Romans 1:9 For God, whom I serve in my spirit in the
preaching of the gospel of His Son, is my witness as to how
unceasingly I make mention of you.
The Gospel of the Son - The Gospel on the move
In today's blog I want us to continue exploring further what the Book of Romans teaches us about the Gospel. Yesterday we considered that grand introduction to the letter, noting the features of what Paul termed "the Gospel of God". Today we look at another designation, namely "the Gospel of His Son". Don't think that Paul is speaking about two Gospels, rather understand that in the designations, "Gospel of God" is giving a description of the Gospel, whereas the phrase "Gospel of the Son" is dealing with the Gospel's movement.
When I see that phrase "the Gospel of His Son", I'm reminded of the passages in which God the Son commands His church to go forth and proclaim the Gospel. (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8-11) Romans 1:8-15 is all about showing us how this "Gospel of the Son" is really the message about Him and from Him, moving and being communicated by those who have believed on Him. Note how the Gospel is on the move in these passages.
1. The Gospel of the Son is to be a proclaimed message. Rom 1:8
As the Gospel moves forth in its proclamation, it is to be proclaimed both worldwide and locally. Romans 1:8 states - "First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for
you all, because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world." With the world in view, Paul also desires to proclaim the Gospel on a more local level to the Romans in 1:15 "So, for my part, I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome."
2. The Gospel of the Son is to be preached constantly in the church. Rom 1:9
Author Jerry Bridges once commented that we as Christians need preach the Gospel to ourselves everyday. Everytime the church gathers together, the life transforming activity that Christ has ordained to cleanse His saints and call forth sinners is the ministry of the word. The word for "preaching" here in Romans 1:9 is the word "euangilizo" from whence we get our word "evangelism". The Gospel not only imparts spiritual life to all who by grace through faith believe, it functions to provide continuous life to the Christian following conversion. The Gospel is like a lense, bringing into ever sharper focus the Person and work of Jesus Christ.
3. The Gospel of the Son provides the basis for spiritual maturity. Romans 1:10-15
As Paul expresses his desire to come and preach the Gospel to the Romans in person, he lists the benefits that come with continual exposure to the Gospel. First, Christians who are delighting in the Gospel with one another will expierience and edifying faith. (Romans 1:10-11) Then Paul speaks further of how in the context of enjoyment of the Gospel, the church experiences an encouraging faith. (Romans 1:12) Edification builds up my faith, and encouragement fuels the desires needs to walk in faith, which leads to Paul's third detail regarding how this Gospel of the Son undergirds spiritual maturity, namely it promotes a fruitful faith. (Romans 1:13-14) Edifying faith, encouraged faith and fruitful faith all mark maturity and growth in the Gospel.
As you can see, the Gospel of the Son describes a message that is constantly moving. It is desired and expected that when we as Christians are daily proclaiming, preaching and using the Gospel as the basis for spiritual maturity, we will look and act more like the Son. The Gospel of the Son is the Gospel of God on the move, getting us to the very God who sent His Son. May we rejoice and be thankful for the Gospel of the Son.
Welcome to Growing Christian Resources, where you can search over 2,500 resources pertaining to your Christian walk, the explanation and defense of the Christian worldview. For those desiring to dig-deeper into the scriptures, please check out www.biblicalexegete.wordpress.com.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Monday, January 14, 2013
The Gospel of God
Romans 1:1 Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called
as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God
The Gospel of God
The greatest of Paul's letters is considered by many to be his letter to the church at Rome. None of his letters gives the breadth and depth of treatment of the Gospel like Romans. In the opening verse we see Paul designating himself as both a "bond servant of Christ Jesus" and a "called apostle", set apart for what he terms "the gospel of God". This phrase "the gospel of God" is rich in meaning in the original Greek. We could either translate it "the gospel about God" or "the gospel from God". Either rendering reveals that this is not "man's gospel", but "God's gospel".
Romans 1:1-7 is all about introducing the Book of Romans and even more importantly about unfolding for us key points about this Gospel of God. Today I want us to consider the thoughts we discover in these verses about what exactly is included in this "Gospel of God".
1. God is the Gospel's goal. Romans 1:1
The Gospel, in all of its aims and details, is aimed at bringing the sinner to God. Reconciliation is at the heart and love is God's Divine motivation.
2. Scripture is the Gospel's ground. Romans 1:2
The Old Testament scriptures all speak about the Gospel of God. Moses in the Pentateuch (first five Bible books) wrote about the Gospel, as well as Samuel, David and the other prophets. Carrying into the New Testament, we see the ground of the Gospel - namely God's progressively revealed plan of how He was going to send His Son to provide resurrection life, forgiveness and adoption unto sonship to all who believe.
3. Christ is the Gospel's glory. Romans 1:3-4
The operative term here is "concerning His Son". The glory of God is the visible display of God's Goodness and Activity, which is centralized in the Person of the Son. We see Jesus Christ declared to be fully man according to the seed of David and fully Divine as the resurrected Son of God and Lord. As God, Christ's accomplishment was sufficient, and as man his work was effective in the shedding of blood, so that all who by grace through faith believe could be saved.
4. Faith receiving Christ is the Gospel's gift. Romans 1:5
The "obedience of faith" mentioned here in 1:5 could be translated "the obedience that results from faith". Faith alone is the necessary and sufficient means of receiving Eternal life brought by the New Birth, forgiveness of sins by justification and relational blessings by adoption. This wonderful package or gifting of salvation, and the reception of it by faith, is all included in the gift of salvation brought by the Gospel.
