As we come to the end of 2011 and look forward to the coming year, many goals and resolutions are made. Sadly, many of these goals and resolutions fade after the first month of diligence. We need some help and accountability and perseverance. Do not let your goals for reading Scripture fade. Establish accountability with another person, or with a group. Establish a time of discussion of the passages you will be reviewing. The first step is to find a good Bible Reading Plan. Justin Taylor has several very good reading plans to choose from.

I was moved by the beauty of Psalm 126 this morning.  Most encouraging to me were verses 5 and 6:

 Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy!  He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.

What is immediately evident is that joy can come through seasons of sorrows.  Deprivations spawn appreciation for the tiniest blessings.  Our trials and struggles do indeed refine our faith and they intensify our awareness of the goodness of God in contrast.  Coming out of the frigid cold into a cozy warm room enhances our appreciation of the blessedness of the warmth.  Finishing a severe deprivation of water enhances our contentment in a cool drink of water.  The illustrations abound because the principle is true.  Each trial is preparation of our senses to receive greater joy.  Life on earth in this world is preparation for the final blessedness we will one day enjoy.  Be encouraged in your trial today and in the struggles of life, that none of it is in vain, because our God is sovereign and good.

I was moved by a passage of Scripture in my daily reading today found in 2 Kings 16:10-20.  There we learn of Ahaz, the ungodly idolatrous King of Judah.  Ahaz was enamored by the altar in Damascus and asked his priest, Uriah, to copy what he saw there in the Temple of the Lord, in Jerusalem.  So, a syncretistic Ahaz altered the Temple that God designed and ordered meticulously.  All of this gives us a glimpse of the abomination of false worship and idolatry.  But it also gives us a tremendous warning against a casual approach to church worship structures.

 10 When King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, he saw the altar that was at Damascus. And King Ahaz sent to Uriah the priest a model of the altar, and its pattern, exact in all its details. 11 And Uriah the priest built the altar; in accordance with all that King Ahaz had sent from Damascus, so Uriah the priest made it, before King Ahaz arrived from Damascus. 12 And when the king came from Damascus, the king viewed the altar. Then the king drew near to the altar and went up on it 13 and burned his burnt offering and his grain offering and poured his drink offering and threw the blood of his peace offerings on the altar. 14 And the bronze altar that was before the LORD he removed from the front of the house, from the place between his altar and the house of the LORD, and put it on the north side of his altar. 15 And King Ahaz commanded Uriah the priest, saying, “On the great altar burn the morning burnt offering and the evening grain offering and the king’s burnt offering and his grain offering, with the burnt offering of all the people of the land, and their grain offering and their drink offering. And throw on it all the blood of the burnt offering and all the blood of the sacrifice, but the bronze altar shall be for me to inquire by.” 16 Uriah the priest did all this, as King Ahaz commanded. 17 And King Ahaz cut off the frames of the stands and removed the basin from them, and he took down the sea from off the bronze oxen that were under it and put it on a stone pedestal. 18 And the covered way for the Sabbath that had been built inside the house and the outer entrance for the king he caused to go around the house of the LORD, because of the king of Assyria. 19 Now the rest of the acts of Ahaz that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 20 And Ahaz slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David, and Hezekiah his son reigned in his place.

How has God designed worship structures for the church today?  What is required in worship?  What is prohibited?  These are important questions of the day.  The Reformers often referred to two or three essential marks of a true or pure church: 1) Right preaching of the Word of God, 2) Right administration of the ordinances, and sometimes a third, 3) Right practice of church discipline.  It appears in our day that all three of these can easily be corrupted in order to accommodate the culture or increase interest and mitigate the offense of the Gospel.  We ought to beware of altering God ordained structures of worship.

Grace Community Church, pastored by John MacArthur, has a very well thought out and helpful position paper on the evangelization of children.  It is worthwhile reading and considering this balanced view of how to deal with the difficult issue of childhood professions.  It seeks to help parents maintain a balance in encouraging the professions of faith in our children, while at the same time proceeding cautiously and not hastily granting assurance to a young child merely based on their profession.  Check it out: http://www.gty.org/media/pdf/Evangelizing_Children.pdf

We are starting a series based on the seminar conducted by Paul Tripp and Tim Lane.  This seminar, which is available on DVD, is based upon Paul Tripp’s excellent book Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands.  Starting Sunday, October 16th, from 9:00 – 10:15 A.M., we will be sharing this material.  “The 12-session seminar applies the principles in the Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands Study Guide and offers an overview of the process of biblical change that will transform the way you think about helping others.”  The purpose of this time of training is to equip and edify the body of Christ at GTCC to be better able to minister to one another, to our families, and to other relationships, in a biblical Christ honoring way.  Each of us has struggles with relationships in some capcity and we need Christ, the Word of God, the Spirit of God and the manifestation of grace and truth in one another, in order to thrive in the complexeties of relationships.  You can order the study book here.  Hope to see you there!

