This is a response to Ken Pulliam, Ph.D. over at Why I De-Converted from Evangelical Christianity about his unwittingly establishing the veracity of the Bible and its Author in his post about Ken Daniels, A Former Missionary with Wycliffe Translators is now an Agnostic Atheist.
There are several problems in this post that are working against Ken Pulliam's truth claim rather than for it. Unwittingly he is establishing the veracity of the Bible and its Author instead of nullifying it. Both his testimony and Ken Daniels’ testimony are perfectly and accurately described in the Bible.
Ken Daniels said, “If I could patch things up by forcing myself to believe again, I would do so in a heartbeat. Unfortunately I have tried that several times, only to be besieged again by doubt, and have come to the conclusion that attempting to will myself to believe that which in my heart I do not believe is futile.”
The Bible declares that no man can will himself to believe – “Who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:13 NASB). This verse not only does away with Daniels’ false notion that a man can believe of his own accord but also does away with his false credentials that you have put forward as evidence that Daniels was once a true Christian.
Daniels is right in this conclusion – “attempting to will myself to believe that which in my heart I do not believe is futile.” And what is necessary to be a genuine Christian? The Bible says, “That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9 NASB). The word confess, means to speak the same and be of one mind (same logic), which means that confession of Jesus as Lord is to say the same thing about Him that God says about Him because of illumination and not imitation. It’s the difference between a parrot saying that Jesus is Lord without understanding what it is saying and a person saying that Jesus is Lord with full understanding and logic so that the truth he is declaring is inline with what he believes in his heart.
The part of Romans 10:9 that says, “And believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead”, is the part that gives rise to the confession of Jesus as Lord. There is no confession of Jesus as Lord without the accompanying belief in the heart that God raised Him from the dead. The only alternatives are for one to say, “If God raised Jesus from the dead then Jesus is Lord”, or, “I sincerely know that the resurrection of Jesus from the dead is false.”
For the person that says, “If God raised Jesus from the dead then Jesus is Lord”, there is no belief in the heart that God raised Jesus from the dead and therefore there is no confession (speaking the same thing and being of the same mind) of Jesus as Lord but only parroting Jesus as Lord. The person that does not confess Jesus as Lord and believe in his heart that God raised Jesus from the dead is not a genuine Christian. He or she may profess saving faith but does not possess saving faith.
One who professes faith but does not possess faith may be sincere in his belief that he is a true Christian and as such would classify himself a “sincere Christian” but would nonetheless not be a true Christian irregardless of his sincerity.
So the combined testimonies of Ken Daniels and Ken Pulliam are this: Ken Daniels, “Attempting to will myself to believe that which in my heart I do not believe is futile”, and, Ken Pulliam, “You cannot force yourself to believe something that you sincerely know is false.”
Now if either one of you claims that your confession of Jesus as Lord was a result of believing in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, how did that belief in your heart come about? Did you will yourself to believe for a while against all sound reasoning? On what did you base your belief in the heart that God raised Jesus from the dead?
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Monday, March 15, 2010
God's Plan for Suffering (Romans 8:28-30)
Romans 8:28-30 are part of the unfathomable riches of the Word of God. They are overflowing with riches that we cannot get to the bottom of; that we cannot get to the corners of; and that we cannot get to the top of. The wonderful things that are revealed here are the source of greatest conviction, certainty, and comfort for the Christian. Another way of saying the same thing about these verses is that they are the source of greatest faith, hope, and love for the Christian. Here we see what God has done, is doing, and will do for us for the sake of His own Son.
I’ll give you a brief summary for now and later we will look deeper into these matters. God has elected us for salvation in eternity; He has predestined us to become conformed to the image of His Son; He has called us to salvation according to His purpose through the gospel of Jesus Christ; He has justified us through faith in Christ; He speaks of our glorification in the past tense because He cannot fail (don’t forget that God calls the things which do not exist as existing based on His unfailing ability to bring it about- Romans 4:17); and as a result God is causing all things to work together for good to those who love God.
All this means that nothing can cause us to lose salvation; nothing can cause us to fall away; and nothing can stop God from bringing us to glorification which will be our full and final rescue from our bondage to corruption caused by sin. This means that for the children of God, suffering works for us and not against us.
In the context of this passage the primary interpretation of “God causes all things to work together for good” is the negative things that would condemn us and cause us to fall away are used by God to work for us and not against us. It is the negative things that test our faith and would cause us to fall away not the positive things. Now we don’t deny that there are good things that work for our good – that’s why we would call them good things. Bible study, worship, prayer, fellowship with the saints, and a host of other good things will encourage us and equip us and help to bring us to the measure of the stature which belongs to Christ. But clearly the “all things” in Romans 8:28 is in the context of suffering with Christ so that we may also be glorified with Him (Romans 8:17ff).
This means that God has a plan for suffering and that what others mean for evil, God intends for good. This means that for the child of God and the child of God alone – God says, “I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11). So God is going to cause our suffering to work for us and not against us.
“We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God….” How do we know?
First, we know because of the testimony of Scripture. Over and over as we study through the Bible we see how God has always and without fail worked out the suffering of His people for their good. Take Joseph for an example. He was hated by his brothers; thrown into a pit; taken out and sold into slavery; carried down to Egypt and sold to Potiphar; lied about by Potiphar’s wife; thrown into Pharaoh’s prison; left in prison for years; and then exalted to the right hand of Pharaoh. And we read Joseph’s words to his brothers when they had to come to Egypt for food and Joseph revealed himself to them, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good…” (Genesis 50:20).
Take Job for an example. Satan used every form of suffering in his power against Job to try to get Job to fall away and deny his faith. And yet we know the outcome – that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful (James 5:11).
Take the suffering and patience of the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord as an example. We know that those who endured were blessed and that their reward in heaven is great. Instead of their suffering working against them and causing them to stumble, God caused it to work for them and to be that which proved and strengthened their faith.
We could go on and on about the sufferings of the men and women of faith but time would fail us if we attempted to tell of them all and see how God caused all things to work together for their good and how their reward in heaven is great.
We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him because of the testimony of Scripture.
Second, we know because of the testimony of our own experience. Suffering for the sake of righteousness is inevitable for the child of God. It is God’s will that we suffer with Christ so that we may also be glorified with Him. It is God’s will that our faith be tested so that He can prove Himself to be faithful. What have we discovered in and through our suffering? I would say that we have discovered two things in and through our suffering: God is faithful and our faith is real!
Let me illustrate how God causes our suffering to work for us and not against us: When we are falsely accused of all sorts of evil or persecuted and afflicted for the sake of righteousness, do we run away from God or draw near to God? Do we go deeper into His Word to be sure that what is happening to us is exactly what happened to the men and women of God who were before us or do we quit Bible study altogether? When we are suffering do we pray or do we pout? When suffering causes us to draw near to God, to go deeper into His Word, and to pray then we must conclude that God is causing it to work for us and not against us.
So God causes suffering to work for the child of God by causing it to work for our sanctification. Everything that the devil would use against us to harm us chips away more and more of our self-reliance and brings us into more and more reliance upon God so that we are being conformed to the image of Christ – which is God’s ultimate goal for all His children. Anything by the devil that is intended for evil against us, God causes to work for us! “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us” (Romans 8:31)?
