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God’s Provision for His People – Revelation Part 16

February 13th, 2018

Revelation Part 16

Chapter 7

Ezekiel 9:1-6

God’s Provision for His People

AUDIO FOR THIS SERMON CAN BE FOUND HERE

One of my favorite vacation pastimes is reading science fiction. And over the years I’ve grown to be quite a fan of one particular writer: Orson Scott Card.

Arguably, Card’s most popular book by far is Ender’s Game. A futuristic story of a young man named Ender. Having sold over 7 million copies, I’m not alone in appreciating Card’s writing.

This Christmas, Sky purchased another book by Card for me, titled Ender’s Shadow. And it was lauded as highly innovative and a breakthrough in literature. It wasn’t a sequel or a prequel, but it covered the exact same time and events, but from the perspective of one of the other characters in the original book – a diminutive little boy/genius named Bean.

And if one hadn’t read the book of Revelation, this concept of covering the same time and events from a wholly different perspective would seem radically new and innovative.

But here we are in our study of Chapter 7 of the Revelation, and we are in fact confronted with the very same literary device Card is so lauded for. He’s just late to it by about 2,000 years.

For ch. 7 isn’t giving us a look at some sequential material down the road from what we’ve just seen in 6 and the opening of the seals – it is simply shifting point of view, from what’s happening on earth during the opening of the seals, to what’s happening in Heaven.

And from this point of view, the idea is to bring perspective, comfort and confidence to Christians after having rattled our cages with the things we saw earlier.

Last time we examined the opening of the 7 seals which we were told seal the scroll which was in the right hand of God as He sat upon His throne.

No one in all the universe was found worthy to break those seals and open the scroll until the Lamb of God, the Lion of Judah, Jesus the Messiah steps up, takes the scroll and begins to open it. He was worthy to do this because: Revelation 5:9–10 “And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”

This scroll, which we’ve said is nothing less than the eternal plan of God both to ultimately judge all sin and to reward His saints is both revealed, and enacted by Jesus Christ, the crucified and risen Son of God. He is, for lack of a better term, the executor of the Father’s will. And His action puts all of His will into motion.

Because Jesus resisted all sin in His life; paid the penalty for sin in His death; rose from the dead overcoming sin’s ultimate outcome in His resurrection – securing the salvation of all who will trust in His atoning work on Calvary – He alone is worthy to vanquish all sin and its effects, and to reward those who by faith are in Him. To bring about the glorious, eternal end the Father has promised.

That plan, as we saw last time, entails the crushing of all human governments and institutions and trust in anything but God Himself – ushering in His own Kingdom in its fullness. A Kingdom which will also get unpacked for us before this book is done.

More, it requires the complete undoing of this present world system which is based upon material economics, human/and or demonically inspired religion, culturally defined morality and autonomous human authority. Those 4 things must be overthrown.

Christ must finally rule and reign as the true King of Kings and Lord of Lords on earth. Holiness must permeate our beings in that we walk in holiness as thoroughly and naturally as God Himself does. All things of value are measured by God’s standard of what is most valuable to the soul in Christ. And all worship is the constant, joyful outflow of being blessed beyond our comprehension in the unending revelation of God in all of His magnificence and glory. For as we’ve said so often He can bless us with nothing greater than Himself, since nothing greater exists.

What we are seeing unfold then in the following chapters, is the road to get there.

Yes, there will be judgment and destruction, but it will give way to eternal glory and wonder and goodness and perfection.

[XXXX] So as we saw last week – the opening of the 6 seals so far have laid out the basic plan.

It is a program of:

Righteous conquering, by means of

Human warfare

Famine

Massive loss of life

Widespread Christian martyrdom

Earthquakes and eco-cataclysm

Walking through those last week certainly wasn’t pleasant, nor was it pleasant for the first readers.

But our God knows how unsettling this picture is for us.

And so it is, He quickly gives us glimpse of something to settle our hearts and minds, when we know full well all of these things are coming on the world – and the world as we now know it, will cease to be.

Outline of Ch. 7

Vss. 1-3 / Restraining the wind until…

Vss. 4-8 / The 144,000

Vss. 9-10 / The Great Multitude

Vss. 11-12 / The Angelic Response

Vss. 13-14 / Explanation of the Multitude

Vss. 15-17 / The Promises

Vss. 1-3 / Restraining the wind until…

Yes judgment is coming, but God also has mercy and provision for those who are His – which all benefit from. The winds which will eventually bring great destruction, are restrained. And that, for a very specific purpose.

Fortunately, this picture of sealing or marking God’s people in their foreheads is not new in Scripture. We can go back and see how it was used before to get a handle on what is meant here. This will also inform us as to what is most likely meant later in the book with the mark of the Beast as a counter symbol.

We get a view of this in Ezekiel Ch. 9. The setting is another vision. This time, one given to the Prophet Ezekiel when he is exiled along with the rest of the Jews in Babylon.

Since Ezekiel’s mission was to preach to the Jews in captivity, a major part of that mission was to make them understand exactly why it was they were in exile. Why Jerusalem was destroyed.

The bottom line was, they had become an idolatrous and unrighteous society governed by greed, self-interest, oppression and sexual immorality.

Now for Ezekiel and many of his contemporaries, all of whom had gone into exile, the question was: Were their NO righteous people in Judah at all? And if so, how could God let the righteous go into exile along with those who were unrighteous?

And God uses this vision to say “I haven’t forgotten about those who didn’t give in to this sinful lifestyle like the rest.”

So God gives Ezekiel a look back at what was happening from God’s point of view BEFORE the Babylonians arrived to sack the city – Ezekiel 9:4 [The Lord sent an angel] And the LORD said to him, “Pass through the city, through Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations that are committed in it.”

And then in the following verses He begins to strike down the wicked.

The very same sort of thing is being communicated in Rev. 7. Yes, judgment will fall and when it does, there will be both righteous and unrighteous people on the earth – but the Lord knows, the Lord marks out and takes special note and care for those who are His even though they will endure much discomfort in it.

So the seal in their foreheads is probably not literal, but signifies something like what is said in 2 Timothy 2:19 “But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.”

The picture is simply and beautifully that no matter what happens on the earth as God is carrying out His judgments, these things will not be indiscriminate – God knows and will always regard those who are His, no matter how difficult things become.

If you press me, I would say that the most likely explanation here is that the mark is faith itself. Believing that what God has said is true, and ordering our lives accordingly is always the mark of God’s people in every generation. Even as Hebrews 11:1 notes it is faith which is the conviction or evidence of what is unseen. A regenerate soul cannot be observed with the eye. The evidence of the unseen work of regeneration of the soul is that one by faith grasps the Gospel and trusts God by taking Him at His word.

Go back to the 10 plagues in Egypt. Remember how the first plagues affected everyone and not just the Egyptians?

The Nile turning to blood impacted Jews and Egyptians alike.

Same with the swarming frogs, and the gnats. But when it came to the flies next, God said: Exodus 8:22 “But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where my people dwell, so that no swarms of flies shall be there, that you may know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth.”

And from thereout, the Israelites were spared.

Go back to Noah. Noah and his family went THROUGH the flood, but they were not harmed by the flood. They were in fact “sealed” inside the Ark.

We see this same picture over and over, and it always testifies to God’s marking out His faithful ones to Himself, even when they must go through things that are judgments upon the wicked – they are not judgments upon them!

Vss. 4-8 / The 144,000

This number has been the source of endless speculation. The number is just too neat not to be symbolic. There are a couple of features that demonstrate this.

No census of Israel ever produced numbers like these.

The unique squaring off numbers is itself a hint as to its being symbolic. It is a common feature in Jewish apocalyptic literature.

Then there is the strange grouping – Judah first instead of Reuben the actual firstborn. Perhaps because the list is being impacted by the fact Messiah comes out of Juda? But then, there is the missing tribe of Dan and the insertion of Manasseh. All very odd.

In fact, there are no sacred records of genealogies of the Jews after 70 AD and the destruction of the Temple. Once the records were destroyed, attempts to keep tribal purity were abandoned as well. The lines are all mixed. There is no one who can say my lineage is just from Judah, or Gad, or Naphtali, etc. It just doesn’t exist.

No, something else is afoot here. Israel the people group which went into Canaan, is not comprised of the same individuals as came out of Egypt – even though it is still the same nation.

And so we see a transition in the New Covenant as well.

There is always a fair amount of discussion at this point from various groups, especially over what is sometimes labeled “replacement theology.” The idea being that some systems say that the Church replaces Israel in God’s program, and then there is no future place for ethnic Jews in God’s program.

We can’t unpack that whole debate here but what we CAN say is that at least in some sense, Israel was a type or a shadow. But of what? Of the Church? In some ways. But more precisely, of Christ Himself.

The language of the Old Testament about Israel is that she is represented by the figure of a “vine”. It is all through the Scriptures. An example would be: Ezekiel 19:10 “Your mother was like a vine in a vineyard planted by the water, fruitful and full of branches by reason of abundant water.”

When we come to Jesus, He deliberately appropriates this imagery to Himself. So in John 15:1–2 Jesus says: “I am the TRUE vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in ME that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.”

