Words: Can you hear it (Wisdom calling out)?

Posted on June 9, 2013 by shepherdbryan

Can you hear it?

I have read the passage hundreds of time. It is time I comment on it. Proverbs 8:1-2 says, “Does not wisdom cry out, and understanding lift up her voice? She takes her stand on the top of the high hill. Beside the way, where the paths meet.” How many of us think about this?

How can you hear wisdom? The passage says that wisdom cries out, yet you can’t audibly hear anything? The question should really be, “Are people listening for wisdom?” How can people listen for wisdom, when they may no longer carry the “boom boxes” from the eighties, but ARE wired into the ear sets of iPods, iPads, iPhones and all sorts of MP3 players? The style choices for music, talk shows and news are seemingly endless. The preferences people plug into stimulate their brains, bodies and souls, which can fill every waking moment, so that no one could ever become “bored.” How can people listen for wisdom if they are always listening to something on the television, radio or techno gadget?

How many people have the television on in the background, even though they are not really listening to it? There is something that our flesh likes about having music, or talking, in the background. When I visited my cousins on the farm, my uncle always played music on the radio at milking time, because it calmed the cows and they produced more milk. Do we like something in the background to keep us calm and we really do not like silence?

All the noise can easily become “white noise.” What happens then? What might be very important is not heard, like wisdom calling in “the way, where the paths meet…by the gates, at the entry of the city.”

In fact, wisdom is spiritual wisdom, just like God is Spirit. You cannot feel, taste, touch, see, smell, or hear God. You cannot use the senses during this Age to connect with God. God has provided everything you need to understand and know Him through His Word. The Christian way of life is based on faith, not sight. Paul makes this point clear when he said, “As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him.” (Col. 2:6) How did you receive Jesus as your Savior? You received Him by faith. It was not by works, feelings, sight, hearing or any other physical sense. You received Him by faith and you are also to live by faith, not by your senses or personal efforts. You are to live by trusting in Him to do His work through you by means of His Spirit.

Consequently, wisdom is given by God’s Spirit as you hide God’s Word in your heart. God’s Spirit guides you into the Word (John 16:13) and enlightens you as a partaker of the Holy Spirit (Heb. 6:4). When a person is filled with the Spirit (Eph. 5:18), he will be enlightened and the Word will not be a dry desert, but a loud message awakening him from his slumberous walk in life.

Proverbs eight continues to use the hearing sense personified, just as wisdom is personified as a lady to be courted by a pursuing believer,

· ³² “Now therefore, listen to me, my children, for blessed are those who keep my ways.

· ³³ Hear instruction and be wise, and do not disdain it.

· ³⁴ Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at the posts of my doors.

· ³⁵ For whoever finds me finds life, And obtains favor from the LORD. (Pro. 8:32-35)

Wait in silence before God and wisdom will call to your soul and lead you in God’s presence of blessing and life.

Silence is a Spiritual Discipline¹ that must be cultivated. How will that happen in a world full of white noise? Schedule times of silence in the day, so that as you meditate on God’s Word, or at least have God’s Word in the back of your mind, wisdom will speak to you and you will understand the will of the Lord. Unless you schedule silence into your life, you will miss wisdom crying out to you.

¹Look back at the following link on Spiritual Disciplines for a short description on the Spiritual Discipline of Silence: http://renewingtruth.blogspot.com/2013/03/words-spiritual-disciplines-part-3.html

Truth: God is merciful in all things

Posted on May 29, 2013 by shepherdbryan

God is merciful in all things

Rarely would anyone question God’s mercy. We know God is all-powerful and able to judge. Paul teaches in Romans how the attributes of God are revealed to all men, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.” (Rom. 1:20)

Yet we only see God’s mercy through His written Word. Paul writes, “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,” (Eph. 2:4) In what way do we see God’s mercy?

First, we see God’s mercy through forgiveness of sins. Daniel, in his prayer on behalf of the nation acknowledges God’s mercy, “To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him.” (Dan. 9:9) In fact, David who escaped God’s judgment, proclaimed God’s mercy in Psalm 86, “For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.” (Ps. 86:5) Man falls short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23) and because of sin, man is separated from God (Rom. 6:23). Consequently, man deserves judgment in condemnation, but because of God’s mercy, God forgives and reconciles the world to Himself through Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 5:18-20).

Second, God is merciful in correction. When God uses one believer to care-front another person, that correction is merciful. That correction prevents many more sinful choices from being made. James writes, “Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, ²⁰ let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.”(Jam. 5:19-20) Covering a multitude of sins or prevention of additional sins is a demonstration of great mercy.

Thirdly, we see God’s mercy in judgment of the wicked. God’s judgment on the wicked is actually a form of mercy, because that person or group of people are prevented from committing more wickedness and hence they have less of a harsh judgment than they might have had. Jesus explained that principle when He rebuked the wicked cities,

²⁰ Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent:
²¹ “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
²² “But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you.
²³ “And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.
²⁴ “But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you.” (Matt. 11:20-24)

Hence, God’s judgment is a tremendous form of mercy. When Joshua destroyed the wickedness of Canaan, that was the mercy of God in action, because it prevented greater wickedness from mounting up and spreading to other people. The wickedness is cut off and the punishment is kept at a lower level that it would have been. Unfortunately, the wicked will likely not give appreciation for God’s mercy. The wicked, however, will bow their knee and confess Jesus as Lord (Phil. 2:9-11)

God is merciful. God is merciful in forgiveness. God is merciful in correction. God is also merciful in judging and destroying the wicked. Have you praised God for His mercy today or thanked God for His mercy in forgiveness of your sins?

Truth: Doctrine of the Divine Decree

Posted on May 12, 2013 by shepherdbryan

This doctrine was left in outline form for ease of discussion.

The Doctrine of the Divine Decree

Introduction

A. The difficulties in understanding the Divine Decree relate to the finite understanding the infinite, the temporal understanding the eternal, the sinful understanding the perfect.

B. Man has no need to be fearful of God, because God is holy and good. Therefore if something is decreed, then it must be good. It cannot be less than good from the divine perspective. There is nothing more important than your view of God.

I. Definition.

The Decree of God is His eternal, holy, wise, and sovereign purpose according to His own pleasure, comprehending at once all things that ever were or will be– in their causes, conditions, successions, and relations– and determining their certain futurition.

A. The decree is eternal in that it was established in eternity past and is certain forever. It can never be changed by man.

B. It is holy–set apart by God, pure according to God’s righteousness, transcendent in character in relation to the cosmos.

