What Southern Baptists believe about God

1 Corinthians 8:6 "yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him."

The Southern Baptist Convention's current statement of faith (2000 Baptist Faith & Message or BFM 2000) contains for its second article a statement about what Baptists believe about the True and Living God.  The Preamble to the Baptist Faith & Message 2000 includes the following statement about the relationship between scripture and doctrinal statements: "That the sole authority for faith and practice among Baptists is the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. Confessions are only guides in interpretation, having no authority over the conscience." 

With those remarks in mind, we now turn to the first part of Article II in the BFM 2000 statement about God, reproduced in its entirety:

"There is one and only one living and true God. He is an intelligent, spiritual, and personal Being, the Creator, Redeemer, Preserver, and Ruler of the universe. God is infinite in holiness and all other perfections. God is all powerful and all knowing; and His perfect knowledge extends to all things, past, present, and future, including the future decisions of His free creatures. To Him we owe the highest love, reverence, and obedience. The eternal triune God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being."

What I would like to do in today's blog is break down this marvelous statement in five headings: Divine Nature of God, Divine Names of God, Divine Attributes of God, Duties to God and the Divine Identity of God.1 

1. Divine Nature of God.
The Baptist Faith and Message 2000 (BFM 2000) states: "There is one and only one living and true God."   Affirmed in this statement is the Biblical teaching of Monotheism or the belief in One God.  God is One in existence, Unique in category, the Source of His own life and Ever true in His character.  Clearly God is Unique and in a Category all His own, not dependant on any creature or creation (Holiness, Aseity), however there is a second parallel truth asserted in this statement: He is an intelligent, spiritual, and personal Being....".  The fact that God is a Personal God, interracting with His creation, is what theologians call "the immanence of God."  The first part of what we just looked at deals with God in His separateness from creation, what theologians term "the transcedence of God."  Immanence counterbalances transcendence, reminding us that God is ever present with His creation, as well as Infinitely above and separate from it. 

2. Divine names of God
The BFM 2000 lists four main titles or names of God: "the Creator, Redeemer, Preserver, and Ruler of the universe." In all reality, these four names indicate the four main activities of God revealed across the pages of scripture.  In Genesis He creates the heavens, the earth, life and man.  Perservation describes His activity following the creation.  Clearly God set into place the physical constants of the universe and is sustaining all of life. The third name or title, Redeemer, points to God's chief work in scripture - salvation.2  Then the final name, "Ruler", tells us how God reigns as Sovereign and exercises that reign by ruling providentially as the Creator, preserver and Ruler. 

3. The Divine Attributes of God
The BFM 2000 states again: "God is all powerful and all knowing; and His perfect knowledge extends to all things, past, present, and future, including the future decisions of His free creatures." The attributes of God shine as rays from the Divine Nature of God.  Since God is all powerful (omnipotent) and all knowing (omniscient), His ability to know all things from beginning to end means He is Omnipresent (everywhere present).  God is spoken of as having the ability to do what He does by both "means" and "ends".  Since His knowledge extends infinitely backwards and forwards, that means there is an ultimate end for which He created all things: His glory.  So the question is: how is it that God has ordained to accomplish His ends?  Answer: through the decisions of His free creatures.  Without cancelling out the Biblical teaching of human responsibility, the BFM 2000 attempts to preserve the two truths of God's Sovereignty and human responsibility. 

4. Duties to God
So what duty or responsibility does man have to this glorious God spoken of in scripture? The BFM 2000 attempts to answer:  "To Him we owe the highest love, reverence, and obedience." The first duty "highest love" refers to the Great commandment spoken of by Jesus in Matthew 22:37.  The second speaks of the proper end of love - reverence.  Then finally, obedience, speaks of the means by which we carry out the highest love and reverence - namely through obedience.  Truly our duties to God should lead to delight in God, which measures how much we have grasped the significance and greatness of God's glory in the faith-walk.

5. The Divine Identity of God
We have looked at what kind of God God is in the first three headings, as well as observing the proper response to this God.  However who is He? The God of Biblical revelation is revealed as having a Three-fold identity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  The BFM 2000 explains: "The eternal triune God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being."  For sake of space I will not comment much more, since the statement adequately conveys what the scripture teaches on God being One God existing as Three Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 

Conclusion
I hope today's post has edified your spirit and excited your thoughts toward thinking more about who God is.  If you would like to look further into this particular article in the BFM 2000, go to the Southern Baptist Convention website: www.sbc.net.  Once on the site, click on the left side tab marked "Statement of Faith" and you will find the complete document of the BFM 2000 with every scripture reference.  May God richly bless you this day.   

