and an able instructor; he was a truly spiritual man.  It was my great privilege to be taught, mentored, and befriended by Avery Rogers.

This man was a truly spiritually-minded person.  He was not so heavenly-minded that he was of no earthly good, but it is no exaggeration to commend him as a heavenly-minded person.

There is none that I have ever met who are his equal in spiritual dedication.  I have known Francis Schaeffer, Harvey Conn, and John Sanderson;  and Sanderson is the only person who impressed me in the same way Rogers did.  All the names mentioned were men of whom it can be said “this world’s loss is heaven’s gain”.  I would love to see and hear John Sanderson again.  I miss Avery Rogers.

As an instructor Rogers impressed three pastoral principles on me.

1.      The pastor of the church must be a man of principles.  He must be honest, pure in his friendship with women, free from greed and faithful in his responsibilities.

2.      He must be a worker in the Lord’s vineyard.  Rogers illustrated this by a personal practice.  He said in his first pastorate after completing Southwestern Seminary he was called to a country church.  The members were nearly all farmers.  The lights in their homes came on at 4:00 each morning as they arose early for their day.  Rogers determined that they would not see his home dark.  He arose each morning at the same hour as his parishioners so that they would know the man they paid was not sleeping while they worked to earn his salary.

3.      He was, from the beginning, determined that we should know the value of teaching the whole Bible.  He told us if he ever came to see us he did not want to see Bibles whose pages were only “dirty” in Paul’s Epistles, or even the New Testament only.  I must say that this alone was worth the price of admission.

My grandfather’s sister and my father’s sister both attended the church he pastored.  One didn’t like him.  “He preached too much about sin”.  The other was rather indifferent and would only say, “All I can remember was, he preached too loud.”  Both were true because Avery preached loud and he preached without exception about sin.

But ask my wife what is her favorite sermon she has ever heard and she will tell you “Brother Rogers preaching that great sermon, The Wounds of Christ.  Me too!

THE QUEEN'S BEAUTY AND BLESSING....Understanding important truths from the Bible….

Psalm 45:14  NIV

In embroidered garments she is led to the king;
 her virgin companions follow her—
 those brought to be with her.

I have in my library a set of books, The Treasury of David, edited and with a large contribution by C.H. Spurgeon.  I want to put an emphasis on the word Treasury.  For it truly is.  I have chosen for today’s thought a quote from Vol. 2, on the 45^th Psalm.  The quote is by a man I do not know and from a book with which I am not familiar.  As you read it decide for yourself whether it deserves a spot in the Treasury.

“Verse 14. The virgins her companions that follow her. These are members of the church, but the figure of a bridal train is employed to sustain the allegory. What bright train the Royal Bride will have as she goes forth to meet the Bridegroom! King's daughters will be there, for every crowned head on earth shall one day bow at the foot of the cross. The daughter of Tyre shall be there—Tyre, the ancient emporium of the nations—to show that the merchandise of the world shall be holiness from the Lord. The kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts. Jews and Gentiles will be there—representatives from all peoples, and tongues, and nations. They are virgins. They keep themselves unspotted from the world. They are weaned from its idols; they dread its contaminations. Their first care is to preserve the whiteness of their souls by daily washing in the blood of the Lamb...They follow the royal Bride. They keep by her side in storm and sunshine. They follow her in the regeneration. They follow her in the search after her Beloved. They follow her to the green pastures and the still waters. They follow her without the camp bearing his reproach. Like Ruth, they leave father and mother to follow her. Ru 1:16. Like Caleb, they follow the Lord fully. When a crisis comes, and the question, "Who is on the Lord's side?" involves heavy issues, and hollow hearted professors fly away like swallows before the storm, they follow her. When persecution comes, and Christ's faithful witnesses have to prophesy clothed in sackcloth, and perhaps to pass through a baptism of blood to the crown, they follow her: like Peden, when—the bloodhounds of persecution in full chase after him, and the lone moor his home—he thought of Richard Cameron gone to glory, and sighed "Oh, to be with Richie!" Duncan Macgregor, M.A., in "The Shepherd of Israel; or, Illustrations of the Inner Life," 1869.”

The Treasury of David Vol. II, C.H. Spurgeon, pg 874.

WHO HE WAS; IS; AND WILL BE, GOD THE SON....Understanding important truths from the Bible….