C. It was fixed according to the wisdom of God, not whimsical or without thought. It is perfect according to His sovereign will.

D. God`s sovereignty is infinite, eternal, according to His own self-determining will, totally independent of any other being. The decree is purposeful. That purpose is to bring honor and glory to Himself.

E. Everything is according to His pleasure. Without it we rob God of His freedom. The phrase adds the fact that it is personal in relation to His plan. The decree originates in freedom, and is not obligated to His purpose. God purposes without constraint. The only necessity placed on God is what comes from His perfection. The decree wasn’t made by external compulsion or internal caprice. It was not whimsical; it is purposeful. When God acts, He remains free.

F. In the decree God comprehended at once all things that ever were or will be. In God’s omniscience God knew the actual and the possible. God knew when you would believe in Christ or if you would. God knew what would happen if you married this person or that, and the happiness if you would have married a person for their integrity and character, rather than for their looks or lifestyle. God comprehended in eternity past everything that would ever happen. The past was as perspicuous as the present or future to God. We forget about our childhood or instances in our life, but each one is as clear to God as another.

G. Their causes refer to what brought about the circumstances you face. The causes refer to what preceded the event or thing.

H. The conditions refer to the surroundings, environment, and the set up in which the event or thing takes place.

I. Successions relate what precedes and what follows. It relates how each fits into the chronology of history.

J. Relations state how each event or thing is related to those around it.

K. Determining their certain futurition means that by comprehending all that ever was or will be, God made the sovereign choice concerning the events in history according to His direct, indirect or permissive will. It means that God’s will is not intimidated by man. God does not coerce man, but God knew how man would decide and God fixed the decree. Man does not change history in time, man lives out the history as it is fixed in eternity past as God saw history from eternity past.

L. Everything God does is for His own glory.

II. The omniscience of God is the key to understanding the Decree.

A. God has three types of knowledge.

1. Self-knowledge whereby God knows himself perfectly and completely. He has never had to learn about Himself.

2. Omniscience whereby God knows the actual and the possible for all things in human history and beyond. The possible could have happened had God programmed that into the decree, but only the actual was programmed.

3. Foreknowledge, which is the subcategory of God’s omniscience, related only to the decree.

B. God’s omniscience is a giant computer, which has the storage capability of every fact and possibility of divine history.

1. God never tampers with volition. Human history is as you have thought it and acted.

2. God knows which way you will choose, even though you are confronted with 20 choices. The choice you make is in the decree.

3. God knew all that would have been involved had He adopted an infinite number of plans of action.

4. God knows all the consequences had you chosen a different course of action that you chose.

C. Out of the computer comes a printout, which is the foreknowledge of God.

1. The foreknowledge makes nothing certain, but acknowledges what is certain.

2. Foreknowledge was not known, until it was first decreed. It first had to come out of the computer. God had to choose what plan or system would be reality for the believer. God knew in Eternity Past what decisions you would make and every decision is perspicuous, because He has the printout from the computer.

3. Foreknowledge is based on the sovereignty of God and His right to choose.

4. Foreknowledge does not determine nor affect any event. The cause is your freewill. It is what you decide.

5. Foreknowledge is the reality of life, what actually would happen.

D. The decree does not coerce the free will of man. The following five points are from A.A. Hodge. God’s decree determines only the certain futurition of events, it directly effects or causes no event. But the decree itself provides in every case that the event shall be affected by causes acting in a manner perfectly consistent with the nature of the event in question. Thus in the case of every free act of a moral agent the decree itself provides at the same time–

1. Every agent will be a free agent. No coercion on the will of the creature.

2. What precedes will be what it is. Once something happens, nothing can change it.

3. The conditions for the act will be what they are. God will not change the physical laws spontaneously. Therefore we can depend on the consistency with which all things happen. Will they happen by chance? No, all things happen by the grace and immutability of God.

4. The act itself will be perfectly free on the part of the agent.

5. The act will be certainly future. It is recorded history before the event occurs. Therefore, it must take place as recorded according to the Foreknowledge of God.

a. This means that Hyper-Calvinism is wrong because God does not predestine anyone to go to heaven or hell. People go because of their choice. You go to heaven because you choose to go to heaven. You were elected in eternity past and God knew you would go to heaven in eternity past and God chose you to go to heaven in eternity past, but God did not turn your decider to positive so you would go to heaven.

b. This means that Arminianism is wrong because man’s volition is not beyond the control of God. Man cannot cause things that are not in the decree. Man is not elected or chosen the moment he believes in Christ.

6. Application: When you witness, every person is first of all an unbeliever, but has the potential to become a believer. No one but God knows whether they will believe in Christ, or not. Therefore, you witness to every person God brings your way.

a. What was known about the person who rejected God is that they were not elected in eternity past. That person has lived out the pre-recorded printout of history. But the person chose to reject salvation.

b. What was known about the believer is that he/she was elected in eternity past. Their salvation was sure, that it would happen, but the manner or the time is completely unknown to us. Death bed conversions are a reality.

III. Evidence for the Divine Decree.

A. All things are included in the decree.

1. Is. 14:26,27, “This is the plan devised against the whole earth; and this is the hand that is stretched out against all the nations. For the Lord of hosts has planned and who can frustrate it? And as for His stretched-out hand. who can turn it back?”

2. Is. 46:10,11, “Declaring the end from the beginning And from ancient times things which have not been done. Saying My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure; Calling a bird of prey from the east The man of My purpose from a far country. Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, surely I will do it.

3. Dan. 4:35, “And all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing. But He does according to His will in the host of heaven And among the inhabitants of earth. And no one can ward off His hand Or say to Him, What hast Thou done?”

4. Eph. 1:11, “Also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will.”

B. Special things and events are included.

1. Stability of the physical universe Ps. 119:89-91, “Forever, O Lord, Thy word is settled in heaven. Thy faithfulness continues throughout all generations. Thou didst establish the earth, and it stands. They stand this day according to Thine ordinances.

2. Length of human life Job 14:5, “Since his days are determined, The number of his months is with Thee, And his limits Thou hast set so that he cannot pass.

3. Mode of our death Jn. 21:19, “Now He said this signifying what kind of death he would glorify God.”

4. Circumstances of nations Acts 17:26, “And He made from one, every nations of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times, and the boundaries of their habitation.

5. Free acts of man Eph. 2:10, “For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Gen. 50:20, “And as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result to preserve many people alive.”