Endnote_________________

1. Anytime we study the nature of God, we term such a study "Theology Proper", since out of all the subjects that can be studied, God is the most supreme. Theology Proper includes the doctrines of the nature of God, the names and attributes of God, the Trinity, Patrology or the study of God the Father, Christology or the study of Christ the Son and Pneumatology or the doctrine of the Holy Spirit.

2. He planned redemption, sent His Son who had agreed in Eternity to come through the virgin birth to be incarnated as a sinless human being. The purpose of the incarnation was so that God the Son could purchase redemption by the shedding of blood. The Holy Spirit agreeing to apply to all who by grace through faith believe. 

The Spirit's Message in John's Writings

1 John 2:28-29 ^"Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming. ²⁹ If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him." 

Review
In yesterday's blog we considered the Apostle John's treatment of the Person and Work of the Holy Spirit in his writings.  We noted that with regards to the Gospel of John we see a primary emphasis upon the Majesty of the Spirit, a theme which is also stated once in 1 John 2:25.  We also observed that in the Epistle to 1 John, a second emphasis is stated about the Holy Spirit - namely His Ministries.  In all of John's writings we see reference to the Spirit's ministry, but it seems that in 1 John, that is the main emphasis.  It was in 1 John 2:26-27 in particular that we saw three such ministries: Inspiration of scripture, illumination of scripture and the sealing of the believer in their salvation. 

With those first two emphases outlined, we can note another emphasis about the Holy Spirit in John's writings: namely the message of the Spirit to God's people.  We will now consider the Holy Spirit's message to God's people in both 1 John and the Book of Revelation.

The Holy Spirit's message in 1 John
As is often the case through scripture wherein we see reference to the Holy Spirit, the Spirit's message always points the saints to Jesus Christ.  In this instance of 1 John 2:28-3:3, we see mention of Christ's second coming.  As the Holy Spirit speaks in this text, we see two words repeated again and again:

1. Christ's "appearing", which emphasizes the physical, bodily element and visibile signs associated with Christ's second coming. (1 John 2:28 and 3:2)

2. Christ's "coming", which emphasizes the element of Christ's actual "presence" along with the visible, physical signs accompanying His return. (1 John 2:28 and 3:2)

Now these two terms have behind them Greek words that are used in ancient literature to refer to the arrival of a king in a given city following the king's victory over an enemy.  In such instances, much fanfare followed, with the citizens coming out to meet their king and he in turn accompanying them back to the city.  It was obvious when a King returned back to a city - since you could hear the cheering of crowds, smell the incense and see the King himself accompanied by his army. 

The Holy Spirit is using John's words to encourage and inspire hope in the hearts of those reading 1 John.  As the Holy Spirit prepares Christians for the day of Christ's return, the overwhelming message is to hope in Jesus Christ. (1 John 2:28-3:3) By hoping in Jesus Christ, two other points follow: hatred of sin and having love for the saints.  A summary of these thoughts is outlined below:

1. Hope in Jesus. 2:28-3:3
2. Hate Sin.          3:4-10
3. Have love for the saints. 3:11-12

The Holy Spirit's Message in Revelation
The seeds of thought we just explored in 1 John with regards to the Spirit's message become fully grown trees of thought as we travel to the Book of Revelation.  Overwhelmingly the Spirit's message is the key point of Revelation, aiming to point the reader towards the full revelation of Jesus Christ.  For now I won't event attempt to cover all that the Spirit has to say in Revelation, however there are some thoughts worth mentioning.

1. Hope in Jesus.  The Spirit's message points to Jesus. The Spirit reveals the full length Jesus in Revelation 1, detailing nearly 40 different titles that unfold the Person, work and character of the glorified and ascended Christ.

2. Hatred for sin and having love for the saints.  John states seven times in Revelation 2-3 "hear what the Spirit is speaking to the churches."  Clearly the Holy Spirit speaks to the seven churches in Revelation 2-3 about Jesus' words and thoughts about each of them.  Many of their traits can be applied to churches we may see in our own day and time or elements that typically operate at times in the church at large.  

