Revival and Revivalism

My first book for 2013 is Revival and Revivalism: The Making and Marring of American Evangelicalism from 1750-1858 by Iain Murray. Murray traces the history of evangelism in the American church and the influence it has on churches today in America. A question I always ask myself is, "Am I sharing the Gospel in a Bible way?" How we share our faith does matter. See Philippians 1:15-18 for a interesting paragraph on this topic in Scripture.

In the introduction, Murray explains his thesis of the book:

"My thesis in this book is that in the period of our study, American history was shaped by the Spirit of God in revivals of the same kind as launched by the early church into a pagan world. " page, XX

Revival and revivalism are two different things in church history. Murray explains that revival can be best defined by a quote from Jonathan Edwards speaking on the subject:

"The work of God is carried on with greater speed and swiftness, and there are often instances of sudden conversions at such a time. So it as in the apostles days, when there was a time of the most extraordinary pouring out of the Spirit that ever was! How quick and sudden were conversions in those days...So it is in some degree whenever there is an extraordinary pouring out of the Spirit of God; more or less so, in proportion to the greatness of that effusion." page 20

Revival was quick and came as a "surprise" to the church, directly ordained by the sovereignty of God given by the Holy Spirit. The Gospel is faithfully  preached and if God so chooses, He saves some. The thought process of these pastors are; man is depraved and can not chose God. Through the preaching of the word, the Holy Spirit opens the spiritual eyes of the converted. Regeneration and the faith are both  gifts from God, given by the Holy Spirit.

Revivalism can be defined as:

"A mass of evidence has been produced to show that the idea behind the revivalist methods of the call to the alter, that is, the public invitation to come forward to receive Christ was to separate those actively seeking salvation from the rest of the congregation so that they could be made more easily and more intensely subject to the psychological and social pressure of the minister and the community of the converted." page XIX

Revivalism is a planned event that is announced by a local pastor or church. Because of the emotionalism and possible manipulation that is felt with revivalism, Murray argues that a major problem with revivalism is the difficultly of recognizing true authentic conversations from false conversations. Many people who "came to the alter" show no fruit of conversion months to years later. They were responding to the emotions of the event and were not converted.

More to come........

Bible Reading Plan for 2013

For those interested in reading the Bible through the year or two - Ligonier ministries has helpful tools posted online for free. Just click here and happy reading!

**It should be noted that you can get a head start by starting today!**

What happens when our missions produce a deficient view of conversion?

This morning I read a interesting article by Petar Nenadov title The Pressures of Persecution. First, it helped me know how to better pray for believers in the 10/40 window. Personally I have several friends who live in the 10/40 window. Eight years ago, my friend came to Christ. After she told her family, her father held a "fake" funeral, even buying a tombstone with her birth date and the day she came to Christ as the date of her death. Her family ordered her to leave the country and never come back or she will be killed. Persecution in Muslim countries is real and intense. 

Second, it highlights a problem with large missions organizations. What is success in ministry? For example, what is the first question a  fellow Christian ask his or her friend?- "How many people go to your Church?" Hardly is it asked,  "Can your flock or students in your ministry handle the Bible correctly? or Does your church leadership or student leaders understand the doctrines found in Scripture" (1 Timothy 4:6-16)? In my experience topics such as understanding God's love, wrath, sovereignty (in both His plan for the world and salvation), the Holy Spirit, how the Old Testament relates to the New Testament, which laws do we obey today, and understanding God's will for my life are hardly discussed, and if they are discussed it is superficial at best. Going deep into the Bible is a rare jewel nowadays.

Lastly, this article brings me back to two words that if understood correctly could solve a lot of problems. Justification and Sanctification. What did Jesus accomplish for EVERY believer when He died on the cross? That is the ultimate question. Did Jesus' death ONLY accomplish forgiveness of sins? Hebrews 10:14-18 explains it well. Hebrews 10:14, "For by a single offering He has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified" and in verse 16, "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds" For those who believe, Jesus' death, through God's loving election, and through the Holy Spirit = gave a new heart to EVERY believer and all of the believers sins are forgiven. That is the point of John 3 and Jesus' interaction with Nicodemus. A believer's life WILL change. He or she WILL love God (1 Peter 1:8-9)  and he or she will love God's commands (1 John 5:3). Every believer experiences justification and sanctification or another way to say it is - every believer has their sins forgiven and has been born again to love and obey their Lord. Both Justification and sanctification were paid for on the cross by His blood. As has been said so many times this Christmas season, Jesus was born to die! And for that I thank Him. 

