"Who Do You ThinkYou Are? God's Gift to the Church?"

Vol. VI, Issue 2

The Revelation of Jesus Christ

Part Four: Jesus the Speaking King, Pt. 2

Introduction

In our last study we were encouraged that Jesus is the Speaking King who continues to speak to His people through His Word by His Spirit. We should thank God that He truly has always kept his Word to His people and never left them as orphans in this world. Rather, God has stooped down to us to give us His very Word. This Word strengthens and sustains His people until He returns. This Word of God, however is a double-edged sword. While it promises blessings to those who know the Speaking King and obey His Word, it promises curses to those who will not hear it.

Jesus ends each message to the congregations in Revelation chapters 2-3 with "He Who has ears to hear, let him hear". We must remember that those who do not hear, or who do not obey the Word of the Living God, those without "ears to hear" will be judged by this Word. The disobedient and the sinful who do not have the righteousness of Jesus Christ will stand naked and ashamed before the Living God on Judgment Day to be judged by the very Word of the Speaking King that has been so precious to those He loves! The very Word of Christ that brought life and encouragement to those who had ears to hear, will bring eternal death to those who do not have ears to hear. Today's study will be on Jesus the Speaking King and His Words of Judgment to the unbelieving.

Revelation 1:9-20

Revelation 1:9-20: ⁹I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. ¹⁰I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet ¹¹saying, "Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea."

¹⁹Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this. ²⁰As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

Lord's Day Worship

Notice first that John was worshipping God on the Lord's Day (v. 10). Since the time of the resurrection, God's people have worshipped Him on the Lord's Day, the first day of the week, or the day of the resurrection. We rest and keep the New Covenant "Sabbath" or Lord's Day on the first day of the week rather than the last day of the week. The reason for this change was because Jesus was resurrected on that day, but also that a new creation has dawned in the coming of the Spirit of God (2 Cor. 5:17-21). Rather than awaiting the fullness of the times as in the Old Covenant, and so placing the day of worship on the last day of the week (Saturday), since the coming of Jesus the first day awaits the final day of salvation and judgment.

So a day of ultimate salvation and judgment is already in view for all of us who live on this side of the resurrection. Every time we worship, we should remember that God has placed our worship on the first day to prepare us for the rest of the week, but also to remind us of the ultimate rest and restoration that is to come on the Last Day when Jesus Christ returns for His people.

The Glorified Jesus Near to Us!

On the Lord's Day (v.10), John hears the Speaking King. His voice was like a trumpet - -powerful and resounding! The Speaking King gives orders to his servant John to write to the seven historical churches in Asia, but these commands are for all of Christ's people until He returns (Rev. 1:3; 22:17-21). When John turns he gets to see the glorified Christ. This must have been astounding for him!

This was the Jesus who loved John, who he remembers walking and talking with, the Jesus who he laid his head on his breast to speak intimately as to a brother. Now, the glorified Jesus appears before him! John sees the glorified Jesus standing among the lampstands (v. 12-13), which reminds us that Jesus is present among His people. As he reminded His disciples and us, He will truly never leave us nor forsake us (Matt. 28:20). Where two or more are gathered in His name, there He promises us to be by His Spirit. The lampstands are the churches or congregations who belong to Christ (Rev. 1:20; 2:5).

There is an encouragement to know that Jesus stands among his people speaking to them by His Spirit and His Word. There is also an implicit judgment. We know that judgment begins with the household of God (1 Peter 4:17ff). This means that God's judgment begins with Christ our substitute, then through a process of becoming more like Christ, being encouraged, rebuked, and corrected by His Word, we are judged, forgiven, and slowly restored to be who we were ultimately created to be. We know that He who began this work in us at regeneration, will continue you it until He returns. We also are confident that His grace is sufficient for us to become a spotless and pure bride prepared for Jesus.

The Judgment of Christ and the Christian

The Christian's judgment is Christ's judgment. He is our substitute. We are not judged for our sins, but He is. We are receivers of His righteousness that does not belong to us. Yet, God works in and through us by allowing us to experience the sufferings of Christ our Lord and King. We are privileged participants in Christ's sufferings, persecutions and tribulations so that through this "judgment" we might be made more like Him because we are His children (Matt. 5:11-12; John 16:33; Phil. 3:9-12; Col. 1:24ff; Rev. 1:9). Notice how Peter explains this difficult subject in his first epistle:

1 Peter 4:12-18: Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. ¹³ But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. ¹⁴ If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. ¹⁵ But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. ¹⁶ Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. ¹⁷ For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? ¹⁸ And "If the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?"

In verse 13, Peter says we share in Christ's sufferings that we may rejoice when he is fully revealed in glory when he returns. In verse 16 and 17, Peter speaks of judgment beginning with the household of God. The conclusion of Peter's teaching is that our only judgment as the people of God is a judgment of identification with Christ. Our judgment in Christ leads to eternal life!

The judgment of the wicked, however, leads to eternal death. When the Spirit of God descended on the Day of Pentecost, the fire did not judge and consume Christ's people. Rather, the Spirit hovered over their heads. The implicit teaching was that Christ had taken all of the judgment of God and undergone a baptism of fire on behalf of His people (Mark 10:38ff). This was so that we could be filled with the Powerful Holy Spirit -- rather than being consumed by God in fire and judgment.

The Spirit of God now works in us to make us more like Christ and we experience a "judgment of grace" by being allowed to participate in Christ's sufferings. We are identified with Christ with our own cross and one day our own crown (Matt. 16:24; 2 Tim. 4:8). This is why John writes in his letters to the churches earlier that perfect love casts out all of our fears! Fear has to do with judgment, and we will not be judged by God! (cf. 1 John 4:18-21). Has God's perfect love gripped you with this reality yet? While our present tense problems can be overwhelming in this world, we can be reminded of two important truths: (1) We are identified with Christ in His sufferings and judgment for our sins! (2) We have eternal life NOW, and await a Living Hope that will be revealed on the Last Day!

The Double-Edged Sword of Judgment

But what is the judgment to be like for those who do not have ears to hear what Christ has said? Notice in Revelation 1:16, after Jesus is described as the Glorified-Prophet-Priest-King of His people (1:12-16), John sees him with a sharp double-edged sword coming from his mouth. The Word of God is described as a sharp double-edged sword elsewhere in Scripture (Eph. 6:17-18; Heb. 4:12-13). Here John sees the vision of this Word coming straight out of the Speaking King's mouth. This is a sword of judgment for those who do not believe.

In the Prophet Isaiah's vision of the future, God makes clear to His people that those who have repented and turned to him for help, or "those who have ears to hear" (cf. Isaiah 6:8ff) will not enter into judgment, but peace. However, for those who do not hear or obey God's Word, they will be eternally punished (cf. Mark 9:47-48; Revelation 20:14-15). Isaiah teaches this in Isaiah 66:12-18, which is very helpful for us having a better understanding of John's vision in Revelation 1.

Isaiah 66:12-18: For thus says the LORD: "Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream; and you shall nurse, you shall be carried upon her hip, and bounced upon her knees. ¹³ As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem. ¹⁴ You shall see, and your heart shall rejoice; your bones shall flourish like the grass; and the hand of the LORD shall be known to his servants, and he shall show his indignation against his enemies.

¹⁵ "For behold, the LORD will come in fire, and his chariots like the whirlwind, to render his anger in fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. ¹⁶ For by fire will the LORD enter into judgment, and by his sword, with all flesh; and those slain by the LORD shall be many. ¹⁷ "Those who sanctify and purify themselves to go into the gardens, following one in the midst, eating pig's flesh and the abomination and mice, shall come to an end together, declares the LORD. ¹⁸ "For I know their works and their thoughts, and the time is coming to gather all nations and tongues. And they shall come and shall see my glory...

In verses 12-14, God promises peace "like a river", and a relationship with God like a child cared for by a loving mother! God will comfort all those who have trusted in him! Yet in verses 15-18 we see a different picture. God will come in judgment with fire, anger and fury. However, those who sanctify and purify themselves (those spoken of above in 1 Peter 4) by God's grace, will see God's glory! In Revelation 1, John sees a vision of Jesus' glory, the One who will come in judgment to judge the world on the day he returns. Jesus will judge with His Word by the double-edged sword. Contrast the passage from Revelation 1, 1 Peter 4, and the Prophecy of Isaiah with the Scripture from Revelation 19 below.

Revelation 19:11-21: ¹¹ And I saw the heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and he that sat thereon called Faithful and True; and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. ¹² And his eyes are a flame of fire, and upon his head are many diadems; and he hath a name written which no one knoweth but he himself. ¹³ And he is arrayed in a garment sprinkled with blood: and his name is called The Word of God.

¹⁴ And the armies which are in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and pure. ¹⁵ And out of his mouth proceedeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of God, the Almighty. ¹⁶ And he hath on his garment and on his thigh a name written, KINGS OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

¹⁷ And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in mid heaven, Come and be gathered together unto the great supper of God; ¹⁸ that ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses and of them that sit thereon, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, and small and great. ¹⁹ And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat upon the horse, and against his army. ²⁰ And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought the signs in his sight, wherewith he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast and them that worshipped his image: they two were cast alive into the lake of fire that burneth with brimstone: ²¹ and the rest were killed with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, even the sword which came forth out of his mouth: and all the birds were filled with their flesh.

This Judgment of Christ should cause us all to tremble with fear because of the awesome power and majestic glory revealed in the return of Jesus Christ! For the people of God we will be with him as the "armies of heaven" (v. 14), so we do not fear because we have been redeemed by the One Who has the Sword of Judgment, the Word of God. By His grace we have been given a salvation from the wrath to come (1 Thess. 1:9-10), and have had ears to hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Therefore, because this Word has searched our hearts and taught us, going deeply into the hearts and minds we scarcely know ourselves (cf. Jer. 17:9), the Word has also revealed to us a Savior for sinners like us! The Word of God has corrected, encouraged, and rebuked us and given us everything we need for life eternal and godliness!

Warning: Judgment for Those Who Do Not Have Ears to Hear!

But for those who do not have ears to hear, they will be judged with a severe and everlasting judgment. As no man has conceived, nor has it entered into the heart of man what God has prepared for those who love him, so no man can conceive, nor can it fully into the heart of man the awful and destructive judgment God had for those who hate him!

The double-edged sword that proceeds out of the Speaking King's mouth is one of blessing and curse. When Christ speaks, those who hear are blessed and by His Spirit enabled to be obedient to His gracious commands! When Christ speaks, those who do not hear are cursed and will be judged by Jesus the Faithful and True One on the day he returns! We must make sure of our calling and election, knowing that His divine power has given us everything we need as his people for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3-10). Those who do not love Christ, those who are apathetic to his Person, Work and commands must be warned that He will return with a judgment of fire. On that day, all men without the robes of Christ's righteousness will suffer eternally for their sins against the Holy and Living God!

One sin against such a Holy, Majestic, and Powerful is enough to merit eternal death and damnation, yet because of God's graciousness and mercy, One act of righteousness by the man Christ Jesus is enough to satisfy divine justice and judgment and give eternal life which is the gift of God (Romans 6:23).

We all so richly deserve to perish in the fires of God's judgment for our many and ongoing sins against the Holy God! Yet, because he looks upon us with pity and mercy, he desires for all men to repent! But please be reminded that you do not have much time to repent! If you have not repented of your sins and turned to the Living God for salvation from death and damnation in Christ, turn now. Flee the wrath that is to come! If you have repented of your sins and believed upon the Lord Jesus, continue to repent daily, resting in what His Word says to you! Continue to rest in His loving and gracious grip as you ponder the riches and depth of His mercy!

All of us must remember what 2 Peter 3:3-10 says:

2 Peter 3:1-14: This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, ² that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, ³ knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. ⁴ They will say, "Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation." ⁵ For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, ⁶ and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. ⁷ But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. ⁸ But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. ⁹ The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. ¹⁰ But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. ¹¹ Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, ¹² waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! ¹³ But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. ¹⁴ Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace.

Jesus is the Speaking King may we truly hear what he says to the churches and avoid the wrath that is to come. Do you have peace today knowing that Jesus is surely your Savior from sin and knowing that you have an imperishable inheritance preserved in heaven for you by the Loving Lord Jesus? Do you know for sure you will avoid the wrath to come? Remember for us to daily repent and turn from our sins to the Living God as He gives us commands, by His Spirit convicts, corrects, and rebukes us, so that rather than facing the judgment of the One who has the double-edged sword proceeding from his mouth, we might through the blessing of the Word of God, become spotless and pure and more conformed to His image!

By God's grace, these studies on Revelation will help you to see Jesus as Lord over all of the book. If you will prayerfully ponder the first chapter carefully, it will help you foundationally to understand the remainder of the book. Don't give up, but be encouraged to read the Book of Revelation. It is indeed a blessing to read it! It gives us hope for the future and peace for TODAY! May God richly bless your study and may the loving-kindness and mercy of God be known to you today!

Next Study: Jesus the "Ever-Present-Help-in-Times-of-Trouble King"

Soli Deo Gloria!

For Further Reading

Herman Bavinck- The Last Things: Hope for this World and the Next. Edited by John Bolt. Translated by John Vriend. Published by Baker Books, 1996

G. K. Beale- The Book of Revelation, New International Greek Testament Commentary, Eerdmans, 1999

G. C. Berkhouwer- The Return of Christ. Studies in Dogmatics Series. Published by Eerdmans, 1972

Dennis Johnson- Triumph of the Lamb: A Commentary on Revelation, P&R, 2001

Vern S. Poythress- The Returning King: A Guide to the Book of Revelation, P&R, 2000

Rev. Charles R. Biggs

9 S. Locust Street

Post Office Box 628

Round Hill, VA 20141

571.334.7420

Vol. VI, Issue 3

The Revelation of Jesus Christ

Part Five: The Ever-Present-Help-in-Times-of-Trouble-King

Introduction

In our last issue we learned how Jesus was revealed in Revelation chapter one was revealed as the Speaking King, who ever lives to instruct and to teach His Church through His Word and by His Spirit. Today's study will be our final study of chapter one of the Book of Revelation. We will focus today on the presence of Jesus Christ with and among His people. From Revelation chapter one, we learn that Jesus is also the "Ever-Present-Help-in-Times-of-Trouble-King"! He sits at God's right hand, but is close and with us by His Spirit.

But some cringe at the thought of God being "ever present" or close. Some philosophers in history have described the sense of dread and fear they have at the thought of the God of the Bible. One such philosopher described his anguish and angst with an analogy to a canary trapped in a cage. The bird could do little to prevent the omnipresent presence of a person around her cage and could not escape the constant gaze of the omniscient observer. So men who do not know God have every right to fear God and to abhor his presence, but this was not the way man was created to be! For Christians, the reality of God's presence in Christ does not bring painful, gut wrenching, angst and annoyance but true delight! This is our hope: Christ is ever-present and with his people!

Revelation 1:16-20: ⁶And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth proceeded a sharp two-edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. ¹⁷And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as one dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying, Fear not; I am the first and the last, ¹⁸and the Living one; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive for evermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades. ¹⁹Write therefore the things which thou sawest, and the things which are, and the things which shall come to pass hereafter; ²⁰the mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks are seven churches.

Standing In the Shadow of Love Incarnate

Jesus speaks through His Word to His congregations throughout history, but He is also truly with us. Before Jesus ascended to God's right hand, he told his disciples that he would never leave them nor forsake them. The author of the Book of Hebrews reminds us of the same. In Hebrews 13, the author writes that Jesus will never leave us nor forsake us! Do you ever feel lonely? Do you often realize how close Jesus is to you? (or perhaps the thought of this closeness scares you).

In the Revelation of Jesus Christ, John is overwhelmed when he is privileged to see the Risen Christ. In verse 17, he responds by falling at his feet as though dead. Seeing the a vision of the glory of God is not the easiest thing for the human frame, mind or heart! When men encounter the Living God, they are immediately struck with their sinfulness and insignificance in comparison to the Great Creator (cf. Isaiah 6:1-12). Here in Revelation chapter one, John is literally standing in the shadow of love- - incarnate! Jesus will also walk among the congregations in Revelation chapters 2-3, reminding us that Jesus is close to his people because of his love and forgiveness he has extended to them.

Despite John's very understandable reaction to Jesus' glory, notice Jesus' gentle compassion and nearness that he teaches to John and to His people. Jesus tells him: "Fear not; I am the first and the last, and the Living One..." Jesus tells John and instructs us that although none of us should be able to stand in his holy presence, he is the One who died for his own and allows them to come into His Holy presence. Jesus is saying do not fear my presence, for the judgment of death and Hades is under my power and authority.

The very thing that causes men to cringe in fear before the Glory of the Living God is knowing that we have no right to stand in his Holy shadow, much less his Holy presence! However, Jesus through His death ("I was dead") and resurrection ("I am alive for evermore"), he now has overcome the boundaries that kept men and women away from the presence of the LORD. Amazingly enough, instead of being consumed by the Holy and Sovereign One, we call Him "Father" because of the work of Christ on our behalf. This should cause us to worship in the way that is revealed in Revelation chapters four and five! Worthy is the Lamb!

The Fragrance of Our Father

Long, hot and humid, and many times uneventful summer days were common when I was young growing up in the South. The summer would hold great promise at the end of the school year, but by the end of July, my brother and I were bored and thought we had done about everything that could be done in one summer. Oftentimes, there was a feeling of loneliness and isolation that came from hot and humid summer days. These were the long days of spinning endlessly on my tire swing, situated on my stomach, staring at the deep red Georgia clay where the only things that seemed to be enjoying themselves was the June Bugs on the low notes, July Flies on the high notes, and the crickets filling out the unique orchestration with the strings. After "doing it all" in one summer, what would help me to be encouraged during these days? It was the simple, yet exhilarating anticipation of the return of my father home from work in the evenings.

I looked forward to the presence of my father particularly in the summer. I guess I thought since I was out of school, that he should have been as well. This was the time of baseball where Dad and I would listen to the Atlanta Braves on the radio together, sitting on the back porch in the evenings, rocking slowly back and forth as we sipped iced tea. He didn't talk much; Dad was very quiet when he got home. He had a lot on his mind in trying to take care of his family (I realize now), yet he had a smell, or fragrance that I was comforted by.

Dad had a certain fragrance or smell about him that was distinctly manly, yet was my father. No other father or person was like this smell, this fragrance, this presence. When he would get home, it delighted me to no end. Sure, he was tired and not always in the best and friendliest mood, yet I longed for the fragrance of his presence because it meant I was not alone; it meant that he was near and that everything in my little world was going to be alright as long as he was around!

We are blessed as Christians because God our Father has made his permanent presence known and continued through Jesus Christ and the sending forth of the Spirit of God. Just like my earthly father who had a fragrant presence, so our Heavenly Father makes him presence known to us as well. Because of what Jesus Christ has done for us, we can know that He truly never will leave us nor forsake us!

May these words comfort you as you realize that Jesus is truly the Ever-Present-Help-in-Times-of-Trouble-King! There is not a situation, a day, or a person in your life that can ever threaten his precious presence in your life to assist you and to help you! And as I still remember the fragrance or the smell of my own father's presence, so Jesus comforts us continually by the fragrance of life and favor toward us proclaimed again and again through His Holy Word! (2 Cor. 2:14).

'Great' and at the Same Time 'Close' to Us!

As Christians, we experience challenging times in this world, much greater than the long, hot, sometimes boring days of the summer of my youth. There are times of being unsure of what tomorrow will bring. I know a family who does not know whether their mother will live another day. Another family is concerned financially; they are "strapped", credit cards to the limit, and they wonder if God will help them since they got into the "mess" by their own foolish doing. Another man wonders if his child will ever be normal like other children. An elderly couple have been questioning whether their wisdom is really needed, or even considered in their congregation anymore. Some are concerned with the way Christ's church has been given in too much to a pop culture that focuses on mindless entertainment instead of worshipping God in spirit and truth!

In all these situations we can be comforted as Christians that God is close to us and present during these struggles. Because He is both Transcendent as well as Immanent to us, he is powerful enough to help us, and close enough to love us! He is great and close! There is hope as Christians that God is both Transcendent and Immanent. God's Transcendence teaches us that He is Great and Sovereign and Holy, yet His Immanence teaches us that He is near to those who love Him in Christ. Long before the Christ came to this earth to live, die, and be resurrected and ascended to His throne, Isaiah wrote of God's character to the Israelites who were going to undergo God's judgment for sin. Isaiah prophesied:

Isaiah 57:15:¹⁵For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.

Isaiah reveals our God who is indeed unapproachable without a Mediator, but One who is close to, or present with those who are of a "contrite and lowly spirit". The purpose of God's ministry to His people? Isaiah says: "to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite." As God's people, we should rejoice that although our lives can be perceived as "complex messes". We should remember that our lives are sovereignly ordered and our destinies wisely determined by the Holy One who inhabits eternity (Isa. 57:15), and this one dwells near to His people as the Ever-Present-Help-in-Times-of-Trouble-King!

How should we respond to this gracious King Jesus who truly is "with us"? We should praise Him for His work in our lives, for his constant walking with us, and help in times of our troubles. What he has done, what he has accomplished, he has done for those whom he loved, so that they would have an ever present King to rule over them and to help them!

"Flesh of Our Flesh, Bone of Our Bones"

Part of my fascination with comic books, and part of what is fueling the revival of comic book heroes especially in films today is the need of a hero. As the popular song goes: 'We need a hero." The need for a hero is better, and more precisely translated "a Savior". We not only need someone to save us from ourselves and the corrupt world around us, we need a lasting and living hope for the future! As time-bound beings we are concerned and need a future. Without hope we know there is only loneliness and despair.

As a people living in a fallen world, we are not without hope and without a hero or Savior. We have searched endlessly to find a Savior, a Redeemer, a "Superhero" who would save us! Yet we look around and there is no one to be found here on earth. As Adam searched desperately, yet in vain for a wife among the animals, so we search for a Savior among the sinful folk. But then we look and from the Lord's own hand One is sent to us. One who is "flesh of our flesh, bone of our bones"- - one like us, one who can be near to us (yet Who is without all the sin that causes us to find in mere mortals an ironic and sarcastic anti-hero who is as lonely and fearful as we are, who lives his so-called heroic life as Nietzsche's 'Superman' and as an intellectual samurai hit man' from the mind of Quentin Tarrantino!).

The hope of the incarnation of Jesus Christ is that He is truly Immanuel, "God with us". In our times of fear and uncertainty we should reflect upon the incarnation of Jesus. Incarnation simply means "enfleshed" or "with flesh". When 'incarnation' is spoken of God it is astounding and mind-boggling to think about. However, we should always be reminded that our Glorified Savior, who became man in the fullness of time, is still man and will remain the Glorified God-Man for all eternity. When God "put on" manhood, or enfleshed himself, or became incarnate, it was for the purpose of becoming man to represent and redeem men who believe. He came to be our true hero and Savior and Lord!

Our God, Our Brother, Our Hero, Our Savior, and Our Lord

In our times of trouble and uncertainty we should be reminded that this Glorified God-Man is at the same time our God, our brother, our hero, our Savior, and our Lord. But He truly is close to us by His Spirit. In fact, he is so close to His people that He indwells them by His Spirit (John 15)! We should never fear the Lord's presence or anything else in the world. We should be reminded that Jesus Christ is near to us and to His congregations. As he revealed himself walking among the congregations (lampstands) in Revelation chapters 1-3, so he still walks with and among us today! He meant what he said when he promised that he would never leave us nor forsake us!

Remember that the person at God's right hand who has been given supreme authority over heaven and earth has a human face! And when we look to him by faith we see in the eyes on that human face, eyes of sympathy and understanding. We see one acquainted with our griefs, sufferings, and our struggle with sin. We see our hero! We see our Savior! Who or what have we to fear as long as He is with us? And for all eternity, he will be with us! Remember in your struggles, the hope that the author of the Book of Hebrews writes:

Hebrews 4:14-16: Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. ¹⁵ For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. ¹⁶ Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

We will close our study of Revelation chapter one with the great and encouraging words of the psalmist. From Psalm 27 David poetically describes our God and King who is indeed always close to his people!

Psalm 27: OF DAVID.The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? ² When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall. ³ Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident. ⁴ One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple. ⁵ For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock. ⁶ And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the LORD.

⁷ Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud; be gracious to me and answer me! ⁸ You have said, "Seek my face." My heart says to you, "Your face, LORD, do I seek." ⁹ Hide not your face from me. Turn not your servant away in anger, O you who have been my help. Cast me not off; forsake me not, O God of my salvation! ¹⁰ For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the LORD will take me in. ¹¹ Teach me your way, O LORD, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies. ¹² Give me not up to the will of my adversaries; for false witnesses have risen against me, and they breathe out violence. ¹³ I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living! ¹⁴ Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!

Conclusion

May you use this study of Revelation chapter one to inform your reading of the entire Revelation of Jesus Christ. May it be profitable as a study to guide you through a much misunderstood and under read book of Holy Scripture. As you read the Book of Revelation, remind yourself of how Jesus reveals himself in chapter one. Jesus is the...

1) Resurrected and Living King

2) Coming Judge and King

3) The Speaking King

4) The Ever-Present-Help-in-Times-of-Trouble-King

Soli Deo Gloria!

For Further Reading: The books below are helpful for understanding 'Revelation'! Read them all, but read Poythress and Beale first!

Herman Bavinck- The Last Things: Hope for this World and the Next. Edited by John Bolt. Translated by John Vriend. Published by Baker Books, 1996

G. K. Beale- The Book of Revelation, New International Greek Testament Commentary, Eerdmans, 1999

G. C. Berkhouwer- The Return of Christ. Studies in Dogmatics Series. Published by Eerdmans, 1972

Dennis Johnson- Triumph of the Lamb: A Commentary on Revelation, P&R, 2001

Vern S. Poythress- The Returning King: A Guide to the Book of Revelation, P&R, 2000

End Study of Revelation Chapter One

Rev. Charles R. Biggs

9 S. Locust Street

Post Office Box 628

Round Hill, VA 20141

571.334.7420

Vol. VI, Issue 4

This Saturday is my installation as pastor of Ketoctin Covenant Presbyterian Church. I have the privilege of having four very fine pastors who will be preaching to me and my new congregation! One of these pastors recently preached a charge to another young man who was being ordained. His name is Chip Hammond. Not only is Chip a friend, he is the pastor of Bethel OPC, another congregation close to me in Loudoun County, Virginia. I rejoice in his encouragement, friendship, and instructive wisdom to me the last couple of years. He was extremely influential and instrumental in my call to come here as pastor. He has also contributed a few articles on A Place for Truth.

This issue's 'Word of Encouragement' comes from the ordination and installation charge to Harry Ronald "Buster" Mcleod as a minister of the gospel. Chip's message is from 1 Peter 5:1-4. I pray that it will be as encouraging to you as it was to me.

I encourage everyone who reads 'Word of Encouragement' to give a copy of this excellent sermon to anyone considering the call to the gospel ministry. I would also encourage everyone to give a copy to their pastor so that they might be reminded of the importance and value of God's call to the ministry. In celebration of God's faithfulness in calling me to my new congregation, I offer this 'Word of Encouragement' to you from the Reverend Chip Hammond!

The Lord's Ministry

Rev. George C. "Chip" Hammond II

To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. (NIV)

Introduction

There was a family that lived just a few blocks from a Christian elementary school. They had a little boy, their first child, and when he turned five, they determined to enroll him in kindergarten there. He was an independent young man, and he insisted that he be allowed to walk to school alone. The request did not seem unreasonable, but his mother was not too sure. After all, this was her baby.

But she had an idea. She had a friend who lived on the other side of the street up past the school. Her son had only met the woman once or twice, and so the mother called the woman and asked if she would clandestinely follow her son to school each day to make sure all was well, and then call her and report each day.

“Sure,” the woman said. “I have a three year old daughter who loves to walk. We’ll be out there by 8:45 every day, and we’ll keep an eye on him for you.”

This went on for several weeks until one day the boy’s teacher noticed the woman following him. She took the little boy aside and said to him, “I don’t want to alarm you but there has been a woman and a little girl following you every day. Do you know who they are?”

“Sure,” the little boy replied, “that’s the Gutnest family – Miss Shirley, and her little girl, Marcy.”

“Oh, so you know them?” the teacher asked.

“Well, I don’t really know them, but I know about them,” the little boy said. “You see, ever since I’ve started school, my mom has made me learn the Twenty-third Psalm and recite it every night. And it says right in that Psalm, ‘Shirley Gutnest and Marcy will follow me all the days of my life,’ so I figured I’d just better get used to it.”

That little boy knew his Bible, I suppose, but he just didn’t know what it meant. We live in an age in which the same could be said about much of American Christianity, and about the present state of the church in America: she knows her Bible, it is supposed, but she just doesn’t seem to know what it means.

Make Disciples!

In Matthew 28, Our Lord commissioned his Church with the task she was to carry out until his return. That commission consists of a single imperative, with three qualifying participles. The single imperative is “make disciples.”

But the Lord did not just leave it up to us to determine what that may mean. He’s told us how to do it. He’s told us that we are to make disciples by going, by baptizing into the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and by teaching them to observe all that he’s commanded us.

Now when you consider the accounts of the Lord’s ministry in the Gospels, how many things did Jesus command us to do? Three or four? A dozen? Hundreds? The Lord has told us that making disciples consists in teaching them not only to know, but to observe all that he’s commanded us. That will take a long time. It is not a quick process.

Making disciples is a difficult, long, and arduous task, and we live in a culture of instant gratification, in which the idea of something being long, and difficult, and arduous is not popular. And so the American church has quietly made a substitution, whether deliberately or in ignorance, I am not sure. She has pretended that the command to “make disciples” really meant “garner decisions.” Garner “decisions for Christ” in any way you can. Have them bow their heads and raise their hands; walk the sawdust trail; come to the altar; say the sinner’s prayer. And in so doing, congratulate themselves and pretend that they’ve fulfilled the Lord’s commission to make disciples.

It has become common for churches to boast of, and measure their success in, “decisions” per month. And there is a corollary to that as well: in modern Evangelicalism, churches have come to measure success in how full the auditorium is. Now of course, all Christians desire the numerical growth of the Church. But we must understand that a large crowd is a means to making the gospel known, and not an end in itself. Jesus never pandered to a crowd for the purpose of retaining it. But for all too many churches today, though they know the words of Jesus, it is supposed, they apparently think that what Jesus actually meant was “Good for you, when all men speak well of you!”[1][1]

Some time ago a woman visited our Church for a season. One day she took me aside and told me how much she liked the Church, how much she really enjoyed the people, and how I was even tolerable to listen to. “But,” she said, “it’s very disturbing to hear week after week this talk of sin, and guilt before God, and the necessity for Christ to die if we were to be made right with God. If you’d just not talk about those things, I’m sure you’d reach a lot more people.” I looked at her and said, “Ma’am; reach them with what?”

The Lord's Ministry

On this solemn and joyful occasion it will be good for us to consider that the Bible tells us that the ministry to which this man is being ordained, is the Lord’s ministry. It is not the Church’s ministry to define as she wishes or to do with as she wills. It is the Lord’s ministry, and he, not the Church, defines its parameters, determines its message, and establishes the means by which it is brought.

The Apostle Peter was well aware that the ministry he carried out was a trust from the Lord. Luke the Evangelist alludes to the Gospel that bears his name when he writes, “In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote to you about all that Jesus began to do and teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.”[2][2]

The implication is clear: When the apostles faithfully carry out their task, and those ordained to carry the gospel after them do so faithfully, is in fact Jesus continuing to do and teach through them.

The over-arching assumption of the exhortation of this passage is that the ministry is the Lord’s ministry. His ministers are only ambassadors who bring the message of the Kingdom, and do the work of the Kingdom within the parameters set by the King.

A while ago I had a couple come to me seeking to be married. They did not know the Lord, but they had become convicted of living together outside of the commitment of marriage. Since she was expecting a child, they wished to be married sooner than later, and so we did not have time to complete the counseling I usually require.

At their wedding, I charged them with the high ideals of God’s Word for marriage, and spelled out for them the God-ordained and appointed roles for husbands and wives. The charge met with considerable discomfort. The sense of discomfort from them was palpable, and from those who came to witness the wedding as well.

I spoke with them after the ceremony about it, and they confirmed that they had been uncomfortable, that what I spoke of was not the commitment they wanted to make, and that it was not what they had in mind for marriage. I explained to them as gently as I was able that marriage was God’s institution, not theirs. Because of that, God and not they themselves set the bounds and parameters of it.

In the Washington DC area, at least, I can tell you that there are many churches that do not seem to understand that the ministry is the Lord’s ministry. They seem to believe that the Church’s message, methods, and the parameters of the ministry are the Church’s to determine, and do with as she will.

It is incumbent upon the Church to understand that she is only the Lord’s vehicle for calling a man to the Lord’s ministry, and it is to him that that man is accountable.

The Apostle Peter, under the inspiration and authority of the Holy Spirit, lays out for us what the Lord’s ministry is to look like. He says,

I. Shepherd the Flock of God that is under your care

Now how is a man to do that? Again, the Scriptures do not allow us to fill in the blanks. The uniform testimony of the New Testament is that the flock of God is shepherded by faithfully proclaiming and applying the Word of God.

The man called to the Lord’s ministry must beware of getting sidetracked with the myriad other things that will clamor for his attention, by the world’s confident assertions of what will make a minister “successful,” and even by the well-intentioned but sometime ill-informed expectations of the part of the people to whom he ministers.

The Risen Lord said to Peter, “If you love me, then feed my sheep.”[3][3] The apostles determined early on, as we are told in Acts 6, that it was not good for those charged with the preaching of the gospel to neglect it in order to wait on tables. Provision was made so that they could devote themselves to the ministry of the Word and prayer. And that is the task of all those who follow after them, of all who are ordained to the Lord’s ministry.

Buster, those called to the Lord’s ministry are called to proclaim his Word. It may be the peculiar providence of your ministry to proclaim the Word less publicly, and more from house to house,[4][4] but never lose sight of what the task is. Do not be dissuaded from it by the world, the flesh, the devil, or the church. The Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy,

In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.[5][5]

“Keep your head” – How many ministers have become utterly useless to the Master because they have succumbed to the fear of man, and have given into the temptation to tickle itching ears when men would no longer endure sound doctrine?

It must always be borne in mind that this is the Lord’s ministry. The message must not be compromised, nor must it be cheapened by the use of unbiblical methods of psychological manipulation. The goal is fidelity to the Master’s message, not the fame which comes from being loved by the multitudes.

Remember that in John 6 we read that many of Jesus’ disciples turned back and would no longer follow him because he would not moderate his message, nor would he tailor it to the local demographic. Every time the Lord Jesus preached, his winnowing fork was in his hand, and he was clearing his threshing floor. By that Word he separated the wheat from the chaff.[6][6] His word did not return to him void, but accomplished exactly the purpose for which he sent it forth.[7][7] So too, those who enter the Lord’s ministry are called to take up the Master’s winnowing fork, not pander to the local population.

The world measures success solely in numbers, and the Church today has largely followed suit. Many of them have sought to widen the narrow way,[8][8] to make it more comfortable and palatable for the masses, for after all, the point is the number of “decisions,” right? But how many of those poor souls, deceived by the local expression of that very institution which is supposed to be the “pillar and ground of the truth”[9][9] will one day lift up their eyes in hell, because those called to the task shrunk back from proclaiming the whole counsel of God?[10][10]

The gospel, rightly understood and faithfully preached will be a savor of life[11][11] to those who are being saved, to the praise of God’s glorious grace.[12][12] And that same gospel will be the stench of death[13][13] to those who are perishing, to the praise of God’s glorious justice.[14][14]

Buster, I understand that among your duties, you will be ministering to the covenant youth. Wonderful. But don’t be dazzled by the world and lose your head. So many “youth programs” today seek to attract and retain youth with a pathetic copy of what the world offers. No matter how big your budget is, I am sure it will never be big enough for you to out-cheese Chuck E. Cheese. You’ll never be able to out-dazzle Disney or compete with Hollywood. So don’t even try. The Lord has given to you something to offer of which Hollywood and Disney know nothing, and would have no authority to offer even if they did.

Shepherd the Flock of God. Remember that it is the Lord’s ministry. You are bound and obliged to proclaim his message, by the method of his appointment. Keep your head, and disregard the world’s siren’s song. Measure success by fidelity to the gospel.

Secondly, the apostle tells us that those who are called to the Lord’s ministry must shepherd the flock of God,

2. . . . Not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve.

The Lord makes it incumbent upon the Church to provide for the needs of his ministers. In 1 Corinthians 9, the Apostle castigates the Corinthians for their failure to do so in his case, and he says, “If we sowed spiritual things in you, is it too much if we reap material things from you?” He says further, “. . . Do you not know that those who perform sacred services eat the food of the temple, and those who attend regularly to the altar have their share from the altar? So also the Lord directed those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel.”

Matthew Henry commenting on this passage, says, “They might expect that those to whom they were sent would provide for them what was necessary. The workman is worthy of his meat. They must not expect to be fed by miracles, as Elijah was. . . . Though they who serve at the altar may not expect to grow rich from the altar, yet they may expect to live, and to live comfortably upon it. It is fit that they should have their maintenance from their work. Ministers are, and must be, workman, laborours, and they that are so are worthy of their meat, so as not to be forced into any other labor for the earning of it.”[15][15]

But the work of the ministry must never be viewed as merely a way to make a living. I know many people, and so do you all, who work at jobs that they can’t stand because it puts bread on the table. For those who labor in the ministry, it must be just precisely the other way around – they must have bread on the table so that they can carry out the great work to which they have been called unhindered, and unencumbered by worldly care and employment.[16][16]

Not long ago a man came by my office. He stood in the doorway with his hands in his pockets, looked around and said, “Boy this is familiar.” He went on to say that he used to pastor a Church. He said that as far as the ministry went he and his family were well-provided for. He then told me that he left the ministry ten years ago, “and” he said, “it was the best thing I ever did.” He said, “Now I work a lot less hours, have a lot less stress and aggravation, and I get paid a lot more.” I quietly and unobtrusively gave up a prayer of thanksgiving to God that this man was no longer carrying out the Lord’s ministry.

Those who enter the ministry must do so because the love of Christ compels them;[17][17] because the Word of God is pent up in them like a fire in their bones, and they weary of holding it in.[18][18]

It is necessary that the Church provide for those who labor for the gospel, so that the work of the ministry is not done in one’s spare time, as was the sad case in Nehemiah 13. But those who would shepherd God’s flock must do so because they are eager to do so, as God wants them to be. That they make a living at it is a means for the ministry. The ministry must never be crassly viewed as a means of making a living.

Thirdly, the Apostle tells us that those who enter the Lord’s ministry should shepherd the flock,

3. . . . Not lording it over those entrusted to their care, but proving to be examples to the flock.

The authority of the ministry is not an intrinsic authority. It is not an authority vested in persons. The man who here charges his fellow elders was the man himself called by Jesus “The Rock” because he had correctly confessed who Jesus was.[19][19] But moments later Jesus called that same man “Satan” because he sought to deny Jesus in the work he had come to do.[20][20]

The authority that the Lord invests his ministers with is the authority of his Word. It is a ministerial and declarative authority.[21][21] Peculiar an arrangement as it may seem, in the Lord’s green pastures, the undershepherds are themselves sheep, and they must never forget it.

In their persons, they have no more standing, no greater justification, than any other sheep. It is God who gives them gifts that differ.[22][22] And he invests them with the authority of a special office. But that authority is maintained and applied through the correct confessing of Christ, the careful wielding of his Word, and the appropriate application of it to saints and sinners.[23][23] Again the Apostle Paul says to Timothy,

Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the presbytery laid their hands on you. Be diligent in these matters; give yourself to them, so that your progress may be evident to all. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.”[24][24]

As the writer to the Hebrews says, it is necessary for the Church to obey her leaders and submit to their authority.[25][25] But it will be well for those leaders to remember that their task is to watch over souls, as men who will one day give an account for their stewardship. “. . . Not lording it over those entrusted to your care, but proving to be an example to the flock.”

There is one other thing to consider in regard to the Lord’s ministry, and it is implicit in what the Apostle says here. It does not come by way of an imperative.

4. As a witness of Christ’s sufferings, and one who will also share in the glory to be revealed . . .

Peter was an eye-witness to the arrest, and to the crucifixion, the death and the suffering of Christ. But that is not solely what he is speaking of here. His witness to the sufferings of Christ consisted in not only what he saw, but in what he experienced. Note that his witnessing the sufferings of Christ is coupled with his sharing in Christ’s glory. As the Apostle Paul indicates in the book of Romans, to share in his glory, we must also share in his suffering.[26][26]

Acts 9 records not only the conversion of Saul of Tarsus, but his rather unusual and immediate call to the Lord’s ministry. And through Ananias, he says of Saul “I will show him how much he must suffer for my Name.”[27][27] That statement was specifically said about Saul of Tarsus, but it was not proprietary to him.

All Christians – all Christians - will enter into the sufferings of Christ. But it will be especially true for those who are called to the Lord’s ministry.

Look at your Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and you will see that of all the servants of God, there is not a single one of them that carried out their ministry unopposed. And the opposition came not only from the world, the flesh, and the devil, but from at least some of the very people they ministered to.

Every church attender will say, of course, that he desires in a preacher of the gospel one who’s preaching shows the unction of the Holy Spirit, which has attendant with it the ability to convict of sin, and righteousness, and judgment.[28][28] Every church attender will say that he wants a preacher who will stand for righteousness, and denounce sin. Every church attender will say that he wants a man who lives by the bedrock of principle, not the shifting sea of personal attachment.

Every church attender will say those things. And every church attender will mean it. Provided the conviction you bring doesn’t run contrary to their comfort and convenience. Provided that the sins you denounce are not their own beloved sins. Provided that your standing on principle does not impinge upon their personal attachments.

The minister of the gospel is called to shepherd the souls of men. I do not know the people of Gwennyd Church. But the Bible lays bear the thoughts and intents of the human heart, and everyone called to the Lord’s ministry is called to minister to people who are fearful, sinful, prideful, and rebellious.

In three internships, Buster, you have already encountered some of that. When you are the object of attack, not from without in the world, but from within, from members of the visible church, it can be confusing, it can be painful, and it can be dispiriting and disheartening.

You are entering the sufferings of Christ, my friend, and I want to tell you that you will face seasons and situations which will make you want to throw in the towel. At those times, you must remember that it is the Lord’s ministry.

Consider the Lord Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane. He wrestled in prayer that whole night in anticipation of what he would suffer at the hands of sinners. And from whom would that suffering come? From the Sanhedrin? From the Romans? Yes. But not only from them. His suffering would come through those he had walked among; those he had taught; those he had healed and fed and prayed for – all who would now betray, or abandon, or deny they ever knew him.

Could anyone here have blamed him if in the garden, he had prayed, “Father, these are the people for whom I have labored, the people whom I have loved, whom I have prayed for, whom I have healed and helped. And this is how they repay me? O Father, I refuse this cup. I lay down. To the fires of an eternal hell with these people! They are just not worth it.”

But he didn’t. Thank God he didn’t.

Remember, Buster, in those times, and I hope they are rare, when for all your labor and love, for all your prayer and preaching, for all of your trouble and hardship you are betrayed, abandoned, maligned - remember that it is the Lord’s ministry. Remember that you have been appointed, as the great Apostle said, to fill up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions.[29][29] “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil about you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”[30][30]

But you won’t always need to stir up a remembrance that it is the Lord’s ministry by arduous recollection. Sometimes it will be obvious. You will often be blessed to see incredible acts of kindness, of generosity, of love, loyalty and affection that will be so astonishing as to be impossible to understand apart from the grace of God operating in the hearts of his people.

You may even be privileged, in God’s good providence, to have come across your path a young man who is at first highly offended by the exclusivity of the gospel, its denunciation of sin, and your insistence that the Bible is en toto the infallible Word of God; who will nevertheless not be able to pull himself away from what he is hearing, and will come to be so dominated and conquered by the message, that he will then himself feel irresistibly drawn by God to proclaim it to others.

And when things like that happen, you will know with joy and with confidence that it is the Lord’s ministry.

Shepherd the flock of God which has been entrusted to your care. Not with your own message and methods. Remember that you, shepherd, are first a sheep. The Lord is your shepherd. And if the Lord is your shepherd, then surely goodness and mercy will follow you all the days of your life.[31][31]

Remember that. And even when the work is hard, know that it is the Lord’s ministry. Remember what Peter says about it. Conduct yourself by that great ideal. Strive to live out the truth of it. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

Rev. Charles R. Biggs

9 S. Locust Street

Post Office Box 628

Round Hill, VA 20141

571.334.7420

Vol. VI, Issue 5

The Beatitudes- Matthew 5:1-12

Introduction to the Beatitudes

Today we will begin a study on the 'Beatitudes' from Matthew chapter five. The Beatitudes teach us of the blessedness, or covenantal happiness we have as the people of God because of God's salvation and His continued working in his people.

In the past, the 'Beatitudes' have been falsely interpreted by some as being the steps one attempts to climb in order to be a Christian. We should never interpret the 'Beatitudes' in such a way. The 'Beatitudes' are simply what those who have been gripped by the grace of the Lord Jesus and have been saved by his precious blood will begin to look like. In other words, the 'Beatitudes' are the characteristics of Christ-likeness that will gradually be manifested in the believer's life. The 'Beatitudes' are, if you will, "Attitudes of Gratitude" for the work that Christ has already begun in us, and knowing that this work will continue until the Day when Christ returns for us (Phil. 1:6).

The term 'Beatitudes' may sound like a new Beatles-like rock band or a new reggae band making it into mainstream music. However, the term has nothing to do with a rock or reggae band. The term 'Beatitudes' come from the Latin translation of makarios, a Greek word meaning "happy" or covenantally "happy". When the Bible was translated into Latin from Greek, the word makarios was translated as beatus, thus the reason they are called beatitudes. An example of true makarios or covenantal happiness is revealed in Psalm 1.

Psalm 1:1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; ²but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. ³He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. ⁴The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. ⁵Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; ⁶for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

The Blessedness of the Beatitudes

You could say that the 'Beatitudes' that are taught by Christ in Matthew 5:1-12 are a summary of the righteous life, hopes, desires, struggles, and praise of all of the Psalms (more on this as the study develops!). As Psalm 1:6 says: "The LORD knows the way of the righteous". The 'Beatitudes' could very helpfully be summarized as the 'way of the righteous'. The opposite of the 'Beatitudes' is to walk in the counsel of the wicked, stand in the way of sinners, and sit with the scoffers in this fallen world. The path of the righteous is much different, and so a lot more narrower than the broad way of the wicked that leads to destruction (Matthew 7).

The "blessed"-ness of the 'Beatitudes' should not be misunderstood as our own American way of defining happiness. The "blessed" or happy come from "delighting in the law of the LORD" (Ps. 1). The "blessed" that is spoken of is "covenantal blessings" or "covenantal happiness". As Moses went up on Sinai to bring down the Law to the people of God in the Old Covenant, so Jesus is going up on the mount, as One Who is greater than Moses, to bring down the Law that will be fulfilled by grace. When Moses told the people about obedience to the Law in Deuteronomy 28, he spoke of their lives as being blessed by their obedience. Notice in Deuteronomy 28:9, that keeping God's commandments is described as "walking in his ways". This is the "blessed walk" of Psalm 1 and the "narrow path" that Jesus describes in Matthew 7.

Deuteronomy 28:1-9: "And if you faithfully obey the voice of the LORD your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. ²And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the LORD your God. ³Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field. ⁴Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your cattle, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. ⁵Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. ⁶Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out. ⁷"The LORD will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before you. They shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways. ⁸The LORD will command the blessing on you in your barns and in all that you undertake. And he will bless you in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. ⁹The LORD will establish you as a people holy to himself, as he has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the LORD your God and walk in his ways.

Moses also teaches the people about the curses for disobedience. This is important! Blessed are those who are obedient to the Law by God's grace, but cursed are those who disobey.

Deuteronomy 28:15ff: ¹⁵"But if you will not obey the voice of the LORD your God or be careful to do all his commandments and his statutes that I command you today, then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you. ¹⁶Cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the field. ¹⁷Cursed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. ¹⁸Cursed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. ¹⁹Cursed shall you be when you come in, and cursed shall you be when you go out. ²⁰"The LORD will send on you curses, confusion, and frustration in all that you undertake to do, until you are destroyed and perish quickly on account of the evil of your deeds, because you have forsaken me. ²¹The LORD will make the pestilence stick to you until he has consumed you off the land that you are entering to take possession of it. ²²The LORD will strike you with wasting disease and with fever, inflammation and fiery heat, and with drought and with blight and with mildew. They shall pursue you until you perish....

The curses Moses reveals are more in number than the blessings in Deuteronomy 28! The path of the wicked is indeed broader and filled with more curses than the narrow path of the righteous!

JESUS: the Blessed Keeper of the Law

The people of God in the Old Covenant who were awaiting a Messiah, an Anointed King to rule over them and all the earth, were awaiting one who would enable them to love and keep the Law of God (Ezek. 36). By the time the Messiah, the Christ comes to them, the majority of those who call themselves "God's people", are trusting in their own righteousness and their own works of the Law, rather than looking to God for grace and mercy. In other words, many of those who called themselves by the Name of the LORD were not poor in spirit, mourning over their sins, being meek, hungering and thirsting after righteousness, nor building Christ's Kingdom through peace rather than their own might and power!

Jesus wants His people to know that he has not come to abolish the Law of Moses, but to fulfill it! (Matthew 5:17). The people of God must be humbled and forsake any attempt at earning their own righteousness through works! Jesus is the Blessed Keeper of the Law spoken of in Psalm 1! The people of God are to trust in Messiah and His fulfillment of the Law, they are to "live by faith". The Messiah was to be cursed for their sins against God's holy law and to offer the blessings of His Law-keeping Spirit to them so that they might have new hearts! The Apostle Paul would explain this later in his letter to the congregation at Galatia.

Galatians 3:10-13: For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, "Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them." ¹¹ Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for "The righteous shall live by faith." ¹² But the law is not of faith, rather "The one who does them shall live by them." ¹³ Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us- for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree"-

Jesus wanted to clear up the wrong teaching and thinking of his people when he came and this is one of the reasons why Jesus climbs the mount to give a sermon that will change the lives and thinking of those who have ears to hear! This Jesus will turn their world upside down with one sermon. In fact, when Jesus completes the Sermon on the Mount, the crowds are amazed at his teaching with authority!

"I'm Beginning to Look a Lot Like Jesus"

So what does one who has been saved by grace through faith, one who has been purchased and bought with a price by Christ's blood, what does one of these people look like who walk the narrow path, who live by faith in Jesus, and who are blessed? What are their characteristics?

Jesus said they are characterized by being poor in spirit; mourning; being meek, yet not weak; hungering and thirsting after righteousness; merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers, and those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake. Jesus is not teaching that "if" you become all these things, then you will be a follower of Christ. Rather, he is saying "if you are a follower of Christ" then this is what you will look like.

It is like the hopes and aspirations we have for our own lives as well as the lives of our children. We pray and hope that we, as well as our children, even our family name will mean something in the big scheme of history. We pray that we as well as our children will become something worthwhile and helpful in our little worlds. Well, Jesus is saying that this is not only a mere hope or aspiration, but it will become a reality as we follow close to him by his grace. We will become what is revealed as "blessed" in the 'Beatitudes'. This is great news for sinners!

Kingdom Living in a Fallen World

Before we begin our next study with the poor in spirit, allow me to sum up all of the 'Beatitudes', further illustrating how they relate to the Psalms in the Old Testament. Let's read Matthew 5:1-12, then we will proceed with our introduction to the 'Beatitudes'.

Matthew 5:1-12: Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. ²And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: ³"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ⁴"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. ⁵"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. ⁶"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. ⁷"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. ⁸"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. ⁹"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. ¹⁰"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ¹¹"Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. ¹²Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Notice that Jesus notices the crowds, but he specifically addresses the disciples (5:1, 10-12- 2nd person plural, speaking to those persecuted, not the whole crowd). Jesus seems to be primarily speaking to his disciples, but the crowds are listening in. Jesus is turning his listener's world upside down as he usually did through his teaching. In order for him to explain the way of the Kingdom of God, it is no surprise that it was directly opposite to the ways and thoughts of this world.

To summarize what Dr. Sinclair Ferguson calls "Kingdom Living in a Fallen World", Jesus begins to teach the covenantal happiness, or blessings that come with being his follower. He begins with the poor in spirit. Before we can even follow Jesus we must be totally dependent upon the grace and the mercy of our Heavenly Father if we are to be saved. Then he speaks of mourning.

Mourners are those who do not expect constant joy and fulfillment in this world. Rather, they are those who know what it is like to suffer. They know things are not as they should be and they await a day when all of creation will be renewed (Rom. 8:18-25). They mourn for their own sins, not only totally dependent upon God for salvation, but totally repentant before God as they grow in their salvation. Those who mourn also are offended because God's holiness is offended by the sins of man, including themselves.

Then Jesus says "Blessed are the meek". Now what the world may call "weak", Jesus describes as meek. The meek know that they are citizens of two kingdoms and that ultimately all of their rights here on this earth should be given up and surrendered to Jesus, the One who did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but Who made Himself nothing, even dying upon a cross meekly for his people! The meek are not weak, they have just learned to suspend some of their rights and strength for the sake of love and considering others better than themselves.

Then there are those who pursue righteousness. They know that the only thing that will truly satisfy is to be like Christ their Savior. So, they pursue, they strive at being Christ-like, by hungering and thirsting for his righteousness! They want to be like their Master!

Then there are those who are merciful, because they have experienced the deep, kind, undeserving mercy of God! They want to show the same mercy to others. They want justice, but they lovingly want to walk justly and love mercy because it is a reflection of God's mercy to them. Then there are the pure in heart who love what God loves and learns to hate what God hates. They know that God is continually purifying and sanctifying their hearts as they rest and depend upon His mercy and love to them.

The peacemakers know that their peacemaking is a double-edged sword. Their ultimate goal is to share the peace they have with God because of Jesus Christ with others. Knowing, however, that others who are not at peace with God and actually war against God will not accept their "terms of peace". Rather, they will persecute and say all kinds of evil against them because of Jesus.

In all of this, Jesus says "Rejoice and be glad for great is the reward of those who are like this!" The 'Beatitudes' are ultimately pictures of Christ and pictures of what we as Christ's people will begin to look like. By the power of Christ's Spirit, Christ will continue to be formed in us so that we will be presented to Christ when he returns as a pure, lovely, righteous Bride who will live with Christ forever!

Tomorrow: "Blessed are the Poor in Spirit"

Update: New Studies at A Place for Truth by Chip Hammond.

Rev. Charles R. Biggs

9 S. Locust Street

Post Office Box 628

Round Hill, VA 20141

571.334.7420

Vol. VI, Issue 6

The Beatitudes- Matthew 5:1-12

Introduction to the Beatitudes

In our last study we learned the meaning of 'Beatitude' as well as what Jesus was communicating when he was preaching these "blessings". We learned that the 'Beatitudes' are ultimately a picture of Christ's character, and yet as we learn from Christ by His Spirit, these are the characteristics of Christians as well as we reflect his grace and goodness to us. The 'Beatitudes' show the kind of Christians God will produce through grace and faith in Jesus as we grow and mature!

"Blessed are the Poor in Spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven"

Today, we begin with the first and most foundational 'beatitude': "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven." What exactly does Jesus mean about "being poor in spirit"? Simply put, the poor in spirit are those who are absolutely dependent upon God for their spiritual and physical needs. They are those who are not self-reliant and proud, but humble in heart.

It is interesting that Jesus starts with the characteristic of being poor in spirit as the foundation for all the others 'Beatitudes'. The reason is that you cannot know or grow in the Lord Jesus Christ without first understanding your poor condition before the Living God. We must first know of our sinful condition and great spiritual need for a Savior, before we even begin to see or enter the Kingdom of Heaven (cf. John 3:1-18).

The Poor

In the Old Testament, the poor were often equated with those who were pious. The reason being was that they were without in this world, and totally dependent upon the Living God for help both physically and spiritually. This did not mean that the poor were automatically God's people, but they served as real and living examples in this world of those totally destitute and in need of God's help. These were oftentimes contrasted with the rich who were proud, boastful and powerful (Psalm 9:18; 12:5; 34:6; 51; Prov. 29:23; Isaiah 25:1-5; Luke 1:46-48; James 4:3ff). For an example of "the poor" in the Old Testament, carefully read a portion of Psalm 72:

Psalm 72:1-14: OF SOLOMON.Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to the royal son! ² May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice! ³ Let the mountains bear prosperity for the people, and the hills, in righteousness! ⁴ May he defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the children of the needy, and crush the oppressor! ⁵ May they fear you while the sun endures, and as long as the moon, throughout all generations! ⁶ May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass, like showers that water the earth! ⁷ In his days may the righteous flourish, and peace abound, till the moon be no more! ⁸ May he have dominion from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth! ⁹ May desert tribes bow down before him and his enemies lick the dust! ¹⁰ May the kings of Tarshish and of the coastlands render him tribute; may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts! ¹¹ May all kings fall down before him, all nations serve him! ¹² For he delivers the needy when he calls, the poor and him who has no helper. ¹³ He has pity on the weak and the needy, and saves the lives of the needy. ¹⁴ From oppression and violence he redeems their life, and precious is their blood in his sight.

God's concern for the poor helps us to remember of his great mercy for his own! The "poor" in the Old Testament illustrated the importance of what it meant to be "poor in spirit". We need the LORD for all things. We are utterly dependent upon his goodness for the sun and the rain, as well as for all material blessings (Matthew 6:24-33). In fact, Jesus will later teach in the Sermon on the Mount that God knows of our great needs, and will meet them and so there is absolutely nothing to fear or worry about!

Sometimes our fear drives us, and we refuse to believe that God will provide for us! We are oftentimes proud of who we are and what we do as our positions in the world, but if the truth be known, we are all utterly need and dependent upon the Living God for all things we receive in this world. Most of the time, it is easier to see this utter reliance and dependence upon God in "the poor" than it is in "the rich" (James 5:1ff).

"Nothing in My Hands I Bring..."

Jesus uses the idea of "the poor", but he specifically speaks of the "poor in spirit" as being "blessed". Who exactly are the "poor in spirit"? Those who are poor in spirit are those who know that "nothing in their hands they bring" to be saved, but "simply to Christ's cross do they cling" as Augustus Toplady's hymn teaches us! Ephesians 2:1-8 sums this up well:

Ephesians 2:1-8: And you were dead in the trespasses and sins ² in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience- ³ among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. ⁴ But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, ⁵ even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ- by grace you have been saved- ⁶ and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷ so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God...

The Apostle Paul tells us of the grace of God in Christ Jesus in this passage. He tells us that we were truly "dead in the trespasses and sins" when God found us. We were "sons of disobedience" and "by nature children of wrath". Then I love the next two words in verse 4: "But God." Those are two of the greatest words ever written: "But God!" But God intervened, God saved, God intruded by His Spirit in His great mercy and love and he saved us!! This should cause all to be constantly "poor in spirit".

"...Simply to Thy Cross I Cling!"

We have nothing to offer to God. We must continually repent of even our best deeds and works (Isaiah 64:6)! Yet God loved us not because of something we did for him- - we were busy being children of disobedience when he saved us! As Ephesians 2:8 teaches us: "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God..." This is our great hope as those who are poor in spirit!

Yet some Christians truly believe that they are saved based on something they do. They believe that they are saved based on a decision or choice for the Lord Jesus Christ, rather than being saved and then deciding and choosing. The point that must be remembered by the poor in spirit is that there is absolutely nothing we can do to be saved, because we are spiritually dead (Eph. 2:1-4), until we are born again. Jesus taught Nicodemus that one must be born again before he sees or enters the Kingdom of Heaven (John 3). It is all because of God's mercy that he saves us, then we believe and decide for Jesus because we are now able to humble ourselves, "poor in spirit", so that we might be saved. This is important for us all to remember. Salvation is all of grace!

Humility before the Living God

Being poor in spirit could be called a kind of humility of which we are aware. Oftentimes I have been told that if you are humble you will never know it. However, the Bible seems to indicate that some humility we are aware of. In fact in the Book of James and Peter, there are two commands to actually be humble. That would indicate to me that there is an awareness of what is humble and what is not. It would indicate to me that some do know when they are humble, or poor in spirit, and when they are not. Notice the following commands from James and Peter, who sat under their Lord's teaching on being "poor in spirit", both of whom were there for the entire Sermon on the Mount.

James 4:6-10: But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." ⁷ Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸ Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. ⁹ Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. ¹⁰ Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

1 Peter 5:5a-8: Yea, all of you gird yourselves with humility, to serve one another: for God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble. ⁶ Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time; ⁷ casting all your anxiety upon him, because he careth for you. ⁸ Be sober, be watchful: your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour...

In both of these passages we have commands to be humble, or poor in spirit, or utterly dependent upon God for grace. We should remember as Christians that we begin the Christian life as those "poor in spirit" and by God's grace and the working of His Spirit, continue to learn just how "poor in spirit" or utterly dependent upon God we should be!

Saved and SELF-Righteous?

Yet how easy it is for us to forget from what wretched condition we were saved! After a few days, a few months, a few years of being Christians, we so easily begin to be "rich in spirit" or proud and look down our noses at "poor sinners". Rather than looking at poor sinners with the eyes of Christ's compassion, we think we are so much better than they are because we are saved! How low can you go? This is a really bad place to be in, spiritually speaking. It means that when we are judging others for being sinners in this way, we are forgetting how sinful and dead we were when the mercy of God appeared to us! We are forgetting the two important words: "But God!"

The next time you find it so easy to judge another for their sins, and you pat yourself on the back for your great righteousness, or ability to "see through other's real motivations", remind yourself that you are not being "poor in spirit", utterly and totally dependent upon God at the moment, but you are being quite proud of yourself! Repent and remind yourself of the story Jesus tells about the Pharisee and the Tax Collector which is a great Biblical illustration of what it means to be "poor in spirit".

A Tale of Two Spirits

Luke 18:9-17: He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: ¹⁰ "Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. ¹¹ The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. ¹² I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.' ¹³ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!' ¹⁴ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted." ¹⁵ Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. ¹⁶ But Jesus called them to him, saying, "Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. ¹⁷ Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it."

Notice something important from this "Tale of Two Spirits", it was the one "poor in spirit" who knew of their right standing as a sinner before God who was considered "righteous" and went down to his house "justified". Notice the comparison Jesus makes between the self-righteous, proud, "rich in spirit" person and the one who knows his poor condition before God and requests God's mercy because he knows as one poor in spirit that God is indeed "rich in mercy"(cf. Eph. 2:4-6).

Notice also from the story Jesus tells that in summarizing the story, Jesus says: "For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted." This is another example of how true humility can be known in a person by the way they respond to the Living God. True humility is displayed throughout a Christian's life as an ongoing dependence and resting in the Lord Jesus Christ and His grace!

Finally, from the Luke 18 story, the way Luke places the other incident of infants being brought to Jesus right after Jesus tells his disciples this story. He tells them that they should "Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God." The point in arranging the stories this way is to illustrate true humility, or being poor in spirit. Being "poor in spirit", being utterly dependent upon the Living God is illustrated by an infant totally dependent and in need of their mother. I do not think it was by accident that this incident of the infants followed the story of the self-righteous Pharisee and the "poor in spirit" Tax Collector.

How do you view yourself? Is it with one eye toward heaven and one toward yourself? Is it a "balanced" and Biblical view? What I mean is, do you see yourself as both a sinner and as one saved by grace? If you do, then this is good. We never want to underestimate the work God has done in us and is continuing to do in us, yet we never want to forget that we are "works in progress", "under construction" by his grace! Therefore, because we utterly depend upon Jesus alone for salvation, we must utterly depend upon Jesus and His Spirit to continue to work in us by faith. We must continue as Christians to be "poor in spirit" by continuing to trust the Living God, knowing that we are God's workmanshship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared beforehand for us to walk in (Ephesians 2:10).

Do you believe that it is truly "all of grace"? Is your life, your salvation in Christ all of grace, because of the two words given in Ephesians 2: "But God"? We must repent of our self-righteousness, and by His grace continue to be "poor in spirit". We are assured that those who are utterly dependent upon God will be part of the Kingdom of Heaven now, but to be fully entered in when Jesus returns for those who are utterly dependent and patiently awaiting his return, which is also all of grace!

Rock of Ages

I shall conclude with the words to Augustus Toplady's Hymn 'Rock of Ages'. You have probably sung this hymn many times, but truly focus on the words to this great hymn! Do you believe it? Are you poor in spirit? The reason why this hymn is such a great illustration of being "poor in spirit" is that it not only speaks of being humbled by salvation, but humbled by death and knowing that our only hope in death is Jesus' help! "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven!"

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in thee;
let the water and the blood,
from thy wounded side which flowed,
be of sin the double cure;
save from wrath and make me pure.

Not the labors of my hands
can fulfill thy law's commands;
could my zeal no respite know,
could my tears forever flow,
all for sin could not atone;
thou must save, and thou alone.

Nothing in my hand I bring,
simply to the cross I cling;
naked, come to thee for dress;
helpless, look to thee for grace;
foul, I to the fountain fly;
wash me, Savior, or I die.

While I draw this fleeting breath,
when mine eyes shall close in death,
when I soar to worlds unknown,
see thee on thy judgment throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in thee.

Next Study: "Blessed are those Who Mourn"

Update: New Studies at A Place for Truth by Chip Hammond and new sermons by Charles Biggs.

Rev. Charles R. Biggs

9 S. Locust Street

Post Office Box 628

Round Hill, VA 20141

571.334.7420

Quote of the Week

Introduction

Our quotation this week is from John Calvin. It is a translated essay from Calvin's Preface to the Geneva Bible of 1550. It is entitled: "Christ the End of the Law" and is included in a fine book of essays collected to honor the teaching of Dr. D. Clair Davis, professor of Church History at Westminster Theological Seminary.

The Book of essays is called 'The Practical Calvinist: An Introduction to the Presybterian and Reformed Heritage'. I highly recommend the book to pastors, teachers and those new to the Reformed faith. Click on the title above to order this book.

One of the things I like about this quotation is that you can sense Calvin's great love and deep excitement over what Christ has done for His people! From reading this quotation (as well as much of Calvin's work), one is curious as to how Calvin was ever misrepresented and caricatured as a boring, dry, and unloving man. The Devil has a subtle and devious way of causing the best authors and books in Christendom to be overlooked because of certain false notions and untrue reports reported by people who have never taken the time to read him for themselves! May Calvin be read again in our time and may the people of God drink deep of his wisdom and love for Christ!

John Calvin from 'Christ the End of the Law'

"Even any good that could be thought or desired is found in this Jesus Christ alone!

For He humbled Himself to exalt us; He made Himself a slave to set us free; He became poor to enrich us; He was sold to redeem us, captive to deliver us, condemned to absolve us; He was made malediction for our benediction, oblation of sins for our justice; He was disfigured to re-figure us; He died for our life, in such a manner that by Him harshness is softened, wrath appeased, darkness enlightened, iniquity justified, weakness is made strength, affliction is consoled, sin is impeached, despite is despised, dread is emboldened, debt is acquitted, labor is lightened, sorrow turned to joy, misfortune into fortune, difficulty is made easy, disorder made ordered, division united, ignominy is ennobled, rebellion subjected, threat is threatened, ambushes are driven out, assaults assailed, striving is overpowered, combat is combated, war is warred, vengeance is avenged, torment tormented, damnation damned, abyss is thrown into the abyss, hell is helled, death is dead, mortality, immortality!

For all those things which used to be the arms of the devil to combat us and the sting of death to pierce us, are turned for us into an exercise of which we can profit, so that we can boast with the apostle, saying, 'O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?' (1 Cor. 15:55).

From there it comes, that by such a Spirit of Christ in us, and we are in spirit seated among the heavenlies, as the world is no longer world to us, though we have conversation in it, but being content in all, either in countries, places, conditions, clothes, meats, and other like things. And we are comforted in tribulation, joyful in sorrow, glorious in vituperation, abounding in poverty, warmed in nakedness, patient in evil, living in death.

This is in sum what we should seek in the whole Scripture: it is to know well Jesus Christ and the infinite riches which are comprised in Him, and are, by Him, offered to us from God His Father!"

Soli Deo Gloria!

Pastor Charles R. Biggs

Ketoctin Covenant Presbyterian Church

9 S. Locust Street

Post Office Box 628

Round Hill, VA 20142-0628

571.334.7420

Vol. VI, Issue 7

The Beatitudes- Matthew 5:1-12

"Blessed are Those Who Mourn, for They Shall be Comforted."

From our previous studies, we learned that the Beatitudes characterize how a Christian should think and live. They are ultimately pictures of Jesus Christ our Lord. As we come to know him by grace through faith, we begin to be conformed more and more to his image. Jesus' image and character are revealed in the Beatitudes. The second beatitude, or characteristic of Christ and His people, is being those who mourn.

Being a mourner is not being a “cry baby”. It should not be perceived as weak or childish, but extremely godly and reflective of Christ. Living in a fallen world as redeemed people we are exposed to God’s gracious revelation in His Word of the way things should be in God's world. We know the purpose for all people is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever- -and yet we do not see this fully (and sometimes not at all)!

You could say that things are not as they should be, and we realize it. This causes a tension in our lives. We know what is good, right, and holy- -that is, what God expects and how God created all things for his glory- - yet we see sin, suffering, and problems in the world.

As Christians, we see and experience the consequences of sin in other people, as well as in our own hearts! During this time, as we await the return of our Savior, we must be comforted by the reality that our Lord Christ is victoriously seated at God’s right hand, and our eyes should remain fixed on the future when God will renew and restore all things to the way things should be!

Those who mourn in this present age can be assured that they will be comforted by the Spirit NOW, and fully comforted when Jesus returns for all of those He loves!

Mourners are Repentant and Blessed!

It is actually not sad to be a "mourner", but blessed! The reason is that a mourner is one who is aware of his spiritual condition before the LORD. A mourner knows that he or she is a sinner and needs the mercy and grace of the LORD!

Remember the main message of John the Baptist and Jesus when they preached to the crowds? The message was "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand." Mourners are those who live repentant for the Living God. Mourners are those who not only repent when they begin the Christian life, but live a life of constant repentance and dependence upon the Living God. Mourners know they are sinners, yet they know they have a Savior Who they can go to and confess their sins and be cleansed (1 John 1:7ff).

King David gives us a fine example of a mourner, or how we should respond to our sinful condition as the Word of God reveals more and more of the depths of sin in our hearts. Notice his approach to God begins with asking for mercy, not what he deserves. That reminds us as well of two of the characteristics of the Beatitudes: Poor in spirit and the merciful!

Psalm 51: Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. ²Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! ³For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. ⁴Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. ⁵Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. ⁶Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. ⁷Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. ⁸Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice. ⁹Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.

¹⁰Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. ¹¹Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. ¹²Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. ¹³Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. ¹⁴Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness. ¹⁵O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise...

David's request as a mourner is to have a clean heart before God, a right spirit within (v. 10). Mourners know that only God can create this in us, and give to us a right spirit. Mourners live repentant lives before the Lord, careful not to presume upon His grace, nor to forget their low condition. Yet at the same time, realizing that God is merciful, forgiving, full of steadfast love for sinners, and one who will cleanse us from our condition (vv. 1-2).

In the context of the Sermon on the Mount, we should remember that the people who were listening in to Jesus' message to his disciples, would have known the ways of the Scribes and the Pharisees. These were not mournful people. In fact, they do not respond to John the Baptist's message of repentance. When they come to hear John, he asks them: "Who has warned you to flee the coming wrath?" He then proceeds to call them "vipers" and tells them to "produce fruit in keeping with repentance." His point is that if you are going to enter the Kingdom, you must be made aware of your low position and condition before the Living God (being poor in spirit). He wanted them to know that the "fruits of repentance" was a mournful spirit that came to God looking for grace, not honor of merit!

Mourning Over Sin

Think about the lack of true and Biblical mourning in our culture today, even among some Christians! In our world, we either excuse the sin we see in others, or we condemn sinners. Some in our culture on the one hand, allow others to "do as they please" with no regard to righteousness. They say "Let the homosexual live freely without conviction of God's Word"; "Let the rebellious and the lawbreaker alone"; "Don't judge those who sin"; or "It doesn't matter what God we worship as long as we worship with faith". All of these sayings (and there are plenty more), are sayings that justify or excuse sin! We should never allow this kind of thinking to blur the righteousness and holiness of God revealed in Scripture.

On the other hand, some of us condemn sinners. We as Christians see the homosexual, the rebellious, the lawbreaker, and those who are misguided in their worship of idols and we condemn them forgetting that we were once among them! Neither of these positions are correct for Christians. We should neither excuse sin, nor condemn sinners! Rather, we should weep and mourn in repentance for what we see around us, calling others to repentance and pointing them to the same grace and mercy that we have found in the Lord Jesus!

Our message is one of repentance, and anyone reading this who does not live a repentant life must repent and believe upon the Lord Jesus, but we should never forget from where we came. Our lives now are all because of His grace! We should mourn over the lost condition of others, not judge them as if we are any better. Self-righteous people are never mourners! The Apostle Paul reminds us of this:

2 Corinthians 6:9-11: ⁹ Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, ¹⁰ nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. ¹¹ And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

This passage to the Corinthians reminds us that we were all sinners. That should make us continually repentant, but also grateful! The joy of the LORD is our strength, and that joy is a reality in the midst of our mourning. This too is the "already, not yet"! We mourn now, knowing that things are not as they should be in our world (including our own hearts!), yet we rejoice and are comforted because we know that Jesus has overcome the world and made a way to come for cleansing and a righteous robe before the Most High and Holy LORD of Heaven and Earth!

Have you ever noticed how mad and angry we get with others when they sin against us? Yet we often are not moved to tears and a mournful attitude when we see people sin against a Holy God? It is strange how we so easily are offended by others, but we don't think about the offense of our own sins before God! As mourners, we should reflect upon these things. We should remember, it was our sins that placed Jesus on the cross! It was our sins that caused him to die, caused him to be afflicted and cursed by God, taking God's anger and wrath in our place! Our sins were placed on Jesus so that he was called "sin".

Paul says: "He who had no sin became sin in order that we in Him we might become the righteousness of God!" (2 Cor. 5:21).

This statement alone should cause us all to be mourners! Yet at the same time, Jesus was declared "sin" so that we could be declared "righteous"! Furthermore, Jesus' resurrection and ascension to God's right hand should cause us to be comforted!

Jesus the Mourner

In Jesus' life here "under the sun", he visited a world full of sin and misery, so as to redeem those who would come to him by faith! Yet, when he came to extend his hand of grace and mercy, he was brutally apprehended by sinful men, abused by those undeserving, and put to death by those unworthy of His presence! Jesus was a mourner!

Jesus mourned over Jerusalem when he saw how many people who called Abraham "Father" rejected him and had not the "faith of Abraham" revealing themselves to be "sons of the devil" (John 8:31-58). He cried out: "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how I have longed to gather you as a hen gathers her chicks and you would not let me!"

Jesus mourned over Lazarus when he saw the results of the wages of sin in bringing death to his friend. Jesus mourned over those who were unrepentant and unbelieving who stood around him mocking him, laughing at him, and grieving His spirit within him! Jesus mourned over sinners constantly throughout his life!

Yet in Jesus' resurrection, He was comforted! Jesus was raised again to new life! Jesus ascended to God's right hand upon completion of His heavenly work for sinners and sent a portion of His joyful and triumphant Spirit to dwell with His people until He returns! He told his disciples "In this world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer for I have overcome the world!"

What great news for all Christians! Take comfort, Christians. Although we know that things aren't as they should be, that there is rampant sin and iniquity around us, as well as in our own hearts! We can be comforted by the fact that we know Jesus will return and restore all things! He is preparing a place for us know, full of joy and salvation and worship, empty of sin and misery! We know that the problem of sin has been taken care of in the death and mourning of Jesus Christ! We know that he who began a good work deep within our sinful hearts, will complete it on the Day of Jesus (Phil. 1:6).

"...They Shall be Comforted!"

Our comfort today as Christians is not in this present age, this evil world full of sin and misery, hating the Creator and Living God who we so long to be like! Our comfort is found in resting in the power of his Spirit, our knowledge of the God of all comfort, and knowing that he will wipe every tear from our eyes when he restores heaven and earth to the way it was supposed to be, yet in a way that will be beyond what we ever have asked or imagined! As we close this study, may we be comforted and meditate upon the words of God in Revelation 21:1-!

Revelation 21:1-6: Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. ² And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. ³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. ⁴ He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." ⁵ And he who was seated on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." ⁶ And he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.

May we as Christians, continue to mourn over our sins and the sins of others as we seek comfort in God's Spirit, and await the New Heavens and the New Earth where there will only be rejoicing because only righteousness will reign with Jesus Christ, our Glorious Savior, seated on the Throne of Blessed Grace! Are you longing for the day when you shall see him face to face? When we shall see him, we shall be like him! (1 Cor. 13:9-13; 1 John 3:2).

Reflect upon the words of Anne Cousin, who wrote the following hymn based on the dying words of the great theologian and suffering preacher Samuel Rutherford:

The sands of time are sinking,

The dawn of heaven breaks,

The summer morn I’ve sighed for,

The fair, sweet morn awakes.

Dark, dark hath been the midnight,

But dayspring is at hand;

And glory, glory dwelleth

In Emmanuel’s land.

The King there in His beauty,

Without a veil is seen:

It were a well spent journey,

Though seven deaths lay between:

The Lamb, with His fair army,

Doth on Mount Zion stand,

And glory, glory dwelleth

In Immanuel’s land.

O Christ, He is the fountain,

The deep, sweet well of love;

The streams on earth I’ve tasted,

More deep I’ll drink above.

There to an ocean fullness

His mercy doth expand.

And glory, glory dwelleth

In Immanuel’s land.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Next Study: "Blessed are the Meek, not the Weak"

Update: New Studies at A Place for Truth by Chip Hammond and new sermons by Charles Biggs.

Rev. Charles R. Biggs

9 S. Locust Street

Post Office Box 628

Round Hill, VA 20141

571.334.7420

Vol. VI, Issue 8

The Beatitudes- Matthew 5:1-12

"Blessed are the Meek, for they Shall Inherit the Earth."

Today's study from the Beatitudes is about the meek. Who are the meek? Normally when we hear the word "meek" we associate it with "weak". But the meek are far from weak, actually they are strong in the LORD in the way all should be! As Martin Lloyd-Jones has written, being meek is "a humble and gentle attitude to others based on a true estimate of ourselves.” Being meek is to know who we truly are, and to live a life based upon this knowledge.

Being meek, then is all about we as sinners saved by grace, having a true estimate of ourselves before God and others. Meekness is not thinking of ourselves higher than we ought, as the Apostle Paul teaches in Romans 12.

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 the measure of faith that God has assigned.

Being meek is constantly asking oneself "What is it that I have, that I have not been given by God?" (1 Cor. 4:7). Meekness is never weakness, but a true understanding of the grace that has been held out to believers by faith.

The Weakness of the World; the Meekness of Christianity

In contrast to the meek, the world and the culture around us demand their so-called rights. They think that God owes them something and that they should be given lots of money, happiness, health and everything their heart's desire! They live their lives with expectations that what they have been given and what God has ultimately provided to them in his common grace, they somehow deserve. This is not meekness, but weakness.

Because of the fall and our separation from God, we all have a tendency to think that each day that we have been given, as well as each breath we take is something we should expect. We are often startled by our frail humanity when we are choked, hurt in an accident, have a brush with death, or are reminded that we are dust in some way or another (Ps. 103). Ultimately, it is because by nature we are not meek people. We are weak and expectant people. We are weak, and do not realize that our great weakness is found in our great need for God. And because we have such great needs and do not realize it because sin clouds our understanding, we are weaker than we could have ever imagined.

When God allows something to challenge our humanity, or our strength, we are reminded of how helpless and frail we are in the big scheme of life. When we get sick with a disease or suffer from an ailment, we feel helpless and look around us for help. Usually, once we recover (if God has granted that we do), we often so easily forget those who helped us when we were weak, and we especially forget God! When troubled times come, some in this world turn to God for help and prayers, but if God allows them to recover many do not come back to thank him and to live for him out of gratitude. This reality Jesus found out when he healed ten lepers and only one came to thank him (Luke 17).

Lifeblood and the Blood of Life

If we ponder our human flesh (skin), we realize that we are sometimes a mere knife cut away from our life oozing out of us. We are "flesh and blood" people living in God's world, dependent creatures upon his grace and gifts, yet we often live our lives with the illusion of our own self-sufficiency (as if we somehow got our life from ourselves!?). We all so easily forget that except for the preventive (not prevenient) grace of God, we are only an accident away from our life blood oozing out, or for a bodily organ to stop functioning, and we would see our deaths.

I'm not trying to be morbid, but when we hurt ourselves in a small way with just a small scratch, we bleed. When we bleed, what is happening in reality is that a little bit of our life is oozing out. By God's grace he preserves our life so that we might look to Him and His kindness extended to us in Christ Jesus and in humble repentance turn to him admitting our need of physical help, but most all spiritual help.

The hope of all men is to look away from their sins, to repent, and to turn to the God who took upon human flesh so that his life blood could ooze out on behalf of those who believe! Jesus Christ shed his blood so that we might be cleansed from our self-sufficient rebellion against God Almighty! Jesus' blood was shed, he lost his life, so that he could offer life to us. What we as sinners had earned was death. As Paul says in Romans 6:23, "the wages of sin is death."

But in His grace, God united our frail flesh to his divinity, so that we might be saved from self-sufficient and proud living. He became flesh so that we might partake in his divinity; he became like us so that we could ultimately be like him (1 John 3:2-3). God, who has life in himself, came to die so that we might have eternal life in Him (John 5:24ff; 15:1-7). He came so that we might be meek!

Meekness, Not Weakness!

Do we really think about our humble condition, our real state before the Living God? If we do live this way, with this thought in mind because of what Christ has done for us, then we are truly meek and will continue to learn meekness as we are even more ever dependent upon him as we live! This is the mindset of the meek!

But how do we live out this meekness in a fallen world? Allow me to suggest two important ways. The first, is meekness to others. As Christians, humility should not be something we merely talk about, a kind of abstract goal we would like to reach one day. It should be a reality because of who we are united to the Living Christ and because of what he is doing (present tense) in us by His Spirit!

We show meekness to others particularly in considering others better than ourselves (Phil. 2)! This meekness can be shown visibly by example when a man overlooks the offense of another because they know how offensive they can be; It can be shown when an intellectual can listen and learn from others sometimes, rather than merely being the one always speaking and teaching others.

Considering others better than ourselves can be ultimately shown day by day when we reserve our rights, or our desires and wants, for the sake of extending love to another. It is when we put another first, even though we so desperately want to be first, and do this for the sake of love! In the family, it is sharing with others even though they don't deserve it; in the workplace, it is letting sarcastic and rude comments go by without offending you; in friendships, it is overlooking an unintentional offense of another, because you know how little you know your own sinful heart.

We thank God for the rights we have in this world, but we do not always have to use them. For the sake of love, we “lose our rights” in order to place others first. We need to remember that our primary call is not to our so-called rights in this world, but as Kingdom people to lose our rights and to take up our cross and follow a king who did not demand equality with God (Phil. 2: 5-11).

Be warned: In culture of self-assertion, you may be called “weak” if you reserve your rights and do not "speak up" like every other special interest group under the sun, but you are in good company with a Savior many thought to be too weak to save! “He saved others, why can’t he save himself??!!” They asked as Jesus hung on the cross!

There are so many ways the Holy Spirit can teach His people how to put other people and their needs FIRST! And, in doing so, you place Christ first because you do it out of love and an understanding that you have been given great position in God's Kingdom, yet it was not something you deserved - -it was all of grace!

Meekness and Repentance

The other way of showing meekness, is a kind of repentant attitude that is lived throughout our Christian life. As we learned with those who mourn, it is a total humbling reliance and dependence upon the Living God through a day-to-day life ofrepentance. What this means is that, it is never patting oneself on the back for the righteous things one has done, nor ever presuming that the fruits of the Spirit somehow come naturally from us! It is simply a humble reminder that the gospel is not merely for unbelievers, but also for Christians. We constantly depend upon the grace and mercy that has been given and we know that as we work out our salvation with fear and trembling, that it is God who works in us to do and to will according to his good pleasure (Phil. 2:12-13).

The Prophet Isaiah describes this kind of lifelong meekness well in Isaiah 30:15-18:

Isaiah 30:15-18: For thus said the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, "In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength." But you were unwilling, ¹⁶ and you said, "No! We will flee upon horses"; therefore you shall flee away; and, "We will ride upon swift steeds"; therefore your pursuers shall be swift. ¹⁷ A thousand shall flee at the threat of one; at the threat of five you shall flee, till you are left like a flagstaff on the top of a mountain, like a signal on a hill. ¹⁸ Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.

Isaiah wanted the people of God to know that our strength was in "quietness and trust" in the Living God. The people of God in Isaiah's time wanted horses, swift steeds in order for them to know and appreciate their strength, but God wanted them to find their strength in total and humble dependence upon Him! God wants His people to meekly place their trust in the power of God, not in themselves. Even in salvation, it will be in "repentance (returning) and rest" and not in anything they have done or accomplished. From the time we are saved, until the time Jesus returns, we are to live this kind of meek life, totally dependent upon the Lord's lovingkindness to us!

"S-E-L-F- - R-E-S-P-E-C-T"

The opposite of meekness is ultimately SELF. Self-centered, self-sufficient, self-motivated, self-taught, self-respect, and all the other "self's" that our hearts conjure up with the illusions that we truly are the masters of our tiny little universes! We think we are gods, little lords, masters of our little piece of land and we somehow got where we are on this little space of land by our own blood, sweat and tears!

Some think as tiny lords in their little kingdoms, that there is absolutely nothing that they cannot do; they gain the whole world and then many lose their souls. Some build up their names and reputations in their tiny kingdoms because they want to be revered, respected...feared, yet at the end of the day, all of their striving and self-centeredness to establish their kingdoms against any other would-be self-centered and tiny kingdoms, their little kingdom one day becomes their grave! How foolish we are sometimes! What is it that we have, that we have not received?

Yet, in the midst of our struggle to gain and to establish our self-centered kingdoms, God in his His grace invades our sinful hearts by His powerful Holy Spirit, causes us to surrender with the Apostle Paul and ask: "Who are you LORD?" (Acts 9). And if and when this wonderful work of God happens, we realize that all of our plotting and self-centered conniving, seems quite empty and hopeless. We realize our great need of dependence upon the Living God. We realize just how much He has done for us and in our great gratitude we desire to walk humbly before him.

Trespassers or Inheritors on the Earth?

We desire meekness for the first time! An offense is no longer as offensive. Our rights don't mean as much anymore. We open our clouded eyes from our restless dreams of conquering our tiny kingdoms only to realize that it is a rather small plot of ground in this big universe and that it rightfully and really belongs to the Lord God Almighty! We realize that we are only here because he has allowed us to be on his property. We should be shot as trespassers, but we are welcomed not merely as guests, but as sons who will inherit the earth!

Then we realize: All this time, I tried to conquer God and establish my tiny kingdom against all other men- - How futile! All of this time, it belonged to him anyway, he has clothed me in His best robes as my father, and that I do not have to forcefully take hold of this tiny kingdom, but by inheritance he will give me the earth!

What a revelation! What all men are so desperately trying to steal for themselves and set themselves up against the LORD and His anointed would be given to them by inheritance through faith in Jesus Christ, the one who owns the heavens and the earth! Because Jesus earned the deed, the title to this grand earth, God will give this place to all those who are his children! God will renew all things and it will be as he planned from the foundation of the earth!

God will give them the earth! The dominion over the earth that was lost in Adam's sin has been regained by Jesus Christ for his own! God will grant by inheritance and not force, the whole earth! And most importantly, God will be with them, and He shall be their God!

"Blessed (truly) are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth!"

Soli Deo Gloria!

Next Study: "Blessed are the Mourners"

Rev. Charles R. Biggs

9 S. Locust Street

Post Office Box 628

Round Hill, VA 20141

571.334.7420

Quote of the Week

Introduction

Our quotation this week is from B. B. Warfield, the great and godly preacher and professor at Princeton Theological Seminary in the late 19th and early 20th century.

This quotation is from a sermon preached in the Chapel of Princeton Theological Seminary, entitled 'Jesus Alone' from Acts 4:12. In the context of this quotation, Prof. Warfield is unpacking what the Bible means we are "saved". It is interesting to note the great complexity of our salvation, yet also how simply it is revealed to us in Scripture.

Acts 4:12: "And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."

B. B. Warfield

"We certainly shall never do justice indeed to the Biblical conception of salvation taken as a whole, save by giving to that term its widest conceivable connotation. It may be that we are prone to narrow and limit it on this side and that, and then to feel some surprise, perhaps some perplexity, when we open the pages of Scripture and light upon passage after passage which will not square with our poor and starving ideas.

In the Biblical conception of it, -- we shall not be able to say it too emphatically- - salvation broadens its beneficient reach to cover every evil that afflicts the afflicted race of man.

And that with the best reason. For in the center of salvation's center, in the heart of its heart, salvation is deliverance from sin, and accordingly it is deliverance from all the evils that find their roots in sin: and every evil of every kind that has ever entered the sphere of human life is consequent on sin and but the manifestation of sin's presence and power in humanity...

...The favorite expression for salvation in the Biblical record is that great word Life; which is set over against the equally great word Death, as the best comprehensive term to gather up all the evils from which we shall be saved. Whatever Death is, and all that Death is, and all that leads up to, accompanies and follows Death, in any one of its possible applications, physical or temporal, spiritual and eternal- - that is what we shall be saved from in this salvation!

And whatever Life is, and all that Life is, and all that leads up to, accompanies and expresses, and grows out of and crowns Life- - in every possible application of that great conception- - that is what we shall be saved to in this salvation: or rather that, in Biblical language, is salvation...

...Everything that vexes and troubles human life in every sphere of its manifestation is but the issue of this first disobedience (in the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3). Conceive man as a physical organism held together by the subtle forces which govern material life; all that brings him pain, disease, and death, emerges as the unavoidable result of sin and therefore the necessary object of salvation...

"...For if by the trespass of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one man Jesus Christ abound unto the many." There is a superabundance of grace, and an extension of it immeasurably beyond the ravages wrought even by sin."

This sermon has been printed in a nice collection by Banner of Truth Trust. The Title of the collection of Warfield sermons is: 'Jesus: the Savior of the World'

Soli Deo Gloria!

Pastor Charles R. Biggs

Ketoctin Covenant Presbyterian Church

9 S. Locust Street

Post Office Box 628

Round Hill, VA 20142-0628

571.334.7420

Vol. VI, Issue 9

The Beatitudes- Matthew 5:1-12

"Blessed are those Who Hunger and Thirst after Righteousness, for they Shall be Filled."

In the last three studies, we learned that the poor in spirit are those who are totally dependent upon the Living God both for life and salvation. The mourners are not "cry babies" but those who mourn over their own sins and the sins of others who sin against a Holy God. In our last study we learned about the meek, who are not weak, but truly have a right estimate of themselves in light of their relationship to God Almighty.

Today's study is about those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Who are these people and what are they like?

A Big Appetite for Righteousness

Those who are hungry and thirsty for righteousness have a big appetite for righteousness. Those who hunger and thirst after righteousness persistently pursue and long for a righteous, Christ-likeness so that they may live satisfied and full lives before the face of God!

