We caught a bear!

We found a bear and thought it made for a great capture. This is the
group of guys that will be braving the 20 degree night on our guys
camping trip to Big Bear!

Creation

--> In the beginning it pleased God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, for the manifestation of the glory of His eternal power, wisdom, and goodness, to create or make the world and all things in it both visible and invisible, in the space of six days, and all very good.

--> After God had made all other creatures, He created man, male and female, with reasoning and immortal souls, rendering them fit to live that life for Him for which they were created;

• being made in the image of God, in knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness; having the law of God written in their hearts, and having the power to fulfill it;
• and yet living under a possibility of transgressing, being left to the liberty of their own will which was subject to change.

--> Besides the law written in their hearts, they received a command not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. While they kept this command they were happy in their communion with God, and had dominion over all other creatures.

Today’s morsel is brief, and on the surface would seem to be a simple summary of the creation account in Genesis, but when read carefully, you see some deep theology boiled down very well. Note first, that we see the Trinity involved in creation. Also note that creation is six literal days, not six “time periods” as some would say.

Adam and Eve were created so that they could honor and glorify God. The next two bullet points pretty much stand on their own. Studying the idea of “free will” (not a good term to use, as it can mean different things to different people) or better yet “man’s responsibility,” is something that can take a lot of time and thought. The Confession here, boils it down as well as I’ve seen.

We don’t know how long Adam and Eve were in the garden before the fall, but it is important to see the state they existed in before the fall. Seeing this helps us to begin to understand the problems we face in our world today. The problems of society, and indeed in our personal lives, can all be traced back to this.

Seeing the original plan (“While they kept this command...”) helps us to begin understanding the problem of our depravity. What a great summary the Confession gives us of the creation account. Carefully boiled down theology of creation. For those who have been at SIX33 on Wednesday nights, the idea of “compressed theology” that James has introduced to us is done very well in this section of the Confession. It’s always good to take a look back at the beginning. (The next two sections will develop this further as we look at Divine Providence and The Fall of Man, Sin, and Punishment)

Rob

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I Confess to not posting

So I haven't given up on the Confession. The last couple of weeks have been super busy. This week, I've got to prepare for three messages as well as getting ready for our Mission Trip to San Francisco.

The next installment of the 1689 London Baptist Confession will come soon.

In the meantime - all is well in the HSM. On Tuesday, the eTeam met and we had the opportunity to share the Gospel with 20 people! All the students were very excited about it. I can't wait until next Tuesday to see what happens.

Have an amazing weekend! Check out www.teampyro.blogspot.com for some great Spurgeon stuff every weekend.

Rob

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Today, we look at God’s Decree. To me, this is an extremely comforting doctrine. It has also historically been one that is misunderstood by many. Much of the this comes from not properly understanding what foreknowledge is. In “The Attributes of God” A.W. Pink says “‘foreknowledge’ is never used in Scripture in connection with events or actions; instead, it always has reference to persons. It is persons God is said to ‘foreknow,’ not the actions of those persons.”

God’s Decree

--> God has decreed in Himself from all eternity, by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely and unchangeably, all things which shall ever come to pass.

• Yet in such a way that God is neither the author of sin nor does He have fellowship with any in the committing of sins, nor is violence offered to the will of the creature , nor yet is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established.
• In all this God’s wisdom is displayed, disposing all things, and also His power and faithfulness in accomplishing His decree.

--> Although God knows everything which may or can come to pass under all imaginable conditions, yet He has not decreed anything because He foresaw it in the future, or because it would come to pass under certain conditions.

--> By the decree of God, for the manifestation of His glory, some men and angels are predestinated or foreordained to eternal life through Jesus Christ, to the praise of His glorious grace. Others are left to act in their sin to their just condemnation, to the praise of His glorious justice.

--> Those angels and men thus predestinated and foreordained, are particularly and unchangeably designed, and the number of them is so certain and definite, that it cannot be either increased or diminished.

--> Those of mankind who are predestinated to life, God chose before the foundation of the world was laid, in accordance with His eternal and immutable purpose and the secret counsel and good pleasure of His will. God chose them in Christ for everlasting glory, solely out of His free grace and love, without anything in the creature as a condition or cause moving Him to choose.

--> As God has appointed the elect unto glory, so, by the eternal and completely free intention of His will, He has foreordained all the means. Accordingly, those who are elected, being fallen in Adam:

• are redeemed by Christ,
• are effectually called to faith in Christ by His Spirit working in due season,
• are justified, adopted, sanctified,
• and are kept by His power through faith unto salvation;
• neither are any but the elect redeemed by Christ, effectually called, justified, adopted, sanctified, and saved.

