Today's post will survey Paul's letter to the Romans to reassert our premise of the indissoluble relationship between the Lordship of Christ and true salvation. As we have iterated over and over in our former posts, we see that Paul likewise asserts that those who unflinchingly deny the Lordship of Jesus, as evidenced in a life characterized by disobedience to Him, are not born-again Christians, regardless of what their profession is.
It has been undeniably clear that the NT data examined so far (the Gospels and Acts) unanimously teaches that persons whose lives are defined by unrepentant sin & defiant unholiness are basically showing their true colors as unregenerate unbelievers. Despite the fact that such people declare they are fig trees, the only fruit manifested is thistles. As the old adage goes, "Looks like a duck, sounds like a duck, smells like a duck. Must be a duck." Jesus warned His followers how to distinguish false believers and false teachers in their midst by simply telling them to examine what kind of fruit they were bearing, or, in His words, "You will know a tree by its fruit" (Matt. 7:17-19; 12:33).
When we read Paul's letters, we are not surprised when we see that he too explicitly echoes this resounding notion that Jesus is either Lord of all, or Lord not at all. Those who do not truly confess with both their lips and their lives that Jesus as Lord have ultimately rejected Jesus, since He is not merely the the Savior of their sins, but also the Lord and Master of their lives.
Before we even look at Paul's letter to the Romans, it should be noted that cumulatively, in his letters, he uses the words "Jesus" and "Lord" in tandem a whopping 103 times, whereas he only links "Jesus" with "Savior" seven times. It would be a damnable heresy from this to deduct that Jesus Christ is any less a Savior than He is Lord; however, when we simply observe the data presented before us, it seems that Paul seems to favor the designation of Jesus Christ as "Lord", something that should not be overlooked in our discussion.
The first explicit reference of the Lordship of Jesus as necessary for genuine conversion is found in Romans 10. In verse 8, Paul tells us the message he consistently preaches as an apostle of Jesus is the "word of faith" (ESV), better translated "the message about faith [in Jesus]." Basically, he is recapitulating and reaffirming that his message to the Jews in Romans 10 is no different than the gospel message he has presented in the first 8 chapters of the letter, namely, that salvation is by faith alone in the gospel of Jesus Christ alone (cf. 1:16-17; 3:21-31; 4:1-25; 5:1-2, etc.).
But in the very next verse (10:9), we see that Paul's gospel is the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. People are saved when they confess with their lips that Jesus is indeed Lord, being fully convinced that God has truly raised Him from the dead (I take v.9 as a Hebrew parallelism, where Jesus is declared as Lord precisely because He has been raised from the dead, cf. 1:4).
In v.10, Paul makes this inseparable link even clearer: "For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved." In other words, if one's mouth confesses that they are 'saved', despite the fact that their heart has never truly believed that Jesus was raised and declared Lord, such a confession is to be viewed as null and void. As the ESV Study Bible aptly comments, "Saving faith is not mere intellectual agreement but a deep inward trust in Christ at the core of one's being." How often I have had reprobates in the very mire of unrepentant sin rashly quote this verse to me to vindicate their "salvation" experience (for example, how they parroted a prayer at the end of a church service quoting this passage) as being legit! Oh, if they had only read the context and realized what Paul was really saying here!
The "Lord Jesus" is indeed "Lord of all" (10:12, note the repetition for emphasis). Whoever calls upon the name of the "Lord" will be saved (10:13). How I wish huckster preachers would explain - biblically - what the Lordship of Jesus really entails & requires in their 'gospel' presentations! As we saw in our original posts, Jesus Himself said that on Judgement Day, many will say "Lord, Lord" to Him and yet be banished to Hell forever. Why? Because they evidenced that though their lips may have said one thing, their heart said another, for they were those who habitually practiced a life of iniquity (Matt. 7:21-23).
Before we move on to Paul's next letters, it should be noted that not a few scholars view the context of this confession in Romans 10 as taking place in the ordinance of believer's baptism. Herein the believer, at great cost and injury to himself (remember the context of the great persecution Christianity faced in the 1st and 2nd centuries), publicly confessed that Jesus was his Lord, and not Caesar, something which could bring about capitol punishment. Moreover, in making this public declaration, the believer was basically declaring that the reign and Lordship of his heart were being transferred from self to Christ, or, in the language of Jesus, "denying self, taking up cross, and following Him, regardless of the cost."
In addition to this, we would be remiss to overlook the correlation between the book's thesis statement, namely that the gospel reveals God's saving power to save all those who trust in Christ alone for the forgiveness of their sins, with the necessity of obedience that flows forth out of that saving faith. This is seen in what scholars call an inclusio. Simply put, an inclusio was a literary devise often used to subtly emphasize an underlying theme to be understood by the reader throughout the whole section. This was done simply by the use of repetition at the beginning and ending of a designated section. In Romans, the "designated section" is the entire book.
At the beginning of Romans, Paul informs his audience that he has been commissioned by the "Lord Jesus" Himself to preach the gospel to bring about "the obedience of faith" (ESV), or, as the NIV nicely translates it, "the obedience that comes from faith" (1:5). To "close" the inclusio at the end of the book, we see the exact same phrase repeated, as Paul reminds us that those who have true, saving faith will evidence obedience to the Lord Jesus as well. In Paul's doxology (16:25-27), he reminds the Romans that the gospel he preached was for the purpose of "bringing about the obedience of faith" (see also 15:18). Thus the evidence that confirmed to Paul that the believers in Rome were truly "saints" was their visible obedience (1:7-8; 16:29), precisely what Jesus taught us in the Gospels and Luke taught us in the book of Acts.
In our next post, we will look at the remaining Pauline literature to make sure that there is an internal consistency within his theology of what salvation is defined by and looks like.
In Christ, and for His supreme glory to the ends of the earth,
Pastor Ryan
Monday, January 30, 2012
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Can One Be a Christian if Jesus is Not Their Lord? (Part 4 - Acts)
Having defined what repentance is biblically in our last post, let us now consider the rest of the book of Acts to see if Peter's gospel presentation on Pentecost was repeated by the new-formed church as she - in the power of the Holy Spirit - began to take the gospel from Jerusalem and spread it to the ends of the earth (1:8).
Perhaps, we may ascertain, Peter's message in chapter 2 was a unique one, fitted specifically for his particular audience that day. However, when we read the very next chapter, we see that nothing could be further from the truth, as we see a frighteningly similar message preached to the one preached on Pentecost: "Repent, therefore, and turn, so that your sins may be blotted out." Herein, and in all the remaining verses in the Book of Acts to be cited, we are going to see a blatantly indivisible connection between repentance and salvation; or here, as Peter makes unashamedly clear: "no repentance/turning (a Hebrew parallelism), no sins forgiven." This then begs the question: when we see people who live in blatant & unrepentant sin, does the Bible offer any assurance of salvation to such people? Should churches & pastors be consoling such sinners, who love sin more than Christ, to "rededicate themselves"? Or, should they - with the apostle Peter - be calling on them to repent, thus saving themselves from this depraved generation (2:40)? As we look at the biblical witness as purveyed in the book of Acts, the answer will become obviously clear.
As noted in the previous post, true repentance is a gift that Christ has purchased for His people - a repentance that brings with it God's forgiveness of sins. Peter verifies this by saying, "God exalted Him [i.e. Jesus] at His right hand as Leader & Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins" (5:31). If true repentance and true forgiveness of sins are inseparable, why do so many Christians teach that one can be saved without a saving repentance? The Scriptures, repeatedly, make it so simple: those who belong to Jesus exhibit lives that are characterized by obedience. The Holy Spirit is simply not given to those who refuse to embrace the Lordship of Christ, evidenced primarily by obedience to His commands & demands (5:32).
We are not surprised when Peter again links these two soteriological concepts in Acts 8:22, when he says, "Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you."
Again, in 11:18, the church rejoices when the Gentiles respond to the gospel message. The evidence: God-given repentance that leads to life.
In 13:24 (cf. 19:4), the early church was not ignorant that the forerunner of the LORD, John the Baptist, was renown for preaching the centrality of repentance as prerequisite to entering the Kingdom of God.
Paul, when preaching to the pagans on Mars Hill, concludes his message as follows: "Therefore, having overlooked the times of ignorance, God now commands all people everywhere to repent" (17:30, HCSB).