5. The call to be saints is the Gospel's gracious identity. Rom 1:6-7
The call to be a "holy one" or saint reveals the gracious identity that results from the Gospel. In the Gospel I'm set free to obey (hence Paul's earlier statement concerning "the obedience of faith"). This wonderful Gospel identity renders my new found life in Jesus Christ to be the defining mark of knowing who I am and whose I am.
May you and I be ever captivated and amazed by this wonderful Gospel of God.
The Gospel of God
The greatest of Paul's letters is considered by many to be his letter to the church at Rome. None of his letters gives the breadth and depth of treatment of the Gospel like Romans. In the opening verse we see Paul designating himself as both a "bond servant of Christ Jesus" and a "called apostle", set apart for what he terms "the gospel of God". This phrase "the gospel of God" is rich in meaning in the original Greek. We could either translate it "the gospel about God" or "the gospel from God". Either rendering reveals that this is not "man's gospel", but "God's gospel".
Romans 1:1-7 is all about introducing the Book of Romans and even more importantly about unfolding for us key points about this Gospel of God. Today I want us to consider the thoughts we discover in these verses about what exactly is included in this "Gospel of God".
1. God is the Gospel's goal. Romans 1:1
The Gospel, in all of its aims and details, is aimed at bringing the sinner to God. Reconciliation is at the heart and love is God's Divine motivation.
2. Scripture is the Gospel's ground. Romans 1:2
The Old Testament scriptures all speak about the Gospel of God. Moses in the Pentateuch (first five Bible books) wrote about the Gospel, as well as Samuel, David and the other prophets. Carrying into the New Testament, we see the ground of the Gospel - namely God's progressively revealed plan of how He was going to send His Son to provide resurrection life, forgiveness and adoption unto sonship to all who believe.
3. Christ is the Gospel's glory. Romans 1:3-4
The operative term here is "concerning His Son". The glory of God is the visible display of God's Goodness and Activity, which is centralized in the Person of the Son. We see Jesus Christ declared to be fully man according to the seed of David and fully Divine as the resurrected Son of God and Lord. As God, Christ's accomplishment was sufficient, and as man his work was effective in the shedding of blood, so that all who by grace through faith believe could be saved.
4. Faith receiving Christ is the Gospel's gift. Romans 1:5
The "obedience of faith" mentioned here in 1:5 could be translated "the obedience that results from faith". Faith alone is the necessary and sufficient means of receiving Eternal life brought by the New Birth, forgiveness of sins by justification and relational blessings by adoption. This wonderful package or gifting of salvation, and the reception of it by faith, is all included in the gift of salvation brought by the Gospel.
5. The call to be saints is the Gospel's gracious identity. Rom 1:6-7
The call to be a "holy one" or saint reveals the gracious identity that results from the Gospel. In the Gospel I'm set free to obey (hence Paul's earlier statement concerning "the obedience of faith"). This wonderful Gospel identity renders my new found life in Jesus Christ to be the defining mark of knowing who I am and whose I am.
May you and I be ever captivated and amazed by this wonderful Gospel of God.
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Dr. Charles Stanley on God's faithfulness
1 Corinthians 1:9 God is faithful, through whom you were called
into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Preachers and preaching and Dr. Charles Stanley
Every once and a while I like to give readers of this blog a treat in the form of reading the thoughts of a past or current preacher/teacher of the Word. Dr. Charles Stanley is a beloved Southern Baptist preacher of the word to many people throughout the world. He has pastored the First Baptist Church of Atlanta since 1971, has a nationwide ministry called "In Touch Ministries" and is author of many many books. For over 50 years Dr. Stanley has been faithful in his ministry of the Word (now that's a fine example of faithfulness).
A summary of Dr. Stanley's Message about Relying on God's faithfulness
In his message, Dr. Stanley was laying out the five essential attributes that God has to have in order to be the faithful God. I felt that what Dr. Stanley preached on was of such great encouragement, that it would be fitting on this Lord's day to share the main points of his message. May you be encouraged by the following thoughts from Dr. Charles Stanley on the subject of God's faithfulness.
First and foremost, Dr. Stanley defined faithfulness as follows: "faithfulness for God is that in all times, in all things and in all circumstances God is always the same." In following from that definition, we see the following five attributes of God that enable Him to be the Faithful God:
1. God is Omniscient.
That is, God knows all things. If God did not know everything about me, my circumstance or the future of where things are heading, He could not guarantee and of His promises or His pledge to those promises.
2. God is Omnipotent.
Since God knows all things, then it follows that He must be omnipotent (that is, all powerful). What would happen if He were not omnipotent? He would not be able to carry out His promises. To be the Faithful God, God must be omniscient and omnipotent.
3. God is Omnipresent.
God thirdly must be omnipresent - which means every present. He is not only everywhere present, but every time present. In order for Him to be faithful, He has to be ready to meet me in those times that I may not even be at yet.
4. God cannot lie.
If God were to lie, He would not be faithful. Titus 1:2 tells us that God cannot lie. This is God's very character - to be truthful.
5. God is unchanging
God is all knowing (omni-present) , all powerful (omnipotent) and every present (omnipresent). He is the Truthful God Who cannot lie. What other attribute must the God of scripture have in order to be absolutely faithful? Unchanging. People change, circumstances change, but not God. Because He remains ever the same, He Alone can be perfectly and absolutely faithful.
I pray these thoughts from Dr. Stanley have been an encouragement to you. May you be blessed this Lord's day and may you and I be ever more faithful as we focus our attention on God's faithfulness.