Hebrews 1:8-9  NIV

⁸ But about the Son he says,

“Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever;
    a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.
⁹ You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
    therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions
    by anointing you with the oil of joy.”

A Psalm is guaranteed to be Messianic when it is quoted with Messianic intent in the New Testament.  In Hebrews 1:8-9 the subject of Psalm 45 is identified as the Messiah and all the description of Him in Hebrews 1:5-13 is applied to this same person.  The quote in Hebrews one is very close to being exact with that in Psalm 45-6-7.

There are three features in these two verses which are of great interest.  The first is the title given to Him, “O God”, the second is the nature of His kingdom, “justice and righteousness”, the third is exaltation above all humanity, “God…has set you above your companions.”

1.       Whoever doubts the deity of Christ must deal with Psalm 45:6 and Hebrews 1:8.  The subject of this context is found in both the Old and New Testament.  We can find help from both sides of Biblical Study; from the Old Testament we shall use James May, a contemporary who was a professor at Union Theological Seminary in Va. who was a Moderate Presbyterian.  For the New Testament we use the study written by Phillipe Hughes who was teaching at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, PA, and is a Conservative Anglican.  Both of these men are excellent teachers.  I use both of their books extensively.  Mays with some caution, Hughes with confidence.  Hughes has contributed extensively to Church literature.  Whatever his subject, you will find it both interesting and a valuable help.

A.     Mays states the following on the Vocative, O God.  The Psalm is not only an unusual and extravagant complement; it is unique in addressing the king with the title “god.”  After some discussion of how this designation can be understood to avoid deity he concludes, “But ‘elohim’ does seem to be the limits of adoration of a human king in a religion by the principle of “no other god.”  Interpretation Psalms, Luther James Mays, pg 181.

If this was all we know about the statement in VS 6 we might well accept May’s conclusion.  But it

is not.  We have the Inspired New Testament author of Hebrews in 1:8 who interprets it for us. 

B.      Now let us look at Hughes speaking of the contrast between the preceding verses and VS 8, he writes “The former describes the subservient position of the angels, whereas here the everlasting sovereignty of the Son is declared in words taken from Psalm 45.”  Hebrews Phillip Edgcumbe  Hughes, pg 63.

2.       The nature of His Kingdom is to be justice and righteousness.

Mays:  The king is a mighty warrior who defends the cause of truth and right and defeats his enemies.”  He is “dedicated to the support of righteousness and opposition to wickedness.”  Ibid, pg 180

Hughes:  These and the other messianic passages that we have cited indicate also how appropriately the declaration, the righteous scepter is the scepter of thy kingdom, is applied to the incarnate and exalted Son.  The everlasting rule of the son is marked by absolute justice and equity, whereas even in the best of human dominions there is some admixture of injustice and discrimination

3.       The third truth of this text is His exaltation above all humanity.  Mays:  He by and large passes over this truth in the Psalm.  But he does write:  “The writer of the letter to the Hebrews found in the worrisome lines of verses 6-7 precisely the language to speak of the person and office of the Son of God (Heb. 1:8-9)  Guided by these directives, Christians have traditionally understood the psalm as a song of the love between Christ and his church.  This interpretation is also a safeguard against attributing the divine right of rule to any other save Christ, in whose hands it is utterly safe.” Ibid. pg 182

Hughes:

“The main reason for the introduction of this quotation here is to underline the contrast between the royal and eternal office of the divine Son and subservient function of the angels.”

If above the angels which I must agree is the intent of the text, then it is certainly above all humanity.

Fairest Lord Jesus, Ruler of all nature,
O Thou of God and man the Son,
Thee will I cherish, Thee will I honor,
Thou, my soul’s glory, joy and crown.

Fair are the meadows, fairer still the woodlands,
Robed in the blooming garb of spring;
Jesus is fairer, Jesus is purer,
Who makes the woeful heart to sing.

Fair is the sunshine,
Fairer still the moonlight,
And all the twinkling starry host;
Jesus shines brighter, Jesus shines purer
Than all the angels heaven can boast.

All fairest beauty, heavenly and earthly,
Wondrously, Jesus, is found in Thee;
None can be nearer, fairer or dearer,
Than Thou, my Savior, art to me.

Beautiful Savior! Lord of all the nations!
Son of God and Son of Man!
Glory and honor, praise, adoration,
Now and forever more be Thine.

Munster Gesangbuch, 1677

THE GLORY OF MESSIAH....Understanding important truths from the Bible….

