And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. (Luke 1:6) In biblical times it was considered sinful to choose not to have children. According to rabbinic literature, the Law mandated that Jews were expected to maintain the race and pass on their faith through procreation (Gen 1:28; 12:3). Thus, for Jewish couples to choose not have children was viewed as sinful, and for Jewish couples to be unable to bear children was considered shameful and a clear sign of God’s displeasure (1 Sam 1:10-11; Lk 1:25). Yet we read in the opening words of the gospel of Luke, regarding the parents of John the Baptist, that Elizabeth and Zechariah “were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years” (vv.6-7). What an amazing epitaph—“both [were] righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord.” How would you like to be described that way? Elizabeth and Zechariah are proof that when things don’t go well in life, this does not mean God is displeased with us or that we lack faith or sanctification. In fact, in the case of Elizabeth and Zechariah, their suffering meant that God was preparing to use them for something great. Thus, suffering may be a sign of good things to come.
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But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God. (2 Corinthians 4:2) When it comes to evangelism and evangelism training, there are a variety of ways people have come up with when it comes to sharing the gospel. To be sure, how we approach evangelism will be different depending on the culture within which we are ministering. That is, how we seek to approach and present the gospel to someone in New York city will likely be different than someone living in Mobile, Alabama, or how we share the gospel with someone in the United States will be different than with someone living in South Korea. Nevertheless, while the delivery may differ, the content must always be the same. We must not think we can finagle people into heaven with our crafty words or lofty arguments. To the church in Corinth, Paul writes: “Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart” (2 Cor 4:1). That is, no matter how difficult communicating the gospel might be and no matter how hard the human heart is, Paul will not grow discouraged by the world’s limited response to the gospel, nor will he resort to “underhanded ways,” “cunning” practices,” or “tamper with God’s word,” but will continue to present the gospel “by the open statement of the truth” (v.2). Paul understands that the pure undiluted gospel message is the power of God unto salvation (Rom 1:16). That message being that “Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures” (1 Cor. 15:3-4).
The beginning of strife is like letting out water, so quit before the quarrel breaks out. (Proverbs 17:14) One bit of counseling advice I often give married couples is that you can never over-communicate. This is especially true when they are not getting along or when one upsets the other. I tell them they must always be willing to talk through their disagreements even when they don’t feel like talking. It’s fine to walk away for a few moments to calm down and gather their thoughts but, at some point, someone must go to the other and say, “We need to talk.” Sadly, so often what happens is that they put off talking, and they put it off, and they put it off, until they reach a point where they think to themselves, ‘Oh, I’m over it. There’s no use talking about it now. We’re good.’ But stuffing bitter emotions down inside is never good. Over time those hurt feelings and bitter emotions build up pressure, then one day when the other person upsets us just one more time, we explode like Mt. Saint Helen. Here the Proverb is correct, “The beginning of strife is like letting out water, so quit before the quarrel breaks out.” No crack in a damn, regardless of how small, should ever be considered insignificant. Stop the leak when it first starts before the damn breaks and kills everyone in its path.
This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it. (John 11:4) We look out at the world, particularly what we see happening in Ukraine, and we see all the evil in the world, all the suffering and pain, and we can wonder where is God? Some will be led to think there must not be a God. If God exist with so much evil in the world, then either God is not good or God is not all-powerful. He is not able to control what happens in the world. However, the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11) gives a different perspective on suffering. There we are told that when Jesus received word that Lazarus was gravely ill, he tarries two more days and allowed Lazarus to die. Then when he was ready to go to Lazarus, and the disciples wondered why, he says to them, “Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe.” Jesus was glad that he was not there? What needs to be kept in mind is what Jesus initially says to them in v.4: “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” God allowed Lazarus to suffer and die. He allowed Lazarus’ family to suffer and mourn his loss. He allowed evil to wreak havoc on their lives and turn their world upside down, so that God would be glorified. This is always the case, though in this world we are not always given the privilege of seeing how God is glorified through our suffering. But know for certain, God uses evil like a razor sharp blade in the hands of a skilled surgeon—for our good and His glory.
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. (Rom. 13:1) As we enter a political year, there will undoubtedly be lots of conversations and debates and discussion regarding domestic and foreign policy, the differences between Republicans and Democrats, conservatives and liberals, socialism and capitalism. While living in a democracy where we are given the right to express our thoughts and opinions, per the First Amendment, it means we have the right, to some degree even the obligation, to express our disagreement with our government when we believe they are wrong. However, we must ever keep in mind that scripture tells us “there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God… For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed” (Rom 13:1, 6-7). In other words, we should vocally disagree with our government when it is necessary, but we should be careful about how we disagree, refraining from insults and slander. Even politicians are made in the image of God (James 3:9-10).
Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples." (Luke 11:1) I find it very interesting to note that in the Bible Jesus’ disciples only ever ask him to teach them how to do one thing. We read in Luke 11:1 that “Jesus was praying in a certain place” and when he had finished, the disciples come to him and say, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” I find this incredibly fascinating that they do not ask Jesus to teach them how to perform miracles or how to cast out demons or how to properly interpret the Old Testament or anything else for that matter. In the three years Jesus spent with his disciples they only ask him to teach them how to do one thing--how to pray. Clearly the disciples understood the value of prayer on a much deeper level than we do today. Far better than we do, they seem to grasp more fully the power of prayer, the propensity of God to answer prayer, and their utter dependence on God. Paul Washer once rightly stated that “most of us do not pray as much as we should or as much as we would like because we do not fully realize how much we need God.” If we realized just how much we truly need God, we would pray far more than we do. But ultimately pride gets in the way. We find the time to eat three meals a day because we know we need to. We find the time and the resources to drink water every day because we know we need to. We find the time to put in 40 hours a week at work because we know we need to. But we cannot find the time to spend an adequate amount of time in prayer every day because…
A scoffer does not like to be reproved; he will not go to the wise. (Proverbs 15:12) I've had the unfortunate experience of seeing far too often a marriage that is in trouble and, rather than going to someone for help, rather than going to the elders of their church for counseling, they keep it to themselves, allowing their marriage to fall further and further into disrepair until it is too late, beyond salvaging. So often I have seen or heard of Christians who are exploring some new theology or contemplating leaving the Christian faith for a pseudo-Christian church or a completely different religion altogether. They have been studying this new theology or new form of Christianity for some time, never going to the elders of their church and seeking counsel, until they send an email to their church leadership, informing them they are leaving. Proverbs tell us that “a scoffer does not like to be reproved; he will not go to the wise.” Scripture condemns those who are too prideful to seek counsel or advice from those who are wiser. Don't be a scoffer. If you are struggling with something significant, be it theological or relational, seek the council of fellow believers, and especially of those God has placed over you for your protection and safety.
Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work." (John 4:34) What is it that drives you? What is it that gets you up out of bed in the morning and gets you moving? What is the thing for which you are desirous and willing to expend most of your time and energy and resources? While we all have different interests and goals and dreams and aspirations, the reality is all human beings are primarily driven to do all they do for one thing—food. Every war that's ever been fought, every invention that's ever been conceived, every nation that has ever been established has ultimately been driven by this one universal necessity. While oxygen is certainly more important, there is an abundance of oxygen and it's not something we need to worry about producing. So also, with water God replenishes our lakes, streams, and rivers with rain. But food is something we must either find or produce. If given the choice between having clothing or food, we would choose food. If given the choice between shelter or food, we would choose food. For this reason it is interesting that Jesus says in John 4:34, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to accomplish all that He has given me.” In other words, the thing that drives Jesus to do all that he does, to think the way he thinks, act the way he behaves, treat people the way he does, and travel to the places he goes, is his desire to please God in everything. This is and should be what it means to be a “Christian,” to be a Christ follower is to be driven by the desire to be like Christ in every way. My prayer for myself and for you, my friend, is that your food will be to do the will of God in everything you think, do, and speak.
And when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. (Gal. 2:9 ESV) How does one know when he or she has been called by God into a particular ministry, whether that be Sunday school teacher, pastoral ministry, foreign missions, or some other ministry? The Bible gives us three guiding principles to follow when attempting to determine whether this is something God wants you to do or whether this is just something you want to do. These guiding principles are internal desire, external confirmation, and providential circumstances. Internal desires are the desires of one’s heart. Is there a desire to pursue a particular type of ministry? In other words, is this something you truly desire to do? This is an important question to ask because very often people will enter a field of ministry not because they desire to, but because they were asked or because the opportunity presented itself. While it is commendable to be willing to temporarily meet a need until someone more qualified can come along, it is never a good idea to enter long term ministry because one was asked to do so. We see this in the life of Paul who had a tremendous desire to reach the Gentiles with the gospel. External confirmation seeks to answer the question, do those who know you best believe you have the necessary gifting to fulfill a particular ministry? If you have a desire to pursue a particular ministry, however, those who are closest to you and know you best, individuals you trust and respect, believe it would be a mistake for you to pursue that particular ministry, you may want to reconsider whether this is God's will for your life. Again, we are told after Paul's conversion, when he met with the apostles in Jerusalem, they endorsed his ministry to the Gentiles and gave him the right hand of fellowship (Gal 2:9). Providential circumstances has to do with open-and-closed doors. When God calls someone into a particular ministry, he always provides an avenue for them to fulfill their calling. We see this happening throughout all of scripture. God never calls someone into ministry without providing an open door for them to pursue that ministry.
