Tag: Theology

One Mediator

Over the past several weeks, the verse found in 1 Timothy 2:5 has really hit me at a deeper level all over again. I don’t know if this ever happens to you, but it does happen to me. It’s usually with a verse I have spent some time with, and I understood the meaning of the verse in my original passing. What changes is the implications of the verse after I’ve understood the meaning. Here is the verse:

5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,

I’ve always understood the verse, in context, for what it was saying: that on the cross, Jesus was our Mediator. Verse 6 goes on to read: who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. So it is properly understood as, Christ is the one who intervenes between two parties who are at odds: namely, God and mankind, in His death on the cross.

Jesus gave Himself as a sacrifice in order to reconcile us to God. This holy sacrifice by Christ was the penultimate act of mediation on behalf of those who are saved.

But what hit me, is tied up in the implication of there being only “one Mediator.” There is only One Mediator. The implication of what hit me is that Jesus, as the Second Person of the Trinity, has always been, the only Mediator between God and Man. We should not understand His office as Mediator as something that He only took on in His earthly ministry, since mankind has always needed a mediator since the fall. This means the even at the fall of man, the same Mediator who died on the cross, was the same Mediator who said: “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you not eat?”

And even in that, we see that the same Mediator was the One who gave the command not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Old Testament Implications

Where this really helps us out, is that we see the role of the Second Person of the Trinity in the Old Covenant. When YHWH tells Noah to build an ark, Christ was speaking. When YHWH tells Abram to leave UR, it was Christ telling him. When He makes a covenant with Abram, it was Christ making the covenant. When He meets with Abram along with two angels, it is Christ who met with Him. When Jacob wrestled with YHWH, he wrestled with Christ.

When YHWH tells Moses from the burning bush, “I Am who I AM,” it Christ who spoke the words (as He clarifies to us in John 8). When He leads them through the Red Sea by a pillar of cloud during the day, and fire at night, it was Christ.

The neat thing about this is that it begins to develop our understanding of how Christ relates to the Old Testament. We all know of His words to the disciples on the road to Emmaus, “O foolish ones, and slow to heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!… And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.”

We read these words but are at a loss what Jesus said. Yet, when we understand that He was the Mediator all throughout the Old Covenant period, we begin to see how it was that the Scriptures were all about Him. We see His actions, hear His words, and know that it was Christ who said them.

We also get a glimpse of this reality in one of the few references to the Father. In Psalm 110: 1, it reads, The LORD said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”

King David could write “My Lord,” because he knew the Second Person of the Trinity. The Mediator had spoken to him, revealed truth to him, and guided David in life. So the concept of knowing and hearing the Mediator was not beyond David. He knew and was known by the Mediator.

The new revelation for David was hearing the Father say to the Son, “Sit at My right hand…”

There is a lot more to the realization of what it means that Christ is the One Mediator between God and man. Hopefully, you will start to see the implications for yourself as you read through Scripture.

Waco Reformed Church: Is Tithing Still Required Under the New Covenant?

Steve Deace, a political Christian commentator, also loves to dabble in theology on his show, as well as on X. He puts forth the question, lets the conversation follow its course, and sometimes, takes the issue up on his show.

One such question is truly important for the believer, the question of tithes. Since he asked, we would like to answer. Our answer is based upon a sermon preached at Waco Reformed Church on December 11, 2022.

Introduction: A Call to Biblical Giving

Recently, we shared how the pastor from a large, Reformed church in Dallas spoke for four Sundays (in the late 1990s) about the subject of money and the Christian. The pastor prided himself on being able to preach four straight Sundays, and yet, say nothing about tithing until the last sermon, in which, he pointed out he had said nothing about tithing, and that he would continue saying nothing about tithing, in which, he concluded his four-part esoteric thought process on money.
There were many in the congregation who felt disappointed, questioning the conviction behind such an approach. One would expect THE shepherd of the flock, to instruct his followers on the tithe, since it is such an important part of the ministry.
While the church had an annual speaker who passionately urged its 8,000 members to give, using guilt and manipulation, in order to meet a multi-million-dollar budget, this abdication by the pastor felt insufficient. Instead of teaching what God’s word said about tithing, and the need for obedience to God’s Word, the church’s approach resembled more of a marketing campaign.
The problem with the sermon series on money, was that it did not answer core questions for those under the New Covenant: Are we obligated to tithe under the New Covenant? If so, how much? What’s the difference between a tithe and an offering?
We believe the pastor of that church, failed to shepherd his flock by being reluctant to address tithing. It seemed like he was driven more by fear than faith.
His course of action stemmed from fear of appearing self-serving and being like greedy televangelist. In other words, instead of letting the text and the topic drive his preaching, he was letting fear set the agenda. This is a shoddy approach to the work of a pastor, and is actually self-serving in the end.
Yet, if the principle of tithing is biblical, which we believe it is, then members of church should be instructed on the matter, and tithe.
As we will see, there are many reasons that we are instructed to tithe. The first reason that we deal with is what the Apostle Paul was dealing with in his first letter to the Corinthians: the right of the minister to live off the tithe. This is really the thrust of this article. We are given the principle for tithing, and that tithing is mean for our well being, in providing for the one God has ordained to feed us spiritually: the minister in the local congregation.
The second reason, which we deal with below, deals with our need to tithe as believers. We need to understand that we are giving our tithes to the LORD, even though the tithes are being used by the church to support the minister. This idea of giving tithes to the LORD is actually found in the negative, when the covenant people quit tithing, the LORD accused them of stealing from Him (see Malachi 3:8).