It is strange that we find righteousness and holiness to be so strange when we see glimpses of it in others. When those who don't believe in Christ see Christ's followers seeking holiness or righteousness, they are taken back by it.

We should rather be taken back by those who do not hunger and thirst after righteousness. For in reality, hungering and thirsting after God and His righteousness in our lives is the only thing that will ever satisfy the hunger of the longing of our souls! Seeking righteousness should be quite natural and normal for all of us!

Righteousness and holiness were the reasons for which we were created because we were created to be in fellowship with God and to show forth his likeness (Gen. 1:26-28). The first sin of Adam, and the fall of man into sin and misery should have ruined any possibility of hope for those characterized by sin rather than righteousness, but God in His grace held out hope and grace from the very beginning in promising a Seed who would accomplish righteousness for those who believe (Gen. 3:15).

"Better than Life!"

Christ came as representative and Savior of those who believe and he only hungered and thirsted after righteousness. He sought it with all his heart! We see glimpses of this desire for righteousness in David's desires for God expressed beautifully in Psalm 63.

Psalm 63: "O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you,in a dry and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you. On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.

One of my students and friends wrote to me concerning this psalm in a recent e-mail. She wrote: ”I love this psalm, which was written when David was in the desert of Judah. Although he does not have much to feast upon ("in a dry and weary land where there is no water"), he feasts upon God's word ("My soul will be satisfied with the richest of foods"), and finds in it all that he needs to sustain himself.” That's a living expression of what it means to hunger and thirst after righteousness.

God's Word teaches us about the righteousness of Christ. The Word of God reveals Christ to us so that we might come to know him and be saved. It promises us that if we believe in Him, we shall be united to Him, and we shall be like Him. As we come to look upon Christ in His Word (through preaching and the Lord's Supper), we come to persistently pursue and long for more of Him to be formed in us! Do you long for Christ to be formed in you?

Notice in Psalm 63 that David cries out to God that his love is better than life itself! David knew, as we should come to learn in Christ, that the only life worth living is the life lived in obedience to God's Word, hungering and thirsting after righteousness and Christ-likeness. David, and we who live on this side of the resurrection and ascension of Jesus, who have a portion of the Spirit of God given to us, ought to persistently pursue and long for a righteous Christ-likeness so that we might live satisfied and full lives before the face of God!

Eat, Drink, and Truly Be Merry!

Why are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness hungry and thirsty? Because of the fall into sin and misery, the world is full of sin and selfish disobedience to the Living God. Righteousness is not found naturally within our own souls or hearts, and definitely not found in others around us.

When we look for glimpses of glory, sparks of divine righteousness around us in our world, we are more likely to find sin and the consequences of unrighteous and unholy living. In fact, it makes us feel quite unclean, but we are not merely the victims as Christians, we are part of the sin problem. However, as Christians we struggle with our sinful and selfish tendencies so that we might become more like Christ (Romans 7)!

We want to ask Christ our Lord for more of a hunger, desire, and thirst for the Living God. Just as our bodies crave food and thirst for water, so our souls created by God long to be satisfied with only God Himself! Have you ever thought how unnatural it is for us not to pursue righteousness and holiness. Think of the deer spoken of by David in Psalm 42:

"As the deer pants or longs for the water, so my soul longs after the God."

Think of this illustration and analogy to the deer. The deer doesn't think logically, merely with his mind, "Hmmm, I think it is time for me to drink." No! Rather, the deer is driven to the streams of water so that he might quench his thirst. Think about when we are hungry. We don't say, "I think I will work up an appetite." We are naturally hungry during the day (3 times or more?!) and we are driven to seek to eat and drink. It is natural and normal. If the truth be known, we can’t work up a hunger and thirst…we don’t make ourselves this way, it happens naturally!

So should our persistent pursuit of Christ-likeness be for the Christian. As we come to learn of Christ's loveliness and more of his mercy, we desire to know Him and His Word much better. We long to truly understand how the Spirit has united us closely to Him and we long to be more like him- -in every way. The Apostle Paul wanted to know this. In Philippians 3, Paul exuberantly writes:

Philippians 3:7-14: But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. ⁸Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ ⁹and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith- ¹⁰that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, ¹¹that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. ¹²Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. ¹³Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, ¹⁴I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Paul wanted to leave behind all of his futile and self-righteous pursuits of righteousness in his life as a Pharisee. What he wanted was the kind of knowledge and relationship with God found only in the Person of Jesus Christ! He said he counted all of his prestigious pedigree as "rubbish" so that he might gain Christ. But what specifically did he want to "gain" in Christ?

A Righteousness in Christ

The Apostle Paul wanted to be found "in Him", having a righteousness that depends on faith (v. 9). He wanted to know the power of Christ's resurrection, the sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, so that he could attain the unbelievable hope of the resurrection from the dead. And Paul was determined to strain forward to attain this by faith alone (v. 13-14). This is a picture of a pursuit of righteous Christ-likeness through a knowledge of our Savior that is both doctrinal and personal.

What it means that this pursuit of righteousness is both doctrinal and personal is that we pursue the Christ held out to us in God's revelation of Scripture. We try to come to a better understanding of how God has revealed himself through His Word to us, and we remember to do this together with all the saints (Eph. 3:18). Personally, we come to take part in the sufferings of Christ after taking part in His resurrection when we are regenerated and our hearts are made new when we first believe in Christ.

We then walk before the face of God all of our lives, coming to understand better our close bond and union we have with the Living Christ in our lives. As He is the Vine, so we are the branches. We draw from his own innate righteousness throughout the Christian life, as we seek to emulate and pursue the same kind of righteousness that he has. We don't have an innate righteousness, but when we become Christians he gives us a clothing of his righteousness that justifies us before God. Then as we live "in Him" and "for Him" in obedience to Him, he works in us that which is good and pleasing, according to his will. As Paul says in Philippians 3:12, we press on and forward because Jesus has made us His own. We more and more hunger and thirst for righteous Christ-likeness!

Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness ultimately long to know and to be like Jesus! They long to become more righteous as the gnawing in our stomachs from hunger, or the dry, parched mouths desiring water, so the “hungry and thirsty” are looking to only One for satisfaction.

Who Do You Want to Be Like?

Who do you long to be like? We oftentimes want to be like other people. We have people that we know and people that we admire that we want to emulate. We have heroes and heroines that are not always examples of righteousness, yet we look to them to see how they dress, how they walk and talk, how they interact with others. We want to be like them!

When we ponder God’s grace and goodness in Jesus Christ held out to us in the Word of God and the Lord's Supper, and then consciously and constantly meditate upon Jesus as Glorified God-Man, we will long to be like him! I encourage you to meditate upon Jesus Christ as the ascended Savior at the right hand of God. We often forget and become functional Greek Gnostics who deny the humanity of Jesus Christ. However, we must remember that our Mediator, Jesus Christ THE Righteous One, has a human face at the right hand of God! This will encourage your pursuit of His righteousness.

HE is the picture of perfection and righteousness for which we all truly long! Jesus was perfect as Divine Being, but when he took upon himself a human nature without a sin problem of the heart, he learned righteousness and obedience as a man. It is hard for us to fathom, but when he said "Thy will be done, O Lord", these were true and sincere words he spoke prayerfully to the Father.

As Divine, Christ was indeed omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent, but this Divine One loved His own so much that he clothed himself with flesh and became man. As human, Christ was not omniscient, but learning; not omnipresent, but local; not omnipotent, but limited. It is hard for us to fully understand, but it is how God has revealed Jesus Christ to us in His Holy Word! So why is this helpful to your pursuit of righteousness? Because He can truly both sympathize with your weakness, as well as, and perhaps more importantly, help you in your weakness and weak pursuit of righteousness (Heb. 4:14-16).

Read carefully Hebrews 5:1-8 to get a glimpse of this righteousness that was pursued FIRST by Jesus Christ himself!

Hebrews 5:1-8: For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. ² He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. ³ Because of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins just as he does for those of the people. ⁴ And no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was. ⁵ So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him, "You are my Son, today I have begotten you"; ⁶ as he says also in another place, "You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek." ⁷ In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. ⁸ Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. ⁹ And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him...

We ought to reflect upon how Jesus learned obedience through his suffering and was being made perfect (vv. 8-9). As Hebrews 12 says, he is the ultimate example of faith that is set for us. Yes, He is truly God; Yes, He is truly man. For those who trust in him and begin to understand their living union with Him, should know that hungering and thirsting after righteousness is set forth for us in the life and death of Jesus.

"Unrighteous Righteousness"

But a lot of people call themselves "righteous". There are people all around who do good deeds, think of themselves as "good" and don't see a need for Christ and His righteousness. What is the wrong kind of righteousness? In Matthew 5:20, Jesus warned of the wrong kind of righteousness. He said that His follower's righteousness must exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and the Pharisees. Now that would have completely shocked the people!

If there was one supposed guarantee in Israel at the time of Jesus, it was that Scribes and Pharisees were going to be in heaven, even if the rest of the world didn't make it. They did all kinds of external righteous deeds that impressed people. But this external righteousness was not good enough. Neither is this mere external righteousness good enough for people who are trying live this way today. This kind of righteousness actually kills, according to Jesus. He said not only that our righteousness must exceed the Scribe and the Pharisee, but he said those whose righteousness did not exceed, would not enter the Kingdom of Heaven. There will be plenty of externally righteous people, people with good reputations in society that will have gained the respect of the whole world, but who will lose their own souls on the Day of Jesus Christ.

"Do the Right Thing?"

As Isaiah prophesies, we must repent even of our best deeds because without Christ they are as filthy rags (Is. 64:6). The wrong kind of righteousness is merely an external righteousness without a true root of saving faith within the heart. We should remember (as the Apostle Paul learned the hard way), that righteousness is not merely living externally by rules. Righteousness is not only doing the right thing… (as the Pharisees did fine externally).

The righteousness we are to pursue is not merely an external, “going-through-the-motions” kind of righteousness. It is an internal disposition created in the human heart by the Spirit of God when we are born again and become new creations in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). It could be described as a righteousness that is "grateful because of His grace taking away our guilt before God” kind of righteousness!

As I said before, we are not merely to do the right thing, but to be doing the right thing for the right reasons. What is doing the right thing for the right reasons? Doing all that we do out of love for God and gratitude for what he has done for us in Christ! This is an inward change of heart or a “change of appetite”. One way of checking your attitude is to ask yourself this question: "Do I concentrate on the righteous things I do for God, or do I focus on the righteous things God has done for me?!" This will help you to determine whether you are trusting in God's righteousness revealed in Christ, or your own righteousness.

The good news for sinners whodo not have any inherentrighteousness, is that a righteousness has beenrevealed by God for those whowould look to Christ. The righteousness that we need and want to know is foundin the Person of Jesus Christ:

Romans 1:17: For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, "The righteous shall live by faith.

The Pursuit of Satisfaction or the Pursuit of Righteousness?

Do you pursue righteousness, or do you cry: “I don’t Get No Satisfaction”? Have you a desire to have all of your spiritual needs met by the only One who can do it? We search desperately in this fallen world to find something or sometimes someone who will meet our needs and satisfy our longings.

Only God can satisfy, all other things and others will leave us starving and dry. The Israelites hungered and thirsted to go back to Egypt rather than trusting in God’s Word and seeking him. We must watch our tendencies to find in “Egypt” or in this world the fulfillment of our soul’s longings. Many try, but many come up empty and fail. We must place our trust in the Living and Righteous Christ who fulfilled and exceeded the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees so that we might be found in him, not having a righteousness of our own, but a righteousness that comes by faith in Jesus!

Furthermore, once we are united to Him, we must be constantly keeping our eyes on this Jesus. As we continue to seek him, we will long for him more! As we grow in our knowledge of His righteousness, beauty and holiness, we will desire to have this kind of righteousness. An although the world might starve and die of thirst because their empty souls can only be satisfied by God alone, those who place their trust in Christ shall be filled!

We will find at the end of our persistent pursuit and longing for Christ-likeness a true filling and quenching of our thirsts. As David says in Psalm 17:15:

As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness.

The Apostle John teaches us of this great hope of being filled, being like Christ one day in his first letter. He writes:

1 John 3:1-3: See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. ² Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. ³ And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

As children of the Living God, we know that what we will one day be is not yet, but we know that when he appears and returns for those He loves, we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is! John says that this is our hope "in Christ" and therefore we are to purify ourselves as he is pure!

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall indeed be filled!

Soli Deo Gloria!

Next Study: "Blessed are the Merciful"

Rev. Charles R. Biggs

9 S. Locust Street

Post Office Box 628

Round Hill, VA 20141

571.334.7420

Vol. VI, Issue 10

The Beatitudes- Matthew 5:1-12

"Blessed are the Merciful, for they Shall Receive Mercy."

We often so easily forget the mercy that God has shown to us in Christ. We deserve only God's wrath and justice for our sins, but he has offered his hand of mercy to us in Christ! What have you been given by God that you truly deserve (2 Cor. 4)? Be honest!

How do we practice mercy with others, particularly those who treat us indifferently and cruel? Are we merciful with others who sin against us? Do we reflect our Father's goodness and mercy when others sin against us? Not always! In fact, we many times ask for others to treat us and to pay us back in a way inconsistent with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

God offers to us mercy, a forgiveness that is unmerited or undeserved! We ought to offer that same unmerited and undeserved mercy back to other people who upset us- - yet it is so hard for us to do!

It is because we have not truly understood God's mercy on us! If we did, we would have not trouble (by His grace) extending hands of mercy to others!

How can we be more merciful and forgiving as a people? By the power of Christ's Spirit teaching us the deep and undying love and mercy of God to us! Let this sink into our unmerciful and unforgiving hearts:

"While we were yet sinners and enemies of God, Christ died for the ungodly!"

That's mercy! May we come to understand Mercy, mercy, mercy to others. As Jesus says: "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall be shown mercy."

"Mercy, mercy me! What an Unmerciful World!”

We live in an extremely unmerciful world! The most common way of expressing our evil design toward others when we are angry is summarized in the saying: “Don’t get mad, get even!” Most people in our age are looking out for themselves, "number one" and if you cross them, they will do what they will to get back at you. The way of Jesus is to offer mercy to those who oppose us and treat us cruelly. Although this is impossible without the merciful Spirit of God living within us, it is possible by His grace. The Apostle Paul sums up the Christian's attitude in Romans 12:

Romans 12:14-21: ¹⁴Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. ¹⁵Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. ¹⁶Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be conceited. ¹⁷Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. ¹⁸If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. ¹⁹Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." ²⁰To the contrary, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head." ²¹Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

At first glance, this is seems impossible, but as we reflect on God's mercy that has been shown toward us in Jesus, so we find the strength by His grace to demonstrate this kind of attitude toward those who are evil toward us.

Sometimes we see others, both believers and unbelievers, whose sins and mistakes have caused them pain. We glance around and see the consequences of others "reaping what they have sown". Do you reach out to help, or do you just say: “They are getting what they deserve?” Mercy reminds us each day that none of those who know the Lord Jesus Christ are getting what they deserve! What we deserve is eternal death and God's justice, what we get by faith in Christ is God's abundant mercy! We should remember that the next time we so easily judge another for their sins rather than teaching them to turn from their sins to the Hope we have in Jesus Christ for life!

Forgiveness- - One More Time??

What is mercy toward other people anyway? Mercy is about forgiveness- - extending a hand of undeserved grace to another- -and not just one time- - but one more time!

Remember when Peter asked Jesus "How many times shall I forgive my brother?" He presumptuously answered his own question with what he thought was a very liberal and kind "seven times?" before Jesus answered him. However, Jesus wanted him to know that if he or anyone else understood God's forgiveness, undeserving mercy toward us, we would all offer forgiveness and mercy as many times as it is requested.

This means in reality that anytime you have forgiven someone "one more time", you have not forgiven them enough. There will be probably be another time, and you must be just as ready and willing to extend a hand of undeserved grace toanother all over again! This means that the next time you offer mercy to another (one to whom you perhaps have had to forgive before), you must remember that you cannot think anything like "Well, this will be the last time for them, I've had it with 'em!"

If you think like this, you have not understood the number of times daily, no hourly, that you must return to your God with requests of forgiveness. In other words, you constantly need forgiveness and mercy from God and others will constantly need forgiveness and mercy from you! Read carefully Jesus' story in Matthew 18:

A Story of Debt Owed and Forgiven

Matthew 18:21-35: Then Peter came up and said to him, "Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?" ²²Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven. ²³

"Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. ²⁴When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents (about 15 years’ wages). ²⁵And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. ²⁶So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.' ²⁷And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt.

²⁸But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii (a days’ wages), and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, 'Pay what you owe.' ²⁹So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you.' ³⁰He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. ³¹When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place.

³²Then his master summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. ³³And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?' ³⁴And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. ³⁵So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart."

Notice in this story the following important points concerning mercy: 1) The amount of debt is great- -it is not merely overlooked! It costs the king a lot, yet he forgives the debt! 2) The servant could never repay his master! 3) The King was merciful and forgave him his debt!

We could never repay God for our sins! None of us! We all owe God eternal death, for Romans 6:23 says the wages of sin is death. Yet God, who is rich in mercy, extends a hand of forgiveness to us in Christ.

“We owed a debt we could not pay; Christ paid a debt He did not owe!”

Remember: Believing and actually doing are two different things! You may believe this about mercy. You may even believe that this is Biblical, but do you practice mercy? Are you an initiator of mercy? How many "owe" you a debt today that is eating you up inside? How many are you unwilling to forgive, to even call or write and extend mercy toward them? Are you greater than God? We must come to terms with our sins and face them, so that we can turn once again to the mercy of God found in the face of Christ! We must seek out, be initiators of mercy!

Mercy is a "Weighty Matter" of the Law of God

We often forget that the Pharisees were very good at achieving merely external righteousness. They "did the right thing" outwardly even if it didn't come from a pure heart (Matt. 15:7ff; 23:23ff). Remember that Jesus reminded the Pharisees and his disciples of the “weightier” or more important matters of the Law from the Prophet Micah:

Micah 6:8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness (mercy: hesed, translated “lovingkindness of God), and to walk humbly with your God?

Matthew 23:23 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.

“Mercy” or offering an undeserved hand of grace and forgiveness to others who sin against us is a very important and “weighty” matter of the Law! Why? The Law condemns us all! If God has shown us mercy and not just wrath and punishment, shouldn’t we show the same to others who may have broken our own personal and social laws against us?

Receivers of Mercy

We have earned God’s just wrath and punishment. The only thing we have done to merit anything before a Holy God is to earn death and wrath. But God, who is rich in mercy has offered us grace in Jesus Christ. Some of the greatest two words ever written are "but God" from Paul's Epistle to the Ephesians:

Ephesians 2:1-8: And you were dead in the trespasses and sins ²in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience- ³among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. ⁴But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, ⁵even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ- by grace you have been saved- ⁶and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus...For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God."

The very good news of the gospel is that we are not getting what we deserve because of what Christ did mercifully for us! We have been shown mercy by the Living God.

God shows us mercy and grace so that we might be saved. The Mercy Seat in the Old Covenant is where justice and mercy meet because of God’s love and mercy to sinners! In the Old Covenant blood is shed on the mercy seat as a substitution for sinners. In the fullness of time in the New Covenant, Christ himself sheds his own precious blood, not merely on the Mercy Seat, a representation of God's throne, but lays down his life before the very throne of God itself!

Do you show mercy to others? Do you say things like: “Well, they deserved it!”? Or, do you say unmerciful harsh things in more of a subtle manner, such as: “I would forgive them, but I’m not going to forget it!” Or, “I warned them so many times, and now they are getting what they deserve?

The next time you are thinking thoughts such as these, ask yourself: What about what I deserve before a Holy God? This reality should seep deep down into our heart and cause us to overflow with mercy and grace to others. You truly owed a debt that you could never in a million years repay, yet Christ in His mercy to you, paid a debt he never in a million years would have owed to God. Now, go and offer the same sacrificial mercy to others!

Soli Deo Gloria!

Next Study: "Blessed are the Pure in Heart"

Rev. Charles R. Biggs

9 S. Locust Street

Post Office Box 628

Round Hill, VA 20141

571.334.7420

Quote of the Week

Introduction

Martin Luther came to understand the gospel from his study of the books of Galatians and Romans. In 1520, Dr. Luther wrote a book entitled 'Treatise Concerning Good Works'. This most important book (or "treatise") is still extremely relevant today. Read carefully this quotation that reveals all of our "sin underneath the Sins" that we commit each day and how we are to understand God's graciousness by faith alone! He is commenting on the first commandment:

"You shall have no other gods before me."

Luther on Our Common Idolatry

"All those who do not in all their works or sufferings, life and death, trust in God's favor, grace and good-will, but rather seek HIs favor in other things or in themselves, do not keep the first commandment, and practice real idolatry, even if they were to do all the works of all the other commandments, and in addition had all the prayers, fasting, obedience, patience, chastity, and innocence of all the saints combined...

If we doubt or do not believe that God is gracious and pleased with us, or if we presumptuously expect to please Him through our works, then all of our compliance with the Law of God is pure deception, outwardly honoring God, but inwardly setting up self as a false savior...

...Note for yourself, then, how far apart these two are: keeping the first commandment with outward works only, and keeping it with inward justifying faith. For this last makes true, living children of God, the other only makes worse idolatry and the most mischievous hypocrites on earth...

If we obey God's law without a belief that we are already accepted and loved in Christ, then in all of our "doing good" we are really looking to something more than Jesus to be the real source of our meaning, and happiness. We are trusting in our being a good parent, or being a good spouse, or our moral uprightness, or our spiritual performance, or our service to other people as our real "Saviors."

If we aren't sure God already loves us in Christ we will be looking to something else as our foundational significance and worth.

...And as this first commandment is the very first, highest and best, from which all the others proceed, in which they exist, and by which they are directed and measured, so also its work, that is, the faith or confidence in God's favor at all times, is the very first, highest and best, from which all others must proceed, exist, remain, be directed and measured..."

Soli Deo Gloria!

Pastor Charles R. Biggs

Ketoctin Covenant Presbyterian Church

9 S. Locust Street

Post Office Box 628

Round Hill, VA 20142-0628

571.334.7420

Vol. VI, Issue 11

The Beatitudes- Matthew 5:1-12

"Blessed are the Pure in Heart, for They Shall See God."

The sixth beatitude, or characteristic of Christ and His people, is being those who are pure in heart.

We live in a very compromising world. As Christians, we want to live uncompromising lives to our Lord because of all he has done on our behalf in Christ. We want to be pure in heart. Being pure in heart means to live with an undivided and loving loyalty to the LORD alone. It means to serve and love only God by His grace and His power that works within us.

Yet we do not have pure hearts completely. Even as Christians we sin daily and wrestle against our sins (Romans 7:7-25). Our hearts are polluted and Christ has come to make us pure in heart, so that we might learn to love God alone!

There are many idols that we have in our hearts. Many things we love more than God. Yet Christ is committed to smashing these idols as we surrender them to him. The pure in heart are not perfect people, they are those who have been saved by the LORD Jesus who is pure in heart and who cleanses them from sin. The great hope of those who will one day be pure in heart is that they shall see God. It is the greatest motivation to continue to ask him for strength for purity so that on that day we shall see him as He is!

As Jesus says: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."

Psalm 24:3-5 says: "Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place? ⁴ He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully. ⁵ He will receive blessing from the LORD and righteousness from the God of his salvation."

We know that the One who ultimately ascended the hill of the LORD and stands in God's holy place is Jesus Christ our Savior from sin, He is the only one who has perfectly clean hands and a pure heart!

Purity of heart

What is purity of heart? An undivided and loving loyalty from the heart dedicated to the LORD alone!

During each day of our daily walk with God, we experience what is like a walk through a hall of advertisements: everyone selling to us what we “truly need”. It’s like a walk in vanity fair, where Christian in Pilgrim’s Progress is being tempted by everything to keep him happy and healthy to distract him from fully seeking after God. It is like a visit to a country with street salesmen, everyone trying to sell you something – Our lives can be great distractions from the one thing needful, as Jesus puts it!

In our world of compromise, we can have literally “everything we want, when we want it” and not have the very thing we need the most: an undivided and loyal love from the heart to the Lord and His Kingdom!

Purity of Heart in the Old Covenant

In the Old Covenant, Israel was taught to approach God through a mediatorial High Priest who approached the presence of God in the Holy of Holies only once yearly on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16). God was instructing the people that if anyone was to approach a Holy God it would be with a perfect and pure heart. The High Priest approached God with a bloody sacrifice that symbolized the life that was required as a substitute in order to bring purity of heart to sinners so that they might have communion with God again.

In the New Covenant, we see the full significance of the High Priest revealed in the Old Covenant. Jesus is our High Priest who has shed his precious blood, so that we might be pure and holy, and so we might approach the Living God and all come into his presence. The Book of Hebrews has much to teach us on this Greater High Priest:

Hebrews 9:24-28: For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. ²⁵Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, ²⁶for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. ²⁷And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, ²⁸so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

76% of Americans Keep the First Commandment?

God revealed our need of a Savior and our need of a pure heart, or an undivided and loyal love from the heart in the first of the commandments: “Thou shall have not other gods before me!”

In 1993, 76% of Americans said that they “consider themselves completely true to the first commandment”. What this means in reality is NOT that 76% of Americans are true to the first commandment, but more likely that 76% of Americans don't fully understand the Gospel!! None of our hearts are fully devoted to God, and whatever at any particular time is getting our fully devotion and loyalty is an idol.

Now perhaps you don’t have idols of wood, stone, or porcelain as in other cultures in other parts of the world; perhaps you don't offer incense and prayers to a little porcelain Buddha in your home. But what does your heart desire and want so much that your heart clamors: “Give me this, or else I’ll die!”

According to secular psychologists (and there is some good we can learn from them- - ALL TRUTH is God's truth), most people struggle with four main idols (although the secular psychologists wouldn't call them idols). These four main idols are like colors, there are many variations and shades of these idols and they can be mixed like colors to form new idols. The four main "idols" of our hearts are: (1) Power; (2) Approval; (3) Comfort; and (4) Control.

In these four idols, you can find various "sins that so easily beset you" each and every day. In these four idols, you can find what takes the place of God many times in your life, on any given day. Meditate upon these four and the many variations of each of them, then try to think about how Scriptures corrects the assumptions of our idols and smashes them as we meditate upon the Word of God and bring our thoughts into captivity to our Lord Jesus!

"Good Old Fashioned" Idolatry

What must you have for life to be meaningful or happy- - money, reputation, position, respect?” At any given moment, our hearts are ready to be divided in its loyalty according to whatever we think at any given moment, will ultimately bring us happiness! So, what do you desire that if you do not have, you think you will die?

If you answer this question with anything other than God Himself that “other” person or thing serves functionally as an idol or god to you. Jesus teaches us what this means in Matthew 6 concerning serving two masters:

Matthew 6:24 "No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. ^{25 …33}But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

To seek anything more than the kingdom of God and his righteousness is "good old fashioned" idolatry! We need pure hearts, undivided and loving loyalty to the LORD alone, yet we are all idolaters. If you cannot think of the idols that afflict you at this moment, read this brilliant insight as to what the first commandment actually means in our daily and momentary practice, written by 120 godly men who wrote the Westminster Larger Catechism. This answer is in response to the question:

“What are the duties required in the first commandment?”

“The duties required in the first commandment are, the knowing and acknowledging of God to be the only true God, and our God; and to worship and glorify him accordingly, by thinking, meditating, remembering, highly esteeming, honoring, adoring, choosing, loving, desiring, fearing of him; believing him; trusting, hoping, delighting, rejoicing in him; being zealous for him; calling upon him, giving all praise and thanks, and yielding all obedience and submission to him with the whole man; being careful in all things to please him, and sorrowful when in anything he is offended; and walking humbly with him.”

After reading this, we are reminded that the “heart” is the seat of all of our affections – we must guard our hearts! After reading the duties required in the first commandment, I am not tempted to commend myself and my filthy works to the Living God, rather I am encouraged to repent and return unto God yet again to seek his loving grace and forgiveness!

As Christians, We Desire to Be Pure and Clean Like Our God...

…and we can be! In Ezekiel 36:25ff, God promised that he would send the Spirit of God to transform our hearts and cause us to love God and His Law.

Ezekiel 36:25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. ²⁶And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. ²⁷And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.

The promise of God in Ezekiel's prophecy was that he would provide pure and clean hearts for his people. In the fullness of the times, after Christ had earned our salvation and paid our debt for sins committed against God, Jesus received the Spirit and sent it forth to cleanse His people (John 7:37-39; 1 Corinthians 15:20ff). In fact, Paul says that the work God has begun in us will be completed and accomplished when Christ returns and we are a pure and holy bride for Christ.

Ephesians 5:25-27: Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, ²⁶that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, ²⁷so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.

How Can Our Eyes See God Who is Holy and Majestic?

Jesus says that the pure in heart shall see God. What does it mean that we shall see God?

In Exodus 33-34, Moses the Mediator of God's people in the Old Covenant, wanted to see God's face, his glory. God allowed Moses to behold his glory passing by, but not his face.

Exodus 33:18 Moses said, "Please show me your glory." ¹⁹And he said, "I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name 'The LORD.' And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. ²⁰But," he said, "you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live." ²¹And the LORD said, "Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, ²²and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. ²³Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen."

As an Old Covenant servant of God, Moses had the privilege of talking with God closer than anyone else, but the time had not come for redeemed man to behold God face to face. No man would behold God face to face until the LORD Jesus, who was God and with God, would walk among us as man. The Apostle John explains this in John chapter 1:

John 1:1-18: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²He was in the beginning with God. ³All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. ⁴In him was life, and the life was the light of men. ⁵The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it....

¹⁰He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. ¹¹He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. ¹²But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, ¹³who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

¹⁴And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. ¹⁵( John bore witness about him, and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.'") ¹⁶And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. ¹⁷For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known.

As his people who are indwelled by the Holy Spirit, we now see God with eyes of faith. We look on what is unseen, for what is seen is temporal, but what is unseen is eternal:

2 Corinthians 4:16-18: So we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. ¹⁷For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, ¹⁸as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

We see God now as he is revealed in His Word and we see him with eyes of faith. One day however, we shall see him as He sees us on the Last Day! The Scriptures teach us in various places that when God renews all things, we shall behold His glory in the face of Jesus Christ- - and we shall be like him, truly like him - -pure in heart!

1 John 3:1-3: See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. ²Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. ³And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

1 Corinthians 13:8-13: Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹For we know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. ¹¹When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. ¹²For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. ¹³So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

The Beatific Vision

Historically, this great hope of "seeing God" has been called the “Beatific Vision”: The final vision of God’s glory and truth given to the blessed of the Sermon on the Mount! The pure in heart shall see God! What hope! What a motivation to serve the Living Lord alone with loving loyalty from the heart!

If you have never read St. Augustine's 'Confessions' you must do so as soon as possible (not an understatement! An extremely important book to read for Christian encouragement!). Here are some of Augustine's thoughts as he meditates upon seeing God one day. When we go through difficult and trying times, when some of the time we desire to give up, we should meditate by faith upon the face of God revealed in Jesus Christ! And how do we "see" the face of God in Jesus now? From the revelation of God's character found in Scripture!

From Augustine’s Confessions:

“Alas! Alas! Tell me of your compassion, O Lord my God, what you are to me. Say to my soul, “I am your salvation”. When I hear, may I run and lay hold of you. Hide not your face from me. Let me die, lest I die, if only I may see your face…”

Soli Deo Gloria!

Next Study: "Blessed are the Peacemakers"

Rev. Charles R. Biggs

9 S. Locust Street

Post Office Box 628

Round Hill, VA 20141

571.334.7420

Vol. VI, Issue 12

The Beatitudes- Matthew 5:1-12

[Note: I will be out of town preaching and teaching next week until the end of August. Your next issue of 'Word of Encouragement' will be sent out the first week in September!]

"Blessed are the Peacemaker, for They Shall be Called Sons of God."

“Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth, peace, good-will toward those on whom his favor rests!”

The seventh beatitude, or characteristic of Christ and His people, is being those who are peacemakers.

Christmastime is Here!

During the Christmas season we are often reminded of Scriptures from Isaiah 9 and Luke 2 that Jesus is the Prince of Peace who has come to offer salvation to those on whom His favor rests! We are reminded during the Christmas season that we have One who has come to save us so that we can be at peace with God our Creator.

In an amazing testimony to God's common grace, we hear Linus Van Pelt (that was his last name for the ill informed), declare on television broadcasts around the world, the good news of the gospel! Think about it. Since 1965, 'The Charlie Brown Christmas' special has aired on television stations and the gospel of peace has found its way into living rooms in almost every country in the world!

On this show 'The Charlie Brown Christmas', Charlie Brown wants to know what Christmas is all about! Lucy says he's suffering from pantaphobia, a fear of everything, and when he comes to the conclusion as play director that Christmas is an empty thing if it only means plays, cookies, "Christmas queeeeens", and artificial Christmas trees, Charlie Brown loses it!

At the point of his frustration, Charlie Brown yells "What is Christmas all about." Linus replies: "I'll tell you what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown. Lights, Please." Then Linus moves into the warm spotlight on the stage and recites Luke 2:

"...And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. ⁸And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. ¹⁰And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. ¹¹For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. ¹²And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. ¹³And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, ¹⁴Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

It's important to note that the last phrase "peace, good will toward men" is better translated "peace and favor toward those on whom His favor rests". The reason is that unless God has shown us his favor and love in Christ while we were yet sinners, the message of Jesus is not peace and good will, but division and conflict! But to this reality, we are called by Jesus to declare the good news of God's peace found in Christ!

Peacemakers in a World of "Wars and Rumors of War"

In a world turned upside down by constant "wars and rumors of war" around the world, we are reminded by the seventh beatitude that in this age there will be times of war, but that we are to be peacemakers as sons of God. Jesus said that the last days (the time between his first coming and his return) would be characterized by wars and rumors of war (Matt. 24); this was to be expected. But in this age, peace was to be held out to all men through the proclamation of the gospel despite the response of sinful men!

The gospel is God's terms of peace with sinful man. The gospel is what we bring to the table as God's ambassadors in Christ when we discuss surrender and repentance with those who make war against God (2 Cor. 5:17-21; cf. Psalm 2). We want to implore men at this table to be reconciled to God in Christ. We want to remind them that it is not the signing of a treaty that will end their lifelong war against God and His Anointed One, but it will be the Covenant God signed and sealed in His own blood in order to keep his promises and make peace with those who will believe!

Being a peacemaker means placing our sword in its sheathe for now, but being a peacemaker in no way means that we are to be passive in times of war when our country needs us to stand up for our nation's rights or the rights of our family. What being a peacemaker actually means is to be reminded that our citizenship is ultimately in heaven (Phil. 3:20-21), and because we know the time is short before Christ returns, we offer the Gospel of peace to all men! When Christ came, he offered peace. He came to offer "comfort" and peace to Jerusalem and then to the Gentiles who would believe (Isa. 40; Eph. 2:14-17).

Ephesians 2:14-17: For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility ¹⁵ by abolishing the law of commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, ¹⁶ and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. ¹⁷ And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near.

However, Jesus always reminded his disciples that this peace would also divide and bring wars and persecution upon his people. The world cries for "peace" but the only peace they will ever find is in the Prince of Peace Jesus Christ, who has reconciled us to God our Creator by his death on behalf of sinners. The truth of our reconciliation and peace with God is taught to us in Romans 5:6-11:

Romans 5:6-11: For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷For one will scarcely die for a righteous person- though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die- ⁸but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ⁹Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. ¹⁰For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. ¹¹More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

We live in an upside down hateful world at war with God and fellow men, yet it was in this context Jesus came to die for sinners…to reconcile us to our God and Creator! We must let that sink into our hearts and minds: Peace has been offered to us in Christ while we were enemies of God. This was not because of anything we did at all; it was all because of God's love and grace to those upon whom his favor rests.

In our struggle to make this good news, this gospel known to others, we should remember that “while we were enemies of God” Jesus died for us. Augustine one time said that in some mysterious way, God both loved us and hated us at the same time! We too were once were at war with God and others; once we were at war within ourselves!

By God's grace, we need to see the enemies of God, our enemies, at this point in time before Jesus returns, as the object of our evangelism, not the object of our scorn and ridicule. The day of wrath will come when Jesus returns, but now is the time to offer peace in Christ!

"I Have NOT Come to bring Peace, but a Sword"

But, Peace divides….

That is true! Jesus, the Prince of Peace said that he did not actually come to bring peace, but a sword:

Matthew 10:34-40: "Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. ³⁵For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. ³⁶And a person's enemies will be those of his own household. ³⁷Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. ³⁸And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. ³⁹Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. ⁴⁰"Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me.

Jesus is making the point that although he offers real peace with God and we offer real peace with God in Christ to others, it will bring division and war! This true peace is not the kind of peace that man wants or desires. In fact, when we come to the table with the gospel, declaring God's terms of surrender found in repentance, as well as God's terms of believing the Gospel of Christ, we find a violent opposition.

The reason for this violent opposition is because the Gospel holds out to us free and eternal life in Jesus Christ ALONE, yet sinful man comes to the table to speak to God about their terms for God. Sinful man does not naturally want to surrender to the truth of the gospel because they will then have to acknowledge God as Creator and LORD of all. So, there is a violent opposition between God's terms of peace in Christ and the terms of peace sinful men bring to the table and therefore until repentance comes in man's heart, by God's grace, there will be no peace!

We should remember that Jesus was teaching this blessing of being a peacemaker in the context of Roman rule and violent oppression. Revolutionaries, bandits, and zealots all wanted to overthrow Gentile rule by force, rather than to wait upon the LORD. Jesus tells them that they are to be peacemakers now, not warriors!

The REAL War to End All Wars

In other words, we are to be evangelists for now until Jesus returns again! When the Son of God came the first time he offers peace in his Name with God, but when he returns again those who have rejected Him will see Him in all his wrath and fury. The sons of God who lived a life of persecution because they lived as peacemakers, will join our King Jesus in war to end all wars. A final war, or showdown that will bring in an eternal time of peace that will never end!

God has extended peace to those who would believe in Christ. We should remember, as well as remind others that God is a consuming fire (Heb. 12:14), a wrathful God (Nahum 1), who will not pardon the guilty (Exo. 34:6-8), yet he will extend peace and reconciliation to those who look to Christ, the Prince of Peace by faith (Romans 5:8-10). In fact, those who believe will be called "sons of the Living God".

Christ will return soon to war against those who do not believe. On that terrible Day of the Lamb (Rev. 6;19), the unbelievers who have sought peace in everything and everyone BUT the Living Christ, will find a terrible judgment and wrath. The Lamb will war against those who have falsely cried "peace, peace" when there was no true peace with God!

We as peacemakers want to be constantly reminded of our evangelistic opportunities all around us. We want to be reminded of the hope and the peace we can truly offer to those who war within their own souls, against our God and against other men! Right now, we offer peace as the sons of God, but one day there will be a war to end all wars. Now is the time of salvation and hope, the time of peace extended through the gracious message of the Gospel of the Prince of Peace! Remember how Paul describes the feet of those who bring the good news of the gospel of peace in Romans 10 (cf. Ephesians 6:13-18):

"For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." ¹⁴ But how are they to call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? ¹⁵ And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!" ¹⁶ But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?" ¹⁷ So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ."

"....They Shall Be Called Sons of the Living God!"

What grace! While we were enemies, God justified us, declared us righteous in Jesus Christ! The good news doesn't just stop there, but God goes on to adopt us as his children. We are called "sons", "children of the Living God" because of THE SON, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus reconciles us to the Father, gives us a portion of His Spirit, so that we might be called the Sons of God. This should encourage us all when we are being persecuted (the next study) because we are offering God's terms of peace to the world in Jesus. No matter how great the struggle and the conflict here in this world, we can always be assured of our right standing before God, our status as his beloved children, and we can call out to our Father who cares in our time of trouble and be encouraged and delivered! Read carefully the words of the Apostle Paul in Romans 8 concerning our sonship or adoption!

Romans 8:14-25: For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. ¹⁵For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!" ¹⁶The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, ¹⁷and if children, then heirs- heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. ¹⁸For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. ¹⁹For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. ²⁰For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope ²¹that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. ²²For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. ²³And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. ²⁴For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? ²⁵But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

As children of God wait patiently for our King to return. By his grace, offer faithfully, despite violent opposition, God's terms of peace in Jesus, the great gospel of truth that has been declared to us and believed by us!

The Prince of Peace has come!

Soli Deo Gloria!

Next Study: "Blessed are the Persecuted"

[Note: I will be out of town preaching and teaching next week until the end of August. Your next issue of 'Word of Encouragement' will be sent out the first week in September!]

Rev. Charles R. Biggs

9 S. Locust Street

Post Office Box 628

Round Hill, VA 20141

571.334.7420

Dear family in Christ,

I had a former student send me a letter that was relevant to our ongoing study of God's grace, and I thought it would be helpful and thoughtful for you who are raising young men, as well as teaching young men in your congregation. If you want my opinion, this is the struggling mindset of many an evangelical young person. This is one of the messages I will be preaching and teaching next week at Lake Champion!

I have included my response to his letter because in it I have tried to distill what we can all learn about God's grace to us in Christ. I thought the correspondence would be encouraging to you because we often think we are all alone in our struggle to believe God's grace to us in Christ. I thought it also might encourage you in knowing what many young people are thinking inside themselves. Someone summed it up well last night at Bible Study: I understand this grace that God tells us about in the Bible, but HOW do we make it a reality in our lives (this is a paraphrase).

For an intro to my correspondence, this is one of my favorite students at Chapelgate. He was a 4.0 student who was respectful, worked hard, very insightful, and a great Lacrosse player! We became buddies. This is his letter to me concerning his frustrations in life. He is also (unfortunately) attends a very man-centered evangelical church that continues to tell him to do, do, do, so that God may be pleased with him. I have placed his letter to me (edited a bit), then my response. May this encourage you (again!) that God is faithful in Christ.

It's fascinating. No matter how old we are, we still want to add something else and extra to what God has done for us in Jesus!

My Student's Letter

How you doing? I hope everything has been going well over in VA. im sorry i missed that one sunday...ive been so busy lately. [my friend] isnt mowin lawns with me anymore so im doin everything myself, it takes up a lot of time. You happy over there? Cuz if your not you can always come back. I'm having some problems and id like your help. I've been makin a lot of money with lawns. I'm Messiah's number one recruit. i got really good grades last year. By all accounts ive been doing well. And i know that without God, without family and friends...im nothing. and im really feeling it.

I ask myself what im doin all the time. In Ecclesiastes it says its good to enjoy yourself on earth but true life is only found in following God's laws ( somethin like that)...and its right. But i've almost gone to far. i dont enjoy anythin anymore...im angry all the time. I don't have peace with myself cuz im always angry at somethin. I can't relax. I know what im doin (lawns, lax, school) isnt a waste of my time but ive found no fulfillment in it at all. God...thats where my heart should be and it is but sometimes it feels so stagnant. i can deal with those times cuz they are to be expected, but right now...im losin my mind.

Everything seems so drab and so boring. Everything makes me mad. i just want some peace and happiness. I'm not burned out cuz i can mow lawns and play lax and go to school...they arent chores...just arent fulfilling. I look at my future and hope that ill be a successful businessman...and i already feel the emptiness in it. Maybe i just have to many little things bothering me right now. I used to be able to let things slide...take everything in stride. but recently i cant, i get upset and i cant rest. The tim that had peace...i dont know what happened to him. I dont doubt that im out of the Lord's will and thus not havin peace in my life..cuz i really believe im doin what i should. Its just...livin life and havin fun...doesnt exist anymore.

I dont know what to do...this isnt right and im going to fix it, i just dont know how. So, if you have any suggestions id appreciate it. It could be that this is one of those low times that one goes through that you used to tell me about. Who knows. Lake Champion should be fun though and im lookin forward to it. Thanks and hopefully I'll talk to you soon.

My Letter to A Student

Hey, ________!! My buddy who ate BIG HAMBURGERS with me a couple of months ago, paid attention in my class, and only fell asleep two times (I caught ya!)

I was delighted to get your letter, my brother. Here are the thoughts from the Biggsman:

The way you described your feelings sounds like the way I get sometimes: a little lonely and blue. The world has a way of making us feel this way, but we have to remember that our feelings can deceive us. What I mean is that sometimes our feelings are just that- - feelings, when in reality things are going quite well, we just can't see the good for all of the bad feelings. Know what I mean?!

If you'll take advice from one who is constantly trying to make himself better and to do more things to improve myself, and thus feeling defeated and down when I don't live up to my high expectations, you need to rest in the LORD. Now that can be an overused phrase, but what it means is that you stop "doing" and just know that God is God. What this means is that you realize that you are accepted by God just because of Jesus, and for no other reason. Jesus was the only one who did anything worth remembering: he perfectly obeyed and loved God and his neighbor because we could not (and would not).

Your young evangelical mind has been overloaded with "do this" and "do that for Jesus" and if you "don't do this" and "don't do that" then you are not that great! Remember what I said in class one time: "What would Jesus Do" is not the question to ask FIRST- - the question to ask is "What Has Jesus Already Done for me?!"

I had bought into this false concept of grace and salvation myself! In the great words of Al Pacino, you have to 'FAGGEDABOUTIT!' (translated "Forget-about-it). We must all learn to look to Christ for our help! He is our SAVIOR, not merely a helper so that we can be better people. He is our Savior and the one who begins a work in us and will continue this same work (Phil. 1:6). Jesus offers to those who believe the same grace when we are saved, in the midst of our living the Christian life, and will offer the same grace to us when we die! The same grace that we are justified, declared righteous by God and given Christ's righteousness based on ABSOLUTELY NOTHING we have ever done (even all those hard strivings for his approval in the Christian life).

"It is finished." (Think about it!)

What will really cause you great joy and excitement and gratitude is when you realize that you will never be more forgiven than you are now; never be more accepted; never be more loved- - -there is nothing you can do to condemn yourself, or to better yourself in the eyes of God!!!!!! What grace! Quit trying and rest in the Lord Jesus' work for you! Now, when we get ahold of this reality, it causes us to think "Hmmm, then maybe I can sin all I want!"

But no! God forbid! That is not taking into consideration the great grace that has been shown you. We are no longer slaves to sin; sin shall not be our Master in Christ! We now live lives, not of trying desperately to gain God's good favor, but gratefully living obediently by His grace and Spirit JUST BECAUSE OF THE GRACE THAT HAS BEEN SHOWN TOWARD US! (Read Romans 6-8, this was a paraphrase).

Isaiah 30:15 is a Scripture I remember often:

"In repentance and rest shall be your salvation; in quietness and trust shall be your strength."

You may be wanting to do, do, do, and not just resting in the reality of who you are because of Jesus. Jesus is literally our everything. He gives us his Word so that we can by faith believe what it says, but alas, so many times we choose to believe what we feel and not what God says.

There is only one reality: God's reality. God reveals that reality in His Word! But do we believe it? Or, do we (as many times we do) believe the so-called "reality" of our own making. The insecure and unsure and frustrating and maddening so-called "reality" of our feelings? Who are you going to believe? is what it comes down to for all of us.

Are we going to trust God and His Word, or are we going to trust feelings? I say this for effect and not to cause fear in us, but hell is full of those who had angry, frustrated, tired, and exhausted feelings of unbelief! The good news is that Jesus Christ came into this world of sin and misery to provide an "out" an "exit" by His grace, so that we could rest in him and HIS REALITY. The reality of being adopted and loved and cared for and in the warm embrace of his delightful control and sovereignty!

The French Existentialist Philosopher Jean Paul Sartre used to talk about there not being an "exit" in this world of misery. He said that the only hope we have is to choose to exist for we have no choice in the matter. Why do babies come out of their mother's womb crying? Live for a few years and you'll find out. No one asked them if they wanted to be born, and no one ever told them that this world could be tough.

What Sartre was correct about was that the world can be a challenging place; life is hard! Yet, what Sartre got wrong (desperately wrong!) was that he didn't understand that an exit had been provided. An exit of grace in a cold and lonely world where we have to settle for glimpses of God's goodness in the world and in others. The exit of grace will provide peace and happiness, but there is a pattern I am obligated to tell you about.

We commit to Jesus Christ our lives, come what may (sickness and in health, good and bad times, richer or poorer, 'til death do us part...). We go through experiences of his grace and love and constant commitment to us, then our feelings begin to line up with the truth of God's Word. Usually we look for the feelings first. We say: "I'll follow Christ when I feel like it." "I will have peace when I feel I have peace." But that is the opposite way.

In Philippians 4:4-7, Paul says to rejoice, pray, then peace will come. We commit, then experience good and bad times in this world with Jesus, then the feelings of peace comes. However, in reality the peace was always there because promises to never leave us nor forsake us.

My friend, what I am saying in all of this, is that you are quite normal. You are a young man struggling with identity, and pressure to perform, and to know a little more about your God. I don't want to discourage you, but your whole life will be learning these things. Learn to rest in Christ NOW! Learn to stop trying and performing and rest in who you are because God has loved you in Jesus and made you his son! I love ya, bro! Think about this and write me back with comments and questions:

"Trust in the LORD with all of your heart and lean not onto your own understanding. In all of your ways acknowledge HIM, and He will make your paths straight!" -Prov. 3:5-6.

God promises to direct us and make our paths straight. He wants us to believe the reality that he has revealed in His Word by acknowledging Him as Your God and Creator and Redeemer who is in control of your life!

Talk to you soon, my brother!
Mr. Biggs

The (not "a", but "the" Biggsman)

PS Look forward to seeing you at Lake Champion!

Pastor Charles R. Biggs

Ketoctin Covenant Presbyterian Church

9 S. Locust Street

Post Office Box 628

Round Hill, VA 20142-0628

571.334.7420

Vol. VI, Issue 13

The Beatitudes- Matthew 5:1-12

"Blessed are those Who are Persecuted for Righteousness Sake, for Theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven"

Dedication to CCA Students

I had a blessed time with the students, teachers, and chaperones at Lake Champion last week! It was a wonderful blessing to be with the young people from Chapelgate Christian Academy again! I dedicate this 'Word of Encouragement' issue to them. Many young Christians are trying to follow Christ by God's grace, but are often tempted and threatened by their friends who do not believe, or don't think the Christian life is worth their time.

We all undergo peer pressure to succumb to the ways of the world every day of our lives; it is not merely teenagers who deal with peer pressure! We need each other to reinforce spiritual peer pressure so that we can stand stronger together! We are not alone! Let us pray for each other as we learn more and more to follow Christ with loving hearts of undying loyalty to our LORD alone!

Introduction

Welcome to the new life of following Christ! Welcome to the new life of becoming like Jesus as he works in you by faith! Welcome to the reality that because you are united to Jesus Christ you will begin to see evidences of being poor in spirit, being a mourner over your sins, meekness, hungering and thirsting for righteousness, purity of heart, yet welcome to a life of going against everything everyone else in the world believes! Welcome to the narrow road of life (Matthew 7; cf. Psalm 1).

Welcome to the new life of grace, mercy, forgiveness, peace with God, yet the new life of becoming identified with Christ in suffering and in persecution for righteousness sake. The Apostle Paul told Timothy:

"Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution."

The way Jesus begins the 'Sermon on the Mount' with the beatitudes, or the "covenantal happiness" seems to prepare us for the hope of who we will become in Jesus and that will be evidenced in our lives, but that prepares us for the difficulty of living in this fallen world. It is as if Jesus is saying: "I said all that (the "blesseds") to say all this!" (the persecution that will come).

Everyone likes to be liked! Yet, when we take up our cross to follow Jesus, we not only experience the blessings of Jesus, but also the dislike and persecution that Jesus underwent. As Paul says in various places in the Book of Philippians (Phil. 1:24ff; 3:7ff), we are blessed to be identified with the sufferings of Christ. We are not always liked because we stand for righteousness and truth!

The Good and Persecuted Life

The life that Jesus says is blessed is not only the life of being poor in spirit, meek, spiritually hungry, or pure in heart, he also says that persecution is a blessing! How can this be? This is hard for all of us to stomach because none of us like to suffer and to be persecuted. We should remember however, that naturally we don't like being poor in spirit, meek, pure in heart, or any of the other characteristics of the beatitudes either without the life-changing work of the Holy Spirit in our lives! So with everything else we learn in the Christian life, we must understand this by faith and believe that what God says about suffering with Christ is true!

Why are we persecuted is the question of the moment?

We are ultimately persecuted as Jesus says "for righteousness sake". We are persecuted because Our Spirit-filled and Spirit-led lifestyle and character will be in direct conflict and opposition to the lifestyle and character of the rest of the world!

Read carefully in Peter's first letter how he prepares us for this "persecuted mindset". Notice in verse 4-5 the difficulty with trying to live our new lives with those who knew us before we knew the Living Christ. All of us have undergone persecution of this kind from family and friends who remember how we lived before Christ and now notice that we desire another kind of living after we have come to know Christ!

1 Peter 4:1 Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, ²so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God. ³The time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. ⁴With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you; ⁵but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead….

^….12Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. ¹³But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. ¹⁴If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. ¹⁵But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. ¹⁶Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.

Peter's letter prepares us for the right kind of thinking when we are persecuted. He tell us in verse 1 to "arm yourselves with the same way of thinking". In other words, we should be happy when we are not being persecuted, because this is not the norm! The norm is to expect suffering because of our identification with Jesus. Later, in verse 12 Peter says: "Do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you..." He reminds us of the reality of the "when" it happens, not the "if" it happens!

Also, Peter says our hope is ultimately in our God who is Judge and King (v. 5). We will not always be the persecuted people (v. 13)! We will also undergo comfort when they are judged, according to verse 5. But remember according to verse 4, they will give us difficulty and temptation just because we no longer live like them. When we choose to live by God's Spirit we show forth visually the way all people should be living. This causes those who are suppressing the true knowledge of God (Rom. 1) to feel guilt that they do not like to feel. Therefore, they persecute us.

The Persecution of Jesus IN US

But in reality, those who persecute us for righteousness sake, are really persecuting the Jesus in us (cf. Acts 9). When the Apostle Paul was made alive by God's Spirit and met the Risen Jesus on the Road to Damascus, Jesus told him that when he was persecuting His people, he was in reality persecuting HIM!

Acts 9:1-6: But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest ²and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. ³Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. ⁴And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" ⁵And he said, "Who are you, Lord?" And he said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. ⁶But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do."

According to verse 2 Paul was persecuting those belonging to the Way, or Christians both men and women. However, Jesus clarifies Paul's persecution by telling him that it is not the people he is ultimately persecuting, but the LORD Jesus himself!! Take this as a great comfort and encouragement the next time you undergo disrespect, dishonor, humiliation, rejection and dislike because of the LORD Jesus Christ. They are not ultimately disrespecting, dishonoring, humiliating, rejecting and disliking YOU! They are doing these things to the JESUS in YOU!! Rejoice and be truly glad!

Positive Peer Pressure

It is not easy being persecuted and disliked by others. Yet, it is one of the great incentives for us to continue to gather together as a persecuted people who are blessed, or covenantally happy, because we know that we need each other desperately. We are united to Jesus Christ and to each other and when persecution comes because we are standing for the truth, we want to stand firmly in Christ together! We need each other. We need a good and healthy spiritual peer pressure from within!

Hebrews 10:21-25: and since we have a great priest over the house of God, ²²let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. ²³Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. ²⁴And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, ²⁵not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Christ's family must encourage one another (Eph. 4:32)! We need to counter the peer pressure of wickedness and temptation with the peer pressure of living godly lives, standing on the truth of God's Word and in the victory of Jesus. Negative peer pressure is not just for the teenager being tempted by others to smoke, drink, party, and have sex! Negative peer pressure is around us constantly. It says: "I want to be liked, there's nothing wrong with that. I will just keep my Jesus to myself. I will just try to live quietly and privately as I can, therefore no one will trouble me with persecution."

This is the kind of negative peer pressure we all undergo, from within our own minds and through the mouths of others. We must be there for one another - -committed as brothers and sisters in Christ to reinforce positive peer pressure through encouragement in the Word of God! We want to help others to stand firm and strong. We want to remind them of Paul's promise in 1 Corinthians 15, as one of my students recently reminded me!

1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

Do you see yourself as part of a family in Christ? Do you long to be with other believers who believe what you believe and are being discipled by the truth of God's Word? Jesus said that in this world we would experience tribulation (even though we are peacemakers as we learned in the last sermon), yet he has overcome the world! (John 16:33). Be about encouraging your family in Christ with good, healthy, spiritual peer pressure! Remind them of these words, and encourage them to believe them by faith!

Phil. 1:29: For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake…

As we continue to grow together in Christ as the people of God, may we all be reminded of our great privilege of suffering with the Risen and Ascended Jesus! May we be reminded that we are not alone! When the whole world begins to make us think that righteousness is boring, and even those within Christ's visible church says we are "old fashioned" when we stand for righteousness and call a sin, well "sin", let us be reminded that we are standing together and we are not alone!

Persecution in the Last Days

In these last days, we are Living and thinking contrary to the world’s way, which is to say, we are thinking according to God’s way! We are awaiting Christ’s return in these last days.

Notice in 2 Timothy 3 how the time in which we live is characterized! Contrast the characteristics with the beatitudes of the Sermon on the Mount and you will understand how contrary, how opposed, how antithetical are the ways of the LORD and the ways of this world. Contrast the following with being poor in spirit, mourners, meek, hungry and thirsting after righteousness, merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers, and persecuted and reviled for Jesus’ sake:

2 Timothy 3:1 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. ²For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, ³heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, ⁴treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, ⁵having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. ¹⁰You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, ¹¹my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra- which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. ¹²Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted…

These characteristics are opposite of the commandments of God and the character revealed in the Beatitudes.

In reality, when we live obedient lives to Jesus we are offering a message of Lordship that challenges and opposes their own self-centered lordship. The road we tread is truly the narrow way to life and not the broad way to destruction described above in 2 Timothy and therefore we suffer persecution because of our opposition!

Remember: Jesus speaks of “two ways”/”two paths” –You are on one or the other. One is characterized by persecution, yet blessedness in the midst of pain on this narrow path; one is characterized by ease and comfort, yet is wide and leads to destruction!

The Psalms lay this out in Psalm one. Notice how you are on one of the paths:

Psalm 1: Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; ²but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. ³He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. ⁴The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. ⁵Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; ⁶for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

Our focus as the people of God every day should be an anticipation of being with other brothers and sisters who are also being persecuted for righteousness sake in this present age. In light of this we should encourage one another with the real hope that awaits us in our reward on the day Jesus returns for his people. We should help our brothers and sisters with positive and godly peer pressure!

We will not always be the persecuted people. We are now the heirs of God in Christ (Gal. 3:26ff; Rom. 8:14ff), yet we await a great and glorious day when we shall be vindicated before the whole world! We await the day when Jesus returns and renews all things and we are rewarded with reigning with Jesus in a world absent of unrighteousness, sin, and misery!

"Theirs is the kingdom of heaven"

Jesus began with this blessing: “Theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven” and ends on the same note of promise. There is truly now a "present tense” reality to all of the blessings in the beatitudes!

Stand firm in the victory of Christ, encouraging one another today as we stand together against the negative peer pressure of the world and against the persecution that will come our way because of the Jesus who makes his home in us by His Spirit!

Soli Deo Gloria!

Rev. Charles R. Biggs

9 S. Locust Street

Post Office Box 628

Round Hill, VA 20141

571.334.7420

Quote of the Week

This week's quotation is from a fantastic book by Cornelius Plantinga, Jr., entitled 'Not the Way It's Supposed to Be: A Breviary of Sin'. In a section of the book where he reveals some of the more modern sins that beset us as the people of God, he reflects on Neil Postman's classic book 'Amusing Ourselves to Death' and how the modern addiction for entertainment affects our worship of the living God in our church services. This is a rather lengthy quotation, but it is worth printing it out and digesting it!

Dr. Plantinga

"If we had no other barometer of American interest in amusement, we could measure it by the salaries of professional athletes and other entertainers. By this barometer, we value amusement more than good law, medicine, government, ministry, education, architecture, or scientific research. For these are all salary- -or fee-compensated professions in which, very often, the financial rewards pale by comparison with those for baseball players, rock singers, and talk show hosts.

In a capitalist culture, money is how you keep score, and in the professions, such as medicine or football, salaries and fees separate the winners from the also-rans...

...Of course, jocks and clowns are important people. We need them and what they do. Who doesn't need and relish amusement now and then? Who doesn't need a partly playful attitude toward her own work? [But] the value we place on entertainment suggests that it has become a diversion not only in the sense of playful relief from the main business of life but also in the sense of a distraction from it, an evasion of it, a sometimes grim, big-business alternative to it....

.....When people begin to focus their lives more on amusement than on doing their work well, raising their children securely, gaining an education, and helping those in need, they begin to evade responsibility. The problem is that the evasions are lots of fun and therefore very tempting to all of us. It takes strength to resist them.

When we fail, when a whole society fails to resist, life turns around in such a way that consumerism and the hunger for unreality converge and spending our leisure time becomes our occupation. Being a deft and knowing consumer of clothes (clothes that make a statement), films, sports events, pro wrestling, concerts, tapes, compact discs, and video games - -and especially of the entertainment products in which these things combine - -becomes a main goal of one's life and a measure of its success.

....Even Christian worship has been affected [by our diversion from reality to entertainment]. Perhaps this is in part because worshipers watch a lot of television, and some of them watch a lot of televised worship. But worship doesn't fit the television medium very well, just as the music of a string quartet doesn't fit well into the warm-up events of Saturday night auto races. The reason, as [Neil] Postman observes, is that we cannot consecrate the space in which we experience TV religion- - it's the same room and the same screen we associate with sitcoms, hockey games, and cartoons. Moreover we are able, and we know we are able, to change channels on anything, including a prayer, that lacks pizzazz.

Everything about our experience of TV tells us that it is an entertainment medium; everything about our experience of TV religion tells us that its producers know this at least as well as we do. After watching many hours of TV evangelism, Neil Postman reports what every sober viewer can see with her own eyes: on TV, 'everything that makes religion an historic, profound and sacred human activity is stripped away; there is not ritual, no dogma, no tradition, no theology, and, above all, no sense of spiritual transcendence. On these shows, the preacher is tops. God comes out second banana!' [my emphasis].

When television saturated worshipers attend their local churches or wonder how to draw secular seekers there, it's therefore not the songs of Zion they want but the songs of Babylon and Hollywood -- or something like them. People attend worship with expectations shaped by television, and evangelical preachers try to meet them.

In such cases worship may degenerate into a religious variety show hosted by some gleaming evangelist in a sequined dinner jacket and patent leather dancing slippers who chats with celebrities and introduces for special music a trio of middle-aged women in pastel evening gowns with matching muffs for their microphones. He may also include, or even perform, certain eye-popping acrobatics or karate moves.

Each act in the show is pre-timed, including estimates of the length of audience applause. Imagine a High Five for Jesus replacing the Apostle's Creed; imagine praise time beginning when the evangelist shouts, "Gimme a G! Gimme an O!....

Soli Deo Gloria!

Pastor Charles R. Biggs

Ketoctin Covenant Presbyterian Church

9 S. Locust Street

Post Office Box 628

Round Hill, VA 20142-0628

571.334.7420

Vol. VI, Issue 14

The Unity of the Spirit- Ephesians 4:1-6

Introduction

For the next two or three studies, we get the privilege of learning from my friend Mr. Jeff Cagle. Jeff is a student at RTS (Reformed Theological Seminary) has taught physics, calculus and chemistry for over 10 years at Chapelgate Christian Academy. He also holds a degree in Music from Princeton University. The next couple of studies are sermons on Ephesians 4 that he preached. They are well-written and extremely encouraging. I know that his sermons will be a blessing to you, so I publish them here and at 'A Place for Truth' (under 'Sermons') for your edification and learning.

Congregations in the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ must constantly strive for unity by God's grace and the power of His Spirit. Jeff's sermon will help us to continue to strive toward more unity in our congregations as we better understand our union with the risen Jesus! Read the sermon carefully, then prayerfully consider how you can strive toward greater personal unity in serving others in your congregation out of love for Jesus!

Mr. Jeff Cagle

As many of you know, I began a pastoral internship this summer under the Chesapeake Presbytery (PCA). The purpose of that internship is to discern whether God has called me to a pastoral type of ministry. I’m testing the waters, so to speak, and I would greatly appreciate your prayers for wisdom as Colleen and I seek the Lord’s will for our future.

Part of that internship has included putting together some different Scriptures which describe the ministry and vision of the church. I expected that this project would be helpful for pastoral work, and it is. But something unexpected has also come out of this project. God used His Word in my life to change the way I think about being a church member. He caused me to see myself as more closely attached to the rest of the body – you guys – than I had ever seen before.

Over the next two weeks, I would like to share with you one of those passages, Ephesians 4:1 – 16, with the conviction that the Lord has something to say to us about who we are as a part of Jesus’ body, which is the church. This week, I will focus on verses 1 – 6; next week, we will look at 7 – 16.

Ephesians 4:1-6: I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, ²with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, ³eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. ⁴There is one body and one Spirit- just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call- ⁵one Lord, one faith, one baptism, ⁶one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

The "Package Deal"

If you have ever purchased a computer, or a car, or an all-inclusive vacation, then you are familiar with the "package deal". When you purchase a package, say a computer, the distributor throws in, for “free”, a mouse, a keyboard, Windows XP, Word, Office, a monitor, a printer, and so on. The goal of the package is to give you everything you need to get up and running when you take the computer out of the box. The key point about the package is meeting needs ahead of time. The distributor has tried to look ahead and predict your needs so as to provide a package that meets those needs.

In a similar way, God has provided an entire package for us that comes free – truly free! – with our salvation. When you believed in Christ and passed from death to life, whether in a single moment or over a period of time, God not only forgave you of your sins, but He also provided for your every need by giving you a salvation package of blessings. In Ephesians, chapters 1 – 3, Paul describes the package in some detail, outlining the things God has done for us as part of our salvation. God is so thorough in His work that He has provided for the past, present, and future needs that we might have.

If you are unfamiliar with the terms of your package, I invite you to read further in Ephesians, chapters 1 – 3 to find out what the Lord has given you in Christ. Some of the highlights of our package include adoption as His very own children and full membership in His own chosen people; the Holy Spirit to live in us and give us the comfort, encouragement, blessings and righteousness of Christ; and a future inheritance that goes beyond anything this world can possibly offer.

Theologians, of course, don’t call our blessings a “package”; rather, they call it our “union with Christ”, which is a better way to describe it. The idea is that we have been united with Christ to such a degree that every blessing that Jesus has earned comes to us through Him. This union is similar to, but even more real and lasting than, a man’s union with his wife.

So for the previous three chapters, Paul has been describing different aspects of our union with Christ. This is our background as he now says “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of your calling.” The calling he refers to is the calling to be a part of Christ’s body, united with Him. To put it in other words, Paul is saying “in light of everything that the Lord has given you … live up to it!” Your reality as a believer is that the Lord has provided for your needs and attached you to Himself. In light of that, there is only one reasonable response for us, and that is to live in a manner worthy of that attachment.

Relationship and Mission

There are two aspects of worthy walking that Paul has in mind here. The first aspect is can be described by the word Relationship; the second aspect can be described by the word Mission. Verses 1 – 6 describe our relationship with one another, how we are to actively pursue unity with one another; verses 7 – 16 (which we will save for next week) describe our mission, how we actively carry out God’s plan to bring the gospel to the world. Those two aspects, as we shall see, are not separate but entirely related to one another.

To understand the type of relationship that is worthy of the Lord, we need a picture. As I mentioned earlier, when you became a believer, you were united to Jesus, so that you and Jesus are connected, and blessings come from Him to you. However, the connections do not stop there. The Lord does not simply connect each believer to Himself, but He also connects believers one to another. Ryan is connected to Jesus, and Chip is connected to Jesus, and now the Lord connects Ryan to Chip, and then He connects Ryan and Chip to Dave (all of them), and to every other believer who is also connected to Him. Together, all of the believers all over the world (and throughout time) are called “the body of Christ” – Jesus is the head, and we are the body.

To an extent, this connection is invisible, so that when we pray for someone far away, like Dave Owens, a missionary in Japan, the Lord hears us and blesses him as a result of our prayers, even though we can’t see him. In other ways, this connection is quite visible and concrete. When we walk into church and interact with one another, we are living out (whether well or poorly) our connection as fellow members of Christ’s body. Every action that we take, every word that we say either confirms and enhances or else denies and degrades the connection we have with one another.

Now, I should say that our connection to one another is not like the Borg out of Star Trek. We don’t lose our personalities and become assimilated functionaries within the body of Christ. Instead, when the Lord incorporates us into His body, He gives us each a unique role according to who we are, how we are made, and how He works in us by grace. In fact, we are called the “organs” of Christ’s body, each one with a unique role in the body, and each one cared for personally by Christ Himself.

With this picture in mind, it becomes clear how essential it is for our relationships to be worthy of this calling to be a part of Christ’s body. To use Paul’s example from I Cor. 12, imagine what would happen to your body if your eye were to say to your hand “I don’t need you.” Imagine what would happen if the head were to say to the foot, “I’m all that’s needed in the body.” Imagine what would happen if the stomach and the liver found each other so offensive that they refuse to be in the same abdomen together. The medical term for this situation is “disaster.” In the same way, when members of the body of Christ reject one another, pulling apart from one another, it disfigures the body and makes it an ugly thing.

In the body of Christ, the only way to fulfill our calling as members is to practice deference and humility, accepting one another in love. We can spare no effort – we must exert our whole strength – to actively maintain the oneness with each other that God has created.

But why “actively”? Couldn’t somebody argue that because God has already made us one, therefore nothing else need be done? How could we improve on God’s work? Aren’t the connections between us automatic?

Low-Maintenance Christian Unity

Such questions simply reveal the motives that cause the problem: in our sinful way, we want our unity with one another to be low maintenance. We don’t like have to give ourselves to others. Real relationship is uncomfortable. It can hurt. It puts us in awkward situations where we have to use words like “Did I offend you?” or “You hurt my feelings” or “I’m sorry.” Giving ourselves to others can mean listening when we’d rather talk, or letting someone else shine when we want credit, or having to plan ahead to take care of someone else’s needs.

This is why Paul uses these odd words “humility” and “gentleness” to describe worthy walking. The connections between us are not automatic, and they can be easily damaged by pride or rough treatment. We already mentioned that the different members of the body have unique roles and gifts. It is hardly surprising, then, that people who are really different from each other and have sinful tendencies on top of that will naturally experience some friction. The oil that lubricates and cools the friction between members of the body is humility and gentleness. Even when the body is working well, it will still require an active maintenance of the unity of the Spirit.

We might be tempted to take short-cuts with unity. One of the church trends in the 90s was to have Sunday School classes for people in particular places in life: middle twenties with kids, for example. The desire is to provide a niche for people to belong so that they might feel comfortable. In this arrangement, comfort is seen as a first step towards unity. But think about the long-term result of such an arrangement: the place where you form deeper relationships is the place where you find people who are exactly like you. This is not the unity of hands and feet and eyes and ears all in one body. Instead, it is a unity of all hands in one place and all feet in another … it is a situation where the body never grows up and learns to be a real body.

The Lord exposes me on this issue of humility. I have this irrepressible urge to want to be first. It is not natural for me to defer to others. Furthermore, being both sinful and male, I tend to cheerfully overlook other people’s needs. My level of active maintenance of the unity of the Spirit is woefully inadequate.

I suspect I’m not alone. Stop and reflect for a moment about how you relate to the body. How does your self-centeredness entice you to place yourself over others. Do you have blinders on, seeing only your own interests? Think about who you interact with at church, and why. Do you defer to others? Do you treat others with gentleness? You have a conversation with a fellow believer: do they walk away feeling encouraged and accepted in the Lord or impressed with you? Are you committed to speaking the truth, in love? What do you do with your anger at the inevitable irritations which are a part of being in a church?

Let me be specific. Middle school and high school students: Are there cliques among you? Do you actively pursue relating to others who outside of your comfort zone? Do you show humility and gentleness and refrain from making fun of others?

College students: Have you considered how to make and maintain connections with other people not your own age?

Parents and elders: How active is your part in the unity of the church?

Our relationship with one another is made difficult because of our sin nature. Furthermore, the more seriously we take Paul’s command to diligently pursue the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, the more our sin nature is exposed by our efforts to be unified. The “bonds” of peace that Paul refers to can sometimes seem very much like bondage indeed. Being a part of the church is bittersweet.

Sometimes being a member of Christ’s body can really hurt. When people act with pride or lack of consideration – almost everyone here has seen it happen before – there is a sense of disappointment, perhaps even anger which wells up within us, and we want to fight back or else run away.

Many people stop right there. "Once burned, twice shy" goes the old saying. If someone has been in a church and been hurt, or if simply fears being hurt, then he or she will often attempt to take a passive approach to being in the body. He or she might attend every now and then; or perhaps come to church but only interact with people who are “safe.”

Glorious "Oneness"

But for all of us who find ourselves frustrated at some level with the unity of the church, there is a strong hope in the Gospel. The glorious and sweet part of belonging to Christ is that God not only commands us to be one because of our union with Christ, but He also provides the resources for us to be one. When I look at myself, I see pride and self-centeredness. But when I look at Christ, He has patience and humility and an incredible endurance to spare no effort on behalf of His body. That patience, humility, and endurance are mine, by faith, coming to me through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. They are part of the package called “union with Christ” that came with salvation.

Some people think about the Holy Spirit and think of Toronto blessings or speaking in tongues or miraculous healings. That’s television. The true basic function of the Spirit, according to John 15, is to bring Jesus’ encouragement and comfort and righteousness to us. The Spirit is the one who makes unity possible by changing us, conforming us to Christ’s image. This is why Paul calls our unity the “unity of the Spirit.” It is only possible because of the Spirit, and therefore it has the same character as the Holy Spirit.

This is how you can tell true unity when you see it: it is characterized by the fruit of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. God’s work has his unique stamp of grace on it which can’t be mistaken for anything else.

I don’t want to be naïve about unity in the church. There are of course serious doctrinal issues which splinter the church in pieces. There are also personality differences where the stomach says to the liver that there ain’t room in the belly for the both of us. We all have come in contact with awful church situations which make it hard to believe sometimes that God is really at work in His body. In the face of discouraging news about the church, we need to recognize that the destiny of God’s church is to be united. In Revelation 21, we find the church represented as a bride without stain or blemish, made of Jews and Gentiles alike, all joined in one body. Just as God does not leave individuals alone without help, so also God does not leave the whole body alone without help. Despite the pains and blemishes and discord that can sometimes characterize the church, there is also evidence that the Holy Spirit does bring unity and peace in difficult situations. Our own church has experienced some of that in its history.

In fact, in Eph. 4:13, Paul alludes to a time when we will all reach unity of faith. Perhaps that time will not come until the Lord returns. But that time will come. And so we have confidence, then, that the work of continuing to reform the ministry is not a vain occupation. Instead, it is part of God’s plan to bring everything under one head.

Also, we need to know that our unity is an integral part of the mission of the church. Our love one for another causes the world to know that we really do belong to Christ. When we exhibit unity, even an imperfect unity, we display something supernatural that goes beyond normal human sinful nature. When the world sees us giving preference to one another instead of using each other for our own agenda, it sees a living picture of who Jesus is.

Your Personal Mission to Others

So where are we? Well, the Lord has called us to spare no effort to preserve the unity of His body. We do that, in part, by walking in humility: that is, showing deference and gentleness to one another. We do that, in part, by patiently bearing with one another’s faults. And we do it all because there is but one body to belong to, one Spirit that we all partake of, one hope, one Lord, one faith, and one baptism – there is in fact but one God.

Think about your membership in the church, both in the larger church and in the little corner of the church at your own congregation (if indeed you are a member there). I encourage you to pray, as I have and will also pray, that God will reveal to you ways in which to actively pursue the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Perhaps a specific conflict needs resolution. However, most of us, like me, just have a general blindness that keeps us from seeing other people as fellow organs in the body.

Jesus can cure our blindness; that’s one of His special gifts. By faith, take hold of your union with Him so that you can walk in unity with the rest of His body.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Rev. Charles R. Biggs

9 S. Locust Street

Post Office Box 628

Round Hill, VA 20141

571.334.7420

Special Edition

Dedicated to All Who Lack Assurance in God's Grace and Forgiveness in Christ

Introduction- "Saved, but Not Good Enough!"

It has been on my mind lately how much we as Christians try to earn our salvation after we are saved.

What I mean is that we oftentimes go on our feelings of how well or poor we are doing, or how many times we have sinned knowingly against God's Law in a given day. What we fail to realize is the huge problem of our sinfulness. Known sins are only tips of the deep, deep sinful iceberg that comes forth from the core of our being and hearts (Matt. 15). We do not rest enough in the perfect work of Jesus Christ for those who believe! Rather, we always want to add our obedience to what Jesus has already done (read Galatians 3-5 for an example of this in the early church).

This 'Word of Encouragement: Special Edition' is a copy of a letter that was written to me by a student. I asked this student if I could send this out to everyone and he agreed, because it is not just this student who has these concerns. If the truth be known, most of us live functionally as Christians more on the spiritually schizophrenic reflections of "He loves me, He loves me not" rather than resting in the complete, perfect, glorious, obedient Law-Keeping that Jesus did on our behalf. To put it in modern terms, many of us ask "What would Jesus do?" too much! We should not be asking this question as much as we should be asking: "What has Jesus already done for me?" (then it is proper to ask the other question).

I ask you with all humility to share this letter with others who struggle with understanding that the work of Jesus Christ is enough to save. Share this with young people who have been told a lot of "do's" and "don't's" without being told enough what Jesus did and did not do FOR US!

We often do not realize it, but if we, in any given moment, are looking to our own works, or the Law of God to bring relief to our guilty and sinful consciences, we are looking to only that which damns us rather than to Jesus who brings us full, sustaining, and eternal life. When we focus on anything other than Jesus for our hope and reconciliation with God in the Christian life, we are making idols that will kill try to kill us, bring us into great despair, and take away any assurance of the great love of God in Christ Jesus.

The enemy of God's people desires to weaken and afflict our consciences with terror by having us "try harder" to gain God's approval, or to look to God's Law for help. We should always resist these temptations and tendencies and look once again to Jesus Christ, the Author and Perfecter of our Faith, who took the curses of the Law that we deserved, so that he might reconcile us to God, give us life and hope and peace, and his perfect obedience.

The following is the letter from my student. I have edited details for privacy. My student is struggling with life with God, not without him. My student is a Christian young man, but he does all things well and he gets upset when his feelings of how he is doing with God get the best of him. Remember that part of my reply to him is based on previous conversations and knowing that this top student and person struggles with perfectionism. My reply to him follows his short letter. Think about it and what the gospel means and how the gospel of Jesus can truly bring meaning into empty-feeling lives.

I would love to get comments back from you concerning this. From my experience in teaching both young and mature, is that many of us struggle terribly with the reality of our truly being justified by faith alone before a holy God!

Letter from My Student

Mr. Biggs,

How you doing? I hope everything has been going well over in VA. im sorry i missed that one sunday...ive been so busy lately. My friend isnt helping me with my business anymore so im doin everything myself, it takes up a lot of time.

I'm having some problems and id like your help. I've been makin a lot of money with my landscaping. I'm a top college's number one recruit. i got really good grades last year. By all accounts ive been doing well. And i know that without God, without family and friends...im nothing. and im really feeling it. I ask myself what im doin all the time.

In Ecclesiastes it says its good to enjoy yourself on earth but true life is only found in following God's laws ( somethin like that)...and its right. But i've almost gone too far. i dont enjoy anythin anymore...im angry all the time. I don't have peace with myself cuz im always angry at somethin. I can't relax. I know what im doin (my business, athletics, school) isnt a waste of my time but ive found no fulfillment in it at all.

God...thats where my heart should be and it is but sometimes it feels so stagnant. i can deal with those times cuz they are to be expected, but right now...im losin my mind. Everything seems so drab and so boring. Everything makes me mad. i just want some peace and happiness. I'm not burned out cuz i can work and play sports and go to school...they arent chores...just arent fulfilling.

I look at my future and hope that ill be a successful businessman...and i already feel the emptiness in it. Maybe i just have to many little things bothering me right now. I used to be able to let things slide...take everything in stride. but recently i cant, i get upset and i cant rest. The person that once had peace...i dont know what happened to him. I dont doubt that im out of the Lord's will and thus not havin peace in my life..cuz i really believe im doin what i should.

Its just...livin life and havin fun...doesnt exist anymore. I dont know what to do...this isnt right and im going to fix it, i just dont know how. So, if you have any suggestions id appreciate it. It could be that this is one of those low times that one goes through. Who knows. Our future get-together should be fun though and im lookin forward to it. Thanks and hopefully I'll talk to you soon.

My Response

I was delighted to get your letter, my brother. Here are my thoughts:

If you'll take advice from one who is constantly trying to make himself better and to do more things to improve myself, and thus feeling defeated and down when I don't live up to my high expectations, you need to rest in the LORD. Now that can be an overused phrase, but what it means is that you stop "doing" and just know that God is God. What this means is that you realize that you are accepted by God just because of Jesus, and for no other reason. Jesus was the only one who did anything worth remembering: he perfectly obeyed and loved God and his neighbor because we could not (and would not).

God's Commitment to Us

You believe in Jesus? Yes you do! You believe he died for your sins, was raised for your justification, is sitting at God's right hand praying for you? Then BELIEVE IT! We talk so much about what we do for God: our commitment, our this, our that, yadda yadda yadda...what we often forget is God's commitment and love for us! Your young evangelical mind has been overloaded with "do this" and "do that for Jesus" and if you "don't do this" and "don't do that" then you are not that great (or maybe damned which leads us to anger with God rather than reconciliation!).

Our hope is not in the Law, or the "do's" and "don'ts", in fact, that is bad news and not good news at all. The Bible says the Law condemns, it damns us because we cannot perfectly keep it (Romans. 3; Galatians 3-4; 2 Cor. 5:21). But what the Law was unable to do, that is "give life" to us and ability to keep it, CHRIST DID! In other words, what God requires and how he reveals we must live in the Law of God, God provides for us in Jesus!

So, when we realize that we deserved wrath and punishment for our sins and our law-breaking, and when we realize that Jesus was the perfect Law-Keeper who earned and merited eternal life, we realize that it was we who should have been cursed (Gal. 3:13) and crucified, not Jesus! But God, who is rich in mercy made him who knew no sin to be sin FOR US, so that we might be the righteousness of God in Christ! This is all of grace (2 Cor. 5:17-21).

Jesus offers to those who believe the same grace when we are saved, in the midst of our living the Christian life, and will offer the same grace to us when we die! The same grace that we are justified, declared righteous by God and given Christ's righteousness based on ABSOLUTELY NOTHING we have ever done (even all those hard strivings for his approval in the Christian life).

"It is (truly) finished." (Think about it!). As Martin Luther put it so eloquently in his Commentary on the Book of Galatians:

"We therefore do make this definition of a Christian, that a Christian is not he which has no sin, or feels no sin, but he to whom God imputes not his sin because of his faith in Christ. This teaching of the Bible brings strong consolation to afflicted consciences in serious and inward terrors. It is not without good cause, therefore, that we do so often repeat and beat into your minds the forgiveness of sins, and imputation of righteousness for Christ's sake: also that a Christian has nothing to do with the law and sin, especially in the time of temptation. for inasmuch as he is a Christian, he is above the law and sin....Therefore, when the law accuses and sin terrifies a man, he looks upon Christ, and when he has apprehended him by faith, he has present with him the conqueror of the law, sin, death, and the devil; who reigns and rules over them, so that they cannot hurt him."

Our Functional "saviors"

What we normally do is functionally set ourselves or the Law of God up as our saviors during the Christian life. Most Christians understand that they are saved by grace, but they fail to remember that they are being saved by grace as well. That means when we pat ourselves on the back for doing good, or when we stumble into sin and disobey God, or when we "try harder" to keep the Law we are doing everything BUT looking away from ourselves and the Law to Jesus Christ.

We must constantly look away from our works, both good and bad in the Christian life to Jesus Christ and his perfectly good life on our behalf. Jesus did not merely die for our sins, he did do that! He also lived righteously and earned the gift of salvation and perfection for those who love him. To look at any moment to "how well we are doing", or "how poorly we are doing" is to look to the Law of God and feel damned. We must rest in the perfect work of Jesus Christ for our ongoing realization of the acceptance and love of God that we have been justified and we are, by His grace, being perfected throughout our lives.

What will really cause you great joy and excitement and gratitude is when you realize that you will never be more forgiven than you are now; never be more accepted; never be more loved- - -there is nothing you can do to condemn yourself, or to better yourself in the eyes of God!!!!!! What grace! Quit trying and rest in the Lord Jesus' work for you! Now, when we get a hold of this reality, it causes us to think "Hmmm, then maybe I can sin all I want!"

Isaiah 30:15 is a Scripture I remember often:

"In repentance and rest shall be your salvation; in quietness and trust shall be your strength."

Real Feelings and God's Reality

Commitment and Feelings

My friend, what I am saying in all of this, is that you are quite normal as a struggling Christian (see Paul's struggle in Romans 7:7-25). You are a young man struggling with identity, and pressure to perform, and to know a little more about your God. I don't want to discourage you, but your whole life will be learning these things. Learn to rest in Christ NOW! Learn to stop trying and performing and rest in who you are because God has loved you in Jesus and made you his son! I love ya, bro! Think about this and write me back with comments and questions:

"Trust in the LORD with all of your heart and lean not onto your own understanding. In all of your ways acknowledge HIM, and He will make your paths straight!" -Prov. 3:5-6.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Pastor Charles R. Biggs

Ketoctin Covenant Presbyterian Church

9 S. Locust Street

Post Office Box 628

Round Hill, VA 20142-0628

571.334.7420

It has been two years since we saw and experienced the devastating attack on America. We all thought, "This is not possible!" "This cannot be happening to us!" We all pondered the question "Why?" Yet despite the pain and confusion, we still remember that God is gracious to us all.

Let us remember to pray for the families of those who lost their lives, asking God to draw them closer to himself and to grant them true repentance. May we also remember as James 4 reminds us that we do not always know what today or tomorrow may bring. Every time we leave our loved ones, plan our days, or set an appointment in our schedule books, let us always remember to thank God for guiding and ruling our lives according to his will.

Let us thank God for allowing us to see one more day and to have one more opportunity to serve him wholeheartedly. Let us thank God that he gives us one more day to repent and turn to him in Jesus Christ. When a similar and devastating incident like 9/11 happened in Jesus' day, when a tower fell in Siloam, the people wanted to know why it had happened. Our Lord gives an answer that we must all prayerfully think about. Read the question and our Lord's answer in Luke 13:

Luke 13:1-5: There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. ²And he answered them, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? ³No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. ⁴Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? ⁵No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish."

The point Jesus makes in his answering of the "why's" is that we all deserve punishment and death (cf. Romans 3:20-23), because we all fall short of God's glory. None of us deserve each and every day that we live. None of us are worse sinners because God allows a tragedy in our lives. Rather, Jesus is saying in verses 3 and 5 that these are reminders of how frail and weak we are, and it is a reminder of how we should all live repentant lives because of God's ongoing grace and mercies to us as his creatures!

It may be difficult to think about, but in light of these verses in Luke 13 (and later in his story in verses 6-9), Jesus is carefully explaining to us that every day is a gift of God, there is nothing that we should ever take for granted. When we see devastating events happening in the world, God has removed his hand of protection and he doesn't explain why he does it fully. Yet, what he does explain is that we should rely upon his mercies and grace more in our lives and we should take the opportunity to repent, turning from our sins to the living Christ for our hope!

And what is our hope? A world without pain, misery and sin. A world without difficulty and death and pain! As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15: "O Death, Where is your sting?" Death, hell and the devil have been defeated by the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead (Hebrews 2:14ff)! Believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved, and one day you will fully know the "why's" to all of your questions!

Let us thank God for his Divine and Sweet Mercies in Christ. Below is a prayer to pray and share with others as you thank God for his mercy and faithfulness!

"Eternal God,
You are surpassingly great, unspeakably good,
super-abundant in your grace to us;
Your favors toward us are as the number of sands of the sea;
We know but a part of your plan, but that small part exceeds all praise.

We thank you for personal mercies,
health, preservation of our bodies,
comforts of house and home, sufficiency of food and clothing,
continuance of our mental powers,
our family, and their mutual help and support,
the delights of family harmony and peace
the seats in our home and school that might have been vacant,
but are filled.
We thank you for our country, church, the Bible, and our faith.

But, O Lord, how we mourn our sin, our ingratitude, our vileness before your holiness,
the days we are given that only add to our guilt,
the many times that we have witnessed our offending tongues revealing our true hearts.

All things in heaven, earth, around, within, without condemn us - -
the sun sees our misdeeds,
the darkness which is light to you,
the cruel accuser who justly charges us,
Your righteous Law, Your Holy Word,
our sin-soiled conscience, our private and public life,
our neighbors, and even ourselves - -
All these write dark things about us!

O Lord, we deny them not, present no excuses, but confess, 'Father, We have sinned'.
Yet still we live, and run repenting to your outstretched arms;
you will not cast us off, for Jesus brings us near,
you will not condemn us, for he died in our stead,
you will not mark our mountains of sin and ungratefulness against us, for Jesus levelled all,
and his beauty covers our deformities.

O our God, We bid farewell to sin by clinging ever so tightly to HIS cross,
hiding in his wounds, and sheltering in his side.
By your grace and mercies that are new every morning,
may we never forget to be grateful each moment of every day that you have given to us!

In Christ's Name,
Amen."

Soli Deo Gloria!

Pastor Charles R. Biggs

Ketoctin Covenant Presbyterian Church

9 S. Locust Street

Post Office Box 628

Round Hill, VA 20142-0628

571.334.7420

Vol. VI, Issue 15

"Captives in His Train"- Ephesians 4:7-16

Introduction

This is the second part of a sermon series preached by Mr. Jeff Cagle. The is an excellent sermon from Ephesians 4:7-16.

Jeff is a student at RTS (Reformed Theological Seminary) has taught physics, calculus and chemistry for over 10 years at Chapelgate Christian Academy. He also holds a degree in Music from Princeton University. The next couple of studies are sermons on Ephesians 4 that he preached. They are well-written and extremely encouraging. I know that his sermons will be a blessing to you, so I publish them here and at 'A Place for Truth' (under 'Sermons') for your edification and learning.

Congregations in the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ must not only constantly strive for unity as we learned in the last study, we need to be about the ongoing mission to build one other up in the love of Jesus. Because of our unity with the Lord Jesus Christ and with each other, we vitally need each other to grow in love and grace. We are Christ's gifts to His Church and we are to use these gifts as we have been called to use them so that we might glorify the Lord, spread the gospel, and to mature in Christ!

Ephesians 4:7-16

Ephesians 4:7-16: But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. ⁸Therefore it says, "When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men." ⁹( In saying, "He ascended," what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth? ¹⁰He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) ¹¹And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, ¹²to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, ¹³until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, ¹⁴so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. ¹⁵Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, ¹⁶from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Mr. Jeff Cagle: Captives in His Train

Today’ssermon is a continuation of last week’s. In our last study,we took a look atEphesians 4, verses 1 – 6. In thatpassage, Paul talks about how we all are united to Jesus in such a way that weare connected to each other. The maincommand in that passage is the command to spare no effort to maintain ouroneness in Him. The word that describesthat aspect of our union with Christ is Relationship: in Christ, the members ofthe church have relationship of unity one with another.