Then the LORD God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.’ (Genesis 2:18) Within marriage, at least within a biblical marriage, so often it is thought that woman was created for man and not the other way around. Usually this is driven by the fact that Genesis 2:18 states, “Then the LORD God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.’” But does this mean that Eve was made for Adam, but Adam was not made for Eve? On the contrary, we read just two verses earlier, before Eve was formed, scripture says “The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work [abad] it and keep [shamar] it.” The Hebrew word abad means ‘to cultivate’ or ‘to cause to flourish.’ The word shamar means ‘to protect’ or ‘guard’ or ‘keep safe.’ Adam, the man, was to do this for everything and everyone who was placed within the garden. Thus, Adam was created for Eve. His responsibility was to do what was necessary to cause his wife to flourish spiritually, emotionally, and physically. His responsibility was also to protect his wife spiritually, emotionally, and physically. Adam was created for Eve just as much as Eve was created for Adam, but for different reasons and with different obligations. Thus, a husband is given to his wife to help her just as much as she is given to her husband to help him. They are simply to help and support one another in different ways.
Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth." (Jeremiah 1:6 ESV) God often calls the least likely candidates to do his work, those who feel ill-equipped and inadequate (Exod. 4:10; 1 Cor 15:9). He does so in order to bring himself the greatest amount of glory (1 Cor 1:27-29). This was certainly the case with Jeremiah whom God called to be his prophet. And yet, though God had clearly placed a calling on his life to speak the words of God to the people, Jeremiah lived a difficult life. He served faithfully for more than 40 years (1:2-3), yet his messages from God were not well received. He suffered much persecution and even his hometown plotted to kill him. But despite his faithful ministry to the people, by the end of his life it appears he had only two converts, Baruch, his scribe (32:12; 36:1-4; 45:1-5) and Ebed-melech, an Ethiopian eunuch who served the king (38:7-13; 39:15-18). Thus, “success” in ministry is not always a reliable indicator of whether or not one has been called into ministry by God. Instead, the focus should be on staying faithful, not successful.
I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way. And some of them have come from far away. (Mk. 8:2-3 ESV) In Mark chapter 8 we are given the story of a crowd of about four thousand people gathering around Jesus as he teaches them. At one point we are told that Jesus had compassion on the crowd because they had been with him for three days and have had nothing to eat. Yet, he was afraid to send them away becomes they might faint on the way home. The disciples, of course, know they don’t have enough food with them to feed them, so Jesus asks them how much bread they have, and they reply, “seven loves.” They also found a few small fish with which Jesus fed the entire crowd. What is interesting to note is that Jesus saw a need and was moved to meet that need, and so he did so. No one asked him. The crowd did not demand it. The disciples did not encourage it. Someone once said that a calling from God is the recognition of a need and a desire to meet that need. Considering that God is sovereign, this makes good biblical sense. Thus, the next time you are wondering if God is calling you to a particular ministry—Sunday school teacher, Bible study leader, pastoral ministry, or foreign missions, to name a few—if you recognize a need and have a desire to meet that need, you should seriously consider the possibility that God may be calling you to that ministry.
"I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me." (Exod. 20:2-3 ESV)
Question 42: Which is the first commandment? Answer: The first commandment is, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” Often when Christians here this commandment they immediately begin to think about bowing down to a statue or some object and kissing it or worshipping it. But the commandment to not have any other gods before the one true God is not just a prohibition against engaging in false worship or false religion, it is a prohibition against placing anyone or anything in a position of greater value than God. That is, any time we treat someone or something else as being more important than God, we are violating the first commandment. We are placing other gods above the one true God. When we choose to look at internet pornography in disobedience to God (Matt 5:27-28), lust becomes our god. When we refuse to forgive those who have sinned against us (Matt 6:14-15), we are placing anger and bitterness above God. When we choose to take our children to sporting events on Sunday rather than attend church in disobedience to God’s word (Heb 10:25), our children become our gods. God commands, “You shall have no other gods before me.” Nothing and no one should ever take priority over God. "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" (Matt. 22:36 ESV) Question 41: What is the sum of the ten commandments?