Supporting Gospel Ministers

Paul makes a great case for the support of gospel ministers in 1 Corinthians 9. In the context of that passage, Paul was facing constant attacks as ministers often do, from the false teachers who had moved into Corinth in his absence. One of the areas of accusation by these false teachers was in regards to the fact that Paul never received any financial support while in Corinth, even though he was entitled to do just that. His defense not only affirmed his role as an apostle but also provided a blueprint for supporting those who preach the gospel faithfully. Paul taught that apostles and ministers have the right to basic needs—like food, drink, marriage, or side work—decisions that belong to them, not a council or congregation. The congregation’s role is to help support the minister through their tithes.
Paul supported his case with practical examples: a soldier in the army is provided for by the country he represents. A farmer is provided for by the food he grows. A shepherd benefits from his labor taking care of the sheep. He then cited God’s Law, referencing Deuteronomy 25:4, which forbids muzzling an ox while it treads grain. This law ensures the animal eats while working, reflecting God’s care for His creation.
More importantly, Paul applies this same care to ministers, emphasizing that humans, made in God’s image, are of greater value than animals. If we care for an ox, how much more should we care for those who bring us the gospel?

The Principle of General Equity

Paul explains this principle in 1 Corinthians 9:9-10:
Is it oxen God is concerned about? Or does He say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written, that he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope.
This is an example Paul uses is what has become known as the the principle of general equity of the law. that Paul is using when he uses a law about oxen, for the support of pastors. The principle is based on the reality that all of  God’s Law remains relevant for us today, however, the application may vary under the New Covenant. Therefore the care that was to be afforded to the oxen under the Old Covenant, is now to be afforded to the minister under the New Covenant. He is to be granted an income from the tithes of the congregation.
In verse 11, Paul continues:
If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things?
Using a rhetorical question, Paul is driving home the point: “you have been fed spiritually, which leads to your eternal salvation, therefore, is it anything at all that we reap from your temporary material things in order to live and continue to feed you spiritually?”
Paul’s point is that ministers do have a right to material support. The purpose of the tithe is to be used to support the minister that brings spiritual food. Though Paul chose not to exercise this right to avoid hindering the gospel, he affirms the expectation of tithing. If tithing were obsolete in the New Covenant, Paul would have said so here, but he doesn’t.

Jesus Affirms Tithing

But what about Jesus? Does He affirm the principle of tithing, or remove the principle?
We believe that Jesus upholds the principle of tithing in Matthew 23:23:
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.
Jesus doesn’t rebuke the Pharisees for tithing but for neglecting justice, mercy, and faith. He affirms they should tithe while also pursuing these weightier matters, showing tithing’s place in the New Covenant. Had He wanted to remove the admonition to tithe, this was the time for Him to do so, just as Paul could have done so in 1 Corinthians. But neither Christ nor His apostle remove the admonition to tithe.

The Biblical Principle

Now please note that a biblical principle on interpretation needs to be stated: just because the New Covenant does not say the formulaic words, “thou shalt tithe,” doesn’t mean the principle doesn’t remain from under the Old Covenant. In fact, what we hope that you see, is that tithing actually predates the Old Covenant given under Moses, showing that it is a principle for all times, no matter the covenant.

Why do we tithe?

So, to be clear, let’s ask the simple question: why do we tithe? We tithe for two primary purposes:
  • First, our tithe honors God in that we recognize all we have is from Him.
  • Second, our tithes supports those who minister God’s Word.
To the first, we see this principle found in Deuteronomy 8:17-18:
…then you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.’ And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth…
It is God who has granted us the ability to earn wealth. In fact, in every area of life, God has granted us the ability to live. Every true blessing we have is from Him. Therefore, as we grow in wealth, we are to remember where that wealth comes from, and return a portion to Him. This is our way of honoring God for the blessings He has bestowed upon us. 
As I have laid out above, Paul illustrates what the tithe is to be used for in 1 Corinthians 9:13-14:
Do you not know that those who minister the holy things eat of the things of the temple, and those who serve at the altar partake of the offerings of the altar? Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel.
In the Old Testament, priests lived off tithes and offerings, as John Calvin notes: priests received portions of sacrifices, tithes, and firstfruits to sustain their families. This pattern continues today.
Ministers sow spiritual seeds and rightfully reap material support through tithes, which are ultimately given to God. By giving a portion of what we have been given, we honor God in that we recognize all we have been given is from Him.

The True Foundation of the Tithe

Where is the foundation of the tithe found in Scripture? As we mentioned above, this practice actually predates the Mosaic Covenant, originating with Abraham in Genesis 14:18-20, where Abraham gave a tenth of his spoils to Melchizedek, a priest and king who foreshadows Christ. Abraham’s tithe shows that we give to God through His appointed ministers. Melchizedek was acting as a king and a priest for Abraham in bringing him wine and bread, along with preaching the truth of God’s word.
What do we know about Melchizedek? His name means “King of Righteousness, King of peace.” His actions of bring the bread and wine to Abraham, symbolizing communion and fellowship with God. His blessing reminded Abraham that God, the Possessor of heaven and earth, gave him victory. Abraham responded by giving a tithe of the his booty, setting a pattern for God’s people.

Tithes vs. Offerings

Under the New Covenant, the principle of the tithe continues, and we tithe to Christ, the greater Priest and King, as Hebrews 7 and Colossians 2:9-10 affirm. Our tithes go to the church where we receive God’s Word and sacraments. We are not to divide up our tithe with other ministries as many people do. Our first priority is to provide to the congregation where we are being blessed by the faithful preaching of God’s word, and the administration of the sacraments. 
We can support other ministries, but that should come from our offerings, which are above our tithes.
We see the principle of the offering in 2 Corinthians 9:7 :
So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.
This verse refers to a special offering for suffering Christians in Jerusalem, and does not come from the tithe. Offerings are voluntary gifts given out of mercy, while tithes are an obedient 10 percent for the church’s ministry. 1 Timothy 5:17-18 supports the principle of the tithe as well, stating that elders who labor in preaching deserve support, echoing the principle of not muzzling the ox.

