Category: redemption
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Book of Revelation
Part I
Introduction
1:1-8
AUDIO FOR THIS SERMON CAN BE FOUND HERE
His name was Domitian. And he was as much of a moral reprobate and degenerate as one could imagine.
– History tells us he was a serial philanderer; even seducing the wives of high ranking Roman officials.
– When his own brother had become gravely ill, he ordered everyone to leave him for dead before he actually died.
– When the chief vestal virgin in Rome was found to have been less than chaste, he had her buried alive and her lovers beaten to death.
– He once had someone put to death just for making a joke about him.
– He seduced his married niece, and caused her death in forcing her into an abortion.
– He was physically unattractive. He apparently had a festering wart on his forehead which he was known to scratch at until it bled.
– He was touchy about being bald, had what we would call a beer gut and spindly legs.
– He insisted on being addressed as “Lord and God”.
– And he was Emperor of the Roman Empire. The man in power over the 7 cities – the churches and the citizens – mentioned in vs. 4. Those Christians to whom the book is written.
– He had a dislike of and willingness to, persecute Christians.
What were Christians to do with such a leader in “The White House” of that day?
– When John writes this book, it is 60 years or more since the death of Jesus.
– John is the last living Apostle, and he is in exile, and a very old man.
– Jesus hasn’t returned, though many – if not most – had expected Him to in their lifetimes.
– Was the Church through?
– As we’ll see in the weeks to come, even these Churches who are addressed directly by Jesus are for the most part in poor spiritual health.
– Was there a future for Believers?
– Had Christianity run its course?
– What were they to think and do in light of these facts?
This is why the Book of Revelation was written.
It was written to Christians who were somewhat disillusioned, troubled, suffering, facing great uncertainty and wondering just where they fit into the scheme of things.
It was written for you and me.
The opening 8 verses we have before us today are meant to prepare John’s readers and all the following generations to see things not only as they are horizontally, but from God’s perspective.
The book is meant to remind us that God is still on the Throne. The program has not changed. Jesus is still coming. And for Christians in every generation and under all circumstances to live with eyes wide open to what is really going on in the greater scheme of things.
We’ll look at this opening portion in 4 bits.
1-3 / Setting the Table
4-5a / Grace and Peace in a Troubled Time
5b-6 / A Cause for Worship
7-8 / The Coming One
But a few words more of preparation might be useful here.
F.F. Bruce tells the story of a Christian at a university passing out free copies of a modern English New Testament to students. They were free on condition the recipient agreed to read it.
As it happened, he later ran into one of those he had given a New Testament to, and stopped to ask if he had read it, and if so, how it went?
The student replied, “Yes, I did, read it.” When the Evangelist asked him what he thought – he said “Well, it was all right. A bit repetitious at the front end where they sort of tell the same story four times, but I sure liked that bit of science fiction at the end.”[1]
Lots of people come to the Book of Revelation with a similar thought in mind. It’s a bit more like science fiction than anything else in the Bible – except for a few parts in Ezekiel, and Daniel and a few others.
It doesn’t take long to realize you’re reading something very different than the historical narratives, or the teaching parables of Jesus or the apostolic letters we’ve been going through.
And while the form – know as “apocalyptic” literature may be quite foreign to us – to John’s 1st century readers, it was not all that odd at all. And a big part of getting at this book is reminding ourselves to try and see it the way those early readers would have read it.
Above all, we need to keep 2 things in mind:
1 – That it is the only book in the whole of the Bible that has a special blessing attached to it as an incentive: Revelation 1:3 “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.”
2 – As D. A. Carson notes: It is not meant to be a puzzle book, to be decoded so that we can understand times and dates for the return of Christ – but it is rather a picture book, using imagery to communicate very practical, powerful and important ideas.
Yes, it is full of symbols. This is the nature of Jewish apocalyptic literature. Some of them are consistent with and explained in other parts of Scripture, and so are fairly easy to figure out:
There are Standard symbols – Horns = Kings or Kingdoms
And a bird’s eye view of things is common. Often the scene changes so that we see things from overhead – from Heaven’s point of view rather than horizontally.
Anyone who has spent any time at all with the book knows that there are a few different fundamental ways of looking at the book.
Perhaps most common in American Evangelicalism today is what is called the “Furturistic” view.
That Revelation is mostly describing events future to both John’s Day AND ours. Dispensational Premillennialism takes this view. From 4:1 – on everything is still future. However, this seems to ignore how the 1st readers would have understood some of the symbolism.
A second view and virtually on the opposite end of the spectrum is the “Preterist” view; where virtually all of what Revelation depicts is already past. It was even when John wrote it. In this view, the events are considered mainly about the fall of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. & persecution of Nero.
Third most common is the “Historicist” view. The idea that the book paints all of Church history from 1st century until the end. Our job is find out where we are on that continuum. This was a trend during the Reformation.
Lastly is what we might call the “Principial” view. Revelation is just painting a Christian philosophy of history – of the struggle between good and evil.
In reality, I think there is reason for seeing all of these as having something of truth in them. We’ll see that more clearly as we progress. A problem arises however when we try to force everything in the book into one of these views exclusively.
I take my cue from a repeated concept in the text itself that seems to require me as a reader to re-adjust my view at various times in the book.
Revelation 1:1–2 “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.”
We can note a couple of things here.
- It is a REVELATION, not something hidden and unknowable. Not mysterious.
- It was a revelation given to Jesus by God the Father – to show Jesus’ servants things that should soon take place. And then Jesus sent an angel to reveal it to John. So it is throughout we’ll encounter angels showing and explaining things to John.
- John wrote it down as the “testimony” of Jesus Christ. As Jesus’ sworn word.
I. 1-2 / Setting the Table
“The revelation of Jesus Christ.”
Question? Is it a revelation ABOUT Jesus Christ? Or the revelation that BELONGS to Jesus Christ?
There’s lots of debate over that point, but I will settle the argument by saying categorically – yes. It is both.
God the Father directed that Jesus give this revelation concerning how Jesus’ person and work are central to all God’s eternal plans and purposes – in a special manner to the Church.
“The things that must soon take place.”
The original readers were to understand that at least a good portion of this book applied to them in their time and in their place.
The term doesn’t refer to things that will quickly happen or begin to happen soon, as much as to things which are already underway and moving toward fullness are in motion.
As we’ll see in the next 2 chapters, there are 7 letters written to 7 churches that were in existence then – and The risen Christ not only has something to say to each of them in their individual contexts, but He also says at the end of each letter: “Let he who has an ear hear what the Spirit says to the CHURCHES.” In others words, each is to listen to all of God’s counsel for everyone – and that would mean for you and me as well.
Having been given this revelation by the Father to give to the Churches, Jesus then sent an angel to unpack it all for John.
John then was directed to make it known to the Church by means of letters to the 7 Churches in Asia – 7 copies of the whole to be sent out.
And with it comes this “blessing” to all who read it and “keep” it – treasure it up and guard it all.
II. 4-5a / Grace and Peace in a Troubled Time
Rev. 1:4–5a “John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.”
John – to you Believers. I want you to know that in these dark, confusing, difficult times; God wants you to be at peace, as you stand in the knowledge that you are the recipients of God’s overflowing, infinite, unspeakable and glorious FAVOR in Christ Jesus!
See the “who is and who was and who is to come”?
We see this again in 1:8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
And then again in 1:17–19 “When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this.”
In other words, there will be things in the book that refer to what is happening right now in the world of the 1st readers, things that have already taken place AND things yet to come.
No one view will take it all in – since God is the God who WAS and IS and IS TO COME.
We get this idea repeated in 2:8; 17:8; 22:13 – even in regard to the devil. God knows all Satan has done, is doing and will do.
So something of how everything will end up in human history, is tied to what is happening at the present and those are both tied to what has come before.
We would expect the Book to give us a view that encompasses all 3 – and we are too narrow if we try and nail it all down and cram it into one perspective only.
Don Carson advises similarly: I think there are all kinds of hints in the book of Revelation that show that although the thing must be interpreted in the first instance against what is going on in the first century, those things themselves become a kind of prefigurement, a kind of announcement, a kind of foretaste of stuff still to come.[2]
[T]he book of Revelation in that regard prepares first-generation Christians for first-generation assaults, but in categories and terms that prepares later-generation Christians for other assaults and ultimately for the final assault. In that sense, I think that there are elements of a futurist view here, too.[3]
“And from the seven spirits who are before His throne.”