JESUS is the new or better, the fulfillment of Israel and all who are grafted into Him are considered such.

So it is that Paul argues at length how believing Gentiles are “grafted” in which makes us heirs of Abraham by faith, and breaks down the wall between Jews and Gentiles because we are one in Christ.

It makes more sense then to see the 144,000 as symbolic of the whole of Believers – from the 12 tribes, and from the fruit of the 12 apostles.

This is in keeping with how we would understand Ephesians 2:14–15 “For he himself [Jesus] is our peace, who has made us both [believing Jews and Gentiles] one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself ONE NEW MAN in place of the two, so making peace”

Which figure then is expanded or further explained by seeing the great multitude in the following verses.

Vss. 9-10 / The Great Multitude

The same group from 2 different vantage points. All of the redeemed, fulfilling Israel’s type and putting all things in Christ – where, as we read in Revelation 5:9–10 “And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”

Using here, the very same language of Ch. 5 of a “ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.”

Vss. 11-12 / The Angelic Response

The angelic host around God’s throne, are tremendously moved by the display of God’s goodness to His people.

And seeing how God in His providence will mark out and keep His own no matter what else unfolds on that earth, they cry: “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”

Vss. 13-14 / Explanation of the Multitude

This then accords with the angel’s explanation. Who are these? Those whose sins have been washed away by the atoning sacrifice of Jesus on Calvary.

Let me make one quick comment here on the words “great tribulation.” If you come to the book with a particular scheme in mind, you might impose on these words more than is in the text. Some see a “great tribulation” of 7 years before the end. But that is a construct of the system. A 7 year tribulation is not spoken of in those terms directly. More likely, and we’ll address this later in more detail, the “tribulation” extends from Christ’s ascension and the death of Stephen the first martyr, all the way until Jesus returns. At certain times and certain places this tribulation is more intense than in others.

So as Jesus told us plainly: John 16:33 “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Which then was part and parcel of the early Church preaching from the beginning: Acts 14:21–22 When they [Paul and Barnabas] had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, 22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.

Vss. 15-17 / The Promises

Now the promises outlined here make themselves the application of what we are reading in this part of the vision. This is our takeaway.

What will keep our souls when we find ourselves in the very midst of this world coming apart at the seams in God’s judgment?

Because they have “washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb: Revelation 7:15–17

15 “Therefore they are before the throne of God,

Unending union with God in His unveiled presence.

and serve him day and night in his temple;

Service life built around responding to the unspeakable experience of His presence and glory.

and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.

Perpetual, personal protection from all ills of any kind.

16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore;

Absolute, unvacillating satisfaction.

the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat.

No good ever distorted into harm.

17 For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water,

and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

The end of all sorrow, and the tender, personal comfort of the God of all comfort for ever and ever amen.

All this, for we who were once Christ hating sinners, but who have found forgiveness, adoption, eternal life and reward, through faith in the substitutionary, atoning death of Jesus on the Cross.

Now let us join with hearts and tongues,

And emulate the angels’ songs;

Yea, sinners may address their King

In songs that angels cannot sing.

2 They praise the Lamb who once was slain;

But we can add a higher strain;

Not only say, “He suffer’d thus,

“But that he suffer’d all for us.”

3 When angels by transgression fell,

Justice consign’d them all to hell;

But Mercy form’d a wondrous plan,

To save and honour fallen man.

4 Jesus, who pass’d the angels by,

Assum’d our flesh to bleed and die;

And still he makes it his abode;

As man he fills the throne of God.

5 Our next of kin, our Brother now,

Is he to whom the angels bow;

They join with us to praise his name,

But we the nearest int’rest claim.

6 But, ah! how faint our praises rise!

Sure, ’tis the wonder of the skies,

That we, who share his richest love,

So cold and unconcern’d should prove.

7 Oh, glorious hour, it comes with speed!

When we, from sin and darkness freed,

Shall see the God who died for man,

And praise him more than angels can. John Newton
Opening the 7 Seals – Sermon notes on Revelation Ch. 6

January 30th, 2018
Revelation part 15

Opening the Seals

Chapters 6 & 8:1-2

AUDIO FOR THIS SERMON CAN BE FOUND HERE

It is no understatement to say we are now entering into deep and mysterious territory in our study of this amazing book.

So far, most of what we’ve looked at has been fairly easy to grasp.

Ch. 1 set the stage in telling us how the book came about – John’s commission to write it while he was in exile on the island of Patmos for the crime of preaching the Gospel. And we get an account of the glorious vision of Christ that he saw.

Chs. 2 & 3 contain the letters Jesus dictated to John to be sent to the 7 churches in Asia: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.

Ch. 4 took us right into the very throne room of God to see Him in His glory and reassuring all that He is truly ruling and reigning and carrying out His divine plan for the ages – even if we can’t sense that here and now.

Ch. 5 introduced us to the scroll with 7 seals – A representation of the unfolding and enactment of God’s final judgment upon sin, and His justification and reward of Believers – all in the hands of the only one worthy to open the scroll and accomplish its contents – The Lamb of God, The Lion of Judah – Jesus the risen Christ. Let’s look at that briefly again.

Revelation 5:1–10 Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.” And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”

From this point on, the bulk of the book follows what one writer calls “three cycles of God’s judgment on his enemies—( 1) seven seals (Rev 6: 1– 8: 5); (2) seven trumpets (Rev 8: 6– 11: 19); and (3) seven plagues or bowls (Rev 15 and 16).¹¹Emerson, Matthew Y.. Between the Cross and the Throne: The Book of Revelation (Kindle Locations 62-63). Lexham Press. Kindle Edition.

The question of how the 7 seals relate to the 7 trumpets and both of them to the 7 bowls is not an easy one to answer.

Are they simultaneous? Are they sequential? Some mixture? Opinions abound. What seems most useful to me, is to think of them in this way:

The opening of the seals is the first step in enacting the contents, and is a revealing of the PROGRAM of God’s judgments.

The Trumpets are then a PROCLAMATION of the judgments in more detail. Urgent and graphic warnings of what has begun. What is now in process and how it will end.

And the bowls are the actual POURING OUT of the Judgments.

I use this cycle type of format because each of these groups of 7 ends the same way – in final judgment. And when you think about it, there can only be one “final” judgment.

So you compare Revelation 6:15–17 Which records the end of the opening of the 6^th seal. “Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”

So these clearly understand that this is the wrath of the Lamb being inflicted on them.

With Revelation 9:20–21 This again is at the end of the 6^th trumpet being blown. “The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.”

The “rest of mankind”is mentioned here, and their unrepentance, even though as we saw in the 6^th seal, they know this is the wrath of the Lamb!

And Revelation 18:9–10 This scene comes at the end of the last bowl being poured out. And no more judgments take place after these events until the war at the end of the millennium. “And the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning. They will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say, “Alas! Alas! You great city, you mighty city, Babylon! For in a single hour your judgment has come.”

Each section has a final judgment element. But there aren’t 3 final judgments, just one. So it would make sense that some kind of layering of one sort or another is going on.

Now whether or not that is THE actual scheme, won’t be as important to us as making sure we get the thrust of what is being revealed in each scenario. Fortunately, we can get to that without speculating on the way the interconnectedness might work.

So let’s take a broader look at what we can take away solidly from what we read in this portion.

1^st SEAL: 6:1–2 Now I watched when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, “Come!” And I looked, and behold, a white horse! And its rider had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer.

Lots of speculation surrounds trying to identify who this rider on the white horse is.

The 2 most popular theories are that it is either Jesus, or the Antichrist.

In truth, if the identity of the rider were that important to what God is keen on us needing to know, I think it would have been spelled out.

Since he isn’t identified – what CAN we know?

That God’s ultimate PROGRAM is one of righteous conquering of all that which has been in rebellion against God.

This rebellion will be characterized later as a kingdom that stands in opposition to God’s kingdom.

White nearly always represents righteousness in this book, and in other apocalyptic literature. Whether the rider is Jesus, or the antichrist or someone else – God’s program for judging sin and rewarding His saints is a righteous one which involves conquering that which needs to be put down in opposition to Him.

2^nd SEAL: 6:3–4 When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” And out came another horse, bright red. Its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that people should slay one another, and he was given a great sword.”

The Program Of conquering sin, evil and the kingdom of this world system will incorporate a great escalation in human warfare.

The phrase “slay one another” may be an allusion to civil war versus just war in general. Either way, an escalation in warfare is clearly indicated.

3^rd SEAL: 6:5–6 When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” And I looked, and behold, a black horse! And its rider had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard what seemed to be a voice in the midst of the four living creatures, saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and do not harm the oil and wine!”

This judgment results directly from the wars which dreadfully reduce food and produces famine. Though it IS controlled. These too are part of the program. Part of dismantling human self-dependence.

4^th SEAL: 6:7–8 When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth.

The judgment will be characterized by massive numbers of death finalizing the sentence for masses.

5^th SEAL: 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.

This judgment will include great persecution against the saints including martyrdom.

6^th SEAL: 6:12–17 When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”

The judgment will incorporate global, cataclysmic upheaval.

