Watch Yourself and Your Doctrine

1 Timothy 4:16 - Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.

This was the passage that C. J. Muhaney recently focused on in the Together for the Gospel conference. The impact of this verse is staggering. It begins with a command. "Take heed." It can also be translated to "watch closely." To often we just float through life. We go from morning to evening, week to week, year to year without a thought about how we are living. But Paul doesn't let us off the hook. He says we must take heed. We must watch closely.

We must take heed to two things. First of all, we must watch our life. We have to watch how we live. We must be careful to pay attention to how we live in public and in private. We can't assume that because we have a title or position (like Pastor). We can easily fool ourselves into thinking everything is alright, when in fact, we are walking down the wrong path. We must watch our lives. We must put ourselves in a position where we are protected from sin. We must repent of and confess our sin and renew our walk with God. We must get other people around us who can help us watch.

The next thing we must watch is somewhat easier for us theological types. We must watch our doctrine - our teaching. We had better pay attention to what we believe and teach or we will easily go down the broad road to heresy. This has never been more obvious than recently with so many who used to be orthodox espousing views like Open Theism and the New Perspective on Paul. If they would watch their doctrine closely, they might not have gone down these paths. Again, it helps to have others around to keep you close to the truth.

Now comes the kicker. The result of this will be both our salvation and the salvation of those who hear us. Did you see that? God has ordained (sovereignly) that the means of salvation for ourselves and our hearers will be us keeping a close watch on ourselves and our teaching. The opposite must also be true. If we don't watch, we forfeit the means of our salvation and that of our listeners. This verse has eternal consequences. There is an urgency here that we dare not ignore. If we long for the salvation of our hearers, then we must obey the first half of the verse. We must keep a close wathc on ourselves and our teaching. The promise is that God will work through us to save others. What a glorious part we can play in God's work of salvation!

Together for the Gospel

Well, I haven't created a blog entry for quite a while. I had to prioritize and this came very low on the list. But I have a little extra time today, so I thought I would update a little.

I am at the Together for the Gospel conference, featuring (among others) John Piper, John MacArthur, Mark Dever, and R.C. Sproul. What??? 5-Point Calvinists interested in the gospel? Say it isn't so. I thought they only cared about the health of their Tulip Trees! At least that is what most non-Calvinists would have you believe.

But the tradition of Calvinism is steeped in the gospel and a concern for the lost. Martin Luther (probably more of a predestinarian than Calvin) began the Protestant Reformation because of his concern that the gospel was being obfuscated. William Carey, the Father of Modern Missions, was a staunch 5-Pointer. Jonathan Edwards, known as America's greatest theologian, was a Calvinist apologist. The Prince of Preachers, Charles H. Spurgeon, defended Calvinism every chance he got. All of these men had a great concern for the purity of the gospel, the glory of God, and a salvation of the lost.

I pray that I will be renewed in my passion for all of these things and that our church will experience the truth of God unleashed in their lives to His glory.

Words of Grace for January 17

Romans 1:5-6-Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name, 6 among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ;

It is so important that the gospel to which we have been separated is a gospel of Jesus Christ. It is not good news about a great country like America. It is not good news about a football team like the Washington Redskins. It is not even good news about a religion. It is good news about Jesus Christ our Lord. This is important because it is only through HIM that we receive grace.

I love the way Paul puts this. He says that we have received grace, as if there was any other way that we would acquire grace. Grace, by it’s very nature, cannot be something that is inherently ours. Nor is it something that we can get by ourselves or earn through hard work. Grace is something that is freely given and undeservedly received. Grace is God’s favor in our lives and in eternity. And while it may not reveal itself in power, prestige or financial freedom, it is that which brings forgiveness for our sins. It is that gift from God which maintains our righteousness even when we sin again. It is that special blessing of God that gives us the ability to live godly even when power, prestige and financial freedom are nowhere to be found. It is that favor of God that allows us the opportunity to spend eternity in His presence worshipping at His feet and enjoying Him forever.

This grace comes "through Him." Without Jesus Christ, we would never know God. Because of Jesus Christ, we belong to God and He "sheds His grace" on us. This is why our focus must always be the same as Paul’s - Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. Consider today what many blessings you have from God "through Him."

Words of Grace for January 12

Romans 1:3-4 concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, 4 and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.