As you can see, the Holy Spirit is speaking forth a more detailed form of the message He communicated through John in 1 John, as well as two other additional thoughts:

3. The Holy Spirit reveals to us Jesus Christ, who in turn points our attention to the Father.  Therefore the Holy Spirit reveals the throne in chapters 4-5. 

4. Then in Revelation 22 we see the Spirit, along with the church, making the final evangelistic appeal of the Bible: "The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost." The Holy Spirit's message and ministry always point to Jesus, since He, along with the Son and the Father, share the same identical Majesty.

We could say more, however I hope you see the wonderful ways in which John speaks to us about the Holy Spirit throughout his writings.   

The Spirit's Majesty, Ministries

1 John 2:25-27 This is the promise which He Himself made to us: eternal life. ²⁶ These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you. ²⁷ As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.

The Holy Spirit in the writings of the Apostle John
The Apostle John wrote a total of 5 writings: Gospel of John, 1,2,3 John and Revelation.  Of those writings, the Third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, is mentioned in three of them.  In John's Gospel we see the primary emphasis upon the Majesty of the Holy Spirit as He is related to God the Father and God the Son. (John 3,4,7,14,15,16)  When you turn the the Epistle of 1 John, the emphasis is placed more upon the Ministry of the Holy Spirit. (1 John 2,4,5)  Then in the last book of the Bible, Revelation, we see the primary emphasis being upon the Message of the Holy Spirit. (Revelation 1-3, 4-5, 22)1  Today we will focus our attention upon the Spirit's Majesty and Ministries, with tomorrow's blog featuring the Spirit's message in John's writings and particularly Revelation. 

The Spirit's Majesty - 1 John 2:25
Even though John's primary emphasis upon the Holy Spirit in 1 John has to do with His ministries, that does not mean he does not include the other two themes of the Spirit's Majesty and Message.  We read in 1 John 2:25 - This is the promise which He Himself made to us: eternal life.  What is meant by the phrase "Eternal Life"? In the New Testament the phrase "Eternal Life" occurs over 40 times.2  In most instances the phrase refers to the spiritual life imparted to the Christian at salvation.  However in a few instances the phrase "Eternal Life" speaks of the very life of God Himself as expressed between the Three Persons of the Trinity.  For instance, in 1 John 1:2 John speaks of having seen "The Eternal Life" that had always been with the Father manifested in human flesh to he and the other apostles. 

In our text of 1 John 2:25, that same idea of Deity is expressed, only the reference is not being made to God the Son, but rather God the Holy Spirit.  We know John is speaking of the Holy Spirit because of the reference He makes to "The Promise which He himself made", echoing of course the promise of the Holy Spirit spoken of by Jesus Christ the Son in John 14:16-17, 15:26 and 16:8-16.  Thus in a span of thirteen words in the original language, John tells us that the promise of Jesus Christ to the Christian is none other the Majestic Third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit.  But notice a second truth about the Holy Spirit in 1 John 2:26-27, namely....

The Holy Spirit's Ministries
As we said earlier, this particular aspect of John's doctrine of the Holy Spirit seems to be of particular focus in 1 John.  In studying 1 John 2:26-27, we discover three ministries of the Holy Spirit:

1. Inspiration of the scriptures.  1 John 2:26 "These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you."  The Baptist Faith and message 2000 defines the inspiration of the scriptures:  "It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter."  2 Timothy 3:16 states - "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness."  Then one more passage, 2 Peter 1:21, details the process of Divine inspiration: "for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God." As you can see, the Holy Spirit is the Primary Author of scripture along with human authors such as the Apostle John.

2. Illumination. 1 John 2:27a "As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you..."  That phrase "the anointing" is one of the titles used for the Holy Spirit and refers to the activity He does in bring understanding and empowerment for the Christian life.  It is the Holy Spirit who sheds light and brings understanding of the scriptures, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God. (1 Corinthians 2:12)  Any insights gained from scripture is not inspiration - for that work of the Spirit is passed and closed.  Rather illumination correctly describes the Spirit's ongoing task of making clear the words of God through preaching, teaching and Bible study.  