7^th SEAL: 8:1-5

The program WILL have an absolute final judgment upon all sin. God’s judgment will give way to the fulfillment of all His promises to His people.

But first will come vivid, graphic, repeated warnings to all in the time of the 7 trumpets.

As a sort of preview – I will tell you now that Chapter 7 is a pageant of how God will preserve His own throughout all the trials and tribulations which come upon the earth as a result of sin – and even through the Great Tribulation. God will not lose His own, no matter how bad it gets. We’ll see that next time.

Then Ch. 8 will see the 7^th seal opened and the 7 trumpets begin to sound the last warnings in urgent, and graphic pictures to the Church and to the World. No one need be caught unaware if the Church is doing her job in preaching and teaching. For this IS what is coming. And our evangelistic zeal needs to be fueled by a clear and overwhelming sense of how God is not playing around, that He will not remain patient forever, and that His wrath is far more terrible than anyone imagines.

But what about this portion before us today? What is it we need to take away from this for our lives here and now?
1. God isn’t winging it, and human history isn’t flying blind or undirected. Wars, rumors of wars, false prophets, false Christs, persecutions of the saints, global geo-political upheavals, natural and ecological disasters, and the like: Jesus Himself told us in Matt. 24 and elsewhere these are part of the Program and are not “the end” in and of themselves.
Christian – be heartened.

This would have been the immediate application to those the book was initially written to as they were undergoing their trials under Roman rule.

And it is meant to inform and comfort Christians in EVERY era when facing all of the things listed in their own context.

As we will see later in the book, every society, every people group, every “kingdom” has 4 common elements:
1. A RELIGIOUS perspective.
2. A POLITICAL structure.
3. An ECONOMIC system.
4. A MORAL framework.
And in this book we will see that every society which does not have a religious foundation of the Biblical Gospel of Jesus Christ; a political structure where Christ is the absolute monarch; an economic system which trades on spiritual values not materially based ones; and a moral framework established in Biblical holiness – will not only fall – it MUST fall when crushed by the coming of Christ to establish His Kingdom.

This includes fascist, communistic, democratic, autocratic, theocratic, anarchic and yes – even western representative republics like our own.

Western culture and society WILL perish. If not by virtue of its own inner corruption before Jesus comes, then by His judgment of it when He comes, if, it still exists at all.

Put no trust in man’s invented religious notions, political and governmental systems, financial prosperity or humanly defined morality. It all must give way.

It IS giving way.

Their dissolution is all in God’s program. Christ has ascended, and as Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:25 “he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.”

Christian – take heart.
1. Note that it is Christ our Savior who is the executor of God’s will in all of this.
He opens the seals. He sets the timing, directs the events and guides them to completion.

For those who belong to Him – this is supreme comfort in all trials and difficulties.

For those who are His enemies – who simply live life unto themselves and not under His rule – this is terrifying.

And so it is again a call to be reconciled to God through Jesus – through faith in His atoning work on Calvary.
1. Look at the patience and grace of God even in this.
Jesus comes and preaches the Gospel and dies for our sins.

The Disciples begin to preach the Gospel.

The Gospel spreads all over the world – transforming men and nations.

The Bible is written, preserved, published and distributed everywhere for generations.

The Church is established in worshiping communities all over the globe.

Missionaries travel to the remotest of unreached regions and people groups.

The Gospel is preached in pulpits, print, the radio, television, the internet and person to person.

The promise of Jesus’ return and the final judgment upon sin and wickedness is proclaimed generation after generation by every means possible.

Mankind is given millennia to hear, repent, turn to Christ in saving faith and be delivered from the wrath to come.

Every war, every earthquake, every famine, tornado, tsunami , and ecological disaster screams out God’s warning message that final judgment is on the way and demonstrates it in miniature.

And even as the seals of God’s program are broken open and enacted by Christ – still time is given to the 7 trumpets to herald Jesus’ return and the coming judgment. Once again people are called to forsake their sin and flee to Christ for forgiveness, eternal life and the gift of the Holy Spirit.

And so it is the trumpets are already sounding in our ears even today aren’t they? And still some of you refuse to hear, refuse to repent of your sin, refuse to bend the knee to Christ to be reconciled to God by faith in His substitutionary atonement. Refuse to serve Him as Lord.

Your eyes are still on human governments and western culture.

You believe a gospel of your own invention while refusing His.

You trust in your wages, 401K, and seek safety and well-being in investments and bank accounts. Seeking financial prosperity over seeking the face of God.

And what is right or wrong, moral or immoral changes at your own personal whim, or the current of popular culture.

Beloved – now is the time to call upon the Lord – before all of this gives way to pouring out of the 7 final bowls of His wrath, and it truly is – too late.

Today is still a day of grace. He calls out to you one more time to come to Him for mercy and forgiveness and transformation.

I do not know about tomorrow, only now. Won’t you come?
Light for The New Year – Sermon on 1 John 1:5

January 15th, 2018
1 John 1:1-5

James 1:16-17

Revelation 22:16

AUDIO FOR THIS SERMON CAN BE FOUND HERE

What I would like to address this morning is truly nothing new. We’ve spent some time on it before. But it is so essential, both in terms of our current study in the Book of Revelation, and in the Christian’s everyday life and thought process – that I thought it would be very fitting for the start of this new year of 2018.

Of all the damage done to the human soul in the Fall, nothing is so pervasive and must be so continually resisted as is the inward suspicion of God. The recurring thought that when things go wrong, or are hard, painful and difficult to understand, that God’s love or power or both, are somehow defective. Or that He harbors some dark or secret agenda which does not have the good of the Believer at heart.

This would have been at the forefront of those first readers of the Book of Revelation as they see the coming persecutions and the outpouring of God’s judgment on the world.

First you have those in the 7 churches each facing their challenges.

And one might ask – where is God in this?

Then as one reads on in Ch. 6, you read of global conquest, civil war, famine and death. One scene has the martyrs, those who have already died for the cause of Christ under the altar and the text reads: Revelation 6:10 “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?” And God responding that such a day is coming, but more yet need to be killed as they were.” Where is God?

Chs. 8 & 9 detail global disasters of all kinds, and even more brutal wars.

In one place a ¼ of mankind perishes and then in another 1/3 more perish. And there is persecution and mayhem as God pours out His wrath. And from what I can read, the saints will be here for these extraordinary and terrifying events – the same way the Israelites were present when Egypt was judged, and Noah and his family went through the flood. Unharmed, but not unaffected. And again we might ask – where is God?

All the way through Revelation John is taken from these very troubling scenes to scenes in Heaven where we see God sitting on His throne, ruling all, and of countless men and angels worshiping in unspeakable joy – and one could wonder – how can these two things co-exist?

How can a God who the Bible paints unequivocally as Holy and just and good allow sin to wreak its ravages on the human race?

Perhaps this has entered into your own thinking as you’ve wrestled with the disappointments, pain, suffering, and unexplained difficulties you’ve endured or are even enduring now?

Maybe you haven’t formalized the thought or said it out loud, but is there a nagging shadow in the back of your heart and mind – is God secretly angry with me? Punishing me for what – I don’t know? Is there some dark place in Him that leads me not to believe He is ALL good in all ways?

Does the combination of physical weakness, the way life hasn’t turned out the way you thought it would – the stresses and the circumstances of job and family and the nation and the world – find you casting some slight shadow of suspicion on God?

It is for just such a purpose that John reminds the readers in his little letter of 1^st John: “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— 2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— 3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. 5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.”

Bound up with the message of the Gospel and all of its glory, this message must be heard and heard again and again and again by God’s people – or we will fail to have true fellowship with The Father, the Son Jesus Christ and with each other: God is light. And in Him is NO darkness at all!

For you cannot draw close to anyone you suspect as having some dark ulterior motives in their relationship with you. You cannot live in faith with someone you don’t trust. It is true on the human level, and especially true in the Spiritual life with God.

It is a very common phenomenon among believers, that when we go through hard times, especially those with unexplained or seemingly senseless suffering attached – to grow inwardly suspicious of the purity of God’s love toward us.

Mentally, theologically we say to ourselves, I KNOW God is good and loves me – but in truth, we don’t feel it, and begin to question His wisdom in what He allows us to suffer, but more fundamentally, His secret attitude toward us.

And so it is many who suffer, instead of drawing closer to the Lord in their trials, actually grow farther from Him – for as I said above, you do not, can not, WILL NOT draw close to someone you suspect harbors ill toward you. If you cannot trust them, you cannot, you WILL NOT draw close to them.

So it is, when the Holy Spirit of God is the very Comforter of our souls, and we reject Him in suspicion, we rob ourselves of the comfort that may be ours in the midst of our trial.

Beloved this is so vitally important to the health of our spiritual lives and to having any growth in the depth of our relationship to Him.

These cannot be separated.

So it is I want to unpack just 3 ways we need to understand this indispensably foundational truth, that God is LIGHT, and in Him is NO darkness at all.
1. There is no darkness in His CHARACTER.
There is no flaw of any kind, no even slight tendency toward sin in Him. He is altogether – HOLY.

