Being ashamed of the gospel and altering both its content and intent substitutes the impotence and wisdom of man for the power and wisdom of God for salvation. A gospel that is void of the content and intent of the gospel and therefore void of the offense of the cross is also void of the power of God for salvation.
Geoffrey Wilson wrote, “The unpopularity of a crucified Christ has prompted many to present a message which is more palatable to the unbeliever, but the removal of the offense of the cross always renders the message ineffective. An inoffensive gospel is also an inoperative gospel” (Romans; A Digest of Reformed Comment [Carlisle, Pa.: Banner of Truth, 1976], p.24).
A distorted gospel which is void of the offense of the cross is no gospel at all and does not have the power to transform undeserving, disobedient rebels into loving, loyal and obedient children of God. All that a distorted gospel can do is cause men to have a form of godliness void of the power of God for actual transformation.
The Apostle Paul warned Pastor Timothy about the many unconverted preachers and unconverted church members of the last days who would have a form of godliness void of the power of God for actual transformation. These unconverted preachers and church members would be the victims of a distorted gospel – “But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; avoid such men as these” (2 Timothy 3:1-5).
These are people who do not love the truth and do not want the truth. They are willing to accept a gospel where God is man-centered and making much of them and their worth but are in fierce opposition to a gospel that witnesses to man’s wretchedness and therefore witnesses to God’s worth. Most people in our day deny the depravity of man and his inability to please God in their flesh.
Most people seem to want to view the cross of Christ as a witness to their worth rather than own up to the truth that the cross of Christ proves their sinfulness but magnifies God’s goodness. This leads to pride rather than humility and engenders self-love and self-worth and self-esteem rather than genuine love for God and hatred of their own sinful nature. We are not to use the gospel as a means to view our own splendor or self-worth but we are to use the gospel as a means to view God’s splendor and His worth.
There is no power in a distorted and misused gospel. Men only go deeper into sin and deeper into deception when the offense of the gospel is replaced with an inoffensive gospel. If men are going to be ashamed of a gospel they ought to be ashamed of an inoffensive gospel which is an inoperative gospel. But men should never be ashamed of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
“For it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (1:16).
As we look at this portion of Scripture I want us to notice two aspects of the gospel that is God’s power for salvation – its exclusiveness and its inclusiveness.
Its exclusiveness – for it is the power of God for salvation.... The gospel of Jesus Christ and it alone is the power of God for salvation. There is no other way that God saves sinners. Sinners are either saved through the gospel of Jesus Christ or they are not saved at all. God is not saving people apart from faith in Jesus Christ and He will not save people apart from Jesus Christ.
“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation….Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved. How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ” (Romans 10:9-10, 13-15, 17).
“And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
The gospel is God’s gospel and it is the only means through which God gives the power for us to be saved. The word “power” is from dunamis which we get our words dynamite and dynamic. The gospel carries with it the omnipotence of God, whose power alone is sufficient to save men from sin and give them eternal life. Therefore the gospel gives glory to God alone.
The gospel is also exclusive because it is the only way that God can forgive sinners while He Himself remains just – “so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Romans 3:26). If anyone believes that God will save some other way other than through the gospel of His Son then he or she doesn’t understand the holiness and righteousness of God and that He will not violate His own justness.
Its inclusiveness – “to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” The gospel includes everyone who believes. The word “believe” carries the basic idea of trusting in, relying on, having faith in. When used in the New Testament of salvation it is usually in the continuous form, which could be translated “is believing and keeps on believing.” This type of believing is not a type of belief that resides in man and can be worked up or produced by man – this type of belief is a supernatural belief, produced by God as a gift from God.
The type of belief that is saving belief is “faith” that is generated by God in the heart of man through the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ – “faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ (literally the word about Christ)".
To the person who has been granted the gift of salvation which includes the gift of faith, the gospel becomes both the power of God and the wisdom of God. As the eyes of our hearts are enlightened we know and understand that this gospel is the only one that has the power of God for salvation and contains the wisdom of God for salvation. We see that the gospel is both exclusive – there is no other way – and we see that the gospel is inclusive – for all who believe by being enabled to believe through the word about Christ.
Therefore we are not ashamed of the gospel and we do not distort it – we proclaim it as it is and leave the results to God.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Not Ashamed of the Gospel
These two verses are the Apostle Paul’s thesis of the book of Romans. Here Paul summarized the gospel of Jesus Christ before he proceeded to explain it through the rest of the book. The book of Romans is the Holy Spirit inspired exposition of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel (1:16a).
What is it about the gospel that would cause men to be ashamed of it? For one thing, to those who are perishing it is moronic. “For the word of the cross is to those who are perishing foolishness…” (1 Corinthians 1:18). “Foolishness” is from the Greek word “moria” from which we get moron. The gospel is moronic and absolute nonsense to unbelievers who rely on their own reason and rationality. In the reasoning and wisdom of those who are perishing, most men really aren’t all that bad and there must be something that they can do in order to earn God’s favor. Therefore those who would dare proclaim the gospel as it is without adding to it or taking from it are considered fools by those who are perishing because the gospel proclaims man’s utter wretched estate and inability to save himself or aid in any way in his salvation. That message is despised, hated, and foolish to most men who think that there is at least some island of innate goodness somewhere in their being. This would cause some to be ashamed of the gospel because they value what others think of them and they do not want to be considered as morons.
Not only is the gospel foolishness to those who are perishing, the gospel is also offensive to both Jews and Gentiles that are perishing. To the Jews the gospel is a stumbling block and to the Gentiles the gospel is foolishness – “But we preach Christ crucified, to Jews and stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness” (1 Corinthians 1:23).
The Jews had a hard time accepting a suffering and crucified Messiah. Also the Jews had a hard time accepting that the Gentiles didn’t have to observe Jewish customs. So those who were ashamed of the gospel but pretending to be preachers of the gospel preached circumcision as a necessary condition for Gentiles to be saved. But the apostle Paul wasn’t ashamed of the gospel and he refused to remove the offense of the gospel – “But I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? Then the stumbling block of the cross has been abolished” (Galatians 5:11). “Those who desire to make a good showing in the flesh try to compel you to be circumcised, simply so that they will not be persecuted for the cross of Christ” (Galatians 6:12).
Tampering with the gospel in order to make it non-offensive so that all can embrace it distorts the gospel and then it isn’t the gospel at all. We must remember that those of whom Paul wrote about to the Galatians who were attempting to abolish the stumbling block of the cross by adding circumcision to the gospel were not genuine preachers of the gospel but false preachers who were ashamed of the real gospel. “I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him [God] who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed” (Galatians 1:6-8).
Many in our day “want to distort the gospel of Christ” so that they can remove the stumbling block and foolishness of the cross of Christ. This is in order that they can be liked and spoken well of by all men simply so that they will not be persecuted for the cross of Christ or considered foolish by the world for preaching the gospel. However, God’s word says, “For since in the wisdom of the world the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe” (1 Corinthians 1:21). You cannot preach what the world considers a foolish message and not be considered foolish yourself. So the only way around that dilemma is to alter the message so that it does not offend the masses.
Altering the message so that it does not offend the masses is easily spiritualized as “becoming all things to all men so that we may by all means save some” (1 Corinthians 9:22). However, altering the message so that it does not offend the masses is not spiritual and it is the equivalent of opening a wide gate that leads to destruction. No text of Scripture other than Matthew 7:1 has been more twisted and distorted than 1 Corinthians 9:22. The same apostle Paul who wrote Romans 1:16 is the same apostle Paul who wrote 1 Corinthians 9:22 and it is evident and plain that Paul never altered the message to remove its offense but he did do what was necessary to keep himself from being offensive. Paul had Timothy whose mother was a Jew circumcised so that Timothy would not be an offense to the Jews (Acts 16:1-3). Paul refused to have Titus who was a Greek circumcised so that Titus would not be an offense to the Greeks (Galatians 2:3-6). Paul never altered the message because he was not ashamed of the gospel.
Those who are ashamed of the gospel seek to remove the offense of the gospel so that they will not have to be ashamed of it anymore. The gospel is made non-offensive by altering its content and intent. No one is offended by a “smile, God loves you” type of gospel. No one is offended by a “God wants you to have your best life now” gospel. No one is offended by a “God has a wonderful purpose and plan for your life” gospel. No one is offended by a “you’re so valuable to God that He wants you to live with Him in heaven” gospel. No one is offended by a “God wants to make you healthy, wealthy, and prosperous” gospel. But men are offended by a “you’re so wicked that the only way God could save you was to crucify His only Son as a sinless substitute, have Him buried, and raise Him from the dead so that He could be both just and the justifier of whoever has faith in His Son” gospel.
Making the gospel relevant is nothing short of removing the offense of the gospel in an attempt to make it palatable to all men because of being ashamed of the gospel. This is done by offering the world what it wants – happiness instead of holiness, pleasure instead of purity, luxury instead of Lordship, comfort instead of character, and man’s glory instead of God’s glory. When this happens then both the content and the intent of the gospel has been changed and you now have another gospel which is non-offensive but which is not the gospel of Jesus Christ.
So in an attempt to make the gospel more palatable and less offensive to unbelievers, those who are ashamed of the gospel distort the gospel and change both its content and intent.
We have already seen that the content of the gospel is the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ dealing with His divinity and humanity (the incarnation) for the purpose of penal substitution “for Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit” (1 Peter 3:18) and His resurrection for the purpose of our justification – “He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification” (Romans 4:25). So the content of the gospel is the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ (His divinity and humanity) for the purpose of penal substitution (the just would pay the penalty of the unjust) so that we could be justified and brought to God through His resurrection (Romans 1:1-4).
We have also already seen that the intent of the gospel is the glory of God in the salvation of self-centered, self-ruled, and self-loving sinners which transforms them into God-centered, God-ruled, and God-loving saints (Romans 1:5). So the intent of the gospel is the glory of God in the transformation of undeserving, disobedient rebels into loving, loyal, and obedient children! The Gospel brings us to God as His children who love and adore Him and find the satisfaction of our souls in Him.
