The Urgent Need For The Urgency Of Preaching In Our Urgent Age

Isaiah 29:14 Therefore behold, I will once again deal marvelously with this people, wondrously marvelous; And the wisdom of their wise men will perish, And the discernment of their discerning men will be concealed.”


Introduction:

Today's post is going to briefly reflect on the urgency of preaching in our day and age. Specifically, this is to remind us all, especially preachers, how God has ordained preaching as the main vehicle in which to communicate His Word. The Bible alone is the Divinely ordained means for converting sinners and strengthening his people. The Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 1:18-21 -

"For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And the cleverness of the clever I will set aside.”
20 Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe."

Anyone who preaches God's Word is charged with the task of bring the world of his listeners into the world of the Bible. To understand the significance of Paul's statements on preaching in 1 Corinthians 1:18-21, we need to first consider the Old Testament text Paul is quoting in 1 Corinthians 1:19 - namely Isaiah 29:14.

The crisis of a people in need of a fresh Word from God

The prophet Isaiah in chapter 29 of his prophecy is announcing God's plan to judge His people Jerusalem. Jerusalem is called "Ariel", referring to her once regal, lion-like strength. Jerusalem has exhausted the mercy which God had already showed to her. What Isaiah was predicting had to do with the eventual attacks of Jerusalem by the Assyrian army. The people in Jerusalem had grown cold and callous and their relationship with God. They paid lip service and their sacrifices and their worship to God. They were in crisis. God was delivering another word and really, another chance to a people who were facing pending judgment. 

God is not impressed by man's pageantry. He is more so concerned about whether or not people have a passion for Him. These people failed to match their behavior with their heart. The outcome was disastrous. 

God predicted through Isaiah that King Sennacherib of Assyria would lay siege to Jerusalem and build siege ramps up against its walls so as to overtake it. In volume 43:1 of the theological journal "Tyndale Bulletin", author Robin L. Routledge, in an article entitled: "The Siege and Deliverance of the City of David in Isaiah", summarizes the severity of this historic siege:

"Sennacherib invaded Judah, and, according to his own records captured forty-six fortified towns and laid siege to Jerusalem, imprisoning Hezekiah ‘like a bird in a cage’. At this point the king’s response was one of repentance (37:1ff. cf. 2 Ch. 32:26) and of faith (36:15,18; 37:14–20). A hint of this may be found in 29:4, where it is possible to interpret the whisper which goes up from the city, out of the depths of humiliation and despair, as an appeal to God: recognizing that He alone can bring deliverance, and calling on Him for help.

It is in this context that we find our key verse at the opening of today's post. The crisis was severe. When God raises up a preacher, He is looking to deliver His Word to sinners, His church and a world in crisis.

The church at Corinth to whom Paul wrote was also in crisis. Paul writes near the beginning of his epistle concerning the divisions and carnality afflicting the church. What was needed was a fresh Word of God. Like Isaiah over 700 years prior, the Apostle Paul knew that only one prescription would do: God's Word preached to God's people in desperate need of God. The hour of their crisis required a heavenly herald with a message from on high. Godly preachers were needed to deliver God-centered sermons to a people who needed to be more God-centered.

Noted preacher Dr. Steven Lawson has noted the difference between a lecture and a sermon: a lecture can be delivered tomorrow, next week or next month; but a sermon must be delivered right now!" Lawson's point here is on the urgency of preaching needed to address the urgency of the hour. 

Closing thoughts
Whether we are talking about Jerusalem in 725 b.c, Corinth in 51 A.D or America in 2017 A.D, the reality of our urgent hour requires the urgency of preaching. May all preachers of the Word arise to the occasion and preach their hearts out for God's glory as our every darkening age needs light and life from God's Word. 

Exploring the names of Jesus - Angel of the Lord

Genesis 16:5-7 "And Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done me be upon you. I gave my maid into your arms, but when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her sight. May the Lord judge between you and me.” 6 But Abram said to Sarai, “Behold, your maid is in your power; do to her what is good in your sight.” So Sarai treated her harshly, and she fled from her presence. 7 Now the angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur."

Introduction

In the July 1938 edition of the theological journal: Biblia Theca Sacra, author and theologian Daniel G. Finestone introduces the subject of: "Is The Angel Of Jehovah In The Old Testament The Lord Jesus Christ?" with the following statements:1

"The Deity, in Old Testament times, revealed Himself to man in varied forms. There were occasions when He manifested Himself through the elements of nature, such as fire and cloud. At other times He was seen of men in the form of a created being, such as man or angel."

Finestone later notes in the same article:

"But perhaps the more frequent mode of theophany found in the Old Testament is seen in the appearances of 'The Angel of Jehovah.'"

Whenever you study the Bible, the aim is to see where you can find either the Person of, prophecies about or promises concerning Jesus Christ. In the Old Testament we find at least fifteen references to a mysterious figure that is identified as the Angel of the Lord (Genesis 21:17; 22:11; 32:24-32; 48:16; Exodus 3:2; 14:19; Joshua 5:23; 6:12; 13:3; Psalm 34:17; Isaiah 63:9; Zechariah 12:8; Hosea 12:4). Sometimes the Angel of the Lord will be alternately referred to as "The Angel of God" or the "Angel of Jehovah" - with this same figure having Divine attributes and authority. 

