Bible Study: Romans 3:21-22 "But now..."

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.

Imagine a light bulb that appears to have been used over and over again. It seems useless, cold, and dead. Paul's argument from 1:18 to 3:20 appeared to be headed toward complete uselessness. It started to look like he was knocking on wooden coffins and yelling "YOU'RE DEAD!"

Now picture that old light bulb start to flicker. That is what the next few verses are like. Paul loves to beat the horse of depravity before revealing the glory of redemption. In Ephesians 2:4 fashion Paul says "But now..." and that's all one needs to hear. Sure there is some tough sledding ahead but there is hope.

"After having shown God the judge and executioner, as it were, he now shows the God of love, who reaches out His arms to sinful men in the hope that they will come to Him and be saved." -John MacArthur (New Testament Commentary Series: Romans).

"These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled." -Jesus (Luke 24:44)

The ABC's of the Bible- Idolatry

Idolatry is “the worship of something created as opposed to the worship of the Creator Himself.” (Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Dictionary)

I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God… (Exodus 20:2-4)

In light of the fact that most Christians have a pretty good understanding of the Old Testament concept of idolatry, and that some recent comments I made that need to be expanded, I am going to focus this post on the further explanations of idolatry in the New Testament.

All of us commit the sin of idolatry at some point. Paul tells the Colossians to “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry” (Colossians 3:5). Tension exists in the term “put to death” because it means that some of these sins still exist in Christians but God has given them the power and desire to overcome that sin.

My statement last week was on a different way to commit idolatry that is exposes a person's unchanged heart and not merely the old sinful nature rearing it's ugly head.

“…when we know people who clearly believe in a different Jesus (Catholics, Muslims, nominal Christians, etc...) we do them no favor by treating them as if they are just a little off with their theology.”

First let me clear up something that hasn’t been commented on but I think could be misinterpreted. When I say that we shouldn’t treat people who aren’t Christians like they are Christians I don’t mean that we shouldn’t love them. I am not advocating hatred. I am advocating loving evangelism.

What is a nominal Christian and how do they commit idolatry? A nominal Christian is a Christian by name only. When I used them as an example in my previous post I was thinking of what some would call "CEO (Christmas Easter Only) Christians." You also see a lot of nominal Christians in youth groups and on college campuses all over the place. These people may go to church a lot or a little, it doesn't matter. They try to merge a Christian religiousness with a worldly life style. I don't pretend to know who these people are. I do think that we see more of this type of person as church discipline becomes less and less common.

What about Catholics? Catholicism is not just another denomination. One example is that they don't merely have an unbiblical view of Justification but they also state in the Council of Trent that if one believes in Justification by faith alone they are anathema (Canon 9). So they teach a different gospel and they themselves separate from those who hold to "reformed" doctrine.

However, the interesting thing about Catholicism is that it is so closely related to biblical Christianity that there probably are some saved people in the Catholic Church. The fact that I suggested there are "nominal Christians" allows for the possibility of "nominal Roman Catholics" who are actually saved. All that said, they should still leave the Catholic Church because it is so far gone from biblical Christianity I would think they are doing more damage than if they just didn't attend a church at all.

And Muslims? I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who came to earth to live a perfect life and die a sacrificial death on behalf of sinful men. My Muslim friends would agree with me that Jesus was a prophet and many would even say that he is the messiah predicted by the Old Testament. But my Muslim friends (I say this in a John McCain sort of way because I don’t know any Muslims) would not say that Jesus is the Son of God. They do not believe that he is the mediator between God and man for salvation.

How is this idolatry? "Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God." (2 John 9)

"If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing..." (1 Timothy 6:3-4)

Please please please understand my heart and tone in this post. My hope is that it has made you think about idolatry and not planted any form of hatred in your heart toward other groups of people. My heart in the post last week was to awaken an urgency for evangelism rather than controversy.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

Did God Cause the Fall of Man? A Response to Arminian Today Part 2

This is part 2 of a series of posts in response to the post on the blog Arminian Today entitled "Did God Cause the Fall of Man?" I suggest you begin by reading Roy's post and my introduction to the series.

Because of the issue we are dealing with I think it would be helpful to begin with a couple of questions that can guide us.

Did God have a purpose in creating man?
What was that purpose?
Did God intend for Christ to come into the world?