I’ll give you a brief summary for now and later we will look deeper into these matters. God has elected us for salvation in eternity; He has predestined us to become conformed to the image of His Son; He has called us to salvation according to His purpose through the gospel of Jesus Christ; He has justified us through faith in Christ; He speaks of our glorification in the past tense because He cannot fail (don’t forget that God calls the things which do not exist as existing based on His unfailing ability to bring it about- Romans 4:17); and as a result God is causing all things to work together for good to those who love God.
All this means that nothing can cause us to lose salvation; nothing can cause us to fall away; and nothing can stop God from bringing us to glorification which will be our full and final rescue from our bondage to corruption caused by sin. This means that for the children of God, suffering works for us and not against us.
In the context of this passage the primary interpretation of “God causes all things to work together for good” is the negative things that would condemn us and cause us to fall away are used by God to work for us and not against us. It is the negative things that test our faith and would cause us to fall away not the positive things. Now we don’t deny that there are good things that work for our good – that’s why we would call them good things. Bible study, worship, prayer, fellowship with the saints, and a host of other good things will encourage us and equip us and help to bring us to the measure of the stature which belongs to Christ. But clearly the “all things” in Romans 8:28 is in the context of suffering with Christ so that we may also be glorified with Him (Romans 8:17ff).
This means that God has a plan for suffering and that what others mean for evil, God intends for good. This means that for the child of God and the child of God alone – God says, “I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11). So God is going to cause our suffering to work for us and not against us.
“We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God….” How do we know?
First, we know because of the testimony of Scripture. Over and over as we study through the Bible we see how God has always and without fail worked out the suffering of His people for their good. Take Joseph for an example. He was hated by his brothers; thrown into a pit; taken out and sold into slavery; carried down to Egypt and sold to Potiphar; lied about by Potiphar’s wife; thrown into Pharaoh’s prison; left in prison for years; and then exalted to the right hand of Pharaoh. And we read Joseph’s words to his brothers when they had to come to Egypt for food and Joseph revealed himself to them, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good…” (Genesis 50:20).
Take Job for an example. Satan used every form of suffering in his power against Job to try to get Job to fall away and deny his faith. And yet we know the outcome – that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful (James 5:11).
Take the suffering and patience of the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord as an example. We know that those who endured were blessed and that their reward in heaven is great. Instead of their suffering working against them and causing them to stumble, God caused it to work for them and to be that which proved and strengthened their faith.
We could go on and on about the sufferings of the men and women of faith but time would fail us if we attempted to tell of them all and see how God caused all things to work together for their good and how their reward in heaven is great.
We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him because of the testimony of Scripture.
Second, we know because of the testimony of our own experience. Suffering for the sake of righteousness is inevitable for the child of God. It is God’s will that we suffer with Christ so that we may also be glorified with Him. It is God’s will that our faith be tested so that He can prove Himself to be faithful. What have we discovered in and through our suffering? I would say that we have discovered two things in and through our suffering: God is faithful and our faith is real!
Let me illustrate how God causes our suffering to work for us and not against us: When we are falsely accused of all sorts of evil or persecuted and afflicted for the sake of righteousness, do we run away from God or draw near to God? Do we go deeper into His Word to be sure that what is happening to us is exactly what happened to the men and women of God who were before us or do we quit Bible study altogether? When we are suffering do we pray or do we pout? When suffering causes us to draw near to God, to go deeper into His Word, and to pray then we must conclude that God is causing it to work for us and not against us.
So God causes suffering to work for the child of God by causing it to work for our sanctification. Everything that the devil would use against us to harm us chips away more and more of our self-reliance and brings us into more and more reliance upon God so that we are being conformed to the image of Christ – which is God’s ultimate goal for all His children. Anything by the devil that is intended for evil against us, God causes to work for us! “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us” (Romans 8:31)?
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
The Comforter Groans (Romans 8:26-27)
All the suffering that Christians have to endure so that they may be glorified with Christ could easily make a person give up and say that there is no hope or to compromise and attempt to take the easy way out, both of which would prove his profession of faith as phony - “The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away” (Matthew 13:20-21).
To show that we are not alone in this suffering and groaning while waiting for what has been promised, Paul wrote of the reality that the creation groans and that Christians groan. So we are not alone in this suffering.
We are being encouraged to be the imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises (Hebrews 6:12). We are to consider all the sufferings and afflictions that the men and women of faith endured and all that the Lord Himself endured so that we will not grow weary and lose heart (Hebrews 11:1 – 12:3). We are also to know and understand that there are others who are God’s children who are suffering in this world and yet they continue to trust Christ and they gladly endure reproach for Christ’s sake. “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world” (1 Peter 5:8-9).
And that brings us to our text where we find that not only does creation and other Christians groan and suffer but also the Comforter, the Holy Spirit joins us and helps us in this suffering (Romans 8:26-27).
“In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness” – is referring back to the groaning of creation and Christians both of which patiently endure, trusting that God who has promised to deliver us cannot fail. But here we see that the Spirit comes alongside us and helps our weakness. When we would give up in times of trouble the Spirit helps our weakness. He is a very present help in times of trouble – “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1). So in our weakness the Spirit is abundantly available to help and we know that when we are weak – then He is strong!
Through the Spirit who helps the true Christian’s weakness we are guaranteed that we will not stumble and we will not fall away – “I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; from where shall my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber…” (Psalm 121:1-3). We have this great assurance concerning the help of the Spirit in our weakness – “Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).
“For we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings to deep for words” – In our weakness, or you could say in our suffering we do not know how to pray as we should – but we are to pray and when we do the Spirit Himself will help us and intercede for us. It is written, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach and it will be given to him” (James 1:2-5). And we also read, “Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray” (James 5:13).
When we pray because of our suffering we do not know how to pray, but the Spirit intercedes for us with groanings to deep for words. This is intercessory prayer by the Spirit who unites with us in our desire to be freed from our slavery to corruption into our adoption as sons – the redemption of the body. This is wonderful news because this means that the Spirit is communicating to the Father things beyond what we could ask or think – “Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen” (Ephesians 3:20-21).
“And He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” – God the Father is the one who searches the hearts of men. This gives us a clue to how the Holy Spirit intercedes for the saints – those groanings that are too deep for words are placed by the Spirit in our hearts and when the Father searches our hearts He knows exactly what those groans mean because He knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
Because the Spirit’s will and the Father’s will are identical and because God is one, the Spirit will never ask for something out of the will of the Father but will always do the Father’s will. This means then although we do not know how to pray, that the Holy Spirit who intercedes for us always intercedes in the will of the Father and therefore those prayers are always answered. “This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us” (1 John 5:14).
What the Holy Spirit does for us is the same as what the Lord Jesus did for Peter – “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded (obtained) permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail” (Luke 22:31-32). Because of the intercession of the Holy Spirit who is a very present help in time of trouble our feet will not slip and our faith will not fail – He will keep us and bring us safely home!
To show that we are not alone in this suffering and groaning while waiting for what has been promised, Paul wrote of the reality that the creation groans and that Christians groan. So we are not alone in this suffering.
We are being encouraged to be the imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises (Hebrews 6:12). We are to consider all the sufferings and afflictions that the men and women of faith endured and all that the Lord Himself endured so that we will not grow weary and lose heart (Hebrews 11:1 – 12:3). We are also to know and understand that there are others who are God’s children who are suffering in this world and yet they continue to trust Christ and they gladly endure reproach for Christ’s sake. “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world” (1 Peter 5:8-9).