Preachers and preaching and Dr. Charles Stanley
Every once and a while I like to give readers of this blog a treat in the form of reading the thoughts of a past or current preacher/teacher of the Word. Dr. Charles Stanley is a beloved Southern Baptist preacher of the word to many people throughout the world. He has pastored the First Baptist Church of Atlanta since 1971, has a nationwide ministry called "In Touch Ministries" and is author of many many books. For over 50 years Dr. Stanley has been faithful in his ministry of the Word (now that's a fine example of faithfulness).
A summary of Dr. Stanley's Message about Relying on God's faithfulness
In his message, Dr. Stanley was laying out the five essential attributes that God has to have in order to be the faithful God. I felt that what Dr. Stanley preached on was of such great encouragement, that it would be fitting on this Lord's day to share the main points of his message. May you be encouraged by the following thoughts from Dr. Charles Stanley on the subject of God's faithfulness.
First and foremost, Dr. Stanley defined faithfulness as follows: "faithfulness for God is that in all times, in all things and in all circumstances God is always the same." In following from that definition, we see the following five attributes of God that enable Him to be the Faithful God:
1. God is Omniscient.
That is, God knows all things. If God did not know everything about me, my circumstance or the future of where things are heading, He could not guarantee and of His promises or His pledge to those promises.
2. God is Omnipotent.
Since God knows all things, then it follows that He must be omnipotent (that is, all powerful). What would happen if He were not omnipotent? He would not be able to carry out His promises. To be the Faithful God, God must be omniscient and omnipotent.
3. God is Omnipresent.
God thirdly must be omnipresent - which means every present. He is not only everywhere present, but every time present. In order for Him to be faithful, He has to be ready to meet me in those times that I may not even be at yet.
4. God cannot lie.
If God were to lie, He would not be faithful. Titus 1:2 tells us that God cannot lie. This is God's very character - to be truthful.
5. God is unchanging
God is all knowing (omni-present) , all powerful (omnipotent) and every present (omnipresent). He is the Truthful God Who cannot lie. What other attribute must the God of scripture have in order to be absolutely faithful? Unchanging. People change, circumstances change, but not God. Because He remains ever the same, He Alone can be perfectly and absolutely faithful.
I pray these thoughts from Dr. Stanley have been an encouragement to you. May you be blessed this Lord's day and may you and I be ever more faithful as we focus our attention on God's faithfulness.
Saturday, January 12, 2013
God's Faithfulness & Christian Faithfulness P2
Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who
promised is faithful
Yesterday we noted how Moses, being a prime example of faithfulness, spelled out how God's faithfulness was to be the prime motivation for the people's faithfulness. Having looked at Deuteronomy 1-4 and the rest of scripture, we established the fact that God's faithfulness must be considered first before moving to our own.
God's Faithfulness is the foundation of the believer's faithfulness
We first of all want to reiterate how God's faithfulness is to be the foundation for the believer's faithfulness. Below I cite further passages that were not cited in yesterday's blog to give you more scriptural support for this important truth of God's faithfulness being the driving force behind the believer's faithfulness:
Isaiah 25:1 "O LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You, I will give thanks to Your name; For You have worked wonders, Plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness." Here we see Isaiah's motivation for praise and worship being driven by his reflections upon God's faithfulness in all His works.
1 Corinthians 1:9 "God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." God's faithfulness is the basis for salvation, as well as the believer's continued growth and progress in sanctification. In fact as you read on in 1 Corinthians 1, Paul's exhortations for the Corinthians to be a united people is based upon God's faithfulness.
2 Thessalonians 3:3-4 "But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. 4We have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you are doing and will continue to do what we command." What is the guarantee that we as Christians will persevere to the end? God's faithfulness. Passages such as 2 Timothy 2:13 tell us that even when we are unfaithful, He is faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.
Hebrews 10:23 23 "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful".This great text of course gives us one of the clearest links between God's faithfulness and the motivations for the church to be faithful to Him and to one another. God's faithfulness is clearly shown to be the reason for the believer to be faithful.
Hebrews 13:6-8 "so that we confidently say, “THE LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID. WHAT WILL MAN DO TO ME?”
7Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith. 8Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." Sandwiched in between two magnificent statements on God and Christ's faithfulness is the exhortation to be faithful by following the example of faithful pastors and teachers of the Word.
As you can see, God's faithfulness is the bedrock of Christian faithfulness and commitment. So what kind of faithful people ought we to be as a result of basing our lives around God's faithfulness?
The true identity of a faithful people of God
Having looked at Deuteronomy 1:9-4:31 yesterday, we turn our attention to Deuteronomy 4:32-40 to see what traits identify God's faithful people.
1. God's faithful people are a called people. Deuteronomy 4:32-36
Moses points out that what marked the nation of Israel as being unique from all others is the fact that they heard the voice of God calling them to Himself. Deuteronomy 4:33 states - “Has any people heard the voice of God speaking from the midst of the fire, as you have heard it, and survived?" As you go down through the text, Moses writes in Deuteronomy 4:36 - “Out of the heavens He let you hear His voice to discipline you; and on earth He let you see His great fire, and you heard His words from the midst of the fire." The only way we can be a faithful people to the Lord is if He calls us to Himself. Jesus describes His followers as those who "hear His voice". (John 10:4,5,16) Other scriptures further lend support to the fact that as a result of God's calling on our lives, we have the ability and motivation to want to follow Him in faithfulness. (2 Corinthians 13:5; Ephesians 4:1)
2. God faithful people are a chosen people. Deuteronomy 4:37-38
In Deuteronomy 4:37 we read - 37“Because He loved your fathers, therefore He chose their descendants after them. And He personally brought you from Egypt by His great power". Over 100 places in God's Word designates God's people as His chosen people. Since we are a called people of God, the Holy Spirit tells us in 1 Peter 2:9 - "But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light."