Church services and activities are cancelled this Sunday, August 28, due to Hurricane Irene.

We are preaching through Romans 9, which deals with the doctrine of election rather heavily.  This might be a helpful review on the idea of God’s initiative in salvation and human responsibility.

Divine and Human Action in Salvation

 It is with great caution that we tread upon waters that have been cause for much confusion and, sadly, division in God’s church.  It is not helpful for us to draw up sides based on particular theologians and their systematic theological works.  We are Christians, first and foremost, not Methodists, Presbyterians, Baptists, Calvinists, or Arminian.  Though we find great help and are enriched by a study of great theologians of the past, let us be sure to make Christ our hero and Rabbi, above all else.

 We must also recognize that in speaking of eternal salvation and the sovereignty of God, we enter a realm where our understanding is limited, at best.  Let us listen well to the exhortation of Paul, after he meticulously teaches on these matters when he states,

“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!  “For who has known the mind of the Lord?  Or who has become His counselor?”  ‘Or who has first given to Him and it shall be repaid to him?” Rom 11:33-35

 Better yet, let us listen to the words of God Himself, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts (Isa 55:9).”  We would do well to approach these subjects with great humility.  For in the end, the finite mind cannot fully grasp the infinite.  We, who are bound in time, cannot fully understand the One who is outside of time.  We who are subjects, cannot fully comprehend infinite sovereignty.  And finally, we who are still in corrupt flesh, cannot perfectly understand the One who is pure.  There are some mysteries remaining for the believer.

 To the question of divine and human action in salvation, we must recognize some very simple truths evident in Scripture:

 First, man must believe upon Christ and His finished work to be saved.  The Scripture is replete with examples of this very simple truth.

• “whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (Jn 3:16b)
• “he who believes in Me has everlasting life.” (Jn 6:47b)
• “whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.” (Acts 10:43b)
• “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31)
• “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame…whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Rom 10:11-13)
• “And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.” (1 Jn 3:23)
• “Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God” (1 Jn 5:1a)

 Second, God clearly calls upon man to come to Him for salvation.  This is seen even in some of the passages above, but is also evident in many others:

• “Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth!” (Isa 45:22)
• “Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near.” (Isa 55:6)
• “Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’” (Ezek 33:11)
• “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Mt 11:28)
• “For many are called, but few are chosen.” (Matt 22:14)
• “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.  He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” (Jn 7:37-8)
• “And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’  And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’  And let him who thirsts come.  Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.” (Rev 22:17)

 Third, man, after the fall, is naturally unable to seek God.  Again, this is a consistent message in Scripture.

• “As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God.  They have all turned aside; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one.” (Rom 3:10-12)
• “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.  So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” (Rom 8:7-8)
•  “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Cor 2:14)
• “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph 2:1)
• “This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart” (Eph 4:17-18)
• “Jesus said to them, ‘If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me.  Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word.  You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. (John 8:42-4)
• “But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.” (Rom 6:17)

As far as we can discern in Scripture, only Adam and Eve were naturally able to seek God.  They were unhindered by a fallen nature.  They were not darkened in their understanding.  They were not slave to sin.  They were not initially at enmity with God.  They were not dead in their trespasses before the fall.  But, we, as a result of their free will choice to sin, now inherit a sinful nature that is in bondage to sin and at enmity with God (Romans 5:12-21). 

 Fourth, God initiates salvation in man.  Since man is unable to seek God, salvation is dependent upon God’s initiative.  Once again, this truth is plainly seen in Scripture.

• “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.” (Jn 6:44)
• “For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake.” (Philip 1:29)
• “But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thess 2:13-14)
• “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:12-13)
• “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began” (2 Tim 1:8-9)
•  “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.  For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Eph 2:8-10)
• “Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.” (Acts 13:48)
• “Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul.” (Acts 16:14)
• “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.” (John 6:37-38)
• “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.  Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.” (Rom 8:29-30)
• “just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will” (Eph 1:4-5)
• “For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth.  The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples” (Deut 7:6-7)
• “For Jacob My servant’s sake, and Israel My elect, I have even called you by your name; I have named you, though you have not known Me.” (Isa 45:4)
• “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.” 1 Peter 2:9-10
• “Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace.  And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace.” (Rom 11:5-6)
• “Simon Peter answered and said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’  Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.’”  (Matt 16:16-17)
• “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” (Phil 2:12-13)

 Many more statements could be said of the nature of divine and human action and in salvation.  But these simple truths help us to avoid the error of assaulting the nature of God in our understanding of salvation.  From them we can discern a very simple statement:

 Our salvation, including the faith that we have in Christ, is totally the result of God’s love and grace, which manifests His glory.  His work is initiatory and ours is dependent.

