"So Great a Salvation..."

Why I Love Perfect Participles...

2009-07-24T13:29:00.000-07:00

ok, ok... I hope you get as excited about this as I am... but the Greek language is a wonderful thing. Now I'm not saying everyone needs to know Greek to understand the Bible, but I sure hope whatever preacher you are listening to is diligent in his study of it, or he may miss things like the perfect participle.

The perfect participle in the Greek language indicates a "completed action with results continuing into the present." Hmmm... sounds like salvation. The example that is given is Ephesians 2:8,9. Paul says "By Grace you have been saved through faith..." A glance of this verse would lead most to point to the act of justification, knowing that our justification, i.e. atonement for sin, is not something we received by works, but a "gift of God, so no one may boast" as Paul puts it.

But wait a minute... If Paul were just talking about justification, wouldn't he have said so? I think so, and further more, in light of my cherished perfect participle, the above bold verb would be better translated "are being saved." So it isn't something we "received," but in fact is something we are receiving. So in the interest of making a rather lengthy discussion short, let me sum up by saying this:

The completed action is the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, and the residual effects of that completed action is our justification (which is complete), sanctification (which is still in progress), and our eventual glorification when we enter into heaven.

But here is an important part I don't want you to miss, and I hope it encourages you...
All of these things are a gift from God! That's why Paul said to the Galatians in Galatians 3:3 "Are you so foolish, having begun by the Spirit, are you now perfected in the flesh?" It's why he also told the Philippians in Phil 2:13, "It is God who is at work in you."

I am speaking primarily about sanctification. In the good times, and in the difficult times, never lose site of the fact that along with your justification, and your eventual glorification, the process of your sanctification is just as much a gift that God has given you by grace, through faith.

Psalm 135:6

2008-12-29T05:23:00.000-08:00

There's something to this...

"Whatever the Lord pleases, He does, in heaven, and on earth, in the seas, and all deeps.

My pastor gave me a book by Steve Lawson called "Foundations of Grace: Volume 1" subtitled "A Long Line of Godly Men."

I first heard of this book at the 2007 Shepherds Conference, and was interested in it from the very beginning. I've always loved church history, and was interested in any series that highlights the men of old and new that God has used to defend His Truth. The Lord works in wonderful and mysterious ways, and clearly He has put this book in my hand to pleasantly surprise me and warmly encourage me to pursue the doctrines of grace. I didn't know Steve Lawson wrote this specifically to show how the doctrines of grace have been the pillars of men God has used greatly since Moses.

I am ashamed to admit the doctrines of grace is something I struggle with from time to time. They seem to make sense in my mind, but what I wonder is does Holy Scripture truly teach this? Over the years I have been inundated with wildly charismatic and Armenian teaching. This has led to a swing into the other camp, and sometimes, because of my own sinfulness, I become prideful. At times I am better at spouting off what others believe than examining the doctrines myself. This book is an answer to prayer because Lawson is an expert at the exposition of Scripture.

The one saving Grace for me in this area has been careful exposition. I have yet to find someone in the Armenian camp that has come to an Armenian conclusion based on the careful exposition of Scripture. As Lawson says in the first chapter, "When the Bible is rightly exegeted, carefully expounded, and properly explained, it clearly teaches these truths, which have been identified as (the doctrines of grace)"

These doctrines are self-mortifying doctrines. They are God-glorifying doctrines in the strictest sense, and I believe that is why I am falling in love with them. No other doctrines have come closer to taking me out of this world and into the throne room of heaven itself than these, and yet I have met some who would say these doctrines present a God who cannot be worshipped, and to be perfectly honest, I agree with them. These doctrines present a God that cannot be worshipped by natural man. I believe that the Holy Spirit, as He works in us to sanctify us will patiently bring us to the realization of these truths. To be blunt, the sooner you set your fallen notions of fairness aside and embrace these truths, the easier it will become to fall out of love with world, and in love with God. Until you embrace these truths, I believe you will constantly battle against the Spirit of God at a level that was never intended for true saints. It will stunt you and weaken you, and quench the Spirit of God inside you.

There will always be a tension, and sometimes even men the Lord uses to do wonderful things fall on the wrong side. Men like John Wesley, and the present day example, Hank Hanegraaff. I haven't read a great deal of Wesley, but I believe it's safe to assume that for the most part, like Hanegraaff, he wasn't an expositor of Scripture. Wesley was an evangelist, and Hanegraaff is an apologist. I know both deny the doctrines of grace in one respect or another. Either way, God will use His people in His way. Every good Calvinist knows that, and unless the Lord leads me to further study of these men and other Armenians the Lord uses, (How I would love to see a collection like that of Lawson's highlighting the Armenian giants of the faith. I would read it cautiously, with Bible in hand, but certainly enthusiastically.) I look at men like Wesley and Hanegraaff as high-points in a man-centered system as I would look upon prideful and self-centered hyper-calvinists as low-points in a Bible-saturated and God-centered system. Regardless of the system, we are still messy creatures desperate for God's grace, which drives me even further to theses wonderful doctrines of grace.

I praise God, not for systems, but for His Word, and for the brilliant men He has raised to make His name famous, and spread His glory to the ends of the earth.

Hebrews 11

2008-11-19T05:12:00.001-08:00

Moses: The Mighty Man of God

I have much to say as I read J.C. Ryle's explanation of Moses. Like any good exposition, it brings to light things that are clear in Scripture that you never would have seen otherwise. I found the chapter, along with all the chapter's from his book, Holiness, online. I would encourage all of you to read it because I am sure I will not do it justice.

While he makes many fascinating points about how what Moses willingly gave up for His God, there is one thing that caught my attention that caused me to stop reading in the middle of the chapter, and write about it.