However, when men are ashamed of this gospel they begin to distort the content of the gospel, the incarnation and resurrection, and misapply the intent of the gospel. I’ll give two examples although there are numerous other examples:
Probably the most famous (should be infamous) for his misinterpretation of the incarnation and atonement would be Charles Finney. Concerning Christ and the atonement Finney said, “He can not plead as our Advocate that He has paid our debt, in such a sense that He can demand our discharge on the ground of justice. He has not paid our debt in such a sense that we do not still owe it. He has not atoned for our sins in such a sense that we might not still be justly punished for them. Indeed, such a thing is impossible and absurd. One being can not suffer for another in such a sense as to remove the guilt of that other. He may suffer for another's guilt in such a sense that it will be safe to forgive the sinner, for whom the suffering has been endured; but the suffering of the substitute can never, in the least degree, diminish the intrinsic guilt of the criminal. Our Advocate may urge that He has borne such suffering for us to honor the law that we had dishonored, that now it is safe to extend mercy to us; but He never can demand our discharge on the ground that we do not deserve to be punished. The fact of our intrinsic guilt remains, and must forever remain; and our forgiveness is just as much an act of sovereign mercy, as if Christ had never died for us” (Charles Finney, Christ Our Advocate, VI. What His plea in behalf of sinners is, Number 7). So according to Finney man could have been forgiven based on the mercy of God alone and apart from the incarnation – “Our forgiveness is just as much an act of sovereign mercy, as if Christ had never died for us.”
Another example of misinterpreting and trivializing the incarnation is seen in writings of many in the postmodern movements of our day, such as Ron Martoia in his book Morph. Seeking to justify being like the world to win the world (cultural relevance), the incarnation is grossly misinterpreted by Martoia as God’s desire to be culturally relevant. He says, “The quintessential example of genius intersection is, of course, the incarnation: God’s presence, voice, and message piercing and penetrating 1C culture. As we simply observe the potency of the incarnation, several things come to mind. God sent Jesus as a person. God could have sent the message packaged any number of ways. He didn’t choose a CD player to herald the good news, a Web page that automatically pops up every time someone logs on, or an MP3 download into our ear canal. The fact that he sent a person bespeaks God’s desire to be relevant, understandable, approachable, and relational (Ron Martoia, Morph, Group Publishing, 2003, pg. 17). Could God have redeemed any other way? According to Martoia, “God could have sent the message packaged any number of ways.” Did God send Jesus for the purpose of cultural relevance? According to Martoia, “The fact that he sent a person bespeaks God’s desire to be relevant, understandable, approachable, and relational.” But according to God’s Word God could not have redeemed any other way, “Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendents of Abraham. Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For since He Himself was tempted in that which He suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted” (Hebrews 2:14-18). Penal substitution is the only way God can forgive and remain just. “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Therefore the incarnation was necessary for the realization of penal substitution and that is the primary biblical interpretation for the incarnation. If God could have redeemed any other way, surely He would have done it! But because there was no other way – what a demonstration of the love of God in penal substitution – “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
A distorted gospel which is void of the offense of the cross is no gospel at all and does not have the power to transform undeserving, disobedient rebels into loving, loyal and obedient children of God. All that a distorted gospel can do is cause men to have a form of godliness void of the power of God for actual transformation.
Geoffrey Wilson wrote, “The unpopularity of a crucified Christ has prompted many to present a message which is more palatable to the unbeliever, but the removal of the offense of the cross always renders the message ineffective. An inoffensive gospel is also an inoperative gospel” (Romans; A Digest of Reformed Comment [Carlisle, Pa.: Banner of Truth, 1976], p.24).
For I am not ashamed of the gospel (1:16a).
What is it about the gospel that would cause men to be ashamed of it? For one thing, to those who are perishing it is moronic. “For the word of the cross is to those who are perishing foolishness…” (1 Corinthians 1:18). “Foolishness” is from the Greek word “moria” from which we get moron. The gospel is moronic and absolute nonsense to unbelievers who rely on their own reason and rationality. In the reasoning and wisdom of those who are perishing, most men really aren’t all that bad and there must be something that they can do in order to earn God’s favor. Therefore those who would dare proclaim the gospel as it is without adding to it or taking from it are considered fools by those who are perishing because the gospel proclaims man’s utter wretched estate and inability to save himself or aid in any way in his salvation. That message is despised, hated, and foolish to most men who think that there is at least some island of innate goodness somewhere in their being. This would cause some to be ashamed of the gospel because they value what others think of them and they do not want to be considered as morons.
Not only is the gospel foolishness to those who are perishing, the gospel is also offensive to both Jews and Gentiles that are perishing. To the Jews the gospel is a stumbling block and to the Gentiles the gospel is foolishness – “But we preach Christ crucified, to Jews and stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness” (1 Corinthians 1:23).
The Jews had a hard time accepting a suffering and crucified Messiah. Also the Jews had a hard time accepting that the Gentiles didn’t have to observe Jewish customs. So those who were ashamed of the gospel but pretending to be preachers of the gospel preached circumcision as a necessary condition for Gentiles to be saved. But the apostle Paul wasn’t ashamed of the gospel and he refused to remove the offense of the gospel – “But I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? Then the stumbling block of the cross has been abolished” (Galatians 5:11). “Those who desire to make a good showing in the flesh try to compel you to be circumcised, simply so that they will not be persecuted for the cross of Christ” (Galatians 6:12).
Tampering with the gospel in order to make it non-offensive so that all can embrace it distorts the gospel and then it isn’t the gospel at all. We must remember that those of whom Paul wrote about to the Galatians who were attempting to abolish the stumbling block of the cross by adding circumcision to the gospel were not genuine preachers of the gospel but false preachers who were ashamed of the real gospel. “I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him [God] who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed” (Galatians 1:6-8).
Many in our day “want to distort the gospel of Christ” so that they can remove the stumbling block and foolishness of the cross of Christ. This is in order that they can be liked and spoken well of by all men simply so that they will not be persecuted for the cross of Christ or considered foolish by the world for preaching the gospel. However, God’s word says, “For since in the wisdom of the world the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe” (1 Corinthians 1:21). You cannot preach what the world considers a foolish message and not be considered foolish yourself. So the only way around that dilemma is to alter the message so that it does not offend the masses.
Altering the message so that it does not offend the masses is easily spiritualized as “becoming all things to all men so that we may by all means save some” (1 Corinthians 9:22). However, altering the message so that it does not offend the masses is not spiritual and it is the equivalent of opening a wide gate that leads to destruction. No text of Scripture other than Matthew 7:1 has been more twisted and distorted than 1 Corinthians 9:22. The same apostle Paul who wrote Romans 1:16 is the same apostle Paul who wrote 1 Corinthians 9:22 and it is evident and plain that Paul never altered the message to remove its offense but he did do what was necessary to keep himself from being offensive. Paul had Timothy whose mother was a Jew circumcised so that Timothy would not be an offense to the Jews (Acts 16:1-3). Paul refused to have Titus who was a Greek circumcised so that Titus would not be an offense to the Greeks (Galatians 2:3-6). Paul never altered the message because he was not ashamed of the gospel.
Those who are ashamed of the gospel seek to remove the offense of the gospel so that they will not have to be ashamed of it anymore. The gospel is made non-offensive by altering its content and intent. No one is offended by a “smile, God loves you” type of gospel. No one is offended by a “God wants you to have your best life now” gospel. No one is offended by a “God has a wonderful purpose and plan for your life” gospel. No one is offended by a “you’re so valuable to God that He wants you to live with Him in heaven” gospel. No one is offended by a “God wants to make you healthy, wealthy, and prosperous” gospel. But men are offended by a “you’re so wicked that the only way God could save you was to crucify His only Son as a sinless substitute, have Him buried, and raise Him from the dead so that He could be both just and the justifier of whoever has faith in His Son” gospel.
Making the gospel relevant is nothing short of removing the offense of the gospel in an attempt to make it palatable to all men because of being ashamed of the gospel. This is done by offering the world what it wants – happiness instead of holiness, pleasure instead of purity, luxury instead of Lordship, comfort instead of character, and man’s glory instead of God’s glory. When this happens then both the content and the intent of the gospel has been changed and you now have another gospel which is non-offensive but which is not the gospel of Jesus Christ.
So in an attempt to make the gospel more palatable and less offensive to unbelievers, those who are ashamed of the gospel distort the gospel and change both its content and intent.
We have already seen that the content of the gospel is the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ dealing with His divinity and humanity (the incarnation) for the purpose of penal substitution “for Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit” (1 Peter 3:18) and His resurrection for the purpose of our justification – “He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification” (Romans 4:25). So the content of the gospel is the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ (His divinity and humanity) for the purpose of penal substitution (the just would pay the penalty of the unjust) so that we could be justified and brought to God through His resurrection (Romans 1:1-4).
We have also already seen that the intent of the gospel is the glory of God in the salvation of self-centered, self-ruled, and self-loving sinners which transforms them into God-centered, God-ruled, and God-loving saints (Romans 1:5). So the intent of the gospel is the glory of God in the transformation of undeserving, disobedient rebels into loving, loyal, and obedient children! The Gospel brings us to God as His children who love and adore Him and find the satisfaction of our souls in Him.
However, when men are ashamed of this gospel they begin to distort the content of the gospel, the incarnation and resurrection, and misapply the intent of the gospel. I’ll give two examples although there are numerous other examples:
Probably the most famous (should be infamous) for his misinterpretation of the incarnation and atonement would be Charles Finney. Concerning Christ and the atonement Finney said, “He can not plead as our Advocate that He has paid our debt, in such a sense that He can demand our discharge on the ground of justice. He has not paid our debt in such a sense that we do not still owe it. He has not atoned for our sins in such a sense that we might not still be justly punished for them. Indeed, such a thing is impossible and absurd. One being can not suffer for another in such a sense as to remove the guilt of that other. He may suffer for another's guilt in such a sense that it will be safe to forgive the sinner, for whom the suffering has been endured; but the suffering of the substitute can never, in the least degree, diminish the intrinsic guilt of the criminal. Our Advocate may urge that He has borne such suffering for us to honor the law that we had dishonored, that now it is safe to extend mercy to us; but He never can demand our discharge on the ground that we do not deserve to be punished. The fact of our intrinsic guilt remains, and must forever remain; and our forgiveness is just as much an act of sovereign mercy, as if Christ had never died for us” (Charles Finney, Christ Our Advocate, VI. What His plea in behalf of sinners is, Number 7). So according to Finney man could have been forgiven based on the mercy of God alone and apart from the incarnation – “Our forgiveness is just as much an act of sovereign mercy, as if Christ had never died for us.”