Like Israel, the chosen people of God in the Old Testament, believers in the New Testament are described as having been "chosen in Christ, in love" (Ephesians 1:3-4). By God's choice for His people, that simply means that what He decided to begin, He will finish.1 The believer's ability to be faithful is dependant upon God's ongoing effort in working forth His choice in bringing the child of God to completion in Christ. Philippians 1:6 reveals - "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." Ephesians 2:10 states - "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. "
3. God's faithful people are a committed people. Deut 4:39-40
Deuteronomy 4:39 tells us - “Know therefore today, and take it to your heart, that the LORD, He is God in heaven above and on the earth below; there is no other." Being that God's faithful people are a God called and chosen people, it stands to reason that they should and must be a committed people. They should be those that take what God says to heart. Jesus tells us a New Testament Christians that we are to "love the Lord our God with all our heart" and "love our neighbor as ourselves, something of which is repeated throughout the New Testament. (Matthew 22:37-39; Romans 13:9) We are those who as a called and chosen people of God, are to be committed to abstinence from fleshly lusts and having a positive testimony among unbelievers. (1 Peter 2:9-12) Commitment is the backbone of faithfulness, and without the grace and calling of God cannot be done. In fact, this takes us back to yesterday, where the journey of faithfulness first and foremosts considers the character and faithfulness of God Himself. (Ephesians 5:1; Colossians 3:13; 1 Peter 1:16)
Endnotes
1 The 2000 Baptist Faith and Message of the SBC calls God's choice or election of His people "God's purpose of Grace". You can read the entire article online at www.sbc.net by clicking on "Baptist Faith & Message".
Yesterday we noted how Moses, being a prime example of faithfulness, spelled out how God's faithfulness was to be the prime motivation for the people's faithfulness. Having looked at Deuteronomy 1-4 and the rest of scripture, we established the fact that God's faithfulness must be considered first before moving to our own.
God's Faithfulness is the foundation of the believer's faithfulness
We first of all want to reiterate how God's faithfulness is to be the foundation for the believer's faithfulness. Below I cite further passages that were not cited in yesterday's blog to give you more scriptural support for this important truth of God's faithfulness being the driving force behind the believer's faithfulness:
Isaiah 25:1 "O LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You, I will give thanks to Your name; For You have worked wonders, Plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness." Here we see Isaiah's motivation for praise and worship being driven by his reflections upon God's faithfulness in all His works.
1 Corinthians 1:9 "God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." God's faithfulness is the basis for salvation, as well as the believer's continued growth and progress in sanctification. In fact as you read on in 1 Corinthians 1, Paul's exhortations for the Corinthians to be a united people is based upon God's faithfulness.
2 Thessalonians 3:3-4 "But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. 4We have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you are doing and will continue to do what we command." What is the guarantee that we as Christians will persevere to the end? God's faithfulness. Passages such as 2 Timothy 2:13 tell us that even when we are unfaithful, He is faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.
Hebrews 10:23 23 "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful".This great text of course gives us one of the clearest links between God's faithfulness and the motivations for the church to be faithful to Him and to one another. God's faithfulness is clearly shown to be the reason for the believer to be faithful.
Hebrews 13:6-8 "so that we confidently say, “THE LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID. WHAT WILL MAN DO TO ME?”
7Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith. 8Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." Sandwiched in between two magnificent statements on God and Christ's faithfulness is the exhortation to be faithful by following the example of faithful pastors and teachers of the Word.
As you can see, God's faithfulness is the bedrock of Christian faithfulness and commitment. So what kind of faithful people ought we to be as a result of basing our lives around God's faithfulness?
The true identity of a faithful people of God
Having looked at Deuteronomy 1:9-4:31 yesterday, we turn our attention to Deuteronomy 4:32-40 to see what traits identify God's faithful people.
1. God's faithful people are a called people. Deuteronomy 4:32-36
Moses points out that what marked the nation of Israel as being unique from all others is the fact that they heard the voice of God calling them to Himself. Deuteronomy 4:33 states - “Has any people heard the voice of God speaking from the midst of the fire, as you have heard it, and survived?" As you go down through the text, Moses writes in Deuteronomy 4:36 - “Out of the heavens He let you hear His voice to discipline you; and on earth He let you see His great fire, and you heard His words from the midst of the fire." The only way we can be a faithful people to the Lord is if He calls us to Himself. Jesus describes His followers as those who "hear His voice". (John 10:4,5,16) Other scriptures further lend support to the fact that as a result of God's calling on our lives, we have the ability and motivation to want to follow Him in faithfulness. (2 Corinthians 13:5; Ephesians 4:1)
2. God faithful people are a chosen people. Deuteronomy 4:37-38
In Deuteronomy 4:37 we read - 37“Because He loved your fathers, therefore He chose their descendants after them. And He personally brought you from Egypt by His great power". Over 100 places in God's Word designates God's people as His chosen people. Since we are a called people of God, the Holy Spirit tells us in 1 Peter 2:9 - "But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light."