This way of referring to the Holy Spirit is most likely drawn from Isa. 11 where we read of the Messiah – Jesus will act under the fullness of the influence of God’s Spirit in all of His glory.
“and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.”
The Triune God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – in a holy conspiracy to bless you with the knowledge of His favor – summed up in this Jesus:
- The Faithful witness: Who remained faithful even in death.
- Firstborn of the dead: Who is the first to rise to a glorified new existence.
- Ruler of Kings on earth: Who is actively reigning over all governments on earth.
III. 5b-6 / A Cause for Worship
Knowing the full favor of the Triune God resting on Believers…
Knowing the faithfulness of Christ in completing what was necessary for our justification – even unto His horrible and violent death…
Knowing Jesus’ resurrection from the dead – conquering death on the 3rd day…
Knowing it is THIS Jesus who is ultimately ruling over every authority structure, government and ruler on earth…
And knowing it is this same Jesus who “loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father,”
“To him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”
John cannot contain himself when he puts this altogether – even though he is an old man, in exile, facing death, and writing to a church that is for all intents and purposes is in a very pitiful spiritual state facing a grave and uncertain future.
Glory!
IV. 7-8 / The Coming One
Revelation 1:7 “Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.”
Given the 6 verses above, John lets out with a powerful exhortation. One we do well to take up in our own day and time:
No Church – don’t give up.
Don’t cave in.
Don’t lose heart.
Don’t imagine the world and the flesh and the devil will win at last – NO MATTER HOW IT LOOKS!
He is STILL COMING.
Every eye will see Him – it will not be some secret spiritual thing.
Even the very ones who pierced Him – of whom almost certainly all were dead in John’s day.
And He will at last deal with ALL of humanity.
DO NOT LOOK AT TODAY WITHOUT REMEMBERING WHAT CHRIST HAS DONE, AND WHAT HE HAS PROMISED FOR THE FUTURE.
Church – Believer – take heart.
He remains the Alpha & Omega – The Beginning of all of God’s plans and purposes in all eternity – and the END for which He has and is doing and WILL do all things.
Nothing can thwart His plans.
Nothing can negate His promises.
No power in Heaven or on earth can alter what He has set into motion.
He will accomplish all He has set out to do.
Kingdoms and governments and world leaders will rise and fall.
Trends will come and go.
The Church and individual Believers will have times of strength and vitality and seasons of failure, persecution, trouble and weakness.
But He is the Alpha and the Omega. All that ever was, is and will be is comprehended in Him.
And it is this Jesus Christ who will return for His own – and finish the course of human history according to His eternal plan.
The Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come – is the Almighty. IT WILL BE DONE!
Hallelujah!
This is the joy, confidence and security the book of Revelation is meant to give to Christians in every age, and under the most uncertain and oppressive circumstances.
And it serves to keep us from putting any false hope in human institutions and governments.
But if you are not a believer today – and you have never run to Christ for the forgiveness of sins, reconciliation to God the Father through the atoning blood of Christ and submission to His Lordship in repentance for your self-government – this book is meant to do 2 things.
First – to shake your confidence in politics, governments or human goodness as an answer to the world’s needs. In time, every single human institution will fall prey to the deceitfulness of fallen human hearts governed by sin – and will always end in oppression and slavery of heart, soul and mind if not body.
Secondly, to lead you to call upon the Christ for mercy now – before He comes to judge the world and this entire world system – and it is too late to be brought into the Kingdom of God and of His Son Jesus Christ.
It is a call to you – to turn from your sin of self-reliance and self-government and the false hope in the goodness of humanity – to the one and only hope” Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God.
[1] D. A. Carson, “Revelation—Part 1,” in D. A. Carson Sermon Library (Bellingham, WA: Faithlife, 2016).
[2] D. A. Carson, “Revelation—Part 1,” in D. A. Carson Sermon Library (Bellingham, WA: Faithlife, 2016).
[3] D. A. Carson, “Revelation—Part 1,” in D. A. Carson Sermon Library (Bellingham, WA: Faithlife, 2016).
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This interview is with Costi Hinn. If that last name sounds familiar, it is because Costi is the nephew of Benny Hinn – the faith-healer / prosperity preacher.
Costi’s journey out of the hyper-charismatic movement is interesting to say the least, and important for many.
This is NOT a hit-piece on Benny Hinn. He is very cautious there. This is about coming to grips with Biblical doctrine and how it changes your perspective and life.
Give a listen.
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Three Crosses
Three Resurrections
AUDIO FOR THIS SERMON CAN BE FOUND HERE
Matthew 27:37–44 (ESV) And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left. And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ” And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way.
Luke 23:32–43 (ESV) Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.” One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
The Gospel accounts of Matt. 27 & Luke 23 are clear that Jesus was not the only one crucified by the Romans that day.
2 others were also put to death. Both of them were thieves – common robbers.
3 Men.
All condemned to die.
3 Crosses
3 very different deaths.
And in the end, 3 very different resurrections.
Except in rare cases, crucifixion was reserved for those who were not Romans citizens, and most typically for slaves and thieves.
Thus here is Jesus, between these 2.
All disowned, abused, mocked and treated with the utmost contempt.
But something happens which we might not have expected.
It is the exchange between these 3.
An odd exchange since we have no hint they knew each other at all before the tragic events that were their mutual deaths.
But God’s providence rules the events of our lives – those who belong to Christ, and those who do not.
And certainly the steps of the Son of God – seeing that He came to be God’s lamb of atonement for human sin – had been leading up to the Cross since the day He was miraculously conceived.
Matt. 27:44 notes that both of the thieves began to hurl insults at Jesus, even as the crowd around them did.
Maybe they thought joining in would buy them some relief by those who seemed so incensed at Jesus.
These were just common thieves. No one was there to make a big deal out of their crucifixions.
No one posted a charge above their heads like the one above Jesus’ head: “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”
His humiliation was far greater than theirs.
Priests and Pharisees and Scribes and Sadducees had gathered around to mock and shame this Jesus.
It is often the case with those who are in dire straits, they lash out at others. And in this case, these 2 join in the jeering and mocking of the very Son of God.
Then at some point, the jeering escalates.
We aren’t told why, but one of the thieves takes up the same theme as the Rulers and the Soldiers: If you are the Christ – save yourself! And more – save us too!
And then, again, unexplained, one of the 2 thieves suddenly reverses course and rebukes the one who is excoriating Jesus the worst.
Three crosses.
Three condemned men.
But how infinitely different from one another.
Let us note the cross of Jesus 1st – which we might call “The Cross of Redemption.”
We come to Him first because He was the first to die out of the 3, and because the deaths of the other 2 need to be understood in light of His.
This man Jesus, had no sin of His own
He had no guilt of His own
In fact, this man knew He could offer forgiveness to others
And this man proffered that forgiveness
At one point He gasps: “Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
Oh, they knew well enough they were murdering an innocent man in His case.
The soldiers knew they were being unmercifully cruel.
The Jewish leaders knew they had Him crucified out of envy – and that He was not guilty of what they had accused Him.
Pilate knew he had condemned an innocent man in order to appease the Jewish leadership and keep from being pitted against Caesar.
These things they all knew full well.
What none of them knew – at least not yet, was that it was the sinless, spotless, holy Son of the Living God they were murdering that day.
They did not know that at that very moment, the one who was giving and sustaining their lives was the One whose life they were taking.
They did not know they were killing the very One they would one day stand before as their Judge and the Judge of all human kind – in the tribunal of perfect holiness.
They did not know how this man looked to His loving Father – even while enduring the wrath of God for the sins of the others (Into your hands, I commend my spirit)
They did not know, the Father’s plan, was to bruise Him for our iniquities
To lay upon His shoulders, the chastisement of our peace
They did not know He was making an atonement for sin, so that guilty sinners might be reconciled to the God who made them in His own image, and whose rule and righteousness they had spurned since birth.
They did not know He was the Savior of the world.
And that He alone could forgive their sins and cleanse them away in the very blood they were spilling.