Deity of the Man from Galilee

The Council of Nicaea in 325 is a important event in the history of the Church. The main topic of discussion for this conference was Jesus' deity. Was Jesus "begotten" (created) by the Father or was Jesus of the "same substance" of God the Father? It is believed that during this council, Saint Nicholas slapped Arius in the face for believing God created Jesus! Ultimately it was voted that Jesus is of the same substance as God the Father and this paved the way for the Churches Biblical understanding of the Trinity.

On Christmas Eve, I am in awe of my God. Jesus came to earth to die. He is King. He is worthy of my worship. He will be made known among the Nations. He created the world and rules the world. I have attached this link to a short blog by Justin Taylor that includes a few line from Spurgeon, Thomas Watson, and Augustine describing the deity of Jesus that I found encouraging.

Enjoy time with your family this Christmas. My kids have already told me they are waking up at 4 a.m. tomorrow!

Ancient of Days

This is taken from the advent devotion that Desiring God published titled Good News of Great Joy. This is a great advent devotional that our family used leading into Christmas.

"The uniqueness of his birth is that he did not originate at his birth. He existed before he was born in a manger. The personhood, the character, the personality of Jesus of Nazareth existed before the man Jesus of Nazareth was born. The theological word to describe this mystery is not creation, but incarnation. The person—not the body, but the essential personhood of Jesus—existed before he was born as man. His birth was not a coming into being of a new person, but a coming into the world of an infinitely old person. Micah 5:2 puts it like this, 700 years before Jesus was born: But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. The mystery of the birth of Jesus is not merely that he was born of a virgin. That miracle was intended by God to witnessto an even greater one—namely, that the child born at Christmas was a person who existed “from of old, from ancient days.” (Piper, 42)

The threat of a baby

As I have read the Christmas story this year, four words caught my eye. Those four words, King of the Jews. These words are first spoken by the wise men from the east. "Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men for the east came to Jerusalem, saying, Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?" Matthew 2:3 describes Herod as "troubled" after hearing this. But why? The words threatened Herod. He was king. It was his land to rule. Now a baby is born and wise men from the east are calling Him king?! So what did he do? Did he worship this new baby that was born? Remember, Jesus is a baby. At most He is two years old. He did what he has done all of his life. Plot and kill. When the wise men did not come back and give a report to Herod, the Bible says he became "furious." So what did he do? Matthew 2:16-18 is a fulfillment of prophecy found in Jeremiah. Herod did not worship - he lead a massive murder spree of children. The king demanded and executed all children at the age of two and younger (verse 16) in Bethlehem and all in that region.  Imagine if the was passed in the US! 

Now, fast forward to Jesus' death. He is going to die. His hands and feet are nailed to a cross, a perfect and just payment for sins. Then, in mockery, a sign was nailed about His head. It is the the same four words the wise men spoke of Him. "This is Jesus, King of the Jews" (Matthew 27:37, ESV). WOW! From His birth to His death, Jesus is called "King of the Jews!"

Jesus is my King. He is the Sovereign King of the universe. Most do not submit to His Kingship. Most do not love my King. Most are threatened by my King. By God's love, grace, and mercy I am part of His Kingdom. I am adopted by God the Father through Jesus! J.I. Packer is famous for stating that the essence of Christianity being able to call God, "Father." I love my King. The Holy Spirit has given me a new heart to love Him. My sins are forgiven- past, present, and future. For that I am thankful.  

Jesus and His family tree

The Christmas story is filled with love, grace, mercy, and redemption. This can be seen by reading  the genealogy found Matthew chapter one. Granted Jesus does not have a earthly biological father. That is made clear in Matthew 1:16 which reads, "Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called the Christ." (ESV) Notice it does not say that Joseph is Jesus father but "Joseph the husband of Mary!" This is clear in Scripture. Jesus was born of a virgin through the Holy Spirit.

However, Matthew traces the history of Jesus' heritage through His earthly father Joseph. What is interesting is four women are included in the genealogy of Jesus. Including women in a genealogy was unusual for that time in history. Yet, Gods word included them. The women are Tamar (verse 3), Rahab (verse 5), Ruth (verse 5), and the wife of Uriah {who is Bathsheba} (verse 6). What is fascinating about this is Tamar was a liar, deceiver, and chose to dress up like a prostitute to have sex with her father-in-law. You can read her story in Genesis 38. This does make for a good children's Sunday School story! Rahab is not much better. She was a professional prostitute. Who knows how many men she slept with and many marriages she ruined. She would love Las Vegas. She also was a liar and a Gentile! Yet, through God's grace and mercy she is part of Jesus' family tree! For her story read Joshua chapter 2.