Psalm 45:2-6  NIV

² You are the most excellent of men
    and your lips have been anointed with grace,
    since God has blessed you forever.

³ Gird your sword on your side, you mighty one;
    clothe yourself with splendor and majesty.
⁴ In your majesty ride forth victoriously
    in the cause of truth, humility and justice;
    let your right hand achieve awesome deeds.
⁵ Let your sharp arrows pierce the hearts of the king’s enemies;
    let the nations fall beneath your feet.
⁶ Your throne, O God,^[c] will last for ever and ever;
    a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.

The judicious Calvin, as I have read, allowed that only those Psalms quoted in the New Testament as Messianic were to be treated as Messianic Psalms.  This seems a safe way to understand those ancient writings.  This degree of conservatism became unpopular in the 18^th century and has been nearly forgotten in our time.  Be that as it may, the 45^th Psalm is accepted by all Evangelicals as a Messianic Psalm.

This assures us that we receive real truth about the Person and Work of the Messiah in such a Psalm.  The New Testament will give us no information about Messiah that does not agree with and confirm the Psalmist.  So whatever truth is found in the 45^th Psalm will be true about Messiah as He is the deliverer of God’s people.

The translation used is the NIV.  It is not my favorite, though my copy is the translation completed in about 1972 and I find it very helpful particularly in the Old Testament.  This Psalm is one of the Old Testament examples of the accuracy of translation.

There are 4 principle truths in this passage.  When these truths are recognized the Person and Work of Christ becomes increasingly clear.  They are:

1.       VS 2  The excellence of Messiah is declared and that in the superlative degree.  Two results of His excellence is named.

a. His speech is gracious, Luke 4:14-15, 17-22.  However angry His auditors would become, the fulfillment of Scripture and their attestation had already been given to the grace and authority of His words.

b.  He, in all He did, is blessed or accredited by God and that forever.  Christ failed in nothing He did; attempted anything He did not complete; taught anything that was not absolute truth.  He, as He said of Himself, always pleased the Father.

     2.   VS 3  Messiah is a warrior King.

a.  His armor is complete.  He has all the equipment He needs to guarantee His victory.  In Revelation 19:15 this sword is seen coming from His mouth and subduing His enemies.  He is the mighty conqueror.

b.  His armor, described so perfectly in Revelation 1, is perfect to protect Him and overwhelm His enemies.  The description in Psalm 45 is “splendor and majesty.”  In the words of Scripture and the hymns of the church, His majesty is overwhelming.

   3.  VS 4  Messiah does not enter the list with any doubt in the outcome.  Just as He comes in majesty (His 

         birth and His baptism), He comes victoriously.  When on the cross the world saw a condemned and  

        defeated revolutionary, God displayed his victory banner in Messiah’s atoning sacrifice.

            a.  Messiah’s kingdom is described in its boundaries, truth, humility, and righteousness.

In the beatitudes kingdom nature conduct is described.  In Matt. 6:33 the guarantee of Kingdom provision is announced.  But note the qualification, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and its righteousness.”

b.  Who can count His deeds.  It is enough to exclaim with John,  21:25 And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.

    4.  VSS 5-6  Messiah’s Kingdom is guaranteed to have success and longevity.

            a.  The King has enemies and they will be defeated.  Phil. 2:10-11 ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, ¹¹ and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.    The absolute Lordship of Messiah is stated.  It has been well said that all, each and every soul, will bow to the resurrected Christ.  Some by grace and some by judgment--but all shall bow.

Let me complete this by stating without doubt and emphatically Jesus’ Kingdom is not waiting.  He came into the world as King and He has never been less than that.  As He was King first in the stable, then King upon the Cross, he now reigns as absolute monarch of all at the Father’s right hand. 

Even so, “Come Lord Jesus.”

THE BEAUTY OF THE SAVIOR....Understanding important truths from the Bible….

Psalm 45:2  NKJV

You are fairer than the sons of men;
Grace is poured upon Your lips;
Therefore God has blessed You forever..

Those of you who have known me for a while know of my love for the Psalms.  Through the years as I have become more familiar with them my appreciation has increased as the joy I have in them has abounded.

I love Psalm One.  The 23^rd Psalm is for me both a theological masterpiece and a practical amazement.  I love Psalm 51, and Psalm 73 is for me a friend, counselor, and my resting place in discouragement.  And I cannot complete this small survey without mentioning Psalm 96 and 99.  They need no recommendation.