3. Sealing.  1 John 2:27b  "you abide in Him."  A recent book commenting on the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 has this to say of the Spirit's ministry of sealing:3

"The Holy Spirit seals the believer's salvation and serves as the absolute assurance that God's saving work will be completed in the believer's life.  In the Holy Spirit believers are sealed "for the day of redemption" and thus abide in Christ. (Ephesians 4:30; 1 John 4:13) 

The one passage in the above quoted reference on the BFM 2000 is 1 John 4:13 "By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit." When we compare this verse to 1 John 2:27b, the idea of "abiding in Christ" is not merely something we do by our own effort, but is made possible by the Holy Spirit's ministry of sealing us. Just as ancient documents were "sealed" with wax to deter pre-mature tampering, the believer is sealed by the Holy Spirit to prohibit any thing from "breaking in" and stealing our salvation.   

More tomorrow....

Endnotes__________________

1. Let the reader note that the Spirit's Majesty, Ministry & Message are spoken of throughout John's writings.  When we say for example that John's Gospel is primarily speaking of the Spirit's Majesty, we certainly are not excluding the fact that the Spirit's ministries of convicting men of sin for example or message of exalting the Son are excluded.  Rather we are saying that of those three themes, John is focus mainly on the Spirit's Majesty.  The same can be said respectively of 1 John and Revelation in how John speaks of the Holy Spirit in those books and His emphases in them.

2. In 36 of those occurances the phrase refers to the spiritual life received at salvation. However in four places, we discover that "Eternal Life" could be translated from the Greek "The Eternal Life" or "The Life of the Eternal One", meaning that the phrase is an actual title of God Himself. In 1 John 1:2, 5:11 & 5:20 the phrase refers to the Deity of Jesus Christ. In one place, 1 John 2:25, the phrase "Eternal Life" could be translated "The Life of the Eternal One", and is referring to the Holy Spirit.  Furthermore, in studying the Greek Text of 1 John 2:25, the term translated "Eternal Life" in the NASB is not referring to spiritual life received from salvation, but rather is a Divine Title for the Holy Spirit Himself. 

3. Kelly Charles, Richard Land and Al Mohler Jr.  The Baptist Faith & Message. Lifeway Press. ninth printing.  Nashville, TN. 2009. Page 54

God's Provision before the need

Deuteronomy 25:1-3 “If there is a dispute between men and they go to court, and the judges decide their case, and they justify the righteous and condemn the wicked, ² then it shall be if the wicked man deserves to be beaten, the judge shall then make him lie down and be beaten in his presence with the number of stripes according to his guilt. ³ He may beat him forty times but no more, so that he does not beat him with many more stripes than these and your brother is not degraded in your eyes.

In today's blog we want to look at a principle I find frequently throughout the Old and New Testament: "God's provision before the need".1 

How is it that God provides before the need?  How was it that He provided for His people, Israel, back in the Old Testament concerning their needs? Furthermore, how do the provisions recorded in passages such as Deuteronomy 25-26 reveal the greatest need of mankind: salvation?  To answer these questions, I want to first of all list mankind's three ultimate needs, followed by the specific provisions for specific needs in Deuteronomy 25-26, with a final section showing how God was going to meet man's ultimate need through His ultimate provision - Jesus Christ. 

Mankind's Ultimate Needs
The Bible tells us of three ultimate needs for everyone born into this world:
1. Payment for sin.  Romans 3:23, 6:23
2. Personal Savior. Matthew 1:21, 1 Timothy 1:15
3. Promise of resurrection. Job 14:14; Heb 2:14

Specific Provisions  in Deuteronomy 25-26
Now just tuck those ultimate needs in the back of your mind, because in a moment we will return to them.  In Deuteronomy 25 we want to highlight three provisions God was prescribing for His people.  These laws may appear random and irrelevant, however all scripture is Divinely inspired and is profitable. (2 Timothy 3:16). 

The first provision is a legal provision (Deuteronomy 25:1-4).  The need was going to be for a justice system in the promised land once the Jews crossed over after Moses' death.  How would they know how to punish offenders, and what standards would they use to exercise justice?  God spells that out by not allowing criminals to be beaten with more than 40 lashes (one of the chief punishments in the ancient world).

