Twenty-First Century Bondservant

Sermon Video From 1 John 3.11-24: Born to Love

2012-01-31T11:48:00.002-05:00

Born To Love (1 John 3:11-24) from Epiphany Camden on Vimeo.

The Balance of Experience and Doctrine

2012-01-31T11:33:00.000-05:00

The following is an excerpt from Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Life in Christ: Studies in 1 John (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2002), 399-403. Dr. Lloyd-Jones is here speaking on 1 John 4:1: "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world" (ESV).

The trouble with us as the result of sin is that wealways seem to delight in extremes, and we tend to go from one extreme to theother instead of maintaining the position of scriptural balance. That seems tobe the tendency of mankind, and perhaps it has never manifested itself more,and more often, than concerning this very subject which faces us as we look atthis verse. The subject is the whole problem of the place of the Holy Spirit inChristian experience. Or if you prefer, there is a more particular problemhere, and that is the problem of the respective places of experience anddoctrine in the Christian life: experience, doctrine, and the HolySpirit.

Now the trouble has generally been due to the factthat people have emphasized either experience or doctrine at the expense of theother, and indeed they have often been guilty, and still are, of putting up ascontrasts things which clearly are meant to be complementary. This is somethingwhich has been happening in the Church almost from the verybeginning..... And thus when the whole emphasis is placed upon oneor the other, you have either a tendency to fanaticism and excesses or atendency toward a barren intellectualism and a mechanical and a dead kind of orthodoxy....It is all the result of putting the whole emphasis on one or the other insteadof seeing that the two are essential....

The only true scriptural position - namely, the onewe have here, the position which emphasizes Spirit and doctrine, experience anddefinition. You must not say it is either/or; it is both.... I suggestthat in many ways it is one of the most acute problems confronting the Churchat the present time....

[There is a movement] which is merely concernedabout doctrine and spends most of its time in teaching doctrine. There we seethe tendency to pure intellectualism, a concern about truth in the abstract,about definitions and ideas, and to stop at that.

But then there is anothermovement, and there is always this opposite movement. There is a great tendencyon the part of many to stress only the experimental side - the experiencingside, and to talk only about the gifts of the Spirit and the variousmanifestations of life and religion, as they call it....

As Evangelicals we find ourselves fighting on twofronts. We are obviously critical of a pure intellectualism and of a deadmechanical Church which lacks any life.... We say, "It is not enough forpeople to be church members." We ask, "Are they born again? Have theyevidence within them of the life of God in their soul?" We say we are notconcerned about a mere theoretical belief; the gospel of Jesus Christ is alife-giving gospel. That is one side; but on the other side we see certaintendencies and we see certain excesses and we say, "Believe not everyspirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God." And thus we seem tobe opposing everything, and so we receive criticism from all sides.

Now we are not concerned merely about our ownposition; we are concerned primarily about the truth. But let me say this. Itseems to me that we have a right to be fairly happy about ourselves as long aswe have criticism from both sides; but if the criticism should ever stop on oneside, then is the time to be careful.

For myself, as long as I am charged bycertain people with being nothing but a Pentecostalist and on the other handcharged by others with being an intellectual, a man who is always preachingdoctrine, as long as the two criticisms come, I am very happy. But if the oneor the other of the two criticisms should ever cease, then, I say, is the timeto be careful and to begin to examine the very foundations.

The position of Scripture, as I am trying to show you, is one which isfacing two extremes; the Spirit is essential, and experience is vital; however,truth and definition and doctrine and dogma are equally vital and essential.And our whole position is one which proclaims that experience which is notbased solidly upon truth and doctrine is dangerous.

Epiphany Fellowship of Camden - Official Launch 01-29-2012

2012-01-23T12:14:00.004-05:00

Please come out and support the official launch of Epiphany Fellowship of Camden this Sunday in the Fairview neighborhood of Camden City (NJ) at 1245pm. We meet at the St. Joan of Arc church building at 3107 Alabama Road. Keep us in your prayers all this week for this special date in the life of our covenant community. Follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook.

Epiphany Camden Short from timothy shin on Vimeo.

Born to Love: A Sermon From 1 John 3:11-24

2012-01-22T19:32:00.000-05:00

This sermon was delivered at Epiphany Fellowship of Camden during Sunday worship on 22 January 2012 (audio here and video here). We meet every Sunday at 12:45pm at the St. Joan of Arc church building at 3107 Alabama Road in the Fairview section of Camden City, NJ.

Scripture Reading

1 John 3:11 (ESV) Forthis is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should loveone another. 12 We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one andmurdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds wereevil and his brother's righteous. 13 Do not be surprised, brothers, that theworld hates you. 14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, becausewe love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. 15 Everyone whohates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal lifeabiding in him. 3:16-18 By this we know love, that he laid down his life forus, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17 But if anyone hasthe world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart againsthim, how does God's love abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love inword or talk but in deed and in truth. 3:19-24 By this we shall know that we are of the truth andreassure our heart before him; 20 for whenever our heart condemns us, God isgreater than our heart, and he knows everything. 21 Beloved, if our heart doesnot condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22 and whatever we ask wereceive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. 23And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son JesusChrist and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24 Whoever keeps hiscommandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abidesin us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.

Introduction

As some of you may know, Oprah Winfrey recently started herown television network. Manytelevision critics and viewers have been less than satisfied with what theybelieve is substandard programming on her channel.

So in response to this situation, many suggestions forbetter shows have been offered up. One such suggestion is a program that wouldbe called “Born With It.” Every week, this show would feature someone whoexcels in their field or profession due to their natural, God-given gifts andabilities.

On her blog, the woman who is pitching this show givesseveral examples of who could be featured on the program: top-tier athletes whothrive because of their incredible physical characteristics, people who becomecooks because of their ability to identify flavors, and musicians who aregifted to sing and play various instruments in amazing ways. Based on theirgifting, it seems like all of these people were simply “born” to do thesethings. At the end of the sales pitch, the question is asked: “So what were youborn to do?”[1]

I firmly believe that this question is answered in John’sfirst letter. As we walk through our text today in 1 John 3, we will find ouranswer to the question, “What were you born to do?”

A. Love OneAnother (3:11-15)

1. Context: TheChildren of God and the Children of the Devil (3:10)

To a large degree, what we are born to do is dictated by whoour parents are. After all, it is from our parents that we get our DNA andphysical characteristics. In addition to that, we also adopt (consciously andsubconsciously) the social and emotional characteristics of our parents. Thesaying “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree” is filled with much commonwisdom and observation of the human condition. With this in mind, let’s look atthe context of our Scripture text today,1 John 3:11-15.

This paragraph is set in the context and shadow of 1 John3:10:

By this it is evident who are thechildren of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does notpractice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love hisbrother.

Since the time of the Fall of humanity in the Garden, therehas existed, side by side, two seeds: the seed of God and the seed of the devil(3:8, 10; Gen. 3:15; John 8:44; cf. 1 John 5:19).[2]

Gen. 3:15 (NASB) And I will putenmity between you and the woman, andbetween your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shallbruise him on the heel.

1 John 3:8 Whoever makes a practiceof sinning is of the devil….

The children of this hostile, rebellious age make it clearwho their true father is by their lawless, evil, selfish deeds (3:4). Jesussaid that “everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin” (John 8:34). He wenton to say that such people belong to their father, the devil (John 8:44).

Because of the Fall of humanity in the Garden, we are allborn into this state. According to Eph. 2, we all follow the course of thiswicked world system and obey the devil.[3]He is our natural father, according to the flesh. The children of the flesh (i.e.,all those who have never been born of the Spirit) do not submit to Christ andHis Lordship. In fact, many who belong to the devil sit in church every weekand claim to be Christian.

But whatever they mayclaim to the contrary, their identity is ultimately proven by their conduct:these children do not do the righteousness of the God who theysay is their Father.

In other words, their lives lack the kind of works that distinctivelymark off born again believers as being children of God in Christ. The HolySpirit tells us in 1 John 2:6 that “whoever says he abides in [Christ] ought towalk in the same way in which [Christ] walked.”

James comments on this type of “works-less” false religion.He says

What good is it, my brothers [andsisters], if someone says he has faith but does not have works [i.e., but does notpractice the righteousness of God]? Can this kind of faith save him? If abrother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of yousays to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them thethings needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if itdoes not have works, is dead (Jam. 2:14-17; cf. 1 John 3:17-18).

Such people saythat God is their Father, but they do not dothe works of the Father (such as showing love to others; cf. 3:10), becausethey don’t belong to Him. The lives of such people look nothing like the lifeof the Christ who they claim is their Lord (cf. 1 John 2:6). Instead, they dothe works of the devil; they hate and they murder (cf. 3:12, 15) because theone who has been a hater and a murderer from the beginning is their true father(John 8:44).

2. Love One Another(3:11-15)

In our day, we have a lot of “rogue Christians.” We have alot of people going around saying that they love Jesus but they hate thechurch.

They say things like, “Well,I believe in God, but I just don’t want to go to church. I can stay at home andworship God on my own time. I can read my Bible. I can watch church on TV orthe Internet. I don’t have to be in church to worship God.”

This type of hyper-individualistic religion is totallyforeign to the New Testament concept of what it means to be a Christian. A loneChristian doesn’t exist on his or her own any more than a toe or a finger or aneyeball can exist and live apart from the rest of the body.

In 1 John 3:11,we see that the “message that [we] have heard from the beginning [i.e., themessage that is at the very foundation of our religion, is] that we should love one another” (emphasis added).

Let me ask you this question: How is it that you are you going to “love” on other Christians withoutever seeing them and being with them?

By staying away from church, these people are showing theworld who their true father is. By staying away from the brothers and sisters, theyare telling them that they hate them. They may not openly say that they hate thebrothers and sisters, but they are hating on them all the same.

For instance, I can say that I love my wife. But if myactions don’t line up with the profession I make with my mouth, it means that Idon’t really love her. Could you imagine if I said the same thing to my wife thatsome so-called Christians say to the church? “Hey, I love you and all. I’m just never coming around to see you. I canlove you from somewhere else.”

Those who go out from the church and stay away from thechurch prove that God is not their Father (2:19). In this, they are provingthat their father is the devil, who also hates the brethren.

In 3:11, John is reinforcing a theme that he introduced in2:7, where he said

Beloved, I am writing you no newcommandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning (cf. 2 John5-6).

The way John writes this letter is, in many ways, circular.What I mean by this is that he brings up one topic or theme, addresses it, thenmoves on to another. Then, he comes back around and addresses the first themeagain, and so on. Some of the major themes of his letter are: light anddarkness, knowing God and abiding in Him, the seed of God and the seed of thedevil, the world and idolatry, true and false (antichrist) teachers, and loveand hate.

The “old/new commandment” of 3:11 was what Christ preachedin John 13:34-35:

A new commandment I give to you,that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love oneanother. By this all men will know that you are My disciples [and all men willknow who your true Father is], if you have love for one another.[4]

This kind of love is “not like”[5]the works of Cain, who was “of the evil one.” Cain’s father was the devil. TheGreek word that John uses to describe Cain’s deeds in 3:12 (poneros) is thesame word that he uses to describe Satan (2:13-14; 3:12; 5:18-19). The word forrighteous (dikaios) that John uses todescribe Abel’s deeds is a term that he uses to refer to Jesus Christ (1:9;2:1, 29; 3:7). “In other words, Cain belonged to Satan and Abel belonged toGod.”[6]

Jesus states that Satan “was a murderer from the beginning”(John 8:44). And just as a son imitates the deeds of his father, Cain imitatesthe devil and murders his own brother. Cain murdered his brother because hehated the godly righteousness that Abel showed forth (3:12).

This is the same kind of hatred that the world has forChristians. In light of Cain’s murder of righteous Abel, John says in 3:13, “Do not be surprised brothers[and sisters], that the world hates you.” John last spoke of “the world” in2:15-17, where he warned Christians against a love of the world or the thingsin the world. He stated that “if anyone loves the world, the love of the Fatheris not in him.”

In other words, an undisputed and abiding heart attachmentfor the world proves who that person’s true father really is. It is theultimate “paternity test.” Those who love the world belong to their father, thedevil, whom Jesus describes as “the ruler of this world” (John 12:31; 16:11).Paul describes Satan as “the god of this world/age [aion]” (2 Cor. 4:4). Those who have a continuing and unfetteredattachment to this world system and the things in it are openly displaying thatthey belong to the “god of this age” and “the ruler of this world,” the devil.

And just as theirfather hates the Son of God, so also do his children hate the sons of Godwho are being conformed into His image and likeness through the sanctificationof His Spirit. These children are born hating God, born hating His commandments,and born hating His children.

But “we know that we have passed out[7]of” the realm of death of which Satan is so fond (3:14). We have passed out of this present evil age of death andinto the life of the age to come in Christ Jesus. We know this because, unlikethe children of Satan, “we love the brothers.” We spend time in church (becausewe want to, not because we have to); we spend time with our smallgroups; we invest in the lives and souls of our brothers and sisters; we lovethem sacrificially; we don’t love with our lips and hate with our feet (bystaying away from them).

The children of the devil, that “murderer from thebeginning,” hate the brothers and, in this hatred, show their murderouslikeness to their father. They follow in his footsteps and abide in hislikeness. These haters/murderers do not abide in Christ, the life-giving Vine (3:15; John 15:1-11). And such were we,at one time. We all

once walked [according to] thecourse of this world, following the prince of the power of the air [Satan], thespirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience – among whom we all oncelived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body andthe mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. ButGod, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ –by grace you have been saved – and raised us up with him and seated us in the heavenlyplaces in Christ Jesus (Eph. 2:2-6).

And so we see that we are able to love only because we abide in Christ (2:5-6; 10), who Himself loves thebrothers and gave us the commandment to “love one another” as He loves us (John13:34). Prior to the new birth, we were simply unable to love one another asChrist loved us because we had no life in Him. Instead, we lived in a state ofspiritual death (cf. Eph. 2:1; Col. 2:13).

It is only when we are born of God, believing in the name ofHis Son, that His love is poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit (Rom.5:5). From that time forward, we are then supernaturally empowered to keep thecommandment to “love one another” through Him who abides in us (cf. 3:23-24).

What were you born todo?

Truly, and in every sense, we were spiritually born so thatwe would love. We were born of God so that we would love Him. And we were born of God so that we would love others (cf. Matt. 22:36-40).