And that brings us to our text where we find that not only does creation and other Christians groan and suffer but also the Comforter, the Holy Spirit joins us and helps us in this suffering (Romans 8:26-27).
“In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness” – is referring back to the groaning of creation and Christians both of which patiently endure, trusting that God who has promised to deliver us cannot fail. But here we see that the Spirit comes alongside us and helps our weakness. When we would give up in times of trouble the Spirit helps our weakness. He is a very present help in times of trouble – “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1). So in our weakness the Spirit is abundantly available to help and we know that when we are weak – then He is strong!
Through the Spirit who helps the true Christian’s weakness we are guaranteed that we will not stumble and we will not fall away – “I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; from where shall my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber…” (Psalm 121:1-3). We have this great assurance concerning the help of the Spirit in our weakness – “Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).
“For we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings to deep for words” – In our weakness, or you could say in our suffering we do not know how to pray as we should – but we are to pray and when we do the Spirit Himself will help us and intercede for us. It is written, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach and it will be given to him” (James 1:2-5). And we also read, “Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray” (James 5:13).
When we pray because of our suffering we do not know how to pray, but the Spirit intercedes for us with groanings to deep for words. This is intercessory prayer by the Spirit who unites with us in our desire to be freed from our slavery to corruption into our adoption as sons – the redemption of the body. This is wonderful news because this means that the Spirit is communicating to the Father things beyond what we could ask or think – “Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen” (Ephesians 3:20-21).
“And He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” – God the Father is the one who searches the hearts of men. This gives us a clue to how the Holy Spirit intercedes for the saints – those groanings that are too deep for words are placed by the Spirit in our hearts and when the Father searches our hearts He knows exactly what those groans mean because He knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
Because the Spirit’s will and the Father’s will are identical and because God is one, the Spirit will never ask for something out of the will of the Father but will always do the Father’s will. This means then although we do not know how to pray, that the Holy Spirit who intercedes for us always intercedes in the will of the Father and therefore those prayers are always answered. “This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us” (1 John 5:14).
What the Holy Spirit does for us is the same as what the Lord Jesus did for Peter – “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded (obtained) permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail” (Luke 22:31-32). Because of the intercession of the Holy Spirit who is a very present help in time of trouble our feet will not slip and our faith will not fail – He will keep us and bring us safely home!
Monday, March 1, 2010
Christians Groan (Romans 8:23-25)
The apostle Paul has already established the truth that the creation groans – that the creation longs for and groans for its promised deliverance from the destructive consequences of sin which is tied to the glorification and deliverance of believers from the presence of sin (Romans 8:18-22). The creation is eagerly waiting and watching for the redemption of God’s children which will result in its redemption from its slavery to corruption. The creation has a hope that is sure that causes it to patiently endure suffering while eagerly waiting for what has been promised.
Not only does the creation groan for and long for deliverance but we ourselves, that is, believers, groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body (Romans 8:23). The reason we groan is because we have experienced “the first fruits of the Spirit” – a foretaste of the glory to come. We have been justified by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and He has given us the gift of the Holy Spirit. We are being sanctified by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and we are being led by and comforted by the Holy Spirit through the Word of God. We will be glorified by our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ when He appears. “When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory” (Colossians 3:4).
This gives us biblical hope which causes us to groan within ourselves waiting eagerly and patiently with perseverance for what has been promised and especially for the One who will bring it about – namely the Lord Jesus Christ. This is why we read, “Looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds” (Titus 2:13-14). Just as the creation is groaning for and longing for its glorification and freedom from corruption by waiting and watching for the glorification of the children of God so we too are groaning for and longing for our glorification and freedom from sin’s presence by watching and waiting for the appearing and revealing of the Lord Jesus Christ.
What is biblical hope and what is it based on? To answer that question I want to start off by offering to you what hope is not and then we will look at what hope is:
Hope is not an uncertain wish or a wish that is not firmly grounded in absolute truth. Many people have a false hope because of their false theology. They wish to be saved but not on God’s terms and in God’s way. “Alas, you who are longing for the day of the Lord, for what purpose will the day of the Lord be to you? It will be darkness and not light….Will not the day of the Lord be darkness instead of light, even gloom with no brightness in it” (Amos 5:18, 20)? There are many whose hope is only a wish that is not firmly grounded in absolute truth.
There is no hope either for those who have twisted God’s Word to their own destruction or for those who have not heard of the only legal and righteous way that God can and will save – “When the Lord Jesus Christ will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power” (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9). They may have a false hope but they do not have biblical hope.
Biblical hope is based on the promises of God and therefore it is based on the certainty and truthfulness of God Himself who cannot lie – “For when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, ‘I will surely bless you and I will surely multiply you.’ And so, having patiently waited, he obtained the promise. For men swear by one greater than themselves, and with them an oath given as a confirmation is an end to every dispute. In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor to the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek” (Hebrews 6:13-20). Biblical hope is not wishful thinking.
Where there is no communication of God’s promise of rescue and refuge in Jesus Christ there is no hope – “Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called ‘Uncircumcision’ by the so-called ‘Circumcision,’ which is performed in the flesh by human hands – remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:11-12). Where there is no promise of rescue there is no hope!
Those who are not rescued in this lifetime will spend eternity with no hope because hell is a place of no hope. There is no promise of deliverance for those in hell so those who die without having taken refuge in Christ have no hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13).
Without the promise of God that He will rescue you on His terms and not your own – there is no hope because there has been no communication of the promise of rescue. Without the communication of the promise of the rescue plan which enables men to take refuge in Christ, there is no hope – no reason to long for and groan for the deliverance that has been promised; no reason to believe that He is going to rescue you instead of destroy you; and no reason to look for His appearing.
Let me illustrate this truth with a real life rescue story: On Friday June 2, 1995, Captain Scott O’Grady and his wingman Bob Wright were patrolling a NATO no-fly zone over Bosnia in their F-16’s. The Bosnian Serbs had mapped the flight pattern of the NATO pilots and had moved a battery of Russian made SA-6 surface-to-air missiles directly below the path of the enforcing aircraft. The Serb commander switched on his radar for just a few moments in order to be able to detect the jets, their path, and their speed. He turned the radar off almost as quickly as he turned it on to avoid detection from the equipment on the jets. Bob Wright picked up the warning single for a few moments but nothing showed on O’Grady’s equipment because he was a little further out of range. The Serbs dialed in their surface-to-air missiles to intercept the F-16’s at just the right moment. Having calculated the speed of the jets the Serbs fired knowing that it would take approximately twenty seconds for the missiles to reach their targets. So after about ten seconds the Serbs switched their radar back on which would guide the missiles to their targets. The first missile exploded in the air between the two jets. The other struck O’Grady’s F-16.
When his F-16 aircraft burst into flames, O’Grady ejected from his disintegrating plane and parachuted to earth, landing deep behind enemy lines in hostile territory. With armed militia hot on his heels, O’Grady dove into the undergrowth. Moments later his pursuers passed five feet from his head. O’Grady’s situation was grim. His survival kit only contained eight 4 ounce packets of water, a first-aid kit, a few flares, a 9 mm pistol, a survival radio barely larger than a walkman, and some radio batteries.