In today's post we want to explore some of the first texts that have to do with the Angel of the Lord. This post will submit that the figure known as the "Angel of the Lord" in the Old Testament was none-other than a pre-incarnate (that is, the Eternal Son's pre-existence prior to His virginal conception and incarnation as the man Jesus of Nazareth) appearance of the Son of God to various Old Testament persons. The purpose of today's study will be: to discover what Jesus did in the Old Testament, and how those activities served to point the way to what He would do in the New Testament. 

Meet the Angel of the Lord  - Genesis 16-21

It had been nearly ten years since God had promised them both that Abraham and she would be a blessing to many nations through the promised seed of Genesis 12. Abraham was 86 years of age and Sarah would had been in her late seventies when the events of Genesis 16 occurred.  

Sarah decided it was time to intervene and so she convinced Abraham to take her Egyptian maid Hagar as a second wife and sire a child.  Abraham did that and when Hagar conceived the child, she began to look down on Sarah, with Sarah in turn resenting Hagar (see Genesis 16:1-6). The boiling point would be reached thirteen years later in Genesis 21 with Sarah (provoked by Ishmael's relentless treatment of Isaac) urging Abraham to compel Hagar and her son Ishmael to leave.  And so Hagar and Ishmael leave as outcasts. In both Genesis 16 and Genesis 21 we see the mysterious figure of the Angel of the Lord appear and discover the following truths about Him: 

1. Appears at the right time. Genesis 16:7; Genesis 21:17

The first thing we notice about the appearance of the Angel of the Lord is that He appears at the right time. Here in Genesis 16 and 21, Hagar at both times is on the run with her son to escape the scorn of an angry Sarah. Both times it seems as if both Hagar and Ishmael are going to perish.  Hagar, whose name in the Hebrew comes from a root meaning "to forsake, to flee, to wander" is in the greatest of need.  The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible notes: "It is amazing how often the appearance of the 'Angel of the Lord' marked a turning point in history, or sparked the innovation of some project with long-lasting consequences."2

The Angel of the Lord appearing at the right time in Hagar's life foreshadows another incident in which Jesus would meet with the woman at the well in John 4. Theologian Dr. Sinclair Ferguson made the observation in a sermon one time that what Jesus was doing in Genesis 16 with Hagar was almost like a test run for what He really wanted to do later on in ministering to people like the woman at the well.   Galatians 4:4 reminds us that the Son came in human flesh in the fullness of time.  No doubt the Son's pre-incarnate (again, "before the flesh") appearances as the Angel of the Lord would foreshadow His ultimate timing as the Messiah, the sin bearer, God incarnate.3

Hagar bears witness to the fact of the Angel's Deity and saving power by the names she ascribes to the well of water provided by Him.  Genesis 16:13 states - "Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, “You are a God who sees”; for she said, “Have I even remained alive here after seeing Him?” 14 Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered."  So from the Angel of the Lord's ability to appear at the right time, we can see the first parallel and proof that this is an appearance of the Divine Son before the flesh. In the Son's incarnation as Jesus of Nazareth, we find Him appearing at the right time. But notice a second truth about the Angel of the Lord, and how we see Jesus...

2. Brings forth Divine words. Genesis 16:8-12; 21:18

Genesis 16:10-12 is a prophecy spoken directly by the Angel of the Lord to Hagar.  Whenever you go throughout the rest of scripture, you will find the prophetic formula: "it is written" or "thus saith the Lord" as indicative of Divine utterance. When the Son incarnate, Jesus Christ, began His first sermon (the Sermon on the Mount) in Matthew 5-7, a third phrase was uttered from His lips that revealed Divine authority.  In His teaching, Jesus told the crowds of how they "heard it said" from the Jewish traditions such and such, but then Jesus said next: "But I saw to you" (Matthew 5).  That phrase "But I say to you", is equal in authority to the statements: "it is written" and "thus says the Lord".  

On some of the other occasions where we see the Angel of the Lord throughout the Old Testament, we find Him speaking Divine words.  For example, His speaking forth from the burning bush to Moses in Exodus 3 reveals that He is Jehovah, Yahweh, I AM who I AM. That same title "I am" is spoken by Jesus about Himself is the basis for the seven "I am" statements throughout John's gospel.  

When Jesus appeared in the Old or New Testament, that is, "before the flesh" as the Angel of the Lord or "in the flesh" as God incarnate, He would bring forth Divine words and appear at just the right time.  But notice one more one more truth about the Angel of the Lord...    

3. Clearly is God revealed. Genesis 16:13-15; 21:19-21

We also know from Hagar's specific statements in Genesis 16 that she really believed she saw Yahweh, God Himself. Hebrews 1:1-2 aids us in making these connections: "God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world." Jesus says of course in John 14:9 "If you have seen me, you have seen the Father". The question of course is: does the New Testament and Old Testament alike draw a straight line directly from the Angel of the Lord to Jesus Christ as being one and the Same person? we can answer this question in the affirmative. If the reader is interested in the details of showing the connection between "The Angel of the Lord" in the Old Testament and Jesus Christ in the New Testament, just follow endnote "4" at the end of this post.4 

Conclusion
The Bible's internal logic dictates that we interpret the Angel of the Lord to be none other than a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus. When you meet the Angel of the Lord throughout the Old Testament, you are getting a glimpse into the pre-incarnate life of the Divine Son - Jesus Christ. The following three-fold pattern was discovered, showing how the Angel of the Lord is none other than a pre-incarnate appearance of the Son of God:

1. Appear at the right time
2. Brings Divine words
3. Clearly reveals God

Endnotes:

1. Daniel G. Finestone. Journal: Bibliotheca Sacra - Volume: BSAC 095:379 (Jul 1938). Is the Angel of Jehovah in the Old Testament the Lord Jesus Christ?