Today, we will look at Ephesians 4, verses 7 – 16. These verses describe ourMissionin Christ, which is to participate in the buildingup of His body. This building up happensboth in terms of numbers and in terms of maturity. In terms of numbers, the Gospel goes forthand some believe and are added to the body of Christ. In terms of maturity, the members of the bodyincrease in their faith and in the knowledge of Christ, and in their love forone another. The mission of the body ofChrist is to grow. To explain how nearto God’s heart this mission is, we should bereminded of Matthew 12:22-32.

Matthew12:22-32:Then ademon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healedhim, so that the man spoke and saw.²³And all thepeople wereamazed, and said, "Can this be the Son of David?"²⁴But when thePharisees heard it, they said, "It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons,that this man casts out demons."²⁵Knowing their thoughts, he saidto them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city orhouse divided against itself will stand.²⁶And if Satan castsout Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?²⁷And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons castthem out? Therefore they will be your judges.²⁸But if it is by theSpirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.²⁹Or how can someone enter a strong man's house and plunder hisgoods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder hishouse.³⁰Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does notgather with me scatters.³¹Therefore I tell you, every sin andblasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will notbe forgiven.³²And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man willbe forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven,either in this age or in the age to come.

Jesus describes His mission asplundering thekingdomofSatan, freeing those who have been made captive tosin. Here in this passage, He directlyfrees a demon-possessed man. InEphesians 2, all of who have been saved are said to be taken out of the kingdomof darkness and delivered into Jesus’ kingdom. Our delivery isthereason that He condescended to become a manand suffer as He did(cf. Hebrews2:14ff). It was His mission. No wonder that He takes such strong offenseto the Pharisee’s characterization of His work as being “demonic,” and that Hewarns them against blaspheming the Holy Spirit.

Although there are other metaphorsJesus uses to describe His work, such as a shepherd finding lost sheep, thismetaphor of a triumphant warrior plundering Satan’s kingdom continues throughoutScripture. From this perspective, oursalvation is seen as a transfer of kingdoms. In a military-style rescue, Jesus defeats Satan and leads Satan’sprisoners (us) into His own kingdom.

Jesus’ mission did not end when He ascended into heaven. He continues to transfer people from thekingdom of darkness into His own kingdom by means of the Holy Spirit. And, the Holy Spirit works through thechurch; the Lord uses us as His hands and feet in order to continue the work ofrifling through Satan’s kingdom and rescuing his captives. This is our mission. Ephesians 4:7 – 16 describes in more detailhow the body of Christ works together to fulfill that mission.

"Who Do You ThinkYou Are? God's Gift to the Church?"

Paul has just explained that there is an essential unity in the Body ofChrist: one body, one spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism: oneGod. But now he also points to diversitywithin the body. We all have been givengrace according to the full measure of Christ’s gift. To understand what he means by “Christ’sgift,” we need to understand this odd quotation from the Psalm 68, which we readearlier in the service: “When he ascended on high, he led captives in his train,and he gave gifts to men.” This scene inthe Psalms is hard for us to relate to because inAmericawe have a history of ending wars by signingtreaties. But most wars throughouthistory have been about plunder. Avictorious king would take gold, silver, precious things, and captives from theland he conquered. He might even receivetribute, some kind of gift from those he left alive, as a sort of bribe to gethim to go away.

So as Paul reads in Psalm 68 thatthe Lord led captives in His train and received gifts from among men, even theunrighteous, he understands that those gifts and the captives are the result ofa mighty battle. They are to be given toGod’s people – that’s what the phrase “she who sits at home will divide thespoil” is all about. When he writes tothe Ephesians, he wants to emphasize the fact that the people of God receivegifts from God. So, he summarizes thePsalm as “when He ascended on high, he led captives in His train and gave giftsto men.” He’s not arbitrarily changingthe word ‘received’ to ‘gave’; rather, he is commenting on, or paraphrasing forthe Ephesians, the content of the Psalm. His purpose in doing so is to focus their attention on the gifts the Lordhas given to His people.

This leads to some obvious questions: what battle has God fought, that heshould have captives to lead? And whatgifts does Paul have in mind? If weunderstand that the mission of Christ is to plunder Satan’s kingdom, then theanswers are really clear: God has fought and won a decisive battle against theusurper Satan. The captives that He haswon are the very prisoners that He came to rescue. And the gifts that He gives are those verysame captives, but He gives them not as slaves but as members, adding them on toHis body.

As part of His victory tour, heleads us, his captives, and gives us as gifts to His people, the church. In a funny way, we can truthfully say thateach believer here today is God’s gift to the church. This is not to say that the Lord chose usbecause of our abilities. Paul himself was not chosen for his abilities;instead, the Lord worked through his weaknesses. But instead, as a part of His choosing of us,and as part of His rescuing us from the kingdom of darkness and delivering toHis own kingdom, He gives each one of us as a unique gift to the church, Hisbody. The purpose of giving us as giftsin this way is that the body will be built up. We add on a member here, and a member there, and the body isenhanced. It is better able to carry outits mission, to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth.

Furthermore, this has been God’splan from the beginning. That is thepoint of Paul’s argument as he says “This ‘he ascended’, what does it mean ifnot that he had already descended to the lower parts of the earth?” Paul is simply noticing that even as far backas the writing of Psalm 68, David already knew that God was going to descend toearth and lead captives in his train. Jesus’ mission to rescue us was not God’s plan B, a second chance sinceIsraelhad failed. Instead, the church with all its diversity has been God’s plan A sincebefore the foundation of the world.

Just look at the gifts God has given! On the one hand, he gave apostles; on the other, prophets, evangelists,pastors and teachers (the sense of this phrase is “pastors who areteachers”). Paul’s list here is by nomeans an exhaustive list of God’s gifts. From I Corinthians 12, we find that there are those who have faith, thosewho have knowledge, those who have wisdom, some even who workmiracles.

Paul focuses here on the teaching and leadership gifts simply toemphasize that the job of teachers and leaders is to prepare the body for worksof service in order that the entire body will be built up. He is providing for the Ephesians a vision oftheir mission to cause the body of Christ to grow. He is giving them a specific picture ofchurch growth.

God's Plan for ChurchGrowth

Look at how the different parts fittogether. The pastors and evangelistshave a specific role, which is to prepare the other parts of the body for worksof service – the work of the ministry. Then, as the body carries out the work of ministry, each part doing whatit does best, in love, then the result is that the whole body is built up. This is God’s plan for churchgrowth.

Iwant to stop and dwell on this picture for a bit because it runs counter to thegrain of our culture in a couple of ways. First of all, notice that in this picture of the church working in theright way, the pastor does not carry the full weight of the ministry. Instead, he has a very specific job: to equipthe members of the body for works of service. In a properly functioning church, the majority of the ministry actuallyoccurs at the hands of the members of the church.

This picture of church ministry ishard for modern American. One of theunderlying implicit slogans of our culture is “pay the money, get theservice.” It is easy to unconsciouslyassume that a pastor is hired by a church to carry out the mission of thechurch. Not so! The pastor is instead hired by the church toprepare God’s people to carry out the mission of the church.

Onthe other hand, members of the church are often inhibited in their ministrybecause of false expectations. Ourculture often intimidates us with larger-than-life images of wonderful beautifulpeople. We see names in the news ofpeople who do Ministry! like BillyGraham or Mother Theresa or R.C. Sproul or whoever happens to be the currentChristian celebrity. We know that we arenot “gifted” like Billy Graham or Mother Theresa. So we shrink back in unbelief, unsure of howwe fit as members in God’s body, as participants in God’s mission to plunder thenations. We retreat from taking up ourrole as a gift to the body because our abilities seem pale and shabby incomparison to others’. It is so temptingto say, “Let someone else – someone more able – have vision for ministry” or“Let someone else – someone more able – share the gospel.”

My brothers and sisters,we have been deceived in our thoughts. We do not need miraculous gifts in order to be a part of God’smission. Wearethe gifts, eachof us God’s gift to His body. He choseus before the world ever began.

Inlight of that, how can we doubt that we belong? How can we shrink back from God’s purpose and calling in our lives? Only by unbelief can we possibly doubt thatGod’s purpose for us is to be attached to His body, helping it togrow.

Alarge part of the problem is that we fail to understand that carrying out God’smission of building His body is not a matter of applying our own abilities tothe problem. Remember that last Sunday,I mentioned that real unity, the kind that has the unmistakable stamp of God’sgrace, can only happen by faith as we take hold of our resources in Christ. Well, the same is true for our mission. Real ministry, the kind that changes livesand causes real growth in the body, only occurs as the Holy Spirit works throughus to reach others. Does He work throughour abilities? Perhaps. More importantly, He works through ourweaknesses. It is our connection toJesus, our union with Christ, that makes it possible for us to carry out all ofour various roles in the body.

Christian Body-Building:Making Disciples and Making Mature Disciples

Consider what our mission is in Christ. Our mission is to build His body. We are all, so to speak, body builders. This building of Christ’s body has two different aspects. The first aspect of body-building is thatChrist’s body grows in numbers and members by continuing Christ’s mission ofplundering the nations. This is the bigpicture of the book of Acts: the gospel goes out from Jerusalem to Judea andSamaria and then to the uttermost parts of the earth.

Bringing the Gospel to the world isthe primary means by which we carry out our mission. It is in some ways a military mission, but wedo not make war on unbelievers – they are not the enemy! The Scripture says that our battle is notagainst flesh and blood, but our battle is against Satan himself. His control over people is not mystical. Very few people today would fall in thecategory of “demon-possessed.” But Satanhas still bound the rest at the level of what they think, what they believe, howthey live, what they assume, what they love, and what they fear. So as we fight, we challenge nonChristianspeculations and thoughts that oppose God’s truth. Our weapons are truth and love.

Some of us, given as evangelists, dothis mostly with words. Others of us,who have the ability to serve, do this mostly with deeds, creating a livingpicture of God’s love in order that it might spark a pang of longing in someonewho does not know Him.

But whether by word or by deed, orby some combination of word and deed, all of our plundering activity is donewith purpose and by faith.

Consider for a momentyour own congregation. Consider your workplace or school, yourneighborhood, your family. You seepeople – friendly or otherwise, kind or otherwise, people who have needs andmeet needs and present challenges. TheLord sees something else. He sees peoplein bondage to sin and to Satan. He hascompassion on them, and His compassion leads him to make plans. In fact, He has already made plans to rescuesome of them.

You should have fair warning thatthese plans include you in some way or other to facilitate that rescue. I encourage you and urge you to pray forcompassion, the kind of compassion that leads to courage, so that you might beas bold as need be in order to carry out the ministry He has for you in thelives of others.

Where are you with regard to theLord’s mission to build His body? Weneed to be careful not to dismiss the growth of the church as a matter forprofessional evangelists. Not everyoneis called as an evangelist. But all arecalled to participate in the work of the ministry, so that as every part doesits work, the body is built up. Consideryour calling. Pray about yourcalling. Talk to other believers, or oneof the elders, about the area of ministry that God has called you to.

The second aspect of body-buildingis that Christ’s body grows in maturity, taking on more of the character ofChrist Himself. Look at thecharacteristics of the mature body in vv. 13 – 16. It is doctrinally stable, not following theteachings of man which take us here and there, but instead holding fast to God’struth. It is important for us, even aswe function as diverse members in the body, to have one thing in common: that wehold tightly to the Scripture and loosely to the opinions of men, even goodmen. If Jesus is to be our head, wecannot buy into the cult of celebrity, saying, “I follow John Calvin” or “Ifollow Martin Luther” or “R.C. Sproul” or “mypastor alone” or any other person other than the Lord Jesus.

If we are to truly hold loosely tothe ideas of men, then we must, as we mature as Christians, become self-feedingfrom the Scriptures. All of us, to theextent that the Lord gives us ability, should read from the Scriptures on aregular basis. It is our spiritualfood. It is the means that the HolySpirit uses to work in our lives. Amongother things, it is one of the most important means that God uses to stir us upto function within the body. TheScripture guides us and gives us wisdom. The Scripture makes it possible for us to speak truthfully to oneanother.

This command to speak the truth in love is integrallyrelated to the maturing process. You andI are easily hardened by the deceits of sin. As we speak the truth in love to one another, the Lord uses our words tohelp clear the vision a little bit, help soften our hearts a little bit, toencourage our faith. It is our faith, asyou will recall, that takes hold of our union with Christ and causes us toexperience our connection with Him.

Speaking the Truth inLove

Speaking the truth in love means telling each otherwhat is true about ourselves, about each other, and about the Lord, all out of amotive to minister to someone else. Thatis a difficult task! It is very easy totell people what they want to hear, or conversely to tell them off. A motive of love, however, tells people whatthey need to hear for the sake of improving their relationship with Christ andwith His body. As the body of Christmatures, its members become bold in their relating to one another, putting asidethe falsehoods and the selfishness which are part of the fleshlynature.

In a way, then, the Relationship within the churchand the Mission of the church are an inseparable pair. The unity of the Spirit which we both haveand also must maintain becomes the fertile soil in which the members areencouraged to take up their roles and carry out the mission of building the bodyby plundering Satan’s kingdom. Conversely, the mission of building the body, when properly done, resultsin a greater number of members and a better quality of relationship betweenthose members. That is the way the Lordhas designed the church to grow.

If you are like me, you feel overwhelmed by thetask. That is no surprise: we are not upto the task of body-building. It can behard to know God’s calling in your life. It is scary to attempt to minister to others. It is culturally awkward to share the Gospelwith others. It can be difficult tospeak the truth in love to your fellow members.

In fact, fulfilling God’s commands in this passage issimply impossible, humanly speaking. Ourresources for maintaining unity and helping the body to grow do not come fromwithin. Instead, they are part of thatpackage of blessings we spoke of last week: our union with Christ. He has the wisdom and power that we need tocarry out His mission as members of His body. Turn to Him in faith and ask Him to lead you in the project of buildingthe body of Christ.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Rev. Charles R. Biggs

9 S. Locust Street

Post Office Box 628

Round Hill, VA 20141

571.334.7420

Quote of the Week

Introduction

This week's quotation is another one from David Wells' book 'No Place for Truth: Or, Whatever Happened to Evangelical Theology."

Dr. Wells is discussing the importance of Christians seeking to understand God as he has revealed himself personally in Scripture by making efforts at studying theology. Dr. Wells wants us to all realize that all of the knowledge that we obtain about God and ourselves are found outside of ourselves in Holy Scripture.

The problem: Many Christians make the self the center, or the focus of their knowledge of God. This leads to faithless and unfaithful consequences that we need to avoid. So, what happens when the self, that is "ME" becomes the most important thing in life rather than God's objective revelation in the Bible?

David Wells

“The sort of Christian faith that is conceived in the womb of the self is quite different from the historic Christian faith. It is a smaller thing, shrunken in its ability to understand the world and to stand up in it.

The self is a canvas too narrow, too cramped, to contain the largeness of Christian truth. Where the self circumscribes the significance of Christian faith, good and evil are reduced to a sense of well-being or its absence, God’s place in the world is reduced to the domain of private consciousness, his external acts of redemption trimmed to fit the experience of personal salvation, his providence in the world diminishes to whatever is necessary to ensure one’s having a good day, his Word become intuition, and conviction fades into evanescent opinion.

Theology becomes therapy, and all the telltale symptoms of the therapeutic model of faith begin to surface. The biblical interest in righteousness is replaced by a search for happiness, holiness by wholeness, truth by feeling, ethics by feeling good about one’s self.

The world shrinks to the range of personal circumstances; the community of faith shrinks to a circle of personal friends. The past recedes. The Church recedes. The world recedes. All that remains is the self.”

Soli Deo Gloria

Pastor Charles R. Biggs

Ketoctin Covenant Presbyterian Church

9 S. Locust Street

Post Office Box 628

Round Hill, VA 20142-0628

571.334.7420

Vol. VI, Issue 16

Genesis 15-"Our Covenant God: A God of Promises"

Rev. Charles R. Biggs

Introduction

The living God who reveals himself to His people is a God of promises. He stoops to reveal himself specially and specifically to his people. He promises verbally to those who believe him that what he says - - He will do. But God also promises us by showing us his grace visually. In our study today, we want to consider God's verbal and visual promise made to Abram and to all of those who would believe God -- like Abram.

When we think of the term 'covenant', it can be a difficult term to define. To put it simply however, the word 'covenant' has to do with God's promises to His people. 'Covenant' is the way God binds himself, or promises, or vows to his people that he will save them. God binds himself with a verbal promise to his people, in Genesis 15, to Abram. He then "signs" his promise with blood visually (which we will see in Genesis 15:8ff), then he makes sure, or guarantees that what he promises both verbally and visually will come to pass.

Let us read Genesis 15, then begin our study today!

Genesis 15

Genesis 15: After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: "Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great." 2 But Abram said, "O Lord GOD, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?" 3 And Abram said, "Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir." 4 And behold, the word of the LORD came to him: "This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir." 5 And he brought him outside and said, "Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be." 6 And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness. 7 And he said to him, "I am the LORD who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess." 8 But he said, "O Lord GOD, how am I to know that I shall possess it?" 9 He said to him, "Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon." 10 And he brought him all these, cut them in half, and laid each half over against the other. But he did not cut the birds in half. 11 And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away. 12 As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. And behold, dreadful and great darkness fell upon him. 13 Then the LORD said to Abram, "Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. 14 But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. 15 As for yourself, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. 16 And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete." 17 When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. 18 On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, 19 the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, 20 the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, 21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites and the Jebusites."

God Promises Abraham Verbally

In Genesis 15:1-5, God promises to Abram verbally that he will keep his word to him and give him numerous descendants by his grace!

Remember that Abram had left his land of Ur of the Chaldeans by faith because the LORD had appeared to him and told him to leave the land of his fathers. The LORD was going to bless him with a great inheritance as he promised him in Genesis 12: 1-4:

Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who curses you I will curse; and by you all the families of the earth shall bless themselves." 4 So Abram went, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.

Time had passed since Abram had first left his homeland of Ur and he did not as yet see the fulfillment of these promises. The LORD appears to him in a vision and tells him that he will be his shield and protector and that also his reward will be great (Gen. 15:1-2). Just like us, we live between the promises of God and His fulfillment of these promises! We live between the times of Jesus our Lord saying that he is preparing a place for us and not to be dismayed, and the time when he will actually return (John 14-16).

Much of our daily lives are lived between prayers of request for God to help us, sustain us, to hear us and to answer our prayer, and the waiting time between as God fulfills his promises to us to be faithful. Yet, we can be reminded of our great and covenantal God, that all of his promises are "yes" in Christ Jesus! (2 Corinthians 1).

Abraham was confused in our passage today. He only had Eliezar of Damascus, his servant - -he had no son. How was he to inherit all of the things God had promised to him? He cannot understand how these things could be. According to Abram, the slave born in his house will be the inheritor of everything, including Abram’s name and heritage. At this time in history, if patriarchs died without a seed, without children (a great shame in this culture), then a slave would inherit all that the patriarch had. For Abram, it was a difficult thing to believe that God could indeed bless him and make his name great at this point.

But God tells him that he will graciously and sovereignly provide for all his needs. In fact, he will provide the seed Abram needs in order to make all his promises come to pass. God says your “son” will be your heir. Abram might have replied, “What son, O Sovereign LORD?” Then God, reminds Abram what he had told him previously in Genesis 12, that indeed his descendants, Abram’s seed will be not only like the sand of the seashore, but also the stars of the sky. You can imagine Abram looking up at night and seeing the innumerable number of stars that seemed so close you could touch them.

All of these stars were dazzling before him as a man who would have laid many a night to rest on his back and been able to observe the great content of these heavens created by God. At this point in Abram’s life, he did not see all of God’s provision and all of his promises would be quite impossible to believe. However, that is just what Abram did. He believed God, in spite of how things seemed at the time.

Think back in your own life when God seemed unfaithful, he seemed quiet, and seemed not to hear your constant requests when you prayed. You may have thought at the time that the situation was hopeless, that it was no use praying or even serving God anymore. Yet, if you recall, God was faithful and did above and beyond anything you could have asked or imagined!

Abram Believes God's Word to Him

Genesis 15:6 And he believed the LORD; and he reckoned it to him as righteousness.

Despite how things seemed at this point in Abram’s life, he believed God and God reckoned or counted this to him as righteousness (cf. Romans 4). The righteousness that comes from God alone by faith alone. Abram knew that true faith was indeed the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen (Heb. 11). Abram had followed God and believed him from the beginning when he left his home and believed God’s promises. However, this time, for the first time, Moses teaches us that Abram’s faith was credited or reckoned to him as righteousness.

Abram knew that if any of God’s promises were to come to pass, it would not be based upon his own wisdom and efforts, but it must be dependent on the LORD who had revealed himself to Abram and will continue to be faithful to him. God has sovereignly and graciously revealed himself to Abram by promising him a great reward and inheritance, and all Abram had to do was believe. This can be quite amazing when you think about it. The LORD, the Sovereign Creator of heaven and earth appeared to a simple and sinful Chaldean man to bring him knowledge of himself and to even reward him with a great inheritance- -all because of faith!

It is just because that faith is extraspective in character. That is, it looks away from oneself to the only LORD and God that can truly provide; the only God who man can truly believe. This great and sovereign God revealed himself to Abram in a vision, just so he could bless he and his descendents. What grace the LORD shows to his people. Sure Abram had concerns about how this was all going to “pan out”- - he is human. He doesn’t know how this will all come about, but because God has graciously revealed himself to Abram, he knows the LORD is able to keep his promises. In fact, the LORD not only accommodated and stooped to reveal himself to sinful Abram, but was about confirm his promise in an even more astounding manner. What was about to happen, Abram could have never imagined.

God Confirms His Promise to Abraham

Genesis 15:7-21: And he said to him, "I am the LORD who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess." 8 But he said, "O Lord GOD, how am I to know that I shall possess it?" 9 He said to him, "Bring me a heifer three years old, a she-goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon." 10 And he brought him all these, cut them in two, and laid each half over against the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. 11 And when birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, Abram drove them away. 12 As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram; and lo, a dread and great darkness fell upon him. 13 Then the LORD said to Abram, "Know of a surety that your descendants will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs, and will be slaves there, and they will be oppressed for four hundred years; 14 but I will bring judgment on the nation which they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. 15 As for yourself, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. 16 And they shall come back here in the fourth generation; for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete." 17 When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. 18 On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, 19 the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, 20 the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, 21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites and the Jebusites."

So Abram had believed God and God credited this or reckoned this to him as righteousness, nevertheless Abram sought a little bit more information. He believes God and believes God can do it, but he wants to know how. He asks, “But LORD how am I to know that I will possess it?” You see, faith is imperfect. Abram’s faith was not a perfect faith. It was a small faith, but God was great. In God’s sovereignty, he had enabled Abram to believe, but Abram still had questions.

As we all do from time to time. You know, when we have those questions of God's goodness and the "how's" that we all have now and then, we need to be reminded of this. We should never ask: "Why?", but "WHO?" That is, when we are troubled by situations and circumstances, we should be reminded never to try and penetrate the mystery of God's purposes (the "why's", but simply to rest on Who He is and how He has always revealed himself as faithful and committed to his people (the "WHO")!

The LORD then tells Abram to participate with him in a covenant ceremony. The LORD was not only gracious enough to promise Abram a great inheritance, he was willing visually to show Abram just how great his grace and promises are to him. The LORD God of heaven and earth is about to not only reveal himself but to “cut” a covenant with him as well to assure and confirm that all of his promises to him are “yes” and “amen”.

God Promises Abram Visually: A Covenant Ceremony

Now, before we continue, allow me to explain what a covenant is as clearly as possible. In the Old Testament, one of the principal ways of describing God’s dealing with his people is that of covenant. A covenant is simply the formal expression or establishment of a relationship as I noted briefly in the introduction. In the Old Testament, almost all references to covenant are to God’s formal relationship to his people. The covenantal form in the Old Testament is patterned after other ancient Near Eastern covenants, so that Abraham, and later Moses and the rest of God’s people could grasp what God was doing. It was unbelievable.

Covenants at this time in history, typically had four parts (compare this covenant with Abram to God's covenant with the nation of Israel in Exodus 19-20, particularly in the revelation of God's Law).

(1) A historical prologue which named the parties and gave the background to the relationship [Gen. 15:7a- "I am the God who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldees]; (2) a statement of the nature of the relationship [Gen. 15:7b- "to give you this land"]; (3) stipulations about the obligations of the parties in the covenant [In these verses the implication is faith or belief as the stipulations]; and (4) sanctions, or blessings and curses to be brought to bear upon fulfillment or violation of the covenant’s terms [Gen. 15:8ff-the visual splitting of the animals and the covenant ceremony]. Covenants were usually ratified or sealed by some oath-taking ceremony which represented the curses, such as a killing of animals or circumcision.

It is important for us to realize that in 15:6, “Abram believed the Lord, and he credited to him as righteousness,” is found in the course of a covenant-making. The Lord had promised Abram descendants as numerous as the stars. And following on the heels of Abram’s “justification by faith,” is a covenant-making ceremony.

The LORD tells Abram to divide some animals, and when Abraham goes to sleep, he hears the promises of descendants and land reiterated, and then “a smoking firepot with a blazing torch passed between the two pieces.” On that day the LORD made, or literally "cut" a covenant with Abram and said: “To your descendants I give this land” in Gen. 15:17-18. The smoke and the fire were representative of God’s presence (called a "theophany" or "appearing of God") and this ceremony was one in which God took the covenant oath.

Notice that Abram arranges the sacrifices for God as he instructed him. As Abram arranged the pieces of animal halves, this would have formed a bloody path for those who were going to promise or "cut a covenant" with the other in this covenant ceremony.

Suddenly, Abram is in the midst of terrifying darkness and in a deep sleep. The LORD tells him that his promises will be fulfilled, but not immediately. In fact, the LORD reveals to Abram how the whole of history is under his sovereign control and direction. In addition, God teaches Abram that the path he will take has been well orchestrated by him. There is nothing in the future that is uncertain or unknown in his great omniscience. The LORD tells him that before his seed inherits all of the promises, they will be oppressed for over four hundred years, but this is not by accident.

God "Cut" Off?

At this time in history, when a king “cut” a covenant with his people, to keep his promises to them. The people would respond to the king’s demands by walking through two portions of an animal. This signified that the person who fails to keep his promises to the king, would be cut in half- - they would be killed for disobedience and failure to keep their oath to the king. In other words, the covenant ceremonies that Abram was familiar with would be where the people, like himself, would walk through the bloody path of animal pieces.

In contrast, what we have here is not only the unexpected, but the unbelievable. The Sovereign LORD of heaven and earth has not only revealed himself by his grace to sinful man in spite of what they deserve; he has not only promised, literally the world to Abram and his seed; he has not only reckoned Abram righteous because of his faith and belief in God’s promises; but God covenants with Abram that if the promises are not kept, God himself would be cut in half, God would have to die!

The symbolism of the smoking fire and flaming torch, or the cloud and the fire that God reveals himself through later, is none other than an appearance of God Almighty as he passes through the pieces. This is not just amazing grace, but astounding grace! This is incomprehensible grace, but then that is the YHWH who Abram believed by faith!

In the fullness of time, God does come as man in the Person of Jesus Christ. Jesus does walk the bloody path, not with the blood of the halved animals forming a path, but with his own blood and the blood of others as he walked the via dolorosa, or way of suffering, to the cross. This is what Galatians 3 is all about when it said that Jesus became a "curse" for us (Gal. 3:10-13).

The incredible news of God's gospel and promise to his people is that in order to fulfill the promises to Abram and to HIS Seed, which is Christ (Gal. 3), God would come and take upon himself the covenant curses in order to keep his promises to his people!

Weekly Commemorative Covenant Ceremonies for the People of God

As the people of God, when we look upon the cross of Jesus Christ, let us be reminded that God always keeps his promises to his people! When we come together for worship on the Lord's Day, let us be reminded that through the preaching of God's Word, God is still verbally promising us that he is faithful- - and his people respond by faith. When we come together and take the Lord's Supper or participate in baptism, we are visually seeing God's promises to his people. When we believe together as a people God's Word, both verbal and visual, so we commit to one another, and honor other above ourselves because of God's commitment to us. You could say that every time we worship together, it is a covenant ceremony commemorated! Praise be to God for his faithfulness!

No matter what your difficult situation or circumstance, rest in the LORD who keeps his promises to his people. No matter how many have caused you to distrust, become cynical, or unbelieving of promises in this world. Believe God! Because in the cross of Christ we see the "yes" and we yell "amen" to the glory of God- - because God is a promise-keeping God! When we think of our commitment to God, let us first think of His commitment to us. Then in light of His commitment may we live our lives committed in love to Him and to our neighbor around us!

Soli Deo Gloria!

Pastor Charles R. Biggs

Ketoctin Covenant Presbyterian Church

9 S. Locust Street

Post Office Box 628

Round Hill, VA 20142-0628

571.334.7420

Quote of the Week

Introduction

This week's quotation comes from a beautiful hymn by Charles Wesley. Now, all of you have heard this many times perhaps. But take a moment to slowly and carefully read the beautiful words. These words express succinctly what God has done so graciously for us in Jesus Christ. May you ask the same question out loud: "How can this be? That God would die for me?" As a friend of mine put it: Oh, what a sweet paradox and mystery that no man can fathom!

The hymn is 'And Can It Be That I Should Gain', written by Charles Wesley in 1738. Remember, as Romans 5:8 says:

"While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." [my emphasis]

Charles Wesley

And can it be that I should gain an int'rest in the Savior's blood?

Died he for me, who caused his pain?

For me, who him to death pursued?

Amazing love! How can it be, that thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

'Tis mystery all! Th'Immortal dies: who can explore his strange design?

In vain the firstborn seraph tries

to sound the depths of love divine.

'Tis mercy all! Let earth adore, let angel minds inqure no more.

Amazing love! How can it be, that thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

He left his Father's throne above

(so free, so infinite his grace!); Humbled himself (so great his love!)

and bled for all his chosen race.

'Tis mercy all, immense and free; for, O my God, it found out me.

Amazing love! How can it be, that thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

Long my imprisoned spirit lay fast bound in sin and nature's night;

thine eye diffused a quick'ning ray;

I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;

My chains fell off, my heart was free; I rose, went forth, and followed thee.

Amazing love! How can it be, that thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

No condemnation now I dread; Jesus, and all in him, is mine!

Alive in him, my living Head, and clothed in righteousness divine,

Bold I approach th'eternal throne, and claim the crown, through Christ my own.

Amazing love! How can it be, that thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

Soli Deo Gloria!

Pastor Charles R. Biggs

Ketoctin Covenant Presbyterian Church

9 S. Locust Street

Post Office Box 628

Round Hill, VA 20142-0628

571.334.7420

Special Edition

Dedicated to Little Addie Eden

Dear Addie,

You are going to be baptized this Lord's Day! What an exciting time for you and your family! You are about to celebrate your four month birthday next week and so I wanted to write you a 'Word of Encouragement'. I am thankful that I get to be a part of your baptism service this Lord's Day.

You are a child of God. What does that mean? In our individualistic culture, we sometimes forget that God binds himself covenantally, or promises to his people as families TO BE THEIR GOD. Just as Adam, the head of our earthly family represented us before God and fell in his transgressions against God, so God uses our fathers as the instruments by which he communicates the grace of the Lord Jesus, the Second Adam.

It is true that where "sin abounds, grace super abounds"! I wanted to write you a short letter so that you can remember this as you are about to be baptized. To be baptized into the covenant is to be recognized as a child of God, an heir of all of the privileges of the children of God (Genesis 15). The sign you receive is water that symbolizes your regeneration in Christ. You are presumed to be an elect child of God; it is not for us to know when your regeneration comes about.

Well, this teaching I am giving you will be different from popular notions in the evangelical church as you grow up, unless God changes things for the better! But remember your baptism. Don't ever forget that infant baptism is a blessing of God. There is no such thing as an "age of accountability"; this is unscriptural. The only so-called age of accountability is when we begin to understand the graciousness of our covenant God and in a response of gratitude and obedience, we offer our children to take part in the sign of the covenant as your father and mother are going to do this Lord's Day.

Lord willing, your Uncle Boo and Aunt Margaret (pronounced: "Mawl-gwet") will get to see you grow in the nurture of Christ, as Christ is formed in you throughout your life. This 'Word of Encouragement' is dedicated to you, a child of the covenant promises of God in Christ the Seed of Abraham and the Heir of all of God's goodness!

I have a great quotation from a book your father and mother should read to you soon: 'The Presbyterian Doctrine of Children in the Covenant'. This is a classic by Lewis Bevens Schenck, published presently by P&R.

Lewis Bevens Schenck

"Although the time of [the covenant child's] regeneration was not presumed, children of believers were thought by Princeton theologians and many others to be the true children of God.

Being within the covenant with their parents, adoption and the promises of God belonged to them. They were the channels in which the Spirit of God flowed. There was an 'intimate and divinely established connection between the faith of parents and the salvation of their children; such a connection as authorizes them to plead God's promises, and to expect with confidence, that through his blessing on their faithful efforts, their children will grow up the children of God' (Charles Hodge, 'Bushnell on Christian Nurture').

Dr. Hodge thought that the intimate relation between parents and children was of such a nature that the life of one was continued in the other. It was in virtue of this intimate relationship that by the will of God and the very constitution of human nature, the parent was regarded as the representative of the child. For instance, he said, if the father became a citizen of a country, his children became citizens also. The parent was recognized as having the right in such cases to act for his child...

...The destiny of the child was involved in that of the parent (Charles Hodge, 'The Church Membership of Infants'). On this principle the child was believed to be 'represented in the parent; and therefore, when the parent enters into covenant with God, when he takes God to be his God, and consecrates himself to his service, he does for his child, what he does for himself.'

The Promises of God for Our Children

It was, therefore, an ordinance of God, having its foundation in the nature which was given to us, that whenever a parent professed the true religion and covenanted with God to believe His truth, and to obey His will, he was bound to lay hold on the same promises for his children. It was not a privilege merely, but a duty arising out of the nature of their relationship, and their allegiance to God.

Dr. B. B. Warfield thought that...God organized his people, he said, into families first, and then, into churches, recognizing in their very warp and woof the family constitution. 'His promises are all the more precious that they are to us and our children. And though this may not fit in with the growing individualism of the day it is God's ordinance.'

...In an article on the 'History of Baptism' by Dr. S. J. Baird, we are reminded that the parental and family relation originated with God. Having created such a relation, imparted such love, and inspired such desires and prayers, God answered them by identifying the parents and their children in the covenant of grace. Hence the administration of baptism to infants, we are told, 'is not predicated upon their presumed faith; but upon the fact that God recognizes them as one with their parents, and, therefore, with and in them parties to the covenant ,' whilst the parents are accepted and authorized not to dedicate themselves only, but their seed to God.

God condescends on the other hand to pledge Himself to accept, appropriate, and bless that seed. [God says:] 'Do you dedicate yourselves to me as living sacrifices and consecrate your children to be trained for my service and glory? Then do I accept and appropriate them as mine. I will be your God and the God of your seed (cf. Gen. 12; 15).

I will be to him a Father and he shall be to me a son. All the blessings of grace and glory, which the Father's love can give, the Son's blood purchase, or the Spirit's power bestow, I give to you and to them; and in pledge of my faithfulness to this covenant, I ordain the baptism seal.' (S. J. Baird, 'The History of Baptism').

Christian Nurture

The great means for the salvation of the children of the church was Christian nurture. Though recognized as in accord with the historic Reformed doctrine, this truth was brought freshly to the forefront...in 'Dr. Horace Bushnell's 'Discourses on Christian Nurture'. In Dr. Charles Hodge's review of this work, he declared that early, assiduous, and faithful Christian nurture of the children of believing parents was the great means of their salvation. This he regarded, as taught in the Scriptures, as reasonable in itself, and as confirmed by the experience of the church.

Dr. Van Dyke, in his Stone Lectures at Princeton Seminary, said 'Christian nurture, beginning in infancy, inheriting traditional influences, and surrounded at the first dawn of consciousness by a religious atmosphere, is the normal and divine method for propagating the Church' (Dyke, 'The Church: Her Ministry and Sacraments').

'The truth is,' asserted Dr. Samuel Miller of Princeton, 'if infant baptism were properly improved, if the profession which it includes, and the obligations it imposes ,were suitably appreciated, and followed up, it would have few opponents. I can no more doubt, if this were done, that it would be blessed to the saving conversion of thousands of our young people, than I can doubt the faithfulness of a covenanted God. Yes, infant baptism is of God, but the fault lies in the conduct of its advocates. The inconsistencies of its friends has done more to discredit it, than all the arguments of its opposers, a hundred fold.' (Miller, 'Infant Baptism Scriptural and Reasonable').

A Spiritually Psychological Viewpoint on Baptism

...Dr. Hodge [in his response to Bushnell comments on how the gospel is nurtured into the child's soul], said: 'I strongly suspect that more is done, in the age previous to language, to affect the character of children,- - than in all the instruction and discipline of their minority afterwards; for, in this first age, the age of impressions, there goes out in the whole manner of the parent- - the look, the voice, the handling- - an expression of feeling, and that feeling streams directly into the soul, and reproduces itself there, as by a law of contagion.'

Christian parents were to be deeply conscious themselves, and were to do their utmost to make their children deeply conscious that they were the 'lambs of Christ's flock.' Parents were to regard and treat their children as in the covenant, and in this sense as the children of God.

In accordance with this belief, Dr. Hodge said the child born in a Christian family was to be taught that 'he/she stands in a peculiar relation to God, as being included in his covenant and baptized in his name; that he has in virtue of that relation a right to claim God as his Father, Christ as his Savior, and the Holy Ghost as his sanctifier; and assured that God will recognize that claim and receive him/her as his child, if he is faithful to his baptismal vows'.

Consequently, the child was to be made to understand that the feelings, acts, habits, and manners taught and enjoined by Christ alone were suitable for one in his position, as truly as if he/she were an adult professing Christian."

-The Presbyterian Doctrine of Children in the Covenant, Lewis Bevens Schenck (pp. 140-144). P&R Publishing.

Love in Christ,

Uncle Boo

Soli Deo Gloria!

Pastor Charles R. Biggs

Ketoctin Covenant Presbyterian Church

9 S. Locust Street

Post Office Box 628

Round Hill, VA 20142-0628

571.334.7420

Vol. VI, Issue 17

Exodus 15-"The Song at the Sea"- Part 1

Rev. Charles R. Biggs

Introduction

In the next two issues of 'Word of Encouragement' we will consider the song of Moses found in Exodus chapter 15. This study is entitled 'The Song at the Sea'. The first part we will consider today the teaching of the first part of the chapter, the importance of songs in Scripture, and the mighty redemption of God revealed in the exodus from Egypt.

Songs. Songs conjure up for us certain memories of the past. For one reason or another we love to sing songs. We have all sung or “whistled while we worked” so to speak. We sing many times when we are happy and oftentimes even when we are sad. We remember our favorite songs from the past and what do they do? They conjure of up images of past occasions, past loves, past memories of which we are fond that enlighten our present and make us recount the varied steps that got us to our present place and age. There is a profound connection between songs and memories.

Songs have importance in Scripture as well. Like a book of memories or a collection of photographs, God gave Israel songs to sing that recalled the past, and his works of salvation on their behalf. The Songs in Scripture are often called “redemptive songs”. This is because they are God-centered (or Theocentric) and point back to the great acts that God performed in real history to redeem his people.

Like a scrapbook full of memories, God provided the people of God with songs of redemption to remind them of the vivid memories of his constant love for them…particularly in the midst of struggles, temptations and uncertain times. The people of God have songs to reflect upon and look back with eagerness to remember the work that God has done on their behalf: his love, care, concern, faithfulness, and ultimately the fact that no matter how distant in the past, God never changes he is the same yesterday, today and forever.

These songs, these memories, enlighten our present and help us on our journey in this life. This is exactly the purpose of the ‘Song at the Sea’ in the middle of the Book of Exodus. You might ask yourself, “Why did Moses pen a song in the midst of Israel’s redemption from Egypt and prior to her coming to Sinai, and her taking the land promised because of God’s covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob?” You might wonder why a song is in the middle of the story of Israel’s redemption, when God with a mighty hand redeemed them from bondage and slavery. But remember Moses’ message to Pharaoh from God earlier in the Book of Exodus: “Let my people god so that they might worship me! Here is the beginning of Israel as a “redeemed-worshipping” community. So let us be reminded of the events that preceded this Song at the Sea.

The Crossing of the Great Sea

Do you remember the great event of the Exodus that precedes this song? Well, the Israelites were camped at Pi Hahiroth and Baal Zephon with the raging sea behind them and Pharaoh’s army mightily pursuing them! This is the proverbial “rock and a hard place” that you’ve heard tell of! What were the Israelites to do? Were they to perish? Had God really remembered the covenant he made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as he said earlier in Ex. 2:24? Maybe now he had forgotten, maybe this was something that God has not foreseen? Was Israel truly God’s firstborn son as he said in Ex. 4:24? Was this YHWH (Adonai) able to save…that is, was he truly the I AM of Ex. 3:14?

In all the 10 plagues, God showed his mighty power "against the gods of Egypt", but was he able to deliver them from Pharaoh’s strong army and chariots? Perhaps YHWH (Adonai) had the strength to get them “three days in the wilderness”, to attack Egypt with plagues by his outstretched and mighty hand, but it was as the Israelites said, only to have his children die in the wilderness? Was this the case? Was God able to deliver from the strong hand of Pharaoh? Yes!

God had brought the Israelites out of Egypt with a mighty and outstretched hand so that they might worship him in the desert. The trip was not over in spite of how it seemed to the Israelites at the time! God had Moses stretch out his hand and he parted the waters of the sea. In fact, all of the Israelites, men, women and children passed through the waters to safety. But the Egyptians, when they tried to pursue were destroyed by the waters! So that when the Israelites got their breath and stood at a pace in the distance, they looked back and saw the full redemption of the LORD.

On the other side of the Sea as soon as Moses reached a “safe” distance, he led the people of Israel in song. You would think he would be worried about the next day’s provision; or perhaps the directions of how he would proceed to the place of worship from there; or maybe he would have been concerned to understand God’s purposes in even allowing the Egyptians to hold God’s people in slavery for over 400 years! But no! Moses led the Israelites in worship for the simple reason of who God is in his revelation to them and what he had done in love for his people.

As a community of saints, many of the Israelites would have sung this song with great tears of joy and sadness, remembering this event when God made the impossible…possible, and thus the reason to worship him. The God who had indeed remembered the covenant he had made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob delivered his people from the past bondage and slavery in Egypt so that his people might be free to serve him in the future! Here is a song that reflected on the attributes of the only God who could redeem his people. This song would be remembered for many generations to come and every time that it was sung, it would have reminded the Israelites of the One whom they serve and love and the One to whom they owe their utmost allegiance and obedience- -all of their worship!

Now notice the way the song is given to us in chapter 15 of Exodus; that is, notice the form of the song. Chapter 15, verses 1-12 is about the past redemption from Egypt, verses 13-18 are the present and future promises, or redemptive acts that God will perform on behalf of his people, and verses 19-21 are a repetition of the song with Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron.

The immediate repetition of the song not only shows us that it was for men and women alike as the people of God, but more importantly, it teaches us that this song was to be continually sung or repeated. The acts of God were to be remembered and meditated upon continually! All of the people of God, men and women, even several generations removed from the Exodus would still sing this song – the great redemptive event on behalf of God’s people and of all the OT! The people of God were to be a worshipping community!

Moses Sings of God and His Salvation

In the song here in Exodus 15, Moses is reflecting in a God-centered (or Theocentric) manner on the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Who has been revealed to him and now to Israel and even her enemy, the nation of Egypt. He who with a strong arm and mighty hand delivered them from under the pharaoh of Egypt, the most formidable and powerful man of his day; the pharaoh who ruled the mightiest nation known to men at this time in history. God who delivered his people despite the power of the so-called mighty gods of Egypt. When God goes to battle, our Great and Divine Warrior, who can stand? We must appreciate the fact that God as Divine Warrior or a “man of ware” always leads his people in victory regardless of the battle.

In chapter 15, verses 1-12, Moses sings of the attributes of God and he repeats the defeat of the Egyptian power. Moses leads the Israelites to begin their song with exaltation of God because of his holiness and power. Look at v. 1: “I will sing to the LORD, for He is ‘highly exalted’ or he ‘has triumphed gloriously’, as some translations have it. Then in the latter part v. 1 we see the first mention of his great strength: “The horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea.”

Then in v.2, Moses sings that not only is the Lord his strength and the content of his singing, but in his redemptive work, he has become his salvation. In addition, Moses sings in v. 2b that God is the covenantal God, the God of his father who keeps his promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Then the first part of the song ends with another exaltation. The song begins and ends the first refrain with an exaltation of the mighty God in Israel.

In v. 3, we want to appreciate the LORD’s attribute as Divine Warrior or “man of war”, and his name is the LORD. Who God is is communicated in his holy name and what he has done is revealed in the LORD as a Warrior on behalf of his people. Moses records here the magnificent and awe-inspiring attribute of God as a Divine Warrior who wars against the enemies of his people to bring great salvation! The God who has revealed himself to Moses and Israel by name, the name of “I AM” back in Ex. 3:14, is praised for the revelation of his being and power!

Now you should appreciate a pattern in the song. That is: between God’s attributes or revelation of himself- - and his acts. Remember, God and his acts…Who God is…What God has done…is what Moses is communicating in this sacred song. What is the act which Israel was to remember? Again, vv. 4-5: “Pharaoh’s chariots and his army he has hurled into the sea. The best of Pharoah’s officers are drowned in the Red Sea. The deep waters have covered them; they sank to the depth like a stone.” God as Divine Warrior has destroyed his enemies and the enemies of his people! Just because he is the LORD- - that is His Name - -and there is no other!

Notice in vv. 6-10, there is the remembrance of the great war or conflict between the strong and powerful arm of the Lord and the strong arm or power of Pharaoh and the Egyptians. Moses sings in v. 6 that your “right hand” was both “majestic in power” and that it “shattered the enemy. Nothing can withstand the power of the Lord’s outstretched hand…nothing, including the most powerful nation on the face of the earth!

In v. 7, Moses describes God’s dealings with Pharaoh and the great Egyptian army. He sings, “In the greatness of your majesty, you threw down [overthrown; beat down those who opposed you…you unleashed your burning anger or wrath…it consumed them.” God is truly Divine Warrior, notice the devastating language: God threw down, or beat down, then he sent forth, or better unleashed his wrath against Pharaoh and his powerful army. You can feel in the verbs here, God’s power pulverizing and devastating his enemies!

Verse 8 says that “by the blast of your nostrils” the waters piled up …they stood firm like a wall and congealed in the heart of the sea. The wind or breath of God’s nostrils and the congealing of the sea or the waters should remind us of the creation account of Genesis 1. Remember how God’s Spirit hovered or brooded over the face of the deep, bringing order from chaos? Remember how God divided or separated the waters to make the heavens and the seas? This time, God has used the waters to destroy, to bring death rather than life as in the creation.

Remember, for the Egyptians, water was the source of all of their life; ironically, the LORD makes the source of their life, the place of their death. The God of the Exodus, is the God who is worthy to be worshipped as the God of all creation. Not only does he save his people from slavery and bondage in Egypt, not only does he bring them through the Red Sea with his almighty, supernatural powers, but all of creation is ruled by this Majestic King- -there is nothing outside His rule and authority including the mighty power of the sea!

To Be Continued....

In the next study, we will consider the sea in the ancient Near East and meditate upon other redemptive songs in Scripture as well as the songs of redemption we have in Christ as the people of God today!

Soli Deo Gloria!

Pastor Charles R. Biggs

Ketoctin Covenant Presbyterian Church

9 S. Locust Street

Post Office Box 628

Round Hill, VA 20142-0628

571.334.7420

Quote of the Week

Introduction

This Lord's day is the 300th anniversary of Jonathan Edwards' birth (Edwards was born on October 5, 1703). Edwards was a faithful preacher and the greatest theologian America has ever produced. Edwards taught much on the holiness of God and by God's gracious Spirit led America in a real revival to Biblical Christianity in the 18th century. One of his most popular sermons is called: 'Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God'. One of his most underrated writings is called: 'A Dissertation on the End for Which God Created the World'. Both are essential reading!

I have included the first part of 'End for Which God Created the World' as our quote of the week. It is quite lengthy (as all dissertations, writings and sermons were before the advent of television), but it is worth the effort of printing it out and reading it in your devotional or time set apart for good theological reading. I will send the next part as next week's 'Quote of the Week'. May God bless you richly as you read this important writing.

Just a short introduction to the writing. The question was asked: "Why would a perfect Being such as God, have a need to create when he was perfectly blessed and beautiful and happy within himself in His Trinitarian existence?" Edward writes this treatise in response to that question.

Jonathan Edwards had a knack, a gift if you will, of explaining and presenting the beautiful holiness and glorious attributes of the living God. He has helped many in their thinking about God. In our time, what we need is a true focus on the God whom we serve as Christians and we need to be reminded (or taught for the first time), his glorious beauty. May the Holy Spirit be pleased to use this writing to accomplish this in your life!

[Note: If you would like me to send this to you as a Word Document attachment, I will be glad to do it- - just ask!]

Jonathan Edwards

A Dissertation Concerning The End For Which God Created The World

By
Jonathan Edwards

CHAPTER I

WHEREIN IS CONSIDERED, WHAT REASON TEACHES CONCERNING THIS AFFAIR.

SECTION I

Some things observed in general, which reason dictates

HAVING observed these things, to prevent confusion, I now proceed to consider what may, and what may not, be supposed to be God’s ultimate end in the creation of the world.

Indeed this affair seems properly to be an affair of divine revelation. In order to be determined what was designed, in the creating of the astonishing fabric of the universe we behold, it becomes us to attend to, and rely on, what HE has told us, who was the architect. He best knows his own heart, and what his own ends and designs were, in the wonderful works which he has wrought. Nor is it to be supposed that mankind — who, while destitute of revelation, by the utmost improvements of their own reason, and advances in science and philosophy, could come to no clear and established determination who the author of the world was — would ever have obtained any tolerable settled judgment of the end which the author of it proposed to himself in so vast, complicated, and wonderful a work of his hands. And though it be true, that the revelation which God has given to men, as a light shining in a dark place, has been the occasion of great improvement of their faculties, and has taught men how to use their reason; and though mankind now, through the long-continued assistance they have had by this divine light, have come to great attainments in the habitual exercise of reason; yet I confess it would be relying too much on reason, to determine the affair of God’s last end in the creation of the world, without being herein principally guided by divine revelation, since God has given a revelation containing instructions concerning this very matter. Nevertheless, as objections have chiefly been made, against what I think the Scriptures have truly revealed, from the pretended dictates of reason, I would, in the first place, soberly consider in a few things, what seems rational to be supposed concerning this affair; — and then proceed to consider what light divine revelation gives us in it.

As to the first of these, I think the following things appear to be the dictates of reason:

1. That no notion of God’s last end in the creation of the world, is agreeable to reason, which would truly imply any indigence, insufficiency, and mutability in God; or any dependence of the Creator on the creature, for any part of his perfection or happiness. Because it is evident, by both Scripture and reason, that God is infinitely, eternally, unchangeably, and independently glorious and happy: that he cannot be profited by, or receive anything from, the creature; or be the subject of any sufferings, or diminution of his glory and felicity, from any other being. The notion of God creating the world, in order to receive anything properly from the creature, is not only contrary to the nature of God, but inconsistent with the notion of creation; which implies a being receiving its existence, and all that belongs to it, out of nothing. And this implies the most perfect, absolute, and universal derivation and dependence. Now, if the creature receives its ALL from God, entirely and perfectly, how is it possible that it should have anything to add to God, to make him in any respect more than he was before, and so the Creator become dependent on the creature?

2. Whatsoever is good and valuable in itself, is worthy that God should value it with an ultimate respect. It is therefore worthy to be made the last end of his operation; if it be properly capable of being attained. For it may be supposed that some things, valuable and excellent in themselves, are not properly capable of being attained in any divine operation; because their existence, in all possible respects, must be conceived of as prior to any divine operation. Thus God’s existence and infinite perfection, though infinitely valuable in themselves, cannot be supposed to be the end of any divine operation; for we cannot conceive of them as, in any respect, consequent on any works of God. But whatever is in itself valuable, absolutely so, and is capable of being sought and attained, is worthy to be made a last end of the divine operation. — Therefore,

3. Whatever that be which is in itself most valuable, and was so originally, prior to the creation of the world, and which is attainable by the creation, if there be anything which was superior in value to all others, that must be worthy to be God’s last end in the creation; and also worthy to be his highest end. — In consequence of this it will follow,

4. That if God himself be, in any respect, properly capable of being his own end in the creation of the world, then it is reasonable to suppose that he had respect to himself, as his last and highest end, in this work; because he is worthy in himself to be so, being infinitely the greatest and best of beings. All things else, with regard to worthiness, importance, and excellence, are perfectly as nothing in comparison of him. And therefore, if God has respect to things according to their nature and proportions, he must necessarily have the greatest respect to himself. It would be against the perfection of his nature, his wisdom, holiness, and perfect rectitude, whereby he is disposed to do every thing that is fit to be done, to suppose otherwise. At least, a great part of the moral rectitude of God, whereby he is disposed to every thing that is fit, suitable, and amiable in itself, consists in his having the highest regard to that which is in itself highest and best. The moral rectitude of God must consist in a due respect to things that are objects of moral respect; that is, to intelligent beings capable of moral actions and relations. And therefore it must chiefly consist in giving due respect to that Being to whom most is due; for God is infinitely the most worthy of regard. The worthiness of others is as nothing to his; so that to him belongs all possible respect. To him belongs the whole of the respect that any intelligent being is capable of. To him belongs ALL the heart. Therefore, if moral rectitude of heart consists in paying the respect of the heart which is due, or which fitness and suitableness requires, fitness requires infinitely the greatest regard to be paid to God; and the denying of supreme regard here would be a conduct infinitely the most unfit. Hence it will follow, that the moral rectitude of the disposition, inclination, or affection of God CHIEFLY consists in a regard to HIMSELF, infinitely above his regard to all other beings; or, in other words, his holiness consists in this.

And if it be thus fit that God should have a supreme regard to himself, then it is fit that this supreme regard should appear in those things by which he makes himself known, or by his word and works, i.e. in what he says, and in what he does. If it be an infinitely amiable thing in God, that he should have a supreme regard to himself, then it is an amiable thing that he should act as having a chief regard to himself; or act in such a manner, as to show that he has such a regard that what is highest in God’s heart, may be highest in his actions and conduct. And if it was God’s intention, as there is great reason to think it was, that his works should exhibit an image of himself their author, that it might brightly appear by his works what manner of being he is, and afford a proper representation of his divine excellencies, and especially his moral excellence, consisting in the disposition of his heart; then it is reasonable to suppose that his works are so wrought as to show this supreme respect to himself, wherein his moral excellence primarily consists.

When we are considering what would be most fit for God chiefly to respect, with regard to the universality of things, it may help us to judge with greater ease and satisfaction, to consider, what we can suppose would be determined by some third being of perfect wisdom and rectitude, that should be perfectly indifferent and disinterested. Or if we make the supposition, that infinitely wise justice and rectitude were a distinct disinterested person, whose office it was to determine how things shall be most properly ordered in the whole kingdom of existence, including king and subjects, God and his creatures; and, upon a view of the whole, to decide what regard should prevail in all proceedings. Now such a judge, in adjusting the proper measures and kinds of regard, would weigh things in an even balance; taking care, that a greater part of the whole should be more respected, than the lesser, in proportion (other things being equal) to the measure of existence. So that the degree of regard should always be in a proportion of excellence, or according to the degree of greatness and goodness, considered conjunctly. Such an arbiter, in considering the system of created intelligent beings by itself, would determine, that the system in general, consisting of many millions, was of greater importance, and worthy of a greater share of regard, than only one individual. For, however considerable some of the individuals might be, no one exceeds others so much as to countervail all the system. And if this judge consider not only the system of created beings, but the system of being in general, comprehending the sum total of universal existence, both Creator and creature; still every part must be considered according to its importance, or the measure it has of existence and excellence. To determine then, what proportion of regard is to be allotted to the Creator, and all his creatures taken together, both must be as it were put in the balance; the Supreme Being, with all in him that is great and excellent, is to be compared with all that is to be found in the whole creation: and according as the former is found to outweigh, in such proportion is he to have a greater share of regard. And in this case, as the whole system of created beings, in comparison of the Creator, would be found as the light dust of the balance, or even as nothing and vanity; so the arbiter must determine accordingly with respect to the degree in which God should be regarded, by all intelligent existence, in all actions and proceedings, determinations and effects whatever, whether creating, preserving, using, disposing, changing, or destroying. And as the Creator is infinite, and has all possible existence, perfection, and excellence, so he must have all possible regard. As he is every way the first and supreme, and as his excellency is in all respects the supreme beauty and glory, the original good, and fountain of all good; so he must have in all respects the supreme regard. And as he is God over all, to whom all are properly subordinate, and on whom all depend, worthy to reign as supreme Head, with absolute and universal dominion; so it is fit that he should be so regarded by all, and in all proceedings and effects through the whole system: The universality of things, in their whole compass and series, should look to him, in such a manner, as that respect to him should reign over all respect to other things, and regard to creatures should, universally, be subordinate and subject.

When I speak of regard to be thus adjusted in the universal system, I mean the regard of the sum total; all intelligent existence, created and uncreated. For it is fit, that the regard of the Creator should be proportioned to the worthiness of objects, as well as the regard of creatures. Thus, we must conclude, that such an arbiter as I have supposed, would determine, that the whole universe, in all its actings, proceedings, revolution, and entire series of events, should proceed with a view to God, as the supreme and last end; that every wheel, in all its rotations, should move with a constant invariable regard to him as the ultimate end of all; as perfectly and uniformly, as if the whole system were animated and directed by one common soul. Or, as if such an arbiter as I have before supposed, possessed of perfect wisdom and rectitude, became the common soul of the universe, and actuated and governed it in all its motions.

Thus I have gone upon the supposition of a third disinterested person. The thing supposed is impossible; but the case is, nevertheless, just the same, as to what is most fit and suitable in itself. For it is most certainly proper for God to act, according to the greatest fitness, and he knows what the greatest fitness is, as much as if perfect rectitude were a distinct person to direct him. God himself is possessed of that perfect discernment and rectitude which have been supposed. It belongs to him as supreme arbiter, and to his infinite wisdom and rectitude, to state all rules and measures of proceedings. And seeing these attributes of God are infinite, and most absolutely perfect, they are not the less fit to order and dispose, because they are in him, who is a being concerned, and not a third person that is disinterested. For being interested unfits a person to be an arbiter or judge, no otherwise, than as interest tends to mislead his judgment, or incline him to act contrary to it. But that God should be in danger of either, is contrary to the supposition of his being absolutely perfect. And as there must be some supreme judge of fitness and propriety in the universality of things, or otherwise there could be no order, it therefore belongs to God, whose are all things, who is perfectly fit for this office, and who alone is so, to state all things according to the most perfect fitness and rectitude, as much as if perfect rectitude were a distinct person. We may therefore be sure it is and will be done.

I should think that these things might incline us to suppose, that God has not forgot himself, in the ends which he proposed in the creation of the world; but that he has so stated these ends (however self-sufficient, immutable, and independent), as therein plainly to show a supreme regard to himself. Whether this can be, or whether God has done thus, must be considered afterwards, as also what may be objected against this view of things.

5. Whatsoever is good, amiable, and valuable in itself, absolutely and originally (which facts and events show that God aimed at in the creation of the world), must be supposed to be regarded or aimed at by God ultimately, or as an ultimate end of creation. For we must suppose, from the perfection of God’s nature, that whatsoever is valuable and amiable in itself, simply and absolutely considered, God values simply for itself; because God’s judgment and esteem are according to truth. But if God values a thing simply and absolutely on its own account, then it is the ultimate object of his value. For to suppose that he values it only for some farther end, is in direct contradiction to the present supposition, which is, that he values it absolutely, and for itself. Hence it most clearly follows, that if that which God values for itself, appears, in fact and experience, to be what he seeks by anything he does, he must regard it as an ultimate end. And, therefore, if he seeks it in creating the world, or any part of the world, it is an ultimate end of the work of creation. Having got thus far, we may now proceed a step farther, and assert:

6. Whatsoever thing is actually the effect of the creation of the world, which is simply and absolutely valuable in itself, that thing is an ultimate end of God’s creating the world. We see that it is a good which God aimed at by the creation of the world; because he has actually attained it by that means. For we may justly infer what God intends, by what he actually does; because he does nothing inadvertently, or without design. But whatever God intends to attain, from a value for it, in his actions and works, that he seeks in those acts and works. Because, for an agent to intend to attain something he values by the means he uses, is the same thing as to seek it by those means. And this is the same as to make that thing his end in those means. Now, it being, by the supposition, what God values ultimately, it must therefore, by the preceding position, be aimed at by God, as an ultimate end of creating the world.

CHAPTER I

SECTION II

Some further observations concerning those things which reason leads us to suppose God aimed at in the creation of the world

FROM what was last observed, it seems to be the most proper way of proceeding — as we would see what light reason will give us, respecting the particular end or ends God had ultimately in view in the creation of the world — to consider, what thing or things are actually the effect or consequence of the creation of the world, that are simply and originally valuable in themselves. And this is what I would directly proceed to, without entering on any tedious metaphysical inquiries, wherein fitness, or amiableness, consists; referring what I say to the dictates of the reader’s mind, on sedate and calm reflection.

1. It seems a thing in itself proper and desirable, that the glorious attributes of God, which consist in a sufficiency to certain acts and effects, should be exerted in the production of such effects as might manifest his infinite power, wisdom, righteousness, goodness, etc. If the world had not been created, these attributes never would have had any exercise. The power of God, which is a sufficiency in him to produce great effects, must forever have been dormant and useless as to any effect. The divine wisdom and prudence would have had no exercise in any wise contrivance, any prudent proceeding, or disposal of things; for there would have been no objects of contrivance or disposal. The same might be observed of God’s justice, goodness, and truth. Indeed God might have known as perfectly that he possessed these attributes, if they never had been exerted or expressed in any effect. But then, if the attributes which consist in a sufficiency for correspondent effects, are in themselves excellent, the exercises of them must likewise be excellent. If it be an excellent thing, that there should be a sufficiency for a certain kind of action or operation, the excellency of such a sufficiency must consist in its relation to this kind of operation or effect; but that could not be, unless the operation itself were excellent. A sufficiency for any work is no further valuable, than the work itself is valuable. As God therefore esteems these attributes themselves valuable, and delights in them; so it is natural to suppose that he delights in their proper exercise and expression. For the same reason that he esteems his own sufficiency wisely to contrive and dispose effects, he also will esteem the wise contrivance and disposition itself. And for the same reason, as he delights in his own disposition to do justly, and to dispose of things according to truth and just proportion; so he must delight in such a righteous disposal itself.

2. It seems to be a thing in itself fit and desirable, that the glorious perfections of God should be known, and the operations and expressions of them seen, by other beings besides himself. If it be fit that God’s power and wisdom, etc. should be exercised and expressed in some effects, and not lie eternally dormant, then it seems proper that these exercises should appear, and not be totally hidden and unknown. For if they are, it will be just the same, as to the above purpose, as if they were not. God as perfectly knew himself and his perfections, had as perfect an idea of the exercises and effects they were sufficient for, antecedently to any such actual operations of them, and since. If, therefore, it be nevertheless a thing in itself valuable, and worthy to be desired, that these glorious perfections be actually exhibited in their correspondent effects; then it seems also, that the knowledge of these perfections and discoveries is valuable in itself absolutely considered; and that it is desirable that this knowledge should exist. It is a thing infinitely good in itself, that God’s glory should be known by a glorious society of created beings. And that there should be in them an increasing knowledge of God to all eternity, is worthy to be regarded by him, to whom it belongs to order what is fittest and best. If existence is more worthy than defect and non-entity, and if any created existence is in itself worthy to be, then knowledge is; and if any knowledge, then the most excellent sort of knowledge, viz. that of God and his glory. This knowledge is one of the highest, most real, and substantial parts of all created existence, most remote from non-entity and defect.

3. As it is desirable in itself that God’s glory should be known, so when known it seems equally reasonable it should be esteemed and delighted in, answerably to its dignity. There is no more reason to esteem it a suitable thing, that there should be an idea in the understanding corresponding unto the glorious object, than that there should be a corresponding affection in the will. If the perfection itself be excellent, the knowledge of it is excellent, and so is the esteem and love of it excellent. And as it is fit that God should love and esteem his own excellence, it is also fit that he should value and esteem the love of his excellency. And if it becomes a being highly to value himself, it is fit that he should love to have himself valued and esteemed. If the idea of God’s perfection in the understanding be valuable, then the love of the heart seems to be more especially valuable, as moral beauty especially consists in the disposition and affection of the heart.

4. As there is an infinite fullness of all possible good in God — a fullness of every perfection, of all excellency and beauty, and of infinite happiness — and as this fullness is capable of communication, or emanation ad extra; so it seems a thing amiable and valuable in itself that this infinite fountain of good should send forth abundant streams. And as this is in itself excellent, so a disposition to this in the Divine Being, must be looked upon as an excellent disposition. Such an emanation of good is, in some sense, a multiplication of it. So far as the stream may be looked upon as anything besides the fountain, so far it may be looked on as an increase of good. And if the fullness of good that is in the fountain, is in itself excellent, then the emanation, which is as it were an increase, repetition, or multiplication of it, is excellent. Thus it is fit, since there is an infinite fountain of light and knowledge, that this light should shine forth in beams of communicated knowledge and understanding; and, as there is an infinite fountain of holiness, moral excellence, and beauty, that so it should flow out in communicated holiness. And that, as there is an infinite fullness of joy and happiness, so these should have an emanation, and become a fountain flowing out in abundant streams, as beams from the sun.

Thus it appears reasonable to suppose, that it was God’s last end, that there might be a glorious and abundant emanation of his infinite fullness of good ad extra, or without himself; and that the disposition to communicate himself, or diffuse his own FULLNESS, was what moved him to create the world. For an inclination in God to communicate himself to an object, seems to presuppose the existence of the object, at least in idea. But the diffusive disposition that excited God to give creatures existence, was rather a communicative disposition in general, or a disposition in the fullness of the divinity to flow out and diffuse itself. Thus the disposition there is in the root and stock of a tree to diffuse sap and life, is doubtless the reason of their communication to its buds, leaves, and fruits, after these exist. But a disposition to communicate of its life and sap to its fruits, is not so properly the cause of its producing those fruits, as its disposition to diffuse its sap and life in general. Therefore, to speak strictly according to truth, we may suppose, that a disposition in God, as an original property of his nature, to an emanation of his own infinite fullness, was what excited him to create the world; and so, that the emanation itself was aimed at by him as a last end of the creation.

CHAPTER I

SECTION III

Wherein it is considered how, on the supposition of God’s making the aforementioned things his last end, he manifests a supreme and ultimate regard to himself in all his works

IN the last section I observed some things which are actually the consequence of the creation of the world, which seem absolutely valuable in themselves, and so worthy to be made God’s last end in his work. I now proceed to inquire, how God’s making such things as these his last end, is consistent with his making himself his last end, or his manifesting an ultimate respect to himself in his acts and works. Because it is agreeable to the dictates of reason, that in all his proceedings he should set himself highest; therefore, I would endeavor to show, how his infinite love to and delight in himself, will naturally cause him to value and delight in these things: or rather, how a value to these things is implied in his value of that infinite fullness of good that is in himself.

Now, with regard to the first of the particulars mentioned above — God’s regard to the exercise of those attributes of his nature, in their proper operations and effects, which consist in a sufficiency for these operations — it is not hard to conceive that God’s regard to himself, and value for his own perfections, should cause him to value these exercises and expressions of his perfections; inasmuch as their excellency consists in their relation to use, exercise, and operation. God’s love to himself, and his own attributes, will therefore make him delight in that which is the use, end, and operation of these attributes. If one highly esteem and delight in the virtues of a friend, as wisdom, justice, etc. that have relation to action, this will make him delight in the exercise and genuine effects of these virtues. So if God both esteem and delight in his own perfections and virtues, he cannot but value and delight in the expressions and genuine effects of them. So that in delighting in the expressions of his perfections, he manifests a delight in himself; and in making these expressions of his own perfections his end, he makes himself his end.

And with respect to the second and third particulars, the matter is no less plain. For he that loves any being, and has a disposition highly to prize and greatly to delight in his virtues and perfections, must from the same disposition be well pleased to have his excellencies known, acknowledged, esteemed, and prized by others. He that loves anything, naturally loves the approbation of that thing, and is opposite to the disapprobation of it. Thus it is when one loves the virtues of a friend. And thus it will necessarily be, if a being loves himself and highly prizes his own excellencies; and thus it is fit it should be, if it be fit he should thus love himself, and prize his own valuable qualities; that is, it is fit that he should take delight in his own excellencies being seen, acknowledged, esteemed, and delighted in. This is implied in a love to himself and his own perfections; and in making this his end, he makes himself his end.

And with respect to the fourth and last particular, viz. God’s being disposed to an abundant communication, and glorious emanation, of that infinite fullness of God which he possesses, as of his own knowledge, excellency, and happiness, in the manner he does; if we thoroughly consider the matter, it will appear, that herein also God makes himself his end, in such a sense, as plainly to manifest and testify a supreme and ultimate regard to himself.

Merely in this disposition to cause an emanation of his glory and fullness — which is prior to the existence of any other being, and is to be considered as the inciting cause of giving existence to other beings — God cannot so properly be said to make the creature his end, as himself. For the creature is not as yet considered as existing. This disposition or desire in God, must be prior to the existence of the creature, even in foresight. For it is a disposition that is the original ground even of the future, intended, and foreseen existence of the creature. God’s benevolence, as it respects the creature, may be taken either in a larger or stricter sense. In a larger sense, it may signify nothing diverse from that good disposition in his nature to communicate of his own fullness in general; as his knowledge, his holiness, and happiness; and to give creatures existence in order to it. This may be called benevolence, or love, because it is the same good disposition that is exercised in love. It is the very fountain from whence love originally proceeds, when taken in the most proper sense; and it has the same general tendency and effect in the creature’s well-being. But yet this cannot have any particular present or future created existence for its object; because it is prior to any such object, and the very source of the futurities of its existence. Nor is it really diverse from God’s love to himself; as will more clearly appear afterwards.

But God’s love may be taken more strictly, for this general disposition to communicate good, as directed to particular objects. Love, in the most strict and proper sense, presupposes the existence of the object beloved, at least in idea and expectation, and represented to the mind as future. God did not love angels in the strictest sense, but in consequence of his intending to create them, and so having an idea of future existing angels. Therefore his love to them was not properly what excited him to intend to create them. Love or benevolence, strictly taken, presupposes and existing object, as much as pity a miserable suffering object.

This propensity in God to diffuse himself, may be considered as a propensity to himself diffused; or to his own glory existing in its emanation. A respect to himself, or an infinite propensity to and delight in his own glory, is that which causes him to incline to its being abundantly diffused, and to delight in the emanation of it. Thus, that nature in a tree, by which it puts forth buds, shoots out branches, and brings forth leaves and fruit, is a disposition that terminates in its own complete self. And so the disposition in the sun to shine, or abundantly to diffuse its fullness, warmth, and brightness, is only a tendency to its own most glorious and complete state. So God looks on the communication of himself, and the emanation of his infinite glory, to belong to the fullness and completeness of himself; as though he were not in his most glorious state without it. Thus the church of Christ (toward whom and in whom are the emanations of his glory, and the communication of his fullness), is called the fullness of Christ; as though he were not in his complete state without her; like Adam without Eve. And the church is called the glory of Christ, as the woman is the glory of the man, 1 Cor. 11:7; Isa. 46:13. I will place salvation in Zion, for Israel MY GLORY — Indeed, after the creatures are intended to be created, God may be conceived of as being moved by benevolence to them, in the strictest sense, in his dealings with them. His exercising his goodness, and gratifying his benevolence to them in particular, may be the spring of all God’s proceedings through the universe; as being now the determined way of gratifying his general inclination to diffuse himself. Here God acting for himself, or making himself his last end, and his acting for their sake, are not to be set in opposition; they are rather to be considered as coinciding one with the other, and implied one in the other. But yet God is to be considered as first and original in his regard; and the creature is the object of God’s regard, consequently, and by implication, as being as it were comprehended in God; as it shall be more particularly observed presently.

But how God’s value for, and delight in, the emanations of his fullness in the work of creation, argues his delight in the infinite fullness of good in himself, and the supreme regard he has for himself; and that in making these emanations, he ultimately makes himself his end in creation; will more clearly appear by considering more particularly the nature and circumstances of these communications of God’s fullness.

One part of that divine fullness which is communicated, is the divine knowledge. That communicated knowledge, which must be supposed to pertain to God’s last end in creating the world, is the creature’s knowledge of HIM for this is the end of all other knowledge; and even the faculty of understanding would be vain without it. And this knowledge is most properly a communication of God’s infinite knowledge, which primarily consists in the knowledge of himself. God, in making this his end, makes himself his end. This knowledge in the creature, is but a conformity to God. It is the image of God’s own knowledge of himself. It is a participation of the same; though infinitely less in degree: as particular beams of the sun communicated are the light and glory of the sun itself, in part.

Besides, God’s glory is the object of this knowledge, or the thing known; so that God is glorified in it, as hereby his excellency is seen. As therefore God values himself, as he delights in his own knowledge, he must delight in every thing of that nature: as he delights in his own light, he must delight in every beam of that light; and as he highly values his own excellency, he must be well pleased in having it manifested, and so glorified.

Another emanation of divine fullness, is the communication of virtue and holiness to the creature: this is a communication of God’s holiness; so that hereby the creature partakes of God’s own moral excellency; which is properly the beauty of the divine nature. And as God delights in his own beauty, he must necessarily delight in the creature’s holiness; which is a conformity to and participation of it, as truly as a brightness of a jewel. Held in the sun’s beams, is a participation or derivation of the sun’s brightness, though immensely less in degree. And then it must be considered wherein this holiness in the creature consists, viz. in love, which is the comprehension of all true virtue; and primarily in love to God, which is exercised in a high esteem of God, admiration of his perfections, complacency in them, and praise of them. All which things are nothing else but the heart exalting, magnifying, or glorifying God; which, as I showed before, God necessarily approves of, and is pleased with, as he loves himself, and values the glory of his own nature.

Another part of God’s fullness which he communicates, is his happiness. This happiness consists in enjoying and rejoicing in himself; and so does also the creature’s happiness. It is a participation of what is in God; and God and his glory are the objective ground of it. The happiness of the creature consists in rejoicing in God; by which also God is magnified and exalted. Joy, or the exulting of the heart in God’s glory, is one thing that belongs to praise. So that God is all in all, with respect to each part of that communication of the divine fullness which is made to the creature. What is communicated is divine, or something of God; and each communication is of that nature, that the creature to whom it is made, is thereby conformed to God, and untied to him: and that in proportion as the communication is greater or less. And the communication itself is no other, in the very nature of it, than that wherein the very honor, exaltation, and praise of God consists.

And it is farther to be considered, that what God aimed at in the creation of the world, as the end which he had ultimately in view, was that communication of himself which he intended through all eternity. And if we attend to the nature and circumstances of this eternal emanation of divine good, it will more clearly show HOW, in making this his end, God testifies a supreme respect to himself, and makes himself his end. There are many reasons to think that what God has in view, in an increasing communication of himself through eternity, is an increasing knowledge of God, love to him, and joy in him. And it is to be considered, that the more those divine communications increase in the creature, the more it becomes one with God: for so much the more is it united to God in love, the heart is drawn nearer and nearer to God, and the union with him becomes more firm and close: and, at the same time, the creature becomes more and more conformed to God. The image is more and more perfect, and so the good that is in the creature comes forever nearer and nearer to an identity with that which is in God. In the view therefore of God, who has a comprehensive prospect of the increasing union and conformity through eternity, it must be an infinitely strict and perfect nearness, conformity, and oneness. For it will forever come nearer and nearer to that strictness and perfection of union which there is between the Father and the Son. So that in the eyes of God, who perfectly sees the whole of it, in its infinite progress and increase, it must come to an eminent fulfillment of Christ’s request, in John 17:21, 23. That they all may be ONE, as thou Father art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be ONE in us; I in them and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in ONE. In this view, those elect creatures, which must be looked upon as the end of all the rest of the creation, considered with respect to the whole of their eternal duration, and as such made God’s end, must be viewed as being, as it were, one with God. They were respected as brought home to him, united with him, centering most perfectly, as it were swallowed up in him: so that his respect to them finally coincides, and becomes one and the same, with respect to himself. The interest of the creature is, as it were, God’s own interest, in proportion to the degree of their relation and union to God. Thus the interest of a man’s family is looked upon as the same with his own interest; because of the relation they stand in to him, his propriety in them, and their strict union with him. But God’s elect creatures, with respect to their eternal duration, are infinitely dearer to God, than a man’s family is to him. What has been said shows, that as all things are from God, as their first cause and fountain; so all things tend to him, and in their progress come nearer and nearer to him through all eternity which argues, that he who is their first cause is their last end.

CHAPTER I

SECTION IV

Some objections considered, which may be made against the reasonableness of what has been said of God making himself his last end.

OBJECT. I. Some may object against what has been said as being inconsistent with God’s absolute independence and immutability: particularly, as though God were inclined to a communication of his fullness, and emanations of his own glory, as being his own most glorious and complete state. It may be thought that this does not well consist with God, being self-existent from all eternity; absolutely perfect in himself, in the possession of infinite and independent good. And that, in general, to suppose that God makes himself his end, in the creation of the world, seems to suppose that he aims at some interest or happiness of his own, not easily reconcilable with his being perfectly and infinitely happy in himself. If it could be supposed that God needed anything; or that the goodness of his creatures could extend to him; or that they could be profitable to him; it might be fit, that God should make himself, and his own interest, his highest and last end in creating the world. But seeing that God is above all need, and all capacity of being made better or happier in any respect; to what purpose should God make himself his end, or seek to advance himself in any respect by any of his works? How absurd is it to suppose that God should do such great things, with a view to obtain what he is already most perfectly possessed of, and was so from all eternity; and therefore cannot now possibly need, nor with any color of reason be supposed to seek!

Ans. 1. Many have wrong notions of God’s happiness, as resulting from his absolute self-sufficiency, independence, and immutability. Though it be true, that God’s glory and happiness are in and of himself, are infinite and cannot be added to, and unchangeable, for the whole and every part of which he is perfectly independent of the creature; yet it does not hence follow, nor is it true, that God has no real and proper delight, pleasure, or happiness, in any of his acts or communications relative to the creature, or effects he produces in them; or in anything he sees in the creature’s qualifications, dispositions, actions and state.

God may have a real and proper pleasure or happiness in seeing the happy state of the creature; yet this may not be different from his delight in himself; being a delight in his own infinite goodness; or the exercise of that glorious propensity of his nature to diffuse and communicate himself, and so gratifying this inclination of his own heart. This delight which God has in his creature’s happiness, cannot properly be said to be what God receives from the creature. For it is only the effect of his own work in and communications to the creature; in making it, and admitting it to a participation of his fullness. As the sun receives nothing from the jewel that receives its light, and shines only by a participation of its brightness.

With respect also to the creature’s holiness; God may have a proper delight and joy in imparting this to the creature, as gratifying hereby his inclination to communicate of his own excellent fullness. God may delight, with true and great pleasure, in beholding that beauty which is an image and communication of his own beauty, an expression and manifestation of his own loveliness. And this is so far from being an instance of his happiness not being in and from himself, that it is an evidence that he is happy in himself, or delights and has pleasure in his own beauty. If he did not take pleasure in the expression of his own beauty, it would rather be an evidence that he does not delight in his own beauty; that he has not his happiness and enjoyment in his own beauty and perfection. So that if we suppose God has real pleasure and happiness in the holy love and praise of his saints, as the image and communication of his own holiness, it is not properly any pleasure distinct from the pleasure he has in himself; but it is truly an instance of it.

And with respect to God’s being glorified in those perfections wherein his glory consists, expressed in their corresponding effects, — as his wisdom, in wise designs and well-contrived works, his power, in great effects, his justice, in acts of righteousness, his goodness, in communicating happiness, — this does not argue that his pleasure is not in himself, and his own glory; but the contrary. It is the necessary consequence of his delighting in the glory of his nature, that he delights in the emanation and effulgence of it.

Nor do these things argue any dependence in God on the creature for happiness. Though he has real pleasure in the creature’s holiness and happiness, yet this is not properly any pleasure which he receives from the creature. For these things are what he gives the creature. They are wholly and entirely from him. His rejoicing therein is rather a rejoicing in his own acts, and his own glory expressed in those acts, than a joy derived from the creature. God’s joy is dependent on nothing besides his own act, which he exerts with an absolute and independent power. And yet, in some sense, it can be truly said, that God has the more delight and pleasure for the holiness and happiness of his creatures. Because God would be less happy, if he were less good: or if he had not that perfection of nature which consists in a propensity of nature to diffuse his own fullness. And he would be less happy, if it were possible for him to be hindered in the exercise of his goodness, and his other perfections, in their proper effects. But he has complete happiness, because he has these perfections, and cannot be hindered in exercising and displaying them in their proper effects. And this surely is not, because he is dependent; but because he is independent on any other that should hinder him.

From this view, it appears, that nothing which has been said, is in the least inconsistent with those expressions in Scripture, that signify, “man cannot be profitable to God,” etc. For these expressions plainly mean no more, than that God is absolutely independent of us; that we have nothing of our own, no stock from whence we can give to God; and that no part of his happiness originates from man.

From what has been said, it appears, that the pleasure God has in those things which have been mentioned, is rather a pleasure in diffusing and communicating to, than in receiving from, the creature. Surely, it is no argument of indigence in God, that he is inclined to communicate of his infinite fullness. It is no argument of the emptiness or deficiency of a fountain, that it is inclined to overflow. Nothing from the creature alters God’s happiness, as though it were changeable either by increase or diminution. For though these communications of God — these exercises, operations, and expressions of his glorious perfections, which God rejoices in — are in time; yet his joy in them is without beginning or change. They were always equally present in the divine mind. He beheld them with equal clearness, certainty, and fullness, in every respect, as he does now. They were always equally present; as with him there is no variableness or succession. He ever beheld and enjoyed them perfectly in his own independent and immutable power and will.

Ans. 2. If any are not satisfied with the preceding answer, but still insist on the objection, let them consider whether they can devise any other scheme of God’s last end in creating the world, but what will be equally obnoxious to this objection in its full force, if there be any force in it. For if God had any last end in creating the world, then there was something in some respect future, that he aimed at, and designed to bring to pass by creating the world; something that was agreeable to his inclination or will; let that be his own glory, or the happiness of his creatures, or what it will. Now, if there be something that God seeks as agreeable, or grateful to him, then, in the accomplishment of it, he is gratified. If the last end which he seeks in the creation of the world be truly a thing grateful to him (as certainly it is, if it be truly his end, and truly the object of his will), then it is what he takes a real delight and pleasure in. But then, according to the argument of the objection, how can he have anything future to desire or seek, who is already perfectly, eternally, and immutably satisfied in himself? What can remain for him to take any delight in, or to be further gratified by, whose eternal and unchangeable delight is in himself, as his own complete object of enjoyment. Thus the objector will be pressed with his own objection, let him embrace what notion he will of God’s end in the creation. And I think he has no way left to answer but that which has been taken above.

It may therefore be proper here to observe, that let what will be God’s last end, that he must have a real and proper pleasure in. Whatever be the proper object of his will, he is gratified in. And the thing is either grateful to him in itself, or for something else for which he wills it; and so is his further end. But whatever is God’s last end, that he wills for its own sake; as grateful to him in itself, or in which he has some degree of true and proper pleasure. Otherwise we must deny any such thing as will in God with respect to anything brought to pass in time; and so must deny his work of creation, or any work of his providence, to be truly voluntary. But we have as much reason to suppose, that God’s works in creating and governing the world, are properly the fruits of his will, as of his understanding. And if there be any such thing at all, as what we mean by acts of will in God; then he is not indifferent whether his will be fulfilled or not. And if he is not indifferent, then he is truly gratified and pleased in the fulfillment of his will. And if he has a real pleasure in attaining his end, then the attainment of it belongs to his happiness; that in which God’s delight or pleasure in any measure consists. To suppose that God has pleasure in things that are brought to pass in time, only figuratively and metaphorically; is to suppose that he exercises will about these things, and makes them his end only metaphorically.

Ans. 3. The doctrine that makes God’s creatures and not himself to be his last end, is a doctrine the furthest from having a favorable aspect on God’s absolute self-sufficiency and independence. It far less agrees therewith than the doctrine against which this is objected. For we must conceive of the efficient as depending on his ultimate end. He depends on this end, in his desires, aims, actions, and pursuits; so that he fails in all his desires, actions, and pursuits, if he fails of his end. Now if God himself be his last end, then in his dependence on his end, he depends on nothing but himself. If all things be of him, and to him, and he the first and the last, this shows him to be all in all. He is all to himself. He goes not out of himself in what he seeks; but his desires and pursuits as they originate from, so they terminate in, himself; and he is dependent on none but himself in the beginning or end of any of his exercises or operations. But if not himself, but the creature, were his last end, then as he depends on his last end, he would be in some sort dependent on the creature.

OBJECT. II. Some may object, that to suppose God makes himself his highest and last end, is dishonorable to him; as it in effect supposes, that God does every thing from a selfish spirit. Selfishness is looked upon as mean and sordid in the creature; unbecoming and even hateful in such a worm of the dust as man. We should look upon a man as of a base and contemptible character, who should in every thing he did, be governed by selfish principles; should make his private interest his governing aim in all his conduct in life. How far then should we be from attributing any such thing to the Supreme Being, the blessed and only Potentate! Does it not become us to ascribe to him the most noble and generous dispositions, and qualities the most remote from every thing private, narrow, and sordid?

Ans. 1. Such an objection must arise from a very ignorant or inconsiderate notion of the vice of selfishness, and the virtue of generosity. If by selfishness be meant, a disposition in any being to regard himself; this is no otherwise vicious or unbecoming, than as one is less than a multitude; and so the public weal is of greater value than his particular interest. Among created beings one single person is inconsiderable in comparison of the generality; and so his interest is of little importance compared with the interest of the whole system. Therefore in them, a disposition to prefer self, as if it were more than all, is exceeding vicious. But it is vicious on no other account, than as it is a disposition that does not agree with the nature of things; and that which is indeed the greatest good. And a disposition in anyone to forego his own interest for the sake of others, is no further excellent, no further worthy the name of generosity, than it is treating things according to their true value; prosecuting something most worthy to be prosecuted; an expression of a disposition to prefer something to self-interest, that is indeed preferable in itself. But if God be indeed so great, and so excellent, that all other beings are as nothing to him, and all other excellency be as nothing, and less than nothing and vanity, in comparison of his; and God be omniscient and infallible, and perfectly knows that he is infinitely the most valuable being; then it is fit that his heart should be agreeable to this — which is indeed the true nature and proportion of things, and agreeable to this infallible and all-comprehending understanding which he has of them, and that perfectly clear light in which he views them — and that he should value himself infinitely more than his creatures.

Ans. 2. In created beings, a regard to self-interest may properly be set in opposition to the public welfare; because the private interest of one person may be inconsistent with the public good; at least it may be so in the apprehension of that person. That which this person looks upon as his interest, may interfere with or oppose the general good. Hence his private interest may be regarded and pursued in opposition to the public. But this cannot be with respect to the Supreme Being, the author and head of the whole system; on whom all absolutely depend; who is the fountain of being and good to the whole. It is more absurd to suppose that his interest should be opposite to the interest of the universal system, than that the welfare of the head, heart, and vitals of the natural body, should be opposite to the welfare of the body. And it is impossible that God, who is omniscient, should apprehend his interest, as being inconsistent with the good and interest of the whole.

Ans. 3. God seeking himself in the creation of the world, in the manner which has been supposed, is so far from being inconsistent with the good of his creatures, that it is a kind of regard to himself that inclines him to seek the good of his creature. It is a regard to himself that disposes him to diffuse and communicate himself. It is such a delight in his own internal fullness and glory, that disposes him to an abundant effusion and emanation of that glory. The same disposition, that inclines him to delight in his glory, causes him to delight in the exhibitions, expressions, and communications of it. If there were any person of such a taste and disposition of mind, that the brightness and light of the sun seemed unlovely to him, he would be willing that the sun’s brightness and light should be retained within itself but they that delight in it, to whom it appears lovely and glorious, will esteem it an amiable and glorious thing to have it diffused and communicated through the world.

Here, by the way, it may be properly considered, whether some writers are not chargeable with inconsistency in this respect. They speak against the doctrine of God making himself his own highest and last end, as though this were an ignoble selfishness — when indeed he only is fit to be made the highest end, by himself and all other beings; inasmuch as he is infinitely greater and more worthy than all others — yet with regard to creatures, who are infinitely less worthy of supreme and ultimate regard, they suppose, that they necessarily, at all times, seek their own happiness, and make it their ultimate end in all, even their most virtuous actions; and that this principle, regulated by wisdom and prudence, as leading to that which is their true and highest happiness, is the foundation of all virtue, and every thing that is morally good and excellent in them.

OBJECT. III. To what has been supposed, that God makes himself his end — in seeking that his glory and excellent perfections should be known, esteemed, loved, and delighted in by his creatures — it may be objected, that this seems unworthy of God. It is considered as below a truly great man, to be much influenced in his conduct by a desire of popular applause. The notice and admiration of a gazing multitude, would be esteemed but a low end, to be aimed at by a prince or philosopher, in any great and noble enterprise. How much more is it unworthy the great God, to perform his magnificent works, e.g. the creation of the vast universe, out of regard to the notice and admiration of worms of the dust, that the displays of his magnificence may be gazed at, and applauded by those who are infinitely more beneath him, than the meanest rabble are beneath the greatest prince or philosopher.

This objection is specious. It has a show of argument; but it will appear to be nothing but a show, if we consider,

1. Whether it be not worthy of God, to regard and value what is excellent and valuable in itself; and so to take pleasure in its existence.

It seems not liable to any doubt, that there could be no future existence worthy to be desired or sought by God, and so worthy to be made his end, if no future existence was valuable and worthy to be brought to effect. If, when the world was not, there was any possible future thing fit and valuable in itself, I think the knowledge of God’s glory, and the esteem and love of it, must be so. Understanding and will are the highest kind of created existence. And if they be valuable, it must be in their exercise. But the highest and most excellent kind of their exercise, is in some actual knowledge, and exercise of will. And, certainly, the most excellent actual knowledge and will that can be in the creature, is the knowledge and the love of God. And the most true excellent knowledge of God, is the knowledge of his glory or moral excellence; and the most excellent exercise of the will consists in esteem and love, and a delight in his glory. — If any created existence is in itself worthy to be, or anything that ever was future is worthy of existence, such a communication of divine fullness, such an emanation and expression of the divine glory, is worthy of existence. But if nothing that ever was future was worthy to exist, then no future thing was worthy to be aimed at by God in creating the world. And if nothing was worthy to be aimed at in creation, then nothing was worthy to be God’s end in creation.