O’Grady was undetected by the initial search conducted by the enemy to find him. Under the cover of darkness he began to slowly move to try to get to higher ground where he could have a better opportunity to make radio contact. O'Grady's efforts to establish contact using the survival radio were thwarted at first by bad weather, which kept allied planes away for several days. O’Grady’s radio not only transmitted his voice it could also transmit a beacon to notify the military of his position. The military was in fact picking up the radio beacon but thought that it might be an ambush by the enemy – they didn’t know if O’Grady was alive or not.
So far there has been no communication and no promise of rescue – there was no hope based on the certainty and truthfulness that the military was coming to get him. “This is Basher five two. Is anyone out there?” No reply! Then early Thursday morning, O’Grady’s sixth day on the ground, Captain Thomas O Hanford and his wingman were coming to the end of their patrol. Hanford wanted to go deeper into enemy territory to see if he could possibly make contact and communication with O’Grady. Running very low on fuel Hanford pressed on as his wingman urged that they should head back. But Hanford didn’t give up. Then at 2:08am Captain Thomas O Hanford broadcasted from his jet, “Basher five two this is Basher one one on Alpha.” And sure enough he hears O’Grady responding, “This is Basher five two – I’m alive”! Listen to this actual cockpit recording.
Now communication has taken place, the military knows that O’Grady is alive and they have given him a promise that they are coming for him. O’Grady now has hope. He is groaning within himself for the full and final rescue that has been promised. But he must wait. Captain Hanford has radioed the military and gone back to his base where his shift is over. But he refueled his jet and went back out so that he could comfort O’Grady while O’Grady waited for the rescue operation to be put in place. O’Grady would have to wait eagerly and persevere with his eyes on the skies looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of the rescue package.
While Hanford was circling in the sky and comforting O’Grady the US military was readying the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit and two of their CH-53 helicopters that would carry a total of 43 marines to go and get O’Grady. At 6:12 am the first of the big cargo helicopters lifted off, followed by two AH-1W Cobra gunships and two AV-8 Harrier jump jets. At 6:44 the rescuers contact O’Grady. His eyes are on the skies – and then he hears it – the sound is building and it’s getting closer and he sees as the helicopters touch down.
At 7:07 am the helicopter's side door had been open for all of three seconds when O'Grady tumbled across its threshold. He had two words, “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
The US military could have failed in its mission – but it didn’t and we are grateful. However, God will never fail in His mission. We have a hope that is steadfast and sure and is an anchor to the soul. If God is for us, who can be against us?
One of these days and it may be very soon, as our eyes are on the skies and we are groaning for, longing for, and looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds – we will hear it – the sound is building and it’s getting closer – it’s the trumpet of God and the Lord Himself will descend with a shout and the rescue will be complete – the redemption of our bodies.
Not only does the creation groan for and long for deliverance but we ourselves, that is, believers, groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body (Romans 8:23). The reason we groan is because we have experienced “the first fruits of the Spirit” – a foretaste of the glory to come. We have been justified by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and He has given us the gift of the Holy Spirit. We are being sanctified by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and we are being led by and comforted by the Holy Spirit through the Word of God. We will be glorified by our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ when He appears. “When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory” (Colossians 3:4).
This gives us biblical hope which causes us to groan within ourselves waiting eagerly and patiently with perseverance for what has been promised and especially for the One who will bring it about – namely the Lord Jesus Christ. This is why we read, “Looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds” (Titus 2:13-14). Just as the creation is groaning for and longing for its glorification and freedom from corruption by waiting and watching for the glorification of the children of God so we too are groaning for and longing for our glorification and freedom from sin’s presence by watching and waiting for the appearing and revealing of the Lord Jesus Christ.
What is biblical hope and what is it based on? To answer that question I want to start off by offering to you what hope is not and then we will look at what hope is:
Hope is not an uncertain wish or a wish that is not firmly grounded in absolute truth. Many people have a false hope because of their false theology. They wish to be saved but not on God’s terms and in God’s way. “Alas, you who are longing for the day of the Lord, for what purpose will the day of the Lord be to you? It will be darkness and not light….Will not the day of the Lord be darkness instead of light, even gloom with no brightness in it” (Amos 5:18, 20)? There are many whose hope is only a wish that is not firmly grounded in absolute truth.
There is no hope either for those who have twisted God’s Word to their own destruction or for those who have not heard of the only legal and righteous way that God can and will save – “When the Lord Jesus Christ will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power” (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9). They may have a false hope but they do not have biblical hope.
Biblical hope is based on the promises of God and therefore it is based on the certainty and truthfulness of God Himself who cannot lie – “For when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, ‘I will surely bless you and I will surely multiply you.’ And so, having patiently waited, he obtained the promise. For men swear by one greater than themselves, and with them an oath given as a confirmation is an end to every dispute. In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor to the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek” (Hebrews 6:13-20). Biblical hope is not wishful thinking.
Where there is no communication of God’s promise of rescue and refuge in Jesus Christ there is no hope – “Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called ‘Uncircumcision’ by the so-called ‘Circumcision,’ which is performed in the flesh by human hands – remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:11-12). Where there is no promise of rescue there is no hope!
Those who are not rescued in this lifetime will spend eternity with no hope because hell is a place of no hope. There is no promise of deliverance for those in hell so those who die without having taken refuge in Christ have no hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13).
Without the promise of God that He will rescue you on His terms and not your own – there is no hope because there has been no communication of the promise of rescue. Without the communication of the promise of the rescue plan which enables men to take refuge in Christ, there is no hope – no reason to long for and groan for the deliverance that has been promised; no reason to believe that He is going to rescue you instead of destroy you; and no reason to look for His appearing.
Let me illustrate this truth with a real life rescue story: On Friday June 2, 1995, Captain Scott O’Grady and his wingman Bob Wright were patrolling a NATO no-fly zone over Bosnia in their F-16’s. The Bosnian Serbs had mapped the flight pattern of the NATO pilots and had moved a battery of Russian made SA-6 surface-to-air missiles directly below the path of the enforcing aircraft. The Serb commander switched on his radar for just a few moments in order to be able to detect the jets, their path, and their speed. He turned the radar off almost as quickly as he turned it on to avoid detection from the equipment on the jets. Bob Wright picked up the warning single for a few moments but nothing showed on O’Grady’s equipment because he was a little further out of range. The Serbs dialed in their surface-to-air missiles to intercept the F-16’s at just the right moment. Having calculated the speed of the jets the Serbs fired knowing that it would take approximately twenty seconds for the missiles to reach their targets. So after about ten seconds the Serbs switched their radar back on which would guide the missiles to their targets. The first missile exploded in the air between the two jets. The other struck O’Grady’s F-16.
When his F-16 aircraft burst into flames, O’Grady ejected from his disintegrating plane and parachuted to earth, landing deep behind enemy lines in hostile territory. With armed militia hot on his heels, O’Grady dove into the undergrowth. Moments later his pursuers passed five feet from his head. O’Grady’s situation was grim. His survival kit only contained eight 4 ounce packets of water, a first-aid kit, a few flares, a 9 mm pistol, a survival radio barely larger than a walkman, and some radio batteries.