How Much Should We Give?

One other point needs to be stressed. We are to give a tithe to the church where we are fed spiritually, and a tithe is 10% of our income. The question then comes up: are we to tithe 10% on the gross of our income, or upon the net of the income. Or another way to ask it: are we to tithe on all the wheat we have in our field, or only that wheat which we get into the barn?
I hope you see the clear answer on this. The LORD knows that the crows will eat some of the wheat before we get it to the barn, and we are to leave some in the fields for the aliens. Therefore, we are to tithe that which we get home. Caesar will take his portion before we get it home to our barns. To require a tithe on all the wheat in the field, is an onerous burden. Not too many could actually do this.
But tithing on our goods that we bring home is a possibility. Yes, we need to budget for this and take steps to reach the goal of 10%. The more we strive to obedience to the LORD in this regard, the more a blessing the tithe becomes to us.

Conclusion: Giving Reflects Our Hearts

Jesus warns in Matthew 6:24 that we cannot serve both God and money. Tithing really does reveal where our heart is on the matter and if we are honest, we find that the thought of tithing is a burden we don’t want to mess with. But this should not be. We are to grow in our trust of the LORD, especially in being obedient to His calling on our lives. We do believe there is blessings in tithing. But we will not say as many do, that we will always be blessed even more financially if we faithfully tithe.
However, we will say that there is a spiritual blessing that is far greater when we tithe. We may not see it, but giving in return to the LORD, with a heart of gratitude, is a true spiritual blessing. It helps us to refocus on where are hearts should be, with the King and the Kingdom of Heaven.

Links:

Waco Reformed Church: What Makes us Different?

Waco Reformed Church: Substack

Waco Reformed Church: YouTube Channel

Waco Reformed Church: Facebook Page.

Waco Reformed Church: Website.

 

Led By the Spirit: The Gospel of Matthew Sermon 17

Sermon – Led by the Spirit 

Introduction – 

One of the hardest lessons we all have to learn as Christians, is that there are times in our lives where we are tested by God. In other words, He removes things from us, or keep things from us, or allows Satan to offer things to us, to see what is in our hearts. This often falls under the category of “affliction.”

Thomas Boston wrote:

“Affliction does not rise out of the dust or come to men by chance; but it is the LORD that sends it, and we should own and reverence His hand in it.”

What Boston is telling us is that God is truly sovereign over all things, therefore when we fall into affliction, we know that it is by God’s hand. The question for is should never be: has God brought affliction, trials, or testing in our lives? He has and does.

The question for us is: how shall we respond to it?

God has used affliction in the lives of His people throughout human history. He does so to test them. He does so to refine them. He does so in order for them to see the wickedness in their hearts that still remains.

If we are wise, we will embrace that affliction from His hand and trust Him throughout the process.

This all started in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve. Adam was given everything in the Garden; he had all the food he needed. He had the most beautiful woman in the world. He was completely blessed. There was nothing that he did not have, save one thing: the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

The Father told Adam, that this tree was off limits. He could look at the tree, but Adam could not eat of the tree.

Now please note this: The Father wasn’t being unloving to Adam at all. He had blessed Adam with everything. Adam was not in want of anything. This is important to understand. In a lot of the affliction we see in God’s people, they are in true want of something when He tests them.

Yet, here, Adam was not in want of anything… except the knowledge of evil. That was the only thing he did not have. He wasn’t hungry. He had plenty of water to drink. He had all the love and affection a wife could bring. He had it all… except the knowledge of evil.

For Adam knew both goodness in theory and experientially. All that the Father had done with him, and for him, was God’s goodness on display.

We know the story. Adam quickly fell into sin by eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

By eating that tree, Adam knew true evil for the first time. In fact, he didn’t just know evil as some idea, he knew evil experientially. He had known nothing but goodness before he ate of the tree, but now, evil was a reality in his heart. He had become… evil in his rebellion. Adam became the adopted son of the father of that evil. In listening to the serpent, he worshipped the serpent, and became like his new father the devil.

The relationship between Adam and God was broken. Just the fact that Adam tried to hide, and then blame his own sin on the woman that God gave to him, should show us just how far Adam had fallen.

We see only two things from that point forward in regards to God’s provision for Adam. The first is that God makes tunics for Adam, sacrificing sheep in order offer atonement and point to the coming of the Seed of the Woman.

Secondly, Adam is driven from the Garden, and into the wilderness. This was to protect Adam from eating of the tree of life, and thereby living forever in his fallen state.

All of this affliction came from that one event. While God tested Adam, he was not afflicted. Yet, the afflictions that follow are now because of the entrance of sin into the world.

The Father had allowed Adam to be tempted by the devil, and Adam failed miserably.

All-Sufficient Portion

Christian, remember who you are:

O Christians! God is an all-sufficient portion: his power is all-sufficient to protect you; his wisdom is all-sufficient to direct you; his mercy is all-sufficient to pardon you; his goodness is all-sufficient to provide for you; his word is all-sufficient to support you and strengthen you; and his grace is all-sufficient to adorn you and enrich you; and his Spirit is all-sufficient to lead you ad comfort you; and what can you desire more?

— Thomas Brooks, An Ark for All God’s Noahs: In a Gloomy Stormy Day

Apologetics: Anatomy of Attack

Originally published on August 15, 2021, but in the interest of the sodomy being celebrated this month, I’m republishing this again. 