This is the section that caught my attention:

Who can conceive the torrent of mockery and ridicule that Moses would have to stem, in turning away from Pharaoh’s court to join Israel? Men would tell him he was mad, foolish, weak, silly, out of his mind. He would lose his influence; he would forfeit the favor and good opinion of all among whom he had lived. But none of these things moved him. He left the court and joined the slaves!
Let us think again, what a choice this was!
There are few things more powerful than ridicule and scorn. It can do far more than open enmity and persecution. Many a man who would march up to a cannon’s mouth, or lead a forlorn hope, or storm a breach has found it impossible to face the mockery of a few companions and has flinched from the path of duty to avoid it. To be laughed at! To be made a joke of! To be jested and sneered at! To be reckoned weak and silly! To be thought a fool! There is nothing grand in all this and many, alas, cannot make up their minds to undergo it!

Isn't it true. When I read this , my mind immediately went to the brave men who stormed the beaches at Normandy, and the many brave men and women I currently serve with. Many brave souls have risked their lives in battle, defying the odds, and charging forward into seemingly certain death. Whether they live or die, we all agree, they are heroes. What they did was brave, but I am sure what Moses endured was far more difficult. On the contray, it could be argued that some of our heroes have acted so bravely to avoid exactly what Moses stood firm against, and that is ridicule and mockery.

I don't want to discredit the bravery of soldiers who fight to defend freedom, but there is a strong argument for Moses' bravery being far greater! I personally have seen strong, battle-hardened warriors who have seen the terrors of war, who have fought valiantly against the enemies of the United States, who have watched friends die in combat, but bravely continued on with the mission... completely break down because of ridicule and mockery. Never under-estimate the power of the flesh. There is no secular explanation for why Moses did what he did, yet ironically, the secular world celebrates Moses as some sort of hero, who valiantly turned his back on luxury to live among slaves. It's also important to note that the ridicule and mockery Moses received was not from his enemies, but his peers. They were men and woman he was close to, brothers, sisters, parents, and relatives. Ridicule and mockery from enemies is one thing, but what man or woman do you know can handle it from close friends!

I'm thankful for the example of Moses. I believe we need more Moses' in our world. In closing I will turn you to Hebrews 11, which explains why Moses did this, and if you would like a further exposition, I would encourage you to read the chapter from "Holiness"

Annihilationism: Nothing to be afraid of... or is it?

2008-10-15T19:37:00.000-07:00

Matthew 10:28; Galatians 3:24-26

Let me begin by saying... it's been a while, and it's good to be back. This has been a great outlet for me. I can't even begin to tell you how incredibly impotent I feel when it comes to apologetics. I know I can often give others the impression that I have superior knowledge when it comes to God, but my ability to communicate has deceived many, including myself at times, into thinking the great truths I've conveyed to them were a result of my own insight or rationale, when they were, in fact, mostly derived from my study of men who have poured their lives into Scripture. While I am grateful for the God-given insight of these men, I certainly don't want to give anyone the impression I have been afforded the same insight. I am grateful for the things God has revealed to me, and I always pray God will reveal them to me directly from His Word before I'm inclined to believe anyone, or discredit anyone.

This is why apologetics are difficult for me. I have been challenged, recently, on how I look at a lot of things in Scripture. Thankfully, by the Grace of God, His Word has always come out on top, and the question of annihilationism is no different. I read Greg Boyd's defense of Annihilationism, and even though it is in stark contrast to everything I have been taught since I believed, I considered it. Greg Boyd has a large following, and after reading his exposition of Romans 9 I wanted to read more about his theology on other things. Now, I believe any learned believer could probably pick apart his open theistic explanation of Romans 9, but I am not quite there yet. Even though the exposition stood against everything I understand about God, and I wasn't buying it, I can see how it would be understood that way. I was intrigued, hoping I could at least get a rational, even if it's wrong, opinion about annihilationism, and that's when the wheels started coming off.

I'll let Dr. Boyd tell you what Annihilationism is, so I'm not accused of putting a "negative spin" on it: "Annihilationism is the view that whoever and whatever cannot be redeemed by God is ultimately put out of existence. Sentient beings do not suffer eternally, as the traditional view of hell teaches."

Dr. Boyd says he is strongly inclined towards this position. I cannot say this enough... I am not an apologist, nor do I want to meddle too much in the business of picking apart heresies for a couple reasons:

1. I am too susceptible to pride. I find that when I spend a good deal of time finding heresy, and trying to snuff it out, I'm the one who gets "snuffy"

2. There are WAAAAAAY smarter individuals than myself who are much better at it

But I did have to say something about annihilationsim. I emailed Greg and asked him, why would anyone be afraid of God?

Jesus said, "Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."

If our two choices are go to heaven or cease to exist when we die, than why would Jesus tell us to fear God who is able to destroy body and soul? It doesn't add up. I know we will be judged, and if we're found guilty we'll be thrown into the lake of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matt 13:42) But how long will that last? is it just a few minutes? A couple seconds, and then we're gone? It seems the only difference between an atheist and an annihilationist is the annihilationist is at least willing to concede to a final judgement, but essentially, they're in agreement. A MUCH better argument against annihilationism can be found here, but so far, I haven't been able to find answers for my questions.

I am thankful for the testimony of the persecuted church. It would seem ridiculous that so many, like Jim Elliot and Nate Saint, among countless others (The Apostle Paul...?) would risk their lives to deliver a "message of salvation" to those who can either choose heaven or... nothing. I guess what makes it even harder to believe is the fact that is wrapped around open theism, which means it's our choice. Try to put yourself into the natural mind, and look around... why on earth would you become a Christian? There are dozens of religions that will soundly soothe your deepest needs, but certainly NOT Christianity. Remember, as mark Driscoll so eloquently put it... "We worship a Guy WHO GOT MURDERED." Murdered, killed... and what happens to many of His followers? You guessed it... killed. Paul put it plainly in Galatians... the Law leads us to Christ. We need forgiveness, we will be held accountable, and annihilationism, in my humble opinion, tears at the fabric of the Gospel Itself. So there it is... my first blog in a long time. It's good to be back.