Jesus’ cross, was indeed, THE CROSS OF REDEMPTION
On one side of the Cross of redemption tho, stood “The Cross of Refusal” – The Cross of the Unrepentant Thief.
This man didn’t care about his own sin – even when confronted with it by his fellow thief: “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.”
Like so many even today, this man didn’t worry about his own guilt
This man didn’t worry about the need for forgiveness
He focused upon another to keep his mind from going there
This man, therefore, didn’t seek forgiveness
This man berated Christ
He remained blind to his desperate need for redemption as he neared his last breath
More – he refused to believe what he heard and saw
And the text would indicate there was no change in him – that he perished in that state
This, was THE CROSS OF REFUSAL
But then, on the other side of Jesus, there is the 3rd cross – we’ll call it – THE CROSS OF REPENTANCE
The Cross of the Repentant Thief.
This man started by berating Christ with the other thief – but turned, repented, and instead of condemning Jesus, now blessed, defended and turned to Him as his needed Savior.
This man knew his sin
This man knew his guilt
This man knew he needed forgiveness
This man sought forgiveness
And he looked to Christ for it
This man got the forgiveness and grace he sought, because of Christ.
This man heard the eternal Son of God promise him: “Truly, I say to you, today, you will be with me in paradise.”
And by God’s grace I can say today this is My cross.
And for all who look to Christ that we might not be judged –
I pray it is your cross too.
But just as there were 3 crosses, and 3 different deaths, so too Scriptures notes there are 3 resurrections. And this being Easter Sunday – Resurrection Day, it is fitting we see the wonder of this spectacle as well as the other.
And so in the same order, we look first at the resurrection of Jesus.
It was only 3 days later.
As we heard in the account read for us, women who had followed Jesus came early in the morning, the 1st day of the week to anoint His body with spices and to honor Him in His death.
But He wasn’t there.
Met by angels who told them He had risen from the dead, they were stunned, confused, amazed, and eventually overcome with the realization that it was true – and over time, what it meant.
For as we read in Scripture – He was raised up to justify those He died to save.
Raised as proof that His sacrifice was received by the Father as sufficient, and the basis upon which salvation and the forgiveness of sins can be preached to the world.
Raised to ascend on high to take His place at the right hand of the Father, far above every power and principality and authority in this age and in the one to come.
Raised to rule and reign over the kingdoms of this world
Raised to one day stand as judge of all the earth
Raised to give forgiveness of sins and new life to all who would put their trust in Him
Raised to intercede for His own in the intervening years
Raised to come again, and establish the fullness of His everlasting Kingdom.
HE IS RISEN!
But the Bible speaks of 2 more resurrections to come as well.
Jesus Himself explained the two to those in His day: John 5:25–29 “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.”
This is the resurrection of the unrepentant thief.
Revelation 20:12–15 “And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”
Can you imagine the experience of the unrepentant thief as his soul too left his body, but descended into Hell.
And there, amid the beginnings of his eternal torments, he witnesses the soul of his departed friend in Paradise, and then that of Jesus, the one he mocked, refused and repudiated, being received into glory at the right hand of God the Father?
Imagine him in that moment knowing that this Jesus would one day return to judge him for his sin.
Can you imagine what will go through his mind on that final judgment day, when he too is raised from the dead, only to be banished from the presence of the Lamb of God for ever and ever?
How he too was on that hill that day, and could have owned his sin – could have taken in the reality of what was happing
Could have cried out for mercy at that very moment that atonement for sin was being made –
But in his pride, and bitterness and spiritual blindness, he mocked and jeered at the one means by which he could find forgiveness and new life, and reconciliation to his God – Jesus the Christ, crucified right there beside him.
Then there is the resurrection of the justified thief.
Revelation 20:6 “Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.”
Can you imagine his experience of dying there, his soul departing to the paradise of those who die in Christ, only to watch from that gloried state as Christ rose from the dead, sealing his redemption and ascending up to His throne!
And how one day then as the Apostle Paul tells us in 1 Cor. 15:51–57 “Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Because Christ is risen, all those that are in Him will be raised too! To everlasting life and glory!
HE IS RISEN!
There were 3 crosses that day
The Cross of Redemption; The Cross of Rejection; the Cross of Repentance
And there are 3 resurrections –
Jesus has already been raised from the dead – and so there will be a resurrection for those in Him – to everlasting glory and one for those who reject Him, to everlasting condemnation.
But you are here today to contemplate those realities not on crosses, but in the comfort of these pews.
And it is the resurrected Jesus who stands with His arms open to receive you – will you come to Him today? HE IS RISEN!
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God – the Author of Authority
Part 2 – Authority over self
AUDIO FOR THIS SERMON CAN BE FOUND HERE
You will remember 2 weeks ago, that we began to look at how God as a God of order – ordered His universe, and set structures of authority in the social arrangement of mankind.
Having seen how it is God is a God of order, and how in His absolute authority He sets up these spheres (or CIRCLES) of authority in the world, I want to come back to a most vital area. Where a problem with God’s direct authority over us and our abdication of an authority He delegated to us most often arises, and, look at the destruction those failures bring:
The Sphere of self-authority or self-control.
In truth, the one lacking self-authority or self-control, will always prove to be the one least qualified to exercise proper authority in the other circles, and most likely to abuse any other authority they might be given. We’ll see what that looks like in a few minutes.
We get a startling insight into this dynamic in Numbers 12:1–3 where Moses’ authority is challenged by his own sister and brother.
“Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman. And they said, “Has the LORD indeed spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us also?” And the LORD heard it. Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth.”
Now what was the quality God notes here in Moses in terms of his leadership?
Not his eloquence. Not his ability to bark orders. Not his heavy handedness. Not his organizational skills.
Not even his spirituality – or religious scruples.
NO – He was “very meek”, MORE MEEK THAN ALL THE PEOPLE WHO WERE ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH.
i.e. He was a man who could easily submit to authority, and it was this which was central to his being able to act in a position of authority well.
We get another insight into this dynamic in the life of Jesus: Matthew 8:5–9 “When he had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.” And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.” But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
The Centurion recognized not just that Jesus HAD authority to perform what He was being asked to do – but that He had this authority because He too was UNDER authority.
John 5:19–23 “So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel. For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.”
In Matt. 28:18 Jesus could say: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”
ALL AUTHORITY! And yet – He did not act as a wholly independent agent, but came to do The Father’s will.
So here we see order, even among the members of the Triune Godhead – among perfect equals.
But I return to our current concern: – If we are not men and women who have some sound sense of authority over ourselves – then we are truly pitiful agents of carrying out God’s authority in the other areas of life we occupy – not least of all in the home!
The word “godliness” is used quite often in the Bible (35 X’s?)- 2 Peter 3:11–12 asks “Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!”
What does a life lived in holiness and godliness look like?
We get a hint from the word itself. The word godliness itself carries with it the idea of piety or reverence which is applied in being in a right and proper relationship with God and with parents – or others in authority.
In our context today, when God created the physical universe, He did so as to bring everything into a certain order – an order which demonstrates proper relationship between things higher, things lower, and things equal.
You will remember the account in Gen. 4 where Cain and Abel brought their respective sacrifices before God. The text says: “In the course of time Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. The LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.”
Sin – our inward fallen condition is ever at the door – but we are to “rule over it.”
Authority over indwelling sin as it makes its claims on us – authority over self not to submit, but to rule.
So what is this supposed to look like in our lives?
1st – Let’s see it in the negative: Romans 1:18–32 “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.”
Don’t miss the progression here – or more accurately the DI-gression.
And then, the triple repetition of “God gave them up!”
John Newton: “Every additional guilt tends to increase the stupidity of the human soul; and every increase of this increases, in the same proportion, the natural indisposition for the practice or the love of virtue; makes the soul more blind to consequences, more base in its pursuits, and thus become a more willing and assiduous servant of iniquity”.
The wrath of God against mankind refusing to live under God’s authority – results in the giving over of the individual to uncontrollable sexual desire – and then the loss of self-control in all manner of areas.
It is in salvation that God works to bring us BACK to right relationship to His authority – and thus a restored self-control or proper authority over self and our sinful desires.
In fact, loss of self-control in the area of sexuality is one of the most primary ways of indicating humankind’s lost condition.
No wonder then a return to authority over our sexuality becomes central to understanding the restoring power of salvation.