What I find most amazing is every person mentioned in Matthew 1: 1-17 has a story. Through the rebellion of Israel and the sins of murder (David and Bathsheba), prostitution, lie's, and plots of evil; came the earthly family of Jesus. This kicks in the face all legalism, good works, and self-righteousness. Jesus came to earth to die. He came to earth to, "save His people form their sins " (Matthew 1:21). Their is no person who is out of reach of God's grace. The Bible was written by adulterers (David), murderers (Moses and if you want to include Paul), and those who denied Christ  (Peter). Only through belief in Jesus, is forgiveness of our sins found. This should give us hope and cause us to be thankful for our own salvation! Because truthfully we are no better.

All who love Him, experience the peace that the Christmas story talk about. I encourage you to pray for your lost family, friends, and co-workers this Christmas. Pray that next Christmas they will experience their first Christmas as a worshiper of God.  

Free Course on New Covenant Theology

For those who want to go deeper in New Covenant Theology, In-Dept Studies offers a free online course. Get your Bible and click here to get started!

The Story of Santa Claus

I love reading about history. I am a big fan of World War II and church history. That is one of the reasons I find Kevin Deyoung's blog about the history of St. Nicholas so interesting. In my church history class, I read a little about St. Nick and his involvement with the Nicene Creed. It encouraged me to stand up against the false teachers of our day. I hope you enjoy the blog as much as I did. Here is a link to Deyoung's blog. Enjoy!

Is the virgin birth crucial to Christianity?

Let me start out by saying yes.....the virgin birth is critical to the Christian faith. Matthew 2:22-23 reads, "All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel." This was spoken 600 years before Jesus was born by the prophet Isaiah!

We live in a world where the authenticity of the virgin birth is being attacked. Some would say it is a mythological view of the Christmas story, others would say "what difference does it make?" Granted the Christmas story does have some mythological aspects to it. For example, the magi or wise men did not visit Jesus the day He was born. They did come to see Jesus however Jesus was in a house at the time of the visit (Matthew 2:11).

The virgin birth really happened and had to happen for Jesus to be born. Jesus is in perfect unity with the the Father and Holy Spirit. Jesus chose to come to earth, being 100% God and 100% man, to "save His people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21). Jesus came to earth to die. And the best, most perfect, and only way for Jesus to come to earth was through a virgin birth. Jesus chose to come to sinful humanity; a humanity that rejects Him, mocked Him, disobeyed Him, added to His law, took away from His law, and did not even recognize the one that created them: so that He could die on the cross, rise from the grave and redeem those whom the Father has given Him (John 6:65). The virgin birth is the only way the King could come to the earth.

This Christmas season I am reminding myself of how Jesus came to the earth. Without the virgin birth we would not have Christianity. Jesus does not have a earthly, biological father. This is seen in the way Matthew describes the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew chapter one. When describing the relationship between Jesus and Joseph, Matthew writes, "the Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called the Christ." Notice it does not read, and Joseph the father of Jesus!

As we move on in this world, fight for the virgin birth. The Scriptures are very clear on this issue. The world (and even some professing Christians) is going to deny or downplay the virgin birth. As I was reading the birth of Jesus last night, I was reminded of this essential truth, and I am going to fight for the virgin birth!

Understanding God's Love

The difficult doctrine of the Love of God. 

This is written in a Bible Study format form.

Note: Most of my thoughts are contributed to D A Carson and his book on God's love. You can click here to read the book online. 

What the culture thinks, “God is love” and what the Bible actually teach about God’s love is different.

How does the culture view love?

How does the culture view God’s love?

Is the any difference between the two.

Here are questions or comments I have heard unbelievers say concerning God’s Love:

These are common questions or statements concerning God's love that will be addressed: 

1.      The love of God, in our culture, has been purged of anything the culture finds uncomfortable.

a.       What the world needs now is love sweet love

b.      Why shouldn't God love me?

2.      Some people believe if God is love all people will go to Heaven.

3.        If God is love there would be no evil in the world. 

The Cultures view of God

• God is love, so he won’t hold this against me.
• God is love so it is His job to forgive.
• You’re too judgmental. God just wants us to love people.
• I can’t confront them about sin. We are supposed to love, not judge.
• There must be a different God in the OT than the NT.
• As long as I try hard, God will accept me. He has to.