B. Love As ChristLoves (3:16-18)

We prove our identity as children of the Father, and provethat we abide in Him, when we love sacrificially, as God has loved in thesending of His Son to die in our place (3:16).

The love of the Father for the Son is the archetype of alllove. This love is made visible in the sending and self-sacrifice of the Son.[8]Simply put, we should love one another because it is a visible, tangibledisplay of the glory of God. It is a display of His character and His purposefor this world:

“God’s primary purpose for theworld is his compassionate and forgiving love which asserts itself despite theworld’s inimical [hostile] rejection of it. In God’s agape [love] his glory (doxa)is simultaneously revealed.”[9]

When we love sacrificially, we give glory to God and revealour true identity as His children:

You have heard that it was said, “Youshall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I say to you, Love yourenemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For hemakes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just andon the unjust (Matt. 5:43-45, emphasis added).

The loving character of the Father, who shows love even toHis enemies, has been implanted into the hearts of His children by His Spirit,through the power of the gospel (Rom. 1:16).

At its heart, the gospel is the good news of God’s lovetoward a wicked and rebellious people who have declared themselves to be Hisenemies in word, thought, and deed.

In love, the Father sent His divine Son into a hostile worldto live the life that we failed to live (a life of sinless obedience to theFather’s will) and to die the death that we deserved to die, substitutingHimself for us and paying the penalty that we deserve for our hostility againstGod.

After three days, the Son rose from the dead and showedHimself alive to many. Forty days later He ascended into heaven, being crownedwith all authority, glory, and honor at the right hand of the Father.

He did all of this in love, so that all who would repent oftheir sins and believe in the name of the Son of God would be saved and receiveHis Spirit to abide in them and with them forever and ever.

This same love of the Father abides in us (3:17) and will inevitably displayitself in sacrificial deeds of love and mercy toward all, even toward thosewhom the world considers to be “undeserving.”

Those who are born of the God who is love also do the righteousness of the God who islove (3:18; cf. 3:10; 4:7-8).

What were you born todo?

You were born of God so that you would love others, not inword or talk, but in deed and in truth.

C. Abiding in theTruth (3:19-24)

When we do therighteousness of God and walk in the same way in which Christ walked (2:6), weknow that we are abiding in the truth (3:19).And this gives us great assurance because, down deep in our hearts, we know howweak and fake and false we really are.

We all put up fronts and we all act like we’re tough. Whenother people are around, we put on masks and costumes, and place our faith inour own strength and ability and knowledge. But when the lights go down and weare all alone in the dark with nothing but our own hearts and our own thoughts,we begin to understand just how weak and vulnerable and ignorant and foolishand broken we really are.

Your true character, the true you, is who you are when the lights go down.

And an awareness of who we really are in the depths of theblackness of the wickedness of our hearts should cause us to flee to JesusChrist the Righteous for salvation and security.

In a context where, because of our indwelling sin, we are soquick to deceive ourselves (1:8-10), it is reassuring to know that we belong toGod in Christ, and His Spirit is able to teach us the truth (2:27).

In a context where the world is constantly trying to deceiveus and pull us in its wicked direction (2:15-16), it is reassuring to know thatit is the Spirit of truth who keeps us safe and secure, firmly rooted inChrist.

In a context where antichrists are “trying to deceive” uswith false teaching (2:26), it is reassuring to know that we who have theSpirit are “from God” and are able to discern “the spirit of error” (4:6).

It is the Lord who is triumphantover all things: He triumphs over the wickedness of our sin; He triumphs overthis present evil world; He triumphs over the satanic rulers and authorities.He is the One who is “greater” (3:20)than all these things. He is the One who has, since before the foundation ofthe world (Eph. 1:4-5), set His affection on us, determining to save us andmake us His children.

He is the Unstoppable One, the Almighty.

This is ourFather.

The Scripture calls believers “overcomers.” How is it that,as weak, pitiful, sinful, spiritual failures we can possibly be called“overcomers”?

We are “overcomers” not because we have or could everaccomplish anything of value on our own, but because we abide in the Strong One.And He has overcome (cf. 2:13-14;Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21). His powerful Word abides in us and makes us“strong” (2:14). As we rest in the power of His conquering Spirit, it gives usconfidence and boldness in His presence (2:28; 3:21). And as we rest confidently in His powerful arms, we knowthat if we ask anything according to His will, He will hear us and answer us (3:22; 5:14-15; cf. John 14:13-14).[10]

Those who have God’s seed abiding in them (3:9) will keepGod’s commandments and do what pleases Him (3:22). John states that the commandmentof God is “that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ” (3:23).

In John 6, a crowd asks the Lord,

“What must we do, to be doing theworks of God?” Jesus answers, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him[Christ] whom [the Father] has sent” (John 6:28-29).

Belief in Christ originates in the sovereign will of God theFather, and is dependent on Him alone, and not at all on anything in us. Jesustells us, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him” (John6:44). In Phil. 1:29 we are told that belief in Christ is something that God“grants” to us. In 2 Tim. 2:25 the Scripture indicates that a true repentanceis something which God Himself “grants” or “gives.”

We don’t “choose” Christ any more than a dead man “chooses”to get up out of the darkness of his grave and walk around in the light of day(cf. Eph. 2:1; Col. 2:13). Jesus tells us clearly,

“You did not choose Me, but I choseyou and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit shouldabide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you”(John 15:16; cf. 1 John 3:22).

The electing love of the Father, lavished on us in Christthrough the power of the Holy Spirit, inevitably and irresistibly brings forthlove for “one another” (3:23).

The abiding presence of the Spirit in us empowers us to“keep his commandments” (3:24) and“walk in the same way in which [Christ] walked” (2:6).

What were you born todo?

You were born of God so that you would be empowered by HisSpirit to keep His commandment to believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christand love one another.

Conclusion andExhortation

What is the purpose ofyour existence? Why are you here?

You are here to show off the glory of God in Christ.[11]

What does that looklike in the here and now?

It looks like love.

It looks like love for God.

And it looks like love for others.

In Matt. 22:36, Jesus is asked, “Teacher, which is the greatcommandment in the Law?” He responds, “You shall love the Lord your God withall your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the greatand first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor asyourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets” (37-40).

When others see us practicing righteousness (3:10) by joyouslyloving God and others, the Scripture tells us that it brings glory to ourFather in heaven (Matt. 5:16).

What were you born todo?

You were born toglorify God, and to love Him forever.

Don’t get sidetracked when the world tries to convince youthat you are here for some other reason, or some other purpose.

And why would youlisten to those who belong to the world anyway?

The Scripture tells us that the world hates us because we belongto Christ (3:13).

Why, as a child of Godin Christ Jesus, would you listen to a child of the devil?

Remember, and do not forget, that you were given the newbirth from the Father so that you would love Him and love others in the powerof His Spirit.

And when we show off His love in this fallen world, itbrings Him glory, which is the reason we draw breath every day.

Let us pray.

[1]Abigail Green, “What Were You Born to Do?” AbbyOff the Record, 6 July 2011, http://www.abbyofftherecord.com/2011/07/06/what-were-you-born-to-do(Accessed 17 January 2012; emphasis in original).

[2]“John sees only absolutes: light or darkness, truth or the lie, God or thedevil, life or death. For him there is no middle ground. There are noalternatives” (Simon J. Kistemaker,Exposition of James, Epistles ofJohn, Peter, and Jude, in New Testament Commentary [Grand Rapids: BakerAcademic, 1986], 304).

[3] Eph. 2:2 (NLT) You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world,obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world.

[4] Cf. Lev. 19:18: “You shall love yourneighbor as yourself.”

[5]Ou kathos is literally rendered “notas” (KJV, NASB). The NET renders it “not like.” The NIV adds to the simpleconstruction of particle (ou) andconjunction (kathos): “do not belike.” The NLT (“we must not be like”) and ESV (“we should not be like”) add even more here.

[6]Kistemaker, 306-307.

[7]Metabebekamen is the second perfectactive indicative (first person plural) of metabaino(“depart, go, pass, remove”). The perfect tense expresses a completed action,describing a present state which has resulted from a past action. It implies aproces which has been completed and which now exists in a finished state (Parsing Guide to the Greek text of the KJV,ed. by Stephen Marler, Version 1.0, AccordanceBible Software 8.4.7, Oak Tree Software, Inc., 2010). This verb isdirective, in that it indicates moving from one place to another (Kistemaker,308).

[8]Walther Gunther and Hans-Georg Link, ἀγαπάω, in New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, ed. byColin Brown (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1986), Version 3.1, Accordance Bible Software 8.4.7, Oak Tree Software, Inc., 2010.

[9]Gunther and Link.

[10] When we pray in Jesus’ name(John 14:13) and the objective of our prayers is (1) to bring glory and honorto the Father’s name, (2) to promote His rule, and (3) to submit to His will,He will answer us. Does not Christ tell us this very thing in Matt. 6:9-10? “Praythen like this: Our Father in heaven, [1] hallowed be your name. [2] Yourkingdom come, [3] your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” By the timewe come to v. 11 and the first request (“give us this day our daily bread”), wehave already laid a proper foundation for the spirit in which we offer prayer.So many times, our prayers are laced through with our own sinfulness andcrooked desires. Even when we pray for good things, if we are not praying withthe intention to honor the Father, promote His lordship, and submit to Hiswill, we are praying wrongly. On this topic, James states, “You ask and do notreceive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions” (Jam. 4:3).

[11]Question 1 of the Westminster Shorter Catechism asks, “What is the chief end ofman?” The answer: “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Himforever.” http://www.reformed.org/documents/WSC.html.

On the Sacraments

2012-01-07T20:02:00.000-05:00

On the Sacraments.[1]

Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are ordinances of positive[2]and sovereign institution, appointed by the Lord Jesus to be continued in Hischurch to the end of this present evil age (Matt. 28:18-20; Luke 22:14-20; Rom.6:3-4; 1 Cor. 11:24-26; Gal. 3:27; Eph. 4:5; Col. 2:12; 1 Pet. 3:21). For theprotection of the spiritual health and witness of Christ’s church, these holyordinances, or sacraments, are to be administered only by those stewards whohave been properly reckoned as qualified and called according to the commissionof Christ[3](Matt. 24:45-51; Luke 12:41-44; 1 Cor. 4:1; 1 Tim. 3:5; Titus 1:5-7). The sacraments are to be celebrated by thechurch in obedience to Christ, but are not to be regarded in any way as a meansof salvation (Luke 23:39-43).

Baptism is an ordinance of the New Testament, ordained by JesusChrist as a sign of union with Him in His life, death, and resurrection (Rom.6:3-5; Gal. 3:27; Col. 2:12-13), as a sign of remission of sins (Mark 1:4; Acts2:38; 22:16), and as a sign of the moral purification of our heart and mind wrought through regeneration by the Holy Spirit (Rom. 6:4; Col. 2:11-12; 1 Pet. 3:21).

Those who have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit through arepentant faith in Christ (Col. 2:12), having had their hearts purified and circumcisedwith a circumcision made without hands (Col. 2:11, cf. Deut. 30:6; Rom. 2:28-29;Phil. 3:3; cf. Matt. 13:14-15), are the only proper subjects of baptism[4](Matt. 3:1-12; 28:19-20; John 4:1; Acts 2:38, 41; 8:12-13, 36-38; 10:47-48;16:14-15, 31-34; 18:8; 22:16).

The outward element to be used in Christian baptism iswater. The party is to be baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and theHoly Spirit (Matt. 28:18-20). Immersion, or the dipping of the person’s entirebody in water,[5] is thepreferred method for the administration of this sacrament[6](2 Kgs. 5:14 [cf. LXX]; Psa. 69:2 [cf. LXX]; Isa. 21:4 [cf. LXX]; Matt. 3:11; Mark1:5-10; John 3:23; Acts 8:36-38; Rom. 6:4; 1 Cor. 10:1-2; Col. 2:12).

The Lord’s Supper was instituted by our Lord Jesus Christ onthe same night that He was betrayed and is to be observed in His churches untilHis triumphant return at the close of this present evil age (Matt. 26:20-29;Mark 14:17-25; Luke 22:14-22; 1 Cor. 11:23-26).

The outward elements to be utilized in the properadministration of this ordinance are the same as the Lord Jesus used at HisLast Supper: unleavened bread and wine.[7]

The Lord’s Supper is a sign for the remembrance and showingforth of the sacrifice of Christ’s atoning death on our behalf. It serves toconfirm and strengthen the faith of those who belong to the new covenant in Hisblood. It is a sure reminder of our union with Him and a pledge of ourcommunion with other members of His new covenant community, the church (1 Cor.10:16-17).

The Lord’s Supper is a memorial of the one offering up ofHimself upon the cross. All notions of transubstantiation, or the ontologicalchange of the bread and wine into the actual body and blood of Jesus Christ,are to be considered abominable, a great injury and insult to Christ’s ownsacrifice as the once-for-all propitiation for all of the sins of the elect[8](John 19:30; Heb. 9:25-28; 10:10-14). The elements are neither to be adored norworshipped (this being clearly idolatrous), but are only to be utilized to pointto the redemptive reality that Christ has wrought through His perfectsacrifice. Further, to receive this sacrament from a priest that proclaims transubstantiation is contrary to the nature of this sacrament, and to the institution of Christ (cf. Westminster Confession, 29.3-4).

As with baptism, the Lord’s Table is strictly for those who have beenregenerated by the Holy Spirit through a repentant faith in Christ, having alreadyentered the new covenant through a circumcision made without hands (Col. 2:11,cf. Deut. 30:6; Rom. 2:28-29; Phil. 3:3), and who also are walking in a mannerworthy to be called a follower of Christ (1 Cor. 11:28-32). The Lord’s Tabletolerates neither unbelievers nor disobedient believers.[9]It is the solemn responsibility of the one administrating this sacrament toensure that the proper warnings are given prior to the breaking of the breadand giving of the cup.

While there is no saving efficacy in the elements of theLord’s Supper, all worthy receivers do, inwardly and by faith through theministry of the Holy Spirit, spiritually receive and feed upon Christ crucifiedand all the benefits of union with Him. In this, the body and blood of our LordJesus, while not physically present, is spiritually present to the faith ofbelievers in this sacred ordinance (1 Cor. 10:16-18), providing spiritual nourishment and edification in Him (cf. Westminster Confession, 29.1).