So much is this true Paul can write by the Spirit: Eph. 5:3-5: “But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.”
In our day of rampant sexual freedom, and the proliferation of pornography in our culture – and how that has impacted men in the Church – I can think of no indication more central to our recovering the authority over ourselves that salvation is meant to bring – than this one. Or perhaps as a close second, anger, then narcissism and materialism. No authority over our emotions.
Self-authority is expressed 19x’s in the NT by “self-control.”
2 words – which together round out the subject very well:
- “to keep one’s emotions, impulses, or desires under control”
The ability to say no to yourself
- “soundness of mind, reasonableness, rationality”
Together they indicate: The opposite of one who’s thoughts or emotions run away with them.
In all of our spheres of authority, the great call is to control ourselves, not others.
Titus 2:11-13 “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.”
So the great question is: How do we recover what has gotten out of control? – Self.
Steven Covey – 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Psalm 50 – The 4 Habits of Biblical Self-control. The restoration of self-authority
Ps. 50 is especially pertinent here, since God is contending with His own people in it. People who profess faith and profess to serve God, who at the same time demonstrate lives incompatible with people living under God’s authority – and thus are out of control themselves.
Vss. 17-20 Open up the indicators that they need help:
Psalm 50:17–20 – For you hate discipline [No appetite to reign in self]
and you cast my words behind you. [Disregard for God’s Word as authoritative]
If you see a thief, you are pleased with him, [Skewed morality – making anti-heros heros]
and you keep company with adulterers. [Loss of sexual judgment]
“You give your mouth free rein for evil, and your tongue frames deceit. [Unguarded communication]
You sit and speak against your brother; you slander your own mother’s son. [Verbal vitriol – can’t keep a civil tongue]
In vss. 14-17, we see that self-control – authority over self comes from 4 things – which God calls His people back to.
- A full & rejoicing heart. Ps. 50:14a – “Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving.”
Temptation’s greatest tool is our dissatisfaction with God’s appointments.
You cannot REJOICE in what you do not recognize you have.
A heart unwilling to joyfully submit to God’s authority in providentially assigning us the circumstances of our lives – results in loss of control over what we OUGHT to have authority over.
Look at the present situation in today’s society where people so reject God’s authority in assigning them a sexual orientation – how all sexual authority over self is completely missing.
Temptation ALWAYS argues we are missing something of ultimate joy and satisfaction given our present circumstances and limitations.
And it can only be fought when we dwell on the perfect wisdom of God in bringing us into the circumstances most perfectly suited to our growth in grace and into the image of Christ Jesus.
Even to rejoice in the particular temptations we face – knowing God’s wise and loving design in allowing them.
- A life of rehearsed holy habits. Ps. 50:14b – “and perform your vows to the Most High,”
No skill is acquired without practice, and it is as much true of taking rightful authority over sin and self as in anything else we may encounter.
I have used the example of my experience with SuperMario Brothers before, but bear with me.
The more we do it, the better we become.
Over and over and over again. This is why there is so much repetition built into the Bible itself.
Learning my own weaknesses and propensities. And learning new ways to cope with new attacks.
If you are not practicing refusing sin and controlling your thoughts, then will not win over sin or control your thoughts or impulses.
No one masters what they do not practice.
You cannot skillfully DO what you do not REHEARSE – repentance is a study in repetition.
But there is more here: The older theologians used to talk much about the Believer and using “the means of grace.” What they meant by that is not that doing certain things save us or brings us saving grace – but that grace is wrought out in our lives in taking advantage of the things God has provided for that end.
In the context of Psalm 50 – Not keeping their vows has to do with failing to keep up the regular covenant responsibilities that belong to them under the Mosaic covenant.
But such things have their own application under the New Covenant as well. As those who are betrothed to Christ to be His Bride – faithfulness to Him and to His purposes in the world is implicit.
No, we are not under the Mosaic law like the ancient Israelites, but we are still to live within God’s order.
Gathered worship – for the public glorifying of His name.
Prayer – as betrothed to one who is pledged to be our provider instead of looking to others – especially the world. Fellowship, intimacy.
The Word – Committed to hearing Him and believing Him above and to the exclusion of all others. No one else can occupy His place of authority nor replace His expressions of love and faithfulness.
Ministry to others – As any spouse adopts the other’s families, so we take the members of His family as our own and we want to extend all we can to them.
Communion – Remembering His substitutionary death on our behalf the way He has asked us to until He returns.
- A conscious reliance upon the indwelling Spirit of God. Ps. 50:15 – “and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”
If I am not looking to Him, how can I have His help?
You cannot RELY on someone you have no RELATIONSHIP with.
Cultivating the habit of calling upon Him and looking to Him to supply in our hours of temptation.
- Regular exposure AND SUBMISSION to God’s truth in His Word. Ps. 50:16-17 – “But to the wicked God says: “What right have you to recite my statutes or take my covenant on your lips? For you hate discipline, and you cast my words behind you.”
You cannot RECALL what you do not KNOW – EVEN THE SPIRIT DOESN’T DO THAT FOR YOU.
Notice effects of the Fall. We have minds that are literal sieves when it comes to storing up Biblical truth. The Holy Spirit cannot bring to mind what I have never learned. What I refuse to keep exposing myself to. No one gets a suntan by one exposure to the sun, though they may get burned! Tanning takes repeated, systematic exposure.
Our souls cannot get a “Son-Tan” any other way either.
- A full & rejoicing heart.
- A life of rehearsed holy habits.
- A conscious reliance upon the indwelling Spirit of God.
- Regular exposure to God’s truth in His Word.
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Numbers 21:5 “And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food.”
What was the “worthless food” the Israelites were “loathing” here? Manna. God’s supernatural provision for their lives in the wilderness. Manna. The Old Testament shadow of the Bread of Life – the Word of God. But in flesh, and in breathed-out Scripture.
So let me ask you – are there parts of God’s Word, where you would say with the Jews, “I loathe this worthless food?” Or indeed, do you find virtually none of the Bible truly relevant to what you want to do and who you are? Then you have adopted a worldview and life direction that has nothing to do with God’s plans and purposes, and thus you are right – for those ends, the Word of God is truly worthless.
The Word is only beneficial to those seeking Christ. To those seeking to grow in the knowledge of Jesus. To those waging war against indwelling sin, and seeking to be freed from the bondage of this World’s values and seductions so that they might be conformed to the image of Christ.
This word will sustain you in true faith, but not mystical inventions that mimic faith. It will sustain you as you fight materialism, selfishness, lust, greed, pride, arrogance, addiction, and self-serving self-centeredness.
It will give you sight to see the lies of the World, the flesh and the Enemy. But it will not sustain you if you are looking to simply better your life; add the “spiritual dimension”; coddle you in your sin; justify you in self-rule or self-promotion. For those purposes, no matter how much you consume it – you will starve to death.
But if you are hungry for holiness; desperate for intimacy with Christ and the maturity that prevents you from being tossed by the waves and blown about with every wind of doctrine – for coming to the goal of Christ’s likeness that God is after in your life – it contains the highest nutritional value available. And you can have as much of it as you want or need.
The Word of God is worthless for human ends, and absolutely essential for spiritual ends.
Why you partake of it – what you look for in it – will determine is efficacy.
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God’s Supreme Authority and our need for Salvation
Genesis 2:15-17; 3 (Entire); Psalm 130 (Entire)
AUDIO FOR THIS SERMON CAN BE FOUND HERE
While I had mentioned last week that this week would be part 2 of what we began on the “Spheres of Authority” – I had forgotten that this week would be our quarterly communion morning. So we’ll have to put part 2 off until next week.
That said, I am grateful for the way this providentially worked out. It gives us an opportunity to see another extremely practical way our understanding of the nature of God’s authority and those authority structures He has given us, play out in real life.
Look at this brief side-trip as a means to illuminate some of the necessary foundational concepts behind the entire study.
I would like to do that briefly as we consider it in light of the Lord’s Table today, in 4 Biblical ideas.
- Only God has the authority to DEFINE sin.
- Only God has the authority to DETERMINE the just penalties for sin.
- Only God has the authority to DECLARE that He will accept a substitute in place of our suffering the personal consequences of sin.