Like Israel, the chosen people of God in the Old Testament, believers in the New Testament are described as having been "chosen in Christ, in love" (Ephesians 1:3-4). By God's choice for His people, that simply means that what He decided to begin, He will finish.1 The believer's ability to be faithful is dependant upon God's ongoing effort in working forth His choice in bringing the child of God to completion in Christ. Philippians 1:6 reveals - "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." Ephesians 2:10 states - "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. "
3. God's faithful people are a committed people. Deut 4:39-40
Deuteronomy 4:39 tells us - “Know therefore today, and take it to your heart, that the LORD, He is God in heaven above and on the earth below; there is no other." Being that God's faithful people are a God called and chosen people, it stands to reason that they should and must be a committed people. They should be those that take what God says to heart. Jesus tells us a New Testament Christians that we are to "love the Lord our God with all our heart" and "love our neighbor as ourselves, something of which is repeated throughout the New Testament. (Matthew 22:37-39; Romans 13:9) We are those who as a called and chosen people of God, are to be committed to abstinence from fleshly lusts and having a positive testimony among unbelievers. (1 Peter 2:9-12) Commitment is the backbone of faithfulness, and without the grace and calling of God cannot be done. In fact, this takes us back to yesterday, where the journey of faithfulness first and foremosts considers the character and faithfulness of God Himself. (Ephesians 5:1; Colossians 3:13; 1 Peter 1:16)
Endnotes
1 The 2000 Baptist Faith and Message of the SBC calls God's choice or election of His people "God's purpose of Grace". You can read the entire article online at www.sbc.net by clicking on "Baptist Faith & Message".
Friday, January 11, 2013
God's Faithfulness & Christian Faithfulness P1
Deuteronomy 4:31 “For the LORD your God is a compassionate God; He
will not fail you nor destroy you nor forget the covenant with your fathers
which He swore to them."
Defining faithfulness
What is faithfulness? Faithfulness is the track record of consistency that one person exhibits in fulfilling their commitment to another. Dr. Charles Stanley offers a better definition: "Faithfulness for God means that in all times, in all things and in all circumstances, God is always the same." 1 Corinthians 4:1-2 offers the best definition - "Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy". That underlined word "trustworthy" is a Greek word which other English translations render "faithful". To say that God is faithful simply refers to the fact that He is someone I can trust and rely upon no matter what. As a faithful Christian, my aim is to be, in a progressive way, someone that God can count upon to follow through with whatever He gives to me to accomplish for Him.
Moses - an example of faithfulness to the Lord
Certainly scripture tells us of the example of faithfulness Moses was to his generation. Hebrews 3:5 reveals - "Now Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later." With this estimate of Moses coming from scripture itself, it benefits us to sit at his feet and learn what we can about faithfulness. In Deuteronomy 1:9-4:31 we see Moses the man of God exhorting a new generation of Israelites to faithfulness. As he does so, we see a consistent pattern: Focus on God's faithfulness in order to understand who your are to be as a faithful people. Many scriptures, as well as Deuteronomy, bear out this two-fold pattern of God's faithfulness being the basis for your faithfulness and mine. Only when we have focused on God's faithfulness, can we then understand the type of people we're to be. Today I want us to focus on God's faithfulness, making the case as to why it is the proper foundation for the believer's faithfulness.
Moses emphasizes God's track record of faithfulness
If you were to read the first four chapters of Deuteronomy, you would find Moses rehearsing for the new generation of Israelites the history of God's people. Of chief interest in his opening address is the mention of God's faithfulness. Over ten times Moses makes statements throughout those chapters of just how faithful God was to an often faithless people. Below are some of the more noteworthy examples cited by Moses:
1. God was faithful in leading His people. Deuteronomy 1:30-31 ‘The LORD your God who goes before you will Himself fight on your behalf, just as He did for you in Egypt before your eyes, 31and in the wilderness where you saw how the LORD your God carried you, just as a man carries his son, in all the way which you have walked until you came to this place."
2. God was faithful in providing for His people. Deuteronomy 2:7 “For the LORD your God has blessed you in all that you have done; He has known your wanderings through this great wilderness. These forty years the LORD your God has been with you; you have not lacked a thing.”’
3. God was faithful in His people's victories. Deuteronomy 3:21-22 21“I commanded Joshua at that time, saying, ‘Your eyes have seen all that the LORD your God has done to these two kings; so the LORD shall do to all the kingdoms into which you are about to cross. 22‘Do not fear them, for the LORD your God is the one fighting for you.’
4. God was faithful to His people in prayer. Deuteronomy 4:29 “But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul."
Seeing God's faithfulness stated throughout the rest of scripture
As we look at what is to be the foundation of the believer's faithfulness, we discover that the only way we can be faithful is by noting God's faithfulness. We've done that in the immediate context of Deuteronomy, but what about the rest of scripture? God's faithfulness is stated again and again throughout scripture, let the reader take note:
Numbers 23:19 “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?"
1 Samuel 15:29 “Also the Glory of Israel will not lie or change His mind; for He is not a man that He should change His mind.”
1 Corinthians 10:13 "No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it."
Revelation 3:7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:
He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this"
With the establishment of scripture's testimony concerning God's faithfulness, we will continue tomorrow looking at what we are to be as a faithful people of God.
Defining faithfulness
What is faithfulness? Faithfulness is the track record of consistency that one person exhibits in fulfilling their commitment to another. Dr. Charles Stanley offers a better definition: "Faithfulness for God means that in all times, in all things and in all circumstances, God is always the same." 1 Corinthians 4:1-2 offers the best definition - "Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy". That underlined word "trustworthy" is a Greek word which other English translations render "faithful". To say that God is faithful simply refers to the fact that He is someone I can trust and rely upon no matter what. As a faithful Christian, my aim is to be, in a progressive way, someone that God can count upon to follow through with whatever He gives to me to accomplish for Him.