The Lord’s Table should be celebrated each time the churchis gathered together for corporate Sunday worship (Acts 2:42).[10]The weekly celebration of the Lord’s Table visibly and tangibly expresses thecentrality of the gospel in the life of the church. In the weekly observance ofthe Lord’s Table, the Christian community affirms our ongoing need of thegospel.[11] The Lord’s Supper is to be celebrated in the presence of the assembled congregation; it is not to be administered privately.

[1] Samuel Waldron states, “The term‘sacrament’ comes from the Latin word sacramentum,which simply means something sacred…. If the term…is associated with asuperstitious sacramentalism which attributes saving efficacy to thesacraments, we should probably not use it. If sacrament to us is just areverent and convenient way of speaking about the only two ordinances of Christwhich make use of physical emblems, then we may find it a useful word. As longas we mean the right thing by using this word (or by not using it), then weshould not argue about it. Such arguments would be logomachy, fighting aboutmere words, something condemned in the Bible (1 Tim. 6:4; 2 Tim. 2:14; Acts18:15)” (A Modern Exposition of the 1689Baptist Confession of Faith [Durham, England: Evangelical Press, 2009], 338).

[2] Waldron: “A positive ordinance or law issomething in addition to the law of nature. It is something not demanded bynature. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are not a part of the law of nature. Theydid not exist in the Old Testament, but came into existence with the NewCovenant…. If they had been part of the law of nature, they would always haveexisted. But they did not always exist. Thus they are positive laws” (1689, 339).

[3] Only those with the authority of thelocal church ought to administer the sacraments. Ordinarily, that will be theelders. Cf. Waldron, 1689, 343.

[4] Waldron: “Baptism is a symbol of both theblessings of the gospel and the saving response to the gospel. It symbolizedrepentance and forgiveness. Surely then, the presumption must be that baptismshould be given only to those who repent and are forgiven…. Baptism should begiven to all who are members of the New Covenant, to all the true New Testamentcircumcised. But who are they? Those and those only who know the Lord (Jer.31:34), are spiritually circumcised (Phil. 3:3) and born of God (John 1:12-13),may claim membership in the New Covenant and a right to its sign. The covenantpeople is no longer a physical, but a spiritual nation (Matt. 21:43). Hencephysical bloodlines do not give membership in this nation or permitparticipation in its covenant signs” (1689,350-51).

[5] Waldron: “Baptism literally means toimmerse and figuratively means to overwhelm. Baptism points to our beingcompletely and spiritually immersed into Christ and overwhelmed by His Spirit.It points to the spiritual wealth and power we possess in Christ. Nothing lessthan immersion or such a pouring as literally overwhelms properly symbolizesthis truth” (1689, 358-59). On theproper place of administration: “It is not necessary that baptism be performedin the church. In this way it is unlike the Lord’s Supper. Baptism is anindividual ordinance whereas the Lord’s Supper is a corporate ordinance” (1689, 346).

[6] The Didache(dated to the late first or early second century) considered the immersion ofbelievers in cold, running water to be the normal mode of baptism, but didallow for pouring (and warm water) if circumstances so called for: “But concerning baptism, thus shall yebaptize.  Having first recited all these things, baptize [in the name of theFather and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit] in living (running) water. But ifthou hast not living water, then baptize in other water; and if thou art notable in cold, then in warm. But if thou hast neither, then pour water on thehead thrice in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.But before the baptism let him that baptizeth and him that is baptized fast,and any others also who are able; and thou shalt order him that is baptized tofast a day or two before” (7:1-7, trans.and ed. by J.B. Lightfoot, http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/didache-lightfoot.html[Accessed 4 October 2011]).

[7] Due to various religious conventions,traditions, and customs, many evangelical churches in our time instead utilizegrape juice and/or leavened bread during their celebration of the Lord’s Table.While I do not believe that either of these most accurately represents theelements that our Lord used at His Last Supper, I also do not believe this tobe sin.

[8] The 1689 London Confession of Faithstates, “That doctrine…commonly called transubstantiation…is repugnant not toScripture alone, but even to common sense and reason, overthrow[ing] the natureof the ordinance and hath been and is the cause of manifold superstitions, yea,of gross idolatries” (30.6).

[9] Simon J. Kistemaker, Exposition of the First Epistle to the Corinthians, in NewTestament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1993), 401.

[10] Bryan Chapell: “Mosthistorians agree that the common practice of the early church was weeklyCommunion…. During the Reformation, concerns about sacerdotalism (the idea thatthe mere practice of the sacraments communicates sanctifying grace) led manyProtestants away from ‘ritualistic’ practice of the Lord’s Supper…. Theapparent practice of Scripture, the precedent of the ancient church, and theappreciation for the ways Christ ministers the gospel to his people through theLord’s Supper persuade me of the efficacy of weekly celebration of the Lord’sSupper – but my enthusiasm is measured. Weekly Communion is my preference, butI do not consider it a mark of orthodoxy or mandate of Scripture…. Even if webelieve the Bible indicates the practice of the early church was weeklyCommunion, we must confess the Bible does not command weekly Communion”(Christ-Centered Worship: Letting theGospel Shape Our Practice [Grand Rapids: Baker Academic], 291-92, emphasisin original).

[11] John P. Davis, Sr., “Why Do We Celebratethe Lord’s Table Weekly?” 21 September 2010, http://www.gracechurchphilly.org/blog/2010/09/21/why-we-celebrate-the-lords-table-weekly(accessed 4 October 2011).

James 5:14 and "Anointing With Oil"

2011-12-19T11:04:00.000-05:00

Jam. 5:14 (ESV) Is anyoneamong you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them prayover him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.

As some commentators have pointed out, thisis one of the most widely misunderstood, misinterpreted, and misapplied versesin the whole of the New Testament. My purpose in this short article is toscrutinize this text within its grammatical-historical context in order tobring out its original meaning, with application for our time today. My hope isthat, by so doing, some of the fog of confusion that swirls around this versewill be lifted, for the glory of God.

The first thing that we should observeis that the sick person has been so weakened by his illness (astheneo means “without strength” or“feeble”) that he has to “call for the elders” of the church to come to him.Due to his illness, he is simply unable to come to the elders or to theassembly of the saints. And so we see that the prayer and the use of oil doesnot take place in a public or ecclesiastical setting (such as during a churchservice), but rather, in a private setting.

Spiros Zodhiates states, “This sick brotheror sister must have been quite exhausted not to be able to go to the assembly ofbelievers. He had to call the elders to come to him, to his home…. The factthat he cannot go to church is further evidence of the meaning of [asthenei as ‘without strength’].”[1]

Second, theoverall emphasis of this paragraph in James is on prayer. The anointing withoil is a secondary issue. “Pray” is the primary verb, while “anoint” is inparticipial form.[2]

Third, theword translated “anointing” is from aleiphoo,which literally means “to oil” or “to rub.” Aleiphoois a “mundane and secular word” that is used to connote a rubbing or oilingwith oil. This word is “never used in the New Testament with [a] sacred andsymbolical meaning [as with] the verb chrioo.”[3]Chrioo is the word that is exclusivelyused in the NT in sacred, ceremonial, or religious settings. The words “Christ”and “Christian” come from the root of this word chrioo.

Aleiphoo is theequivalent of oiling or rubbing something, and comes from the root lipos, which means “grease.”[4]Just as we would not use chrioo tomean “to anoint” a piece of machinery or the human body, we would not use aleiphoo to refer to a sacred ceremonialoiling (cf. Zodhiates, 123). “James does not in any way refer to the sacred useof oil, for he uses the verb aleiphooand not chrioo.”[5]

According to John MacArthur, Jr., “Theanointing with oil in the name of the Lord done by the elders is not areference to some symbolic ceremony. Aleiphoois not used in the New Testament to refer to a ceremonial anointing.”[6]MacArthur states, “Perhaps the best way to translate the phrase would be‘rubbing him with oil in the name of the Lord’; it literally reads ‘afterhaving oiled him.’”[7]

Fourth, in theancient Middle East, oil was commonly used for medicinal purposes.[8]According to Burdick, “It is a well-documented fact that oil was one of themost common medicines of biblical times…. It is evident, then, that James isprescribing prayer and medicine.”[9]

In James’ day, oil was medicine. It wascommonly rubbed into the patient’s body to provide material relief and was theequivalent of “medical attention” and care.[10]In our own day, a parallel “may be an antibiotic, or an operation, or any othermaterial means for the relief of physical weakness.”[11]We see oil and wine both used in Scripture for the treatment of physical infirmity.In the parable of the good Samaritan (Luke 10:34), oil and wine are both used(oil for soothing and wine as an antiseptic), and Paul advises Timothy to use alittle wine for his stomach (1 Tim. 5:23).

In chapter 2, James points out the futilityand hypocrisy involved in the blessing of someone who “is poorly clothed andlacking in daily food…without giving them the things needed for the body.” Hethen asks rhetorically, “What good is that?” (Jam. 2:14-17). Similarly, inchapter 5, James points out the necessity of spiritual and practical works of mercy when dealing with the sick. What goodwould it be for a pastor to pray for a sick man but to neglect to provide thatman with medicine that is available at hand? “We have no business praying unless we first do something torelieve the ailing bodies of our brethren.”[12]

In light of this, it becomes evident that

“James does not mean that the Christianminister or the elder of the local church should go around with a little bottlefilled with oil in order to anoint the sick, for this is not what James meantin this verse at all. How easy it is for the misunderstanding of a verse ofScripture to make us sanctimonious, by causing us to make the mundane sacred.”[13]

Fifth, to useoil to anoint “the sick” during a church service violates the context and thespecific terminology employed by James in this verse in several ways, asindicated above. But even if these points are ignored or set aside and it isdecided that it is a right and proper idea to “anoint the sick” during aworship service, the problem of proper application and contextualizationremains, for oil has no medical or symbolic healing value in twenty-firstcentury American culture with respect to the ill or diseased.

In a similar vein, it would be futile forchurch leaders to (1) call for women to don head coverings in our churches,for, in our culture, this practice no longer symbolizes a woman’s godlysubmission to her husband (1 Cor. 11:2-16). It would also be improper forchurch leaders to (2) call for a ban on braided hair for women, for, in ourtime and culture, this practice does not symbolize excessive adornment andostentatiousness as it did in Peter’s time (1 Pet. 3:3). Also, it would not beproper for church leaders to (3) institute foot washings at every churchservice, for, in our time and culture, this practice has nothing to do withhospitality and with being a good neighbor, but instead has links to deviantsexual activity. In all of these instances, as with “anointing with oil,” itwould be improper to impose a first-century cultural belief or custom ontotwenty-first century Christians, as if by so doing, we were being “moreobedient” in our duties to God.

Taking all the elements of this verse intoconsideration, a proper application of this verse in our time is (1) hospitalor home visitation by the elders of the church, in conjunction with (2) prayerfor healing, along with (3) the actual administration of effective medicines (byqualified personnel) to treat the ailment of the sick person.

Nothing in the text, in the context, or inthe lexical data suggests the institution of a time of “prayer and healing”during a worship service. We should be extremely careful and cautious regardingwhat we include and what we exclude in our worship services, especially if ourinclusions cannot be supported from the biblical text.[14]

[1] (The Behavior of Belief: An Exposition ofJames Based Upon the Original Greek Text [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1959],121).

[2] Cf. DonaldW. Burdick, “James,” in The Expositor’sBible Commentary, Vol. 12 [Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1981], 203-204).

[3] Zodhiates, 123.

[4] Zodhiates, 123.

[5](Zodhiates, 124; cf. also Burdick, 204).

[6] (The MacArthur New Testament Commentary:James [Chicago: Moody, 1998], 277; cf. also Richard C. Trench, Synonyms of the New Testament [GrandRapids: Eerdmans, 1983] 136-37).

[7]MacArthur, 278.

[8] Cf.Zodhiates, 124-127; Simon J. Kistemaker, NewTestament Commentary: Exposition of James, Epistles of John, Peter, and Jude(Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1986), 176.

[9] Burdick, 204,emphasis added; cf. Luke 10:34; Isa. 1:6; Josephus (Antiq. XVII, 172, vi. 5); Philo; Pliny; and the physician Galen.

[10] Zodhiates, 127.

[11] Zodhiates, 125.

[12] Zodhiates, 127.

[13] Zodhiates, 126.

[14] Cf. thefate of Nadab and Abihu in Lev. 10; cf. also R.C. Sproul, Jr., “What is theRegulative Principle of Worship,” Ligonier,26 November 2011, http://www.ligonier.org/blog/what-regulative-principle-worship.

How to Deal With Grievous Sin: A Discourse on Separation and Gospel-Centeredness

2011-12-19T10:23:00.001-05:00

The following shortarticle outlines specific principles on how to deal with grievous andunrepentant sin in the local church in a God-prescribed manner. Theseprinciples are fully consistent with gospel-centeredness, and provide a living,concrete witness to a foundational aspect of the life-giving message that wepreach.

While othermethods of dealing with grievous sin may appear more attractive to some in thechurch, we are bound only to that which God has revealed in His Word. Whendealing with unrepentant sinners, there are ways that may seem right to us, buttheir end is the way to failure and continued peril for all in the local assembly(cf. Prov. 14:12; 16:25).

The goal ofbiblical separation is godly repentance. God calls all men and women everywhereto continually repent, and He uses HisWord through His people inspecific ways to convict (or harden) consciences through the work of His Spirit.

I. Dealing with schismatics – From Paul’sletter to the Romans

I appeal to you, brothers, to watch outfor those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrinethat you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our LordChrist, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceivethe hearts of the naive. For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoiceover you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to whatis evil. (Romans 16:17-19ESV)

This passagedeals with the identification of and separation from professing Christians who“cause divisions” and create sinful obstacles in the lives of others. By thistype of behavior, the sinner reveals that he is not truly a part of the newcovenant community through the new birth, and that he does not actually “serveour Lord Christ, but [his] own appetites.”

The “smooth talkand flattery” of the schismatic is deadly in that it “deceives the hearts ofthe naïve.” The naïve are (at least) those in the church community who arespiritually immature, those who are not properly grounded in their faiththrough diligent study of the Word and prayer (cf. Heb. 5:11-14). Theexplanations and reasoning of the schismatic appeals to the undiscerning andbiblically uninformed ear, but in reality their divisive speech turns out to benothing but lies and deception (“they deceive”).

Those who heedthe command to separate from schismatics demonstrate continued “obedience” intheir lives, proving by their actions that they are “wise as to what is good”and “innocent” of the “evil” inherent in this sin and what it produces in thelives of those who cooperate with it. (Cooperation with such people is usuallymaintained under the guise of an ungodly and anti-gospel “tolerance” of theirwicked lifestyle. Let us not “tolerate” what the Lord has commanded we “avoid.”)