How does the Bible speak of the Love of God?

• 1 John 4:7-21, Romans 5:6-8, Ephesians 1:4-5
• What is true about God from this passage?
• God is love. This means we must look at Him to see what true love looks like. It does not mean God has to fit into our view of love.
• God is not the great grandfather in the sky who just showers down gifts on everyone.
• Does God love us because we deserve to be loved?
• The love of God is shown perfectly on the cross.
• The love of God does not require that God love everyone exactly the same. Such a notion would practically nullify other aspects of His character.

Different Aspects of God’s Love

• God’s perfect love within the Trinity. This is an amazing thing since it shows love within the Godhead. Matthew 3:17, Luke 20:13, John 3:35, 5:20
• God loves believers. This is an electing and sanctifying kind of love that is unique. This love is not based upon what we do, but rather based on Jesus Christ alone. John 16:27, 14:21-27, 17:23. Titus 3:3-7, Ephesians 5:25, 2 Thessalonians 2:16, 1 Peter 2:9-10, Ephesians 1:4-5
• God loves all creation, even unbelievers. We see this in many ways. First, we see that He loves His enemies by providing the sun and the rain on all. This is a great model for us. Second, He actually provides for the birds and the flowers. Third, He provided a way for people to be saved from their sins. Matthew 5:43-48, 6:25-32, John 3:16
• His love in Jesus Christ is overwhelming and impossible to lose. Romans 8:37-39
• God loved us when we hated Him. Revelation 1:5, Romans 5:8

What About All the Evil?

Typically there are two main ways unbelievers view God in relation to evil…….

1. Either God is not loving and this is why there is so much evil because he doesn’t care or actually enjoys causing evil.

OR

2. He is not all-powerful. He would love to stop evil, but He just can’t.

Both of these are incorrect according to Scripture. God is clearly presented as all powerful throughout Scripture. He can bring anything to pass anything He wishes.

God’s plan (predestination), in a way we cannot understand, includes evil. Acts 4:27-28, Genesis 45:4-6, 50:20-21,1 Kings 22:19-23. Those who actually do the evil are always blamed for the evil.

Relating the Love of God to His Other Attributes

Love and immutability = He will always love

Love and wrath = He punishes sin for His Glory

Love and justice = The cross

Love and Sovereignty = He promises to always do what is best for us.

The Gospel and Personal Evangelism chapter 1 part two

The Gospel and Personal Evangelism                         chapter one part 2                               10/21/12

1.      Philippians 3: 8-9

Paul says he gives up everything for Christ sake. Everything is counted as loss. The Apostle Paul gave up everything including his reputation, history, family heritage, status, job, everything to know Christ and all for His glory. John Piper offers four practical ways he lives this out.

1.      To live this out practically means that whenever I am called upon to choose between anything in this world and Christ, I choose Christ.

2.      To live this out practically it means I will deal with things of this world in ways that draw me nearer to Christ so that I gain more of Christ and enjoy more of Him by the way I see the world.

3.      To live this out practically means that I will always deal with the things of this world in ways that show that they are not my treasure, but rather Christ is my treasure.

4.      To live this out practically means that if I lose any or all the things this world can offer, I will not lose my joy or my treasure or my life, because Christ as it all.

How would you practically live this verse out in your life? How do you count everything else as rubbish? What changes do you need to make now?

2.      1 Corinthians 9:19-23

Paul states that before God’s eyes he is free and only accountable to the law of Christ.

1.      What is Pauls motives here in verse 23?

2.      How can Paul become like a Jew?

3.      How can he become like a Gentile?

4.      How can you personally live this out? How can you become all things to all people?

3.      Twelve steps we can take to grow in sharing the Gospel with others:

 1. Pray- Have you ever prayed for opportunities to share the gospel? Pray that God would bring your unbelieving family member or friend to Himself. (John 6:44, 65)

2. plan-"we can plan to make time to build relationships or to put ourselves in positions we know will be able to talk with non-Christians. We plan for so many less important things; why not plan for our evangelism.”

Think through how you can use your time more wisely. An example may be eat lunch with friends or co-workers so you can share the Gospel with them or invite them over for dinner. 

3. Accept – God has sovereignly placed you in people in your lives. You have access to people that a pastor or other Christians will not have.  People see your lives they trust you, and it is your duty to share the Gospel with them.