UPDATE: I replaced the words “gay” and “lesbian” with the word sodomites, because to use the language of these sinners, is to deny the reality of their sin, thereby suppressing the truth in unrighteousness (Romans 1:18ff). Yes, using the word Sodomy is offensive. But the act they perform upon each other, and cover it up with the word “gay” is far more offensive to the living and true God,  than my use of the word “sodomite.” My goal is the edification of God’s people, and more importantly, to do that which honors God. If God calls something an abomination in His word, we need to do likewise. To cover it up, and make it “acceptable” is to make us guilty of the lie. For similar thoughts, read the following article about Doug Wilson. The author addresses this issue because Wilson point out the wickedness of two feminists a few years ago and called them what they justly deserved to be called. The article is here.

It all started with the simple meme on the first day of Pride Month. I figured since our country is set on celebrating something that God calls abominable, that I would respond with some truth. There were plenty of memes floating about, but it was the one below which drew some heat.

A 22-year-old woman, a member of my family, responded by saying such memes were an abuse of Scripture, and that in using it in such a manner was not Christlike.  I asked her in what way?

Thankfully, she took the conversation to messenger and I tried to reason with her. I would like to walk through that conversation with you. Not to attack her, but to show how her arguments are false. My hope for her, is that she would repent of her views, and actually trust the Christ found in Scripture, not in her own mind (which we will see.) My other hope is that my readers would understand the attack the church is under, and that we can trust what Scripture has said concerning these issues.

To begin with, let me remind you that what the Bible says about human sexuality has not changed in 6,000 years, because God does not change. He has told us that marriage is between one man and one woman. He has told us that there are only two sexes, male and female. He has told us that any other combination is an abomination to Him. And this is what many fail to see in the argument. It is not what I think, or believe, but what is honoring to the Triune and Holy God. What is honoring to God, is what He has given us in His word. What He has given us in His word is to be our first and foremost concern.

Those who oppose biblical sexuality do so based on their belief that there is some new knowledge that has finally come to light which invalidates the orthodox position held for 6,000 years. Our opponents have been doing this for a long time. The battle doesn’t change, just the way they plan to attack God’s word. But in the end, our opponents have only come to the age-old method of sowing seeds of doubt used by the serpent some 6,000 years ago: “Has God indeed said…”

Now, the point of the meme is simple: it doesn’t matter what status you have at birth,  rather real or imagined, you still must be born again to see the Kingdom of God (John 3). “You must be born again,” are the words of Christ. His words are for all who desire to be a part of His kingdom. Without this new birth, one is perishing and will perish.  There is a present reality of judgment on those who are not. God’s wrath is not just displayed at the coming judgment, but rests on all those who reject Christ. This demarcation between believers and unbelievers  is a clear line drawn by Christ. Repent and be saved, or perish. That is biblical.

So the use of the verse is quite appropriate given that many people believe Sodomites are born that way. It doesn’t matter if they are or they are not born that way, they still must repent of being “that way” and turn to Christ for salvation.

Now that you have the setting of the conversation, let’s look at it. Here is what the young woman writes:

When the Bible is put into a historical context and subsequently translated correctly, ALL of the verses commonly used to condemn homosexuality are actually speaking on pederasty and other forms of sexual ABUSE, that is sex without consent or sex that includes a power imbalance. Mistakes in translation become clear when thousands of people are ending their lives because of it. The Bible is obviously a very powerful book, and when it is misused, it will quite literally kill people. Your repetitive posts on homosexuality indicate to me that you either struggle with accepting your own sexuality or you enjoy judging and condemning others for things outside of their control, which is not under any circumstances Christ-like.

Notice, she starts out by presenting herself as the expert on biblical translation, and her premise is that that Bible hasn’t been translated properly for 2,000 years. She makes the assumption, that she fails to prove, that the translators have failed to put the Bible into the historical context. This shows she has never bothered to read a commentary on any of the books of the Bible. If you spend any time at all, and time dealing with the language itself, you can’t help but see the historical context of a passage.

Faithful pastors and translators are continually looking to understand the historical context, for in doing so, we get a deeper understanding of what the text is saying. Yet, we never come to the conclusion, as she has done, that this changes the clear teachings of Scripture.

She write: “ALL of the verses commonly used to condemn homosexuality are actually speaking on pederasty and other forms of sexual ABUSE, that is sex without consent or sex that includes a power imbalance.”

This is her bringing what she wants to the Bible, and not speaking to the historical context, for in saying this, she had imposed her 21st Century Woke views upon the text. In other words, one in power has taken advantage of a weaker and powerless victim (which is exactly how gays add to their numbers today. They are continually looking to groom their victims and persuade them to follow them in their debauchery. But those who support that community will never admit it.) Sodomy is always abusive, it is always one in power exerting will over another. It is all about power.

However, the verses she is referring to do not speak to a power imbalance. We see in Romans 1, that those who are given over to their vile passions, by God, do so willingly. There is no mention of power imbalances.

Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burning in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due (Romans 1:27).

Please note the “one another” part of the verse. There is no reference to power imbalance in the text. The same is true in the Old Testament as well.

You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination (Leviticus 18:22).

Again, no reference here to power imbalances. Both text are absolute prohibitions against Sodomite relationships all together, whether they be couched in the false use of the word “love” or out-and-out abuse. They are all condemned.

She also goes on to make the case that the “mistakes in translation” become clear because thousands of people are ending their lives because of what Scripture says. In fact, she writes, this is what makes it clear that it’s mistranslated. I don’t know this, but I imagine the reasoning goes something like this: “God loves everyone unconditionally (He doesn’t), therefore, if something in His word is leading people to kill themselves, then it must be the translators fault, because God wouldn’t want anyone to kill themselves.” But that is just a guess.

Her next attack is an attempt to gaslight me. She is saying the reason I’m opposed to Sodomy is that I either struggle with it myself, or I love sitting in judgment of others.

This is a red herring. She wants me to state one way or another my personal preference. Of course, she knows I won’t say that I am, I’m only going to deny that I am, therefore she might respond: see, that proves that you are.