In Acts 20:21, Paul reminds the elders at the Ephesian church that his message was characterized as follows: "I have had one message for Jews and Greeks alike - the necessity of repenting from sin, and of having faith in our Lord Jesus" (NLT).
What does "bearing fruit in keeping with repentance" (Matt. 3:8) look like in Paul's preaching? "I declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance" (26:20).
Even when preaching to Felix, though the word repentance is not explicitly given, Paul spoke both of "faith in Christ Jesus", as well as "righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment" (24:24-25). Those who are "in Christ" will begin to look like Him. Is this not what Paul says in Romans 8:29, namely that those who are Christ's elect have been predestined for the sole purpose of being made into His glorious image?
Christ's life was characterized by obedience to the Father's will. Thus, those who say they belong to Him and yet live lives characterized by disobedience to the Father's will are, as John simply puts it, liars who should be given no assurance of sins forgiven (1 John 1:6). Though we are saved by the obedience & merits of Christ, those who have been truly saved by faith in Christ will indeed - by faith - "work out their salvation with fear and trembling" (Phil. 2:12-13), and "press on to possess the perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed them" (3:12, NLT).
In our next post, we will look at Paul's letters to ponder his thoughts regarding the characteristics of a genuine, bona fide Christian. Having already surveyed the data, I can guarantee that his message is in perfect harmony with the aforementioned Scriptures (i.e. the Gospels and Acts).
May Christ be seen as He truly is: our Sovereign Lord who is high & lifted up!
In Him, and for His glory to the ends of the earth,
Pastor Ryan
Perhaps, we may ascertain, Peter's message in chapter 2 was a unique one, fitted specifically for his particular audience that day. However, when we read the very next chapter, we see that nothing could be further from the truth, as we see a frighteningly similar message preached to the one preached on Pentecost: "Repent, therefore, and turn, so that your sins may be blotted out." Herein, and in all the remaining verses in the Book of Acts to be cited, we are going to see a blatantly indivisible connection between repentance and salvation; or here, as Peter makes unashamedly clear: "no repentance/turning (a Hebrew parallelism), no sins forgiven." This then begs the question: when we see people who live in blatant & unrepentant sin, does the Bible offer any assurance of salvation to such people? Should churches & pastors be consoling such sinners, who love sin more than Christ, to "rededicate themselves"? Or, should they - with the apostle Peter - be calling on them to repent, thus saving themselves from this depraved generation (2:40)? As we look at the biblical witness as purveyed in the book of Acts, the answer will become obviously clear.
As noted in the previous post, true repentance is a gift that Christ has purchased for His people - a repentance that brings with it God's forgiveness of sins. Peter verifies this by saying, "God exalted Him [i.e. Jesus] at His right hand as Leader & Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins" (5:31). If true repentance and true forgiveness of sins are inseparable, why do so many Christians teach that one can be saved without a saving repentance? The Scriptures, repeatedly, make it so simple: those who belong to Jesus exhibit lives that are characterized by obedience. The Holy Spirit is simply not given to those who refuse to embrace the Lordship of Christ, evidenced primarily by obedience to His commands & demands (5:32).
We are not surprised when Peter again links these two soteriological concepts in Acts 8:22, when he says, "Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you."
Again, in 11:18, the church rejoices when the Gentiles respond to the gospel message. The evidence: God-given repentance that leads to life.
In 13:24 (cf. 19:4), the early church was not ignorant that the forerunner of the LORD, John the Baptist, was renown for preaching the centrality of repentance as prerequisite to entering the Kingdom of God.
Paul, when preaching to the pagans on Mars Hill, concludes his message as follows: "Therefore, having overlooked the times of ignorance, God now commands all people everywhere to repent" (17:30, HCSB).
In Acts 20:21, Paul reminds the elders at the Ephesian church that his message was characterized as follows: "I have had one message for Jews and Greeks alike - the necessity of repenting from sin, and of having faith in our Lord Jesus" (NLT).
What does "bearing fruit in keeping with repentance" (Matt. 3:8) look like in Paul's preaching? "I declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance" (26:20).
Even when preaching to Felix, though the word repentance is not explicitly given, Paul spoke both of "faith in Christ Jesus", as well as "righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment" (24:24-25). Those who are "in Christ" will begin to look like Him. Is this not what Paul says in Romans 8:29, namely that those who are Christ's elect have been predestined for the sole purpose of being made into His glorious image?
Christ's life was characterized by obedience to the Father's will. Thus, those who say they belong to Him and yet live lives characterized by disobedience to the Father's will are, as John simply puts it, liars who should be given no assurance of sins forgiven (1 John 1:6). Though we are saved by the obedience & merits of Christ, those who have been truly saved by faith in Christ will indeed - by faith - "work out their salvation with fear and trembling" (Phil. 2:12-13), and "press on to possess the perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed them" (3:12, NLT).
In our next post, we will look at Paul's letters to ponder his thoughts regarding the characteristics of a genuine, bona fide Christian. Having already surveyed the data, I can guarantee that his message is in perfect harmony with the aforementioned Scriptures (i.e. the Gospels and Acts).
May Christ be seen as He truly is: our Sovereign Lord who is high & lifted up!
In Him, and for His glory to the ends of the earth,
Pastor Ryan
Can One Be a Christian if Jesus is Not Their Lord? (Part 3 - Acts)
Last time, we looked exclusively at Jesus' teaching of what we have been calling "Lordship salvation", which basically says that a person has not truly been regenerated/converted/saved if they have not yielded their life to the Lordship of Jesus. Ultimately, this lack of submission to His sovereign reign & authority evidences the fact that such a person has never received a new heart or the new birth from above, since the OT promised that the lives of those who would become the "new creation in Christ" (2 Cor. 5:17) would be characterized by obedience (e.g. Jer. 31:33; Eze. 36:25-29; Micah 4:1-2, etc.). Those whose sins have been forgiven by the blood of Christ, will out of love for, and reverence to Him, long to obey what their Savior has commanded His new covenant community. On the contrary, those who have received what Bonhoeffer called "cheap grace"; such people have not received not the Lord Jesus, and thus mock the efficacy of His atoning death by living a life of willful sin & unrepentant disobedience. Such people "preach" a Jesus who can only save sinners from the penalty of sin, but not the power or presence of sin.
However, as we have already asserted in our previous posts, Jesus came not only to save sinners from the eternal consequences of their sin against the Holy One of Israel, but also to transform such sinners into His image by the promised Holy Spirit. To state it starkly, the Bible teaches that those whose lives evidence no sanctification have no right to claim that they have been justified; that is, the fruit exposes the root. Those whose lives are characterized by unrepentant sin betray the fact that they have never been born again, for their desires are not those that come from a God-given heart that has God-given desires for God-like things such as holiness, godliness, purity, obedience, self-control and the like (i.e. the fruits of the Spirit that Paul explains in his letters). No. Their desires are still earthly, which flow from an earthly, natural heart.
Let us then look at the apostolic witness to see if the rest of the NT was in agreement with what Jesus Himself taught regarding this issue. In our next two posts, we will deal exclusively with the book of Acts, which chronicles the spread of the gospel through Jesus' newly formed church.
Before Jesus was crucified, He repeatedly reminded His disciples that following His triumphant resurrection & ascension, He would subsequently pour out upon His fledgling followers - in fulfillment of OT Scriptures - the Holy Spirit of promise, who would enable this little flock to carry out & accomplish Jesus' great commission to the ends of the earth.
According to Acts 2, the promised Holy Spirit is poured out upon the disciples on Pentecost, and the church is officially born when Peter, filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit, boldly preaches the gospel of Jesus in Jerusalem. The result: 3000 people, primarily Jews, are converted, baptized, and added to the church (2:41). For our purposes, however, I would like to focus on the content of Peter's message. More specifically, I want to look at what Peter's gospel required of his listeners in order for them to be truly saved.
In a nutshell, Peter convincingly proves the Jesus was indeed the longed-for Messiah of the OT, who as God Himself would set up His reign in the kingdom of God over His elect people. The only problem was that neither the Jews nor Gentiles realized this, since all humans by nature are blind to this truth (cf. 1 Cor. 2:6-10). After definitively declaring Jesus is the Messiah, Peter goes for the throat, reminding his audience that the God-man was violently murdered, though He committed no sin. Yet, God, in His faithfulness, raised His Messiah on the third day, and thus vindicated Jesus to be the Son-of-God-in-power (Rom. 1:4).