If God’s own excellency and glory is worthy to be highly valued and delighted in by him, then the value and esteem hereof by others, is worthy to be regarded by him: for this is a necessary consequence. To make this plain let it be considered, how it is with regard to the excellent qualities of another. If we highly value the virtues and excellencies of a friend, in proportion, we shall approve of others’ esteem of them; and shall disapprove the contempt of them. If these virtues are truly valuable, they are worthy that we should thus approve others’ esteem, and disapprove their contempt of them. And the case is the same with respect to any being’s own qualities and attributes. If he highly esteems them, and greatly delights in them, he will naturally and necessarily love to see esteem of them in others, and dislike their disesteem. And if the attributes are worthy to be highly esteemed by the being who has them, so is the esteem of them in others worthy to be proportionally approved and regarded. I desire it may be considered, whether it be unfit that God should be displeased with contempt of himself? If not, but on the contrary it be fit and suitable that he should be displeased with this, there is the same reason that he should be pleased with the proper love, esteem, and honor of himself.

The matter may be also cleared, by considering what it would become us to approve of and value with respect to any public society we belong to, e.g. our nation or country. It becomes us to love our country; and therefore it becomes us to value the just honor of our country. But the same that it becomes us to value and desire for a friend, and the same that it becomes us to desire and seek for the community, the same does it become God to value and seek for himself; that is, on supposition, that it becomes God to love himself as it does men to love a friend or the public; which I think has been before proved.

Here are two things that ought particularly to be adverted to: (1) That in God, the love of himself and the love of the public are not to be distinguished, as in man; because God’s being, as it were, comprehends all. His existence, being infinite, must be equivalent to universal existence. And for the same reason that public affection in the creature is fit and beautiful, God’s regard to himself must be so likewise. — (2) In God, the love of what is fit and decent, cannot be a distinct thing from the love of himself; because the love of God is that wherein all holiness primarily and chiefly consists, and God’s own holiness must primarily consist in the love of himself. And if God’s holiness consists in love to himself, then it will imply an approbation of the esteem and love of him in others. For a being that loves himself, necessarily loves love to himself. If holiness in God consist chiefly in love to himself, holiness in the creature must chiefly consist in love to him. And if God loves holiness in himself, he must love it in the creature.

Virtue, by such of the late philosophers as seem to be in chief repute, is placed in public affection, or general benevolence. And if the essence of virtue lies primarily in this, then the love of virtue itself is virtuous no otherwise, than as it is implied in, or arises from, this public affection, or extensive benevolence of mind. Because if a man truly loves the public, he necessarily loves love to the public.

Now therefore, for the same reason, if universal benevolence in the highest sense, be the same thing with benevolence to the Divine Being, who is in effect universal Being, it will follow, that love to virtue itself is no otherwise virtuous, than as it is implied in, or arises from, love to the Divine Being. Consequently, God’s own love to virtue is implied in love to himself: and is virtuous no otherwise than as it arises from love to himself. So that God’s virtuous disposition, appearing in love to holiness in the creature, is to be resolved into the same thing with love to himself. And consequently, whereinsoever he makes virtue his end, he makes himself his end. In fine, God being as it were an all-comprehending Being, all his moral perfections — his holiness, justice, grace, and benevolence — are some way or other to be resolved into a supreme and infinite regard to himself; and if so, it will be easy to suppose that it becomes him to make himself his supreme and last end in his works.

I would here observe, by the way, that if any insist that it becomes God to love and take delight in the virtue of his creatures for its own sake, in such a manner as not to love it from regard to himself; this will contradict a former objection against God taking pleasure in communications of himself; viz. that inasmuch as God is perfectly independent and self-sufficient, therefore all his happiness and pleasure consists in the enjoyment of himself. So that if the same persons make both objections, they must be inconsistent with themselves.

2. I would observe, that it is not unworthy of God to take pleasure in that which is in itself fit and amiable, even in those that are infinitely below him. If there be infinite grace and condescension in it, yet these are not unworthy of God; but infinitely to his honor and glory.

They who insist, that God’s own glory was not an ultimate end of his creation of the world; but the happiness of his creatures; do it under a color of exalting God’s benevolence to his creatures. But if his love to them be so great, and he so highly values them as to look upon them worthy to be his end in all his great works, as they suppose; they are not consistent with themselves, in supposing that God has so little value for their love and esteem. For as the nature of love, especially great love, causes him that loves to value the esteem of the person beloved; so, that God should take pleasure in the creature’s just love and esteem, will follow from God’s love both to himself and to his creatures. If he esteem and love himself, he must approve of esteem and love to himself, and disapprove the contrary. And if he loves and values the creature, he must value and take delight in their mutual love and esteem.

3. As to what is alleged, that it is unworthy of great men to be governed in their conduct and achievements by a regard to the applause of the populace; I would observe, What makes their applause worthy of so little regard, is their ignorance, giddiness, and injustice. The applause of the multitude very frequently is not founded on any just view of things, but in humor, mistake, folly, and unreasonable affections. Such applause deserves to be disregarded. — But it is not beneath a man of the greatest dignity and wisdom, to value the wise and just esteem of others, however inferior to him. The contrary, instead of being an expression of greatness of mind, would show a haughty and mean spirit. It is such an esteem in his creatures, that God regards; for, such an esteem only is fit and amiable in itself.

OBJECT. IV. To suppose that God makes himself his ultimate end in the creation of the world, derogates from the freeness of his goodness, in his beneficence to his creatures; and from their obligations to gratitude for the good communicated. For if God, in communicating his fullness, makes himself, and not the creatures, his end; then what good he does, he does for himself, and not for them; for his sake, and not theirs.

Answer. God and the creature, in the emanation of the divine fullness, are not properly set in opposition; or made the opposite parts of a disjunction. Nor ought God’s glory and the creature’s good, to be viewed as if they were properly and entirely distinct, in the objection. This supposes, that God having respect to his glory, and the communication of good to his creatures, are things altogether different: that God communicating his fullness for himself, and his doing it for them, are things standing in a proper disjunction and opposition. Whereas, if we were capable of more perfect views of God and divine things, which are so much above us, it probably would appear very clear, that the matter is quite otherwise: and that these things, instead of appearing entirely distinct, are implied one in the other. God in seeking his glory, seeks the good of his creatures; because the emanation of his glory (which he seeks and delights in, as he delights in himself and his own eternal glory) implies the communicated excellency and happiness of his creatures. And in communicating his fullness for them, he does it for himself; because their good, which he seeks, is so much in union and communion with himself. God is their good. Their excellency and happiness is nothing, but the emanation and expression of God’s glory: God, in seeking their glory and happiness, seeks himself: and in seeking himself, i.e. himself diffused and expressed (which he delights in, as he delights in his own beauty and fullness), he seeks their glory and happiness.

This will the better appear, if we consider the degree and manner in which he aimed at the creature’s excellency and happiness in creating the world; viz. during the whole of its designed eternal duration; in greater and greater nearness, and strictness of union with himself, in his own glory and happiness, in constant progression, through all eternity. As the creature’s good was viewed, when God made the world, with respect to its whole duration, and eternally progressive union to, and communion with him: so the creature must be viewed as in infinitely strict union with himself. In this view it appears, that God’s respect to the creature, in the whole, unites with his respect to himself. Both regards are like two lines which at the beginning appear separate, but finally meet in one, both being directed to the same center. And as to the good of the creature itself, in its whole duration and infinite progression, it must be viewed as infinite; and as coming nearer and nearer to the same thing in its infinite fullness. The nearer anything comes to infinite, the nearer it comes to an identity with God. And if any good, as viewed by God, is beheld as infinite, it cannot be viewed as a distinct thing from God’s own infinite glory.

The apostle’s discourse of the great love of Christ to men (Eph. 5:25, etc.) leads us thus to think of the love of Christ to his church; as coinciding with his love to himself, by virtue of the strict union of the church with him. “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it — that he might present it to himself a glorious church. So ought men to love their wives, as their own bodies. He that loves his wife loves himself — even as the Lord the church; for we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.” Now I apprehend, that there is nothing in God’s disposition to communicate of his own fullness to the creatures, that at all derogates from the excellence of it, or the creature’s obligation.

God’s disposition to cause his own infinite fullness to flow forth, is not the less properly called his goodness, because the good he communicates is what he delights in, as he delights in his own glory. The creature has no less benefit by it; neither has such a disposition less of a direct tendency to the creature’s benefit. Nor is this disposition in God, to diffuse his own good, the less excellent, because it is implied in his love to himself. For his love to himself does not imply it any otherwise, but as it implies a love to whatever is worthy and excellent. The emanation of God’s glory is in itself worthy and excellent, and so God delights in it; and this delight is implied in his love to his own fullness; because that is the fountain, the sum and comprehension of every thing that is excellent. Nor does God’s inclination to communicate good from regard to himself, or delight in his own glory, at all diminish the freeness of his beneficence. This will appear, if we consider particularly, in what ways doing good to others from self-love, may be inconsistent with the freeness of beneficence. And I conceive there are only these two ways,

1. When any does good to another from confined self-love, which is opposite to a general benevolence. This kind of self-love is properly called selfishness. In some sense, the most benevolent, generous person in the world, seeks his own happiness in doing good to others; because he places his happiness in their good. His mind is so enlarged as to take them, as it were, into himself. Thus when they are happy, he feels it; he partakes with them, and is happy in their happiness. This is so far from being inconsistent with the freeness of beneficence, that, on the contrary, free benevolence and kindness consists in it. The most free beneficence that can be in men, is doing good, not from a confined selfishness, but from a disposition to general benevolence, or love to being in general.

But now, with respect to the Divine Being, there is no such thing as confined selfishness in him, or a love to himself opposite to general benevolence. It is impossible, because he comprehends all entity, and all excellence, in his own essence. The eternal and infinite Being, is in effect, being in general; and comprehends universal existence. God, in his benevolence to his creatures, cannot have his heart enlarged, in such a manner as to take in beings who are originally out of himself, distinct and independent. This cannot be in an infinite Being, who exists alone from eternity. But he, from his goodness, as it were enlarges himself in a more excellent and divine manner. This is by communicating and diffusing himself; and so, instead of finding, he makes objects of his benevolence — not by taking what he finds distinct from himself, and so partaking of their good, and being happy in them, but — by flowing forth, and expressing himself in them, and making them to partake of him, and then rejoicing in himself expressed in them, and communicated to them.

2. Another thing, in doing good to others from self-love, that derogates from the freeness of the goodness, is acting from dependence on them for the good we need or desire. So that, in our beneficence, we are not self-moved, but as it were constrained by something without ourselves. But it has been particularly shown already, that God making himself his end, argues no dependence; but is consistent with absolute independence and self-sufficiency.

And I would here observe, that there is something in that disposition to communicate goodness, that shows God to be independent and self-moved in it, in a manner that is peculiar, and above the beneficence of creatures. Creatures, even the most excellent, are not independent and self-moved in their goodness; but in all its exercises, they are excited by some object they find: something appearing good, or in some respect worthy of regard, presents itself, and moves their kindness. But God, being all, and alone, is absolutely self-moved. The exercises of his communicative disposition are absolutely from within himself; all that is good and worthy in the object, and its very being, proceeding from the overflowing of his fullness.

These things show that the supposition of God making himself his ultimate end, does not at all diminish the creature’s obligation to gratitude for communications of good received. For if it lessen its obligation, it must be on one of the following accounts. Either, that the creature has not so much benefit by it; or, that the disposition it flows from, is not proper goodness, not having so direct a tendency to the creature’s benefit; or, that the disposition is not so virtuous and excellent in its kind; or, that the beneficence is not so free. But it has been observed, that none of these things take place, with regard to that disposition, which has been supposed to have excited God to create the world.

I confess there is a degree of indistinctness and obscurity in the close consideration of such subjects, and a great imperfection in the expressions we use concerning them; arising unavoidably from the infinite sublimity of the subject, and the incomprehensibleness of those things that are divine. Hence revelation is the surest guide in these matters: and what that teaches shall in the next place be considered. Nevertheless, the endeavors used to discover what the voice of reason is, so far as it can go, may serve to prepare the way, by obviating cavils insisted on by many; and to satisfy us, that what the Word of God says of the matter is not unreasonable.

End Chapter One

Ephesians 3:20-21: "Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen."

Pastor Charles R. Biggs

Ketoctin Covenant Presbyterian Church

9 S. Locust Street

Post Office Box 628

Round Hill, VA 20142-0628

571.334.7420

Encouragement

Vol. VI, Issue 18

Exodus 15-"The Song at the Sea"- Part 2

Rev. Charles R. Biggs

Introduction

In our last study, we considered the first part of the 'Song at the Sea' from Exodus 15. In today's study, we will look at how the sea was perceived in the ancient Near East during Israel's time. We will also look at the other songs that God gives to us in Holy Scripture so that we might be reminded of Who He is as our Great Sovereign, and be reminded of what He has done for us so graciously by his holy strength and awesome power!

Exodus 15

Exodus 15:1 Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the LORD, saying, "I will sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea. ²The LORD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him. ³The LORD is a man of war; the LORD is his name. ⁴"Pharaoh's chariots and his host he cast into the sea, and his chosen officers were sunk in the Red Sea. ⁵The floods covered them; they went down into the depths like a stone. ⁶Your right hand, O LORD, glorious in power, your right hand, O LORD, shatters the enemy. ⁷In the greatness of your majesty you overthrow your adversaries; you send out your fury; it consumes them like stubble. ⁸At the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up; the floods stood up in a heap; the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea. ⁹The enemy said, 'I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, my desire shall have its fill of them. I will draw my sword; my hand shall destroy them.' ¹⁰You blew with your wind; the sea covered them; they sank like lead in the mighty waters. ¹¹"Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders? ¹²You stretched out your right hand; the earth swallowed them. ¹³"You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed; you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode. ¹⁴The peoples have heard; they tremble; pangs have seized the inhabitants of Philistia. ¹⁵Now are the chiefs of Edom dismayed; trembling seizes the leaders of Moab; all the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away. ¹⁶Terror and dread fall upon them; because of the greatness of your arm, they are still as a stone, till your people, O LORD, pass by, till the people pass by whom you have purchased. ¹⁷You will bring them in and plant them on your own mountain, the place, O LORD, which you have made for your abode, the sanctuary, O Lord, which your hands have established. ¹⁸The LORD will reign forever and ever." ¹⁹For when the horses of Pharaoh with his chariots and his horsemen went into the sea, the LORD brought back the waters of the sea upon them, but the people of Israel walked on dry ground in the midst of the sea. ²⁰Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women went out after her with tambourines and dancing. ²¹And Miriam sang to them: "Sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea." ²²Then Moses made Israel set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of Shur. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water. ²³When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter; therefore it was named Marah. ²⁴And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, "What shall we drink?" ²⁵And he cried to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a log, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. There the LORD made for them a statute and a rule, and there he tested them, ²⁶saying, "If you will diligently listen to the voice of the LORD your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, your healer." ²⁷Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they encamped there by the water.

The Great and Frightening SEA in the Ancient Near East

Israel was redeemed from Egypt and about to cross through the Red Sea. We must understand that to an Israelite (or for that matter any of the people’s who lived in the ancient Near East), the sea was a place of chaos. The sea was the embodiment of chaos where Leviathan lived and lurked in order to destroy (or other frightening sea creatures). Understand this: the sea was no place for an Israelite, they were terribly frightened of the sea. To have walked through even when God made a path through the sea would have taken a great amount of faith.

Imagine if you will a time when there was no Jacques Cousteau, or Discovery Channel Specials about the sea or ocean. You would have no idea about what was under those frightening and terrible waters! In fact, you can imagine the ancient people at the sea's edge seeing some of the creatures that had washed up on the shore. If you lived in a time when you had no explanation of what is beneath the ocean's surface, what would you think if you saw a huge beached blue whale, or a shark, or a killer whale, or something as seemingly harmless as a jelly fish? What would enter your mind as to what lurked beneath the surface of these waters?! (you would be grateful to God for revealing himself as Creator in Genesis 1 -- that is for sure- -especially when you found out that he created all the sea monsters, Gen. 1:20-21!).

For Israel, the sea was a place of chaos and we must remember that it is in this chaos of the Egyptian’s death in water, that God is establishing his people. From chaos to order, God is bringing the flood of his wrath down upon his enemies so that he might save those who have found favor in his eyes as Noah before them. God divides the waters here as he did in the creation account in order to bring his people from chaos in Egypt to rest and order in the promised land. What a beautiful picture and what a reason to sing along with Moses this great song!

In verse 9-12, Moses sings now of Egypt’s boasting in their power and particularly in their so-called mighty gods. In v. 9, Moses sings of the enemy boasting and God’s response: The enemy was determined with all their heart to pursue Israel and submit them back to a yoke of slavery…they were determined in spite of the dreadful plagues God had sent upon them earlier in the story…they were determined, because God had hardened Pharaoh’s heart so that his power might be displayed over him (cf. Romans 9).

Pharaoh vs.. The Almighty

What we want to appreciate about the Exodus from Egypt is this: In one way, God was drawing Pharaoh out on the battlefield, out in the open, out to the middle of a clearing in history, so that all the nations around them would know that YHWH, "I AM" is God, the only God who rules all of creation (despite the so-called gods of Egypt). He alone has power, and he alone is worthy to be praised! Again, in v.9 Moses speaks of God’s attributes and then his actions. What did God do in response to Egypt’s pride and boasting? He led them out in the midst of the waters of the Red Sea, the flood waters of chaos, in order that he might destroy them when he blew with his breath [ruach], as v. 10 tells us.

After God was finished with the Egyptians, their memory in this song was not only humiliation from a few chariot wheels stuck in the mud, but was the memory of a foolish and sinful people trying to outwit the majestic God of creation in a game of “cat and mouse.”

How will Israel remember the mighty power of Egypt? Look at the end of v. 10: “…the sea covered them. They sank like lead in the mighty waters.” Remember from this: The enemies of God don’t float for anyone interested, they sink like lead. The Egyptians sank like lead- - lead that was as hard and heavy as their hearts toward the God of Israel! What Moses began with exaltation of God, again ends in exaltation in v. 11: “Who among the gods is like you, O LORD? Who is like you- - majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?”

As the Egyptians were sinking down to the bottom of the sea, as their mouths were filling with the raging waters, perhaps they called out to Ra or their god of the waters, Prince Nu for deliverance and salvation! But if they had heard the words of Moses from the beginning in his dialogues with Pharaoh and his magicians, and if they had truly seen and understood the works which God performed on behalf of Israel, then perhaps they would have understood the song of Moses when he sings: “Who among the gods is like you, O LORD?” But alas, their hearts were hard- - and they could not see nor understand the acts of God. The Egyptians trusted in dead idols- - not the only Living God!

God's Unfailing and Redemptive Love

In verses 13-18, the focus moves from the past act of deliverance to the present and future hopes of Israel! As the God of creation has delivered them in the Red Sea, so he will be faithful to them as v. 13 says: “In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling.” Here we see the connection we made at the beginning between a song and a memory, or how a song can conjure up true hope in the present. What would drive the Israelite on by faith was knowing God’s unfailing love and the strength he would use to guide them. Exodus 15 forms a bridge of hope between God’s great act of deliverance from Egypt and the beginning of their journey in the wilderness on their way to the Promised Land. This song was to be their strength as they passed through every test in the wilderness, as they received the Law on Sinai, and as they entered Canaan surrounded by many nations stronger than them!

From the perspective of this song, nothing could separate Israel from the love of God, nothing could ever threaten Israel because of the Lord’s strength and protection on their behalf. This song must have brought great hope to enlighten the circumstances of the people of God in whatever situation they would find themselves.

From verses 14-16, we see the nations that will tremble at the power of Israel’s God: Philistia, Edom, Moab, and Canaan will be terrified with the news of YHWH’s redemption of Israel. Nothing shall stand in their way…nothing, no nation shall keep God from fulfilling his covenantal promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Remember that these were the nations that inhabited Canaan, the Promised Land of which the Israelites were to inherit! Moses wrote this prior to the Israelite’s wilderness testings and their entering the Promised Land. It was a song that should have been in their hearts so that fear of greater peoples might not consume them. No matter how “big” the people seemed in comparison to themselves, no matter how powerful the nations seemed, the Israelites were to: “Fear not, stand still and see the redemption of the LORD.” Their focus was to be on the God who had already delivered them with a strong arm- - and could do it again!

In the final part of Moses’ song, in verse 17 (the last refrain if you will), Moses sets the tone of the future. Because of the covenant and God’s enduring love and faithfulness, he will bring and plant Israel on the mountain of their inheritance. The place Moses’ describes as: “…the place, O LORD, you made for your dwelling [word in Heb.], the sanctuary, O LORD, your hands established [word in Heb.].” Then Moses ends with one great exaltation of praise: “The LORD will reign forever and ever!” What he has done for Israel in leading them out of Egypt is just the beginning of his acts on their behalf. He has revealed himself in all his majesty, love and power, and He will continue to be faithful to his promises!

What is Moses’ focus in the song?

The focus of the Song at the Sea is to teach Israel, particularly future generations who did not live during the Exodus, that their God is truly THE All-Powerful and Majestic God of all Creation! He is the faithful and loving God who keeps his promises and therefore they should never fear, because he will always be with them, to deliver them from all their enemies. The past deliverance was always to enlighten Israel’s present circumstances and to encourage loving obedience to the God who truly delivers them! These events are designed to teach God’s people, then and now, to look beyond the events themselves, because the song is about the victory of God over His and all of our enemies!

In addition to the Song at the Sea, there are other “songs of redemption” in Scripture! These songs are means by which God is praised for his saving acts as a worshipping community!

Other “Songs of Redemption” in Scripture

Many of the Psalms for instance are songs of redemption that we should be aware of! These psalms praise God not in the abstract but for some concrete act of deliverance, whether on a personal or a national level.

The Psalms as Songs of Redemption (particularly Ps. 78; 80; 136, particularly Ps. 40)

The author of Psalm 40, after recounting how God gave him a “firm place to stand” in Ps. 40:2, writes, “He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.” There are similar expressions like this all throughout the Psalms (consider Ps. 28:7; 33:3; 69:30; 96:1; 144:9). The Book of Psalms as a whole may be thought of as Israel’s melodic response to who God is and what he had done for his people!

David’s Song- 2 Sam. 22

Another parallel to Exodus 15 is 2 Samuel 22:1-51 (also see Ps. 18). This song, too, is set in the context of a narrative like the Song of the Sea, and is probably a song sung toward the end of David’s life, praising God for his deliverance in a variety of circumstances. As 22:1 says:

2 Samuel 22:1 Then David spoke to the LORD the words of this song, on the day when the LORD had delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul.

Although David’s song is much longer than the song in Exodus 15, the focus of the song is still on God’s faithfulness in defeating David’s enemies. It begins with praise to God, as Exodus 15, and ends with a statement of eternal perpetuity. This reminds the reader that God’s deliverance extends beyond the circumstances that prompted the song in the first place. Both songs recognize that specific instances of God’s deliverance- - and they are both God-centered in form and content!

Also, we should appreciate the similar imagery used by David in his song and in Exodus 15. You remember that the Exodus was the story of the grand cosmic upheaval, with the chaotic waters parting to provide a safe passage for God’s people. David describes his deliverance in similar terms. With the Exodus from Egypt in your mind, look at verses 16-20:

16 Then the channels of the sea were seen, The foundations of the world were uncovered, At the rebuke of the LORD, At the blast of the breath of His nostrils.17 "He sent from above, He took me, He drew me out of many waters.18 He delivered me from my strong enemy, From those who hated me; For they were too strong for me.19 They confronted me in the day of my calamity, But the LORD was my support.20 He also brought me out into a broad place; He delivered me because He delighted in me.

As King of Israel and leader of his people, David is extolling God for his Exodus-like victory against the enemies of God’s people. God pulled David out of the “deep waters” and brought him to a “broad or spacious place”.

We do not have the time to speak of the many other songs of redemption in scripture. In your own study, you may consider Numbers 21: Song of Provision; Deut. 32: Song of Moses; 1 Samuel 2:1ff: Hannah’s Song; Luke 1:46-55: Mary’s Song. Notice the connection in all these songs between who God is in his character and what he has done in his acts to redeem his people!

But songs of redemption are not just something found in the OT, or for the people of God in the past! We today as a people of God have our own “songs” as a worshipping community living in the Last Days! God never changes!

Our “Song of Redemption” in Christ

The death, resurrection and ascension of Christ gives us new songs to sing because of Christ's redemption from sin, death and the devil! The good news of our redemption or deliverance is that Jesus, the true Israelite overcame as Divine Warrior all of his and our enemies. He died for us, was raised and now has dominion over all of the earth- - all of the nations!

Our message as the people of God is to all the nations which should repent and tremble in fright at the power of our God in Christ, who will come again on the clouds as Rev. 19 teaches, to judge the world! Christ’s dominion is forever and God has redeemed us with a strong arm out of the Kingdom of Darkness and he has transferred us into the Kingdom of the Son he loves! As Israel was released from the dominion of Pharaoh, so the Apostle Paul teaches in Romans 6 that sin is no longer our master: “Sin shall not have dominion over you,” he teaches us!

Because of the work of Christ on our behalf, we also sing redemptive songs concerning who God is and what he has done for us in Christ. Notice those who have been redeemed by the great act of God in Christ in the Book of Revelation. Particularly Revelation 5.

In Revelation 5:12, the creatures and the elders are joined by countless angels:

"Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!"

The song sung by the oppressed Israelites in the OT is now universal, for Christ has come, and through him all creation is brought back to God. The song ends, as does the Song at the Sea, with the announcement that God will reign forever and ever. Church: this is our new song in Christ!

One more passage in Revelation to consider is Revelation 15:3-4:

3 They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: "Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints!4 Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You, For Your judgments have been manifested."

Conclusion

Let us sing a “new song” to our LORD for the great things he has done in Christ. Col. 3:17ff teaches us: “Let the word of Christ dwell in us richly as we sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, making melody in our hearts. Our past is noble, our present secure, our future is certain “in Christ” and so we sing with the Psalmist: “His steadfast love endures forever”.

Church: Let us say together today: “Christ shall reign forever and ever”- - this is our new song!

Pastor Charles R. Biggs

Ketoctin Covenant Presbyterian Church

9 S. Locust Street

Post Office Box 628

Round Hill, VA 20142-0628

571.334.7420

Vol. VI, Issue 19

Isaiah 6-"Our Holy God"

Rev. Charles R. Biggs

Introduction

Today's study is on Isaiah 6 where Isaiah the Prophet is sent out to proclaim God's message of judgment upon the people. Before he is sent out, the LORD of Heaven and Earth allows him to have a vision of His Great Holiness and Majesty!

During Isaiah's ministry, this prophet of God had the incredible and challenging task of bringing the message of God’s judgment to the nation Israel. King Uzziah had died after ruling Israel for over 50 years and the time of glory in Israel’s history was about to be over. In response to the people turning away from God by breaking the covenant they had made with him to obey his Law, God would send judgment in the Assyrian army and the people would be sent into exile.

To prepare Isaiah for this difficult preaching ministry of God’s Word, God revealed himself to Isaiah in a vision. Isaiah sees what is called a Theophany, or an appearance of God [2 Greek words made into 1 English Word- theo="God" + Phaneo= "appearance"= "Theophany"]. God reveals himself to Isaiah so that it would humble him and remind him of the incredible power of God’s wrath, and the awesome holiness of His character and person.

This week we celebrate the 300^th birthday of Jonathan Edwards. God used this man to bring true reformation and revival to the people in New England. Why? Because Edwards faithfully preached God’s Word and kept his preaching focused, as well as his people’s focus, on the holiness and beauty of God.

Edwards never flinched at telling the people of God about the awesome God who he served and how his holiness demands infinite punishment for sin because sin has infinitely offended a holy God. May we return to this kind of preaching and understanding of God in our time. May it be what brings us all to our knees in repentance!

Isaiah 6

Isaiah 6:1 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. ²Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. ³And one called to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!" ⁴And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. ⁵And I said: "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!" ⁶Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. ⁷And he touched my mouth and said: "Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for. ⁸And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me." ⁹And he said, "Go, and say to this people: "' Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.' ¹⁰Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed." ¹¹Then I said, "How long, O Lord?" And he said: "Until cities lie waste without inhabitant, and houses without people, and the land is a desolate waste, ¹²and the LORD removes people far away, and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land. ¹³And though a tenth remain in it, it will be burned again, like a terebinth or an oak, whose stump remains when it is felled." The holy seed is its stump.

Summary of Isaiah 6

Isaiah chapter 6 is broken down into two main parts: Verses 1-7 is Isaiah's vision of God's holiness and majesty, his realization of his own sinful condition, and the atonement for his sins that God makes for him in order that he may approach him. Verses 8-13 are the commission of Isaiah to tell the people of God's judgment with a spark of good news or gospel in verse 13, reminding Isaiah that although the majority will turn away and be deaf and dumb to God's revelation and holiness, some will repent and live!

God's Throne room

What is God's Holiness (Isaiah 6:3)?

In Isaiah 6:3, the angels are singing "holy, holy, holy". What does it mean that God is holy? The term 'holy' can simply mean 'set apart', but God's holiness is what makes God "GOD". The fact that God is holy is his glorious beauty and perfect righteousness, his perfect attributes and law, and his purity and uprightness in all that he is and does.

How have others in the past described God's holiness? Jonathan Edwards defined holiness as: “Holiness is more than a mere attribute of God- - it is the sum of all His attributes, the outshining of all that God is.”

Stephen Charnock, the great Reformed pastor who wrote the classic 'Character and Attributes of God' wrote: “Holiness is God’s beauty and glory. When God would be drawn—as much as He can be- - He is drawn in this attribute of holiness. Power is in His hand; omniscience in His eyes; mercy in His bowels; but holiness is His beauty!”

One writer wrote (I cannot remember at this time): “The holiness of God is altogether beyond our comprehension. It is the blazing majesty of God’s perfection. It is the excellency of all that He is, in whole and in part. Everything God thinks, everything God purposes, everything God does, indeed everything God is, is altogether and consistently holy!

And Pastor John Piper wrote concerning God and His Great Holiness: “All else is creation. He Alone creates. All else begins. He alone always was. All else depends. He alone is self-sufficient.”

The Goal of Our Salvation: Holiness

The holiness of God should be something that we reflect upon and consider as a people. It is God’s holiness that places him in a class by himself. It is God's holiness that makes sin utterly sinful. It is God's holiness that reveals to us that he is awesome in power, love, grace, mercy, justice, and yet he is holy in all of these things. God does all things well and for our benefit as His people.

As the people of God what a remarkable difference it would make practically in our lives if we could remember that our God is holy and wants us to be holy as he is holy. Imagine if the next time you sinned, you didn't merely think of the remedy of your salvation, but also the design, goal, or end for which you were saved. What I am saying is that most of the time we merely think of our forgiveness or the remedy of sin when facing a temptation. Next time, by God's grace and Spirit as we allow this vision of God's holiness to recapture our imaginations, we think of the design, goal, or end of our salvation, which is to be made holy!

I think most of us think about our forgiveness when tempted, and the flesh and the Devil come along and whisper: "Oh, it will be alright, go ahead and sin against God, he'll forgive you. He has a fine remedy for sin." However, what we should say in response is this: "I have been saved not merely to be forgiven by God, to be like God and I am called to pursue holiness. The design, goal, or end of my salvation from the LORD was so that I might be holy as he is holy!" What a difference this would make in our lives if we all were to set out to pursue Christ-likeness or holiness in this manner.

And we can, by God's grace and by asking him to give us the same vision that Isaiah had through his Word and by the power of His Spirit working within us! Remember: Without holiness, no man shall see the LORD (Hebrews 12).

The Teaching of Scripture on God's Holiness

It is interesting that Scripture describes God and His name over 900 times as “Holy”. Here are a few references as to how Scripture defines God's holiness, or what makes God "GOD".

In the context of God's redeeming Israel from Egypt, Moses sings in Exodus 15:11 "Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?" David gives praise to God because of who he is in Psalm 29:2 "Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness". In a Psalm concerning God's covenant promises to David, the Psalmist writes in Psalm 89:35 "Once for all I have sworn by my holiness; I will not lie to David". Again, considering God's covenant promises, the Psalmist writes of God's holy promises in Psalm 108:7 "God has promised in his holiness: "With exultation I will divide up Shechem and portion out the Valley of Succoth. And in the later prophecy of Isaiah, Isaiah describes the place of God's habitation in Isaiah 63:15 "Look down from heaven and see, from your holy and beautiful habitation. Where are your zeal and your might? The stirring of your inner parts and your compassion are held back from me."

God reveals himself as holy so that we might know of our need for atonement, our distance that has been placed between God and ourselves because of our sin, and that we might return to him so that he might make us holy as he is holy! Our great goal in the Christian life is to be made holy as God is holy!

Yet, why is his holiness so foreign to us all? Our sins have made us all dull to his holy beauty and caused us to seek after everything but God in and of himself. We seek his gifts, what he can do for us, but how often do we actually pursue God and His Holiness just because of his loveliness and great beauty in and of himself?

Holiness is not something we think upon often enough. We have so many other thoughts that occupy our time, why do we not think more about this glorious vision of God’s holiness? Holiness is a thing that men are least concerned with because they are tainted by sin, yet it is the most beautiful part of God and creation. We should ask God to give us hearts to pursue him for WHO HE IS in and of himself, in all his glorious beauty and holiness, rather than merely when he gives us what we want! In other words, we pray that we can say "holy, holy, holy" more often than crying to God "me, me, me!"

Do we honor God's holiness in our worship? God is present when two or more are gathered in his name to worship him. Are we overwhelmed by His Holy Presence or do we walk (or casually prance) into worship without a thought of our sin and his greatness. Do we tremble at all?? Or, do we come carelessly into the presence of God with no thought to his great mercy and holiness?

Do you remember the spiritual "Were You There?" Remember the line that says: "Sometime it causes me to tremble...tremble...tremble!" I don't think in our worship services we have enough "tremblen'" goin' on these days. We do indeed call God "Father", but even Jesus the glorious, eternal Son of God, addressed God as "HOLY" Father! (John 17)...and Isaiah when he got a glimpse of God's holiness did not say "Daddy- -what a super-duper dude you are!"

Do we honor God's holiness in our prayer: We are reminded before we ask anything of God (as we learn in the Lord’s Prayer) that we first “hallow God’s name” or make “holy” his name before we enter into our prayer for what we need! We do indeed pray 'Our Father Who is in Heaven' - -but then right away, we are taught to pray: "Hallowed be Your Name" - -Holy is your Name. Do you approach God in prayer as a Holy Father as our LORD Jesus did, or does your attention mindlessly wander as if he is not a God to be honored and considered "HOLY"? Remember these words from the worship service in Revelation 15:3-4:

Revelation 15:3 And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, "Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations! ⁴Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed."

"Who will not fear, O Lord and glorify your name?" is the question asked in the worship service above in Revelation 15. We must fear God in a good way as Hebrews 12 says:

Hebrews 12:22-29- But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, ²³ and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, ²⁴ and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. ²⁵ See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. ²⁶ At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, "Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens." ²⁷ This phrase, "Yet once more," indicates the removal of things that are shaken- that is, things that have been made- in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. ²⁸ Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, ²⁹ for our God is a consuming fire.

We must keep God's grace, love and fatherly goodness to his people in balance with God's other attributes of holiness, justice, and wrath. We must have a healthy fear of God as we approach him in worship and prayer. Notice the genius of the Westminster Confession of Faith in keeping this biblical balance on the character and attributes of God:

WCF 2.2 God hath all life,(1) glory,(2) goodness,(3) blessedness,(4) in and of Himself; and is alone in and unto Himself all-sufficient, not standing in need of any creatures which He hath made,(5) not deriving any glory from them,(6) but only manifesting His own glory in, by, unto, and upon them: He is the alone fountain of all being, of whom, through whom, and to whom are all things,(7) and hath most sovereign dominion over them, to do by them, for them, or upon them whatsoever Himself pleaseth.(8) In His sight all things are open and manifest;(9) His knowledge is infinite, infallible, and independent upon the creature,(10) so as nothing is to Him contingent, or uncertain.(11) He is most holy in all His counsels, in all His works, and in all His commands.(12) To Him is due from angels and men, and every other creature, whatsoever worship, service, or obedience He is pleased to require of them.(13)

A God like this must be revered as an awesome God! As Pastor John Piper has written so effectively: "God's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Himself forever!" This captures the ultimate aim of God as a Holy Being and it should cause us to fear Him and to strive by His grace to do the same with our own lives!

God's Provision for Sinners to Approach Him

Notice when Isaiah gets a glimpse of God's holiness and his majesty as He is seated on the throne. He is undone. He realizes that he is a sinner. He says in essence: "Lord, you're sending me out to a sinful people to tell of your judgment on their sins, but I too am a sinner! I too have unclean lips!" We can imagine God's reply to him: "Yes, but I have chosen you to go- - and I will prepare you by atoning for your sins specifically so that you might approach me and represent me to others."

Remember: Unclean Lips Reveal Unclean Hearts- “Lips are the tip of the sinful iceberg” Isaiah's problem was that his heart, his sinful problem in the heart, was revealed by his lips. From out of the heart comes uncleanness, Jesus says (Matt. 15). So, Isaiah's lips are a "dead giveaway" that he is a sinner in need of redemption if he is to stand in the presence of a Holy God!

Isaiah was God’s man to preach his Word and through his lips men would hear judgment and grace. Yet, this was the opening, the outlet, the tip that revealed Isaiah’s sin and guilt and need for God’s assistance if he was going to stay in his presence. So, Isaiah is cut to the heart- “Woe is me!!” He is terrified. The other people in Isaiah’s day were not so fearful of God. They continued to break his Law and step on the grace and mercy that God had shown to them.

“I am undone”, says Isaiah - -unraveled: It is this vision of the holiness of God that reveals our sins and our need for his help. Listen to Calvin on this:

“…Until God reveal himself to us, we do not think that we are men, or rather, we think that we are gods; but when we have seen God, we then begin to feel and know what we are. Hence springs true humility, which consists in this, that a man makes no claims for himself, and depends wholly on God…”

Many in our day are the same. We get “accustomed” or “used” to hearing of God’s grace and forgiveness. We recognize that we are truly forgiven and have been given the righteousness of Christ, yet we forget that God is HOLY and is a consuming fire. Even today, many of us are trying to change certain behaviors or habits rather than focusing on the real problem which is the heart.

Only God can fix this deep and radical problem of the heart. He begins this good work of fixing the root in the heart by atoning for our sins and sending his Holy Spirit to change what we love, what we set our affections upon, so that we might ultimately set our heart's eye and focus sincerely and singularly on the LORD's beauty and holiness!

God's Forgiveness of Guilt and Sin

God is willing to remove Isaiah’s guilt and sin, and send him out as an imperfect but faithful representative of God's message of judgment as well as his message of salvation for the few who will hear, see and believe!

When we hear “Holy, holy, holy” we are like Isaiah: We hear “guilt, guilt, guilt”! But God takes away our guilt in Christ Jesus. God gives us new hearts so that we might find him utterly lovely. The angel in Isaiah's vision takes tongs from the altar, takes a hot, burning coal and makes atonement for Isaiah's sins by touching his lips. This is symbolic to the Person and Work of Christ for us in atonement. Christ Jesus our Savior lays down his life and sheds his blood on the altar in heaven, taking God's wrath upon him so he can send the Holy Spirit to us.

The coal from the altar symbolizes punishment and purification. The altar from which the coal was taken was the place where bulls and goats were placed to shed blood before God and to offer a substitute in place of the sinner. The fire that consumed the animal on the altar was God's purification. In Christ, Jesus lays down his life once and for all as a man, a once and for all sacrifice for sinners to be punished in their place. After his resurrection from the dead and ascension back to the throne room of heaven, Jesus sends forth His Spirit to us so that we might then be purified. So, the coal from the altar symbolizes the punishment and purification that would come in time because of the Person and Work of Jesus Christ!

When we get a glimpse God’s beauty by His Sovereign Grace in the face of Jesus Christ, we see the ugliness of our sins and the life our sins have tainted! We glimpse God’s holiness, we understand a little more the unholiness of our sinful affections. Yet God is gracious to us as well! He takes our sinful hearts, when we are dead and cold to the life and warmth of God’s grace, and he transforms us.

He makes atonement for our sins in Jesus Christ who steps down from the throne of God, takes off the robe that filled God’s temple, to find himself in a land of sin and misery as a poor servant under a tyrant king! Jesus takes off this royal robe not to merely wear our clothing, but to wear our very humanity! He came to represent us and to be holy as God is holy- - perfectly. Then he laid down his life not on an earthly altar that merely represented atonement, but he laid down his life on the altar in the very throne room of God (Hebrews 7-10). This makes us worship our Holy God as David does in Psalm 27:

Psalm 27:4-8: One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple. ⁵ For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock. ⁶ And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the LORD. ⁷ Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud; be gracious to me and answer me! ⁸ You have said, "Seek my face." My heart says to you, "Your face, LORD, do I seek.

The Dullness of Our Hearing and Seeing God

You probably aren’t a prophet being sent out by God as Isaiah was (in fact I know you're not!). But as a mom seeking for your son or daughter to grow in the LORD; a father who worries about how much time he spends with work; a home school parent who wonders if your children are being taught as much as they deserve; a busy person who is trying to find your goal, a husband or wife, a career and calling, etc. You approach a holy God who has stepped down from his throne to make you holy- -to make you like him.

This is the Holy God who you can trust because he is faithful and he will do above and beyond that which you could ever ask or imagine. You too have been sent out much like Isaiah in order to tell the gospel in word and deed and to call men to repentance (Matthew 28:18-20). Don't be surprised when people are bored by holiness and especially bored or taken back by the Holiness of your God!

Isaiah sent to bring good news, but the majority of the people were deaf, dumb, and blind. Jesus comes in the fullness of the times to proclaim the same gospel and to visibly show God's holiness in flesh and the majority are deaf, dumb, and blind (John 1:9ff; 12:36ff). That deaf, dumb, and blind kid might be able to play a mean pinball as the song goes, but they sure cannot get a vision of God's holiness and their sin until the Sovereign God awakens them to their peril!

Are we in Christ's Church deaf and dumb to God’s holiness? Is there true fear and at the same time an understanding of grace in our lives? Do we think on God’s glorious holiness in our private times? Indwelling sin makes our heart’s callous to God’s beauty and we have to fight it and put it to death! I dare say that there is too little of the “tremblen'’” (lack of fear) that we spoke of earlier.

I truly believe if we will ask God to recapture our minds and imaginations with the vision that Isaiah had, through His Word and Spirit, that we will see reformation and revival in our days. We might just even begin to see true holiness in our lives- -even a pursuit of holiness as the deer pants for the water.

The Hope of the HOLY Spirit!

I am not trying to be obvious when I say this, but God gives to us his 'HOLY' Spirit (maybe this isn't that obvious). His "HOLY" Spirit is sent to us to make us like Jesus, to make us Holy! That is why Paul says we "quench" Him when we do what He tells us not to do as the people of God. Remember Galatians 5:17-18: the Spirit wars against the flesh. That means that it is the flesh that most wants you to deny the "HOLY" found in the Holy Spirit. The Spirit's work is to point to Christ and His atonement so that you might have salvation and assurance in that salvation (John 14-16). Once the Spirit begins a good work (Phil. 1:6), he continues to make us Holy as Christ was Holy, so He might present us to Christ as a pure and unspotted bride (Eph. 5:28ff).

In other words, when God grips us by His grace, he begins a transforming work in us by His "HOLY" Spirit. Just as when his presence before Moses turned plain earth into Holy ground; just as when he gave the priests of the temple garments to wear, they became Holy garments; just as when God came to accept the sacrifices in the small room in the temple, his presence made this small room, a cubed box, the Holy of Holies; so he comes to dwell in us and by his presence he takes those corrupted and tainted by sin and makes us HOLY PEOPLE. Allow this reality in Christ to fuel your pursuit of holiness and encourage you to combat sin, flesh, and the devil with all you of the power you have within you (Eph. 3:14-21).

The wonder of God’s Spirit indwelling us as God’s people is that the Holy Spirit indwelling us is not merely a gift from God, but is a gift of God. If we want reformation and revival in our time, it will be because of God’s Spirit and grace working through the preaching of His Holy Word and a continuous meditation on and glimpse of Our Holy God!

Benediction:

Ephesians 3:20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, ²¹to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Pastor Charles R. Biggs

Ketoctin Covenant Presbyterian Church

9 S. Locust Street

Post Office Box 628

Round Hill, VA 20142-0628

571.334.7420

Quote of the Week

Introduction

Today I have included part two of Edwards' 'Dissertation on the End for Which God Created the World'. Edwards wrote this dissertation while a missionary to the Mohawk and Mohican Indians in the frontier town of Stockbridge, Massachusetts in the 1750s (just a few years before he died in 1757).

By the way, Edwards wrote this writing on God's glory for Himself after His God and LORD had allowed him to be privileged to suffer with Christ in the rejection he received from his own congregation to whom he had preached and served for over 20 years! Just a couple of years before he wrote this, his congregation had voted him out and rejected him as pastor, thus he moved to the frontier from Northampton, Massachusetts in order to make God's glory known to the Native Americans. It is truly ironic that the greatest theologian that America has ever produced was rejected by God's people because he did not live up to their expectations!

Be reminded that last Lord's day was the 300th anniversary of Jonathan Edwards' birth (Edwards was born on October 5, 1703).

May God bless you richly as you read this important writing. Edwards answers the question of why God created the world in this writing. As pastor and theologian John Piper says, this writing basically asserts that "God's chief end is to glorify Himself and to enjoy Himself forever." So the ultimate reason why God created was that it glorified himself! But Edwards says it so much better, so take up and read!

May the Holy Spirit be pleased to use this writing to accomplish this in your life!

Three Books of Interest if this study has encouraged you to read more of Edwards: Stephen J. Nichols, 'Jonathan Edwards: A Guided Tour of His Life; Harry S. Stout, 'A Jonathan Edwards Reader'; and D. G. Hart, Sean Michael Lucas, and S. J. Nichols, 'The Legacy of Jonathan Edwards: American Religion and the Evangelical Tradition'.

[Note: If you would like me to send this to you as a Word Document attachment, I will be glad to do it- - just ask!]

Jonathan Edwards

A Dissertation Concerning The End For Which God Created The World

By
Jonathan Edwards

CHAPTER II

WHEREIN IF IT IS INQUIRED, WHAT IS TO BE LEARNED FROM HOLY SCRIPTURES, CONCERNING GOD’S LAST END IN THE CREATION OF THE WORLD

SECTION I

The Scriptures represent God as making himself his own last end in the creation of the world

IT is manifest, that the Scriptures speak, on all occasions, as though God made himself his end in all his works; and as though the same being, who is the first cause of all things, were the supreme and last end of all things. Thus in Isa. 44:6, “Thus saith the Lord, the king of Israel, and his Redeemer the Lord of hosts, I am the first, I also am the last, and besides me there is no God.” Chap. 48:12, “I am the first and I am the last.” Rev. 1:8, “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and was, and which is to come, the almighty.” Verse 11, “I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last.” Verse 17, “I am the first and the last.” Rev. 21:6, “And he said unto me, it is done; I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.” Chap. 22:13, “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.”

When God is so often spoken of as the last as well as the first, the end as well as the beginning, it is implied, that as he is the first, efficient cause and fountain, from whence all things originate; so, he is the last, final cause for which they are made; the final term to which they all tend in their ultimate issue. This seems to be the most natural import of these expressions; and is confirmed by other parallel passages; as Rom. 11:36, “For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things.” Col. 1:16, “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things were created by him, and for him.” Heb. 2:10, “For it became him, by whom are all things, and for whom are all things.” And in Pro. 16:4, it is said expressly, “The Lord hath made all things for himself.”

And the manner is observable, in which God is said to be the last, to whom, and for whom, are all things. It is evidently spoken of as a meet and suitable thing, a branch of his glory; a meet prerogative of the great, infinite, and eternal Being; a thing becoming the dignity of him who is infinitely above all other beings; from whom all things are, and by whom they consist; and in comparison with whom all other things are as nothing.

CHAPTER II

SECTION II

Wherein some positions are advanced concerning a just method of arguing in this affair, from what we find in the Holy Scriptures

WE have seen, that the Scriptures speak of the creation of the world as being for God, as its end. What remains therefore to be inquired into, is, which way do the Scriptures represent God as making himself his end? It is evident, that God does not make his existence or being the end of the creation; which cannot be supposed without great absurdity. His existence cannot be conceived of but as prior to any of God’s designs. Therefore he cannot create the world to the end that he may have existence; or may have certain attributes and perfections. Nor do the Scriptures give the least intimation of any such thing. Therefore, what divine effect, or what in relation to God, is that which the Scripture teaches us to be the end he aimed at, in his works of creation, and in designing which he makes himself his end?

In order to a right understanding of the Scripture doctrine, and drawing just inferences from what we find said in the Word of God, relative to this matter; and so to open the way to a true and definite answer to the above inquiry, I would lay down the following positions.

Position 1. That which appears to be God’s ultimate end in his works of providence in general, we may justly suppose to be his last end in the work of creation. This appears from what was observed before, under the fifth particular of the introduction, which I need not now repeat.

Position 2. When anything appears, by the Scripture, to be the last end of some of the works of God, that thing appears to be the result of God’s works in general. And although it be not mentioned as the end of those works, but only of some of them; yet as nothing appears peculiar in the nature of the case, that renders it a fit, beautiful, and valuable result of those particular works, more than of the rest; we may justly infer that thing to be the last end of those other works also. For we must suppose it to be on account of the value of the effect, that it is made the end of those works of which it is expressly spoken as the end; and this effect, by the supposition, being equally, and in like manner, the result of the work, and of the same value, it is but reasonable to suppose, that it is the end of the work, of which it is naturally the consequence, in one case as well as in another.

Position 3. The ultimate end of God in creating the world being also the last end of all his works of providence, we may well presume that, if there be any particular thing, more frequently mentioned in Scripture, as God’s ultimate aim in his works of providence, than anything else, this is the ultimate end of God’s works in general, and so the end of the work of creation.

Position 4. That which appears, from the Word of God, to be his ultimate end with respect to the moral world, or the intelligent part of the system, that is God’s last end in the work of creation in general. Because it is evident, from the constitution of the world itself, as well as from the Word of God, that the moral part is the end of all the rest of the creation. The inanimate, unintelligent part, is made for the rational, as much as a house is prepared for the inhabitant. And it is evident also from reason and the Word of God, that it is for the sake of some moral good in them, that moral agents are made, and the world made for them. But it is further evident, that whatsoever is the last end of that part of creation, which is the end of all the rest, and for which all the rest of the world was made, must be the last end of the whole. If all the other parts of a watch are made for the hand of the watch, in order to move that aright, then it will follow, that the last end of the hand is the last end of the whole machine.

Position 5. That which appears from the Scripture to be God’s ultimate end in the chief works of his providence, we may well determine is God’s last end in creating the world. For, as observed, we may justly infer the end of a thing from the use of it. We must justly infer the end of a clock, a chariot, a ship, or water-engine, from the main use to which it is applied. But God’s providence is his use of the world he has made. And if there be any works of providence which are evidently God’s main works, herein appears and consists the main use that God makes of the creation. — From these two last positions we may infer the next, viz.

Position 6. Whatever appears, by the Scriptures, to be God’s ultimate end in his main works of Providence towards the moral world, that we may justly infer to be the last end of the creation of the world. Because, as was just now observed, the moral world is the chief part of the creation, and the end of the rest; and God’s last end in creating that part of the world, must be his last end in the creation of the whole. And it appears, by the last position, that the end of God’s main works of Providence towards moral beings, or the main use to which he puts them, shows the last end for which he has made them; and consequently the main end for which he has made the whole world.

Position 7. That which divine revelation shows to be God’s ultimate end with respect to that part of the moral world which are good, in their being, and in their being good, this we must suppose to be the last end of God’s creating the world. For it has been already shown, that God’s last end in the moral part of creation must be the end of the whole. But his end in that part of the moral world that are good, must be the last end for which he has made the moral world in general. For therein consists the goodness of a thing, its fitness to answer its end; at least this must be goodness in the eyes of its author. For goodness in his eyes, is its agreeableness to his mind. But an agreeableness to his mind, in what he makes for some end or use, must be an agreeableness or fitness to that end. For his end in this case is his mind. That which he chiefly aims at in that thing. And therefore, they are good moral agents who are fitted for the end for which God has made moral agents. And consequently, that which is the chief end to which good created moral agents, in being good, are fitted, this is the chief end of the moral part of the creation; and consequently of the creation in general.

Position 8. That which the Word of God requires the intelligent and moral part of the world to seek, as their ultimate and highest end, that we have reason to suppose is the last end for which God has made them; and consequently, by position fourth, the last end for which he has made the whole world. A main difference between the intelligent and moral parts, and the rest of the world, lies in this, that the former are capable of knowing their Creator, and the end for which he made them, and capable of actively complying with his design in their creation, and promoting it; while other creatures cannot promote the design of their creation, only passively and eventually. And seeing they are capable of knowing the end for which their author has made them, it is doubtless their duty to fall in with it. Their wills ought to comply with the will of the Creator in this respect, in mainly seeking the same, as their last end, which God mainly seeks as their last end. This must be the law of nature and reason with respect to them. And we must suppose that God’s revealed law, and the law of nature, agree; and that his will, as a lawgiver, must agree with his will as a Creator. Therefore we justly infer, that the same thing which God’s revealed law requires intelligent creatures to seek, as their last and greatest end, that God their Creator had made their last end, and so the end of the creation of the world.

Position 9. We may well suppose, that what is in Holy Scripture, stated as the main end of the goodness of the moral world — so that the respect and relation their goodness has to that end, is what chiefly makes it valuable and desirable — is God’s ultimate end in the creation of the moral world; and so, by position the fourth, of the whole world. For the end of the goodness of a thing, is the end of the thing.

Position 10. That which persons who are described in Scripture as approved saints, and set forth as examples of piety, sought as their last and highest end, in the instances of their good and approved behavior; that, we must suppose, was what they ought to seek as their last end: and consequently by the preceding position, was the same with God’s last end in the creation of the world.

Position 11. What appears by the Word of God to be that end, in the desires of which the souls of the best, and in their best frames, most naturally and directly exercise their goodness, and in expressing their desire of this end, they do most properly and directly express their respect to God; we may well suppose that end to be the chief and ultimate end of a spirit of piety and goodness, and God’s chief end in making the moral world, and so the whole world. For, doubtless, the most direct tendency of a spirit of true goodness, in the best part of the moral world, is to the chief end of goodness, and so the chief end of the creation of the moral world. And in what else can the spirit of the true respect and friendship to God be expressed by way of desire, than in desires of the same end which God himself chiefly and ultimately desires in making them and all other things.

Position 12. Since the Holy Scriptures teach us that Jesus Christ is the Head of the moral world, and especially of all the good part of it; the chief of God’s servants, appointed to be the Head of his saints and angels, and set forth as the chief and most perfect pattern and example of goodness; we may well suppose, by the foregoing positions, that what he sought as his last end, was God’s last end in the creation of the world.

CHAPTER II

SECTION III

Particular texts of Scripture, that show that God’s glory is an ultimate end of the creation

1. WHAT God says in his Word, naturally leads us to suppose, that the way in which he makes himself his end in his work or works, which he does for his own sake, is in making his glory his end.

Thus Isa. 48:11, “For my own sake, even for my own sake, will I do it. For how should my name be polluted; and I will not give my glory to another.” Which is as much as to say, I will obtain my end; I will not forego my glory; another shall not take this prize from me. It is pretty evident here, that God’s name and his glory, which seem to intend the same thing, as shall be observed more particularly afterwards, are spoken of as his last end in the great work mentioned; not as an inferior, subordinate end, subservient to the interest of others. The words are emphatical. The emphasis and repetition constrain us to understand, that what God does is ultimately for his own sake: “For my own sake, even for my own sake will I do it.”

So the words of the apostle, in Rom. 11:36, naturally lead us to suppose, that the way in which all things are to God, is in being for his glory. “For of him, and through him, and to him are all things, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” In the preceding context, the apostle observes the marvelous disposals of divine wisdom, for causing all things to be to him, in their final issue and result, as they are from him at first, and governed by him. His discourse shows how God contrived this and brought it to pass, by setting up the kingdom of Christ in the world; leaving the Jews, and calling the Gentiles; including what he would hereafter do in bringing in the Jews, with the fullness of the Gentiles; with the circumstances of these wonderful works, so as greatly to show his justice and his goodness, to magnify his grace, and manifest the sovereignty and freeness of it, and the absolute dependence of all on him. And then, in the four last verses, he breaks out into a most pathetic exclamation, expressing his great admiration of the depth of divine wisdom, in the steps he takes for attaining his end, and causing all things to be to him: and finally, he expresses a joyful consent to God’s excellent design in all to glorify himself, in saying, “to him be glory for ever;” as much as to say, as all things are so wonderfully ordered for his glory, so let him have the glory of all, for evermore.

2. The glory of God is spoken of in Holy Scripture as the last end for which those parts of the moral world that are good were made.

Thus is Isa. 43:6, 7, “I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Keep not back; bring my sons from afar; and my daughters from the ends of the earth, even every one that is called by my name; for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him, yea I have made him.” Again, Isa. 60:21, “Thy people also shall be all righteous. They shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hand, that I may be glorified.” Also chap. 61:3, “That they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.”

In these places we see, that the glory of God is spoken of as the end of God’s saints, the end for which he makes them, i.e. either gives them being, or gives them a being as saints, or both. It is said, that God has made and formed them to be his sons and daughters, for his own glory: That they are trees of his planting, the work of his hands, as trees of righteousness, that he might be glorified. And if we consider the words, especially as taken with the context in each of the places, it will appear quite natural to suppose, that God’s glory is here spoken of only as an end inferior and subordinate to the happiness of God’s people. On the contrary, they will appear rather as promises of making God’s people happy, that God therein might be glorified.

So is that in Isa. 43 as we shall see plainly, if we take the whole that is said from the beginning of the chapter, verse 1-7. It is wholly a promise of a future, great, and wonderful work of God’s power and grace, delivering his people from all misery, and making them exceeding happy; and then the end of all, or the sum of God’s design in all, is declared to be God’s own glory. “I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name, thou art mine. — I will be with thee. — When thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burnt, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. — Thou art precious and honourable in my sight. I will give men for thee, and people for thy life. Fear not, I am with thee. — I will bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth; every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory.”

So Isa. 60:21. The whole chapter is made up of nothing but promises of future, exceeding happiness to God’s church; but, for brevity’s sake, let us take only the two preceding verses 19, 20, “The sun shall be no more thy light by day, neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. Thy sun shall no more go down, neither shall thy moon withdraw itself; for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended. Thy people also shall be all righteous; they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands;” and then the end of all is added, “that I might be glorified.” All the preceding promises are plainly mentioned as so many parts, or constituents, of the great and exceeding happiness of God’s people; and God’s glory is mentioned, as the sum of his design in this happiness.

In like manner is the promise in Isa. 61:3, “To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.” The work of God promised to be effected, is plainly an accomplishment of the joy, gladness, and happiness of God’s people, instead of their mourning and sorrow; and the end in which God’s design in this work is obtained and summed up, is his glory. This proves, by the seventh position, that God’s glory is the end of the creation.

The same thing may be argued from Jer. 13:11, “For as a girdle cleaveth to the loins of a man, so have I caused to cleave unto me the whole house of Israel, and the whole house of Judah, saith the Lord: that they might be unto me for a people, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory: but they would not hear.” That is, God sought to make them to be his own holy people; or, as the apostle expresses it, his peculiar people, zealous of good works; that so they might be a glory to him; as girdles were used in those days for ornament and beauty, and as badges of dignity and honor. (See Jer. 13:9, and also Isa. 3:24, and 22:21, and 23:10; 2 Sam. 18:11; Exo. 28:8.)

Now when God speaks of himself, as seeking a peculiar and holy people for himself, to be for his glory and honor, as a man that seeks an ornament and badge of honor for his glory, it is not natural to understand it merely of a subordinate end, as though God had no respect to himself in it; but only the good of others. If so, the comparison would not be natural; for men are commonly wont to seek their own glory and honor in adorning themselves, and dignifying themselves with badges of honor.

The same doctrine seems to be taught, Eph. 1:5, “Having predestinated us to the adoption of children by Jesus Christ, unto himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace.” — And the same may be argued from Isa. 44:23, “For the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, he hath glorified himself in Israel.” And chap. 49:3, “Thou art my servant Jacob, in whom I will be glorified.” John 17:10, “And all mine are thine, and thine are mine, and I am glorified in them.” 2 Thes. 1:10, “When he shall come to be glorified in his saints.” Verse 11, 12, “Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of his calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power: that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of God and our Lord Jesus Christ.”

3. The Scripture speaks of God’s glory, as his ultimate end of the goodness of the moral part of the creation; and that end, in relation to which chiefly the value of their virtue consists.

As in Phil. 1:10, 11, “That ye may approve things that are excellent, that ye may be sincere, and without offense, till the day of Christ: being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.” Here the apostle shows how the fruits of righteousness in them are valuable, and how they answer their end, viz. In being “by Jesus Christ to the praise and glory of God.” John 15:8, “Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit.” Signifying, that by this means it is that the great end of religion is to be answered. And in 1 Pet. 4:11, the apostle directs the Christians to regulate all their religious performances with reference to that one end. “If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God: if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth, that God in all things may be glorified; to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”

And, from time to time, embracing and practicing true religion, and repenting of sin, and turning to holiness, is expressed by glorifying God, as though that were the sum and end of the whole matter. Rev. 11:13, “And in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand; and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.” So Rev. 14:6, 7, “And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to them that dwell on the earth; saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him.” As though this were the sum and end of that virtue and religion, which was the grand design of preaching the gospel, everywhere through the world. Rev. 16:9, “And repented not to give him glory.” Which is as much as to say, they did not forsake their sins and turn to true religion, that God might receive that which is the great end he seeks, in the religion he requires of men. (See to the same purpose, Psa. 22:21-23; Isa. 66:19; 24:15; 25:3; Jer. 13:15, 16; Dan. 5:23; Rom. 15:5, 6.)

And as the exercise of true religion and virtue in Christians is summarily expressed by their glorifying God, so, when the good influence of this on others is spoken of, it is expressed in the same manner. Mat. 5:16, “Let your light so shine before men, that others seeing your good works, may glorify your Father which is in heaven.” 1 Pet. 2:12, “Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles, that whereas they speak evil against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.”

That the ultimate end of moral goodness, or righteousness, is answered in God’s glory being attained, is supposed in the objection which the apostle makes, or supposes some will make, Rom. 3:7, “For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory, why am I judged as a sinner?” i.e. seeing the great end of righteousness is answered by my sin, in God being glorified, why is my sin condemned and punished? and why is not my vice equivalent to virtue?

And the glory of God is spoken of as that wherein consists the value and end of particular graces. As of faith. Rom. 4:20, “He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief: but was strong in faith, giving glory to God.” Phil. 2:11, “That every tongue should confess that Jesus is the Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Of repentance. Jos. 7:19, “Give, I pray thee, glory to the Lord God of Israel, and make confession unto him.” Of charity. 2 Cor. 8:19, “With this grace, which is administered by us, to the glory of the same Lord, and declaration of your ready mind.” Thanksgiving and praise. Luke 17:18, “There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.” Psa. 50:23, “Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me; and to him that ordereth his conversation aright, will I show the salvation of God.” Concerning which last place may be observed, that God seems to say this to such as supposed, in their religious performances, that the end of all religion was to glorify God. They supposed they did this in the best manner, in offering a multitude of sacrifices; but God corrects their mistake, and informs them, that this grand end of religion is not attained this way, but in offering the more spiritual sacrifices of praise and a holy conversation.

In fine, the words of the apostle in 1 Cor. 6:20 are worthy of particular notice. “Ye are not your own; for ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are his.” Here, not only is glorifying God spoken of, as what summarily comprehends the end of religion, and of Christ redeeming us; but the apostle urges, that inasmuch as we are not our own, we ought not to act as if we were our own, but as God’s; and should not use the members of our bodies, or faculties of our souls, for ourselves, but for God, as making him our end. And he expresses the way in which we are to make God our end, viz. In making his glory our end. “Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are his.” Here it cannot be pretended, that though Christians are indeed required to make God’s glory their end; yet it is but as a subordinate end, as subservient to their own happiness; for then, in acting chiefly and ultimately for their own selves, they would use themselves more as their own than as God’s; which is directly contrary to the design of the apostle’s exhortation, and the argument he is upon; which is, that we should give ourselves as it were away from ourselves to God, and use ourselves as his, and not our own, acting for his sake, and not our own sakes. Thus it is evident, by position the ninth, that the glory of God is the last end for which he created the world.

4. There are some things in the Word of God which lead us to suppose, that it requires of men that they should desire and seek God’s glory, as their highest and last end in what they do.

As particularly, from 1 Cor. 10:31, “Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” And 1 Pet. 4:11, — “That God in all things may be glorified.” And this may be argued, that Christ requires his followers should desire and seek God’s glory in the first place, and above all things else, from that prayer which he gave his disciples, as the pattern and rule for the direction of his followers in their prayers. The first petition of which is, Hallowed be thy name. Which in scripture language is the same with glorified be thy name; as is manifest from Lev. 10:3; Eze. 28:22, and many other places. Now our last and highest end is doubtless what should be first in our desires, and consequently first in our prayers; and therefore, we may argue, that since Christ directs that God’s glory should be first in our prayers, that therefore this is our last end. This is further confirmed by the conclusion of the Lord’s prayer, For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory. Which, as it stands in connection with the rest of the prayer, implies, that we desire and ask all the things mentioned in each petition, with a subordination, and in subservience, to the dominion and glory of God; in which all our desires ultimately terminate, as their last end. God’s glory and dominion are the two first things mentioned in the prayer, and are the subject of the first half of the prayer; and they are the two last things mentioned in the same prayer, in its conclusion. God’s glory is the Alpha and Omega in the prayer. From these things we may argue, according to position the eighth, that God’s glory is the last end of the creation.

5. The glory of God appears, by the account given in Scripture, to be that event, in the earnest desires of which, and in their delight in which, the best part of the moral world, and when in their best frames, most naturally express the direct tendency of the spirit of true goodness, the virtuous and pious affections of their heart.

This is the way in which the holy apostles, from time to time, gave vent to the ardent exercises of their piety, and breathed forth their regard to the Supreme Being. Rom. 11:36, “To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” Chap. 16:27, “To God only wise, be glory, through Jesus Christ, for ever. Amen.” Gal. 1:4, 5, “Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” 2 Tim. 4:18, “And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me to his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” Eph. 3:21, “Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus, throughout all ages, world without end.” Heb. 13:21. — “Through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” Phil. 4:20, “Now unto God and our Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” 2 Pet. 3:18, “To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.” Jude 25, “To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.” Rev. 1:5, 6, “Unto him that loved us, etc. — to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”

It was in this way that holy David, the sweet psalmist of Israel, vented the ardent tendencies and desires of his pious heart. 1 Chr. 16:28, 29, “Give unto the Lord, ye kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord glory and strength: give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name.” We have much the same expressions again, Psa. 29:1, 2, and 69:7, 8. See also, Psa. 57:5; 72:18, 19; 115:1. So the whole church of God through all parts of the earth, Isa. 42:10-12. In like manner the saints and angels in heaven express the piety of their hearts, Rev. 4:9-11, and 7:12. This is the event that the hearts of the seraphim especially exult in, as appears by Isa. 6:2, 3, “Above it stood the seraphim — And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of his glory.” So at the birth of Christ, Luke 2:14, “Glory to God in the highest,” etc.

It is manifest that these holy persons in earth and heaven, in thus expressing their desires of the glory of God, have respect to it, not merely as a subordinate end, but as that which is in itself valuable in the highest degree. It would be absurd to say, that in these ardent exclamations, they are only giving vent to their vehement benevolence to their fellow creatures, and expressing their earnest desire that God might be glorified, that so his subjects may be made happy by that means. It is evident, it is not so much their love, either to themselves, or their fellow creatures, which they express, as their exalted and supreme regard to the most high and infinitely glorious Being. When the church says, Not unto us, not unto us, O Jehovah, but to thy name give glory, it would be absurd to say, that she only desires that God may have glory, as a necessary or convenient means of their own advancement and felicity. From these things it appears by the eleventh position, that God’s glory is the end of the creation.

6. The Scripture leads us to suppose, that Christ sought God’s glory, as his highest and last end.

John 7:18, “He that speaketh of himself, seeketh his own glory; but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.” When Christ says, he did not seek his own glory, we cannot reasonably understand him, that he had no regard to his own glory, even the glory of the human nature; for the glory of that nature was part of the reward promised him, and of the joy set before him. But we must understand him, that this was not his ultimate aim; it was not the end that chiefly governed his conduct: and therefore, when in opposition to this, in the latter part of the sentence, he says, “But he that seeketh his glory that sent him the same is true,” etc. It is natural from the antithesis to understand him, that this was his ultimate aim, his supreme governing end.

John 12:27, 28, “Now is my soul troubled, and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour, Father, glorify thy name.” Christ was now going to Jerusalem, and expected in a few days there to be crucified: and the prospect of his last sufferings, in this near approach, was very terrible to him. Under this distress of mind, he supports himself with a prospect of what would be the consequence of his sufferings, viz. God’s glory. Now, it is the end that supports the agent in any difficult work that he undertakes, and above all others, his ultimate and supreme end; for this is above all others valuable in his eyes; and so, sufficient to countervail the difficulty of the means. That end, which is in itself agreeable and sweet to him, and which ultimately terminates his desires, is the center of rest and support; and so must be the fountain and sum of all the delight and comfort he has in his prospects, with respect to his work. Now Christ has his soul straitened and distressed with a view of that which was infinitely the most difficult part of his work, and which was just at hand. Now certainly, if his mind seeks support in the conflict from a view of his end, it must most naturally repair to the highest end, which is the proper fountain of all support in this case. We may well suppose, that when his soul conflicts with the most extreme difficulties, it would resort to the idea of his supreme and ultimate end, the fountain of all the support and comfort he has in the work.

The same thing, Christ seeking the glory of God as his ultimate end, is manifest by what he says, when he comes yet nearer to the hour of his last sufferings, in that remarkable prayer, the last he ever made with his disciples, on the evening before his crucifixion; wherein he expresses the sum of his aims and desires. His first words are, “Father, the hour is come, glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee.” As this is his first request, we may suppose it to be his supreme request and desire, and what he ultimately aimed at in all. If we consider what follows to the end, all the rest that is said in the prayer, seems to be but an amplification of this great request. — On the whole, I think it is pretty manifest, that Jesus Christ sought the glory of God as his highest and last end; and that therefore, by position twelfth, this was God’s last end in the creation of the world.

7. It is manifest from Scripture, that God’s glory is the last end of that great work of providence, the work of redemption by Jesus Christ.

This is manifest from what is just now observed, of its being the end ultimately sought by Jesus Christ the Redeemer. And if we further consider the texts mentioned in the proof of that, and take notice of the context, it will be very evident, that it was what Christ sought as his last end, in that great work which he came into the world upon, viz. to procure redemption for his people. It is manifest, that Christ professes in John 7:18. that he did not seek his own glory in what he did, but the glory of him that sent him. He means, in the work of his ministry; the work he performed, and which he came into the world to perform, which is the work of redemption. And with respect to that text, John 12:27, 28, it has been already observed, that Christ comforted himself in the view of the extreme difficulty of his work, in the prospect of the highest, ultimate, and most excellent end of that work, which he set his heart most upon, and delighted most in.

And in the answer that the Father made him from heaven at that time, in the latter part of the same verse, John 12:28, “I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.” The meaning plainly is, that God had glorified his name in what Christ had done, in the work he sent him upon; and would glorify it again, and to a greater degree, in what he should further do, and in the success thereof. Christ shows that he understood it thus, in what he says upon it, when the people took notice of it, wondering at the voice; some saying, that it thundered, others, that an angel spoke to him. Christ says, “This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes.” And then he says (exulting in the prospect of this glorious end and success), “Now is the judgment of this world; now is the prince of this world cast out; and I, if I be lift up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” In the success of the same work of redemption, he places his own glory, as was observed before. John 12:23, 24, “The hour is come that the Son of man should be glorified. Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.”

So it is manifest, that when he seeks his own and his Father’s glory, in that prayer, John 17. he seeks it as the end of that great work he came into the world upon, and which he is about to finish in his death. What follows through the whole prayer, plainly shows this; particularly the 4th and 5th verses, “I have glorified thee on earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self.” Here it is pretty plain, that declaring to his Father he had glorified him on earth, and finished the work given him to do, meant that he had finished the work which God gave him to do for this end, that he might be glorified. He had now finished that foundation that he came into the world to lay for his glory. He had laid a foundation for his Father’s obtaining his will, and the utmost that he designed. By which it is manifest, that God’s glory was the utmost of his design, or his ultimate end in this great work.

And it is manifest, by John 13:31, 32, that the glory of the father, and his own glory, are what Christ exulted in, in the prospect of his approaching sufferings, when Judas was gone out to betray him, as the end his heart was mainly set upon, and supremely delighted in. “Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself, and shall straightway glorify him.”

That the glory of God is the highest and last end of the work of redemption, is confirmed by the song of the angels at Christ’s birth. Luke 2:14, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, and good will toward men.” It must be supposed that they knew what was God’s last end in sending Christ into the world: and that in their rejoicing on the occasion, their minds would most rejoice in that which was most valuable and glorious in it; which must consist in its relation to that which was its chief and ultimate end. And we may further suppose, that the thing which chiefly engaged their minds was most glorious and joyful in the affair; and would be first in that song which was to express the sentiments of their minds, and exultation of their hearts.

The glory of the Father and the Son is spoken of as the end of the work of redemption, in Phil. 2:6-11. (very much in the same manner as in John 12:23, 28, and 13:31, 32, and 17:1, 4, 5), “Who being in the form of God, — made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross: wherefore God also has highly exalted him, and given him a name, etc. that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, — and every tongue confess, that Jesus is the Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” So God’s glory, or the praise of his glory, is spoken of as the end of the work of redemption, in Eph. 1:3, etc. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: according as he hath chosen us in him. Having predestinated us to the adoption of children, to the praise of the glory of his grace.” And in the continuance of the same discourse, concerning the redemption of Christ, God’s glory is once and again mentioned as the great end of all.

Several things belonging to that great redemption, are mentioned in the following verses: Such as God’s great wisdom in it, Eph. 1:8. The clearness of light granted through Christ, verse 9. God’s gathering together in one, all things in heaven and earth in Christ, verse 10. God’s giving the Christians that were first converted to the Christian faith from among the Jews, an interest in this great redemption, Eph. 1:11. Then the great end is added, verse 12. “That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.” And then is mentioned the bestowing of the same great salvation on the Gentiles, in its beginning or first fruits in the world, and in completing it in another world, in the two next verses. And then the same great end is added again. “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: In whom also, after that ye believed, ye were sealed with the holy spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.” The same thing is expressed much in the same manner, in 2 Cor. 4:14, 15. — “He which raised up the Lord Jesus, shall raise us up also by Jesus, and shall present us with you. For all things are for your sakes, that the abundance of grace might, through the thanksgiving of many, redound to the glory of God.”

The same is spoken of as the end of the work of redemption in the Old Testament, Psa. 79:9, “Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name; deliver us and purge away our sins, for thy name’s sake.” So in the prophecies of the redemption of Jesus Christ. Isa. 44:23, “Sing, O ye heavens; for the Lord hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains: O forest, and every tree therein: for the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel!” Thus the works of creation are called upon to rejoice at the attaining of the same end, by the redemption of God’s people, that the angels rejoiced at when Christ was born. See also Isa. 48:10, 11; and 49:3.

Thus it is evident, that the glory of God is the ultimate end of the work of redemption; which is the chief work of providence towards the moral world, as is abundantly manifest from Scripture. For the whole universe is put in subjection to Jesus Christ; all heaven and earth, angels and men, are subject to him, as executing this office; and are put under him to that end, that all things may be ordered by him, in subservience to the great designs of his redemption. All power, as he says, is given to him, in heaven and in earth, that he may give eternal life to as many as the Father has given him; and he is exalted far above all principality and power, and might and dominion, and made head over all things to the church. The angels are put in subjection to him, that he may employ them all as ministering spirits, for the good of them that shall be the heirs of salvation: and all things are so governed by their Redeemer, that all things are theirs, whether things present or things to come: and all God’s works of providence in the moral government of the world, which we have an account of in scripture history, or that are foretold in scripture prophecy, are evidently subordinate to the great purposes and ends of this great work. And besides, the work of redemption is that, by which good men are, as it were, brought into being, as good men, or as restored to holiness and happiness. The work of redemption is a new creation, according to Scripture, whereby men are brought into a new existence, or are made new creatures.

From these things it follows, according to the 5th, 6th, and 7th positions, that the glory of God is the last end of the creation of the world.

8. The Scripture leads us to suppose that God’s glory is his last end in his moral government of the world in general. This has been already shown concerning several things that belong to God’s moral government of the world. As particularly in the work of redemption, the chief of all his dispensations in his moral government of the world. And I have also observed it, with respect to the duty which God requires of the subjects of his moral government, in requiring them to seek his glory as their last end. And this is actually the last end of the moral goodness required of them, the end which gives their moral goodness its chief value. And also, that it is what that person which God has set at the head of the moral world, as its chief governor, even Jesus Christ, seeks as his chief end. And it has been shown, that it is the chief end for which that part of the moral world which are good are made, or have their existence as good.

I now further observe, that this is the end of the establishment of the public worship and ordinances of God among mankind. Hag. 1:8, “Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the Lord.” This is spoken of as the end of God’s promises of rewards, and of their fulfillment. 2 Cor. 1:20, “For all he promises of God in him, are yea, and in him Amen, to the glory of God by us.” And this is spoken of as the end of the execution of God’s threatenings, in the punishment of sin. Num. 14:20, 21, 22, 23, “And the Lord said, I have pardoned according to thy word. But, as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of Jehovah.” The glory o Jehovah is evidently here spoken of, as that to which he had regard, as his highest and ultimate end, which therefore he could not fail of; but must take place everywhere, and in every case, through all parts of his dominion, whatever became of men. And whatever abatements might be made, as to judgments deserved; and whatever changes might be made in the course of God’s proceedings from compassion to sinners; yet the attaining of God’s glory was an end, which, being ultimate and supreme, must in no case whatsoever give place. This is spoken of as the end of God executing judgments on his enemies in this world. Exo. 14:17, 18, “And I will get me honour (I will be glorified) upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host,” etc. Eze. 28:22, “Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I am against thee, O Zidon, and I will be glorified in the midst of thee: And they shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall have executed judgments in her, and shall be sanctified in her.” So Eze. 39:13, “Yea, all the people of the land shall bury them; and it shall be to them a renown, the day that I shall be glorified, saith the Lord God.” And this is spoken of as the end, both of the executions of wrath, and in the glorious exercises of mercy, in the misery and happiness of another world. Rom. 9:22, 23, “What if God, willing to show his wrath, and make his power known, endured with much long-suffering, the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction; and that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory.” And this is spoken of as the end of the day of judgment, which is the time appointed for the highest exercises of God’s authority as moral Governor of the world; and is as it were the day of the consummation of God’s moral government, with respect to all his subjects in heaven, earth, and hell. 2 Thes. 1:9, 10, “Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe.” Then his glory shall be obtained, with respect both to saints and sinners. — From these things it is manifest, by the fourth position, that God’s glory is the ultimate end of the creation of the world.

9. It appears, from what has been already observed, that the glory of God is spoken of in Scripture as the last end of many of his works: and it is plain that this is in fact the result of the works of God’s common providence, and of the creation of the world. Let us take God’s glory in what sense so that, consistent with its being a good attained by any work of God, certainly it is the consequence of these works: and besides, it is expressly so spoken of in Scripture.

This is implied in the eighth psalm, wherein are celebrated the works of creation: the heavens, the work of God’s fingers; the moon and the stars, ordained by him; and man, made a little lower than the angels, etc. the first verse is — ”O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who has set thy glory above the heavens,” or upon the heavens. By name and glory, very much the same thing is intended here, as in many other places, as shall be particularly shown afterwards. The psalm concludes as it began, “O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!” So, in the Psalm 148, after a particular mention of most of the works of creation, enumerating them in order, the psalmist says, verse 13, “Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is excellent, his glory is above the earth and the heaven.” And in the Psalm 104, after a very particular, orderly, and magnificent representation of God’s works of creation and common providence, it is said in the verse 31, “The glory of the Lord shall endure for ever: the Lord shall rejoice in his works.” Here God’s glory is spoken of as the grand result and blessed consequence, on account of which he rejoices in these works. And this is one thing doubtless implied in the song of the seraphim, Isa. 6:3, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of his glory.”

The glory of God, in being the result and consequence of those works of providence that have been mentioned, is in fact the consequence of the creation. The good attained in the use of a thing, made for use, is the result of the making of that thing; as signifying the time of day, when actually attained by the use of a watch, is the consequence of making the watch. So it is apparent, that the glory of God is actually the result and consequence of the creation of the world. And from what has been already observed, it appears, that it is what God seeks as good, valuable, and excellent in itself. And I presume none will pretend, that there is anything peculiar in the nature of the case, rendering it a thing valuable in some of the instances wherein it takes place, and not in others: or that the glory of God, though indeed an effect of all God’s works, is an exceeding desirable effect of some of them; but of others, a worthless and insignificant effect. God’s glory therefore must be a desirable, valuable consequence of the work of creation. Therefore it is manifest, by position the third, that the glory of God is an ultimate end in the creation of the world.

CHAPTER II

SECTION IV

Places of Scripture that lead us to suppose, that God created the world for his name, to make his perfections known; and that he made it for his praise.

1. HERE I shall first take notice of some passages of Scripture that speak of God’s name as being the object of his regard, and the regard of his virtuous and holy intelligent creatures, much in the same manner as has been observed of God’s glory.

God’s name is, in like manner, spoken of as the end of his acts of goodness towards the good part of the moral world, and of his works of mercy and salvation towards his people. As 1 Sam. 12:22, “The Lord will not forsake his people, for his great name’s sake.” Psa. 23:3, “He restoreth my soul, he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness, for his name’s sake.” Psa. 31:3, “For thy name’s sake, lead me, and guide me.” Psa. 109:21, “But do thou for me, — for thy name’s sake.” The forgiveness of sin in particular, is often spoken of as being for God’s name’s sake. 1 John 2:12, “I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake.” Psa. 25:11, “For thy name’s sake, O Lord, pardon mine iniquity, for it is great.” Psa. 79:9, “Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name; and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for thy name’s sake.” Jer. 14:7, “O Lord, though our iniquities testify against us, do thou it for thy name’s sake.”

These things seem to show, that the salvation of Christ is for God’s name sake. Leading and guiding in the way of safety and happiness, restoring the soul, the forgiveness of sin; and that help, deliverance, and salvation, that is consequent therein, is for God’s name. And here it is observable, that those two great temporal salvations of God’s people, the redemption from Egypt, and that from Babylon, often represented as figures and similitudes of the redemption of Christ, are frequently spoken of as being wrought for God’s name’s sake.

Thus that great work of God, in delivering his people from Egypt, and conducting them to Canaan. 2 Sam. 7:23, “And what one nation in the earth is like thy people, even like Israel, whom God went to redeem for a people to himself, and to make him a name.” Psa. 106:8, “Nevertheless he saved them for his name’s sake.” Isa. 63:12, “That led them by the right hand of Moses, with his glorious arm, dividing the waters before them, to make himself an everlasting name.” In Ezekiel 20, God, rehearsing the various parts of this wonderful work, adds, from time to time, “I wrought for my name’s sake, that it should not be polluted before the heathen,” as in verse 9, 14, 22. (See also Jos. 7:8, 9; Dan. 9:15.)

So is the redemption from the Babylonish captivity. Isa. 48:9, 10, “For my name’s sake will I defer mine anger. For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it; for how should my name be polluted?” In Eze. 36:21, 22, 23, the reason is given for God’s mercy in restoring Israel, “But I had pity for my holy name. Thus saith the Lord, I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for my holy name’s sake; — And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen.” And chap. 39:25, “Therefore, thus saith the Lord God, now will I bring again the captivity of Jacob, and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel, and will be jealous for my holy name.” Daniel prays, that God would forgive his people, and show them mercy for his own sake. Dan. 9:19.

When God, from time to time, speaks of showing mercy, and exercising goodness, and promoting his people’s happiness for his name’s sake, we cannot understand it as of a merely subordinate end. How absurd would it be to say, that he promotes their happiness for his name’s sake, in subordination to their good; and that his name may be exalted only for their sakes, as a means of promoting their happiness! especially when such expressions as these are used, “For mine own sake, even for mine own sake will I do it; for how should my name be polluted?” and “Not for your sakes do I this, but for my holy name’s sake.”

Again, it is represented as though God’s people had their existence, at least as God’s people, for God’s name’s sake. God’s redeeming or purchasing them, that they might be his people, for his name, implies this. As in that passage mentioned before, 2 Sam. 7:23, “Thy people Israel, whom God went to redeem for a people to himself, and to make him a name.” So God making them a people for his name, is implied in Jer. 13:11, “For as the girdle cleaveth to the loins of a man, so have I caused to cleave unto me the whole house of Israel, etc. — that they may be unto me for a people, and for a name.” Acts 15:14, “Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.”

This also is spoken of as the end of the virtue, religion, and holy behavior of the saints. Rom. 1:5, “By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations for his name.” Mat. 19:29, “Every one that forsaketh houses, or brethren, etc. — for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundred fold, and shall inherit everlasting life.” 3 John 7, “Because, that for his name’s sake, they went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles.” Rev. 2:3, “And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured and hast not fainted.”

And we find that holy persons express their desire of this, and their joy in it, in the same manner as in the glory of God. 2 Sam. 7:26, “Let thy name be magnified for ever.” Psa. 76:1, “In Judah is God known, his name is great in Israel.” Psa. 148:13, “Let them praise the name of the Lord; for his name alone is excellent, his glory is above the earth and heaven.” Psa. 135:13, “Thy name, O Lord, endureth for ever, and thy memorial throughout all generations.” Isa. 12:4, “Declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted.”

The judgments God executes on the wicked, are spoken of as being for the sake of his name, in like manner as for his glory. Exo. 9:16, “And in very deed, for this cause have I raised thee up, for to show in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.” Neh. 9:10, “And showedst signs and wonders upon Pharaoh, and on all his servants, and on all the people of his land; for thou knewedst that they dealt proudly against them: so didst thou get thee a name, as at this day.”

And this is spoken of as a consequence of the works of creation, in like manner as God’s glory. Psa. 8:1, “O Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.” And then, at the conclusion of the observations on the works of creation, the psalm ends thus, verse 9, “O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!” So Psa. 148:13, after a particular mention of the various works of creation. “Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is excellent in all the earth, his glory is above the earth and the heaven.”

2. So we find the manifestation of God’s perfections, his greatness and excellency, is spoken of very much in the same manner as God’s glory.

There are several scriptures which would lead us to suppose this to be the great thing that God sought of the moral world and the end aimed at in moral agents, wherein they are to be active in answering their end. This seems implied in that argument God’s people sometimes made use of, in deprecating a state of death and destruction: that, in such a state, they cannot know, or make known, the glorious excellency of God. Psa. 88:11, 12, “Shall thy loving-kindness be declared in the grave, or thy faithfulness in destruction? Shall thy wonders be known in the dark, and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?” So Psa. 30:9; Isa. 38:18, 19. The argument seems to be this: Why should we perish? and how shall thine end, for which thou hast made us, be obtained in a state of destruction, in which thy glory cannot be known or declared?

This is the end of the good part of the moral world, or the end of God’s people in the same manner as the glory of God. Isa. 43:21, “This my people have I formed for myself, they shall show forth my praise.” 1 Pet. 2:9, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people, that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into marvellous light.”

And this seems to be represented as the thing wherein the value, the proper fruit and end of their virtue appears. Isa. 60:6, speaking of the conversion of the Gentile nations to true religion, “They shall come and show forth the praises of the Lord.” Isa. 66:19, “I will send — — unto the nations — and to the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles.” — To which we may add, the proper tendency and rest of true virtue, and holy dispositions. 1 Chr. 16:8, “Make known his deeds among the people.” Verse 23, 24, “Show forth from day to day thy salvation. Declare his glory among the heathen.” (See also, Psa. 9:1, 11, 14, and 19:1, and 26:7; and Psa. 71:18, and 75:9, and 76:1, and 79:13; and Psa. 96:2, 3, and 101:1, and 107:22, and 118:17, and 145:6, 11, 12; Isa. 42:12, and 64:1, 2; Jer. 51:10)

This seems to be spoken of as a great end of the acts of God’s moral government; particularly, the great judgments he executes for sin. Exo. 9:16, “And in very deed, for this cause have I raised thee up, to show in thee my power; and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.” Dan. 4:17, “This matter is by the decree of the watchers, etc. to the intent, that the living may know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will; and setteth up over it the basest of men.” But places to this purpose are too numerous to be particularly recited. See them in the margin. (Exo. 14:17, 18; 1 Sam. 17:46; Psa. 83:18; Isa. 45:3; Eze. 6:7, 10, 13, 14, and 7:4, 9, 27, and 11:10, 11, 12; and Eze. 12:15, 16, 20, and 13:9, 14, 21, 23, and 14:8; and Eze. 15:7, and 21:5, and 22:16, and 25:7, 11, 17; and Eze. 26:6, and 28:22, 23, 24, and 29:9, 16, and 30:8, 19, 25, 26; and Eze. 32:15, and 33:29, and 35:4, 12, 15, and 38:23, and 39:6, 7, 21, 22)

This is also a great end of God’s works of favor and mercy to his people. 2 Kin. 19:19, “Now, therefore, O Lord our God, I beseech thee, save thou us out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the Lord God, even thou only.” 1 Kin. 8:59, 60. — “That he maintain the cause of his servant, and the cause of his people Israel, at all times, as the matter shall require, that all the people of the earth may know that the Lord is God, and that there is none else.” See other passages to the same purpose referred to in the margin. (Exo. 6:7, and 8:22, and 16:12; 1 Kin. 8:43, and 20:28; Psa. 102:21; Eze. 23:49, and 24:21, and 25:5, and 35:9, and 39:21, 22).

This is spoken of as the end of the eternal damnation of the wicked, and also the eternal happiness of the righteous. Rom. 9:22, 23, “What if God, willing to show his wrath, and make his power known, endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: and that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he hath afore prepared unto glory?”

This is spoken of, from time to time, as a great end of the miracles which God wrought (See Exo. 7:17, and 8:10, and 10:2; Deu. 29:5, 6; Eze. 24:17). And of the ordinances he has established. Exo. 29:44, 45, 46, “And I will sanctify also both Aaron and his sons, to minister to me in the priests’ office. And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God. And they shall know that I am the Lord their God,” etc. Chap. 31:13, “Verily, my sabbaths shall ye keep; for it is a sign between me and you, throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you.” We have again almost the same words, Eze.20:12, and verse 20.