Let us move on to her next paragraph.

I don’t mean any disrespect by my message; apologies for the harsh words. These posts are just very harmful to a community of people that I know and love dearly. Religious trauma is a very real thing, and it can be detrimental to children’s and teens development. I know you’re a pastor, and I’m sure your statements are impactful to so many people. I just hope you can understand where I’m coming from.

Here, she actually shows some kindness. She realizes that she has been harsh in her response. But she excuses her apologies by continuing the lie that the text of Scripture, being used as Christ used them, is religious trauma.

In other words, declaring the truth of Scripture, as Christ did, and Paul, and Peter, and Stephen did, would be considered religious trauma. She is not only sitting in judgment of me, God’s people, but also Christ Himself. Remember, He called out Herod as fox, and the Pharisees as white-washed tombs, as well as a “brood of vipers,” (meaning they were the spawn of Satan).

Here was my response to her:

Thank you for your kind words. I’ve been thinking off and on about how to respond to your post. Just a couple of thoughts: a lot of people hold to the ‘mistranslation theory’ that you put forth, but textually, they don’t stand up. You noted the use of the word ALL concerning the verses dealing directly with homosexuality, and none of them are dealing with men taking advantage of boys. That could have been Paul’s focus had he wanted it to be, since Rome and Greece were saturated with the practice of men having sex with young boys during Paul’s day. But he doesn’t. He deals with men who have sex with men, in Romans 1:25-27, and 1 Corinthians 6:9 and following. He even creates a word “arsenokoitas” that is taken from the Greek translation of the OT, in Leviticus 18:22, 20:13, which means “a man who lies with a man, as one lies with a woman.” Serious scholars admit, even those who do not believe the Bible, that this is homosexual behavior between two grown men. My second concern is the one you stated, the friends (and family?) you know and love who are gay. That is a truth that hits all of us and my hopes and prayers are that those that I know who have fallen into such sinful lifestyles, would repent and embrace Christ for salvation and deliverance. That is the most loving thing we can do, is point them to Christ. This is why my original post was and is so important. It was Jesus who told us that we must be born again, and He never pulls punches when it comes to our sins. To those who held onto their sins, He proclaimed: “Woe to you scribes and Pharisees.” That was a pronouncement of doom. He even called them a “brood of vipers,” which means, sons of the serpent. He was serious about the need for repentance to the point that He said if your eye causes you to sin, cut it out. Sin destroys. Finally, and this really involves you. Out of respect for you, it was quite alarming that you said the very words of Christ, when applied to those who are flaunting their sin, was crap.

And I added:

Those words, “you must be born again,” are some of the most precious words in Scripture. Our LORD said them. He was telling us what we needed to be saved. He was not being discriminatory, but declaring to the world that everyone, including our gay family and friends, must be born again. This means we become new creations. We don’t remain what we are, but grow and mature spiritually to become more like Christ. This doesn’t happen when we identify ourselves as a particular type of sinner, and then try to claim Christ. That is having two masters, also what He condemned. This, again, is what the LGBTQ community is trying to do. They are identifying themselves with their sin, and demanding not equal rights, but exalted rights. Jesus will have none of it. We are to come to Him as a child, hands open, clinging to nothing but Him for salvation. The LGBTQ community wants nothing to do with this Christ. My hope is, that Christ will show them mercy, as He has shown me, and I hope you, and they will see the futility of their lives, repent, and turn to Him. I hope you understand.

In her final response, she played her hand. She declared that the Jesus I presented from Scripture was not who she thought Jesus to be. This is a sin that permeates the church, as well as the secular world. We don’t get to determine who Christ is. We can only declare who He is according to the word of God. If our feelings or thoughts enter the picture, we immediately begin to break the First Commandment, in having a god besides the true God of Scripture.

In other words, to portray the Triune God falsely is to break the first portion of the Law.

There are plenty of scholarly theories out there, some more rooted in cultural context than others, but my point in all of this is that my God given gift of discernment told me to listen to the people over here, because the folks over there are ripping families apart and ruining lives. That’s just not what God looks like to me.

You can also see that someone has put it in her head that she has “God given gift of discernment.” She is pulling the “authority card.” This gift of hers “told her” to listen to the people over here (instead of God’s word). The simple test of any such gift or utterance: is what being said in agreement with Scripture, or outside the bounds of Scripture? If what she says agrees with Scripture, then we can agree that she is right (and we really don’t need her utterances because we have God’s word). If what she says disagrees with Scripture, we reject her on that basis. Either way, her utterances are unnecessary and her gifting is false.

At this point, I told her that there was no more point in continuing the conversation since she was following a different god all together, and not the Triune God of Scripture. I let her have the last word: she declined, other than to block me.

My Favorite Bookshelf

A question that I was recently asked was, “what books do you come back to over and over?” It was in the context of a theological discussion, so I’m assuming that the man asking the question wanted to know what Christian books do I feed upon over and over. (I use the term because spiritual truth is spiritual food for the soul.)

This question always makes me uncomfortable, and I had to sit and think about the reason why. After much pondering, and trying to get to the bottom of my discomfort, I’ve come to the conclusion that I have no idea why it bothers me. But it does.

I don’t have any spiritual books that I go to over and over again. Usually, when I read a great theological book, I’m done with it except to use it for reference. These include books like John Calvin’s Institutes of Christian Religion. I spent a full year reading his great work, but have not really read it since. There are too many other great books to read. I have the Institutes on the shelf, and benefitted greatly from it, but only use it for reference now.

Outside of theology, there is one topic I do go to time and time again, and that is mostly centered around World War II. My favorite bookshelf, which isn’t really a big bookshelf, is filled with some of my favorite books on World War II.