Though all these truths must be faithfully explained in our gospel presentation, our gospel presentation is incomplete if we do not call forth for a response from our audience. This is precisely what Peter does. What is the response that God requires? "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (2:38).
So we see that repentance is absolutely necessary to one's sins being truly and fully forgiven. Unfortunately, the doctrine of repentance has fallen on hard times in the majority of 'evangelical churches' in our day. Not only is this fundamental prerequisite neglected and ignored, it is also defined improperly, resulting in many 'Christians' having a very unbiblical notion of what repentance truly is.
Put literally & simply, repentance is essentially the changing of one's mind. Instead of hating God & His rightful rule over us, we lovingly submit to His reign; instead of spurning His Messiah, we gladly receive Him as Lord; instead of loving & cherishing our sin & rebellion, we now see it as a noxious offense to God; instead of seeing the cross as foolishness, we now see it as the wisdom & power of God; the throne of our hearts is now occupied by Jesus and not us; His will is now desired above ours. In a nutshell, repentance is basically a radical change in the direction & course of our lives.
When we realize what repentance truly is from a biblical perspective, we see that this is inherently not natural to the natural man. Repentance, like true & saving faith, is a sovereign gift that God gives to His elect (cf. Acts 5:31; 11:18; 2 Tim. 2:25; Eph. 2:8-9). As Paul writes elsewhere, there is indeed a worldly 'repentance', that is, a natural sorrow for sin, that does not save. What sinners need is a "grief given by God that produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret" (2 Cor. 7:10). True repentance, which Paul elaborates upon in the following verses, is one that is indignant towards sin and despises anything that brings shame or reproach upon the glorious name of Jesus and His cause. This kind of repentance is evidenced in concrete fruit, which indeed includes obedience (7:15).
This idea fits very well with God's promise to give His new covenant community (Eze. 37) a new heart (Eze. 36:26). When we understand that the Hebrew word for heart refers primarily to the volition & will of the mind, we see that that the gift of saving repentance/faith is the fulfillment of this promise.
Only the regenerated heart willingly bows to the Lordship of Christ, receiving Him as Lord of all. On the contrary, the unregenerate heart is willing only to receive Jesus as Savior, since the natural person looks out for his interests above and beyond any others, Christ's included. Such people receive Jesus only to have their sins forgiven, since they don't want to be uncomfortable in Hell. Such people are content to have the penalty of theirs sins removed, but not the presence of their sins, since they are still in love with them, due to their natural, sin-inclined hearts. Those who are granted a new heart, however, begin to see sin the way God does: they themselves realize that they are guilty of participating in the murder of God's dearly-loved Son; they abhor it & run from it, hating even the thought of it. And when such a heart does commit sin, it is broken & destroyed, the way David was in Psalm 51. These are impossibilities for the "natural man".
This is why we make repentance the prerequisite to salvation. Only the elect will repent. And so to prevent our churches from becoming predominately goat-centered, we preach repentance, knowing that the sheep will indeed hear - and respond to - the voice of the Good Shepherd (John 10:3, 16, 27).
Since this blog has unexpectedly gone on longer than I originally anticipated, I will end it here. Next time we will look at the rest of the book of Acts to see if this is indeed a consistent & central theme that was faithfully preached by the first church.
In the Lord Jesus, and for His glorious reign to the ends of the earth,
Pastor Ryan
However, as we have already asserted in our previous posts, Jesus came not only to save sinners from the eternal consequences of their sin against the Holy One of Israel, but also to transform such sinners into His image by the promised Holy Spirit. To state it starkly, the Bible teaches that those whose lives evidence no sanctification have no right to claim that they have been justified; that is, the fruit exposes the root. Those whose lives are characterized by unrepentant sin betray the fact that they have never been born again, for their desires are not those that come from a God-given heart that has God-given desires for God-like things such as holiness, godliness, purity, obedience, self-control and the like (i.e. the fruits of the Spirit that Paul explains in his letters). No. Their desires are still earthly, which flow from an earthly, natural heart.
Let us then look at the apostolic witness to see if the rest of the NT was in agreement with what Jesus Himself taught regarding this issue. In our next two posts, we will deal exclusively with the book of Acts, which chronicles the spread of the gospel through Jesus' newly formed church.
Before Jesus was crucified, He repeatedly reminded His disciples that following His triumphant resurrection & ascension, He would subsequently pour out upon His fledgling followers - in fulfillment of OT Scriptures - the Holy Spirit of promise, who would enable this little flock to carry out & accomplish Jesus' great commission to the ends of the earth.
According to Acts 2, the promised Holy Spirit is poured out upon the disciples on Pentecost, and the church is officially born when Peter, filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit, boldly preaches the gospel of Jesus in Jerusalem. The result: 3000 people, primarily Jews, are converted, baptized, and added to the church (2:41). For our purposes, however, I would like to focus on the content of Peter's message. More specifically, I want to look at what Peter's gospel required of his listeners in order for them to be truly saved.
In a nutshell, Peter convincingly proves the Jesus was indeed the longed-for Messiah of the OT, who as God Himself would set up His reign in the kingdom of God over His elect people. The only problem was that neither the Jews nor Gentiles realized this, since all humans by nature are blind to this truth (cf. 1 Cor. 2:6-10). After definitively declaring Jesus is the Messiah, Peter goes for the throat, reminding his audience that the God-man was violently murdered, though He committed no sin. Yet, God, in His faithfulness, raised His Messiah on the third day, and thus vindicated Jesus to be the Son-of-God-in-power (Rom. 1:4).
Though all these truths must be faithfully explained in our gospel presentation, our gospel presentation is incomplete if we do not call forth for a response from our audience. This is precisely what Peter does. What is the response that God requires? "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (2:38).
So we see that repentance is absolutely necessary to one's sins being truly and fully forgiven. Unfortunately, the doctrine of repentance has fallen on hard times in the majority of 'evangelical churches' in our day. Not only is this fundamental prerequisite neglected and ignored, it is also defined improperly, resulting in many 'Christians' having a very unbiblical notion of what repentance truly is.
Put literally & simply, repentance is essentially the changing of one's mind. Instead of hating God & His rightful rule over us, we lovingly submit to His reign; instead of spurning His Messiah, we gladly receive Him as Lord; instead of loving & cherishing our sin & rebellion, we now see it as a noxious offense to God; instead of seeing the cross as foolishness, we now see it as the wisdom & power of God; the throne of our hearts is now occupied by Jesus and not us; His will is now desired above ours. In a nutshell, repentance is basically a radical change in the direction & course of our lives.
When we realize what repentance truly is from a biblical perspective, we see that this is inherently not natural to the natural man. Repentance, like true & saving faith, is a sovereign gift that God gives to His elect (cf. Acts 5:31; 11:18; 2 Tim. 2:25; Eph. 2:8-9). As Paul writes elsewhere, there is indeed a worldly 'repentance', that is, a natural sorrow for sin, that does not save. What sinners need is a "grief given by God that produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret" (2 Cor. 7:10). True repentance, which Paul elaborates upon in the following verses, is one that is indignant towards sin and despises anything that brings shame or reproach upon the glorious name of Jesus and His cause. This kind of repentance is evidenced in concrete fruit, which indeed includes obedience (7:15).
This idea fits very well with God's promise to give His new covenant community (Eze. 37) a new heart (Eze. 36:26). When we understand that the Hebrew word for heart refers primarily to the volition & will of the mind, we see that that the gift of saving repentance/faith is the fulfillment of this promise.
Only the regenerated heart willingly bows to the Lordship of Christ, receiving Him as Lord of all. On the contrary, the unregenerate heart is willing only to receive Jesus as Savior, since the natural person looks out for his interests above and beyond any others, Christ's included. Such people receive Jesus only to have their sins forgiven, since they don't want to be uncomfortable in Hell. Such people are content to have the penalty of theirs sins removed, but not the presence of their sins, since they are still in love with them, due to their natural, sin-inclined hearts. Those who are granted a new heart, however, begin to see sin the way God does: they themselves realize that they are guilty of participating in the murder of God's dearly-loved Son; they abhor it & run from it, hating even the thought of it. And when such a heart does commit sin, it is broken & destroyed, the way David was in Psalm 51. These are impossibilities for the "natural man".