 This reality makes it just as important that we call people to faith in Jesus Christ.  It makes it just as important that we call people to repent of their sins.  We affirm that those who trust in Jesus Christ as Savior are saved.  We simply recognize that God, in a mysterious way, is sovereign over this whole transaction.  Man’s faith, man’s repentance, man’s love for God are all the result of God’s initiatory action in the human heart.  “We love Him because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19)  A good picture of this tension is found in John 1:12-13.

• “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:12-13)

Notice that those who believed “He gave the right to become children of God”.  But also notice that they were not born of their own will, but of the will “of God”.

 Why is this distinction important?  What does it matter?    It matters because errors in this area lead to man-centered evangelistic methods, rather than God-centered ones (we try to engender a response, rather than trust in God’s Word, His Spirit, and His sovereignty).  It matters because errors in this area have led to and will continue to lead to false conversion and false assurance (the emphasis on man-centered methods often equates decisions, sinners prayers, and altar trips with salvation).  Errors in this area come dangerously close to impugning the very character of God (e.g. His eternality, His sovereignty, His immutability).

 So, let us uphold God as the author of salvation while we plead with men to believe in Christ!

I was recently moved at the core by the Gospel love that the Apostle Paul had for his own people who rejected Christ.  In Romans 9:1-3, we see his heart on full display:

I am speaking the truth in Christ–I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit– 2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh

After being challenged by that passage and preaching on it on Sunday morning, I came across this brother who is preaching the unsearchable riches of Christ.  May we all find the passion, joy, and surrender in Gospel ministry that this man has.  We won’t all go about it the same way, but we should all be sharing the same message!  To God be the glory!  

Check out the website and videos at: http://totheendoftheearth.org/

Some families from the church are planning on attending this conference.  Here is some information if you are interested.  Some very good speakers and very good topics are planned.

Forgive for the delay in getting the second part of the Courtship series on the blog.  No excuses.  Here is the second installment.

 THE OBSTACLES TO GOD GLORIFYING MARRIAGES

 There are a number of obstacles to God glorifying marriages.  And since this should be the goal of parents for their children and young men and women, as they look to their future, we ought to look at some of these obstacles.

 Poor discipleship at home.  If children are not taught a biblical godly perspective on marriage and the roles of men and women in marriage, they are likely to fail. 

1. Rejection of parental and godly authority, counsel, and wisdom.  A parent can train a child, teach a child, and correct a child, but the child may still reject this means of God’s grace.  And sadly, rebellion of God’s ordained means of protection and grace has led to many less than God glorifying marriages.
2. The neglect by parents to guide and protect their children through the process of preparing for marriage.  Father’s and Mother’s who leave the process of finding a spouse solely up to their older children, with little input and accountability, cannot expect good things to happen.  God has designed parents to give godly counsel, accountability, and protection during this time.
3. All of this has led to worldly modern practice of Recreational Dating.
   a.  We have accepted this practice hook line and sinker.
   b.  It is probably not coincidental that as sexual immorality, cohabitation, and divorce have sky rocketed, along with the practice of Modern Recreational Dating.

 LET’S START WITH OUR VIEW OF GOD AND HIS WORD

 We have to start with a right view of Scripture.  Without a foundation, we have no basis to make decisions and live our lives.  We will be, as the title of one book suggests, like the relativist with our feet firmly planted in mid-air.

1.   God is sovereign and we are submitted to His authority (Matt 11:28-30; James 4:7; 2 Cor 10:5; Rev 4:11).  If we cannot understand God’s authority, then we will not understand his delegated authority to parents.
2. His Word is authoritative and sufficient (2 Tim 3:16-17; 2 Pet 1:3-4; Luke 16:31).  If we believe this to be true, then it should drive us to God’s Word to address all issues, especially the issue of marriage and preparing for marriage.

 MODERN DATING IS UNWISE AND PERILOUS

Modern Recreational Dating: The process of engaging in relationships with the opposite sex for mutual enjoyment, without parental involvement, with the hope that a suitable marriage partner will one day be found.

Is Modern Recreational Dating Biblical?

1. At best, modern dating is biblically unwise.  At worst it is plain rebellion.
2. “But, I know many people who have good marriages who have dated!”
   a.  First, you do not know their private details, stories, and regrets.
   b.  Second, surviving a process does not necessitate commending the process.

1)  Children have survived broken families, but we don’t commend them.
2)  People have survived airplane crashes, but as Douglas Wilson illustrates, we don’t commend flying on poorly maintained aircraft.

So, whether by ignorance, or clear-minded stubborn choice…there is little to commend Modern Dating, biblically.

NEXT ENTRY:  Part 3: What is so wrong with Modern Dating?