Moses - an example of faithfulness to the Lord
Certainly scripture tells us of the example of faithfulness Moses was to his generation. Hebrews 3:5 reveals - "Now Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later." With this estimate of Moses coming from scripture itself, it benefits us to sit at his feet and learn what we can about faithfulness. In Deuteronomy 1:9-4:31 we see Moses the man of God exhorting a new generation of Israelites to faithfulness. As he does so, we see a consistent pattern: Focus on God's faithfulness in order to understand who your are to be as a faithful people. Many scriptures, as well as Deuteronomy, bear out this two-fold pattern of God's faithfulness being the basis for your faithfulness and mine. Only when we have focused on God's faithfulness, can we then understand the type of people we're to be. Today I want us to focus on God's faithfulness, making the case as to why it is the proper foundation for the believer's faithfulness.
Moses emphasizes God's track record of faithfulness
If you were to read the first four chapters of Deuteronomy, you would find Moses rehearsing for the new generation of Israelites the history of God's people. Of chief interest in his opening address is the mention of God's faithfulness. Over ten times Moses makes statements throughout those chapters of just how faithful God was to an often faithless people. Below are some of the more noteworthy examples cited by Moses:
1. God was faithful in leading His people. Deuteronomy 1:30-31 ‘The LORD your God who goes before you will Himself fight on your behalf, just as He did for you in Egypt before your eyes, 31and in the wilderness where you saw how the LORD your God carried you, just as a man carries his son, in all the way which you have walked until you came to this place."
2. God was faithful in providing for His people. Deuteronomy 2:7 “For the LORD your God has blessed you in all that you have done; He has known your wanderings through this great wilderness. These forty years the LORD your God has been with you; you have not lacked a thing.”’
3. God was faithful in His people's victories. Deuteronomy 3:21-22 21“I commanded Joshua at that time, saying, ‘Your eyes have seen all that the LORD your God has done to these two kings; so the LORD shall do to all the kingdoms into which you are about to cross. 22‘Do not fear them, for the LORD your God is the one fighting for you.’
4. God was faithful to His people in prayer. Deuteronomy 4:29 “But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul."
Seeing God's faithfulness stated throughout the rest of scripture
As we look at what is to be the foundation of the believer's faithfulness, we discover that the only way we can be faithful is by noting God's faithfulness. We've done that in the immediate context of Deuteronomy, but what about the rest of scripture? God's faithfulness is stated again and again throughout scripture, let the reader take note:
Numbers 23:19 “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?"
1 Samuel 15:29 “Also the Glory of Israel will not lie or change His mind; for He is not a man that He should change His mind.”
1 Corinthians 10:13 "No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it."
Revelation 3:7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:
He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this"
With the establishment of scripture's testimony concerning God's faithfulness, we will continue tomorrow looking at what we are to be as a faithful people of God.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Taking your spiritual temperature
this: to visit
orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained
by
the world.
How to practically assess one's Christian spiritual well-being- three areas in which to take your spiritual temperature
So how are you doing? This common question can be a good question to ask yourself in evaluating the health of your Christian walk. How do you practically do this? the Christian walk deals with almost endless variables and details. James gives us a three-fold way for determining how well we have digested the Christian faith in its doctrinal, supernatural and practical dimensions:
1. How well does your current level of Christianity control your tongue? (James 1:26)
James' first area of evaluating your spiritual health has to to do with the area of your speech. What he writes echoes thoughts from several Old Testament passages. Psalm 34:1 for example states - "Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit." Psalm 39:1 tells us in the KJV - "I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me."
James' first area of evaluating your spiritual health has to to do with the area of your speech. What he writes echoes thoughts from several Old Testament passages. Psalm 34:1 for example states - "Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit." Psalm 39:1 tells us in the KJV - "I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me."
2. How much compassion do you have towards those whom we would classify as widows and orphans? (James 1:27)
As a regular reader of the Old Testament, James would know how God repeatedly throughout its pages modeled to His people the need to have compassion towards those less fortunate. As the Holy Ghost moved upon James to write his words, passages like Isaiah 58:6 might have been on James' mind: “Is this not the fast which I choose, To loosen the bonds of wickedness, To undo the bands of the yoke, And to let the oppressed go free And break every yoke?"
As a regular reader of the Old Testament, James would know how God repeatedly throughout its pages modeled to His people the need to have compassion towards those less fortunate. As the Holy Ghost moved upon James to write his words, passages like Isaiah 58:6 might have been on James' mind: “Is this not the fast which I choose, To loosen the bonds of wickedness, To undo the bands of the yoke, And to let the oppressed go free And break every yoke?"
3. How concerned are you about holiness? (James 1:27)
The three areas of speech, compassion towards widows and orphans and holiness carry their way from the Old Testament, through James' writing and into the New Testament. The areas that measure spiritual health in either testament mark are spoken of by James. Keeping oneself from being influenced by the world is mentioned again and again in such Old Testament texts as Exodus 19; Leviticus 11:55 and Isaiah 1:16-17.
The three areas of speech, compassion towards widows and orphans and holiness carry their way from the Old Testament, through James' writing and into the New Testament. The areas that measure spiritual health in either testament mark are spoken of by James. Keeping oneself from being influenced by the world is mentioned again and again in such Old Testament texts as Exodus 19; Leviticus 11:55 and Isaiah 1:16-17.