O’Grady was undetected by the initial search conducted by the enemy to find him. Under the cover of darkness he began to slowly move to try to get to higher ground where he could have a better opportunity to make radio contact. O'Grady's efforts to establish contact using the survival radio were thwarted at first by bad weather, which kept allied planes away for several days. O’Grady’s radio not only transmitted his voice it could also transmit a beacon to notify the military of his position. The military was in fact picking up the radio beacon but thought that it might be an ambush by the enemy – they didn’t know if O’Grady was alive or not.
So far there has been no communication and no promise of rescue – there was no hope based on the certainty and truthfulness that the military was coming to get him. “This is Basher five two. Is anyone out there?” No reply! Then early Thursday morning, O’Grady’s sixth day on the ground, Captain Thomas O Hanford and his wingman were coming to the end of their patrol. Hanford wanted to go deeper into enemy territory to see if he could possibly make contact and communication with O’Grady. Running very low on fuel Hanford pressed on as his wingman urged that they should head back. But Hanford didn’t give up. Then at 2:08am Captain Thomas O Hanford broadcasted from his jet, “Basher five two this is Basher one one on Alpha.” And sure enough he hears O’Grady responding, “This is Basher five two – I’m alive”! Listen to this actual cockpit recording.
Now communication has taken place, the military knows that O’Grady is alive and they have given him a promise that they are coming for him. O’Grady now has hope. He is groaning within himself for the full and final rescue that has been promised. But he must wait. Captain Hanford has radioed the military and gone back to his base where his shift is over. But he refueled his jet and went back out so that he could comfort O’Grady while O’Grady waited for the rescue operation to be put in place. O’Grady would have to wait eagerly and persevere with his eyes on the skies looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of the rescue package.
While Hanford was circling in the sky and comforting O’Grady the US military was readying the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit and two of their CH-53 helicopters that would carry a total of 43 marines to go and get O’Grady. At 6:12 am the first of the big cargo helicopters lifted off, followed by two AH-1W Cobra gunships and two AV-8 Harrier jump jets. At 6:44 the rescuers contact O’Grady. His eyes are on the skies – and then he hears it – the sound is building and it’s getting closer and he sees as the helicopters touch down.
At 7:07 am the helicopter's side door had been open for all of three seconds when O'Grady tumbled across its threshold. He had two words, “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
The US military could have failed in its mission – but it didn’t and we are grateful. However, God will never fail in His mission. We have a hope that is steadfast and sure and is an anchor to the soul. If God is for us, who can be against us?
One of these days and it may be very soon, as our eyes are on the skies and we are groaning for, longing for, and looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds – we will hear it – the sound is building and it’s getting closer – it’s the trumpet of God and the Lord Himself will descend with a shout and the rescue will be complete – the redemption of our bodies.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Creation Groans (Romans 8:18-22)
We have already considered our suffering with Christ in the form of affliction and persecution because of our firm stand on the Word and unwavering faith. It has well been said that faith is trusting in spite of consequences. So when affliction or persecution arises because of our stand on the truth and trust in Christ, we trust in spite of consequences. We take our stand on the truth; we will not be moved; and we refuse to throw away our confidence. This is called the perseverance of the saints and those who have been genuinely saved will persevere to the end.
So affliction and persecution are intended by the devil to cause men to stumble and turn away from the truth, believing his lie that Christians are not supposed to suffer. But on the other hand God uses affliction and persecution to cause genuine Christians to cling tighter to Him and prove them to be His children through their perseverance. The ones that endure to the end are proven to be the children of God and the ones that don’t endure to the end are not and will not be saved (Matthew 24:13).
Christians are to know and believe God’s truth that they are to suffer and that their suffering is working for them and not against them. With suffering comes the temptation to “throw in the towel” and give up on the faith. However, God gives His children the grace and the power to endure for His name’s sake (2 Timothy 1:8-12). So when we endure suffering without turning away from the truth; trusting God through it all (Romans 8:28); we prove that we have genuine biblical faith (1 Peter 1:7-9) and are not of those who shrink back and prove themselves to be children of destruction (Hebrews 10:35-39).
All suffering, no matter what form it takes, is a threat to ones faith and will ultimately prove that faith to be either genuine or counterfeit. So the Holy Spirit wants us to shore up our faith by the Word of God (Hebrews 4:2); knowing that God’s intentions are for our good even through our suffering (Romans 8:28); and to trust Him completely in spite of the circumstances (Romans 8:35-39; 2 Timothy 1:12; Hebrews 3:14). We are to be patient and persevere and live by faith (Hebrews 10:35 – 11:1).
So here is the wonderful truth that is presented to us in God’s Word – suffering is the divine decree of an all-mighty, all-wise, and all-loving Creator that causes us to rejoice in Him for what He has done, for what He is doing, and for what He is going to do. Suffering prepares us for glory (2 Thessalonians 1:4-5). Suffering causes us to long for what is coming - glory (Romans 8:23).
But not only do we suffer and long for glory – so does the creation (Romans 8:18-22)
Suffering works for us and not against us (Romans 8:18). In the hands of our wise and loving heavenly Father we are going from groaning to glory. Our suffering in this world is worth it because our sharing in glory will be greater. Our suffering is temporary; our glory will be eternal (2 Corinthians 4:16-18). Therefore we have a proper perspective about suffering and we do not focus on it but on what is to come. This makes all the difference in the world. We see our suffering as a necessary means to a greater end. This makes the suffering endurable and worth it! Suffering is a tool that God uses to prepare us for the glory that is to come and that makes the suffering worth it. We are given the example of suffering the pains of childbirth (Romans 8:22) and the joy of the baby’s birth causes the suffering of labor to dim in comparison. The glory we will see and the glory we will share will be far beyond all comparison to the sufferings we endured.
We are not alone in this suffering or this longing (Romans 8:19). The creation is watching and waiting for the glorification of the children of God which will result in the glorification of the creation. Creation is patiently enduring suffering and eagerly waiting to be set free which will not happen until the children of God are glorified. The glorification of the children of God is the culmination of the work of the Lord Jesus Christ to redeem all who will believe in Him from sin and creation from the curse (Colossians 1:20). So when this blessed event happens – the revealing of the sons of God – the creation will be set free (Romans 8:21) – and it will all be the result of the sinless life, sacrificial death, and supernatural resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Then we will cry, “Glory!” The creation will cry, “Glory!” We will bow on our knees and clap our hands and sing, “Glory!” And all creation in one huge symphony will sing, “Glory!” Glory to the Son of God!
Suffering is intended by God for good for the children of God and for the creation (Romans 8:20-21). God Himself is the One who subjected the creation to futility. Man is responsible for the curse on creation but not the one who cursed it. Subjecting the creation to futility was God’s judicial and righteous judgment because of man’s sin. However, God’s ultimate design in death and decay is two-fold. First and foremost, suffering because of the curse is to define the reality and horrors of sin. There are great and severe consequences to sin because our sin is against a holy and righteous God. Second, suffering because of the curse is to demonstrate the wisdom, power, and love of God through His ability to make suffering work for us and not against us. Suffering makes the children of God better. But notice too that creation will also be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God (Romans 8:21). The curse will be removed and there will be no more suffering. There will be a new heaven and new earth with no more suffering of any kind. God will be glorified for His ability to save and deliver from bondage!