2. Merrill C. Tenney, editor. The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible. Volume 1. Zondervan. 1976. Page 163

3. But why Hagar? Why would the Son make such a special appearance to this slave woman and her son? What could be the possible benefit to preserving both she and her son? Two observations that may shed light on the significance of the Angel of the Lord first appearing to Hagar.  First, if Hagar and Ishmael would had died, prophecy and God's Ultimate will for Israel and the middle east would had been interrupted.  God's plans for Israel's future restoration includes the hostilities and pressure that would be brought on by the conflict between the descendants of Isaac (Israel) and those of Ishmael (the Arab nations). All that is going on over in the middle East today is a result of the events and prophetic predictions of both Genesis 16 and 21.

4. Consider for a moment Jacob's historic wrestling match with the mysterious "man" of Genesis 32:24-32. After that match Jacob calls the place where they wrestled :"Peniel" in recognition of the fact He saw God face to face and lived to tell about it. (Genesis 32:30)  Draw the line from Genesis 32 to what we read in Hosea 12:4 - "Yes, he wrestled with the angel and prevailed;He wept and sought His favor. He found Him at Bethel and there He spoke with us". The text unmistakably calls the mysterious opponent of Jacob "The Angel" and identifies that personage as God.  Now connect the dots once more to 2 Corinthians 4:6 "For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ."  Thus the connection is complete: Jacob saw God's face in Genesis 32, with what Hosea 12 describes as "the Angel" and who now being incarnate has a face in which we see God in human flesh in 2 Corinthians 4:6.

How To Discover "God's Big Picture" & "God's Little Picture" for your life

Acts 16:6 "They passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia; 7 and after they came to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them."

Acts 18:19-21 "They came to Ephesus, and he left them there. Now he himself entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. 20 When they asked him to stay for a longer time, he did not consent, 21 but taking leave of them and saying, “I will return to you again if God wills,” he set sail from Ephesus."

Introduction

In today's post we consider what is entailed in discerning God's will in everyday life. We will first of all consider what I will call "God's Big Picture" for discerning His will, which is to say, four principles that anyone can use in navigating through the process of discerning His direction in our lives. For ease of study in understanding "The Big Picture", I will have each main point begin with a subsequent letter of the alphabet as we navigate through Acts 16. 

The second and closing part of the post will then deal with the "Little Picture of God's Will" with regards to how to practically hone-in on God's will for the reader. I will be utilizing a teaching I heard years ago that used the acrostic M.A.P. Hopefully, the reader will find this post helpful in grasping God's Big and Little Picture for their life. 

Grasping "God's Big-Picture" for Discerning His Will by considering the A,B,C's of discovering what He desires

In the opening text of Acts 16:6, we find the Apostle Paul being hindered by the Holy Spirit from entering into the region of Asia Minor (Ephesus, Mysia). Why would God prevent this great missionary from sharing the Gospel in that land at that time? We discover in Acts 16-17 that God had a mission for Paul to achieve first - namely going over to the region of Macedonia. The fruits of Paul's Macedonian mission can be seen in the letters he wrote to the churches in that region: Philippi, Thessalonica and Corinth. 



We then find after Paul had completed his assignment, the Lord had lifted the restraints and Paul was then permitted to freely enter into Ephesus.

How is it that Paul was able to discern the Spirit's leading and promptings? I would suggest that God's way of leading His people entails a combination of interior promptings, circumstances, people and of course the objective, infallible Word of God. We will list four major components in discerning God's Will. Notice the following ABC's of discerning God's Will:

Active obedience.  

You and I dear friend cannot expect to detect God's leading and promptings if we are operating outside the known will of God. Paul was obeying God in his work of spreading the Gospel. Obedience to Christ's Lordship positions us in ready mode for sensing God's direction. 

Bible. 

It is impossible to hear God and know His will apart from the Bible. The Bible was revealed by God for the sake of "us and our children" (Deuteronomy 29:29). God's Word is the objective standard by which all the other methods of discerning God's will are evaluated.

Circumstances. 

How often do we take the time to "read" our circumstances. God is creative in the ways He guides His people. Circumstances are a big indicator of what God is doing in our lives. Certainly Paul had to read his circumstances and make an informed decision. He had Divine guidance from God for sure, but the circumstances acted as a secondary method of confirming that he and his companions had to go one way, rather than another.

Divine Promptings. 

This refers to the internal leading of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the Person of the Godhead Who indwells us and is fully God. He speaks to us from the moment of the new-birth / conversion (Romans 8:14-16). By the scriptures the Holy Spirit inside our human spirit delivers insights and illumination (1 Corinthians 2:10-13). The Holy Spirit is the One who provides warrant or justified reasons for why we believe we are saved, Jesus is Lord and the Bible is true (1 Corinthians 12:1-3; 12:12; Galatians 4:6; 1 John 2:20,27).