Answer: The sum of the ten commandments is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our strength, and with all our mind; and our neighbor as ourselves. (Matthew 22:37-40) In Matthew 22 Jesus is asked by a lawyer which is the greatest commandment in the Law, and he responds by saying, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But then he says something quite interesting. He then says, “On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” In other words, everything in the Ten Commandments and, in fact, all of God's laws can be summed up with these two commandments. This makes sense when we consider the way in which the two tables of the Decalogue are divided. The first table, commandments one through four have to do with loving God—you shall have no other gods before Him; you shall not make any carved images or bow down to them; you shall not take the Lord’s name in vain, and you shall keep the Sabbath day. The second table of the Law has to do with loving your neighbor—you shall honor your father and mother; you shall not murder, commit adultery, lie, steal, or covet. Thus, all the laws of God can be summed up in these two. Seek to love God with everything that is within you, to love him supremely, and bring honor to him in all that you do, say, and think. And seek to love those around you to the extent that you strive to love, care for, and cherish yourself. It’s human nature to put ourselves first. Thus, loving others as we love ourselves means putting others first. What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, "You shall not covet." (Rom. 7:7 ESV)
Question 40: What did God reveal to man for the rule of his obedience? Answer: The rule which God first revealed to man for his obedience, is the moral law, (Dt 10:4; Mt 19:17) which is summarized in the ten commandments.[i] To refer to the Decalogue (the Ten Commands) as the moral law is a bit misleading. All of God’s laws are moral laws because all people have a moral duty to obey them. Anything which God commands is a moral law. However, is it true that the Decalogue is the foundational basis for all of God’s commands. Every law God issues can, in one way or another, be traced back to one or more of the Ten Commandments. And all of the Ten Commands are found, in one way or another, in the New Testament. Thus, the Decalogue is still binding upon the New Testament believer today. Not in the same sense or to the same degree as it was under the old covenant, but binding nonetheless. Martin Luther, the 16th century German Reformer, once said, “The Law is like a stick which God used to beat me with. Then afterward, I learned to walk with.” Though we are saved by grace alone and not through law-keeping, the Law of God, specifically the Ten Commandments, still serve as a moral compass by which to direct our lives. Thus, I always encourage believers to commit them to memory and to train your children to memorize them. It is tragic how many Christians I have come across over the years who cannot recite the Ten Commandments. Most cannot even cite one. That is, if you ask the average Christian what is the third commandment or seventh commandment or tenth commandment, most have no idea. If you have not already, I encourage you to begin memorizing and meditating on the Ten Commandments. They will serve you well. [i] A Catechism with Proofs by Charles H. Spurgeon. And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment. (Hebrews 9:27) Question 39: What shall be done to the wicked at the day of judgment?
Answer: At the day of judgment the bodies of the wicked being raised out of their graves, shall be sentenced, together with their souls, to unspeakable torments with the devil and his angels forever. (Dan12:2; Jn 5:28, 29; 2 Thess 1:9; Matt 25:41) What I always find so amazing when I share the gospel with people is how many will talk about getting old and planning for retirement but never plan for death. Yet, no one knows if they will ever see retirement or even old age. We have no idea when our lives on this earth will end. We could die in five years, next month or tomorrow. But we all know we will someday die. Death comes to all of us. Thus, it seems to me we ought to spend more time planning for death than we do for retirement. The Bible is quite clear that “it is appointed unto man to die once and then the judgement” (Heb 9:27), and what a tragic day that will be for many. Not just for atheists and agnostics, but for many professing Christians as well. Jesus tells us in Matthew 7 that on the day of judgement many will come to him and say, “Lord, Lord, look what we’ve done in your name. We prophesied and performed miracles and even the demons obeyed.” Then Jesus will declare unto them, “Depart from me, you worker of iniquity, for I have never known you” (vv.21-23). What a frightening and awful day that will be. What that teaching tells us that it is not enough to simply engage in religious activities. Yet so often that is what we think Christianity is all about. That so long as we are doing the right things and checking off the right boxes, we’re good. Nothing could be further from the truth. What God wants from us is not religious activity. He wants faith and love. He desires and demands that we truly believe that Jesus is who he claimed to be that he died on the cross to pay for our sins and he desires and demands that we love and honor and worship his son. God wants our affections as much as our obedience. "In your presence [O God] there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore." (Psalm 16:11) Question 38: What shall be done to the wicked at their death?