Often these two verses are said to deal with Christ’s humanity (“born of the seed of David”) and also with Christ’s deity (“declared to be the Son of God”). And while that may be true, it is also important to realize that the promise made to David in the Old Testament involved the deity of his future son. The fact that God was going to be his Father indicated that David’s descendent would, in fact, be divine.

This is also the point of the beginning of verse 4. It is important to understand that when Jesus was raised from the dead, it did not make Him the Son of God. Verse 4 indicates that the resurrection declared that Jesus was the Son of God. He has always been the Son of God. This fact is very important for our faith. For most of the major heresies that have arisen over the last 2,000 years have involved the person of Jesus Christ.

The two most popular cults of the day are Mormonism and Jehovah’s Witnesses. Both of these cults pervert the deity of Christ. The Mormons believe that Jesus was the first created being and became a God like we one day will be. The Jehovah’s Witnesses deny the deity of Christ altogether. But the Bible is clear that Jesus has always been the Son of God, which is tantamount to saying He is God. The resurrection verifies and declares this fact.

This is why it’s also important that we defend the truthfulness of the resurrection. For if the resurrection never occurred, then Jesus has no proof of His deity. If He is not God, then we have no faith and no hope of forgiveness of sins. But, by His resurrection, He was declared to be the Son of God. And because of that, we can have confidence that what He has promised to us, He will do.

For Further Study

1) Read John 1:1-14. How does this passage prove the deity of Jesus Christ?

2) How does Hebrews 1 show the deity of Christ?

Adult Catechism
Q. 2. What is the chief end of man?
A. Man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.

Children’s Catechism
Q. 2. What else did God make?
A. God made all things.

Hymn
A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

Words of Grace for January 10

Romans 1:3-4 concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, 4 and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.

What a wonderful thought we have expressed here at the end of verse three. The eternal, omnipotent Son of God became man. And it wasn’t because He had to. It wasn’t even that, as is often expressed, God saw the sin problem and asked around to see who could solve it and Jesus raised His hand. No, Paul says He was “born of the seed of David.” This involved planning. This involved precision. This is why I firmly believe that God’s sovereignty is everywhere in the Bible.

Yesterday, I had you look at 2 Samuel 7:8-16 in one of the questions for further study. This passage involves what is called the “Davidic Covenant.” It contains the promise of God to David that his son would reign forever and God would be his Father. Here, in this promise, we are shown the deity of Christ. But we are also shown the sovereignty of our God. In this passage God rehearses for David the events that led up to God’s people being at that place in Israel at that time. The events were a direct result of God’s actions. God also rehearses the events the led up to David being where he was at that time - king of all Israel. These events were also a direct result of God’s actions.

Then God goes on to tell David about what He is going to do for his son. Some of these events refer to Solomon, the next king of Israel. But some of them can only refer to David’s future “son”, Jesus Christ. All of the events that followed David to the day that Jesus was born in Bethlehem were directed by God. It is interesting that in Jesus’ lineage is Bathsheba, with whom David committed adultery. God even used the sin of His people to bring about His plan.

No, the coming of the Messiah was not some haphazard plan thrown together at the last minute to avert a crisis. It was determined before the foundation of the world and carried out by the One who “works all things after the counsel of His will.” (Ephesians 1:11) This same sovereign God is working in your life to bring about His good pleasure to the praise of the glory of His grace. That is something in which we can rejoice and take comfort in.

Adult Catechism
Q. 2. What is the chief end of man?
A. Man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.

Children’s Catechism
Q. 2. What else did God make?
A. God made all things.

Hymn
A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

Words of Grace for January 9

Romans 1:3-4 concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, 4 and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.

The gospel that Paul was separated to was not just any old good news. It was the best news that any one could ever hear or ever tell. It was news that had been planned before time began. It was news that had been prophesied for centuries. It was news concerning the very Son of God.

It is fairly interesting to me (and should be to you!) that Paul uses a variety of names to describe Him here. He first calls Him His Son. This term has nothing to do with procreation, but everything to do with essence. Paul is saying that we are to make no mistake who Jesus is. Jesus is God, because He is His Son. This is a term of deity. He then calls Him Jesus. This is the Hebrew name “Yeshua” which means God saves, indicating His purpose for coming to earth. Christ is not His last name, but rather a title. The Greek “christos,” from which we get Christ, is a translation of the Hebrew “meshiach,” from which we get Messiah, or anointed one. Jesus is the one anointed to rule His people. The last title given is our Lord. This reveals His sovereignty as God and His rule over all.

