Covenant and Eschatology

"The biblical story does not simply illumine our existence: it throws our whole existence into turmoil. It does not merely answer our questions: it reveals the banality of our questions and gives us new questions that set us on a path to profound discovery. It is not supplemental, but subversive. Thus, the goal is not to relate the Bible to our experience (which is really to say, judge the Bible by our experience), but vice versa. We must set out to make our lives relevant to the biblical story, not the biblical story to our lives." Michael Horton

Relevance

“The purpose of too many evangelical churches has fallen from one of glorifying God simply to growing larger, assuming that that goal, however achieved, must glorify God. One problem, theologically and even practically, with such a lowering of our vision is the self-defeating pragmatism that results:

‘If the aim of the church is to grow, the way to do it is to make people feel good. And when people discover that there are other ways to feel good, they leave the church they no longer need. The relevant church is sowing the seeds of its own irrelevance, and losing its identity to boot.’”

Mark Dever - Nine Marks of a Healthy Church

Currently Reading

God Bless Barak Obama

In 1 Timothy 2:1-4 we are told to pray for all men, and in particular we are told to pray for those who are in authority over us (this would include kings, presidents, senators, etc).

“First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

These verses are always relevant, but given the results of last nights election, results that will disappoint many within the evangelical community, these verses are particularly pertinent for us today. Before looking at the message of these verses it is important to begin by reflecting on another biblical truth that will help us understand the application of this particular passage; this truth is summed up in 2 Timothy 3:12:

“Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”

This is an absolute. The desire to live a godly life will result in persecution. There is nothing in Scripture that leads us to believe that this will change until the return of Jesus Christ. Christians ought to expect the world to reject God’s Word and His people. So how does that apply to 1 Timothy 2:1-4?

It would be easy to read the first part of verse 2, (pray) “for kings and all who are in authority,” and assume that the remainder of the verse, “so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity,” is conditioned upon how God answers the prayers we make on behalf of those in authority. The reasoning is as follows: if God favorably answers the prayer I am offering for my leader and that leader legislates in a way that encourages godliness, then I will be able to lead a quite and tranquil life. On the one hand I don’t believe that is the message Paul is trying to convey, and on the other hand I don’t believe that reasoning is consistent with the fact that we are aliens and strangers who ought to expect persecution for the sake of righteousness. So what is Paul teaching?

We must intercede on behalf of all men, even kings and those who are in authority. We must thank God for them as well as petition God on their behalf. These are not prayers that are offered in the hopes of receiving something, but rather they are made with the hope that God will save those for whom we are praying (2:4). We as the people of God must intercede on behalf of the world for the sake of the world. Remember, this is the same world that will persecute us for our desire to live a godly life. So Paul is not saying that we are to pray because of the benefit we will receive, a tranquil and quiet life, but rather that we are to pray for the world because they stand condemned before the judgment seat of a holy God.

When we pray for the world and those who are in authority, God will grant to us a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. The outcome promised is not conditioned upon the action of those we are praying for; God may not grant them repentance and they may continue persecuting the people of God. But as we pray for them God will be at work in us, transforming us in the image of Christ. God causes us to grow in godliness despite the conditions in the world that might war against us. Our living in tranquility and growth in godliness are the outcome of our obedience to Christ. Our obedience is the result of the grace of God, it is not based upon our own fortitude and desire.

Let me conclude by applying this to our current situation. We must pray for president elect Barak Obama. We must thank God for him and petition God on his behalf. We must pray that he comes to a knowledge of the Truth. He may govern well or he may enact policies that are antithetical to God’s truth. What he does as the President of the United States does not determine our lot in life, the progress of the gospel or the growth of the church. As people of prayer, God will grant us peace and tranquility, even if it is achieved in the midst of persecution. In praying for Barak Obama, God will grant us godliness and dignity. This is not conditioned on his policies but upon God’s grace who gives to His church every good and perfect gift. Presidents come and go but the Word of God and His church will endure forever.