C. Salvation of believers Eph. 3:10,11, in order that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord.

D. The nature of God.

1. The sovereign, eternal and omniscient God implies complete order to history.

2. God can be sovereign and still allow man to have freewill.

3. Man cannot intimidate God with His decisions.

If there is anybody or anything that is absolutely free, referring to will, you do not have a sovereign God.

(1) Divine foreknowledge implies fixity, which implies a decree.

(2) Divine wisdom operates according to a divine plan.

(3) Divine immutability indicates that there can be no increase in power or knowledge.

(4) Divine benevolence requires that both the course and end of history be determined by God`s will rather than by chance or the creature’s will.

(5) That fact that God is eternal means that His purpose is eternal.

IV. Characteristics of the Divine Decree.

A. The ground of the decree is God’s grace, love, and good pleasure

1. Matt. 11:25-26, “At that time Jesus answered and said, I praise Thee, O Father. Lord of heaven and earth, that Thou didst hide these things from the wise and intelligent and didst reveal them to babes. Yes, Father, for thus it was well-pleasing in Thy sight.”

2. Luke 12:32, “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.”

3. Eph. 1:5,9,” He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ in Himself according to the kind intention of His will. . .He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him.

4. Rom. 9:21, “Or does not the potter have a right over the clay to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use, and another for common use?”

5. Application: It doesn’t arise from outside of His nature. For example in a puzzle, all the pieces are in the box, but only when all the pieces are put together can you get the full picture. God knows all the pieces before the puzzle is assembled.

B. It is eternal

1. 1 Cor. 2:7, “but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom, which God predestined before the ages to our glory.”

2. Eph. 1:4, “just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him.”

3. 2 Tim. 1:9, “who has saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity.”

4. 1 Pet. 1:20, “for He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you.”

5. Application: every event is related to another, no event can be isolated from the whole.

a. lust–sin–death.

b. Death of Christ–personal faith–salvation.

C. It is wise

1. Rom. 11:33, “Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways.”

2. Eph. 3:10,11, “in order that the manifold ^awisdom of God might now be ^bmade known through the church to the ^crulers and the authorities in ^dthe heavenly places. This was in ^aaccordance with the ¹eternal purpose which He ²carried out in ^bChrist Jesus our Lord, “

3. Ps. 104:24, “O Lord how many are Thy works! In wisdom Thou hast made them all: The earth is full of Thy possessions.”

4. Application: nothing is irrational or arbitrary, although it may be beyond our comprehension at the moment.

D. It is free.

1. Is. 40;13-14, “Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord Or as His counselor has informed Him? With whom did He consult and who gave Him understanding? And who taught Him in the path of justice and taught Him knowledge. and informed Him of the way of understanding?

2. Rom. 11:36, “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.

3. Application: His determinations are influenced by no other. No one was present when He decreed the decree.

E. It is unconditional.

1. Is. 46:10, “Declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure.”

2. Acts. 2:23, “this man delivered up by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death.”

3. Eph. 1:11, “also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will.

4. Eph. 2:8, “for by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourself it is the gift of God.

5. Application:There are no contingencies. Nothing is uncertain. Nothing in the decree is conditioned by anything not in the decree. God is not waiting for anything to happen in order to know the outcome of the event.

F. It is all-inclusive.

1. Eph. 1:11, “ This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He ²carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, “.

2. Acts 17:26, “And He made from one, every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times, and the boundaries of their habitation.”

G. It is immutable.

1. Ps. 33:11, “the counsel of the Lord stands forever, The plans of His heart from generation to generation.”

2. Is. 46:9,10, “Remember the former things long past. For I am God and there is no other; I am God and there is no one like me, Declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying My purpose will be established and I will accomplish all My good pleasure.”

H. It is efficacious.

1. Is. 14:27, “For the Lord of hosts has planned, and who can frustrate it? And as for His stretched-out hand, who can turn it back?”

2. Application: the works of God always succeed in having their intended effect.

3. Some things God has decreed to do Himself immediately–direct cause.

4. Some things He has decreed to do through the agency of natural laws–indirect cause.

5. Some things God decreed to do through the exercise of the will of moral creature moral agency.

6. Shedd in his Dogmatic Theology, “If God does not first decide what shall come to pass, he cannot know what will come to pass. An event must be made certain, before it can be known as a certain event.”

I. It is permissive regarding sin.

1. Ps. 78:29, “So they ate and were well filled; And their desire He gave to them.” God did not cause them to sin. God did not cause them to crave for the food. God permitted them to sin. God cannot cause something to happen contrary to His own character or He would be denying Himself.

2. What about Pharaoh. God did not cause the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart. God hardened His heart by allowing Pharaoh to make the decision, which God foreknew would happen in eternity past.

3. Ps. 106:15, “So He gave them their request, But sent a wasting disease among them.“ God did not cause them to have the desire. They had the desire by their own freewill.

4. Acts 14:16, “And in the generations gone by He permitted all the nations to go their own ways.”

5. Application: The decree renders the future sinful act certain, but does not hinder the sinful self-determination of the finite will.

6. Permissive does not mean passive (which would imply that something was beyond his control).

7. It does not mean compulsion (which would negate free agency and place the responsibility with God.

J. The decree to act is not the act itself.

1. @@ The decree to create is not creation itself.

2. The decree to redeem is not redemption itself.

K. The purpose of the decree is the glory of God.

1. Eph. 1:6,12,14,” to the praise of the glory of His grace which He freely bestowed on us in the beloved; v. 12 to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ should be to the praise of His glory, v. 14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession to the praise of His glory.”

2. Rev. 4:11, “Worthy are You our Lord and our God to receive glory and honor and power, for Thou didst create all things, and because of They will They existed, and were created.”

L. The decree is all comprehensive.

1. Not the slightest confusion could exist as to one of even the smallest events without confusion to all events.

2. The decree does not eliminate the need for prayer. God in His omniscience saw what believers would pray. The effective prayer is what God can answer in the affirmative. Is. 65:24, “It will also come to pass that before they call. I will answer and while they are still speaking I will hear.”

V. Application of the divine decree to us.

A. The decree is the sum total of God’s plan and purpose in eternity past, and centers around the person of Christ.

1. Eph. 1:4-6, “Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before Him, In love he predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself according to the kind intention of His will to the praise of the glory of His grace which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.”

2. 1 Jn. 3:23,”And this is the commandment that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as He commanded us.”

B. Therefore the free will of man must face Jesus Christ before and after the cross.

C. Without violating free will, God designed a perfect plan for every believer.

D. There are primary, secondary, and tertiary functions within the plan of God. All of which affect you in every decision you make.

E. God is not unfair and He deals with reality.

Dedicated to many great teachers who have gone before.