This is why we make repentance the prerequisite to salvation. Only the elect will repent. And so to prevent our churches from becoming predominately goat-centered, we preach repentance, knowing that the sheep will indeed hear - and respond to - the voice of the Good Shepherd (John 10:3, 16, 27).
Since this blog has unexpectedly gone on longer than I originally anticipated, I will end it here. Next time we will look at the rest of the book of Acts to see if this is indeed a consistent & central theme that was faithfully preached by the first church.
In the Lord Jesus, and for His glorious reign to the ends of the earth,
Pastor Ryan
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Can One Be a Christian if Jesus is Not Their Lord? (Part 2 - the Gospels)
Today we're going to look at a few passages that confirm that a person who habitually rejects obedience to the commands of Scripture has not received the new birth which comes from above.
We believe - with Jesus - that those who belong to Him have been given a new heart; that is, they have new affections, desires, and even a new will - one which seeks to please God through a life of intentional & deliberate obedience. Of course, we would never, ever say that these works are the basis of one's salvation (cf. Ephesians 2:8-9). Rather, such "good works" are the fruit of a new root (Eph. 2:10). As Jesus Himself tells us over & over again, the tree will be known by its fruits (cf. Matt. 7:17-18; 12:33). Hearts that love Jesus keep His commandments (John 14:15, 21, 23). Hearts that do not love Jesus, regardless of what their lips may profess, do not keep His words (John 14:24). It's as simple as that. Those who refuse to obey Jesus as Lord and Lawgiver betray that they have never been regenerated by the Holy Spirit and given a new heart that desires to obey Jesus as Lord. Such people disobey because their disposition (i.e. "heart" or "mind") is one of enmity towards God & His law (Rom. 8:7). Those who do belong to Jesus, that is, those who have the Holy Spirit, make it their aim to walk in obedience (8:4-5). Those whose minds are not set on Christ, are not children of God (8:9). Those who are children of God do not make it their practice to live according to the flesh (8:12); rather, they are led by the Spirit (8:14). Paul couldn't make it any clearer.
Some other passages, from the very lips of Jesus Himself, that destroy the notion that one can be a forgiven child of God despite the fact that their lives are characterized by perpetual disobedience are:
Matt. 7:21-23 = "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to Me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and cast out demons in Your name, and do many mighty works in Your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness.'"
Matthew 7:24-27 "Everyone then who hears these words of Mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it."
Matthew 21:28-31 "What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work in the vineyard today.' And he answered, 'I will not,' but afterward he changed his mind and went. And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, 'I go, sir,' but did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?" They said, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you.
Luke 6:46 "Why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I tell you?"
Luke 9:23 "And He said to all, "'If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.'"
Luke 14:34-35 (see the context of vv. 25-33) "Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear."
John 14:15 "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments."
John 14:21 "Whoever has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me."
John 14:23-24 Jesus answered him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love Me does not keep My words. And the word that you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me."
John 15:2, 4-5. "Every branch of Mine that does not bear fruit He takes away...the branch cannot bear fruit unless it abides in the vine. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.
John 15:10 "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love."
John 15:16 "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you, so that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide."
John 17:6 "I have manifested Your name to the people whom You gave Me out of the world. Yours they were, and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word."
I'm not sure how much more clearly the Lord Jesus could have made this. If it were a few passages taken out of context, a formidable argument could be leveled against my proposition. But over and over, Jesus makes it very clear that those who do not desire to walk in obedience to Him or His commands do not, nay, have never truly loved Him. The mark of one who has been sovereignly made a true disciple of Jesus by saving faith is this: they do His commands (cf. Matt. 28:20).
In our next blog, we will look at the NT letters to see if the inspired apostles were in agreement with their Lord's teaching.
Finally, we will deal with the accusation that such teaching inevitably promotes "salvation by works and not grace through faith." Like all the other strawmen, Scripture will easily and definitively demolish such insipid strongholds.
In Christ, for the sake of His renown to the ends of the earth,
Pastor Ryan
We believe - with Jesus - that those who belong to Him have been given a new heart; that is, they have new affections, desires, and even a new will - one which seeks to please God through a life of intentional & deliberate obedience. Of course, we would never, ever say that these works are the basis of one's salvation (cf. Ephesians 2:8-9). Rather, such "good works" are the fruit of a new root (Eph. 2:10). As Jesus Himself tells us over & over again, the tree will be known by its fruits (cf. Matt. 7:17-18; 12:33). Hearts that love Jesus keep His commandments (John 14:15, 21, 23). Hearts that do not love Jesus, regardless of what their lips may profess, do not keep His words (John 14:24). It's as simple as that. Those who refuse to obey Jesus as Lord and Lawgiver betray that they have never been regenerated by the Holy Spirit and given a new heart that desires to obey Jesus as Lord. Such people disobey because their disposition (i.e. "heart" or "mind") is one of enmity towards God & His law (Rom. 8:7). Those who do belong to Jesus, that is, those who have the Holy Spirit, make it their aim to walk in obedience (8:4-5). Those whose minds are not set on Christ, are not children of God (8:9). Those who are children of God do not make it their practice to live according to the flesh (8:12); rather, they are led by the Spirit (8:14). Paul couldn't make it any clearer.
Some other passages, from the very lips of Jesus Himself, that destroy the notion that one can be a forgiven child of God despite the fact that their lives are characterized by perpetual disobedience are:
Matt. 7:21-23 = "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to Me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and cast out demons in Your name, and do many mighty works in Your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness.'"
Matthew 7:24-27 "Everyone then who hears these words of Mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it."
Matthew 21:28-31 "What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work in the vineyard today.' And he answered, 'I will not,' but afterward he changed his mind and went. And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, 'I go, sir,' but did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?" They said, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you.
Luke 6:46 "Why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I tell you?"
Luke 9:23 "And He said to all, "'If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.'"
Luke 14:34-35 (see the context of vv. 25-33) "Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear."
John 14:15 "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments."
John 14:21 "Whoever has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me."
John 14:23-24 Jesus answered him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love Me does not keep My words. And the word that you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me."
John 15:2, 4-5. "Every branch of Mine that does not bear fruit He takes away...the branch cannot bear fruit unless it abides in the vine. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.
John 15:10 "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love."
John 15:16 "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you, so that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide."
John 17:6 "I have manifested Your name to the people whom You gave Me out of the world. Yours they were, and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word."
I'm not sure how much more clearly the Lord Jesus could have made this. If it were a few passages taken out of context, a formidable argument could be leveled against my proposition. But over and over, Jesus makes it very clear that those who do not desire to walk in obedience to Him or His commands do not, nay, have never truly loved Him. The mark of one who has been sovereignly made a true disciple of Jesus by saving faith is this: they do His commands (cf. Matt. 28:20).
In our next blog, we will look at the NT letters to see if the inspired apostles were in agreement with their Lord's teaching.
Finally, we will deal with the accusation that such teaching inevitably promotes "salvation by works and not grace through faith." Like all the other strawmen, Scripture will easily and definitively demolish such insipid strongholds.
In Christ, for the sake of His renown to the ends of the earth,
Pastor Ryan
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Can One Be a Christian if Jesus is Not Their Lord? (Part 1 - the Gospels)
Before we even begin this 'series', you might be asking, "Is this even important? Why should I even be reading this? Is Pastor Ryan just being nit-picky? Is he trying pick a fight?
The reason I write this is because I believe that the answer to this question is one of eternal significance. How often I have heard of and even seen such people, whose "Christian" life was characterized by ungodliness & wickedness, offered assurance of salvation & eternal life, because they simply parroted a prayer their eager parents imposed upon them, raised a hand after an emotional sermon, or walked an altar because everyone else was doing it at the time. If we truly love people, even more than we love our boasting of how many people are getting 'saved' in 'our' churches by 'our' programs, we will tell them the whole truth and preach to them a whole Jesus, rather than duping them with a slipshod "gospel" that damns them to eternal Hell. This blog flows out of a genuine love for lost & perishing sinners who have believed "these lies" (2 Thes. 2:11); who, because their lives are characterized by "lawlessness" will hear those dreaded words trumpet forth from the Lord Jesus on Judgement Day: "I never knew you!" (Matt. 7:21-23).