- Only God has the authority to FORGIVE sin against Himself.
All of this, necessarily takes us back to the Garden of Eden.
And in each of these, we will see how we challenge those things which belong under God’s sole authority, and try to govern them ourselves.
- Only God has the authority to DEFINE sin.
In our text in Genesis we see in 2:16 that God Himself sets the parameters for what is sin and what is not.
Genesis 2:16–17 “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
Now in a very real sense, the tree and its fruit were secondary to the true issue: God was telling Adam and Eve, by virtue of His sole authority, what constituted sin.
To obey His command, was right. To disobey His command – was sin.
It was that simple then, and it is just that simple still.
What God communicates as His will is what defines sin. And nowhere in Scripture does He ever hand that prerogative over to any other creature.
Not man. Not angels. No one.
Deuteronomy 4:5–8 “See, I have taught you statutes and rules, as the LORD my God commanded me, that you should do them in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the LORD our God is to us, whenever we call upon him? And what great nation is there, that has statutes and rules so righteous as all this law that I set before you today?”
But we are still trying to usurp God’s authority to define sin for ourselves today.
So society says it can declare what is and isn’t sin:
Homosexuality isn’t a sin – It’s just an alternative lifestyle, or even God ordained in the way I was born.
Abortion isn’t a sin – We re-define human life and value.
Neglect of God’s house and cause isn’t sin – we are free to worship Him (IF we worship Him at all) any way we choose.
Greed isn’t sin – seeking wealth is virtuous, even a Christian one.
Pride and arrogance aren’t sins – but self-esteem rules.
Rampant divorce and remarriage isn’t sin – God wants me to be happy.
But the Bible still presents God as the one who rules in this area: Matthew 28:19–20 “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Or in Matthew 17:1–5 On the Mount of Transfiguration: “Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 And he was transfigured before them… 3 And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 4 And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 5 He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”
John 3:36 “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”
But both the Devil and Adam and Eve sought to redefine what constituted sin for themselves.
First the Serpent questions God’s decree: Genesis 3:1 “He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”
Then Eve inserts her own modification: Genesis 3:2–3 “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ”
Then the Serpent outright contradicts God’s determination: Genesis 3:4-5 ”But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Not only won’t you die – you’ll be the better for it!
Not only is disobeying God not sin – it has positive virtue to it. It has its rewards.
Don’t call it sin – call it stepping into your full potential.
Only God has the authority to DEFINE sin.
- Only God has the authority to DETERMINE the just penalties for sin.
In Genesis 2:17 God tells them His penalty for sin: “but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
Which, as we’ve already seen, the Serpent just outright contradicts: Genesis 3:4 “But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.”
And we continue this same line of reasoning every time we think in terms of little sins and great sins.
Now there are certain degrees of sinnING, just as a person who has an incurable and fatal illness may experience different stages of the illness. But sin, it remains fatal, no matter what stage of its ravages we may be experiencing at any given moment. And it is just so with sin.
As for the penalty of sin, the Scripture is unequivocal: Romans 6:23a “For the wages of sin is death” – period.
And some argue, “but all they did was eat some fruit.”
NO! What they did was tell God where to get off. That they had the authority to say for themselves whether or not their sin was so bad and what its effects ought to be.
In following the deception of the Enemy – they had determined that not only would defying God not result in death – it would actually elevate them!
God alone can say what sin deserves, and no amount of trying to reason down our sin to something that deserves less than eternal death is valid.
There is no amount of self-justification that can somehow stand in the judgment day by saying: “But it was only…” Or “this is unfair.”
He has made His pronouncement, and it cannot be argued with.
- Only God has the authority to DECLARE that He will accept a substitute in place of our suffering the personal consequences of sin.
As the account in Genesis demonstrates, God alone could provide the means for covering their nakedness and shame.
What happened immediately after Adam and Eve sinned? Genesis 3:7 “Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.”
But their attempt to deal with their own sin was rejected.
And after fully confronting them with the reality of their sin and its consequences, we read: Genesis 3:21 “And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.”
And this is where all man-made religion enters. For we refuse to submit to His righteousness, and invent our own means.
Romans 10:1–4 “Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.”
Refusing to submit to God’s righteousness, we too invent endless ways of our own creation to deal with sin.
Personal bargains with God -forgive me and I’ll…
Invented rites and rituals.
The performance of good works to feel better about ourselves and so imagine God is placated about our sin by means of them.
In effect God said in the Garden, “No, you won’t die today in the fullest sense of all death – I will spare you for a time, and I will show you how something or someone will have to die in your place in order to cover your shame.”
And from that point on – through to Abraham’s call to sacrifice Isaac and God providing for Himself a sacrifice with the ram caught in the thicket –
And on into the types and shadows of all the sacrificial rituals God imposed upon Israel.
In them, they and we are being reminded over and over and over that He MUST provide for Himself, some substitute to die on our behalf – or we all must suffer the full penalty of our sins.
All of this pointing ahead to Jesus even as Hebrews 10:5–7 “Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’ ”
Hebrews 9:24–26 “For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. 25 Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, 26 for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.”
Isaiah 53:1–12 “Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 2 For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? 9 And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. 11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.
- Only God has the authority to FORGIVE sin against Himself.
It is one thing for God to say He is satisfied with the death of Christ on our behalf, and so to dismiss the charges against us and to free us from the penalty of eternal death for our sins.
But it is quite another altogether to FORGIVE us our sins, so that we are reconciled to Him as to recover our lost relationship, and to enter into and even deeper and more glorious one.
But we try to challenge His rightful place and authority here too.
First some simply don’t want to think about it. God just doesn’t care. He is such a non-entity and so uncommitted to anything, He doesn’t need to forgive, He just loves us anyway.
Or, “Nobody’s perfect” – so God just accepts that and there’s no need to actually seek true one-on-one forgiveness.
Or once again, the rise again of man-made religion where were look to a person, a priest or some other to utter the words: “I absolve you.”
And then there is the modern mantra? Don’t worry about God’s forgiveness, we need to forgive OURSELVES!
All of which diminishes the wonder and glory of God’s true forgiveness.
Adam lost his position as God’s vice-regent in the world.
But in salvation, we are not just restored to a former position, we are adopted into the Family and brought into the most intimate relationship that can be had.
This is the function of true forgiveness, past mere satisfaction – as though that were not enough.
And it may have been enough for us. A criminal who has been acquitted of a horrible crime may be content to know he or she will not be prosecuted, and take the chance to run as fast and as far away as possible so as to have the whole matter just forgotten.
But the grace of God is not content to just find our sins remitted and atoned for.
God’s aim in Christ is not just to set us free from our debt, but to bring us close to Himself. To reconcile us to Himself. To draw us nearer than we ever were, and to make us a part of His own family.
Hebrews 2:10 “For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.”
Matthew 26:26–29 “Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
And in this way, we come to the communion table to sit at the family table.
To acknowledge that we not just forgiven, but we are home for dinner. Home to fellowship, and break bread and rejoice and laugh and weep and draw nearer and nearer.
Both to the Father, and to all that are His – and now ours – in Christ.
- Only God has the authority to DEFINE sin. And according to His Word – ALL have sinned, and fallen short of the glory of God.
- Only God has the authority to DETERMINE the just penalties for sin. Which He says over and over – is death. Both physical, and eternal in separation from Him and torment.
- Only God has the authority to DECLARE that He will accept a substitute in place of our suffering the personal consequences of sin. And He has set before us Jesus as the propitiation – satisfaction for our sin.
- Only God has the authority to FORGIVE sin against Himself. And in Him, in Jesus, extends to all who trust in Christ – the full forgiveness of sins and reconciliation to Himself.
If you have repented from setting your own standard in place of God’s perfect holy standard…
If you have agreed with God’s assessment of what your sin truly deserves, seeing it demonstrated in the death of Christ at Calvary…
If you have embraced His only acceptable sacrifice for your sin – the substitutionary death of Jesus on the cross in your place…
And if you have sought and received forgiveness of sins from Christ as your Saviour…
This table is for you. Welcome home – come and dine.
Glory!
If any of the above are missing for you, then do not come unless they are put to right right now before His throne.
Else you will eat and drink judgment to yourself.