Another example of misinterpreting and trivializing the incarnation is seen in writings of many in the postmodern movements of our day, such as Ron Martoia in his book Morph. Seeking to justify being like the world to win the world (cultural relevance), the incarnation is grossly misinterpreted by Martoia as God’s desire to be culturally relevant. He says, “The quintessential example of genius intersection is, of course, the incarnation: God’s presence, voice, and message piercing and penetrating 1C culture. As we simply observe the potency of the incarnation, several things come to mind. God sent Jesus as a person. God could have sent the message packaged any number of ways. He didn’t choose a CD player to herald the good news, a Web page that automatically pops up every time someone logs on, or an MP3 download into our ear canal. The fact that he sent a person bespeaks God’s desire to be relevant, understandable, approachable, and relational (Ron Martoia, Morph, Group Publishing, 2003, pg. 17). Could God have redeemed any other way? According to Martoia, “God could have sent the message packaged any number of ways.” Did God send Jesus for the purpose of cultural relevance? According to Martoia, “The fact that he sent a person bespeaks God’s desire to be relevant, understandable, approachable, and relational.” But according to God’s Word God could not have redeemed any other way, “Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendents of Abraham. Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For since He Himself was tempted in that which He suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted” (Hebrews 2:14-18). Penal substitution is the only way God can forgive and remain just. “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Therefore the incarnation was necessary for the realization of penal substitution and that is the primary biblical interpretation for the incarnation. If God could have redeemed any other way, surely He would have done it! But because there was no other way – what a demonstration of the love of God in penal substitution – “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
A distorted gospel which is void of the offense of the cross is no gospel at all and does not have the power to transform undeserving, disobedient rebels into loving, loyal and obedient children of God. All that a distorted gospel can do is cause men to have a form of godliness void of the power of God for actual transformation.
Geoffrey Wilson wrote, “The unpopularity of a crucified Christ has prompted many to present a message which is more palatable to the unbeliever, but the removal of the offense of the cross always renders the message ineffective. An inoffensive gospel is also an inoperative gospel” (Romans; A Digest of Reformed Comment [Carlisle, Pa.: Banner of Truth, 1976], p.24).
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
A Church Praised for its Faith (part 2)
In Romans 1:1-7, Paul shared with the saints at Rome his call which involved his credentials as an apostle and the content of his message. In Romans 1:8-15, Paul shared with the saints at Rome his concern. Paul was doing all this in essence to show the saints at Rome who he was before he showed them his theology. As we study this section dealing with Paul’s concern for the saints at Rome we will see four aspects of that concern.
We have already considered the first aspect of Paul’s concern for the saints at Rome which was Paul praised the saints at Rome (1:8). Now we turn our attention to the other three aspects of Paul’s concern for the saints at Rome:
Next, Paul prayed for the saints at Rome (1:9-10). The saints at Rome did not know about Paul’s prayer support for them but the Lord knew about it and honored it. One of the burdens of Paul’s prayer was that God would allow him to visit Rome and minister to the churches there. He would have visited them sooner but his ministry work and God’s will kept him busy (Romans 15:15-33).
Paul wrote the letter to the Romans while he was in Corinth. Paul was about to leave Corinth for Jerusalem to deliver the special offering received from the Gentile churches for the poor Jewish saints. He hoped that he would be able to travel from Jerusalem to Rome, and then on to Spain; and he was hoping for a prosperous journey. However, we know that Paul had a very perilous journey and that he went to Rome as a prisoner after being arrested in the temple based on false accusations from the Jewish authorities. Paul eventually had to appeal to Caesar in order to not be handed over to the Jews who wanted to kill him. On his way to Rome as a prisoner, Paul was even shipwrecked. Some three years after writing to the Romans and wanting to visit them, Paul finally arrived – in chains.
Paul had total and unreserved commitment to be used by God however it pleased God – “For God, whom I serve in my spirit.” True service is worship in which believers present their bodies to God as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is their spiritual service of worship (Romans 12:1). True worship is service to God in the Spirit of God and putting no confidence in the flesh (Philippians 3:3). It is this that caused the apostle to pray unceasingly for the saints in Rome.
Paul’s primary service to God was the preaching of the gospel of His Son. But he went on to explain that service to God included deep, personal concern for everyone who believed the gospel, whether they heard it from him or someone else. Paul was not concerned for the saints in Rome because they were his converts, but because they were his brothers and sisters who had the same spiritual Father through trusting in the same Lord and Savior that had saved both him and them.
Perhaps because most of the saints in Rome did not personally know Paul, so he called the Lord as a witness to his sincere love and concern for them. He knew that God who knows the motive and sincerity of each heart would testify as to how unceasingly he made mention of them always in his prayers. Paul was concerned for the spiritual well-being of the saints in Rome and the glory of God through the churches there. As we read Paul’s letters to the churches we always see his prayers for the saints in each place. Witnessing, serving, and praying go hand in hand. We dare not attempt to witness and serve without also praying. Knowing the difficulties that Christians must endure for their faith we must always be praying for all the saints everywhere. Also, knowing the danger that unbelievers are under the wrath of God we are to pray for all men (1 Timothy 2:1).
Paul not only prayed for the spiritual well-being of the saints at Rome, he also prayed that he could be an instrument in the hands of God to go to them and strengthen them in their faith. As we pray for God to reach and strengthen others, we must be willing to be the answer to that prayer.
Paul had been making request for a long time that he could visit the saints at Rome and minister to them and be ministered to by them. Paul’s eagerness to serve God was always directed by his willingness to obey God and be in His will. Paul sought the advancement of God’s glory and kingdom through God’s own will, not his own.
Next we see Paul’s passion for the saints at Rome (1:11-12). Paul wanted to visit the saints at Rome in order to serve them lovingly in God’s name. He did not want to go as a tourist and visit the wonders of Rome – he wanted to go to give himself in the Lord’s service to the people; not to entertain and indulge himself. Paul was concerned for the spiritual well-being of the Christians in Rome and therefore he wanted to go and impart some spiritual gift to them. He wasn’t speaking of giving them a spiritual gift that only the Holy Spirit can do – but he was speaking of exercising his gifts so that they might be established.
Paul made it clear though that they would not be the only beneficiaries of his faith but that he also would be encouraged and would benefit from their faith. The great apostle knew that he would be strengthened and encouraged from inexperienced beginners. After all, every genuine convert has been gifted by the Holy Spirit and can contribute in some way to the spiritual progress of others. Pity the person who cannot learn from others because he no longer has a teachable and humble spirit.
Finally we see Paul’s plan for the saints at Rome (1:13-15). Paul wanted to make it clear to the Roman Christians that he had often planned to come to them (but had been prevented so far). As far as his own plans were concerned he would have come to them much sooner and would not have been prevented. However, God is sovereign and all-knowing and Paul was submitted to God’s will and not his own. Sometimes Paul was hindered because of the work of Satan – “But we brethren, having been taken away from you for a short while – in person, not in spirit – were all the more eager with great desire to see your face. For we wanted to come to you – I, Paul, more than once – and yet Satan hindered us” (1 Thessalonians 2:17-18). But in this case it was Paul’s work for the Lord and the work of the Lord that kept him from coming as soon as he would have liked (Romans 15:15-33).
Paul planned to obtain some fruit while in Rome visiting the saints there. Paul wanted both the fruit that comes from maturing those who already saved and the fruit that comes from leading others to Christ. Paul wanted to be used to help the Roman church grow through new converts and to grow in sanctification.
Paul had an obligation to minister in Rome as the apostle to the Gentiles. He was under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians. The Greeks considered every non-Greek a barbarian. The Greeks considered themselves wise because they were steeped in centuries of philosophy and they considered everyone else foolish. But Paul felt an obligation to all men, just as we need to feel a burden for the whole world.
Paul was eager to visit Rome that he might minister to the believers there and evangelize the lost there. It was not the eagerness of a sightseer, but the eagerness of a soul-winner. Paul was eager to preach the gospel in Rome. He knew that Rome was a dangerous place and that Christians there had already experienced persecution. He knew that the false apostles would be spreading their destructive heresies there. He knew that the capitol city of the empire was steeped in immorality and paganism, including emperor worship. He knew that he would be despised by many and that they would probably seek to harm him. Yet he was boldly eager to go there for His Lord’s sake and for the sake of the Lord’s people.
We have already considered the first aspect of Paul’s concern for the saints at Rome which was Paul praised the saints at Rome (1:8). Now we turn our attention to the other three aspects of Paul’s concern for the saints at Rome:
Next, Paul prayed for the saints at Rome (1:9-10). The saints at Rome did not know about Paul’s prayer support for them but the Lord knew about it and honored it. One of the burdens of Paul’s prayer was that God would allow him to visit Rome and minister to the churches there. He would have visited them sooner but his ministry work and God’s will kept him busy (Romans 15:15-33).
Paul wrote the letter to the Romans while he was in Corinth. Paul was about to leave Corinth for Jerusalem to deliver the special offering received from the Gentile churches for the poor Jewish saints. He hoped that he would be able to travel from Jerusalem to Rome, and then on to Spain; and he was hoping for a prosperous journey. However, we know that Paul had a very perilous journey and that he went to Rome as a prisoner after being arrested in the temple based on false accusations from the Jewish authorities. Paul eventually had to appeal to Caesar in order to not be handed over to the Jews who wanted to kill him. On his way to Rome as a prisoner, Paul was even shipwrecked. Some three years after writing to the Romans and wanting to visit them, Paul finally arrived – in chains.
Paul had total and unreserved commitment to be used by God however it pleased God – “For God, whom I serve in my spirit.” True service is worship in which believers present their bodies to God as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is their spiritual service of worship (Romans 12:1). True worship is service to God in the Spirit of God and putting no confidence in the flesh (Philippians 3:3). It is this that caused the apostle to pray unceasingly for the saints in Rome.
Paul’s primary service to God was the preaching of the gospel of His Son. But he went on to explain that service to God included deep, personal concern for everyone who believed the gospel, whether they heard it from him or someone else. Paul was not concerned for the saints in Rome because they were his converts, but because they were his brothers and sisters who had the same spiritual Father through trusting in the same Lord and Savior that had saved both him and them.
Perhaps because most of the saints in Rome did not personally know Paul, so he called the Lord as a witness to his sincere love and concern for them. He knew that God who knows the motive and sincerity of each heart would testify as to how unceasingly he made mention of them always in his prayers. Paul was concerned for the spiritual well-being of the saints in Rome and the glory of God through the churches there. As we read Paul’s letters to the churches we always see his prayers for the saints in each place. Witnessing, serving, and praying go hand in hand. We dare not attempt to witness and serve without also praying. Knowing the difficulties that Christians must endure for their faith we must always be praying for all the saints everywhere. Also, knowing the danger that unbelievers are under the wrath of God we are to pray for all men (1 Timothy 2:1).
Paul not only prayed for the spiritual well-being of the saints at Rome, he also prayed that he could be an instrument in the hands of God to go to them and strengthen them in their faith. As we pray for God to reach and strengthen others, we must be willing to be the answer to that prayer.
Paul had been making request for a long time that he could visit the saints at Rome and minister to them and be ministered to by them. Paul’s eagerness to serve God was always directed by his willingness to obey God and be in His will. Paul sought the advancement of God’s glory and kingdom through God’s own will, not his own.