--> The doctrine of this high mystery of predestination is to be handled with special prudence and care, in order that men who are heeding the will of God revealed in His Word, and who are yielding obedience to it, may, from the certainty of their effectual vocation be assured of their eternal election. So shall this doctrine provide cause for praise, reverence, admiration of God, and also provide cause for humility, diligence, and abundant consolation to all who sincerely obey the Gospel.

That God has chosen me is a extremely comforting thought. Charles Spurgeon has said, “I believe in the Doctrine of Election because I am quite certain of these things:

• If God had not chosen me, I would never have chosen Him.

• I am sure He chose me before I was born, or else He never would have chosen me afterward.

• He must have elected me for reasons unknown to me, for I never could find any reason in myself why He should have looked upon me with special love.

There are a few reasons why we should sincerely love the Doctrine of Election: (These are adapted from Richard Phillips book “What’s So Great About the Doctrines of Grace)

1. Unconditional Election promotes humility and not pride. We must realize that we were chosen in spite of our utter unworthiness. It does not mean that we are somehow special or superior to others.

2. Unconditional Election promotes holiness and not license. Holiness is the goal for which we are saved. Those predestined to salvation are predestined to holiness. Ephesians 1:4 & 2:10. Happiness isn’t the priority of the Christian life. Holiness is.

3. Unconditional Election promotes assurance of salvation. Election tells us that it’s not us who chose God, but God who chose us. This changes everything about my struggle for assurance.

4. Unconditional Election promotes the glory of God. It does not promote my own glory. If my salvation depends solely on God, then He gets all the glory when I am saved.

We must always keep in mind that James tells us that we are saved and regenerated through the power of the Word of God. When we speak of sharing or proclaiming the Gospel, we must be sharing and proclaiming Scripture. My explanation of Scripture might be great. My own personal testimony might be powerful and moving, but it is God’s Word that I must proclaim if I am to accurately share the Gospel.

One of our mandates as Believers in Christ is evangelism. We must share the Gospel.

Don Elbourne Jr. says, “The doctrine of election does not negate evangelism, it ensures its success. Let’s boldly proclaim the Gospel to everyone. Let’s savor the supremacy of Christ over all things as He uses our collective evangelistic voices to call people to Himself for His glory.”

God has decreed that we should share the Gospel. He has chosen to draw people to Himself through our proclamation of the Gospel. Let’s keep our central focus upon the Gospel. It’s all about the Gospel.

Ask yourself daily, “What Is the Gospel?” As you answer this question, your heart will be encouraged and you will be brought into a greater dependence upon Him in whom “we live and move and have our being.”

Seeking Him,

Rob

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Speaking of the Prosperity Gospel

I won't name any names, but as I was reading "The Attributes of God" this afternoon, something occurred to me...

A.W. Pink writes this in Chapter 15 of "The Attributes of God" in the Chapter on The Love of God:

"Here then is abundant cause for trust and patience under Divine affliction, Christ was beloved of the Father, yet he was not exempted from poverty, disgrace, and persecution. He hungered and thirsted. Thus, it was not incompatible with God's love for Christ when He permitted men to spit upon him and smite him. Then let no Christian call into question God's love when he is brought under painful afflictions and trials. God did not enrich Christ on earth with temporal prosperity..."

So if my attitude toward life is the key to success, then Christ should have been the richest, most prosperous, most successful guy ever. Certainly Jesus never had a bad attitude. Certainly He never had a sinful attitude toward anything. Certainly He always did exactly what God would have wanted Him to do, right? Certainly even the wildest prosperity Gospel preacher would not claim that Jesus exhibited anything other than complete holiness and righteousness.

So then - why was he not prosperous?

Because the prosperity Gospel is a lie. It comes from man's inventions, not from the Scriptures.

God's children should never doubt His love for them. They should never measure it by the "stuff" they have or the situation they find themselves in. We should look to the Gospel, for in it we see the true love of God. When we truly understand what God has done for us, in the midst of our not only not deserving it, but also not even seeking/desiring it - we should be humbled beyond measure.

My "need" for a nice car is destroyed.

My "need" for a comfy bed is destroyed.

My "need" for a delicious meal is destroyed.

Christ died for me. Took the punishment that I deserve.

Now I can approach with confidence the throne of grace.

That is enough.

"I need no other argument, I need no other plea. It is enough that Jesus died and that He died for me."

Rob

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P.S. - the next installment of the "1689 Confession" is coming in the next day or so...