But for beauty, theology, and descriptive literature--both prophetic and practical--there is no equal to Psalm 45.  This without doubt is a Messianic Psalm.  As a lover of Scripture it does not matter if you subscribe to fewer or a greater number of Messianic Psalms this one makes the list.

Verse one is An alert to us what is to come.  The author “boils” with his subject and his desire to address it.  He has difficulty holding it in.  The subject threatens to boil over as he considers it.

In verse two we find him beginning an extensive description of his subject.  There are three grand statements made.  Any one of them is adequate for an extensive study.  But briefly: 

1.  You are fairer (more beautiful) than the sons of men.  Very rarely were Hebrew men handsome.  It is so unusual that whenever it is so, attention is drawn to that person, such as David’s unusual comeliness.  So this must not be taken to mean physical beauty.  The person described as “fair” in this way would be one with natural features that did not draw attention to defects, one that had the charisma that lights up a room, and a personality that displayed his equity and amiable disposition.  This one described in Psalm 45 had this “fair” quality in a superlative degree, above that of the natural male population.  As the kings of Israel were all “sons of men”, this is something other than a normal quality.  The humanity of Christ should not ever be considered separate from his superlative natural beauty.
2. Grace is poured upon your lips.  This can mean nothing less than he was endowed with a superlative measure of grace in his speech.  Those who heard Jesus speak we are told “listened gladly.”  His enemies said of Him, “no man ever spoke as this man”.  I have a red letter Bible that I use frequently.  I did not choose it, it was given to me.  I would rather not have Christ’s words set apart because all the words of Scripture are there by God’s choice.  But you cannot tell me that there is not something different in His words.  They marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth.  We should marvel also at the grace beyond measure which was poured into His lips.
3. Therefore God has blessed you forever.  Calvin translated “therefore” as “because”.  He understood the “beauty” and “grace” to have a cause, God had blessed Him.  He went on to say these qualities, His beauty and gracious speech, were ample reasons to understand His special standing with God.

This would mean we should understand that in Himself and His words He is come as our mediator.  This is His commitment to bring us to God.  He is well fitted to do this.

CHURCH RULERS....Understanding important truths from the Bible….

II Chronicles 20:20  NKJV

"So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.”

Hebrews 13:17

 Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.

James 3:1

My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.

The statement in II Chronicles above has long fascinated me.  The dependence on human teachers is one of long-standing.  This of course applies to the inspired writers of Scripture, but goes further and is applied to instructors who are in the church for that purpose.

Both the Hebrews passage and that in James 3:1 can hardly mean inspired men.  Both are speaking of men who have authoritative positions, “those who rule over you.”  It is masculine in gender in the original so we’re to understand it speaking of male rule.

This statement along with I Thess. 5:12-13 are ample instruction as to rule and submission. ¹² And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, ¹³ and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. Be at peace among yourselves.  This should not be ignored.  There is rule in the church which demands submission to those who are said “to be over you in the Lord.”

When James’ admonition to teachers is included there is another consideration to this teaching rule.  The person who assumes the post also assumes a responsibility for which he must answer.  And he must answer without exception.  He cannot claim an excuse of lesser ability or poorer preparation.  The fact that he assumes the position of teacher takes these excuses from him.  As a brother in the Lord he may have these excuses.  As a teacher he has forfeited the right to them.

There are two matters of concern as we consider those who “rule” in the church.

The first is their failure to do the task of ruling.  They should superintend the doctrine, the discipline, and the responsibility to evangelize.  But all too often they are passive in these responsibilities as a result there is rowdyism in the church; there is no doctrinal knowledge or standard; and the church fails in its responsibility to be God’s means for calling the Elect.

Secondly church rulers assume authority in areas that are not their responsibility.  And instead of being Godly rulers they are devilish tyrants.  The Roman Catholic Inquisition is an example of the tyrannical activity of church rulers who do not care for their responsibility but love the authority they can acquire.

Closer to home, we have churches where the rulers choose the partners in marriage, the vocation of members, and in extreme instances the Koolaid they drink.  This is tyrannical and it is intolerable.  There is no excuse for it.

I am fascinated that the “stricter judgment” to be received by Christian teachers is poorly understood and so generally disregarded.  This judgment is evidently by God and man.  Is it any wonder that false, failing, and fallen preachers bring so much reproach on the church.  We deserve it.

THE ROCK....Understanding important truths from the Bible….