Remember how we saw that in such detail in chapter 4 of Revelation – that amazing scene where the Revelation 4:8 [Where] “the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”

That isn’t for show. It isn’t some vain pageantry – it is the declaration of who He is at the very core of His being. And as Holy – He cannot sin. He cannot plot wrong or evil or anything less than the very best for His own and still be God.

Certainly there are times when we do not understand what He is doing, or be able to directly discern how it is some events, experiences and circumstances can possibly be redeemed for our good – but because He is absolutely and undefilably holy – it must be so!

God is no more constitutionally capable of sinning than you and I are of capable of blowing out the sun like a match.

So it is, even when God is rebuking Israel for its sin He reminds them: Malachi 3:6 “For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.”

And we are reminded in Hebrews 6:13–18 “For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, saying, “Surely I will bless you and multiply you.” And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise. For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.”

It is not that God WILL NOT lie, the appeal to our faith in His promises is based upon the fact that “it is impossible for God to lie.”

Child of god, no matter how mysterious your circumstances might be; No matter how strangely the world around us might seem; no matter how dire, unchangeable or dark the things you are facing might be – if you are in Christ – God is FOR you, and is constitutionally unable to act in any other way toward you but in perfect, uninterrupted holy love.

When Adam and Eve fell, they did so because they believed the suggestion that God was not entirely good in what He had provided for them, and forbidden from them. They believed He could do them wrong.

And it is inevitably where we fall as well – even today.

God is light, and in Him is NO DARKNESS AT ALL.
1. There is no darkness in His MOTIVES.
While this idea is closely related to the first, it differs some.

A person might be paralyzed and for that reason, unable to harm someone else physically. But that does not mean they might not have ill-will toward them.

So God might be constitutionally unable to DO wrong, because He must act in holy ways at all times. He cannot pervert justice.

So when Abraham is bargaining with God over the fate of Sodom he argues: Genesis 18:25 “Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?”

But mere actions and motivations may differ.

There is an old story told about Clyde the farmer. One day Clyde was out in his field plowing, when lightening struck, tipping the tractor over pinning Clyde underneath with his legs broken. The fuel spilled out of the gas tank, which when ignited by another lightening strike, burned his entire crop to the ground, spread to the house and burned it down too. Soon Clyde’s wife appeared, berated him for being such an idiot and a loser and announced she was leaving him with his farm hand.

As hail began to fall and Clyde remained pinned under his tractor, in pain, confusion and anguish Clyde looked up into the heavens and cried: “Lord! Why me?” And in a moment, the clouds parted and a voice boomed back: “I don’t know Clyde, something about you just bugs me!”

I dare say there are some even here today who have imagined that to be the case between themselves and the Lord. That He just seems to have it out for you. Nothing goes right. Everything you try fails. No matter how you try to pick up the pieces and do right, it just seems that everything falls apart over and over. And deep down you suspect God just has some undefined thing against you.

So while you would never accuse God of actually doing you wrong, you do suspect He has it in for you in some way. You doubt that His motives toward you are completely and wholly loving and good.

No, He cannot DO us wrong, but do we really know His heart? Might there still be dark motives in Him somewhere? Might He not have the best interest of His children in view even if He cannot actually sin against them – might He just let evil roll over us?

And the answer is – NO! No!

We could spend the rest of our lives plundering God’s Word for all of the expressions of His unfailing, unerring, perfect love toward His own.

But if there is one passage that to me transcends them all it is the one captured in the midst of Jesus’ High Priestly prayer for Believers in John 17: John 17:22–23 “The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.”

Did you hear that? Jesus prays that the world might come to understand that God the Father loves the Redeemed, even as He loves Jesus Himself.

That the world might know it? That BELIEVER’S might know it! And believe it. And rest in it!

Oh if we could only grasp it for a moment.

If you are a Christian here today, know that the purity, the holiness, the perfect of God the Father’s love for His only Begotten, incarnate Son, in no way surpasses the love He has for you as in Christ today.

What possible ill-will could the Father have toward Christ? What possible dark or nefarious motives against Him? How could He have anything but the very highest regard, love and desire for His Son?

So much so then is it true for all of us who are in Christ by faith.

Believer, He loves you even as He loves the Son. And His motives toward you are all wrapped up in making you one with the Son and with Himself in eternal, unimaginable bliss having perfected that which He has begun in you.

God is LIGHT! And in Him is no darkness at all.
1. There is no darkness in His KNOWLEDGE.
Satan is a skilled adversary. And if he cannot win the day by convincing us that there is no darkness in God’s character, and no darkness in His motives toward us – but perhaps there is something lacking in His knowledge. In other words, maybe He just doesn’t know how badly I am suffering right now, how hard I am struggling.

Yes He is good. Yes He loves me. But if He only knew what was really going on in my life and in my heart – surly He would intervene and change things.

But of course, that is simply because we have forgotten His word to us. Remember David’s Psalm 139:1–24 “O LORD, you have searched me and known me! 2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. 3 You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. 4 Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether. 5 You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it. 7 Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? 8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! 9 If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 10 even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” 12 even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you. 13 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. 17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you.”

Oh Believer, He knows you. He knows your every care and concern – no matter how slight or how dire.

And He is holy in His sovereign appointments in your life.

He is unspeakably loving toward you in all of His providences.

And He knows you infinitely better than you even know yourself.

You can trust Him. And as you do, the more you do, the more you will find your relationship with Him deepening and comforting.

For He is light, and there is no darkness in Him at all.

And Unbeliever today, because these things are true, because God is light and in Him is no darkness at all, then know too this means He cannot overlook, excuse or condone your sin either.

Because He is holy and just, and cannot change – He MUST judge sin. And everyone will stand before Him to give an account even of our secret thoughts one day.

His holiness will not allow Him to ignore your sin. You will either stand before Him robed in the righteousness of Christ, cleansed by His blood and purged of your guilt in bowing the knee to Christ Jesus as your Savior, substitute and Lord, or you will stand on your own, to suffer the just wrath of God against your sin. And in the Light that He is, no dark spot in you will be missed.

The bad news is, God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.

But the good news too is: God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.

Come to Him who knows your every sin, and be forgiven, cleansed and made a new creature in Christ – to know Him as He is.

Child of God – trust Him. More and more and more. And you will know Him more and more and more. And your joy and comfort will have no end.
A Brief Defense Of Believers only Baptism

January 6th, 2018

The brilliant 18th century theologian and preacher Jonathan Edwards wrote: “There is perhaps no part of divinity attended with so much intricacy, and wherein orthodox divines do so much differ as stating the precise agreement and difference between the two dispensations of Moses and Christ.”

He wasn’t kidding. And the debate between “orthodox” believers and theologians over whether or not to baptize the infants of believing parents or believers only hinges on this very point.

In this debate over whether infant baptism is to be practiced in the New Covenant Church, or Believers’ baptism only, we are in the final analysis dealing with two fundamentally different views of the Church. Each view grounded in a difference in understanding the “precise agreement and difference between the two dispensations of Moses and Christ.”

I want to stress here that this is an “in house” debate The Church of Jesus Christ has discussed and debated this topic nearly since its inception. And many of those who hold the opposite opinion of the one expressed and defended here are towering giants of holiness and devotion to Christ. Scholars and saints of the highest order. I disagree with their view on this topic – but we lock arms as fellow believers, lovers of Christ, defenders of the faith and those with whom we will spend eternity around the throne with our mutual Savior.

That said, I respectfully submit the following 5 positive arguments for believer’s only baptism, and 4 negative arguments against the baptism of the infants of believing parents. I qualify that last statement so as not to mischaracterize the orthodox, who would not approve of baptizing any infant but those of believers.

5 Positive arguments:

1. Believer’s Baptism is the Unbroken NT pattern

2. Entrance into the New Covenant is expressly by the Holy Spirit

3. The Scripture descriptions of & denominations for The Church all incorporate terms of faith, belief & regeneration

4. Baptism inherently testifies to a completed work

5. The Promise in Acts2:39 is of the gift of the Holy Spirit – which is restricted to those whom

God shall call in every generation.

4 Negative Arguments:

1. Familial Solidarity – Evident under the Old Covenant, is expressly denied under the New Covenant

2. The so-called “Household” argument proves too much

3. Holy children in 1 Cor.7:14 has no reference to baptism

4. There is no mention of it in the New Testament – period

5 POSITIVE ARGUMENTS:

1. Believer’s Baptism is the Unbroken NT pattern: People believed, and were baptized. No other pattern is ever given anywhere in the New Testament. The old pattern perished with the Old Covenant.

A survey of all the pertinent passages leaves this without reasonable doubt, even when beginning with the b

Matt. 3:5-6 / 5 Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, 6 and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

Acts 2:41 / So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

Acts 8:12 / But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

Acts 8:36-37 / And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?” And Phillip said, “if you believe with all your heart, you may. “ And he replied, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”

Acts 9:17–18 / So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized;

Acts 10:44–48 / While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.

Acts 16:14–15 / One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.

Acts 16:32–34 / “And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. 34 Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.”

Acts 18:8 / “Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, together with his entire household. And many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptized.”