Next we see Paul’s passion for the saints at Rome (1:11-12). Paul wanted to visit the saints at Rome in order to serve them lovingly in God’s name. He did not want to go as a tourist and visit the wonders of Rome – he wanted to go to give himself in the Lord’s service to the people; not to entertain and indulge himself. Paul was concerned for the spiritual well-being of the Christians in Rome and therefore he wanted to go and impart some spiritual gift to them. He wasn’t speaking of giving them a spiritual gift that only the Holy Spirit can do – but he was speaking of exercising his gifts so that they might be established.
Paul made it clear though that they would not be the only beneficiaries of his faith but that he also would be encouraged and would benefit from their faith. The great apostle knew that he would be strengthened and encouraged from inexperienced beginners. After all, every genuine convert has been gifted by the Holy Spirit and can contribute in some way to the spiritual progress of others. Pity the person who cannot learn from others because he no longer has a teachable and humble spirit.
Finally we see Paul’s plan for the saints at Rome (1:13-15). Paul wanted to make it clear to the Roman Christians that he had often planned to come to them (but had been prevented so far). As far as his own plans were concerned he would have come to them much sooner and would not have been prevented. However, God is sovereign and all-knowing and Paul was submitted to God’s will and not his own. Sometimes Paul was hindered because of the work of Satan – “But we brethren, having been taken away from you for a short while – in person, not in spirit – were all the more eager with great desire to see your face. For we wanted to come to you – I, Paul, more than once – and yet Satan hindered us” (1 Thessalonians 2:17-18). But in this case it was Paul’s work for the Lord and the work of the Lord that kept him from coming as soon as he would have liked (Romans 15:15-33).
Paul planned to obtain some fruit while in Rome visiting the saints there. Paul wanted both the fruit that comes from maturing those who already saved and the fruit that comes from leading others to Christ. Paul wanted to be used to help the Roman church grow through new converts and to grow in sanctification.
Paul had an obligation to minister in Rome as the apostle to the Gentiles. He was under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians. The Greeks considered every non-Greek a barbarian. The Greeks considered themselves wise because they were steeped in centuries of philosophy and they considered everyone else foolish. But Paul felt an obligation to all men, just as we need to feel a burden for the whole world.
Paul was eager to visit Rome that he might minister to the believers there and evangelize the lost there. It was not the eagerness of a sightseer, but the eagerness of a soul-winner. Paul was eager to preach the gospel in Rome. He knew that Rome was a dangerous place and that Christians there had already experienced persecution. He knew that the false apostles would be spreading their destructive heresies there. He knew that the capitol city of the empire was steeped in immorality and paganism, including emperor worship. He knew that he would be despised by many and that they would probably seek to harm him. Yet he was boldly eager to go there for His Lord’s sake and for the sake of the Lord’s people.
Monday, March 16, 2009
A Church Praised for its Faith
Paul had never met most of the people in the church at Rome but he had a great concern for them and a great desire to see them and strengthen them. Paul’s love for man flowed from his love for God and that caused him to not only love those who were saved, he also had a love for the lost and for their salvation. In this section of Romans 1, Paul was expressing his love and concern for the saints at Rome.
In Romans 1:1-7, Paul shared with the saints at Rome his call which involved his credentials as an apostle and the content of his message. In Romans 1:8-15, Paul shared with the saints at Rome his concern. Paul was doing all this in essence to show the saints at Rome who he was before he showed them his theology. As we study this section dealing with Paul’s concern for the saints at Rome we will see four aspects of that concern. Today we will only deal with the first of these four aspects.
First, Paul’s praise for the saints at Rome (1:8) – what is praise and why did Paul praise the saints at Rome?
What is praise?
Praise is based on truth if it is genuine praise. “[Love] does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth” (1 Corinthians 13:6). Praising people for what they are doing wrong deceives them and encourages them in their wickedness. “Those who forsake the law [God’s Word] praise the wicked, but those who keep the law strive with them” (Proverbs 28:4). We are living in a day when churches and church members think they ought to always be praised and never should they have someone “strive with them” over their unrighteousness.
The Lord Jesus Christ through the apostle John said to the church at Ephesus, “I know your deeds and your toil and your perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; and you have perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, and have not grown weary” (Revelation 2:1-3). So the Lord praised the church at Ephesus for what they were doing right. But then the Lord went on in verses four and five and said, “But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place – unless you repent.” So here we see reproof and correction of those things that are not praiseworthy. Reproof and correction of those things that are not praiseworthy is based on love just as praise is based on love – “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent” (Revelation 3:19).
In every epistle but one, Paul expressed praise and gratitude for those to whom he wrote. The exception was the letter to the church in Galatia which had defected from the true gospel and was turning to a false gospel. It was not that the other churches were perfect, which is apparent because Paul wrote most of his letters to reprove and correct concerning wrong doctrine and wrong living. But for those churches that had praiseworthy attributes he was thankful and praised them for that. However, Paul refused to give praise that wasn’t based on truth.
To give you an idea of the day in which we live read this hypothetical situation based on Paul’s letter to the Galatians as to what would be the response to that letter if it were written in our day and published in Christianity Today: If Paul's Epistle to the Galatians was Published in Christianity Today
How popular would the apostle Paul be today in our generation which is screaming for the wicked to be praised and labeling those who would strive with them as unloving, critical and divisive? We shouldn’t have any problem with praise as long as that praise is based on truth. We should have a problem with any praise that is based on lies.
Why did Paul praise the saints at Rome?
“First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world” (1:8). Paul praised the saints at Rome because of their faith being proclaimed which would mean that he praised them for their obedience to Jesus as Lord and proclaiming Jesus as Lord. Others could see that the faith of the saints in Rome was the real deal because of their unwavering commitment to obey Jesus Christ in the face of opposition and persecution. The Christians in Rome were under persecution but were remaining true to the Lord - “After these things he [the apostle Paul] left Athens and went to Corinth. And found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, having recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome” (Acts 18:1-2).
Faith that does not trust and obey in spite of consequences is not saving and persevering faith. Faith that is not tested in the furnace of trials cannot be trusted and cannot be seen by others. “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share in the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation” (1 Peter 4:12-13). It is through the perseverance of the saints in obedience to Jesus Christ as Lord while enduring opposition and persecution that their faith is proven to be genuine – “In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:6-7).
In every instance where we read of the faith of a church in the New Testament that is being proclaimed throughout the whole world, it is in the context of their obedience to Jesus as Lord in the face of opposition and persecution (see 1 Thessalonians 1:2-8; 2 Thessalonians 1:4).
Some churches are known for their fame (Sardis – Revelation 3:1 and Laodicea – Revelation 3:15-17) but are not praised by the Lord. Others are known for their faith. Some churches seek the praise and glory of men – and they use pragmatic methods; they advertise their statistics; and many wrongly praise them thinking that fame is the same as faith.
Some churches seek the praise and glory of God – and they obey Jesus Christ as Lord in all matters of life; they endure persecution and false accusations for Jesus’ name sake; and many wrongly accuse them of having no faith because they have no fame.
Do we want to be known for our fame or for our faith?
In Romans 1:1-7, Paul shared with the saints at Rome his call which involved his credentials as an apostle and the content of his message. In Romans 1:8-15, Paul shared with the saints at Rome his concern. Paul was doing all this in essence to show the saints at Rome who he was before he showed them his theology. As we study this section dealing with Paul’s concern for the saints at Rome we will see four aspects of that concern. Today we will only deal with the first of these four aspects.
First, Paul’s praise for the saints at Rome (1:8) – what is praise and why did Paul praise the saints at Rome?
What is praise?
Praise is based on truth if it is genuine praise. “[Love] does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth” (1 Corinthians 13:6). Praising people for what they are doing wrong deceives them and encourages them in their wickedness. “Those who forsake the law [God’s Word] praise the wicked, but those who keep the law strive with them” (Proverbs 28:4). We are living in a day when churches and church members think they ought to always be praised and never should they have someone “strive with them” over their unrighteousness.
The Lord Jesus Christ through the apostle John said to the church at Ephesus, “I know your deeds and your toil and your perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; and you have perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, and have not grown weary” (Revelation 2:1-3). So the Lord praised the church at Ephesus for what they were doing right. But then the Lord went on in verses four and five and said, “But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place – unless you repent.” So here we see reproof and correction of those things that are not praiseworthy. Reproof and correction of those things that are not praiseworthy is based on love just as praise is based on love – “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent” (Revelation 3:19).
In every epistle but one, Paul expressed praise and gratitude for those to whom he wrote. The exception was the letter to the church in Galatia which had defected from the true gospel and was turning to a false gospel. It was not that the other churches were perfect, which is apparent because Paul wrote most of his letters to reprove and correct concerning wrong doctrine and wrong living. But for those churches that had praiseworthy attributes he was thankful and praised them for that. However, Paul refused to give praise that wasn’t based on truth.
To give you an idea of the day in which we live read this hypothetical situation based on Paul’s letter to the Galatians as to what would be the response to that letter if it were written in our day and published in Christianity Today: If Paul's Epistle to the Galatians was Published in Christianity Today
How popular would the apostle Paul be today in our generation which is screaming for the wicked to be praised and labeling those who would strive with them as unloving, critical and divisive? We shouldn’t have any problem with praise as long as that praise is based on truth. We should have a problem with any praise that is based on lies.
Why did Paul praise the saints at Rome?
“First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world” (1:8). Paul praised the saints at Rome because of their faith being proclaimed which would mean that he praised them for their obedience to Jesus as Lord and proclaiming Jesus as Lord. Others could see that the faith of the saints in Rome was the real deal because of their unwavering commitment to obey Jesus Christ in the face of opposition and persecution. The Christians in Rome were under persecution but were remaining true to the Lord - “After these things he [the apostle Paul] left Athens and went to Corinth. And found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, having recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome” (Acts 18:1-2).
Faith that does not trust and obey in spite of consequences is not saving and persevering faith. Faith that is not tested in the furnace of trials cannot be trusted and cannot be seen by others. “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share in the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation” (1 Peter 4:12-13). It is through the perseverance of the saints in obedience to Jesus Christ as Lord while enduring opposition and persecution that their faith is proven to be genuine – “In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:6-7).
In every instance where we read of the faith of a church in the New Testament that is being proclaimed throughout the whole world, it is in the context of their obedience to Jesus as Lord in the face of opposition and persecution (see 1 Thessalonians 1:2-8; 2 Thessalonians 1:4).
Some churches are known for their fame (Sardis – Revelation 3:1 and Laodicea – Revelation 3:15-17) but are not praised by the Lord. Others are known for their faith. Some churches seek the praise and glory of men – and they use pragmatic methods; they advertise their statistics; and many wrongly praise them thinking that fame is the same as faith.