The second provision was a relational provision (Deuteronomy 25:5-10).  Lets say you were a woman who had not born a child for your husband. Suddenly he dies, leaving you a widow.  In a culture where carrying on a person's name meant everything, God prescribed that the nearest male relative to the dead husband marry the widow to carry on the dead man's bloodline.  The Book of Ruth illustrates this prescription most clearly, with Ruth the Moabitess losing her first husband, and later on being wedded to that man's nearest of kin - Boaz.  This relational provision, spoken of elsewhere in the Old Testament, is what we call "The Kinsman Redeemer".  Such a provision ensured the continuation of a man's name and bloodline, as well as ensuring the widow provision and protection.

The third provision is a promise provision, found in Deuteronomy 26:1-11.  God had promised Abraham and his descendants the land of Canaan as an inheritance.  Once Moses died, those descendants would cross the Jordon River under Joshua's leadership into the promised land.  In order to demonstrate to themselves and to others that they were heirs to God's promise, God prescribed the "law of the first-fruit".  Simply put, whatever crops they grew, the first stalks of corn or wheat would be brought to the priest at the temple.  After rehearsing the redemptive account of God's delivery of their ancestors out of Egypt, the people would have proof from that "first-fruit" of God coming through on His redemption of them, and that better days for them were to come. 

So with these legal, relational and promise provisions, the Jews would be ready for their new lives in the promised land.  Understand that these provisions were granted by God before the people entered into the promised land.  This pattern of God's provision before the need also revealed God's plan of salvation through provisions to meet man's ultimate needs.

God's provisions meet the ultimate needs of man
Man's first ultimate need is payment for sin.  Whenever you read that legal provision in Deuteronomy 25:1-3, do not dismiss it as a random law.  Its purpose was to be in place and to point to what Jesus would do in meeting the need for payment of sin.  Jesus was flogged in preparation for the cross.  Isaiah 53:5 predicts - "But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed." 2 

Man's second ultimate need is a Personal Savior.  God prescribed a personal provision ensuring the continuation of man's bloodline by means of his near of kind marrying his widow.  The book of Ruth illustrates Deuteronomy 25:5-10 most wonderful with the story of Boaz' redemption of Ruth and his loving marriage to her.  The outcome?  Read the end of Ruth and you will find a genealogy leading to King David! What's the big deal?3  God's provision of an immediate need in Deuteronomy 25:5-10 prepared to meet the ultimate need of sinners - the Personal Savior. 

Now what about man's third ultimate need - Promise of  resurrection? Will death have the final word? Men like Job in Job 14:14 ask the perennial question: "if a man dies, can he live again? All the days of my struggle I will wait until my change comes." Recall how God had made a provision of promise for His people in Deuteronomy 26:1-11 by way of the "first fruits".  They could testify God's promises to them both then and for the future were true and real because of the evidence of crops.  For the Christian, how can it be determined that the Bible is true and Christ is who He said He is? Furthermore, what tells the sinner that the salvation being offered to them is genuine, life-giving hope? Twice in 1 Corinthians 15:20,23 we are given the answer: Christ's resurrection from the dead is His first-fruit, evidence for the promise of resurrection and eternal life.  Moreover, Christians themselves are termed "first-fruits" or "previews" of better things to come in Christ. (Romans 8:23; 1 Corinthians 16:15; James 1:18; Revelation 14:4).

Conclusion
God's provisions of these laws give us language whereby we can understand and appreciate the New Testament provisions of payment for sin, Personal Savior and Promised resurrection.  For every New Testament doctrine there is at least one, concrete Old Testament parallel.  Without Jesus Christ, the Bible would be another religious book.  However because of Christ, the New Testament in the Old is enfolded, and the Old Testament in the New is unfolded.  Scripture is God's Living Book!   It is God's Word, period! May you and I see that God indeed provides before the need arises. 

Endnotes_____________
1. Whenever you read through sections like Deuteronomy, you have to keep in mind that Moses was preaching a series of three sermons and a final set of instructions to a new generation of Israelites. Moses was in the final month of his 120 year lifespan, making one final appeal to the people of God before his death and their entryway into the promised land. Deuteronomy's many laws, instructions and historical references may on first glance appear irrelevant to the 21st century saint. However whenever we see the verses of the Old Testament as pointing the way to Jesus Christ, rich gems can be mined. 

2. Isaiah wrote those words 700 years after Deuteronomy 25:3 and 700 years before Christ's flogging recorded in Matthew 27:26. Coincidence? Hardly! Christ received injustice at the hands of wicked men to satisfy the justice of God. (Acts 2:24; Romans 5:6-10)

3. Matthew 1:1-17 gives us the full bloodline of the Savior, starting with Abraham, down through people like Boaz and Ruth, through David to Christ Himself.