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God – The Author of Authority
Part 1
The Spheres
AUDIO FOR THIS SERMON CAN BE FOUND HERE
One of the major impacts of the Reformation – in the recovery of the Gospel – was that of an emphasis upon personal salvation. The need, and call to be – “born again.”
The recovery of the realization that as individuals we’re are born alienated from and enemies of God, and the need for reconciliation to Him through faith in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ on Calvary.
But with that recovery, can come a danger: The thought that salvation is entirely personal and individual, leaving out the aspect of the fullness of Christ’s redemptive work in the whole of the cosmos, ant JUST the individual.
Our study in 1st and 2nd Peter reminded us of that aspect in looking forward to Christ’s return, but backing up to see this more particularly might be of real help. That is where I hope to go this week and next – God willing.
God is a God of order: Creation displays it everywhere.
You cannot read the 1st 3 chapters of Genesis without seeing over and over how it is God is meticulous in His arrangement of things – both in terms of the natural creation and beyond.
The word most often translated “WORLD” in our Bibles is the word “kosmon” = which means an order or arrangement. We get our word cosmetics from it – to adorn and put in right order.
When God created the physical universe, He did so bringing everything into a certain order – an order which demonstrates proper relationship between things higher, things lower, and things equal.
Kuyper: Sphere Sovereignty’ (1880) – God ordained distinct domains of being and action. Each has its own area of delegated sovereignty or authority, which is not to be violated by others.
If each one stays in its own area without trying to meddle in other’s – HARMONY! When this breaks down – DISASTER!
And it doesn’t take much. The more delicately and precisely things are made, the more one little thing out of order impacts the whole. “Let’s eat grandma vs. Let’s eat, Grandma”.
The Bible sets out a number of these “spheres” most often by incorporating the word: “OBEY”.
Someone or something has a responsibility to obey someone or something else. This is the structure of Authority & Submission or obedience.
Spheres may overlap some – but each has its ordained responsibilities from God.
I want to try and unpack the big concepts about God’s order in Authority this morning, and then bring it down to the practicality of it next week. So bear with me.
SPHERE 1. God & His will (Commandments) culminating in Christ Jesus.
God’s authority is absolute – none can challenge it. And all the others derive their authority from His appointment.
D.A. Carson: “God, the unauthored Author of all, is the primal and final authority.”
In creation, all of physical creation simply comes into being and responds to His voice: “And God said”. i.e. He willed it, and it was so.
As Creator, He has absolute rights and authority over His creation(s).
Dan. 4:34-35 At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?”
We need to note here that since God alone has absolute authority, all others are not only derivative, but limited. We’ll see what that looks like as we move on. It’s sufficient to say here that no one in any sphere has the right to require anything of anyone else that is contradictory to God’s commands and rights.
No one can require anyone else to do anything that is immoral, illegal, contrary to their conscience or unjustifiably dangerous – war might require justifiable commands to enter into danger. But this is never at the mere whim of another. It is under the larger structures.
As I said above, God’s absolute authority finds its final expression in Jesus Christ: Matt. 28:18-20 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
SPHERE 2. Nature: Created order. Man & 2 ideas.
- Man OVER nature – Genesis 1:26 “Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
Genesis 2:15 “The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.”
Adam shows his authority in naming the animals, and then is given a wife who is his equal, and yet he names her as well. So there is an order set up in the home from the very beginning.
- Man as PART OF AND UNDER nature – Romans 1:18-27 We’ll come back to this next week, but at the very least we learn in this passage that when we as human beings under God’s authority, try to circumvent the sphere He ordained in nature – there is always a price to pay. So it is no one can safely defy the law of gravity or of inertia etc. No one can live apart from food or water or air. Nature has its God given laws and we are bound by them.
SPHERE 3. Home: Parents (and designees), husbands and wives in order among equals.
SPOUSES: Eph. 5:22-24 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.
Col. 3:18 Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
Since husbands and wives have a shared sphere, and one belonging to each of them, sometimes, proper negotiations will have to be worked through: 1 Cor. 7:3-5b The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time…
CHILDREN: Eph. 6:1-4 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
Col. 3:20-21 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged
SPHERE 4. Governments & Civil authorities: We see this emerging especially after the Flood, which came about at least to some great degree due to the fact: Gen. 6 – Each man was simply following the dictates of his own evil intentions.
Later we are told: Romans 13:1–7 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4 for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.
SPHERE 5. Church: Heb. 13:17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.
Matt. 23:1-3 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. 1For they preach, but do not practice.
SPHERE 6. Employers: ; Eph. 6:5–8 “Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free.”
Colossians 3:22–25 “Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.”
Which authority by employers is not seen as absolute – for in each passage, the employer’s responsibility before God and giving an answer for how they exercised their authority is noted.
SPHERE 7. Conscience: Acts 23 & 24 – Paul notes how he was very careful not to violate his conscience.
Rom. 13; 1 Cor. 8 & 13 address people not violating their consciences, since it appears the conscience – however marred, is left over from our being created in God’s image and having an innate sense of right and wrong – which passages also show the conscience can be informed and improved.
SPHERE 8. Self: Authority over self or what is better known as – Self-control.
This in fact is where we will come back to in the 2nd session.
For in our redemption, the chief place of restored order and authority within the human being is in this area: Having authority restored over self.
Thus Gal. 5 – S/C is a fruit of the indwelling Spirit.
2 Tim. 1:7 “for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”
1 Cor. 9:24–27 “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.”
There may be a few other spheres such as is hinted at in 1 Cor. 15:24 & Eph. 1:21; 3:10; 6:12 etc. – Angelic orders with which we have nothing to do.
FIVE OBSERVATIONS
- These spheres of authority overlap in places. Living in godliness will require our thinking through how this works – and ordering our lives accordingly.
For instance: A man has authority over his wife – but not absolutely. She has a primary responsibility to God’s authority OVER her husband’s, as do children over their parents and people in general above the State.
John 19:8-11 When Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid. He entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. So Pilate said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?” Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin.” (Caiaphas?)
Acts 5: saying, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” 29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.
Daniel 1:8 But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. 9 And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs.
Hanaiah, Azariah & Mishael refusing to worship the image.
None can usurp God.
None can usurp outside of their own restrictions.
No one has the authority to require you to do something God specifically forbids in His Word, nor forbid anything He requires.
No circle of authority is absolute but God’s alone.
All others are derivative and limited.
2. In those places where WE exercise authority over others – it is to be done with the eternal good of the person(s) in mind before God – not according to our personal desires.
Romans 13:8–10 “Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.”
What does that look like? 1 Cor. 13:4–7 “
Love is patient [BECAUSE LOVE IS] kind;
love does not envy [SO IT DOES NOT] boast;
it is not arrogant [SO IT IS NOT ] rude.
It does not insist on its own way; [SO IT IS NOT] irritable or resentful;
6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, [BECAUSE IT] rejoices with the truth.
7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
This is the nature of Love – love seeks the best of the other party before God – not for our own pleasure, or according to our own whims. We want them to see, know, and if at all possible experience the goodness, grace, mercy and lovingkindness of God through us!
For we can give no other person anything higher than to give them the blessedness of God Himself. We lead them to HIM – not to our own desires.
This will temper what spouses require of each other, what employers require of employees, what Church leaders require of congregants – etc.
3. God’s main way of exercising authority is via persuasion. He publishes His clear and unambiguous will via The Word!
Isaiah 66:2 “All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the LORD. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.”
And then, through His Spirit to work in the heart and mind to incline us toward what is better. INCLINE – not FORCE.
Philippians 2:12–13 “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”
Psalm 110:3a “Your people will offer themselves freely on the day of your power.”
Psalm 119:36–37 “Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain! 37 Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways.”
4. What happens when we do not function within the order God has created?
The Fall: And such “falls” always incorporate 2 aspects of violating God’s order of authority.
- Refusal to submit to God’s authority.
“Do not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil”
- Abdication of authority.
“Eve took” – Neither Adam nor Eve took their rightful place over the serpent – but took their cue from him instead.
Chaos, death and destruction.
Christ saves us in part, to reverse these very things.
And so it is worthwhile to ask ourselves – Where it is we refuse to submit to God’s authority and authority structures in our own lives?
And where is it we might be abdicating our own derived authority in our sphere?
Wherever either or both – and I would argue you cannot have one without the other – you will have chaos, disorder and destruction.