As you can see, it includes William Manchester’s masterful The Last Lion series, as well as Winston Churchill’s series on the Second World War. Churchill loved to write about history, and expanding my bookshelf with his work would be a great achievement.

But the shelf also includes William L. Shirer’s The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich. This is highly recommended since so many of the things that went on under the Third Reich and going on today in our own country.

Current Reads

I also have a shelf/bench next to my bed which includes all the books I’m currently reading. This may be one reason why it takes me so long to finish a book. I’m usually reading three or four books at a time.

As you can see, it’s quite a bit. The ones on the lower portion of the bench are back burner books. So you can see what I’m currently reading. David Chilton’s The Days of Vengeance is a commentary on the book of Revelation. It is quite good, and very pastoral. Joseph Boot’s The Mission of God, is also very good. It’s about the battle between culture and the Great Commission. Hard to summarize something that is 800 pages long. Then there is Greg Bahnsen’s Victory in Jesus, which I have yet to start. And last, An Ark For All God’s Noah’s, by Thomas Brooks. A fellow pastor sent this one to me after I went through another refining fire in the church. It has been very comforting.

I can easily recommend all the books that I have discussed. If you have any questions, drop a note in the comments section.

All photos are copyright © Timothy J. Hammons, 2022. 

 

Longsuffering

And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.” — Exodus 34:6-7

Struggling with disappointment and depression is not rare among the people of God. We forget the God we worship. We forget the God who redeemed us. We forget His attributes, and confuse our lowly, sinful attributes with His.

This is why it is so important to remember His attributes. He is longsuffering to mankind in general. Justice is served upon the wicked, but it is slow in coming because God is merciful. Just think of the sinfulness in our own hearts. If He were swift and quick, our days would be short and we would never know the grace of old age. But He does’t give us what we deserve. We deserve that swift justice. Yet, He waits.

Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? — Romans 2:4

Had He been quick in His justice, I would never have known His mercy. Yet, He is patient with me and all those who belong to Him. His mercy is new every morning, especially to those who know Him through His Son. We have been shown His special mercy in bringing us to our need of salvation through Jesus Christ.

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. — 2 Peter 3:9

The problem arises when we forget His mercy and misery of this life crashes in upon us. We begin to doubt His goodness. We forget what He did in redeeming us. We forget His longsuffering with us, and get angry with Him when we have to actually suffer for but a little while. How is this possible? Are we so ungrateful toward our LORD, toward Christ, who ultimately suffered the greatest injustice on our behalf, that we fail to wait on the LORD to deliver us from our suffering?

Sadly, that is often the case, at least it is for me. We need the reminders that in the midst of suffering, God’s goodness has not changed. In our trials, His mercy is still abundant. When we face ailments of all sorts, He is still longsuffering with us.

Wilhelmus á Brakel reminds us of our need to be careful.

And believers, how you do injustice towards the LORD when you view Him as cruel, merciless, pitiless, and always angry, because He neither immediately delivers you from your threatening and pressing circumstances, nor grants you your desire, nor answers your prayers. You dishonor God with such thoughts. You imagine things about God that are unbecoming of Him. Humble yourself for entertaining such sinful and God-dishonoring conceptions. Refrain yourself from and be fearful of such thoughts. How detrimental it is to you when you dwell upon such thoughts…

Please conduct yourself no longer thus, but condition yourself to view God always in such a fashion as we have described Him to be on the basis of His word (The Christian’s Reasonable Service, Volume 1, The Essence of God, p. 126-127)

Remember His goodness. Remember that His Son suffered on our behalf, so that we could be redeemed from the ultimate price for sin and death. There is no crown of Christ, without the cross of Christ. In this life, we will suffer, but in Christ, we have the hope of glory.

 

Actually written August 13, 2019. I changed the date that it was published to protect the innocent.

A Subtle Judgment

SUBLTE BUT NO LESS SEVERE.

One of the greatest curses we face in the American church today is spiritual blindness. It would be one thing if the blindness existed because we lacked God’s word. But we don’t lack God’s word. We have it in abundance. Yet the spiritual blindness that plagues the church, and the broader society is rampant. This is clearly God’s judgment.

Martin Luther writes:

“No greater mischief can happen to a Christian people, than to have God’s word taken away from them, or falsified, so that they no longer have it pure and clear. God grant that we and our descendants be not witnesses of such calamity.”

Calvin wrote similarly in his commentaries on Isaiah, specifically Isaiah 29:11 which reads:

11 The whole vision has become to you like the words of a [c]book that is sealed, which men deliver to one who is literate, saying, “Read this, please.”

And he says, “I cannot, for it is sealed.”

12 Then the book is delivered to one who [d]is illiterate, saying, “Read this, please.”

And he says, “I am not literate.”

Calvin writes:

“In the same sense he now shews that, from the highest to the lowest, they will derive no benefit from the word of God. He does not say that doctrine will be taken away, but that, though it be in their possession, they will not have reason and understanding.

Subtle judgment like this is the worst of judgments. The people of Israel had the word of God, but having it and deriving benefits from it are not the same thing. They had been given the greatest light of all mankind. They were YHWH’s chosen people, and He was their God. He raised them up out of nothing and planted them on the solid rock. He guided them, provided for them, spoke to them, corrected them and rebuked them. Yet, in their prosperity, they turned away to other Gods.

The blessing of the word was no longer a blessing. Because of their obstinance, it became their curse. They closed their own eyes, and God brought even more blindness, as we will see below.

Calvin continues:

“In two ways the Lord punishes the wickedness of men; for sometimes he takes away entirely the use of the word, and sometimes when he leaves it, he takes away understanding, and blinds the minds of men, so that ‘seeing they do not see.'”