Called to Preach - a personal testimony

2 Timothy 4:1-2 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: ² preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.

Today's blog entry is more personal in nature, insofar as it traces the journey the Lord has had me, my wife and family on since calling me to serve His people.  The above text is what God used to summon me to His service and is a text of which I have preached more than any other.  May the words you read below give glory to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Called to preach: April 7th 1992
April 7th marks a very important date for me as a preacher and teacher of God's Word.  On April 7th of 1992 I preached my first sermon entitled "The Blood-washed Hills of Calvary". Months earlier, on September 21, 1991 God dramatically and specifically dealt with me in the realm of my Christian commitment.  Great conviction seized my heart, and I began reading the scriptures.  Upon arriving at 2 Timothy 4, I saw those words issued to Timothy by the Apostle Paul: "Preach the Word".  When I read those words, God spoke to me specifically: "Preach the Word!" 

I will admit that I felt unworthy and ill-equipped to do the Master's bidding, and still feel that way apart from His grace. However since He was calling me to preach, there was only one thing to do: Go and preach His word!  Apart from His grace, there is no way the events that transpired from that point would have occured.  In our high school there was an annual speech league  competition.  One of the teachers approached me and asked if I would be interested in participating.  At first I hestitated but then accepted.  I began working on my first sermon, asking advice from my pastor and my father. 

The day arrived, and on April 7th of 1992 I preached in a little room of about ten people at our school.  Some funny remarks were made by those judging the message I gave.  One remarked that I needed to not carry the lectern with me when I spoke.  Before I got up to speak that day, the instructor told us we had to stay behind the lectern the entire time.  However as a young preacher boy, I had watched my pastor pace back and forth during his preaching.  So in doing what I knew what to do, I carried the lecturn with me during the course of the sermon!  Needless to say the speech judges graciously graded me a B- and told me to keep working on my public speaking skills.

Called to be a husband, a dad, a pastor, a follower
God in His grace has been so good to me!  Shortly after preaching that first message, I graduated highschool and enrolled at Lancaster Bible College - Lancaster PA, in the Fall of 1992.  In two years time I met my wonderful wife Debi.  Upon my graduation from Lancaster Bible College we married on June 15, 1996.  After our first two children, the Lord led me to Biblical Theological Seminary in Hatfield, PA and I was able to graduate in 2002.  By 2003 I was ordained to the Pastoral ministry and accepted a call to pastor a church in Florida.  After five years of pastoring  and two more children in Florida, God led us out to Oklahoma in 2009.  For 19 months we lived in a town near Tulsa Oklahoma.  God had us in a new season - a season of following rather than leading, of listening rather than speaking, of healing and no longer hurting.  Waiting on God may be tough sometimes, but it is always worth it.  If I was ever to continue preaching His word, I had to abide and sit under others who did the same.  If I was to ever again lead the people of God, I had to learn how to follow and serve.  My family and I, by God's grace, were strengthened during the time of waiting for Him to turn the next page in our lives.

Called to preach at Trinity Baptist Church, April 7th 2011
In January of 2011 the page began to turn.  I was contacted by phone by a wonderful gentleman who is the Director of Missions in the Frisco Baptist Association here in South Eastern Oklahoma. That man connected me to a wonderful group of Godly men who comprised the pulpit committee for Trinity Baptist Church.  The pulpit committee contact me in February of 2011 and began talking to us about Trinity Baptist Church in Idabel Oklahoma.  By mid-March they invited us to come down for a weekend to give the congregation and us a chance to meet one another, ask questions and for me to preach some trial sermons.  After Trinity extended the call for us to come, we accepted and packed up for the journey home.  As Providence would have it, my first official day of service at Trinity began on April 7, 2011.

God does not govern life by coincidences, the joy continues
I do not believe in coincidences.  April 7, 1992 marked my first sermon ever preached, with the Lord orchestrating my first formal day of service at Trinity to be on April 7, 2011. For the past two years I have been enjoying the greatest years of my life, preaching and teaching God's Word to the greatest group of God's people any pastor could have.  This morning, April 7, 2013, I look forward once again to mounting the steps to enter in behind God's sacred desk to preach what is in God's text, for God's people and for His Glory.  My prayer is that the Lord will give my family and me many more wonderful years here in Idabel Oklahoma to preach the word and love the people!