Remember the Martyr

2008-08-07T05:20:00.000-07:00

I don't have any particular verse I plan on expositing, but I do strongly recommend every faithful believer of our lord read J C Ryle's essay on Christian zeal. It is beautiful and convicting. My prayer of late is to desire nothing but our Lord. While I was thinking about this this morning, it dawned on me how privelidged we are. We have direct access to works by faithful saints, and are so very blessed by men like John Macarthur, John Piper, and even past saints like Jonathan Edwards, George Whitfield, William Carey, Charles Spurgeon, Martin Luther, John Calvin, and many others who we owe so much to our understanding and appreciation of God. While these faithful men have been lifted up for good cause in our world, and certainly aren't short of appreciation, (be praying for them, because that's difficult for any person to endure) My true hero is the faithful Christian who is living in exile because of their faith. It's the one who perhaps has never heard of any of the aforementioned men. The one who perhaps couldn't find a western country on the map, but whose dedication to our Lord will be tried and true to the fullest. They are saints who are living, and sometimes dying proof that it is in fact the Spirit of the Living God that sustains us.

When I read stories that are on websites like this I can't help but think our Lord has given us the privilege of living with access to all of this information for a reason. Azieb Simon, she is my hero. And I believe men and women like her deserve just as much praise an adoration we pour into the faithful men whom God has gifted to open up our souls to His Truth. God bless Azieb and everyone else at that prison. May He give them strength to place their faith in a merciful God who is just, and will let no sin go unpunished. (proverbs 11:21)

Matthew 18:15

2008-06-20T10:39:00.000-07:00

"If a brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother."

I've been thinking about this a bit lately, at least enough to warrant a blog about it. Lately things have taken place in an area of my life where, how do you say... I was "offended," or as some "Christians" may say, I was "sinned against." I thought about it, prayed about, wrestled with it, sought counsel about it, and all those other things you're supposed to do.

Then it dawned on me... what part of me was so offeneded? It was my pride. I was angry, because I felt as if I was being misrepresented. I didn't want people to believe the things that other people were saying about me, and for what? To look good? "Oh no," I said to myself, "so Christ will look good." I don't want to go into detail about the situation. Not because I want to keep it confidential, but because I'd don't think it's important. As I hashed out in my brain how, when, or even if I would approach the involved parties, it dawned on me... to what end? What was the purpose? Once my mind sat there for some time, it wasn't long to discover how involved my flesh was in the process of "reconciliation." The only thing I was interested in reconciling was my own reputation. Not only that, I'm not even fully convinced all that was said about me is a lie. A bit unnecessary, perhaps, ungodly... most definitely, but why would I kick Matthew 18 into gear?

Which brings me to the exposition... why, how, or when would anyone implement the principles found in Matthew 18? Verse 15 tells us... you have gained your brother." As much as my flesh would love to have the verse say, "Your reputation is restored" I had to swallow my pride, and find out whether bringing it up would serve God's purpose or not, and that is the salvation of their souls. Paul gives us specific instructions on how to deal with a believer who is sinning in Galatians 6:1. he even warns the "one who is spiritual" To "be careful, lest they, too, also be tempted." I love that verse. Instead of typing it out, I say you go read it for yourself. For the longest time, I thought Paul wanted us to dive into the trenches to pull them out of sin, and the temptation would be for us to start living life the same way they did... but no. The temptation is for us to come at them with any attitude other than a "spirit of meekness." How often do we want to sit people down, point our fingers in their face, open up the good book, and "hit em with the Word." I've struggled with this, it's true, but isn't it possible to say the same thing with different attitudes? Especially when it comes to professing believers. I don't recall anything in scripture that suggests we "run out of patience, get so fed up with someone's attitude or actions, that we just blow up and say what's on our minds." That seems a lot more like how the world deals with situations. Contrary to what some people seem to believe, the Bible has a lot to say about a Christian's attitude concerning conflict, and to be perfectly honest, it couldn't possibly be more self-defacing.

That's why I say don't be afraid to be a doormat. Christ doesn't need our ideas of how we can make him look good, nor does He need us to be liked or accepted for Him to be exhaulted. If possible, we should live peaceably with all men, but remember who we aim to please. Not men, not ourselves, but Christ. This post was just a really long way of saying ladies and gentlemen, when you feel that storm well up in the pit of your stomach, and the Biblical connections are made in your mind about why everything you are hearing and seeing desecrates Christ and His Word, remember you, too, were once dead in your trespasses, (Eph 2) then take time to pray, and consider why you would say anything at all.

I'll leave you with the wise (and inspired) words of Paul...

"And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God."

I Peter 1:23-25

2008-04-07T20:11:00.000-07:00

First and foremost, it's been a little while since I posted, and I miss it dearly. I've been a bit sporadic in my postings lately, and I intend to change that. I write because I love it. It edifies me to write because it's simply a reflection of what I have learned. I want to be a conduit through which the Lord speaks, nothing more, and this blog is my opportunity to do exactly that. So today, I look at I Peter 1:23-25. This was influenced by the message John Piper preached last Sunday, but it is mainly an illumination of the text.

"Since you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and abiding Word of God. For

'all flesh is like grass, and all it's glory like the flower of grass. The glass whithers, the flower fades, but the Word of the Lord remains forever.' (Isaiah 40:6,8)

And this Word is the good news that was preached to you."

This is an absolutely amazing passage. How are we born again? By the imperishable, meaning never fading, always perfect, always pure, but more directly, always fresh Word of God. We get it, it's how we're born, but what is the Word? The Word is the Gospel. It's so simple, it's almost ridiculous.

We have this message, it's called the gospel, and when people hear this message, God saves them.