According to James, these three areas are the three benchmarks that will tell you and I how well we really are doing in our Christian walk. I call these three areas the way in which one can take their spiritual temperature. As James wrote with Old Testament categories on his mind, he clearly was writing about what God desires for every New Testament Christian in terms of a healthy spiritual temperature.
Jesus defined a healthy Christianity by these three benchmarks
When you look at what Jesus taught about the church, we can see evidence that His concern dealt with these three areas. In regards to the area of the tongue, Jesus states in Matthew 12:36-37 36“But I tell you that every careless word that
people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. 37“For by your words you will be justified, and by
your words you will be condemned.”
In terms of how people were to regard widows or orphans, Jesus throughout his ministry had much to say about the treatment of children. In Matthew 18:5-6 5“And whoever receives one such child in My name
receives Me; 6but whoever causes one of these little ones who
believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone
hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea." In the judgment scene where Jesus has the nations situated before Him, we read in Matthew 25:45 “Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not
do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me."
Then in regards to the purity and personal holiness of his church, Jesus placed it first priority. In Matthew 18 we have Jesus giving the first set of instructions to his church as to how she is to restore her membership and how she is to promote holiness and restoration. Before Jesus ever issued the Great Commission of Matthew 28:18-20 or even the Great Commandment of Matthew 22:37-39, He issued what I term "The Great Concern" of Matthew 18.
The remainder of the New Testament defines healthy Christianity by the realms of the tongue, treatment of children/widows and purity
Just like Jesus and James, the remainder of the New Testament took the spiritual temperature of Christian health by these three benchmarks. For example, in Acts 6 we see the Apostles having to instruct the church to appoint Deacons to deal with the dispute among the Grecian and Jewish Widows. The Apostles knew that if the early church could not minister to her widows properly, then their whole Christian witness would be questioned. This is the main reason why the Apostle Paul had an entire chapter dedicated to the care and listing of widows in the early church in 1 Timothy 5.
Numerous passages have the Apostles urging their readers to watch their tongues and to practice godliness in the realm of their speech-life. (Ephesians 4:21-24; 1 Peter 2:1-2, 3:9) In fact, James himself at one point states that in the natural realm, no one has been able to tame the tongue - since it is an unruly member. (James 3:8) So then if no one naturally can tame the tongue, then only the Holy Spirit governing the moral and spiritual dimensions of a person can tame it! To have a Christianity that legitimately tames the realm of speech is to have a unique claim - since such a feat is not natural, but supernatural!
Then a truly healthy Christianity will hate worldliness and cling to what is holy. Again numerous New Testament scriptures emphasize the believer's personal purity and holiness. (Romans 6:12, 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 2 Corinthians 6; 1 Peter 1:15-16)
So how are you doing? My prayer is that you and I will have a healthier Christianity that is strong in the realms of a controlled tongue, compassion and concern for holiness.
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Distinguishing The New Birth, Justification & Adoption
Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to
everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Romans 5:1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 8:16-17 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.
Yesterday we looked at three pieces of Goodnews that the Gospel states becomes realities in the life of a person upon saving faith: regeneration, justification and adoption. If you will recall, all three simultaneously solve the sinner's spiritual death, legal guilt and alienation. I wanted to look at these three again and consider how they relate to one another and are to be distinguished, since we often either lump them together or neglect one or more of them.
The New Birth - The Forgotten Doctrine of the Baptist Church
In Baptist circles particularly, no one hardly ever hears any discussion of this doctrine of the New Birth. I have a good Pastor friend who once term the doctrine of regeneration as the "forgotten doctrine of the Baptist church". We have grown accustom (at least in Baptist churches) to asking people: "have you made a decision for Jesus Christ?" or "have you ever accepted Christ as your Savior?" These phrases have some biblical backing, however they fall short of the starting point the scripture urges us to begin in our Gospel presentations: "have you been born again"?.
The 2000 Baptist Faith and Message (2000 BFM) says this about salvation:
"Salvation involves the redemption of the whole man, and is offered freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, who by His own blood obtained eternal redemption for the believer. In its broadest sense salvation includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification. There is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord."
As you go into its next paragraph of the BFM 2000, the first topic discussed is the doctrine of regeneration: "Regeneration, or the new birth, is a work of God's grace whereby believers become new creatures in Christ Jesus. It is a change of heart wrought by the Holy Spirit through conviction of sin, to which the sinner responds in repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Repentance and faith are inseparable experiences of grace." This move by the current edition of the SBC doctrinal statement retains what I believe is the Biblical pattern for presenting the Gospel - placing the New Birth first on the table.
Justification - the article by which the church rises or falls
Regeneration must and should always be at the head waters of any discussion of how a man, woman or child is to gain access into God's salvation in Jesus Christ. However we must also give people the hope that is the Gospel. As we saw yesterday, man's spiritual deadness is not the only issue, but also his guilt. The 16th century witnessed a movement that came to recapture a doctrine that had been at the heart of the biblical Gospel - Justification by Faith alone.
At issue was whether faith by itself was deemed sufficient by God to declare the sinner righteous in God's sight. Martin Luther and others like him taught that faith alone is not only necessary, but sufficient for being deemed innocent by Holy God. The righteousness being credited in saving faith was the righteousness of Jesus Christ. The church of Rome strongly disagreed, stating that in order for a person to be deemed right with God, he would have to become right by participating in baptism and the rest of the Church's rites and ordinances. To this day Roman Catholicism still advocates justification as still being attained by faith plus participation in its system (i.e a faith plus works system of salvation).