In every case recorded, without exception, baptism was linked to understanding and faith in those being baptized. They understood their sin and the message regarding how it must be dealt with prior to their baptism. By knitting the passages together, we see that it was the Gospel, God, the Word of the Lord, etc. which was believed. Even in the case of John’s baptism, his work reaches its zenith in proclaiming to those he is baptizing that it is Jesus Christ who is the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world. Nowhere do we ever find a single mention of anyone being baptized who was not believing themselves. Such then certainly is the case with infants who cannot yet believe.

2. The means of entrance into the New Covenant is expressly by the Spirit: No other way into the Church – properly denominated Christ’s body (“baptized into one body”) is ever alluded to in Scripture.

Galatians 3:25–29 “But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.”

This passage in Galatians helps us understand the nature of the one-bodiedness of those “in Christ.” What is to be noticed is:

a. All “in Christ Jesus” are “sons of God through faith”.

b. All who were baptized into Christ have “put on Christ.”

c. This oneness is due to being “in Christ Jesus”.

d. As such, those in Christ are Abraham’s offspring – or “heirs” according to the promise”.

All of which Paul says in vs. 25 is the result of “faith” having come, and therefore no longer being under a guardian (in this place, the “guardian” being the Mosaic law).

Note how faith is the essential to being “in Christ Jesus” and therefore a part of the one Body of Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:12–13 “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.”

Here again we see the foundational concept of the Body of Christ being “one” – by virtue of each member being baptized into the Body by the Spirit. The Spirit alone brings us into union with Christ and one another.

Hebrews 8:10–11 “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 11 And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.”

Repeating the terms of the New Covenant (from Jeremiah 31), the writer to the Hebrews reminds us that all those within the Covenant have God’s laws put into their minds and written upon their hearts, and that they each “know the Lord”. This is central to our understanding of who is in covenant with God and who is not, from the vantage point of the New Covenant terms laid out in Scripture.

The Scripture simply does not describe anyone as being in the New Covenant apart from being a partaker of the Holy Spirit – who it is that baptizes us into Christ and into union with one another. New Covenant membership is utterly dependent upon the work of the Spirit in the individual. Nowhere in the Bible is anyone ever designated as a participant in the New Covenant apart from the Spirit of Christ.

3. The Scripture descriptions of and denominations for, The New Testament Church, all incorporate terms of faith, belief and regeneration, and never anything less.

a. Hebrews 12:22–23 “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, 23 and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect.”

b. Galatians 3:23–27 “Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. 24 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”

c. Ephesians 2:17–19 “And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.”

d. Romans 5:1–2 “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”

e. Romans 8:9 “You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.”

There is no Scriptural support anywhere in the New Testament for denominating someone as in the Church, apart from personal belief, a confession of faith and sharing of the Holy Spirit. This does not mean the Church does not care for those who are not yet believers, especially our children. But it is our first task to evangelize them, not to treat them as though they are already in union with Christ. Union with Christ is only by the Spirit of Christ.

4. Baptism inherently testifies to a completed work and the promise fulfilled, whereas Circumcision only points to a future promise yet to be fulfilled.

This is not to say there is NO future concept expressed in baptism. Resurrection is also pre-figured as established above. However baptism is PRIMARILY looking backward to the already accomplished death, burial and resurrection of Christ. Our salvation is dependent upon a finished work in Christ at Calvary, not a work yet to be accomplished. Even the fulfillment of the resurrection is dependent upon the promises already fulfilled in Christ’s death, burial and resurrection.

Romans 6:3 “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?”

In contrast, circumcision was specifically given regarding a promise yet to be fulfilled, not, in regard to a promise already fulfilled. It was appropriate under the Mosaic Covenant, but not under the New Covenant.

Genesis 17:7–10 “And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. 8 And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.” 9 And God said to Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. 10 This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised.”

Deuteronomy 30:6 “And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.”

Note too, how circumcision is related directly to the inheritance promised to the Israelites. In their case, that promise was of land, which was meant to typify spiritual realities, not to be the final reality – something Abraham fully understood. (Heb. 11:10)

In the case of the New Covenant, the spiritual inheritance is the focus, and that, received by the giving of the Spirit. So we read in Ephesians 2:11-19: “Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— 12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. 17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,”

We see clearly here that access to the Father, and the Covenant, is through the blood of Christ (already shed) and the Holy Spirit presently poured out (vss. 18-19). This is in stark contrast to the forward looking emphasis of circumcision under the Old Covenant.

5. The” Promise” referred to in Acts 2:39 is of the Holy Spirit, not the Covenant, and is restricted to those whom God shall call in every generation.

While it is often argued that Acts 2:39 supports the baptism of infants by stating: “For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” It seems that perhaps 2 critical mistakes are made in that interpretation.

a. One must first determine what “promise” is being referred to here in the context of the passage. And there can be no exegetical doubt, the promise referred to is that of the giving of the Holy Spirit. In other words, the “promise” is not that children may have a part of the covenant through baptism – for baptism is not the subject of Peter’s preaching. The pouring out of the Holy Spirit is Peter’s topic, required by both the unusual phenomena of the day, and by Peter’s express reference to the phenomena being directly related to the prophecy of Joel 2:28-32.

b. In addition, Peter’s application is that the promise of the Holy Spirit is “for everyone whom the Lord God calls to Himself.” The qualifying factor is having been called by God to Himself, not, simply being the children of believers. Yes, this promise is for all who believe, even the following generations and not that unique generation alone – but children or no, it is for those who are called by God to Himself.

This interpretation is confirmed by observing whom it was that manifested the Spirit on that day – the believers gathered and not the unbelievers. The Spirit was not indiscriminately poured out upon all the circumcised present. The Spirit is not given due to familial solidarity with the “covenant people” bearing the sign of circumcision, but to those among them who believed.

Verse 39 is prefaced by verse 38 – “And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

Those who repented and believed would receive the gift of the Spirit, and none else. The “promise” is of the Holy Spirit, and it is made to those who repent and believe. None other.

4 NEGATIVE ARGUMENTS:

1. Familial Solidarity –Evident under the Old Covenant, is expressly denied under the New Covenant.

The case is often made by our brothers and sisters who insist on infant baptism, that paedobaptism ought to be practiced as an expression of “familial solidarity” – a principle established by God in the giving of circumcision, establishing a lineage of promise and blessing.

Put simply, the idea is that God established a covenant with Abraham. God also gave a sign or a token of that covenant, which was circumcision. This sign was to be conferred upon all of Abraham’s generations, marking them out as God’s covenant people.

Based upon this solidarity which existed between all of the generations which issued from Abraham, the thought is that such a sign should still continue when we enter the New Covenant era. That since “God’s people” (all the descendants of Abraham under the Abrahamic covenant) were to have the “sign” of that covenant, all the descendants of those in the New Covenant should have the “sign” of that covenant conferred upon them as well. We simply follow the pattern already established.

And before going any further, we must agree that the logic of the position is sound on the face of it. It makes sense. However, the question isn’t whether or not the reasoning makes sense, but whether or not this connection between baptism and circumcision taken in this way is what the Bible teaches.

Two issues arise here which bear investigation in answering that question.

a. Does baptism in fact replace circumcision as the sign of the covenant? Did God institute water baptism as the sign of the New Covenant, in the same way that He established circumcision as the sign of the Old Covenant?

b. Does the Bible teach that the same principle of familial solidarity of passing the sign of the covenant on to natural offspring still apply under the terms of the New Covenant?

To the first question, we have to answer in the negative.

As noted in the first section of this book, Colossians 2:11 indicates that the “circumcision” of the New Covenant believer is one made “without hands”, having been buried with Christ in baptism. Since the baptism referred to there is one made “without hands” we see that it cannot be water baptism which is being discussed but rather that baptism of the Spirit whereby we are placed into Christ (1 Cor. 12:13). The text itself clarifies that interpretation by adding that we were “raised with Him through faith”. Faith is the operative agent here, not baptism as an act, which would be made “by” hands, as opposed to “without hands”. In other words it is not a physical act which is being referred to. And water baptism is certainly a physical act.

To the second question we must also answer in the negative.

It appears that under the New Covenant, the familial solidarity evident under the Old Covenant and as manifested in circumcision is removed. We see evidence for this shift right from the very beginning of the New Testament.

So it is John Baptizer warns those coming to his baptism to be sure that they are not depending solely upon their familial connection with Abraham to be in full covenantal relationship with God: Luke 3:8 “Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.”

Family lineage – while it once carried the types and shadows of union with Christ, is seen to be set aside in favor of the fulfillment which had been typified. So John 1 marks out that being “children of God” is located in having believed in Christ’s name and not somewhere else.

John 1:12-13 “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

Galatians 3 locates our familial connection to the family of believers in faith – not in circumcision or water baptism. Galatians 3:26–29 “for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.”

1 Corinthians reminds us that the patterns in the Old Testament are types and shadows of the spiritual realities, and not the substance themselves. Therefore we are to expect a progression and transition in the forms to those more representative of the realities. We start with physical things, but move on to spiritual things.

1 Corinthians 15:45–47 “Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. 47 The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven.”

2. The “Household” argument proves too much.

The substance of this argument is that the Greek word oikos (“household” – used in such passages as Acts 16;15 where Lydia was baptized, “and her household as well”) implies the entire household – including all family members, regardless of age. As such (those who take this position argue) there certainly might have been – if not MUST have been infants included in those numbers.