Some churches seek the praise and glory of God – and they obey Jesus Christ as Lord in all matters of life; they endure persecution and false accusations for Jesus’ name sake; and many wrongly accuse them of having no faith because they have no fame.
Do we want to be known for our fame or for our faith?
Thursday, March 12, 2009
The Effectual Call of the Gospel
So far in his letter to the Christians in Rome, Paul has addressed the credentials of a minister’s mission, the content of a minister’s message, and the goal of the Gospel. Paul was strengthening the faith of the believers in Rome and preparing them for his proposed visit among them. In essence Paul has dealt with the preacher of the Gospel, the Person of the Gospel, and the purpose of the Gospel. He now turns his attention to the privileges of the Gospel. We are going to look at this section dealing with the privileges of the Gospel as the effectual call of the Gospel. We will see that Paul set forth four divine privileges that belonged to the Christians in Rome:
Among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ (1:6). First, what is to be the called of Jesus Christ? It means much more than to hear the gospel invitation. The Lord Jesus Christ said, “Many are called but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:14), and in that sense He was speaking of the general call of the gospel which is rejected by many, but of the few that are chosen He was speaking of the effectual call of the gospel where the once unwilling sinner is made willing by gift and power of God. When the New Testament writers of the epistles spoke of those who are the called, they only had in mind those who had listened to and accepted the divine invitation; they only had in mind those for whom the gospel had been effectual.
The believers in Rome to whom Paul was writing were among those who had been brought to the obedience of faith and therefore were also the called of Jesus Christ. The called of Jesus Christ are not only called to salvation but they are also called to loving, loyal obedience. These believers in Rome and every believer today have been the object of the effectual call of God in order that they could be given to Jesus Christ by God the Father as a reward of His suffering. Jesus said, “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out” (John 6:37). Those who are the called of Jesus Christ are those whom God the Father has drawn to Him for salvation – “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him…” (John 6:44). So the called of Jesus Christ are those who through the effectual call of the gospel have been given to Jesus Christ by God the Father and who have been drawn to Jesus Christ by God the Father.
To all who are beloved of God in Rome (1:7a) – next Paul tells these believers that they were “beloved of God.” Every believer has been made acceptable to God through Christ “to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:6). Every believer is a child of God by new birth and is loved for the sake of God’s beloved Son. Some one may object and say that all men are beloved of God. However the beloved of God are those whom God has great pleasure in and in that case only those who are in Christ Jesus His Beloved Son are beloved of God.
Called as saints (1:7b) – here the term called is still speaking of the effectual call of God and not His general call. The general call of God goes out to many but doesn’t necessitate, constitute, or guarantee the salvation of all who hear it. The general call of God is His invitation to salvation that He sends out to many through His servants who proclaim the gospel. However, the general call of God can be ignored, shunned, rejected, and even improperly received by those who are invited (Matthew 22:1-14). So we see in the Scriptures that many are called but few are chosen – indicating that the general call of God is not effectual for all who hear it.
The effectual call of God however results in the gospel being the power of God unto salvation for those who believe because they have been chosen by God for salvation. The apostle Paul put it this way after speaking to the Thessalonians about the apostasy and the coming of the Antichrist that must take place before the Lord Jesus gathers His saints to Him – “But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. It was for this He called you through our gospel that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thessalonians 2:13-14). So the general call of God is the effectual call of God only for those who have been chosen by God from the beginning for salvation. So the saved who are referred to as the called are those who were invited through the gospel, made willing by the effectual call of God to receive that which by nature one rejects – namely Jesus Christ as King and his or her self as loyal servants who love and adore the King – and thereby proven to be chosen. Only the chosen are effectually called through the gospel and the gospel is the only way that God calls those whom He chose. God’s choosing and God’s calling go together, for the God who ordains the end (our salvation) also ordains the means to the end (being called through the gospel).
“Called” here is a synonym for the terms “elect” and “predestined.” As Paul explains in chapter 8, those “whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified” (8:30).
“Saints” is from a word which has the basic meaning of being set apart. As saints we are set apart for God and by God and that necessitates our being made holy and righteous and being separated from or called out from the world. So then the saints are the “holy ones of God.” As saints we have been called and justified. As saints we are being called and sanctified. As saints we will be called and glorified.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (1:7c) – the only people who can receive the marvelous blessings of grace and peace are those who are the called of Jesus Christ, the beloved of God, and those called as saints. It is God’s grace that grants forgiveness of sin through the Gospel of His Son and brings peace between God and men. Peace, true and lasting peace is based on purity and that is why grace always precedes peace because grace goes to the frontline and removes the impurity of man’s rebellion so that the war between God and the sinner is removed and replaced with a new relationship and sweet fellowship.
What a mighty God we serve!
Among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ (1:6). First, what is to be the called of Jesus Christ? It means much more than to hear the gospel invitation. The Lord Jesus Christ said, “Many are called but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:14), and in that sense He was speaking of the general call of the gospel which is rejected by many, but of the few that are chosen He was speaking of the effectual call of the gospel where the once unwilling sinner is made willing by gift and power of God. When the New Testament writers of the epistles spoke of those who are the called, they only had in mind those who had listened to and accepted the divine invitation; they only had in mind those for whom the gospel had been effectual.
The believers in Rome to whom Paul was writing were among those who had been brought to the obedience of faith and therefore were also the called of Jesus Christ. The called of Jesus Christ are not only called to salvation but they are also called to loving, loyal obedience. These believers in Rome and every believer today have been the object of the effectual call of God in order that they could be given to Jesus Christ by God the Father as a reward of His suffering. Jesus said, “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out” (John 6:37). Those who are the called of Jesus Christ are those whom God the Father has drawn to Him for salvation – “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him…” (John 6:44). So the called of Jesus Christ are those who through the effectual call of the gospel have been given to Jesus Christ by God the Father and who have been drawn to Jesus Christ by God the Father.
To all who are beloved of God in Rome (1:7a) – next Paul tells these believers that they were “beloved of God.” Every believer has been made acceptable to God through Christ “to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:6). Every believer is a child of God by new birth and is loved for the sake of God’s beloved Son. Some one may object and say that all men are beloved of God. However the beloved of God are those whom God has great pleasure in and in that case only those who are in Christ Jesus His Beloved Son are beloved of God.
Called as saints (1:7b) – here the term called is still speaking of the effectual call of God and not His general call. The general call of God goes out to many but doesn’t necessitate, constitute, or guarantee the salvation of all who hear it. The general call of God is His invitation to salvation that He sends out to many through His servants who proclaim the gospel. However, the general call of God can be ignored, shunned, rejected, and even improperly received by those who are invited (Matthew 22:1-14). So we see in the Scriptures that many are called but few are chosen – indicating that the general call of God is not effectual for all who hear it.
The effectual call of God however results in the gospel being the power of God unto salvation for those who believe because they have been chosen by God for salvation. The apostle Paul put it this way after speaking to the Thessalonians about the apostasy and the coming of the Antichrist that must take place before the Lord Jesus gathers His saints to Him – “But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. It was for this He called you through our gospel that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thessalonians 2:13-14). So the general call of God is the effectual call of God only for those who have been chosen by God from the beginning for salvation. So the saved who are referred to as the called are those who were invited through the gospel, made willing by the effectual call of God to receive that which by nature one rejects – namely Jesus Christ as King and his or her self as loyal servants who love and adore the King – and thereby proven to be chosen. Only the chosen are effectually called through the gospel and the gospel is the only way that God calls those whom He chose. God’s choosing and God’s calling go together, for the God who ordains the end (our salvation) also ordains the means to the end (being called through the gospel).
“Called” here is a synonym for the terms “elect” and “predestined.” As Paul explains in chapter 8, those “whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified” (8:30).
“Saints” is from a word which has the basic meaning of being set apart. As saints we are set apart for God and by God and that necessitates our being made holy and righteous and being separated from or called out from the world. So then the saints are the “holy ones of God.” As saints we have been called and justified. As saints we are being called and sanctified. As saints we will be called and glorified.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (1:7c) – the only people who can receive the marvelous blessings of grace and peace are those who are the called of Jesus Christ, the beloved of God, and those called as saints. It is God’s grace that grants forgiveness of sin through the Gospel of His Son and brings peace between God and men. Peace, true and lasting peace is based on purity and that is why grace always precedes peace because grace goes to the frontline and removes the impurity of man’s rebellion so that the war between God and the sinner is removed and replaced with a new relationship and sweet fellowship.
What a mighty God we serve!
Monday, March 9, 2009
The Goal of the Gospel
Romans 1:5.
The Gospel has as its goal the glory of God in the salvation of self-centered, self-ruled, and self-loving sinners which transforms them into God-centered, God-ruled, and God-loving saints – for His name’s sake. Many have wrongly and tragically confused the goal of the Gospel as an endorsement of self-admiration and self-esteem in which the cross is viewed as a witness to man’s worth. However the Gospel does not witness to man’s worth but witnesses to God’s worth – His greatness and His goodness. It is in the salvation of undeserving sinners that God’s grace is magnified to the praise of His glory.
I’m not belittling God’s love for man – I am magnifying it! I am not saying that God doesn’t love man but I am saying that man doesn’t deserve to be loved by God. When you understand this then you will understand that the Gospel is a witness to God’s worth and God’s grace and God’s glory and not to man’s worth or his value. God doesn’t love us because we are worthy of His love, He loves us even though we are unworthy (Romans 5:8).
God’s love is an “out of this world” kind of love. He loves those who are unlovely. He loves those who are His enemies. And it is through His love that He is rich in mercy to those who are dead in their transgressions and makes them alive together with Christ (by grace they are saved). “See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called the children of God; and such we are” (1 John 3:1). So it is by God’s grace that we are saved and by God’s grace that we serve Him because the grace of God as demonstrated in the Gospel causes us to love and obey God and not just desire His gifts. So then at the heart of the goal of the Gospel is God – the Gospel causes God to become to us our reward; the gospel causes God to become to us our pleasure and satisfaction and then we do not seek to “use” God for selfish and ulterior motives.
So the goal of the Gospel is not to make us choose heaven rather than hell – the goal of the Gospel is to make us enthralled with the One who saved us from sin and hell and promises us eternal life with Him in heaven. Why do you want to go to heaven? If it is not to worship God the Father and His Son the Lord Jesus Christ then the Gospel has not transformed you into a loving and loyal subject of the King of kings.