Truth: Doctrine of Election

Posted on May 9, 2013 by shepherdbryan

Doctrine of Election

God has three types of knowledge. They are all a part of the knowledge of God and the distinctions help us understand election.

First, He has self-knowledge; He knows Himself. In His dialogue with Moses, “And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.”And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel,`I AM has sent me to you.’” (Ex. 3:14)

Secondly, God is omniscient, which means He is all-knowing. God knows the actual and the possible, especially in relation to His creatures. The writer to the Hebrews wrote, “And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.” (Heb. 4:13)

And thirdly, God has foreknowledge, which is His acknowledgement of what is in the Decree of God. David recorded in his famous Psalm 139,

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. O LORD, You have searched me and known me.

²You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off.

³You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways.

⁴For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O LORD, You know it altogether.

⁵You have hedged me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me.

⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain it. (Ps. 139:1-6)

This foreknowledge of God means every minute detail is completely known in eternity past. Every minute detail is in the mind of God, therefore the future is clear. God’s knowledge is not subject to change, development, or reasoning. God’s omniscience fed into the decree the actual facts. The decree is fixed, but does not fix. God’s foreknowledge is a printout of those elect ones. The elect ones experientially become elect at salvation. The elect ones are elect from eternity past.

Election depends on God’s sovereign application of the free will of man to God’s plan. John wrote, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

Election becomes experientially real at the point of salvation. Election was made in eternity past as Paul writes, “But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.” (2 Thes. 2:13) God chose, or elected, every believer through means of the Holy Spirit’s regenerating work that happens at the moment of salvation. Paul also writes, “[God], who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, (2 Tim. 1:9) There was nothing we could do for salvation. That is why faith is non-meritorious, that is, there is no merit for man. God does all the work through Jesus; we just accept that work on our behalf. The choice is to humbly accept the work, rather than think we can do or become something of value on our own before God. We cannot. We can only accept what God has done on our behalf.

Scripture teaches Unlimited Atonement. There are many passages that declare God’s unconditional sin payment for the human race by the blood of Jesus. For example,

For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. (Luke 19:10)

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29)

John Calvin says of this verse: “He uses the word sin in the singular number for any kind of iniquity; as if he had said that every kind of unrighteousness which alienates men from God is taken away by Christ. And when he says the sin of the world, he extends this favor indiscriminately to the whole human race.” Additional verses in support of Unlimited Atonement are:

For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

(Rom. 5:6)

³ For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,

⁴ who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1 Tim. 2:3-4)

And,

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

⁶ who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time, (1 Tim. 2:5-6)

For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe. (1 Tim. 4:10)

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

And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. (1 Jn. 2:2)

And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. (1 Jn. 4:14)

It would seem these are very clear that Jesus’ death was a substitution for the entire world – all the ungodly – those who would believe and those who would not.

Therefore, all members of the human race are potentially elect by the Father under the concept of Unlimited Atonement. Paul writes, “Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. (2 Tim. 2:10) The Greek grammar is important here. The phrase, “that they also may obtain” is a hina + subjunctive of tugchano- which means it is optional and dependent on man’s volition—man’s choice. Paul did not exclude anyone from this choice. Just above, we saw from 2 Peter 3:9 that the Lord was “not wishing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance.” Some people will say that those whom God calls will be saved. So in this verse if God wishes for all to be saved, is God’s wish different from God’s call? If God wishes for something, would not that happen if He wanted it to happen? Could God wish for something and it not happen? It would not, if God allowed for His glory man’s choice to enter into the picture.

Election is the present and future possession of every believer. Jesus said, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. (John 15:16) On his own, man would not choose God. If it were not for the convicting ministry of the Holy Spirit, every man would turn from God. It is only those to whom God calls and convicts, which is everyone, do they have an opportunity to make a choice. The saving is not of anything on man’s part. He only makes a non-meritorious decision, selfish as it may be, to receive the gift of salvation. He does this by faith. His purpose then becomes bearing fruit. Paul states our purpose after salvation, “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; (Col. 3:12) Once we are saved, our focus becomes bearing fruit for Jesus’ sake. That becomes a life-long pursuit of sanctification, because of our position in Christ.

Every believer shares the election of Christ through positional sanctification. Even Jesus is elect, according to Isaiah, “Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.” (Is. 42:1) Jesus, however, is not elect as we are. He was chosen to be the sin-Bearer and our Substitute. All those in the church of Corinth were believers as Paul writes, “To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours… But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God– and righteousness and sanctification and redemption… (1 Cor. 1:2,30) We are sanctified in Christ and as we grow in our relation with Jesus Christ we become experientially sanctified.

We can trust God in everything that He takes us through for our sanctification. Paul writes, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose… He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?”(Rom 8:28, 32) Why can we trust Him? He chose us, elected us, from the foundation of the world, “just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love.” (Eph. 1:4)

This means that of the 1000 other decrees God could have chosen He chose one where you would believe in Christ (if you have). Give thanks to Him! It means that God is sovereignly in control of all history, not that He directly controls all history, because we cannot say God directs sin. That would be contrary to the character of God. However, He does allow sin in His permissive will and chose the decree in which there is sin. That decree allows many wicked things to occur, which exposes the wicked evil that is in the world and ultimately reveals that only when God is in direct control, is there serenity and calm. What do you remember about the love of God?

God gives and God corrects (1 John 4:9-10; Heb. 12:5-6). It means I share in the destiny of Christ, I share His election. That is confident expectation of what lies ahead and is reason for us not to become frustrated about what we face now. It means every person may be elect, therefore we are under obligation to witness and give the gospel at every opportunity. Are you taking advantage of the opportunity?

Words: Fail, Fool, Fake

Posted on May 5, 2013 by shepherdbryan

Fail, Fool, or Fake

I have been very interested in ministry to men for several decades. However, my passion rejuvenated five years ago. I began with a group called “Hungry Hunters” on Wednesday nights at church. I realized how important men are in the church. In fact, I believe, “As go the men, so goes the church.” I now disciple two groups of men and one home group composed of couples. That does NOT mean women are not important. It does not mean women do not greatly contribute to the spiritual vitality and growth of a church. It does express that I believe if men do not lead, the blessing God intends for a church and community will not be all that God desires. Men have a key role and they have been passive since the Garden of Eden.

In the Garden of Eden, while the Serpent was wooing the woman, Adam was standing near passively listening to the discussion. When the woman took the fruit and ate it, the text says, “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.” (Gen. 3:6)He should have been leading. He should have been protecting the woman from being deceived. He should have cried out to God if he didn’t know what to do. Because Adam was passive and silent, we suffer today. Because men are passive and silent today, we continue to suffer. Why are men passive?