If God is a God worthy of our worship (and He most certainly is) He doesn’t just create haphazardly. The Bible clearly indicates that God is a God of purpose. He doesn’t only have purpose in the world now but He had purpose in the world when He created it. In short, God’s purpose in creation was (and is) His glory (Isaiah 43:7). God is most glorified through the work of His Son, Christ Jesus, who is the “radiance of the glory of God” (Hebrews 1:3). The glory of God in Jesus Christ shines most brightly in the work that he has done for us in redeeming such vile sinners (Ephesians 1:6, 12, 14, 2 Cor. 4:6).

In the post to which I am responding Roy states,

“God did foreknow that Adam would fall but he did not force the Fall (1 Peter 1:20). God foreknew that Adam would transgress but he did not predestine the Fall.”

Sandwiched between two statements is his reference to 1 Peter 1:20,

“He [Christ] was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God” (1:20-21).

In no way does this text give the impression that God did not predestine the fall. One cannot separate what God foreknows from what he decrees, especially in the case of Christ. If Christ was foreknown in the same way that Roy says the fall of man was foreknown then God must not have even planned the incarnation. But I suggest to you that Christ was foreknown as the one who would come to save us from our sins. I suggest to you that God not only knew the fall would happen but that this fallen world is leading to the best of all possible worlds that will glorify God because of what He has done through the God-man Jesus Christ.

My confidence in this belief that God's purpose in creation was the same before and after the fall is not merely derived from logic or what I believe about God. What seals this belief for me is the continuity of the existence of the gospel before and after the fall. If this is true we can confidently say that the fall did not alter God's original intention in creation in any way. Here are a couple of examples:

Genesis 2:24 gives us a pre-fall institution of marriage. Certainly marriage was affected by the fall because Adam and Eve and all of their descendants would be marred by sin. However, the purpose of marriage was not changed by sin. Rather, the purpose of marriage was fulfilled because of the existence of sin. In Ephesians Paul tells us exactly what God's purpose has always been for marriage. After quoting Genesis 2:24 in Ephesians 5:31 Paul gives this new understanding to an old institution, "This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church." The word "mystery" can be interpreted in the light of Ephesians 3:5 as something that was hidden to previous generations but now revealed.

In order for the argument that God "foreknew but did not predestine" something to make sense it should be demonstrated that God was not actively "predestining" something that was directly affected by the event in question. Revelation 13:8 tells us that the Book of Life was written before the foundation of the world. Not only that but it is the Book of Life of the Lamb who was Slain. For what purpose was the Lamb slain?

God's foreknowledge is not a passive taking in of the future. In fact, every instance of the word imply God activity and contradict the thought that He was passive.

Next week, in part 3, I will deal with the difference between God's decree of the fall and the charge that this would mean He "caused" the fall. In part 4 I will defend the Biblical concept of God's love in view of the fact that He predestined the fall of man.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

Did God Cause the Fall of Man? A Response to Arminian Today Part 1

Theology matters. It matters because it is the study of God. It matters because all of human history is tied up with the true God of the universe. Within Christian theology there are several disputed doctrines. There is hardly a doctrine that is not vital for saving knowledge of the gospel that has not been debated by faithful Christian men and women.

However, the fact that theology matters and that debate is important in settling issues does not negate the fact that humility, grace, and love should be characteristic of those debates. My attempt in this series is not to be mean spirited or hateful but, rather, loving and honest.

Roy, who writes the blog Arminian Today, is a good Christian guy. I discovered his blog after he commented on Jason Lapp's blog and Jason told me I had to look it up. I found Roy to be a good writer with a high view of God and Scripture and a gracious and loving tone. One thing about the blog struck me as odd, it was Arminian. Many of you have probably never heard a positive definition of Arminianism. Most probably know it as "not Calvinism" which is a good start but not a fair summary. However, rather than using this post to define Arminianism for you I simply commend Arminian Today for your research. I agree with many of the things Roy writes and appreciate even the things with which I would respectfully disagree. The point I want to make is that I had never read an Arminian that writes so much like my Calvinist friends and influences. It's great! I hope that you will read Roy's writing with the same discernment I expect you to use when reading my writing (which should be a lot!).

The next three posts will be a response to his article, "Did God Cause the Fall of Man?" Please read my tone as loving and honest. I will occasionally say that I flat out disagree with his interpretation or use of particular passages of Scripture. That does not mean that I am trying to be hateful or mean, it simply means that I disagree with him. This is a true response to him because he is fully aware of it. I hope that he can get the time to read this and respond a little but I have told him that it is not expected of him because he has a lot on his plate right now.