4. Understand – still share your faith even though it is not your gift.

5. Be faithful – “Maybe we are more concerned about their response than God’s glory.”- Romans 1:18, Romans 15: 8-9, Romans 1:5, 2 Corinthians 4:15

6.  Risk – Are you willing to risk? One of the idols in America is comfort. (Acts 15:26)

Would you be willing to endure any discomfit so that others might hear the Gospel? If so what?     

Would you be willing to live in lesser neighborhood for the purpose of ministry?

Would you be willing to give up free time or even sleep to share the Gospel?

Would you be willing to give up a few weekends to get to know unbelievers?
Would you be willing to be disliked at work, or with family, or even mocked for sharing the Gospel to see someone come to Christ?
Would you be willing to hang around people not like you for the purpose of ministry?

7. Prepare – Have you ever written out your story of how God changed your life? (1 Peter 3:15-16)  Do you understand the basics of the Gospel? Repentance and faith (Acts 20:21, Mark 1:15).

8. Look – Look for opportunities around you and take advantage of opportunities to share the Gospel.

9. Love – “We share the Gospel because we love people. And we don’t share the Gospel because we don’t love people” (2 Corinthians 5:14-21).

10. Fear – Do you fear what others will think of you if you share the Gospel with them. What is more important God’ s glory or the fear of man?

11. Stop – “We should stop excusing ourselves from evangelism on the basis that God is sovereign.” God is Sovereign over a person’s salvation (Ephesians 1: 1-14). Paul even uses the word predestined twice in Ephesians chapter one (Ephesians 1:5 and 11). Other parts of Scripture show God’s election including John 6:65, 44, Acts 4:28, Acts 2:39,and  Romans 9. Even though God is sovereign over our salvation, we still are to accountable to share the Gospel. Biblically  predestination and human responsibility go hand in hand. We are still responsible and accountable to God for our actions, and he is 100% sovereign. Not a tear drop, cell, or molecule is free from his sovereign control.

12. Consider – A motivation to sharing the Gospel is how God, through Jesus, forgave you of your sins and changed your life. That is one of the reason why Paul says in Ephesians 3:1, “For this reason, I, Paul a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles” – because chapter one and two are about God’s amazing love, grace, and mercy in our lives. 

The Gospel and Personal Evangelism by Mark Dever - Chapter one, part one

Study guide for the book, The Gospel and Personal Evangelism by Mark Dever.  Part one

Chapter 1 notes for Sunday school. 

1   

   How would you rate your personal evangelism?

2.       How would you define the Gospel?

3.       What is evangelism?

4.       In the past six months, how many people have you shared the gospel with?

5.       Where in the Bible does God command us to share the Gospel?

6.       Which one of the five basic excuses can you relate with the most?

The who is one person that you think, "that person will never come to Christ." P.23

1. Consider the truth. What is true of every person that has come to Christ? Every persons salvation from the beginning of time is astonishing, and all about God's love, mercy, and grace given freely to people who are spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1-10). God had to breathe new life into you, by the Holy Spirit, regenerating your heart.What is going on with us when we don't evangelize?

2. Consider Jesus – Mark 2:15-17, Matthew 11:19

Jesus ate in their homes, yet did not sin. It is a very different thing to interact with those who commit evil and actually committing the evil. Christ called his followers to a radical life, which contradicted the expectations and cultural boundaries. One of the expectations from the religious leaders and the religious culture was to refrain from associating with certain “undesirable” types of people based on their appearance. This is legalism.  Jesus fought against the legalism of his day.

What is Jesus called by the Religious people of his day?

What are actions that are not sin that is called sin today by legalistic churches and pastors today?

Would others consider you a friend of sinners or a religious snob?

3. Consider the following 3 examples:

The Unbalanced Religious Immersionist

             
            "This person has a religious background and is familiar with the Gospel. He

has totally immersed himself into the secular culture and is

regularly participating in the popular sins of culture. In doing

this, he has gained an audience of non-Christian friends but has no

message to share with them because he lacks any kind of radical

difference from them. He is ineffective in his witness simply because there is

no life-change in him. There is nothing different about him that would

separate him from an unbeliever. This is someone who is not a Christian and

needs to focus on the Gospel, repentance and faith."

The Unbalanced Christian Rejectionist 

“This person has many Christian friendships, is involved in many Church

activities, and is morally pure. In doing this, she has a message to share but

has no audience of non-Christians with which to share because she lacks

any sort of radical identification with the culture. She is ineffective in her

witness not to mention disobedient because she is not sharing the Gospel.”