Consider with me how God gets glory through the Gospel which transforms men into obedient, God adoring saints:
Through whom we have received grace (1:5a) – grace is unmerited, unearned, and undeserving kindness or favor. Therefore grace is rich in mercy because it is rich in love – an out of this world kind of love. “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)” (Ephesians 2:4-5). Since grace is unmerited, unearned, and undeserving favor, then no one is saved based on his or her goodness – “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). “But when the kindness of God our Savior, and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy…” (Titus 3:4-5). No man gets glory for his salvation – God does!
And apostleship (1:5b) – Here the apostle Paul includes all the saints – through whom we have received grace and apostleship – the word apostle means one who is sent by authority as a messenger. All Christians have been sent with a message by the Lord Jesus Christ who has all authority. However, all Christians do not hold the office of Apostle. There were only thirteen men who held the office of Apostle but all Christians are expected to carry the message of the Gospel and in that sense all Christians have an apostleship. Just like the office of deacon – a deacon is one who serves – all Christians do not hold the office of deacon but all Christians are to serve others. Notice that it is through Jesus Christ that we receive grace and apostleship – not only does no man get glory for his salvation; no man gets glory for his service – God does! “For we are His [God’s] workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).
To bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles (1:5c) – the Gospel restores that which was lost – our obedience to God. When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden of Eden they disobeyed God and stepped out from under His lordship and turned to their own way – and so does every person – “All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way” (Isaiah 53:6). Instead of trusting God with all their hearts, Adam and Eve leaned on their own understanding, and loving and loyal obedience was replaced with wicked disobedience. This is now the state of all men everywhere – we are born with a nature that cannot and will not obey God.
So if man is to be saved then obedience to God must be restored. Man’s disobedience (sin is lawlessness) must be paid for and must be removed and loving, loyal obedience must come in its place – salvation is a matter of lordship!
To belong to God in a saving relationship is to be restored into an obedient relationship which is submission to His lordship. As John Macarthur said, “A theology that refuses to recognize the lordship of Jesus Christ is a theology that contradicts the very essence of biblical Christianity” (Romans 1-8, page 25). There is no such thing as Jesus being one’s Savior if He is not his or her Lord. If one’s loving, loyal obedience has not been restored then that which was lost hasn’t been restored and therefore salvation hasn’t taken place (Luke 23:39-43).
I want you to think about and understand this truth – obedience of faith is obedience from the heart based on trust which is based on love. The claim to obey without trusting is legalism! The claim to trust without obeying is libertinism! To trust and obey based on love is loyalty! One is works of the law – legalism! One is words of the lips – libertinism! One is worship of the Lord – loyalty!
Therefore the goal of the gospel of God’s grace is to bring about the obedience of faith but in order to do that the Gospel must bring about love for God and trust in God. So if we are going to trust and obey God then we are going to have to love God and if we are going to have to love God then the Gospel must bring us to that place – and it does – we love Him because He first loved us!
For His name’s sake (1:5d) – would the Lord’s name be great and would He receive any glory if He allowed men into heaven and yet they stayed the same wicked rebels that they had always been?
Here is the heart of the goal of the Gospel – the glory of God in the transformation of undeserving, disobedient, rebels into loving, loyal, and obedient children! The Gospel brings us to God as His children who love and adore Him and find the satisfaction of our souls in Him – “Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that He might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18). Until the Gospel is used to bring about the obedience of faith for His name’s sake – until the Gospel is used to cause us to be enthralled with God Himself rather than self and sin, then it is used wrongly.
Christ did not die to forgive sinners who go on loving their sin. Christ did not die to forgive sinners who go on loving self, money, and pleasure – “But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money…and lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God” (2 Timothy 3:1-4). Christ died to forgive sinners who through the Gospel, hate sin and are transformed into lovers of God. The Gospel is not a way to get people to enjoy and treasure God’s gifts; it is a way to get people to enjoy and treasure God!
Why do you want to go to heaven? People who want to go to heaven because they don’t want to go to hell love the idea of God’s gift but not God Himself. Why do you want to go to heaven? People who want to go to heaven because of its beauty and its majesty love the idea of God’s gift but not God Himself. Why do you want to go to heaven? People who want to go to heaven because in heaven God is going to supply whatever makes men happy do not love God but love the idea of His gifts. Why do you want to go to heaven? People who could be happy in heaven if Christ we not there, will not be there! Why do I want to go to heaven? I want to see Jesus – He’s the One who died for me!
The Gospel has as its goal the glory of God in the salvation of self-centered, self-ruled, and self-loving sinners which transforms them into God-centered, God-ruled, and God-loving saints – for His name’s sake.
The Gospel has as its goal the glory of God in the salvation of self-centered, self-ruled, and self-loving sinners which transforms them into God-centered, God-ruled, and God-loving saints – for His name’s sake. Many have wrongly and tragically confused the goal of the Gospel as an endorsement of self-admiration and self-esteem in which the cross is viewed as a witness to man’s worth. However the Gospel does not witness to man’s worth but witnesses to God’s worth – His greatness and His goodness. It is in the salvation of undeserving sinners that God’s grace is magnified to the praise of His glory.
I’m not belittling God’s love for man – I am magnifying it! I am not saying that God doesn’t love man but I am saying that man doesn’t deserve to be loved by God. When you understand this then you will understand that the Gospel is a witness to God’s worth and God’s grace and God’s glory and not to man’s worth or his value. God doesn’t love us because we are worthy of His love, He loves us even though we are unworthy (Romans 5:8).
God’s love is an “out of this world” kind of love. He loves those who are unlovely. He loves those who are His enemies. And it is through His love that He is rich in mercy to those who are dead in their transgressions and makes them alive together with Christ (by grace they are saved). “See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called the children of God; and such we are” (1 John 3:1). So it is by God’s grace that we are saved and by God’s grace that we serve Him because the grace of God as demonstrated in the Gospel causes us to love and obey God and not just desire His gifts. So then at the heart of the goal of the Gospel is God – the Gospel causes God to become to us our reward; the gospel causes God to become to us our pleasure and satisfaction and then we do not seek to “use” God for selfish and ulterior motives.
So the goal of the Gospel is not to make us choose heaven rather than hell – the goal of the Gospel is to make us enthralled with the One who saved us from sin and hell and promises us eternal life with Him in heaven. Why do you want to go to heaven? If it is not to worship God the Father and His Son the Lord Jesus Christ then the Gospel has not transformed you into a loving and loyal subject of the King of kings.
Consider with me how God gets glory through the Gospel which transforms men into obedient, God adoring saints:
Through whom we have received grace (1:5a) – grace is unmerited, unearned, and undeserving kindness or favor. Therefore grace is rich in mercy because it is rich in love – an out of this world kind of love. “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)” (Ephesians 2:4-5). Since grace is unmerited, unearned, and undeserving favor, then no one is saved based on his or her goodness – “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). “But when the kindness of God our Savior, and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy…” (Titus 3:4-5). No man gets glory for his salvation – God does!
And apostleship (1:5b) – Here the apostle Paul includes all the saints – through whom we have received grace and apostleship – the word apostle means one who is sent by authority as a messenger. All Christians have been sent with a message by the Lord Jesus Christ who has all authority. However, all Christians do not hold the office of Apostle. There were only thirteen men who held the office of Apostle but all Christians are expected to carry the message of the Gospel and in that sense all Christians have an apostleship. Just like the office of deacon – a deacon is one who serves – all Christians do not hold the office of deacon but all Christians are to serve others. Notice that it is through Jesus Christ that we receive grace and apostleship – not only does no man get glory for his salvation; no man gets glory for his service – God does! “For we are His [God’s] workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).
To bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles (1:5c) – the Gospel restores that which was lost – our obedience to God. When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden of Eden they disobeyed God and stepped out from under His lordship and turned to their own way – and so does every person – “All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way” (Isaiah 53:6). Instead of trusting God with all their hearts, Adam and Eve leaned on their own understanding, and loving and loyal obedience was replaced with wicked disobedience. This is now the state of all men everywhere – we are born with a nature that cannot and will not obey God.
So if man is to be saved then obedience to God must be restored. Man’s disobedience (sin is lawlessness) must be paid for and must be removed and loving, loyal obedience must come in its place – salvation is a matter of lordship!
To belong to God in a saving relationship is to be restored into an obedient relationship which is submission to His lordship. As John Macarthur said, “A theology that refuses to recognize the lordship of Jesus Christ is a theology that contradicts the very essence of biblical Christianity” (Romans 1-8, page 25). There is no such thing as Jesus being one’s Savior if He is not his or her Lord. If one’s loving, loyal obedience has not been restored then that which was lost hasn’t been restored and therefore salvation hasn’t taken place (Luke 23:39-43).
I want you to think about and understand this truth – obedience of faith is obedience from the heart based on trust which is based on love. The claim to obey without trusting is legalism! The claim to trust without obeying is libertinism! To trust and obey based on love is loyalty! One is works of the law – legalism! One is words of the lips – libertinism! One is worship of the Lord – loyalty!
Therefore the goal of the gospel of God’s grace is to bring about the obedience of faith but in order to do that the Gospel must bring about love for God and trust in God. So if we are going to trust and obey God then we are going to have to love God and if we are going to have to love God then the Gospel must bring us to that place – and it does – we love Him because He first loved us!
For His name’s sake (1:5d) – would the Lord’s name be great and would He receive any glory if He allowed men into heaven and yet they stayed the same wicked rebels that they had always been?
Here is the heart of the goal of the Gospel – the glory of God in the transformation of undeserving, disobedient, rebels into loving, loyal, and obedient children! The Gospel brings us to God as His children who love and adore Him and find the satisfaction of our souls in Him – “Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that He might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18). Until the Gospel is used to bring about the obedience of faith for His name’s sake – until the Gospel is used to cause us to be enthralled with God Himself rather than self and sin, then it is used wrongly.
Christ did not die to forgive sinners who go on loving their sin. Christ did not die to forgive sinners who go on loving self, money, and pleasure – “But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money…and lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God” (2 Timothy 3:1-4). Christ died to forgive sinners who through the Gospel, hate sin and are transformed into lovers of God. The Gospel is not a way to get people to enjoy and treasure God’s gifts; it is a way to get people to enjoy and treasure God!
Why do you want to go to heaven? People who want to go to heaven because they don’t want to go to hell love the idea of God’s gift but not God Himself. Why do you want to go to heaven? People who want to go to heaven because of its beauty and its majesty love the idea of God’s gift but not God Himself. Why do you want to go to heaven? People who want to go to heaven because in heaven God is going to supply whatever makes men happy do not love God but love the idea of His gifts. Why do you want to go to heaven? People who could be happy in heaven if Christ we not there, will not be there! Why do I want to go to heaven? I want to see Jesus – He’s the One who died for me!