The fall of man is described in Genesis 3 and Romans 5:12-21. This is important stuff because I am making the case that God predestined the very event that put this world in a tailspin of sin and death. However, I see the Bible as presenting a God that decrees this kind of world so that He can rescue it for His glory.

Here is how the series will go:
God Predestined the Fall- Wednesday 1/28/09 (tomorrow).
Did God "Cause" the Fall? Tuesday 2/3/09.
The Demonstration of God's Love After the Fall- Wednesday 2/4/09.

Please read Roy's article before reading my response.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

Songs We Don't Sing (By James MacDonald)

Just some food for thought:

http://blog.harvestbiblefellowship.org/?p=1061

Note: The views expressed in this video do not necessarily reflect my own views.

Bible Study: Romans 3:9-20 "...no, not one..."

What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written:

“None is righteous, no, not one;
no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.”
“Their throat is an open grave;
they use their tongues to deceive.”
“The venom of asps is under their lips.”
“Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”
“Their feet are swift to shed blood;
in their paths are ruin and misery,
and the way of peace they have not known.”
“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

Now 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. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

Do I need to say anything about this passage? I think Paul's point gets across quite well. As the argument that every single person is guilty before a Holy God of sinning against Him comes to a close Paul bluntly explains that we are all in the same sunken ship of depravity.

I will say one thing in light of the modern perception of the state of a non-believer. This, and other passages, make it very clear that a person who has not repented of their sin and put their faith in Jesus Christ is a willing enemy of God. That means that when we know people who clearly believe in a different Jesus (Catholics, Muslims, nominal Christians, etc...) we do them no favor by treating them as if they are just a little off with their theology. The only thing that takes a person from the state described above and makes them a new creation is the regeneration of the Holy Spirit.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

The ABC's of the Bible- Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. A very good explanation of His person and work is provided in Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Commentary. The following is a helpful excerpt:

[The Holy Spirit] exercises the power of the Father and the Son in creation and redemption. [He] is the power by which believers come to Christ and see with new eyes of faith…Like the eyes of the body through which we see physical things, He is seldom in focus to be seen directly because He is the one through whom all else is seen in a new light. This explains why the relationship of the Father and the Son is more prominent in the gospels, because it is through the eyes of the Holy Spirit that the Father–Son relationship is viewed.

...The person and ministry of the Holy Spirit in the Gospels is confirmed by His work in the early church. The baptism with the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:5) is the pouring out of the Spirit’s power in missions and evangelism (Acts 1:8). This prophecy of Jesus (and of Joel 2:28–32) begins on Pentecost (Acts 2:1–18). Many of those who hear of the finished work of God in Jesus’ death and resurrection (Acts 2:32–38) repent of their sins. In this act of repentance, they receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38), becoming witnesses of God’s grace through the Spirit.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

God's Sovereignty, Barack Obama's Inaguration, and Roe vs. Wade Part 2

What is the connection between God’s use of the Chaldeans (Babylon) and the one-day-old historic presidency of Barack Obama?

Many of the policies Obama supports are not only wicked but also the judgment of God on America. Today completes the 35th year of rampant abortion in America. Though I don’t claim to know when America started it’s downward spiral into blatant immorality I can say that it is becoming a vivid picture of Romans 1:18-32.

This is an interesting week. Martin Luther King Day reminded us of where this nation has been in regards to ethnic relations. Slavery used to be the most visible illustration of our nation’s need for repentance. Tuesday marked a historic day as the 1st African American President was sworn in to office. Tomorrow marks the 36th anniversary of a decision that would bring about the new visible illustration of our nation’s need for repentance. Not only does abortion exist because racism exists but it also feeds our love for money, sex, and unbridled freedom to do whatever we please.

If there was ever a reason to pray for our country it is because we “dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips” (Isaiah 6:5) and in light of God’s justice we know that He would be right to humble us by whatever means.

We cannot presume God's favor because of good things that have been done in the past. God used the wicked Chaldeans and later brought utter destruction to them. He has done it many many times since then.

God's Sovereignty, Barack Obama's Inaguration, and Roe vs. Wade Part 1

As an American I am used to being considered one of the “good guys.” I never grew up thinking that I was living in an evil nation. In fact, to some degree, I still don’t think that. I have the tenancy to think that if I lived in Russia or Iran I would have no pride for my country and would wish that we could just be like the good Americans. That is not to say that some of the thoughts I have had about the nation were not right. I was always told, and only now understand to some degree, that I should be thankful for this country and the freedoms I enjoy. But on this historic day I do wonder what is God’s plan for America in history and in the future.