This was a great end of the redemption out of Egypt. Psa. 106:8, “Nevertheless he saved them for his name’s sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known.” (See also Exo. 7:5, and Deu. 4:34, 35) And also of the redemption from the Babylonish captivity. Eze. 20:34-38, “And I will bring you out from the people, and will gather you out of the countries whither ye are scattered. — And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people; and there I will ill plead with you, as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt. — And I will bring you into the bond of the covenant. And I will purge out the rebels. — And ye shall know that I am the Lord.” Eze. 20:42, “And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall bring you into the land of Israel.” Verse 44, “And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have wrought with you for my name’s sake.” (See also Eze. 28:25, 26, and 36:11, and 37:6, 13.)

This is also declared to be a great end of the work of redemption by Jesus Christ: both of its purchase, and its application. Rom. 3:25, 26, “Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness. — To declare, I say, at this time, his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus.” Eph. 2:4-7, “But God, who is rich in mercy, etc. That he might show the exceeding riches of his grace, in his kindness towards us through Jesus Christ.” Chap. 3:8, 9, 10, “To preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all men see, what is the fellowship of that mystery which, from the beginning of the world, hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places, might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God.” Psa. 22:21, 22, “Save me from the lion’s mouth. I will declare thy name unto my brethren; in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.” (Compared with Heb. 2:12, and John 17:26.) Isa. 64:1-2, “O that thou wouldest rend the heavens — to make thy name known to thine adversaries.”

And it is pronounced to be the end of that great, actual salvation, which should follow Christ’s purchase of salvation, both among Jews and Gentiles. Isa. 49:22, 23, “I will lift up my hand to the Gentiles, — and they shall bring thy sons in their arms — and kings shall be thy nursing-fathers — and thou shalt know that I am the Lord.” (See also, Eze. 16:62, and 29:21, and 34:27, and 36:38, and 39:28, 29; Joel 3:17)

This appears to be the end of God’s common providence, Job 37:6, 7, “For he saith to the snow, Be thou on the earth. Likewise to the small rain, and to the great rain of his strength. He sealeth up the hand of every man, that all men may know his work.” And of the day of judgment, that grand consummation of God’s moral government of the world, and the day for bringing all things to their designed ultimate issue. It is called, “The day of the revelation of the righteous judgment of God.” Rom. 2:5.

And the declaration, or openly manifesting of God’s excellency, is spoken of as the actual, happy consequence and effect of the work of creation. Psa. 19:1, etc. “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth his handy-work. Day unto day uttereth speech, night unto night showeth knowledge. — In them hath he placed a tabernacle for the sun, which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run his race,” etc.

3. In like manner, there are many scriptures that speak of God’s PRAISE, in many of the aforementioned respects, just in the same manner as of his name and glory.

This is spoken of as the end of the very being of God’s people, in the same manner as before, Jer. 13:11, “For as the girdle cleaveth to the loins of a man, so have I caused to cleave unto me the whole house of Israel, and the whole house of Judah, saith the Lord: that they might be unto me for a name, and for a praise, and a glory.”

It is spoken of as the end of the moral world. Mat. 21:16, “Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou perfected praise.” That is, so have you in your sovereignty and wisdom ordered it, that you should obtain the great end for which intelligent creatures are made, more especially from some of them that are in themselves weak, inferior, and more insufficient. (Compare Psa. 8:1, 2.)

And the same thing that was observed before concerning the making known God’s excellency, may also be observed concerning God’s praise. That it is made use of as an argument in deprecating a state of destruction; that, in such a state, this end cannot be answered, in such a manner as seems to imply its being an ultimate end, for which God had made man. Psa. 88:10, “Shall the dead arise and praise thee? Shall thy loving-kindness be declared in the grave? — Shall thy wonders be known in the dark?” Psa. 30:9, “What profit is there in my blood? When I go down to the pit, shall the dust praise thee? Shall it declare thy truth? Psa. 115:17, 18, “The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence: but we will bless the Lord, from this time forth and forevermore. Praise ye the Lord.” Isa. 38:18, 19, “For the grave cannot praise thee, death cannot celebrate thee; they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth. The living, the living, he shall praise thee.” And God’s praise is spoken of as the end of the virtue of God’s people, in like manner as his glory. Phil. 1:11, “Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ to the praise and glory of God.”

God’s praise is the end of the work of redemption. In Eph. 1, where that work in its various parts is particularly insisted on, and set forth in its exceeding glory, this is mentioned, from time to time, as the great end of all, that it should be “to the praise of his glory.” As in Eph. 1:6, 12, 14. By which we may doubtless understand much the same thing with what in Phil. 1:11, is expressed, “his praise and glory.” Agreeably to this, Jacob’s fourth son, from whom the great Redeemer was to proceed, by the special direction of God’s providence, was called PRAISE. This happy consequence, and glorious end of that great redemption, Messiah, one of his posterity, was to work out.

In the Old Testament this praise is spoken of as the end of the forgiveness of God’s people, and their salvation, in the same manner as God’s name and glory. Isa. 48:9, 10, 11, “For my name’s sake will I defer mine anger, and for my praise will I refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off. Behold I have refined thee — for mine own sake, even for mine own sake will I do it; for how should my name be polluted? and my glory will I not give to another.” Jer. 33:8, 9, “And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity — and I will pardon all their iniquities. And it shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and an honour.”

And that the holy part of the moral world express desires of this, and delight in it, as the end which holy principles in them tend to, reach after, and rest in, in their highest exercises — just in the same manner as the glory of God, is abundantly manifest. It would be endless to enumerate particular places wherein this appears; wherein the saints declare this, by expressing their earnest desires of God’s praise; calling on all nations, and all beings in heaven and earth, to praise him; in a rapturous manner calling on one another, crying “Hallelujah; praise the Lord, praise him for ever.” Expressing their resolutions to praise him as long as they live through all generations, and forever; declaring how good, how pleasant and comely the praise of God is, etc. And it is manifest, that God’s praise is the desirable and glorious consequence and effect of all the works of creation, by such places as these. Psa. 145:5-10, and chap. 148 throughout, and 103:19-22.

CHAPTER II

SECTION V

Places of Scripture from whence it may be argued, that communication of good to the creature, was one thing which God had in view, as an ultimate end of the creation of the world.

1. ACCORDING to the Scripture, communicating good to the creatures is what is in itself pleasing to God. And this is not merely subordinately agreeable, and esteemed valuable on account of its relation to a further end, as it is in executing justice in punishing the sins of men; but what God is inclined to on its own a account, and what he delights in simply and ultimately. For though God is sometimes in Scripture spoken of as taking pleasure in punishing men’s sins, Deu. 28:63, “The Lord will rejoice over you, to destroy you.” Eze. 5:13, “Then shall mine anger be accomplished, and I will cause my fury to rest upon them, and I will be comforted.” Yet God is often spoken of as exercising goodness and showing mercy, with delight, in a manner quite different, and opposite to that of his executing wrath. For the latter is spoken of as what God proceeds to with backwardness and reluctance; the misery of the creature being not agreeable to him on its own account. Neh. 9:17, “Thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness.” Psa. 103:8, “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.” Psa. 145:8, “The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger, and of great mercy.” We have again almost the same words, Jon. 4:2; Mic. 7:18, “Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, etc. — He retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.” Eze. 18:32, “I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God; wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.” Lam. 3:33, “He doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men.” Eze. 33:11, “As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel!” 2 Pet. 3:9, “Not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

2. The work of redemption wrought out by Jesus Christ, is spoken of in such a manner as, being from the grace and love of God to men, does not well consist with his seeking a communication of good to them, only subordinately. Such expressions as that in John 3:16, carry another idea. “God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life.” And 1 John 4:9, 10, “In this was manifested the love of God towards us, because that God sent his only-begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love; not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” So Eph. 2:4, “But God who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,” etc. But if indeed this was only from a regard to a further end, entirely diverse from our good; then all the love is truly terminated in that, its ultimate object, and therein is his love manifested, strictly and properly speaking, and not in that he loved us, or exercised such high regard towards us. For if our good be not at all regarded ultimately, but only subordinately, then our good or interest is, in itself considered, nothing in God’s regard.

The Scripture everywhere represents it, as though the great things Christ did and suffered, were in the most direct and proper sense from exceeding love to us. Thus the apostle Paul represents the matter, Gal. 2:20, “Who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Eph. 5:25, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church, and gave himself for it.” And Christ himself, John 17:19, “For their sakes I sanctify myself.” And the Scripture represents Christ as resting in the salvation and glory of his people, when obtained as in what he ultimately sought, as having therein reached the goal, obtained the prize he aimed at, enjoying the travail of his soul in which he is satisfied, as the recompense of his labors and extreme agonies, Isa. 53:10, 11, “When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied; by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many, for he shall bear their iniquities.” He sees the travail of his soul, in seeing his seed, the children brought forth as the result of his travail. This implies, that Christ has his delight, most truly and properly, in obtaining the salvation of his church, not merely as a means, but as what he rejoices and is satisfied in, most directly and properly. This is proved by those scriptures which represent him as rejoicing in his obtaining this fruit of his labor and purchase, as the bridegroom, when he obtains his bride, Isa. 62:5, “As the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.” And how emphatic and strong to the purpose, are the expressions in Zep. 3:17, “The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will rejoice over thee with singing.” The same thing may be argued from Pro. 8:30, 31, “Then was I by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him: rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth, and my delights were with the sons of men.” And from those places, that speak of the saints as God’s portion, his jewels and peculiar treasure, these things are abundantly confirmed, John 12:23-32. But the particular consideration of what may be observed to the present purpose, in that passage of Scripture, may be referred to the next section.

3. The communications of divine goodness, particularly forgiveness of sin, and salvation, are spoken of, from time to time, as being for God’s goodness’ sake, and for his mercies’ sake, just in the same manner as they are spoken of as being for God’s name’s sake, in the places observed before. Psa. 25:7, “Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me, for thy goodness’ sake, O Lord.” In verse 11, the psalmist says, “For thy name’s sake, O Lord, pardon mine iniquity.” Neh. 9:31, “Nevertheless, for thy great mercies’ sake, thou hast not utterly consumed them, nor forsaken them; for thou art a gracious and a merciful God.” Psa. 6:4, “Return, O Lord, deliver my soul: O save me for thy mercies’ sake.” Psa. 31:16, “Make thy face to shine upon thy servant: save me for thy mercies’ sake.” Psa. 44:26, “Arise for our help; redeem us for thy mercies’ sake.” And here it may be observed, after what a remarkable manner God speaks of his love to the children of Israel in the wilderness, as though his love were for love’s sake, and his goodness were its own end and motive. Deu. 7:7, 8, “The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people, for ye were the fewest of all people: but because the Lord loved you.”

4. That the government of the world in all its parts, is for the good of such as are to be the eternal subjects of God’s goodness, is implied in what the Scripture teaches us of Christ being set at God’s right hand, made king of angels and men; set at the head of the universe, having all power given him in heaven and earth, to that end that he may promote their happiness; being made head over all things to the church, and having the government of the whole creation for their good (Eph. 1:20-23; John 17:2; Mat. 11:27, and 28:18, 19; John 3:35). Christ mentions it, Mark 2:28, as the reason why the Son of man is made Lord of the sabbath, because “the sabbath was made for man.” And if so, we may in like manner argue, that all things were made for man, because the Son of man is made Lord of all things.

5. That God uses the whole creation, in his government of it, for the good of his people, is most elegantly represented in Deu. 33:26, “There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun, who rideth upon the heaven.” The whole universe is a machine, or chariot, which God has made for his own use, as is represented in Ezekiel’s vision. God’s seat is heaven, where he sits and governs, Eze. 1:22, 26-28. The inferior part of the creation, this visible universe, subject to such continual changes and revolutions, are the wheels of the chariot. God’s providence, in the constant revolutions, alterations, and successive events, is represented by the motion of the wheels of the chariot, by the spirit of him who sits on his throne on the heavens, or above the firmament. Moses tells us for whose sake it is, that God moves the wheels of this chariot, or rides in it, siting in his heavenly seat; and to what end he is making his progress, or goes his appointed journey in it, viz. The salvation of his people.

6. God’s judgments on the wicked in this world, and also their eternal damnation in the world to come, are spoken of, as being for the happiness of God’s people. So are his judgments on them in this world. Isa. 43:3, 4, “For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour. I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee. Since thou hast been precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee; therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.” So the works of God’s vindictive justice and wrath are spoken of as works of mercy to his people, Psa. 136:10, 15, 17-20. And so is their eternal damnation in another world. Rom. 9:22, 23, “What if God, willing to show his wrath and make his power known, endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: and that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory.” Here it is evident the last verse comes in, in connection with the foregoing, as giving another reason of the destruction of the wicked, viz. showing the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy: higher degrees of their glory and happiness, in a relish of their own enjoyments, and a greater sense of their value, and of God’s free grace in bestowing them.

7. It seems to argue, that God’s goodness to them who are to be the eternal subjects of his goodness, is the end of the creation; since the whole creation, in all its parts, is spoken of as THEIRS. 1 Cor. 3:21-23, “All things are yours, whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come, all are yours.” The terms are very universal; and both works of creation and providence are mentioned; and it is manifestly the design of the apostle to be understood of every work of God whatsoever. Now, how can we understand this any otherwise, than that all things are for their benefit; and that God made and uses all for their good?

8. All God’s works, both of creation and providence, are represented as works of goodness or mercy to his people; as in Psalm 136. His wonderful works in general. Verse 4, “To him who alone doth great wonders; for his mercy endureth for ever.” The works of creation in all its parts. Psa. 136:5-9, “To him that by wisdom made the heavens; for his mercy endureth for ever. To him that stretched out the earth above the waters; for his mercy endureth for ever. To him that made great lights; for his mercy endureth for ever. The sun to rule by day; for his mercy endureth for ever. The moon and stars to rule by night; for his mercy endureth for ever.” And God’s works of providence, in the following part of the psalm.

9. That expression in the blessed sentence pronounced on the righteous at the day of judgment, “Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world,” seems to hold forth thus much, that the fruits of God’s goodness to them, was his end in creating the world, and in his providential disposals: that God in all his works, in laying the foundation of the world, and ever since the foundation of it, had been preparing this kingdom and glory for them.

10. Agreeable to this, the good of men is spoken of as an ultimate end of the virtue of the moral world. Rom. 13:8, 9, 10, “He that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, etc. — And If there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.” Gal. 5:14, “All the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” Jam. 2:8, “If ye fulfil the royal law, according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, thou shalt do well.”

If the good of the creatures be one end of God in all he does; and in all he requires moral agents to do; an end by which they should regulate all their conduct; these things may be easily explained: but otherwise, it seems difficult to be accounted for, that the Holy Ghost should thus express himself. The Scripture represents it to be the spirit of all true saints, to prefer the welfare of God’s people to their chief joy. This was the spirit of Moses and the prophets of old: the good of God’s church was an end by which they regulated all their conduct. And so it was with the apostles. 2 Cor. 4:15, “For all things are for your sakes.” 2 Tim. 2:10, “I endured all things for the elect’s sake, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.” And the Scriptures represent it, as though every Christian should, in all he does, be employed for the good of the church, as each particular member is employed for the good of the body; Rom. 12:4, 5, etc. Eph. 4:15, 16; 1 Cor. 12:12, 25, etc. To this end, the Scripture teaches us, the angels are continually employed, Heb. 1:14.

CHAPTER II

SECTION VI

Wherein is considered what is meant by the glory of God and the name of God in
Scripture, when spoken of as God’s end in his works

HAVING thus considered, what are spoken of in the Holy Scriptures, as the ends which God had ultimately in view in the creation of the world, I now proceed particularly to inquire what they are, and how the terms are to be understood?

I. Let us begin with the phrase, the GLORY OF GOD — And here I might observe, that it is sometimes used to signify the second person in the Trinity; but it is not necessary, at this time, to prove it from particular passages of Scripture. Omitting this, I proceed to observe some things concerning the Hebrew word which is most commonly
used in the Old Testament, where we have the word glory in the English Bible. The root it comes from, is either the verb, which signifies to be heavy, or make heavy, or from the adjective which signifies heavy or weighty. These, as seems pretty manifest, are the primary signification of these words, though they have also other meanings, which seem to be derivative. The noun signifies gravity, heaviness, greatness, and abundance. Of very many places it will be sufficient to specify a few. Pro. 27:3; 2 Sam. 14:26; 1 Kin. 12:11; Psa. 38:4; Isa. 30:27. And as the weight of bodies arises from two things, density and magnitude; so we find the word used to signify dense, Exo. 19:16. (nubes gravis, Vulg. densissima), a dense cloud; and is very often used for great. Isa. 32:2; Gen. 5:9; 1 Kin. 10:2; 2 Kin. 6:14; and 18:17; Isa. 36:2. etc.

The Hebrew word which is commonly translated glory, is used in such a manner as might be expected from this signification of the words from whence it comes. Sometimes it is used to signify what is internal, inherent, or in the possession of the person: and sometimes for emanation, exhibition, or communication of this internal glory: and sometimes for the knowledge, or sense of these, in those to whom to exhibition or communication is made; or an expression of this knowledge, sense, or effect. And here I would note, that agreeable to the use of this word in the Old Testament, is the Greek word (äõåá) in the New. For as the word is generally translated by the just mentioned Greek word (äõåá) in the Septuagint; so it is apparent, that this word is designed to be used to signify the same thing in the New Testament with the other in the Old. This might be abundantly proved, by comparing particular places of the Old Testament; but probably it will not be denied. I therefore proceed particularly to consider these words, with regard to their use in Scripture, in each of the fore-mentioned ways.

1. The word glory denotes sometimes what is internal. When the word is used to signify what is within, or in the possession of the subject, it very commonly signifies excellency, dignity, or worthiness of regard. This, according to the Hebrew idiom, is, as it were, the weight of a thing, as that by which it is heavy; as to be light, is to be
worthless, without value, contemptible. Num. 21:5, “This light bread.” 1 Sam. 18:23, “Seemeth it a light thing.” Jdg. 9:4, “Light persons,” i.e. worthless, vain, vile persons. So Zep. 3:4. To set light by is to despise, 2 Sam. 19:43. Belshazzar’s vileness in the sight of God, is represented by his being Tekel, weighed in the balances and found light, Dan. 5:27. And as the weight of a thing arises from its magnitude, and its specific gravity conjunctly; so the word glory is very commonly used to signify the excellency of a person or a thing, as consisting either in greatness, or in beauty, or in both conjunctly; as will abundantly appear by considering the places referred to below.

Sometimes that internal, great and excellent good, which is called glory, is rather in possession, than inherent. Anyone may be called heavy, that possesses an abundance; and he that is empty and destitute, may be called light. Thus we find riches are sometimes called glory. Gen. 31:1, “And of that which was our fathers’ hath he gotten all this glory.” Est. 5:11, “Haman told them of the glory of his riches.” Psa. 49:16, 17, “Be not afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased. For when he dieth, he shall carry nothing away, his glory shall not descend after him.” Nah. 2:9, “Take ye he spoil of silver, take the spoil of gold; for there is none end of the store and glory out of the pleasant furniture.”

And it is often put for a great height of prosperity, and fullness of good in general. Gen. 45:13, “You shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt.” Job 19:9, “He hath stripped me of my glory.” Isa. 10:3, “Where will you leave your glory.” Verse 16, “Therefore shall the Lord of hosts send among his fat ones leanness, and under his glory shall he kindle a burning, like the burning of a fire.” Isa. 17:3, 4, “The kingdom shall cease from Damascus, and the remnant of Syria; they shall be as the glory of the children of Israel. And in that day, it shall come to pass, that the glory of Jacob shall be made thin, and the fatness of his flesh shall be made lean.” Isa. 21:16, “And all the glory of Kedar shall fail.” Isa. 61:6, “Ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves.” Chap. 66:11, 12, “That ye may milk out, and be delighted with the abundance of her glory. — I will extend peace to her, like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream.” Hos. 9:11, “As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away as a bird.” Mat. 4:8, “Showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them.” Luke 24:26, “Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?” John 17:22, “And the glory which thou gavest me, have I given them.” Rom. 5:2, “And rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” Chap. 8:18, “The sufferings of this
present time, are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. (See also Rom. 2:7, 10, and 3:23, and 9:23.) 1 Cor. 2:7, “The hidden wisdom which God ordained before the world, unto our glory.” 2 Cor. 4:17, “Worketh out for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” Eph. 1:18, “And what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.” 1 Pet. 4:13, “But rejoice inasmuch as ye are made partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.” Chap. 1:8, “Ye rejoice, with joy unspeakable and full of glory.” (See also, Col. 1:27, and 3:4; 1 Thes. 2:12; 2 Thes. 2:14; 1 Tim. 3:16; 2 Tim. 2:10; Heb. 2:10; 1 Pet. 1:11, 21, and 5:10; 2 Pet. 1:3; Rev. 21:24, 26; Psa. 73:24, and 149:5; Isa. 6:10.)

2. The word glory is used in Scripture often to express the exhibition, emanation, or communication of the internal glory. Hence it often signifies an effulgence, or shining brightness, by an emanation of beams of light. Thus the brightness of the sun, and moon, and stars, is called their glory, in 1 Cor. 15:41. But in particular, the word is very often thus used, when applied to God and Christ. As in Eze. 1:28, “As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord.” And chap. 10:4, “Then the glory of the Lord went up from the cherub, and stood over the threshold of the house, and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the Lord’s glory.” Isa. 6:1, 2, 3, “I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphim — And one cried to another and said, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of his glory.” Compared with John 12:41, “These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory and spake of him.” Eze. 43:2, “And behold the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east. — And the earth shined with his glory.” Isa. 24:23. “Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the Lord of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.” Isa. 60:1, 2, “Arise, shine, for thy light
is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For behold the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people; but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.” Together with verse 19, “The sun shall be no more thy light by day, neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory.” Luke 2:9, “The glory of the Lord shone round about them.” Acts 22:11, “And when I could not see for the glory of that light.” In 2 Cor. 3:7. The shining of Moses’s face is called the glory of his countenance. And to this Christ’s glory is compared, verse 18, “But we all with open face, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image, from glory to glory.”

And so 2 Cor. 4:4, “Lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” Verse 6, “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” Heb. 1:3, “Who is the brightness of his glory.” The apostle Peter, speaking of that emanation of exceeding brightness, from the bright cloud that overshadowed the disciples in the mount of transfiguration, and of the shining of Christ’s face at that time, says, 2 Pet. 1:17, “For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Rev. 18:1, “Another angel came down from heaven, having great power, and the earth was lightened with his glory.” Rev. 21:11, “Having the glory of God, and her light was like unto a stone most precious, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.” Verse 23, “And the city had no need of the sun nor of the moon to shine in it; for the glory of God did lighten it.” See the word for a visible effulgence or emanation of light in the places to be seen below. (Exo. 16:12, and 24:16, 17, and 40:34, 35; Lev. 9:6, 23; Num. 14:10, and 16:19; 1 Kin. 8:11; 2 Chr. 5:14, and 7:1, 2, 3; Isa. 58:8; Eze. 3:23, and 8:4, and 9:3; Eze. 10:18, 19, and 11:22, 23, and 43:4, 5, and 44:1; Acts 7:55; Rev. 15:8)

The word glory, as applied to God or Christ, sometimes evidently signifies the communications of God’s fullness, and means much the same thing with God’s abundant goodness and grace. So Eph. 3:16, “That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man.” The expression, “According to the riches of his glory,” is apparently equivalent to that in the same epistle, chap. 1:7, “According to the riches of his grace.” And Eph. 2:7, “The exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness towards us, through Christ Jesus.” In like manner is the word glory used in Phil. 4:19, “But my God shall supply all your need, according to his riches in glory, by Christ Jesus.” And Rom. 9:23, “And that he might make known the riches of his glory, on the vessels of his mercy.” In this and the foregoing verse, the apostle speaks of God’s making known two things, his great wrath, and his rich grace. The former on the vessels of wrath, verse 22. The latter, which he calls the riches of his glory, on the vessels of mercy, verse 23. So when Moses says, “I beseech thee show me thy glory;” God granting his request, makes answer, “I will make all my goodness to pass before thee.” Exo. 33:18, 19.

What we find in John 12:23-32 is worthy of particular notice in this place. The words and behavior of Christ, of which we have here an account, argue two things.

(1.) That the happiness and salvation of men, was an end that Christ ultimately aimed at in his labors and sufferings. The very same things which were observed before (chapter second, section third), concerning God’s glory, are in the same manner observable, concerning the salvation of men. Christ, in the near approach of the most extreme difficulties which attended his undertaking, comforts himself in a certain prospect of obtaining the glory of God, as his great end. And at the same time, and exactly in the same manner, is the salvation of men mentioned, as the end of these great labors and sufferings, which satisfied his soul in the prospect of undergoing them. (Compare the 23rd and 24th verses; and also the 28th and 29th verses; verses 31 and 32.)

(2.) The glory of God, and the emanations and fruits of this grace in man’s salvation, are so spoken of by Christ on this occasion in just the same manner, that it would be quite unnatural to understand him as speaking of two distinct things. Such is the connection, that what he says of the latter, must most naturally be understood as
exegetical of the former. He first speaks of his own glory, and the glory of his Father, as the great end that should be obtained by what he was about to suffer; and then explains and amplifies this, in what he expresses of the salvation of men that shall be obtained by it. Thus, in the 23d verse, he says, “The hour is come that the Son of man should be
glorified.” And in what next follows, he evidently shows how he was to be glorified, or wherein his glory consisted: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground, and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.” As much fruit is the glory of the seed, so is the multitude of redeemed ones, which should spring from his death, his glory.

3. Again, the word glory, as applied to God in Scripture, implies the view or knowledge of God’s excellency. The exhibition of glory is to the view of beholders. The manifestation of glory, the emanation or effulgence of brightness, has relation to the eye. Light or brightness is a quality that has relation to the sense of seeing; we see the
luminary by its light. And knowledge is often expressed in Scripture by light. The word glory very often in Scripture signifies, or implies, honor, as anyone may soon see by casting his eye on a concordance (See particularly, Heb. 3:3). But honor implies the knowledge of the dignity and excellency of him who has the honor; and this is often
more especially signified by the word glory, when applied to God. Num. 14:21, “But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord,” i.e. All the inhabitants of the earth shall see the manifestations I will make of my perfect holiness and hatred of sin, and so of my infinite excellence. This appears by the context. So Eze. 39:21, 22, 23, “And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them. So the house of Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God. And the heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity.” And it is manifest in many places, where we read of God glorifying himself, or of his being glorified, that one thing, directly intended, is making known his divine greatness and excellency.

4. Again, glory, as the word is used in Scripture, often signifies or implies praise. This appears from what was observed before, that glory very often signifies honor, which is much the same thing with praise, viz. high esteem and the expression of it in words and actions. And it is manifest that the words glory and praise, are often used as
equivalent expressions in Scripture. Psa. 50:23, “Whoso offereth praise, glorifieth me.” Psa. 22:23, “Ye that fear the Lord, praise him; all ye seed of Israel, glorify him.” Isa. 42:8, “My glory I will not give unto another, nor my praise to graven images.” Verse 12, “Let them give glory unto the Lord, and declare his praise in the islands.” Isa. 48:9-11,
“For my name’s sake will I defer mine anger; for my praise will I refrain for thee. — For mine own sake will I do it; for — I will not give my glory unto another.” Jer. 13:11, “That they might be unto me for a people, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory.” Eph. 1:6, “To the praise of the glory of his grace.” Verse 12, “To the praise of his glory.” So verse 14. The phrase is apparently equivalent to this, Phil. 1:11, “Which are by Jesus Christ unto the praise and glory of God.” 2 Cor. 4:15, “That the abundant grace might, through the thanksgiving of many, redound to the glory of God.”

It is manifest the praise of God, as the phrase is used in Scripture, implies the high esteem and love of the heart, exalting thoughts of God, and complacence in his excellence and perfection. This is manifest to everyone acquainted with the Scripture. However, if any need satisfaction, they may, among innumerable other places which
might be mentioned, turn to those below (Psa. 145:1-12, and 34:1, 2, 3, and 44:8, and 21:14, and 99:2, 3, and 107:31, 32, and 108:3, 4, 5, and 119:164, and 148:13, and 150:2; Rev. 19:1, 2, 3 — ).

It also implies joy in God, or rejoicing in his perfections, as is manifest by Psa. 33:1, “Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous, for praise is comely for the upright.” Other passages to the same purpose, see below (Psa. 9:1, 2, 14, and 28:7, and 35:27, 28, and 42:4; and Psa. 63:5, and 67:3, 4, 5, and 71:22, 23, and 104:33, 34; and Psa. 106:47, and
135:3, and 147:1, and 149:1, 2, 5, 6; Acts 2:46, 47, and 3:8; Rev. 19:6, 7). How often do we read of singing praise! But singing is commonly an expression of joy. It is called, making a joyful noise (Psa. 66:1, 2, and 96:4, 5). And as it is often used, it implies gratitude or love to God for his benefits to us (Psa. 30:12, and 35:18, and 63:3, 4, and 66:8, 9, and 71:6, 7, 8, and 79:13, and 98:4, 5, and 100:4, and 107:21, 22, and 138:2, and many other places).

II. Having thus considered what is implied in the phrase, the glory of God, as we find it used in Scripture; I proceed to inquire what is meant by the NAME of God.

God’s name and his glory, at least very often, signify the same thing in Scripture. As it has been observed concerning the glory of God, that it sometimes signifies the second person in the Trinity; the same might be shown of the name of God, if it were needful in this place. But that the name and glory of God are often equipollent expressions, is manifest by Exo. 33:18, 19, When Moses says, “I beseech thee, show me thy glory,” and God grants his request, he says, “I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee.” Psa. 8:1, “O Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens,” Psa. 79:9, “Help us! O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name; and deliver us, and purge away our sins for thy name’s sake.” Psa. 102:15, “So the heathen shall fear the name of the Lord; and all the kings of the earth thy glory.” Psa. 148:13, “His name alone is excellent, and his glory is above the earth and heaven.” Isa. 48:9, “For my name’s sake will I defer mine anger, and for my praise will I refrain for thee.” Verse 11, “For mine own sake, even for mine own sake will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? And I will not give my glory unto another.” Isa. 59:19, “They shall fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun.” Jer. 13:11, “That they might be unto me for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory.” As glory often implies the manifestation, publication, and knowledge of excellency, and the honour that anyone has in the world; so does name. Gen. 11:4, “Let us make us a name.” Deu. 26:19, “And to make thee high above all nations, in praise, in name, and in honour.” (See also, 2 Sam. 7:9, and 8:13, and 23:18; Neh. 9:10; Job 30:8; Pro. 22:1. Many other places import the same thing.)

So it is evident, that by name is sometimes meant much the same thing as praise, by several places which have been just mentioned (as Isa. 48:9; Jer. 13:11; 26:19). And also by Jer. 33:9, “And it shall be unto me for a name, a praise, and an honour, before all the nations of the earth, which shall hear of all the good I do unto them.” Zep. 3:20, “I will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth.”

And it seems that the expression or exhibition of God’s goodness is especially called his name, in Exo. 33:19, “I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee.” And chap. 34:5, 6, 7, “And the Lord descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord.
And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, the Lord, the Lord God, gracious and merciful, long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth; keeping mercy for thousands,” etc.

And the same illustrious brightness and effulgence in the pillar of cloud that appeared in the wilderness, and dwelt above the mercy-seat in the tabernacle and temple (or rather the spiritual, divine brightness and effulgence represented by it), so often called the glory of the Lord, is also often called the name of the Lord. Because God’s
glory was to swell in the tabernacle, therefore he promises, Exo. 29:43, “There will I meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory.” And the temple was called the house of God’s glory, Isa. 60:7. In like manner, the name of God is said to dwell in the sanctuary. Thus we often read of the place that God chose, to put his name there: or, as it is in the Hebrew, to cause his NAME to inhabit there. So it is sometimes rendered by our translators. As Deu. 12:11, “Then there shall be a place which the Lord your God shall choose to cause his name to dwell there.” And the temple is often spoken of as built for God’s name. And is Psa. 74:7. the temple is called the dwelling-place of God’s name. The mercy-seat in the temple was called the throne of God’s name or glory, Jer. 14:21, “Do not abhor us, for thy name’s sake do not disgrace the throne of thy glory.” Here God’s name and his glory seem to be spoken of as the same.

CHAPTER II

SECTION VII

Showing that the ultimate End of the Creation of the World is but one, and what that one end is.

FROM what has been observed in the last section, it appears, if the whole of what is said relating to this affair be duly weighed, and one part compared with another, we shall have reason to think that the design of the Spirit of God is not to represent God’s ultimate end as manifold, but as one. For though it be signified by various names, yet they appear not to be names of different things, but various names involving each other in their meaning; either different names of the same thing, or names of several parts of one whole; or of the same whole viewed in various lights, or in its different respects and relations. For it appears, that all that is ever spoken of in the Scripture as an ultimate end of God’s works, is included in that one phrase, the glory of God; which is the name by which the ultimate end of God’s works is most commonly called in Scripture; and seems most aptly to signify the thing.

The thing signified by that name, the glory of God, when spoken of as the supreme and ultimate end of all God’s works, is the emanation and true external expression of God’s internal glory and fullness; meaning by his fullness, what has already been explained; or, in other words, God’s internal glory, in a true and just exhibition, or external existence of it. It is confessed, that there is a degree of obscurity in these definitions; but perhaps an obscurity which is unavoidable, through the imperfection of language to express things of so sublime a nature. And therefore the thing may possibly be better understood, by using a variety of expressions, by a particular consideration of it, as it were, by parts, than by any short definition.

It includes the exercise of God’s perfections to produce a proper effect, in opposition to their lying eternally dormant and ineffectual: as his power being eternally without any act or fruit of that power; his wisdom eternally ineffectual in any wise production, or prudent disposal of any thing, etc. The manifestation of his internal glory to created understandings. The communication of the infinite fullness of God to the creature. The creature’s high esteem of God, love to him, and complacence and joy in him; and the proper exercises and expressions of these.

These at first view may appear to be entirely distinct things: but if we more closely consider the matter, they will all appear to be one thing, in a variety of views and relations. They are all but the emanation of God’s glory; or the excellent brightness and fullness of the divinity diffused, overflowing, and as it were enlarged; or in one word, existing ad extra. God exercising his perfection to produce a proper effect, is not distinct from the emanation or communication of his fullness: for this is the effect, viz. his fullness communicated, and the producing of this effect is the communication of his fullness; and there is nothing in this effectual exerting of God’s perfection, but the emanation of God’s internal glory.

Now God’s internal glory is either in his understanding or will. The glory or fullness of his understanding is his knowledge. The internal glory and fullness of God, having its special seat in his will, is his holiness and happiness. The whole of God’s internal good or glory is in these three things, viz. his infinite knowledge; his infinite virtue or holiness, and his infinite joy and happiness. Indeed there are a great many attributes in God, according to our way of conceiving them: but all may be reduced to these; or to their degree, circumstances and relations. We have no conception of God’s power, different from the degree of these things, with a certain relation of them to effects. God’s infinity is not properly a distinct kind of good, but only expresses the degree of good there is in him. So God’s eternity is not a distinct good; but is the duration of good. His immutability is still the same good, with a negation of chance. So that, as I said, the fullness of the Godhead is the fullness of his understanding, consisting in his knowledge; and the fullness of his will, consisting in his virtue and happiness.

And therefore, the external glory of God consists in the communication of these. The communication of his knowledge is chiefly in giving the knowledge of himself: for this is the knowledge in which the fullness of God’s understanding chiefly consists. And thus we see how the manifestation of God’s glory to created understandings, and their seeing and knowing it, is not distinct from an emanation or communication of God’s fullness, but clearly implied in it. Again, the communication of God’s virtue or holiness is principally in communicating the love of himself. And thus we see how, not only the creature’s seeing and knowing God’s excellence, but also supremely esteeming and loving him, belongs to the communication of God’s fullness. And the communication of God’s joy and happiness consists chiefly in communicating to the creature that happiness and joy which consists in rejoicing in God, and in his glorious excellency; for in such joy God’s own happiness does principally consist. And in these things, knowing God’s excellency, loving God for it, and rejoicing in it; and in the exercise and expression of these, consists God’s honor and praise; so that these are clearly implied in that glory of God, which consists in the emanation of his internal glory.

And though all these things, which seem to be so various, are signified by that glory which the Scripture speaks of as the ultimate end of all God’s works; yet it is manifest there is no greater, and no other variety in it, than in the internal and essential glory of God itself. God’s internal glory is partly in his understanding, and partly in his will. And this internal glory, as seated in the will of God, implies both his holiness and his happiness: both are evidently God’s glory, according to the use of the phrase. So that as God’s external glory is only the emanation of his internal, this variety necessarily follows. And again, it hence appears that here is no other variety or distinction, but what necessarily arises from the distinct faculties of the creature to which the communication is made, as created in the image of God: even as having these two faculties of understanding and will. God communicates himself to the understanding of the creature, in giving him the knowledge of his glory; and to the will of the creature, in giving him holiness, consisting primarily in the love of God: and in giving the creature happiness chiefly consisting in joy in God. These are the sum of that emanation of divine fullness called in Scripture, the glory of God. The first part of this glory is called truth, the latter grace, John 1:14. “We beheld his glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Thus we see that the great end of God’s works, which is so variously expressed in Scripture, is indeed but one; and this one end is most properly and comprehensively called, THE GLORY OF GOD; by which name it is most commonly called in Scripture; and is fitly compared to an effulgence or emanation of light from a luminary. Light is the external expression, exhibition, and manifestation of the excellency of the luminary, of the sun for instance: It is the abundant, extensive emanation and communication of the fullness of the sun to innumerable beings that partake of it. It is by this that the sun itself is seen, and his glory beheld, and all other things are discovered: it is by a participation of this communication from the sun, that surrounding objects receive all their luster, beauty, and brightness. It is by this that all nature receives life, comfort, and joy. Light is abundantly used in Scripture to represent and signify these three things, knowledge, holiness, and happiness.

What has been said may be sufficient to show, how those things, which are spoken of in Scripture as ultimate ends of God’s works, though they may seem at first view to be distinct, are all plainly to be reduced to this one thing, viz. God’s internal glory or fullness existing in its emanation. And though God in seeking this end, seeks the creature’s good; yet therein appears his supreme regard to himself.

The emanation or communication of the divine fullness, consisting in the knowledge of God, love to him, and joy in him, has relation indeed both to God and the creature: but it has relation to God as its fountain, as the thing communicated, is something of his internal fullness. The water in the stream is something of the fountain; and the beams of the sun are something of the sun. And again they have relation to God as their object: for the knowledge communicated is the knowledge of God; and the love communicated, is the love of God: and the happiness communicated, is joy in God. In the creature’s knowing, esteeming, loving, rejoicing in, and praising God, the glory of God is both exhibited and acknowledged; his fullness is received and returned. Here is both an emanation and re-emanation. The refulgence shines upon and into the creature, and is reflected back to the luminary. The beams of glory come from God, are something of God, and are refunded back again to their original. So that the whole is of God, and in God, and to God; and he is the beginning, and the middle, and the end.

And though it be true that God has respect to the creature in these things; yet his respect to himself, and to the creature, are not properly a double and divided respect. What has been said (chap. I. sect. 3, 4.) may be sufficient to show this. Nevertheless, it may not be amiss here briefly to say a few things; though mostly implied in what has been said already.

When God was about to create the world, he had respect to that emanation of his glory, which is actually the consequence of the creation, both with regard to himself and the creature. He had regard to it as an emanation from himself, a communication of himself, and, as the thing communicated, in its nature returned to himself, as its final term. And he had regard to it also as the emanation was to the creature, and as the thing communicated was in the creature, as its subject.

And God had regard to it in this manner, as he had a supreme regard to himself, and value for his own infinite, internal glory. It was this value for himself that caused him to value and seek that his internal glory should flow forth from himself. It was from his value for his glorious perfections of wisdom, righteousness, etc. that he valued the proper exercise and effect of these perfections, in wise and righteous acts and effects. It was from his infinite value for his internal glory and fullness, that he valued the thing itself communicated, which is something of the same, extant in the creature. Thus because he infinitely values his own glory, consisting in the knowledge of himself, love to himself, and complacence and joy in himself; he therefore valued the image, communication, or participation of these in the creature. And it is because he values himself, that he delights in the knowledge, and love, and joy of the creature; as being himself the object of this knowledge, love, and complacence. For it is the necessary consequence of true esteem and love, that we value others’ esteem of the same object, and dislike the contrary. For the same reason, God approves of others’ esteem and love of himself.

Thus it is easy to conceive, how God should seek the good of the creature, consisting in the creature’s knowledge and holiness, and even his happiness, from a supreme regard to himself; as his happiness arises from that which is an image and participation of God’s own beauty: and consists in the creature’s exercising a supreme regard to God, and complacence in him; in beholding God’s glory, in esteeming and loving it, and rejoicing in it, and in his exercising and testifying love and supreme respect to God: which is the same thing, with the creature’s exalting God as his chief good, and making him his supreme end.

And though the emanation of God’s fullness, intended in the creation, is to the creature as its object; and though the creature is the subject of the fullness communicated, which is the creature’s good; yet it does not necessarily follow, that even in so doing, God did not make himself his end. It comes to the same thing. God’s respect to the creature’s good, and his respect to himself, is not a divided respect; but both are united in one, as the happiness of the creature aimed at is happiness in union with himself. The creature is no further happy with this happiness which God makes his ultimate end, than he becomes one with God. The more happiness the greater union; when the happiness is perfect, the union is perfect. And as the happiness will be increasing to eternity, the union will become more and more strict and perfect; nearer and more like to that between God the Father and the Son; who are so united that their interest is perfectly one. — If the happiness of the creature be considered in the whole of the creature’s eternal duration, with all the infinity of its progress, and infinite increase of nearness and union to God; in this view, the creature must be looked upon as united to God in an infinite strictness.

If God has respect to something in the creature, which he views as of everlasting duration, and as rising higher and higher through that infinite duration, and that not with constantly diminishing (but perhaps an increasing) celerity; then he has respect to it, as, in the whole, of infinite height; though there never will be any particular time when it can be said already to have come to such a height.

Let the most perfect union with God be represented by something at an infinite height above us: and the eternally increasing union of the saints with God, by something that is ascending constantly towards that infinite height, moving upwards with a given velocity; and that is to continue thus to move to all eternity. God who views the whole of this eternally increasing height, views it as an infinite height. And if he has respect to it, and makes it his end, as in the whole of it, he has respect to it as an infinite height, though the time will never come when it can be said it has already arrived at this infinite height.

God aims at that which the motion or progression which he causes, aims at, or tends to. If there be many things supposed to be so made and appointed, that by a constant and eternal motion, they all tend to a certain center; then it appears that he who made them, and is the cause of their motion, aimed at that center; that term of their motion, to which they eternally tend, and are eternally, as it were, striving after. — And if God be the center, then God aimed at himself. And herein it appears, that as he is the first author of their being and motion, so he is the last end, the final term to which is their ultimate tendency and aim.

We may judge of the end that the Creator aimed at, in the being, nature, and tendency he gives the creature, by the mark of term which they constantly aim at in their tendency and eternal progress; though the time will never come, when it can be said it is attained to, in the most absolutely perfect manner.

But if strictness of union to God be viewed as thus infinitely exalted; then the creature must be regarded as nearly and closely united to God. And viewed thus, their interest must be viewed as one with God’s interest; and so is not regarded properly with a disjunct and separate, but an undivided respect. And as to any difficulty of reconciling God’s not making the creature his ultimate end, with a respect properly distinct from a respect to himself; with his benevolence and free grace, and the creature’s obligation to gratitude, the reader must be referred to chap. I. sect. 4. obj. 4. where this objection has been considered and answered at large.

If by reason of the strictness of the union of a man and his family, their interest may be looked upon as one, how much more so is the interest of Christ and his church, — whose first union in heaven is unspeakably more perfect and exalted, than that of an earthly father and his family — if they be considered with regard to their eternal and increasing union? Doubtless it may justly be esteemed so much one, that it may be sought, not with a distinct and separate, but an undivided respect. It is certain that what God aimed at in the creation of the world, was the good that would be the consequence of the creation, in the whole continuance of the thing created.

It is no solid objection against God aiming at an infinitely perfect union of the creature with himself, that the particular time will never come when it can be said, the union is now infinitely perfect. God aims at satisfying justice in the eternal damnation of sinners: which will be satisfied by their damnation, considered no otherwise than with regard to its eternal duration. But yet there never will come that particular moment when it can be said, that now justice is satisfied. But if this does not satisfy our modern free-thinkers, who do not like the talk about satisfying justice with an infinite punishment; I suppose it will not be denied by any, that God, in glorifying the saints in heaven with eternal felicity, aims to satisfy his infinite grace or benevolence, by the bestowment of a good infinitely valuable, because eternal: and yet there never will come the moment when it can be said, that now this infinitely valuable good has been actually bestowed.

The End

Pastor Charles R. Biggs

Ketoctin Covenant Presbyterian Church

9 S. Locust Street

Post Office Box 628

Round Hill, VA 20142-0628

571.334.7420

Vol. VI, Issue 20

"The Wrath of Our Gracious God"

Rev. Charles R. Biggs

Introduction

In this week's study, we will be looking into Scripture to see how God’s wrath is revealed against sinful men in his justice and holiness. The knowledge of God’s wrath should lead his people and all the world to a true fear and reverence of our holy God revealed in Scripture. We remember that the beginning of true wisdom is the fear of the LORD (Proverbs 1:7; Deut. 4).

John Calvin wrote in his Institutes of the Christian Religion, “Since our hearts cannot, in God’s mercy, either seize upon life ardently enough or accept it with the gratefulness we owe, unless our minds are first struck and overwhelmed by fear of God’s wrath and by dread of eternal death, we are taught by Scripture to perceive apart from Christ, God is, so to speak, hostile to us, and his hand is armed for destruction; to embrace his benevolence and fatherly love in Christ alone” (II.XVI.ii)

In our study of God’s wrath, we want to consider the extent of God’s graciousness and patience toward his fallen people. From the beginning of his revelation to man in the Garden of Eden, to his consummate or ultimate revelation of his wrath at Christ’s Second Coming, God reveals himself as a holy and righteous God, but one that is merciful to those who believe in his faithfulness and promises.

God's Character and Purposes in Revealing Himself as Wrathful

We must keep in mind that God’s acts of wrath are displayed for a purpose: that of repentance and humility among his people, and that of saving those he has chosen by his great grace and mercy. As God reveals his wrath in Scripture, so God also reveals his righteousness and his great mercy in sinful man’s salvation.

This will also help us to understand God’s character. God never changes, therefore there is no conflict in between God’s goodness and his wrath. God is loving, but he is wrathful; God is holy and just, therefore he must punish iniquity; God is good and loving, but hates sin. To those who would question God’s wrath, the creature must continually be turned and face God, his Creator. In him we all live, move and have our being (Acts 17). Who has the right to talk back to God and question his righteous judgment? Romans 9 tells us that no one has that right, any more than the clay can say to the potter “why have you made me this way?!”

When you first read the title of the study, you may have thought to yourself, “Now what is this teaching of the wrath of God? I already feel guilty and condemned enough…I try to please the LORD, but I am constantly falling short!” You may think that the last thing you need is to be reminded about God’s wrath in Scripture. “This is 2003,” you say, “how could this possibly encourage me today when I live day in and day out in this fallen world of pain, failures and disappointments?!” Well, don't run for these truths so quickly!

In this study we will also consider the God of wrath who comforts his people in Christ; the God of wrath who day in and day out ministers to us by forgiving us of our sins and pointing us to the work of our great Savior, Jesus Christ. The God who in his greatness and sovereignty is near to the contrite and humble in heart (Is. 55). This is good news, this is our hope, this is our great and wrathful, but gracious God revealed in the Bible!

In our study, we must contemplate our sinfulness, our fallenness in light of God’s holy righteousness to understand now our great hope in Christ our Savior. What we deserve- -we do not get; but that which we do not deserve- - we get- -this is grace! Let us turn to Nahum, chapter 1 and look at the way this prophet of Israel, through the Spirit describes God’s wrath and graciousness in a way that we can see God’s goodness and his justice. Let us begin by looking at the way God describes himself through the Prophet Nahum:

Nahum 1:2-9: The LORD is a jealous and avenging God; the LORD is avenging and wrathful; the LORD takes vengeance on his adversaries and keeps wrath for his enemies. ³The LORD is slow to anger and great in power, and the LORD will by no means clear the guilty. His way is in whirlwind and storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet. ⁴He rebukes the sea and makes it dry; he dries up all the rivers; Bashan and Carmel wither; the bloom of Lebanon withers. ⁵The mountains quake before him; the hills melt; the earth heaves before him, the world and all who dwell in it. ⁶Who can stand before his indignation? Who can endure the heat of his anger? His wrath is poured out like fire, and the rocks are broken into pieces by him. ⁷The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him. ⁸But with an overflowing flood he will make a complete end of the adversaries, and will pursue his enemies into darkness. ⁹What do you plot against the LORD? He will make a complete end; trouble will not rise up a second time.

When we read the Bible, we see God is truly a vengeful and holy God who cannot acquit the guilty and punishes sin and sinners sinners. All men deserve the wrath of God, but God in his great mercy saves some from this wrath. God is a merciful and patient God toward sin in his anger (Ex. 34:6; Nu. 14:18; Ps. 103:8; Joel 2:13). So we see that while God is a wrathful God and one to be truly worshiped and feared, he is also slow in his anger and merciful toward his people, but he never “clears the guilty” as Nahum writes.

God throughout redemptive-history, in his revelation in the Scriptures, has had patience on men so they might see his greatness and repent. When God reveals himself in his wrath throughout Scripture, in God’s great wisdom, there is a saving aspect to his wrathful revelation. God pours out his wrath oftentimes to reveal his righteousness, to reveal sin for what it is, and to save his people who believe by faith.

Our study will bring us to three significant events where God’s wrath is displayed or restrained in redemptive-history: 1) The Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt; 2) The Revelation of God on Mt. Sinai; and 3) The Revelation of God on Mt. Calvary. By beginning with the Exodus, we will see God’s manifested wrath against Israel’s enemies (that is the enemies of the people of God) which gives us hope and a better understanding of the protection that God provides. Next, in focusing on the revelation of God at Sinai, we will get a glimpse of God’s wrath as it is revealed in righteousness to or among his people. Finally, we will see God’s wrath as it is displayed against his own dear son.

God’s Wrath in the Exodus

In the Exodus from Egypt, God delivered the Israelites from bondage with his great and powerful hand as the Divine Warrior of Wrath (as we saw in the 'Song at the Sea' in Exodus 15 a couple of weeks ago). In this display of God’s wrath against his enemies, we see his hand extended to save his people from his wrath; to be merciful and gracious to a people because he loved them and set his affection upon this people- - not because they had done anything good or bad (Deut. 7:7f).

The Exodus event became arguably the single most important event in the Israelite history (Ps. 74; 78; 90). Therefore, prior to Moses’ death in the Book of Deut., Moses told the people to remember the Exodus and remember the wrath of God poured out on his enemies (“what their eyes had seen”), and how God had saved them. We see in this example of the Exodus, that God is a wrathful God against sin and sinners, but that he saves his people by his patience and mercy (cf. Ps. 18; 106:6-15; Is. 51:7ff).

God’s Wrath at Mt. Sinai

At Mt. Sinai, God came to the Israelites through his Mediator Moses to reveal His law to the people. In the descriptions of God’s holiness and justice in appearing and revealing himself to his people in Exodus 19, we also see his grace and mercy, while his wrath is restrained.

Exodus 19: And the LORD said to Moses, "Behold, I am coming to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you forever." When Moses told the words of the people to the LORD, ¹⁰the LORD said to Moses, "Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments ¹¹and be ready for the third day. For on the third day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. ¹²And you shall set limits for the people all around, saying, 'Take care not to go up into the mountain or touch the edge of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death. ¹³No hand shall touch him, but he shall be stoned or shot; whether beast or man, he shall not live.' When the trumpet sounds a long blast, they shall come up to the mountain." ¹⁴So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and consecrated the people; and they washed their garments. ¹⁵And he said to the people, "Be ready for the third day; do not go near a woman." ¹⁶On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. ¹⁷Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. ¹⁸Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the LORD had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly. ¹⁹And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder. ²⁰The LORD came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. And the LORD called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. ²¹And the LORD said to Moses, "Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to the LORD to look and many of them perish. ²²Also let the priests who come near to the LORD consecrate themselves, lest the LORD break out against them." ²³And Moses said to the LORD, "The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, for you yourself warned us, saying, 'Set limits around the mountain and consecrate it.'" ²⁴And the LORD said to him, "Go down, and come up bringing Aaron with you. But do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to the LORD, lest he break out against them."

Because God's righteousness is revealed in the law, God's wrath should accompany that revelation (Exodus 20). However, what we need to be thankful from what happens at Mt. Sinai is that God reveals his righteousness through the law to show his people how far short they fall of his holiness in order that he might extend to them his grace. At Sinai, we see God’s wrath restrained as he gives the law through Moses, to point the people of God back to the promises made to Abraham (Gen. 12; 15; 17). This is to point us also forward to look to God by faith for the fulfillment of his promises in Christ.

The law revealed the righteousness of God that man was unable to live or keep. We notice that all of the Israelites, as sinners were terrified before the LORD- -as they should have been. God in his holiness was present among these sinful people on Mt. Sinai. If it had not been for the mediator chosen by God’s own gracious hand, all the people would have died that day in the consuming power of God’s wrath in his presence (Deut. 32- Israel’s disobedience and Moses interceding for them again; cf. Is. 6).

As we see at Sinai, it is terrifying for sinful people to be in the presence of a holy God, but the LORD in his grace tells his people to “Fear not!” It was these circumstances of thunder and lightning, trumpet blasts and the trembling of the people, that God clearly revealed his Torah or Law through Moses to his people. This righteousness which God revealed to Moses and the people was a revelation of God’s holy character; a revelation of how all men made in the image of God should live and behave (cf. Rom. 1:18-3:20 where the Apostle Paul discusses the righteousness of God and the wrath of God that is revealed to all men). Again, although God was present in all his majesty, strength, and holiness, he was merciful to his people.

But the people were still terrified even with Moses as their mediator, which should have pointed the people of God forward, to look by faith for a more perfect Mediator who would come; a Mediator God would provide that would fulfill all the promises that he had made. Although God’s holy presence was terrifying to the Israelites, God graciously provided a mediator in Moses. Here we see God’s righteous anger toward sin, but we also see his patience and mercy with his people. God is a jealous God, a consuming fire as Deut. 4:24 and Heb. 12:29 teaches us. God chose a mediator in Moses to stand between God and the people. The importance of a mediator was necessary, lest Israel be consumed in God’s wrath. His wrath is not like man’s wrath that is influenced by sinful outbursts, but directed and unmitigated in its exhibition against sin. It is the wrath of a just and good Judge.

Why is God Angry?

We have seen events where God’s wrath is manifested, but why is God angry? We now turn to consider sinful man in light of God’s wrath. Habakkuk 1:12-13 speaks of God’s righteousness in light of man’s sins. Verse 13 says: “You [O LORD], are of purer eyes than to behold evil and cannot look on wrong…” Man is a sinner and the soul that sins shall die (Gen. 2:16,17; Ezek. 18:1-4) All men deserve the righteous manifestation of God’s wrath in the fury of his judgment. Prior to God’s revelation of his wrath on the Egyptians and on Mt. Sinai, we see a another picture of God’s wrath and saving goodness in the Garden of Eden.

After Adam failed the covenant he made with God, and knowing that God had pronounced the sentence of death upon him because of his disobedience, Adam hides from him when God comes into the garden. God had told Adam that if you sin…you will die (Gen. 2). However, in God’s great mercy, God provides a sacrifice for Adam and his wife. God restrains his righteous anger toward Adam in order to come to him in blessing rather than wrath. This is our great and merciful but wrathful God. Adam and all of us whom he represented in the garden (Ps. 51; cf. Rom. 5:12-21), are conceived in sin, born under the wrath of God. The Apostle Paul tells us that we are by nature children of wrath (Eph. 2:1f). This is our condition upon our conception, in our birth, throughout our lives. At any moment, it would be just and righteous of God to take any one sinner from the face of this earth and to consume him eternally in the fire of his wrath in hell.

The only reason any of us were alive for any time at all before we knew Christ is because of his great mercy and because of his good pleasure (2 Pet. 3). This means that had it not been for God’s own good pleasure, his desire to preserve us in his patience, we would all have been consumed. In His great wisdom, he is pleased to have patience so that some will come to repentance upon seeing his great work and hearing his great word.

All men are sinners and deserve God's wrath as Paul teaches in Romans 3:10-19:

Romans 3:10-19: as it is written: "None is righteous, no, not one; ¹¹no one understands; no one seeks for God. ¹²All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one." ¹³"Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive." "The venom of asps is under their lips." ¹⁴"Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness." ¹⁵"Their feet are swift to shed blood; ¹⁶in their paths are ruin and misery, ¹⁷and the way of peace they have not known." ¹⁸"There is no fear of God before their eyes." ¹⁹Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God.

All mouths must be shut as we constantly stand before God the Judge, our King. We must realize that we have nothing to appease his wrath; nothing in our power to do the works he has given us to do in his law; nothing in our power to take away our guilt- -nothing that keeps us from the anger of God shown upon Pharaoh and his army; nothing in our power to keep us from being by nature sinners.

There is nothing that is keeping God from displaying his wrath upon all the world except his promises he has made to all who believe; nothing that can keep God from immediately demanding perfect obedience to his law that was revealed upon Mt. Sinai; nothing that can keep God from punishing us now eternally for our guilt and sin! There is absolutely nothing we can claim for ourselves in the presence of a holy and righteous God except that we are without hope and without God in the world! NOTHING- - Except…Except…Except…in the righteousness of Christ. The just and holy God must punish sin, but how is he to do this? Consider his great wisdom and grace revealed in the Person and Work of Christ.

The Wrath of God upon the Cross of Christ

Remember the Apostle Paul’s words in Romans 1:17 when he quotes Habakkuk chapter 2: “The righteous shall live by faith.” In God’s grace he has ultimately and consummately manifested his wrath in order to save his people because of his graciousness. The wrath of God was revealed in all its devastating consequences as God’s righteousness was revealed throughout history to Israel and all the nations…but it was all the more so devastating that God’s wrath was revealed at the cross, revealing not only God’s righteousness and holy justice against sin, but in his great love for his people that he delivered up his Only Begotten Son so that His only Son would taste his wrath and the death that comes from sin.

Christ received the wrath of God that had been stored up in the divine anger against every sin that had ever been committed by his people in cosmic rebellion against him. God delivered up his son to taste the torments and afflictions of hell on our behalf. What love, what righteousness, what justice, what wrath, what love that the Father bestowed upon us that we should be children of God…and that is what we are!! (1 John 3).

When Christ was delivered over to the Romans to be crucified, he did not merely die a painful death by crucifixion- - that indeed would be painful enough! In addition to the pain of crucifixion, Jesus took upon himself the absolute, deliberate, unmitigated wrath of God upon himself. He was a close as he could possibly be to our sins without being tainted by our sins; he became sin for us as our representative (Rom. 5:12-21).

1 Corinthians 5:21 teaches us that “He made [Christ] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” God forsook Christ on the cross and turned away his face from his son. God said, “The LORD curse you and make his face turn away from you,” rather than the LORD bless you and keep you and make his face shine upon you (cf. Deut. 6:4-6). God’s righteous wrath was so intense, so severe that even the Son of God himself prayed that if it be possible to allow God’s cup of wrath to pass from him; not “my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42-46).

This cup that Christ drank on our behalf- - the wrath of God and the death because of sin, Christ now invites his people to partake in a cup of life- - the life of his blood shed for the remission of sins. This is the true righteousness and holiness and justice of God revealed in his wrath. God’s patience from the time Adam sinned, in his forbearance, or the holding back his wrath upon a sinful people, he now displayed upon his most righteous and holy Son whom he loved- -and this all for us.

It is because God poured out his wrath on Christ as our propitiation, our substitute for our sins, that we can boldly come into the throne room and not tremble as the Israelites at Mt. Sinai. For we have not come to a mountain burning and rumbling with fire and thunder, but to the Holy City, the New Jerusalem (Heb. 12:18ff). Read Romans 3:19-26. God could be just in punishing sin, but also the justifier of those who believe by faith in Jesus. The righteous truly do live by faith! Not so the wicked!

Warnings to the Wicked

The wrath of God abides on all unbelievers, that is those who depend on their own works of righteousness that is as filthy rags (Is. 1; cf. John 3:36). For those who do not believe in the only Son of God whether Jew or Gentile, have trampled the Son of God underfoot and there is no other sacrifice for their sins. As God revealed his righteousness throughout history, so he revealed his wrath and hatred of sin among both Jew and Gentiles (Rom. 1:17ff). Now in the time after which Christ has come, God not only has ultimately revealed his righteousness in Christ, so he has revealed his wrath from heaven against sin on the cross and in the eternal torment of the wicked in hell. May we never trust in our own righteousness, but only in the righteousness that comes from Christ, by grace, through faith.

Remember on the last day, at the Judgment Seat of Christ, there will be some there that claimed Christ as Savior, who did mighty deeds in his name, but if they were looking merely to their accomplishment of the Law and not the accomplishment of Christ living the Law through them, they will hear the most terrifying words known to man: “Depart from me you wicked—I never knew you.” Our righteousness is not our own, it is Christ’s given to us or imparted to us. As 1 Cor. 1:30 teaches us, Christ is indeed our only righteousness, sanctification and redemption and therefore because those who do not trust in Christ will be forever banished to hell and experience the eternal torments of the wicked. You could say that if Christ was not in your place on the cross receiving the wrath of God, and you have not believed this by faith, then you will receive what Christ received upon the cross, and then some; you will receive God’s wrath upon your sins eternally!

Regarding those who do not believe, those who do not know God’s righteousness through faith in Christ, they will be permanently removed from the presence of God and his people (Mt. 25:31-46). The wicked, unrepentant unbelievers must come to Mt. Sinai that cannot be touched, that burns with fire, and blackness, and darkness, and tempest (Ex. 19:16-19; Dt. 4:11,12; 4:24; 5:4,23-25). The wicked will not strut with chins held high (Ps. 12:8) as they approach the Mountain of Sinai: the mountain of thunder and lightning, thick clouds of smoke, trumpet blasts, and fire, to be consumed by the wrath of God because they will have no mediator to save them (cf. Heb. 12).

So fearful will be the appearance of this mountain that they will quake with fear and trembling and they will not be able to endure his just judgment; the wicked will not stand in the judgment nor in the congregation of the righteous (Ex. 19; Ps. 1:5). The wicked will no longer plot against the LORD and against his anointed one (Ps. 2:1); they will no longer prosper but will be brought low, cut down like the grass and wither as the green herb, both the fool and the workers of iniquity in the fiery furnace of God’s wrath (Ps. 37:1,2; 73:3). This is because salvation is far from the wicked (Ps. 119:155) who are like ships on the tossing sea; the breath of God’s lips will slay them (Is. 11:4; 57:20). The wicked will die for their sins (Ezek. 3:18) although they have been warned by the clear revelation of God’s wrath, they will continue to be wicked (Dan. 12:10; Rom. 1:18; 1 Cor. 6:9; cf. Rev. 22:11).

The wicked must remember the warning of 2 Thessalonians 1:7ff, that the Lord Jesus Christ will not return as the meek Lamb to live the life as a servant and to die a heinous death upon the cross.

2 Thessalonians 1:7-9: And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, ⁸In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: ⁹Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power...

When the Lord Jesus Christ is revealed again, he will be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance upon those who do not know God and upon those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus (1 Thess. 9,10). As Hebrews 10:31 says, “It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

Be warned and do not wait any longer, today is the day of God’s salvation (2 Cor. 6:2), look upon the Christ who has been held up upon the cross and experienced God’s wrath- -and believe. Believe on the only Begotten Son of God who has tasted death and hell on your behalf and do not ever look to your own righteousness again. If you have believed upon the LORD Jesus Christ, then by His Spirit he will teach you to say no to unrighteousness, he will produce the good fruits of the Spirit by faith as you walk and grow in his knowledge by his grace, and he will ultimately deliver you from the wrath to come. That is why all the believers at God’s throne in Revelation 4 and 5 are praising God and the Lamb both day and night.

In God’s presence these saints know and realize how much God loved them by not overlooking their sins, but by punishing the Lamb of God in their stead- - in their place. God’s wrath on the Last Day will consume the unbelieving and those who have rejected Christ- - the whole creation will be in agony as God’s wrath in fire will melt the firmament and the heavens with the heat from his nostrils in order to bring about a New Heavens and a New Earth wherein dwell righteousness; where God and the Lamb will be with God’s people forevermore. O, the wisdom and love of God, that even in his wrath he restores his people and all creation unto himself in Christ.

So what should we understand from the study of God’s wrath in the Scripture in our daily lives? 1^st, We have hope by looking upon Christ and not our own filthy works, that we know in Christ the wrath of God has been truly poured out on behalf of his people. When the time had reached fulfillment, Christ died for the ungodly (Rom. 5:6-8); our only Mediator between God and man revealed himself as one born under the righteous law of God to fulfill it and take upon himself all the sins of his people (Mt. 5:17-20; Gal. 4:4; 1 Tim. 2:5). Therefore we have hope and confidence that our God is gracious, he is faithful to his people in our daily lives.

2^nd, We should understand that God is not angry at his people. Although as believers we continue to sin, we continue to fall short, God is working in us to do works according to his will (Phil. 2:12-13). The faithful God who began a good work in us will complete it (Phil. 1:6), and bring us into his presence on account of the work of Christ (Rev. 21:3ff). God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, and therefore we beg those who do not believe to be reconciled to God by looking to Christ alone for their salvation (2 Cor. 5). We know that we are not what we will be, but that God is purifying a Bride for Christ- - right this minute, in each of you—in order to perfect us on that Great and Glorious Day when Jesus shall return for his people (Eph. 5:25ff; cf. Phil. 3:12-21).

When we sin, we have a great Advocate with the Father, the Lord Jesus Christ and we ask forgiveness daily for our sins, but God’s wrath has been appeased, it has been satisfied on our behalf because of Christ. Therefore, when we fail, we do not beat ourselves to death and try to condemn ourselves, because Christ has been condemned on our behalf (Rom. 8:1- “There is now no condemnation for those who have the Spirit of God dwelling in them”). No longer do we live under the wrath and anger of a holy God, but we have a relationship to him as a loving Father, and we cry out “Abba, Father, Come Lord Jesus” because we know that God is pleased with his people. He knows that we are weak and fallen, but he has saved us by faith to do good works- - to fulfill his righteousness by the Spirit that dwells within us (Eph. 2:6ff; cf. Rom. 8). This means that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus - -even our sins, he forgives- -even our most heinous acts, he is willing to forgive us when we turn to him in repentance- -even our sins, he uses for his glory and our good now (Read Romans 8:28-39).

3^rd, Do not be afraid of the LORD’s coming, but look forward to it. Be alert, sober and watchful, this is our great calling as we wait on him to return! Live for the LORD in obedience because of your gratitude for what he has done in Christ! Remember the words of Hebrews 12:28-29, “Let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire.” Fear the LORD you saints, for those who fear the LORD lack no good thing!

Whatever your pain, whatever your struggle, whatever your sin this day, know that the LORD has provided a Mediator- -Christ, so that you may come to God in boldness, approaching the throne in your time of need (Heb. 4:16-18). Do not condemn yourself because of your daily failures, but be comforted by the God of all comfort (2 Cor. 1:3-10), that he loves you and is pleased with you. Understand that this is the gospel, the true law of perfect liberty (James 1:25), to be able to live the Christian life by pleasing the LORD by your imperfect obedience. Come to the LORD in your pain, when you sin, when you think that your sins are too great and he will not forgive you again- - put this far from your mind, for the LORD Jesus Christ truly tasted wrath, death and hell on your behalf. Remember that you have peace with God now and look away from yourself to the one who died on your behalf.

Pastor Charles R. Biggs

Ketoctin Covenant Presbyterian Church

9 S. Locust Street

Post Office Box 628

Round Hill, VA 20142-0628

571.334.7420

Quote of the Week

Introduction

Our quote for this week comes from Dr. John Piper's new book entitled: 'Brothers, We are NOT Professionals: A Plea to Pastors for Radical Ministry'. This book is a mine of precious wisdom from Piper's pastoral experience and valuable nuggets of scriptural truth to encourage faithfulness in Christ's ministry. This book is recommended for seasoned pastors as well as those newly called to shepherd a congregation. The book is arranged with fairly short chapters so that you can read this book as a daily devotional if you wish.

This quotation is on legalism. The title of the chapter is: 'Brothers, Don't Fight Flesh Tanks with Peashooter Regulations'. Read carefully this wisdom concerning the legalism that we constantly war again in our own hearts.

John Piper

"...Legalism means treating Biblical standards of conduct as regulations to be kept by our own power in order to earn God's favor. In other words, legalism is present whenever a person is trying to be ethical in his own strength, that is, without relying on the merciful help of God in Christ. Simply put, moral behavior that is not from faith is legalism (Rom. 14:23).

The legalist is usually a moral person. In fact, the majority of moral people in the Western world are legalists because their so-called Judeo-Christian morality, inherited from their forefathers, does not grow out of a humble, contrite reliance on the blood-bought, Spirit-wrought, merciful enabling of God.

On the contrary, for the legalist, morality serves the same function that immorality does for the antinomian or the progressive- - namely, as the expression of self-reliance and self-assertion. The reason some Pharisees tithed and fasted was the same reason some university students take off their clothes and lie around naked in the parks in Munich and Amsterdam.

The moral legalist is the elder brother of the immoral prodigal (Luke 15:11-32). They are blood brothers in God's sight because both reject the mercy of God in Christ as a means to righteousness and use either morality or immorality as a means of expressing their independence and self-sufficiency and self-determination. And it is clear from the New Testament that both will result in a tragic loss of eternal life, if there is no repentance."

-John Piper, Brothers, We are NOT Professionals, pg. 153.

Pastor Charles R. Biggs

Ketoctin Covenant Presbyterian Church

9 S. Locust Street

Post Office Box 628

Round Hill, VA 20142-0628

571.334.7420

Vol. VI, Issue 21

"Light--Brilliant Life-Giving Light"

Rev. Charles R. Biggs

Introduction

The following studies will be on themes from the Gospel of John. The Gospel of John is a magnificent book of revelation about Jesus Christ our Savior. One of the main emphasis in the Gospel is that those who read it, both believers and unbelievers, might come to a true and saving knowledge of the living God (John 15:1-5; 20:31). As you study John's Gospel, you will notice theological and biblical contrasts in his book: light-darkness, life-death, Law-Grace, creation-New creation, Old Testament signs-New Testament realities, and the present age characterized by sin, death due to Adam's fall and the age to come that has now dawned in the coming of God in the flesh. In fact, the Gospel of John opens with many of these theological contrasts.

The Gospel of John also presents a horizontal perspective as well as a vertical perspective of history. One the one hand, John emphasizes the horizontal perspective of a new creation dawning in history because of the coming of Jesus into the world (John 1:1-18). This history that extends back to the first creation is consummated in the coming of a new creation (Thus the reason John begins his gospel with "In the beginning"). On the other hand, John focuses our attention on a vertical perspective of history because real eternal life and knowledge of God is obtained by being "born from above", Jesus came down from above, His Kingdom is not of this world, etc. As we study the themes in the Book of John, may we keep these basic truths in mind.

The Gospel of John as Story, Play, and Film

I believe that it is helpful to think of the Book of John with story-perspectives. For instance, John's Gospel could be understand as the story of Jesus Christ and how we all either fit into that story, or do not fit into His story. This story is filled with paradox, irony, misinterpretations and misunderstandings, and ultimately with a hero who is resurrected to his proper place upon the completion of his journey for those he loved [NOTE: the use of "story" in no way means that it is a fictional story. "Story" is used as a way of capturing the essence of God's revelation of His reality in Jesus Christ. Some men make up their own fictional stories, and some men by his grace, submit to God's Historically True Story].

You could also look at John's Gospel as a play. Chapter 1 is a prologue to the play, perhaps with overture music, chapters 2-12 form the content of Act One, chapters 13-20 form the content of Act Two, with an epilogue at the end in chapter 21. Another perspective for approaching the book of John is like a film. Chapter 1 contains the opening titles, musical theme, and credits. It gives you the history prior to the story in the film. Chapters 2-20 are various angles or shots the camera captures, then it is edited by John to focus every event, sign, and saying to reveal Jesus Christ as the Author of the story. Chapter 21 would be the closing credits and music of the film.

John Chapter 1

John 1:1-14: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²He was in the beginning with God. ³All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. ⁴In him was life, and the life was the light of men. ⁵The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. ⁶There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. ⁸He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. ⁹The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. ¹⁰He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. ¹¹He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. ¹²But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, ¹³who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. ¹⁴And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Light in the Darkness

When I was a young boy, I used to be terribly fearful of the dark as I would go to bed each night. The dark at night was the place of the unknown, the unfamiliar, and the unrecognizable. Shadows would lurk about my room, moving from wall to wall as I would see shapes that my mind would arrange as horrible threats to my existence. I would try to get up out of my bed to reach the light switch, and I would do this as fast as I could, because in my mind I was racing the images I saw on the wall that I thought were not to only scare me, but to take my life.

If I could not get enough to nerve to quickly jump out of bed, I would merely wait until the light of morning, then I could see clearly that there was nothing in my room, and there was truly nothing to fear but the fear I experienced itself. What a comfort the light of morning was whenever I was fearful of the dark. Light is comforting to all of us in this world, because it enables our eyes to see all around us and to have the ability to observe the beauty of the universe all around us.

Just like when I was a boy, the world had been submerged into darkness because of the fall of Adam into sin. What the Westminster Confession of Faith calls the "estate of sin and misery" (WCOF, chapter 6) the Apostle John describes in John chapter one of his gospel as a "darkness" (v. 5). Men could see all around them the reality of a Creator, and of his beautiful creation (cf. Romans 1), yet because their hearts were darkened, they could not comprehend it, nor ignore it by overcoming it (v. 5). So, God in His grace took upon Himself human flesh to point our way to the true God, our true and eternal God the Creator.

Who was this man who came to dwell among us, to show us the light (v. 14)? This man was very God of very God! John wants us to know that just as there was deep darkness in the original creation of the world, and God said "Let there be light!" in the darkness, so in Jesus Christ, God begins the consummation of a new creation with the coming of Jesus Christ into the world who will also cry out "Let there be light!"- - and there was, and will continue to be light until he returns for those who believe.

With God and Was God

Who was this man who had the ability to speak and light would come forth from darkness? Who was this man who could do what God could do in healing men's sicknesses, enlightening the eyes of those who could not see, causing some to be born again, or "born from above"? This man was "with God" in the beginning, as well as "was God". This man Jesus Christ, the Word who became flesh, who came to dwell among us, so that we might know the true God in the midst of our darkness.

During a time period in history when men are offering up sacrifice and praise to every created thing in hopes of finding fulfillment and instead end up merely creating another idol to worship because they know there is a true God but are too blind to see him, or to find him. Jesus Christ the one who was "with God" and "was God" comes to make this true God known to us.

The good news of John's gospel in revealing Jesus Christ as the one "with God" and the one who "was God" is to remind us of the need of a Savior who would be "like us, yet not like us". We needed someone who was distinct from God, that is "with God", who could by his grace take upon himself human flesh, to become a man to represent us righteously before God. We also needed someone "not like us" who was ultimately "like God" or rather "was God" so as to truly reveal God to us, to truly live for us, to have the power, holiness and love of God that only God could have!

The sad part of what John writes is that even though this Jesus was "with God" and "was God", and the world and everything in it was created by him and for him (v. 3), the world, because it was submerged in darkness did not recognize him. The creatures do not recognize their Creator because they are submerged in the blackest darkness and need the Light of the World to bring not only light, but life. The good news was that this Jesus Christ was not only light, but life, and this life was the light of men (v. 4).

Old Creation and New Creation

Since the "old creation" ("In the beginning...", Gen. 1) and the fall that occurred in that "old creation" (Gen. 3), the world was submerged in an estate of sin and misery, ruled by the results and circumstances of the fall of Adam. People in the world were ruled by the dominion of the prince of the power of the air, the god of this age, and the principles of sin, such as self-centeredness, idol worship, false religiosity, and lived with the ultimate destiny of death and separation from God their Creator. Yet God in his grace came to tabernacle, to dwell with men in darkness so as to give them life, and in their new life as new creations to be given light!

You see there was nothing wrong with the light of the "old creation". It was because the people were submerged in sin and darkness with tainted hearts that they were unable to see or comprehend the light of God's glorious "good" revelation in the world around us (Gen. 1:31; Psa. 19). So, Jesus Christ comes to establish a new creation with new creations (cf. 2 Cor. 5:17), that is people who believe, who will live eternally with him and be able to see the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. We see a glimpse of this now, but O what we will see people of God when we see him face to face- - as he is. In fact, as John writes in his first epistle, we shall be like him!

Do you know that a new creation a "new beginning" (v. 1) has dawned in Jesus Christ? Do you comprehend God and see him as God in the flesh? Embrace him by faith today! Ask him for life so that you might truly live as you were purposed to live as his obedient creature! Ask him for light so that you might truly see your sin and the darkness in which you live, so that you might truly know the beauty of the Lord your God! Praise be to God for dwelling among us in our own flesh!

This is our hope and the encouragement that John give us in the first few verses of John chapter 1!

Pastor Charles R. Biggs

Ketoctin Covenant Presbyterian Church

9 S. Locust Street

Post Office Box 628

Round Hill, VA 20142-0628

571.334.7420

Quote of the Week

Introduction

Our quote this week comes from Cornelius Plantinga, Jr., Professor of Theology at Calvin Theological Seminary. This quotation is the epilogue of his excellent book: "NOT the Way It's Supposed to Be: A Breviary on Sin" (Eerdsmans, 1995).

Romans 5 says that where sin abounds, grace super-abounds. In order truly to understand grace, we must understand sin. To understand sin, we must understand the grace that we have rejected in God's creation of the world when we rebelled against our Creator in Adam. This quotation helps us to think about the great grace of God and how he truly saves his people from their sins. The grace of God always comes to us with blood on it, because it cost the life of God's one and only Son to secure our salvation from the sin that so easily besets us! Read this book if you have the time. You will not be disappointed.

Dr. Plantinga

"In a book about Ronald Reagan and his times, Garry Wills pauses, oddly enough, to comment on the doctrine of original sin. In referring to the 'linked sequences of disaster, the series calamitatis of history,' Wills states that

"we are hostages to each other in a deadly interrelatedness. There is no "clean slate" of nature unscribbled on by all one's forebears....At one time a woman of unsavory enough experience was delicately but cruelly referred to as 'having a past.' The doctrine of original sin states that humankind, in exactly that sense, 'has a past.'"

But, of course, our past also includes saints, civilizations, generous laws for gleaners, hospices, relief agencies, virtuoso peacemakers, and rural traditions of pitching in at a neighbor's barn raising. Our experience today includes wonderful bursts of hospitality by strangers for confused Alzheimer's patients who wander into their homes. It includes exultant worship, fifty-year wedding anniversaries, and, on some May mornings, a sense of life's sweetness and of God's goodness so sharp that we want to cry out from the sheer promise of it.

Evil rolls through the ages, but so does good. Good has its own momentum. Corruption never wholly succeeds. (Even blasphemers acknowledge God). Creation is stronger than sin and grace stronger still. Creation and grace are anvils that have worn out a lot of our hammers.

To speak of sin by itself, is to speak of it apart from the realities of creation and grace, is to forget the resolve of God. God wants shalom (peace) and will pay any price to get it back. Human sin is stubborn, but not as stubborn as the grace of God and not half as persistent, not half so ready to suffer to win its way.

Moreover, to speak of sin by itself is to misunderstand its nature: sin is only a parasite, a vandal, a spoiler. Sinful life is a partly depressing, partly ludicrous caricature of genuine human life. To concentrate on rebellion, defection, and folly- - to say to the world 'I have some bad news and I have some bad news'- - is to forget that the center of the Christian religion is not our sin but our Savior. To speak of sin without grace is to minimize the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the fruit of the Spirit, and the hope of shalom.

But to speak of grace without sin is surely no better. To do this is to trivialize the cross of Jesus Christ, to skate past all the struggling by good people down the ages to forgive, accept, and rehabilitate sinners, including themselves, and therefore to cheapen the grace of God that always comes to us with blood on it.

What had we thought the ripping and writhing on Golgotha were all about? To speak of grace without looking squarely at these realities, without painfully honest acknowledgement of our own sin and its effects, is to shrink grace to a mere embellishment of the music of creation, to shrink it down ot a mere grace note. In short, for the Christian church (even in its recently popular seeker services) to ignore, euphemize, or otherwise mute the lethal reality of sin is to cut the nerve of the gospel.

For the sober truth is that without full disclosure on sin, the gospel of grace becomes impertinent, unnecessary, and finally uninteresting." -pp. 198-99, 'Not the Way It's Supposed to Be'.

Pastor Charles R. Biggs

Ketoctin Covenant Presbyterian Church

9 S. Locust Street

Post Office Box 628

Round Hill, VA 20142-0628

571.334.7420

Vol. VI, Issue 22

"God's Glory in the Flesh"

Rev. Charles R. Biggs

Introduction

Are you feeling like you have gotten yourself into a mess and there is no way out for you? Do you feel forgotten and lonely perhaps because of age and you think you are no longer important to your church or family? Do you often struggle with the same sins over and over, the sin you think you have completely conquered and forgotten, and then there is is to threaten your intimate walk with Christ again? Do you feel like there is a situation that God is not big enough to change? Do you feel like you have prayed and called out to God about something in particular and he has not answered and you are questioning his love for you?

In all of these situations above, the one most important thing we all need is the realization and knowledge that God is with us and that He is able to do above and beyond whatever we ask or imagine! Even if it seems too big or difficult for you, God is able and God is with you! The fact of God being with us is the great truth that John communicates in John 1.

Throughout redemptive-history, God's people had awaited the day when God would fully and permanently dwell with them. He dwelled in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve until the fall of man into sin and rebellion caused separation. Later, by His grace, God dwelled with Israel in the Tabernacle of Meeting that He commanded Moses to oversee (Exodus 25ff). During the "golden age" of Israel's existence as nation, God dwelled in a Temple built by Solomon. The hope that everyone was looking forward to was that one day God would permanently dwell with his people and this presence would ensure His people that He cared for them, loved them, and would be strong enough and able enough to do whatever they asked.

John begins his Gospel declaring the good news of Jesus by pointing us to the reality that God became flesh and made his dwelling among us- - the living God stepped down out of heaven to take upon himself human flesh so that he could be a perfect Mediator on our behalf, sympathize with our weaknesses, to present himself to God as a sacrifice for our sins and rebellion. The unbelievable and unimaginable took place: God became one of us! And in the enfleshing of God, we see and behold the Glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ! Today's study will focus on John 1, verses 1, 14, and 18.

John 1:1-18

ESV John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. 9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 ( John bore witness about him, and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.'") 16 And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known.

"God Was the WORD"

God’s Glory dwells with man in the Person of Jesus Christ, but this was something that no one in their wildest imaginations could have fathomed until God made it clear in the life and preaching of Jesus. Notice in verse 1. John says that "In the beginning was the WORD, and the WORD was with God, and the WORD was God." Jesus was "With God and Was God". This shows that the WORD was both distinct from God the Father as well as equal with.

It is important to explain the Greek Text of John 1:1, particularly since many want to deny the divinity of Christ, some willing only to acknowledge him as a "good teacher". In the Greek text of John 1:1, John literally wants to say that "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word. Because the Greek text has no article before 'God' in the last clause of verse 1, some false teachers have tried to translate this as: "The Word was a god", perhaps a god-like person, like in Greek thought, but not THE GOD.

John however does not have an article so as to emphasize the placement of God before Word, so that it says: "God was the WORD. In other words, there is absolutely no question as to what John communicates: The Word is distinct from God (with God), as well as equal to God (was God).

It’s a WORD, it’s a logos, it’s a man, no it’s God in the flesh!

John goes on to stress Christ's "God-ness" or Deity, or Divinity by explaining Jesus with the use of a Hebrew term as well as a Greek term. To the Greeks, Word, or LOGOS, meant the rational principle, or logic that held all of life and the cosmos together. It was an impersonal force that kept all order from turning chaotic when someone sneezes.

To the Hebrews the Word communicated God's divine speaking, as when God speaks in the creation and all comes to pass. The divine fiat that commands life and light and life and light comes forth into nothing. It also communicates the Word spoken by the prophets that would not go forth and return empty or void (Isa. 55-58), that burned within the hearts of God's prophets. The WORD also communicated God's wisdom and how to live within God's world (cf. Proverbs 8).

This LOGOS, this WORD of God became flesh! To use Paul's expression elsewhere in 1 Corinthians, this would have been foolishness to the Greeks and a stumbling block to the Jews! This was the unbelievable, but it was God coming to dwell with man in glory in a way that was so very unexpected!

What kind of flesh was this? Real flesh? God had flesh like ours! When we think if God in flesh and desire to see God's glory displayed in all its fullness look to the God who became like us, had a body like us (yet without sin nature), got his feet dirty, who had a heart beat, who would have sweat and perspired on a hot day in the sun and our God would have even had body odor. What kind of God is this? What child is this? Behold, we see the glory of God revealed in a crying peasant child named Jesus who was probably licked clean by the animals (his own creatures) in the cattle stall in which he was born. This is the kind of flesh that God took own -- our own. That is why he understands how we feel and that is why he sympathizes with us in weakness and in our struggle in this world!

This is such great news that God would answer our ultimate prayers to see him and to behold him with our own face and yet men want to deny the deity, God-ness, or divinity of the Word. Why? Because since the fall man likes his own will and way, he likes playing God like a small child playing house with her dolls, and he neither wants to be obedient to this Word, nor honor him in worship. In other words, denying Christ’s Deity, God-ness, or Divinity is man’s last ditch effort to diminish or rewrite the revelation of God’s hope extended to man.

The "God-Ness", Deity and Divinity of Jesus, the WORD Enfleshed

John’s main intent in chapter 1 is to stress the deity, or “God-ness” of Jesus Christ (compare 1:1, 18; 20:28-31; “I AM statements of Jesus). In fact, the whole of John's Gospel has an inclusio from the first chapter to the end of part two in chapter 20. He begins with the foundational statement that Jesus was God, then he ends book two in chapter 20 with Thomas' revelation: "My LORD, and My God" as he believes in Jesus. This revelation of John is held out so that all of us will believe (John 20:31).

This is the ultimate question for ourselves, our friends, family and neighbors: “Who Do You Say Jesus Is?” How you answer this reveals whether you have a Savior who can truly save: a Savior like you, as well as not like you; One who was with God, and was God! But also in the midst of your pain, misunderstanding, lack of faith, loneliness, and struggling with your sins, you need to also be reminded of Who Jesus is! If God is able to surprise even the finest of Bible scholars who taught at the first coming of Jesus, he is surely able to surprise you each and every day as you remind yourself that the Word Who became flesh is with you and He is able to do what He has promised to you that He will do!

C. S. Lewis' 'Liar, Lunatic, or LORD'

Men today deny his Jesus' Divinity and accept him as just a “good teacher” or nice religious person. He is called by some to be the first social activist, feminist, pluralist, and everything else under the sun other than “very God of very God, begotten not made, being of one essence with the Father.” If he is just a good teacher, he is not even that. C. S. Lewis said one time, we can call Jesus a liar, a lunatic, or Lord, but we cannot merely call him a good teacher if indeed he was not God.

To use C. S. Lewis' comment from his book Mere Christianity, we can say Jesus lied to us and so we can say he is bad because he was a nasty liar. We can also pity him and say he was a lunatic to think he was God and to lay down his life for a cause that was of his own making (or to surrender himself in his death on the wheel of history). But if he is who he says he is, and HE IS because he said and proved that he was I AM, then we must call him LORD and because he is LORD we must obey him and worship him.

A Search, A Quest and a Rejection

Even within the pale of so-called “Christian circles” men are looking for the “historical Jesus” and the historical Jesus is not divine in their estimation- - yet that is exactly what John is communicating in his gospel- - so that all will believe and know the True God and Jesus Christ His Son (John 17:3-5). If these men on their search or quest for the so-called historical Jesus are removing Scripture that does not rightly reveal Jesus, and they believe Jesus is not God, then they will desire to reject all of the Scriptures that do indeed witness to the fact that he is God -- and that leaves them with a continuous search with nothing ever meaningful and true found concerning this Jesus!

If these "scholars" come to the table of their search with the bias, or the presupposition that Jesus is not God, they are not very likely to find him revealed as God. What a shame! For all who deny him in this way, there is only the threat of eternal death and punishment, eternally realizing and being reminded consciously while in torment, that this Jesus was the Great I AM and rather than believing what they saw so clearly in the life of Jesus and hearing in the preaching of Jesus and about Jesus, they will will realize that they rejected him and they will glorify God in his great justice despite their so-called search because they will get what we all deserve apart from the grace held out in Jesus Christ, the WORD who was enfleshed!

But for all who believe, we have God’s covenant promise: To Be Our God and to dwell once again with Him like we were originally created to do in the creation of all things. God dwells in the flesh so that we might truly come to know that God is not silent, rather he reveals himself clearly all around us in His beautiful creation ("the theater of his glory"- Calvin), and specially He reveals himself in our own human flesh.

The Glory of the God in the Face of Jesus Christ and Existential Blindness and Deafness

In Exodus 33:12-34:8- Moses wants to see God’s face. God in his grace (and protection of Moses) only reveals his back side as well as his attributes to him. Moses wants to know as God's Mediator if God is going to be present with him as Mediator. Moses longs for the presence of God to be with God's people permanently. He longs for the day when God will truly be with us! What John writes, Moses could have never conceived: God would reveal his glory with a face like Moses (and Moses gets to experience the transfiguration of Jesus with Elijah when the cloaked God with a human face in our flesh "unzips" his glory for a moment of revelation in time!)

In the fullness of time, that John records for us in John 1, the God does come to us to dwell with us to live for those who believe, and to open up the way for God to come and dwell permanently with us by His Spirit, and one day in glorified bliss in the New Heavens and the New Earth (Revelation 21-22). This is the hope of all those who would believe.

Many unbelieving people in the world say that if they could just see God, or see Jesus, then they would believe! But, Jesus says:

John 20:29 Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." 30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book…

In Ingmar Bergman’s film The Seventh Seal, the knight (one who represents religious existentialism) who realizes the meaninglessness of life in the face of death, who thinks he has searched for God, cried out to God, and God has not answered him says for all unbelievers who want to see God:

“My indifference has shut me out. I live in a world of ghosts, a prisoner of dreams. I want God to put out his hand, show his face, speak to me. I cry out to him in the dark but there is no one there…Why can’t I kill God within me?”

Religious existentialism dealt with God’s so-called “silence” and Francis Schaeffer wrote the book “He is There and Is Not Silent” based on this type of thinking. Problem is, men want God to appear to them on their own terms, not in God’s terms- - they cannot ever recognize God’s divinity nor their own humanity in the Person of Jesus Christ! Only by God's grace giving them true life, so that they might have true light: "In Him was life, and that life was the light of men" (1:5).