Not only do I believe that such people are unconverted, I also believe that such "professors" are the greatest detriment to the advance of the gospel of Jesus Christ. How often, when trying to preach the gospel to people, I have been given the excuse that their friends who are "Christians" live just as wickedly as they do, and that all Christians are thus "hypocrites." Let it be known then that this post is also written for the great cause of the Great Commission. How tragic it is when false Christians, who in their disobedience to the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ (2 Thes. 1:8; 1 Pet. 4:17) bring shame & reproach upon it, enabling the nations to blaspheme God's name all the more (cf. Rom. 2:24).
This past Sunday, I preached a message from Ephesians 1:15, showing what Paul considered to be the two essential components/evidences/fruits of a regenerated heart. Today I will deal with the first: the Lordship of Jesus.
In recent decades, many 'evangelical' proponents have arisen, who advocate the notion that one can be a true believer in Jesus despite the fact that their lives are habitually characterized by unrepentant sin and indifference to the commands of Scripture. Such "Christians", they say, had received Jesus as their Savior, and thus their sins were forgiven. Hopefully, they admit, at some later junction or crisis in life such forgiven sinners will also make Jesus the Lord of their life, though this is not required for final salvation.
Following the example of our noble Berean brothers, we need to ask, "Do the Scriptures warrant such a division between trusting in Jesus as Savior versus trusting in Jesus as Lord? Or, we might ask in Paul's words, "Is Christ divided?"
When we do search the Scriptures, in context, we see that the unanimous answer is that, as the Puritans were oft to say, "What God hath united, let no man put asunder". One who does not "accept" Jesus as Lord is still dead in their sins, regardless of their profession. As John MacArthur once asked such people, "What is your profession worth to God?" His response: "Absolutely nothing!"
First of all, we need to see that when Paul uses the word most Bible versions translate "saint" in his letter's introductions, we need to understand that when he addresses his letters to such saints, the Greek word really means "[God's] holy people" (cf. NLT, NAB, NJB), since the noun is derived from the verb which means "to sanctify, to consecrate, to set apart for [God's] holy/cultic use." When Paul uses this word in his greetings, then, he is primarily referring to the believer's objective status before God: that is, that God has set them apart, or chosen them, for holy/cultic use (as in the OT). However, as almost every commentator notes, Paul is also reminding his readers that those who are set apart by God, are set apart for God. That is, He has set them apart to be holy in their conduct as well. Or as Paul tells Timothy, God has not only called us with a holy call, He has called us to a holy call (2 Tim. 1:9). Thus, those who claim to belong to God, despite living a life that is perpetually characterized by ungodliness and a love for sin, are most likely "saints" in name only. Such people are unable to "work out their salvation with fear & trembling" because God has never worked salvation into them (Cf. Phil. 2:12-13). As John writes, "No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God." (1 John 3:9, ESV)
Likewise, when Paul uses the word "believer", the Greek word primarily emphasizes that one has "believed in" Jesus Christ for salvation. However, this Greek word also carries the connotation of "being a faithful follower" of Jesus. Thus, those who have faith in Jesus are the same as those "who are faithful in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 1:1, ESV). To say that one believes in Jesus even though their heart is bent on unfaithfulness to Jesus is an unbiblical anomaly. As the inspired apostle James repeatedly reminds us in his epistle, such spurious "faith" does not, nay cannot, truly save. Such is the "faith" Jesus warned us about in His parable of the soils (see Matthew 13; Mark 4), where He foretold that some indeed would "believe" in Him, even with the appearance of great joy. However, because the gospel never "took root" in their heart (i.e. no genuine conversion), these same empty professors would fall away (literally apostatize) just as quickly when things became uncomfortable & costly to them. How tragic it is when we as Christians pronounce as "saved" those whom Jesus would pronounce condemned. How foolish it is to call a thistle an apple tree! It might make the thistle feel better about himself; but the point of Jesus' parable is fruit-bearing. Those who bear no fruit evidence their root (i.e. an unregenerate heart). Let us who love our neighbors take note of what happens to 'trees' that bear no God-glorifying fruit: "If anyone does not abide in Me [i.e. Jesus] he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned" (John 15:6, ESV).
How much do we have to hate our neighbors to not tell them the truth?
In our next blog, we will look at some Biblical passages that show that the apostolic gospel message required the preaching of Jesus as both Lord and Savior; that is, we will survey the content of what was preached, and compare it with much of what happens in many pulpits Sunday after Sunday.
In Christ, who is Lord of lords,
Pastor Ryan
The reason I write this is because I believe that the answer to this question is one of eternal significance. How often I have heard of and even seen such people, whose "Christian" life was characterized by ungodliness & wickedness, offered assurance of salvation & eternal life, because they simply parroted a prayer their eager parents imposed upon them, raised a hand after an emotional sermon, or walked an altar because everyone else was doing it at the time. If we truly love people, even more than we love our boasting of how many people are getting 'saved' in 'our' churches by 'our' programs, we will tell them the whole truth and preach to them a whole Jesus, rather than duping them with a slipshod "gospel" that damns them to eternal Hell. This blog flows out of a genuine love for lost & perishing sinners who have believed "these lies" (2 Thes. 2:11); who, because their lives are characterized by "lawlessness" will hear those dreaded words trumpet forth from the Lord Jesus on Judgement Day: "I never knew you!" (Matt. 7:21-23).
Not only do I believe that such people are unconverted, I also believe that such "professors" are the greatest detriment to the advance of the gospel of Jesus Christ. How often, when trying to preach the gospel to people, I have been given the excuse that their friends who are "Christians" live just as wickedly as they do, and that all Christians are thus "hypocrites." Let it be known then that this post is also written for the great cause of the Great Commission. How tragic it is when false Christians, who in their disobedience to the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ (2 Thes. 1:8; 1 Pet. 4:17) bring shame & reproach upon it, enabling the nations to blaspheme God's name all the more (cf. Rom. 2:24).
This past Sunday, I preached a message from Ephesians 1:15, showing what Paul considered to be the two essential components/evidences/fruits of a regenerated heart. Today I will deal with the first: the Lordship of Jesus.
In recent decades, many 'evangelical' proponents have arisen, who advocate the notion that one can be a true believer in Jesus despite the fact that their lives are habitually characterized by unrepentant sin and indifference to the commands of Scripture. Such "Christians", they say, had received Jesus as their Savior, and thus their sins were forgiven. Hopefully, they admit, at some later junction or crisis in life such forgiven sinners will also make Jesus the Lord of their life, though this is not required for final salvation.
Following the example of our noble Berean brothers, we need to ask, "Do the Scriptures warrant such a division between trusting in Jesus as Savior versus trusting in Jesus as Lord? Or, we might ask in Paul's words, "Is Christ divided?"
When we do search the Scriptures, in context, we see that the unanimous answer is that, as the Puritans were oft to say, "What God hath united, let no man put asunder". One who does not "accept" Jesus as Lord is still dead in their sins, regardless of their profession. As John MacArthur once asked such people, "What is your profession worth to God?" His response: "Absolutely nothing!"
First of all, we need to see that when Paul uses the word most Bible versions translate "saint" in his letter's introductions, we need to understand that when he addresses his letters to such saints, the Greek word really means "[God's] holy people" (cf. NLT, NAB, NJB), since the noun is derived from the verb which means "to sanctify, to consecrate, to set apart for [God's] holy/cultic use." When Paul uses this word in his greetings, then, he is primarily referring to the believer's objective status before God: that is, that God has set them apart, or chosen them, for holy/cultic use (as in the OT). However, as almost every commentator notes, Paul is also reminding his readers that those who are set apart by God, are set apart for God. That is, He has set them apart to be holy in their conduct as well. Or as Paul tells Timothy, God has not only called us with a holy call, He has called us to a holy call (2 Tim. 1:9). Thus, those who claim to belong to God, despite living a life that is perpetually characterized by ungodliness and a love for sin, are most likely "saints" in name only. Such people are unable to "work out their salvation with fear & trembling" because God has never worked salvation into them (Cf. Phil. 2:12-13). As John writes, "No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God." (1 John 3:9, ESV)
Likewise, when Paul uses the word "believer", the Greek word primarily emphasizes that one has "believed in" Jesus Christ for salvation. However, this Greek word also carries the connotation of "being a faithful follower" of Jesus. Thus, those who have faith in Jesus are the same as those "who are faithful in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 1:1, ESV). To say that one believes in Jesus even though their heart is bent on unfaithfulness to Jesus is an unbiblical anomaly. As the inspired apostle James repeatedly reminds us in his epistle, such spurious "faith" does not, nay cannot, truly save. Such is the "faith" Jesus warned us about in His parable of the soils (see Matthew 13; Mark 4), where He foretold that some indeed would "believe" in Him, even with the appearance of great joy. However, because the gospel never "took root" in their heart (i.e. no genuine conversion), these same empty professors would fall away (literally apostatize) just as quickly when things became uncomfortable & costly to them. How tragic it is when we as Christians pronounce as "saved" those whom Jesus would pronounce condemned. How foolish it is to call a thistle an apple tree! It might make the thistle feel better about himself; but the point of Jesus' parable is fruit-bearing. Those who bear no fruit evidence their root (i.e. an unregenerate heart). Let us who love our neighbors take note of what happens to 'trees' that bear no God-glorifying fruit: "If anyone does not abide in Me [i.e. Jesus] he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned" (John 15:6, ESV).