The book of Habakkuk gives a good example of what can happen to nations like America. The book begins with Habakkuk’s complaint to God that the nation of Israel had become so wicked. “Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong?” he complains in 1:3.
God’s response turns out to be even more troubling for him, “I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told. For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, who march through the breadth of the earth, to seize dwellings not their own” (1:5-6). So God troubles Habakkuk even more by telling him that the people of Israel will be judged by a nation even more wicked than themselves.

So it could be said that God used bad people to do a good thing, namely, being used by God to purge Israel of sin and wickedness. But God did not ignore the sin of these people. Chapter 2 talks about the judgment of the same people God is raising up to be used in judgment of Israel:

You will have your fill of shame instead of glory. Drink, yourself, and show your uncircumcision! The cup in the Lord's right hand will come around to you, and utter shame will come upon your glory!

This is one of many “woe’s” pronounced to the Chaldeans in 2:6 and following but to me it is the most fearful resemblance of America. It focuses on the shame that is being pronounced to the Chaldeans.

Tomorrow I will give a little more application to what God reveals about His relation to the nations. For a some insight on this historic day I highly recommend reading this post by John Piper.

Thoughts on MLK Day

Today I want to take a break from the normal Monday worship lyrics post to talk about the special occasion which our nation is celebrating, Martin Luther King Day. This is addressed to people of all ethnicities even thought it is coming from a guy who is only experienced from the White Male perspective. I hope it is helpful.

Growing up I rarely paid attention to this holiday. I just knew it as the day that public schools got out but we didn't (I was home schooled). Now that I am a little bit older and have the ability to see beyond myself (sometimes) I see this as an important holiday that should not be overlooked. Whether you are working, in school, or you get the day off I hope that you will take some time to think about ethnic relations and civil rights in our country.

Here are some random thoughts on the subject:

(1) I agree with Placide Cappeau, the writer of O Holy Night, when he wrote:

"Truly He [Jesus] taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His Gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother
And in His Name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy Name!
Christ is the Lord! O praise His name forever!
His pow’r and glory evermore proclaim!"

(2) We ought to watch out for stereo types that we create. No one has ever given a better example of this than Nathanael:

"Philip found Nathanael and said to him, 'We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.' Nathanael said to him, 'Can anything good come out of Nazareth?' Philip said to him, 'Come and see.” (John 1:45-46 ESV)

(3) God was clear that He wanted people to spread out and be peoples all over the world. This was accomplished by the confusion of languages in Genesis 11. This did not only make for differences in the words we use but also vast cultural differences.

(4) These differences (language, culture, color, etc...) should not be treated as if they do not exist. However, they should not be treated with pride and contempt. Rather, the Bible celebrates these differences and uses them to show just how wonderful the atoning work of Christ really is:

“Worthy are you to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation,
and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,
and they shall reign on the earth.” (Revelation 5:9-10)

So whether or not you care much about Martin Luther King you should use this time to consider some things about God's plan for how His people should relate to others, especially those who are from a different culture and of a different color. This is coming from a guy who has a lot of growing to do in that area. So who's with me?

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

Bible Study: Romans 3:1-8 "justified your words"

Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? Much in every way. To begin with, ​the Jews were entrusted with ​the oracles of God. ​What if some were unfaithful? ​Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? By no means! ​Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written,

​“That you may be justified in your words,
and prevail when you e​are judged.”

But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict ​wrath on us? (​I speak in a human way.) By no means! For then how could God judge the world? But if through my lie God’s truth abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner? And why not do evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just.

The previous chapter has made the argument that every man, whether Jew or Gentile, is in the same boat of condemnation in the site of God. Chapter 3 is a transition chapter in Romans. It begins with final remarks on the charge against man and ends with the hope that will be seen more clearly in chapters to come.

At this point Paul explains: (1) why it is still good to be Jewish even though being a Jew doesn't save a person, (2) how God uses the sin of the Jewish people to glorify Himself, and (3) how this argument doesn't excuse sinners.

On the third point John MacArthur writes:

One of the most obvious characteristics of fallen human nature is its amazing ability to rationalize sin. Even small children are clever at giving a good reason for doing a wrong thing. That, essentially, was what Paul’s opponents charged him with doing-rationalizing sin on the basis that it glorified God.