In Christ we see what Moses longed to see: God’s face, as well as God’s attributes and even his personality. If men want to see or hear God they must look to and listen to Jesus Christ. He is the only One who has seen God and made him known (1:18). Men can wait around for the rest of their lives supposedly "Waiting on Godot", but "Godot", rather, the WORD has clearly made God known to all and the resurrection is the reason why God calls men everywhere to repent, turn, be obedient to, and worship this LORD Jesus Christ. Paul says it like this to the Greek Philosophers at Athens (who were in their own way "Waiting for Godot"):

"'In him we live and move and have our being'; as even some of your own poets have said, "' For we are indeed his offspring.'...The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, ³¹because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead." ³²Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, "We will hear you again about this."

God's People are Reflections of His Glory

May we as a people look to Jesus each day, each moment to see the love of God expressed and displayed by faith in the face of Jesus. May we then go out to each other and into the world with the face that still shines because of the reflection of the glory of God, not coming from the outside, but arising internally from our hearts’ affections to show the love of Christ to others (2 Cor. 3:7-18).

May we share God’s good news to others and others “see Jesus Christ” in our deeds and hear Jesus Christ in what we say! May we encourage one another as believers with the good news that no matter what we are going through, whatever difficult place we find ourselves in, may we be reminded that God is With us! He is our "Immanuel"! God is with us in Jesus Christ and because of Jesus Christ and His resurrection and glorification at God's right hand, we are given His Spirit and so God dwells with His people in the most intimate of ways! May we come to realize the power of his strength that works within us (Eph. 1:15-23).

And may we warn unbelievers as well as encourage each other that one day God will dwell permanently with us in glorified flesh as Revelation 21 describes for us in detail:

³And I heard a great voice out of the throne saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he shall dwell with them, and they shall be his peoples, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God: ⁴and he shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and death shall be no more; neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, any more: the first things are passed away....²²And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God the Almighty, and the Lamb, are the temple thereof. ²³And the city hath no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine upon it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the lamp thereof is the Lamb. ²⁴And the nations shall walk amidst the light thereof: and the kings of the earth bring their glory into it. ²⁵And the gates thereof shall in no wise be shut by day (for there shall be no night there): ²⁶and they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it: ²⁷and there shall in no wise enter into it anything unclean, or he that maketh an abomination and a lie: but only they that are written in the Lamb's book of life.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Pastor Charles R. Biggs

Ketoctin Covenant Presbyterian Church

9 S. Locust Street

Post Office Box 628

Round Hill, VA 20142-0628

571.334.7420

Special Edition- Reformation Day Celebration

Introduction

"Get over it!" "The Reformation is an historical event that took place years ago; it is irrelevant to me and to modern people." "Just give me Jesus and I will be happy. What good could come from visiting the teaching of the Reformation in today's church?"

These are some of the initial comments one is likely to get from other well-meaning Christians unfamiliar, uninformed, or disinterested in the Reformation of the 16th century. Yet, what God did in His goodness during the Reformation was nothing less than the reestablishment of the gospel, the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ, that had been eclipsed by the good works of men.

The Reformation was a time when God allowed light to shine in the darkness of the failed attempts of feeble and sinful men trying to earn righteousness from good works, and only ending in despair. In the Reformation, God allowed his grace to come again into glorious sight, so that one could truly know how to be made right or at peace with the living God.

The Holy Spirit through the light of the Scriptures illumined minds and hearts and reminded needy sinners about salvation, hope, and true life found only in Jesus Christ and his righteousness. What can the Reformation teach us today? Everything! If we are interested in knowing how we can stop "trying harder" and beating ourselves up when we fail, and learn to rest in the righteousness of Christ alone! What we can learn from the Reformation today is to stop saying "I'll try harder" and begin saying "for me, for me, for me"! More on what this means later...

Luther's Reformation

This week is the 486th anniversary of the beginning of the Reformation. On October 31, 1517, a young pastor and Bible teacher in Wittenberg, Germany posted 95 Theses (or "things he wanted to discuss with other pastors and teachers in the church") on the door of the Castle Church in his home town. Not intending anything other than a discussion with other pastors and teachers, Martin Luther was used by God to begin a Reformation of the Church by returning to the foundation of Scripture alone.

Scripture alone taught that salvation was not sold by indulgences and grace was God's alone to give. The Pope was offering salvation, hope, and the chance for Uncle Buck and Aunt Minnie to get out of purgatory if the people of the town would pay the right price. Luther's '95 Theses' questioned the authority of the Pope to be able to offer salvation, hope, or redemption for money. These 95 things Luther wanted to discuss caused Luther to seek ultimate authority for the church in the Scriptures and not in the whims of popes and councils, because both erred; Scripture alone was the Church's authority and sole rule of faith.

What came from this study of the authority of Scripture alone, and asking what Scripture taught concerning man's salvation, hope and life in Christ, was the realization and experiencing of true salvation, real hope, and the abundant life found only in Christ. The doctrines, or teachings of the Reformation established upon, and found in Scripture alone were: faith alone, grace alone, Christ alone, to the glory of God alone.

Luther literally (and accidentally, albeit providentially) opened up a theological can of worms that would eventually cause the entire Roman Church and the Pope to stand against him and to excommunicate him at the Diet of Worms in April of 1521. So you could say that Luther found salvation in Christ alone somewhere between the event of his opening of the theological can of worms in the 95 Theses and his standing for the authority of Scripture alone at the Diet (Council) of Worms! :-)>

Righteousness Revealed from God

What Luther discovered when going to the Scriptures alone was that a righteousness had been revealed from God, not from within himself or from external works (Romans 1:17; cf. Rom. 3:20ff). Salvation was found by going to Christ, not by going through the motions of external obedience. This righteousness of Christ was received by faith alone.

The grace of God was not something man could cooperate with as in the Medieval Roman Catholic theology (as well as in some Evangelical circles today), it was all of grace (Eph. 2:5-10). Grace alone meant that man's will was in bondage to the flesh, the world and the Devil and the only way that the will could freely choose Christ was for the heart to be regenerated, awakened from the dead, pass from death to life, and this all by grace so that no one could boast, as Paul teaches in Ephesians 2.

Christ alone was the only Mediator (1 Tim. 2:5), our only Savior and Substitute for sin (Romans 5:10; 2 Corinthians 5:21). The truth of Christ alone was summarized in 1 Corinthians 1:30 and 2 Corinthians 5:21:

1 Corinthians 1:30 He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption.

2 Corinthians 5:21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

In the Scriptures above from Paul's Letters to the Corinthians, notice the fullness of Christ's saving work: He is our righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. Christ's righteousness, not ours is our merit before a Holy and Just God. He is our holiness or sanctification and He is the One who has paid the ransom price to purchase us back and make us children of God.

Also notice the substitutionary quality of Christ alone: Jesus became sin (He who knew no sin). In other words, our sins were laid on his back and he was cursed for us (for us, for us, for us!!! Shout it loudly wherever you are!). His righteousness would cause us to become the righteousness of God! This is what Christ alone meant!

And all of this salvation in Christ was for the glory of God alone! As Romans 11:36 says: "From Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to God be the glory forever and ever!" Our salvation is all for the praise of HIS glorious grace, as Paul teaches in Ephesians 1!

Today's Reformation

Well, we have a need for a Reformation today as well! We may not have neighbors selling indulgences and literally trying to buy their way out of hell (although you will find some who are sadly doing this). What we do have today are well-meaning people who are focusing more on what they do for Christ, than what Christ has done for them. Even though the intention is good, the bracelets some wear with the phrase "What Would Jesus Do" (WWJD) seem to focus too much on our doing and not what Christ has already done!

I believe that the focus should be on "What Has Jesus Already Done in His Life, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension for Me?", but then it would be too long of a phrase for a bracelet or a nice bumper sticker; it would be "WHJADIHLDRAAFM?" Probably not an easy sell or an easy fit on a nice porcelain figurine in a Christian book store. Remember: "It is well with my soul" because "It is finished!" not because "It is about me and my attempts at righteousness". We need Reformation today!

Furthermore, there are some in our day- - these are Christians!- - who think that the reason they are saved ultimately is not because of grace alone, but because they have cooperated with grace held out to them. This was what the Reformation was all about! Medieval Roman Catholic theology is quite complex, but it is foundationally a system of earning salvation by cooperating with grace held out to men, who then respond with their faith, and then salvation is merited to them.

If Evangelical Christians in our day would stop and think about it, I think they would find their theology to be more Roman Catholic than they would like to admit! The term 'Protestant' used to mean that one was opposed to this Medieval theology of salvation by cooperation, but today's Evangelical Protestant is not so much protesting this way of false salvation as much as they are protesting the Reformed way of thinking. At one time to be a Protestant meant you were protesting a false hope held out to you. Now it seems to mean in many circles that I am protesting against believing what the Reformation taught about grace alone.

Additionally, this "cooperation salvation" gives people in this world every reason to boast, which is what Paul is trying to prevent in Ephesians 2 where he is explaining grace alone. If (and I do say "IF") every person in the world had the same access to grace and the same ability to cooperate with that grace using their so-called 'free-will', it would give one person who chose Christ over someone who rejected him every reason to boast. This is the most popular understanding today in Evangelical circles of how someone is saved! Because there is a reason to boast, it therefore undermines the grace of God and promotes the good works, will, and decisions of men (cf. John 1:12-13; Romans 9:10-21). We need Reformation today!

Also, when Christians are brought up and "nurtured" on a diet of "Christ and you" rather than "Christ in you" (which is the hope of glory, Col. 1:28ff), then we are reminded that we have need of a Reformation. When many sermons every Lord's Day are on examples from Scripture rather than being centered on the Christ of Scripture, men will "dare to be like Daniel's" while failing to truly know what it means to trust Christ alone, the very Savior of Daniel! The Scriptures speak of Christ (John 3:30; 5:24ff; Luke 24:25ff), and so must we- - speak of Christ alone! We need Reformation today!

When our worship becomes just another opportunity for mindless entertainment rather than focused on God alone and his glory, we can forget that worship is about HIM and not about us. When we are thinking more about "what we are getting out of the sermon" and whether it is meeting our "felt needs", we are not worshipping in spirit and truth!

Furthermore, when we reach out to the goats and design our worship to make them feel comfortable, we are failing to reach the sheep and failing to hear the true voice of our Shepherd (John 10). Jesus says as Shepherd that His sheep hear his voice in faithful preaching and they will follow him! We must be reminded about all things being done for the glory of God alone- - and not for us (including our salvation- - of course we benefit, but according to Ephesians 1 and Romans 9, salvation is ultimately for God's glory!) We need Reformation today!

Reformed Righteousness

So, in our day, we need to be reminded of the Reformation! If we want revival, we ought to first seek the Reformation of our congregations so that we might return to the foundational authority of Scripture alone and not add a lot of our own modern and "culturally relevant" teachings of men (which we tend to as idolaters, to place on the same level as Scripture just as the Pharisees, or the Medieval Church of Rome which Luther stood against). We need to return to Scripture alone and rediscover daily the glorious teaching of faith alone- - our righteousness is not our own, but revealed by God to us so that we can have an 'alien righteousness' or the righteousness of Christ given to us.

In other words, the good news of Faith alone is that all that we have done in our sins against God, both committing sins positively against him as well as negatively omitting certain things we should have done, Christ has done all of these for us (for us, for us, for us! Shout it again!). Salvation is by works- - but not ours (our works are never good enough) -- our salvation is by the work of Christ for us and His earned and merited righteousness, because of the salvation he achieved by loving God with all his heart, soul, mind and strength, and his neighbor as himself. This is given to us by faith alone (and this makes us have really "good news" and hope for the world!).

The Daily Reformation in Our Own Hearts

From this realization of Faith alone, we are reminded daily that it is all of grace alone because of Christ's work alone, and this all for God's glory! May we be delivered daily of the Medieval mindset of trying to earn our salvation, even in the sense of cooperating with God. May we be delivered from looking to our failures as well as our successes rather than looking away from both to Christ.

May we find that making lists and checking them twice is a Medieval way, as well as an Old Covenant way to failure, and the a fast and broad way that leads to destruction. Remember, those who make lists come to Christ and say: I prophesied, preached, witnessed, cast out demons and did might works in your name. Christ says to those trusting in their lists "Depart from me - -I never knew you!" (Matt. 7). The one who understands grace that is truly gracious is the one that stands before Christ and says: "Nothing in my hands to I bring, simply to your cross do I cling!"

In Philippians 3, Paul gives his list for his confidence in the flesh, then proceeds to discard it. May you discard whatever list you have, whatever thing other than Christ you are trusting in and receive daily by faith the righteousness revealed in Jesus.

Philippians 3:4-12: though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: ⁵circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; ⁶as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness, under the law blameless. ⁷But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. ⁸Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ ⁹and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith- ¹⁰that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, ¹¹that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. ¹²Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.

May we not make lists of our own, whether it be our successes leading to self-righteousness, or lists of failures leading to our condemnation and depression. But may we be as Paul who, putting his lists behind him, pressed forward to know Christ. Read Philippians 3 carefully again, and remember that this truth will set you free of list making and law keeping that has more in common with Medieval Catholic theology (that Luther fought) and Pharisaical theology (that Paul considered "dung").

Look to Christ and discover anew the Reformation of the 16th Century in your own heart of heart. Remember the vital importance of Scripture alone, faith alone, grace alone, Christ alone, to the glory of God alone!

Soli Deo Gloria!

Pastor Charles R. Biggs

Ketoctin Covenant Presbyterian Church

Post Office Box 628

Round Hill, VA 20142-0628

540-338-7170

Vol. VI, Issue 23

Vox Dei and Agnus Dei: Voice of God and Lamb of God

Rev. Charles R. Biggs

Introduction

This week's study will be from John 1, verses 19-34 when we are first introduced by the Apostle John to the forerunner of the Messiah, or the "Voice of God crying in the wilderness" who prepares the way for Messiah. The first thing we are told about John the Baptist in John's gospel is that he was "sent from God" (v. 6). This is extremely important for our study and in considering the context of John the Baptist's conversation with the Jews of Jerusalem and his authority as a prophet and minister of God. We will consider this more in our study.

What we need to understand about John the Baptist's ministry is that it takes place in a unique redemptive-historical context. When John the Baptist comes as the Voice of God, he comes to the last period of the Old Covenant ("the sun is setting on the Old Covenant and the New Covenant is dawning simultaneously" [I learned this quotation from someone else and cannot give credit because I have forgotten who said it]. When considering his ministry, as well as the whole of John's Gospel, we must remember that there is an overlapping of creations, or ages, as well as an overlapping of covenants. The Old covenant is coming to an end and the New Covenant is dawning the coming of Jesus the Messiah.

John the Baptist's Ministry

John the Baptist's ministry as the last of the Old Covenant prophets, “bridges the gap” between the Old and New covenants. The overlapping of the old creation characterized by sin and misery and the dawning of the new creation with Jesus and the sending of the Spirit happens during John the Baptist's life time. The Old Covenant of types and signs gives way to the heavenly reality revealed in Jesus Christ. For instance, where the sacrifices of animals was an ongoing activity in the Old Covenant, so in the New Covenant Jesus lays down his life as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, as the final sacrifice, or the reality to which the sacrifices pointed forward!

What is the relationship between John's unique ministry and Jesus the Messiah's unique ministry? There are several ways we can think about John the Baptist's ministry in contrast to Jesus' ministry. We can think of it with a building metaphor, as well as a show, or event metaphor. With the building metaphor, there is one who surveys the land, clears the way for a construction project. John surveys and clears the land, preparing the way for Jesus to build and construct his New Covenant Temple.

Another metaphor is that of a show. There is one who introduces the main attraction before the curtain goes up, or “opens up” for the main act. John the Baptist comes to introduce, but Jesus is the main attraction, or the main show. Finally, you can think of John's relationship to Jesus with an event metaphor. For an event, say like a birth, you send an invitation, then you have the event itself. John’s message is the invitation, Jesus is the event itself. This is the relationship between the unique and covenant closing ministry of John the Baptist and the ministry of Jesus Christ.

Text of Scripture: John 1:19-34

John 1:19-34: And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" ²⁰He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ." ²¹And they asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" And he answered, "No." ²²So they said to him, "Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?"

²³He said, "I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way of the Lord,' as the prophet Isaiah said." ²⁴(Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.) ²⁵They asked him, "Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?" ²⁶John answered them, "I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, ²⁷even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie." ²⁸These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

²⁹The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! ³⁰This is he of whom I said, 'After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.' ³¹I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel." ³²And John bore witness: "I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. ³³I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' ³⁴And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God."

Sent From God

The first truth that John reveals about John the Baptist is that he was sent from God (1:6). He goes on to say that he was a witness to the Light (1:7-8), not the Light Himself. The Jews send from Jerusalem priests and Levites to ask John the Baptist: "YOU! Who do you think you are?" (that is the way the text seems to read in the Greek). John answers by saying firstly, "I am NOT the Christ -- I am not Messiah who we are anticipating". Then he goes on to say that he is not the prophet, nor Elijah (1:19-25).

Now in this final Old Covenant period, there is a great Messianic expectation in the air. There are hopes among the Jewish people, as well as Gentile converts, that Messiah will come any time. That there will be a prophet sent like Moses from among the brothers, and that Elijah will come before the great Day of the LORD. The two important Old Covenant Scriptures concerning this expectation were Deuteronomy 18 and Malachi 4. In addition to the Scriptural teaching there was a heightened Messianic awareness because of Rome's domination, as well as teachings, and movements of this time that emphasized the "nearness" of the coming of the Messianic King.

Deuteronomy 18:15-18: "The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers- it is to him you shall listen- ¹⁶just as you desired of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, 'Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die.' ¹⁷And the LORD said to me, 'They are right in what they have spoken. ¹⁸I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him."

Malachi 4:4-6: ⁴"Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel. ⁵"Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. ⁶And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.

The Old Covenant people were anticipating a prophet like Moses, one from among them (Deut. 18), as well as the sending of the Prophet Elijah before the day of Messiah (Mal. 4). John is being questioned by the "church authorities" of his day if he is Messiah, the Prophet, or Elijah. What the Jews ultimately want to know is why is he preaching if they have not authorized his baptism for repentance. If they have not authorized it, then who has?

The Church UNDER the Word

What is sad about the Jews sent to question him is that although they had authority as the early church teachers (Matt. 23:1-2- Jesus says that they have authority, but don't do what they do!), they have sadly ceased from being under the authority of the Word of God. In fact, their own traditions and interpretations of the Word of God have been placed on the same level as Scripture. Thus, when the last and final prophet of God, the Voice is sent to His Church, they don't recognized God's Word, God's prophet, and most of all, God's Messiah.

How many churches, how many congregations have slowly slipped from submitting the authority of Scripture alone? How many times do we each day fail to submit to Scripture's authority by living any way we please, and do what we want to do regardless of what we know Scripture to teach? None of the people who were once legitimately the church of Jesus, ever just woke up one morning and decided not to believe, to become liberal in their theological thinking and to submit the Word of God to their own reasoning. It happened over time...they drifted (Hebrews 2:1-4).

We must be diligent not to drift, but to always be checking our ministries, our messages, our motivations as we learn each day to once again sit under the authority and light of God's teaching, lest Jesus return one day and some churches and congregations don't even recognize him because he does not reveal himself in the manner that these churches and congregations have taught. Somewhere over time, people drift out from under the authority of the Word, begin to come up with ideas of Jesus that are inconsistent with Scripture, and then create a Jesus of their own making. Hebrews 2 reminds us of the potential of "drifting" from sitting under the authority of God's Word:

Hebrews 2:1-4: Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. ²For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, ³how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, ⁴while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

When this happens, we become like the Jews who were sending their priest and Levite representatives to question John the Baptist (notice man sent these men to question John the Baptist, v. 19, but God sent John, v. 6). When those who were once legitimately the people of God drift from under the authority of the Word, they cease to be who they are called to be and thus their so-called authority is voided, because the authority of God's people, His church, is always derived from Scripture alone.

When this happens to men and women in churches and congregations around our world, and the people begin to care more for the Jesus of their own making, and depend upon the authority of their traditions and interpretations, and cannot hear the Word of God when it is preached, nor can they see the Word of God when he reveals himself, then these congregations can no longer claim any authority at all, because they are not authorized to speak anything but what is revealed in Holy Scripture. This is the sad truth here in John 1:19-34. Those who were in authority as the "teachers of Israel" (cf. John 3:8-11), were so dependent upon the "word of God of their own making" that they could not hear the Word of God when he came in the spiritually dry wilderness to proclaim Messiah, as Isaiah prophesied he would do!

May we all continue to be like the Bereans in Acts 17, being called noble because we submit to the Word of God! May we learn truly to submit to our elders sent by God to preach the Word (Heb. 13; 1 Peter 5), and submit to one another out of reverence, as we learn together with all the saints what is the height, depth, length and breadth of the love of God in Christ Jesus (Eph. 3:18). May we continue to learn from this sad incident in the final days of the Old Covenant. Yes, there are some believers at this time (Anna and Simeon come to mind, as well as the other Jews who will become disciples, including John who wrote this gospel), but the majority of Israel's leadership has been corrupted because they have drifted out from under the authority of God's Word (there are exceptions as we shall see in Joseph of Arimethea and Nicodemus).

John's Gospel is "Pro-Semitic"

John's primary calling was to reveal Messiah to Israel (1:31). Yet when even the Voice of God comes to Israel, "his own", the Jews do not receive him (cf. v. 11). Now, let's talk about why John includes in his gospel the term "the Jews". He uses this term first John 1:19. These are the Jews who send the priests and Levites to question John. Some have said that John's Gospel was anti-Semitic, but that cannot be true; John himself was a Jew as well as many of Jesus' disciples.

John, the author of the Book of John, is a Jew, and he is using this term "the Jews" throughout his Gospel to point to two truths. First, in his Gospel John will use this term to speak of those in Israel opposed to Jesus (cf. John 6:41; 8:33ff; 10:31; 13:33). Secondly, John wants use the term "the Jews" to show how the Jews are not truly realizing the fulfillment of their heritage in believing in the Messiah.

The true reason for being a Jew, the consummate fulfillment of their heritage, is to believe in Messiah. When they reject their own heritage, John is pointing out to them the triviality of this earthly heritage, so that they might truly understand their heritage and hope fulfilled in Jesus. So, John is extremely pro-Semitic, as all of us are who witness the precious gospel to our Jewish friends so that they might come to believe in the One Who has come to them, so that by God's grace, some would truly receive him and become true children of God and Abraham (John 1:11-13; Malachi 4; cf. John 8:44ff).

Isaiah 40: The Vox Dei

Finally, after John the Baptist tells the Jews WHO HE IS NOT, he tells them who he knows himself to be by God's authority and because God has sent him. John says that he is the voice of God, the one sent by God to prepare the way of the LORD and the time of the end of all history, or the old creation (as well as the beginning of a new creation). He is the fulfillment of Isaiah 40:

Isaiah 40:1-5: Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. ²Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the LORD's hand double for all her sins. ³A voice cries: "In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. ⁴Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. ⁵And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken."

One thing we need to consider. We can agree with John that he is not the Prophet spoken of by Moses for that is Jesus. We know He is indeed not the Messiah, but what about the fact that John says He is not Elijah. Jesus says he was the Elijah who was to come, revealed in Malachi 4. How are we to understand this?

The best way to understand this is that John the Baptist knew certain things about who he was and his significance in redemptive-history - -but not everything. What he did not know was the extent and importance of his ministry. Jesus tells us in another place found in Matthew 11 that John is indeed more important than he realized. In fact, all of Jesus' disciples until he returns are more important than they realize when the preach the Kingdom of God and the whole counsel of God! This should be an encouragement to us all as everyday we minister and serve in Jesus' name! Don't ever say your life, your witness, your ministry is not important- - it is more important than you will ever realize! (cf. 1 Cor. 15:58).

Matthew 11:7-15: As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? ⁸What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. ⁹What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. ¹⁰This is he of whom it is written, "' Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.' ¹¹Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. ¹²From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. ¹³For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, ¹⁴and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. ¹⁵He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

Jesus clarifies the importance of John and he graciously recognizes John’s ministry to be more important than John realized at the time (“I’m not Elijah”, John the Baptist says…Jesus says: “Yes He is…He is too humble to realize it!”). Jesus agrees that John is the voice of God crying in the wilderness, but he goes on to say there is no one greater born of women, yet those who are least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he. Jesus then goes on to explain the uniqueness of John's ministry in v. 13. He says: For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. John was the last of the Old Covenant Prophets and the link or bridge to the New Covenant as looked at before.

John’s Message

Well, we have looked at John's ministry, but what about John's message. John the Baptist's ministry was one under the authority of the Word and he was sent by God. Only men under the authority of the Word and those who are truly sent by God are called by God to declare his good news. That is most important to remember today. The men and women who have raised themselves up as so-called prophets or preachers in any age, have not been under God's Word and have wreaked havoc in Christ's Church. Why? Because the Word of God teaches that a person never ministers in his own name, raising himself up, or being called merely by men. God calls men to preach, God sends men to declare his gospel, and those men submit to the authority of the Word of God, if they are legitimate. [In fact, Ephesians 4:11ff teaches us that those sent by God in our own day are gifts of the resurrected and ascended Jesus!]

John's message was “Behold the Lamb of God” (1:29). John preached Christ which is still the call of ministers today! To preach Christ and him crucified. For Paul, he said although preaching is foolishness to Greeks and a stumbling block to the Jews, he was to preach Jesus Christ and him crucified for it IS THE POWER OF GOD UNTO SALVATION (Rom. 1; 1 Cor. 1). John preached a message about Jesus, not about himself. He preached and focused his message on Christ who was revealed in the Scriptures.

Who is the Lamb of God? Well many Old Covenant images are conjured up with this declaration and preaching. John the Baptist's imagery would have reminded the people of Father Abraham’s attempted sacrifice of Isaac and the provision of God for the sacrifice. They would have remembered Isaiah 53: the Lamb led to the slaughter, as well as the many temple sacrifices that signified the need for a substitute and the wages of sin which is death. Also, the Apostle John would have revealed more of this Lamb eventually in the Book of Revelation that he would write approximately 10 years after his gospel, and reveal Jesus as the victorious Lamb Who sits upon the throne.

Christ-Centered Preaching

John the Baptist preaches that this Lamb of God is the One "Who takes away the sin of the world". Notice the comprehensiveness of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross (the world). The world means both Jews and Gentiles, for all of those who believe. This preaching of the Lamb of God would have called men to recognize their own sin, and the need for a substitute in the Lamb. What the Old Covenant sacrifices pointed forward to, Jesus was the perfect Lamb, the Perfect fulfillment and Final and Sufficient Sacrificial Lamb of God, who can and will take away, or bear the sins of those He loves, so that they might receive God's forgiveness!

John's message reminds us all of the importance of a Christocentic (Christ-centered) ministry and life. Our message of Jesus to our friends and family should always be pointing away from ourselves to Jesus and His grace and forgiveness. Men will see our mistakes and our failures at times. Sometimes we will be called "fakes" and "hypocrites" because we are not perfect. But we must continually be showing forth the Lamb of God who takes away our sins and be humbled by this reality!

Others who God has placed around us in our everyday life will never come to know his saving truth from merely our good behavior. They will see that our good behavior is because our hearts have been gripped by this Lamb's goodness and grace and mercy, and so we shall point away from anything good (or bad!) that we do, to the Lamb of God who is our hope, as well as the hope of the world!

Importance of Preaching

We also need to learn from John's method of declaring his message and remember in our age the importance of preaching. If we all had it our way, we would hire clowns, actors, and use PowerPoint Presentations to communicate the gospel of God's grace. We would build big and shiny buildings and ministries and cater to whatever the lost world would like to see and hear (2 Tim. 3:1-17- Paul says this is what we are all tempted to do). We would have bright neon signs that say: "This IS IT!", and we would design our message as well as our worship so that it would be most pleasing to an entertainment culture!

Preaching is always going to be foolishness to the world, according to 1 Cor. 1- - and it is often foolishness to God's own people! Why, how can this be? Ultimately, this is because they forget to submit to the authority of God's Word and to use the manner of ministering Jesus Christ only in the way that God has commanded and taught them to do in His most holy Word (we must be on our guard against this). Only those who have true life, will see the light (1:5). So, we should not bother about trying to make the ministry, the preaching of Jesus Christ attractive to the lost, only the true life found in Jesus will open their eyes so that they are not merely dazzled by downtown neon flashing lights, but are drawn to the preaching of the Word of God, as they submit their lives and their thinking to this Word!

Remember as the people of God, is not too difficult for us to drift out from under the authority of the Word of God (Heb. 2:1-4). As the hymn reminds us: "Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it; prone to leave the One I love!" We must be reminded that as long as we are trying to make the gospel appealing by surveying the goats to get their input and advice on how to present to them the gospel in a way that would make them comfortable, we as sheep are slowly drifting- - out from the authority of God's Word- - and under the authority of popular culture! Additionally, if we are denying the centrality of preaching the Word, we are also guilty of entertaining the goats while the sheep starve to death from a lack of hearing the Word of God declared, and from that Word hearing of the Christ week after week and how he truly saves! A Word-Centered, Christ-Centered ministry is a God-Centered and extremely powerful ministry regardless of what the world thinks!

John’s Messiah

We have considered John the Baptist's ministry and his message, now finally let's look at John the Baptist's Messiah. John says He was "Before Me" (1:16; 30). This is not about age, or preeminence in the community, or ministry, John was 6 months older and ministered before Jesus. John’s comment is stressing Jesus’ eternal nature as we learned in John 1:1, 14, 18. But notice something important, John the Baptist also points to Jesus' true humanity as one who can sympathize with sinners in their weakness, but without sin (1:30; cf. Heb. 2:14-18). Jesus was God in the flesh (1:14), truly a man (1:30).

John the Baptist's baptism was a baptism of repentance (cf. Matthew 3). There were other baptisms at this time at the end of the Old Covenant. The primary baptism in Israel was for Gentile converts who were making a profession of faith in Jehovah God and were committing themselves to the "visible Church" of God. John's Baptism, like his ministry, was unique. It was a baptism that went with his preaching of God's Word to the church and the world. John's baptism prepared the world, that is, both Jews and Gentiles for the coming of Messiah.

Now the Jews did not like this idea. Many of them would not submit to John's baptism for repentance because it implied they were like "Gentile sinners" outside of the covenant. John was sent by God to proclaim repentance and a need for cleansing from sin that would be deeper than merely the surface or the sign. The baptism John's baptism ultimately pointed toward was Jesus’ Baptism with Holy Spirit (1:33). This is why John the Baptist says my baptism is important, but in light of Jesus' ministry, his baptism is much more important. Jesus' baptism was of the Spirit, where hearts would be truly cleansed from sin, and men would be refined and purified so as to love God and neighbor and truly love!

Jesus received God's baptism of wrath upon the cross as the Lamb of God who lays down his life and takes away the sin of the world. Jesus does this so that he might take upon himself the curse that was due to us for our transgressions (Galatians 3:10-13). After Jesus propitiates God's wrath and takes away our sin, then we are given his righteousness by faith. We are baptized by his Spirit, so that we will be partakers in the New Creation to come.

Jesus is cursed and baptized in wrath, so we can be baptized by his Spirit. His Spirit is the refiner's fire spoken of in Malachi 3, the "judgment that begins with the household of God" in 1 Peter 4:16ff, and the ultimate down payment or foretaste of all of the heavenly blessings to come! Jesus baptizes all of us when we believe by his powerful Spirit so that we can know his grace and walk in love, thus loving God and neighbor and so fulfilling the Law!

You will remember in the beginning of our study, we looked at the Apostle John's purpose in writing his gospel. It is found in John 20:31. The Scriptures say: “…but these [things] are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

Do you believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God? Do you have life in his name? These are the most important questions you will ever ask yourself. Jesus has been revealed as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world- -receive him by faith, and when you are united to Jesus and believe, you will receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:1-12).

If you reject him, you have rejected your only hope for salvation and you will experience the awful reality of a full baptism of God's wrath on the Day when He returns for His own. On that day, He will separate the sheep from the goats (Matt. 25). The sheep will come into his presence and experience life with God eternally, while the goats will be cast away into utter darkness, where the worms that eat their flesh will never die, and the torment of God's wrath will never cease.

Be warned, repent and turn to Jesus Christ! Realize that He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

Soli Deo Gloria!

Pastor Charles R. Biggs

Ketoctin Covenant Presbyterian Church

9 S. Locust Street

Post Office Box 628

Round Hill, VA 20142-0628

571.334.7420

Quote of the Week

Introduction

This week's quotation is from Herman Bavinck, a Dutch Reformed theologian who lived from 1854 - 1921. For those who do not speak or read Dutch, there is a special theological treat awaiting you because the first volume of his immensely Biblical and deeply theological 'Reformed Dogmatics' has been translated into English!

'Dogmatics' is basically an older word for theology, or more precisely the Church's reflection and systematic compilation of the truths of Holy Scripture.

In the context of our quotation this week, Dr. Bavinck is explaining that all revelation, all truth about God, is received externally from God. As one of my dear professors used to say, we as the people of God are "revelation-receivers". This means that dogma, truth, or theology does not derive itself from within our own consciences or our feelings subjectively. Rather, revelation, or truth revealed by God, must always be delivered from God objectively to us. God reveals himself specially in Holy Scripture.

In our day, we as the people of God must be reminded of the importance of reflecting upon the truth of Scripture theologically with the Church (Eph. 3:17-18). Dr. Bavinck explains in our quotation why this external revelation from God in Scripture is so necessary for the people of God in every age.

If you have ever discounted theology in your study of Scripture, or if you think dogmatics is a bad word in a feel-good, relativistic culture, or if you have ever been in a Bible study where a well-meaning Christian says: "This is what I feel the passage or verse means, or, I feel God is saying to me such and such", then this quotation is worthy of your time and reflection.

Dr. Herman Bavinck

"It is God's will that we should love him also with the mind and think of him in a manner worthy of him. To that end he gave his revelation, the revelation to which dogmatics is absolutely bound, just as every other science is bound to the object it studies. If dogmatics should cease to recognize such a revelation, then what is left...is no more than the subjective and hence individual knowledge of that which belongs to the Christian faith. But that would also be the end of dogmatics and of the Christian faith.

Dogmatics can only exist if there is a divine revelation on whose authority it rests and whose content it unfolds. Consciousness theology["feelings-subjective theology"], which rejects Scripture and confession as sources of knowledge and seeks to derive all religious truth from the subject, is first of all in conflict with a sound theory of knowledge. We are products of our environment also in the area of religion. We receive our religious ideas and impressions from those who raise and nurture us, and we remain at all times bound to the circle in which we live.

In no domain of life are the intellect and the heart, reason and conscience, feeling and imagination, the epistemic source [foundation for knowledge] of truth but only organs by which we perceive the truth and make it our own. Just as physically we are bound to nature and must receive food and drink, shelter and clothing from it, so physically- - in the arts, sciences, religion and morality- -we are dependent upon the world outside of us.

Feeling is especially unfit to serve at the epistemic source [foundation for knowledge], for feeling is never "a prior thing", but always "something which follows later". Feeling only reacts to what strikes it and then yields a sensation of that which is pleasant or unpleasant, agreeable or disagreeable.

The assertion that the religious and moral human being is autonomous ["a law unto oneself theoretically living in a universe of their own making"] is always linked with either deism or pantheism. Deism makes human beings independent of God and the world, teaches the all-sufficiency of reason, and leads to rationalism.

Pantheism, on the other hand, teaches that God discloses himself and comes to self-consciousness in human beings and fosters mysticism. Both destroy objective truth, leave reason and feeling, the intellect and the heart, to themselves, and end up in unbelief or superstition.

Reason criticizes all revelation to death, and feeling gives the Roman Catholic as much right to picture Mary as the sinless Queen of Heaven as the Protestant to oppose this belief

[My Note: Reason also submits the ultimate authority of scripture to our own reason's authority, making our own thinking master over God's revelation, and feeling promotes interpretations of Scripture that are like a wax nose that can be shaped according to one's whims and desires. Feeling and subjective interpretation of Scripture is why many today reject Scriptural revelation on God's wrath, hell, depravity of man and other doctrines considered to be "out of line and tempo" with modern man].

It is therefore noteworthy that Holy Scripture never refers human beings to themselves as the epistemic source [foundation for knowledge] and standard of religious truth. How indeed, could it, since it describes the 'natural' man as totally darkened and corrupted by sin in his intellect (Ps. 14:3; Rom. 1:21-23; 1 Cor. 1:23; Eph. 4:23); [totally darkened and corrupted by sin] in his heart (Gen. 6:5; Jer. 17:9; Ezek. 36:26; Mark 7:21); [totally darkened and corrupted by sin] in his will (John 8:34; Rom. 8:7; Eph. 2:3), as well as in his conscience (1 Cor. 8:7, 10, 12; 10:28; Titus 1:15)?

For the knowledge of truth Scripture always refers us to objective revelation, to the word and instruction that proceeded from God (Deut. 4:1; Isa. 8:20; John 5:39; 2 Tim. 3:15; ). And where the objective truth is personally appropriated by us by faith, that faith still is never like a fountain that from itself brings the living water but like a channel that conducts the water to us from another source."

-Herman Bavinck, Reformed Dogmatics, Vol. 1: Prolegomena (Baker Book House, 2003), pgs. 79-81.

If you overlooked this one, you may order it at www.wts.edu. Click on the bookstore and find some of the lowest prices on the web for good theological books!

Pastor Charles R. Biggs

Ketoctin Covenant Presbyterian Church

Post Office Box 628

Round Hill, VA 20142-0628

540-338-7170

Vol. VI, Issue 24

New Covenant "First Things"

Rev. Charles R. Biggs

Introduction

In last week's study we learned of the ministry, message, manner and Messiah of John the Baptist from John 1:19-34. We considered John the Baptist's ministry as he was closing the end of the Old Covenant (Matt. 11:1-15) and pointing forward to the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, as the New Covenant is actually dawning in Jesus.

This week's study is on New Covenant "First Things" as we reflect upon John 1:35-51. We will consider the "first things" that happen as the Apostle John records for us in his gospel the "decreasing of John, and the increasing of Jesus" (cf. John 3:30). You could also say that these "first things" show the beginning of thinking about time in that there is the "decreasing of the Old Covenant way of doing things, and the increase of the New Covenant way taught by Jesus".

[Interpretation Note: Remember from our verses today that it teaches us something about the relationship between the Old Covenant/Testament and the New Covenant/Testament. There should always be a distinction between the two covenants or testaments, but never a separation or confusion. Notice how John the Baptist is part of the Old Covenant/Testament as the last prophet, yet he passes the "revelational baton" on to his disciples, who then follow Jesus who is the ultimate fulfillment of all Old Covenant/Testament hope. So, we learn that there should be a distinction between the two covenants/testaments but never a separation or confusion. This will prevent overemphasizing Old Covenant/Testament ways of doing things that perhaps have passed away or been fulfilled in Jesus, while realizing that Jesus in the New Covenant/Testament is THE INTERPRETER (par excellence) of the Old (cf. Luke 24:24-49; John 5:24ff).]

First Things

In today's study, we will look at these first things: (1) the first gospel preached in the New Covenant- -the Lamb of God is actually "with us"- - come and see; (2) the first disciples are replacing the 12 tribes of Israel and submitting to the Lamb's discipleship to follow him- - come and see; (3) the first Christology or the first realization of who Christ is by the Apostles- - come and see; and (4) the first self-revelation of Jesus- - come and see -- and "you ain't seen nothing yet!"- -greater things shall you see.

In John 1:35-51 we have many “first things” that are taking place in the New Covenant. These first things, or priorities in our passage and context is that the Apostle John wants to establish the faithful witness of John the Baptist as well as God himself. Then he wants to show how this faithful witness of Jesus was passed on by John the Baptist to Jesus’ first disciples (who include the Apostle John as well, he is just too humble to admit himself and is happy to stay in the shadows as it were).

Let us first remind ourselves of the conversation of John the Baptist with the Jews in 1:19-27. Then there is the transition of 1:28-34, followed by verses 35-51 as John the Baptist begins to decrease in importance as Old Covenant prophet while some of the Jews come to believe in Jesus the New Covenant Rabbi and Final Prophet. Remember that in John 1:19-34 John is questioned by the Jews concerning his identity. He points them to Jesus and they do not believe. There is an agonizing “silence” as to their response (1:19-27).

However, after John the Baptist has pointed Jesus to other Jews who have been listening to his teaching, they begin to believe and begin witnessing to their family and friends that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (Rabbi, the King of Israel, the Son of God, the Son of Man, and many other titles).

First New Covenant Gospel Message Preached (vv. 29-36):

Old Covenant Lambs are Fulfilled and Replaced by THE Lamb of God...Come and See!

Some hear the message and believe, some do not- -same with us today (compare the response of John the Baptist's disciples with the priests, Levites and Pharisees sent by the Jews from Jerusalem in 1:19-34). Oftentimes we think we are failures with friends and family who do not believe, but we must remember God’s sovereignty in giving grace as we preach and live for Jesus and His gospel.

We are called to witness/testify to the Jesus Who has come, we are not to worry about results. Also, the Jews from Jerusalem have been God's visible "church" or authority for God's people under the Word. However, over time they have drifted out from under the word and now cease to be God's authorized authority or visible Church. When a congregation, or church altogether ceases to submit to God's authority in His Word, this congregation and church ceases to be God's authority on earth.

We must remember that every congregation, every church is only effective, sent from God and with authority as it derives that authority from God's Word alone. The early church, the Sanhedrin (made up of priests, scribes, Levites, Pharisees, and Sadducees), did not recognize John the Baptist or Jesus (John 1:11-13). (You might say what Jesus will say to Nicodemus in John 3: "You are Israel's teachers and you don't know 'these things'?!")

But to those who receive him, he have them authority (important!) to become children of God! (1:12-13). Some of John the Baptist's disciples do believe and tell others about this Jesus! What we see on the human level is a willingness to follow, a willingness to be a learner, or a disciple submitted to God's authoritative Word. At this point, the disciples who begin to follow Jesus know a little about him, but they will learn so much more - -in fact, they will see so much more (1:51).

First Disciples (vv. 37-51)- Old Covenant Israel's 12 Tribes being Fulfilled and Replaced by 12 Apostles...Come and See!

With the passing of John the Baptist, the last of the Old Covenant prophets, we now have the beginning of the new as we are introduced to the New Israel, as Old Covenant Israel is being fulfilled. As Israel had 12 tribes, they are now being replaced by the New Covenant Israel of 12 disciples.

What are Disciples? They are “learners”, or “followers” (lit.).

Disciples are followers of Jesus who are learners, lovers, and livers

Jesus invites the first disciples to "come and see" when they ask him "where are you staying?" The Word John the Apostle uses for "staying" is the word for abide, remain, dwell, stay, etc. The point John seems to be point us to is this. Jesus says: “Come and See” (vv. 38-39) because they have asked Where are you staying/abiding/remaining/dwelling?

Jesus does not answer this question, but seems to implicitly say through John the Apostle's writing that it doesn't matter WHERE (that’s not important), but WITH WHOM- -those who are seeking and following him, and thus staying, remaining, or dwelling (cf. 1:14)- Ridderbos…In other words, God is dwelling, abiding, remaining, or what we would say “staying” (in English), "chillin'" (in slang- I couldn't resist 'chillin' :-)>) -- with man! God is indeed "with us"!

Verses 38-39 are revealing about the fact that God is truly abiding, staying, remaining, dwelling with man and man is face to face as Jesus "exegetes" or teaches the disciples about the Father (cf. John 1:18; 5:24ff).

This is the hope of all of the Old Covenant, that God would dwell with man. Remember Genesis 28? Jacob receives a revelation of God where he reminds him as the son of the promise to Father Abraham, that God will one day dwell with man. Notice in these verses God's promise to dwell with Jacob/Israel, but also read carefully for a later application of these verses as well.

Genesis 28:10-22: Jacob left Beersheba and went toward Haran. ¹¹And he came to a certain place and stayed there that night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep. ¹²And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! ¹³And behold, the LORD stood above it and said, "I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. ¹⁴Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

¹⁵Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." ¹⁶Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it." ¹⁷And he was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven." ¹⁸So early in the morning Jacob took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. ¹⁹He called the name of that place Bethel, but the name of the city was Luz at the first.

²⁰Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, ²¹so that I come again to my father's house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God, ²²and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God's house. And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you."

In this passage in Genesis, we see in 28:15 that God says he is covenantally present, or with Jacob and will keep him. Jesus is God in the flesh and he is now with his people as he promised to Jacob. In fact, with the 12 disciples, we see Jesus as the Creator and Redeemer of the New Israel.

So, you could say true disciples of Jesus are followers who are learners, lovers, and livers -- who dwell with God! What a great encouragement for us all. We understand more of what John 1:14 was teaching in light of this passage:

John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

He is “with us” (John 1:14) and thus there is no reason for fear of man preventing us from witnessing, nor any questions about why some believe our witness and some discount it– that is God’s concern, not ours!

Witnessing the Lamb of God- In reach and Out reach!

When we think of being disciples who are learners, lovers and livers who dwell with God, we often first think of outreach. But I would encourage us first to think of in reach. In reach is important for us as families and as congregations of Christ under the Word to be about building each other up, encouraging each other each day (Heb. 3:10ff; Eph. 4:29ff), as we reach in to one another with the gospel of grace. Remember: the gospel is for Christians too!

What is In reach (vv. 35-42)- Witness within our families, our congregations, being instruments of his grace to each other. Notice how in John's Gospel, after Jesus has Andrew and the other disciple (the Apostle John) to dwell with him, Andrew immediately the next day reaches into his own family by witnessing to Peter. One of the implications we can learn from this testimony in John, is that our family should be a priority in witnessing the Gospel message.

Remember that with John the Baptist's ministry, it was one primarily of in reach. Reaching in to those in Israel who had ears to hear, would repent of their sins, be baptized, and prepare for Messiah who was among them and about to begin his ministry. Jesus' ministry to the disciples was for three years, and this was in reaching long before he sent them to outreach. They were to be first learners, lovers, and livers from within. They were to learn of God's truth and get it right before they got it out; they were to learn to love one another as Christ loved them so that they could love their neighbor as themselves; and they were live as Jesus lived as they lived before the world.

One of the great benefits of dwelling with Jesus and in His Word even today as his disciples is that we are captivated by His grace, love and mercy for us as his people. We can as true disciples learn from him, love one another, live with and for one another, then overflow out of love for God as we outreach to the rest of the world! When we have dwelled with Jesus under his Word, we get a true sense of His grace and goodness and we are compelled to share it with family, each other, and to reach out to the rest of the world.

From In reach to Outreach (vv. 42ff)

Then, notice in our passage, how after Peter is called, Jesus and the disciples go to Galilee and Jesus calls Philip. This is outreach. Philip is called, then Nathaniel- - then the outreach continues, at a wedding (chap. 2:1-11), to the Jews in Jerusalem (chap. 2:12-25), then to Nicodemus who is "open" as a Teacher of Israel, then to a Samaritan woman (4:1-26, then to Galilee of the Gentiles (4:43ff). You could say that Jesus sends his disciples later with the same pattern: "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8).

We need to get the gospel right on the “inside” before we can get the gospel out! “Getting it right before getting it out!” Learning of the Christ; Loving one another; Living according to the truth…THEN getting it out!

Conversionism or Decisionism

In an age of conversionism and decisionism, this is important to remember "making disciples" and placing just as much emphasis on in reach as out reach. These movements of conversionism or decisionism are zealous for converts and so-called “decisions for Jesus”. They want to see congregations grow into the hundreds, thousands over night! They use marketing techniques and think of effective salesmanship as they think about what their audience would like to hear (Paul in 2 Timothy 3:1-12 knew this would happen because it was happening in his time as well).

Conversionism and decisionism are perversions of the Reformation. The Reformation taught that God made converts- -God converted people by His grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone (Eph. 2:1-10)- - Christians were called to make disciples (followers of Jesus who were learners, lovers and livers in a community under authority and accountability in the Word of God). Yet a couple of hundred years later, influenced by democratic, good-old-fashioned, American ingenuity and individualism, men began to desire "to get people saved!"

The emphasis shifted from God's sovereign grace to man's so-called sovereign decision in his own conversion. This robs God of his glory and grace! This eventually became the roots for heretic preachers who preached what they felt God had called them to preach that was inconsistent with the Church's confessions for two thousand years. Conversionism and Decisionism became the seed bed in the 19th century for Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormonism, Christian Science, and a host of other holy horrors that still to this day come to our door asking for a decision!

This also influenced evangelicalism as we see so sadly today around us in our own circles. People want numbers- -they want decisions, converts- -but where are Jesus' radically committed, blood-bought, Spirit-filled works of God's grace and creation- - followers who are learners, lovers and livers!? We are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared beforehand for us to do! [Read more in an excellent book: 'The Democratization of American Christianity' by Nathan Hatch].

When we are merely seeking converts or decisions "for Jesus" we are not being obedient as disciples!

Jesus never calls us to make converts or decision, he calls us to make disciples! These disciples are then taught by the grace of God how to be learners, lovers and livers before they “GO!” and make more disciples.

When Jesus teaches us all what has been called the “Great Commission” (Matt. 28:18-20), he speaks to disciples who have learned from him for three years, loved with him and lived for him BEFORE he sends them out! [Note: This is not to say that a simple "come to Jesus" by a new Christian cannot be used by God for his glory. It just means that our normal emphasis should be on discipleship for those who are awakened to the truth of God's love, rather than on merely counting them as another "fish we have caught" only to be sent out to get more fish. The emphasis is on quality, that is, being someone who is growing and maturing, more than on quantity, just how many numbers you have on a given Sunday in a worship service].

Then there is Outreach (v. 37; v. 43; v. 45)- Response from effectual calling of the Spirit (2 Tim. 1:9)- Reaching out to others with the hope we have in Jesus.

Remember: "Providential Placement for Proclamation"

You have been placed in a certain place in the world with certain unique friends and contacts. These are the ones you are to invite to "come and see". These are the ones by God's grace you can tell (knowing Jesus is "with you" and dwelling with you by His Spirit so that you will not fear) that Jesus has come and that they can know him.

Remember: "Don't Rationalize, but Relationalize".

This means that you should remember that just because someone because of their outside appearance seems to be at odds with the gospel, this does not mean God has not begun a work in their hearts. Don't say: "I don't think that person is ready to hear the gospel- - look at them, long hair, scruffy face, loves to party, has a face piercing that causes me to wince when I look at them!" This may be a person who is ready to hear the gospel.

The message and the results are God's! He adds to his church daily those who are being saved- - we do not (Acts 2:41ff)- -we testify and witness to the reality of God with us. So, don't rationalize, but relationalize. Make a relationship with the strange people who you are surrounded by. If you were honest with yourself, you were pretty strange yourself when you came to the gospel (and maybe you are still pretty strange, who knows?!).

Remember, what Paul said to the Corinthians: "And such were some of you!" (1 Cor. 6:11a). Paul reminds us in his letter to the Corinthian church that his outreach by God's grace reached homosexuals, adulterers, thieves, drunkards, swindlers, idolaters, fornicators, witches and prostitutes- - most of us would not be seen with people like this, but then again, perhaps we don't know we are with people like this! Don't rationalize, relationalize!

People "like this" dress up in ties, nice shoes, fix their hair, put on dresses and high heals and surround us in our office place, the market place, and wherever else we find ourselves. Remember: "such were some of you!" No one is as they seem on the outside- -they have sin dwelling in their hearts causing them sometimes to display their sins outwardly so that all can see, while some are secretly keeping their sins private! But all need the gospel! Don't rationalize, relationalize!

People want to know about why you live a certain way as learners, lovers, and livers of Jesus. Think about how you can interpret for them God's grace in your life through the following:

Your Life- Interpretation of Life. When someone asks why or how you live the way you do as a disciple of Jesus, interpret for them the reality of God's grace- -tell them to "come and see" what Christ can do in their lives! With Blessings- Interpretation of Blessings. Whatever blessings or difficulties you've been given by God, when you are asked how you managed by God's grace, interpret for them from where your strength comes! With Deeds- Interpretation of Deeds. When you do something nice for a neighbor or friend, visit them when they are sick, bake some cake or Carmella's famous baked ziti, tell them why you do what you do. Interpret for them God's grace and work in your heart. When Jesus did signs, he always interpreted them for the people to understand who God is. When we witness and outreach, may we interpret for others from where this grace comes -- we invite them to "come and see". All of our outreach in a normal day is witnessing to the reality of WHO JESUS IS!

“So, you’ve made a mess of your witness…” There is grace for today!

Some of you are reading this and thinking: "I used to have a good witness for Christ, but I've blown it!" Well, apologize to those you have offended and interpret that for them. Let them know that you want forgiveness because you have been shown mercy and been forgiven by Jesus. If you have acted inconsistently, join the club, you're a bigger sinner than you realize (I had a friend who used to say in a characteristically "Luther-like" way: "Smile. You're a bigger sinner than you realize!").

What this means is that we all blow it, we all fall short as Christians. We are saved, but still sinful, therefore that should cause us humility and more love, and that we can interpret for others as well! If others see the grace that we have because of Christ alone, then perhaps they would realize that it is not works, or their own working for perfection and approval that will cause them to be accepted by God. If you have blown it, turn to Jesus for help and grace, then extend that help and grace to others. You are not inviting people to see you, you are inviting them to see Jesus through you- - you are inviting them to "come and see" Jesus!

First “Christology”, or “exegesis” of Who Jesus is- Old Covenant Promises are Fulfilled and Replaced by Jesus...Come and See!

These are merely the first understanding of the disciples of Jesus in this passage, but it is a very good start. Notice how all of the Old Covenant promises of the Person, or the One (the Matrix has misused this term "the One" so now more think of Neo than Jesus, but I will use it anyway) who was to come in the last days to save Israel from sin. Jesus is called by the first disciples the following titles, but they will come to learn much more as they follow him, learning, loving and living!

The Lamb of God (v.35)

Rabbi-Teacher (v. 38)

Messiah-Christ (v. 41)

The One Who Moses and the Prophets Wrote Concerning (v. 45) (cf. Luke 24:24-49)

Jesus of Nazareth, Son of Joseph (v. 45)

Son of God (v. 49)

King of Israel (v. 49)

First Self-Revelation of Jesus- God's Final Word of Revelation Begins in Jesus...Come and See!

Jesus calls Nathaniel when he meets him an Israelite ‘Indeed’ (or a “true one”). This is an allusion to Jacob and the “first family” of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, truly Israel compared to merely “the Jews” who do not believe (1:19).

Notice how Jesus knew him before he followed him- -important for evangelism- - we are known by God before we know God (Galatians 4:9). It is important to remember that when in reaching as well as out reaching!

Jesus says basically, "You ain't seen nothing yet!" You shall see me as the great LADDER between heaven and earth. Remember in the Genesis 28 passage we read earlier that God promised to be with Israel. Now this passage draws again from Genesis 28. Jacob in Genesis 28 saw a ladder with angels descending and ascending on it (or him according to the translation). This was a gate, an opening into heaven itself where God lives! Jacob called the place "Bethel" meaning "House of God".

Many times we have heard or sung the spiritual: "Climbing Jacob's ladder". But we should never sing this song again! NO man has ever climbed Jacob's ladder! The only time man ever wanted or desired to climb a ladder up to God was to dethrone him in Genesis 10-11 at the Tower of Babel! Man does not seek after God to know him.

Rather, God comes down the ladder- -he has come to dwell "with us"- - come and see! Jesus is the Ladder; Jesus is the connecting point between heaven and earth (in the Old Covenant there are altars, stones, tabernacles and temples that were, if you will, points on earth where heaven had broken through- -a place where 2 dimensions of time and space came together).

In Jesus, he is that Ladder, the mediator between the earth of man and the heaven of God, because he is the Man who is God and able to bridge the two in himself. Jesus comes down so that whoever believes would never perish, but have everlasting life!

Jesus tells Nathaniel and the rest of the group: “Greater things” are coming. There will be more signs that have yet to come (that will begin in the next chapter- - chapter 2 next week).

John 20:31 says: “…but these [things] are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

Do you believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God? Do you have life in his name?

Believe upon this Jesus John reveals by the Holy Spirit to us- -believe him every day- - He is your life and your only hope for salvation with God!

Remember when we partake in the Lord’s Supper as the people of God, what is chiefly part of our in reach to one another as Jesus’ disciples. It is also out reach, for others observing it by faith can “come and see” and hopefully believe. In the Lord's Supper, Jesus shows forth his body and blood that was "for us" because he is "with us" and communicates his grace to us by faith- - come and see!

Soli Deo Gloria!

For Further Reading

D. A. Carson, 'Gospel According to John'

H. Ridderbos, 'The Gospel of John: A Theological Commentary'

L. Morris, 'The Gospel According to John' (NICNT)

J. Calvin, 'Commentary on the Gospel of John'

R. Brown, 'Commentary on the Gospel of St. John'

J. Dennison, Articles on John's Gospel at www.kerux.com

J. Boice, Commentary on John's Gospel

Pastor Charles R. Biggs

Ketoctin Covenant Presbyterian Church

9 S. Locust Street

Post Office Box 628

Round Hill, VA 20142-0628

571.334.7420

Vol. VI, Issue 25

"Wine, Whips, and What Is Within a Man"- Part I

John 2- "Wine of Joy"

Rev. Charles R. Biggs

Introduction

Today's study will be from John chapter 2, focusing on verses 1-11. This is the wedding feast that is taking place at Cana in Galilee and Jesus and his disciples have been invited to attend. This is the occasion of Jesus' first sign/miracle after he tells his disciples that "greater things you shall see" (1:50-51). Jesus is now beginning to reveal the glory of the Father to those who have eyes to see and believe (2:11). Let us first read the text, then we will focus on the meaning and the message of these verses.

This portion of Scripture has been allegorically or unnecessarily spiritualized quite often in the history of the Church. The important thing to remember about interpreting John 2:1-11 is to keep our eyes on John's purpose in writing (John 20:31- "so that you might believe and have life"), and at the same time focusing on how the Person of Jesus Christ is revealed, as well as the actual SIGN-ificance of the sign/miracles itself.

We should be careful not to become overly bogged down with the wedding itself because it is the backdrop, the background, or location for the sign, although it is specifically chosen by Jesus as the first place for his sign and therefore does have some significance for understanding the SIGN-ificance of the sign of Jesus' changing water into wine. Yet, I believe the priority of the text is on the sign itself in the water changing to wine.

John 2:1-11

2:1 On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. ²Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples.

³When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no wine." ⁴And Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come." ⁵His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."

⁶Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. ⁷Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water." And they filled them up to the brim. ⁸And he said to them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast." So they took it. ⁹When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom ¹⁰and said to him, "Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now."

¹¹This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him. ¹²After this he went down to Capernaum, with his mother and his brothers and his disciples, and they stayed there for a few days.

In our passage today, we will consider the following outline as a help for what occurs at the wedding feast in Cana of Galilee:

1. Transition from the Old Covenant way of doing things to the New way fulfilled and replaced in Jesus. We can say here that “the new has come (in Jesus)…the old has passed away!” (cf. 2 Cor. 5:17).

2. Transforming New Creation power in the presence of Jesus through his sign of turning water to wine. We see the transforming power of the New Creation in our lives even today, just as Jesus changed the water into wine, he changes us by the power of his transforming Spirit (2 Cor. 5:17: “The old things have passed away!”).

3. Transfer of end-times blessings of abundant wine flowing to God’s people to the present. What was expected at the end of time by the Prophets is dawning NOW in the Person of Jesus. We today see the transfer of end-times blessings of joy to us by His Spirit as Jesus sustains us by his Holy Joy because He has poured out his love on us by the Holy Spirit (Rom. 5:3-5)!

4. Translation of sign which is to show forth and reveal God’s glory to those who have eyes to “SEE” in Jesus revealed in a little ‘ol town called Cana in Galilee. Jesus is revealing his glory even here although his time has not fully come to reveal his glory (John 17:1-5).

What are signs in John? What is their purpose?

Let us first understand how the Apostle John uses signs in his gospel. Simply put, the signs Jesus does before the crowd is not so he can "amaze him with his magic" as a clown might do at another celebration like this. Rather, the signs of Jesus are to point to something greater. For instance, when you see a sign that says “Disney World” at the side of the road, you don’t get out of your car and stand in line for the roller coaster! Do you?! Well, don’t! Rather, the sign points to something greater.

It is an outward manifestation of God’s presence with us! Jesus’ signs reveals his “God-ness”, His divinity, His power that only the Creator and Redeemer could or would have! Signs point to the reality, they are not the reality themselves!

The sign here of the wine points to the greater reality that God's abundant grace and joy is breaking into this present age in order to bring eschatological gifts and blessings to the people of God.

A Wedding with No Wine: "What! No Wine? What Kind of Wedding Feast is This Anyway?!"

This occasion of the wedding feast was a Messianic Moment, or omnipotent opportunity for Jesus’ first sign. Weddings are joyous celebrations and occasions. Everyone loves a beautiful wedding, where two are gathered before God and man to be united in holy matrimony (a creation ordinance). We especially like a wedding with lots of food, drink, fellowship and dancing- -it is a joyous occasion for all, but especially for the bride and groom. As many brides and grooms are informed by "Aunt Lilly" as she pinches your cheeks: "This the first day of the rest of your lives together!"

All weddings are new days, new beginnings for the bride and the groom. This wedding in Cana of Galilee is like that, but rather than merely be a new day for the bride and the groom, this is the new day when Jesus, God in flesh, begins to show forth and reveal his glory through signs. This wedding is not merely a new day for the bride and groom, but a new day for all- - the beginning of a new creation, a new testament, a fulfillment and replacement of the Old that is now passing away. We see the more of the transition of the Old Covenant to the New that the Apostle John wants us to understand.

However, this new day for the bride and groom was about to be destroyed. All of the joy and the festivities were about to come to a screeching halt when someone realizes that all the wine has been consumed by those at the party! May it never be!

Now understand that wedding feasts such as this one lasted for days and it was the responsibility of the bridegroom's family to take care of the food and wine at the feast. If this was not done successfully and properly it could have meant the shame of the family in this culture, but it could have also resulted in a lawsuit against the bridegroom's family from the bride's family. This could literally have caused a division in the two families. This is a very serious matter. This is the context that John is communicating concerning the wedding.

"Here Comes the Bride..."

It is SIGN-ificant that Jesus was at a wedding when he showed forth his first sign (although as I said in the beginning, we don't want to unnecessarily spiritualize certain things, we can draw implications from this). What can we learn about the imagery of weddings and marriage in Scripture? Weddings are part of both the Old and the New Covenant time periods, but will not be necessary when the time will come for the restoration, or regeneration of all things (Matt. 19). Weddings and wedding feasts are also symbolic in the Old and New Covenants as descriptions between God and His People, Christ and His Bride. Jesus honors the guest with his presence as well as with his gifts at this special banquet.

^ESVIsaiah 62:1-5: For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not be quiet, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a burning torch. ²The nations shall see your righteousness, and all the kings your glory, and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will give. ³You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. ⁴You shall no more be termed Forsaken, and your land shall no more be termed Desolate, but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her, and your land Married; for the LORD delights in you, and your land shall be married. ⁵For as a young man marries a young woman, so shall your sons marry you, and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you.

Mark 2:19-22: And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, "Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?" ¹⁷And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners." ¹⁸Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. And people came and said to him, "Why do John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?" ¹⁹And Jesus said to them, "Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. ²⁰The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day.

Wedding imagery also reminds us of the wedding feast of the Lamb that will come when the Bride of Christ is united eternally with the Bridegroom full of grace and truth!

^ESVRevelation 19:1-9: After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out, "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, ² for his judgments are true and just; for he has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality, and has avenged on her the blood of his servants." ³ Once more they cried out, "Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up forever and ever." ⁴ And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who was seated on the throne, saying, "Amen. Hallelujah!" ⁵ And from the throne came a voice saying, "Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, small and great." ⁶ Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, "Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. ⁷ Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; ⁸ it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure"- for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. ⁹ And the angel said to me, "Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb." And he said to me, "These are the true words of God."

People have over-spiritualized these verses, and in response to this we need to emphasize the physical as well! Let us appreciate the spiritual truths the Apostle John reveals by focusing as best as possible on John’s purpose, but let us also “physicalize” and appreciate God’s true presence in the flesh, showing forth his glory in the making water into wine! What I am saying is that although the wedding feast is important, it is kept in the background during the entire passage in order to focus our attention on the Person and Work of Jesus Christ and what He is actually doing and communicating by this first sign.

I believe the main focus in these verses is the wine and what it represents in Jesus’ sign, as well as the meaning of the hour that Jesus informs his mother Mary about.

Wine Imagery In Scripture

Abundant wine symbolized abundant joy to the Israelites. Abundant wine meant joyous occasions, reason to feast and celebrate (abundant wine doesn't imply a drunken party, it implies a big, crowded, festive occasion, or party)! Like when we see baubles, bangles and bells at Christmas, or decorations hanging with evergreen wreathes and bright red, we think of joy, celebration, feasting.

Jesus will produce what was desperately needed at this joyous wedding (that was about to become an extremely dour occasion), and he will show forth his glory in this first miracle so that those who have eyes to see might see that the end times, the last days, the beginning of the New Creation is dawning! What was expected by the Prophets as something to occur on the Last Day, Jesus is causing to occur in the beginning of the Last Days, because these Last Days begin with Jesus' work, then continue into the Day of Pentecost, the giving of His Spirit, on up to this very day. Jesus is transferring end times blessings to the present in this sign.

No Wine Until it is Time

Yet, before Jesus does this miracle, his mother Mary informs him of the situation, and he has to remind him that he is on a different time-table, or clock or expectation than she is on. He will also communicate something else we want to notice with regard to his mother. So, what does Jesus mean when he says "My hour has not yet come?"

In the 70s and 80s, after Orson Welles had been all but forgotten as the great movie director/auteur that he was, he took a gig working on 'Paul Masson Wine' commercials (well, he was hungry I imagine -- poor guy didn't even direct the commercial). Well, in this wine commercial, Orson Welles makes it known that at Paul Masson Winery, they will sell no wine until it is time. Thus, the focus was on the long process of farming, growing, picking, smashing, fermenting, until it was time to bottle it into the wine container.

Similarly, Jesus is saying against his mother Mary's request to make some wine, that he cannot do what he wants to do on his own schedule, but must remember he is on a Messianic Mission to save His people and to perform signs only at the right time. His period from his birth, baptism, to the beginning of his ministry was governed by the Sovereignty of God and His plan to save a people. He could do no miracle until it was time. As the vinedresser or farmer waits for the time to pick the grapes in order to make wine, so Jesus must wait on the Father in his Messianic Mission for the precise time.

“Hour” in John (2:4)

Because John records the words Jesus used to tell his mother as "hour" or "time", we should understand the Apostle John's use of time. What does he mean by "my hour" or "my time"? What should be understood about John’s thinking as he is writing his gospel under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit is that the “time” that was spoken of in the Old Covenant concerning the last days, the final days, the hour, the end times generally were breaking in with the coming of Jesus (in what Paul calls the “fullness of the times”- Gal. 4:4). Here are the uses of the words "hour" or "time" in John's Gospel.

Notice the use of "NOW-Time" as well as "NOT YET-Time":

John 2:4 And Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come."

John 4:21 Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.

John 4:23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.

John 5:25 "Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.

John 5:28 Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice

John 7:30 So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come.

John 8:20 These words he spoke in the treasury, as he taught in the temple; but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.

John 12:23 And Jesus answered them, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified."

Eschatological Time

Let us consider Jesus' "hour" or "time" first with regard to the general eschatological teaching of John and the other New Covenant writers of Scripture, then look at the "hour" or "time" of Jesus' mission more specifically as it has to do with his life, death, resurrection, and ascension and the sending forth of His Spirit to His people.

Eschatology is the study of the “end times”, but not as we often think in popular circles. Eschatology is about the in-breaking of God’s Kingdom in the incarnation and sending of the Spirit of the New Creation/ New Age/ New Covenant.

When we use ‘eschatology’ we must understand it has more to do with the limited context of our own future here in the 20^th century. Rather, eschatology encompasses all of God’s saving historical activity of his people since the Garden of Eden in Gen. 3:15 and how it works out or is being fulfilled in real space and time history (thus the reason why it is often called "redemptive-history", or "salvation history", or "heilsgeschichte" for those who want a new big word). In other words, eschatology should be viewed from the perspective of the first promise of the gospel into the future (which is the past, present and the future), as it is coming to fulfillment ultimately in Christ.

When Jesus comes, there is the final chapter if you will of this saving history ("redemptive-history"), for the final prophet, priest and king has come. This is the One who was promised to come in the last days. The “last days” are longer than anyone realized and they are dawning in the ministry of Jesus extending to this very day. Other people have understood this eschatological time in the phrase "Already, Not Yet". This means that many things concerning the last days are already happening in Jesus (abundant wine of blessing at wedding feast, giving of the Holy Spirit), but much is "not yet", or yet to come (abundant wine of blessing at wedding feast of the Lamb when all has been renewed, and the full dwelling with God in His presence for eternity).

Eschatology is about two worlds, two ages, a new creation and an old creation overlapping one another. You see when Jesus came the New Covenant, New Creation was dawning IN the old creation, and the Old Covenant as well as the old order of things began to pass away. On the LAST and final DAY of Christ's return, he will finish this. The New Creation will be fully realized (Rev. 19-22), and the Old Creation will be ended permanently (no more sin, sickness, death, and the Devil).

What’s going on with Christians today? How can we practically understand John's "eschatological time"? Well, as Christians, we are like astronauts preparing to go to another world, say the moon or another planet. Astronauts prepare by living here as if they are living there. They do certain things in preparation for the other world. Jesus has sent forth the Spirit of God, literally the Spirit of the New Creation to transform us, make us new, prepare us for another place. We go through rigorous training like the astronauts, as we prepare here to go there. We live as if we will always be here, influencing thinking, culture, politics, but we truly are preparing to live somewhere else.

Jesus has gone ahead of us “as it were” to the other world (the New Creation). He sends forth the Spirit of God to train and teach us now.

More specifically, in light of our general understanding of eschatological time, Jesus’ ‘hour’ or 'time' points ultimately to his glorification (John 17), but his glorification encompasses the whole of his ministry, and climaxes, or comes to ultimate fulfillment in his death and resurrection because his death secures our entry into the other world- - the New Creation.

That is why he can say the 'hour' or 'time' is coming (on the LAST DAY when he returns for us to go to the other world, or to be in his presence) and the 'hour' or 'time' is NOW as we live by His Spirit for him. Jesus is telling Mary that his time of glorification is not yet, but it is beginning here as he turns water into wine in a glorious sign of the Last Days!

From Mother of Christ to Disciple of Christ

What are we to make of Jesus' response to his mother as she tells him to make wine and he says "What does that have to do with me?" The implication is that Mary his special mother and part of the ministry God favored her with, must now go from self-assertion to submission to Jesus' will!

Mary’s ministry as mother is now ending and she is to become his obedient disciple (another important transition in John). Mary is going from being mother to being his disciple. This was already gently communicated to her earlier in Jesus' life by Simeon: "A sword will pierce your own heart", as well as when Jesus was found in the temple with the elders and wise men rather than following his parents back home to Nazareth. Jesus said to them: "Didn't you know that I had to be in my Father's house?" Mary's new position as disciple is actually greater than that as mother (cf. Matthew 11:1-14- "those who do the will of my Father are greater than John the Baptist!").

Jesus has a different time-table than we do. As His disciples, we must wait upon the Lord’s good timing. David said: “Wait upon the LORD, be of good courage and he shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, upon the LORD.”

Jesus’ Messianic Mission is from God and is to be directed from God and by God and not allow others to interfere in his mission to save those who believe. There is only one Mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus—not Mary. Mary cannot even appeal to the sacred heart of Jesus in the flesh, she surely cannot do so now He is glorified!

The Wine of God’s Good Grace Overflowing Abundantly for His People

A culture of technology, a microwave-mentality and immediate-urgency culture will not fully appreciate this miracle- - we can change water to wine today – but this is an agricultural community. These people knew how long the grapes must grow, how the soil had to be just right, the temperature just right, the right amount of rain to come from heaven, the right time of picking, crushing and then a time of fermentation – this was a long, drawn out process, but Jesus provides perfect wine in a moment’s notice.

Wine symbolized God’s continuous, day-by-day care through the process of making this drink in a culture where water was scarce. When wine came to the mind of an Israelite it was something that was joyous, making the heart merry, something for festive occasions, but a provision for everyday, a food, a richness that symbolized God’s eternal city and the feast that was to come in the New Heavens and the New Earth.

Notice this in the following Scriptures:

^ESVPsalm 104:14 You cause the grass to grow for the livestock and plants for man to cultivate, that he may bring forth food from the earth ¹⁵ and wine to gladden the heart of man, oil to make his face shine and bread to strengthen man's heart.

^ESVGenesis 27:28 May God give you of the dew of heaven and of the fatness of the earth and plenty of grain and wine.

^ESVJeremiah 48:33 Gladness and joy have been taken away from the fruitful land of Moab; I have made the wine cease from the winepresses; no one treads them with shouts of joy; the shouting is not the shout of joy.

^ESVJoel 2:24 "The threshing floors shall be full of grain; the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.

Moses’ first miracles was changing water to blood in Exodus in order to bring a curse on Egypt; Jesus’ the One who brings fullness of grace and truth (1:18), turns water into wine in order to bring blessing to His people. [Ridderbos- Theology of John]. Here we see the transfer of end times, or last days blessings to the present in the Person of Jesus Christ. Another Old Testament scholar named Richard Crashaw wrote: “the water recognized its Creator and blushed.”

Notice the following Old Testament passages on the abundance of wine and how this signified God's blessing and ultimate picture of His dwelling with his people. The context of these Scriptures are prophetic pronouncements of what the future eschatological blessings will be like (see above for eschatological time)! The scriptures are found in Joel 3:18; Amos 9:13, 14; Jeremiah 31:12:

Joel 3:15 The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining. ¹⁶The LORD roars from Zion, and utters his voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth quake. But the LORD is a refuge to his people, a stronghold to the people of Israel. ¹⁷"So you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who dwells in Zion, my holy mountain. And Jerusalem shall be holy, and strangers shall never again pass through it. ¹⁸"And in that day the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the streambeds of Judah shall flow with water; and a fountain shall come forth from the house of the LORD and water the Valley of Shittim.

Amos 9:11 "In that day I will raise up the booth of David that is fallen and repair its breaches, and raise up its ruins and rebuild it as in the days of old, ¹²that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations who are called by my name," declares the LORD who does this. ¹³"Behold, the days are coming," declares the LORD, "when the plowman shall overtake the reaper and the treader of grapes him who sows the seed; the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and all the hills shall flow with it. ¹⁴I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine, and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit. ¹⁵I will plant them on their land, and they shall never again be uprooted out of the land that I have given them," says the LORD your God.

Jeremiah 31:12 They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion, and they shall be radiant over the goodness of the LORD, over the grain, the wine, and the oil, and over the young of the flock and the herd; their life shall be like a watered garden, and they shall languish no more.

Over 120-150 gallons of water turned into wine! Greater things than this will you see!

Jesus' Glory

Jesus revealed his glory, and his disciples believed him. What was carved into the hearts of the disciples was the joyous day of celebration and feasting when God would permanently dwell with man! This day would be a day of celebration, feasting, full of joy and blessing! It was to be a Day like no other, when they shall sit at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven, taking part in God's feast and in the abundance of wine and milk that he has so graciously and abundantly provided!

This day had dawned, this day had begun in Jesus Christ. This new day was not only a new day for the wedding couple at the feast, this was a new day for all who believed! It is important to note that the disciples placed their faith "in HIM". They believed Jesus was the One who "exegetes" or makes the Father known (1:18) and that the banquet, the feast, the celebration had begun!

However, as they grow and understand their Lord as learners, lovers and livers (see last week's study on John 1:35-51), they realized that they were getting a foretaste of Jesus' glory while he was with them in the flesh, but that one day he would have to leave them (John 14-16 that we will do in a few weeks, Lord willing). He would say that the time to mourn is now, but that the joy that he would give them in the Holy Spirit would be abundant and provide what they needed until He returned for them, and all who believe, on the Last and Final Day.

The same transforming power of Jesus that changed water into wine also changes us into new creations! He comes into our hearts by His Spirit and regenerates us and renews us and fills us with His Holy Spirit so that we will be like him! What a transforming power we see each day as we begin to more and more awaken to the reality of the new creation of which we are a part and we are filled with the joy of Christ's Spirit!

The Holy Spirit has been given to God's people in abundance as the joy that is beyond measure! In this world characterized by sin and misery, we do experience tribulation and suffering, but we are to be of good cheer, for Jesus has overcome the world. Jesus gives abundantly what we need to provide eschatological joy for our journey to the New Heavens and the New Earth, and so that each and every day, despite our troubles and the difficulties in which we go through, we can know that his joy is our strength!

The purpose of John's Gospel is in John 20:31. It says: “These things are written so that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, and that by believing you may have life in His name.”

Do you believe? Do you have life? Do you see? Do you have the eschatological joy of eternal life in the Spirit?

Blessed is he who believes and is invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb! Read the parable below on the great wedding feast that is to come! Jesus has provided those who believe a wedding garment to cover our unrighteousness!

^ESVMatthew 22:1 And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, ² "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, ³ and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. ⁴ Again he sent other servants, saying, 'Tell those who are invited, See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.' ⁵ But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, ⁶ while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. ⁷ The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. ⁸ Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. ⁹ Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.' ¹⁰ And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests. ¹¹ "But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. ¹² And he said to him, 'Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless. ¹³ Then the king said to the attendants, 'Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' ¹⁴ For many are called, but few are chosen."

So, what did we learn and see in Jesus' first sign in John 2:1-11? We saw the following:

1. A Transition from the Old Covenant way of doing things to the New way fulfilled and replaced in Jesus.

2. A Transforming New Creation power in the presence of Jesus through his sign of turning water to wine.

3. Transfer of end-times blessings of abundant wine flowing to God’s people to the present.

4. Translation of sign which is to show forth and reveal God’s glory to those who have eyes to “SEE” in Jesus revealed in a little ‘ol town called Cana in Galilee.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Pastor Charles R. Biggs

Ketoctin Covenant Presbyterian Church

Post Office Box 628

Round Hill, VA 20142-0628

540-338-7170

Vol. VI, Issue 26

"Wine, Whips, and What Is Within a Man"- Part II

John 2:13-25: "God's Temple-House"

Rev. Charles R. Biggs

Introduction

Our study today is from John chapter 2:13-25. Last week we learned the importance of understanding the first sign of Jesus turning water into wine as a transition from the Old to New Covenant, revealing the transforming power of the New Creation, as well as the transfer of end times blessings to the present in the Person and Work of Jesus Christ. We looked at John 2:1-11 and began to consider the signs that Jesus does for us which John records so that we might believe and in his name have life eternal (John 20:31).

We will look at the temple and worship of God and how Jesus brings new light and New Covenant understanding to his people as the glory of God fills the temple of God in the person of Jesus Christ, then passes out of the temple to focus the people's worship on himself. The old is passing away....behold, the new has come!

What is the important about someone's presence? Well, what makes a haunted house "haunted"? What makes a lonely night at home "lonely"? Well, in both cases, the house is without someone else's presence. With regard to the haunted house, there is no one familiar occupying space (or is there!!??). Occupying space is important for us as time-space people. A mere building, an external structure with "no one home" is cold, impersonal, and without appeal to us no matter how beautiful it is on the outside. How many large exquisite mansions with manicured lawns and pools are full of lonely hearted people wishing that they had someone's presence to make their lives better! A lonely evening is lonely because there is no one special at home or in our presence.

Presence is important to us as relational beings! Especially when it comes to our relationship with God and His presence with us. God's presence keeps us from fear and the unknown. God's presence reminds us of his faithfulness to dwell with his people permanently which was his covenantal promise all through redemptive history! God's presence was made known to his people in different ways, but ultimately and consummately God reveals his Immanuel-Presence "with us" in the Person of Jesus Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

The Immanuel-Presence creates true worship and service from our hearts. It prevents us, because of His grace, from merely going through the external motions and emotions, but helps us to seek him with all of our heart!

He will never leave us nor forsake us because He has determined to be with those who believe! Let us read our passage from John 2:13-25 as we consider in more detail God's presence among his people in Jesus Christ and the lack of belief when God himself comes in the flesh!

John 2:13-25

^ESVJohn 2:13 The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. ¹⁴In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. ¹⁵And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. ¹⁶And he told those who sold the pigeons, "Take these things away; do not make my Father's house a house of trade." ¹⁷His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for your house will consume me." ¹⁸So the Jews said to him, "What sign do you show us for doing these things?" ¹⁹Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." ²⁰The Jews then said, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?" ²¹But he was speaking about the temple of his body. ²²When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken. ²³Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. ²⁴But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people ²⁵and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.

Redeemed for Worship and Service

True and real religion comes from the heart! It comes from a heart captured by God’s grace and presence, and then externally manifests itself in one's life, thanksgiving, service, and worship. The people of God have always been called and redeemed by God to worship him. God redeems a people in order to glorify Himself and to magnify His glory as He is present among a people. In fact, from the time of the Exodus with Moses, the main goal or intent of God's redemption was so that his people might worship him!

Exodus 7:16 And you shall say to him, 'The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you, saying, "Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness. But so far, you have not obeyed." Exodus 8:1 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go in to Pharaoh and say to him,'Thus says the LORD, "Let my people go, that they may serve me.

God redeems his people for service and worship today as well. Redemption is provided by God so that ultimately His presence can be made know in our hearts and we can worship him in spirit and truth.

The external manifestation, or the house of God where worship takes place has been revealed in various forms throughout redemptive-history. God dwelled with man in the garden, after the Exodus from Egypt God dwelled with his people in the tabernacle (Ex. 25-34), in the time of David and Solomon, a house was built for God, a temple for Him to dwell in among his people.

The purpose for this dwelling with his people, was so that his people might be close to their God, in communion with him, offering to him their sacrifices for sin, praying to him for help and assistance and worshiping him in spirit and truth. The temple was a house for God where he would live, or abide, or dwell with his people here. Over time and because of disobedience, the people of God sacrificed true worship from the hearts and exchanged them for mere forms and external manifestations that went through the motions without being tied to true love and emotion for God himself.

The Prophet Jeremiah reminds the people of God before the exile of the importance of considering their worship and their hearts before God before they merely go through the motions of worshiping him in His holy temple:

Jeremiah 7:1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: ² "Stand in the gate of the LORD's house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the LORD, all you men of Judah who enter these gates to worship the LORD. ³ Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place. ⁴ Do not trust in these deceptive words: 'This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD.' ⁵ "For if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly execute justice one with another, ⁶ if you do not oppress the sojourner, the fatherless, or the widow, or shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not go after other gods to your own harm, ⁷ then I will let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave of old to your fathers forever. ⁸ "Behold, you trust in deceptive words to no avail. ⁹ Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known, ¹⁰ and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, 'We are delivered!'- only to go on doing all these abominations? ¹¹ Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I myself have seen it, declares the LORD. ¹² Go now to my place that was in Shiloh, where I made my name dwell at first, and see what I did to it because of the evil of my people Israel. ¹³ And now, because you have done all these things, declares the LORD, and when I spoke to you persistently you did not listen, and when I called you, you did not answer, ¹⁴ therefore I will do to the house that is called by my name, and in which you trust, and to the place that I gave to you and to your fathers, as I did to Shiloh. ¹⁵ And I will cast you out of my sight, as I cast out all your kinsmen, all the offspring of Ephraim.

The Prophet Jeremiah reminded the people of God that because of their sins, God would not dwell among them if they were merely externally worshiping him, rather than truly worshiping him from the heart. In fact, they thought that God would never destroy his Temple-House, but they didn't understand that for God to dwell with man was an act of His free grace whereby he could at any time remove his presence if he so chose.

After much warning from the prophets to God's people, God allows them to be exiled into Assyria and then Babylon. The glory of God, or the presence of God, departs from His Temple-House itself (Ezekiel 10). But God promises that he will one day change his people's hearts and give them true hearts of worship (Ezekiel 36), as well as come and permanently dwell with them in a temple that is beyond their comprehension (read Ezekiel 40-48). In Ezekiel 36, God speaks through the prophet concerning the day when his people will be given true hearts of worship:

Ezekiel 36:23 And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Lord GOD, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes. ²⁴ I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. ²⁵ I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. ²⁶ And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. ²⁷ And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. ²⁸ You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God.

The Temple of God and the Presence of God in the Person of Jesus

The Jewish Temple through history was the external, visible fixture of Israel’s worship. It revealed externally the worship of God that was to come from the hearts of God's people. The Temple was the place of God’s presence and glory. It had been corrupted over time in the Old Covenant and now Jesus, God in the flesh, comes to cleanse the temple and declares that he is raising a new and permanent one in its place. It is important to realize that now God has come to dwell, not in a Temple-House, but in our flesh:

John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Our Scripture in John 2:13-25 shows Jesus as the One who is God in the flesh, the One who reveals the glory of God and the One who returns to His Temple-House to find it full of moneychangers and salesmen rather than true worshippers! Jesus possesses ultimate authority as God in the worship and service of the Father and in these verses, he illustrates through his SIGN-ificant sign, that the old way of meeting with God, represented in the temple, is being replaced by worship of God in spirit and truth (more on this in John 4).

As the Jews failed to submit to his teaching- - His Word (see study on John 1:19ff)- -and were drifting from under the authority of his word, so they are not under his authority with regards to worship and service. They were doing what was right in their own eyes as the people of God did over and over in the Old Covenant (see Book of Judges). Jesus comes to cleanse the Temple-House, the external place for the worship of God, and calls them to look to Him now for access to God in true worship and service. This is an extremely ironic situation John records for us.

Irony of Ironies!

How is Irony used in the Gospel of John?: 3 categories of Biblical irony- (1) verbal irony, saying the opposite of what one intends; (2) situational irony, when a situation is the opposite of what one expects or what is appropriate; (3) dramatic irony, when a reader or audience knows more than characters in a story do (the last two are frequent in the Bible) (see Ryken, Wilhoit, and Longman, ‘The Dictionary of Biblical Imagery’).

In this story, we have dramatic irony. The people of God are going about the worship of God, particularly in celebrating the Passover. When God actually comes to them in the flesh, they do not recognize him and in fact this will be what they will use to accuse him and to ultimately have him crucified and killed!

So, we ask ourselves, who are those in the Old Covenant Temple-House of God worshipping with all of these sacrifices if the only way to God, the only truth concerning God, and the only life from God is being rejected in the Person of Jesus?!

The Passover and the Past-Over

Jesus is God’s glory in flesh in the temple and he is driving out (physically) the idolatry, worship of Money/Mammon rather than the worship of God. This is what happens when worship is not directed by the Word of God alone. Notice the ironic sadness revealed in this passage.

The Jews are celebrating the Passover, when God passed over the homes that had blood on the doorposts in the Exodus from Egypt. Now, God does not merely Passover, but actually passes through the very Temple dedicated to his name and the Jews are deaf and blind to this reality. They continued sacrificing their oxen, sheep and pigeons, while the true and final sacrifice slipped through their hands and they would ultimately put this one to death because of his claims to have authority over the worship and service of God!

Business and Religion: Moneychanging, Animal Sales, and a Big Kahuna Burger!

Who are the moneychangers? Moneychanging and selling animals were legitimate businesses that were needed for all those traveling to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover and worship the living God. People needed to purchase cattle, sheep, pigeons, and doves in order to make a sacrifice for their sins. There would be moneychangers, those who would change the currency of the coinage that was appropriate for temple tax, as well as those selling animals for sacrifices, conveniently set up in many small towns along the way up to Jerusalem.

However, these salesmen and moneychangers had literally set up shop in the temple itself! Rather than hearing prayers offered up to God and realizing the holy presence of the living God who would come and dwell there in the temple, these men were selling their wares. Jesus grabs some cord (perhaps from the cloth that was hung over a camel or donkey's back for traveling, or perhaps there was more selling going in a variety of wares), and makes a whip out of it. He chases out the animals, the salesmen and the moneychangers and refers to the prophecy of Jeremiah claiming that they have made his Father's Temple-House a "house of merchandise".

There is nothing wrong with moneychanging and animal sales, it was the location chosen for the business! Lay-a-way has its place, but not in the Temple-House of God! The moneychanging and animal sales would have been convenient for business and religion. It would have helped God to be more accessible in worship. Heck, every now and then I get hungry after worship and it would be nice to have a Burger King or a Big Kahuna Burger located in the church building!

Why not? I mean, it would be a nice marriage of business and religion, I could truly have it "my way" and then follow my burger with a sip of a delicious beverage. Why, it would even improve attendance, making God more accessible if we had one of these burger stands! People could come eat, drink, then get up to worship! (Does anyone hear a reference from Exodus 32?). In response to this mixing of business and religion, Jesus responds with a House-Cleaning program. The disciples remember that 'zeal for his Father's House consume him'!

Psalm 69:6-10 Let not those who hope in you be put to shame through me, O Lord GOD of hosts; let not those who seek you be brought to dishonor through me, O God of Israel. ⁷For it is for your sake that I have borne reproach, that dishonor has covered my face. ⁸I have become a stranger to my brothers, an alien to my mother's sons. ⁹For zeal for your house has consumed me, and the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me. ¹⁰When I wept and humbled my soul with fasting, it became my reproach.

Think back to the famous “Golden Calf Incident” in Israel’s history (Ex. 32). God was pleased to dwell with his people in a tabernacle (Ex. 25-31) that Moses was taught to oversee and build. The minute Moses turns his back, the people have their first worship service- -a service of idolatry! The temple was for God’s worship, they had made it a place of trade. They are selling rather than serving. They are taking rather than giving! Notice that in this incident as well as in the ‘Golden Calf incident’ that both attempts were to make God accessible.

In the ‘Golden Calf incident’ Aaron and the people wanted to see God, make him accessible. These businessmen in the temple are trying to help the people traveling from afar so that they can worship God, so again there is an attempt at making God more accessible. We too today in the name of convenience and accessibility have oftentimes perverted the worship of God.

In fact, in the last few years we have seen the growth and prominence of what is called "seeker-sensitive" churches (these are not new, but a rehashing of a worldly business-religion in the name of Christianity that Charles Spurgeon also fought against in the 19th century in what came to be known as the 'Down-grade Controversy').

Read (and weep!) this article on 'Peddling God' from an issue of SMM: Sales & Marketing Management (March 2002): "Seeker churches try to appeal to the millions of adults who don't regularly attend church- - people who may harbor religious beliefs and feelings, but who are either intimidated by or simply turned off by churches....This new breed of church is marketing to prospects and working with customers- -also referred to as attendees- - to ensure that their needs and wants are satisfied...To get people in the door and attending services, they'll resort to any marketing and sales tactic.

'Getting a flyer at Burger King can matter drastically in reaching people who are searching for God but haven't really had anybody come through their lives to give them direction,' says David Jordan Allen, Family Christian Center's marketing director, who adds that the local Taco Bell, McDonald's, and other restaurant chains now are looking to establish marketing tie-ins with the church. 'It works. Of the three thousand or so people who come to our shows, several hundred come up to the altar afterward and accept Christ as their savior'." [my emphasis added in italics/underline].

Can you see that this is exactly what the Temple-House of God in Jerusalem had become when Jesus came to clean house! The reason the moneychangers and the salesmen were in the Temple was to encourage the worship of God. It was to help make God conveniently accessible. Much false worship has always been with good intentions. For example, the sons of Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, were worshiping God in a way that was convenient and accessible for the people and fire from God consumed them (Numbers 3)! In fact, it is described as "unauthorized fire"! Uzzah didn't want the Ark of God to fall into mud so he grabbed hold of it so it wouldn't fall into the mud and God's wrath was poured out on his arrogant impiety (2 Sam. 6).