How much do we have to hate our neighbors to not tell them the truth?
In our next blog, we will look at some Biblical passages that show that the apostolic gospel message required the preaching of Jesus as both Lord and Savior; that is, we will survey the content of what was preached, and compare it with much of what happens in many pulpits Sunday after Sunday.
In Christ, who is Lord of lords,
Pastor Ryan
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
New Year's Prayer
From the Valley of Vision:
O LORD,
Length of days does not profit me
except the days are passed in Thy presence,
in Thy service, to Thy glory.
Give me a grace that precedes, follows, guides,
sustains, sanctifies, aids every hour,
that I may not be one moment apart from Thee,
but may rely on Thy Spirit
to supply every thought,
speak in every word,
direct every step,
prosper in every work,
build up every mote of faith,
and give me a desire
to show forth Thy praise;
testify Thy love,
advance Thy kingdom.
I launch my bark on the unknown waters of this year,
with Thee, O Father, as my harbor,
Thee, O Son, at my helm
Thee, O Holy Spirit, filling my sails.
Guide me to heaven with my loins girt,
my lamp burning,
my ear open to Thy calls,
my heart full of love,
my soul free.
Give me Thy grace to sanctify me,
Thy comforts to cheer,
Thy wisdom to teach,
Thy right hand to guide,
Thy council to instruct,
Thy law to judge,
Thy presence to stabilize.
May Thy fear be my awe,
Thy triumphs my joy.
O LORD,
Length of days does not profit me
except the days are passed in Thy presence,
in Thy service, to Thy glory.
Give me a grace that precedes, follows, guides,
sustains, sanctifies, aids every hour,
that I may not be one moment apart from Thee,
but may rely on Thy Spirit
to supply every thought,
speak in every word,
direct every step,
prosper in every work,
build up every mote of faith,
and give me a desire
to show forth Thy praise;
testify Thy love,
advance Thy kingdom.
I launch my bark on the unknown waters of this year,
with Thee, O Father, as my harbor,
Thee, O Son, at my helm
Thee, O Holy Spirit, filling my sails.
Guide me to heaven with my loins girt,
my lamp burning,
my ear open to Thy calls,
my heart full of love,
my soul free.
Give me Thy grace to sanctify me,
Thy comforts to cheer,
Thy wisdom to teach,
Thy right hand to guide,
Thy council to instruct,
Thy law to judge,
Thy presence to stabilize.
May Thy fear be my awe,
Thy triumphs my joy.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
The Danger of Not Dealing Ruthlessly with Our Sin
"But these nations shall be a snare and a trap for you, a whip on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from off this good ground that the LORD your God has given you" (Joshua 23:13).
When one reads the book of Joshua, immediately one questions the LORD's fairness in commanding Israel to obliterate the nations dwelling in the land He had promised to give them. As we read through the narrative, we often formulate pictures in our mind of a serene, innocent people living their daily lives, a people who would, given the chance, accept not only the Israelites, but also their God as well.
However, Joshua here bursts our bubble, reminding us that those who were living in the land before Israel's conquest of it, are not naturally good (see esp. Deut. 9:4-5). No. They are pagan idolaters who unashamedly display all sorts of abominable practices: practices like child sacrifice, wanton sexual immorality, drunkenness, and the like.
In his excellent book, "The God I don't Understand", OT scholar C.J.H. Wright gives us a couple of helpful frameworks in interpreting the LORD's command for Israel to "completely devote to destruction" (my translation of kherem) the inhabitants of Canaan:
Why the ruthless conquest? Because the LORD knows how prone our hearts are to love what is evil and hate what is good. He loved His people so much that He commanded that all potential stumbling blocks be devoted to destruction. They were to deal ruthlessly with the things that could potentially bring about their downfall.
When we read the next book in the Bible, we see what happens to the nation who co-inhabits the land with pagans: they inevitably fall into perpetual idolatry, with God's subsequent promised judgment. God judges all idolatry, whether it is the wicked Canaanite's, or the wicked Israelite's. So we must interpret God's ruthless treatment of sin in light of God's ruthless love of people.
Earlier in the book of Joshua, we are shown why he so passionately pleads with the people to be careful of their conduct in the land. Despite God's command to completely devote the land to destruction, we see compromise. Though veiled as good-will, it is nothing less than apathetic compromise to God's command.
"The men of Judah were unable to conquer the Jebusites living in Jerusalem. The Jebusites live with the people of Judah in Jerusalem to this very day" (Josh. 15:63, NET).
"However, they did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, so the Canaanites have lived in the midst of Ephraim to this day" (16:10).
"Now when the people of Israel grew strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not utterly drive them out" (17:13).
"But the people of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem, so the Jebusites haves lived with the people of Benjamin to this day" (Judges 1:21).
"Manasseh did not drive out the inhabitants...for the Canaanites persisted in dwelling in the land. When Israel grew strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not drive them out completely" (1:27-28).
"And Ephraim did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, so the Canaanites lived among them" (1:29).
"Zebulun did not drive out the inhabitants...so the Canaanites lived among them" (1:30).
"Asher did not drive out the inhabitants...so the Asherites lived among the Canannites, the inhabitants of the land, for they did not drive them out" (1:32).
"Naphtali did not drive out the inhabitants...so they lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land" (1:33).
Rather than breaking down the pagan altars of those who dwelt in the land (2:2), Israel befriended the nations and adopted their pagan practices into their 'religion' (eerily reminiscent of what North American 'evangelicalism' has done & continues to do [i.e. sleep with world]). Anyone who has read the book of Judges knows too well that Israel lived for the most part a pitiful existence as God's chosen people: an existence characterized by bondage, defeat, depression, and disillusionment. Unfortunately, this is the same pathetic existence that many Christians exhibit, as they believe that they can some how enjoy God's blessing, despite the fact that their life is characterized by compromise & apathy.
Basically, the little leaven that remained eventually leavened the lump. My paraphrase: even a little bit of sin is dangerous. We must ruthlessly expunge ALL traces of it, lest we fall into the same snare as the Israelites.
So why do we as Christians think we can play with sin and not get burned? Paul's warning to the proud Corinthians is extremely pertinent to us:
"Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. Therefore, let anyone who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. Therefore, my beloved, flee idolatry" (1 Cor. 10:11-13).
As I preached this past Sunday on Proverbs 4:23, one of the best ways to guard our hearts with all vigilance is to be ruthless with sin. To quote John Owens, "be killing sin, or sin will be killing you."
Christian, are you toying around with the Canaanites in your heart? Are you like Israel, in that you think you can handle the pagan influences you are immersed in and keep them in check? With Paul, I would urge you to take heed lest you fall with the Israelites of old. How long will you go on justifying your worldliness by calling all those who call you out of Babylon legalists? When will you finally heed the reoccurring tolling of the bell that permeates & resonates throughout the Scriptures? I pray it will not take God's judgment to wake you up.
May we, by sovereign grace, follow Caleb's example. Not surprisingly, he is listed first in "taking" his inheritance by force (i.e. true faith). He believed the promise, and so was ruthless in pursuing it. In the new covenant, God has promised that if by the Spirit we [i.e. believers] put to death (KJV = "mortify") the deeds of the flesh, we will [truly] live" (Rom. 8:13).
Oh that the Spirit would open our eyes to see the great love of God in commanding us to deal ruthlessly with our sin! He does not delight in our downfall. He loves us and wants us to live the abundant life Christ died to give us.
Will we take the promise of God & ruthlessly apply it by faith? May God give us the grace to, for the purity of His church, and thus the glory of His name.