Men are passive, because that is the alternative to doing the wrong thing. What? Yes, men want to do the right thing. Men want to lead, but they have not been discipled. Men want to make a difference in life, but it is easier to do nothing than risk doing the wrong action.

If men do the wrong action, what happens? They will:

· Know they did the wrong thing and people will let them know it.

· Look like a fool in front of other people.

· Be found out as a fake. Men want others to respect them and they want others to think that they have their act together. If they do the wrong thing, they will either be shown a fake or someone will accuse them of being a fake.

Obviously, most of that is perception. But the reality is that is a man’s reality. And he has a fear of those things. Let me explain. There are three key things men do not want.

Men do not want to fail. Jesus prayed for the disciples before going to the cross, “But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” (Luke 22:32) To fail is to fail God for most men. Somehow it is wired into most men that we want to succeed, to win, to overcome, to complete the task and hence, triumph. You can see that in every aspect of life. Men want to succeed up the corporate ladder, win the big game, overcome the adversity or challenge, complete the project at home or work and hence have satisfaction of the triumph. Men do not want to fail in their marriages, their families, or their church, let alone their work. But men have not been discipled.

Men do not want to look like a fool. Men know from Scripture that a fool is the opposite of the wise one, “the fool will be servant to the wise of heart. (Pro. 11:29) Men like to joke around and banter back and forth among trusted friends. However, make a man look like a fool and he is gone. He will not come back unless he knows it might be safe. Make fun of him around people he does not know, especially women and he will avoid you like certain politicians avoid answering the truth. A man who looks foolish will remain quiet and uninvolved, until he can work up the courage to risk that last step again. Even then, he’ll be very cautious.

Men do not want to be found out as a fake. Men want people to respect them. The Lord respected Abel’s offering, but not Cain’s (Gen. 4:4,5). Jesus told the same parable in each of the three synoptic gospels regarding the expectation that the Son should be respected by the vinedressers (Matt. 21:37; Mark 12:6; Luke 20:13). Respect is a big deal to men. That’s why God tells women to “respect their husbands” (Eph. 5:33). When, or if, a man does not know or live in a way that he should be respected, he would rather retreat to his man-cave. So rather than saying or doing the wrong thing, it is easier for him not to do anything, than risk being found out a spiritual or otherwise fake.

These three – fail, fool, fake – result from fear. Men do NOT want to claim to struggle from fear, so it is easier to be passive, silent and uninvolved. Even Scripture identifies this as a possible approach, “Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; when he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive.” (Pro. 17:28) A man wants to look wise, so it is easier to be passive, silent and uninvolved than take the risk of revealing fear. Fear is abominable to a man. He is supposed to be a leader! But when the flesh controls, he plays the fool and fear gets the best of him. What is the solution?

The solution is to disciple men. That was the purpose of “Hungry Hunters.” We took the Message Based Discussion Questions and went through them each week. The purpose was to engender confidence in the men and restore true masculinity to lead in their marriages, homes and the church. Men are hunters and providers. Hungry men are those who seek after God’s righteousness. The goal is to stay with a man, until he is ready to disciple other men. The key is “as go the men, so goes the church (marriage, family).”

Truth: Baptism

Posted on April 24, 2013 by shepherdbryan

Truth: Baptism

The basic meaning of baptism is “identification.” The word baptize means to immerse, but the concept means identification. For example, Homer wrote in B.C. 850, that soldiers would dip or “baptize” their spear tips into a bucket of pig’s blood, which identified the spear with war and death. When a rag was dipped into a bucket of dye, the rag was baptized or identified by the color of dye.

There are eight different baptisms mentioned in the Bible. There are five real baptisms and three ritual baptisms. A real baptism is where there is an actual identification of something with something else and is dry. A ritual baptism is where water is involved in some manner giving a symbolic identification.

The five real baptisms include the baptisms of Moses; Fire; Cup; Holy Spirit; and Noah. These are actually dry identifications. In other words, the person who was baptized remained dry.

First, the baptism of Moses is an identification of Israel with Moses and the Red Sea. Paul writes, “All were baptized into Moses and within the cloud and in the sea.” (1 Cor. 10:2) In this case, the nation of Israel went through the Red Sea on dry ground and remained dry. Who were those who got wet? The Egyptians were wet and died!

Secondly, the baptism of Fire is an identification of unbelievers with judgment and specifically judgment of unbelievers cast off the earth at the Second Advent. Matthew records, “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (Matt. 3:11) The fire is God’s judgment. Unbelievers will be identified with the judgment of fire. There is no water involved.

Thirdly, the baptism of the Holy Spirit is the identification of the Church Age believer into the body of Christ. This is a salvation ministry of the Holy Spirit entering the believer into union with Christ in the body of Christ. Paul writes, “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body– whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free– and have all been made to drink intoone Spirit.” (1 Cor. 12:13) It is what unites all Church Age believers together (Eph. 4:5). This did not occur in the Old Testament. It began as one of the mystery truths of the Church Age. Paul writes,

²⁶ the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints.

²⁷ To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which¹is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Col. 1:26-27)

This baptism is what provides equality in God’s family,

²⁶ For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

²⁷ For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

²⁸ There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Gal. 3:26-28)

Fourthly, the baptism of the Cup identified Jesus with the cross. Jesus said to his disciples,

³⁸ But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?”

³⁹ They said to Him, “We are able.” So Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized. (Mark 10:38-39)

Jesus warned the disciples that they too would be identified with the cross by dying to themselves, although not on the cross Jesus was hung. In His humanity, Jesus did not desire the cross, but was willing to accept the Father’s will and go to the cross. He said, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” (Luke 22:42) God the Father identified with Jesus all the sins of the world and Jesus became sin for us (2 Cor. 5:21).

Fifthly, the baptism of Noah was an identification of Noah’s family with Noah on the Ark. Peter records for us,

spirits in prison, ²⁰ who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited¹in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.

²¹There is also an antitype which now saves us– baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. (1 Pet 3:19-21)

Those who were baptized into Noah remained dry on the Ark and those who became wet died.

There are also three ritual baptisms in which literal water represents something else. First, there is the baptism of Jesus, in which the water represented the Father’s plan and the baptism symbolized Jesus’ commitment to fulfill God’s plan. It began the public ministry of Jesus. Matthew records this baptism,

¹³ Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him.

¹⁴ And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?”

¹⁵ But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him.