All four of these elements are evident in Paul's missionary journeys here in Acts. As we noted already, he was actively obeying God (Acts 16:10). Paul had a Divine word from God, which would be tantamount to our scriptures, since he did not have a completed New Testament at that point (Acts 10:10). Paul discerned from the circumstances that he could not go into Ephesus, concluding that the Spirit was not leading them there (Acts 16:6-7). Later on of course Paul was able to go into Ephesus, recognizing that God's will was involved (Acts 18:19-21). Then we find Divine promptings at work, as demonstrated in the cited texts and by the presence of the Holy Spirit through the passages. 


Grasping "God's Little-Picture" for Discerning His Will by considering the A,B,C's of discovering what He desires

Years ago I heard a teaching from Dr. R.C Sproul that helped me to better understand what I call "God's little picture" for my life. If we take the above principles to be God's "Big-picture" or principles applicable to anyone, then the following principles or M.A.P can enable us to apply what we learned above to our individual lives. In other words, think of God's M.A.P for your life...

Motives. 

What motives do you find in your heart as you pursue your passions, dreams or what you believe to be God's "Big-Picture Will". The first part of Proverbs 27:7 states - "For as he thinks within himself, so he is....". Proverbs 16:9 notes: "The mind of man plans his way,

But the Lord directs his steps." Motives are generated from within the control-center of our soul - the heart. God alone reads the motives of the heart. Thus, in grasping the little picture of God's will for my life, I need to discern my motives or motivation for why I am doing what I am doing.

Abilities.

Sometimes when we are pursuing a course of action, we may very well have a lot of motivation and yet, not possess the necessary skills to carry out the task. Now this is not to say that we have met a closed-door-so-to-speak. What it may say is that we're not yet ready or we may require additional training, life-experience, mentoring or a deepening in prayer and God's Word. We know that God grants natural abilities from birth and spiritual abilities following our new-birth in saving faith (Romans 12; 1 Corinthians 12-14). Wherever Motives and Abilities mesh, we will then find the following result...

Passion.

When you and I discover our passion, we have zeroed-in on God's little picture for our lives. This is the "M.A.P" so-to-speak. Jesus modeled this for us by being passionate to bring glory to the Father. 

Closing thoughts

So as you and I live our lives for the Lord today, let's aim to do His will. Let's grasp "God's Big-Picture" by:

Active obedience.
Bible.
Circumstances.
Divine Promptings.

Then we can take what we learned from "God's Big-Picture" and utilize what we saw from a suggestion made in a teaching by Dr. R.C Sproul concerning our "M.A.P" or what we can also call "God's Little Picture": 

Motives + Abilities = Passion. 

Reflections and outline of John 7:1-51

John 7:6-10  "So Jesus *said to them, “My time is not yet here, but your time is always opportune. 7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it, that its deeds are evil. 8 Go up to the feast yourselves; I do not go up to this feast because My time has not yet fully come.” 9 Having said these things to them, He stayed in Galilee. 10 But when His brothers had gone up to the feast, then He Himself also went up, not publicly, but as if, in secret."

Introduction:
Today's post will attempt to offer an outline of Jesus' activities and teachings in John 7:1-52. Several key themes emerge in this chapter. First, we find reference to the setting of John 7: the Feast of Tabernacles. In the Jewish calendar, seven feasts were celebrated to commemorate major events in Israel's history and to remind the people of God's faithfulness to them. Of these seven feasts or times celebration - three were required by God to be annually attended by the people in Jerusalem: Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles. Of these three - we find Tabernacles commemorating how God provided the people food and water in their wilderness wanderings in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. 

In as much as the Feast of Tabernacles pointed to God's faithfulness to Israel in times past, it also signified the near completion of another year in Israel's calendar life and at the same time a new start. Following on the heels of the sixth feast (the Day of Atonement), Israel's sacrificial and temple system were ritually cleansed. Now the people could celebrate, preparing themselves for another year of life with God. The Feast of Tabernacles was a week long celebration of victory and prayers to God to provide salvation and further victories ahead. 

We don't want to belabor the details here, since much more could be said. All we will say for now is this atmosphere of anticipation, celebration and looking back all converged in the Feast of Tabernacles, and thus giving us our first theme in John 7 - that of joyful anticipation. 

The second theme we could say that emerges in John 7 is the need for change. Change was needed. The people felt the need for renewal. Jesus' arrival in the temple was to offer them that opportunity. As Jesus ministered, did miracles and preached messages throughout Galilee, Samaria and Judea, He was announcing the fact that God's Kingdom was breaking into history. He was, afterall, God in human flesh. John 7 functions to us how Jesus Christ is the joyful fulfillment of humanity's deepest longings for joy, satisfaction and the longing of the soul to be at peace. On Christ can offer change. Only Christ can fulfill our deepest longings.

Outlining John 7

We can divide John 7 up into three sub-sections. Below I will offer a proposed outline of this chapter with summaries for each of three sections.  

I. John 7:1-14 "Higher & Deeper With Jesus"

Summary: In our journey through John’s Gospel, we’ve explored Jesus’ declarations about Himself, signs and conversations that unfold His identity as the Son of  God. This section will take us into John 7 to see what is required for you and I to have a greater appetite for more of Jesus in our lives. In other words, what is necessary to go higher and deeper with Jesus?