Answer: The souls of the wicked shall at their death be cast into the torments of hell, (Lk 16:22-24) and their bodies lie in their graves till the resurrection, and judgment of the great day. (Ps 49:14) When we talk about what happens to unbelievers at death, it is important to note that hell is not eternal separation from God. First, God is omnipresent. Thus, there cannot be a place where God is not. Second, separation from God would not be hell for the unbeliever but heaven. Being separated from God would not be torment for the depraved soul but bliss. This is because the unbelieving heart despises God and would love nothing more than to be rid of God and away from him. This will not change in eternity. It is because of our sin and wickedness that the unbelieving creature despises and fears God. We see this throughout biblical history. In Isaiah 6, when the prophet is given a glimpse of the majesty of God, he cries out, “Woe is me for I am undone! For I am a man of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips!” When Peter recognizes who Jesus is, he exclaims, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” (Lk. 5:8). And when two demon possessed men recognize who Jesus is they cry out, “What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?” (Matt. 8:29). To be in the presence of a holy God is what sinful creatures fear most. Thus, hell is not the absence of God, but the unmitigated fullness of the holiness of God. That which unbelievers despise and fear most is the very thing which they will be immersed in with no means of escape and no where to hide. They will be completely immersed and surrounded by the full glory and holiness of God and it will torment them. What is interesting to note is that for the believer, heaven is the same. Except that which torments the unbeliever will be pure bliss and joy for the believer. For those whose sin has been atoned for by the blood of Christ and who are clothed in Christ’s righteousness, we will enter into the full blazing glory of God’s presence and will bask in his holiness and experience unspeakable joy and peace. Not because of anything in us or because of what we have done, but because of Christ has done for us. Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. (1 John 3:2)
Question 37: What benefits do believers receive from Christ at the resurrection? Answer: At the resurrection, believers being raised up in glory, (1Cor 15:43) shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted in the day of judgment, (Mat 10:32) and made perfectly blessed both in soul and body in the full enjoying of God (1 Jn 3:2) to all eternity. (1 Thess 4:17) When Christ returns, believers who have died in Christ will be bodily resurrected from the dead and their souls will be re-united with their bodies, then those who are still living upon the earth will be raptured and caught up in the air with the Lord (1 Thess 4:16-18). At that moment the earth and all its inhabitants will be destroyed in unquenchable fire (1 Thess 5:1-2; 2 Pet 3:10-13), there will be the Great Day of Judgement (Mat 25:31-46), God will re-create the earth to restore it to its pristine state before the fall of Adam and Eve (Rev 21:1-4), death and Satan and all unbelievers will be cast into the Lake of Fire (Rev 20:14-15), then believers will live upon the new earth in their glorified bodies forevermore with the Lord, where there will be no sin or suffering or pain or death, and never the possibly for these things (Rev 22:1-5). The wonderful encouragement of knowing this truth is that regardless of how difficult this life may be, in comparison to eternity, this life is but a blip on the radar screen and someday we will spend all of eternity, in bodily form, in the presence of our God and King worshipping him day after day forevermore! What a glorious time that will be! Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. (2 Corinthians 5:8)
Question 36: What benefits do believers receive from Christ at their death? Answer: The souls of believers are at their death made perfect in holiness, (Heb 12:23) and do immediately pass into glory, (Phil 1:23; 2 Cor 5:8; Lk 23:43) and their bodies, being still united to Christ, (1 Thes 4:14) do rest in their graves (Is 57:2) till the resurrection. (Job 19:26) Throughout church history there has been some debate as to what happens to the souls of believes at the moment of death. Specifically, the debate has surrounded what has come to be known as the doctrine of the Soul-Sleep. That is, there are some who have argued that after death and before our souls are re-united with our glorified bodies, we remain in a state of unconscious existence, a sort of soul sleep until Christ returns and resurrects our bodies. However, there are several reasons to believe that this is not the case. First, when Jesus tells the story of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16, he clearly implies that both the rich man and Lazarus are consciously aware of their existence. To be sure, we do not know if Jesus is describing a literal event or if this is just an analogy. But if it is an analogy, it would seem misleading for Jesus to make an analogous comparison using non-factual information. Second, from all the descriptions Jesus gives regarding hell, it would seem that those who go there exist in a state of conscious torment (Matt 8:12; 13:42, 50; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30; Lk 13:28). It stands to reason that if this is true of those who go to hell, it must be true of those who go to heaven. And third, per Revelation 6:9-10, the souls of the saints who have died are consciously aware of their existence as they cry out to the Lord, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Thus, at the moment of death, the souls of believers enter into the glorious presence of our God and King and experience joy and bliss beyond human comprehension. Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:1)