For a professed Christian to live in continual, unrepentant sin is a certain mark that he is not saved. To be a Christian is to be under the lordship of Jesus Christ and genuinely desire to serve Him. As Jude makes indisputably clear, the person who tries to justify his sin by presuming on God’s grace is ungodly and denies Christ (v. 4). -The MacArthur New Testament Commentary Series: Romans

The ABC's of the Bible- God

Who is God?

"God is the universe’s Creator

And Sustainer plus the only Savior, there is no one greater

He triune, holy, omnipotent, omniscient, absolute

Loving, sovereign and righteous are a few of His attributes." -Shai Linne

Are there more Gods than one?

"Answer: There is only one living and true God.

Scripture: Deuteronomy 6:4; Jeremiah 10:10; Psalm 96:4-5.

Comment: There are "gods" which are idols, but they are not "living". And there are "gods" which are angels or demons, but they are not "true" God, that is they are not eternal, infinite and unchanging. Only one God is living and true." -A Baptist Catechism (adapted by John Piper)

How Prepared Are You For Your New President?

We are less than one week away from a completely different President in office. Whether or not you are ready, it's happening. So why not prepare yourself to have a godly attitude before inauguration day. Paul provides some authoritative advice:

Let every person ​be subject to the governing authorities. For ​there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for s​he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.-Romans 13:1-7

A Blogger's Request

I am gratefully surprised to say that this blog now has over 200 posts. When I reached the 100 mark I was grateful to God and that has only increased since then. I hope that I have been a blessing and encouragement to everyone who has read a post on here.

In light of the number of posts in the archives and the length of time that has passed I want to make sure that I am lined up with my goal of teaching the Bible to others as I am taught by God.

I have been tempted at times to use this platform to make statements about pet peeves or bash people who I believe to be teaching false doctrine. But God has corrected me over and over again and it appears to me that He has graciously prevented me from doing so every time.

I want to encourage any and all of those who read this blog to keep me accountable to Scripture. Not just in what I say but also in how I say it. There are people out there with blogs that teach good theology with an unchristian attitude and I don't want to be one of those people. There are also people out there with whom I have many disagreements but continue to enjoy reading, listening to, etc, them because they appear to be seeking to glorify God.

I believe in the sovereignty of God over all things and so it is not for me to decide when a person has what I believe to be good theology. I simply submit to Him and hope to gently correct when I can.

So please feel free to comment or e-mail me if you are offended by my post because of my attitude or if you think I'm flat out wrong.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

How Firm a Foundation

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,Is laid for your faith in His
excellent word!What more can He say than to you He hath said—To you who for
refuge to Jesus have fled?
“Fear not, I am with thee, oh, be not
dismayed,For I am thy God, and will still give thee aid;I’ll strengthen thee,
help thee, and cause thee to stand,Upheld by My gracious, omnipotent hand.
“When through the deep waters I call thee to go,The rivers of sorrow shall
not overflow;For I will be with thee thy trouble to bless,And sanctify to thee
thy deepest distress.
“When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,My
grace, all-sufficient, shall be thy supply;The flame shall not harm thee; I only
designThy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.
“The soul that on Jesus
doth lean for repose,I will not, I will not, desert to his foes;That soul,
though all hell should endeavor to shake,I’ll never, no never, no never
forsake.” -John Keith

Bible Study: Romans 2:25-29. A Circumcised Heathen?

For circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision. So, if a man who is uncircumcised keeps the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? Then he who is physically uncircumcised but keeps the law will condemn you who have the written code and circumcision but break the law. For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.

"The Gospel of Christ demands an inward change: “You must be born again” (John 3:7). It is not obedience to a religious system that will allow one to pass the test when Christ judges the secrets of men’s hearts. It is the Gospel of Christ that is God’s power unto salvation, both to Jew and Gentile (Rom. 1:16). If a person has never believed the Gospel and received Christ, then he or she stands condemned. The Jews, with all their religion and legalism, were (and are) just as much under sin as the Gentiles—and more so, because to them were given greater privileges and opportunities to know the truth.

How many people are going to hell because they think God is going to judge them according to their own good opinion of themselves, their status, or their religion? God does not judge according to these principles, but according to truth, according to our deeds, and according to the Gospel of Christ. Thus, in chapter 1 Paul proves that the Gentiles are without excuse, and here in chapter 2, that the Jews are without excuse." -Warren Wiersbe (Wiersbe's Expository Outlines on the New Testament, 368)

The ABC's of the Bible- Free Will

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary defines the term "free will" as:

1. voluntary choice or decision 〈I do this of my own free will〉

2. freedom of humans to make choices that are not determined by prior causes or by divine intervention (11th edition).