Those who are notobedient in this area and who enjoy full, unbroken fellowship with schismaticsare not “innocent as to what is evil” and, in a very real way, participate inthe perpetuation of their sin (and its manifold consequences) through theirinaction (cf. 2 John 9-11).

This command isgiven to maintain the spiritual purity of the church through a unified and obedientgospel-response to sin. Separation is agraphic demonstration of the reality of the deadly consequences of sin, andthus testifies to the authenticity of our preached message. A gospel with noconsequences for sin is no gospel at all. In separation, the gospel is thusmaintained as the chief guiding principle of our lives and decision-making.

Such a responsealso helps to protect and teach immature Christians how to rightly deal withthe very real danger of continually divisive people.

II. Dealing with interpersonal sin - InMatthew’s gospel

“If your brother sins against you, go andtell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you havegained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others alongwith you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or threewitnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if herefuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a taxcollector.” (Matthew18:15-17 ESV)

This passageteaches us how to deal with interpersonal sin in the life of a professingChristian. Sin needs to be addressed privately and individually at first (“goand tell him his fault between you and him alone”).

Then, if theperson fails to respond to a private confrontation (or repeated one-on-onesessions), “take one or two others along” in order to firmly establish thecharge against the sinner with the purpose of bringing the person to convictionand repentance for the sin.

If the personfails to repent, we are to involve even more people in the situation (includingchurch leaders), graciously granting the person further time to repent, withconviction building based on the unified group of witnesses against them.

The multiplicityof witnesses is designed to produce repentance. When confronted repeatedly withmultiple corroborating witnesses, it becomes harder and harder for the sinnerto suppress the truth in unrighteousness.

These commandsare given to maintain the spiritual purity of the church through a unified andobedient gospel-response to sin. The separation methodology commanded in thistext testifies to the complete necessity of repentance for reconciliation andthe restoration of relationships. Thecall to repentance is a foundational component of the gospel and reconciliationwith God, and here it serves as a testimony to the gospel’s authenticity.We do not preach a message of repentance and live out another message,cooperating with sin while failing to rebuke it.

The carefulprocess of confrontation and the establishment of the charge against theoffender is a concrete illustration of how God establishes His charge againstus that we are lawbreakers, deserving judgment and separation from Him for ourstubbornness and rebellion. This is another foundational aspect of the gospelon display in our lives.

Finally, thisprocess displays the mercy and long-suffering of God in that the judgment ofseparation is not immediately broughtupon the offender, but they are instead given several chances to repent untilthe punishment is instituted. The mercy of God is also a core component of ourgospel message.

However, Hismercy is not a worldly mercy that fails to rightly deal with sin. It is not amercy that overlooks sin pretends that it is not present. It is a mercy thatwithholds punishment while confronting and calling to repentance. It is not amercy that has fellowship with sin, but a mercy that stands apart from sin and rebukes it, lovingly calling the sinnerto repent.

III. Dealing with sexual sin - In thechurch at Corinth

It is actually reported that there issexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even amongpagans, for a man has his father's wife. And you are arrogant! Ought you notrather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you…. I wrote to you in my [previous] letter notto associate with sexually immoral people—not at all meaning the sexuallyimmoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then youwould need to go out of the world. But now I am writing to you not to associatewith anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immoralityor greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eatwith such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not thoseinside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. “Purge theevil person from among you.” (1Corinthians 5 ESV)

Do not associateat all with professing Christians[1]who are “guilty of sexual immorality,” for this is a kind of sin so heinousthat is “not even tolerated among the pagans.” If the unacceptability ofcertain kinds of sexual immorality is so inherently obvious to thenon-Christian world, should it not be even more obvious among the community offaith?

This type of sinreveals the true spiritual state of the person involved, if there is norepentance. As Simon Kistemaker states, “To describe someone who is sexuallyimmoral as a brother is to write a contradiction. These two concepts aremutually exclusive…. This person, because of his sin…is excluded from God’skingdom…. Sexual immorality is…[a] sin which the Christian community condemns.”[2]

Christians arecommanded to separate from such a person (“let him who has done this be removedfrom among you”) to such an extent that normative, regular fellowship iswithdrawn completely (“not toassociate…not even to eat with such a one”). Kistemaker states that the textcalls for “a complete separation of the Christian community and the offendingsinner (Matt. 18:17). The sinner is a blot on the integrity of the church(compare 2 Pet. 2:13; Jude 12). Such a sinner must be excluded from Christianfellowship. Then he may learn to see the error of his way [and] repent…(compare2 Thess. 3:14-15).”[3] If believersfail to bring the judgment of separation upon a professing brother or sister,they place themselves “on the side of the sinner and [are] equally guiltybefore God.”[4]

The separation iscommanded in order to maintain the spiritual purity of the church so that itsgospel witness may be authenticated by what is publicly approves and what itpublicly condemns. The disassociation testifies to both the sinner and thewatching world the fact that this person does not belong to Christ or to His body the Church, regardless of whathe or she may claim to the contrary.

The exclusion ofunbelievers at the Lord’s Supper serves a similar purpose. The Lord’s Table isa demonstration of the intimacy of the fellowship of believers in unity withChrist our Lord. The table is “fenced” by the minister in order to purposelyand publicly exclude unbelievers and the disobedient from participating (1 Cor.11:27-32). This serves as a testimony of judgment against them and testifies totheir separation from the living God because of sin, calling them to repentanceso that they may enjoy fellowship with the Lord and with His people.

In separation, crucial elements of thegospel message (such as the utter seriousness of sin and its consequences,i.e., separation from God) are thus proclaimed and maintained. The gospel, asthe chief guiding principle of our lives and that which creates and forms theborders of our individual and corporate ethics in Christ Jesus, is what is atstake here.

Exclusion fromnormative fellowship is designed to bring about repentance, shame, andconviction in the sexually immoral person. The dynamics of separation works tocultivate shame and sorrow in believers and unbelievers alike, for all createdin God’s image and likeness bear the same conscience that testifies againstthem. Conviction of sin occurs when the conscience is pricked by believers whobring Scripture and the gospel to bear upon the situation (cf. Rom. 2:15).

A secondarypurpose (but one of no less importance) of this command to separate is to“test” the believer’s “obedience” to God in this difficult matter (see 2 Cor.2:5-11). Personal family loyalties, friendships, and similar affections may notbe placed above clear commands to call out and deal with destructive sins. Afailure to be obedient in this area may indicate that the believer is notsubmitting to the Lordship of Christ in all areas of life. All loyalties must remain subordinate to the Lordship of Christ:

“Do not think that I have come to bring peaceto the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come toset a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and adaughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person's enemies will be thoseof his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthyof me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” (Matthew 10:34-37 ESV)

Then his mother and his brothers came tohim, but they could not reach him because of the crowd. And he was told, “Yourmother and your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see you.” But heanswered them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of Godand do it.” (Luke8:19-21)

As they were going along the road, someonesaid to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxeshave holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere tolay his head.” To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let mefirst go and bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to burytheir own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Yetanother said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to thoseat my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looksback is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Luke9:57-62 ESV)

IV. Dealing with lifestyles and patterns of sin – In thechurch at Thessalonica

Now we command you, brothers, in the nameof our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking inidleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us. Foryou yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle whenwe were with you, nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but withtoil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any ofyou. It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselvesan example to imitate. For even when we were with you, we would give you thiscommand: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. For we hear thatsome among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Now suchpersons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their workquietly and to earn their own living. As for you, brothers, do not grow wearyin doing good. If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note ofthat person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. Do notregard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother. (2 Thessalonians 3:6-15 ESV)

The command is toseparate (“keep away from”) from professing Christians who do not conductthemselves “in accord with the tradition” (the body of teaching) that has beenhanded down from Christ through His apostles. The part of the “tradition” thatwas being betrayed at Thessalonica was the creation ordinance of labor.[5]

The idle in thecongregation were also violating the gospel principle of reaping and sowing(i.e., there are severe consequences for sin) and damaging the witness of theChristian community at large.

Exclusion is designed to maintain thegospel witness of God’s people. The acceptance of grievous, unrepentantlifestyle sins (i.e., sexual immorality, idolatry/covetousness/greed,alcoholism/drug abuse, or sloth/idleness) severelydamage the gospel testimony of the church and serve to undermine thefoundations of the gospel itself.

The separation isalso enjoined to bring shame in the sinner (“that he may be ashamed”), whichmay serve to produce repentance for sin, if God has so willed (cf. 2 Tim. 2:25on God “granting” repentance).

V. Dealing with grievous sin – In John’ssecond letter

Everyone who goes on ahead and does notabide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in theteaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does notbring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him anygreeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works. (2 John 1:9-11 ESV)

We are not to showChristian fellowship and hospitality to someone who is actively pursuinggrievous sin[6](willful unbelief in this passage) and is coming to you trying to convince youthat evil is good and good is evil (cf. Isa. 5:20). We are commanded not toshow hospitality (“do not receive him into your house or give him anygreeting”) to those who are in grievous sin and who are trying to convinceothers of the righteousness of their wickedness. Those who demonstrateChristian hospitality to such people actually “take part” in their “wickedworks” and thus commit sin themselves.

This severeexclusion (“do not give him any greeting”) is designed to maintain thedoctrinal purity (“the teaching of Christ”) and gospel witness of God’s people.The acceptance of false doctrine and theuncritical acceptance of those who hold to it severely damages the gospeltestimony of the church and serves to undermine the foundations of the gospelitself through the minimization of sin and its devastating consequences.

Summary and RelatedScripture for Study and Meditation

We are commandedto separate from professing Christians who create divisions and schisms (Rom.16).

We are commandedto separate from professing Christians who fail to respond to repeated personaland group exhortations to repent (Matt. 18).

We are commandedto separate from professing Christians who are intent on pursuing a lifestyleof sexual immorality (1 Cor. 5). Failure to do so demonstrates that thebeliever has failed the “test” to be obedient to Christ in this area (2 Cor.2:5-11), and may indicate a failure to enthrone Christ as Lord in this area ofone’s life (Matt. 10:34-37; Luke 9:57-62).

We are commandedto separate from professing Christians who are living a lifestyle of sin thatis “not in accord” with the apostolic tradition delivered by Christ (2 Thess.3).

We are commandedto separate from those who are in grievous sin and who are actively trying toconvince others of the righteousness of their wicked beliefs and actions. Weare not even to show basic hospitality to such people. Those who demonstrateChristian hospitality to such people actually “take part” in their “wickedworks” and thus commit sin themselves. (2 John 9-11).

Separation iscommanded in order to demonstrate the deadly seriousness of sin and its consequences.The very foundation of the gospel rests on God’s wrath for sinners. Separationfrom sin and sinners is holinessdemonstrated in day-to-day life. It testifies to and authenticates anaspect critical to the gospel message (separation brought about as a directresult of sin, with a call to repentance) in the same way that mercy ministriesto addicts/alcoholics/prisoners does (mercy and grace is offered in spite ofsin, with a call to repentance). In neithercase is full fellowship enjoyed until repentance is granted by God. We do nottake thieves, murderers, prostitutes, alcoholics, street people, and drugaddicts into our homes when we do mercy ministry (thus endangering our entirefamily in such an exposure), but rather, we minister the gospel in the contextin which they have, by their own actions, placed themselves. Similarly, theremust be a restriction of fellowship andseparation when dealing with grievous patterns of interpersonal sin inorder to demonstrate and authenticate the reality of the gospel we preach.

Separation isdesigned by God to bring about reconciliation to a holistic and fully restoredrelationship. Forgiveness and love is always present and offered, but always with the caveat of repentance anda forsaking of evil. This mirrors the reality of Christ’s redemptive work,which was sufficient for all peopleto be saved, but only efficient forthose who repent. Only those who repent are saved and enjoy the fellowship ofChrist. God’s love and grace are always there, but are appropriated only when there is repentance. We mustbe like our Father in heaven: offering our love and forgiveness to thetransgressor, but only on the condition of repentance.

Luke 17:3 Payattention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents,forgive him.

Prov. 27:6 Faithfulare the wounds of a friend.

Prov.28:13 Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.

Titus 2:11-15 Forthe grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training usto renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled,upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, theappearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gavehimself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself apeople for his own possession who are zealous for good works. Declare thesethings; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.

[1] “Anyone who bears the name,” ὀνομαζόμενος in 1 Cor. 5:11, isthe present middle participle and can be rendered “although he calls himself”(Kistemaker), “any so-called brother” (NASB), or “anyone who claims to be abeliever” (NET).

[2]“I Corinthians” in New TestamentCommentary (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1993), 169-70. “Sexually immoral”[πόρνος, pornos] is a term that is descriptive, not of abeliever, but of an unbeliever. Cf. Rev. 21:8: But as for the cowardly, thefaithless…the sexually immoral [pornos],sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake thatburns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

[3] “I Corinthians,” 170-71. On culturalcustoms in the time of Paul, Kistemaker states, “In an Eastern society…to notoffer food to a relative, an acquaintance, a friend, or a guest [“not even toeat with such a one”] could be interpreted as a declaration of war” (170). Thisunderscores the seriousness of the injunction “not to eat” with the offendingsinner. The very integrity of the church and its message of coming judgment forsin are at stake.

[4] Kistemaker, 172.

[5] Cf. O. Palmer Robertson: “Labor belongsintegrally to the role of man made in God’s image. This creation-ordinance [oflabor] joins with the Sabbath and marriage to provide meaningful structure toman’s existence under the general provisions of the covenant of creation [whichothers call the ‘covenant of works’]” (TheChrist of the Covenants [Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and ReformedPublishing Company, 1980], 81).

[6]“Grievous sin” above can be definedas any sin that has a significant deleterious effect in the lives of others.Thus, the negative spiritual impact of this type of sin is multiplied in a waythat is not present in lesser sins. Cf. Matt. 18:5-6; John 19:11.

A Veteran's Day Prayer

2011-11-10T12:21:00.000-05:00

Below is an invocation that I wrote and delivered today for a Veteran's Day ceremony at a local college:

Our Father in heaven, we give you praise and thanks for the grace andmercy you have shown this fallen and wicked world through the incarnation,life, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Your Son the Lord JesusChrist. In Him You have shown Yourself to be completely righteous and yetloving in Your dealings with us.

Lord, we thank You for the sacrificial model that You have provided us inChrist. There is no greater expression of love than that someone would lay downhis or her life for their friends (cf. John 15:13).