Matthew 16:18  NKJV

And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

I love the Church.  And when I say this I mean the local manifestation of it, wherever it is found.  But there must be a disclaimer stated here, “All buildings which have the name Church on them do not house a church and all groups who call themselves a church do not make it so.

There are certain distinguishing marks of the church which are found where that name is claimed.

First is the truth that any true church is the House of God, I Timothy 3:15 but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.  This brings both a realization and a responsibility.  When Jacob first left his parents to seek a wife of his father’s countrymen, he had an experience that cannot be overstated in its importance to him and to us.  This is found in Genesis 28:16-19  Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.”¹⁷ And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!”

¹⁸ Then Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put at his head, set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on top of it. ¹⁹ And he called the name of that place Bethel; but the name of that city had been Luz previously.  The statement with which I am concerned is found in VSS 16-17, 19, “This is none other than the house of God.”  The place was actually a desert spot where he lay his head on a stone.  But there was established the great truth “Bethel” is where God is.

For any particular church to be a true church God must be there.  This is the issue.  All people who believe there is a God, believe He is there where they assemble.  How easily Matthew 18:20 comes to the lips of men who want to claim their church has God’s presence.  For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”  This is thought to be enough.  Nothing else is required other than a gathering in His name.

Jesus left to His Church--and this Church is known only by its local expression--three particular necessities.  He left a government, He left gifts, and He left sufficient grace.  It is a true church only where these are found.

A church in disorder without any governmental oversight is not Bethel.  A church without the gifts of Pastors and teachers is not Bethel.  A church that does not live in the abundant grace of Christ is not Bethel.

Too long we have excused local assemblies who demonstrate none of the characteristics of God’s church.  We have allowed undisciplined congregations, ungifted and unbiblical ministries, and gospel-denying groups to claim the authority of God’s church.

A holy gathering of converted people in the name of the Triune God for the purpose of worship and testimony is a beautiful sight and in this day equally rare.

In Exodus 32:6 we find that they “sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play”.  A more apt description of most particular churches cannot be found.  But it only happens after the calf has been accepted in the name of “The Lord”.

A BLOG FROM LUTHER....Understanding important truths from the Bible….

Martin Luther lived from 1483-1546.  He is credited with being the volcano which erupted into the Reformation.  Whatever one thinks of Luther, it must be admitted he was fearless in his defense of Scripture.  Please read this carefully.  The criticism of Luther is equally applicable today.

We have within us many sins against our Lord God, and which justly displease him: such as anger, impatience, covetousness, greediness, incontinence, hatred, malice, etc.  These are great sins, which everywhere in the world go on with power, and get the upper hand.  Yet these are nothing in comparison of contemning of God’s word; yea, all these would remain uncommitted, if we did but love and reverence that.  But, alas! The whole world is drowned in this sin.  No man cares a filip for the Gospel, all snarl at and persecute it, holding it as no sin.  I behold with wonder in the church, that among the hearers, one looks this way, another that; and that among so great a multitude, few come to hear the sermon.  This sin is so common, that people will not confess it to be like other sins; every one deems it a slight thing to hear a discourse without attention, and not diligently to mark, learn, and inwardly digest it.  It is not so about other sins; as murder, adultery, thieving, etc.  For, after these sins, in due time follow grief, sorrow of heart, and remorse.  But not to hear God’s word with diligence, yea, to contemn, to persecute it, of this many makes no account.  Yet it is a sin so fearful, that for the committing

it both land and people must be destroyed, as it went with Jerusalem, with Rome, Greece and other kingdoms.

Table Talk, Harper Collins Fount Classics, Reprint 1995 Pg 124-125, Martin Luther, Translated by Robert Von de Weyer.

A FOOL’S COUNSELOR....Understanding important truths from the Bible….

Psalm 14:1 NKJV

The fool has said in his heart,
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt,
They have done abominable works,
There is none who does good.

Psalm 53:1

The fool has said in his heart,
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity;
There is none who does good.

We know he is a fool--he seeks his own counsel.  The Lord in Luke 12:16-21 begins in VS 17 to describe a certain man and He says, “He thought within himself” and concludes by saying in VS 20, “But God said to him, Fool!”  It seems as if a sure way to be a fool is to think you have within yourself the answer to those profound questions to which God alone can give you an answer.