The good news focuses completely on Jesus. He is God in the flesh. He is our Savior. He is our Lord. As such, all of life revolves around Him. We are to seek Him. We are to love Him. We are to follow Him. And we are to bring others to Him. He is all that matters in all of eternity.

FOR FURTHER STUDY

1. What does it mean that Jesus is the Son of God? (See Galatians 4:4; Hebrews 1:1-4)

2. Why is it important that Jesus was born of the seed of David according to the flesh? (See 2 Samuel 7:8-16)

Adult Catechism
Q. 2. What is the chief end of man?
A. Man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.

Children’s Catechism
Q. 2. What else did God make?
A. God made all things.

Hymn
A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

Words of Grace for January 7

Romans 1:1-2 Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God 2 which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures

One of the major lessons we learn from the Old Testament is that God is a faithful God. Story after story shows us that, despite the fact that God’s people refuse to obey Him, He will remain faithful to His covenant with them. The glory of His name depends on His faithfulness. Take the story of Moses, for instance. God had called Moses to lead His people out of Egypt. As they came to Mount Sinai, God gave Moses the regulations of the covenant that the people would have to keep. But the people broke the laws even before Moses and God had finished talking. When God told Moses that He was going to destroy his people, it was to His covenant faithfulness that Moses pleaded. God’s name among the nations depended on His being faithful to fulfill His promises to His people.

From the opening pages of the Bible, we find God making promises for His people in the future. In Genesis 3, God promises the snake that Eve’s seed would crush His head. He promises Abraham that through him all the nations of the earth would be blessed. He promises Moses that he will send His people another prophet (like Moses) that the people would listen to. He promises David that, one day, his son would reign on the throne forever. He would be a Father to him and establish His kingdom. He promises Isaiah that the people who walked in darkness would see a great light and that the Lord would come to His temple. He promised Daniel that 70 weeks were determined to make an end of sin. And the list goes on.

Finally, he promised to Joseph, a poor carpenter from Nazareth, that the child that his fiance’ was carrying was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and they would call His name Jesus, because He would save His people from their sins. The birth and death of Jesus was not a secondary thought of a God who all of a sudden realized He had to do something about this sin problem. It was part of His eternal plan, in which He moved the events of history to bring about the necessary conditions to bring His Son into the world. It was God being faithful to His promises that He had made throughout the Old Testament.

It is this same God who is faithful to His children today. If you are a believer you are His child. The promises He has made apply to you. He will never leave you or forsake you. He who started the good work in you will be faithful to completed it. He is working all things out for your good. In this day where you never know who you can trust, you can be assured that you can trust God because He always has been and always will be faithful.

FOR FURTHER STUDY

1. Read Luke 24:1-27. What portion of Scripture did Jesus use to show who He was? (Parents - you may want to turn to the table of contents of your Bible to show your children that “Moses and the Prophets” includes the entire Old Testament) What does this say about how we should read the Old Testament?


2. What does it mean to you that God was faithful to promises that He had made for over 2,000 years? How does God’s faithfulness help you to live today?

Children’s Catechism Question
Q - Who made you?
A - God made me.

Adult Catechism Question
Q - Who is the first and best of beings?
A - God is the first and best of beings.

Hymn
Immortal, Invisible, God only Wise

Words of Grace for January 6

Romans 1:1-2 Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God 2 which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures


There are many things that we spend our time on these days. Many things that we find important. I, myself, am a big fan of sports. I love college football and basketball. I am a huge Washington Redskins fan, as well. I found a few years ago that sports could easily consume my life. For example, on Sunday, there was a football game at 1:00, 4:00, and 8:00. On Monday night, there was a game starting at 9:00. Then, during college season, there was a Thursday night game and at least two games on Saturday. I would watch most of these games. If you add all that time up, I was watching 21 hours of football per week. To spend that much time on something must mean that it is a matter of life and death.

But, obviously, football is not that important. In fact, on a scale of 1-10, it’s not even worth considering. Especially when compared to the gospel, to which God has separated me. In the grand scheme of things, nothing matters as much as the gospel. It is the gospel, which according to Paul, is the power of God unto salvation. It is the gospel which provides forgiveness and cleansing from sin. It is the gospel which brings peace with God and peace with other people. It is the gospel which provides comfort during the struggles of each day. And it is the gospel which brings purpose and meaning to each of our lives.