We thank You for the veterans who have laid down their lives defendingour safety and security. We thank You for those who have given their own livesso that we might live and prosper in this land where You have placed us.

We thank You for the veterans who have bravely gone into places wheremany of us would fear to tread in order to restrain evil, protect innocentlife, and uphold justice.

Lord, we ask that You would heal and touch the lives of veterans who havebeen wounded in body and mind during the course of carrying out their duties.We ask that You would bring them the peace and comfort that can only come fromYour Holy Spirit.

For those veterans who continue to suffer as a result of the sacrifice oftheir service to us, we ask for healing, favor, peace of mind, a settledconscience, and in some cases, even forgetfulness. We pray that You would liftfrom them the cares and burdens of violence and that You would open doors forthem so that, as a result of their sacrifice, they would be able to prosper inthis nation that they have served to protect.

We pray Your blessing on soldiers who served in non-combat assignments.We thank You for their sacrifice and dedication.

We pray for those involved in the Student Veterans Organization here atGCC and for similar organizations around our nation. We pray that the faculty,staff, and other students would be given special understanding and wisdom intheir dealings and interactions with student veterans.

Lord, we pray that You would bring peace to the regions that our bravesoldiers have fought in. We pray boldly for an end to wars and for the dawningof Your peaceful kingdom here on earth, as it is in heaven.

Finally, Lord God, we ask that, through the advancement of Your gospel,You would grant us all the divine vision that affirms the inherent dignity andvalue of every human life created in Your image, so that we would be enabled tomove beyond violence and warfare.

We pray all these things in the name of Jesus Christ Your Son, who livesand reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.Amen.

The Gospel

2011-10-07T10:51:00.000-04:00

The gospel is “anannouncement about certain historical events.”[1]The necessary consequence of this is that, at its core, “Christianity is not aresource for spirituality, religion, and morality, but a dramatic story at theheart of which is the claim that during the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Jesus wascrucified for our sins and, after three days, was raised bodily from the dead.”[2]

(A.God) The gospel[3]begins with the one true God who created the universe and everything in it(Gen. 1-2). As Creator, He is our Ruler, and the One to whom all humanity, createdin His image and likeness (Gen. 1:26-27), is ultimately responsible andaccountable (Rom. 9:21; Rev. 4:11). Under God’s direction and authority,humanity was placed in charge of ruling over and caring for the world so thatwe may enjoy all its beauty and goodness for His glory (Gen. 1:28-31).

(B.Man) Although humanity had been wonderfully blessed by God and knew Himin an intimate way, we did not honor Him or give thanks (Rom. 1:21). Werejected Him as our ruler, rebelling against Him and His holy commandment,breaking our covenant relationship with Him (Isa. 24:5-6; Jer. 33:20-21, 25-26;Hos. 6:7)[4].In our sin, we made ourselves God’s enemy and have, every one of us, fallenunder His righteous and perfect judgment (Ezek. 18:4, 20; Rom. 3:9-18; Heb.9:27). His judgment against rebels is death and separation from Him for alleternity (Rom. 5:12; 6:23; Jam. 1:15; Rev. 21:8).

(C.Christ) But because of His great love and mercy, God did not leave usto suffer the just consequences of our sin and rebellion. Instead, He sent Hisown divine Son into the world to save us from our pitiful state and from thepunishment that we deserve (John 3:16-18). This Son was conceived by the HolySpirit in the womb of the virgin Mary and born Jesus of Nazareth (Matt.1:18-23). Jesus Christ, both fully God and fully man, never rebelled againstGod His Father, and lived the life that we failed to live. He was sinless andperfect, living His entire life in complete and total obedience to the will ofthe Father (Rom. 5:19; Heb. 4:15; 1 Pet. 1:19; 2:22; 1 John 3:5). Although Hedid not deserve death or punishment for sin, Jesus allowed Himself to betortured and executed on the cross like a common criminal under Pontius Pilate(Matt. 26-27). Jesus offered Himself up to death as our substitute (John10:17-18), taking the full force of God’s justice for sin upon Himself. He paidthe sin debt that we owed to God by dying the death that we deserved to die, sothat we could receive the forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with God (Rom.3:25-26; 2 Cor. 5:18-21; Col. 1:20-22; Heb. 2:17; 1 John 2:2; 4:10). On thethird day, Jesus rose bodily from the dead in resurrection life, showing thatGod the Father accepted His death as payment in full for our sins (Matt.28:1-10; John 20:25, 27). Forty days later, Christ ascended into heaven, whereHe is now seated on the right hand of God the Father Almighty (Acts 1:3-11;2:30-36; Eph. 1:20-23). The risen Christ is now God’s rightful ruler of theworld. There is coming a day in which KingJesus will return from heaven in unimaginable power and glory to judge theliving and the dead, calling all of us to account for our actions (Matt.13:40-42; Acts 1:11; 10:42; Rom. 14:9-10; Gal. 1:4; 2 Thess. 1:7-10; 2 Pet.2:4; Jude 6).

(D.Response) There are only two ways to respond to this announcement ofthe good news of reconciliation with God through His Son, the Lord JesusChrist. We can continue on in our sin and rebellion against God, refusing tosubmit to Him as the one true Lord of our lives and choosing to live by our ownways, or we can repent (a turning from our sin to God in faith), plead Hismercy, and trust fully in Jesus Christ as the only Lord and Savior. There is absolutelyno way that we can earn favor or reconciliation with God by our own efforts (religiousor otherwise) because we are spiritually dead and under the sentence of deathfor our trespasses and sins (Isa. 64:6; Rom. 6:23; Eph. 2:1-9; Col. 2:13; Titus3:5). Further, there is no one else that can help usand no one else that we can turn to, for there is salvation in no one else andin no other name than that of Jesus Christ, the Son of God (John 6:53; 8:24;14:6; Acts 4:12). Either we repent and trust in the Lord Jesus or we remainGod’s enemies, under His wrath, hopeless and waiting for the just punishmentthat we deserve (John 3:36). Ifwe confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in our heart that Godhas raised Him from the dead, we will be saved; for everyone who calls on thename of the Lord will be saved (Rom. 10:9-10, 13). When we truly believe thisgospel message and call upon the Lord for salvation, we receive the forgivenessof our sins and are reconciled back into a covenant relationship with God. At that moment, God pours out His loveinto our hearts through the Holy Spirit (Rom. 5:5) and we are infused witheternal life from above (John 3:3-7; Titus 3:5). This new life will stretchpast our bodily death and on into all eternity as we experience thebeautifulness of God’s holiness and love in His presence as His very own son ordaughter through Christ in the bond of the Holy Spirit (2 Cor. 1:20-22; 1 Pet.1:3-4; 1 John 3:1-3; Rev. 21:3-7).

[1] Michael Horton, The Gospel-Driven Life: Being Good News People in a Bad News World(Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2009), 18.

[2] Horton, Gospel-Driven Life, 18-19.

[3]Resources utilized: Matthias Media, “Two Ways to Live: The Choice We All Face,”http://www.matthiasmedia.com.au/2wtl (Accessed 7 October 2011); Greg Gilbert, What is the Gospel? (Wheaton, IL:Crossway, 2010).

[4] Cf. O. Palmer Robertson, The Christ of the Covenants(Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company, 1985), 17-25.

This World and the One to Come

2011-09-11T20:57:00.002-04:00

The following sermon was delivered at Grace Church of Philly on09-11-2011:

Introduction

1John 2:15 (ESV) Do not love the world or the things in the world. Ifanyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in theworld—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride inpossessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing awayalong with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

In my time as a Christian, I haveheard countless sermons on the dangers of loving “the world,” or being“worldly.” Typically, this warning was given in the form of simplisticexhortations such as: “don’t drink; don’tsmoke; don’t go to the movies; don’t listen to certain kinds of music; don’tdress a certain way; etc.”

But what does “do not love the world” really mean?

Does it mean less than the short list of behaviors that I justdescribed? Should we have a shorterlist?

Does it mean more than that? Should we have a longer list?

Should we even have a list? Is adherence to a list ofreligious rules really what is being discussed here?

In order to find out the answersto these questions, and in order to find out what this text means for us in ourtime, we have to dig deeper into what the term “world” actually meant in itsoriginal context.

Text

A. The World – 2:15-16

1. Kosmos and Aion

“World” is a translation of theGreek word kosmos (κόσμος). It canrefer to the universe (Acts 17:24), the earth as the place of human activity(Matt. 4:8), or it can refer to humanity(2 Cor. 5:19; 1 John 2:2).[1]

But John uses the term here in a different way that points us to the new redemptivereality that Christ has inaugurated.

The world is described assomething that stands in opposition to “the love of the Father”[2]and as something that will soon be gone in the age to come (“the world is passing away…” 1 John2:17).[3]

One scholar has stated: “Thekosmos (understood as the world ofmen) constitutes a uniform subject which opposes God in enmity, resists theredeeming work of the Son, does not believe in him, and indeed hates him.”[4]

John is using “world” (kosmos) here in much the same way thatthe apostle Paul uses the word aion (αἰων).Depending on the context and Bible version, we can find aion translated either “age” or “world.”

For example, in Gal. 1:4 Paulrefers to the “present evil aion.” TheKJV translates this as “this present evil world.” The ESV reads: “the present evilage.”The NLT reads: “this evil world.” The AMP reads: “this presentwicked age and worldorder.”

Another example can be found in 2Tim.4:10:

For Demas, in love with this present world (aion), has deserted me and gone toThessalonica.

In 1 Cor. 3:18-19, we see Paulusing the two terms in parallel fashion:

1Cor. 3:18 Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinksthat he is wise in this age (aion), let him become a fool that he maybecome wise. 19 For thewisdom of this world (kosmos) is folly with God.

Paul uses the term aion in a way that is analogous to ornearly synonymous with John’s use of kosmosin 1 John 2:15-17.[5]

2. The Overlap of the Ages

In the NT, Paul speaks about this“present evil age” (Gal. 1:4)[6]and also about “the age to come”(Eph. 1:21). These two ages are radically different and are fundamentallyopposed to each other.

This “present evil age” (or, this“present evil world”) ischaracterized by sinful indulgence in fleshly desires and lusts:

1 John 2:16 For all that is in the world – the desires [lust] of theflesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions – is not from theFather but is from the world.

In the “present evil age,” man hasenthroned himself as lord and is pursuing all of the self-centered desires thathe pleases.

In Eph. 2, Paul talks about thosewho are “dead” in “trespasses and sins.” These people are described as“following the course and fashion of this world (kosmos) [under the sway and tendency of this present age]” (v. 2,AMP).

But the “age to come” (or, the“world to come”) is characterized by Spirit-empowered obedience to the will andrule of the Father: whoever does the willof God abides forever (2:17; cf. 3:24).

In the “age to come” Jesus Christis Lord to the glory of God the Father.

This “present evil age” ischaracterized by evil, darkness, wickedness, death, satanic dominion, andrebellion against the law of God.

The “age to come” is characterizedby holiness, light, righteousness, life, Messianic triumph, and obedience tothe law of God.

The interesting thing that we findin Scripture is that the “age to come” is a presentreality for those who believe in Christ as Lord.[7]

Through the ministry of the HolySpirit, those who are “born of God” (1 John 3:9; 4:7; 5:1) presently experience the powers of the age to come, the Spirit inthem testifying to this new reality in their life (1 John 3:24; 2 Cor. 5:17).Don’t we find this to be true? Do we not experience new desires following ournew birth? These desires (for holiness, righteousness, obedience to the will ofGod) correspond to the age to come.

In the age to come, all willsubmit to the Lordship of Christ (1 John 2:3), walk in the light of His rule (1John 1:7), imitate His way of life (1 John 2:6), and love others as Christ hasloved them (1 John 2:7-11).

Believers do all of these things now,however imperfectly. But when Christ returns, all of these Christian dutieswill be done with a perfect obedience and a perfect motive, coming from heartkept pure by the power of God.

Born again believers are those wholive in the “overlap of the ages.” We live in the overlap of this world (which is evil) and the world to come (which is the kingdomof God in its fullness).

With the coming of Christ into theworld, we see the inauguration of the kingdom of God. It is here and it is now.But it is not yet present in its fullness. For that, we await the second comingof our King.

For now, we live in the reality ofthe “already-not yet.”

This “already-not yet” realitytends to create tension in believers’ lives, due to the fact that we have competingallegiances.

Because we live in this world, weare pulled in its direction all the time. We are constantly pulled around bythe desires of our sinful flesh and the lust of our eyes and the pride producedin us by our material possessions.[8]

Because we live in this world, ourtendency is to “love” it. By “love,” I mean that we become attached to it; wehave intimate fellowship with it and loyal devotion to it.[9]

And in attaching ourselves to thisworld system, we neglect the spiritual and engorge our sinful heart appetiteson the things of this world.

We knowingly pursue things thatare openly sinful, and to make matters worse, we make idols and gods out of thingsthat are otherwise morally neutral (family, money, sports, approval, security,success, social status, food, politics, nationality/country, work, leisure, television,hobbies, physical appearance, etc.).

In the dogged pursuit of suchlifestyles,[10]we exchange our eternal heavenly citizenship for temporal earthly things.[11]

In Paul’s letter to thePhilippians, he gives a reminder and exhortation to believers caught in thetension of the “overlap of the ages”:

Phil. 3:16 Only let us hold true to what wehave attained. 17 Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes onthose who walk according to the example you have in us. 18 For many…walkas enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their end is destruction, theirgod is their belly… [their] minds set on earthly things. 20Butour citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the LordJesus Christ… (emphasis added).

Living in this present evil world,we sometimes forget our true identity in Christ. We forget that we do notbelong to this passing age, but the world to come. We forget that “the worlddoes not know us” (1 John 3:1) and is ignorant of our Lord.

We begin to identify with the sonsof Adam, the children of this passing age, all the while forgetting that theworld indeed “hates” us (1 John 3:13) because we are followers, not of thefirst Adam, but of the Second Adam, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Because of this tendency, we needthe exhortation to “hold true” to the identity that we have attained in ChristJesus (Phil. 3:16).

We don’t have to give in to thedesires of the flesh (1 John 2:16), for this type of behavior belongs to theperson that existed before Christ came into our lives through the new birth byfaith.

Rather than allowing the desiresof our eyes to pull us back into this world system (1 John 2:16), we need totrain ourselves to keep our eyes focused on “those who walk according to the example”of Christ (Phil. 3:17).