A. Trust.  John 7:1-5

B. Timing. John 7:6-10,14

C. Truth. John 7:11-13

II. John 7:15-39 "Why We Need The Holy Spirit". 

Summary: Jesus will demonstrate what needs to be done to understand His mission identity, and yet can’t be done alone by man’s strength. We will see in this section why we need the Holy Spirit to rightly respond to Jesus, receive Him and run to Him.

We need the Holy Spirit to….

A. To respond correctly to God.       John 7:14-24

B. To receive the truth about Jesus. John 7:25-31

C. To run to Jesus.                          John 7:32-39 

III. John 7:37-52 "Flourishing for Christ in a hostile world"

Summary: What is necessary in order for you and I to have a greater capacity to enjoy Jesus? How can we flourish in a world dominated by human opinion, the flesh, spiritual darkness and dryness of the soul? Following from Jesus' statements concerning the the Holy Spirit, we find a recipe for the flourishing Christian life. In this section the people in the background are thrust into the foreground, uncovering their thoughts and responses to Jesus' words and actions. In this section, we will discover how the disciple's life with Christ is designed to flourish amidst a hostile environment. 

Oftentimes in scripture we can learn the truths of God's Word by considering an opposite action, attitude or response in the context. The people here in John 7:37-51 were not drinking of the living water offered by Jesus; weren't relying on God's Word but rather the layer of human tradition surrounding it; and finally, we find unwillingess to wait on God. 

A. Water of the Spirit. John 7:37-39

B. Word of God. John 7:40-49

C. Willingness to Wait on God. John 7:50-52

Your Only Court Of Appeal - Thoughts On Romans 2:1-29

Romans 2:1-4 "Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. 2 And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things. 3 But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?"

Introduction:

I recall the time many years ago when I was driving into work to begin night-shift on a particular cold, icy and snowy Christmas Eve night. I'll admit I was in a hurry and really wanted to get my shift over so as to get back home to enjoy Christmas morning with my family. While driving through a particular town, my rear view mirror suddenly lit-up with red and blue lights and a shrill siren. The trooper had clocked me going 50 m.p.h in a 35 m.p.h zone. Clearly I was guilty. On the ticket he gave me was a court date in which I had to appear to pay my fine. When the day I came, I nervously enter into the courthouse. The judges' bench seemed incredible high to me as I stood before the presiding judge. 

In addition to myself and the judge was the police officer who had pulled me over that evening. There was really no room for pleading innocent - it was evident I was guilty. There was not only the officer, but his official report and my signature indicating that I understood why he had pulled me over. At that point I wanted so badly to have some sort of appeal or somebody to pay the fine on my behalf. None such thing was available or offered. So, I payed the fine and in the eyes of the law I was free to go on my way. 

My little story serves to illustrate the far more severe situation that every human being finds themselves with respect to the Holy Divine Judge. In Romans 2, God as arraigned all of humanity to determine their moral crisis. The papers of God's law have been served. Moreover, the sirens and lights of the human conscience are flashing in every human soul to pull-over, since they are guilty of fleeing from the presence of God. How can anyone fare in the presence of God who knows all and sees all. Moreover, how aware are people of the fact that there is not only an actual Divine court of justice, but also a Divine court of appeals? 

In today's post, we will unpack the moral crisis of sinful humanity before a Holy God in Romans 2:1-29. All people are issued this Divine arraignment by God regarding their sinful condition. How will you and I plea to the charges against our sin? To what or whom can we appeal to get the charges dismissed? Let's explore Romans 2:1-29 to discover what I'm calling: "Your Only Court Of Appeal."

1. God’s Courtroom, Humanity On Trial.  

We are introduced to a summary of the situation in Romans 2:1-6 with respect to God's Divine courtroom and man's moral crisis. The Bible reminds us of God's role as the Judge of all the earth. In Genesis 18:25 we read: "Far be it from You to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?” Or again, regarding God as the Divine judge, the Apostle Peter notes in 1 Peter 1:17 "If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth."

In Romans 2:3 and 2:4 we are asked two interesting questions. Romans 2:3 states: "But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God?" We understand that God is indeed the Divine judge, as seen in the above cross references. However, something else is said about God in Romans 2:4 "Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?" The same God who justly passes sentence on the guilty is the same God who desires to show mercy to them. All of us stand morally guilty before a holy righteous God outside of Jesus Christ, as indicated in Romans 2:5-6. So then, what exactly are the charges and the sentence being brought against humanity?

2. Charges & Sentencing Of Us All.     Romans 2:5-12
If we were to enumerate the various charges that God is bringing against each individual sinful human being and the entire race as whole, here is what we would find:

(Charges): Despising God’s kindness of common grace Romans 2:4 / Stubborn & Unrepentant Romans 2:5 / selfish, disobedient to truth Romans 2:8 / does evil Romans 2:9. 

God must past sentence on such a lot, since there is nothing left to do but deal with that which has chosen to trounce upon His peerless character and Holy name. So then, what sentence do we find that is pending over sinful human beings?

(Sentencing): Render according to deeds Romans 2:6 / wrath, indignation, tribulation, distress Romans 2:7-9 / perishing Romans 2:12. 