In Christ, in Whom all things are possible,
Pastor Ryan
When one reads the book of Joshua, immediately one questions the LORD's fairness in commanding Israel to obliterate the nations dwelling in the land He had promised to give them. As we read through the narrative, we often formulate pictures in our mind of a serene, innocent people living their daily lives, a people who would, given the chance, accept not only the Israelites, but also their God as well.
However, Joshua here bursts our bubble, reminding us that those who were living in the land before Israel's conquest of it, are not naturally good (see esp. Deut. 9:4-5). No. They are pagan idolaters who unashamedly display all sorts of abominable practices: practices like child sacrifice, wanton sexual immorality, drunkenness, and the like.
In his excellent book, "The God I don't Understand", OT scholar C.J.H. Wright gives us a couple of helpful frameworks in interpreting the LORD's command for Israel to "completely devote to destruction" (my translation of kherem) the inhabitants of Canaan:
- Israel was God's vessel of justice to execute judgment upon the sins of the Canaanites.
- The Conquest is to be read in light of God's promise to fully save His people.
Why the ruthless conquest? Because the LORD knows how prone our hearts are to love what is evil and hate what is good. He loved His people so much that He commanded that all potential stumbling blocks be devoted to destruction. They were to deal ruthlessly with the things that could potentially bring about their downfall.
When we read the next book in the Bible, we see what happens to the nation who co-inhabits the land with pagans: they inevitably fall into perpetual idolatry, with God's subsequent promised judgment. God judges all idolatry, whether it is the wicked Canaanite's, or the wicked Israelite's. So we must interpret God's ruthless treatment of sin in light of God's ruthless love of people.
Earlier in the book of Joshua, we are shown why he so passionately pleads with the people to be careful of their conduct in the land. Despite God's command to completely devote the land to destruction, we see compromise. Though veiled as good-will, it is nothing less than apathetic compromise to God's command.
"The men of Judah were unable to conquer the Jebusites living in Jerusalem. The Jebusites live with the people of Judah in Jerusalem to this very day" (Josh. 15:63, NET).
"However, they did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, so the Canaanites have lived in the midst of Ephraim to this day" (16:10).
"Now when the people of Israel grew strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not utterly drive them out" (17:13).
"But the people of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem, so the Jebusites haves lived with the people of Benjamin to this day" (Judges 1:21).
"Manasseh did not drive out the inhabitants...for the Canaanites persisted in dwelling in the land. When Israel grew strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not drive them out completely" (1:27-28).
"And Ephraim did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, so the Canaanites lived among them" (1:29).
"Zebulun did not drive out the inhabitants...so the Canaanites lived among them" (1:30).
"Asher did not drive out the inhabitants...so the Asherites lived among the Canannites, the inhabitants of the land, for they did not drive them out" (1:32).
"Naphtali did not drive out the inhabitants...so they lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land" (1:33).
Rather than breaking down the pagan altars of those who dwelt in the land (2:2), Israel befriended the nations and adopted their pagan practices into their 'religion' (eerily reminiscent of what North American 'evangelicalism' has done & continues to do [i.e. sleep with world]). Anyone who has read the book of Judges knows too well that Israel lived for the most part a pitiful existence as God's chosen people: an existence characterized by bondage, defeat, depression, and disillusionment. Unfortunately, this is the same pathetic existence that many Christians exhibit, as they believe that they can some how enjoy God's blessing, despite the fact that their life is characterized by compromise & apathy.
Basically, the little leaven that remained eventually leavened the lump. My paraphrase: even a little bit of sin is dangerous. We must ruthlessly expunge ALL traces of it, lest we fall into the same snare as the Israelites.
So why do we as Christians think we can play with sin and not get burned? Paul's warning to the proud Corinthians is extremely pertinent to us:
"Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. Therefore, let anyone who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. Therefore, my beloved, flee idolatry" (1 Cor. 10:11-13).
As I preached this past Sunday on Proverbs 4:23, one of the best ways to guard our hearts with all vigilance is to be ruthless with sin. To quote John Owens, "be killing sin, or sin will be killing you."
Christian, are you toying around with the Canaanites in your heart? Are you like Israel, in that you think you can handle the pagan influences you are immersed in and keep them in check? With Paul, I would urge you to take heed lest you fall with the Israelites of old. How long will you go on justifying your worldliness by calling all those who call you out of Babylon legalists? When will you finally heed the reoccurring tolling of the bell that permeates & resonates throughout the Scriptures? I pray it will not take God's judgment to wake you up.
May we, by sovereign grace, follow Caleb's example. Not surprisingly, he is listed first in "taking" his inheritance by force (i.e. true faith). He believed the promise, and so was ruthless in pursuing it. In the new covenant, God has promised that if by the Spirit we [i.e. believers] put to death (KJV = "mortify") the deeds of the flesh, we will [truly] live" (Rom. 8:13).
Oh that the Spirit would open our eyes to see the great love of God in commanding us to deal ruthlessly with our sin! He does not delight in our downfall. He loves us and wants us to live the abundant life Christ died to give us.
Will we take the promise of God & ruthlessly apply it by faith? May God give us the grace to, for the purity of His church, and thus the glory of His name.
In Christ, in Whom all things are possible,
Pastor Ryan
Six ways to keep our hearts (John Flavel)
The Puritan writer John Flavel in his book "Keeping the Heart (online book)" writes:
To keep the heart, necessarily supposes a previous work of regeneration, which has set the heart right, by giving it a new spiritual inclination, for as long as the heart it not set right by grace as to in habitual frame, no means can keep it right with God. Self is the spring of the unrenewed heart, which biases and moves it in all its designs and actions; and as long as it is so, it is impossible that any external means should keep it with God.
Man, originally, was of one constant, uniform frame of spirit, and held one straight and even course. Not one thought or faculty was disordered: his mind had a perfect knowledge of the requirements of God, his will a perfect compliance therewith; all his appetites and powers stood in a most obedient subordination.
Man, by the apostasy, has become a most disordered and rebellious creature, opposing his Maker, as the First Cause—by self-dependence; as the Chief Good—by self-love; as the Highest Lord—by self-will; and as the Last End—by self-seeking. Thus he is quite disordered, and all his actions are irregular.
But by regeneration the disordered soul is set right; this great change being, as the Scripture expresses it, the renovation of the soul after the image of God—in which self-dependence is removed by faith; self-love is removed by the love of God; self-will is removed by subjection and obedience to the will of God; and self-seeking is removed by self-denial. The darkened understanding is illuminated, the refractory will sweetly subdued, the rebellious appetite gradually conquered. Thus the soul which sin had universally depraved, is by grace restored.
This being pre-supposed, it will not be difficult to apprehend what it is to keep the heart, which is nothing but the constant care and diligence of such a renewed man to preserve his soul in that holy frame to which grace has raised it. For though grace has, in a great measure, rectified the soul, and given it a habitual heavenly temper; yet sin often actually discomposes it again; so that even a gracious heart is like a musical instrument, which though it is exactly tuned, a small matter brings it out of tune again. Yes, put it aside but a little while—and it will need setting again before another lesson can be played upon it. If gracious hearts are in a desirable frame in one duty, yet how dull, dead, and disordered when they come to another duty! Therefore every duty needs a particular preparation of the heart. "If you prepare your heart and stretch out your hands toward him," etc. To keep the heart then, is carefully to preserve it from sin, which disorders it; and maintain that spiritual frame which fits it for a life of communion with God. This includes in it six particulars:
1. Frequent observation of the frame of the heart. Carnal and formal persons take no heed to this; they cannot be brought to confer with their own hearts: there are some people who have lived forty or fifty years in the world, and have had scarcely one hour's discourse with their own hearts. It is a hard thing to bring a man and himself together on such business; but saints know those soliloquies to be very beneficial. The heathen could say, "the soul is made wise by sitting still in quietness." Though bankrupts care not to look into their accounts, yet upright hearts will know whether they go backward or forward. "I commune with my own heart," says David. The heart can never be kept—until its case be examined and understood.
2. It includes deep humiliation for heart evils and disorders. Thus Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart. Thus the people were ordered to spread forth their hands to God in prayer, realizing the plague of their own hearts. Upon this account many an upright heart has been laid low before God—'O what an heart have I!' Saints have in their confession pointed at the heart—the pained place, 'Lord, here is the wound!' It is with the heart well kept, as it is with the eye; if a small dust gets into the eye it will never cease blinking and watering until it has wept it out. Just so, the upright heart cannot be at rest until it has wept out its troubles and poured out its complaints before the Lord.