On the surface, the argument seems sound. But we must also bear in mind that the term oikos / household also went beyond that of spouses and progeny. As one resource defines it, oikos is defined as: “family, kin by blood or marriage, including slaves and workers ”

If (as proponents of infant baptism sometimes argue) one is required to assume that there were infants in the “household” references related to baptism in the New Testament, then we must also (if we are to remain consistent in our exegetical method) require that the slaves and workers in those households were also baptized – irrespective of age and/or profession of faith.

With all due respect, we find this neither tenable nor desirable.

That it was “possible” that there were infants who must have been baptized is not a solid approach. Possibility is neither proof nor safe. It is possible that Balaam’s ass spoke with Cajun accent. And according to the very same logic, it was possible that there were adult, unbelieving slaves or workers baptized as well. But there can be no proof and therefore it ultimately has no bearing whatever on the reality of how baptism is to be practiced.

3. Holy children in 1 Cor.7:14 has no reference to baptism.

1 Corinthians 7:14 “For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.”

Three things are worthy of note here.

a. Whatever it is that is being said in this passage, this much is true – it is being said (at least contextually) irrespective of baptism. There is no reference to baptism in the passage, and therefore there can be no conclusion in regard to baptism drawn from it. Whatever happens here has no relation to baptism at all, but is only speaking of the relationships between a redeemed parent and their children, and their unredeemed spouse.

b. Whatever it is that is being said of the child of the believing parent, is also being said concerning the unbelieving spouse.

c. The main point appears to be: Just because you have come to the saving knowledge of Christ, do not imagine that you must separate either from your unconverted spouse nor your children. Believers are not defiled on their account, and the unconverted are in fact are benefitted by their connection to the saved.

For a believing Jew familiar with the account given in Ezra 10 and those Jews returning from the Babylonian exile and their marriages to gentiles – this could have raised significant issues in this regard. Paul quells them in this passage.

4. There simply is NO mention of infant baptism it in the New Testament. Period.

In fact, New Testament arguments are made which would be contradictory to infant baptism mindset. For example:

Galatians 6:15 “For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.”

If water baptism replaced circumcision, then what is said here about circumcision considered by itself must also be applied to baptism considered by itself. And what is said is – it does not count for anything. What DOES count? “A new creation.”

Ephesians 2:11–13 “Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what I called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— 12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”

Circumcision was once the marker which separated the Jews from all the other races. As a result, Gentiles were “separated from Christ,” “alienated from the commonwealth of Israel”, “strangers to the covenants of promise”, “having no hope”, “and without God in the world.” What changed that? Baptism? No. “You who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”

Philippians 3:3 “For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh—“

The Believer’s “circumcision” is not by virtue of baptism, but is located in worshiping by the Spirit of God, glorying in Jesus Christ and putting NO confidence in the flesh.

Recap:

Believer’s Baptism is the Unbroken New Testament pattern.

Entrance into the New Covenant is expressly by the Spirit.

The Scripture descriptions of and denominations for “The Church” all incorporate terms of faith, belief and regeneration.

Baptism inherently testifies to a completed work.

The “Promise” in Acts2:39 is of the Spirit – is restricted to those whom God shall call in every generation.

Familial Solidarity – a principle evident under the Old Covenant, is expressly denied under the New.

The “Household” argument proves too much.

“Holy children” in 1 Cor.7:14 simply has no reference to baptism.

There is no mention of it in the New Testament. Period. Infant baptism simply is not taught in the New Testament, while Believer’s Baptism clearly is.

We conclude then that the practice of infant baptism is one that is not taught in the Bible. And though there maybe be some reasonable and logical constructs which can be made to justify the practice, such constructs actually run counter to the way in which circumcision was abolished, by virtue of a circumcision made “without hands” – and not by water baptism.
A New Year’s Prayer for Blessing by John Newton

December 31st, 2017

Newton often preached especially for young people on the occasion of New Years. This is one of those prayers as included in the Olney Hymns.

Now, gracious Lord, thine arm reveal,

And make thy glory known;

Now let us all thy presence feel,

And soften hearts of stone!

2 Help us to venture near thy throne,

And plead a Saviour’s name;

For all that we can call our own,

Is vanity and shame.

3 From all the guilt of former sin

May mercy set us free;

And let the year we now begin,

Begin and end with thee.

4 Send down thy Spirit from above,

That saints may love thee more;

And sinners now may learn to love,

Who never lov’d before.

5 And when before thee we appear,

In our eternal home,

May growing numbers worship here,

And praise thee in our room.
Natural Law – A Book Review

December 30th, 2017

If you’re not familiar with them, the Davenant Institute says of their purpose that they support “the renewal of Christian wisdom for the contemporary church.” The Institute “seeks to sponsor historical scholarship at the intersection of the church and academy, build networks of friendship and collaboration within the Reformed and evangelical world, and equip the saints with time-tested resources for faithful public witness.”

Lofty and practical goals. Goals that clearly undergird the publication of their Davenant Guides series. Guides like their newly released “Natural Law: A Brief Introduction and Biblical Defense.” And it is well worth the read.

As this short but packed volume by David Haines and Andrew A. Fulford demonstrates – Natural Law theory not only has a place in Biblical theology and New Covenant ethics but also can profoundly inform missiology and public discourse.

In short, the authors define Natural Law as: “an order or rule of human conduct which is based upon the divinely created human nature and which is normative for all human beings.” As such, it predates and in some ways transcends the Mosaic law covenant, and extends into all phases of the New Covenant era. Now that is something to consider deeply for Christians today, and for discussing moral issues with the public outside of the church as well.

The book is arranged in 10 short chapters organized under 2 heads: Part I – The Philosophical Foundations of Natural Law. I.e. Natural Law’s intellectual validity and coherence. Part II – An Exegetical Case for Natural Law. The idea that the Bible itself addresses and endorses Natural Law concepts.

My best digest of it all is simply this – It is obvious to all, that human beings (indeed all of creation) possess certain individual properties, and that each has its best opportunity to flourish when it lives within those properties, and interacts with others according to theirs. In other words use a screwdriver according to what it was designed to do. Don’t use it as a heat source to cook your food, or as a surgical tool. Use a hammer for what it was designed to do. Don’t use your cell phone to hammer nails. And given the way human beings exist, live according what best provides for physical, psychological and spiritual health. Seems so obvious. But in a world where common sense seems to have little if any sway any more – and human beings try to impose their wills behind the bounds of how we come into this world and exist (e.g. not living within the constraints of physical sex assignment) – we imagine we can re-create anything for any reason.

Surveying various historical statements from philosophers and theologians regarding Natural Law theory and then establishing how the Bible makes reference to such ideas – the authors go on to press the need for recovering Natural Law and its implications.

For me personally, this has its first impact in terms of ethics for the New Covenant Believer. I meet regularly with a group of pastors who are discontent with the typical Reformed concept of the 3-uses of the (Mosaic) Law, and Christian ethics. For some, this question is resolved in a simple appeal to the 10 commandments. As though we in the New Covenant era are still bound by them. And to reject that idea invites immediate charges of antinomianism or licentiousness or both. For others, they try to construct a new written code of conduct – a new set of rules extracted from the New Testament. But perhaps, the better answer may be found in recovering Natural Law. A “law” that is not a code per se, but a law which made the murder of Abel by Cain for instance, morally wrong, long before the 10 commandments were ever given. And law which operates by the nature of things as created, rather than a code. A law which then transcends the Mosaic law (while containing commonalities and/or parallels) and which has special import now that the New Covenant Believer is a new creature in Christ – indwelt by the Holy Spirit and beginning to live in accordance with that new nature – even as we will in the resurrection, where a written code would be most unnecessary. And yeah, that’s a heck of a compound sentence. Sorry.

Davenant’s Natural Law truly is an excellent introduction to the topic. An introduction I hope they follow up with more in-depth treatments, exploring the impact on public discourse, missions, and of course, New Covenant ethics.