Suffering is designed by God to end in life and not death for the children of God and for the creation (Romans 8:22). God wants us to have the proper perspective for the suffering that is happening to us and the whole creation. For those who love God and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28), suffering is like the pains of childbirth – it is going to end in life and not death. Our suffering will be worth it and it will dim in comparison to glory that is coming. Our groans that arise from our suffering are like the screams of a woman in the maternity ward. Knowing where the screams are coming from and why they are coming makes all the difference in the world as to how you look at the suffering. So be patient; persevere; and live by faith! God knows what He is doing!
So affliction and persecution are intended by the devil to cause men to stumble and turn away from the truth, believing his lie that Christians are not supposed to suffer. But on the other hand God uses affliction and persecution to cause genuine Christians to cling tighter to Him and prove them to be His children through their perseverance. The ones that endure to the end are proven to be the children of God and the ones that don’t endure to the end are not and will not be saved (Matthew 24:13).
Christians are to know and believe God’s truth that they are to suffer and that their suffering is working for them and not against them. With suffering comes the temptation to “throw in the towel” and give up on the faith. However, God gives His children the grace and the power to endure for His name’s sake (2 Timothy 1:8-12). So when we endure suffering without turning away from the truth; trusting God through it all (Romans 8:28); we prove that we have genuine biblical faith (1 Peter 1:7-9) and are not of those who shrink back and prove themselves to be children of destruction (Hebrews 10:35-39).
All suffering, no matter what form it takes, is a threat to ones faith and will ultimately prove that faith to be either genuine or counterfeit. So the Holy Spirit wants us to shore up our faith by the Word of God (Hebrews 4:2); knowing that God’s intentions are for our good even through our suffering (Romans 8:28); and to trust Him completely in spite of the circumstances (Romans 8:35-39; 2 Timothy 1:12; Hebrews 3:14). We are to be patient and persevere and live by faith (Hebrews 10:35 – 11:1).
So here is the wonderful truth that is presented to us in God’s Word – suffering is the divine decree of an all-mighty, all-wise, and all-loving Creator that causes us to rejoice in Him for what He has done, for what He is doing, and for what He is going to do. Suffering prepares us for glory (2 Thessalonians 1:4-5). Suffering causes us to long for what is coming - glory (Romans 8:23).
But not only do we suffer and long for glory – so does the creation (Romans 8:18-22)
Suffering works for us and not against us (Romans 8:18). In the hands of our wise and loving heavenly Father we are going from groaning to glory. Our suffering in this world is worth it because our sharing in glory will be greater. Our suffering is temporary; our glory will be eternal (2 Corinthians 4:16-18). Therefore we have a proper perspective about suffering and we do not focus on it but on what is to come. This makes all the difference in the world. We see our suffering as a necessary means to a greater end. This makes the suffering endurable and worth it! Suffering is a tool that God uses to prepare us for the glory that is to come and that makes the suffering worth it. We are given the example of suffering the pains of childbirth (Romans 8:22) and the joy of the baby’s birth causes the suffering of labor to dim in comparison. The glory we will see and the glory we will share will be far beyond all comparison to the sufferings we endured.
We are not alone in this suffering or this longing (Romans 8:19). The creation is watching and waiting for the glorification of the children of God which will result in the glorification of the creation. Creation is patiently enduring suffering and eagerly waiting to be set free which will not happen until the children of God are glorified. The glorification of the children of God is the culmination of the work of the Lord Jesus Christ to redeem all who will believe in Him from sin and creation from the curse (Colossians 1:20). So when this blessed event happens – the revealing of the sons of God – the creation will be set free (Romans 8:21) – and it will all be the result of the sinless life, sacrificial death, and supernatural resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Then we will cry, “Glory!” The creation will cry, “Glory!” We will bow on our knees and clap our hands and sing, “Glory!” And all creation in one huge symphony will sing, “Glory!” Glory to the Son of God!
Suffering is intended by God for good for the children of God and for the creation (Romans 8:20-21). God Himself is the One who subjected the creation to futility. Man is responsible for the curse on creation but not the one who cursed it. Subjecting the creation to futility was God’s judicial and righteous judgment because of man’s sin. However, God’s ultimate design in death and decay is two-fold. First and foremost, suffering because of the curse is to define the reality and horrors of sin. There are great and severe consequences to sin because our sin is against a holy and righteous God. Second, suffering because of the curse is to demonstrate the wisdom, power, and love of God through His ability to make suffering work for us and not against us. Suffering makes the children of God better. But notice too that creation will also be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God (Romans 8:21). The curse will be removed and there will be no more suffering. There will be a new heaven and new earth with no more suffering of any kind. God will be glorified for His ability to save and deliver from bondage!
Suffering is designed by God to end in life and not death for the children of God and for the creation (Romans 8:22). God wants us to have the proper perspective for the suffering that is happening to us and the whole creation. For those who love God and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28), suffering is like the pains of childbirth – it is going to end in life and not death. Our suffering will be worth it and it will dim in comparison to glory that is coming. Our groans that arise from our suffering are like the screams of a woman in the maternity ward. Knowing where the screams are coming from and why they are coming makes all the difference in the world as to how you look at the suffering. So be patient; persevere; and live by faith! God knows what He is doing!
Monday, February 15, 2010
Suffering with Christ (Romans 8:17)
Romans 8:17 speaks of our suffering with Christ so that we may also be glorified with Him. Implied in this verse is the truth that the children of God will be persecuted, lied about, ostracized, and hated by the world – especially by the unbelieving, unregenerate, religious world. The children of God will suffer for their faith. The Bible doesn’t hide this truth but speaks of it clearly, plainly, and often.
Suffering in the form of persecution and hatred from the world is intended by the devil to keep men in his kingdom; operating by the flesh rather than by faith; concerned for their comfort rather than their character; and more concerned about what other men say and think about them rather than what God says and thinks about them. Suffering with Christ is a price to high to pay for those who don’t have biblical saving faith. So suffering in the form of persecution and hatred from the world is used by the devil to cause those who are moving toward the truth to turn away from it. “The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away” (Matthew 13:20-21).
Notice how Jesus says that this person doesn’t have biblical saving faith – “Yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary.” This type of man professes faith – “This is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy” – but does not possess faith – “Yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary.” Suffering in the form of persecution and hatred from the world will cause this type of man to stumble and to turn away from the truth – to live by flesh and not faith – because the price is too high.
The person with a profession of faith but who does not possess biblical saving faith will then seek to be friends with the world so that he does not have to suffer with Christ. Since afflictions or persecutions arise because of the word, the professor who is not a possessor resorts to walking in craftiness and watering down the word (2 Corinthians 4:2); peddling or corrupting the word of God (2 Corinthians 2:17); seeking the favor of man rather than the favor of God (Galatians 1:10); removing the offense of the cross (Galatians 5:11); and making himself a friend of the world (James 4:4) just to name a few.
The one who professes faith but does not possess faith will not take a firm stand on the truth of the word of God. The reason is because taking a firm stand on the word of God which is taking a firm stand on truth is what brings the heat – affliction and persecution arises because of the word. People who will not stand in the truth and suffer with Christ do not belong to Him. Jesus said, “You are of your father the devil and want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him” (John 8:44). These people do not stand in the truth and do not suffer with Christ. “Submission to Christ without submission to the Scriptures is submission to a self-made Christ, not submission to Christ” (John Piper).