But there is one area which first and foremost God graciously calls us to recover a proper authority structure which will inform all the other spheres in which we function – and that will be the subject of my next session.
5. Restoring order to God’s appointed authority spheres is part and parcel of Jesus’ work of redemption. Revelation 11:15 “Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.”
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2 Peter Part 9
2 Peter 3:11–18
What Am I?
AUDIO FOR THIS SERMON CAN BE FOUND HERE
This little letter is the Apostle Peter’s “swan song.”
His readers then, and the Church at large will never hear from him again.
We began our study in this short letter by rehearsing some of the last words of famous people throughout history. And for the most part, we saw a pretty sad record of the emptiness and despair that fills the hearts and minds of those dying outside of Christ.
History tells us Peter was martyred in Rome around 64 CE. So this letter must have been written just a short time before since in 1:14 Peter remarks that he is soon to die.
And as we have rehearsed many a time, Peter concentrates on 3 things in this letter:
Ch. 1 – Reminding Believers of fullness of their salvation – The FOUNDATIONS upon which they stand and live.
Ch 2 – The warning against FALSE TEACHERS coming into the Church. How to recognize them and what kind of damage they can do.
Ch. 3 – This final appeal to keep the promised FUTURE of the Believer as a controlling, clarifying and stabilizing concept at the forefront of our thinking at all times.
Indeed, history is replete with the tragedy of lives lived with no thought for God’s coming judgment, what it means in terms of our own limited lifespans, and what comes after.
We have a startling example of this in 2 Chronicles 21 regarding the life and death of King Joram in Israel:18–20 After recording his reprehensible life of debauchery and idolatry we read: “And after all this the LORD struck him in his bowels with an incurable disease. In the course of time, at the end of two years, his bowels came out because of the disease, and he died in great agony. His people made no fire in his honor, like the fires made for his fathers. He was thirty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. And he departed with no one’s regret. They buried him in the city of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.”
In more recent times we have this horrid example in the Aug. 2013 obituary of Marianne Theresa Johnson-Reddick – penned by one of her daughters: “born Jan 4, 1935 and died alone on Aug. 30, 2013. She is survived by her 6 of 8 children whom she spent her lifetime torturing in every way possible. While she neglected and abused her small children, she refused to allow anyone else to care or show compassion towards them. When they became adults she stalked and tortured anyone they dared to love. Everyone she met, adult or child was tortured by her cruelty and exposure to violence, criminal activity, vulgarity, and hatred of the gentle or kind human spirit.
On behalf of her children whom she so abrasively exposed to her evil and violent life, we celebrate her passing from this earth and hope she lives in the after-life reliving each gesture of violence, cruelty, and shame that she delivered on her children. Her surviving children will now live the rest of their lives with the peace of knowing their nightmare finally has some form of closure.” – Reno Gazette-Journal
So Peter asks this very penetrating question of his readers in this closing portion in 3:11 – Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, 12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! 13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
Given that the teaching of the Old Testament, both through the mouths of the Prophets, and the examples of the historical record – demonstrates a final, all inclusive and exhaustive judgment to come upon the world – “what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness?”
How does living in the light of Christ’s return and all that surrounds it inform how we ought to live our lives now?
MORE – How does it inform what sort of PEOPLE we ought to be?
For it is one thing to say “I need to watch my actions” – but an entirely different thing to say “I need to know what kind of person I truly am.”
So – am I pursuing holiness and godliness?
If not, then what AM I pursuing?
Or perhaps, I am like the old yarn – “those who aim at nothing always hit it” – and truth be told, I am aiming at nothing beyond getting through the day. Or maybe getting to kick back in retirement.
Peter describes the kind of person he is asking us to examine ourselves about being by using 2 terms:
“Waiting for and hastening” – The coming day of the Lord
Not just expecting, but inwardly yearning and striving for it.
Hastening doesn’t mean we can make it happen faster, but it DOES mean we WANT IT to happen as fast as it can!
There is an inward and abiding desire for it to come to pass.“Waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.”
“Waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.”
Living in eager EXPECTATION for judgment!
Eager expectation of reward.
Eager expectation of an existence where righteousness is the prevailing reality.
NO MORE SIN!
To be perfectly honest – some professing Christians aren’t all that excited about the New Heaven and New Earth because they are not all that excited about giving up certain sins they enjoy now.
They want sexual freedom.
They want intoxication.
They love an entertainment based culture & lifestyle.
They want self-government. To be completely their own boss.
They want a life built around present earthly joys and comforts.
And a world where righteousness is all there is sounds – BORING!
They haven’t had enough of sin and its ugliness and its results yet.
So we come back to Peter’s first point then – are we THAT kind of people?
If we are not – then we really need to ask ourselves whether or not we are really in the faith at all?
If we know so little of the coming Kingdom and desire it so little; if we have so little love for Christ, and, have so little hatred of sin and its effects – are we saved?
Do we have any idea that this New Heavens and New Earth wherein righteousness dwells – is what we are saved FOR?
Or is it all a distant fairy tale, with no real impact on how we live at all here and now?
This is a PROBING portion for sure!
One of the ways in which this mindset manifests itself most explicitly is in our prayer lives.
Do we have the priorities of Christ at the top of our list?
Do we burn with desire that reverence for the Father’s name and reputation be restored in all the universe?
Do we really want His absolute rule and Kingdom to come and overthrow all the kingdoms of this World – so that He rules and reigns in pure holiness and righteousness?
Do we really want His will to be done on earth as it is in Heaven – right now?
Or are we more interested in Him answering our shallow wants and needs?
But Peter assumes better of his readers then, even as I do of you today while preaching this.
And building off that assumption – Peter then lays out the “what if” – of those who are truly Christ’s and do indeed have their eager sights set on a sin being judged and the New Heavens and New Earth.
14 Therefore, beloved, SINCE YOU ARE waiting for these,
A – The Day of the Lord
B – The new heavens and new earth in which righteousness dwells
Then:
I. “be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish,”
Be resting in the finished work of Christ – and living in the reality of having been cleansed from sin by the blood of the Lamb.
Also: Be at all-out war with sin in your life.
Be about the business of challenging sinful acts and attitudes as part of your day-to-day lifestyle.
Doing all you can by the Word and the power of the Spirit to ridding yourself of every spot or blemish of sin.
II. and [be] at peace.
Live at peace with Him in Christ, and with His people.
Be confident in The Father’s providential care and ordering of events and circumstances in your life,
And resting in the assurance of His unfailing promises.
III. 15 And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, 16 as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures.
Don’t allow yourself to be discouraged in the intervening years as though it won’t come to pass.
Be convinced that the Lord delays His coming out of perfect wisdom and love and compassion.
Yes, there are some mysteries in this.
No, we cannot nail down all the details and lots of people have erred in doing so – making it seem like God has not kept true to His Word.
But understand that His timing is the just what it is, because of His desire to save abundantly, and not in small measure.
IV. 17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability.
Don’t get derailed by the false teachers and the worsening state of human culture.
Don’t let the values of those who do not serve Christ and revere His Word infect your own morality and distort the Biblical vision of how the world – how life – works.
Don’t let the fact that at times it looks as though sin is winning the war, lure you into its grip – destabilizing you from trusting God and His Word.
V. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Don’t stop feeding your hearts on His Word, so that grace is magnified continually in your heart and mind.
Don’t stop striving after taking on more and more of the character of Christ by the Spirit.
Grow in your understanding of all that it is Christ Jesus is, and all that He has done, and is doing on your behalf, and has promised to complete.
GROW!
Keep to these, and the repeated exclamation of your own heart and mind will be the same as Peter’s: To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
2 Closing Observations:
1. What is missing in Peter’s letter?
No mention of how to change their circumstances. None.
Everything is directed at how they will change IN their circumstances – by growing in the knowledge of Christ.
2. What kind of person I am needs to be understood over and above merely what things I do or do not do.
Am I Christ’s?
Am I born again?
Am I on the path to being with Him in glory?
Is being with Him for eternity really my aim?
Am I consciously seeking to be increasingly conformed to His divine character by being informed in the Word, and transformed by the Spirit?
Am I living as His agent in this present world – given over to His plans and purposes – or am I using religion and the name of Christ to get what I want out of this world?