This is a well written, accessible and enjoyable book that needs a wide readership to spark a very desperately needed conversation. Buy it. Read it. Think about it. Discuss it. You will be rewarded.
A Christmas Poem in 4 Movements

December 24th, 2017

Movement 1 – Gabriel before the Throne – An Imagined Conversation

Movement 2 – Gabriel and Zechariah – From Luke 1

Movement 3 – Gabriel and Mary – From Luke 1

Movement 4 – The Angel and the Shepherds – From Luke 2

AUDIO FOR THIS POEM CAN BE FOUND HERE

Movement 1 – Gabriel before the Throne

1 Gabriel, I’ve summoned you

The time at last has come

To send among the fallen

My dear beloved Son

2 My Lord and God I pray Thee

Of course, I serve Your will

And yet I beg your patience

My wanting mind to fill

3 Why these, who barely notice you?

Who walk in sin and pride

Who speak your name in blasphemy

And cast your law aside

4 Nor do I wonder all alone

‘Tis all of Heaven’s host

We marvel why you love them so

When they despise you most

5 It grieves us so to see them

Their rampant godless ways

While you propose to send them Grace

Your Son Of highest praise

6 We fear the turn this path will take

We’ve watched them through our tears

Millennia of wickedness

No light in them appears

7 We fear they will not honor Him

Heav’ns sweetest, highest crown

Who holds in every angel’s heart

Love’s highest, best renown

8 We faint to think of parting from

His glory shining bright

And seeing Him descending

Into mankind’s blackest night

9 We beg you, spare us losing Him

We truly cannot bear

To have His light hid from our eyes

His presence not to share

10 And there the mighty angel knelt

And wept, before the throne

Who from his own creation

Triune light had only known

11 Gabriel, My messenger

My wisdom you know well

You’ve served Me and been faithful

And stood when others fell

12 My Son, you know, is willing

He takes this task in love

They will not recognize Him

As sent from Heav’n above

13 In time, they will reject Him

Arrest and beat and bruise

They’ll mock and slap and slander

And dreadfully abuse

14 In unearned rage and hatred

They’ll crown His Head with thorns

Then nail and crucify Him

His body wracked and torn

15 He’ll die, as if a sinner

Though holiest of all

He’ll die in place of sinners

To save them from their Fall

16 For this is in our bosom

A love for those we made

Created in our image

Though fallen and depraved

17 Within our Triune wisdom

A mystery does abide

To pour out grace and mercy

In purchasing a Bride

18 Don’t faint my faithful angel

More glory yet, will shine

Redemption when completed

Will vindicate our mind

19 What you have never tasted

What only they can know

Grace to the undeserving

And mercy overflow

Movement 2 – Gabriel and Zechariah

1 An aged priest in Judah

The altar incense burned

Who with his wife was childless

Yet duty never spurned

2 By lot this priest was chosen

The incense, his to bring

To burn upon the altar

A holy, sacred thing

3 Outside the crowd stood praying

The Priest, his duty filled

When all at once in wonder

The air was strangely stilled

4 Beside him at the altar

God’s messenger appeared

The old Priest starting quaking

Amazed and full of fear

5 The angel spoke his message

Your long-prayed prayer is heard

And you dear Zechariah

Must hear this blessed Word

6 Elizabeth shall bear you

A son, you’ll name him John

From birth, full of the Spirit

He’ll mark Messiah’s dawn

7 The Priest was unbelieving

“I’m old”, as is my wife

Such things as you’re announcing

Can’t happen in my life

8 You’re old? – we’ll I, am Gabriel

I stand before the Lord

He sent me with this message

This boy will be your ward

9 But for your unbelieving

You’ll speak no word or sound

But on the day you hold him

Your tongue will be unbound

10 This John, just like Elijah

Will stir the hearts of men

To seek the God of Isr’el

And clear the path again

11 The mighty angel left him

His work not yet complete

For barely six months later

He’ll walk a Naz’reth street

12 The priest went home confounded

In silence and in awe

Till in God’s perfect season

John’s birth set free his jaw

13 You my child, the old Priest said

A prophet are to be

Preparing hearts of people

That Christ they might receive

14 Before the Lord Of glory

You’ll go to make the way

Announcing God’s forgiveness

Proclaiming Christ’s new day

15 Because Of God’s compassion

Dawn visits from on high

To shine on those in darkness

Our feet to peace He’ll guide

16 They’d never dreamed their sorrow

Had glory at its base

That they would be a symbol

Of overcoming grace

17 Thus in their years past bearing

Christ’s herald they would birth

Soon John would cry “Behold Him”

“The Lamb of God on earth!”

Movement 3 – Gabriel and Mary

1 In Nazareth secluded

A Virgin soon to wed

This lowly one named Mary

To her was Gabriel led

2 Appearing without warning

With greetings from God’s throne

He spoke of God’s great favor

A call for her – alone

3 The God of all Creation

Has sent me here to you

Your heart and mind preparing

What He’s about to do

4 Don’t be afraid dear Mary

This message strange to hear

You’ll be a virgin mother

Tho how – will be unclear

5 Amazed her heart was troubled

What can this greeting be?

Thus Gabriel responded

You’re favor – you must see

6 The way ahead’s not easy

You’ll bear shame unrestrained

So few will understand it

A myst’ry unexplained

7 (At first not even Joseph

Could grasp it or conceive

Without an angel’s visit

E’en he would not believe)

8 What wonder I’m announcing

The son of the Most High

The long foretold Messiah

Will in your bosom lie

9 He’ll rule o’er Israel’s Kingdom

His reign will have no end

The Son of God, most holy

The flock of God He’ll tend

10 But sir, in wide amazement

She asked, how will this be?

I’ve known no man in marriage

The means I cannot see

11 How Gabriel smiled at Mary

In gentleness spoke low

God’s Spirit will accomplish

What none can really know

12 By power none can fathom

Beyond the human mind

Creating life within you

The God/man all divine

13 And to confirm my message

That it might be believed

Elizabeth the barren

Though ag-ed, has conceived

14 God’s power is not lacking

All’s possible to Him

And though you are a Virgin

In you, life will begin

15 Submitting as a servant

To all that she had heard

She said, so let it be sir

According to Your word

16 Then rushing to the country

Elizabeth to see

She came into the house there

Amazed in Holy glee

17 Elizabeth exclaiming

For joy – how can it be?

You, the mother of my Lord

Have come to visit me

18 For when I heard your greeting

My baby stirred and leapt

For joy he could not help it

And I in gladness wept

19 Thus Mary broke out singing

To magnify her Lord

A hymn of praise and worship

For all He had outpoured

20 Returning home rejoicing

Soon after John was born

In faith she trusted fully

In Christ, would dawn God’s morn

Movement 4 – The Angel and the Shepherds

1 Upon a quiet hillside

Lay flocks of gentle sheep

As Shepherds lay their heads down

Day’s end would hasten sleep

2 No noble men among them

No poets, priests or kings

The humble and the lowly

Not giv’n to lofty things

3 Not privy to the wonders

Revealed to others, yet

No sense there was a Mary

Or aged Elizabeth

4 They’d heard no prophet’s voices

Nor Mary’s hymn of praise

They tended to their business

This one, like other days

5. There were no signs of warning

No omens in the sky

No great anticipation

To prompt a careful eye

6. Just humble, no-name shepherds

About their daily charge

Amid the bleating sheepfold

Glum duty to discharge

7. When in the sleepy silence

Broke blinding, dazzling light

The shock of God’s own glory

Brought terror at the sight

8. The angel – though astounding

Spoke quickly – do not fear!

I’ve come to bring you good news

For all the world to hear

9. Today, in David’s city

In humble Bethlehem

To you is born a Savior

What things he spoke to them!

10. Why say such things to shepherds

Whose word none would believe?

These are the least of all men

Who will their word receive?

11. And yet there in his glory

The angel spoke his word

Here, I give a sign to you

A pledge of what you’ve heard

12. In David’s town, a baby

Was born this very day

He’s lying in a manger

In swaddling cloths arrayed

13. And when the angel said this

The sky was filled with light

A great angelic army

Dispelled the dark of night

14. A martial choir of angels

With massive, deafn’ing sound

Began to sing God’s glory

And make His praise abound

15. God’s glory in the highest

And peace to you on earth

For it has pleased the Godhead

The Prince of Peace to birth

16. The Shepherds hastened quickly

To Bethlehem they ran

To find the Babe as told them

This Savior born to Man

17. They ran to find the family

To see what they’d been told

And told them of the angels

And why they left their fold

18. Then leaving, telling others

Like prophets they became

And all who heard them wondered

What news they did proclaim

19. Returning to the sheepfold

A choir now were they

In praises glorifying

What God had done that day

20. And while this first – God’s Christmas

Began, and now was done

The saving work of Jesus

Had only just begun
Wise Newton on the Inward Warfare

December 21st, 2017

The inward Warfare. Galatians Chap. 5:17

1 Strange and mysterious is my life,

What opposites I feel within!

A stable peace, a constant strife!

The rule of grace, the pow’r of sin:

Too often I am captive led,

Yet daily triumph in my head.

2 I prize the privilege of pray’r,

But, oh! what backwardness to pray!

Though on the Lord I cast my care,

I feel its burden ev’ry day;

I seek his will in all I do,

Yet find my own is working too.

3 I call the promises my own,

And prize them more than mines of gold;

Yet though their sweetness I have known,

They leave me unimpress’d and cold:

One hour upon the truth I feed,

The next I know not what I read.

4 I love the holy day of rest,

When Jesus meets his gather’d saints;

Sweet day, of all the week the best!

For its return my spirit pants:

Yet often, through my unbelief,

It proves a day of guilt and grief.

5 While on my Saviour I rely,

I know my foes shall lose their aim;

And therefore dare their pow’r defy,

Assur’d of conquest through his name:

But soon my confidence is slain,

And all my fears return again.

6 Thus diff’rent pow’rs within me strive,

And grace and sin by turns prevail;

I grieve, rejoice, decline, revive,

And vict’ry hangs in doubtful scale:

But Jesus has his promise past,

That grace shall overcome at last.
Another of Newton’s Precious Hymns

December 20th, 2017

What consolation in knowing how God’s grace is sufficient for us.