Other passages in the Bible describe this state of affairs concerning man's moral crisis and God's Divine judgment. John 3:16 indicates that unless we believe on Jesus Christ, we will perish, since He came to provide the opportunity to escape the final judgment.  John 3:36 states: "He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” So we see then the Divine Courtroom and our moral crisis, as well as the list of charges and sentencing brought against us. But now, the next question is: what witnesses are there to verify that we are indeed in a moral, spiritual crisis and that God's judgment is pending?

3. Chief Witnesses & Evidence.           Romans 2:12-27

As we go on down the text of Romans 2:12-27, we find to main witnesses on the stand of God's Divine courtroom that witness against our ability to please God on our own merit. 

First, there is the Law of God in Romans 2:12-14 and Romans 2:17-27. In the Bible we find the Law of God performing three functions: restraining cultural rebellion, convicting people of their need for salvation and giving a picture of how a forgiven life ought to be living in dependence upon Christ who alone fulfilled the law. Paul here is using the law of God in the second sense. 

Elsewhere in the Bible we find reference to this second use of the law in convicting men of their sins and need of salvation. Jesus says to the legalists of His day that: “the one who accuses you is Moses”, which is another way of referring to God's Law in the Ten Commandments, written by Moses. 

The Bible uses illustrations to convey the sense in which the Law of God points the way to the need for salvation. Proverbs 6:23 states that the Law of God is like a lamp: "For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life."  James 1:23 describes God's Law as that mirror that tells me the truth: "For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror." The Apostle Paul in Romans 7:7 likens the Law of God to that which awakens the sinner to the truth of their sin: "What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, “You shall not covet.” The Law of God bears witness concerning how unfit sinful man is to have relationship with Holy God outside of grace.

But there is a second witness, namely the human conscience. Romans 2:14-15 details for us how God's Law found in the Ten Commandments was also inscribed on the human heart. The conscience functions as the dashboard of the human soul. It gives off lights and sound when we've done something wrong or are considering such. Paul describes how our conscience affirms then accuses as an endless tide rolling in on the shorelines of our soul. Just as the ocean tide is governed by the invisible force of gravity exerted by the moon, the conscience is regulated by the invisible force of God's moral character stamped upon the human heart. 

The conscience of man has been described by the Puritan theologian Richard Sibbes (1577-1635) in his commentary on 2 Corinthians as follows with appropriate cross references: "A courtroom register (Jeremiah 17:1); accuses and defends (Romans 2:14-15); the conscience is a witness 2 Corinthians 1:12; The conscience judges 1 John 3:20-21; the conscience executes us when guilt is discovered 1 Samuel 24:5." 

More could be said - but the point is that the conscience, like God's written Law, witnesses that when we are placed in God's moral scales of judgment, we are found wanting.

Now so far, Paul's words here in Romans 2 sound heavy and grim - and rightly so! Apart from grace, I am a vile sinner in moral and spiritual crisis. The gavel of God is ready to come crashing down to pass down the sentence I deserve. But wait, this same Judge is also informing me that there is a court of appeals. Is that possible? Lets find out...

4. Your Only Court of Appeal.   Romans 2:4,7,10, 28-29


When Paul makes statements such as we find in Romans 2:7 "to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life", he is not advocating some sort of "works-salvation". Notice what the person who ends up having eternal life is seeking: "glory, honor, immortality". These are the things that true saving faith desires and which is made known by God's grace. We are saved by grace through faith apart from works unto a faith that works. James 2:26 echoes this point: "For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead." So God's in His grace offers to me the Court of Appeal by way of the Gospel. He tells me I can live a life of faith that will be characterized as wanting immortality rather than this world; God's glory rather than my glory and honor rather than dishonor. 

In this court of appeal, I am offered the Supreme Advocacy of the Lord Jesus Christ. 1 John 2:1-2 reminds us: "My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; 2 and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world." Or again, Hebrews 7:24-25 "but Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently. 25 Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them." 

It is because of Christ's work that the sinner in saving faith has the only appropriate, necessary and sufficient grounds for appeal. Faith alone sufficient and necessary to apprehend this work of the Advocate, which results in the Divine Judge dropping all the charges against us. Now later on in Romans Paul will name this legal working of God the Father (the Judge) and saving work of the Son credited to our account as "justification". 

So what happens if you and I refuse to go through this Divine appellate court? The best we can expect is to face an eternity under the Divine sentence and have the Devil as our attorney whom scripture indicates to be nothing but an accuser and prosecutor (Zechariah 3:1-5; Revelation 12:10) who duped our original parents in the garden of Eden (Genesis 3:1-6). In short then, the only court of appeal that we have is found in the Gospel, whereupon we enter to latch onto by faith our Mediator - The Lord Jesus Christ.  

Understanding the Law of God: The Third Use Of The Law - Helping The Christian To Delight in Jesus and Hate Sin

Romans 7:21-23  "I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. 22 For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, 23 but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members." 

Introduction:

The last two posts have been devoted to better understanding how God's Law functions in the Bible. We have been utilizing a method of designation called "the three uses of God's law" to walk our way through this important subject. So far we have observed two of these three uses:

1. To discourage rebellion and deter societal evil.

2. To demonstrate to the sinner their need for Christ.

One could say that the first use of the law of God applies to civil life whereas the second use applies to the need for eternal life. Without hardly any exception, most Bible teachers readily acknowledge these first two categories. 