Sin

"Without a serious recognition of original sin we can easily become passive pawns in the game of dictators and democrats alike. It is the doctrine of human perfectability that has brought tyrants to the world stage with the worshipful applause of the masses, but biblical teaching awakens us from our moralistic slumbers, identifying God as the only reliable object of our faith."

G.K. Chesterton

Church Membership

"The Christian life must be lived through the local Church because that's what Christ has made us--members of His body. To claim that I belong to the church without belonging to a church is equivalent to claiming that I have been granted Christ's righteousness without seeking to put on that righteousness in ethical living. The imperative necessarily follows the indicative. We're called to the authority and discipline of a local church because we have submitted to the authority and discipline of Christ (e.g., Matt. 18:15-20; 1 Cor. 5; Heb. 13:17). Indeed, to say that Christians should belong to a local church merely because it's advantageous to living the Christian life misses the point that the church body is now part and parcel of a Christian's very identity. An adopted son attends the family dinner table with his new brothers and sisters not just because it's good for him, but because that's what he is--a member of the family."

Jonathan Leeman-9 Marks Ministry

Deacons

Next Sunday morning at Covenant of Grace we will be receiving deacon nominations in anticipation of calling and ordaining our first deacons. This post is in anticipation of that exciting event.

God is a God of order and purpose. This is not a remarkable statement; the evidence for this is clearly revealed in creation (Rom. 1:19, 20). His design and purpose is not limited to the act of creation; it permeates every facet of human life from government to family. As a part of God’s design He has provided order for His church. God’s design for the church, when obeyed, effectively provides for both the spiritual and physical nurture of the body. Today I want to look at the way in which God provides for the physical needs of His people through the office of deacon. Certainly we must all look for opportunities to care for one another but God has also established this particular office to ensure that the practical needs of the body of Christ are being met. Today I will look at the establishment of the office and I will consider the kind of men that are equipped and called to this glorious mission.

The office of deacon rose up out of practical necessity; the church was growing both in number and diversity. The gospel was spreading and people from every tribe, tongue and nation were being united together by faith. As all of this was occurring it became evident that someone needed to ensure that those who had physical needs were being cared for. The particular problem facing the church was that the native Hebrew widows were receiving provisions while the Hellenistic Jews (those who had adopted the Greek language and culture) were not (Acts 6:1). We are not told why this oversight occurred only that it did. We also know that caring for widows ought to be seen as highest priority within the church (1 Timothy 5; James 1:27). The apostles respond to this situation by affirming the responsibility of the church to care for these widows. But they also taught the congregation that they themselves needed to be about the business of preaching and prayer not serving tables (Acts 6:2, 4). The apostles then managed this situation by instituting the office of deacon (Acts 6:3). It is true that the term deacon is not used in this context but the word deacon, “diakonos,” means servant and service is clearly what is being discussed. What kind of man was qualified for and appointed to this duty? What kind of man should we look for today as we seek to appoint deacons?

Members of the body (Acts 6:3) – as the body of Christ, the church needs to care for one another. We should not expect someone else to care for the members of the body in need nor should we farm this responsibility out. It is the body that needs to care for the body.

Men of good reputation (Acts 6:3) – there are a number of ways this could be understood, but lets just consider a few. These are men who are respectable, upright and just. I also think this means that they have to have a good track record of caring for the needs of the body. They need to be men who are clearly interested in serving their fellow believers.

Full of the Spirit and wisdom (Acts 6:3) – obviously this indicates that they need to be Christians. But is goes farther than that, they are not to be novices to the faith nor lacking understanding. They are men of spiritual maturity and discernment.

Men of knowledge and understanding (Acts 6:7-7:53) – one of the deacons highlighted in Acts is Stephen. Stephen demonstrated a tremendous knowledge of the word of God. In fact, Acts 7 is a wonderful Old Testament survey. While the primary responsibility of deacons is to look after the physical needs of the body they must also be men who are accustomed to the word of truth.