This is the most subtle judgment, in that those who have the word of God, are blind to its meaning, and are the most spiritually trapped, since they think they have no need of anything at all.

I remember a Baptist preacher saying that the hardest person to reach for Christ is the one who grew up in the church, thinking of themselves as a Christian and in favor with God, never realizing their own wickedness and their need for Christ. They can quote Scripture with the best of them, but the word of God does them no good. It might as well be a poem by Byron, Shakespeare or Rudyard Kipling. Interesting thoughts, but no life giving power.

Calvin elaborates on the two ways that God brings this subtle judgment on a people:

“First, therefore, he deprives them of the reading, either by taking away the books through the tyranny of wicked men, as frequently happens, or by a false conviction of men, which left them to think that the books were not delivered to be read universally by all.

This is not quite the problem we have in modern evangelicalism. While Calvin doesn’t say so, I would say that our problem is a proliferation of the Bible, to the point that we wrongly hold it in low esteem. There are so many Bibles, that we can toss them aside as if they lack value, simply because we don’t like the cover. (It hasn’t helped that the Christian publishing companies have added to this belittlement by coming up with the “fill in the blank” study Bibles.)

Calvin gives the second reality of this subtle judgment:

“Secondly, although he allows them to handle and read the books, yet, because men abuse them and are ungrateful, and do not look straight to the glory of God, they are blinded, and see no more than if not a single ray of the word had shown upon them.

I believe one of the biggest abuses of the Bible today occurs when those who come to God’s holy writ, asking: “what does it mean to me?” These people are coming to the word in judgment, not in humility. They seek to use the word to justify their sinfulness, and no matter how much we try to show them that their sinfulness is actually sinful, they cannot see it. They have been blinded. Instead of coming to the word, and letting it sit in judgment of their lives, they come to the word, and seek to judge it as it seems fit. This is blindness that leads to more blindness.

As Isaiah 29:9-10 show us, not only are they guilty of their own blindness, but God Himself has added to their blindness.

Pause and wonder!
Blind yourselves and be blind!
They are drunk, but not with wine;
They stagger, but not with intoxicating drink.
For the Lord has poured out on you
The spirit of deep sleep,
And has closed your eyes, namely, the prophets;
And He has covered your heads, namely, the seers.

Notice the progression. “Blind yourselves and be blind!” That is what it is like for those who have the word of God, and turn from it. Or have the word of God, and deny what it says. They start out blind, by not coming to the word in humility, and have blindness added to them.

I love the picture Isaiah gives us: “They are drunk, but not with wine, they stagger, but not with intoxicating drink.”

It would have been better for them to actually be drunk with wine or intoxicating drink. At least in that case, they would have become sober over time, and returned to their right mind. But alas, their drunkenness is not temporary. Why?

For the LORD has poured out on you, the spirit of deep sleep… God has become active in keeping them drunk, keeping them blind. He is active in bringing about this judgment.

Please note: this judgment was on the leadership, the nation and the individuals. It was effecting everyone. We are seeing the same thing in our day.

This post and the photo are copyright © Timothy J. Hammons 2021. 

If a Tree Falls…

If a tree falls in the forest, does anyone hear?

Does it make a sound, when no one is around?

That was, at one time, a great philosophical question put forth by many seeking to sound wise. How you answer the question, determines a lot about your worldview. In fact, asking the question also shows your worldview, as I hope to demonstrate.

If your view of life, the world, and all things that are in it dictate that man is the center of all that there is, that there is no supreme being, or even beings, behind it all, that all things are just random and without explanation, then no one heard the tree in the forrest unless they were within a good 75 yards of it. The tree, just fell.

Tree huggers everywhere are now lamenting the fallen tree. But why? Why lament that it fell and will now begin to break down, via weather and various insects and rodents? If things are nothing but random, then why show any emotion whatsoever to the fallen tree. It just happened. There is no explanation. There is no reason to ponder it. There is no reason to honor the tree. To do so, would be to give it some level of deity, and by doing that, we would no longer be true to our belief in a random universe.

I don’t hold this view.

If your view of life is that there is a supreme being, and that he set things in motion, and stepped back so that we could take care of everything, then it was our responsibility to hear the tree falling so that we could do something about it. In other words, all the ills in the world must be corrected by those who brought the ills into the world. Those who hold this view, try to say that we are responsible for the ills, but since we were born with some goodness, we then have the responsibility to fix those ills.

This is the predominant view today. This is why politics becomes religion for so many. We have the belief, on some level, that we can fix the things of the world with the right legislation, the right leaders, the right something.

How are we doing? Are our efforts in the world resulting in fewer trees falling in the forest all alone, and without notice? Not really. It seems we are reminded every year that our efforts to prevent the trees from falling, results in them being burned up through the yearly forest fires that would not have happened had we taken care of the forest, and the trees, properly.

Those who view the world this way should see their efforts for what they are: futile.

I don’t hold this view.

Then there are those who look to the God of Scripture for their view of the world. They don’t ask the question: “if a tree falls in the forest, does anybody hear?” because they know the underlying assumption is wrong. The foundation of the question is that things happen in the world that no one notices.

Jesus, in talking about the need for the fear of God said, “Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will.”

The foundation of Christ’s statement is the God is sovereign over all things. He rules over all, and not one sparrow falls to the ground apart from His will. He had determined the number of days that the sparrow will fly, and when it will fall. There is no one square inch of the universe that He does not rule over, and direct, and govern.

This truth applies to the tree that fell. It fell in the forest exactly when He determined it to do so before the foundations of the world were laid. Before anything was set in motion, He planned the trees make up, its nature, its fruit, and the number of days it would grow, mature, and die.

These same truths apply to mankind. He has determined the number of days we will live. He knows exactly when we were to be conceived in our mother’s wombs, the number of days we would live, and the day in which we die. He is not sovereign over the trees and birds, but us as well.