Question 35: What are the benefits which in this life do either accompany or flow from justification, adoption, and sanctification? Answer: The benefits which in this life do accompany or flow from justification, (Rom 5:1, 2, 5) are assurance of God’s love, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Spirit, (Rom 14:17) increase of grace, perseverance in it to the end. (Prov 4:18; 1 Jn 5:13; 1 Pet 1:5) What wonderful truths are found in the question and answer to number 35. There is so much here it is difficult to know where to begin and end. The benefits of justification, adoption, and sanctification; that is, of being in covenantal relationship with God is most certainly the assurance of God’s love, peace of conscience and joy. But also growing in God’s grace and persevering to the end. At the end of the day, the benefits are of knowing that since salvation is the work of God from beginning to end, then we need not fret about whether we have lost our salvation and need to be re-saved. We can rest in the hope and assurance that God always does and accomplishes what he set out to do. Jesus will not fail at his mission. God always keeps his promises. More importantly, we can find rest and comfort and peace in knowing that God is for us, not against us. Romans 5:1 says, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” While the wrath and anger of God remains on those who refuse to place faith in Christ (Jn 3:36), we are at peace with God. We can sleep easy at night and know that God is looking out for us. Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Eph. 5:1-2)
Question 34: What is sanctification? Answer: Sanctification is the work of God’s Spirit, (2 Thes 2:13) whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, (Eph 4:24) and are enabled more and more to die to sin, and live to righteousness. (Rom 6:11) Regeneration (the new birth) is a sovereign, monergistic, unilateral, work of God. In regeneration God gets all the glory and we get none. However, in sanctification (the process of becoming like Christ), the Holy Spirit guides, directs, instructs, and convicts, and we do our part to walk with the Spirit and to listen to his guidance, direction, instruction, and conviction. In Philippians 2:12, Paul writes, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,…” Thus, we are to work out our own salvation. Not save ourselves, but rather the salvation we now possess should be worked out in our lives to display the evidence of the Holy Spirit. But then Paul immediately says in the next verse, “for it is God who works in you, both to will [to give the desire] and to work [to give the ability] for his good pleasure.” Thus, we are to work out our own salvation while God gives us the desire and the ability to do so. And as we do this, as we gaze into the beauty and glory of the face of Christ, “we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit” (2 Cor. 3:18). Thus, while regeneration is a monergistic work of God, sanctification is synergistic. The Holy Spirit does his part, but we must do ours. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. (Gal. 4:4-5)
Question 33: What is adoption? Answer: Adoption is an act of God’s free grace, (1 Jn 3:1) whereby we are received into the number, and have a right to all the privileges of the sons of God. (Jn 1:12; Rom 8:17) Adoption as a gift of God’s grace is a word and a concept that is unique to the apostle Paul as he is the only one in the entire Bible who uses the word (Rom 8:15, 23; 9:4; Gal 4:5; Eph 1:5). The only exception is in Acts 7:21 where Stephen makes the statement that “Pharaoh's daughter adopted [Moses] and brought him up as her own son.” Otherwise, Paul is the only one who develops the doctrine of spiritual adoption as children of God based on faith and on our union with Christ. This is an incredibly important doctrine as it assures us of our relationship with God and that God the Father will never leave us nor forsake us. When God adopts us as his sons and daughters, we are every bit as much a full and complete child of God as Jesus is. The fact that we are adopted and Jesus is the only begotten son of God does not make us any less children of God than he. It is for this reason that Jesus prays to the Father in the garden for all believers that “the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me” (Jn. 17:23). Jesus prays that the world would know that God the Father loves all his children just as, to the same degree, that he loves Jesus. This is truly amazing! Not only for our comfort and assurance, but it communicates to us that God is pro-adoption. Christians should take note of this. We speak about being pro-life and encourage young mothers to consider adoption as an option, rather an abortion. Yet, on average there are 135,000 adoptions which take place every year in the United States, there are currently 515,000 children in foster care waiting to be adopted, and there are 156 million professing Christians in the United States who are actively involved in church. Thus, if just .33% of Christians in the U.S. adopted one child, we could empty the foster care system. Christians should not just be pro-life; we should be pro-adoption--because God is. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. (Rom. 3:23-24)