Biblically only the first of these definitions is used. The term "free will offering" is used many times in the Old Testament. These offerings are not considered "free will" because they were outside of God's decree or work in their hearts. They were "free will" because they were voluntary. These offerings were only obligatory when the person had promised them.

So what?

All this is not only to tell you what "free will" is biblically but also to explain what it isn't. When many people hear of the concept of predestination or, more specifically, unconditional election they immediately respond by saying it can't be true because of free will. This concept does not come from the Bible. It is a human rationalization of the biblical teaching of our responsibility.

God's sovereignty over all things doesn't negate this responsibility. Everything we do is a willing thing for which we are responsible. Everything we do is in God's perfect plan and, in the case of the lost, in slavery to sin and Satan. But we must accept that we still make choices.

For more on this subject I want to point you to a couple of blog posts by Jason Lapp and Tim Challies. I encourage you to research this topic and rest in God's sovereignty without losing passion for holy living and passionate evangelism.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

5 Ways the Bible Speaks of the Love of God

5 Ways the Bible Speaks of the Love of God According to D.A. Carson:

1. The peculiar love of the Father for the Son, and of the Son for the Father.

Carson goes to the book of John to show us how the Father and Son lovingly relate to one another. This is the wonderful love that God has for God.

2. God's providential love over all He has made.

Carson explains that, though the Bible does not use the word "love" often with respect to the Creator and His creation, there is a loving Creator presented in Scripture. God saw what He created and saw that it was good.

3. God's salvific stance toward His fallen world.

Though God does not save every individual in the world He does look at the world through different lenses than we might think. He loved this bad place so much that He sent the Son whom He loved above anyone or anything else (John 3:16). The fact that a plan of salvation for any sinner even exists reveals to us that God has this kind of love for the world as a whole.

4. God's particular, effective, selecting love toward his elect.

Out of this bad world God chose to save bad people. Not because they were better or worse but for His own glory God chose to save some. This is a love from before the foundation of the world (see Romans 9:10-13 and Malachi 1:2) and it was demonstrated at the cross (Romans 5:8).

5. God's love is sometimes said to be directed toward His own people in a provisional or conditional way - conditioned, that is, on obedience.

This is a more relational love for one who has become a child of God. Though a good picture of this relationship is in Old Testament Israel we also see it in God's dealing with the New Testament church. The good news is that, if God has saved you, your standing with Him is based on what He has already done for you. This has also purchased your sanctification which enables you to remain in His love forever by the Holy Spirit.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

A Book You Can Read: Concise Theology

Title: Concise Theology Category: Theology/Reference Author: J.I. Packer. You might know J.I. Packer because he endorsed one of the Christian books you own (if you own three Christian books from the last twenty years I would be surprised if he doesn’t have an endorsement on at least one of them). He is one of the greatest theologians of our day. This is a man from whom pastors and scholars will be learning for generations.

Pages: 267. The book is fairly small in size. It is formatted as a reference book so, though you could learn a lot by reading it in large chunks, you don’t have to deal with long chapters that are hard to finish because of the A.D.D generation which has affected us all (especially myself) so much.

Readability Rating: 3 out of 5. Conciseness is a double-edged sword. As I state above the book can keep the reader’s attention because the chapters are usually a page or two long. However, in order to be concise Packer must also be fairly precise which means sometimes using one word that carries the meaning that might usually be explained in five words. If you find yourself having trouble understanding it just move slow and read the same chapter two or three times in one setting rather than reading two or three different chapters.

Why you should read it: So many people have trouble understanding their Bible’s because they don’t have a comprehensive understanding of theology. There are two important things that help you understand what you’re reading: (1) What the text you are reading is saying and (2) what the whole Bible says about this topic. Concise theology will help you with the second.

Price: 14.99 or less.

A Biblical Song of Worship

And Mary said,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever.” (Luke 1:46-55)

Final Holiday Thoughts

The dust of the "holiday season" is about to settle. I will be back to my normal blogging schedule Monday 1/5. Thanks to everyone who has faithfully read (hopefully through a biblical filter) my writing in 2008. 2009 will truly be a year of change in America. Some for the better and some not so much for the better. Either way, pray for this nation and world as we enter a new year.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

A Time to Celebrate Time

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8).