Today we want to consider what theologians consider to be "The Third Use of the Law." Admittedly, not all are in exact agreement on this detail. Some deny that the law of God even applies to the Christian. Others claim that the law functions differently for the Christian, depicting for them in written form the life of obedience that Christ-fulfilled and which ought to be born through ever-increasing fruit in their own life. We will explore the legitimacy of this category and see how it can shed further light on our overall understanding of the Law of God. 

The Law's third use: Delighting the Christian in Christ and urging the Christian to hate sin

When Jesus came, He fulfilled the Law of God (Matthew 3:15). Thus at saving faith, not only is the righteousness earned by Christ's death credited (imputed) to the believer, but also the life that He lived. The Ten commandments function to point the Christian to Jesus Christ as their confidence, since it is He who is living His life through us by the Holy Spirit's work (Colossians 1:27).  God's law, with respect to the Christian, is a means to provide focus upon the proper end - Christ Himself. Its not that I aim to live by "law keeping", rather I can live the Christian life because the requirements of the law are deemed fulfilled in me (2 Corinthians 5:21). 

Sometimes people will quote Galatians 6:2 in an attempt to show that the law of God has no application to the Christian. Galatians 6:2 reads - "Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ." Another passage I've heard quoted on occasion in dismissing the third use of the law is Philippians 3:9 "and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith." When we look at these two verses of scripture, it seems we find more support than objection to the relevance of the Law of God (which we would say is the ten commandments). 

Christ of course came to fulfill the law of God in His perfect active obedience and passive, willing obedience on the cross. To fulfill the "law of Christ" is in effect to say I am relying upon Him who fulfilled the law of God. When I look to the law of God as a Christian, I see what it is Christ did for me. I see that there would be no way I could fulfill the ten commandments. Christ of course did away with the ceremonial aspects of the Mosaic Law (the Levitical priesthood and its attendant sacrifices), as revealed in the Book of Hebrews. The moral law of God was illustrated in the ceremonial and civil laws (the civil laws dealt with how Old Testament Israel was to live in the promised land). 

Since Christ has fulfilled those latter two categories of laws, it stands to reason that He is the supreme embodiment of the fulfillment of the ten commandments. If anything, the law of God reminds me of my need to rely on Jesus' righteousness while craving to live a life that more and more approximates the moral standards spelled out in God's law and inscribed upon my heart by the Holy Spirit at salvation. In short, the law of God for the Christian functions to reinforce hatred of sin and delight in Jesus.

The Law for the Christian shows us what delighting in Christ should look like

As Christians, though we are saved by grace through faith apart from the law, our salvation is not a faith that operates lawlessly. The Holy Spirit's fruit of attitudes and actions do not conflict with the intent of God's moral law (Galatians 5:22). When Jesus summarized the entire law in Matthew 22:37-39 as loving God and loving my neighbor, He was showing that God's love, working in and through me, is pictured by the truth of the ten commandments. When He preached His sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7, the foundation for all ethics in the New Testament, He used the law of God as His base. As noted earlier, Christ fulfilled the ceremonial and civil commands of God's law in Moses, however the moral intent of the law in the ten commandments were revealed to picture Christ in written form.

How valid is the notion of the third use of the law in the history of Bible interpretation?

It is sometimes helpful to check one's understanding of the Bible against the historic testimony of the church itself. The great 19th century Baptist minister Charles Spurgeon was an advocate of this third use of the law as seen in his description of it in his sermon entitled: "The Uses of the Law" - 

"And, lastly, "Wherefore serveth the law." It was sent into the world to keep Christian men from self-righteousness. Christian men—do they ever get self-righteous? Yes, that they do. The best Christian man in the world will find it hard work to keep himself from boasting, and from being self-righteous."

Spurgeon then later notes: 

"Therefore, God has written the law, that when we read it we may see our faults; that when we look into it, as into a looking-glass, we may see the impurities in our flesh, and have reason to abhor ourselves in sackcloth and ashes, and still cry to Jesus for mercy. Use the law in this fashion, and in no other."

The Lutheran Formula of Concord, containing various documents issuing from the 16th century reformer Martin Luther, his students and other ancient Christian creeds and doctrinal statements, has the following to say about this use of the Law:

"But we must also explain distinctively what the Gospel does, produces, and works towards the new obedience of believers, and what is the office of the Law in this matter, as regards the good works of believers."

One final example from church history will suffice in showing the historic pedigree of the notion of the relevance of the ten commandments to the Christian. The early church of the first three centuries taught this view point regarding the use of the law of God in teaching the Christian to delight in Christ and hate sin. The mid-second century work entitled "The Didache" was composed as a practical how-to guide for Christian converts. In the edition of the "Apostolic Fathers" translated by Michael Holmes, we find the following excerpt from his rendering of the Diadache, which begins accordingly...

"There are two ways, one of life and one of death, and there is a great difference between these two ways. Now this is the way of life: First, you shall love God, who made you. Second, you shall love your neighbor as yourself."

As one reads on into the first through four opening chapters of the Didache, ample quotations from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7 and the ten commandments provide structure for the Christian converts progress in Christian growth and the spiritual and moral life of virtue. In Didache 4:14 we read this summary of the "Way of Life" as prescribed by the writer:

"In church you shall confess your transgressions, and you shall not approach your prayer with an evil conscience. This is the way of life."