It is this gospel to which we have been separated. Jesus, the eternal Son of God, came to earth to die for you and for me. His shed blood cleanses us from all unrighteousness. Those who repent and believe need never fear death or the wrath of God, because they are now His children. If you know Christ, you are now part of His family and commissioned to proclaim the good news of God’s reconciliation to men. Enjoy what Christ has done for you. Make it the focal point of this day as you rejoice in the gospel that God loves you and is working all things out for your good.

FOR FURTHER STUDY

1. Read Acts 22:1-5; Acts 26:1-5 and Philippians 3:4-6. What do these passages say about Paul (Saul)? (NOTE TO PARENTS: have children read the passages or listen for specific descriptions about Paul)

2. According to Romans 1:1, what made Paul a different man?

3. If you want your life to be different, what must take place?

Children’s Catechism Question
Q - Who made you?
A - God made me.

Adult Catechism Question
Q - Who is the first and best of beings?
A - God is the first and best of beings.

Hymn
Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise

Words of Grace for January 5

Romans 1:1-2 Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God 2 which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures

After introducing himself as a bondservant of Jesus Christ and one of His apostles, Paul then goes on to introduce the message of this epistle. The primary message that Paul was concerned with was the gospel, or good news, of God. This message was so important to Paul that he uses a term that means to divide or sever. He is saying that he has been completely cut off from his former life for the purpose of the gospel. But it not only has a negative connotation of being cut off. It, in this context, has a positive connotation of being appointed to something.

It is important to notice that Paul does not say that he separated himself to the gospel, in the same way that he does not say that he called himself to be an apostle. Paul uses a passive verb here to emphasize that this separating is a work of God. As such, it is God who gets all the glory for the work done to Paul. And it is God who causes the work to be successful. And since God separated Paul for a particular mission, Paul is under obligation and has the desire to complete that mission.

We, too, have been separated by God. We have been separated from our former lives of sin. We have been cut off from the kingdom of Satan. We have been separated to Christ. Romans 7:4 says that we have been married to Another, that we might bring fruit to God. We have been separated to the mission of loving God with all of our hearts and loving our neighbor as ourselves. If we do that, the outcome will be the spread of the gospel. As you go out today into a world that is increasingly hostile toward the gospel, remember that God has separated you. He has appointed you to be His vessel to carry the gospel to this lost world. And since God has appointed you, His mission will succeed.

FOR FURTHER STUDY

1. Read Leviticus 20:24-26, Deuteronomy 10:8 and 1 Kings 8:53. What do these passages say about separation? Read Galatians 1:15-16a. In all of these passages, who does the actual separation? For what purpose was Paul separated according to the Galatians passage? (Parents - Take two pieces of paper. On one write a letter to your children expressing how much you care for them. With the other, make a paper airplane. Use these two to talk about the idea of separation for a distinct purpose.)

2. The word “gospel” means good news. Read 1 Corinthians 15:1-10. How is this good news? How are verses 9-10 part of the gospel? How has the grace of God been active in your life? How does the grace of God help you live your life?

Children’s Catechism Question
Q - Who made you?
A - God made me.

Adult Catechism Question
Q - Who is the first and best of beings?
A - God is the first and best of beings.

Hymn
Immortal, Invisible, God only Wise

Words of Grace for January 4

Romans 1:1-2 Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God 2 which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy ScripturesWhen God knocked Paul off his horse in Acts 9, he not only called him out of darkness into the kingdom of his marvelous light, but He also called him to a specific ministry. He called him to be an apostle. Specifically, an apostle is one that Jesus Himself chose to be with Him and to be a witness of His resurrection. Shortly after Paul’s conversion, he was taught by Christ all that he would need to fulfill his mission.

More generally, though, an apostle is an ambassador. It is “one who is sent on behalf of another.” Paul fulfilled both the specific and the generic meaning of this term. And while none of us can be apostles in the specific sense of the word, we are all sent on behalf of Christ to witness to others His death and resurrection.

This is what the Great Commission is all about. Matthew 28:19-20 says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you” This command, given to the disciples has been passed down to each succeeding generation as the mission of the church, and, therefore, the mission of every individual believer.