The Value of the Old Testament to the Christian

Galatians 3:24 Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.

Luke 24:44 Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”

Today's blog entry is about a series of reflections on the value of the Old Testament to the Christian.  I hope you will find them helpful in your study of God's word. 

The positive and negative functions of God's Law
Whenever you read or study the Old Testament, you often are faced with the question: why did God include this in His word? I chose to begin with the above two verses to remind the reader of the purpose of the Old Testament, and particularly the Law of God (Genesis to Deuteronomy or what is called "The Torah").  God's Law is not meant to impart righteousness, but only demand it.  Furthermore, the ten commandments, which are the heart of the Law, reveal the Holiness of God and point to Him who alone can give Grace.  Negatively, the law reveals me to be a sinner, incapable and unfit to be in God's sight.  The law shows sin to be sin, and I to be a sinner apart from grace. (Romans 7:7; 1 Timothy 1:8-10)  Positively, the law of God points beyond itself to God's promise in the Old Testament and the Person of Jesus Christ, as revealed in the two above scripture passages.  Christ's righteousness functions as a garment placed over me at salvation to make me acceptable in God's sight.  By living in the grace of Jesus Christ, I am (and should aim) to live a life not in contradiction to the law, since the grace of Christ deems me positionally to be a fulfiller of it. (Galatians 5:22-6:2) By the grace of God I can say with the great apostle in Philippians 3:12-14:

"Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."

In short: the dark cloth of Law is necessary to bring appreciation of the Diamond of Grace - Jesus Christ. (Romans 7:7-25) 

The New Testament in the Old is concealed, Old Testament in the the New is revealed
It is in this second function of the first five Book of Moses (called the Torah) that we can find many wonderful pictures and illustrations that point us to the life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  The Ten Commandments function as the heart of the law, with the attending ceremonies and seemingly lengthy list of laws functioning as illustrations of those commandments.  When Christ came, He did away with the ceremonies and prescribed civil laws. (Hebrews 5-10)  Being that all scripture is given by Divine inspiration and is profitable (2 Timothy 3:16), the chief way to see all scripture in its fullest application and richness is through Jesus Christ.1 

The New Testament in the Old is enfolded, and the Old in the New is unfolded
The Old Testament is as valuable as the New insofar as it is still profitable for the Spirit's work of leading people to a saving knowledge of Christ and for illustrating to the saints to treasures of Christ.  For people who are more visual than auditory learners, some of the Old Testament events, ceremonies and people can picture truths found in the New Testament.  I have put several examples in the endnotes for the interested reader.  Understand that studying such examples are but a sample of the hundred of pictures, types and shadows of Christ's life, death, burial, resurrection and ascension we find sprinkled throughout the Old Testament.2

A final word of advice on studying the Old Testament
I would encourage the reader to purchase a good study Bible with cross references, a Bible Dictionary that defines places and terms and a Bible Encyclopedia that contains articles on subjects related to scripture, doctrine and Biblical history.  As we gain an appreciation for the Old Testament in light of Jesus Christ, the insights gained will enable us to live out the realities of the New Testament. 

Endnotes________________

1. For example we discover in each of the major sections of the Bible:
a. In the Law or Torah (Gen-Deut) Christ is illustrated
b. In the Historical Books (Josh - Esther) Christ is anticipated
c. In the Poetical Books (Job - Song of Solomon) Christ is patterned
d. In the Prophetic Books (Isaiah - Malachi) Christ is predicted
e. In the Gospels (Matthew - John) Christ is portrayed
f. In Acts Christ is preached
g. In the Epistles (Romans - Jude) Christ is Explained
h. In Revelation Christ is Priority

2. Consider the following pictures or "types" of Christ's life, death, burial and resurrection found in the Old Testament:
a. Noah's Ark illustrates Jesus Christ, the ark of salvation, who saves all who believe from the wrath of God. (compare 1 Peter 3:18-20)

b. Abraham's offering up of Isaac on the altar in Genesis 22 is a wonderful word-picture of what would be God the Father's offering of His Son on the cross for our sins. Furthermore, Hebrews 11:19 tells us that when Abraham received back Isaac as a result of having found the "ram caught in the thicket", Isaac was a "type" or pattern of Christ's resurrection from the dead.