Rather than taking pride in andglorying in our worldly possessions (1 John 2:16), we need the reminder that weare citizens of another kingdom that will come in its fullness when our Kingreturns (Phil. 3:20).

Interpretation and Application:

What does it mean to “love the world” and “the things inthe world”?

It means to set your mind onearthly things, rather than on heavenly things, where it belongs.

To “love the world” means to liveas if the good news of Christ never penetrated your heart with the power ofGod’s redemptive truth.

To “love the world” means to liveaccording to the ways of this present evil age, not according to the kingdomreality that Christ inaugurated two thousand years ago, and which He will bringwith Him in its fullness upon His return.

It is to live as if Christ never came in theflesh.

How about you?

Do you liveyour life as if Christ never came in the flesh?

Is your life indistinguishable from those who don’t claimChrist as their Lord and Savior?

Do you feel completely at home in this world system?

Do you live as if you belong to this present evil age or asif you belong to another age to come?

Do you pursue and lust after and attach yourself to thesame things that unsaved people do?

Do you live as if the gospel hasn’t made all the difference in your life?

B. The World to Come – 2:17

1John 2:17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, butwhoever does the will of God abides forever.

How foolish it would be for us tocontinue to live as if the gospel has made no difference in our lives.

How foolish it would be for us tocontinue to live as if this present age is all there is.

How foolish it would be for us tolive as if this present world order is going to last forever (cf. 2 Pet. 3:1-7).

How foolish it would be for us tolive as if we belonged to this fallen and wicked world, and not like redeemedcitizens of the heavenly kingdom of Christ.

The Nicene Creed, written at thefirst Christian council approximately 1,700 years ago speaks of how the kingdomreality of “the world to come” came into existence:

Ibelieve in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of allthings visible and invisible. And inone Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Fatherbefore all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten,not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made. Who,for us men and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate bythe Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also forus under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He roseagain, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sits on theright hand of the Father; and He shall come again, with glory, to judge thequick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.[12]

By coming in the flesh, living aperfect life of obedience to the Father in every way, dying on the cross forour sin and in our place, rising victoriously over death, and ascending to theright hand of the Father in heaven, Jesus Christ, the Son of David, hasinaugurated His kingdom, the “world to come.”

The kingdom of God is here, andthe kingdom of God is now. In the divine Son of God, the power of the age tocome has invaded this present evil world and is, even now, reconciling it toHimself.

2Cor. 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. Theold has passed away; behold, the new has come.

In the new birth, we are not onlygiven a new nature, but we are also transferred from being citizens of thispresent evil age to being citizens of the perfect kingdom to come. We begin torealize that we no longer belong here. We begin to realize that we are citizensof another realm, another age.

2 Cor. 5:18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us tohimself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, inChrist God was reconciling the world to himself….

Although we don’t yet experienceit in its fullness, and will not until Christ’s return, the kingdom of God isadvancing throughout the world as the good news of Christ spreads and souls aresaved.

The gospel announces that the Kinghas come and He has overcome the world, bringing forgiveness of sins and peacewith God.

John 16:33 I have said these things to you, that inme you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart;I have overcome the world (kosmos).

If you belong to the King, through Him you too have overcomethe world:

1John 5:4 For everyone who has been born of Godovercomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—ourfaith. 5 Who is it thatovercomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

If it is a reality that, as achild of God by faith in Christ, you have overcome this present evil world and youproperly belong to the perfect world to come, how can you continue acting likethis is not true by pursuing the things that those who oppose Christ pursue?

John states that, if this is thecase, then the message of Christ has not yet transformed your heart, and the“love of the Father” is not in you (1 John 2:15).

If you belong to King Jesus (Johncalls this “abiding in” Christ in 2:6, 10, 27; 3:6, 9, 24, etc.), you will havea God-given appetite and strong desire for things that the world simply doesnot: the knowledge of God, obedience to God’s commands, compassion for others (even for those whom the world considers“unworthy” or undesirable),[13] and a readiness to repent from sin dueto a deep love for God in Christ.

This is what it looks like to have“the love of the Father” in you (1 John 2:15).

This is what it looks like to“love not the world, neither the things that are in the world” (2:15, KJV).

This is what it looks like to liveas if the message of the gospel has transformed your heart and mind.

This is what it looks like to liveas if this present evil age “is passing away along with its desires” (1 John2:17).

This is what it looks like to liveas a citizen of the kingdom of God, which will abide forever.

How do we keep ourselves fromloving the world? By remembering the gospel! And by preaching it to ourselvesevery day.

Questions and Application:

What about you?

Does your life bear any evidence of the “love of theFather” in you? Do you possess the Spirit of God? Does He possess you? Do youwant to know God in a deeper way out of an intense love for Him and for what Hehas done for you in Christ?

Do you love the world and the things in the world? Are yourdesires and your mind constantly set on things that are carnal andworld-centered, rather than on things that are spiritual and God-centered?

Do you act like a citizen of Christ’s kingdom for a fewhours on Sunday, but like the world during the rest of the week?

Do you live as if the powerful gospel of salvation is justone message among many others in the world?

Do your everyday desires line up with those who don’tsubmit to Christ as Lord?

Do you live as if it makes no difference that Christ camein the flesh?

Notice that I’m not asking youwhether or not you attend church every week. Notice that I’m not asking howreligious you are, or how often you pray, or if you were baptized, or how manytimes you participated in the Lord’s Supper in church.

I’m asking you to honestlyevaluate the desires and cravings of your inner person.

Where your affections lie indicates the stateof your soul: whether it is regenerate,possessing the life of Christ and living in the light of His kingdom, orwhether it is still dead in sin, filled with merely carnal and earthly desires.

Your affections indicate whetheryou belong to the world or whether you belong to the Father in heaven (1 John2:15).[14]

If you’ve never been deliveredfrom the darkness of this world and the things in it through the new birth byfaith in Christ, your greatest need is to turn from your sin and believe thegospel message, submitting to Christ in your heart of hearts.

Religion cannot save you. A trustin your own righteousness will not save you, for in God’s sight you have none(cf. Is. 64:6; Rom. 7:18). The only righteousness that can save is therighteousness that comes by faith in the Son of God.

Rom. 10:9 If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believein your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart onebelieves and is justified [declared to be righteous in God’s sight], and withthe mouth one confesses and is saved…. 13 For “everyone who calls on thename of the Lord will be saved.

For those of us who have escapedthe defilements of this world and have been born again through the power of thegospel (cf. 2 Pet. 2:20; Rom. 1:16), we need to walk in the light ofthis reality.

Col. 1:13 He [the Father] has delivered us from thedomain of darkness [this age] and transferred us to the kingdom of his belovedSon [the age to come].

If we’ve been raised with Christ, we’ve been transferredfrom this present evil age into the light of the age to come. We need to livein the indicative of this reality (cf. Col. 3:1; 1 John 2:10).

We are citizens of another age, another world (Phil. 3:20).We are citizens of a kingdom that is unseen at the present time. However, westill remain in this world for now.

And while Christians yet live in this world, we experience itspull and temptations. This can cause us to stumble and fall into sin at varioustimes. If our hearts and minds are not properly oriented, this grind can growvery wearisome. Which is why the Spirit tells us in:

2Cor. 4:16 …Do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away,our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentaryaffliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond allcomparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to thethings that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but thethings that are unseen are eternal.

1John 2:17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, butwhoever does the will of God abides forever.

Let us pray.

[1]J. Guhrt, “κόσμος,” in New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology (GrandRapids: Zondervan, 1986), Version 3.0, AccordanceBible Software 8.4.7 (Oak Tree Software, Inc., 2010).

[2]J. Guhrt, “κόσμος.”

[3]Cf. John Matthew Leone, “Union With Christ and the Overlap of the Ages,” Twenty-First Century Bondservant (2April 2011), http://slaveofjesus.blogspot.com/2011/04/union-with-christ-and-overlap-of-ages.html(Accessed 12 Aug 2011).

[4]J. Guhrt, “κόσμος.”

[5]J. Guhrt: “The course of this world is determined by man, through whose falldeath came into the world and rules over it…. The kosmos is…also the whole creation subject to futility. This understandingof the world primarily finds verbal expression where Paul speaks of this world(ho kosmos houtos) analogously tothis age (ho aion houtos, cf. 1 Cor.3:19; 5:10; Eph. 2:2)” (“κόσμος”).

[6]J. Guhrt states that Paul “uses the word aionto designate the course of the world apart from Christ and under the control ofsin. Satan is admittedly the god of this age (2 Cor. 4:4, and the present worldis dominated by evil demonic powers. But against the power of darkness isranged the victorious kingdom of Christ” (“αἰών,” in New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology [GrandRapids: Zondervan, 1986], Version 3.0, AccordanceBible Software 8.4.7 [Oak Tree Software, Inc., 2010]).

[7]Cf. Rom. 8:1 on justification as a present reality for the believer. Throughunion with Christ, the believer has already experienced final judgment in Hisdeath on the cross.

[8]Composite translation of 1 John 2:16 from ESV, NASB,NET.

[9]Simon J. Kistemaker, Exposition of James,Epistles of John, Peter, and Jude, in New Testament Commentary (GrandRapids: Baker Academic, 1986), 270.

[10]“[John] tells them to stop loving the world and to desist from pursuing theirworldly interests. He is not talking about a single incident but about alifestyle” (Kistemaker, 270).

[11]In such pursuits, we also commit spiritual adultery against God. Jam. 4:4states, “You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the worldis enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makeshimself an enemy of God.”

[12]The full Nicene Creed can be read on the Centerfor Reformed Theology and Apologetics website here: http://www.reformed.org/documents/nicene.html(Accessed 13 August 2011).

[13]Cf. John Matthew Leone, “Loving Others With the Love of Christ,” Twenty-First Century Bondservant (12June 2011), http://slaveofjesus.blogspot.com/2011/06/loving-others-with-love-of-christ.html(Accessed 12 August 2011).

[14]F. F. Bruce: “Worldliness, it must be emphasized in the face of muchsuperficial thought and language on the subject, does not lie in things we door in places we frequent; it lies in the human heart, in the set of humanaffections and attitudes. It may manifest itself in petty but soul-stuntingambitions like ‘keeping up with the Joneses’; it may manifest itself inunthinking acquiescence in current policies of monstrous malignity, as when toomany Christians in Nazi Germany found it possible to go along with (or closetheir eyes to) their government’s genocidal treatment of the Jews. Worldlinessof the latter sort is not that which has usually been denounced by popularpietism; our Saviour’s remark about the gnat and the camel may come to mind inthis connection. If, in a world where the richer nations tend to become richerand the poorer to become poorer, the administration of a richer nation makesfurther increases in economic prosperity a major plank in its platform, theChristian – especially, perhaps, the Christian who prefers to remain asdetached as possible from political responsibility – must be constantlyvigilant lest his own life reflect the unadmitted assumptions underlying such apolicy. To share political, social or economic presuppositions which areinconsistent with the Father’s love is one form of worldliness…. Another form of worldliness, highlyrelevant to the situation in which John wrote, is the adaptation of the gospelto some contemporary tendency or philosophy or spirit of the age. It used to besaid by acute foreign observers that Christians in this country had difficultyin distinguishing the interests of the kingdom of God from those of the BritishEmpire; nowadays this tendency to confuse the gospel with national or imperialideals may be more clearly manifested in equal and opposite degree in otherparts of the world.” (The Epistlesof John: Introduction, Exposition and Notes [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1979],60-62).

Review of The Gospel-Centered Life

2011-09-06T00:06:00.003-04:00

This book by Bob Thune and Will Walker is a fantastic study on what it looks like to live a life centered and empowered by the gospel of grace. It is just about perfect for individual/devotional study or for small groups.

My only quibble with the book is that the actual gospel message in its fullness is never explained or put forth. Bits and pieces of it do come out, but the entirety of it is not proclaimed in one spot. Since this could easily have been done in about a half-page of text somewhere near the beginning of the book (or in the introduction), I'm quite mystified as to why the authors overlooked such a basic thing as this. It is quite amazing that the word "resurrection" can be found nowhere in a book that is all about the gospel.

To get a solid gospel base and to help alleviate any misunderstandings about what the gospel is (and what it is not), I would recommend that readers/small groups/churches first go through Greg Gilbert's What is the Gospel? published by Crossway/9Marks (2010), and then proceed to this wonderful study by Thune and Walker on how this amazing message should play itself out in all the everyday affairs of your life.

A Communion Liturgy for July 10, 2011

2011-07-10T08:48:00.003-04:00

A Communion Liturgy for Grace Church of Philly

Gospel-Centeredness and the Lord’s Table

If you’ve been to Grace Church of Philly before, you have probably realized that we celebrate the Lord’s Table on a regular, weekly basis. The reason why this is so is very simple: the Gospel.

The leadership at Grace believes that a “weekly celebration of the Lord’s Table visibly and tangibly expresses the centrality of the gospel in the life of the church.”[1]

The gospel must be kept central because we are a sinful and needy people. All of us, whether saved or unsaved, need the gospel. Christians need the gospel because, this side of heaven, we realize that our sanctification is incomplete. We continually stumble into sin and fall far short of the example that Christ set for us in His perfect obedience to the Father in the power of the Holy Spirit.

This spiritual meal reminds believers of the nourishment that only God can offer through Christ, His Son. As we are totally dependent upon physical food to prolong our lives, at this Table we are reminded that we are completely dependent upon the spiritual food of Christ as our only source of eternal life. In this way, the regular observance of this meal guards believers against thinking that we have, or ever can, attain some sort of merit with God for our salvation.

Word of Warning – Fencing the Table

Just as the Table reminds believers of their need for the gospel, it also serves as a visible testimony for unbelievers’ need as well. While believers are reminded of the centrality of the gospel in their spiritual growth into Christlikeness, the unconverted are reminded of their need of the gospel for salvation from the punishment of God for their many sins against Him.

For the one who has not received the gospel message with gladness and a sincerely repentant heart, this table is not a place of spiritual life, but a reminder of his or her own abiding spiritual death, and the wrath of God that awaits them in the afterlife.

Regarding the Lord’s Table, the Holy Spirit in 1 Cor. 11:28-29 states, “Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.”

Through the gospel message, we have direct access to God through Jesus Christ. This table is a symbol of the presence and holiness of the Lord which is made a reality by the gospel. Into this holiness, God’s people may enter when, and only when, they have properly examined their hearts. One who persists in living a lifestyle characterized by disobedience to God is not welcome at this Table.