God and the Holy Trinity

So today, we look at God and the Trinity.
From time to time, one of my students will send me a text asking me a theological question. Sometimes they’re reading their Bible and a question about what they’re reading pops up. Sometimes, it’s a random question they have. Sometimes, they’re having a spiritual conversation with a friend and something comes up that they’re not sure how to answer. The other day, one of my students sent me a text around 10:30 p.m. asking this: “my friend is asking ‘what or who is God?’” (the student told me a couple of days later, “yeah it was late. I don’t know what I was thinking...)

While my answer was certainly accurate, what I should have done was to simply point to this confession.
Currently, my own understanding of who God is is growing by leaps and bounds. I’ve been reading through A.W. Pink’s classic book “The Attributes of God.” It’s a thin book, only 117 pages, but in the 17 short chapters that this book contains, there’s an amazing amount of depth. If you haven’t read “Attributes,” I highly recommend reading it.

Are you familiar with a “Sermon Jam?” There are quite a few of them out there. It’s where someone takes a sermon, edits it down to five minutes or so, using the “highlights” of the sermon, and puts dramatic background music and cool images in. Then it’s posted to YouTube (for a great example, click here).
Well, when I read what the 1689 Confession says about who God is, it’s so good and gives such a great description of who God is, it almost becomes a Sermon Jam in my head.

God and the Holy Trinity

--> The Lord our God is the one and only living and true God; Whose subsistence is in and of Himself - Who is infinite in being and perfection; Whose essence cannot be comprehended by any but Himself; 

• Who is a most pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts, or passions 

• Who alone has immortality

• Who dwells in the light which no man can approach, Who is immutable (unchangeable), immense, eternal, incomprehensible, almighty, in every way infinite, most holy, most wise, most free, most absolute;

• Who works all things according to the counsel of His own immutable and most righteous will, for His own glory; 

• Who is most loving, gracious, merciful, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth;
• Who forgives iniquity, transgression, and sin;

• Who is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him; 

• and Who, at the same time, is most just and terrible in His judgements, hating all sin and Who will by no means clear the guilty. 


--> God, having all life, glory, goodness, blessedness, in and from Himself, is unique in being all-sufficient, both in Himself and to Himself, not standing in need of any creature which He has made, nor deriving any glory from such. - On the contrary, it is God Who manifests His own glory in them, through them, to them and upon them. He is the only fountain of all being; from Whom, through Whom, and to Whom all things exist and move. 

• He has completely sovereign dominion over all creatures, to do through them, for them, or to them whatever He pleases. 

• In His sight all things are open and manifest; His knowledge is infinite, infallible, and not dependent on the creature. 
• Therefore, nothing is for Him contingent or uncertain.

• He is most holy in all His counsels, in all His works, and in all His commands. 

• To Him is due from angels and men whatever worship, service, or obedience, they owe as creatures to the Creator, and whatever else He is pleased to require from them. 


--> In this divine and infinite Being there are three subsistences, the Father, the Word or Son, and the Holy Spirit. All are one in substance, power, and eternity; each having the whole divine essence, yet this essence being undivided. The Father was not derived from any other being; He was neither brought into being by, nor did He issue from any other being.

• The Son is eternally begotten of the Father. 

• The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son.

• All three are infinite, without beginning, and are therefore only one God, Who is not to be divided in nature and being, but distinguished by several peculiar relative properties, and also their personal relations.
• This doctrine of the Trinity is the foundation of all our communion with God, and our comfortable dependence on Him. 


I pray that today you would be overwhelmed by the truth and reality of who God is. Before you go to bed tonight, spend some time thanking God for all He has done for you. Read Romans 8 and Psalm 136.

The confession begins with “The Holy Scriptures.” The confession paints a beautiful picture of Scripture. We must approach Scripture correctly. We must have the right response to Scripture (James 1:18-22) #4 Gives a brief explanation of the Canonization process, how we came to have the books of the Bible. Simply put: we recognize what is God’s Word. It does not become God’s Word because it was declared to be so.

This is a great place to start when we look at doctrine, for how we view Scripture is very important. We must have a right view of Scripture to have a healthy spiritual life. There are many words used to describe Scripture in the first section. All of them are important. Scripture is the vehicle through which the Holy Spirit regenerates us and through which God saves us. (James 1:18-21, 1 Peter 1:23)

John MacArthur says “It is the divine power behind the truth of Scripture that is able to initiate salvation, keep it alive and growing, and finally bring it to final glory, complete and perfect. We have been saved (justified) through the power of the Word of God; we are kept saved (sanctified) through the power of the Word; and we will be ultimately, completely, and eternally saved (glorified) through the power of the Word.” (The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: James, p. 76)

It all begins with the Word of God. We must start in the right place and start in the right direction. Take a few minutes to read what the confession says about the Word of God. It is clear, pretty concise, and very rich in truth. Keep all this in mind the next time you sit down for your “Quiet Time.” We are saved through the Word, and our spiritual growth comes as a result of the input of the Word into our lives, both through sitting under good Biblical teaching and through personal study of the Scriptures.