3. It includes earnest supplication and instant prayer for purifying and rectifying grace, when sin has defiled and disordered the heart. "Cleanse me from secret faults" "Unite my heart to fear your name." Saints have always many such petitions before the throne of God's grace; this is the thing which is most pleaded by them with God. When they are praying for outward mercies, perhaps their spirits may be more remiss; but when it comes to the heart's case, they extend their spirits to the utmost, fill their mouths with arguments, weep and make supplication: 'O for a better heart! O for a heart to love God more; to hate sin more; to walk more evenly with God. Lord! Do not deny me such a heart; whatever you deny me! Give me a heart to fear you, to love and delight in you!' It is observed of an eminent saint, that when he was confessing sin, he would never give over confessing until he had felt some brokenness of heart for that sin; and when praying for any spiritual mercy, would never give over that suit until he had obtained some relish of that mercy.
4. It includes the imposing of strong engagement upon ourselves to walk more carefully with God, and avoid the occasions whereby the heart may be induced to sin. Well advised and deliberate vows are, in some cases, very useful to guard the heart against some special sin. "I have made a covenant with my eyes," says Job. By this means holy men have overawed their souls, and preserved themselves from defilement.
5. It includes a constant and holy jealousy over our onto hearts. Quick-sighted self-jealousy is an excellent preservative from sin. He who will keep his heart, must have the eyes of the soul awake and open upon all the disorderly and tumultuous stirrings of his affections. If the affections break loose, and the passions are stirred, the soul must discover it, and suppress them before they get to a height. 'O my soul, do you do well in this? My tumultuous thoughts and passions, where is your commission?' Happy is the man that thus fears always. By this fear of the Lord, it is that men depart from evil, shake off sloth, and preserve themselves from iniquity. He who will keep his heart must eat and drink with fear, rejoice with fear, and pass the whole time of his sojourning here in holy fear. All this is little enough to keep the heart from sin.
6. It includes the realizing of God's presence with us, and setting the Lord always before us. This the people have found a powerful means of keeping their hearts upright, and awing them from sin. When the eye of our faith is fixed upon the eye of God's omniscience, we dare not let out our thoughts and affections to vanity. Holy Job dare not allow his heart to yield to an impure, vain thought, and what was it that moved him to so great circumspection? He tells us, "Does not He see my ways, and count all my steps?"
For those who are interested in reading Flavel's entire book, "Keeping the Heart", it can be read online for free at:
http://www.hailandfire.com/Flavel_KeepingtheHeart1813.html
To keep the heart, necessarily supposes a previous work of regeneration, which has set the heart right, by giving it a new spiritual inclination, for as long as the heart it not set right by grace as to in habitual frame, no means can keep it right with God. Self is the spring of the unrenewed heart, which biases and moves it in all its designs and actions; and as long as it is so, it is impossible that any external means should keep it with God.
Man, originally, was of one constant, uniform frame of spirit, and held one straight and even course. Not one thought or faculty was disordered: his mind had a perfect knowledge of the requirements of God, his will a perfect compliance therewith; all his appetites and powers stood in a most obedient subordination.
Man, by the apostasy, has become a most disordered and rebellious creature, opposing his Maker, as the First Cause—by self-dependence; as the Chief Good—by self-love; as the Highest Lord—by self-will; and as the Last End—by self-seeking. Thus he is quite disordered, and all his actions are irregular.
But by regeneration the disordered soul is set right; this great change being, as the Scripture expresses it, the renovation of the soul after the image of God—in which self-dependence is removed by faith; self-love is removed by the love of God; self-will is removed by subjection and obedience to the will of God; and self-seeking is removed by self-denial. The darkened understanding is illuminated, the refractory will sweetly subdued, the rebellious appetite gradually conquered. Thus the soul which sin had universally depraved, is by grace restored.
This being pre-supposed, it will not be difficult to apprehend what it is to keep the heart, which is nothing but the constant care and diligence of such a renewed man to preserve his soul in that holy frame to which grace has raised it. For though grace has, in a great measure, rectified the soul, and given it a habitual heavenly temper; yet sin often actually discomposes it again; so that even a gracious heart is like a musical instrument, which though it is exactly tuned, a small matter brings it out of tune again. Yes, put it aside but a little while—and it will need setting again before another lesson can be played upon it. If gracious hearts are in a desirable frame in one duty, yet how dull, dead, and disordered when they come to another duty! Therefore every duty needs a particular preparation of the heart. "If you prepare your heart and stretch out your hands toward him," etc. To keep the heart then, is carefully to preserve it from sin, which disorders it; and maintain that spiritual frame which fits it for a life of communion with God. This includes in it six particulars:
1. Frequent observation of the frame of the heart. Carnal and formal persons take no heed to this; they cannot be brought to confer with their own hearts: there are some people who have lived forty or fifty years in the world, and have had scarcely one hour's discourse with their own hearts. It is a hard thing to bring a man and himself together on such business; but saints know those soliloquies to be very beneficial. The heathen could say, "the soul is made wise by sitting still in quietness." Though bankrupts care not to look into their accounts, yet upright hearts will know whether they go backward or forward. "I commune with my own heart," says David. The heart can never be kept—until its case be examined and understood.
2. It includes deep humiliation for heart evils and disorders. Thus Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart. Thus the people were ordered to spread forth their hands to God in prayer, realizing the plague of their own hearts. Upon this account many an upright heart has been laid low before God—'O what an heart have I!' Saints have in their confession pointed at the heart—the pained place, 'Lord, here is the wound!' It is with the heart well kept, as it is with the eye; if a small dust gets into the eye it will never cease blinking and watering until it has wept it out. Just so, the upright heart cannot be at rest until it has wept out its troubles and poured out its complaints before the Lord.
3. It includes earnest supplication and instant prayer for purifying and rectifying grace, when sin has defiled and disordered the heart. "Cleanse me from secret faults" "Unite my heart to fear your name." Saints have always many such petitions before the throne of God's grace; this is the thing which is most pleaded by them with God. When they are praying for outward mercies, perhaps their spirits may be more remiss; but when it comes to the heart's case, they extend their spirits to the utmost, fill their mouths with arguments, weep and make supplication: 'O for a better heart! O for a heart to love God more; to hate sin more; to walk more evenly with God. Lord! Do not deny me such a heart; whatever you deny me! Give me a heart to fear you, to love and delight in you!' It is observed of an eminent saint, that when he was confessing sin, he would never give over confessing until he had felt some brokenness of heart for that sin; and when praying for any spiritual mercy, would never give over that suit until he had obtained some relish of that mercy.
4. It includes the imposing of strong engagement upon ourselves to walk more carefully with God, and avoid the occasions whereby the heart may be induced to sin. Well advised and deliberate vows are, in some cases, very useful to guard the heart against some special sin. "I have made a covenant with my eyes," says Job. By this means holy men have overawed their souls, and preserved themselves from defilement.
5. It includes a constant and holy jealousy over our onto hearts. Quick-sighted self-jealousy is an excellent preservative from sin. He who will keep his heart, must have the eyes of the soul awake and open upon all the disorderly and tumultuous stirrings of his affections. If the affections break loose, and the passions are stirred, the soul must discover it, and suppress them before they get to a height. 'O my soul, do you do well in this? My tumultuous thoughts and passions, where is your commission?' Happy is the man that thus fears always. By this fear of the Lord, it is that men depart from evil, shake off sloth, and preserve themselves from iniquity. He who will keep his heart must eat and drink with fear, rejoice with fear, and pass the whole time of his sojourning here in holy fear. All this is little enough to keep the heart from sin.
6. It includes the realizing of God's presence with us, and setting the Lord always before us. This the people have found a powerful means of keeping their hearts upright, and awing them from sin. When the eye of our faith is fixed upon the eye of God's omniscience, we dare not let out our thoughts and affections to vanity. Holy Job dare not allow his heart to yield to an impure, vain thought, and what was it that moved him to so great circumspection? He tells us, "Does not He see my ways, and count all my steps?"
For those who are interested in reading Flavel's entire book, "Keeping the Heart", it can be read online for free at:
http://www.hailandfire.com/Flavel_KeepingtheHeart1813.html
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