The Gospel has as its goal the glory of God in the salvation of self-centered, self-ruled, and self-loving sinners which transforms them into God-centered, God-ruled, and God-loving saints – for His name’s sake.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Content of a Minister's Message
Every minister ought to have credentials that verify that his ministry is not of man but of God. As the apostle Paul told the Galatians, “Paul, an apostle (not sent from men nor through the agency of man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead)” (Galatians 1:1). The credentials that ought to be in every minister’s life are not to be some ordination certificate or letters of commendation or the number of referrals he can list on his resume. The credentials of a minister’s mission are to be that he is a bond-servant of Christ Jesus; that he has been called, authorized, and sent by God; and that he has given his life over to the gospel of God.
Paul, after introducing himself and setting forth the credentials for a minister’s mission, gave the content of the minister’s message. Not only should the minister of the Lord Jesus Christ not be sent from men nor through the agency of man, his message also should not be in the wisdom of man nor should it have its origin in man. The minister must speak God’s gospel and not some man-centered, self-help, human-needs approach gospel which alters the content of the message and corrupts the Word of God.
We now turn our attention to the content of the minister’s message – the gospel of God (Romans 1:2-4).
The promise of the gospel – its origin (1:2)
The gospel is God’s gospel; it doesn’t originate with man and it isn’t an afterthought with God. The gospel is eternal and therefore has as its origin God. God promised His gospel before He ever created the world and then communicated that promise beforehand through His prophets. As Martin Luther put it, “This proves that God’s counsel of salvation was foreordained in detail before it was carried into effect. So all glory for this doctrine must be ascribed to God and none to our merits and efforts; for before we ever existed, it was already ordained” (Commentary on Romans, page 34).
When writing to Titus concerning the origin of the gospel, its eternality, and that God communicated the promise of the gospel beforehand through His prophets, Paul wrote, “In the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago [literally before times eternal], but at the proper time manifested, even His word, in the proclamation with which I was entrusted according to the commandment of God our Savior” (Titus 1:2-3).
Since the gospel has as its origin God, since it is eternal, and since it has been promised beforehand through God’s prophets, then doesn’t it make sense that the gospel is not to be tampered with? That is why Paul told Titus, “In the proclamation [of the gospel] with which I was entrusted.” No one has the right to alter the content of God’s gospel and if they do they can expect the certain and terrifying prospect of eternal damnation (Galatians 1:8).
The salvation of the sinner and the existence of the Christian religion owes its existence neither to blind chance nor to fate, but to the divine predetermined counsel, according to which it had to be fulfilled. This means that those who are open-theists are in extreme error and know not either God or His Word.
Open-theism takes on many forms but in essence it says that God doesn’t know everything. Its reasoning would say that God cannot determine the future so when God’s plan "A" fails then God must resort to plan "B". God doesn’t have a plan "B"! God hasn’t changed His plans nor made a revision to His strategy. God promised His gospel beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures.
The gospel did not originate with Paul and it does not originate with any other man and therefore the gospel we preach had better be the gospel that is found in the holy Scriptures. The Old Testament prophesied the gospel and it was fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
The Person of the gospel – its Object (1:3-4) – the Lord Jesus Christ
Concerning His Son (1:3a). The gospel isn’t about you and it isn’t about me; the gospel is about Jesus Christ the Son of God. The word gospel is euangelion and it means "good news". There is no good news about us; only bad news. But there is good news about the Son of God and that good news is for us and not about us.
The humanity of God’s Son (1:3b)
His incarnation – Mary was a descendant of David
His inheritance – David’s throne – Joseph was a descendant of David
His innocence – he took on flesh and blood but never sinned
The divinity of God’s Son (1:4)
Made known publicly through the resurrection from the dead (1:4a)
Demonstrated as totally holy and without sin through the Holy Spirit (1:4b)
Exalted as Lord (1:4c)
This is good news indeed! As man, Jesus lived a perfect life of obedience through faith, facing all the sufferings of humanity, being tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin, laid down His life as a sacrifice for sinners, and became for all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation. As God, Jesus is worthy of worship and loving and loyal obedience.
This gospel is the only way that God can forgive sinners while He remains just and the only way that He can redeem men without causing them to become idolaters by worshiping someone who is not God.
Paul, after introducing himself and setting forth the credentials for a minister’s mission, gave the content of the minister’s message. Not only should the minister of the Lord Jesus Christ not be sent from men nor through the agency of man, his message also should not be in the wisdom of man nor should it have its origin in man. The minister must speak God’s gospel and not some man-centered, self-help, human-needs approach gospel which alters the content of the message and corrupts the Word of God.
We now turn our attention to the content of the minister’s message – the gospel of God (Romans 1:2-4).
The promise of the gospel – its origin (1:2)
The gospel is God’s gospel; it doesn’t originate with man and it isn’t an afterthought with God. The gospel is eternal and therefore has as its origin God. God promised His gospel before He ever created the world and then communicated that promise beforehand through His prophets. As Martin Luther put it, “This proves that God’s counsel of salvation was foreordained in detail before it was carried into effect. So all glory for this doctrine must be ascribed to God and none to our merits and efforts; for before we ever existed, it was already ordained” (Commentary on Romans, page 34).
When writing to Titus concerning the origin of the gospel, its eternality, and that God communicated the promise of the gospel beforehand through His prophets, Paul wrote, “In the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago [literally before times eternal], but at the proper time manifested, even His word, in the proclamation with which I was entrusted according to the commandment of God our Savior” (Titus 1:2-3).
Since the gospel has as its origin God, since it is eternal, and since it has been promised beforehand through God’s prophets, then doesn’t it make sense that the gospel is not to be tampered with? That is why Paul told Titus, “In the proclamation [of the gospel] with which I was entrusted.” No one has the right to alter the content of God’s gospel and if they do they can expect the certain and terrifying prospect of eternal damnation (Galatians 1:8).
The salvation of the sinner and the existence of the Christian religion owes its existence neither to blind chance nor to fate, but to the divine predetermined counsel, according to which it had to be fulfilled. This means that those who are open-theists are in extreme error and know not either God or His Word.
Open-theism takes on many forms but in essence it says that God doesn’t know everything. Its reasoning would say that God cannot determine the future so when God’s plan "A" fails then God must resort to plan "B". God doesn’t have a plan "B"! God hasn’t changed His plans nor made a revision to His strategy. God promised His gospel beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures.
The gospel did not originate with Paul and it does not originate with any other man and therefore the gospel we preach had better be the gospel that is found in the holy Scriptures. The Old Testament prophesied the gospel and it was fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
The Person of the gospel – its Object (1:3-4) – the Lord Jesus Christ
Concerning His Son (1:3a). The gospel isn’t about you and it isn’t about me; the gospel is about Jesus Christ the Son of God. The word gospel is euangelion and it means "good news". There is no good news about us; only bad news. But there is good news about the Son of God and that good news is for us and not about us.
The humanity of God’s Son (1:3b)
His incarnation – Mary was a descendant of David
His inheritance – David’s throne – Joseph was a descendant of David
His innocence – he took on flesh and blood but never sinned
The divinity of God’s Son (1:4)
Made known publicly through the resurrection from the dead (1:4a)
Demonstrated as totally holy and without sin through the Holy Spirit (1:4b)
Exalted as Lord (1:4c)
This is good news indeed! As man, Jesus lived a perfect life of obedience through faith, facing all the sufferings of humanity, being tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin, laid down His life as a sacrifice for sinners, and became for all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation. As God, Jesus is worthy of worship and loving and loyal obedience.
This gospel is the only way that God can forgive sinners while He remains just and the only way that He can redeem men without causing them to become idolaters by worshiping someone who is not God.
Monday, March 2, 2009
The Credentials for a Minister's Mission
When the apostle Paul wrote to the Romans he had never been to Rome yet although it was his desire to visit them and preach the gospel in Rome (Romans 1:8-15). Paul also wanted the Christians at Rome to support him on a planned missionary journey to Spain (Romans 15:23-24) and therefore at the beginning of his letter to the Romans he set forth the credentials for a minister's mission to show that he was indeed qualified as the apostle to the Gentiles. Here we see three necessary credentials for the minister's mission.
I. Paul was a bond-servant of Jesus Christ (1:1a).
His position as a bond-servant:
The modesty of the position of bond-servant.
Paul was subservient and insignificant but His Master was everything! In 1 Corinthians 4:1, Paul referred to himself as a galley slave who was an under-rower, referring to the lowest level of rowers in the large galley of a Roman ship. The position of bond-servant expresses modesty because the bond-servant does not lord it over those allotted to his charge, but proves to be an example of a faithful and loyal servant of his Lord to the flock.
The majesty of the position of bond-servant.
Paul was not belittling his position – there is no greater position than to be a bond-servant of Christ Jesus. Servants of the Lord do not exalt themselves – they exalt their Master and they do His will from the heart because He is worthy! The position of bond-servant expresses majesty because the bond-servant glories in his being a servant of the King of kings and the Lord of lords! Jesus Himself expressed the truth that with modesty comes majesty – “He who humbles himself will be exalted,” and the opposite is also true – “He who exalts himself will be humbled.” And the Lord said, “Whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave” (Matthew 20:26-27).
His practice – as a bond-servant.
Paul’s primary practice was to serve the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul gave himself wholeheartedly in love to the Lord who saved him from sin and the wrath of God – (Exodus 21:5-6) – Paul enslaved himself to Christ, to be His servant and obey His will because of Christ’s love for Him (2 Corinthians 5:14-15). A man’s enslavement to Christ as one of Christ’s servants is always based on the man’s grateful and adoring heart for Christ’s goodness and greatness as revealed in His willing sacrifice of Himself as an atoning substitute for our sins. We love Him because He first loved us! This is why we sing songs like – “Amazing love, how can it be, that you my King would die for me? Amazing love, I know it’s true, and it’s my joy to honor You in all I do.”
It is because of the love for us that the Lord demonstrated in giving Himself up for us that we serve Him with gladness by faith and not by flesh – “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me” (Galatians 2:20).
But not only do we love the Lord Jesus Christ and serve Him from a heart of gratitude because of His love for us; we also love God the Father and serve Him from the same heart of gratitude because of His love for us. Not only did the Lord Jesus love us and give Himself up for us but we also read and know that God the Father loved us and sent His Son so that He could pardon us on the only legal and righteous basis that would satisfy His own holy nature – penal substitution.
This is why we sing songs like, “How deep the Father’s love for us! How vast beyond all measure! That He would give His only Son, to make a wretch His treasure. How great the pain of searing loss, the Father turns His face away, as wounds which mar the chosen One, bring many sons to glory. Behold the man upon a cross, my sin upon His shoulders, ashamed I hear my mocking voice, call out among the scoffers. It was my sin that held Him there, until it was accomplished. His dying breath has brought me life, I know that it is finished. I will not boast in anything, no gifts, no powr's, no wisdom, but I will boast in Jesus Christ, His death and resurrection. Why should I gain from His reward? I cannot give an answer. But this I know with all my heart; His wounds have paid my ransom."