Is that too simple to understand? An obvious question would be, "if that's how it works, than why isn't everyone who hears the message saved?" Human wisdom suggests perhaps they didn't quite explain it right. If God's gospel is supposed to be so simple, why doesn't everybody get it? If faith comes by hearing the Word of God, as Paul says in Romans, and the Word of God is the Gospel, than why are parents praying for decades that God will save their wayward sons and daughters? Why can't the sincere and heartfelt plea with a stranger to repent of their sins and put their faith and trust in Christ immediately cause them to drop to their knees, mourn over their sin, and leap for joy at the understanding of the news they just heard? After all, the Bible says it is that simple.

Well, Paul gives us an answer. He says in 2 Cor 4 that God has veiled the Gospel to those who are perishing. We don't know why God has done this, more specifically, why some hear the Gospel and receive Christ with gladness, and why others go to their grave rejecting Christ. We only know it happens. So for those of us who have "received with meekness the implanted Word," What are we supposed to do? Thankfully Peter makes that clear:

"But You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own posession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light."

I take great joy in telling others what it is like to live in the light. When you put on the Lord Jesus Christ, your life changes, and soon you begin to see what a marvelous blessing He is, even on top of the salvation. Christ has created us, so only He knows what suits us best if we would just listen and obey Him.

Matthew 16:24, Luke 18:18-30

2008-03-14T19:20:00.000-07:00

Where is Christ on your List?

It's a fair question, but no one really wants to think about it. Steve Lawson said something that really struck a chord with me, and let me emphasize how harmonious the sound in my heart was. What he said was about half way through a promo video for Resolved 2008. He said:

"One must love Him more than anyone or anything else in life. There can be no competing affections, there can be no competing allegiances, Jesus Christ must be number one in your life, or you cannot get in line, and follow after Christ."

This is a striking statement, especially if it's true, and biblically, it can't be argued against. Instead of going into a biblical defense of that statement, I instead would encourage you to search the scriptures, and see if you come up with something different.

Can you imagine what would happen if this is what was preached consistently from the pulpit of our churches? What an impact that would have if people could hear that, and finally be forced to make a choice between not just the sin they love, but anything above Christ. Would it be unloving to suggest to someone who openly confesses without penitence that although they trust in Christ, there are more important things in life? I would say there couldn't possibly be something more loving.

Whatever you treasure, your God is calling you to something so much greater... Himself.

2 Corinthians 4:7

2008-02-01T16:43:00.000-08:00

"But we have this treasure in earthen vessels..."

Part of the reason I haven't spent much time here is because I'm trying to minimize myself. This passage is among the most beautiful in the New Testament. I took the liberty of studying the Greek, and I noticed some emphasis to the word "earthen" is added to mean "frail." Think about that for just a second: "We", meaning all of us, believers, those who are saved... "have" Something in our possession, something that belongs to us, or (in the Greek) something we wear, or something that is a part of us, "this treasure" that word is actually referring to the container, not the item. a "treasure" is something that holds something of value. In this context, our body is "the treasure." That is new to me, so I would really have to think about what that exactly means. My first inclination is earthen is describing the kind of treasure we are, as the vessel, which brings me to "earthen." Earthen, or clay, is frail, and barely useable. I used to believe this was referring to filthy toilets, comparing our worth to the treasure we hold, but it's clearer that what this refers to, especially in the context of the passage, is our own frailty. what is valuable is what we hold, not what the container looks like, or how the container is presented. Our culture has become obsessed with packaging, so much, in fact, that many companies make millions by simply altering the way an item is packaged, and reselling it as the latest and greatest. Any successful marketing firm will tell you that packaging is what sells a product, and unfortunately, many evangelical churches have adopted this model. The Gospel is something more unique and beautiful, that it goes beyond "selling itself." The Gospel wasn't intended to "sell itself." The Gospel was intended to pierce the hearts of those who respond to truth, not buy in to any gimmick. We, as Paul stresses in this passage, should always remember that.

Exodus 20; a new song

2008-01-25T22:17:00.000-08:00

I wrote a new song called "what has he done." See if you can pick up on the inspiration.

He opens his eyes, and stares at his hands.
He bitterly cries, to whom he offends.
But what has He done but fail to show love
To whom it is owed…

And casting aside, what to him matters most.
He feels alive while he carries this host.
But it can’t replace the one he should serve.
He gets what he deserves.

In anger or pride, he calls on His name,
Or he can’t decide just who is to blame.
He bellows a phrase to show his disgust
For whom he should trust.

If every day’s holy, than what has he done?
Instead of His service, his time’s spent on fun
He won’t stop to ponder the things of the Lord
His time here he hordes.

His father and mother, he cares less about
Than finding his own, and seeking things out.
He shuns their instruction, and scoffs at their love.
They’ve had enough.

It starts with a fire in the pit of his bowels
His one desire is to lay the man out.
He holds back his hand, and then walks away
But it’s still too late.

When he sees her beauty, he’s kept by her charm
He closes his eyes, and holds her in his arms.
He desperately wants her, and dreams she is his.
His mind is amiss.

Just five more minutes to download this song.
Nobody misses the prizes he’s won.
The smallest of items, who could he offend?
Why does he pretend?

Just one little fib, to buy some more time.
He feels embarrassed, and protects his pride.
What they don’t know can’t possibly hurt
The truth, he averts.

He just can’t be happy with all that he has
He seeks things out, and grabs what he can.
The grass is much greener on the other side.
He wants more to life.

I Peter 3:13-16

2007-11-15T16:15:00.000-08:00

Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.

To begin, it's been a while since I've posted anything, so I wanted to take this opportunity to apologize to all of my readers who look forward to my posts... sorry mom.