Men who are committed to Christ and His kingdom (7:54-60) – ultimately Stephen gave his life for the cause of Christ. Deacons are men who are committed to Christ and commitment to Christ is clearly seen in commitment to His church.

May God grant to His church men of godliness and integrity, willing to serve the needs of the body for the glory of Christ and the good of His kingdom.

“The Courage to be Protestant” by David Wells

I have always appreciated David Wells; he is a skilled theologian and an insightful observer of the society and church. His acumen is most clearly revealed in his four volume work, beginning with "No Place for Truth or Whatever Happened to Evangelical Theology," chronicling the changing face of American evangelicalism. These books are insightful and one could argue that they have even proven to be prophetic. His newest book, “The Courage to be Protestant” lives up to his previous works and ought to be required reading for every Christian. He explains that it started as a summary of his previous four volumes, but took on a life of its own. It does indeed stand alone as a book that must be read.

The opening chapters are a survey of the historic development of the modern evangelical church. He begins by demonstrating how “classical evangelicalism” has faltered due to “two inherent weaknesses.” The first weakness he identifies is the church’s shrinking doctrine. He argues that the church is no longer defined by what it believes but by what it does. He states that Christianity has been “reduced simply to private, internal, therapeutic experience.” He also identifies a number of reasons for this, they include a desire for relevance, an adaptation to culture and finally simple pragmatism. He believes that this loss of doctrine has lead to a second weakness in classical evangelicalism, the loss of knowledge concerning what it means to be the church. The church, he insists, has been replaced by various para-church organizations that are targeted to reach the needs of religious customers.

He goes on to explain how the decline of classical evangelicalism has resulted in two divergent strands within evangelicalism: the marketers and the emergents. He believes these two groups are a consequence of and a reaction to declining evangelicalism. Both groups are seeking to fill the void left by classical evangelicalism. He does not believe that these represent good developments. Both groups only serve to further drive the evangelical church away from its biblical and historical roots.

The majority of the book is an analysis of these three divergent groups in light of five doctrinal themes: truth, God, self, Christ and the church. Wells seeks to explain how each of these streams of evangelicalism understands these five doctrinal themes. It would be far too difficult to summarize all of his arguments so instead I will close by highly recommending this book. It is not written as a lament but as a call for the church to strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble (Hebrews 12:12). I strongly encourage everyone to read this book. It will change the way you understand your calling as a member of the body of Christ.

Clearing things up

I have had a couple of dear brothers express concern that I might be going too far in my analysis of Sarah Palin’s nomination; so out of respect for them and the wisdom they have provided let me make a few things clear: You need to know that these posts do not constitute the official church position of Covenant of Grace. I am also not trying to tell people how they need to vote—your conscience must be your guide (the principles of liberty and charity must be upheld). However I am trying to faithfully exercise my calling as a preacher and teacher of God's word (you won’t however hear me comment on the presidential election from the pulpit—that time is reserved for the exposition of Scripture). But as a preacher and teacher I believe that I have a duty to speak up and provide biblical answers to the questions of the day; Luther once said that if we do not speak to the issues facing us we are not being faithful. Sometimes I may say things that are unpopular and controversial – I am not trying to stir up dissension; I’m interested in the church being a light in this culture and that is going to require doing some hard work and asking some hard questions. And finally I understand that I may be wrong, you need to know that these posts are presented in humility and godly fear.

All of that brings me back around to the principle question I have been asked by these men; is this a biblical issue? I believe that it is. When I read Scripture I see that God has ordered society a certain way; this order was not coincidental, but a part of God’s design. I also see that our responsibility as Christians is to hold to this design and pass it on to future generations. There are a number of passages that I believe confirm this truth but let me just highlight one. Paul tells Titus:

“Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.”

This passage certainly seems to teach that God wants woman to be workers at home; loving and submitting to their own husband and loving their children. The consequence tied to this passage is profound; that the word of God will not be dishonored. I know that there are certain circumstances that require women to work outside the home and I do not believe that these women are sinning in doing so. But I don’t think that is the case with Sarah Palin – she is not doing this out of necessity but by choice. We have to admit that that the office of Vice President is both important and time consuming—I believe it is naive to assume that this won’t affect her ability mother her children.