You can take a modern day professor of faith who does not posses faith and put him on Larry King Live and when asked by Larry King, “What about the Jews and others who don’t believe in Christ, will they go to hell?” And the instant reply is, “I don’t know! That’s God’s business. I can’t be their judge!” And then – presto – our world friendly, truth denying, Scripture twisting heretic, is loved by all men and esteemed as a hero of the faith. And how quickly men forget that Jesus said, “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for their fathers used to treat the false prophets in the same way” (Luke 6:26), and, “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matthew 5:11-12).
But those who have received the love of the truth so as to be saved take a stand in the truth and suffer with Christ because of it. These are not just professors of faith – these are possessors of faith. Becoming a genuine believer will not make one popular – it will make one persecuted! We will not be in step with the world – we will be out of step with the world and because of this the world will hate us.
Our suffering with Christ and being afflicted and persecuted because of the word is absolute evidence that we are indeed children of God. When we are insulted, falsely accused, hated, ostracized, and our names scorned as evil for the sake of Christ, we know that we do indeed belong to Him.
The children of God suffer with Christ because they do not corrupt the word of God; they do not water down the word of God; they seek the favor of God rather than the favor of men; they do not attempt to remove the offense of the cross; and they do not make themselves friends of the world and enemies of God!
It is God’s will that His children suffer with Christ (1 Peter 4:12-19). Through our suffering with Christ, God chips away at all that does not conform to the image of His Son so that He can make us more like Jesus. Through our suffering with Christ, God causes us to walk by faith – entrusting our souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right – and not by flesh. Through it we learn that God is causing all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).
Through our suffering with Christ we know that we are children of God and that we genuinely have received the love of the truth. We also know that our suffering is working for us and not against – “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us” (Romans 8:31)?
Suffering in the form of persecution and hatred from the world is intended by the devil to keep men in his kingdom; operating by the flesh rather than by faith; concerned for their comfort rather than their character; and more concerned about what other men say and think about them rather than what God says and thinks about them. Suffering with Christ is a price to high to pay for those who don’t have biblical saving faith. So suffering in the form of persecution and hatred from the world is used by the devil to cause those who are moving toward the truth to turn away from it. “The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away” (Matthew 13:20-21).
Notice how Jesus says that this person doesn’t have biblical saving faith – “Yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary.” This type of man professes faith – “This is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy” – but does not possess faith – “Yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary.” Suffering in the form of persecution and hatred from the world will cause this type of man to stumble and to turn away from the truth – to live by flesh and not faith – because the price is too high.
The person with a profession of faith but who does not possess biblical saving faith will then seek to be friends with the world so that he does not have to suffer with Christ. Since afflictions or persecutions arise because of the word, the professor who is not a possessor resorts to walking in craftiness and watering down the word (2 Corinthians 4:2); peddling or corrupting the word of God (2 Corinthians 2:17); seeking the favor of man rather than the favor of God (Galatians 1:10); removing the offense of the cross (Galatians 5:11); and making himself a friend of the world (James 4:4) just to name a few.
The one who professes faith but does not possess faith will not take a firm stand on the truth of the word of God. The reason is because taking a firm stand on the word of God which is taking a firm stand on truth is what brings the heat – affliction and persecution arises because of the word. People who will not stand in the truth and suffer with Christ do not belong to Him. Jesus said, “You are of your father the devil and want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him” (John 8:44). These people do not stand in the truth and do not suffer with Christ. “Submission to Christ without submission to the Scriptures is submission to a self-made Christ, not submission to Christ” (John Piper).
You can take a modern day professor of faith who does not posses faith and put him on Larry King Live and when asked by Larry King, “What about the Jews and others who don’t believe in Christ, will they go to hell?” And the instant reply is, “I don’t know! That’s God’s business. I can’t be their judge!” And then – presto – our world friendly, truth denying, Scripture twisting heretic, is loved by all men and esteemed as a hero of the faith. And how quickly men forget that Jesus said, “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for their fathers used to treat the false prophets in the same way” (Luke 6:26), and, “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matthew 5:11-12).
But those who have received the love of the truth so as to be saved take a stand in the truth and suffer with Christ because of it. These are not just professors of faith – these are possessors of faith. Becoming a genuine believer will not make one popular – it will make one persecuted! We will not be in step with the world – we will be out of step with the world and because of this the world will hate us.
Our suffering with Christ and being afflicted and persecuted because of the word is absolute evidence that we are indeed children of God. When we are insulted, falsely accused, hated, ostracized, and our names scorned as evil for the sake of Christ, we know that we do indeed belong to Him.
The children of God suffer with Christ because they do not corrupt the word of God; they do not water down the word of God; they seek the favor of God rather than the favor of men; they do not attempt to remove the offense of the cross; and they do not make themselves friends of the world and enemies of God!
It is God’s will that His children suffer with Christ (1 Peter 4:12-19). Through our suffering with Christ, God chips away at all that does not conform to the image of His Son so that He can make us more like Jesus. Through our suffering with Christ, God causes us to walk by faith – entrusting our souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right – and not by flesh. Through it we learn that God is causing all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).
Through our suffering with Christ we know that we are children of God and that we genuinely have received the love of the truth. We also know that our suffering is working for us and not against – “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us” (Romans 8:31)?
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Children of God (Romans 8:12-17) - Five Evidences
The apostle Paul has been laboring to show and explain how the Gospel of justification by grace through faith establishes the Law of God rather than nullifying it (Romans 3:31) and how justification by faith NEVER gives a license to sin (Romans 6:1-11) but justification by faith ALWAYS results in sanctification (Romans 6:12-23).
All of Romans 6, Romans 7, and Romans 8 is an explanation for why people who are justified by faith alone will not continue in sin and how justification by faith establishes the Law rather than nullifies it.
So, in Romans 7, Paul had to deal with both the intent of the Law (Romans 7:1-13) and the inability of the Law (Romans 7:14-25) to show that he was not preaching against the Law and that the Law was indeed that which is good (Romans 7:16). The intent of the Law is to show us God’s righteous character and our unrighteousness. The Law shows us how bad we are; it actually stirs up our badness. However, the Law also has an inability – it cannot justify a single sinner! So not only can the Law not justify – neither can it sanctify.
Then in Romans 8, the apostle Paul got to the heart of the matter as to why justification by faith NEVER gives a license to sin and ALWAYS issues in sanctification – the person who is justified by faith is given the Holy Spirit of God who is the power of godliness.
Paul has been making two comparisons and contrasts in Romans 8:1-17. He has been comparing and contrasting the lost man to the saved man; the man of the flesh to the man of faith; the self-led man to the Spirit-led man. One of the primary dangers that Paul is warning about in this section is that of having a form of godliness but denying its power. In other words Paul is warning about being controlled by the flesh and claiming to be saved when in reality that is impossible. No one is saved who does not have the Spirit of God and who is not controlled by the Spirit of God no matter how religious he appears.
Romans 8:1-4 teaches us of exempted living for the believer. The believer is exempted from the Law and its penalty because his penalty has been paid for by Christ. And now the believer can live for Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit rather than attempting to please God by the Law in his own power.
Romans 8:5-8 teaches us of the excluded life for the unbeliever – even if he claims to be a believer. The unbeliever has no power or ability to obey and please God because he does not have the indwelling Holy Spirit. The unbeliever can only live by the flesh and not by faith and therefore can never please God.