One commentator has stated, “In brief, the table of the Lord tolerates neither unbelief nor disobedience. It is for those people who express true faith in Jesus Christ and proclaim his death in expectation of his return.”[2]

A Time for Grace – Gospel Reflection and Confession

Now is the time to set aside our transgressions and receive the gospel message that alone can bring new life and a new heart (2 Cor. 6:2).

Let us bow our heads together for a time of self-reflection and confession unto the Lord. For those of you who have never turned your life over to God, who have never received the gospel message, you can call on the name of the Lord at this very moment, asking for mercy and forgiveness for the rebellion of your hardened heart.

The Scriptures say that “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved…. For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved’” (Rom. 10:9, 13).

Christian, now is the time to approach the throne of grace to ask forgiveness for living a life that, due to our sin, betrays the living reality of the gospel message he gave to us.

At the end of this short time, we will recite the Lord’s Prayer together.

(A time of silence follows.)

The Lord’s Prayer

At the Lord’s Table, let us recite the Lord’s Prayer together from Matthew, chapter six:

Our Father, Who art in heaven

Hallowed be Thy Name

Thy kingdom come,

Thy will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

and forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into

temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen (Matt. 6:9-13).

“Will those who are serving the elements please come forward at this time?”

The Breaking of the Bread

1Cor. 11:23 - For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

(Minister breaks the bread and hands it to those serving the elements.)

The Distribution of the Cup

1 Cor. 11:25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

(Minister hands the cup to those serving the elements.)

Processional Communion

Rom. 1:16 states, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes….” If you believe this life-giving gospel and have experienced its transforming power in your life, you are welcome at this table. Let us not exclude those whom our Lord has welcomed into His family.

Beginning with the front rows, please make your way down the center aisle and come to receive the elements. Take them back to your seat and wait until all have received them so that we can partake together, as one body in Christ.

(When all have taken their seats:)

(Holding up the broken bread) Heb. 10:5 – When Christ came into the world, he said, “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me…”

(Holding up the cup) The cup signifies the new covenant in Christ, ratified by His bloody death. Let us celebrate our participation in the new covenant together.

Thanksgiving Prayer

Almighty and ever living God, we give You praise and thanks for uniting us in the new birth by faith in Your gospel. We thank You for the joy and peace that flooded into our hearts when we came to know Your Son as our Lord and Savior.

Father, help us to live gospel-centered lives that provide living testimonies of Your saving message of grace. Lead us towards the full visible unity of Your church and help us to treasure the signs of reconciliation You have granted us at this table. We pray for the overflow of Your Spirit’s sanctifying power in our lives to make us more and more like Jesus Christ, Your Son, and our Lord, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

[1] John P. Davis, “Why We Celebrate the Lord’s Table Weekly,” http://www.thegospelfirst.com/2010/09/23/why-we-celebrate-the-lords-table-weekly (Accessed 9 July 2011).

[2] Simon J. Kistemaker, Exposition of the First Epistle to the Corinthians, in New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1993), 401.

Catechism for Young Children

2011-07-05T22:23:00.010-04:00

Catechism for Young Children[1]

Q. 1. Who made you?

A. God.

Q. 2. What else did God make?

A. God made all things.

Q. 3. Why did God make you and all things ?

A. For his own glory.

Q. 4. How can you glorify God?

A. By loving him and doing what he commands.

Q. 5. Why ought you to glorify God?

A. Because he made me and takes care of me.

Q. 6. Are there more gods than one?

A. There is only one God.

Q. 7. In how many persons does this one God exist?

A. In three persons.

Q. 8. What are they?

A. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

Q. 9. What is God?

A. God is a Spirit, and does not have a body like people.

Q. 10. Where is God?

A. God is everywhere.

Q. 11. Can you see God?

A. No; I cannot see God, but he always sees me.

Q. 12. Does God know all things?

A. Yes; nothing can be hidden from God.

Q. 13. Can God do all things?

A. Yes; God can do all his holy will.

Q. 14. Where do you learn how to love and obey God?

A. In the Bible alone.

Q. 15. Who wrote the Bible?

A. Holy men who were taught and moved by the Holy Spirit.

Q. 16. Who were our first parents?

A. Adam and Eve.

Q. 17. Of what were our first parents made?

A. God made the body of Adam out of the ground, and formed Eve from the body of Adam.

Q. 18. What did God give Adam and Eve besides bodies?

A. He gave them souls that could never die.

Q. 19. Do you have a soul as well as a body?

A. Yes; I have a soul that can never die.

Q. 20. How do you know that you have a soul?

A. Because the Bible tells me so.

Q. 21. In what condition did God make Adam and Eve?

A. He made them holy and happy.

Q. 22. What is a covenant?

A. An agreement between two or more persons.

Q. 23. What covenant did God make with Adam?

A. The covenant of works, also known as the Adamic Covenant.

Q. 24. What was Adam bound to do by the covenant of works?

A. To obey God perfectly.

Q. 25. What did God promise in the covenant of works?

A. To reward Adam with life if he obeyed him.

Q. 26. What did God threaten in the covenant of works?

A. To punish Adam with death if he disobeyed.

Q. 27. Did Adam keep the covenant of works?

A. No; he sinned against God.

Q. 28. What is sin?

A. Sin is any lack of conformity unto, or transgression of the law of God.

Q. 29. What is meant by “want of conformity”?

A. Not being or doing what God requires.

Q. 30. What is meant by transgression?

A. Doing what God forbids.

Q. 31. What was the sin of our first parents?

A. Eating the forbidden fruit, and disobeying a command of God.

Q. 32. Who tempted them to this sin?

A. The devil tempted Eve, and she gave the fruit to Adam.

Q. 33. What befell our first parents when they had sinned?

A. Instead of being holy and happy, they became sinful and miserable.

Q. 34. Did Adam act for himself alone in the covenant of works?

A. No; he represented all his posterity.

Q. 35. What effect did the sin of Adam have on all mankind?

A. All mankind are born in a state of sin and misery.

Q. 36. What is that sinful nature which we inherit from Adam called?

A. Original sin.

Q. 37. What does every sin deserve?

A. The wrath and curse of God.

Q. 38. Can any one go to heaven with this sinful nature?

A. No; our hearts must be changed before we can be fit for heaven.

Q. 39. What is a change of heart called?

A. Regeneration.

Q. 40. Who can change a sinner's heart?

A. The Holy Spirit alone.

Q. 41. Can any one be saved through the covenant of works?

A. None can be saved through the covenant of works.

Q. 42. Why can none be saved through the covenant of works?

A. Because all have broken it, and are condemned by it

Q. 43. With whom did God the Father make the covenant of grace[2]?

A. With Christ, his eternal Son.

Q. 44. Whom did Christ represent in the covenant of grace?

A. His elect people.

Q. 45. What did Christ undertake in the covenant of grace?

A. To keep the whole law for his people, and to suffer the punishment due to their sins.

Q. 46. Did our Lord Jesus Christ ever commit the least sin?

A. No; he was holy, harmless, and undefiled.

Q. 47. How could the Son of God suffer?

A. Christ, the Son of God, became man that he might obey and suffer in our nature.

Q. 48. What is meant by “the atonement”?

A. Christ's satisfying divine justice, by his sufferings and death, in the place of sinners.

Q. 49. What did God the Father undertake in the covenant of grace?

A. To justify and sanctify those for whom Christ should die.

Q. 50. What is justification?

A. It is God declaring sinners to be righteous, and treating them as if they had never sinned. Sinners are given Christ’s perfect righteousness, even though they don’t deserve it.

Q. 51. What is sanctification?

A. It is God's making sinners holy in heart and conduct.

Q. 52. For whom did Christ obey and suffer?

A. For those whom the Father had given him.

Q. 53. What kind of life did Christ live on earth?

A. A life of poverty and suffering.

Q. 54. What kind of death did Christ die?

A. The painful and shameful death of the cross.

Q. 55. Who will be saved?

A. Only those who repent of sin, believe in Christ, and lead holy lives. This is done in and by the power of God alone.

Q. 56. What is it to repent?

A. To be sorry for sin, and to hate and forsake it because it is displeasing to God.

Q. 57. What is it to believe or have faith in Christ?

A. To trust in Christ alone for salvation.

Q. 58. Can you repent and believe in Christ by your own power?

A. No; I can do nothing good without the help of God's Holy Spirit.

Q. 59. How can you get the help of the Holy Spirit?

A. God has told us that we must pray to him for the Holy Spirit.

Q. 60. How long ago is it since Christ died?

A. More than nineteen hundred years.

Q. 61. How were pious persons saved before the coming of Christ?

A. By faith in God, and believing in a Savior to come.

Q. 62. How did they show their faith?

A. By offering sacrifices on God's altar.

Q. 63. What did these sacrifices represent?

A. Christ, the Lamb of God, who was to die for sinners.

Q. 64. What offices does Christ hold?

A. Christ has three offices.

Q. 65. What are they?

A. The offices of a prophet, of a priest, and of a king.

Q. 66. How is Christ a prophet?

A. Because he teaches us the will of God.

Q. 67. How is Christ a priest?

A. Because he died for our sins and pleads with God for us.

Q. 68. How is Christ a king?

A. Because he rules over us and defends us.

Q. 69. Why do you need Christ as a prophet?

A. Because I am ignorant.

Q. 70. Why do you need Christ as a priest?

A. Because I am guilty.

Q. 71. Why do you need Christ as a king?

A. Because I am weak and helpless.

Q. 72. How many commandments did God give on Mount Sinai?

A. Ten commandments.

Q. 73. What are the ten commandments sometimes called?

A. The Decalogue, or The Law.

Q. 74. What do the first four commandments teach?

A. Our duty to God.

Q. 75. What do the last six commandments teach?

A. Our duty to our fellow men.

Q. 76. What is the sum of the ten commandments?

A. To love God with all my heart, and my neighbor as myself.

Q. 77. Who is your neighbor?

A. All my fellow men are my neighbors.

Q. 78. Is God pleased with those who love and obey him?

A. Yes; he says, "I love them that love me."

Q. 79. Is God displeased with those who do not love and obey him?

A. Yes; "God is angry with the wicked every day."

Q. 80. What is the first commandment?

A. The first commandment is, You shall have no other gods before me.

Q. 81. What does the first commandment teach us?

A. To worship God alone.

Q. 82. What is the second commandment?

A. The second commandment is, You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God….

Q. 83. What does the second commandment teach us?

A. To worship God in a proper manner, and to avoid idolatry.

Q. 84. What is the third commandment?

A. The third commandment is, You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

Q. 85. What does the third commandment teach me?

A. To reverence God's name, word, and works.

Q. 86. What is the fourth commandment?

A. The fourth commandment is, Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work…. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

Q. 87. What does the fourth commandment teach us?

A. To keep the Sabbath holy, and set apart.

Q. 88. What day of the week is the Christian Sabbath?

A. The first day of the week, called the Lord's day.

Q. 89. Why is it called the Lord's day?

A. Because on that day Christ rose from the dead.

Q. 90. How should the Sabbath be spent?

A. In prayer and praise, in hearing and reading God's Word, and in doing good to our fellow men.

Q. 91. What is the fifth commandment?

A. The fifth commandment is, Honor your father and your mother.

Q. 92. What does the fifth commandment teach me?

A. To love and obey our parents.

Q. 93. What is the sixth commandment?

A. The sixth commandment is, You shall not murder.

Q. 94. What does the sixth commandment teach us?

A. To avoid angry passions and violence.

Q. 95. What is the seventh commandment?

A. The seventh commandment is, You shall not commit adultery.

Q. 96. What does the seventh commandment teach us?

A. To be faithful to our future spouses, and to be pure in heart, language, and conduct.

Q. 97. What is the eighth commandment?

A. The eighth commandment is, You shall not steal.

Q. 98. What does the eighth commandment teach us?

A. To be honest and hard-working.

Q. 99. What is the ninth commandment?

A. The ninth commandment is, You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

Q. 100. What does the ninth commandment teach us?

A. To tell the truth, and to avoid exaggerating.

Q. 101. What is the tenth commandment?

A. The tenth commandment is, You shall not covet your neighbor's house, you shall not covet your neighbor's wife…or his ox, or his donkey, or any thing that is your neighbor's.

Q. 102. What does the tenth commandment teach us?

A. To be content with our lot in life and the things we have been given.

Q. 103. Can any man keep these ten commandments perfectly?

A. No mere man, since the fall of Adam, ever did or can keep the ten commandments perfectly.

Q. 104. Of what use are the ten commandments to us?

A. They show us our need of a Savior, and they teach us our duty as believers.

Q. 105. What is prayer?

A. Prayer is asking God for things which he has promised to give.

Q. 106. In whose name should we pray?

A. Only in the name of Christ.

Q. 107. What has Christ given us to teach us how to pray?

A. The Lord's Prayer.

Q. 108. Repeat the Lord's Prayer.

A. Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Q. 109. How many petitions are there in The Lord's Prayer?