My primary concern however is with the overwhelmingly enthusiastic evangelical response to her nomination. This seems to be an indication that we in the church don't understand or affirm this basic design and are drifting further and further from the biblical standard as articulated in passages such as Titus 2:3-5. Not only that we don’t seem to know that we are drifting. This is why I believe it is a biblical issue that is too important to be ignored. I understand that many are voting for McCain/Palin because of their desire to vote for a pro-life ticket that has a chance to win. But for me this brings up another issue (I’ve always been a bit inquisitive) isn’t there a deep seeded and unbreakable tie that exists between feminism and abortion? Isn't on demand abortion a consequnce of the feminist movement? To be clear I define feminism as a desire to move away from “traditional” standards. I would see these standards as the ones articulated in passages like Titus 2:3-5. Sarah Palin is a member of a feminist group (albeit a pro-life one) and has shown that she does not feel bound by “traditional” standards; that being the case is it possible to embrace (or even begrudgingly accept) feminism in order to affirm ones commitment to the pro-life movement? Is it possible that this position will eventually crumble under the weight of contradiction?

I firmly believe that it is possible for the church to actually change the world and put an end to the culture of death propagated through abortion, while at the same time affirming God’s design for the home. The great news is that it is something that cannot be deterred or influenced by those in political office. We simply must obey and wait. God will put an end to abortion—in fact one day He will make everything right.

Is Sarah Palin the next Deborah?

Let me begin by affirming that God can and has put women into positions of highest public authority. However it seems to me that this fact of providence has clouded the judgment of many evangelicals regarding the nomination of Sarah Palin. A number of prominent evangelicals are raising their arms in triumph over her nomination. They seem to believe that she is the answer to all that ails America; she has been lauded as a tough-minded reformer, pro-family and even pro-Christian. Their logic seems to be:

• God has appointed women to positions of highest authority in the past
• The best (most like us) candidate in this years election is a woman
• Therefore we have the responsibility of supporting this ticket so that she will be elected as the next vice president

I do not share their enthusiasm. We cannot control or even know God’s providential will; and it would be dangerous to presume anyone as God’s anointed. As I see it, my responsibility is not to try and divine God’s sovereign hand, but to vote according to the principles clearly articulated in Scripture. For the church this election, as far as I am concerned, is a referendum on sola scriptura. Will we as the people of God make our decision based solely upon God’s word or will we allow our pragmatic presumptions to win the day? God has given clear direction concerning the nature and responsibilities of men and women and how we fit together in the order of creation. He has the right as creator to override those basic distinctions but we do not – we must live before the face of God obeying what He has revealed. What has God revealed that is pertinent to the nomination of Sarah Palin? Today I will provide what I believe is an important fact that must be remembered when considering why God might put a woman in a position of national authority. Tomorrow I will articulate the two truths from Scripture that have led me to the conclusion that I cannot in good conscience vote for John McCain and Sarah Palin. As an aside I want to make it clear that I will also not be voting for Barak Obama—as far as I’m concerned the issue of life trumps all other political considerations.

I believe we must recognize the fact that sometimes God put a woman in power as a sign of national decline or as an outright judgment. I believe the story of Deborah is actually an example this. She lived during the time of Judges, a time of great rebellion and ignorance. I don’t think we would consider this time a great representation of a godly nation or people. The story of Deborah is not just a story of God working through a great woman, but God working despite the cowardice and weakness of a man. Barak was called by Deborah to go out and fight on behalf of his people but he refused. Instead he indicatied that he would not go unless Deborah went with him. Deborah agrees but says to him:

“I will surely go with you; nevertheless, the honor shall not be your on the journey that you are about to take, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hands of a woman.”