II CORINTHIANS My Grace is sufficient for thee. Chap. 12:9

1 Oppress’d with unbelief and sin,

Fightings without, and fears within;

While earth and hell, with force combin’d,

Assault and terrify my mind:

2 What strength have I against such foes,

Such hosts and legions to oppose?

Alas! I tremble, faint, and fall;

Lord, save me, or I give up all.

3 Thus sorely prest, I sought the Lord,

To give me some sweet, cheering word;

Again I sought, and yet again;

I waited long, but not in vain.

4 Oh! ’twas a cheering word indeed!

Exactly suited to my need;

“Sufficient for thee is my grace,

Thy weakness my great pow’r displays.”

5 Now I despond and mourn no more,

I welcome all I fear’d before;

Though weak, I’m strong; though troubled, blest;

For Christ’s own pow’r shall on me rest.

6 My grace would soon exhausted be,

But his is boundless as the sea;

Then let me boast with holy Paul,

That I am nothing, Christ is all.
Immanuel – God With Us – Christmas 2017

December 17th, 2017

Christmas 2017

God With Us

Genesis 3 – Entire

Matthew 1:18-25

AUDIO FOR THIS SERMON CAN BE FOUND HERE

The two passages we’ve just had read for us are not usually considered together – in fact, they are so vitally linked that we must consider them side by side in understanding Christmas.

I know I have mentioned the trip Sky and I took last month to attend the annual conference of the Evangelical Theological Society. As always there were several hundred academic papers read by theologians, philosophers and others who are committed to the inspiration and inerrancy of the Scriptures, and to furthering our understanding and application of them.

One of the sessions we attended was a festschrift for Dr. Vern Poythress, who has been professor of New Testament interpretation at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia since 1987.

A festschrift is simply a collection of writings brought together as a book to honor a scholar at a certain point in their career.

At this festschrift, several of the contributors to the book also spoke, and several made comments about Dr. Poythress’s prodigious Bible memorization. He has committed huge amounts to the Bible to memory, many portions, both in English and in Greek.

But when asked initially about his memorizing, he mentioned that first of all he memorized the first three chapters of Genesis. Because, as he said, everything else in the Bible flows from those chapters.

Indeed, when we come to consider something like the incarnation of Christ at Christmas, the truth is, the Son of God becoming incarnate as Jesus, living, dying on the Cross and rising again – none of it makes a lick of sense without Genesis 3 especially.

Jesus didn’t come to earth in a vacuum. He didn’t just appear disconnected from human history nor the rest of the Biblical story.

He came as the focal point of the Biblical record. He came in answer to the prophecy and promise that God gave to humankind back in the Garden of Eden. As the fulfillment of the Divine prophecy and promise which came directly out of and on the heels of – The Fall. The descent of mankind into the darkness and wretchedness of sin.

He came especially, to address the key element of the Fall, the problem out of which all human misery flows – separation from God.

To state the issue as simply as I can: Sin separates. And it is this dis-integration, this dreadful separation in all of its manifestations which is at the heart of the Christmas story.

To get to that, let’s go back to see what I mean when I say that sin separates, and that this separation is at the bottom of all human woe – and – Christmas.

Genesis 3 as we have already seen, records the Fall of humanity into sin by means of our first parents, Adam and Eve. Let’s look at it afresh.

Genesis 3:1–5 “Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 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.’ ” 4 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.

The 1st separation we encounter is a Separation from God’s Authority. Satan’s suggestions take precedence for Eve over what God had already said. He assumes an authority to re-interpret God’s words. And ultimately, she does the very same thing.

The result of this is a Separation from God’s truth. God’s revelation is questioned. God doesn’t communicate well is the accusation. He didn’t mean what He said. You must make His Word fit into your understanding, and not go back to Him if clarification is needed.

Genesis 3:6 “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.

Once God’s authority is left behind, and His truth obscured, the natural result is Separation from God’s Wisdom. Human wisdom takes precedence. God has said X – but I know better.

And as the text records, once God’s wisdom is left, Separation from God given structures is inevitable. The woman leads and the man partakes without ever rebuking the serpent. Man had authority over all the creatures, but now he wimps out. Woman who is there is help man serve God most effectively as one with him, suggests another path, and he doesn’t resist. Abdication from responsibility.

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.

Separation from Innocence and Purity. Now their eyes are open in ways they were not designed for. They see things but not from a vantage point of innocence and purity, but one of lewdness.

Genesis 3:8–11 “And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”

Separation from FELLOWSHIP with God.

Genesis 3:12 “The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.”

Separation from one another. Adam throws Eve under the bus! All marital and relational strife can be traced back to sin, on the part of one or both parties – but sin is always at the root of driving us apart.

Genesis 3:13 “Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

Separation from God ordained responsibility. Responsibility for her own actions, and responsibility over creation.

Genesis 3:16 “To the woman he said, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you.”

Separation from original joy and fulfillment. The very roles God had given to bless and help mankind flourish become painful and are seen even as onerous or restrictive.

Genesis 3:17–19 “And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; 18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

Separation from original purpose, fruitfulness and joy in labor.

Genesis 3:19 “By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

Separation from life. Mankind was made to live. And now, we will die.

Genesis 3:22–24 “Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” 23 therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. 24 He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.”

Separation from the Presence of God. This, in the final analysis is the great, ultimate, terrible, tragedy and result of sin. In this case, God removed Adam and Eve from His presence in judgment.

This, is the state of humankind from the Fall forward to today.

Now in one sense – it is true, God is omnipresent – everywhere present at the same time. But in another sense – He is altogether absent.

Trapped in our guilt and sin, the beauty of God’s presence, the wonder of it, the desire for it and the love of it – the ultimate blessing of it is gone. And apart from some means of taking away our guilt, cleansing away the defilement of our sin and brining forgiveness of it – we remain without hope.

Or as Ephesians 2:12 so graphically describes the plight of one outside of Christ: At that time you were without Christ, excluded from the citizenship of Israel, and foreigners to the covenants of promise, without hope and without God in the world.

Sin separates! It disrupts and corrupts everything having to do with mankind. It dis-integrates the fundamental unity of the Cosmos as God has created it.

And it is into such a world – so wretchedly separated from its Creator and sustainer, that Christ comes.

He comes to a guilty humanity – guilty along with Adam in our rebellion against God’s rightful authority over us: A guilt we ratify every time we still disobey and live beneath the glory we were created in – to reflect His eternal perfections.

To this dark world, to these rebellious people who want to rule ourselves rather than bend the knee to Him – who serve our fleshly wants and desires above His perfect desires for us – who seek our own happiness above what we were created for – and could give little care as to whether or not He is actually in the picture, as long as we think we are happy – to such He came.

To you, and to me.

And apart from Divine love flowing from the Giver rather than the attractiveness of the loved – there would be no hope.

But there IS hope, a hope first found in one portion of Gen. 3 we didn’t examine, and then in the other passage we had read this morning.

Yes, Mankind had sinned.

Yes, Mankind in our sin had ushered in all manner of human suffering and woe.

And yes, God banished us from His presence, and even put a barrier in the way of our finding our way back to the Tree of Life as a just penalty for our sin.

But He also promised us something. At the very same time God pronounced His curse on Satan for his role in tempting our first parents and encouraging the Fall – He also announced that someday , God would intervene and that one born to this same rebellious and fallen race, would be the very means to reverse the damage done. To the Serpent God says:

Genesis 3:15 “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

The woman will have an offspring, who will take on this Tempter and will suffer in so doing, but will deliver the decisive crushing blow against him. An ironic separation to sever what should never have been an alliance.

And what will that look like? For that We go to our Christmas passage.

Matthew 1:18–25 “Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.”

God, the offended, holy, just and perfect God, will come to His offenders – and be present with them again, and end the banishment enacted at the Fall. And this restoration of His presence with us, will begin the redemption of what was lost in the Fall, until all is once again as it should be in Him.

In reverse order to all the separation we saw in the Fall –

Separation from the Presence of God. Vs. 23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).

We could not go to Him – but He would come to us. Jesus – is God WITH us! Not far off. Not estranged. Not impossible to reach – but walking among us and restoring all things.

Separation from life. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Separation from original purpose, fruitfulness and joy in labor. 1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

Separation from original joy and fulfillment. John 15:11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

Separation from God ordained responsibility. Revelation 5:9–10 And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, 10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”

Separation from one another. John 13:34–35 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Separation from FELLOWSHIP with God. 1 John 1:3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.

Separation from Innocence and Purity. 1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

Separation from God given structures. 1 Corinthians 11:3 But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God.

Separation from God’s Wisdom. Colossians 2:1–3 For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Separation from God’s truth. John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Separation from God’s Authority. Colossians 1:13–14 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

God WITH us, is the beginning of the restoration of all things in and through Him.

And this beloved is Christmas. It is God taking the full initiative to restore sinners to Himself by the 2^nd member of the Godhead – becoming incarnate – that He might not just be among us – but that we might be WITH Him – forgiven, cleansed, redeemed from our Fall – and made new creatures.

Christmas is the at the heart of the Gospel. It is God bringing salvation to lost sinners – and the very beginning of restoring all things to Himself. It is God with us. Now I must ask – are you with Him?