Rolf Barnard, a Baptist Evangelist I knew in the 60’s, translated the Psalmist as saying, “No God for me.”  If it can be that this is so that the Hebrew, “No God” is as Barnard said, then I would like to add it might be “No God but me.”

In Psalm 50:16 “God says to the wicked….”VS 21, “You thought I was altogether like you.”  Therefore explaining the common fault of the wicked to be measuring God by themselves, or thinking of God as one with them, “No God but me.”

The Atheist thinks there is no God because he has not been able to find God in the phenomena with which he is familiar.  He is as Elijah on the mountaintop.  Elijah has his expectation of how God must appear in I Kings 18:11-12.  This is not to misinform us.  It is not saying God is never in a great strong wind or an earthquake, or a fire.  It is telling us that God comes in ways man does not expect and he, man, cannot expect God to appear in his prescribed ways.

The fool makes the following demands of God by which he could prove His existence.

1.       He must appear upon the demands of the one who needs Him.  If he, the one making the demand, doesn’t need Him, He can remain hidden.

2.      He must provide what is demanded of Him.  It may be health, or wealth, necessary provision, or deliverance from dire straits.  If He fails to do this then He must not exist.

3.      He must speak, do, and be only those things man can explain “scientifically” or “rationally”.  A miracle or truth that is undesirable quickly establishes “No God for me.”

Listen both carefully and joyfully to the Psalmist’s conclusion in Psalm 5:11-12.

¹¹ But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You;
Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them;
Let those also who love Your name
Be joyful in You.
¹² For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous;
With favor You will surround him as with a shield.

THE SINNING SAINT....Understanding important truths from the Bible….

I John 2:1  NKJV

My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

John is adamant from front to back that  a Christian should not sin.  His primary reason is given in chapter 1 vs 5.  He there states his premise, the same as Isaiah 6:3 and other instances where God’s absolute holiness is revealed,  And one cried to another and said:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;

The whole earth is full of His glory!”

All that follows must be understood from the background of 1:5, This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.

In I John 2:1 there is a conditional statement “If anyone sins.”  But the condition is not doubt of the sin of those to whom he speaks.  If this is so it makes the advocacy of Christ conditional.  The condition is the unique way of dealing with the Saint’s sin.  This has the single solution of the Advocate.  This one brings to His task three qualifications.

1.  He is an advocate “with the Father.”  There is no higher appeal.  He is able to appear at the Supreme Court level.  The determination made here is final.  It will not be overruled.  All that “light” represents in 1:5 will be satisfied here.
2. He is “Jesus Christ the righteous.”  This assures us of His ability to do His task of advocacy.  He is able to satisfy “light” in which there is “no darkness at all”.

Some would make light of the absolute demands for an impeccable Christ.  This requirement of Him justifies our defense of His impeccability.  For note the description, not who did righteousness, but “the righteous”.  His nature is at issue.  And to this we reply “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”  His character is unchanging.

3.  I John 2:2 He is the propitiation for our sins.  The NASB translates “propitiation” as “atoning sacrifice.”  This is very good.  It is His sacrificial death that covers for sins.  Just as He is an advocate, as He is righteous, He is the atoning sacrifice.  Whatever the price of sin is: the offended law, the glory of God, the personal rebellion of the offender, or the wages that is due to sin this “propitiation” is adequate.
4.  “Not for ours only but for the whole world”, the last doubt is dispelled and the last question is answered.  For those who would ask, “Who, when, and where?”  They have their answer.  It is for anyone in any time and anywhere.  In 2014, in country Texas, for me it is the only thing that will and does satisfy God.  And I must say it more than satisfies me.

THE HOLE WE CAN’F FILL....Understanding important truths from the Bible….

Ecclesiastes 3:11  NKJV

 Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.

It is dangerous to teach from Ecclesiastes.  Understanding here is like holding water in your hand.  You’re never sure you have it and if it is going to get away.  I have studied Ecclesiastes, read commentaries, both old and new, which attempt to explain the method and the message, but there is little certainty in all these attempts.

In Ecclesiastes 3:11 quoted above, we find a hint of a great truth.  It is at least some insight into the Image of God man retains.  The Image has left an unfillable hole in man’s life that nothing less than God can fill.

It is a question whether man is motivated by greed, desire for power, or lust.  In every instance of man’s extreme ambition either one or some combination of these factors are found.

Hitler wanted to rule the universe.  Rockefeller wanted some more.  All the purveyors of hedonism seek to fulfill their lives with the satisfaction of their lust.  But always there is a hole that can’t be filled.