However, the worship of God stemmed from disobedience rather than a heart captured by God's grace and submitted to His Word! These incidents of false worship were against God's will and revelation of himself. It is up to God how he wants to be worshipped and approached and we must be obedient to this by His grace whether it is "convenient" or "accessible" or "seeker-sensitive" or not! Just one comment (although I am tempted to make many): The ultimate problem with seeker-sensitive is found in both of the words used: "seeker" and "sensitive".

First of all, according to God's clear revelation in Scripture, no man seeks after God (Romans 3:10-23), and Jesus says the Father is actually the One seeking true worshippers (John 4:22ff), so there is no such thing as a "seeker" except in the living God himself! Secondly, the word "sensitive" sounds nice, but what it reveals is a sensitivity to sinners who are rebellious idolaters in reality, who want to worship in their own way, and not God's way!

When thinking about the worship service at your congregation, always say to you and the other committee members: "Remember the "golden calf incident" in the Old Covenant"! This incident was sincere and sensitive to the so-called needs of the people, yet it was against God's will and it almost cost the people of God (and Moses!) their very lives (Exodus 32-34). We cannot be sensitive to God's will and sensitive to the whims of sinful man's worship desires! So, that is my comment, although I would like to say more!

The Temple-House of Jesus' Body

Jesus uses this Passover and this Temple-House cleaning as a way to show forth the SIGN-ificant sign that he is God in the flesh dwelling among his people and the only One worthy of our true worship and service. He is revealing himself as the One who has the power to raise himself from the dead. As the Lamb of God, he was the only pure and unspotted sacrifice worth purchasing for a Passover sacrifice. Yet, Jesus was not purchased, but those who believe were- - by his precious blood.

The Lamb of God lays down the body of flesh that was the true place of God's presence and glory in the Person of Jesus Christ! This body of flesh was destroyed by some of those Jews who opposed Jesus that day! This act of justice with the whips in the Jewish Temple would become the main witness against Jesus in his death (Mark 14:55ff). Jesus says to them: "Destroy (imperative) this temple and in three days I will raise it up again!" The real Temple-House of God in Jesus' body would be destroyed and he would be resurrected to life, so that those who believe, those who remembered his word, might have life in His name!

Jesus is God's Temple-House who is the Only true access to the living God (John 14:6). Jesus will say later: "I AM the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me!"

God's Presence by His Spirit

We too tend toward idolatry like these moneychangers and salesmen. We want God when it is convenient for us to worship and serve. We want a God who is accessible to us in the way we want him to be accessible. Yet God in His grace is committed to cleansing us permanently, His Holy Temple of these idols!

Jesus’ body is the Temple- -the place where God’s Spirit ultimately resides, where he has the Holy Spirit “without measure” (John 3). Yet Jesus gives us his Spirit today, and we often harbor unseen idols in our hearts, as well as blatantly disregard the worship of God and the authority of God revealed in His Word! We often seek to do things in our worship of God that is foreign to his commands, and all in the name of convenience or making God "more accessible"! That was just what these were doing who Jesus disciplines!

What have we done with God’s worship today in our own congregations? Do we serve or sell Jesus? Have we remained faithful to his Word, to sit under the authority of His Word, and to worship God in the way that He has commanded us to worship him? Do we merely go through the external motions and emotions, or do we worship God from pure hearts that have been changed by God's Holy Spirit? We should remember that it is not extravagant buildings and worship centers that we need to build for our glory, but we need hearts that have been gripped by the grace and love found in the Lord Jesus and who want to worship as the people of God who have now become God's Temple-House!

How are we to understand that we are God's Temple-House? Well, remember throughout redemptive-history, God's Temple-House was where he dwelled, where His Spirit took up residence and His glory was revealed. In the Person of Work of Jesus Christ, God was pleased not merely to dwell with man in the flesh (that's incredible enough!), but God now dwells with man internally by the power of His Holy Spirit. Because of His work for us and in us, we can be sure of His Spirit dwelling within us and His glory being manifested outwardly as we grow in Christ.

2 Corinthians 3:17-18: Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. ¹⁸ And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

The temple many in Israel were expecting was laid out by the Prophet Ezekiel in chapters 40 and following. They pictured prophetically a beautiful temple that God would ultimately build. The one they had built (and would still be building for more than 20 years) during Jesus' time in Jerusalem, was built by Herod the Great (a half-breed Jewish pagan who they hated) and they longed for the last days when God would build his great temple after he overthrew all other worldly powers who dominated Israel.

However, this Temple was Jesus’ body, the body he would lay down for the substitution of sinners, so that Ezekiel’s great ‘end-times’ temple might be realized in the people of God who were being made pure by the Spirit from every tribe, tongue, people and nation, and who would worship truly from their hearts given to them in the New Creation (more on this in John 3) and be a temple of people. Those who would worship God in spirit and truth through the Lord Jesus Christ as Mediator and High Priest (more on this in chapter four).

Listen to the magnificent, awe-inspiring words of the New Testament apostles and how they interpret Ezekiel’s Temple in the people of God united to Jesus Christ by faith!

^ESV1 Corinthians 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own...

^ESV2 Corinthians 6:16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, "I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

^ESVEphesians 2:19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, ²⁰ built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, ²¹ in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.

^ESVRevelation 3:12 The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name.

Jesus, by His Spirit, does not come in wrath anymore to cleanse His temple (the people of God)! Rather, by His gracious Spirit, he sanctifies, cleanses us, washes us, refines, purifies us so that we will be a pure and unspotted bride!

In Revelation 21-22, the Apostle John writes: "There was no Temple." There was not Temple, but an great multitude of worshippers worshipping Christ in spirit and truth for eternity!

What is Within A Man?

Finally, notice in verses 2:23-25, how did the people respond to Jesus’ signs? Some see and some do not! “Come and see”- - “greater things shall you see than this” (1:49-51)- -some do not see greater things, because they are blind to the reality of Jesus Christ even though in his presence he gives them proof and reasonable evidence- -God doesn’t always grant ability, except by his grace. Seek his grace so that you might believe.

[Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. ²⁴But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people ²⁵and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.]

What is in man? A heart of idolatry, selfishness, self-centeredness, striving for authority- - but never a heart of natural submission and worship until the Holy Spirit with “zeal for his people-temple-houses” overthrows the corruptness from within! This reality of “what was in man”, his corrupted heart, leads to the Apostle John’s chapter three where will find out about the love of God and being re-born, or “born again” in chapter 3!

In a Jewish Commentary on Exodus, ‘Mekhilta Exodus, 15:32’ there is a saying that is similar: “Seven things are hidden from man- - the day of death, the day of consolation, the depths of judgment, one’s reward, the time of restoration of the kingdom of David, the time when the guilty kingdom [i.e. Rome] will be destroyed, and what is within another.”

We should understand the connection between the Temple passage and the end of chapter 2 in verses 23-25. ‘What is within a man’ is visually revealed by the response to Jesus by the Jewish authorities. The Temple was to be the place of the worship and service of God, but when the God of the Temple actually walked in the flesh amongst them, they approached him in order to lay their hands on him and kill him (situational irony).

Jesus orders the animals out with whips as a preview of God’s wrath on the last day. Jesus is the One who is the Lamb of God and will lay down his life and be sold as these animals by one of his disciples in order that the Jewish authorities might kill him.

Believe and submit to Christ’s authority NOW, when he returns it will be too late. You will be placed in submission whether you like it or not and you will acknowledge his lordship, but it will be too late:

Philippians 2:9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, ¹⁰so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

John 20:31 says: “These things are written so that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, and that by believing you may have life in His name.”

Do you believe? Do you have life? Do you see?

Now, if you want to stand in God’s Holy Temple, you must be standing in Jesus Christ, by virtue of your being united to him by faith! Next week: One who was with the temple authorities who heard what Jesus said comes out from the shadows, and thinks to himself: “Hmm, I need to speak to this Jesus. We know he is a teacher sent from God because of his signs, but I must do this privately.” This man’s name is Nicodemus and we will look at Nicodemus’ interview with Jesus next week!

Soli Deo Gloria!

For Further Reading

D. A. Carson, 'Gospel According to John'

H. Ridderbos, 'The Gospel of John: A Theological Commentary'

L. Morris, 'The Gospel According to John' (NICNT)

J. Calvin, 'Commentary on the Gospel of John'

R. Brown, 'Commentary on the Gospel of St. John'

J. Dennison, Articles on John's Gospel at www.kerux.com

J. Boice, Commentary on John's Gospel

Pastor Charles R. Biggs

Ketoctin Covenant Presbyterian Church

Post Office Box 628

Round Hill, VA 20142-0628

540-338-7170

Vol. VI, Issue 27

John 3:1-15: "Birth from Above"

Rev. Charles R. Biggs

Happy Thanksgiving!

I am sending this study a little early this week because of the Thanksgiving holiday. Margaret and I wish you and your family a blessed time of Thanksgiving with your family and friends! May we be reminded of the LORD's graciousness to us all!

Introduction

Today's study is from John 3:1-15 where Jesus dialogues with a Nicodemus a ruler of the Jews and a Pharisee. Last week we finished our study of chapter two and considered the transforming power of the new creation seen in Jesus turning water into wine. We learned of Jesus' zeal for God's Temple-House and how he went about cleansing it in order to establish true worship by sending the Spirit into the hearts of His people. Finally, we briefly considered chapter 2, verses 23-25 that spoke of Jesus knowing what was within a man. These last verses in chapter 2 prepare us for the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus in chapter 3.

Jesus tells Nicodemus that he must be born again, or born from above, or he cannot see or enter the Kingdom of God. Jesus is teaching Nicodemus as well as all people who come to Jesus to seek him, that they must have an inner change of heart wrought by the Spirit of God if they are to see or enter the Kingdom. This inner change, or transformation, must precede their truly learning of Christ and becoming a disciple who is a learner, lover and liver. Now, we know from the Gospels that Nicodemus would later become a disciple of Jesus, but remember that at this point, he is still a representative of the Jewish ruling council, and must learn of Jesus' identity over time just like many of the other disciples.

John 3:1-15

John 3:1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. ²This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him." ³Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." ⁴Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" ⁵Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. ⁶That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. ⁷Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' ⁸The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." ⁹Nicodemus said to him, "How can these things be?" ¹⁰Jesus answered him, "Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? ¹¹Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. ¹²If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? ¹³No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. ¹⁴And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, ¹⁵that whoever believes in him may have eternal life."

Nick at Night

The Apostle John's settings for presenting Jesus are fascinating. If you remember, for Jesus' first sign, he is at a wedding feast. For his next act on his Messianic Mission, he is a the Temple where true worship in spirit and truth should have been occurring. Here in John 3, the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus is "at night". For John who uses a lot of contrast between light and darkness, this is significant. Because the Scriptures have been inspired by the Holy Spirit, there are no "free motifs". That is, there is nothing that is included in the text that does not have some significant meaning and is important for carrying the plot, story, or narrative to its important conclusion. John didn't have to tell us the time of day, or that it was dark.

This is not to say that we should spiritualize, or allegorize things like this (I have already warned of this in the study on John 2:1-11). Yet, the darkness, the night is an interesting context for considering and contrasting the difference between flesh and spirit, earthly things and heavenly things, births from below and births from above here in John 3. It also seems to remind us of the greater darkness that Israel generally, and Nicodemus particularly is experiencing in their understanding and knowledge of Jesus.

So, we could say concerning this 'Nick at Night' passage, that the darkness of the night surrounds them during their conversation as the Light of the World begins to bring forth light on the subject of true and saving knowledge coming from above! Remember what John 1:4-5 says: "In [Jesus] was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." After this passage, John 3:19-21 says:

"And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been carried out in God."

So, I believe there is some importance again to the context of the night, when Nick comes to speak to Jesus. More on this in the next study! As we proceed in our study, notice the contrasts presented for our reflection in John 3:1-15 (see how many you can find). This is what is called "doubling" or "twinning" in literary terms. I find these: (1) two rabbis; (2) two births; (3) two origins of knowledge; (4) two existences (fleshly, earthly and spiritual, heavenly); (5) two Old Covenant scripture references.

Born Again/ Born from Above

In John 3, we learn that in order to inhabit the New Creation and be a part of the New Israel, we must have a New Birth, a birth from above. Now, when Jesus uses the phrase "born again", it is the Greek word anothen that can be translated "born again" or "born from above". It is important to note that being born again is always from above because it is by God's Spirit. I think it is helpful to focus our attention on the fact that this term means not just beginning again, but something that happens "from above" because of God's grace given to us!

What’s the difference between being born again and being born from above? I imagine a lot of people today speak more about being born again than they do about being born from above. "I'm a born again Christian", many people say. I don't often hear "I'm a born from above Christian." Well, what other kind of Christian is there besides one who is "born again" or "born from above"?!

It is not worthy nitpicking concerning which of the terms we use, both can translate the Greek word effectively. However, I would point out that the context of John 3 is concerned about what is revealed "from above", and for me the emphasis of this chapter would be that the transforming birth that occurs by God's Spirit is "from above" and perhaps this should be preferred, but there is no trouble with either use (cf. vv. 12, 13, 16, 27, 31, 34). I prefer “born from above" based ultimately on the context and the use of “from above” throughout this unit in John chapter 3.

In this dialogue that Jesus has with Nick at night, contrast Nicodemus with the Jews represented in John 1-2. Nicodemus comes to hear God’s Word in Jesus, but he is not a believer yet. In fact, in this passage Jesus is purposely pointed and poignant in his speech to him because he knows what is within a man (2:23-25), and knows that mere signs do not in fact create believing disciples.

Jesus points to the fact that there must be an inner change from the heart. There is an old saying with which we are all familiar: "Seeing is believing!" But that is incorrect. Many saw Jesus' signs and while it did cause them to be without excuse even more in their accountability to their Creator (cf. Rom. 1), it did not cause them to believe. The better phrase that would illustrate what Jesus is teaching to Nicodemus is: Believing is seeing! (vv. 3, 5). Yet this "sight" comes because one has been "born again" or "born from above"!

Jesus is saying to Nicodemus: "Because one has been born again, or born from above, one can truly see and enter the Kingdom of God, but until this transformation by the Spirit within the heart takes place, you as Israel's teacher (or anyone else who comes to Jesus) are blind and shut out of the Kingdom until this transformation occurs!

"Old Saint Nick" the Reverend Doctor

Nicodemus has been the Teacher of Israel (v. 10) for many years. He is an old Pharisee and a member of the Jewish ruling council called the Sanhedrin. He is a very learned and knowledgeable man in the Old Covenant Scriptures. He has literally spent his entire life learning and memorizing and teaching the Old Covenant Scriptures. Nicodemus is in academic and religious qualification what we might call today a Reverend Doctor. Nicodemus is ordained and has received his Ph D. So, when he approaches Jesus, Jesus refers to him as "the" rabbi, or an important Rabbi-Teacher of Israel (v. 10- Jesus recognizes his earthly credentials). Notice how Nicodemus begins the conversation, he says to Jesus that "We know that you are a teacher sent from God" (v. 2), apparently there representing others, particularly his disciples.

Rabbi-Teachers had disciples just like Jesus. They sat at their feet and learned from them wisdom and knowledge of the Scriptures (cf. Luke 2:46-48). So, Nicodemus is representing his group and says to Jesus "we know". However, Jesus begins to get to his heart and ask him "What do you really know?" Jesus says you have "we knowledge", or knowledge from below (wee knowledge?!). Then through this dialogue, Jesus wants him to come to grips with his mere "we knowledge" (wee knowledge), or knowledge from below by understanding that the transformation of the Spirit of God within a man will cause him to have Spirit-revealed knowledge from above (v. 11- "We speak of what we know", that is, "my disciples and I speak of what we know", or knowledge from above). This is the same kind of knowledge the Apostle Paul will speak of in 1 Corinthians 2:6-14:

^ESV1 Corinthians 2:6 Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. ⁷But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. ⁸None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. ⁹But, as it is written, "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him"- ¹⁰these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. ¹¹For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. ¹²Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. ¹³And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. ¹⁴The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

Notice Paul's comment in v. 8: "None of the rulers of this age understood this [knowledge and wisdom of God], for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory." So, this passage begins with Nicodemus as a Rabbi-Teacher of Israel to explain to Jesus what he knows, and Jesus in essence asks him:

"What do you really know, Nicodemus, you cannot really see or enter the Kingdom of God at this point, are you willing to submit to me as THE Rabbi-Teacher in order to truly understand and become my disciple?" Jesus begins to explain to Nicodemus the importance of this inner transformation that will give true knowledge ("We knowledge from above"), effect sight, and give ability to enter the Kingdom.

A New Start or A New Life?

Notice that in Nicodemus' response to Jesus telling him "Truly, truly, You must be born again, or born from above" (v. 3), he hears Jesus' comment as a mere "new start", or a new beginning (v. 4). Nicodemus at this point wants to know how he can go back to his mother's womb and start all over again, going through the motions and emotions that he has always gone through in attempting to keep the Law of God. Nicodemus has "upheld the Law" as his community of Pharisees had interpreted it (cf. Paul's claims in Philippians 3:1-10). Rather than the Law pointing them to the Law-keeping of Messiah, they thought that they could uphold it in their own strength, by God's grace given to them through the covenant promises.

Jesus does not want Nicodemus to try and make a new beginning or a new start, because there is no way one can. Again, Jesus knows what is within a man (2:23-25) and he knows this propensity toward sin that comes from a man's heart must be changed. He must be born from above! He does not need a new start, but rather he needs a new life. Literally, Jesus is telling Nicodemus "to get a life".

How many times in our own lives do we merely try to "work harder", or "turn over a new leaf" with hopes that God might love us more? How many times do we give this impression to others that this is what the Christian life is all about? The Christian life is about a Sovereign and gracious God who by His Spirit wonderfully intrudes into our hearts, so that he might transform us into new creations and give us new life! God breathes new life into us as he breathed life into Adam in Genesis 2 after he had formed the man from dust. Just as Jesus took water and turned it into wine, so the Lord takes fallen sinners who apathetically could care less about the living God, and transforms us into new creations with new hearts so that we can serve the living God wholeheartedly!

Nicodemus in essence wants to try a little harder. He thinks Jesus is telling him to go back to his mother's womb and begin again. This is "If-at-first-you-don't-succeed-try-try-again-theology"! However, the problem is, even if Nicodemus or anyone else could do this, begin again in his mother's womb, he would have the same sinful nature at the beginning as he did at the middle and end of their life! No, to begin again is not the answer- - but to be born again, born from above, that is! The womb was the place where we all were first corrupted by Adam's sin. David says in Psalm 51: "Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me." Jesus is saying to Nicodemus, you don't have a problem with doing, you have a problem of being. In other words, we are not sinners because we sin; we sin because we are by nature sinners!

You can imagine what Nicodemus is thinking talking face to face with Jesus: "I’m a knowledgeable and respected man in our community- - me? I must be born again, or born from above too!? I'm not a Gentile 'sinner'- - I am a Pharisee- - I don't understand. This is where Jesus brings in some additional teaching on being born of water and Spirit, as well as the difference between fleshly and spiritual birth. This is framed between verses 2 and 11, the "we knowledge" that Nicodemus approaches Jesus with, and the "we knowledge" that Jesus will impart to those who believe. Let us look at this "We Knowledge" that is contrasted here.

How Little We Know, How Little We Care!

Remember, when Nicodemus first approaches Jesus, he says "We know that you are a teacher sent from God..." Later, in verse 11, Jesus says: "We know the things we have seen..." The “We knowledge” of Nicodemus and his disciples is mere fleshly, human knowledge (v. 2). The “We Knowledge” of Jesus and His disciples is Spirit-revealed knowledge (or, “Kingdom Knowledge”) (v. 11). What do any of us know apart from God’s revelation in Scripture? John 1:1 says nothing! Yet, there are reasonable witnesses testifying to the truth. This is a good time to think back to John 1. John 1 is a prologue that is expounded and explained in detail in each chapter of the Gospel of John. Allow me to take you back to two important truths from the prologue that will hopefully help us to understand this dialogue better.

In John 1:1-3, the Apostle John explains that "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and God was the Word" (see first study on John's Gospel).

What John is implicitly teaching us under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit is that all knowledge is derived knowledge. That means that all knowledge is ultimately revelational, or revealed knowledge. John begins with revelation: "In the beginning was the Word". Unless you were there "in the beginning" all knowledge that we have of God, the world and ourselves is derived knowledge. Neither you nor I experientially learned or gained knowledge of God and the creation, yet it was reasonably and rationally presented to us by witnesses.

In John 1, there are several references to testimony or witnesses, primarily speaking of John the Baptist.

^ESVJohn 1:7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him./ ^ESVJohn 1:8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light./ ^ESVJohn 1:15 ( John bore witness about him, and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.'")/ ^ESVJohn 1:32 And John bore witness: "I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him./ ^ESVJohn 1:34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God."

These verses teach us that although all knowledge is revealed knowledge and our knowledge of God, our world, and ourselves ultimately comes from God's revelation in His Word, God also gives us reasonable and rational testimonies or witnesses to the reality of this revelation (John the Baptist's ministry, the prophets, Jesus' signs and miracles). However, the reasonable knowledge is based on the revelational knowledge and not the other way around. In other words, in order truly to know God, our world and ourselves, we must have more than reason and rational proofs for God's existence and understanding meaning in this world in which we live. We must have revelation: "In the beginning was the Word..." This revelation precedes all other knowledge. We must submit all of our reason to this revelation in order that we might truly know and believe by God's grace!

What do any of us truly know about our world and ourselves?

We must have revelation to make sense of our world. We must not try to reason out God's existence and then believe. God's existence in Scripture is always assumed and asserted: "In the beginning was the Word..." We must believe in order to fully understand God, ourselves, our world. God is the Master Interpreter of all things, including knowledge of himself, knowledge of ourselves, and knowledge of our world. Jesus is saying to Nicodemus: "What do you know? Unless you are born from above, you will never truly know!"

God Speaks and Man Stops, Listens, and Learns

Even with all of the so-called proofs for the existence of God, what can we really know about him (is he personal, is he dangerous, is he loving, is he just, is he...)? Maybe our tastes, seeing, hearing, knowing- - all of this may be deceiving us - -maybe the world doesn't even exist around us; perhaps all of what we call reality is an illusion! What if Eastern philosophy is correct: we are just characters in a dream and all of our senses deceive us! Our knowledge of God, our world and ourselves must come from God-- it must come from above!

Otherwise the only thing we can be sure of, is that we do not know. All of the greatest of philosophers have had to say at the end of the day, "I just am not positively sure about my ideas and theories, I really can't tell you anything for certain." As great as the philosophers of the world have been, and as much as they have actually assisted us in understanding of God's world through observation of general revelation, at the end of the day, we come back to the 18th century when the philosophers challenged all experiential and perceptive knowledge. This left all people with returning to revelation from God if we are to know anything for sure. This is exactly what God wanted to happen.

God used unbelieving skeptical philosophers in order to return his people back to submission to His Word! What grace! True philosophy that can deliver real answers about God, our world and ourselves is displayed here in this conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus: If we truly want to know, we must remember that when God speaks (here in Jesus), man must stop, listen and learn!

We can all truly know because God has graciously revealed it to us in His Word, but in order to believe this revelation, this truth in His Word, we must first be acted upon, we must first be transformed from the heart by the Spirit of God; we must be born from above! We never understand, then believe. We believe in order that we might truly understand!

Jesus says: "Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?" (vv. 11-12)

Water and the Spirit

Jesus points out to Nicodemus that to be born again, or born from above, means to be born of water and the Spirit (v. 5 explains v.3 as well as Nicodemus' misunderstanding about a new start or beginning again!). What does the terms “water and Spirit” refer to? It is important to note first that Jesus is not teaching something new to Nicodemus. He is amazed that Nicodemus is the Teacher of Israel and doesn't understand what he says to him (v. 10)! So, when looking at this passage, we want to be careful not to read too much thought of baptism or modern scientific knowledge back into the verses without first looking at the Old Covenant Scriptures for help!

The terms "water and Spirit" is not teaching baptismal regeneration as some have thought because the emphasis is on the work of the Spirit in verses 3-10. The Spirit is the One who does the work within us (vv. 8-10). This cannot be baptismal regeneration (or becoming a Christian through baptism water and the Holy Spirit) because that would be anachronistic in this context. It would be reading something into this time period that was not taught until later in the history of the Church. [Note: Although I would say that the sign of water used in baptism is an external, visible sign of a Spirit-wrought inward, invisible reality in the believer. The sign (water) and the thing signified (new birth) are very closely related. They are to be kept distinct, but never separated. However, in this passage, I don't believe John is referring to New Covenant baptism].

"Water and Spirit" is not merely amniotic fluid suggesting a natural birth and then a supernatural birth, this would be reading back into that day an understanding of the birth process that we know that they did not. Rather, “water and Spirit” is one concept describing an Old Covenant teaching and reality (not merely a New Covenant reality, because Jesus wonders why the teacher of Israel doesn’t get it!).

Israel’s teacher has mere “we knowledge” from below. Revealed knowledge “from above” has been revealed through the Prophets: Ezekiel: 11:19ff; 36:26ff; Isaiah: Is. 44:3; 59:21; Jeremiah: Jer. 31:31ff; David: Psalm 51. From these Scriptures, particularly from Ezekiel 36:26ff, we learn of what Jesus is referring to by "water and Spirit". The reason Jesus is amazed at Nicodemus' lack of understanding, was that Nicodemus was a Reverend Doctor, a professor of Israel who taught the Scriptures. If he didn't know about the promises of God being given by the Holy Spirit from the Book of Ezekiel, then what did the people know? A student is never greater than his master/teacher!

Jesus chides Nicodemus when he says in v. 10: "You are the Teacher of Israel and you don't know these things?!" Jesus is saying to Nicodemus: "Were you sleeping in seminary when you took the course on the Prophets, particularly Ezekiel?" Let us read the passage from Ezekiel to see the promise that God has revealed to his people through the Scriptures:

Ezekiel 36:22 "Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came. ²³And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Lord GOD, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes. ²⁴I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. ²⁵I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. ²⁶And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. ²⁷And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. ²⁸You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God. ²⁹And I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses. And I will summon the grain and make it abundant and lay no famine upon you.

The Old Covenant promise of the Prophet Ezekiel to those who submitted to God's revelation in His Word was that God would graciously cleanse his people with water -- God would purify them, as well as to give them a new heart and a new spirit. The following chapter, Ezekiel 37 is worth reading and comparing with this teaching that Nicodemus should have been aware of. In Ezekiel 37, Ezekiel sees a vision of a valley of dry bones (representing dead Israel), and the Spirit moves upon those bones and causes them to live! This is what is meant by the terms "water and Spirit". The water of cleansing and purification that God will sprinkle on his people, and the new hearts he will give them by His grace- - and this all because of the work of God's Spirit (v. 8)!

A Tale of Two Births

Jesus says: "Flesh gives birth to flesh and Spirit gives birth to spirit" (v. 6). Now let's look at the other two terms "flesh and spirit". It is easy to interpret this as some Hellenistic/Greek concept. In much Hellenistic/Greek thinking of the time, there was a dualism between matter and spirit. The flesh, or material things were evil, corrupt and to be one day destroyed. While spiritual, or immaterial things were good things and so people sought out spiritual things over material things.

But Jesus is not a Hellenist or Greek! He is speaking of two “levels” of existence, if you will. The flesh he is referring to is a “from below existence”, and the spirit is describing a “from above existence”, but both are physical, as well as spiritual existence and reflective of true humanity (not a Greek conception or notion of separating body and soul/spirit).

"Flesh", or “Below existence” is characterized by separation from God, mere “we knowledge” (v. 2) of who God is (as well as who we are as God’s creatures), sin, culminating in death and eternal separation from God our Creator. "Spirit" refers to “Above existence” or “eternal life”, characterized by reconciliation with God, “we knowledge” (v.11) as disciples of Christ (Spirit-revealed knowledge) redemption, life of repentance, power over sin, and life eternal.

This takes us back to what we learned earlier in the study. The importance of the priority of revelation again (v. 11- “heavenly things”, or Spirit-revealed things, and “earthly things”). Jesus tells Nicodemus that flesh gives birth to flesh, meaning that flesh or "earthly beings" give birth to more earthly beings who have the same sinful condition as all other earthly beings since the fall of man. These earthly beings are characterized by separation from God, sin, and ultimately dying and returning to dust.

In contrast, Spirit gives birth to spirit. The Spirit of God coming down by God's grace from above, gives new hearts, new life, new sight, new ability to believe and love God. In other words, the Spirit begets children of God not because of human will, desiring or working, but because He has the power and authority to transform earthly, flesh beings, into heavenly, spiritual beings by His grace. In other words, the Spirit of God transforms enemies of God (cf. Rom. 5:8-10) into children of God. Remember John 1 again:

John 1:11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. ¹² But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, ¹³ who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

Notice verse 13: "Who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God." From below, as earthly, flesh beings, we rely on the Spirit from above to reveal to us heavenly, spiritual things. In John 3:12, Jesus says to Nicodemus before he begins his sermonette, or monologue on the "love from above" (3:16ff): "If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you of heavenly things?"

Again, this emphasizes the importance of understanding that all “heavenly things” are revealed through God’s Word to us. Earthly things are mere reasonable things, but not “God-foolish things” like resurrected men from the dead, supernatural inspiration of the Holy Scriptures and God becoming incarnate, or enfleshing himself in being born of a virgin, yet without sin. It is important to remember when witnessing the gospel to family and friends, heavenly things will always be “foolish things” to those who do not believe. For those who believe, heavenly things are “wise things” revealed only to babes (cf. Matthew 11:25-29). But notice how Jesus points Nicodemus by His grace to another passage in the Old Covenant Scriptures in order to offer Nicodemus hope and life in Him!

A Serpent and a Savior, A Sickness and a Cure

In John 3:14-15, Jesus says: "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life." Jesus has descended "from above" to give us knowledge of heavenly things. I understand this reference to Numbers 21 as Jesus presenting the gospel to Nicodemus and also the way he must come to understand heavenly things by the Spirit of God. Let us read from Numbers 21:4ff:

⁴From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. And the people became impatient on the way. ⁵And the people spoke against God and against Moses, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food." ⁶Then the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. ⁷And the people came to Moses and said, "We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you. Pray to the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us." So Moses prayed for the people. ⁸And the LORD said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live." ⁹So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.

Jesus is teaching Nicodemus that he too, as well as all of Israel should realize that the only way to life is by looking away from themselves to the One who can take away their sins and heal them (Isa. 53:1-8). Jesus, like the serpent lifted up on the pole, was God's only way for God's people to have life. Sin is like the bite of the serpents, it is deadly and leads us to eternal death and separation from God (James 1:13-15), yet Jesus is our cure, the One to bring life to all who look to him to be made well and reconciled to God.

This reality of Jesus' healing grace would have reminded Nicodemus as well as ourselves that in order to be healed, one must first realize they are sick and in need of a doctor. All of Nicodemus' works for God in his many attempts at keeping the Law of God as a Pharisee would never make him righteous. Foundationally, in his heart of hearts lurked sin and death, and the only cure for his disease was the submitting to the Lord Jesus and His revelation of salvation for those who believe!

We are distant from this occasion by many years. Yet, everyone born of the flesh, every human being must understand, that if they are going to be saved, they must look to the dying Savior who was lifted up on the cross, to die for the sins of those who believe. The only cure for our wickedness, our sins, our problem of death (that is coming for all of us if Christ doesn't return first!) is the Son of Man who was lifted up for our transgressions and put to death for our Law-breaking! This Son of Man was resurrected and seated at God's right hand so that His Spirit might come and dwell within us, teaching us of His grace, and learning to live and walk as He lived and walked before His God and Father!

John 20:31 says that these things were written so that you might believe and have life eternal in Jesus' name! Do you believe? Are you aware of anything more than mere "earthly things", or has the Spirit of God worked in you to bring about a new creation transformation, cleansing your heart with water and awakening you to true revelational knowledge of God, your world and yourself! Do you know these "heavenly things"? Have you been born from above? Seek the LORD today to make your calling and election sure (2 Peter 1:10).

Remember the words to a favorite Christmas hymn:

"God rest you merry, Gentlemen, let nothing you dismay, remember Christ our Savior was born on Christmas day, to save us all from Satan's power when we were gone astray; O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy, O tidings of comfort and joy!"

Soli Deo Gloria!

For Further Reading

D. A. Carson, 'Gospel According to John'

H. Ridderbos, 'The Gospel of John: A Theological Commentary'

L. Morris, 'The Gospel According to John' (NICNT)

J. Calvin, 'Commentary on the Gospel of John'

R. Brown, 'Commentary on the Gospel of St. John'

J. Dennison, Articles on John's Gospel at www.kerux.com

J. Boice, Commentary on John's Gospel

Pastor Charles R. Biggs

Ketoctin Covenant Presbyterian Church

Post Office Box 628

Round Hill, VA 20142-0628

540-338-7170

Vol. VI, Issue 28

John 3:16-36: "Love, Light, and Truth from Above"

Rev. Charles R. Biggs

Update: The previous WOE studies in the Gospel of John are now available online in WORD format (click the 'Word of Encouragement' above to be taken to the website).

Introduction

Today's study is from John 3:16-36. In this passage, Jesus' dialogue with Nicodemus becomes a trial of faith for the whole world! What can be appreciated about the movement of theological details and teaching in John 3, is that what begins as a "friendly theological dialogue" between Nicodemus and Jesus becomes a meditation and reflection on the Person and Work of Christ. All of the "We knowledge from above" (3:11-see last week's study) calls us all to faith in the Lord Jesus! There can be no neutrality!

From theological dialogue to trial of faith

After the conversation with Nicodemus where Jesus challenges his beliefs and "earthly knowledge" or knowledge from below (3:11ff), John the Baptist in essence teaches the same things to his disciples as well and points them away from himself to Jesus (3:22-30). He tells them that Jesus must increase; he must decrease. His ministry is passing away and therefore if you want to know of the things revealed from above, you must listen to him! The section that follows is Jesus' ministry outside of the Jewish circles and from among those who have been introduced to Messiah by John the Baptist.

Let's begin with an overview of the chapter to help us to proceed (there are always different ways of breaking up a piece or pericope of Scripture, but this is the way I will do it in our study). In John 3:1-15, there is a dialogue between Jesus and Nicodemus, who comes at night to ask Jesus some questions. Then the Apostle John records reflections or meditation on what Jesus taught in 3:16-21

[Note: It is argued whether this is Jesus who is still speaking, or John the Apostle reflecting on what Jesus said. Either way, the words are inspired and derived from Jesus' teaching, but I believe they are the Apostle's John reflections on what Jesus said after Jesus was crucified and resurrected. This can be the trouble of "red letter" edition Bibles. We don't want to give more importance to Jesus' words in contrast to the apostles' words, and we don't want to unnecessarily quote Jesus verbatim where we are not sure because there are not quotation marks in the Greek text. This is for your consideration].

In John 3:22-30 we have John the Baptist's last works to his disciples as his ministry is passing away and Jesus' ministry is gaining in importance as God ordained it to (v. 27). Finally, in John 3:31-36 we have more of the Apostle John's reflections on the ministry of Jesus, a kind of epilogue if you will because it summarizes much of what Jesus taught and said to Nicodemus in John 3:1-15. Again, there is debate over whether Jesus, John the Baptist, or the Apostle John is speaking (see note above). I believe these are reflections by the Apostle John who wrote the gospel, but the truth is the same no matter who said it because it was inspired by the ONE Author, the Holy Spirit, but it is good to know this!

Today, we will look at these verses in two parts: 1) All men face to face with Jesus Christ and His Love (v. 16), Light (vv.19-21), and Truth (vv.11-15; 31-34) can never be neutral, and 2) The Friend of the Bridegroom (or "Jesus' best man") witnesses finally to the Love, Light, and Truth of God revealed "from above".

John 3:16-36

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. ¹⁸Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. ¹⁹And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. ²⁰For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. ²¹But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been carried out in God." ²²After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and was baptizing. ²³John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized ²⁴(for John had not yet been put in prison). ²⁵Now a discussion arose between some of John's disciples and a Jew over purification. ²⁶And they came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness- look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him." ²⁷John answered, "A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. ²⁸You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, 'I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.' ²⁹The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. ³⁰He must increase, but I must decrease." ³¹He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all. ³²He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony. ³³Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. ³⁴For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. ³⁵The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. ³⁶Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

I. All men face to face with Jesus Christ can never be neutral! (3:16-26)

Love from above (3:16-18)

God is love! (1 John 4:8). John 3:1-15 speaks of the subject of faith, that is, it focuses us on the Holy Spirit and how we are regenerated, born again, or born from above by God's gracious and Holy Spirit. Now the focus in John 3:16 is on the object of our faith. We look by faith to the Son of God who has been crucified for our sins. We look to the Son for life eternal and for the forgiveness of sins. For in the death of the Son, the Only Son of God, God gives to us a substitute, a Righteous Substitute for sinners!

God is righteous in all he says and does. His Word and His Ways are righteous because He is righteous in and of himself. God is righteousness and love. God's love requires that His creatures are righteous and obey him perfectly. Because of our disobedence and sin against our Righteous Creator, we are unable to show forth love for God and neighbor and therefore unable to produce true and saving righteousness from the heart.

We are in the condition as sinners of being unable to see or enter the Kingdom of God as Jesus says in John 3:3-7, and so we must be born again or born from above! God in his love for us not only gives to us knowledge ("We knowledge" of verse 11) that comes from above, but shows forth his love for us in giving His Only and Dear Son as a payment for our sins.

God shows forth his love to us in Jesus! People today request that God would show them that He loves them. Many people are looking for evidences of God's grace and mercy in their lives today. I have heard people say that if God would just show me his love in my life, then I would believe in Him. Even Christians get caught up in this kind of "theological tit for tat" by committing to serve and love God "IF" he will show forth his love in the way they have prayerfully assigned him to accomplish.

But God does show his love! Rather, God has in an ultimate way shown his love for us in real time and space, in real history! In the death of God's only Son, God has shown forth in the One who was raised up, that He is willing and able to forgive all those who will believe upon this Substitute that He has so graciously provided.

The Christian life is always about looking away from oneself to Jesus Christ, the One who forgives us all of our sins and provides a substitute for our sins so that we shall not perish, but live with God for eternity! What more love could God show than that He already has shown to the world in the Person and Work of Jesus?!

God is Righteous and Shows Forth His Righteousness in Jesus

God shows to the whole world what his righteousness requires in the death of his only Son. Because we are without righteousness, God provides the righteousness we need in the Person of His Only Son. Jesus was sent as v. 16 says by God because He is gracious and "so loved" the world! Those who believe are "so loved"- - love that is explained and exegeted in the death of God's Son. The Apostle Paul explains this in a beautiful and precious passage from Romans 8:31-39 (if ever you doubt God's "so love" for you, read and re-read this passage):

Romans 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³²He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? ³³Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. ³⁴Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died- more than that, who was raised- who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. ³⁵Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? ³⁶As it is written, "For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered." ³⁷No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God's righteousness requires our life as his creatures. We must die for our sins committed against our Creator (Ezekiel 18:20; Romans 3:10-23). He is Holy and Just and must punish our many sins! We owe God our very life here on earth and we use God and his many gifts to sin against Him! God's justice requires that we pay the penalty for our sins and for our trespassing unrighteously in His world.

Yet God gives His Son to die for a substitute! God loves the world "so much" that he allows his Son to pay our penalty. God is loving, yet just. He must punish sin, but he can punish sin in His Only Son if He so chooses. This way, God's holiness and justice is not violated! God's holiness and justice is upheld because the infinitely Righteous Jesus Who love the Father more than any of us can ever imagine, dies for sinners by undergoing the infinitely unbearable punishment for our sins. The Apostle Paul describes this righteousness of God displayed in the death of His Only Son!

Romans 3:21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it- ²²the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: ²³for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. ²⁶It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

How much more could God show forth his love to a sinful and dying world? God never withholds his goodness and mercy to those who ask him for it! Rather, because of pride, the sinful and dying world, doesn't want God's mercy and love! God gives abundantly to us in Jesus Christ, yet the world (both Jews and Gentiles) refuse His gift to them! What does God give in Jesus?

God gives to those who believe the righteousness and life they need to enter his presence and be saved. Jesus, the Only Son of God and the Righteous One who did perfectly obey God and love God with all His heart, soul, mind and strength, so loved us that God gave him to be our substitute in the death for sins we deserved, and in return when we believe, Jesus unites us to himself and gives us life in Him! We will never again be separated from God because the death of Christ has brought reconciliation to God and man, the Creator and the creatures can dwell together again by faith and because of God showing forth His love for all who believe!

God gives eternal life for those who believe in the Name of Jesus! What is eternal life? Life in Jesus the One Who is with the Spirit without measure (v. 35) and the One in Whom we dwell or find life. "Life Eternal" is life of the Age to Come that is NOW because we are united to Jesus by faith and receive a downpayment of His Spirit.

What An Unbelieving World!

But the world does not receive this life (1:10ff and in John 3:32ff). Only those who have been born again, born from above (3:3-7), or have "we knowledge" of John 3:11, and who believe! (vv. 15-16). Yet, here is the awfully sad news! God has shown His love in the in the death of his Son. He has invited us to partake in life eternal, in His presence forever, and man does not receive this good news by faith!

Because of this revelation "from above" (cf. v. 11-15), all men are accountable to this revelation. Every person who has ever been born, everyone who is part of this present world, past, present, and future; every person born of flesh, born of a woman, is held accountable to this reality and revelation of God "from above" in Christ! There can be no neutrality since God has acted clearly in real time and history to reveal his love.

You either love Jesus or you do not! There is no middle ground! And you must take God at his word by faith for all that he reveals, not just what you want to believe! You cannot pick and choose the teachings of Scripture that "seem" or "feel right" or merely those you want to believe!

In a pluralistic, postmodern culture today, we must remind everyone that our love for Jesus is not merely "our preference in religion" or "the one that makes me feel religiously good about myself". Rather, God has acted and showed forth his love in this world and men are without excuse. We must call everyone is this world to repentance! In Jesus, God "so loved" the world and revealed "from above" by His Grace and Spirit that a New Creation, a New World was dawning in Jesus!

Which world are you a part of? The world full of evil and darkness of this present age, or part of the World to Come by faith. God so loved this world (Jews and Gentiles) so that we might become because of the birth from above and by faith part of the world to come and avoid the sentence of condemnation that has been passed upon this present world and all its inhabitants. As J. R. R. Tolkien's imagery of Middle Earth in the 'Lord of the Rings', the present earth is covered by shadow. This is the Apostle John's conception of the world in present darkness by sin and the presence of evil.

Into this wicked world of shadow, God sent forth His Son to die! What grace and abundant kindness!

"All Men Are Without Excuse!"

The Apostle Paul also addressed a very pluralistic and Pre-Postmodern culture (:-)> in Acts 17. Read carefully how the love, light, and truth of God, revealed "from above" makes men without excuse, particularly on this side of the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ! Also note as we learned last week, that revelation knowledge ("we knowledge from above", John 3:11) is always to precede reason ("we knowledge from below", John 3:2). Notice how Paul reasons, but reasons in submission to God's greater revelation revealed by God in Jesus!

Acts 17:16 Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. ¹⁷So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. ¹⁸Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, "What does this babbler wish to say?" Others said, "He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities"- because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. ¹⁹And they took hold of him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, "May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? ²⁰For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean." ²¹Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new.

²²So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: "Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. ²³For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, 'To the unknown god.' What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. ²⁴The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, ²⁵nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. ²⁶And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, ²⁷that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, ²⁸for "'In him we live and move and have our being'; as even some of your own poets have said, "' For we are indeed his offspring.'

²⁹Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. ³⁰The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, ³¹because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead." ³²Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, "We will hear you again about this." ³³So Paul went out from their midst. ³⁴But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.

Men cannot merely sit idly by as Jesus Christ and His people declare the good news of God's love revealed "from above" to the world. As verse 30 above teaches us, "the times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent!" There is no neutrality in this world. You are either for Christ, or against Christ.

To put this another way, you are either Pro-Christ, or Anti-Christ! You either receive God's revelation in Jesus "from above" or you are merely working with "earthly, fleshly, human knowledge, from below" and this mere earthly knowledge from below will damn you (3:18; 36).

Light from above (3:19-21)

So, why do men now accept the love God has shown them in the cross of Jesus? Why do men choose to be condemned and damned? Do they not understand how wonderfully gracious God is in giving Christ so that no one will perish, but have eternal life? Ultimately, the reason why (humanly speaking) men do not believe is because they do not want to; they do not desire to give up their evil deeds and come into the light in order for their evil to be exposed by the living God. Men freely choose NOT to believe and stay in the darkness, rather than dwell in the light of God's favor.

Notice something important from verse 21 is that we all (the whole world) come from the darkness into the light. Our place of origin, our natural tendency is toward the darkness and not the light. We are not born in the light, we are born in the place of shadows. Yet when we come toward the light, we come by God's grace to show forth the work God alone by His Spirit has done in us! We come toward the light of God revealed because God has first acted upon us and in us by His Spirit. This shows forth the outward manifestation and work of the Holy Spirit, who we cannot see, yet see his work in people as the wind blows the trees (3:8).

We rejoice to live in the light, not because we are naturally "light and life people", we are by nature "dark and death people".

In Jesus is life and this life was the light of men (1:4-5). When we believe upon the One and Only Son of God, we become partakers of His life and this brings us into His light to live by His Word! Only by being born from above, or born again, will we know this life which is light in Jesus and we will then believe in Jesus and have eternal life!

Truth from above (3:31-36)

Truth has been revealed by God in Christ. This is the knowledge "from above" that we considered in the last study (3:11; 3:31-34). Either believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ, or be condemned (v. 18), the wrath of God abides, remains, dwells on those who reject God's one and only Son (v. 36). Now none of us like to speak or think of God's wrath. But because the Love, Light, and Truth of God has been clearly revealed in the Person and Work of Christ, and because there is no neutrality in the presence of Jesus and His teaching, men are either with life, or without life.

Men are either by faith "living" NOW, or "perishing" NOW. Just as Christians have life by the Spirit NOW, and yet we have not experienced the full life of being resurrected and fully present in the presence of Christ, so those who do not have life are under condemnation and God's wrath NOW, even though they do not fully experience it as of yet.

Just as Christians now are just as present-tense alive in the Spirit as they will be when they are fully resurrected to be with Christ (cf. John 5:24ff), so those who are dead to Christ and God's love are present-tense as condemned and under God's wrath now. Both are events that will fully occur when Jesus returns again, it is a present reality now!

Pro-Christ or Anti-Christ?

We must pray to have compassion on the lost, those who reject God's love in Jesus, His Light of revelation, and His truth. They are not merely people who are living their lives unproductively and without true meaning in God's world! They are those who are marked with God's wrath and condemnation.

Sinful unbelievers are marked men like Cain in the Old Covenant. They are marked men who have the number of the beast or the Anti-Christ mark upon them. The mark of Revelation 13 (also written by the Apostle John) is a present-tense mark found on all of those not Pro-Christ, but who are in reality Anti-Christ. Again, there is no neutrality, we are either for him (Pro-Christ), or against him (Anti-Christ), there is no getting around it!

We don't have to come up with some fanciful and fabulous interpretation of the Book of Revelation to understand that there is light and darkness, believers and unbelievers, the Holy Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) and the Unholy trinity (Dragon, Beast and False Prophet), and we are either part of the light or the darkness, we are either believers or unbelievers, and we either serve the Holy Trinity or the unholy trinity, and with this realization we must understand that we are either marked PRO-CHRIST, or ANTI-CHRIST! Either our names are written in the Lamb's Book and have his mark on us, or we have the mark of the Beast of Revelation.

If men choose to merely work with "earthly knowledge from below" and not revelational "heavenly knowledge from above", then they are bound to end up as skeptics or fools who have deceived themselves in their own hearts and said that there is no God (Psalm 14). The reality based on revelation "from above" is that Men have no right to be atheists, skeptics and agnostics for the revelation "from above" has been revealed clearly to all in this world!

Yet sinful unbelievers will do all they can to suppress and deny it because they do not want to come into the light because their deeds are evil. So, they stay fooling themselves that they are "happy, warm and content" in a deep, dark, cavernous hell of their own making!

They smile and go through the motions and emotions of everyday life on the outside, but inside is venomous sin running through their veins, sin that deceives them, and keeps them locked up in deep, dark, cold cavernous, hell-like darkness because in reality they know not God, themselves, or understand fully the world in which they live. They are about exchanging the truth of God for a lie, suppressing the truth revealed "from above" so that they can try and silence their consciences and hearts that were created by God for His glory!

The Apostle Paul clearly makes this known in Romans 1, an extremely important passage for understanding revelation "from above" (cf. John 3:2-11), as well as understanding the present-tense wrath and condemnation of God right NOW on unbelievers!

^ESVRomans 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. ¹⁹For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. ²⁰For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. ²¹For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. ²²Claiming to be wise, they became fools, ²³and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. ²⁴Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, ²⁵because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

The Christian Abuse of God's Love, Light, and Truth!

In Jesus, the revelation of God "from above" has been revealed in his Love, Light, and His Truth as we learned from these verses, but what we do with God's revelation of love, light, and truth as Christians? Let's think about this for a moment. If we were honest enough to admit it, sometimes we practically reject God's love, light and truth. In fact, sometimes we use and abuse God's love, light and truth.

Let me tell a story to you. Awhile back, I unintentionally hurt one of my friend's feelings. I had cancelled on him and was unable to meet him because another event suddenly came up. My friend was kind enough to tell me that it hurt his feelings and he felt like that I had not shown to him true friendship.

He was rightfully hurt (as I would have been) because I chose another event and person over him even though we had plans. I couldn't understand why I would do such a thing. I apologized, but I had to think about my heart and the "why's" of what I had done. I think it is always important to check deeper than the behavior- - check your heart to see what "root tendency" you may be having. Well, suddenly by God's grace, I was able to explain to myself and my friend what had happened.

My friend was good to me; he was always there for me. The other event was more pressing and the person involved was not always good and there for me. So, I chose the other situation in order to "solve a situation" while taking advantage of my friend's goodness to me. What happened was, I was using the friend, the very one that had shown me kindness and favor, and rather than showing back love and kindness to this friend, I cancelled and used them. How did I use them? Well, I knew that the friend 'would' forgive me and 'would' still be there for me even if I cancelled!

I repented of this and asked my friend's forgiveness; he forgave me and we are growing together in Christ today, yet I learned a valuable lesson from this.

God shows us great favor, love and forgiveness in Christ. Yet how many times, because we do know that he is loving, merciful and forgiving toward us, do we take advantage of His love? How many times to we sin against his love by loving something or someone more than Him? How many times do we sin against His light in our hearts by doing what we know to be wrong? How many times do we sin against God's truth, doing what is right in our own eyes and knowing what is true about God, yet not believing it?

We can think of this in our relationships, particularly if you are married. Do you sin against the goodness of your husband or wife? Do you sin against them and use them, even unintentionally like I above, because you know they will forgive you and still love you? We must repent of this toward God and His love, light, and truth "from above", but also in our relationships to others.

In fact, we must be willing to love, care, and treat fairly even those who do not love us! We must be careful not to use the grace and love, light, and truth of God revealed "from above", by willingly sinning against God, then going for forgiveness to him! He will forgive us, but we must remember that he truly loves us! Let this grip your heart and you will not desire to ever take advantage of his love, light, and truth revealed in Jesus!

II. The Friend of the Bridegroom, or "Jesus' Best Man"(3:27-36)

John the Baptist was preparing the way, bringing the Bridegroom as God's "best man" to His Bride. John's ministry was given to him by God (v. 27), and he was committed to being the forerunner who prepared the way for King-Messiah. Now the imagery of the bride and bridegroom is used metaphorically to make a point to John's disciples who are taken back by Jesus' ministry gaining more disciples and increasing in importance in their eyes.

One important thing we can learn from this metaphor is that God was in Christ being betrothed to His Bride by faith. As the Old Testament spoke of Israel being the bride of YHWH (Book of Hosea), so God is in Christ now making the betrothal official through his life, death, resurrection and ascension.

Therefore, John says:

"I must decrease and He must increase".

In other words, the best man is only needed at the meeting of the Bride and Bridegroom. After the Bride has received the Bridegroom, there is no need for him (rather, he is in the way!). So, John must allow the Bridegroom to devote himself to His Bride and now by faith, the Bride must give her all to her Bridegroom!

"Hey! What's the best man doing ruining the wedding night?!"

You who are married, think about this: As much as you appreciated the best man at your wedding, did any of you ever want him to spend the marriage night with him, or the honeymoon? My best man was my dad and he planned, supported, and executed the wedding standing by my side the whole time until I took my bride into my arms and cruised the wedding scene with people shouting, throwing rice, and my brother (younger!) trying to give me advice that I might need for my wedding night!

But my dad stayed at the wedding ceremony, went home to be with his family because his calling, his ministry if you will, of being my best man was complete; it was over. The same is happening here.

God's people, including John's former disciples, were being united to their long-awaited Messiah-Bridegroom and therefore the "friend of the Bridegroom", or Jesus' best man understood that his service was over.

John the Baptist rejoiced that God called him to be the "best man" as Jesus was being betrothed to his bride of faith, yet when his time, as well as all of the ministry of the Old Covenant came to an end in him (cf. Matt. 11:1ff), his ministry was over! By God's grace, he fully understood the extent and period of his ministry and when it was time to stop doing what he had been doing in preparing the way for King-Messiah, he began to decrease.

How about you? Do you want to decrease and allow Jesus to increase in your life? Do you seek your will and your way, or are you striving toward asking Jesus "How can you increase in significance in my life?" "How can you be seen more clearly and consistently in my life, Lord?" Speaking as a minister, it is a great challenge for all of us to remember that our ministries specifically, as well as our entire lives generally are for the glory and honor of Christ! May God grant that we continue to meditate on this reality.

Don't forget, John the Baptist's ministry was extremely important to the gospel of Jesus. I mean, he was the Messiah's "best man" with regards to the Groom and the wedding. When the time had come for his ministry to fade away with the Old Covenant way of doing things, this must have been a great challenge for the man! We cannot realistically expect a sinful man, although one sent by God as a witness to Jesus Christ, not to struggle with the pride and importance of his own ministry. Yet, by God's grace, at the end of the day, John the Baptist was pleased to give up his ministry for Christ, and was willing to lay down his life, knowing his time had come and his ministry had been accomplished (Matthew 11; Luke 7:19ff).

Jesus' Ministry, or "OUR" Ministry?

The main point of this passage in John is to record the final words of John the Baptist to his disciples who have grown very close to he and his ministry, as well as to again point out the transition from John's ministry to focus ultimately on the Christ! Yet there is an application we can think of today was we serve the Lord as well. John was willing to place Jesus' ministry first, over his own; it was what he was called to do. His attitude reflected one who had understood his ministry in the right perspective because of the Holy Spirit. His ministry in redemptive-history was coming to an end.

We are also privileged to serve in redemptive-history, yet on this side of Jesus' cross and resurrection! We also point away from ourselves to the Lord Christ, but do we have the same attitude as John the Baptist?

How about you? Are you supportive of other's ministries that seem more important than your own? When you see other's ministries are you supportive of them because of what has been given to them by God (v. 27: "A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven."), or are you jealous and divisive and envious that their ministry is gaining more disciples than your own? It is not the explicit teaching of John in this passage, but there is some truth of application worth noting.

John explains to his disciples that none of us have anything other than what God has given to us: "A person cannot receive (or have) even one thing unless it is given him from heaven." The Apostle Paul notes the same truth when writing to the Corinthian congregation that was divided and jealous of others' ministries: "What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?" (1 Cor. 4:7). In other words, don't you know your calling and your ministry and your assignment by God is extremely significant and needed as you diligently obey God where he has gifted and called you. There is never any reason for us to questions God's call to us.

We are called by God to personally and as a congregation of Christ to witness to the great truth that the Love of God, the Light of God and the Truth of God "from above" has come in the Person of Jesus Christ! He must increase; we must decrease. The next time you are struggling with someone else who seems to have a "better ministry" than your own, remind yourself that you may be being deceived by the Evil One who longs and plots to divide Christ's people, rather than having them acting according to their gifts and the faith that has been given them so that they might work together to proclaim the Name of Jesus Christ - - the One who has come to die for those who believe (3:16).

You know the truth? If the Evil One can divide us from within, we will not long for others to believe and be saved; we will not see the condemned sinners with God's wrath already resting and remaining on them! We will only be interested in our self-important ministries that we think so highly of, while the world around us perishes because of our division, lack of unity, and lack of love for one another. We must repent whenever we get like John the Baptist's disciples and say: "Look, that minister or ministry there is gaining more disciples!" The attitude is wrong and must be healed by God's grace and forgiveness applied to our hearts!

Do You Believe?

John 20:31 says: "But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." Do you know of His love from above? Have you believed upon the Lord Jesus, the One and Only Son revealed by God because he "so loved" the world?

Do you live in the light as he is in the light? Do you believe the truth that has been revealed "from above" through the lips of Jesus and through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit?

Believe today on the Lord Jesus Christ and truly begin to live, and to live for eternity in the presence of God. If you reject him, you are dangerously rejecting the very God whose wrath is pointed and aimed directly toward you, and Who is the only One able to take away that wrath and condemnation that is on you presently because of the Only Substitute that He has provided!

You must understand if you have rejected the love, light and truth of God "from above" that the only One Who is keeping you from falling immediately into his Holy presence and experiencing His eternal wrath, is the One you have made your enemy because of your rejection! You are under condemnation and His wrath now! Plead with the living and holy and righteous God, and beg mercy because of Jesus satisfying God's wrath in your place!

If you make God your enemy, you have made the only One Who can or will save you, your ultimate foe and the Scriptures say:

"It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Heb. 10:31).

Seek the Lord while he may be found! Believe his love displayed in Christ, come into his light, and live by the truth revealed- - all by His grace "from above"! If you can see or hear or enter the Kingdom of God- - do so immediately and see cover from God's wrath and condemnation in the righteous covering of Jesus!

Soli Deo Gloria!

For Further Reading

D. A. Carson, 'Gospel According to John'

H. Ridderbos, 'The Gospel of John: A Theological Commentary'

L. Morris, 'The Gospel According to John' (NICNT)

J. Calvin, 'Commentary on the Gospel of John'

R. Brown, 'Commentary on the Gospel of St. John'

J. Dennison, Articles on John's Gospel at www.kerux.com

J. Boice, Commentary on John's Gospel

Ephesians 3:20-21: "Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen."

Pastor Charles R. Biggs

Ketoctin Covenant Presbyterian Church

Post Office Box 628

Round Hill, VA 20142-0628

540-338-7170

Vol. VI, Issue 29

John 4: "The Well of Hope and Life"

Rev. Charles R. Biggs

Introduction

Nicodemus was an influential Pharisee (as we learned in our previous study of John 3)! He had memorized the entire Old Covenant Scriptures. He was the learned "Reverend Doctor" and leader of disciples in the Jewish community (see John 3 and previous studies). He was respected everywhere he went, holding his head up as "one who sits in Moses' seat" (Matt. 23).

She was nameless and lacked influence as a common woman in the ancient world. She had been taught only portions of the Old Covenant Scriptures by her teachers (Samaritans only believed in the five Books of Moses). She was an unlearned Samaritan woman. She lived a life of shame everywhere she went for her immoral life and would venture out of her home at a time of day when every one else in the village was hiding from the noonday sun.

Yet both of them needed the same Jesus, a Savior Who could save them from their sins!

Jesus had come for the salvation of all those who would believe (John 3:16). God "so loved" the world, both Jews, Gentiles...and even Samaritans! Although Nicodemus the Pharisee and the sinful Samaritan woman had nothing in common and wouldn't ever have even spoken to one another, they both spoke to Jesus and they heard the words of life He spoke to them.

What was their response? At this point in John's Gospel, Nicodemus was poignantly silent (John 3:1-21), while this woman knew of her need after speaking with Jesus and threw herself on the mercy of his love, grace, and favor toward her! Jesus told both of them about their need of a truth revealed "from above" and at this point in John's Gospel, only the sinful Samaritan woman believed! [Note: This is not to say that Nicodemus did not believe yet. But there is a silence from Nicodemus after Jesus speaks and there are "no free motifs" in John's Gospel. I believe he would have included this had Nicodemus believed. Perhaps Nicodemus was "pondering these things in his heart" at this point.]

Both Nicodemus and the sinful Samaritan woman had deeds that were evil (cf. John 3:19-21), only she came into the light so that the works she did would give praise to God. Her sins were much more obvious and shameful in the community. Nicodemus could hide his hypocrisy and unbelief in Messiah by his outward, external religiosity. She had no hope, except to take of the water of life that was offered to her!

Today's study is from chapter four from the Gospel of John. It is a remarkable display of the glory of God revealed in the Person of Jesus (1:16-18). The grace and truth we see revealed in Jesus who extends his generous hand of grace to a woman...a sinful woman...a Samaritan woman. Jesus seeks that every tribe, tongue, people, and nation ("the believing world" of John 3:16) would come to him and find the secret of worshipping the Father in spirit and truth. We will look at the hope and life that this nameless Samaritan woman receives by God's grace at Jacob's well.

John 4:1-42

^ESVJohn 4:1 Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John ²(although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples), ³he left Judea and departed again for Galilee. ⁴And he had to pass through Samaria. ⁵So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. ⁶Jacob's well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour. ⁷There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink." ⁸(For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) ⁹The Samaritan woman said to him, "How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?" ( For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) ¹⁰Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water." ¹¹The woman said to him, "Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? ¹²Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock." ¹³Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, ¹⁴but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty forever. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." ¹⁵The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water." ¹⁶Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here." ¹⁷The woman answered him, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You are right in saying, 'I have no husband'; ¹⁸for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true." ¹⁹The woman said to him, "Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. ²⁰Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship." ²¹Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. ²²You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. ²³But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. ²⁴God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." ²⁵The woman said to him, "I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things." ²⁶Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am he."

"Well, Well, Well"

Let's begin our study by noting the context and the place that Jesus' dialogue with the sinful Samaritan woman takes place. We should note three significant points concerning the wells in the Bible and Redemptive-History. The places or scenes that the Apostle John records for us are always SIGN-ificant, or significant. John beautifully paints verbal portraits of the Word of Life and the background or the place of these scenes can be as SIGN-ificant as what Jesus says and does!

Prior to our passage, John has given us four important scenes or backgrounds to appreciate how Jesus was "exegeting" or revealing the Father's glory as the Only Begotten Son (John 1:18). In chapter One, John the Baptist is baptizing and the water at the Jordan River serves as the location. In chapter two, John shows us Jesus' SIGN-ificant signs at a wedding feast and at Jerusalem's Temple. In Chapter three, John takes us to the darkness, where Jesus will reveal the Light "from above" to Nicodemus. In today's study of John 4:1-26, we will notice the importance of the scene of the well.

One thing to appreciate about the Apostle John and his gospel is that he uses imagery, contrasts, Old Covenant theology, and even important places and scenes to show forth Jesus' glory. When reading Scripture we should be often amazed at how earnestly God seeks through His appointed and inspired writer (such as John) to draw us into His story.

We can so easily make the study and service of God an appendage onto the rest of our lives, or a nice addition to the story that we are already developing in our lives.

But in these scenes of John (as well as throughout the Scriptures), the living God wants to invite us to find ourselves within His world, within His story, face to face with His Only Begotten Son! The Apostle John draws us once again into God's world and story, the story that can only be understood through love, light, and truth revealed to us graciously "from above"!

Remember as we learned in earlier studies that John is showing us Jesus' SIGNS that reveal Who He is who have eyes to see and enter the Kingdom of Heaven (John 3:3-7). Let us take note of three SIGN-ificant reasons why Jesus ministered at a well to the sinful Samaritan woman.

The Social SIGN-ificance of Wells

First of all there is the social SIGN-ificance of the well in the Biblical world. It was the "water cooler" of the day, if you will, the place where the community came together to talk about life and various things worth conversing about. Like the water cooler at an office place, the coffee maker, or the break room, this was the place to meet others in the community and talk.

The sinful Samaritan woman came to this well at noon ("the sixth hour") when it would not be well populated with others from the village (v. 6). The reason she would have come to the well at the hottest time of the day, would have been due to her reputation as a sinful woman in town. Because of her shame, she sought a time of day when everyone else would have already gotten their water (in the morning), or would have waited until later to get their water supply (the evening).

Yet Jesus the Lord and Giver of Life met her there. It is interesting to note that John says that Jesus "had to go through Samaria" in verse 4. It is an important point to note (notice how the verse kind of stands in isolation from the rest of the story, as if John wants to emphasize this point from the beginning of this incredible scene revealing God's grace!) Jesus "had to go" is not merely speaking of a geographical necessity, he could have gone another route, so he didn't necessarily "have to go" the way he went from Judea into Galilee.

I think the reason for this "had to go into Samaria" is that the Apostle John's meaning is working on two levels. Geographically, it would have taken less time to go through Samaria than the other way north by crossing over the Jordan. Yet, more importantly, Jesus is providentially placed here for proclamation.

On his Messianic Mission, Jesus "had to go to Samaria" because providentially in God's plan for Him there was those such as this woman who he was seeking. God wanted Samaritan worshippers in "spirit and truth"! (4:24)- - unbelievable!

The Samaritan's Hope and Jesus' Peace

Jesus who was tired and very hot from the journey stops at this well of Jacob in order to get a drink, and additionally so that He might reach out to one who did not deserve His grace! The well of Jacob was dug many years prior to this. The well was over 100 feet deep with "living" or running water, and was still used by the people at the time of Jesus (The well is still "living" and used today as well!)

When the sinful Samaritan woman comes to the well to draw water at the hottest time of day, Jesus is there to meet her. Notice something the Apostle John is revealing to us about Jesus' ministry here on earth. Jesus is "ready to "preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching" (2 Tim. 4:2). The noon hour was not an ideal time at all for witnessing in a hot, arid land where the temperature would have exceeded 120 degrees!

Jesus asks this sinful Samaritan woman for a drink, but like Nicodemus in John 3, she is only understanding things "from below" with a mere earthly knowledge (cf. John 3:2, 11). In fact, she wonders what this Jew is up to, considering that a Jew would not ask her for anything! Yet Jesus wants to use this time as an example of the "living" water than only He can give to those who believe.

The well and the water serve as important illustrations for Jesus. The sinful Samaritan woman responds to Jesus with surprise. Not only did the Jews have nothing to do with the Samaritans, a Jewish Male Rabbi would have an even greater reason for not having anything to do with a woman, much less a sinful woman! Yet, Jesus is using this well as a place for bringing Jews and Samaritans together in himself. In the Old Covenant wells were places of conflict as well as resolutions, as we see in the lives of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob's lives (Genesis 21:19-30; 24; 26:19-32; 29:1ff; Exodus 2:15ff).

In the Old Covenant, scenes at wells were places where men in clans and tribes could both have a conflict (such as over a piece of property or over the ownership of a well), or a place where a resolution and peace was found between differing clans and tribes. The social significance of the well was so that men and cattle could be watered, and the location could serve as a good central place for meetings among tribes and clans.

Here, we see Jesus at the well of Jacob, bringing together the Jews and the Samaritans who had been at war for years and bringing peace with one another by making them both his disciples. More importantly, Jesus is not merely drawing water, he is drawing the Samaritans to worship the Father in "spirit and truth" so that they can be reconciled to God and so God is making peace with believing Samaritans (cf. Romans 5:1-10).

Samaritans were "half-breeds" in the eyes of the Jews. The Jews despised the Samaritans and the feeling was extremely mutual! After the Assyrian captivity in 722 BC, some of the Jews of Northern Israel had married into pagan families, forgotten their true religion by syncretizing and idolatry (it is not as if Israel was all that pure, it's just hypocrisy has a way of producing not only enmity but prejudice!). Over time, these former Israelites who became Samaritans lost their identity as Israelites as a result of this intermarrying (see 2 Kings 17-18; cf. Deut. 7- Moses had warned them!).

These "half breed-Jews" were despised particularly after the Exile when the Israelites returned home under Nehemiah and Ezra and the Samaritans persecuted the Israelites as they were rebuilding God's Temple because of the Word of the LORD through Haggai and Zechariah (see Ezra 4; Nehemiah 4). The past hostilities continued to increase up unto the day that Jesus "had to go into Samaria".

This is one of the beautiful and gracious points that the Apostle John communicates through this encounter of Jesus and the sinful Samaritan woman.

After all these years of hostility, Jesus brings together two peoples at war with one another, with no hope of ever making peace. Jesus is their peace.

Jesus IS our Peace

Jesus is our peace, too! Jesus brings all of us together even today- - Jews, Samaritans, and Gentiles together as one. Divided and at war with each other by nature, Jesus brings unity and breaks down the "dividing wall of hostility" that has stood for so long. In Jesus there is true unity and life. In Him was life and this life was the light of men (1:5). In Jesus, we who are of different tribes, language, peoples, and nations, through faith become one in Jesus.

And people of God, this is why unity in Jesus is so important. This is the reason why we are to seek to love and to forgive all those from within Christ's congregation! We are all those who did not deserve the peace he gave to us! We are all those who do not deserve anything but death, but he gives to us life and it is the kind of life that causes us to never thirst, and it becomes a "living" (or "alive") spring within us welling up for eternity (4:13-14).

This living water Jesus offers to the sinful Samaritan woman, as well as all who will believe, refers to his wisdom, truth and revelation "from above" that he gives to us, and this is possible because He has granted to us the Holy Spirit (cf. John 7:37-39) who washes us clean from our sins and begins a process of purification within us! Those who have life cannot live as those dead and divided.

Seek the same kind of peace and reconciliation with others in Christ's community as Jesus sought here in the sinful Samaritan woman. Do not be deceived: Love covers a multitude of sins; it is always patient; it never bears a grudge; it is not self-seeking, nor easily angered, but bears all things, believes all things, and hopes all things- -love never fails (cf. 1 Cor. 13).

Spiritual SIGN-ificance of the Well

Secondly, we want to note the important spiritual SIGN-ificance of the well. In John 2:23-25, we learned that "Jesus knows what is within a man..." In other words, He sees us- - He sees our hearts as Hebrews 4:12-13 says!

Hebrews 4:12-13: For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. ¹³ And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

This sinful Samaritan woman is an outcast and Jesus "sees" her, and he not only sees her, but pursues her, seeks her out! If we are to be saved, if we are to be shown God's favor, it will not be because we were seeking to find God (Rom. 3:10), we like sheep have gone astray, no one seeks after God, yet God by His Grace may seek after us (John 4:24). Concerning outcasts, you may remember a similar incident of God's gracious and precious revelation to an outcast woman in redemptive-history that happened to take place at a well! Who was she?

Hagar. She was Abram and Sarai's proud possession until Sarai tried to "help God" by allowing Abram to sleep with her in order for her to conceive Abram a son. Bad idea! Sarai, not realizing her own heart (as none of us who "help God" realize), she allowed her own sinful heart to deceive her (Jer. 17:3). What seemed like a good idea on the surface, was in reality unbelief masquerading itself as something good (watch this in our own lives!).

Well, Hagar conceived and Sarai became jealous of her new competition. Therefore, Sarai throws her servant who bears Abram's heir out of the house, and she becomes an outcast without the protection of a patriarch in a society where women had to have a head over them! Read Genesis 16 and notice some similarities between Hagar the outcast and the sinful Samaritan woman who is outcast in her village was well!

Genesis 16

Genesis 16:1 Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne him no children. She had a female Egyptian servant whose name was Hagar. ²And Sarai said to Abram, "Behold now, the LORD has prevented me from bearing children. Go in to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her." And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. ³So, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant, and gave her to Abram her husband as a wife. ⁴And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress. ⁵And Sarai said to Abram, "May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my servant to your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked on me with contempt. May the LORD judge between you and me!" ⁶But Abram said to Sarai, "Behold, your servant is in your power; do to her as you please." Then Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her.

⁷The angel of the LORD found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur. ⁸And he said, "Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?" She said, "I am fleeing from my mistress Sarai." ⁹The angel of the LORD said to her, "Return to your mistress and submit to her." ¹⁰The angel of the LORD also said to her, "I will surely multiply your offspring so that they cannot be numbered for multitude." ¹¹And the angel of the LORD said to her, "Behold, you are pregnant and shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because the LORD has listened to your affliction. ¹²He shall be a wild donkey of a man, his hand against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen."

¹³So she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, "You are a God of seeing," for she said, "Truly here I have seen him who looks after me." ¹⁴Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; it lies between Kadesh and Bered. ¹⁵And Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. ¹⁶Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.

Jesus and Beer-Lahai-Roi (The Well of the One Who Sees)

To reveal God's glory, the Apostle John shows us here at the Well of Jacob, that Jesus is El Roi, or "the God Who Sees"! Just as God saw Hagar who was sinful and outcast and revealed himself at the well in Genesis 16, so God in Christ reveals himself to another outcast. Hagar was a despised Egyptian (remember the Egyptians held the Israelites in slavery) and the sinful Samaritan woman was a despised Samaritan! They were both forgotten and bitter outcast women in their worlds, and God "sees" them both!

Both wells could be called "Beer-lahai-roi", or "the well of Him who sees!

As the people of God who believe today, we must remember that we are all outcasts from God's favor and love, yet God "sees us" and knows us (cf. John 2:23-25). We should always remind ourselves that God "sees" us and knows us better than we see and know ourselves! We must allow His Word to interpret and to internally examine our words and deeds! God sought both Hagar and the sinful Samaritan woman in order to offer them Words of Life. He seeks us to reveal those Words to us who believe!

It is painful sometimes, as it was with the sinful Samaritan woman. She had probably kept her shame and sin to herself for years, not wanting to trust anyone with her private acts, yet knowing that all knew of her sins as well as she knew of her sins. In His grace, and at a very inopportune time of the day, Jesus, El Roi in the flesh, reveals her sins to her, then he forgives her and she forgets the original purpose for her coming to the well, drops her water jar and goes to tell the good news to other outcast Samaritans!

Jesus does the same for us as well. It is painful, but when Jesus reveals our need of salvation and repentance, he also receives us by His grace and forgiveness as His own children in Christ! When Jesus met the sinful Samaritan woman he reveals to her his gift, tells her of her sins so that she might turn to him as the Prophet revealed by Moses (Deut. 12), and Messiah (John 4:19; 25). Jesus invites the sinful Samaritan woman to come into the light because of her deeds are evil (John 3:19-21); He invites her to come to the One who has Life and is the Light of Men (John 1:5) and full of grace and truth (John 1:16).

Jesus doesn't approve of her immoral life. He tells her that she has been living a sinful life with five husbands, going on six! (verses 16-19). She perceives that He "sees" and knows her better than anyone else (and is still talking to her at the well in a public place despite this reality!). Just as Jesus does for all who believe and are born from above, he makes himself known to us, revealing our hearts and the grace of God found in Him, then he gives us the strength by His Spirit to live according to His Word.

Jesus is about exchanging our immoral lives for immortal lives!

Think again of verse 13-14: Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty forever. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." What is so revealing about these verses is that many times the things we pursue and seek after in our lives are good things. They are good gifts of God that he has given to us like water from the well. In an arid country such as Judea, water was especially needed to survive - -to live.

The water itself was a good thing, but Jesus encourages us to seek something more lasting, something like the earthly, but so much more richer and something to quench the thirst of our longing souls (Psa. 42-43). The reason to mention this is that we often appreciate the many good gifts of God, but sometimes these good gifts (like good "living" water in a desert) become the only pursuit and people are left thirsty and dry after awhile.

What we all really need is only revealed "from above" and given by Jesus Christ! So many in this world are searching to have their spiritual thirsts quenched, yet will not seek the ONLY ONE who can quench their thirsty desires! "As the deer pants for the water, so my soul longs after you, O Lord!"

Read Carefully the invitation to us all to drink deeply of God's grace from Isaiah's Gospel! (Notice also in verse 5 the call to other nations, such as Samaritans and Gentiles.

Isaiah 55:1-5- "Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. ²Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. ³Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David. ⁴Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples. ⁵Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know, and a nation that did not know you shall run to you, because of the LORD your God, and of the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you.

Betrothal SIGN-ificance of the Well

The third important truth of the scene of the Well of Jacob is the betrothal SIGN-ificance of the well. If you remember in our last study, in John 3:27-30, John the Baptist describes himself and his ministry as the "best man", or "friend of the Bridegroom". He tells his disciples that they are now to be betrothed to the Bridegroom, because he is merely the "best man".

In the ancient Near East and in Biblical history, wells were places where men would seek brides (cf. Isaac and Jacob, Genesis 29:1-14). This is not surprising, this is where the women could be found. Like today, when men go off to school, or the workplace and find a bride, so men in the ancient world would often seek to meet a bride at wells, or places of centrality in the community. For shepherding people like the Israelites, it would be easier to find the leaders of clans and tribes by their well location than by their tents because they moved around from place to place. In Genesis 29, we see this occur in the life of Jacob and his pursuit of a bride.

Genesis 29:1-14

Genesis 29:1 Then Jacob went on his journey and came to the land of the people of the east. ²As he looked, he saw a well in the field, and behold, three flocks of sheep lying beside it, for out of that well the flocks were watered. The stone on the well's mouth was large, ³and when all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone from the mouth of the well and water the sheep, and put the stone back in its place over the mouth of the well. ⁴Jacob said to them, "My brothers, where do you come from?" They said, "We are from Haran." ⁵He said to them, "Do you know Laban the son of Nahor?" They said, "We know him." ⁶He said to them, "Is it well with him?" They said, "It is well; and see, Rachel his daughter is coming with the sheep!"

⁷He said, "Behold, it is still high day; it is not time for the livestock to be gathered together. Water the sheep and go, pasture them." ⁸But they said, "We cannot until all the flocks are gathered together and the stone is rolled from the mouth of the well; then we water the sheep." ⁹While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she was a shepherdess. ¹⁰Now as soon as Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother's brother, Jacob came near and rolled the stone from the well's mouth and watered the flock of Laban his mother's brother. ¹¹Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept aloud. ¹²And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father's kinsman, and that he was Rebekah's son, and she ran and told her father. ¹³As soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister's son, he ran to meet him and embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. Jacob told Laban all these things, ¹⁴and Laban said to him, "Surely you are my bone and my flesh!" And he stayed with him a month.

As one greater than Jacob (regardless of what the sinful Samaritan woman thought at the time from her "from below" understanding- v. 12: "Are you greater than our Father Jacob?"), Jesus also pursues an unlikely bride here at Jacob's well in Samaria. Jesus the Bridegroom seeks a Bride in a sinful Samaritan Woman. He calls her to himself to believe and to be given the living water that will quench her soul and cause her to be the very Bride of Christ!

We have everything against us to be the Bride God wants us to be when Jesus finds us! We are not a pure and unspotted Bride worthy of the Majesty and Glory of Jesus! Kings seek equals for their brides, and THE King of Glory Himself, the Only Begotten Son of God, heir to the entire planet, only deserves a Bride who is like him. This is the promise of the Gospel of Grace. Not only does Jesus find us as His Bride, but He makes us heirs of God, children, like Him, and we reflect His Glory as we grow in His likeness throughout our lives (Romans 8:15-25; 2 Cor. 3-4).

As he makes himself known to us however, he cleanses us with his cleansing water and spirit, so that the Living Water within us gives us ultimate satisfaction and purification in Him! As Paul explains in Ephesians 5, God is committed to making us a pure and unspotted Bride for Christ to receive on the Day He returns:

Ephesians 5:25-27: Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, ²⁶ that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, ²⁷ so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.

Do You Believe?

John 20:31 says that John wrote this Gospel so that "you might believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name."

Do you believe? Are you at war with everyone in this world, because you care only for yourself? Do you long for the peace that passes understanding that only Jesus can give? Are you looking and seeking for peace in mere earthly things, albeit good things, but things that leave you high and dry, desiring more? Seek the LORD while he may be found, call on Him while He is near!

Do you believe? Do you realize you are an outcast sinner from God's presence only awaiting his judgment and even now having God's wrath abiding on you (3:18; 36)? Do you long to hold your eyes up toward the sky and trust the Creator who has given you life, breath, and everything you need? Are you ready to worship the Father in "spirit and truth", the One who is the glory and lifter of your head? Do you know the shame of being sinful and needing desperately to find the satisfaction and fulfillment that only Living Water in Jesus can quench?

Do you believe? What is your identity? The Bride of Jesus Christ, becoming more and more like him in purity and holiness? If you do not believe, the Scriptures define and describe you in the Book of Revelation as being NOT a bride, but a harlot, the Great Prostitute of Babylon, the Impure, Despicable, Bride of the Beast.

Remember, Jesus extends his hand of grace to the world, to all those who would believe in Him and receive eternal life. If you are not for Christ, or Pro-Christ, then you are against Christ, or Anti-Christ. And those who are Anti-Christ belong not to the Gracious Creator God, but are motivated, moved, and being manipulated by the Evil One.

Read carefully portions from the passage in the Book of Revelation that compares the pure and spotless Bride of Christ with the impure and despicably dirty Great Prostitute of the Beast:

Revelation 17:1 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who is seated on many waters, ² with whom the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality, and with the wine of whose sexual immorality the dwellers on earth have become drunk." ³ And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns. ⁴ The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality. ⁵ And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: "Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth's abominations." ⁶ And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. When I saw her, I marveled greatly.

....These are of one mind and hand over their power and authority to the beast. ¹⁴ They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful." ¹⁵ And the angel said to me, "The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages. ¹⁶ And the ten horns that you saw, they and the beast will hate the prostitute. They will make her desolate and naked, and devour her flesh and burn her up with fire, ¹⁷ for God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by being of one mind and handing over their royal power to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled.

¹⁸ And the woman that you saw is the great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth."18:1 After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was made bright with his glory. ² And he called out with a mighty voice, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast. ³ For all nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living." ⁴ Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, "Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues; ⁵ for her sins are heaped high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. ⁶ Pay her back as she herself has paid back others, and repay her double for her deeds; mix a double portion for her in the cup she mixed.

The Apostle John not only shows us the glory of God's gracious goodness in this passage of the sinful Samaritan woman at the well of hope and life, but also gives us a revelation-glimpse of what is to come for those who believe and who do not believe! Seek the LORD now!

People of God know that you are the Bride of Christ and because He has given you Living Waters by His Spirit, you know that you can do whatever He has commanded you to do. You will grow as He and His Word alone satisfy you. Don't allow unpeaceful divisions, a lack of identity, or a forgetfulness of His "seeing" and "knowing" you keep you from experiencing the grace, love, joy and power of Jesus and the well of Living Water that is forever springing up and "alive" within us because of our Union with Jesus!

Coming Soon: John 4 continued with: "Two Mountains and Two Responses to Jesus"

Soli Deo Gloria!

For Further Reading

D. A. Carson, 'Gospel According to John'

H. Ridderbos, 'The Gospel of John: A Theological Commentary'

L. Morris, 'The Gospel According to John' (NICNT)

J. Calvin, 'Commentary on the Gospel of John'

R. Brown, 'Commentary on the Gospel of St. John'

J. Dennison, Articles on John's Gospel at www.kerux.com

J. Boice, 'Commentary on John's Gospel'

Ryken, Longman III, et al, 'Dictionary of Biblical Imagery'

Pastor Charles R. Biggs

Ketoctin Covenant Presbyterian Church

Post Office Box 628

Round Hill, VA 20142-0628

540-338-7170

Quote of the Week

Introduction

This week marks the return of the great 'Lord of the Rings' Trilogy and many will be going to see 'Return of the King', the final chapter in Tolkien's magnificent story. To celebrate this, I have included a quotation from Charles Colson today. This quotation is taken from his website and radio show called 'Breakpoint with Chuck Colson'. I hope you will find it helpful before you attend the movie this week!

By the way, there are two excellent sites on the web for understanding Christianity and culture. I recommend Colson's site at www.breakpoint.org, and Ken Myer's 'Mars Hill Audio Magazine' at www.marshillaudio.org. At 'Mars Hill Audio' you can request a sample audio magazine! I think you will find it extremely helpful and thought provoking!

Charles Colson

A Triumphant Return
Return of the King

"After seven years in the making, the final film of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Return of the King, opens this Wednesday. The good news is that, like the others, it was worth the wait. The better news is that, even more than the others, what we see on screen respects the Christian faith of the book's author, J. R. R. Tolkien.

Tolkien wrote that Lord of the Rings is a "fundamentally religious and Catholic work; unconsciously so at first but consciously in the revision." Director Peter Jackson and screenwriters Philippa Boyens and Fran Walsh knew this. So they consciously honored the things that "were important to Tolkien." Many of his beliefs, thus, come through on screen.

What sets Lord of the Rings apart from other stories about good versus evil, aside from its extraordinarily imaginative treatment, is the way Christian truth is portrayed, how it confounds the wisdom of the world. While the great and powerful play a role in defeating evil, in the end, it's the humble and unremarkable hobbits who save the day.

This paradox, the weak shaming the wise and the mighty, is most prominent in The Return of the King, both the book and the film. At the end, the hero of the third film isn't Aragon, the king-to-be, or even Frodo, the ring-bearer. It's Samwise Gamgee, a gardener and arguably the humblest of the four hobbits.

Time after time, when it appears that the quest to destroy the Ring of Power is about to fail, Sam somehow summons up the will to go on and, most importantly, takes Frodo with him. The cinematic Sam mirrors what Tolkien wrote of in his book: "His will was set and only death would break it."

Another instance of Tolkien's faith coming through occurs in an exchange between Pippin, one of the hobbits, and Gandalf, the wizard. Hours before a battle in which he is sure he will die, Pippin tells Gandalf that he "never thought it would end like this."

Gandalf replies, "End? No, the journey doesn't end here. There's another path we all must take. The gray rain curtain of this world rolls back, and it will change to the silver clouds, and then you see it." When Pippin asks, "See what?" Gandalf replies, "White shores and beyond, a far green country under a swift sunrise." Gandalf's words, with a vivid picture of heaven, comfort Pippin as he contemplates battle and possible death.

According to screenwriters Boyens and Walsh, The Return of the King is ultimately about faith: faith in the need for good to oppose evil; faith in those who join you in that struggle; and faith in a higher power that ensures good's eventual triumph.

Seven years ago, bringing Tolkien's masterpiece to the screen in a way that did the story justice was considered unlikely—even less likely that it would honor Tolkien's faith. But that is what this film does. And that makes The Return of the King an easy one to recommend. A great book has become a great film precisely because it remembers what the author thought was "most important"—the truths of a Christian worldview."

There are more excellent commentaries at www.breakpoint.org

Soli Deo Gloria!

Pastor Charles R. Biggs

Ketoctin Covenant Presbyterian Church

Post Office Box 628

Round Hill, VA 20142-0628

540-338-7170

Vol. VI, Issue 30

Revelation 19: "The Return of the King"

Rev. Charles R. Biggs

Introduction

For today's study we will take a break from our study on the Gospel of John. Today's study will be from another one of the Apostle John's writings: 'The Book of Revelation'. Many of us are going to see the third installment in the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy this Christmas season. Since the third installment is entitled 'Return of the King', I thought it would be appropriate to look at the Bible's revelation to us of the ultimate and consummate Return of the King: King Jesus!

The study will focus on Revelation chapter 19, specifically verses 11-16 that reveals to us the armies of heaven led by Our Supreme Commander, Jesus Christ the King! Much of the apocalyptic imagery that Tolkien used in his wonderful stories derived from an imagination that had been captured and enriched with Biblical imagery such as revealed in Revelation 19. In fact, the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy can actually help us to interpret more accurately, and give us a helpful reading strategy for reading the 'Book of Revelation' as we will discuss below.

This will be the last 'Word of Encouragement' for 2003. The next 'Word of Encouragement' will be sent after January 5th, 2004. Merry Christmas and Happy 2004!

Revelation 19

Revelation 19: After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out, "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, ²for his judgments are true and just; for he has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality, and has avenged on her the blood of his servants." ³Once more they cried out, "Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up forever and ever." ⁴And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who was seated on the throne, saying, "Amen. Hallelujah!" ⁵And from the throne came a voice saying, "Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, small and great." ⁶Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, "Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. ⁷Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; ⁸it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure"- for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. ⁹And the angel said to me, "Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb." And he said to me, "These are the true words of God." ¹⁰Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, "You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God." For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

¹¹Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. ¹²His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. ¹³He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. ¹⁴And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. ¹⁵From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. ¹⁶On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.

¹⁷Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, "Come, gather for the great supper of God, ¹⁸to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great." ¹⁹And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. ²⁰And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. ²¹And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh.

The Revelation of Jesus Christ: A Blessing not a Mystery
The Apostle Paul in his letter to his disciple Timothy, reminds him that those who want to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution (2 Tim. 3:12). In the gospels, the Lord Jesus Christ tells his disciples that after his death they will be afflicted, handed over to be judged and put to death on account of his name (Mt. 24:9ff; Mk. 13:9). In addition, he comforts them by saying that although in this world his disciples will have tribulation, nevertheless they are to rejoice, for he has overcome the world (John 16:33).

For the saints of every generation, there is no other book that claims God's blessing for the remembrance of these truths than the Book of the Revelation of St. John the Divine. In this book, the Lord reveals through his angel to the churches the message to "overcome," continue to be faithful in spite of your circumstances, because God is sovereign, the Ruler of all History (Rev. 2:7,11,17,26; 3:5,12,21; 21:7). All history will fulfill God's good and righteous purposes for his glory and on behalf of his people (Rom. 8:28-39).

Although the Book of Revelation is founded upon historical circumstances in the Roman Empire, addressed to seven particular historical churches (Rev. 1-3), there is wisdom and encouragement for all the saints in every period of the last days before Christ returns. In the Book of Revelation, we not only see the triumph of God's purposes and power, but the great and powerful coming of our Lord and King Jesus Christ- - this is the church's great hope!

The book powerfully lifts the eyes of the saints to see above the problems and afflictions of this world. In order that we may know God's perspective on circumstances in our lives; that is, to see God and his sovereignty; the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world; the saints who have been bought with the precious blood of Christ are now ruling with Christ; to see the devil, sin and death are conquered ultimately, and the Lord Jesus Christ is lifted upon his throne and all his enemies are made to be his footstool (1 Peter 1:3-18; cf. Rev. 4-5). This book is a blessing for those who read it (Rev. 1:3; 22:7,14)!

Because of the great imagery and apocalyptic style of the book, it is not surprising that many in the church have misunderstood Revelation and gotten lost in the details, and have failed to find the great encouragement of our God; that is, his glorious reign and defeat of all his enemies and the Lord being brought near to his people, to be in the presence of his people forever (cf. Rev. 21:1ff)!

The Revelation of Jesus Christ: Recapitulation not a Chronological Account
In approaching the Book of Revelation as literature, we must remember that recapitulation is the key to a clearer understanding of the book as a whole. This means that the structure of Revelation does not relate consecutive events but frequently cover the same ground in cycles from different, progressive and escalating perspectives.

Dr. Leland Ryken has written that "the action [in the Book of Revelation] has the sense of progression and climax that we associate with stories, with the conquest of evil occurring in incremental stages until it is finally and totally complete" (Ryken, Longman; 458). He adds that there is "a spiral of sevenfold visions that recapitulate and intensify each other and end with a tremendous sense of final judgment and redemption" (Ryken, Longman; 466; see also Poythress, 3.8ff). These issues are important to keep in mind to fully understand the book as God has given it to John to teach the churches in every age.