What am I?
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2 Peter Part 8
The Scoffers are Coming!
2 Peter (entire)
1 Peter 1:13
We are now in the 3rd portion of Peter’s 2nd letter.
As noted before, he began in Ch. 1 by establishing the FOUNDATIONS of the Christian life, and how it can be lived out irrespective of our circumstances.
Last time we saw Peter’s warning against FALSE TEACHERS which took up the whole of Ch. 2.
And now Peter wants to help us keep our focus regarding the Promised FUTURE God Christ has won for all those who are found in Him by faith.
2 Peter 3:1–10
And as we have seen over and over in Peter – remembering is a constant theme.
It is a vitally important theme given the effects of the Fall on the human psyche.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer in his little and insightful book “Creation and Fall” unpacks something of the practical importance of this fact.
“Temptation is a concrete happening which juts out from the course of life. For the physical man, all life is a struggle, and for the moral man every hour is a time of temptation…“With irresistible power desire seizes mastery over the flesh. All at once a secret, smoldering fire is kindled. The flesh burns and is in flames. It makes no difference whether it is sexual desire, or ambition, or vanity, or desire for revenge, or love of fame and power, or greed for money, or, finally, that strange desire for the beauty of the world, of nature. Joy in God is in the course of being extinguished in us and we seek all our joy in the creature. At this moment God is quite unreal to us, He loses all reality, and only desire for the creature is real; the only reality is the devil. Satan does not here fill us with hatred of God, but with forgetfulness of God…The lust thus aroused envelops the mind and will of man in deepest darkness. The powers of clear discrimination and of decision are taken from us. The questions present themselves: Is it really not permitted to me, yes – expected of me, now, here, in my particular situation, to appease desire?” This is worldliness. God, is not in it. He is forgotten.”
And nowhere is this more true than in our inability to balance off present trials and temptations, against the promise of Christ’s return and final judgment upon all sin.
So Peter takes up his 1st point in these 10 verses.
1. (1-2) Keep Remembering – “This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, 2 that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles,”
The term “Sincere mind” is a pregnant one. It holds the idea of decisions and opinions flowing from sound reason more than feelings.
Temptation and the momentary forgetfulness of God that allows us to give into it gain their power in lives lived more by feelings and impulses than by reasonings and decisions that flow from Biblical truth in the moment.
Now one cannot read the OT without encountering the theme of God’s judgment on sin. Both in the temporal, and in pointing to the FINAL JUDGMENT.
And, one cannot read the OT without encountering the wonderful promises of the Day of The Lord and the restoration of all things.
But Peter’s meaning here is more likely tied to the rise of false prophets and teachers he addressed in the previous chapter.
I.e. You will have to keep reminding yourselves about the warnings about false prophets in the OT, and about the false teachers we looked at last time who Paul, and Jesus especially, warned about.
False teachers will be a perennial problem in the Church and it requires real vigilance to keep safe.
We looked at just 2 OT passages out of dozens last time: Deut. 13 & 18
But Jesus is emphatic on this topic:
Matt. 7:15 – “ Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”
Mark 13:22-23 “For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect. But be on guard; I have told you all things beforehand.”
Paul again in Acts 20:28-31 – “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears.”
And now Peter.
Remember, remember, remember – False teachers ARE coming!
But beyond false teachers, Peter now mentions a 2nd category of dangerous folk.
They aren’t as much interested in growing a group around themselves as the false teachers are – but more directed at simply undermining Biblical Christianity and especially the Believer’s hope in Jesus’ return, the resurrection, final judgment and the eternal state.
These, Peter simply calls “Scoffers.”
2. (3) Expect “Scoffers” too! – “knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires.”
“C’mon! You don’t believe that 2nd coming stuff is literal do you?”
How unsophisticated. How cartoonish. How fairy-tale like.
And this, Peter notes is because they want to follow their own sinful desires.
In denying the return of Christ and judgment, it would appear they want to follow their sinful desires without the pain of a guilty conscience now, or especially the thought of ultimately having to give an account for their sin later.
Michael Green: “Anthropocentric hedonism always mocks at the idea of ultimate standards and a final division between saved and lost. For men who live in the world of the relative, the claim that the relative will be ended by the absolute is nothing short of ludicrous. For men who nourish a belief in human self-determination and perfectibility, the very idea that we are accountable and dependent is a bitter pill to swallow. No wonder they mocked!”
And this is nothing new, is it?
As D. A. Carson notes, the very first objection to God’s revelation in the Bible is found in Gen. 3 when Satan tells Eve that if she eats of the forbidden fruit there will be no judgment. “You will not surely die!” he scoffingly says.
Christians cannot afford to be the equivalent of the present culture’s “snowflakes”, who melt at the hot breath of anyone who contradicts, voices a contrary opinion or scoffs.
We’re soldiers, not sissies.
3. (4-7) Don’t buy the Scoffer’s Logic – “They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.”
Jesus said He was returning soon – and how much time has passed? they ask.
If there hasn’t been any final judgment up until now, what makes you think there will ever be one?
Look carefully at Peter’s 3-fold response to this line of reasoning.
- They deliberately ignore the fact that God has judged before on a major scale – in the Flood.
- They deliberately ignore the fact that God waited a LONG time before sending the Flood / as He did with Sodom & Gomorrah; the Canaanites: Gen. 15:13-16; and Israel and Judah themselves.
- They deliberately ignore the prophetic warnings from the OT prophets, Jesus & the Apostles that a fiery judgment is to come.
Psalm 50:3–4 “Our God comes; he does not keep silence; before him is a devouring fire, around him a mighty tempest. He calls to the heavens above and to the earth, that he may judge his people:”
Zephaniah 3:8 “Therefore wait for me,” declares the LORD, “for the day when I rise up to seize the prey. For my decision is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, to pour out upon them my indignation, all my burning anger; for in the fire of my jealousy all the earth shall be consumed.”
Mal. 4: 1 “For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch.”
Matthew 3:11–12 “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
2 Thessalonians 1:6–10 “God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.”
Hebrews 10:23–27 “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.”
God by His Word created the world
By his Word of judgment flooded the world
And by His Word of judgment will destroy it a final time by fire.
Rejecting these realities lulls people into a false sense of security regarding their own sins. They do not admit a day of final reckoning.
Now some may quibble over whether or not LITERAL fire is meant here like the literal water in the flood. And I don’t care whether you take it literally or metaphorically – the idea is the same: God is going to test everything and only what can withstand subjection to His holy presence will remain. Every impurity, everything temporary, everything that is not weighty and valuable weighed in the scales of God’s holiness and eternity with be utterly and completely purged away.
4. (8-9) Don’t count the Lord’s patience, as indifference – “But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”
The 1000 year reference here is not meant as a tool for calculations.
Rather, it is simply to awaken us to the fact that the Lord is not bound by time the way we are. That as an eternal being, such constraints need to be set aside.
And so, we need to let Him work His work in relation to His purposes and wisdom, and not according to the way we might conceive of “soon” and other such wording.
Beware this does not send you down rabbitless holes.
Romans 2:1–5 Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. 2 We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. 3 Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? 5 But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.
And for you who do not yet know Christ – think of the patience of God in respect to your own life right now.
You have been preserved thus far. You have been exposed to the Gospel once more – that Jesus died for your sins and calls you to Himself – to repent of your self-government against Him and His holiness, and to turn to Him in faith – trusting in His atoning sacrifice at Calvary.
You are still alive to hear this – not because God is pleased with you as you are – but He is exercising Divine patience that you might repent and believe!
Don’t squander this moment! You may well not receive another!
5. (10) Rest Assured – “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.”
- JESUS WILL COME!
- WILL COME WITHOUT WARNING!
- WILL COME IN JUDGMENT!
The Believer will be spared, vindicated and rewarded.
But even now, the Believer, having understood justice in light of the Cross, cries out for justice in the whole of God’s universe.
Luke 18:7 “And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them?”
Revelation 6:9–11 “When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.”
Believer – Justice WILL come! Every foul deed will find its proper recompense.
And as awful as that will be, yet for those who are in Christ Jesus and pardoned in His blood, we can cry out with John – Revelation 22:20 “He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!”
ResponsiveReiding 