So today I got a phone call from Bill Bartz who said to me, "Hey Jake, do you want an opportunity to give your testimony and share the gospel with thousands of people?" I had no idea what he was talking about, but I was certainly intrigued. He said Kim Jefferies, who hosts a radio program on KTIS was asking people to call in and give their testimony. Bill said he thought he'd be better at calling people and telling them to do it than doing it himself. I hesitated, but I couldn't say no, so I called not expecting to get through. Sure enough, it rang, and sure enough, they picked it up, and my heart starting racing... I had about 3 minutes to prepare what I would say, and I was terrified. I remember praying, but I don't know exactly what I said. Even if I didn't pray, I'm sure Bill prayed for me. I quickly grabbed my Bible, and raced out to my car. I sat there, too nervous to speak, and then I came on. Kim was very pleasant, and put me at ease. I had never listened to her program before, and had no idea who she was. I was so nervous, I could barely speak. I don't remember much of the conversation, I just remember feeling as if I was failing miserably. I couldn't articulate a single sentence to save my life. She wanted me to share my testimony in three minutes, and I knew I wanted to talk about Jeremiah 17:9, and my own sinfulness before a just and holy God, and how Christ's death was for His glory, and despite my sinfulness, Christ still died to save me, so all of creation could glorify Him as a not only just God, but a saving God as well.

*please insert virtual 10 minute pause here...............

So if you want to listen to podcasts of her show, you can go here and download hour 2 of November 15th of her show by right clicking and going to "save Target as" My testimony begins at 46:40... and I must admit I listened to it, and I am SO thankful it didn't sound nearly as fumbled as it did in my pea-brain while I was speaking. WHICH... brings me to the text found in I Peter 3:15...

The context of this text is clear. Peter was talking to people who were not nervous because it was "just difficult to do" like me, (forgive me, God) but these men were brought before high courts who wanted to kill them for their faith, so when Peter says that, it's with an understanding that these men must always be ready in the face of persecution to give an answer for why on earth they would endure such pain. It makes sense, because I believe a powerful testimony in the early church was the fact that these martyrs would go through such agonizing pain simply because they refused to speak a few supposedly meaningless words... "I deny Christ." Think about what would go through the secular mind looking at that situation. "Why not! This is your life! You have children, a family, health, youth! Are you really this STUPID! How could you be so ridiculous and give your life simply for not just muttering a few words!" I guess it could be argued how could they be so ridiculous for killing someone for not muttering a few pointless words, but the secular world has never been without it's contradictions. Peter obviously recognized this as a golden opportunity to share not some personal experiences, and "because God makes me happy and gives me a better life" would have hardly seemed appropriate under those conditions, but, in the faithfulness of Romans 10:17, he urges us to tell them why... and so ask yourself... why? Why is found in a right understanding of the Truth... Why for me was because God saved me from Sin. God's love was displayed on that cross, and I am undeserving, and still ungrateful, but He still saved me. I can't imagine what I would have said if Kim Jefferies held a gun to my head and told me to give my testimony instead of being as kind and encouraging as she was, but I loathe any thought of it changing. I'm sure why for many of those martyrs echoed the words of Paul in Romans 8,

"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

I am so grateful for ministries like Kim Jefferies' program. God bless her for being faithful.

Romans 5:20,21

2007-10-26T15:37:00.000-07:00

Moreover the law that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Wow. I get it now. I just had a conversation with my good friend Bill Bartz, and this passage, (which I studied this morning and didn't see this part) came to light for me. This morning I did a quick survey of Romans 1-5 in preparation for a more exhaustive study of Romans 6. I wanted to have a foundation, i.e. what Paul said in the first 5 chapters of Romans, to better understand the 6th chapter. This passage at the end of chapter 5 jumped out at me a few moments ago, and I get it now. I love it when God lets me get it.

For a while, I struggled with this, why does Paul say in the first verse of chapter 6, "shall we continue in sin so that grace may abound?" I didn't understand it. To me it was obvious that a Christian should hate sin and seek after holy living, but why would Paul even talk about this? Well, looking at the pattern of my own life, I figured it out. I can tell you, with all certainty, that at this moment, I have never felt more depraved, more sinful, and more unrighteous than I do right now. One year ago, I knew I was depraved, but as I studied, I continued to discover it's far worse than I originally thought. I always thought to myself, "well, yeah, when we sin, it does glorify God in that we get to appreciate His mercy on the cross." But I see now how natural sin is for me. I don't even have to think about it, and even when I do all I can to resist it, it's so natural for me, that it just happens, every day, in thought, word, and deed.

So here's the key to understanding that passage... what "makes the offense abound" or in the Greek word "pleonozo" which means "to exist in abundance" is the law. In other words, we don't need to try and sin to magnify God's glory, we just need to understand God's law, which magnifies our sin already for His glory.

God is a master, because I know for a fact, I am living a more holy life than I was a year ago, and yet I see my depravity more clearly now, and so have been prevented from being proud of this growth, and that is how God is glorified in my life. It's like this, even though some could boast about taking a step forward, God's law enabled me to see I'm much further from where I need to be than I thought, and see I have so much more to work on than I thought I did before. Let me put it to you in this way...

In studying God's law, I can more clearly see, not just how far I am from where I need to be, but be made aware of the fact that my sin is still pushing me in the wrong direction, do you understand? Apart from Christ, I cannot repent. It's as if I'm in a car, and I'm driving the wrong way, and apart from Christ, I can perhaps clearly see I'm going the wrong way, but the only thing I am able to do on my own is try to slow down a bit... but I'm still moving in the wrong direction!

This is how God is glorified, this is how grace abounds, and this is why we see in Christ the infinite value of His imputation of Perfect Righteousness. God is glorified, not so much by our sin, but when we understand the law, and our sin is exposed, and in our brokenness we cry out to a merciful and gracious God to have pity on us, and then we see, or for us Saints, we remember the cross, and we can't help but worship Him for what He had accomplished on that day, and so, through our sin in that respect, God is glorified.