The point of bringing up these quotes is to demonstrate how credible, mature, godly Christians of centuries past applied and understood the Biblical teaching of the Law of God as it pertains to the Christian. Of course, we must ever submit any secondary source like church history to the final source of authority - the Word of God. Nevertheless, we can say that we are in lines with historic, Bible believing Christianity in terms of commending the relevance of God's law to the Christian in terms of how it urges them to delight in Jesus and hate sin.

To wrap it up: If anything, ten commandments point to the need for Grace to live the Christian life

The the ten commandments function to show me what should be operating in my Christian life, since they reveal what Christ was like. If anything, Christianity exceeds the law. Law keeping would be concerned about: "what I have to do to get by", whereas Grace filled living goes further and says: "Why would I want to live for the Lord, since He is living in me so that I can live for Him." Delighting in God and not merely rule-keeping was the original intent of the law. As Paul reveals elsewhere in Romans, the Law could not make people delight in God. The Law demanded delight, pointing to the Grace of God in Christ - who alone through the Christian could fulfill God's desires.

Conclusion:
We have devoted the last three days discovering and better understanding God's law in the Bible. Our main motive was to clarify how it functions with respect to the proclamation of the Gospel, the unbeliever and the Christian. In all, we explored what has been called by Bible teachers "Three Uses of the Law. We deemed these three uses as follows:

1. First use of the law: Discourage rebellion and curb societal evil

2. Second use of the law: Demonstrate the need for the Gospel and Jesus Christ

3. Third Use: Delight the Christian in Jesus and urging the Christian to hate their sin.

It is hoped that these posts have proven beneficial. To God be the glory!

Understanding The Law Of God - The Second Use of God's Law Is To Demonstrate Man's Need For The Gospel

Romans 2:12-16 "For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law; 13 for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified. 14 For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, 15 in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, 16 on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus."

Introduction:
In the last post we began a series of posts aimed at better understand the Law of God as revealed in the Old and New Testaments. The approach of these posts is to consider what theologians refer to as the "three uses" of the law. In categorizing the Law of God by its various uses, the student of scripture can better understand the important distinctions between Law and Gospel and how the Law of God relates to sinners and saints. 

We looked at what is commonly called "The First Use Of The Law", which mainly deals with the law of God on the human conscience curbing society's propensities towards lawbreaking. We deemed this first use as having to do with "Discouraging Rebellion" with respect to culture and society. Passages such as Romans 13 highlight this first use by way of identifying the function of governmental enforcement of the laws of the land in curbing societal evils. Today we will consider what is called "the second use of the law", namely in pointing sinners to their need for salvation. 

The Law's Second Use: Demonstrates the sinner's need for Jesus Christ
Whereas the 1st use of the law operates everywhere and all the time, this second use of the law is more evident in the context of the Holy Spirit's call to sinners in the gospel. Paul states plainly in Galatians 3:24 - "Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith." When sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ, it is vital to first share the bad news of man's condition through the law. Paul's masterpiece Epistle to the Romans begins with the announcement of God's wrath in the main body of his letter (Romans 1:18). We then find that mankind is spiritually, morally and relationally in crisis before a Holy, just God (Romans 1:19-3:20). 

It is by the light of the law that we come to know that sin is sin (Romans 7:7).  This revelation of the "bad-news" unveils the nature of our disease - sin. Before we can appreciate the cure "the Gospel"; we first come to terms with the mortal disease called sin. This second function of God's law points the way to one's need for Christ. 

How the law of God can be used in sharing the Gospel

Evangelist Ray Comfort has highlighted this second use of the law by comparing the law to a needle that punctures the human heart with a series of holes so as to thread through the scarlet thread of the Gospel. Lest man's heart be pricked by the hardened needle of the law of God, there will not be the needed tenderizing of the heart to receive the Gospel offered in saving grace. 

When Jesus was sharing the Gospel with the rich young ruler in Mark 10, He used the law. The man's rejection of the testimony of the law revealed He was not ready to receive the grace of God through Jesus. Jesus used the law of God in his evangelistic appeals when dealing with self-righteous people or those who needed awakened by the slumber of their sinful condition. 

Another masterful use of the law in Gospel presentations is witnessed in the life of the Apostle Paul. When Paul makes mention of the Law's function of showing him his sin in Romans 7:7-13, he is referring back to his pre-conversion days. Paul, who had been formally known as the Jewish leader and Christian persecutor "Saul of Tarsus", described how the law of God came. As Saul of Tarsus, he thought he was doing good as a religious leader. However, when the law revealed Saul of Tarsus to be an enemy of God, he at first wanted to inwardly rebel and reject the indictment. The Spirit of God worked through the needle of the law to prick Saul of Tarsus' heart, preparing it for the scarlet thread of the Gospel to point him to Christ. Christ of course would meet Saul on the Damscus road, leading to his response of saving faith and transformation from Saul the sinner to Paul the missionary. It is this second use to which Paul alludes to in 1 Timothy 1:9a "realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners...". So in closing out our post today, we can say that thus far, we have noted two uses of the Law of God: to discourage rebellion and curb the tide of societal evil and then to demonstrate to the hearts of sinners their need for Christ and His salvation. 

More next time....