I see great contempt in the words of Deborah. Here is this man refusing to go to battle on behalf of his people. God then magnifies his cowardice by allowing a woman to defeat the enemy of God’s people. Yes, Deborah was put in a position of power but I think we must recognize that all was not right in the world. We could rejoice in her great leadership but we should also lament that there were no men to stand up and fight for their nation.

I want to make it clear that I am not saying that if Sarah Palin is elected it is a sign of God’s judgment. I am saying that before we uncritically rejoice in her nomination we ought to at least wonder why God would divert from the order (we will look at this tomorrow) He established in creation. Could it be that we have reached the point as a nation where there are no men of character left to lead us?

Preliminary thoughts in anticipation of the upcoming election

I have been asked by some parishioners to comment on the candidates running for election this year. In the past I have made it a rule not to delve into the political realm, but given the unprecedented nature of this year’s election I believe the church needs heralds not pundits (those willing to proclaim what is true not politically expedient). It is my plan to write some pointed assessments of the candidates in the coming days. But first I want to begin by laying a foundation. The following post contains 6 truths I believe to be biblically accurate and theologically necessary given the current political climate. Hopefully their relevance will be more clearly seen in the coming days.

1. We do not chose our leaders. God puts leaders into power according to His wishes (Proverbs 8:15; Daniel 2:21; 4:17)

2. Sometimes rulers are put in place for our good (Romans 13:3-4), and sometimes as judgment(1 Samuel 8:9-18)

3. God possesses a secret will (what he will accomplish) and a revealed will (what we are commanded to do)

4. We cannot predict or control the means God will use to fulfill His secret will (Genesis 50:19, 20; Deut. 29:29; Eph. 1:11)

5. There is no such thing as a lesser evil, only different manifestations of evil

6. Our decisions must be made in accordance with the revealed will of God (Matthew 4:4; Deut. 32:45-47; 1 Peter 2:2; 2 Timothy 3:16, 17)

A Church Under Age

Recently I’ve had a lot of questions about the Law of God. Questions such as: what is the relationship between the Old and New Testaments; how does the Law apply to us today; what is the relationship between Israel and the church? These questions are theologically essential because our answers to them will determine how we understand God’s providence, His work in history and His plan for the future. These questions are not just theologically significant but how we understand these issues will also motivate how we live as followers of Jesus Christ. In beginning to think about these questions it becomes clear that this is a tree with multiple branches requiring a great deal of thought, discussion and application. In the coming days it is my desire to investigate a number of these branches. I believe the best place to start is with the Westminster Confession of Faith’s description of the nation of Israel as “a church under age.” (XIX:III) This simple statement is exceedingly profound, biblically accurate, theologically significant and practically helpful.

This simple phrase helps us to see the Bible as a unit that reveals God’s plan for His people. It is not two books telling two different stories, but rather it is one story: a biography of God and His people. It tells of birth, growth and maturity. The nation of Israel encompasses the first part of the story – the people of God in their infancy. The infancy of the church is seen in the way God addressed and cared for them. The Old Testament could be said to be childlike (not childish) because in it God speaks to the people in stories, illustrations and pictures. Westminster says:

“God was pleased to give to the people of Israel, as a church under age, ceremonial laws, containing several typical ordinances, partly of worship, prefiguring Christ, His graces, actions, sufferings, and benefits; and partly, holding forth divers instructions of moral duties. All which ceremonial laws are now abrogated, under the New Testament.”

Everything about the ceremony of the Old Testament was to serve as a picture or illustration of what was to be accomplished in Jesus Christ. The theological reality of substitutionary atonement (a truth that is difficult to explain to children) was revealed on the Day of Atonement by the sacrifice made in the holy of holies. The incarnation of Christ was pictured in the tabernacle the place where God came to earth to meet his people. Freedom from the bondage of sin was prefigured in the Egyptian slavery and Exodus. These examples could go on and on. The Old Testament is a picture book intended to teach the children of God (Israel) about his great work in anticipation for the maturity that would be experienced by those who received the Spirit of God and a law written on their heart.