The 2000 BFM defines justification in this fashion: "Justification is God's gracious and full acquittal upon principles of His righteousness of all sinners who repent and believe in Christ. Justification brings the believer unto a relationship of peace and favor with God."
Adoption - A sinner is made into a son
Regeneration, justification and adoption are three different ways of looking at the same moment of saving faith. Logically speaking we mention regeneration first - since the dead sinner is suddenly seen with the life of God and saving faith pulsating through their heart. Justification is viewing the same event from a legal point of view, since at saving faith we are seeing God declare a guilty sinner to be an innocent saint in His sight. In adoption, we are viewing the same moment of saving faith through relational eyes. Passages such as Romans 8:16-17 and Galatians 4:1-7 both spell out the believer's adoption as a son. According to numerous other passages in Paul's letters, the little phrase "in Christ" reveals my being united to Christ in His death and resurrection. Hebrews 2:11-15 unfolds the fact that Christ is my older brother in the flesh by faith. The language of "rights and privilege" is used when describing our places as God's adopted sons and daughters.
Though there is not a formal place in the 2000 BFM on the topic of adoption, there is one area where the subject is indriectly referred to. Under Article IX entitled "The Kingdom", we read this thought: "Particularly the Kingdom is the realm of salvation into which men enter by trustful, childlike commitment to Jesus Christ."
In having considered these three headings of regeneration, justification and adoption, my prayer is that you and I dear reader have gotten into our minds and hearts a richer view and appreciation of the gospel.
Romans 5:1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 8:16-17 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.
Yesterday we looked at three pieces of Goodnews that the Gospel states becomes realities in the life of a person upon saving faith: regeneration, justification and adoption. If you will recall, all three simultaneously solve the sinner's spiritual death, legal guilt and alienation. I wanted to look at these three again and consider how they relate to one another and are to be distinguished, since we often either lump them together or neglect one or more of them.
The New Birth - The Forgotten Doctrine of the Baptist Church
In Baptist circles particularly, no one hardly ever hears any discussion of this doctrine of the New Birth. I have a good Pastor friend who once term the doctrine of regeneration as the "forgotten doctrine of the Baptist church". We have grown accustom (at least in Baptist churches) to asking people: "have you made a decision for Jesus Christ?" or "have you ever accepted Christ as your Savior?" These phrases have some biblical backing, however they fall short of the starting point the scripture urges us to begin in our Gospel presentations: "have you been born again"?.
The 2000 Baptist Faith and Message (2000 BFM) says this about salvation:
"Salvation involves the redemption of the whole man, and is offered freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, who by His own blood obtained eternal redemption for the believer. In its broadest sense salvation includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification. There is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord."
As you go into its next paragraph of the BFM 2000, the first topic discussed is the doctrine of regeneration: "Regeneration, or the new birth, is a work of God's grace whereby believers become new creatures in Christ Jesus. It is a change of heart wrought by the Holy Spirit through conviction of sin, to which the sinner responds in repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Repentance and faith are inseparable experiences of grace." This move by the current edition of the SBC doctrinal statement retains what I believe is the Biblical pattern for presenting the Gospel - placing the New Birth first on the table.
Justification - the article by which the church rises or falls
Regeneration must and should always be at the head waters of any discussion of how a man, woman or child is to gain access into God's salvation in Jesus Christ. However we must also give people the hope that is the Gospel. As we saw yesterday, man's spiritual deadness is not the only issue, but also his guilt. The 16th century witnessed a movement that came to recapture a doctrine that had been at the heart of the biblical Gospel - Justification by Faith alone.
At issue was whether faith by itself was deemed sufficient by God to declare the sinner righteous in God's sight. Martin Luther and others like him taught that faith alone is not only necessary, but sufficient for being deemed innocent by Holy God. The righteousness being credited in saving faith was the righteousness of Jesus Christ. The church of Rome strongly disagreed, stating that in order for a person to be deemed right with God, he would have to become right by participating in baptism and the rest of the Church's rites and ordinances. To this day Roman Catholicism still advocates justification as still being attained by faith plus participation in its system (i.e a faith plus works system of salvation).
The 2000 BFM defines justification in this fashion: "Justification is God's gracious and full acquittal upon principles of His righteousness of all sinners who repent and believe in Christ. Justification brings the believer unto a relationship of peace and favor with God."
Adoption - A sinner is made into a son
Regeneration, justification and adoption are three different ways of looking at the same moment of saving faith. Logically speaking we mention regeneration first - since the dead sinner is suddenly seen with the life of God and saving faith pulsating through their heart. Justification is viewing the same event from a legal point of view, since at saving faith we are seeing God declare a guilty sinner to be an innocent saint in His sight. In adoption, we are viewing the same moment of saving faith through relational eyes. Passages such as Romans 8:16-17 and Galatians 4:1-7 both spell out the believer's adoption as a son. According to numerous other passages in Paul's letters, the little phrase "in Christ" reveals my being united to Christ in His death and resurrection. Hebrews 2:11-15 unfolds the fact that Christ is my older brother in the flesh by faith. The language of "rights and privilege" is used when describing our places as God's adopted sons and daughters.
Though there is not a formal place in the 2000 BFM on the topic of adoption, there is one area where the subject is indriectly referred to. Under Article IX entitled "The Kingdom", we read this thought: "Particularly the Kingdom is the realm of salvation into which men enter by trustful, childlike commitment to Jesus Christ."
In having considered these three headings of regeneration, justification and adoption, my prayer is that you and I dear reader have gotten into our minds and hearts a richer view and appreciation of the gospel.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)