It could be suggested that as one reads the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy, so one should read the 'Book of Revelation'.

[Note: Lord of the Rings is a fictional story, Revelation is a revelation, inspired of God, yet we can use the same reading strategy to see the conflict of good and evil, and how ultimately evil is overcome by the meek and the meek inherit the earth].

Our passage in Revelation 19:14-16 is one of the climatic events of all the Scripture. Since the book should be interpreted in light of recapitulation, these verses record the consummate intensification and escalation of the ultimate triumph of Christ that is also recorded in Revelation chapter 20:7-10. These events from 19:11-20:10 are not to be interpreted chronologically, but they are to be understood as the ultimate salvation of God's people and judgment of the wicked.

Prof. G. K. Beale says concerning Revelation 19:14-16, that it is "the most expanded description of Christ's defeat and judgment of the ungodly forces at the end of history" (Beale, 948). Not only is it what the prophets looked forward to and sought to understand (1 Pet. 1:10,11), but it is the fulfillment of Christ and his Kingdom from every tribe, and tongue, and people and nation (Rev. 5:9; 14:6).

The Revelation of Jesus Christ: A Christophany of the Divine Warrior
This passage also describes the ultimate appearing of our great God and King, the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the ultimate Theophany (God appearance) of our God who reigns forevermore. These verses follow the great conquest of the Lord over the enemies of his people in chapters 17 and 18: the anti-Christian trinity: the triumvirate of the Dragon, the Beast, and the False Prophet.

In these verses, all of the prophets, Christ himself and the NT writers find fulfillment in the hope of our ultimate salvation in Christ. Verses 14-16 fall within the pericope of John's total vision that begins in 19:11, when we notice the words: "and I saw" which also begin other significant passages such as Rev. 1:7; 4:11; 5:1,2; 6:1; 7:2; 8:2,13; 14:1,6,14; 17:3.

It is important to note that these passages which begin with "and I saw" are normally at the beginning of each vision and are usually heavenly visions which God is revealing to John. What John sees points the eyes of all the saints to look up into heaven and see God's sovereign rule and the fulfillment of his promises (Beale, Introduction).

This vision of John in these verses is the escalating and progressively advanced defeat of God's enemies and those who have disobeyed his commands. Those who did not repent at the mercy and patience of the Lord, although they knew of their sins and that they were in cosmic rebellion against a holy God. Instead, they suppressed the truth, exchanged it for a lie and God gave them over to follow the Beast and the False Prophet- -the ultimate exchanging the truth for a lie (Romans 1:18-3:20; cf. 2 Thess. 2:11-12).

From the description of Christ in these passages there is great hope for a suffering and persecuted church throughout the ages since the ascension of Christ; there is revealed here the focus we should all have as pilgrim saints living in a foreign world. It is hope for those who have a heavenly city, who look forward to a better world and do not call this world their home (Heb. 12:18-29). On the other hand, it is a stark and descriptive warning for those who take lightly God's commands; who trample the Son of God underfoot and who every day resist the truth of what God has revealed to them (cf. Heb. 10:39). To them, this is a perfectly terrifying and poignant call to them to repent! To the wicked, this is the most dreadful day they could ever imagine.

For at this moment, those who do not trust by faith in the righteousness found only in the Lord Jesus Christ, are under the wrath of God (cf. John 3:36; 2 Peter 2:3-4). This is the wrath of God the NT authors spoke of that was to come (Mt. 3:7; cf. Mk. 1:3-8; Mt. 24; Mk. 13; Rom. 2:5; Eph. 5:6; Col. 3:6).

Before proceeding to the verses of Revelation 19:14-16, the people of God should consider this passage in light of the teaching in the OT and the NT concerning the Day of the LORD, and the ultimate Theophanic judgment of God. A Theophany, or appearing of God was manifested in many different ways (Poythress, 6.1ff; Kline, chap. 1), but in these verses we see the ultimate "Warrior Theophany" found in the OT as Christ comes to judge the wicked and to save his people (Zech. 9:14-15; 14:3-5; Hab. 3:3-15; Is. 63:1-6; 59:17-19; Zeph. 3:17; Josh. 5:13-15; cf. 1 Cor. 5:5; 1 Thess. 5:2).

In other words, the ultimate Theophany is revealed as a Christophany. In the OT, particularly in the "Minor Prophets" we see this theme of the Day of the LORD revealed albeit proleptically, but prophetically; here in the Book of Revelation we see it in its eschatological consummation. The Prophet Joel warns Israel about the coming Day of the LORD:

"For strong is the One who executes his word. For the Day of the LORD is great and terrible; who can endure it?" (Joel 2:11).

The Prophet Amos warns the wicked who look to the Day of the LORD:

"Woe to you who desire the Day of the LORD! For what good is the day of the LORD to you? It will be darkness and not light…" (Amos 5:18).

The Prophet Malachi tells of the great Day of God in chapter four of his prophecy:

"For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, and all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up…That will leave them neither root nor branch…but to you who fear My name the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in his wings…you shall trample the wicked, for they shall be as ashes under the soles of your feet on the day that I do this" (Mal. 4:1-3).

This vision of the Day of the LORD was not lost in the writings of the NT, for the NT author's described such a day as well. In 1 Thessalonians 1:10, the Apostle Paul describes the wrath that is to come; in 4:15, Paul speaks of the coming of the Lord. In Romans 2:5, he describes this day as "the day of wrath and the revelation of the righteous judgment of God."

The Apostle Peter writes in his epistle of the "day of judgment" in 2 Peter 2:9 and 3:7; the "day of the LORD" in 2 Peter 3:10 and in 2 Peter 3:12, he describes this same day as "the coming day of God." Throughout the OT and the NT, the Day of the LORD pointed to a day of vengeance and great Theophanic calamity when Christ would appear a second time for judgment (1 Thess. 5:8-9; 2 Thess. 1:7-8; 2 Tim. 4:1). This was the day that the world would be cleansed of the wicked, the righteous would come into everlasting fellowship with God in his presence, and Jesus Christ would set up his Eternal Kingdom (Hos. 2:19-23; Joel 3:17-21; Amos 9:14,15; Obadiah 17-21; Hab. 3:18; Zeph. 3:17-20; Zech. 14:20,21).

We also need to approach these verses with the understanding of the Divine Warrior motif from the OT (Longman; Reid). In the OT, God is described as the LORD of heaven and earth that defeats the enemies of God's people (Ex. 15; Deut. 4; Joshua 24; Judges 6). Here in the passage from Revelation 19:14-16 we see the Divine Christ, the one like the Son of Man from Daniel 7, who is coming in judgment upon the enemies of God. Whereas the people of God in the OT were told to "fear not for the LORD will fight for you," here we see that the saints are clothed in Christ's righteousness no longer with fears, and they come with Christ in his great judgment while his wrath consumes the whole earth.

While all the saints of Christ have no reason to fear, the wicked must be warned of this great Day that is coming and turn from their wicked ways to the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation from the coming wrath. If the judgment of God upon the world in the flood (Gen. 6-9); upon Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 18:1ff); the judgment upon Egypt and Pharaoh (Ex. 14; 15); and the judgments upon the nations and even Israel were increasingly horrible, how much more will the Day of Christ's wrath be when he consumes the world in his anger because they have suppressed the truth of his revelation (cf. Luke 13:1ff; 2 Peter 2:4-10).

Jesus and the Armies of Heaven: Revelation 19:14
In Revelation 19:14 we read that the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, followed Christ on white horses. Some commentators think that the armies of heaven refers to the holy and heavenly angels that surround God's throne (Ladd, 255). However, in this context of the Book of Revelation, this army of heaven is Christ's faithful saints- - those who were faithful to follow him to the end; those who fought the good fight and ran the race to the end, persevering with eyes on the Author an Perfector of their faith (Heb. 12:1,2).

In other parts of Revelation we see these saints in John's vision who are redeemed and in the presence of God ruling with Christ. These saints are those who have overcome (2:26,27; 3:21; 4:2-4,9-11; 5:11-14; 7:4-10 (cf. 14:1-5; 15:2-4; 19:1-8; 20:4-6). Although Jesus told his disciples prior to his ascension that he would return with his holy angels to judge the nations (Mt. 13:40-42; 16:27; 24:30-31; 25:31-32; Mk. 8:38; 2 Thess. 1:7; Jude 14-15), this is not contradictory. Christ will appear with his holy angels, but Revelation 17:14 says that "those who are with him," are his saints.

In Revelation, only the saints are described as having white garments (3:4-5,18; 4:4; 6:11; 7:9,13-14), except for one exception in 15:6 (Beale, 960). The Lord will return with his holy angels on the Day of Judgment, but in this passage, the hope communicated by God to his people is that they will also be with he and the angels when they come!

These saints are said to wear pure garments. There are other passages in Revelation that speak of this as well (Rev. 3:4,18; 6:11; 7:9-17; 15:5-8; cf. Harlot's clothing: 17:4; 18:16-17). These are those saints who have the wedding garment on who are prepared as a Bride for Christ and have been made ready for the wedding supper of the Lamb (Mt. 22:1-14; cf. Eph. 5:23ff).

Revelation 19:7-8 tells us prior to these verses that because of the defeat of the archenemy of God- - Babylon the Great, in chapter 18, the marriage of the Lamb has come and his bride has made herself ready. In verse 8 the bride, the saints of Christ are described clothed with bright, pure, fine linen which symbolizes the righteous deeds of the saints. This refers negatively to the saints not giving loyalty to Babylon, but positively, it refers to the testimony of the saints to Jesus in word and deed (1:9; 6:9; 11:7; 12:11,17; 20:4) (Beale, 934). The saints are rewarded for their faithfulness to Christ and perseverance in the faith (cf. 2 Tim. 2:11-13; 4:7-8).

God has justified them by his grace through faith and in their lives they truly witnessed to the world in their "righteous deeds" that they belonged to God (Eph. 2:6-10; Phil. 2:12,13; Rev. 2-3: "to him that overcomes…").

In Isaiah 61:10, the prophet foretells what is to come for the people of God when he declares:

"I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; For he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorns herself with jewels."

In Revelation, with the consummation of Christ's judgment and righteousness, we see the saints adorned just as Isaiah had prophesied. In contrast, we should notice the comparison of the saints' clothing to the description of the harlot in chapter 17:3-5:

"…And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication…"

What a great contrast between the rich garments of the evil harlot and the pure and righteous adornment of the saints vindicated by Christ's righteousness. In the eyes of fallen men, those who do not know the Lord Jesus Christ, the harlot is dressed as many in our society wish to dress. They desire to show their status and riches in the world, but according to Revelation chapter 17, this is a heinous and ugly attire. It is the attire described of those who are trusting in their own righteousness and those who have loved the world and all the evil behind the world system.

As Christians, we are taught not to love the ways of the world- -including dress, and the Apostle James warns us not to judge others on their clothing (1 John 2:15-17; cf. James 2:1-7; 1 Pet. 3:2-6). The clothing of the world system described in Revelation 17 is the clothing of the followers of the evil triumvirate: the Dragon, Beast and False Prophet. In Zechariah 3:3-5, there is a vision of Joshua clothed with filthy garments and he is clothed in rich robes and a clean turban is placed upon his head and clothes are put upon him because God has removed his iniquity from him. This is another OT example of the importance of the pure garments that the Lord provides for his saints by his own righteousness and the hope this verse should give to every generation of the church.

The saints are wearing wedding garments, but additionally, according to other verses, it seems that they are some kind of priestly wedding garments. This vision could teach the people of God that they are clothed in Christ's righteousness ultimately because they have been identified and vindicated by Christ their High Priest (Heb. 2:14-18; 5:1ff). Notice how Christ and the angels are described in the Scripture as wearing these white priestly garments (Rev. 1:13; 15:6; Dan. 10:5; 12:6; Ez. 9:2).

These garments identify the Christ's saints as not only the Bride of Christ, but Priests of Christ and God the Father- - a holy nation, a royal priesthood (Ex. 28:42; Lev. 16:4; 1 Pet. 2:5,9). These garments probably reflect the glory of the One and only True High Priest, and because of the saints' identification with Jesus the High Priest, they are adorned just like he and the angels in God's resplendent glory (cf. Dan. 12:3; Mt. 5:14; 2 Cor. 3:18).

The white horses on which they ride are symbols of their pure identification with Christ's righteousness; their identification with Christ's death, resurrection and ascension into heaven. The Apostle Paul writes in his epistle to the Colossians:

"For you have died, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you will appear with him in glory" (Col. 3:1-4).

Christ's work enabled these saints to be seated with Christ in the heavenlies and although upon earth it was not manifested, in reality this is the way God saw them: being remade pure in Christ's image (Col. 3:1-4; cf. 2 Cor. 3:18ff). This is significant for the way the saints perceive themselves presently in Christ. As the Apostle John says in his first epistle,

"Beloved, we are God's children now; it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. And every one who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure" (1 John 3:2-4).

The saints of all time, in every age should be encouraged to this final and climatic appearing of the Lord Jesus with his people. All those who fought against them and hated them in this life, will see them with eyes of hatred and jealously along with Jesus, and the saints will be vindicated before all the wicked world to be seen associated with He who they witnessed faithfully all of their lives.

Christ has redeemed his people by his death and resurrection on their behalf. He has taken from them their guilt and reconciled his people to God (2 Cor. 5:11-21). God is pleased to be their God and he makes them disciples and works in them to do God's commands. God is our true redeemer in Christ, who although he had no sin became a sin offering for us, so that we might be the righteousness of God in him. The Apostle Paul refers to the saints' status as being in Christ in many of his letters and this is to help us to understand that not only are we clothed in Christ's righteousness and sheltered from the wrath of God, we are identified with his perfect Person and Work on our behalf thus making us truly righteous (Rom. 5:8-10; Heb. 2:14-18; 4:16-18).

This is a wonderful vision for God to give to bless and encourage the church throughout the ages in difficult times, for it is here that we are to identify ourselves -- as Overcomers in Jesus!

John starkly contrasts Christ's righteous army of saints with the Beast's army and his followers (9:15-19; 12:17; 13:7; 16:16). This is no "hellish" army who is allowed to fight against the saints in order to strengthen them and give glory to God, but Christ's army of those who have overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony (Rev. 4:5). This army is pure and unadulterated, it is not unrighteous and unjust, but righteous and just in the judgments which it brings.

The Lord is slow concerning his anger and wrath, he is a consuming fire and although the wicked had been warned, they continually lived in disobedience to God and the Lamb and they sought one last time to try and overcome the Christ of God and his people; but they will fail. This is the hope for those in the church who are suffering, who cry out "How long, O LORD?" and ask "Why do the nations rage and the enemies of God seem to advance and prosper?" (Ps. 2; 37). As we turn to Revelation 19:15, these perennial questions are answered with the hope in the Coming of the LORD Jesus Christ.

This is the ultimate answer to the perennial "Problem of Evil"!

The Wrath of Messiah: Revelation 19:15
Revelation 19:15 describes Jesus with a sharp sword proceeding from his mouth to smite the wicked nations. It continues that he will rule them with a rod of iron and he will tread the winepress of the fury of the Wrath of God the Almighty. In considering this verse, we ought to look at other passages in Revelation that describe this ultimate and climatic Christophany, or appearance of Christ (Rev. 1:12-16; 2:12,16; 14:14-16 ("one like the Son of Man"; Dan. 7:13ff); 20:11-15).

This is the resurrected Son of God, the Great King who is coming in final judgment upon those who have rejected he and his people. The OT and NT warned the wicked and unbelieving of this great and terrible day (Isaiah; Jeremiah; Daniel; Ezekiel; Amos; Joel; Zephaniah; Malachi). Although cycles of judgment have been described in Revelation up to this point, they are described as progressively getting closer to the end and escalating in severity. Here is the ultimate Day of Wrath spoken of throughout the Bible. Here is the Messiah for which the Israelite's hoped, who is finally setting up his Eternal Kingdom and destroying the wicked; this is the ultimate fulfillment of God's promise to his servant David (2 Sam. 7:4-17).

Consider the sharp sword proceeding from out of his mouth. The sword is that of the Divine Warrior who conquers his enemies and the enemies of his people. The sword is a symbol of perfect and righteous judgement that will be pronounced upon all the world (Ps. 7:12; Is. 34:6; Jer. 12:12; cf. Rev. 1:16). This is the Day of weeping and mourning, the ultimate Day when men will pray for the rocks to fall upon them to save them from the wrath of God Almighty in Christ (Rev. 6). This is Christ coming like a "thief" who promised he was "coming soon" to those who were watching for his appearing (3:3; 16:15; 22:7,12).

But there are also other portions of Scripture that describe this sword that is proceeding out of his mouth. In Isaiah's prophecy concerning the Servant of the LORD, Isaiah proclaims that God has made the Servant's mouth like a sharp sword (Is. 49:2). In verse 3, the LORD says through Isaiah that his Servant will glorify the LORD with his work. Throughout Scripture the metaphor of the sword has also been used to speak of God's Word as it is revealed in its power (Eph. 6:12; Heb. 4:12; Rev. 1:16; 2:12,16). The passage in verse 15 is a passage about Christ's judgment, but his judgment with God's word. This is the word of God that brought order from chaos in Genesis 1:1 that shows us that John is here identifying Christ as both the Creator and Judge of all things; that is, the First and the Last, the Alpha and the Omega (Rev. 1:8,11; 21:6; 22:13; cf. John 1:3; Heb. 1:2; 12:1,2).

This is the word of power that has been revealed to all men that speak of his coming judgment and of his grace and mercy in Christ. It is this sword, the word of God that will smite the nations. But it is not just the word of God, but the word of God in judgment for he rules with a rod of iron. This means that although he will smite the nations with the word, he will rule or reign with a rod of iron. For a better understanding of "rod of iron" we should turn to Isaiah 11:4.

In Isaiah 11:4, there is a description of the LORD's Messiah to come. In verse 4, Isaiah describes the Messiah:

"His delight is in the fear of the LORD, and he shall not judge by the sight of his eyes, nor decide by the hearing of his ears; but with righteousness he shall judge the poor (cf. Mt. 5:3-10), and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked" (cf. 2 Thess. 2:8).

The Messiah will conquer by his word because although it brings good tidings to those who are poor and humble, it brings judgment upon those who do not believe (cf. Is. 61:1; Lk. 4:16ff). There have been many kings and judgments in the world, but this is God's grand climatic judgment of the world for their disobedience to his only begotten Son. In fact when Christ was being judged before both the Jews and the Romans as recorded in the Gospel of Mark, he knows that his sentence of death is sure. But when he is asked if he is truly the Christ of God, he predicts and pronounces an eschatological and ultimate judgment upon both Jews and Gentiles: "…You will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven" (cf. Luke 22:69; Matt. 27:37; Luke 23:24ff; John 18:35ff; 19:12-16).

Christ clearly reveals himself in this passage as the Messiah and the Son of Man who is foretold in the Book of Daniel (Daniel 7:13ff). Although Jesus' disciples had hoped and expected him to set up his Messianic Kingdom immediately, God in his wisdom had a more progressive revealing of how Messiah's Kingdom would be established (Dan. 2:44,45; 7:9-14; Mt. 24:1-3; Acts 1:6ff).

In Psalm 2, the Psalmist writes of the LORD's Messiah and asks: "Why do the nations rage and the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his Anointed…"(Ps.2:1-2). This passage gives hope to the church in the OT as our passage gives to us in Revelation. Although the wicked seem to be advancing against God's purposes and his people, the LORD has established his Messiah on his holy hill of Zion (Ps. 2:6). The LORD laughs at the wicked and their attempts to thwart his will throughout history (Ps. 2:4), and the LORD will speak to them in His wrath (Ps. 2:5).

The wicked may plot and be allowed by the Sovereign God to afflict his people, but their time is short and the LORD has appointed His Messiah to inherit the nations as his inheritance- - and all the ends of the earth (Ps. 2:8). The Psalmist foretells that the Messiah will break the wicked with a rod of iron and dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel" (Ps. 2:9). This is the ultimate vision and climatic event that God reveals to his people in the Book of Revelation. The Psalmist ends by warning the wicked to repent and serve the LORD lest the Son be angry and they perish. He says, "When his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in him" (Ps. 2:12).

This is not only the great OT warning to the wicked, to those who would plot against the LORD and his people, but the great hope for those who have put their trust in the LORD's Messiah. It is because of this hope that the Book of Revelation announces: "Blessed are those who read the prophecies in this book." Those who trust in the LORD and believe his word that is like a sharp sword, know that this is not a hypothetical warning for the wicked, but it is as sure as the word of the Lord that abides forever (1 Peter 1:24-25; cf. Is. 40:6-9).

Considering the wrath that has been described in previous cycles in John's visions, consider the seals (6:1-17; 8:1-5); the trumpets (8:6-11:19); the bowls and the seven angels (15:1,5-8), and other displays of God's wrath that causes the enemies' hearts to harden and they do not repent although they had been warned numerous times (11:19; 14:9-11; 17-21; 18:3-6,8; 19:2). Those judgments were great but are incomparable to this great judgment of the Lamb. For he comes with a sword.

God's wrath has not been displayed in this way since the cross of Christ. The wrath upon Christ on the cross was the great climax and display of God's wrath that had been stored up for ages in the Godhead. In God's anger and love, he poured out his wrath upon Christ who bore up in himself the pollution and guilt and punishment for the sins of his people. Those who turn away from such a display of God's goodness, mercy and wrath are to be pitied. The foolish- - the wicked- - are storing up for themselves wrath on the Day of Wrath when God will ultimately judge them by the Lord Jesus Christ (cf. Romans 2:5ff).

In Christ's coming we see the Lamb of God suffering by crucifixion and taking upon himself the wrath of God, but in Revelation 19:11ff, we see not the lowly Lamb of God suffering upon a Roman cross, but the Christ of Glory coming with those he has redeemed to enact judgment for all the world- - for all those who do not know him! The way he is described should encourage the believing, but those who have suppressed the truth, they must be warned! If they thought the wrath of the cross of God Almighty was terrible and frightening, they have seen nothing as great as the Wrath of the LORD of lords and the King of kings coming one final time to judge them. God's judgment is so frightening, John in Revelation uses the imagery of Christ treading the winepress of God's fury.

Concerning the imagery of the winepress and Christ clothed in a garment sprinkled with blood (19:13). Here is the picture of the ultimate wrath of God revealed in the Christ the Divine Warrior. In Isaiah's prophecy chapter 63:2ff, the prophet describes the Divine Warrior, or God who establishes his reign over his enemies (cf. Is. 13:4; 31:4; 42:13; Ezek. 38-39; Joel 3; Zech. 14:3). In verse 2 the prophet writes:

"Why is thy apparel red, and thy garments like his that treads the wine press? I have trodden the winepress along, and from the peoples no one was with me; I trod them in my anger and trampled them in my wrath; their lifeblood is sprinkled upon my garments, and I have stained all my raiment. For the day of vengeance was in my heart, and my year of redemption has come."

To better understand this ultimate day of Christ trampling the winepress of God's anger we should compare these passages to Luke 4:18ff when Christ read from the scroll of Isaiah 61:1ff. Christ proclaimed that on the day he was reading from the scroll the prophecy of Isaiah had been fulfilled, however, he left off the last line of Isaiah's prophecy intentionally.

Although in Christ's first coming he would bring deliverance to the captives and salvation for those looking with repentant hearts to God, proclaiming the year of the LORD's favor, in his appearing the second time (here revealed in John's vision), he would finish the statement: "…and the vengeance of our God" (cf. Rev. 14:19). Although we must understand that Christ's first coming was to bring salvation, but for those who have rejected him there is nothing left but the day of vengeance and wrath. This shows two things: first, that Christ's work was to be fulfilled progressively as revealed in the gospels, particularly the parables of Jesus (Mt. 13:1-51); secondly, that Christ is slow to anger and wrath, he will patient wanting all to come to him and find forgiveness. However, once he is revealed as in John's vision, it will be a day of darkness and wrath.

In Revelation 19:14-16, the saints come with Jesus in his revelation because Christ drank the cup of wrath on the cross on behalf of his people. Though he had prayed that the cup might pass because it was so awesome and terrible, he nevertheless submitted his will to the Father so that the salvation of his people might be accomplished.

It was God who was saving us from God; that is, God was saving his people from his wrath.

Romans 4:24-26 teaches us that God is just in regards to his righteous judgment, but the justifier of those who believe in Christ Jesus. Therefore the saints should rejoice in seeing that indeed nothing can separate them from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus because he has loved them with a divine and intimate love displayed in the cross when Jesus became a propitiation for the sins of his people and expiated God's wrath and fury which all sinful men deserve.

This wrath of God which was expiated at the cross for those who believe is yet to be displayed and there will be no mediator between the wicked and God on the Day of his Great Judgment. They will be cut off to perish in darkness, weeping, and gnashing of teeth. All of their hopes of overcoming God's Messiah, all the hopes of persecuting and defeating the people of God will be dashed immediately upon the rocks to which they look for shelter. This vision should encourage the church to know that it is true that the gates of hell will never prevail against the Church, Christ's people (cf. Mt. 16:18-19).

The Return of the King of kings and Lord of lords: Revelation 19:16
In Revelation 19:16 we see on Christ's robe and his thigh a name which is King of kings, and Lord of lords. This is the title of God himself throughout Scripture (Isaiah 40-46). This shows Christ's deity and relationship as one with, but distinct from the Father (cf. John 1:1-3; Col. 1:15ff). Christ himself is the ultimate King and Lord of all. Philippians 2:5-11 teaches us that Christ became man and was obedient unto death so that God gave him a name which is above every name- - so that at his feet every tongue will confess that Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father (cf. Is. 45:23).

Christ has many names but the name of the Messiah, the Anointed One, the hope of Israel in verse 15 is also the King of kings and Lord of lords. Christ who was also one like the Son of Man, is also the Great King and Lord God (2 Samuel 7:14ff; Dan. 2:44,45; cf. Is. 52-53). This name of the Messiah is the name that had been revealed as "wonderful" (Judges 13); "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" (Is. 9:6); and all the wisdom and power in Christ's names are described here consummately as the King of kings and LORD of lords.

John reveals to the churches that Christ is the conqueror of all their enemies and the Lord has made all his enemies to be a footstool for him. This is not the wrath of a God who is like a man, who bursts out in hatred and anger, but a God who was patient, who warned, who did not want any to perish but for all to come to repentance. This Christ who is coming to judge on behalf of his Father has been merciful to all of creation and they have rejected him in his life and work. The Creator of every man is now confronting sinful man one last time with the ultimate judgment that every sinner deserves.

Christ is ruler and the consummation of all of history. God rules all of creation in Christ and Christ comes one last time to defeat the death and offer up his kingdom to his God and Father (1 Cor. 15:27). This is the last in the cycles of judgment that consummates in his Great Appearing before all the world to see. All of those who denied him, all of those who said they did not believe, will find that they were terribly wrong. All of those who persecuted the saints and thought of them as weak and not worthy of dignity, will see them on this day clothed in Christ's righteousness, in great dignity wearing Christ's priestly robes.

For these saints who are coming with Christ are a holy priesthood, a royal nation and although that is what they have always been because of Christ, now the world will confess it and they will be vindicated before the enemies of Christ and God. What a revelation that God has given through Christ and his angel to the Apostle John! This should encourage every saint in every age- -those who have believed upon the Lord Jesus Christ. Their day is coming! "Vengeance is mine," the Lord has said, and so it is. Fear the Lord you his saints, for you who fear the Lord lack no good thing.

Although times can look bleak and dismal, there is always the blessed Book of Revelation to reveal the ending of all of God's history. However it may look at times for the church who is persecuted and are humbled in this world, God has overcome the world. When the church reads these blessed verses and prays the Lord's prayer, now we know the hope that is to come when we pray "Thy Kingdom come" because it most assuredly will; surely as Christ is God, he will keep his promises that he has made to his people. He will comfort them and make all things new, he is indeed preparing a place for his people (John 14) and there we will be with the Lord in his presence forever (Rev. 21).

This is the great paradox of history. Although throughout the ages it seemed like the wicked were prospering and God's people were being cast down and forsaken; no matter how long the Lord in his wisdom and good timing allowed to pass for his return, the truth is that he will return victoriously for his saints. God chastises his people, makes them perfect through their sufferings so that they may be perfect and conformed to the True Image of God in Christ. God's purpose in pain and suffering finally rids the world of the so-called theodicy of God allowing evil to exist in the world. For in these verses, the people of God have their great hope revealed in Christ the conqueror coming with his people to take vengeance upon all the wicked and the wrongdoing which they enacted against God and his people.

What a vindication! What a judgment! What a Christ that he should love us, not that we loved him first, but that he loved us so much as to make a propitiation of his Son and save some from his wrath. On that day when the heavens open and Christ shall be revealed, then men will see Christ and the saints as they truly are! They will wish that they had listened and obeyed the testimony of their words that confessed and told of the Christ and his great crucifixion and resurrection, but it will be too late.

Although God's law revealed all men as fallen, they did not acknowledge God's reign and his sovereignty. Instead, they fought against the Lord and his people by the power of the prince of the power of the air. That power which they could see and feel in this world, will be the power and wrath of God they will feel eternally in the next. No, although they will be shut off from the presence of the Lord's favor, they will not be shut off from the presence of the Lord's wrath eternally. These wicked unbelievers, idolaters, and every other conceivable wickedness will be judged on that Final Day when the Christ appears with his people from heaven.

The Book of Revelation should teach us that God's judgment is sure because he has judged his Son; those who disbelieve presently already have the judgment of God upon them (John 3:36). While the church tries to be patient with these brethren who misunderstand God's word, they should be warned of calling God "unfair" in any way. The Book of Revelation teaches us of God's patient and mercy as he displays his wrath in escalating severity until his final judgment with Christ on his white horse. This escalating severity of God's judgment should lead men to repentance now, today (cf. 2 Cor. 6:1,2), because God has given us the Book of Revelation to bless us in our lives, not after our deaths. After our deaths, there is no hope of salvation; today, we must seek his face in repentance and look to the Sovereign Judge for mercy and forgiveness of our sins.

CRB

Bibliography/For Further Reading (Purchase these at www.wtsbook.com- - lowest prices on the web!)

Bauckham, Richard. The Theology of the Book of Revelation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1993.

Bavinck, H. The Last Things: Hope for this World and the Next. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1996.

Beale, G. K. The Book of Revelation. NIGTC. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Press, 1999.

Kline, Meredith G. Images of the Spirit. Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 1998.

Ladd, G. E. A Commentary on the Revelation of John. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Press, 1972.

Longman, T. and Reid, D. God is a Warrior. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Press, 1995.

Martin, R. P. and Davids, P. H., editors. Dictionary of the Later New Testament and Its Developments. Downer's Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1997.

Poythress, V. S. The Book of Revelation: A Guide for Understanding (V. 2.0). Unpublished Manuscript, Westminster Theological Bookstore.

Russell, D. S. Divine Disclosure: An Introduction to Jewish Apocalyptic. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1992.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Pastor Charles R. Biggs

Ketoctin Covenant Presbyterian Church

Post Office Box 628

Round Hill, VA 20142-0628

540-338-7170

Quote of the Week

Introduction

The practice and work of correctly interpreting Holy Scripture is a most important work for Christians. In fact, the Apostle Paul teaches his disciple Timothy that interpretation [or 'hermeneutics'] is one of the most important activities for one to engage as one "approved by God" (2 Tim. 3:16ff).

The reason why good interpretation is so important is that it is in the text of Scripture that one comes to know and apprehend God as He has chosen to reveal himself; it is in Scripture that we read: "For God so loved the world that He gave His Only-Begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him shall never perish, but have eternal life."

Because of the Fall of man and the taint of sin in our hearts and minds, interpretation as well as all other things in our lives must be constantly redeemed and reformed so that by the Spirit's help, we might better apprehend the truth that God has revealed.

Deconstructionism

In academic circles today (primarily in the schools of Yale University and Chicago Divinity School and schools they have influenced), there is an attempt at reading the text of Scripture not in order to understand what God the Author of Scripture is saying, but in order to read it with the reader alone in mind (or "readers", group-interpretation such as "Feminist interpretations," "Environmentalist interpretations," "Gay interpretations," and many others). This kind of interpretation is called 'Deconstructionism'.

This practice of Deconstructionism has been rightly criticized by Christian teachers today in Christ's Church, because this self-centered practice of reading Scripture ultimate deconstructs or undermines the meaning that is actually found in the Bible. And, if we do not have the right meaning, and have only interpreted the Scriptures with ourselves in mind, then we haven't actually learned of the God Who exists and reveals Himself to us in the Scriptures, and we cannot obey something given to us by God if we have misinterpreted the Bible to say what we want it to say. We should always remember this:

"The readiness to obey Christ's words is prerequisite to understanding them." -Vanhoozer

Unfortunately, misinterpretation and a misunderstanding of the effect of sin on our minds and hearts in the process of interpretation, has not only affected academic schools such as Yale and Chicago, but also happens in many Christian small groups around the country every day. When we all gather around the Scriptures and ask "What does it mean to you?", we are guilty of self-interpreting the Scriptures, rather than seeking to understand the true meaning that God the Author wants to communicate to His readers.

When we try to read and obey only the Scriptures that have some appeal to us, again we are guilty of self-interpreting the Scriptures and not truly understanding them. I would also add that those who spiritualize, or allegorize the Bible are in essence changing the meaning of the Author of Scripture and making it say what their self-centered biases want it to say. Anyone who has heard of Harold Camping, or unfortunately been affected by his teaching, knows that the true meaning and glory of God found in Scripture is exchanged many times for a lie.

The Sovereign Reader

In essence, both in academic circles and sometimes in Christian circles, the reader has become sovereign. Whether this happens intentionally or unintentionally, attempting to deconstruct the meaning that is found in the Bible, the results are the same: God is silenced (or "tongue-tied") and our own self-centered biases and opinions about the meaning in the Bible rules the day.

This week's quotation (actually next week's, but I will be on vacation, so I am sending it now) is from Kevin Vanhoozer, from an essay entitled: 'The Spirit of Understanding: Special Revelation and General Hermeneutics'. This essay is found in Dr. Vanhoozer's book: 'First Theology: God, Scripture and Hermeneutics' and is recommended for all who want to know more about how to interpret God's Word as well as to avoid some of the hermeneutical pitfalls of which we are all capable. Dr. Vanhoozer is Research Professor of Systematic Theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He is a prominent authority today on the practice of Biblical interpretation.

This week's quotation reminds us that we need the Holy Spirit to redeem and reform our interpretation as we rely on the Spirit of God to give us true meaning and help in obeying the Scriptures. We should be reminded that the Scriptures are given to us by God to satisfy our curiosity but to reveal the living God to us and to reveal salvation to us in Christ, and to teach us how to live as He created us to live! A classic text on the Spirit's guide in interpretation is found in 1 Corinthians 2:9-16:

1 Corinthians 2:9-16: But, as it is written, "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him"- ¹⁰these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. ¹¹For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. ¹²Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. ¹³And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. ¹⁴The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. ¹⁵The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. ¹⁶"For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ.

Dr. Kevin J. Vanhoozer

[In the context of our quotation, Dr. Vanhoozer is critiquing 'Deconstructionism' that seeks to shape the Biblical meaning of texts like a wax nose. He is offering a Biblical and Trinitarian alternative to rightly interpreting, or handling the Word of Truth]

"Because interpreters are also sinners who suppress the Logos [Word] in unrighteousness, a certain amount of suspicion can be healthy. A little deconstruction may not be a dangerous thing...Deconstruction, far from protecting the text as an other, licenses interpretive violence.

Deconstruction contradicts two basic principles of a Christian worldview: first, the 'realism principle' (we can adequately know the world and are responsible for doing so); second, the 'bias principle' (we never know the world apart from biases that influence our perception of reality).

Now apply these two principles to hermeneutics. First, the realism principle: we can adequately understand texts [in the Bible]; second, the bias principle: we can never understand texts apart from biases that affect our understanding.

The Spirit of understanding progressively convicts us of our biases and conforms us to reality.

Language does not bar us from reality, though reality comes mediated by language. Neither language nor being finite beings justifies interpretive sloth...Language, a gift of God, is adequate for the purposes for which it was created. Babel is not a license for interpretive anarchy, neither does it warrant a despair of language. The biblical text, taken literally, is an adequate testimony to Jesus Christ.

...We do not yet have absolute knowledge. Yet we do have adequate knowledge, enough to respond to the overtures of the Word of God. Our first reflex upon being addressed [by God in the text of Scripture] should be trust. We must at least be willing to hear the other rather than drown out its voice, even when its message is a potential threat to our way of being in the world...

...Just what is the role of the interpreter in understanding? We should remember the bias principle:

"There has never yet been an expositor who has allowed only Scripture alone to speak."

....All general hermeneutics [or attempts at rightly understanding the Word of God, even if trying to be "unbiased" and "objective"] is inescapably theological....Self-love can pervert the course of interpretation as it does every other human activity.

It is the Spirit who enables us to transfer attention away from ourselves and our interests to the text and its subject matter.

Understanding- - of the Bible or any other text- - is a matter of ethics, indeed of spirituality. Interpretation ultimately depends upon theological virtues of faith, hope, and love. Faith that there is a real presence, a voice, a meaning in the text; hope that the interpretive community [the Church] can, in the power of the Spirit, attain an adequate, not absolute, understanding; love, a mutual relation of self-giving between text and reader....If understanding involves obedience, it is easy to see how deconstruction could quench the spirit of understanding.

....For the sake of clarity, we can distinguish three aspects of the Spirit's role in the process of interpretation.

First, the Spirit convicts us that the Bible is indeed the locution [speech] of God that bears authoritative witness to the living Word...Second, the Spirit illumines the letter of the Word by impressing upon us the full force of its communicative action, its illocutions [what the Word-speech, or locution is about, namely Jesus Christ]. The Spirit does not alter biblical meaning. Rather, 'the spiritual sense is the literal sense correctly understood'...Third,

the Spirit sanctifies us and so helps us to accept what is in the text instead of preferring our own interpretations.

The Spirit progressively disabuses us of ideological or idolatrous prejudices that prevent us from receiving the message. In doing so, the Spirit renders the Word effective. To read in the Spirit does not mean to import some new sense to the text but rather to let the letter be, or better, to apply the letter rightly to one's life. The Spirit of understanding is the efficacy of the Word...

According to John Owen, the Spirit is the 'primary efficient cause' of our understanding of Scripture. Yet the Spirit's illumining work is not independent of our own efforts to understand [against interpretive sloth, or self-centered understanding]. John Owen says:

"It is the Spirit's activity, effected through our own labor in exegesis, analysis, and application, of showing us what the text means for us."

....In short, we recognize the Spirit of understanding in those who "follow Jesus," that is, in those who hear and do the Word. J. I. Packer says:

"Those who would live under the authority of the Spirit must bow before the Word as the Spirit's textbook....Those who would live under the authority of Scripture must seek the Spirit as its interpreter."

Thanks to the Spirit of understanding, the letter of the text becomes an enlivening and nourishing presence. Not only do we enjoy the first fruits of understanding, but we look forward to that day when we will understand as we have been understood."

Veni spiritus interpres! Come interpreter Spirit!

"The readiness to obey Christ's words is prerequisite to understanding them." -Vanhoozer

Pastor Charles R. Biggs

Ketoctin Covenant Presbyterian Church

Post Office Box 628

Round Hill, VA 20142-0628

540-338-7170

Quote of the Week

Introduction

This week's quotation is on the biblical virtue of humility (and one that we can all remember for this new year). The quotation is by C. S. Lewis, from his powerful and insightful book called 'The Screwtape Letters' from 1942. This ingenious and helpful book takes the form of a dialogue between two devils, aptly named 'Screwtape' (the elder devil) and 'Wormwood' (his disciple).

The character Screwtape writes letters to his younger disciple with devilish wisdom that he has learned over the years of just how to trip up Christians who are serving the LORD (translated 'The Enemy' from their perspective). He gives him advice on how to prevent a Christian from praying, from being completely and sincerely obedient, and how to cause a Christian to think more about, and of himself than he does about His Lord Jesus (again translated 'The Enemy' from his perspective).

So how does the Devil cause Christians to be proud, self-serving, and full on themselves, yet giving them the false hope and gratification that they are humble people? Let's read this dialogue.

C. S. Lewis

"Your patient [the Christian] has become humble; have you drawn his attention to the fact? All virtues are less formidable to us once the man is aware that he has them, but this is especially true of humility.

Catch him at the moment when he is really poor in spirit and smuggle into his mind the gratifying reflection, 'By Jove! I'm being humble,' and almost immediately pride- - pride at his own humility- -will appear. If he awakes to the danger and tries to smother this new form of pride, make him proud of his attempt -- and so on, through as many stages as you please. But don't try this too long, for fear you awake his sense of humor and proportion, in which case he will merely laugh at you and go to bed.

But there are profitable ways of fixing his attention on the virtue of Humility. By this virtue, as by all the others, our Enemy [the LORD Jesus] wants to turn the man's attention away from self to Him, and to the man's neighbors. All the abjection and self-hatred are designed, in the long run, solely for this end; unless they attain this end they do us little harm; and they may even do us good if they keep the man concerned with himself, and, above all, if self-contempt can be made the starting point for contempt of other selves, and thus for gloom, cynicism, and cruelty.

You must therefore conceal from the patient the true end of Humility. Let him think of it, not as self-forgetfulness, but as a certain kind of opinion (namely a low opinion) of his own talents and character.

Some talents, I gather, he really has. Fix in his mind the idea that humility consists in trying to believe those talents to be less valuable than he believes them to be. No doubt they are in fact less valuable than he believes, but that is not the point.

The great thing is to make him value an opinion of some quality other than truth, thus introducing an element of dishonesty and make-believe into the heart of what otherwise threatens to become a virtue. By this method thousands of humans have been brought to think that humility means pretty women trying to believe they are ugly and clever men trying to believe they are fools. And since what they are trying to believe may, in some cases, be manifest nonsense, they cannot succeed in believing it, and we have the chance of keeping their minds endlessly revolving on themselves in an effort to achieve the impossible."

-The Screwtape Letters, C. S. Lewis (1942)

Pastor Charles R. Biggs

Ketoctin Covenant Presbyterian Church

Post Office Box 628

Round Hill, VA 20142-0628

540-338-7170

Vol. VI, Issue 31

John 4:20-24: "Worship in Spirit and Truth"

Rev. Charles R. Biggs

Introduction

In the Reformation, the people of God learned that it was not enough to merely be "Reformed" in name, but that the Church must also be "Reformed" in principle. That meant that to call oneself "Reformed" required the constant need to be consistently, ceaselessly, constantly, and carefully "REFORMING" as the people of God and returning to Scripture for answers to every question and to fully know how to be the Church of the living God (2 Tim. 3:16-17).

Since we are beginning a new year, it is worthwhile to practice this continuous reforming, by looking once again at what the Scriptures teach us about true worship. This can be such a controversial topic, but it must continually be addressed. Just because it can be controversial and even a divisive, we still should seek by God's grace to understand what true worship is according to the Scriptures.

There is no better place to begin than in John 4:20-24 in Jesus' dialogue with the sinful, Samaritan woman. There a few points I would like to make from observing this text and these are by no means the last words on the subject, just a small attempt at understanding what this means for us as the people of God who call ourselves "Reformed" in this new year.

In the context, the sinful Samaritan woman has asked Jesus about the two mountains, and where is the correct place for worship (John 4:20). First of all Jesus corrects her assumption that the Samaritans have been rightly worshipping God on Mt. Gerazim. He tells her that "salvation is from the Jews" (4:22). Jesus does not mean that all Jews will be saved (it is the Apostle John's purpose ironically to show the rejection of Jesus by the majority of the Jews and his acceptance by Samaritans in this passage and through the remainder of chapter 4).

Jesus basically tells the sinful Samaritan woman that since I am here in your midst, the Kingdom is with you, and things are changing right before your very eyes. Therefore, to merely think about a physical location of worship, and to consider the way things have been, is not enough to consider. In fact, he says to her, "you worship what you do not know; we (meaning the Jews, including Himself) worship what we do know.

Jesus tells her the time is coming, and is now here, where God's true worshippers will worship Him in spirit and truth. For God is seeking these kind of worshippers (John 4:23).

Let us look at a few considerations from this passage that can inform the way we worship the living God in 2004.

Worship is Christ-Centered

First of all, it is important to note that true worship is always Christ-Centered. Jesus is the Beginning and End, the Alpha and Omega of our salvation, but also of our worship. Jesus is the reason why we can truly worship the living God in the first place. He is the only Mediator between God and man (1 Tim. 2:5), and thus the only way to the true worship of God (John 14:6). Truly, no man comes to the Father, either for salvation, or for worship apart from Jesus Who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

What Jesus is ultimately revealing to and graciously offering the sinful Samaritan woman is what he wants to reveal and to graciously offer to us today: Worship that is Christ-Centered. Jesus is telling the woman in these verses in John 4 to get your eyes off the mountains, even the so-called traditions of your Fathers, and get your eyes, worship and focus on me. Here is Jesus physically present, not merely to discuss past theological debates about a legitimate mountain on which to worship, but he is here in the flesh to draw her (as well as our) attention to Himself alone!

Recently, I have been thinking that when people in general describe certain congregations that they visit, they speak of what made them happy, met their felt needs, or how the worship satisfied them- -apart from any mention of Who was preached, how He was preached, and what they learned from the preaching of the Word (of course you may hear how long the sermon was, but not much mention of the content).

What it seems like from this general observation is that in our time, it appears that most visitors to worship services are evaluating the service primarily on the style of worship and the feelings gained from it, over and above the priority of Who is preached, how He is preached, and what He tells His people to do. Notice in your own experience when speaking with other Evangelical Christians these days if they even mention what was preached, or if they merely focus on the style of the worship and how it either appealed, or rather did not appeal to them.

These are just some thoughts from observations, but oftentimes I hear many speaking not so much about the Christ of worship, as they do about themselves and what they got out of the worship. We should remember as a "Reforming" people, that Christ, His Word, His Way, His Will, His Worship (as best as we can understand it) is to be central in our lives. What we desire and pray for as "Reforming" people is a worship that is primarily about Christ and His presence among us as He walks among our congregations today.

What we hear, what we do, what we think, and even what we ultimately feel in our worship, should always be in light of Jesus and what we have heard proclaimed biblically and passionately from the pulpit each Lord's Day.

Worship is not primarily about us, but it is about God alone.

I find it strange that we mix up what rightly belongs to God and what is given by God for the benefit of man. For instance, Jesus tells us that God has given to us the Christian Sabbath for us. It is for our benefit: "Man is not made for the Sabbath, but the Sabbath for man". However, you will never find Jesus saying that "Man is not made for the worship, but the worship for man."

Yet in principle this is how some of us practically behave! We have been given the Christian Sabbath to worship the living God in a Christ-centered way because it is for our good. Yet we have not been given worship ultimately for our own good (although only good things can come from it; cf. Rom. 8:28ff). Yet we turn this around on its head like everything else sinful man attempts to do by his own whims and when not submitted to the Word. We tend to break the Christian Sabbath, taking away what is rightly ours and for our own good (then wonder why we are such a tired, unfulfilled and busy people), and we want the worship for ourselves.

Now we don't say it that way, we say we want the worship to be fulfilling to us. But when we start out with a focus on ourselves and our own desires when we are in search of the worship of God with other Christians, we inevitably will end up only finding what suits ourselves and our own selfish desires and wants! May it never be, by God's grace.

We need to understand that it takes more than goosebumps or goosepimples standing up on the back of our necks to determine whether we are truly worshipping the living God in spirit and truth!

May we begin this new year by asking how we can more appropriately worship the Lord by coming to Him through the Lord Jesus Christ, worshipping the Lord Jesus Christ for what He has done for us in obtaining our salvation, and thanking him gratefully by our worship, whether we feel anything for ourselves or not. May we offer ourselves to the Lord God through the Lord Jesus as we long to hear Jesus' Word, Way, Will, and Worship!

Worship is Christ-Commanded

Jesus commands us to worship him in a certain way lest we end up in our own sinfulness worshipping something, or someone other than God!

Notice what Jesus says to the sinful Samaritan woman when comparing the faulty worship tradition of the Samaritans with the Jews in verse 22: "You (plural, meaning all of the Samaritans) worship what you do not know". Jesus uses a relative pronoun: "what you do not know" rather than a personal pronoun "who you do not know". When our worship is not Christ-centered and we approach God the Father by His Spirit through Our Mediator, we worship something other than God.

It is interesting to note that whenever men seek out, even with the noble traditions of their Fathers, yet without submitting entirely to the Scriptures concerning worship, they end up at the end of the day worshipping something (or someone!!) other than the True and Living God. (Remember from our last study that the Samaritans only accepted the Torah, or first five books of the Old Testament, so they did not know of any new revelation or developments concerning worship, particularly the instructions to build the later Temples under David and then after the Exile- cf. 2 Sam. 7; Ezra 1-4; Haggai 1-2).

In Paul's sermon at the Areopagus, while Paul was in Athens, Greece, he notices the same tendency with all men. When men try to worship with mere general revelation, apart from the special revelation of God in the Holy Scriptures, they end up worshipping something (or someone!!) they do not know.

Acts 17:22-23: "Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. ²³For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, 'To the unknown god.' What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you."

The Apostle Paul goes on to instruct them according to the Scriptures how God has clearly manifested Himself to them and ultimately in the revelation of Jesus Christ, the One Who can give all of those Who believe access to the God in Whom we all live, move and have our being (Acts 17:24-32).

John Calvin, in his commentary on this passage from John 4 says this:

"...We are not to essay anything in religion rashly or unthinkingly. For unless there is knowledge present, it is not God that we worship but a spectre or ghost. Hence all so-called good intentions are struck by a thunderbolt, which tells us that men can do nothing but err when they are guided by their own opinion without the Word or command of God....the Samaritans took the example of the fathers as a precedent; the Jews were grounded on the commandment of God."

We must recall that Israel's first formal worship service after their redemption from Egypt, while Moses was up on the mountain getting the commandments of God, was at worst a heretical, idolatrous worship service to ultimately an "unknown god" (Exodus 32). At the very best, it was a worship perhaps directed to the true God, but not in the way He has commanded them.

Jesus is not saying here in John 4:22 that Israel's worship was always exemplary when he says "salvation is from the Jews" or "we worship what we know". He is stating that Israel was the chosen nation through which the Scriptures came that instructed them in their proper worship (even if they did not obediently comply). This is what Jesus means that "salvation is from the Jews" (compare also with Romans 9:1-6).

However, since the "time was coming, and was now here" things were changing and even the Jews who were worshipping at the Temple on the mountain in Jerusalem, that at one time was the correct place of worship, NOW the worship was to be only in and through Jesus Christ and "in spirit and truth". As Jesus showed with regards to the Temple in Jerusalem (see study on John 2), the glory of God was manifested in flesh and because God was present with Israel in the flesh now, the glory of God was moving out of the Temple with Him!

To prevent all of God's people from worship something, or someone other than the living God revealed in Scripture, we must willingly submit to Christ's command and principles concerning worship. We must realize that in Jesus, and by His Word we are to be directed as to how we are to worship Him. This should be sought humbly submitting under Jesus' word, realizing one's own worship style preferences and presuppositions, and prayerfully seeking wisdom to do that which is God honoring and obedience in one's congregation!

The "reforming reformation" of worship begins in each congregation with humble and prayerful Christians submitting themselves under the commands of Christ anew and seeking diligently to obey these commands no matter what the cost to the congregation.

Worship is Word-Centered Dialogue with God

Let's look at another way of understanding worship. Worship is a dialogue with God. To worship God in spirit and truth is to worship him rightly in Jesus Christ alone as he has commanded, but it is also in spirit and truth. The term "spirit and truth" focuses our attention on the spiritually truthful, and non-physical aspect of worship. In verse 24, Jesus teaches the Samaritan woman and us that God is Spirit and thus we worship Him in spirit and truth.

We should understand that in the context, Jesus is drawing the sinful Samaritan woman's attention away from the question of "where", meaning physicality or geographical location of worship, because this is passing away and changing now that the "fullness of the times" have come in Jesus. Now Jesus is focusing the woman's attention, as well as ours on the true worship more specifically directed to "Whom".

How does dialogue with God help us to understanding true worship in spirit and truth? We must remember that in order for us rightly to respond to God in worship, we must first be rightly informed of Who God is and What He teaches us in Scripture.

Who God is as Spirit, in all of his character and revealed attributes in the Scriptures, informs us as to how to worship Him. God reveals Himself in the reading, preaching, and singing of the Word of God in our worship. We dialogue, or respond back to God with our praise, prayers, petitions, and obedience to His commandments.

True worship of God is from a heart wholeheartedly captured and informed by God's Word, because of the work of God's Spirit. Thus one of the reasons why "Reforming" congregations have always placed the Word central in worship. That is why in "Reforming" congregations there is a call to worship from Scripture, as well as a scriptural greeting that opens up the worship-dialogue and a benediction from Scripture closing the worship-dialogue.

In "Reforming" worship, God is greeting us with His Word at the beginning and closing with His Word at the end so that our entire worship, as well as our lives would be found in between, identified in the pages of His Story, and living in His light from morning to evening each and every day!

In "Reforming" congregations there is also a great deal of Scripture read from the Old and New Covenants each worship service, in addition to the sermon text. The focus is always on the Word of God because "God speaks", his people listen, and then we respond!

It is tempting in an age of images to forget the Word-Centered quality of worship. Because many of us have been brought up on an abundance of images, it is challenging and difficult for us to pay attention to what is read and preached through words. But this is part of our culture that we must also bring under the Lordship of Jesus! We should resist this image-centered tendency with God's help as much as any other cultural or worldly tendency that seeks to cause us to live according to the pattern of this age (Romans 12:1-2).

Seeking after Word-Centered worship is also part of our spiritual act of worship in offering ourselves up as a living sacrifice and renewing of our minds by the Word of God!

We will be unable to rightly worship because we are not rightly informed! Not only informed about Who God is, how to approach Him in Christ, understanding what He has graciously done for us, we will not be able to truly worship God because we will be seeking him in a shallow and uninformed manner, only seeking to satisfy ourselves and our own desires for what we think is real worship revealed through our feelings.

Think about it: If a congregation of Christ's sheep, instead of being Word-Centered and fed primarily on the Word, is being merely fed on a diet of short, catchy praise ditties without much theological content in their worship, then the response from these malnourished sheep will be short, catchy praise ditties without much theological content in response to God in their worship. In other words, as the old saying goes concerning what we eat physically: "You are what you eat". So, it can be applied spiritually here with regards to worship. "We are spiritually what we eat!" Our dialogue in worship will reflect what we are hearing!

Yet true worship in spirit and truth, must come from the Word of God. God meets His people every Lord's Day, through the ordained minister, who stands in Christ's place, proclaiming not merely jokes, good manners, stories, and his own experiences, but proclaiming the Christ Who saves through the Word God speaks (Heb. 1:1-2).

In an age of images, we must always remember that faith does not come by images, but still comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of Christ (Romans 10:17).

This doesn't mean we will not have to work at being Word-Centered and Word-Focused people in worship- - we will! It will take a greater amount of grace for us to pay attention to the word read, sung, and preached. We will often be tempted to find the surroundings too hot, too cold, too many children crying, too much work to do when I get home or to the office, too long of a sermon, too many songs to sing, etc.

When all we are truly and really saying if we are honest with ourselves is that it is too hard to listen to God's Word and we don't often find it as interesting as we ought because we've wasted a lot of time not listening, not paying attention, relying merely on images and stories to make the point!

Alright, then! Hard work, but not too hard by God's grace. God has given His Word to us, so that His people, saturated by the reading, singing, and hearing of His Word, can appropriately and honestly respond to the living God in praise, prayer, petitions and obedience! If God has chosen to grow His people by His Word, then why do we seek anything else? If God calls His Only Begotten Son, the Incarnate Word (John 1:14), then why would we want to try and worship Him in any other way than by and through His Word that tells us about the salvation and grace that has been shown to us in Jesus??!!

Worship is wholeheartedly honest and truthful, from the heart when the Word is central and we dialogue with the living God in our worship. Think about it! When you are convicted of sin, you respond in true repentance (that's worship in spirit and truth); when you are sad because life is upside down because of sin, you are suffering and you hear God's Word of comfort, you respond with your own sadness to God, but with living hope (that's worship in spirit and truth); when you are feeling rightfully guilty for breaking God's commandments, rather than descending introspectively into shame, you hear that God has sent a Savior who was shamed for you, and you respond in belief all over again, knowing that Jesus truly loves you and is the Savior of your soul (that's worship in spirit and truth).

If Christ is not central in worship, we will be; If Christ's commandments are not heeded with regards to worship, our ideas and traditions will be; if worship is not Word-Centered and understood as a dialogue with God, then we will not be able truly to worship in spirit and truth.

This is not a comprehensive analysis of worship from John 4:20-24 as I said earlier, but hopefully it is a help and a beginning to at least rethink the way you and your congregation do worship now. Would you say your worship is Christ-Centered, Christ-Commanded, and a true Dialogue with God in spirit and truth? Seek the LORD and pray that He would work in and through you to become even more "Reforming" in your worship in this coming year.

Don't seek to overwhelm others in your congregations with your understanding of true worship. Don't think pridefully you're the only one who understands true worship (because if you think this, you really don't understand because you are probably worshipping God insincerely while looking around you and judging those around you because you know they are wrong). Don't think this kind of biblical reformation and continual reforming can come overnight!

But neither be scared and frightened by men to tell the truth and stand for biblical truth in love this year! Remember love for others covers a multitude of sins. You can influence people so much more if you first live true worship, teach true worship, love true worship, and make connections with others who have never experienced true worship because they have been so concerned with themselves and their own felt needs!

If you want a comprehensive collection of balanced essays on worshipping God in spirit and truth, you should begin with a brand new book dedicated to the memory, ministry, and work of Dr. James Montgomery Boice. The book is entitled Give Praise to God: A Vision for Reforming Worship- Celebrating the Legacy of James Montgomery Boice, Edited by Ryken, Thomas, and Duncan III (P&R, 2003). Please purchase this from www.wtsbook.org, so that you might contribute to the ongoing work at Westminster Theological Seminary.

Soli Deo Gloria!

For Further Reading

D. A. Carson, 'Gospel According to John'

H. Ridderbos, 'The Gospel of John: A Theological Commentary'

L. Morris, 'The Gospel According to John' (NICNT)

J. Calvin, 'Commentary on the Gospel of John'

R. Brown, 'Commentary on the Gospel of St. John'

J. Dennison, Articles on John's Gospel at www.kerux.com

J. Boice, 'Commentary on John's Gospel'

Ryken, Longman III, et al, 'Dictionary of Biblical Imagery'

Pastor Charles R. Biggs

Ketoctin Covenant Presbyterian Church

Post Office Box 628

Round Hill, VA 20142-0628

540-338-7170

Quote of the Week

Introduction

Image and Reality

What is real? What is image? Many people today spend much of their time in 'virtual reality'. It is axiomatic that 'virtual' reality is not true reality. In fact, my dictionary defines 'virtual' (as in virtual reality) as that which is "practically a reality, but not a reality in actuality, only in name." Christians must be discerning of the difference between image and reality. Image is what we seem to be. Reality or our character is who we truly are.

It would be simple to say that image is concerned with the external person, what ideas about oneself one wishes to convey to another. In contrast, character is something developed internally over time (by God's grace) and manifests externally (quite naturally) in our character ("you will know the tree by the fruit it bears" suggests that there is a difference between real fruit and 'virtual fruit').

Here are three quotations submitted to you that will help you to reflect on your image and your reality. All three of the writers and books are worth taking the time on which to read and reflect. Our hope in Christ is that our image and our reality will be harmonious. In other words,

what we seem to be and who we are will not be in tension.

First a quotation from social historian Daniel Boorstin, from his great book 'The Image' (1963) where he defines the expectations of modern man in the real world and how this reality tends toward making images more attractive to us.

Daniel Boorstin

(1) "We expect anything and everything. We expect the contradictory and the impossible. We expect compact cars which are spacious; luxurious cars which are economical. We expect to be rich and charitable, powerful and merciful, active and reflective, kind and competitive. We expect to be inspired by mediocre appeals for excellence, to be made literate by illiterate appeals for literacy. We expect to eat and stay thin, to be constantly on the move and ever more neighborly, to go to the 'church of our choice' and yet feel its guiding power over us, to revere God and to be God."

-Daniel Boorstin, The Image, New York: Pelican Books, 1963, 76.

Dick Keyes

(2) "The real world and our daily experience in it cannot measure up to our expectations- - but the world of image can, at least for a little while. If we hold dearly to our expectations, the image world can become more real than reality itself. The real world becomes bland or gray in comparison. We 'can' make images that 'do' meet our expectations, or pay others to make them for us- - and those images are far more vivid."

-Dick Keyes, 'True Heroism in a World of Celebrity Counterfeits', NavPress, 1995, 65.

Os Guiness

(3) "Today, however, style has become an end in itself. No longer expressive of substance or inner character, style is all that matters now. No longer enduring, it is transient, changeable, and fashion-oriented. As a glance at any magazine rack will show, style is the number one mantra of late twentieth-century America. Used more often on magazine covers than even the word sex, style is a leading source of anxiety, hope, and fascination for millions. To be up-to-date and in touch with one's style is essential; to be out-of-date or out-of-touch is unforgivable.

At a time when permanence of personality is as forlorn as permanence of place, change is the order of the day. Identity is now a matter of perception and presentation. And style is the art of skillfully presenting illusions as we walk down the corridor of images that make up modern society."

-Os Guinness, 'Fit Bodies, Fat Minds; Why Evangelicals Don't Think and What to Do About it', Baker Books, 1994.

Col. 3:9-10: Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him...

Pastor Charles R. Biggs

Ketoctin Covenant Presbyterian Church

Post Office Box 628

Round Hill, VA 20142-0628

540-338-7170

Quote of the Week

Introduction

The next few 'Word of Encouragement' quotes of the week will come from Dr. D. G. Hart, former professor of church history and academic dean of Westminster Theological Seminary. Dr. Hart is now the director of academic relations and faculty development at the Intercollegiate Studies Institute (www.isi.org). (If you live in the Maryland and Virginia area, Dr. Hart will be speaking at Patrick Henry College here in Purcellville, Virginia in April. If you want more info, let me know.)

Dr. Hart's passion and concern for Christ's Church today is that we learn (or relearn) our great heritage as the people of God and the theological foundations of our past. His desire, as well as the desires of many others, is that Christ might be glorified in our teaching of the Word of God, in our lives, and in our worship.

One of his articles on theology and worship appeared in the theological magazine 'Touchstone' (fall 1995). The article is entitled 'Reforming Worship: Reverence, the Reformed Tradition, and the Crisis of Protestant Worship'. Our quotation this week is from this article. I have included a list of books by D. G. Hart at the bottom of this quotation of the week, so that you might study further on this. I highly recommend his works as a Christian, professor, and friend.

Our first quotation is Dr. Hart's discussion on John Calvin's teaching on worship. Remember something very important:

One's theology always drives or influences one's worship. What one believes about God is how one will worship God.

As you read this quotation, it would be helpful to compare the 'Order of Worship' below from Calvin's congregation in the Reformation with your own 'Order of Worship' (or what is in the bulletin at your church) each Lord's Day. If you notice, the elements of Calvin's worship service are all found in Acts 2:42 and are founded upon clear Scriptural teaching. Additionally, the 'Order of Worship' is not new (apart from changing some of the abuses of the Church in the Reformation), but is in continuity with the great heritage and theological history of Christ's Church.

D. G. Hart

"An axiom of Calvin's theology was the importance and centrality of worship for vital and genuine Christian faith and practice. In fact, Calvin put worship ahead of salvation in his list of the two most important facets of biblical religion. The Christian religion maintains its truth, he wrote, by

'a knowledge, first, of the mode in which God is duly worshipped; and secondly, of the source from which salvation is to be obtained.'

Calvin also observed that the first table of the law- - the first four commandments- - all directly relate to worship, thus making worship 'the first foundation of righteousness.'

The prominence of worship led to Calvin's articulation of the regulative principle, one of the hallmarks of the Reformed tradition. The regulative principle teaches that public worship is governed by God's revelation in his holy Word; whatever elements comprise corporate worship must be directly commanded by God in Scripture. The fact that a congregation has always worshiped in a particular way or that a certain practice stems from sincere piety are not sufficient reasons for ordering a worship service in a certain way.

According to Calvin, God not only 'regards as fruitless, but also plainly abominates' whatever does not conform to his revealed will. 'The words of God are clear and distinct,' Calvin wrote. 'Obedience is better than sacrifice. In vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men' (1 Sam. 15:22; Matt. 15:9).

The desire to obey God informed Calvin's conception of the regulative principle, but just as important was the Reformer's understanding of human depravity. The principle effect of Adam's first transgression was to turn all people into idolaters. All individuals, Calvin believed, even after the fall possessed a seed of religion, or a sense of God in their souls. After the fall, however, this religious sense no longer led to the true God but instead forced men and women to create gods of their own making, gods that conformed to their own selfishness and vanity.

The temptation of idolatry required Christians to be ever vigilant in regulating their worship by the direct commands of God in Scripture. This temptation made Calvin especially suspicious of practices in worship that were said to be pleasing or attractive to members of the congregation.

He said that the more a practice 'delights human nature, the more it is to be suspected by believers.'

Calvin's theology of worship required reforms of the Roman Catholic practices he encountered in Geneva. But the need for reform did not mean the abandonment of liturgy (order of worship), nor did it require the elimination of all elements of the Catholic service. The Reformers purified the practice of their day, transforming the theological and spiritual content of Christian worship.

They did not create a new order of worship out of nothing but instead altered the elements of worship to conform to the theology of the Reformation. Calvin's liturgy (order of worship) in Geneva, for instance, demonstrates continuity with the past while also reflecting changes derived from new insights into God's revelation. The order of worship was basically as follows (this is what Calvin's bulletin for his church would have looked like):

Invocation (opening prayer to God)

Confession of Sins

Prayer for Pardon

Singing of a Psalm

Prayer for Illumination

Lessons from Scripture

Sermon

Collection of Offerings

Prayers of Intercession

Apostle's Creed (sung while elements of the Lord's Supper are prepared)

Words of Institution

Instruction and Exhortation

Communion (while a psalm is sung or Scripture read)

Prayer of Thanksgiving

Benediction

Even though Calvin followed a regular pattern in his worship services, he did not believe it was possible to prescribe all matters of worship.

He acknowledged the existence of incidental matters that Scripture did not determine. In such matters, churches had freedom under the general guidelines of the Bible to implement practices that would honor God and edify his people. While the regulative principle teaches that a specific practice must be commanded by God's Word, it also guarantees freedom regarding areas in which Scripture is not explicit."

- D. G. Hart

Next Week: Principles of Reformed Worship from D. G. Hart

Books by D. G. Hart

1) Recovering Mother Kirk: The Case for Liturgy in the Reformed Tradition http://store.yahoo.com/wtsbooks/0801026156.html

2) With Reverence and Awe: Returning to the Basics of Reformed Worship http://store.yahoo.com/wtsbooks/0875521797.html

3) Legacy of Jonathan Edwards: American Religion and the Evangelical Tradition http://store.yahoo.com/wtsbooks/0801026229.html

4) Deconstructing Evangelicalism: Conservative Protestantism in the Age of Billy Graham http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0801027284/qid=1074518414/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/102-9389716-8012967?v=glance&s=books

Pastor Charles R. Biggs

Ketoctin Covenant Presbyterian Church

Post Office Box 628

Round Hill, VA 20142-0628

540-338-7170

Vol. VI, Issue 32

John 4:27-54: "The Harvest and the Healing"- Pt. 1

Rev. Charles R. Biggs

Introduction

Seeing is believing?

Only when we are seeing with eyes fixed on Jesus by faith can we truly see He and His work- -otherwise we are blind to Jesus and His Work.

The disciples come back from getting food while they are in Samaria. Jesus has been doing the will of the Father in revealing Himself to one sinful, Samaritan woman that will become many Samaritans in the town. What will begin as a small seed being sowed by Jesus in his conversation and revealing himself to her, will become a harvest of people who will become disciples of Jesus and be brought into the Kingdom.

But do the disciples of Jesus see this yet? Are they able to see the harvest all around them? Are we today able to see all that Jesus can do through us as the sower and the reaper work together in the Lord's harvest? As we approach John 4:27-54, let us remember Jesus' words to His disciples in the Gospel of Matthew chapter 9:

"And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. ³⁶ When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. ³⁷ Then he said to his disciples,

"The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."

Our passage in John 4 today concerning the harvest is about whether we as Jesus' followers truly believe and can see the harvest that is always before us and all around us in these final days since Jesus has come!

Part 1: The Harvest- SEE WITH EYES OF FAITH

²⁷Just then his disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said, "What do you seek?" or, "Why are you talking with her?"

Jesus had a providential moment of proclamation so that he could reveal himself to the sinful Samaritan woman in John 4:1-26. Now the disciples return, and what was sown is about to be witnessed as a great harvest for them to see. When the disciples return and see Jesus doing the unthinkable -- talking to a sinful Samaritan woman, they do not speak or ask what was naturally on their minds.

Why did the disciples not ask Jesus about this? Perhaps it was confusion, or the disciples were pondering Jesus’ purpose? At this time, it was written in the tradition of the rabbis that to speak to a woman (including one's wife) rather than focusing on Torah/Law was a straight path to Gehenna (or hell). So, the disciples of Jesus would have indeed "marveled"!! Remember, part of the disciples' training throughout Jesus' earthly ministry was better understanding Who he was, but also what he was doing.

Jesus has just told the sinful Samaritan woman about real drink and the eternal spring of water that will remain in those who believe forever. Now he will teach the disciples about real food. He teaches them that the real food that Jesus has is doing the Father's will. The emphasis I want to place here is on the present active word "doing". The food that Jesus offers his disciples and us today is a constant food of nourishment and fulfillment that comes from a present tense, active "doing of God's will". But do we SEE what is to be done around us? The disciples at this point do not SEE the will of the Father around them yet, and many times neither do we today!

Jesus will use the real food to teach them about their seeing! Now notice the disciples are confused and mixed up about this food as well. Just as the Pharisees had misunderstood Jesus' words about the Temple in John 2; just as Nicodemus had misunderstood Jesus' words about being "born from above" in John 3; just as the sinful, Samaritan woman had misunderstood Jesus' words about living water; so now the disciples misunderstand Jesus' words about real food.

³¹Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, "Rabbi, eat." ³²But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you do not know about." ³³So the disciples said to one another, "Has anyone brought him something to eat?" ³⁴Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. ³⁵Do you not say, 'There are yet four months, then comes the harvest'?

How does the real food of God's will instruct us as to our seeing. Well, remember the importance of seeing by faith in the Book of John. Here are some passages that we can recall up to this point about seeing and believing. The emphasis of the seeing is always on the Lord Jesus and His Work!

In John 1:39, Andrew and Peter were encouraged by Jesus: "He said to them, "Come and you will see." So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.

In John 1:46, Philip invites Nathaniel to come to Jesus: "Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see."

In John 1:50, Jesus is strengthening Nathaniel's faith in Him: "Jesus answered him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe? You will see greater things than these."

In John 3:3, Jesus told Nicodemus about the importance of being able to see the Kingdom of God: Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."

Now in John 4:29, ironically, it is not the disciples who see around them, but a sinful, Samaritan woman who has eyes to see the harvest around her. She says to the crowds in the Samaritan village: "Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?"

"My Food"

Jesus’ food was God’s will for lost people- -what is your food? I don't think we trust Jesus enough oftentimes with believing and seeing around us day in and day out the lost and hurting people he brings along our path. I don't know that we often believe the power of His word and the comfort and hope it brings to lost sinners! I pray sometimes that the Lord Jesus would cause me to see better those hurting and lost, without hope in the world and to reach out to them as best as I can in the way that is natural for my personality.

For some people, outreaching to the lost seems to come naturally. To others, perhaps with shy or introverted kinds of personalities, it becomes more difficult. However, for each kind of personality, for each kind of person, God has made you the way you are so that you have special outreach and ministry to others that is genuinely unique!

Think about it: There is no one else exactly like you in personality and in the way you think and communicate. Additionally, where you have been placed providentially for proclamation of God's purposes is the place where you naturally through your own personality and your own manner, reach out and tell the world through you life, but also through your words the hope that you have in Jesus.

This doesn't necessarily mean that you will preach the gospel on a street corner or at the front of a bus, or that you will hand out tracts to reach the lost. What evangelism and the harvest of Jesus is about is SEEING, or beginning to SEE the harvest of Christ's people who have been predestined from the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:3ff), and believing this enough to bring the words of truth to bear upon the people of your town, home, community, office, or in whatever surrounding you find yourself.

Now let's notice verse 34 again:

Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.

Simultaneously Seeing and Serving

Jesus is teaching his disciples to believe and SEE the harvest before them. There seems to be a subtle rebuke here. The disciples were doing something quite harmless- - they were going to get food, nothing inherently wrong with such a thing. We are physical beings who need physical sustenance. But what I think Jesus is teaching them about the real food of accomplishing the Father's work is that you can get food and you can SEE the harvest and accomplish the Father's will -- at the same time! This means you can be simultaneously seeing the harvest and serving the Lord each and every day!

In other words, we so often compartmentalize our lives. Our worship of God goes here, our family is here, our evangelism goes there; our eating and drinking goes here, our physical needs are there, and here is where we place our spiritual needs, etc. What it seems Jesus wants to teach the disciples and us today is to avoid compartmentalizing our lives and to see that our ultimate goal in life, as we go along our normal journeys throughout the day, is to glorify God by SEEING the harvest that is always around us in these last days since Jesus has come.

As the Westminster Shorter Catechism begins: "What is the chief end (or purpose) of man?" Answer: "To glorify God and to enjoy him forever." In this brief summary of the meaning of life, there is no compartmentalizing of our faith and love for Jesus, nor a separation of our physical and spiritual lives, rather all of our lives are to be for the purpose of glorifying and enjoying God every day of our lives, no matter what we are doing.

Our relationship and walk with Jesus as his disciples is to be sensitive, alert, and watchful as we prayerfully seek to find true fulfillment in not merely worrying about ourselves, but concerned about the lost sheep of Jesus Who have no shepherd.

Going to dinner? SEE the harvest! Going to meet a friend? SEE the harvest! Going to school, to work, to the office, to the store, to the ends of the earth perhaps? SEE the harvest!

At the end of the day, the disciples were being self-centered and selfish. Jesus needed water and sought it, but he also used it as an opportunity to do the Father's will because He could SEE the harvest around him in Samaria. The disciples in contrast to our Lord Jesus go off to get some food, even though they know (and are informed by the present hostility and prejudice of Samaritan people) that Samaria needs to know their Lord Jesus too!

In contrast to the disciples, the woman didn't merely forget why she originally came to the well, she would have satisfied her physical thirst later. What happened to her here however was that her priorities changed and she left her water jar- - she didn't forget the water jar- - she left her water jar because of the joy of now having her soul's thirst quenched and she longed to eat of the food of doing God's will.

The sinful, Samaritan woman- - even BEFORE THE DISCIPLES WHO ARE CLOSEST TO JESUS, SEES the harvest in her own town and so the Samaritans come running to find the Living Water for their own souls! Notice the abundant harvest that comes through the woman's witness and Jesus' word!

²⁸So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, ²⁹"Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?" ³⁰They went out of the town and were coming to him.

Because of the witness of the woman and the word of Jesus "they went out of the town and were (continuously) coming to him!" Jesus, in his instruction to his disciples, then asks them about the harvest. He again uses the physical, yearly harvest to explain the significance of the spiritual, daily harvest that is before us all in these times before Jesus comes!

The Age of the Harvest

³⁵Do you not say, 'There are yet four months, then comes the harvest'? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. ³⁶Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. ³⁷For here the saying holds true, 'One sows and another reaps.' ³⁸I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor."

The time of the harvest had come in Jesus, so Jesus teaches the disciples concerning the great harvest of his Kingdom by pointing to an accurate statement and familiar proverb that agrarian people would have understood at this time. Jesus says this saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps’ (v. 37). Then he explains, that in contrast this saying is no longer true: ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’ (v. 35).

What Jesus means is that the harvest has come NOW, in Him. Remember, back in 4:23-24: "A time is coming, and IS NOW here when worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth...for the Father is seeking such worshippers."

The harvest, the "food that Jesus has that the disciples do not know about" is the food of seeking a harvest of worshippers who are not hidden away in a hole in the ground, or far away to the ends of the earth (although they can be there too!), but a harvest of worshippers who are RIGHT THERE where they are, where they live. The same is true for us. If we could only SEE by God's grace, we would SEE a harvest of worshippers RIGHT HERE- -where we are, where we live!

In Jesus, the harvest had begun!

This was the end times harvest that was spoken about in Amos 9:13-

^ESVAmos 9:13 "Behold, the days are coming," declares the LORD, "when the plowman shall overtake the reaper and the treader of grapes him who sows the seed; the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and all the hills shall flow with it."

The Prophet Amos saw a day coming (and when this terminology is used: "Behold, the days are coming" it refers to the last and final days, the last act of the world, or this present age) when reaper and sower would be rejoicing together! This time had dawned with the coming of Jesus.

The Age of the Harvest is now here - -Rejoice!

All of the Old Covenant, including the teaching of Moses, the Prophets, all the way up to John the Baptist had been preparatory. This former time had been a time of sowing the seed of the Word. But NOW a time had come in Jesus the Word, when the sowing would continue (Matthew 13- Parable of the Sower), but the harvest would also begin! Sower and reaper would work together in God's vineyard!

Let's think about a harvest. It is sometimes difficult for us to understand this imagery in a non-agrarian culture. We are far removed many times from the thinking of sowing and reaping because our thinking has been influenced more by the culture of a modern, mechanical age.

A harvest implies planting, growing, dependence upon God. A harvest is a slow process that is difficult for us to understand. We forget how many seeds have been already planted in people's hearts around us when we talk to them about our Lord Jesus.

Sowing is a difficult task, yet harvest was always a time of rejoicing. Sowing was the beginning of the planting process, harvesting was the end. Sowing was a time of waiting, harvesting meant the time had come. Jesus is saying that the sowers and the reapers NOW will do their work together for the time of rejoicing, the end, the harvesting time that would be ultimately fulfilled at the end of the world, had come in Him! The time of sowing was the time awaiting the Messiah who now speaks to those who have ears to hear (cf. John 4:26- "I who speak to you am he"), the time of harvest is the fullness of the times that have now dawned in Jesus (cf. Galatians 4:4).

"Real Food"

This is Jesus’ real food: to do the will of the Father. The real food of this agrarian culture would have been when the time of the harvest came and they would all rejoice with bread and wine!

The real food of Jesus' harvest is always present tense in our everyday lives!

We do not have to wait for the harvest, it is present in Jesus and His Word. We are called (with the disciples) no longer to merely be on the defense as the people of God, but to "GO" forward, on the offensive making disciples and being reapers of God's Word. Listen to the joyous message from God through the Prophet Isaiah:

Isaiah 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. ⁹ For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. ¹⁰ "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, ¹¹ so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. ¹² "For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

Jesus is teaching the disciples to be participants in the sowing and reaping- -primarily the reaping- -for the time has NOW come! In going forward, not merely getting accustomed to hanging out with Jesus, but getting accustomed to going and while going for food, or anything else in life, their ultimate goal as disciples of Jesus would be to take part in the harvest.

The food they sought was physical food that comes from a mere earthly harvest. Jesus is saying (not that we do not need this food), but to make your ultimate priority the obtaining of spiritual food that is from a spiritual harvest of souls- - thus doing the will of the Father!

Matthew 13:16-17- But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. ¹⁷ Truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

Look Around You! What Do You SEE?

Let's think about this message to ourselves today. How many times do we take our “in house” status for granted in the covenant? How many times are we guilty of not SEEING the lost around us, or assuming that these are the kind of people who would not want the gospel? Remember, that is exactly what the disciples, under Jesus' covenantal word, nurture, and care apparently thought. The sinful, Samaritan woman would have been the most unlikely candidate for gospel witness as a sower and reaper of God's Word!

I was too! And I am writing this to you (that's a Postmodern moment I just had!)

Yet there's the irony! You would have thought the Jews to be the first who proclaimed Jesus' message to the world. He came to His own, but His own received him not! Ironically, a sinful Samaritan woman (with the emphases on Samaritan and woman) becomes the first reaper of the Lord's end-time harvest. What the prophets of Israel proclaimed would come in Messiah was first carried out by Israel's despised enemies!

How about you? Are you merely going about your daily business being inside the covenant, close and comfortable to Jesus, or do you think to reach out to the most unlikely people? Look around you where you are- - what do you SEE- -blind, ignorant sinners? Or, a harvest that will come by God's Spirit and His Word? What do you SEE?

Seeing is believing! That is, if you can see the harvest by God's grace, you will believe that God has prepared a people to hear His Word. You will also SEE and believe that he has providentially placed you for proclamation in your place!

There is a harvest - -you ain’t seen nothing yet- -we must believe that Jesus is faithful to call his own! But do we believe this? Jesus is teaching his disciples (and will be throughout their ministry) to see with eyes of faith. We oftentimes see only ourselves in our lives - -we can’t (or rather, don’t see past the end of our noses).

Jesus wants to train our sight to see His work!

Notice the final words of our passage:

"Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me all that I ever did." ⁴⁰So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days.

And many more believed because of his word.

⁴²They said to the woman, "It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world."

The Samaritans believe- - faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of Christ (Romans 10:13-17). Christ's message penetrated the sinful Samaritan woman's heart, and this message that bore fruit in her life by faith became a larger harvest when Jesus used her as his instrument of grace to tell more about the good news of His Word! Think about it: It all starts with our telling others who Jesus is and what He has done in our lives, that leads others to the Word of Truth - -the fount of all knowledge and understanding about the Lord Jesus Christ! Remember the words of the Apostle Paul to the Romans:

Romans 10:13 For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." ¹⁴ But how are they to call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? ¹⁵ And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!" ¹⁶ But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?" ¹⁷ So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

The Disciples get to ultimately see the last days, end of the world harvest begin in Samaria as every tribe, tongue, people and nation (beginning with Samaria) are realizing that Jesus is “the Savior of the World”!

The Harvest Time is NOW!

What do you SEE? Merely yourself, your own family, what is only expedient and good for you? Ask the Lord Jesus to give you eyes to SEE the harvest. Do you believe? The disciples did not learn their lesson for good this day, there was still much for them to learn. In fact, at the end of John's gospel the disciple Thomas is still wanting to SEE in order to believe. Jesus gives us all hope for today as he tells Thomas and us: "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

We must see with eyes of faith- -we must believe that we live in the last days time of the harvest! May we long to sow and reap as the harvest is white before us, may the Lord truly give us eyes of faith to SEE!

John 20:29-31: Jesus said to [Thomas], "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." ³⁰ Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; ³¹ but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

The Final Harvest on the Last Day

On the final day, when Christ shall return to close the end of the age and the last days harvest, he shall ultimately reap a great harvest of people who he has loved from the foundation of the world. For others, who did not know his grace, who never believed Jesus' Word, they will be punished and reap a harvest according to the evil they have sown throughout their lives.

This Final Day will be a day of grace for those who have sowed God's Word and who have believed and participated in the harvest of grace. For those who have not believed, this Final Day will be a harvest of wrath, destruction and eternal death! Read carefully the words found in Revelation 14:14-20:

Revelation 14:14-20- Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand. ¹⁵ And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, "Put in your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe." ¹⁶ So he who sat on the cloud swung his sickle across the earth, and the earth was reaped. ¹⁷ Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. ¹⁸ And another angel came out from the altar, the angel who has authority over the fire, and he called with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, "Put in your sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, for its grapes are ripe." ¹⁹ So the angel swung his sickle across the earth and gathered the grape harvest of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. ²⁰ And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress, as high as a horse's bridle, for 1,600 stadia.

May we seek the Lord while he may be found! May we call upon him and encourage others to do the same while he is near. May we remember that the LORD is patient, not wanting any to perish, but for all (throughout the world, every tongue, tribe, people, and nation) to come to repentance and know that Jesus is the Savior of the World!

Jesus laid down his life for sinners, he sowed his body to the LORD in death and reaped the wrath of God we so richly deserve for our sins. God was faithful to His perfect Son and raised Him from the dead as the first fruits of the Age to Come! Jesus death was his sowing for us, his resurrection was God's reaping for us so that we might be given his Spirit and live with him eternally in the New Heavens and New Earth.

Remember the hope of our resurrection on the Great and Last Day of the Harvest from the Apostle Paul's letter to the Corinthians!

1 Corinthians 15:42-50: So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. ⁴³ It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. ⁴⁴ It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. ⁴⁵ Thus it is written, "The first man Adam became a living being"; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. ⁴⁶ But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. ⁴⁷ The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. ⁴⁸ As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. ⁴⁹ Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. ⁵⁰ I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.

Coming Next Week: "The Healing: SEEING with Eyes of Faith"- Pt. 2

Soli Deo Gloria!

For Further Reading

D. A. Carson, 'Gospel According to John'

H. Ridderbos, 'The Gospel of John: A Theological Commentary'

L. Morris, 'The Gospel According to John' (NICNT)

J. Calvin, 'Commentary on the Gospel of John'

R. Brown, 'Commentary on the Gospel of St. John'

J. Dennison, Articles on John's Gospel at www.kerux.com

J. Boice, 'Commentary on John's Gospel'

Ryken, Longman III, et al, 'Dictionary of Biblical Imagery'

Pastor Charles R. Biggs

Ketoctin Covenant Presbyterian Church

Post Office Box 628

Round Hill, VA 20142-0628

540-338-7170

Quote of the Week

Introduction

This week's 'Word of Encouragement' quote is the second from Dr. D. G. Hart on Reformed Worship.

Dr. Hart is the former professor of church history and academic dean of Westminster Theological Seminary. Dr. Hart is now the director of academic relations and faculty development at the Intercollegiate Studies Institute (www.isi.org). (If you live in the Maryland and Virginia area, Dr. Hart will be speaking at Patrick Henry College here in Purcellville, Virginia in April. If you want more info, let me know.)

D. G. Hart- Principles of Reformed Worship

"...The directions for worship crafted by Reformed churches from the time of Calvin through the Westminster Assembly suggested several principles that are to govern worship in the Reformed tradition.

The first is the centrality of the Word of God. God's Word not only directs the form or manner of worship but also comprises the content of worship. It is read, sung, seen (in the Lord's Supper), and preached. The centrality of God's Word is especially evident in the Reformed emphasis on teaching....

A second staple of Reformed theology, very much related to the first, is that worship is theocentric. Worship is God-centered, and its aim must be the glory of God. It is the highest form of fellowship between God and his people and must be done in spirit and truth....

This means that worship is not designed for evangelism. The fact that services on the Lord's Day become seeker sensitive shows a perversion of the very nature of worship. Corporate worship is for God's people, for it is only his people who can worship him in spirit and truth. Non-Christians may be welcome and should be encouraged to hear the preaching of the Word, which the Westminster Shorter Catechism describes as being an 'especially' effectual means of 'converting and convincing sinners' (Ans. 89). Yet the means by which God brings people to himself should not cause us to miss the nature of worship. If we incorporate evangelism into our worship, it is only a sign of laziness, not an indication that church-growth experts are correct.

Evangelistic services have their place, and the church needs to take to heart Christ's command in the Great Commission. But discipleship is also part of Christ's instructions to his disciples, and worship is one of the principal means by which the benefits of Christ's redemption are applied to us.

The dialogical character of worship is the third principle governing Reformed worship. Corporate or public worship is the meeting of God with his people. Believers come at his invitation and are welcomed into his presence. God speaks through the invocation, the reading of the Word, the sermon, and the benediction. Worshipers respond in song, prayer, and confession of faith...

...To note the affinity between audiences of modern forms of entertainment [sports, music concerts, etc.] and congregations who participate in contemporary worship is to pinpoint one of the sources of misunderstanding in much current thinking about worship: There is a vast difference between responding to entertainment and hearing and submitting to God's Word. Yet this point is lost on many members of worship committees in numerous Presbyterian and Reformed congregations.

The topic of emotions in worship also leads to an observation about the corporate character of public worship. The 'Westminster Directory for Public Worship', crafted by the Westminster divines, is just that, a guide for public or corporate worship. In our houses of worship, we worship as a people, not as individuals. Many times people attend a service expecting that they should be able to express personal emotions as part of their response to God. What this desire fails to recognize is that worship in the church is corporate and, therefore, should be appropriate for people to do as a body or group.

An analogy that may help explain this point concerns the relationship between a father and his children. A son may express himself one way to his dad when they are alone together. Such an opportunity allows the son to be intimate and expressive. But when the same son, along with two of his brothers and two sisters, is in the presence of his father, he will generally not demonstrate the same level of intimacy or affection or reveal to the same degree the nature of his relationship with his father as when they are alone together....

The fourth principle of Reformed worship is simplicity. The fuller revelation of God in Christ in the new covenant means that Christians are not dependent on the childish and fleshly elements of the old covenant. Because of the work of Christ, believers already sit with him in glory when they gather for worship, and this aspect of Christ's work greatly diminishes the church's need for visible or material supports in worship.

Simplicity in worship, therefore, is closely related to spirituality. In the new covenant, according to Reformed theology, God is more fully present with his people than in the old covenant [see Heb. 12:18-29]. But this presence is spiritual, not physical. Christ's command that his followers worship him in spirit and truth is consonant with the new arrangement between God and his people.

Simplicity also suggests routine....Reformed worship functions according to the premise that worship should not be novel or creative. Rather, it should be routine...habitual. C. S. Lewis was by no means a Reformed theologian, but he did make a point supported by the Reformed tradition when he said that a worship service 'works best when, through long familiarity, we don't have to think about it.' [Lewis continues:]

'But every novelty [in worship] prevents this. It fixes our attention on the service itself; and thinking about worship is a different thing from worshipping....Tis mad idolatry that makes the service greater than the God. A still worse thing may happen. Novelty may fix our attention not even on the service but the celebrant....There is really some excuse for the man who said, 'I wish they'd remember that the charge to Peter was 'Feed my sheep'; not 'Try new experiments on my rats,' or even 'Teach my performing dogs new tricks.'"

The fifth and final, and perhaps the most important, principle of Reformed worship is reverence. According to Calvin, 'Pure and real religion' manifests itself through 'faith so joined with an earnest fear of God that this fear also embraces willing reverence.' Worship should be dignified and reverent, but it does not achieve these qualities through elaborate ceremonies or complex liturgies...

To ensure that every aspect of worship is done decently and in good order, the Reformed tradition has insisted that every service be supervised by elders, who bear responsibility for corporate worship, and that the minister, who speaks for God and for God's people, lead and direct the service."

-D. G. Hart, from an essay in 'Recovering Mother Kirk'

Books by D. G. Hart

1) Recovering Mother Kirk: The Case for Liturgy in the Reformed Tradition http://store.yahoo.com/wtsbooks/0801026156.html

2) With Reverence and Awe: Returning to the Basics of Reformed Worship http://store.yahoo.com/wtsbooks/0875521797.html

3) Legacy of Jonathan Edwards: American Religion and the Evangelical Tradition http://store.yahoo.com/wtsbooks/0801026229.html

Pastor Charles R. Biggs

Ketoctin Covenant Presbyterian Church

Post Office Box 628

Round Hill, VA 20142-0628

540-338-7170