In 2 Corinthians 5, Paul says that we are ambassadors for Christ, pleading on His behalf with people to be reconciled with God. This is our calling. Just as Paul was a called apostle, each one of us is a called ambassador for Christ, to a world that desparately needs to hear the gospel.

FOR FURTHER STUDY

1. Read Acts 1:21-26. According to this passage (specifically the end of verse 22, what was the purpose of the apostles? How did Paul fit this purpose (refer back to Acts 9)

2. “Apostle” comes from the Greek word apostolos which means “one who is sent on behalf of another.” It was often used of ambassadors. On who’s behalf was Paul sent? For help, look up 1 Corinthians 1:1, 2 Corinthians 1:1, Galatians 1:1, Ephesians 1:1, Colossians 1:1, 1 Timothy 1:1, 2 Timothy 1:1, and Titus 1:1. How can each of us be better ambassadors for Christ to our family, neighbors and friends? (Parents - a good thing to do at this point is to ask your children what their last name is and how their actions and words make people feel about your family. Then relate this to how when we become a Christians, we take the name of Christ.)

Children’s Catechism Question
Q - Who made you?
A - God made me.

Adult Catechism Question
Q - Who is the first and best of beings?
A - God is the first and best of beings.

Hymn
Immortal, Invisible, God only Wise

Words of Grace for January 3

Romans 1:1-2 -Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God 2 which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures


There is a lot of confusion in the church today about what it means to be called*. In our day of self-centered humanism, we like to think that everyone is guaranteed an equality of outcomes, or at least an equality of opportunities. After all, that is the American way. But it is not God’s way.

God is very clear in the Scriptures that it is He who determines who He calls to salvation, not us. The literal translation of this second phrase is “a called apostle.” In other words, Paul is saying that he is not an apostle because he wanted to be. He is an apostle because he was called. Romans 9 tells us that God’s choice of us is not based on anything we have done, but on Him who calls. Paul understood this very well, since he in no way was looking for God when God called him, both to salvation and to his ministry. In fact, Paul did not consider his ministry separate from his salvation. He was saved into ministry.

We also, when God chooses to call us out of darkness into His marvelous light, are called into ministry. It is important for us to realize that salvation and ministry are all of God. It is God who determines where His grace will be revealed and when He will show it. This understanding takes the emphasis off of us and puts it on God. If you are a believer, it is because God called you and brought you to himself. This is why Paul was confident as he went about his life. He knew, experientially, what he wrote in Romans 8:28 - "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." Paul knew that because God had called him, and not the other way around, God was working things out for His good.

You can know this, too. As you are struggling with work (or driving to work!), know that if God has called you, He is working for your good. As you are fighting temptation, remember that God called you. As you are quaking in your boots at the very thought of mentioning Christ to your co-workers and family, remember that you, like Paul, are called. And nothing can separate you from that calling or from the love of Christ that brought that calling. You have been called. Now, walk worthy of that calling.

* The theological description given for “call” by the 1689 London Baptist Confession is “inlightning their minds, spiritually, and savingly to understand the things of God; taking away their heart of stone, and giving unto them an heart of flesh; renewing their wills, and by his Almighty power determining them to that which is good, and effectually drawing them to Jesus Christ”

FOR FURTHER STUDY

1. Read Acts 9:1-6. What is this passage a description of? (NOTE TO PARENTS: have children read the passage or listen for specific details about what happened)

2. In addition to verse 1, Paul uses the word “call” * in various forms 4 more times in the book of Romans. Look up Romans 1:6-7, Romans 11:29, and Romans 8:28-30. Looking at these verses, what does Paul mean by “call?” If you desire further study, look up Galatians 1:6, Galatians 1:15, and 2 Timothy 1:9 to see how Paul uses the word elsewhere (NOTE TO PARENTS: Children of very young age can grasp this concept as well. Don’t skip over this idea because you think they are too young.)

Children’s Catechism Question
Q - Who made you?
A - God made me.

Adult Catechism Question
Q - Who is the first and best of beings?
A - God is the first and best of beings.

Hymn
Immortal, Invisible, God only Wise

Words of Grace for January 2

Romans 1:1-2 Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God 2 which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures

Slavery is a practice that, thankfully has been outlawed in our society. It is an ugly blemish on our country’s history that still has its effects in the attitudes and actions of many people. One common aspect of slavery throughout history is the degradation of the slaves into something considered sub-human. In America, a slave was considered half a person.