c. The Tabernacle revealed to Moses is a picture of Christ's Person, life and work. The arrangement of the seven key furnishings of the Tabernacle system are in the shape of a cross. Furthermore, the journey from the world of sin (outside the Tabernacle courtyard) to the throne of God (depicted in the Ark of the Covenant in the most holy place) must be made through the altar of sacrifice, which pictures the cross. Let the reader compare Hebrews 5-10 for the fullest example of this point.

d. King David prophetically and pictorially illustrates the Lord Jesus Christ. In prophecy David is told that He would have a denscendant who would sit on His throne forever. (2 Samuel 7:13-16) That prophecy was inaugurated when Christ ascended into heaven to begin His reign over His church (Acts 2:35-36) and will be fully manifest when Christ returns to rule and reign 1,000 years. (Revelation 19-20) David's life is a shadowy outline of Christ's life. David was anointed three times as king, more than any other king. Christ is described as being "anointed above His companions". (Hebrews 1:9) David was betrayed by his closest friend as detailed in Psalm 55 & 109. Jesus was betrayed by Judas, to which those same Psalms evidently predicted his need to be replaced. (Acts 1:20 fulfilled Psalm 109:8) Finally, David foresaw in God's protection of his life the promise of God raising Jesus from the dead. (Psalm 16:8-11 fulfilled in Acts 2:25-28)
 
 
     

P2 - The Wonderful Book of James

James 2:26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

Review from yesterday's post
Yesterday we began a two-part blog series featuring an introduction and outline to the Book of James.  The aim is to whet the reader's appetite for this important book of the New Testament.  The Book of James has been nicknamed "The Proverbs of the New Testament" due to its practical nature and contents of wisdom.  Its chief value is to introduce the reader to the seeds of thought that will mature into full blooms in the New Testament.  Issues such as the relationship between faith and works, conduct in the church and Bible prophecy are included in the Epistle.  We looked at an outline of the first chapter in yesterday's post.  Today we continue on outlining the wonderful book of James, beginning with James 2.

I. Do not show partiality to one another.  James 2:1-13
II. Living Faith Works. James 2:14-26
How does James show faith to be the root and works the necessary fruit of true saving faith?
a. Practically Saving Faith is shown to bear works. 2:14-17
b. Biblically Saving Faith is shown to bear works. 2:18-25
c. Physically Saving Faith is shown to bear forth works. 2:26

III. Tame your tongue.  James 3:1-12
a. Spirit-led Christians can tame their tongues. 3:1-4
b. Self-led non-Christians won't/can't tame their tongues. 3:5-8
c. Compromising Christians must tame their tongues. 3:9-12

IV. The Christian's Two-telephones. James 3:13-4:5
I heard an illustration once featuring the two-telephones that operate in the soul before and after salvation.  This illustration has been adapted to fit the text of James 3:13-4:5
a. Before you became a Christian, you had a rusty old telephone connected in your soul to the wisdom from below 3:14-16
b. When you became a Christian, a second telephone appeared in your soul connected to your spirit to the wisdom from above. 3:17-18
c. The Holy Spirit has moved into your human spirit to tell you daily of your need to clip the cord to the old rusty telephone 4:1-5

V. Humble Like Jesus.  James 4:6-10
VI. Right and Wrong Judgment. James 4:11-12
VII. Living in God's Will. 4:12-17
a. God's Ultimate will (includes His unrevealed, permissive and revealed wills) 4:12
b. God's Unrevealed will 4:13-14
c. God's Permissive will 4:15-16
d. God's Revealed will. 4:17

VIII. F.O.C.U.S on Christ's Return. 5:1-20
Why focus on Christ's return? What are the benefits? We can see this by noting the acrostic F.O.C.U.S.  Focusing on the second coming of Jesus enables you to...
a. Fight worldliness. 5:1-6
b. Operate in endurance. 5:7-8
c. Comfort for your heart. 5:9-11
d. Undergirds the prayer-life. 5:12-18
e. Strengthens evangelism. 5:19-20

I cannot say enough about James.  Studying it will greatly add to your practical and spiritual understanding of the Christian life.  I commend it to you and hope this short series has provided you a resource for investigating the contents of the wonderful book of James.