               

The Contagious Christian

“This person has many Christian friendships but also has many non-Christian

friendships. He or she lives a life that is authentic and he or she actively shares their faith.

They have a message and an audience. They have radically identified with the

culture while at the same time it is obvious that he or she is radically different from

their culture. He walks the tight rope between the kingdom of God and the

world just as Jesus did. He is effective in his witness, seeks the Lord in

everything.

4. Consider the appearance debate. The question is asked, “Doesn’t the Bible say to avoid the appearance of evil in 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22? In context, this verse tells us to avoid evil, not the appearance of evil. The King James Version is the only version that uses the word appearance, all other verses use the word “Abstain” or “Avoid.” So it reads in the ESV, “Abstain from every form of evil.” Which means, do not participate in the sins of the world, which is evil. For example in 1 Corinthians 5:9-13 the Apostle Paul tells this church to excommunicate (perform church discipline) on a member who was having sex outside of marriage with someone inside the church. Paul writes, “I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people- not at all meaning the sexually immoral of the world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you need to go out the world. But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexually immorality or greed’….not even to eat with such a one.” Jesus Himself, who did not sin, was called a friend of sinners, a drunkard (alcoholic) and self pleasing glutton (Luke 7:34, Matthew 11:19). Eat drink and be merry! The Bible is clear that we are to share the Gospel yet not participate in the sins of the world.  

Spiritual gifts, humility and love??

The topic of Spiritual gifts often leads to confusion among believers. As I have spoken to others about spiritual gifts, lots of questions arise. These questions include:

1.     

       What is the Purpose of Gifts?

2.      

       What are the types of Gifts?

3.     

       How do we get the Gifts?

4.     

       What should our attitude be towards our gifts and other believer’s gifts be?

5.      

       Are certain gifts more important than other gifts?

6.      

       How do you find your spiritual gifts?

7.    

         What about tongues, prophecy, and healing?

We spent two Sundays on this subject; therefore expect lots of post on this subject. Instead of jumping straight into everybody’s favorite book of Corinthians let’s look at what the other parts of Scripture have to say about Spiritual gifts. You will notice key similarities between each section of Scripture.

Romans 12:3-4

A few things jump out at me from this passage. 

Romans 12:3 “For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to measure of that that God has assigned.”

1.       

     Sometime we all need to bought down a little. Our view of ourselves is often not correct. Sin is a funny thing. It puffs up self! Sin tricks us into thinking of ourselves as more special and important than others believers in the church. Philippians chapter 2 is a great text to read about humility. Are you prideful? Here are some ways to see. Do you always have to win or be right? Do you always have to win an argument? Do you forgive others easy or do hold grudges? Someone has said that pride is at the root of all sin. Our attitude is very important, just as how we treat others is very important. How do people view you? Would others view you as a prideful or humble person? So the first aspect of spiritual gifts to consider is….humility!

Romans 12: 4-5 “For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.” 

2.       

       The second point to observe is Paul always compares the human body with the church and gifts. My kids just got done studying the anatomy. (They even dissected a pig!) Just as the human body has a heart, spleen, big toe, eye, ear, skin, and blood that works together so our body can live and function, so the church uses different gifts that believers have to build each other up and encourage each other to live for Christ. That means in a local church there will be different gifts. Not everyone will have the same gift. Each gift is important and needed for the church to function! The skin is just as important as the liver, the lungs is just as important as white blood cells.

Romans 12:6

“Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us….”

3.       God gives the spiritual gifts that we have! It is that simple. God, by His grace, gave me a spiritual; He gave my wife another spiritual gift, and gives you another spiritual gift. Remember Ephesians 2:10, “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Before the beginning of the world (Eph 1:4-5), God, in His Sovereignty,  chose each believer for adoption into His kingdom (Eph 1:5), and He prepared what good works you and I come to Christ! That means, PRIDE, can’t raise its ugly head. You and I cannot take credit for the good we do with our spiritual gifts, God always, gets the credit and the glory! Just like in our salvation. We did nothing to believe in Jesus, nothing! We were dead in our sins (Eph 2:1-4).We cannot take any credit for our salvation and we cannot take any credit for the good we do.

Romans 12:9-13-14

4.       This section of scripture is how we relate to other people. The next verse after the context of spiritual gifts is…….”Let love be genuine.” Again, how we treat is very, very important. Do you love other believers as you love yourself!

These are all common themes found in sections of scripture that talk about spiritual gifts. 