Eternity by definition falls into the category of the infinite.  Whatever is infinite can never be satisfied by the finite.  There is no amount represented by numbers that reach to infinity.

It seems as if St. Augustine has an inkling of this when he uttered that famous statement that is quoted so often, “You made us for yourself and our heart is restless until it reposes in You”, The Confession of St. Augustine.  The emptiness of the heart cannot find anything to fill it until God resumes His residence there.

 The heart that God fills is like a container dropped into the ocean, it can never be empty again.  The need for eternity has found the Infinite and it is enough.

KNOWING GOD....Understanding important truths from the Bible….

Jeremiah 31:34  NKJV

  

Christians of all persuasions have come to recognize that we are “new covenant” children of God.  And that is good.

Paul in II Corinthians and in Hebrews makes this covenant central in our relationship to God.  In the Lord’s Supper the cup is called “the new covenant” by Jesus.  The importance of the New Covenant can hardly be over-emphasized.

The interesting point in this covenant is the place of the knowledge of God.  It is placed in the context of the covenant in such a way as to make it the identifying feature of those who are included under its provisions, “for they shall know me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord.”

The “least to the greatest” makes this an inclusive classification.  It is a clear statement of identification, “each and every one of them shall know me”.  None who are included under this covenant are outside the description.  They will “each and every one of them” know the Lord.

A clear illustration of the opposite is Pharaoh in Exodus 5:2 And Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, nor will I let Israel go.”  In this statement of confession of Pharaoh there is the status of every unbeliever, “I do not know the Lord.”  I Cor. 1:21A For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 

There is a division.  Clearly there are two categories given to us.  In one, those favored by God, know Him.  Those estranged from Him do not know Him. Men are  ignorant of God as it says in Eph. 4:18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart;

Knowing all this and knowing that it is common truth to Evangelical Christianity, how can there be Christians who do not know God?  Is that not a contradiction?

They are skeptics about the most basic truths.  They do not believe He is Creator.  They do not believe He can be the author of miracles such as Jonah, or Christ’s miracles, or Christ’s resurrection.  They do not believe that He alone is the Savior of sinners.  They do not believe He is the inspired author of Scripture.  If you get down to the bottom line they do not really believe God is necessary.

Why are they received into and continue as members of churches?  One, they are moral.  Two, they can be depended on for necessary tasks.  And three, the most important, they give.

These are not Pharisees, they are Sadducees.  And while they cannot be expected to be sanctified, we will try to educate them into knowing God.

THE SABBATH....Understanding important truths from the Bible….

Exodus 20:8-11  NKJV

⁸ “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. ⁹ Six days you shall labor and do all your work, ¹⁰ but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. ¹¹ For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.

The origin of the thoughts for today are continuing discussion in our home.  There are certain facts about the Lord’s Day as it is observed by Christians and considerable opinion.  As in all instances our opinions should be informed by fact, but often they are not.  Often our opinions are no more than that.  And as such they have no real authority.

I intend to state what I know to be facts and if I misstate or miss any, it is due to my limited knowledge.  It is not intentional.  For as a Southern protestant there has for me been so much tradition, confusion, and superstition about the Lord’s Day it is difficult to be consistent in any Biblical understanding.

The facts as I understand them are:

1.  From the giving of the Ten Commandments Israel was distinguished by the Sabbath.  The 4^th commandment is directed particularly toward the Seventh Day Rest, but it included the requirement to observe all the Sabbaths that were in the Mosaic Institution.
2. The Lord’s Day has been understood historically by Christians to represent Christ’s resurrection (no Easter), and to have superseded the Seventh Day Sabbath.  It came to be designated as the “Christian Sabbath.”
3. There is disagreement in the Reformed Confessional Christian community about what the Sabbath is to be in the New Testament.

This difference is seen clearly in the difference between the statements in the Heidelberg Catechism written in 1563 and the Westminster Confession completed in 1646.  Though these confessions are radically different about the Sabbath- the Westminster Confession in what it does say and the Heidelberg Confession in what it doesn’t say--those using them do not doubt the confessional orthodoxy of those who use the other.

4.  The Westminster Confession with the catechisms is the only major Reformed Confession expressing the extended Christian Sabbath view.  This view is by and large a Biblical casuistry produced by British Puritanism.