Paul then continues in the next chapter, should we continue in sin that grace may abound? This clearly demonstrates a common person who understands the concepts, but doesn't understand grace. And I believe a person with that attitude isn't glorifying God, because that person hasn't seen his sin. I could be wrong, but I don't believe God is glorified when a person sins, I believe what Paul is saying here, is that God is glorified when a person sees how great a sinner they truly are. You'll have to forgive me, this may be a bit of isogesis, but I think, and if I'm wrong, (unless you're a hyper-Calvinist) please correct me... that scripture would support this. I don't know too many theologians that would put "when people sin" on a list of things that brings glory to God, but I do think it would be accurate to put on there "when people see they're sinners." That's why the Bible says "The sacrifices of God are a broken and contrite heart." (Psalms 51:17)

To sum up this long-winded post, God's grace is magnified when the law exposes our sin, not when we continue in sin. And this truth should throw every Christian into the law. Don't just spend time studying the grace, but study His law, and in that you'll more clearly see your depravity, and it will make the cross that much sweeter!

2 Corinthians 4:7-10

2007-10-24T19:57:00.001-07:00

"But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed. Always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body."

I'll make this brief, because my husbandly duties will soon whisk me off to the land of "take the garbage out" but I wanted to make a quick note about this passage... and such a beautiful passage. Paul found his weakness to be God's strength, not that God's strength made him weak, but when he was weak, Christ's power was displayed.

This is why this passage floors me: Paul is writing specifically about... The Gospel. Not forgetting to do the dishes, not having to park too far away from the grocery store, not arguing with his spouse, and not trouble at work. (well, kind of in his case) In fact, Paul didn't have the grind of every-day-life in mind here like so many have used this text to preach on. I know this because I used to believe that. I know people still believe this. I used to be encouraged by this verse to go on when I felt depressed about life, or if I didn't get the job I wanted, or if I was having trouble paying the bills... On the contrary, it's come to my attention these last few years that we live like kings! And we're one of the most negative, depressed nations on earth.

All the perplextion, the hardpressing, the persecution, the pressure, and striking down Paul is feeling is the world coming against the Saving Truth he has been entrusted to share with the Gentiles. Paul, having a biblical understanding of himself, knew it was a mercy he was breathing, so the last thing he would feel persecuted for would be a shot at his ego, or an inconvinience in his life. Clearly, Paul's trouble didn't come from life, and life's "troubles" didn't influence this passage, either. Paul was telling his church in Corinth that because Christ was delivered to death, so will he suffer for His' sake, but because Christ has overcome death, Paul, who shares in His sufferings, will not be destroyed, he will not be in despair, he won't be crushed, and he certainly will not be forsaken. Christ is made powerful in Paul's weakness because it's his weakness that displays the glory of the Savior, and Paul's endurance would be a testimony of the authenticity of his message. I can't say I have completley grasped the awe-inspiring truth of this passage, but at least I now understand it doesn't have anything to do with the air conditioning not working on my car.

Matthew 5:48

2007-10-23T07:26:00.000-07:00

Respectable Sins and the Holiness of God

So here I am, probably neglecting earthly duties, and normal things I should be doing because my mind is held captive by the Word of God. I haven't figured out whether or not that's a sin, but I sure am thankful for the enjoyment I get out of the Word. May God help me find a balance... and thank God for Marie. A person couldn't ask for a better wife. She is so perfect for me, and I know that sounds cliche, but she is absolutely amazing. She brings solid ground to my life, and takes care of things I so often neglect. I had a little scare yesterday that reminded me of how much I love her. She was feeling light-headed and very sick with some other symptoms. She called the doctor, and they said, "go to the emergency room NOW!" They were very adamant. I got a call about 3:30, and Marie said, all matter-of-factly, "ummm, yeah. I need to go to the emergency room now, so... yeah, just in case you're wondering where I am..." and I was like "I'll meet you there!" On they way there, "not knowing whether God was going to use this as an opportunity to wake me up to something or what, I started thinking about how much she means to me. It was scary to imagine doing anything without her let alone go into ministry. I could go on for hours about how incredible she is, and what a tremendous blessing she is in my life, but just know I am very well taken care of, and God be praised I have a helper of her caliber.

So that was my adventure yesterday, but here is what I wanted to share. I re-read my post on Isaiah 1, and remembered how wonderful it was to study the Word of God. i still am insecure about my lack of Biblical knowledge, but I am quickly learning. I picked up a book yesterday at the emergency room (she's fine, btw. She just needs to follow up with the doctor this week, so prayers would be appreciated.) Marie had in her bag. The book was "respectable sins" by Jerry Bridges. WOW. That's all I can say. WOW. I would highly recommend this book to everyone. I'm through 6 chapters, and I already want to buy a case and start handing them out. I found his chapter on "the disappearance of sin" to be especially enlightening. I have been paralyzed with this understanding of God's holiness, and my sinfulness. It has struck me for some time now, and I wrestle with it constantly, even while people praise me for being such a good chap, I know the vileness of my own heart, and even my own attempts to cover it are sinful and deceiving. Christians deal with their internal sin different ways, but very few rarely confront it. He compares sin to cancer, saying if we allow the "respectable sins" to continue to cultivate in our hearts, it will spread into far worse things, and eventually kill us. (anyone thinking of James 1?) And I can attest for that. I can't understand how anyone can be a Christian, and try to convince themselves they're now good people. As a part an exercise in learning how to be more patient with people, I would strongly recommend concentrating more of your energy in dealing with the sin in your own heart. I know there is enough filth in my own heart to keep me from saying a single word to anyone I would consider the worst of sinners in any circle I am a part of.