You see, Paul’s practice as a bond-servant of Christ Jesus; giving himself wholeheartedly in love to the Lord and His service; where Paul was now willingly obeying the first and greatest commandment; to love the Lord his God with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his mind; was based on his Lord’s loving him first.
Paul’s secondary practice as a bond-servant of Christ Jesus was to serve men.
Paul’s love for God which was primary, issued in his love for men and their salvation, which is secondary. Jesus put it this way when He was tested by a Pharisee with the question of which is the greatest commandment in the Law: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” ‘This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it,’ “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ‘On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets’” (Matthew 22:37-40).
Paul put it this way in Romans 1:14-15, “I am under obligation [literally a debtor] both to Greeks and barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. So, for my part, I am eager to preach to gospel to you also who are in Rome.” As a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, Paul was also to be a bond-servant of men in order that he might preach the gospel to them.
Paul put it this way in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23, “For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law; to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some. I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it.”
And again listen to these words, “For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake” (2 Corinthians 4:5). As we love and serve God because He first loved us we will also love and serve men because of our love for God. Any love and service to man that does not flow from genuine love for God is nothing short of religious humanism; is a work of the flesh and not of faith; and is an attempt to be justified by works of the law rather than the loving and loyal obedience of faith.
II. Paul was an apostle of Jesus Christ (1:1b)
His authority - as an apostle
The word apostle means “one who is sent by authority with a commission.” It was applied in that day to the representatives of the emperor or the emissaries of a king. As an apostle of the King of kings Paul’s message from the King was one of all authority. When Paul spoke people had better listen because he wasn’t speaking on his own initiative and own authority but was speaking on behalf of the Lord Himself.
His authorization as an apostle
Paul was called by the Lord to be an apostle. Paul’s position as an apostle was not of his own doing. Paul did not volunteer for that office, he did not campaign for that office, and he was not elected to that office by fellow believers. Paul was divinely called by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Paul didn’t choose Jesus, Jesus chose him (see Galatians 1:1).
There is great and grave danger to enter the ministry without a divine call and divine authorization. Woe to those who would dare take upon themselves the pastoral office without a divine call. There are many people preaching and teaching and presuming to prophesy in the name of Christ whom Christ clearly has neither sent nor has He called them. “I did not send these prophets, but they ran. I did not speak to them, but they prophesied” (Jeremiah 23:21). For the false prophets and false teachers who claim to be called and claim to be sent the Bible says, “Their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep” (2 Peter 2:3).
When the Lord calls and authorizes a man for the ministry, the man is called and authorized to speak only that which His Lord has spoken and revealed to them through His Word. Even the apostle Paul said that the gospel that He preached was the same gospel that was promised beforehand by the Lord’s prophets in the holy Scriptures (see verse 2). False prophets speak as from the world and the world listens to them. True prophets speak God’s Word and those who know God listen to them (1 John 4:1-6).
III. Paul was set apart for God’s gospel (1:1c)
Set apart means separated unto and in this context it means that every part of Paul’s life was dedicated for the sole purpose of God’s use in spreading the gospel. As a bond-servant, Paul was the Lord’s for whatever service He required; and as an apostle, Paul was divinely authorized and divinely sent to proclaim the gospel of God. As Christians we should also be set apart for the Master’s use – “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:1-2).
Paul was singularly set apart by God to be the apostle to the Gentiles. He said to the Galatians, “But when God, who had set me apart even from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace was pleased to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles” (Galatians 1:15-16).
It is when God calls us through His grace and we view the mercies of God that we give ourselves willingly for His service and discover that one task to which God has set us apart.
The gospel is God’s gospel; it doesn’t originate with man and isn’t an afterthought with God. It was God’s gospel to which Paul was separated and this along with being a bond-servant and being authorized by God gave Paul the necessary credentials to be a minister of Christ Jesus.
I. Paul was a bond-servant of Jesus Christ (1:1a).
His position as a bond-servant:
The modesty of the position of bond-servant.
Paul was subservient and insignificant but His Master was everything! In 1 Corinthians 4:1, Paul referred to himself as a galley slave who was an under-rower, referring to the lowest level of rowers in the large galley of a Roman ship. The position of bond-servant expresses modesty because the bond-servant does not lord it over those allotted to his charge, but proves to be an example of a faithful and loyal servant of his Lord to the flock.
The majesty of the position of bond-servant.
Paul was not belittling his position – there is no greater position than to be a bond-servant of Christ Jesus. Servants of the Lord do not exalt themselves – they exalt their Master and they do His will from the heart because He is worthy! The position of bond-servant expresses majesty because the bond-servant glories in his being a servant of the King of kings and the Lord of lords! Jesus Himself expressed the truth that with modesty comes majesty – “He who humbles himself will be exalted,” and the opposite is also true – “He who exalts himself will be humbled.” And the Lord said, “Whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave” (Matthew 20:26-27).
His practice – as a bond-servant.
Paul’s primary practice was to serve the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul gave himself wholeheartedly in love to the Lord who saved him from sin and the wrath of God – (Exodus 21:5-6) – Paul enslaved himself to Christ, to be His servant and obey His will because of Christ’s love for Him (2 Corinthians 5:14-15). A man’s enslavement to Christ as one of Christ’s servants is always based on the man’s grateful and adoring heart for Christ’s goodness and greatness as revealed in His willing sacrifice of Himself as an atoning substitute for our sins. We love Him because He first loved us! This is why we sing songs like – “Amazing love, how can it be, that you my King would die for me? Amazing love, I know it’s true, and it’s my joy to honor You in all I do.”
It is because of the love for us that the Lord demonstrated in giving Himself up for us that we serve Him with gladness by faith and not by flesh – “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me” (Galatians 2:20).
But not only do we love the Lord Jesus Christ and serve Him from a heart of gratitude because of His love for us; we also love God the Father and serve Him from the same heart of gratitude because of His love for us. Not only did the Lord Jesus love us and give Himself up for us but we also read and know that God the Father loved us and sent His Son so that He could pardon us on the only legal and righteous basis that would satisfy His own holy nature – penal substitution.
This is why we sing songs like, “How deep the Father’s love for us! How vast beyond all measure! That He would give His only Son, to make a wretch His treasure. How great the pain of searing loss, the Father turns His face away, as wounds which mar the chosen One, bring many sons to glory. Behold the man upon a cross, my sin upon His shoulders, ashamed I hear my mocking voice, call out among the scoffers. It was my sin that held Him there, until it was accomplished. His dying breath has brought me life, I know that it is finished. I will not boast in anything, no gifts, no powr's, no wisdom, but I will boast in Jesus Christ, His death and resurrection. Why should I gain from His reward? I cannot give an answer. But this I know with all my heart; His wounds have paid my ransom."
You see, Paul’s practice as a bond-servant of Christ Jesus; giving himself wholeheartedly in love to the Lord and His service; where Paul was now willingly obeying the first and greatest commandment; to love the Lord his God with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his mind; was based on his Lord’s loving him first.
Paul’s secondary practice as a bond-servant of Christ Jesus was to serve men.
Paul’s love for God which was primary, issued in his love for men and their salvation, which is secondary. Jesus put it this way when He was tested by a Pharisee with the question of which is the greatest commandment in the Law: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” ‘This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it,’ “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ‘On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets’” (Matthew 22:37-40).
Paul put it this way in Romans 1:14-15, “I am under obligation [literally a debtor] both to Greeks and barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. So, for my part, I am eager to preach to gospel to you also who are in Rome.” As a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, Paul was also to be a bond-servant of men in order that he might preach the gospel to them.
Paul put it this way in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23, “For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law; to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some. I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it.”
And again listen to these words, “For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake” (2 Corinthians 4:5). As we love and serve God because He first loved us we will also love and serve men because of our love for God. Any love and service to man that does not flow from genuine love for God is nothing short of religious humanism; is a work of the flesh and not of faith; and is an attempt to be justified by works of the law rather than the loving and loyal obedience of faith.
II. Paul was an apostle of Jesus Christ (1:1b)
His authority - as an apostle
The word apostle means “one who is sent by authority with a commission.” It was applied in that day to the representatives of the emperor or the emissaries of a king. As an apostle of the King of kings Paul’s message from the King was one of all authority. When Paul spoke people had better listen because he wasn’t speaking on his own initiative and own authority but was speaking on behalf of the Lord Himself.
His authorization as an apostle
Paul was called by the Lord to be an apostle. Paul’s position as an apostle was not of his own doing. Paul did not volunteer for that office, he did not campaign for that office, and he was not elected to that office by fellow believers. Paul was divinely called by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Paul didn’t choose Jesus, Jesus chose him (see Galatians 1:1).
There is great and grave danger to enter the ministry without a divine call and divine authorization. Woe to those who would dare take upon themselves the pastoral office without a divine call. There are many people preaching and teaching and presuming to prophesy in the name of Christ whom Christ clearly has neither sent nor has He called them. “I did not send these prophets, but they ran. I did not speak to them, but they prophesied” (Jeremiah 23:21). For the false prophets and false teachers who claim to be called and claim to be sent the Bible says, “Their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep” (2 Peter 2:3).
When the Lord calls and authorizes a man for the ministry, the man is called and authorized to speak only that which His Lord has spoken and revealed to them through His Word. Even the apostle Paul said that the gospel that He preached was the same gospel that was promised beforehand by the Lord’s prophets in the holy Scriptures (see verse 2). False prophets speak as from the world and the world listens to them. True prophets speak God’s Word and those who know God listen to them (1 John 4:1-6).
III. Paul was set apart for God’s gospel (1:1c)
Set apart means separated unto and in this context it means that every part of Paul’s life was dedicated for the sole purpose of God’s use in spreading the gospel. As a bond-servant, Paul was the Lord’s for whatever service He required; and as an apostle, Paul was divinely authorized and divinely sent to proclaim the gospel of God. As Christians we should also be set apart for the Master’s use – “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:1-2).
Paul was singularly set apart by God to be the apostle to the Gentiles. He said to the Galatians, “But when God, who had set me apart even from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace was pleased to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles” (Galatians 1:15-16).
It is when God calls us through His grace and we view the mercies of God that we give ourselves willingly for His service and discover that one task to which God has set us apart.
The gospel is God’s gospel; it doesn’t originate with man and isn’t an afterthought with God. It was God’s gospel to which Paul was separated and this along with being a bond-servant and being authorized by God gave Paul the necessary credentials to be a minister of Christ Jesus.
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