Romans 8:9-17 teaches us of the exalted life for the believer. The believer lives the exalted life; he lives on a higher plane because he has the Spirit (Romans 8:9-11) and the Spirit has him (Romans 8:12-17).
In Romans 8:12-17 Paul gave five evidences of the Spirit having the believer:
The first evidence that the Spirit has you is that by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body (Romans 8:12-13). This means that you are committed to the Lordship of Christ in your life; that you are not leaning on your own understanding; and you are not being self-led. You are growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord and are learning to obey all that He has commanded. You are not your own – you have been bought with a price – so you are learning to glorify God in your body and surrender it to Him. You have a new relationship to self and sin – you are fighting against it.
The second evidence that the Spirit has you is that you are being led by the Spirit (Romans 8:14). This means that the government of your life rests on His shoulders and that He is in control and not you. This also means that you are being led by the Word of God because this is what the Spirit uses to guide God’s children. You will be growing in both hearing and obeying the Word of God. The Spirit will lead you into all truth and will give you the power to obey that truth by adjusting your life to that truth. You will begin to have discernment and will know the difference between true and false teachers because you are being guided by God’s Word which is evidence that you are being guided by God’s Spirit. All of this added together will mean that your walk is characterized by living by faith and not by the flesh.
A third evidence that the Spirit has you is that you have a new relationship to God with Him as your Father (Romans 8:15). This means that you are not a slave but a son. You obey God because you love Him and want to please Him, not because you are afraid of the consequences. Christians are not slaves afraid of a mean master but are children in awe of a loving Father. We 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). This is our motivation for putting to death the deeds of the body. The Spirit does not lead us into obedience by stirring up slavish fear. He leads us into obedience by stirring up family affection – love for God as our Father. The Spirit does not make us slaves who act out of fear but sons who act out of faith. Faith is trust and trust is based on love, not fear! So not only do we have a new relationship to sin and self (putting to death the deads of the body), we also have a new relationship to God (with Him as our Father).
A fourth evidence that the Spirit has you is that He witnesses that you are a child of God to your spirit (Romans 8:16). The Spirit of God makes God’s love for us real by pouring out God’s love for us in us (Romans 5:5; 1 John 4:16). And then we love Him because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). So you see, our service to God is out of love for God and not out of fear. And since we serve God out of love we serve Him the way that pleases Him and not our own way. We do the will of God the way of God from the Word of God because we love Him – and this is how the Spirit of God witnesses to us that we are the children of God (see 1 John 2:3).
A fifth evidence that the Spirit has you is that you suffer because of your love for God and your relationship to Him (Romans 8:17). We suffer for the sake of righteousness and for the sake of Christ. The reason is because we live by faith and not by flesh and the world hates us for it. They do not know God and therefore they do not know us (1 John 3:1). This is why they hate us and why we suffer with Him (John 15:18-21).
All of Romans 6, Romans 7, and Romans 8 is an explanation for why people who are justified by faith alone will not continue in sin and how justification by faith establishes the Law rather than nullifies it.
So, in Romans 7, Paul had to deal with both the intent of the Law (Romans 7:1-13) and the inability of the Law (Romans 7:14-25) to show that he was not preaching against the Law and that the Law was indeed that which is good (Romans 7:16). The intent of the Law is to show us God’s righteous character and our unrighteousness. The Law shows us how bad we are; it actually stirs up our badness. However, the Law also has an inability – it cannot justify a single sinner! So not only can the Law not justify – neither can it sanctify.
Then in Romans 8, the apostle Paul got to the heart of the matter as to why justification by faith NEVER gives a license to sin and ALWAYS issues in sanctification – the person who is justified by faith is given the Holy Spirit of God who is the power of godliness.
Paul has been making two comparisons and contrasts in Romans 8:1-17. He has been comparing and contrasting the lost man to the saved man; the man of the flesh to the man of faith; the self-led man to the Spirit-led man. One of the primary dangers that Paul is warning about in this section is that of having a form of godliness but denying its power. In other words Paul is warning about being controlled by the flesh and claiming to be saved when in reality that is impossible. No one is saved who does not have the Spirit of God and who is not controlled by the Spirit of God no matter how religious he appears.
Romans 8:1-4 teaches us of exempted living for the believer. The believer is exempted from the Law and its penalty because his penalty has been paid for by Christ. And now the believer can live for Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit rather than attempting to please God by the Law in his own power.
Romans 8:5-8 teaches us of the excluded life for the unbeliever – even if he claims to be a believer. The unbeliever has no power or ability to obey and please God because he does not have the indwelling Holy Spirit. The unbeliever can only live by the flesh and not by faith and therefore can never please God.
Romans 8:9-17 teaches us of the exalted life for the believer. The believer lives the exalted life; he lives on a higher plane because he has the Spirit (Romans 8:9-11) and the Spirit has him (Romans 8:12-17).
In Romans 8:12-17 Paul gave five evidences of the Spirit having the believer:
The first evidence that the Spirit has you is that by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body (Romans 8:12-13). This means that you are committed to the Lordship of Christ in your life; that you are not leaning on your own understanding; and you are not being self-led. You are growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord and are learning to obey all that He has commanded. You are not your own – you have been bought with a price – so you are learning to glorify God in your body and surrender it to Him. You have a new relationship to self and sin – you are fighting against it.
The second evidence that the Spirit has you is that you are being led by the Spirit (Romans 8:14). This means that the government of your life rests on His shoulders and that He is in control and not you. This also means that you are being led by the Word of God because this is what the Spirit uses to guide God’s children. You will be growing in both hearing and obeying the Word of God. The Spirit will lead you into all truth and will give you the power to obey that truth by adjusting your life to that truth. You will begin to have discernment and will know the difference between true and false teachers because you are being guided by God’s Word which is evidence that you are being guided by God’s Spirit. All of this added together will mean that your walk is characterized by living by faith and not by the flesh.
A third evidence that the Spirit has you is that you have a new relationship to God with Him as your Father (Romans 8:15). This means that you are not a slave but a son. You obey God because you love Him and want to please Him, not because you are afraid of the consequences. Christians are not slaves afraid of a mean master but are children in awe of a loving Father. We 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). This is our motivation for putting to death the deeds of the body. The Spirit does not lead us into obedience by stirring up slavish fear. He leads us into obedience by stirring up family affection – love for God as our Father. The Spirit does not make us slaves who act out of fear but sons who act out of faith. Faith is trust and trust is based on love, not fear! So not only do we have a new relationship to sin and self (putting to death the deads of the body), we also have a new relationship to God (with Him as our Father).
A fourth evidence that the Spirit has you is that He witnesses that you are a child of God to your spirit (Romans 8:16). The Spirit of God makes God’s love for us real by pouring out God’s love for us in us (Romans 5:5; 1 John 4:16). And then we love Him because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). So you see, our service to God is out of love for God and not out of fear. And since we serve God out of love we serve Him the way that pleases Him and not our own way. We do the will of God the way of God from the Word of God because we love Him – and this is how the Spirit of God witnesses to us that we are the children of God (see 1 John 2:3).
A fifth evidence that the Spirit has you is that you suffer because of your love for God and your relationship to Him (Romans 8:17). We suffer for the sake of righteousness and for the sake of Christ. The reason is because we live by faith and not by flesh and the world hates us for it. They do not know God and therefore they do not know us (1 John 3:1). This is why they hate us and why we suffer with Him (John 15:18-21).
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