¹⁶ When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He¹saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.

¹⁷ And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matt. 3:13-17)

Secondly, the baptism of John was identification of John’s converts with the Kingdom of God and the water represented the kingdom. John the Baptist said, “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptizeyou with the Holy Spirit and fire.(Matt. 3:11)

Thirdly, believer’s baptism is identification of the convert with Christ’s death, burial and resurrection. The water represents the Body of Christ and burial of the old self. Luke records in Acts, “Then those who gladlyreceived his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. (Acts 2:41)

Baptism is a one-time event, symbolizing one death and one resurrection to walk in newness of life. Communion is the other ordinance in the church that is done repeatedly, in order to look back, look at the present and look forward. Communion remembers the death of Christ, encourages fellowship with the saints and declares Christ’s death until He comes.

Words: Godly vs. Ungodly Results

Posted on April 21, 2013 by shepherdbryan

Words: Godly vs. Ungodly Results

In the Garden of Eden, Adam enjoyed perfect environment. He was never concerned with rubbing his eyes from air pollution, testing the water for contaminants, or listening to foul-mouthed neighbors. Everything was perfect, because he was made in the image of God and sin had not become a part of his nature or the world around him.

Scream forward to Genesis 3 and the serpent allures the woman into a conversation, to which she can’t resist.

Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, `You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”

² And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden;

³ “but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, `You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.'”

⁴ Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.

⁵ “For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

⁶ So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. (Gen. 3:1-6)

At that moment, because of disobedience to God’s command, sin enters into the human race. Now, instead of perfect environment, thorns and thistles grow, sweat becomes normal and childbirth is overcome only by the joy of new life. This initiates the contrast of godly and ungodly results.

Take for example the following chart.

Component	Discipline	Proper Use	Sinful Use
Chemical Elements	Chemistry	Vaccine	Poison
Colors/light	Art	Michelangelo	Pornography
Spoken letters	Speech	Bible teaching	Lying, slander
Written letters	Composition Music lyrics	C.S. Lewis, “Messiah”	Moral filth Gangsta Rap
Sound waves	Music	Refreshing the spirit and body	Stimulating lust Instant gratification

There are four columns and four examples. The first column identifies a component at its basic level. For example, chemical elements can be hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen and oxygen. The second column identifies the particular discipline or category of study or function which comes from the “component.” From chemical elements comes a discipline of “chemistry.” From that discipline, there will be two types of uses of that discipline: a proper use or godly result and a sinful use or ungodly result.

There are many proper uses of chemistry. One example is to use chemistry to create vaccines. Another is to develop prescription drugs, like pain killers for after surgery. However, chemistry can be twisted in a sinful use or ungodly result, for example to develop poisons to hurt people.

Each of the components has a resulting discipline and then a proper use or sinful use. It depends on whether God is behind it or whether man’s sin nature is behind it. If you understand this, you’ll understand why there is evil in the world and not be shocked when wickedness develops. What other examples would you suggest to continue lengthening this chart?

God: Jesus, the Great Servant

Posted on April 6, 2013 by shepherdbryan

Jesus, the Great Servant

There is no one in the world like Jesus Christ. He was well known in the Old Testament, but not identified by name. God the Father spoke of Him as the anonymous Servant in several passages. Let’s note several things about the “Anonymous Servant.”

Read below for some application to these truths.

1) God put His Spirit upon Him Is. 42:1

“Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles. (Is. 42:1)

a) God put His Spirit upon Him Luke 4:1,14, 18; 5:17; 6:19; 8:46; Acts 10:38

b) He was filled with the Spirit even at the cross Heb. 9:14

2) He will bring forth Justice is. 42:1

“Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles. (Is. 42:1)

a) His justice was removed Acts 8:33

b) His work brings justification to every believer Rom. 3:24-26

c) He will bring about justice for all Matt. 25:31-46; Jude 1:14-15

d) His death brings about justice for all Heb. 9:27-28

3) He will mediate a covenant with Israel as a light to Gentiles Is. 42:6-7

⁶ “I, the LORD, have called You in righteousness, And will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the Gentiles,

⁷ To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the prison, Those who sit in darkness from the prison house. (Is. 42:6-7)

a) He came first to deliver and take away their sins Rom. 11:26-27

b) God sent Jesus who was known, but rejected to be a blessing Acts 3:21-25

c) God made the special covenants for His people Israel Rom. 9:4

d) We have a choice like they did to pursue His agreement Heb. 11:15

4) He submitted to the Father’s will, even when it meant abuse Is. 50:4-6

⁴ “The Lord GOD has given Me The tongue of the learned, That I should know how to speak A word in season to him who is weary. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear To hear as the learned.

⁵ The Lord GOD has opened My ear; And I was not rebellious, Nor did I turn away.

⁶ I gave My back to those who struck Me, And My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard; I did not hide My face from shame and spitting. (Is. 50:4-6)

a) He submitted specifically to the Father’s will John 5:19

b) He submitted to the Father at the hands of men Mark 9:31; Luke 9:44

5) He does not become discouraged by His course for history Is. 50:7-9

⁷ “For the Lord GOD will help Me; Therefore I will not be disgraced; Therefore I have set My face like a flint, And I know that I will not be ashamed.

⁸ He is near who justifies Me; Who will contend with Me? Let us stand together. Who is My adversary? Let him come near Me.

⁹ Surely the Lord GOD will help Me; Who is he who will condemn Me? Indeed they will all grow old like a garment; The moth will eat them up. (Is. 50:7-9)

a) He kept His eyes on the Father in the face of their rejection Matt. 11:25-27

b) He overcame the world so that we could have peace John 16:33

c) He overcame and one day every knee would bow to Him Phil. 2:9-11

d) He endured the hostility of sinners to set us free Heb. 12:2-3

6) While rejected by Israel, He will bring salvation to the Gentiles Is. 42:6; 49:5-6

⁶ “I, the LORD, have called You in righteousness, And will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the Gentiles, (Is. 42:6)

⁵ “And now the LORD says, Who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, To bring Jacob back to Him, So that Israel is gathered to Him¹(For I shall be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, And My God shall be My strength),

⁶ Indeed He says,`It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.'” (Is. 49:5-6)

a) When Israel’s leadership rejected Jesus, He left the house desolate Matt. 23:37-39

b) Jesus turned from Israel to include the Gentiles John 10:16

c) While Jesus suffered, He was raised up for all, including Gentiles Acts 13:37-42

7) He suffered as a substitution (vicariously) for the sins of all Is. 52:15; 53:6