Like I said in the post before, I have no other choice but to surrender to scripture my life and my heart, and I feel that is my place right now. For months, a fire burned in my belly about what I would say, if I could only gather a select group of individuals together, or if I could preach to my congregation, or preach open-air in front of hundreds... but there is a cancer in my heart I need to deal with, and I have learned that preaching and teaching opportunities for me will present themselves, or by the influence of the Holy Spirit, I only need to open my mouth and let God's Word speak through Scripture, but it certainly shouldn't be forced by my own desires, because my desires are deceitful and evil. The only way I know how to purify them is to allow the Word of God to purify my heart. I am convinced in my young and inexperienced mind that the death of a preacher (as far as his effectiveness) will occur when he stops focusing on the Word of God's changing power over his own heart, and starts focusing on how his words can change the hearts of those who hear him preach, biblical or not. God, let me always be humbled before Your mighty Word, and never forget who I am, and who You are.

Acts 1

2007-10-22T07:13:00.001-07:00

In continuing my journey through the Word, (boy that sounds a little too emergent) I've done my best to exposit the first chapter of Acts. Right now my idea is to study a different section of scripture every day of the week, so Monday could be my Epistle day, and Tuesday my Pentateuch day, and Wednesday my Prophet day, and Thursday my Gospels day, and so on. I want to finish reading "Unleashing God's Word in Your Life" by John Macarthur because I feel like there is so much I'm missing. I wish I knew more backround, more history, more SCRIPTURE because the best way to interpret Scripture is with Scripture, but it's hard to learn Scripture when you don't know Scripture, because then you can't use Scripture to interpret Scripture. Anyways, instead of stressing out over the method, I decided to just dive in. It's been incredibly fruitful so far, even with my limited knowledge, and I have the Macarthur Study Bible to help me with the tough parts, but rely heavily (or soley) on the Holy Spirit to reveal Truth to me.

Today was especially neat, because I read through the first chapter of Acts. Actually, what I did was record myself reading it, but it on my Mp3 player, and listened to it several times this morning. I tried to break it down into sections, and figure out what it was saying. After listening to it, i sat down and went to work. I copied the text onto a Word doc, then I put the text in bold, and went through and added comments to each section. It looks a little something like this:

2 until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles Christ indeed commanded the apostles He choose. I believe these commandments given to the apostles concerned their testimony of Christ, and inspired the New Testament. whom He had chosen, Christ indeed choose the apostles for salvation and ministry.

3 to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, Christ was no doubt the Messiah, and His testimony causes all who saw Him to be not an intellectual interpreter, but instead a witness because they saw, heard, and felt Christ. being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. Christ appeared to them after his resurrection and continued to teach them. This resurrection certainly solidified His claim as messiah, showing the believers His power over death. Because of the eye-witness accounts, and the men who would die to defend this truth, you’d be a fool to believe this wasn’t true.
4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, Christ promised the Holy Spirit, or the Helper, after His ascension, and assured them they’d be given power by this Spirit. This power was further testimony of the Truth that they received, and further acts as witness to every believer, and works to convict the world of sin. “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; Christ indeed promised it to them.

I usually end with prayer, and then think of something to write in my blog. Today I was blessed, though, because I noticed something in the middle section of the chapter... in vs 14 it says "they all continued in one accord in prayer and supplication." It doesn't say what they were exactly praying for, but that they were praying for the same thing together. They may have been asking God if there was anything they should do in the meantime, and then Peter stood up, and said something not famous, but remarkable, and I'll paraphrase... (in hopes you go and read it for yourself) He said scripture fortold Judas would betray us and meet the fate he met, and so the first act of the apostles was the fufillment of Scripture. Peter knew what Scripture said, and Scripture said someone would take his place, so he took it upon himself, with the new believers there, that he fufilled that part of scripture, and they choose a new aposlte, Mathias. What's remarkable is how clear it is. It even states the scripture Peter was referring to, Psalm 109:8, and he acted on it. Now this may be a bit of stretch, but isn't in interesting how Peter decided to act on what he knew about the Scripture? And all throughout Scripture, we find the same thing. Scripture is the authority, and we should labor to ensure we follow it. None of the apostles took cues from thier own ideas, but instead submitted to Scripture, and let it be thier guide. Amazing.

"Your Word is a Lamp to my feet, and a Light to my path." -Psalm 119:105

Isaiah 1

2007-10-20T10:05:00.000-07:00

I've decided (and I don't know how long this will last) to declare Saturdays "Exposition Saturday" I'm trying to dive into scripture, and do my best to exposit the richness of the text. I spent about an hour this morning in Isaiah 1, and while most of my notes I wrote in a notebook, I wrote a summary on my computer, and will post it here.

I. The sinfulness of Israel (v.2)
A. Their total depravity and wickedness(v.5,6)
B. Their wickedness despite their destruction (v.7-9)

II. The Lord speaks to them where they are (v.10)
A. God’s displeasure in their religious affections (v.11,12)
B. God refuses to hear their prayers because of their evil. (v.14,15)

III. God calls them to repentance (v.16,17)
A. He tells them to turn from evil, and practice righteousness. (v.17)
B. He promises restoration for those who will be obedient, but promises wrath and judgment to those who refuse. (v.18,19)

IV. God illustrates how His nation has whored themselves out to the world (v.21)
A. They have turned from God, and serve themselves (v.23)
B. A nation once built on justice, now oppresses widows (v.23)

V. God promises to take vengeance on His enemies by purging Israel of them. (v.25)
A. God will purify the Nation of Israel. (v.24)
B. He will purge them of sin, and restore them to a righteous and just nation. (v.26)

VI. Righteousness will rule the Nation of Israel. (v.27)
A. All who forsake the Lord will be consumed (v.28)
B. God will redeem those with righteousness the ones who return to Him.(v.27)

Sometimes when i sit and think about things that are happening around me, I get overwhelmed by the lack of knowledge, especially in those who profess faith in Christ. And while a part of me wants to take each individual, put my hands on their shoulders, look them straight in the eye and vigorously shake them and say with much intensity... "Do you know what you are doing! You're neglecting this salvation! You're neglecting His Word! How can you expect God to show you great and mighty things if you refuse to read about the things He has already done and revealed to you! Don't you know it's those things that save you! Nothing else!"