As I read this section, I prayed that God would convict me of my pride and cause me to love other believers, in my church, with a more genuine love - I pray the same for you. 

The Trinity Part 2

This is part two of my notes on the Trinity that I used during Sunday School:

In some circles the Holy Spirit is seen a force that can be thrown around like a tennis ball. However, the Holy Spirit is not a impersonal force or power. The Holy Spirit is a person that uses power. A question to ask is, how do know the Holy Spirit is a person and not an impersonal force?

John 14:15-31 gives us a good understanding of the Holy Spirit. Notice verse 26, "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He will  teach you all things and bring to remembrance all that I have said to you." Notice, the Holy Spirit is given the pronoun He not it, but He.

 As we close this section on the Trinity the question must be asked, is this really important? Does the Trinity affect the way I live? Am I changed because of the Trinity? This should affect the way you worship our God.  

Here are six reasons for the importance of the Trinity. These are not my own thoughts but are taken from Wayne Grudem's book Systematic Theology and can be found on page 247.

 First: it is essential to the atonement. If Jesus is merely a created being and not fully God, then it is hard to see how he, a creature could bear the full wrath of God against all of our sins.

Second: If Jesus is not fully God we have no justification by faith. If Jesus isn’t God then he can’t save us. (John 14:6)

Third: If Jesus is not infinite then we shouldn't pray to him. Who, but an infinite and omniscient God could hear and respond to all the prayers of all god’s people?  Who but God is worthy of Worship? It would be idolatry to worship anything but God, yet the New Testament commands us to (Phil 2:9-11, Rev. 5:12-14). 

Fourth: If Christ is a created being and is able to save us then this begins to attribute credit for salvation to a creature and not God himself. Scripture never allows us to do this.

Fifth: If there is no Trinity then there is no interpersonal relationships within the being of God before creation, and, without personal relationships, it is difficult to see how God could be genuinely personal or be without the need for a creation to relate to.

Sixth: The unity of the universe is at stake. If there is no perfect plurality and perfect unity in God himself, then we have no basis for thinking there can be any ultimate unity among the diverse elements of the universe either. 

Justin Martyr - The Trailblazer

Justin Martyr was the first Christian philosopher and apologists. He engaged and hit the Greco-Roman culture head on. Justin did not back from sharing the Gospel and hiis book tilted First Apology was intended for the Roman Emperor. Justin was a master of knowing his audience. He would study the lingo of the different philosophers of his day, dress like them, and talk like them, with the intended purpose of sharing the Gospel. As a result, he was eventually killed for his faith. As Justin stood before the judge, the judge asked him, "Are you a Christian?" "Yes, I am." replied Justin. After a brief exchange, the judge ordered Justin to make sacrifices and worship the Roman gods. He refused. Justin was then beaten, and beheaded. The exchange during the trail, between the judge and Justin Martyr, was recorded and published decades later. Here is a paragraph from that book and can be found in Bryan Litfin's book tilted Getting to Know the Church Fathers,on page 72:

Judge:  "I admire your passionate desire for divine things. But you really ought to stick with the philosophy of Plato or somebody like that to achieve patience, self-control, and moderation. That's better than being led astray by false teachers and becoming a follower of worthless men. You put your hope in a man, what hope of Salvation is still left for you? I already think of you as a friend.But  if the Messiah has been born or exists somewhere right now, we don't know about it. Nor does he even know his own identity. But you Christians have accepted a blasphemous rumor, and so have invented for yourselves a Messiah in whose name you are rashly going to your deaths.

Justin: "My friend, I excuse you, and may you be forgiven, for you don't know what you are saying. You have been persuaded by teachers who do not understand the Scriptures, and so you blurt out whatever comes into your mind like a fortune-teller.But allow me to give you my account of Christ. I will show I have not be decieved, and taht will not stop me from confessing him even if men assail us with criticism or the cruelest tyrant tries to force us to deny Him. We hold to doctrines that are filled with the Spirit of God. They gush forth with power and are teeming with grace!"

truth to lions

I just started my third class at Liberty. So far, it is my favorite! Why? The class is Church History, from the Apostles to the Reformation. Part of my assignment is to do a book review on the book by Brian Litfin, titled Getting to Know the Church Fathers. The book is a easy read. Each chapter gives a detailed account of our church fathers. The first chapter is about a man named, Ignatius of Antioch. 