¹⁵ So shall He sprinkle¹many nations. Kings shall shut their mouths at Him; For what had not been told them they shall see, And what they had not heard they shall consider. (Is. 52:15)

⁶ All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. (Is. 53:6)

a) He became sin for us 2 Cor. 5:21

b) He abolished in His flesh the hostility Eph. 2:13-16

c) He died that we might live for righteousness 1 Pet. 2:24

8) He suffered silently Is. 53:7

⁷ He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth. (Is. 53:7)

a) He did not speak a word at the accusations Matt. 27:12,14

b) He did not answer the questions Mark 15:3-5

9) He suffered innocently Is. 53:9

⁹ And they¹made His grave with the wicked– But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth. (Is. 53:9)

a) No one could convict Him of sin John 8:46

b) He was a fitting High Priest set apart from sin Heb. 7:26

c) In Him, there was no sin 1 John 3:5

10) He would die with criminals, but buried with a rich man Is. 53:9,12

⁹ And they¹made His grave with the wicked– But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth. (Is. 53:9)

¹² Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors. (Is. 53:12)

a) He died between two criminals Matt. 27:44

b) He was buried by a rich man Matt. 27:57-60

11) He will be resurrected to an exalted position Is. 52:13

¹³ Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently; He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high. (Is. 52:13)

a) He chose to die, by giving up His spirit Matt. 27:50

b) He was seen after His death by many Acts 1:3; 1 Cor. 15:1-6

c) Every knee will bow to Him Phil. 2:9-11

12) The Father chose to crush Him Is. 53:10

¹⁰ Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. (Is. 53:10)

a) The Father was pleased with the Son Matt. 3:17; 17:5

b) The Father send the Son to be the propitiation 1 John 4:10

Many believe their sufferings are great and they often are. It may seem like people aren’t aware of how much you are suffering, and they often aren’t. However, the Lord does. He knows every detail about your life. He knows every pain in and of your life. You will never go through anything that the Lord does not come to your aid to sustain you through trial. He went through His trials for you. No one has ever gone through the sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ. He did it all for you.

Question: Are Sign Gifts operational today?

Posted on April 3, 2013 by shepherdbryan

Question: Are Sign Gifts operational today?

Many good students of Scripture will rest on 1 Cor. 13:10, when it comes to answering the question whether the sign gifts are available today or not. Basically, the perfect [the Bible] has been completed, so the partial [sign gifts] are removed. It is a valid thought process, but likely not the best supported interpretation of that passage. There are many well-thought-out reasons why this simplistic approach is not a correct interpretation. There are much better reasons taking into consider the context of 1 Corinthians 12-14, within which 1 Corinthians 13:10 is found and other explanation.

For example, in the context of Ephesians 2:20, the gifts of apostle and prophets were the foundation for the building structure of the church. Those gifts ceased during that first century foundational era with the completion of the canon of Scripture. However, you cannot argue the sign gifts have ceased because of that passage.

There are other passages like Philippians 2:26-27 and 2 Timothy 4:20, in which Paul was present with very sick co-laborers in the gospel. Paul, who had healed others, gave no indication that he was able to heal again as he did in Malta (Acts 28: 8,9). Is it possible that God took away the gift of healing from Paul? If so, why? Was the purpose for which Paul had the gift of healing now completed?

Much of church history shows a vacuum of sign gifts until the beginning of the 1900s. It was in the modern Charismatic movement in Los Angeles, California, in 1904, when the power seemed to be restored. Yet with all the writing, there have been objective investigations to verify the veracity of “the miracles.” The dead were not raised, the lame were not healed. The blind did not receive sight. The modern tongues movements seemed to be questioned because modern tongues are a repetition of a small number of phrases, in contrast to the biblical examples of Acts 2 and 10. The miraculous do not match the miracles presented in the New Testament.

I’m very open to the presence of sign gifts, but I see that with the provision of greater amounts of the canon or “measurement” of Scripture, sign gifts were not recorded as in the initial apostolic days of beginning the church. The reason may be because of the purpose of sign gifts. The reason is the same reason as any of the miracles in Scripture.

God allowed miracles in order to draw attention to the truth. Moses was one who worked many miracles (Ex. 4:1-5)

Then Moses answered and said, “But suppose they will not believe me or listen to my voice; suppose they say,`The LORD has not appeared to you.'”

² So the LORD said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A rod.”

³ And He said, “Cast it on the ground.” So he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it.

⁴ Then the LORD said to Moses, “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail ” (and he reached out his hand and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand),

⁵“that they may believe that the LORD God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.” (Ex. 4:1-5)

God gave Moses miraculous powers, so “that they may believe that the Lord God…has appeared to you.” (Ex. 4:5). God also worked the plagues and other miracles to give the entire nation of Israel reason to trust God was speaking through Moses. God gave Elijah miraculous powers, so Israel would believe God appeared to Elijah and was speaking through Him.

God also worked miracles through Jesus, so the people would be attracted to Him and believe His words. After Jesus fed 5000, people came back for more. Sometimes when you give people what they want, they only want what they want rather than the truth, so Jesus didn’t give them more food.

During one of the Passovers, Jesus had 5000 men and their families, who needed to eat. Jesus directed the disciples to feed them (John 6: 4-10). They recognized they could make the provision, so God used the opportunity to reveal His ability to provide through Jesus and they should listen to Jesus. Jesus fed the people and an abundance was recovered (John 6: 11-13). Those who saw the “sign” recognized Jesus as “the Prophet who is to come into the world.” But when Jesus perceived the people were going to “take Him by force to make Him king, He departed…”(John 6: 15) Jesus knew they only wanted Him to be a Bread King, not a Suffering Messiah Savior, so He withdrew from letting the “sign gift” or “miracle” from being a distraction. The importance was the message, not the sign. The sign was to lead to the message – Jesus Christ, sent from God for the world.

If the message is clearly communicated in Scripture, are sign gifts needed today? Jesus told the account of the rich man and Lazarus and how the rich man wanted Lazarus to go back to the world to tell the rich man’s brothers that they must repent. The rich man was counting on the miracle of someone coming back from the dead waking his brothers up from their complacency,

²⁷ “Then he said, `I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house,

²⁸ `for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’

²⁹“Abraham said to him, `They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’

³⁰“And he said, `No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’

³¹“But he said to him, `If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.'” (Luke 16:27-31)

Abraham was very clear, [“If they don’t believe what was written, they will not believe.”] The issue of the sign gifts is not having a great miracle. The issue of the sign gifts is to draw attention to the truth of the Word. If the Word is completed today, then is there a need for sign gifts? I’m open to explanations, but I’ve found explanations for present activity wanting for substance.