So, it is intriguing that Paul used the terminology of slavery to describe his relationship to Jesus Christ. He does not call himself a son, nor a friend, nor even a fellow-laborer, but a bondservant. The word he uses here is doulos, which is the normal word for slave. But it has an interesting heritage in the secular Greek world. It is specifically used of people who were born slaves. There is another word for those who have been made slaves. Paul is not only indicating his relationship to Christ, but also how he got in that relationship - he was born (spiritually) as a slave of Christ. And as a slave, he was bound (the origin of the word) to obey his Master.

We, too, are douloses of Christ. We are bound to obey Him. But, if you remember, when Jesus called people to take His yoke upon them, He said, “My yoke is easy and my burden is light.” He truly is worth serving, and His service is not burdensome - it’s rewarding. Do you consider yourself a slave of Christ? Or are you serving yourself? Who is your master, and how does your life show that?

FOR FURTHER STUDY

1. Having read Paul’s description of his former life, how hard do you think it was for Him to call himself a servant? What were the duties of a servant in New Testament times? (Parents, this may be a good time to discuss with your children the ideas of obedience and submission which were required of all servants. You may want, as an example, to use their relationship to you and your relationship to your boss.)

2. Who was Paul a servant of? According to Philippians 2:6-11, what gave Jesus the right to demand our service? According to verse 5, how are we to respond? How can you show humility in your family? In your church?

Children’s Catechism Question
Q - Who made you?
A - God made me.

Adult Catechism Question
Q - Who is the first and best of beings?
A - God is the first and best of beings.

Hymn
Immortal, Invisible, God only Wise

Words of Grace for January 1

Romans 1:1-2 - Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God 2 which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures

The way the book of Romans begins seems innocent enough. It begins like so many of the other letters of the New Testament - with an introduction of the author and of his subject. But there is so much we can learn from this simple introduction. Take the first word for instance: Paul. If you read some of the New Testament record of Paul, both before and after his conversion, you see an amazing man who gave his all for the cause he believed in.

Paul describes himself in Philippians 3:5-14 as a very devout religious Jew. He was a member of the strict sect known as the Pharisees. He was very self-righteous, claiming that he had believed he was blameless where the law of God was concerned. He was so zealous that he thought he was pleasing God by killing Christians. And yet the church’s greatest enemy eventually became it’s most ardent supporter.

What could turn a man from a murderer into a missionary? The answer is the message of the Book of Romans. The gospel, or good news, of God is the power of God to salvation to everyone who believes. It is what changed Paul. And it can change you. If your past is not something you would be proud to write about, take heart. The gospel arrives with the good news that you can be forgiven and changed if you will believe.

FOR FURTHER STUDY

1. Read Acts 22:1-5; Acts 26:1-5 and Philippians 3:4-6. What do these passages say about Paul (Saul)? (NOTE TO PARENTS: Have children read the passages. If they are too young to read, you read slowly and have them listen for specific descriptions of Paul. The purpose of this question for you and your family is observation of what the text says)


2. According to Philippians 3:7, how did Paul feel about his past accomplishments in religion? Discuss how this relates to your feelings about your religious accomplishments. (Parents may want to talk about “works” such as church attendance, AWANA awards, Bible knowledge. Emphasize that although there is nothing wrong with these per se, resting your faith on these works is called sin)

Children’s Catechism Question
Q - Who made you?
A - God made me.

Adult Catechism Question (Keach's Catechism)
Q - Who is the first and best of beings?
A - God is the first and best of beings.

Suggested Hymn
Immortal, Invisible, God only Wise

A Little Warning

Just to tell both of you that actually read this blog and have gotten bored because I never update it, I am going to be doing just that in the near future! (Hold your applause, please.) I am going to be starting a new project with my church - having them memorize 2 verses from Romans every week. The goal is to have the whole book memorized in 4 years. Some could do it faster, some need more time, but this should work.

In order to help, I am going to be providing a daily study on the verses we are memorizing. There will be a brief devotional-style discussion, then some questions to give further study opportunities. I will also be including questions and answers from Keach's Baptist catechism and the Children's catechism, as well as suggested hymns to sing for family devotion time. I will be using these during my own family worship and hope to stimulate the church I serve, as well as the church universal, to further study and worship.