I am humbled by this thought... if i truly believe it's the Word of God that changes people, why would I think for a second that anything I say, regardless of it's sincerity and intensity would invoke any lasting change whatsoever, if it's not clearly based and supported by the Word of God. I so desperately want to see a reformation in my church and society, and even if I have the tenacity and charisma to scream and yell to get their attention, and perhaps make a positive impact on what is happening now, nothing that happens as a result of my own ideas will hold any weight unless I surrender to the Word of God, and while this forces me to be patient, when I want to act, and while it suppresses my thoughts and feelings when it seems so clear to me, I have committed myself not to act until permitted to by the Word of God. If I ignored that principal, than I know any action, regardless of my intentions, will be destined for failure...

The point is, I am going to commit myself to the careful and diligent exposition of the Word until my conscience cannot bear the weight of what I must do because of it's influence over my own life. This will ensure that when I act, it's God who is acting, and not me. I want to make sure that when I think, it's God who is thinking through the influence of Scripture, and not me. I only know one way to do this, and that's to become a student of His Word.

2 Timothy 4:2

2007-10-04T11:59:00.000-07:00

I originally started this blog so I could leave comments on pyromaniacs. It's one of my favorite blogs on the net. It was started by Phil Johnson, who I have an incredible amount of respect for. He's the Executive director of Grace to You, which is the preaching/teaching ministry of John Macarthur. God used John Macarthur's teachings as a catalyst to springboard me into a serious, saving faith in Jesus Christ. I was originally introduced to John Macarthur's ministry by a man named Todd Friel, who is a radio host for an excellent program called Way of the Master. It was through WOTMR, (At that time was called Talk the Walk) I was introduced to Bible teaching, and this teaching was deep, and it was powerful. It was powerful enough to knock me off my high seat of pride, and bend the knee. I was a leader in my church, a young "stud" who thought he knew the answer to anyone's problem at any time. I thought I had it all figured out, and since my conversion, every day has been a step closer to God, and a step further away from the confidence I had in myself.

Someone finally told me what a Christian is, and thankfully it was clear enough to get through the wall of pride I had built up, but shortly after receiving Christ in full faith and submitting to His Word, The Truth seemed to hit me so hard, I couldn't get enough. I just started craving more and more truth. I dove into the Holy Scripture, and pretty much stopped listening to music, and started listening to sermons, all day long. I listened to Macarthur pretty much every day, and then soon discovered the wonderful teaching ministries of R.C. Sproul, Allister Begg, Adrian Rogers, and John Piper. Every opportunity I got, I listened to these men. I couldn't get enough of them, and I couldn't get enough of the Word, either.

Since then, I have been introduced to some great historic Puritans and Saints as well. I've become a devoted fan of Charles Spurgeon, and read the biographies of Spurgeon, John Wesley, and Dwight Moody. I've recently become more familiar with the works of Edwards and Martin Luther. What I found remarkable about all of this information I was soaking in, is all of these men were teaching the same thing. They devoted themselves to the exposition of scripture. None of them wanted radical reformations, or unmatched social reform, they only wanted to be true to the Word of God. One was a shoe salesman with an 8th grade education, the other started Harvard university. They were diverse men, with different backrounds and talents. Some were noble scholars, other common people. Some were eloquent in their speech, others very coarse. But they preached the Word, and they did it faithfully. My quest for more knowledge of the Life and times of these men, and believe me, there are many other great men that have lived, and still live today that I haven't mentioned, has developed in it a common thread... It was always, and will always be the Word of God that made them great. I'll end by an excellent quote by Martin Luther:

"I simply taught, preached, wrote God's Word; otherwise I did nothing. And when, while I slept... the Word so greatly weakened the papacy that never a prince or emperor inflicted such damage upon it. I did nothing, the Word did it all."

I Corinthians 1:12

2007-09-29T04:59:00.000-07:00

"For our proud confidence is this: the testimony of our conscience, that in holiness and godly sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you"

I attended the first Desiring God conference session yesterday, and while there are so many things that I learned, and so many things that had a tremendous impact on me I wanted to highlight this one. John Macarthur, a pastor I have a deep respect for, said that one key to a successful ministry is a commitment of personal holiness. He said, and I agree because I can absolutely see how, that allowing a secret sin in your life will destroy you eventually. He said the one defense Paul had against the claims against him by the church in Corinth was a clear conscience. If God has called me to ministry, I can't imagine trying to do anything to impact the kingdom for Christ if I myself have an inner, secret sin that consumes me. I believe that if an individual is committed to this wonderful, saving Gospel, Satan and his demons will do what they can to thwart the impact of whatever that person says, and if we ignore our conscience, and allow a secret sin to consume us from the inside out, we're headed for a ridiculously rude awakening.

For this reason, I am on my face before this Holy God, begging him for mercy daily. I don't see how anyone lives any other way. I wouldn't want to live any other way. This God is so full of grace and mercy, that we tend to forget that every breath we take is an undeserved gift from our Sovereign Lord. I certainly wouldn't say I mope around because of my unworthiness and sinfulness, I don't think that's Biblical at all, but I do know there is no greater joy for me than to bask in the awesome glory and sovereign, saving power of our Lord Jesus Christ.

"In Him was light, and the light was the light of men..."

My First Blog

2007-09-28T07:13:00.000-07:00

so I decided to start one of these. I am so blessed everyday by people who put so much time and energy into thier blogs, that I wanted one of my own. Besides, people tell me it's a good idea to journal, and while you will rarely read about my personal struggles here, I will put in here things the Lord has taught me. I have decided to name my blog "So Great a Salvation" in honor of the verses found in Hebrews that reads:

"Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will."

That is such a beautiful verse, like so many verses in the Bible, and I have chosen it as a staple of this blog because I know so many people, including myself, tend to neglect this glorious salvation we have received through Christ. I believe it is time for those who depend on the Name of our Lord for their salvation to get serious about thier faith.