The Holy Scriptures

The Holy Scripture is the only sufficient, certain, and infallible rule of all saving knowledge, faith, and obedience. Although the light of nature and the works of creation and providence manifest the goodness, wisdom, and power of God so much that man is left without any excuse, they are not sufficient to provide that knowledge of God and His will which is necessary for salvation. 
Therefore it pleased the Lord at sundry times and in divers manners to reveal Himself, and to declare His will to His church; 

- and afterward, for the better preserving and propagating of the truth, and for the more sure establishment and comfort of the church, protecting it against the corruption of the flesh and the malice of Satan and the world,
it pleased the Lord to commit His revealed Truth wholly to writing. Therefore the Holy Scriptures are most necessary, those former ways by which God revealed His will unto His people having now ceased. 


• We have established the 66 books of the Old and New Testament. All these books are given by the inspiration of God to be the rule of faith and life. 
The books commonly called “The Apocrypha” not being of divine inspiration, are not part of the canon or rule of Scripture and are therefore of no authority to the church of God, nor are they to be approved of or made use of any differently from other human writings.

• The authority of the Holy Scripture, for which it ought to be believed, depends not on the testimony of any man or church, but wholly upon God its Author (Who is Truth itself). Therefore it is to be received because it is the Word of God.

• We may be moved and induced by the testimony of the people of God to gain a high and reverent estimation of the Holy Scriptures. We may be similarly affected by the nature of the Scriptures—the heavenliness of the contents, the efficacy of the doctrine, the majesty of the style, the consent of all the parts, the scope of the whole, which is to give all glory to God, the full disclosure it makes of the only way of man's salvation, together with many other incomparable excellencies and entire perfections. By all the evidence the Scripture more than proves itself to be the Word of God. Yet, notwithstanding this, our full persuasion and assurance of the infallible truth of Scripture and its divine authority, is from the inward work of the Holy Spirit bearing witness by and with the Word in our hearts. 


• The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for His own glory, man’s salvation, faith and life, is either expressly set down or necessarily contained in the Holy Scripture, to which nothing is to be added at any time, either by new revelation of the Spirit, or by the traditions of men. Nevertheless, we acknowledge the inward illumination of the Spirit of God to be necessary for the saving understanding of such things as are revealed in the Word. 
There are some circumstances concerning the worship of God and church government which are common to human actions and societies, which are to be ordered by the light of nature and Christian prudence, according to the general rules of the Word which are always to be observed. 


• All things in scripture are not equally plain in themselves, nor equally clear to everyone, yet those things which are necessary to be known, believed and observed for salvation, are so clearly propounded and revealed in some place of Scripture or other, that not only the educated but also the uneducated may attain a sufficient understanding of them by the due use of ordinary means.

• The Old Testament in Hebrew (which was the native language of the people of God of old), and the New Testament in Greek (which at the time of its writing was most generally known to the nations) were immediately inspired by God, and were kept pure through subsequent ages by His singular care and providence. They are therefore authentic , so that in all controversies of religion , the church must appeal to them as final. But because these original tongues are not known to all the people of God who have a right to, and an interest in the Scriptures, and who are commanded to read and search them in the fear of God, the Scriptures are therefore to be translated into the ordinary language of every nation into which they come, so that, with the Word of God living richly in all, people may worship God in an acceptable manner, and through patience and comfort of the Scriptures may have hope.

(Rob's note - since it is the original text that is inspired, when choosing which translation to use, make sure you are using one that is more "literal" so that the Bible you're studying is as close to the original inspired version as possible. The more "paraphrased" your translation, the farther away from what God said you get)

• The infallible rule for the interpretation of Scripture is the Scripture itself, and therefore whenever there is a question about the true and full sense of any scripture (which is not manifold, but one), it must be searched by other passages which speak more clearly.

• The supreme judge, by which all controversies of religion are to be determined, and by which must be examined all decrees of councils, opinions of ancient writers, and doctrines of men and private spirits can be no other than the Holy Scripture, delivered by the Spirit. And in the sentence of Scripture we are to rest, for it is in Scripture, delivered by the Spirit, that our faith is finally resolved.

I hope looking at some of the essential doctrines of the Christian faith is as encouraging to you as it is to me when I read these. Reading about the sufficiency and power of Scripture inspires me to want to read more and when we read and study Scripture keeping these things in mind, it paves the way for the power of the Word of God to truly be at work in us.
(Check back soon. The next section on "God and the Holy Trinity" will be posted in a couple of days)

Seeking Him,
Rob
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