2,131 Ten Years Later

Now I know that I am getting old. It has been 10 years since number eight trotted around Camden Yards (I never could call it Oriole Park) and single-handedly saved baseball as we know it. I didn't get to see the game live, because ten years ago, September 6 was a Wednesday night. Being a good Baptist, we had prayer meeting and choir rehearsal. I couldn't skip because I was, well, the music minister. They wouldn't cancel the service because they didn't care about Cal Ripken or the Orioles. So I did the next best thing. I taped it. I still have that tape, and I hope Major League Baseball doesn't come after me if I get nostalgic and illegally rebroadcast it on my tv without their "express written consent."

Cal was a throw-back player. He went to work because he had a job to do. Now, I don't buy that the person playing baseball is any greater than the person who works construction all his life. Playing ball might require an entirely different set of skills, but it is a job none-the-less. But imagine, if you will, that you go out to the construction site every day for almost 6 years without a day off. That means you never call in sick, never take a vacation, and get no days off for holidays. This is, in effect, what the iron-man did. And he did it with a spirit of humility. I used to think Rafael Palmeiro was that type, but I have recently been disappointed by him.

Now to the spiritual part of this: How come we have to look to Major League Baseball to find someone who is a hard worker with a humble attitude? Where are the Christian leaders of today who spend themselves in the cause of Christ, asking nothing in return? I could name a few, but I run out of names before I run out of fingers. Oh, that we, who claim to be under-shepherds in Christ's church, would be iron-men, who work hard, never give up, stick it out to the end, and do so with a spirit of humility.

Blogging and the Important Things of Life

Ok, Ok. I have just been informed via cell phone email that I need to update my blog. You know how it is. You have good intentions, but other things take priority. I, fortunately, am not like my fellow-Calvinist friend Bill who can't sleep at night and blogs at three in the morning. I need my rest. I also, unlike my friend Bill, don't sit out on the back deck with my new computer and wireless network and update my blog. Some have special talent, that is not one of mine.

But I will attempt to stay on top of things. One of the things that has caught my attention over the last few day, as I'm sure it has everyone else, is the aftermath of Katrina. (If your name happens to be Katrina, this has no reference to you!) This has been stunning. The loss of life and property is tragic. The helplessness of the people in New Orleans and Alabama, specifically, is sad. The fact that George Bush is being blamed is ludicrous. And the fact that more people aren't saying this is an act of God is concerning.

Please understand, I am not saying that this is a direct punishment of God on any particular sin of any particular people as some have said. Although that case could be made. But I am saying that God is sovereign. Lest we forget who is in charge of the wind and the waves, God every-once-in-a-while shows us how little we are.

It is interesting to me that Isaiah 45 tells us: "That they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting That there is none besides Me. I am the LORD, and there is no other; 7 I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the LORD, do all these things.'

God does things every so often to get our attention and put us in our place. We, as Christians, have a responsibility not only to meet the physical needs of the people in these devestated places (especially those of the household of faith), but also to point them to the One who uses these things to show His glory in the earth.

The Gospel Truth

There have been a lot of things over the years that I have been able to put up with in the evangelical movement. But a distortion of the gospel is not one of them. Turn on the TV on Sunday morning and you will hear anything but the message of the cross. Every week I try not to burn iron marks into my shirt while a smiling Joel Osteen tells me how I need to think nicer thoughts about those around me and then slips in a prayer at the end of his "sermon" so that I can begin my "Best Life Now."

Or take a recent discussion I have been having on an email list I am on. We have been discussing Rick Warren's Purpose Driven Life. His gospel presentation, found on page 58 consists of "Believe God loves us and made us for his purpose" and "Receive Jesus into your lives as Savior and Lord by praying this prayer." What follows is even a corruption of the sinner's prayer: "Jesus, I believe in you and I receive you." That's it. You're now a Christian.

Is it any wonder that, according to the Founder's Ministries blog, the Southern Baptist Convention reports that they have over 16 million members and only 6 million in attendance? Is 37% follow-through acceptable? Or is this an indication that in our desire to be relevant, we have lost the gospel.

How often are we willing to take the time and effort to share the gospel like Paul did in Romans? He spent 11 chapters detailing to the church in Rome the gospel that He was going to be preaching when he got there. Did you ever sit down and read those 11 chapters straight through? It will probably take more than an hour. No fast-food gospel here.