I must, at this point, make a two-fold confession.  As a Reformed Presbyterian minister my confession has always been the Westminster Confession of Faith with the catechisms.  I do not desire to recant or change that in any way.

Secondly, I have been, since being introduced to them, an admirer, a reader of, and a student of English Puritans.  Some of the greatest theological works and practical Christian books were written by Puritans.

5.  Having to acknowledge the confessional differences and the difference among Christians from Lutherans to Charismatics, I have come to the following opinion—please note, opinion.

A.     There is a 4^th commandment.  At the least this is a demand for us to recognize God’s right to our time and the necessity of time to worship Him.

B.     There are some who have confessional requirements.  Some of the requirements are more strict, some less.  But confessional integrity requires that I recognize the words of my Confession.  If I ignore these you have a right to doubt my integrity.  Some such as I have taken an exception to the Confessional view of the Sabbath.  My Presbytery has allowed this.

C.     In matters such as these where the Scriptures are not clear we must allow difference.

As my brother coming from a Reformed Church into a Presbyterian Church would have to recognize the change in his confession, so one going into a church with the Heidelberg Catechism  would see it giving us the very least we can say about the Lord’s Day.

Heidelberg Catechism

Q. 103  What does God require in the fourth commandment?

A.  First, that the ministry of the gospel and Christian education be maintained, and that I diligently attend church, especially on the Lord’s day, to hear the Word of God, to participate in the holy Sacraments, to call publicly upon the Lord, and to give Christian service to those in need.  Second, that I cease from my evil works all the days of my life, allow the Lord to work in me through his Spirit, and thus begin in this life the eternal Sabbath. 

But always remember the Heidelberg Catechism begins with Question 1.

What is your only comfort, in life and in death?

A.    That I belong—body and soul, in life and in death—not to myself but to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ, who at the cost of his own blood has fully paid for all my sins and has completely freed me from the dominion of the devil; that he protects me so well that without the will of my Father in heaven not a hair can fall from my head; indeed, that everything must fit his purpose for my salvation.  Therefore, by his Holy Spirit, he also assures me of eternal life, and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.

AMEN!

GARDENING IN EGYPT....Understanding important truths from the Bible….

Numbers 11:4-6  KJV

⁴ And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat?

⁵ We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick:

⁶ But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes.

The mixed multitude came with Israel out of Egypt.  Though not a lot is known about them, wherever they are mentioned Israel will have a problem.  They can be called unconverted church members.  There was a book written in 1988 Antagonist In The Church by Kenneth Haugk that describes them very well.

The subject of our text warns that very innocent things can become objects of lust.

The actions and attitude of both the mixed multitude and Israel raise three questions.

1.  Were vegetables grown in Egypt unclean?  There is nothing in the Law that describes them as such so the conclusion is that they are not prohibited.
2. Is there anything wrong with natural hunger?  The provision made for Adam and Eve, and since with mankind assure us that hunger is a part of our created nature and is not a result of the fall.
3. What then was Israel’s sin?  It appears to be at least two-fold.

1.       They listened to the mixed multitude.

2.      They ignored God and desired other things.

Having said this, what in particular do these three verses teach us.?

1.  VS 4  The activity of the mixed multitude gives fair warning that, separate from the New birth, you can take sinners out of the world but you can’t take the world out of sinners.  The nature of man which is sinful will find a way to express itself.
2. VSS 4C-5  Bad company corrupts good manners.  One’s companions matter.  The great danger those who leave prison face is falling back into the “old game”.  Your witness will not be effective while dancing and drinking in bars with sinners.
3. VS 6  A failure to appreciate God’s grace brings a distaste for His provision.    Manna is referred to in the Scriptures as Angel’s food.  It is referred to as a table set for them in the wilderness.  Manna was a provision on which their children grew and they were all healthy and strong.  It, when eaten as they were instructed, was both tasteful and adequate for all their needs.

The manna was the same—it had not changed.  They listened to a bad message from the wrong source with a destructive result.

I once preached regularly at the Star of Hope Mission in downtown Houston.  One of the derelicts there had written in a hymnal, “Man shall not live by bread alone, he must have peanut butter.”  This is the essence of rebellion millenniums before.  Israel had said “Man shall not live by God’s word, he must have cucumbers”.

Give us children’s programs (nothing wrong with these), give us contemporary music (maybe nothing wrong with this), give us a relevant message (no sin, no judgment, no repentance, no hell-fire and brimstone, no law) and we will come.

And no more manna!