Maybe you have some Scriptural support that God is using sign gifts today. I know they will begin again during the Tribulation and the Millennium, but I’m not seeing the need today. Could God use sign gifts in primitive places? I’ve heard some experiences that seem plausible. I know God can do what He wants to do. If He puts Himself in a box during this dispensation and restricts them because of the completed canon, I cannot change that. Let us dialogue for unity and peace. Let us also ensure we rely on the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to live godly lives in the discussion process. We want to follow the excellent words:

In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in all things, charity. We should strive for unity in the sphere of love as we pursue the truth.

Words: Spiritual Disciplines (Part 3)

Posted on March 31, 2013 by shepherdbryan

Words: Spiritual Disciplines (Part 3)

This concludes the three part examination on Spiritual Disciplines as practices every Christian should do in order to grow closer in his relationship to Jesus Christ. They are exercises designed to orient a believer to focus on the Lord Jesus Christ. They, by themselves, do not cause a person to become more spiritual. They, by themselves, do not cause God to be obligated to the believer with favor. They, by themselves, do not propel the believer to spiritual maturity. The disciplines can be functions that an unbeliever can perform and therefore, by themselves, do not produce any merit before God. They would not be categorized by the word “spiritual” in that case. However, practicing spiritual disciplines can help the believer focus on the Word of God, so that in the power of the Holy Spirit, the believer is set apart by faith in mind, speech and action to become more godly. Spiritual disciplines can increase a believer’s pursuit of or commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ.

In the previous articles, the Spiritual Disciplines of Bible Reading, Bible Study, Scripture Meditation, Scripture Memorization and Prayer were first examined. Secondly, the Spiritual Disciplines of Worship, Fellowship, Service, Frugality and Fasting were discussed.

These first ten spiritual disciplines are fairly easy to understand, but the last five become more difficult to understand and practice. If Christians don’t see or understand tangible increases of knowledge, it’s easy for Christians to get discouraged with practical Spiritual Disciplines as bearing much fruit. However, just the opposite is true. It’s like spending time with a friend. Usually spending more time increases the love between two friends and the same is true with these last five.

Solitude: This is spending time alone with God to know and understand Him, while avoiding contacts other people. It is withdrawing from the world to seek the Lord alone. This is completed by silence and is very difficult to practice, because it is hard to measure. How do you know how well you’ve done, or if you’ve done enough, or if you want to do it again? There is nothing material to measure. But there is something to measure and that is the joy (settled assurance that God is in control) of a growing relationship with the Lord and knowing that when you encounter Jesus, you can’t help but enjoy His presence. Solitude is critical for those in ministry, because the ministry drain is so difficult to measure and it creeps up on servants of the Lord, like Elijah (1 Kings 19). Solitude is one of the best ways to refresh the spirit and restore freshness for ministry. Solitude can make you feel naked or like you are in a vacuum, yet that is when God may expose true things about you and His mercy will tenderly lead you through any valley and onto a mountain top of fresh air (Ps. 23:2-4). Solitude often helps God become more real than other spiritual disciplines. Jesus went to a solitary place to be alone with God the Father in prayer (Mark 1:35).

Silence: This is refraining from speaking or even singing to quiet your mind and soul in God’s presence. Silence includes both not speaking and singing, but also shutting down outside noises in order to concentrate (Ps. 46:10). This spiritual discipline goes along with solitude, but can be practiced at other times like when having fellowship listening to a friend in need. Often in silence, sorrow can rise up, because of the Holy Spirit’s convicting work (Ps. 39:2). Silence is certainly what happens to a Christian who is enjoying the awesome presence of the Lord (Mark 4:39). Silence is sadly a lost commodity, because of all the white noise of television, radio, cell phones and electronic games. Silence helps a Christian go deeper in seeking after the infinity of God. Silence is the best way to listen to the “still silent [small] voice” of God (1 Kings 19:12) speaking through Scripture to understand conviction and God’s purposes.

Submission: This is the action of humility before the awesome sovereign presence of God (1 Pet. 5:6). It is practiced in not asserting self before the authority, power and wisdom of Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:19-21). It is visibly seen in submission to a person as you would unto Jesus Christ, like a wife to a husband or employee to an employer. It is coming under the authority of one as a visible manifestation of submission to the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a form of abstinence, because it denies self the power and privileges it would want to express or enjoy. Jesus submitted to the Father’s will from His opening mission statement (Luke 4:17-19). Paul recorded that Jesus humbled Himself to the point of death, even death on the cross (Phil. 2:7-8). Jesus acknowledged that He did nothing on His own, but only what He saw the Father doing (John 5:30; 6:38; 12:50). Jesus, as the King of kings and Lord of lords, even submitted to people (Luke 2:51). Submission is practiced by not forcing an agenda, but trusting God to work His will through people. It is welcoming criticism from others as opportunity for learning and to bless those who curse (2 Pet. 3:8-10). Submission will allow others to make decisions that you would want to make.

Reflection: This is paying attention to your inner self in thoughts and feelings in order to understand how to grow more closely with God and others (Pro. 27:19). It is not for the purpose of loving self more, but examining self to consider what hinders your relationship with God and others. It is always using Scripture as the mirror rather than a physical mirror (Jam. 1:22-25). Reflection is the chewing of biblical truth to extract principles and application in order to determine application and implementation of truth to life. Reflection requires slowing down in life in order to examine areas of life that are always in motion or often not considered, but may encumber relationships. Solitude and Silence often go with Reflection, however they are not required.

Sabbath Rest: This is resting in the Lord rather than working to fix things in life. In the Old Testament it was one of the Ten Commandments (Ex. 20: 8). In the New Testament it refers to a moment by moment rest in the Lord (Heb. 4:1-11). It is not working in your flesh, but your flesh may be diligent about what it is doing. It is allowing the Holy Spirit to work through you to accomplish God’s will and leaving the results up to God. It is not a particular day as much as a particular way of trusting God with what is done and pursuing that rest by trusting what God will do through you. Thereby, you are refreshed, because you know that God has been working through you.

This concludes this examination of Spiritual Disciplines. There are excellent books written on the subject. The key is practicing these by faith in the power of the Holy Spirit according to God’s Word, so that God is glorified and you grow in a deeper and more intimate relationship with Him. These principles of spiritual disciplines can all be applied to marriage in similar ways to grow more closely with your spouse.

Shepherding Truth

Renewing Truth, Rightly Divided

Category Archives: Truth