When was the last time we heard about the holiness of God. We must remember that when Jesus presented to good news to the Jews, their background was the Old Testament. The Old Testament is filled with the holiness of God, especially the Law, and they were very aware of it. Why do we not use the Law when presenting the gospel to show people that God is holy and we are not? Is the practice of our Lord not good enough for us? (See Matthew 5-7 for Jesus' use of the Law.)

What about the cross and the need to repent and believe? Why are we afraid of giving the message clearly? Is it because we would not be popular? The modern evangelical presentation of the gospel has turned into a feel-good message that leaves out anything offensive. Is it any wonder 63% of the people who are members of evangelicalism's largest denomination don't even go to church?

We are told in 1 Corinthians 1:18 that the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to those who are being saved it is the power of God. If we want to see real revival, and not just temporary emotional responses to big stadium events, it's time we get back to preaching foolishness and the power of God.

Things That Separate Us

We live in a world in which distinctions are blurred and the question "Can't we all just get along" is of paramount importance. We are told that we should not call homosexuality a sin because that would be hate-speech. We enjoy watching a nationwide prayer service at the National Cathedral where a Muslim and a "Christian" pray to god simultaneously without a second thought. We are called by society at large to keep our religion to ourselves (unless of course it involves a turban or a red dot on your forehead) in order to maintain a peaceful existence. After all, all roads lead to Rome. Or at least all religions are equally valid. Right?

But two things over the last few days have really brought to the forefront the distinctions between what is the true religion, biblical Christianity, and what is a false man-made religion. The first was the sermon I preached this week in church. It was from Luke 9 where Jesus asked the disciples who they thought He was. The answer? The Christ, Son of the Living God. This answer, which according to Matthew came from the Father directly to Peter, is what separates us from every other religion. The Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses don't believe Jesus is God. They believe he was the first created being, a heresy that was rejected at the Council of Nicea in 325. Most other religions, if they have anything to say about Jesus, believe that he was just a man. A good man, but just a man.

The second thing was my "read-through-the-Bible" passage from this morning. It was Mark 16 - The resurrection. According to Romans 1, it is the resurrection that declares to us the deity of Christ. It is the resurrection that proved God's acceptance of the sacrifice of Christ. It is the resurrection that gives us, as His followers, the hope that He will return and raise us from the dead.

It is the resurrection that makes us a laughing stock to the rest of the world. This happened to Paul in Athens. He had them listening to him until he spoke of the resurrection. That was when they mocked him, for they were naturalists, who did not believe in any resurrection. We, too, live in a naturalistic society that mocks us when we proclaim that our Lord died and was raised on the third day. Even from within the ranks of those who call themselves Christians, we will hear naturalistic explanations, such as "his spirit lives on." This is ridiculous. The resurrection is true or Christianity isn't true. We cannot back down on this point.

These two areas, the deity and the resurrection of Christ, are what separate us from all other religions. There are many others, such as the five Solas of the reformation (sola gratia, sola fide, sola scriptura, solus Christus, soli Deo gloria), that distinguish us from others who claim to be Christians. But the deity and resurrection of Christ are two things that distinguish us from the rest of society. And these are two things about which we cannot be silent. For in every gospel (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), the event which immediately follows the resurrection is the Great Commision, where Jesus commands us to go and tell everyone else about it.

Original Post

Since this is my first forray into the blogosphere, you will all have to cut me a little slack. This blog will contain my thoughts (hence the name) on a variety of subjects. And since I am passionate about religion, especially biblical (also known as "reformed") Christianity, and politics, I figure I can stir up some good conversations. Ultimately, I hope that everything I say brings glory to God, since that is all that matters anyway.

So, here's my first musing: Peter Jennings died of lung cancer today. He hadn't smoked for more than 20 years, but the damage had been done. It seems that the major news media is falling apart. First, the emergence of the "new media" with AM talk shows and cable news. Then, the disgrace that was Dan Rather finally coming to light. And now, Peter Jennings is gone. He was probably the only one of the major news anchors that I could put up with. I find it interesting, in this era when those in the public eye are talking about leaving America and renouncing their citizenship, that in 2003 he becam a US citizen. When asked about the timing, he said, "Did 9/11 make a difference? Yes, it did make a difference." I respected Peter Jennings as much as I can respect anyone from the major news media. I am sure much of America will miss him.