This brings us back to the Law. The Law was intended for the immature (there is more that will need to be said about the Law in future posts so please don’t think this is the final word on the matter). Paul is clear in Galatians when he says:
“But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.”
Children, because of their ignorance, need much greater supervision than those who have grown to maturity. One of the benefits of maturity is the understanding of how important it is to do what is right even if there is no law forbidding what is wrong. The same is true for the church under the headship of Christ; it has grown, by the grace of God, to maturity and so its relationship with the pictures and laws of an immature church has changed (Galatians 2:19).

If God’s providence permits we will investigate some of those changes in the days and weeks to come.

Slow Drift

The book of Hebrews was written to a body of believers struggling to walk faithfully with Christ. Throughout the book, the writer of Hebrews (I don’t believe it was Paul) exhorts them to grow to maturity. Over the next few weeks I will examine a few of those commands. I think this is important because these commands are just as necessary and relevant for us as they were for them. The first of these exhortations is found in 2:1:

“For this reason, we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it.”

We must begin by asking, what is the reason for the command? In chapter one the writer began by explaining Christ’s superiority. He shows, first of all, that Christ is superior to the prophets and the angels. His superiority is seen principally by the fact that God revealed Himself in His Son Jesus Christ. Christ was not the messenger of God’s truth; He is God’s truth. To see Him is to see the Father. But the author does not stop there. He goes on to reveal that all things belong to Him. He is the creator and sustainer of all things and He is the redeemer and the ruler of all things. This is the reason for the exhortation in 2:1; Christ Himself is God and has revealed the Father to man, therefore the people of God must pay particular attention to the truth revealed in Him.

He then goes on to say that they must pay much closer attention to what they had heard. He is speaking to professed believers and he is commanding greater faithfulness and diligence. He indicates that they were already in fact paying attention to what they had heard, what they had heard was the word of God revealed in Christ and by Christ, but they needed to give greater heed. I believe that paying greater attention can be applied to us in two ways. First, it can simply mean that we need to study more. This can be in reference to the amount of study we are engaged in (I am obviously referring to our study of God’s word) or it can be in reference to the depth of our study; we may need to get more out of what we are studying.

“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!” Romans 11:33

Second it can mean that we need to work harder at applying the truth we have learned. The study of God’s word is not simply an academic exercise but rather it is covenantal: diligent study and application of the Word of God results in faithfulness.

The danger that awaits those who do not persist in paying closer attention is not immediate, visible, outright apostasy but a slow drift away from the truth. Imagine a fisherman that does not properly anchor his boat and returns the next morning to find his boat floating aimlessly, driven by the current. The writer of Hebrews is not making a judgment regarding the salvation of his readers; this drifting away from the truth could be evidence of an individual that never experienced regeneration or it could be that it is a believer that is simply not living in covenant faithfulness. The reality of the person’s condition is determined at a later time.

I believe much of what is done in the church today indicates that we are drifting. The consumerist, individualistic, therapeutic culture of America is the current that is steering the church because we are not sufficiently anchored to the word of truth revealed in Christ. What must be done? We must pay much closer attention to what we’ve heard and we need to hear much more of the word of Christ.

Suffering and Glory

“No one would dream of seeking God in the disgrace, poverty, death and everything else that is shown to us in the suffering of Christ—nevertheless, God is there, hidden and yet revealed, for those who care to seek Him.”

Alister McGrath – “Luther’s Theology of the Cross”

Giving it a try

Recently I read an article by John Piper in which he encouraged pastors to have a blog where they could write, teach, recommend and interact with their congregation. After much consideration I have decided to take his advice and start my own blog. Those of you who know me understand that I do this with much trepidation (I have never been a huge fan of blogs). I plan to use this blog to review books, share my thoughts on Scripture and the Christian life and to discuss God's truth with those who are interested in doing so. Please pray that God will use it as a useful tool in the life of Covenant of Grace church and that it will be to the glory of Christ and for the good of His Kingdom

To God be the Glory