Question 32: What is justification? Answer: Justification is an act of God’s free grace, wherein he pardons all our sins, (Rom 3:24; Eph 1:7) and accepts us as righteous in his sight (2 Cor 5:21) only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, (Rom 5:19) and received by faith alone. (Gal 2:16; Phil 3:9) The doctrine of Justification is one of the most important doctrines for the Protestant Christian faith. The German reformer, Martin Luther (1483-1546), once said that the doctrine of Justification is “the doctrine upon which the Church stands or falls.” He was absolutely correct in saying that for the doctrine of Justification by faith alone is the sine qua non of the gospel. It is the thing without which there is no gospel. To be justified in the Bible means to be declared not guilty before the law of God (Duet 25:1-2). This presents a problem for all of us because the Bible clearly tells us that we are all sinners and have all fallen short of God’s holy standard (Rom 3:23). We are also told by Christ in Matthew 5:48 that what God requires from all of us is perfection. Thus, if we are all sinners and have all fallen short of God’s holy standard, how can anyone be justified before God and attain to heaven? Paul gives us the answer in Romans 4:5 where he writes, “And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.” But how is our faith counted as righteousness? Is it our faith itself that is counted as righteousness before God? Paul explains where this righteousness comes from in Philippians 3:8-9 where he says that for the sake of Christ he has suffered the loss of all things “in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith.” Thus, the righteousness upon which we are declared not guilty before God comes to us by faith from God. It is the righteousness which Christ himself has earned for us in his perfect life of obedience, which is credited to us at the moment we place faith in Christ. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. (Rom. 8:30)
Question 31: What benefits do they who are effectually called, partake of in this life? Answer: They who are effectually called, do in this life partake of justification, (Romans 8:30) adoption, (Ephesians 1:5) sanctification, and the various benefits which in this life do either accompany, or flow from them. (1 Corinthians 1:30) In our church’s statement of faith, we say that saving faith “is wrought in the heart by the Holy Spirit, and is accompanied by all other saving graces, and leads to a life of holiness.” By “all other saving graces” we mean exactly what Spurgeon is discussing here in question 31, that all who are effectually called by God partake in all the blessings and benefits which come with being brought into union with Christ by the Holy Spirit—justification, adoption, redemption, forgiveness of sin, atonement, reconciliation, sanctification, and glorification. The apostle Paul speaks about this in Romans 8:30 in a verse theologians refer to as the ordo salutis. This is a Latin term which means “order of salvation.” There Paul writes, “And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.” That is, those whom God has predestined unto eternal life will be effectually called by the Holy Spirit, and those whom the Holy Spirit calls will be justified—imputed with the righteousness of Christ by faith—and those who are justified will be glorified. That is, they will be brought into eternal glory with God the Father and God the Son. This is all the amazing and sovereign work of God! All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. (John 6:37)
Question 30: What is effectual calling? Answer: Effectual calling is the work of God’s Spirit (2 Timothy 1:9) whereby, convincing us of our sin and misery, (Acts 2:37) enlightening our minds in the knowledge of Christ, (Acts 26:18) and renewing our wills, (Ezekiel 36:26) he does persuade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ freely offered to us in the gospel. (John 6:44,45) In John chapter 6, Jesus makes an amazing statement regarding salvation and how that all takes place. There he says, “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day” (vv.37-39). In other words, there are certain ones from eternity past whom God the Father has given to the Son, and Jesus says of all those whom the Father has given to him, they “will come to me.” Not ‘they might come to me’ or ‘they may possibly come to me’, but they “will come to me.” This is the effectual calling of God. That is, when God calls a person to be saved, that person will come to Christ and will be saved. Why is that? As Jesus goes onto say, “And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me.” God the Father’s will for Jesus is that he lose not one of all whom the Father has given him. Jesus will not fail in his mission. He will complete the task which the Father has given him. Thus, Jesus did not come into the world simply to make salvation possible or to make salvation available. He came into the world to make salvation effectual. He came into the world to definitely save those whom the Father had given him. |
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