Here is the reality that most would absolutely reject: He is our Creator. He can do with us as He pleases, and we, as His creation, really have no rights to question Him regarding this truth. We were all Created by Him, for His good pleasure.

“Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they [a]existed, and were created.” Revelation 4:11.

I do hold these views.

So what should we ask about the tree in the forest? There are a lot of questions? Why did it die? What caused it to fall? Why is there death in the world?

But to assume that the tree made no sound if no one was there to hear it,  is to hold a faulty view of the world and the universe. It assumes that there is no God, no purpose, no order.

There is a God. He has ordered things as they will fall out with purpose, even though we may not see it or understand it. There is no randomness.

Since there is a God over all things, it would behoove us to learn His word, His way, and understand His righteousness because His declaration to us has also stated that He will judge us some day according to His standards of righteousness, not our own. Therefore, we should truly find out what that standard of righteousness is, and see where that takes us.

But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully… 1 Timothy 1:8

 

LORD’s Day Meditation — November 8, 2020

Someone quoted Psalm 94 on Facebook this morning, and that led Heidi and me to read it. It is probably not a psalm that many people know, given that it is focused upon God’s judgment against the wicked of the world, and His comfort toward the righteous. But it is most appropriate right now with the level of evil we see displayed in the world.

For a bit of clarity, when the word of God speaks about those who are evil, and those who are righteous, it doesn’t do so from our perspective since we are fallen and sinful. It does so according to God’s Law. This is why the Ten Commandments are so important not only for our personal lives, but for culture as well. If we want to understand true righteousness, we must look at it in light of God’s Law.

Psalm 1 shows that the righteous are those who mediate on God’s Law and delight in it. To them, it is a joy, not a burden. It is a guide as to how we are to live. It shows us how it is that we are to love THE LORD our God, with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind, and our neighbors as ourselves. We delight that God has given us such a guide for living.

It is also a delight to the righteous because when we read His Law, and see our shortcomings in light of His Law, we are driven back to our need for Christ, and to the atoning sacrifice He made on our behalf to pay the debt of sin we owe. This, in turn, leads to more joy.

Go to Psalm 2 to see the evil world’s response to God’s Law. For the wicked, God’s Laws are shackles that keep them from living out their fleshly, evil desires. They seek to throw off all vestiges of God, and His Law, so they live in unrestrained debauchery. The Triune God laughs at them in derision. He will bring them to justice.

I point this out because so many in our world have no concept of true righteousness and true evil. They are confused, mislead, and misguided by our culture and our courts, which makes that which is evil good, and that which is good evil (Isaiah 5:20).

Back to our Psalm. It was reading through Psalm 94, which is comforting for those of us who cling to the LORD, that we were a bit perplexed by the first part of verse 15. See the photo:

But judgment will return to righteousness.

It wasn’t exactly clear what that meant. How was it that judgment would return to righteousness? How did it leave righteousness? Upon reflection, I think the writer of the psalm is writing from the perspective of those going through national turmoil. To them, it seems that judgment has left righteousness for a time and we are to take comfort in knowing that it will return. I’m not sure about that, but this seemed like a possibility.

We were also comforted in the reality that whatever it meant, those who were upright in heart, would follow it. They would delight in it and rejoice. In other words, those in Christ can take comfort in the world that is filled with evildoers and iniquity.

We did look to Charles H. Spurgeon for help, and his classic work, The Treasury of David. He reminds us that this verse is about the coming Lord who will judge.

“The great Judge will come, the reign of righteousness will begin, the course of affairs will be turned into the right channel, and then all the godly will rejoice.”

I believe that reign clearly started at Christ’s ascension, where He was seated at the righthand of God, to rule with all authority over all things, until His enemies are made a footstool. And while we live in dark days, this does not mean these things are not taking place.

And all the upright in heart will follow it.

Spurgeon continues:

A delightful hope is here expressed in beautiful poetic imagery. The world’s government has been in the hands of those who have used it for base and vicious ends, but the cry of prayer will bring righteousness back to the throne. Then every upright heart will have its portion and joy.

And that should be our prayer, that true righteousness should return to our country. That only comes about in one way: through the preaching and teaching of God’s word, both Law and Gospel. This means we need men who are willing to preach the hard truths of the gospel. Again, let’s look at what Spurgeon has from his comments on verse 16, which reads:

Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? Who will stand for me against the workers of iniquity?

According to Spurgeon, the psalmist doesn’t see anyone coming to his aid.

“No champion of the right was forthcoming; the faithful people had failed. This is a bitter trial and a troublesome evil. Yet is has it purpose. It drives the heart completely to the LORD, compelling it to rest alone in Him. If we could find friends elsewhere, God might not be so precious to us… we are led to prize God and rest on Him with undivided trust.”

He adds that this verse is perfectly appropriate now that the church is being assaulted from all sides.

“Faithful ministers are few, and fewer still are bold enough to stand and defy the enemies of truth. Where are our Luthers and Calvins? A false charity weakened Israel’s valiant men (think ‘false love’ of our day). One John Knox would be worth a mint at this hour, but where is he? Our great consolation is that the God of Knox and Luther is still with us, and in due time He will call His chosen champion. “

The beauty for us is that we know the name of the chosen champion the psalmist was waiting for. He is Christ. He is bringing judgment, and will bring justice. The darkness we see all around us is judgment to those who cherish darkness. Yet, there is light as well. The Light of the World has not been extinguished. His light still shines forth through His word, to His people. He still comforts. He still protects.

Just as His judgment will be complete and thorough, so too, will His deliverance for His people.

UPDATE: After writing this post, came across the following sermon that makes the underlying point of the need for the Law in the believer’s life, and culture.