Interesting enough, Antioch is the first place followers of Christ were called Christians (Acts 11:26). Both Peter and Paul were in Antioch. It was from Antioch that Paul and Barnabas were sent out on a missionary journey (Acts 13:2). Some say the gospel of Matthew was written in there and Paul wrote the book of Galatians from Antioch. So a lot of our church history took place in this city (which is in modern day Turkey).

It is in Antioch, where the great confrontation between Paul and Peter took place (Galatians 2:11-21). This is where we get our first glimpse at the culture of this city. Here the gospel itself was at stake, as Paul writes in 2:14, "But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel…"

What can we learn from the history of Antioch?We know that both Jews and Gentiles made up that church and there were two main enemies to the Gospel found at that church. The scary thing about legalism, is that it adds to either the Gospel, or it adds to Gods law by requiring individuals to obey rules even God does not require.Another enemy of Ignatius was Gnosticism. Gnosticism can be complicated. Yet, those followers of Gnosticism did not believe in the incarnation of Jesus. 

Ignatius was eventually arrested because he believed that Jesus was both God and man.That was a threat to the cultural beliefs of Gnosticism, the cultural norm of his day, and he paid the ultimate price. He was arrested and thrown to a bunch of hungry lions in Rome to the entertainment of many.His body was torn apart and then collected and buried by those from his church.He was literally torn apart, limb from limb, because he believed Jesus was both God and man.He could have said nothing or he could have left town, both probably would have saved his life. 

The question I ask myself is…. will I stand up for truth when it is culturally unacceptable? Will I stand up for legalism which comes inside my church? When the gospel is attacked, how do I normally respond? What are the major threats to the gospel and truth about God today? How I respond in those situations is very important. 

The Trinity Part 1

This summer, my Sunday school class is studying the Holy Spirit. I believe the Holy Spirit is one of the most misunderstood and abused persons of the Trinity.Over the next few weeks I am going to blog my notes from Sunday school.As I have been studying the Holy Spirit this summer, I have learned so much about Him and His involvement in my life. Topics we covered (and are currently covering) are; the Trinity, walking in the Spirit, being filled with the Spirit, baptized in the Spirit, Spiritual gifts, grieving the Spirit, and assurance of salvation.Below are my notes on the Trinity.

NOTE: For a good discussion on the Trinity, featuring John Piper, Don Carson, and Tim Keller click here

How would you define the word Trinity?



How is the Holy Spirit often viewed in Christianity today?



The word Trinity is not found in our Bible. My definition for Trinity is: The Trinity is one God who eternally exists as three distinct persons—Father, Son, and Spirit—who are each fully and equally God in eternal relation with each other or God is three persons, each person is fully God, there is one God.

If I say that each member of the Trinity is fully God, and that each person fully shares in all the attributes of God, then is there any difference at all among the persons of the Trinity. We cannot say for example that the father is more powerful or wiser than the sun, or the father and son or wiser than the Holy Spirit, one of father existed before the son and Holy Spirit existed, for to say anything like that would be to deny the full deity of all three members of the Trinity.  

Versus to study include Genesis 1:2, 26, Deuteronomy 6:4Isaiah 6:8, Luke 1:35, 2 Corinthians 13:14, 1 Peter 1:2, 1 Timothy 2:5

There is are no differences in deity, attributes, or essential nature between the father, son, and Holy Spirit. Each person is fully God. The only distinctions between the members of the Trinity or the ways they relate to creation. For example, they each carry out different role in relation to Salvation. 

In salvation, these are the roles of each person of the Trinity.The Father chose us before the foundation of the world. (Ephesians 1:4-5) The Son redeems those who believe in Him. (John 3:16, Romans 5:10) The Spirit Applied the Salvation that the Son purchased to those whom the Father chose (John 3:5-8, Ephesians 1:13)

The name for this post is twofold.  First, we are all born into darkness, including myself. The gospel, through the work of the Holy Spirit, awakened me my heart to the Gospel. I was dead in my sins with no hope, and could do nothing to save myself. When I became a Christian, light was in my life when I believed that Jesus came to earth, died a sinless death, and rose from the grave. The Holy Spirit changed my heart and I began to love this God and His word. 2 Corinthians 4:6, "for God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shown and our hearts to give the light the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ..

Second, the Word of God will always shine in this world. It was this phrase "after darkness, light," that captured the heart of the Reformation. I owe a lot to those Church Fathers who came before me.

My prayer is this blog will be able to encourage you and equip you to keep living for Jesus, to serve Him better, and love Him more, as He gets the Glory.