A. Six.

Q. 110. What is the first petition?

A. "Hallowed be your name."

Q. 111. What do we pray for in the first petition?

A. That God's name may be honored by us and all men.

Q. 112. What is the second petition?

A. "Your kingdom come."

Q. 113. What do we pray for in the second petition?

A. That the gospel may be preached in all the world, and believed and obeyed by us and all men.

Q. 114. What is the third petition?

A. "Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven."

Q. 115. What do we pray for in the third petition?

A. That men on earth may serve God as the angels do in heaven.

Q. 116. What is the fourth petition?

A. "Give us this day our daily bread."

Q. 117. What do we pray for in the fourth petition?

A. That God would give us all things needful for our bodies and souls.

Q. 118. What is the fifth petition?

A. "And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors."

Q. 119. What do we pray for in the fifth petition?

A. That God would pardon our sins for Christ's sake, and enable us to forgive those who have injured us.

Q. 120. What is the sixth petition?

A. "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."

Q. 121. What do we pray for in the sixth petition?

A. That God would keep us from sin.

Q. 122. How many sacraments are there?

A. Two.

Q. 123. What are they?

A. Baptism and the Lord's Supper.

Q. 124. Who appointed these sacraments?

A. The Lord Jesus Christ.

Q. 125. Why did Christ appoint these sacraments?

A. To distinguish his disciples from the world, and to comfort and strengthen them.

Q. 126. What sign is used in baptism?

A. The washing with water.

Q. 127. What does this signify?

A. That we have been cleansed from sin by the blood of Christ.

Q. 128. In whose name are we baptized?

A. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

Q. 129. Who are to be baptized?

A. Repentant believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Q. 130. What does your baptism represent?

A. Your new life in Christ and a living testimony of your new birth experience.

Q. 131. What is the Lord's Supper?

A. The eating of bread and drinking of wine in remembrance of the sufferings and death of Christ.

Q. 132. What does the bread represent?

A. The body of Christ, broken for our sins.

Q. 133. What does the wine represent?

A. The blood of Christ, shed for our salvation.

Q. 134. Who should partake of the Lord's Supper?

A. Only those who repent of their sins, believe in Christ for salvation, and love their fellow men.

Q. 135. Did Christ remain in the tomb after his crucifixion?

A. No; he rose from the tomb on the third day after his death.

Q. 136. Where is Christ now?

A. In heaven, interceding for sinners.

Q. 137. Will he come again?

A. Yes; at the last day Christ will come to judge the world.

Q. 138. What to people when they die?

A. The body returns to dust, and the soul goes into the world of spirits, either heaven or hell.

Q. 139. Will the bodies of the dead be raised to life again?

A. Yes; "The trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised."

Q. 140. What will become of the wicked in the Day of Judgment?

A. They shall be cast into hell.

Q. 141. What is hell?

A. A place of dreadful and endless torment.

Q. 142. What will become of the righteous?

A. They will live forever with Christ the Lord.

Q. 143. What is heaven?

A. A glorious and happy place, where the righteous shall be forever with the Lord.

[1] I modified and adapted this catechism from the original document, which can be located here: http://www.reformed.org/documents/index.html?mainframe=http://www.reformed.org/documents/cat_for_young_children.html (Accessed 4 July 2011).

[2] By “covenant of grace” is meant the gracious covenants that God made with humanity following the curse in the Garden. These gracious covenants are all fulfilled finally and completely in Christ Jesus, and include: The Abrahamic Covenant, The Mosaic Covenant, The Davidic Covenant, and The New Covenant. The New Covenant is an eternal and perfect covenant that will never be broken.

A Communion Liturgy

2011-06-20T07:09:00.010-04:00

The following is a Communion liturgy that I wrote for a celebration of the Lord's Table at Grace Church of Philly on June 20, 2011:

A Time of Thanksgiving

This table is a place of thanksgiving. It is here where, as a unified body, Christians commemorate and remember the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ our Lord.

It is “an occasion in which we present our sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving to the living God in gratefulness for God’s act of redeeming love in Jesus Christ.”[1]

This table is not a place of sacrifice. The place of sacrifice for sin was the cross. It is there, and not here, where redemption was accomplished. The sacrifice we offer here is a sacrifice of thanksgiving to our great and wonderful God for the giving of His Son in our place, and for our sins (cf. 1 Pet. 2:5).

These elements have no power to save in and of themselves. Instead, they are a visible testimony to the grace of God in the gospel message that is proclaimed to the world by the church. It is for this one-and-only saving message that we gather together around this table to give thanks.

Word of Warning – Fencing the Table

Obviously, one can only offer thanksgiving for something that one has received. Scripture defines a Christian as one who has received the new birth by the Spirit of God through a repentant faith in Jesus Christ (Luke 13:3, 5; John 3:3; Acts 3:19; Eph. 2:8-9; 1 Pet. 1:3, 23). In this conversion experience, the Christian receives entry into the new covenant, where God pours His love into and writes His law on the heart (Rom. 5:5; Jer. 31:33).

If you have not received the new birth by faith in Christ, then this table is not a place of thanksgiving for you, but instead is a testimony of judgment for sin. You cannot offer thanksgiving for a gospel message that you have not fully believed. You cannot offer thanksgiving for a Savior who has not yet become your Savior.

Further, if God has granted you the repentance that leads unto life (2 Tim. 2:25), and you are a member of the new covenant community, the church, but you are harboring some secret sin, worshipping some idol in your heart, or holding some grudge against a brother or sister in the Lord, please do not partake of this table. You are in no position to offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving in your heart to the Lord.

A Time for Grace – Reflection and Confession

However, God gives grace. And He offers forgiveness in abundance. Now is the time to set aside the sins that so easily beset us and receive the grace of God that brings new life and a new heart (2 Cor. 6:2).

Let us bow our heads together for a time of self-reflection and confession unto the Lord. For those of you who have never turned your life over to God, who have never received the new birth by faith in Christ, you can call on the name of the Lord at this very moment, asking for mercy and forgiveness for the rebellion of your hardened heart.

Christian, now is the time to approach the throne of grace to ask forgiveness for worshipping the idols of your heart (money, success, the approval of others, safety and security). Now is the time to lay aside the grudge that you are holding against someone else in the faith.

At the end of this short time, we will recite the Lord’s Prayer together.

(A time of silence follows.)

The Lord’s Prayer

On this Father's Day, let us give honor and glory to our Father in heaven by reciting the Lord’s Prayer together:

Our Father, Who art in heaven
Hallowed be Thy Name
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. Amen (Matt. 6:9-13).

“Will those who are serving the elements please come forward at this time?”

The Breaking of the Bread

1Cor. 11:23 - For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

(Minister breaks the bread and hands it to those serving the elements.)

The Distribution of the Cup

1 Cor. 11:25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

(Minister hands the cup to those serving the elements.)

Processional Communion

If you have been saved from the punishment of your sins, calling upon the name of the Lord with a sincere heart, you are welcome at this table. Let us not exclude those whom our Lord has welcomed into His family.

(When all have taken their seats:)

(Holding up the broken bread) Heb. 10:5 – When Christ came into the world, he said, “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me…”

(Holding up the cup) The cup signifies the new covenant in Christ, ratified by His bloody death. Let us celebrate our participation in the new covenant together.

Thanksgiving Prayer

Almighty and ever living God, we give You praise and thanks for uniting us in the new birth by faith. We thank You for the joy and peace that flooded into our hearts when we came to know Your Son as our Lord and Savior.

Father, lead us towards the full visible unity of Your church and help us to treasure the signs of reconciliation You have granted us at this table. We pray for the overflow of Your Spirit’s sanctifying power in our lives to make us more and more like Jesus Christ, Your Son, and our Lord, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

[1] Donald G. Bloesch, “An Evangelical Theology of the Lord’s Supper,” in The Sacred Actions of Christian Worship, Vol. 6 of The Complete Library of Christian Worship, ed. by Robert E. Webber (Nashville, TN: Star Song, 1994), 244.

Loving Others With the Love of Christ

2011-06-12T20:15:00.003-04:00

The following are my sermon notes from a message I delivered at Grace Church of Philly on Sunday, June 12, 2011:

Introduction

In days of John the apostle, there were people who went around claiming to be followers of Christ. And yet, the lives of these people looked very little like the life that Christ lived during His time on earth.

These people claimed to know God, and yet they were unwilling to obey His commands, like Jesus did. These people claimed to have fellowship with God, but they did not love others like Jesus did.

These pseudo-followers deceived not only themselves, but others as well.

We live in a day where there are many who claim to follow Christ.

Mormons claim to be Christian. Roman Catholics claim to be Christian. Followers of Harold Camping claim to be Christian. Episcopalians claim to be Christian. Methodists, Presbyterians, and Baptists claim to be Christian. Evangelicals claim to be Christian. Fundamentalists claim to be Christian. Many in Grace Church of Philly claim to be Christian. The word “Christian” is nearly a meaningless term in today’s cultural environment.

How very confusing.

What is a Christian? How does one become a Christian? Does saying that one is a Christian automatically make a person a Christian? How do we know what a Christian is?

Very simply, a Christian is one who has been born from above by grace through a genuine, repentant faith (Luke 13:3, 5; John 3:3; Acts 3:19; Eph. 2:8-9).

If a person has not been born again, it matters little what they may call themselves, for they are still outside of Christ and stumbling around in the darkness of their sins.

The person who has been born again has a life that is supernaturally empowered by the indwelling Holy Spirit. As a result, this life looks different from the lives of others in the world. (We can reasonably expect that a person who has the eternal and almighty creator God living within them would have a life that looks quite a bit different than those around them.)

In other words, such a person would have a life that looks like Jesus’ life.

Let us not be deceived by the names and labels and claims of many who say that they are followers of Christ. Their lives and actions indicate what their true spiritual condition is, and who their real masters are.

Let us also take care not to deceive ourselves into thinking that we have fellowship with God when we really do not. Scripture exhorts us to test and examine ourselves to see whether or not we are truly in the faith (2 Cor. 13:5).

What do our lives look like? Do they look like Christ’s life?

If Christ is in us and we are in him, then our lives will look different. They will look like His.

Text

A. The Old/New Commandment

1 John 2:7 (ESV) Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. 8 At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.

1. V. 7: What is the “old commandment” that John is speaking of?

In Leviticus 19:18 we find the command to “love your neighbor as yourself.” The context of v. 7 supports this interpretation, for in the following verses in 1 John 2, we find John speaking about loving your brother (vv. 9-11).

We also find support for this in John’s second epistle: “And now I ask you, dear lady – not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning – that we love one another” (v. 5, emphasis added).

2. V. 7: John states that this “old commandment is the word that you have heard.”

What he means by this is that his readers had been receiving this teaching to love one another “from the time when they first heard the preaching and teaching of God’s Word in the worship services of [their] local church.”[1]

This “old” command is an absolutely foundational teaching for God’s covenant people; both for His old covenant people Israel and for His new covenant people the Church.[2]

Questions & Application: If the teaching to love your neighbor as yourself was so foundational to the early church, shouldn’t it be front-and-center in our own lives today as well?

How are we doing at loving each other in the church? Are you holding a grudge against a brother or sister in the faith? Are you guilty of quarreling with another Christian over lesser, peripheral matters of the faith (cf. Rom. 14:1)? Are you guilty of judging your brothers and sisters in Christ, rather than loving them in the unity of the faith that you share (cf. Rom. 14:4)? Are you bitter and angry with other Christians (cf. Eph. 4:31)?

How are we doing at loving our neighbors outside of the church? Are we involved in their lives in any way? Do we lovingly incarnate the good news of the gospel in deeds of mercy and good works in our community?

If you feel incapable of loving others in this manner, perhaps you have yet to experience the new birth by grace through faith, and remain outside of the family of God.

If you feel uncomfortable with this command to love others sacrificially, perhaps you have yet to see the glory of Christ in the gospel, because the darkness has blinded your eyes (1 John 2:11).

3. V. 8: “At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you…”

John states that the “old commandment” to love our neighbors as ourselves is actually a “new commandment.” John is probably thinking of Christ’s teaching, which he cited in his gospel: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another” (13:34).

If not properly explained, the statement that the “old commandment” is also a “new commandment” has the potential to create some confusion. In order to help us in understanding John’s meaning here, I will briefly explain four ways in which this command can be considered to be “new.”

a. First, even though the command is “old,” the Lord is here renewing it and bringing it again to the attention of the faithful, so that they “may practice it through their whole life.”[3]

We all know that people are constantly denigrating the “old” and lifting up the “new,” as if something is inherently better just because it is newer. On this, John Calvin has stated,

“It was, however, necessary that this should be added, for as men are more curious than what they ought to be, there are many who always seek something new. Hence there is a weariness as to simple doctrine, which produces innumerable prodigies of errors, when every one gapes continually for new mysteries. Now, when it is known that the Lord proceeds in the same even course, in order to keep us through life in that which we have learnt, a bridle is cast on desires of this kind. Let him, then, who would reach the goal of wisdom, as to the right way of living, make proficiency in love.”

b. Second, Jesus “gave new meaning to the command to love one’s neighbor…when he told his listeners that the command…extended even to the enemy (Matt. 5:43-48).”[4]

As He did with other “old commands” such as the prohibitions against murder (Matt. 5:21-22) and adultery (Matt. 5:27-28), Jesus expands our understanding of what it truly means to love your neighbor (cf. Luke 10:25-37). According to Christ, our “neighbors” include even those who hate us, steal from us, persecute us, and want to kill us. We are to pray for them, love them, and do good deeds for them (cf. Matt. 5:40, 44).

c. Third, the same command to love our neighbor can be understood as “new” in the sense that, since the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, there is now new evidence of what this command looks like in its divinely intended fullness.

“We have seen the complete example [Jesus] came to show us (1 Pet. 2:21), and now we have a better understanding of what love looks like than we did” under the old covenant.[5]

“It could well be said that people did not really know what love was until they saw it in [Christ]…. A game may become a new game for us when we have seen some expert play it…. It was new because, in Jesus Christ, love had reached a standard which it had never reached before, and it was by that standard that men and women were commanded to love.”[6]

d. Fourth, believers in the new covenant age have something truly “new” that dramatically assists them in fulfilling divine commandments: the permanent, indwelling Holy Spirit of God.

Thus, Christians have a “new power”[7] living within them that has written the law of God upon their heart and in their mind (Jer. 31:33; Heb. 8:10; 10:16), causing them to walk in His commands and love others as Christ does.[8]

And so it is that we see how this “old commandment” is also a “new[9] commandment” at the same time.

4. V. 8: In v. 8, John states that this “new commandment” of loving others as ourselves “is true in him [Jesus] and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.”

It is the saving power of Jesus that drives the darkness of sin out of our lives. It is the enlightening and sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit that shines the light of Christ into our hearts, giving us the desire to love others unconditionally. This light begins to shine at the time of our new birth, and becomes brighter as we grow up in our new faith.

Questions & Application: What does your life look like? Is the truth of the “new commandment” a reality in your life? Is it readily apparent to anyone who would look at your life that you love and care for others unconditionally? Is your life characterized by an active love that is otherworldly and, outside of the power of God, inexplicable?

If not, then perhaps you do not have the “new power” of the Holy Spirit within you to enable you to live out the new commandment.

Later on in this letter, John tells us that “everyone who practices righteousness has been born of [God]” (2:29), and that “whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother” (3:10). He states, “Whoever loves [others] has been born of God” (4:7).

Have you been “born of God”?

To be “born of God” means to be given new spiritual life from above (cf. John 3:3). We are all born dead in our trespasses and sins (Eph. 2:1), condemned and under the just wrath of the One who created us (John 3:36). Our many sins are deserving only of death and punishment (Rom. 6:23). Our only hope is to place our trust in Jesus, the God-man who lived a sinless life, and died on the cross in our place to satisfy and absorb the wrath of the Almighty God toward sinners (Rom. 3:25). He rose from the dead in the power of the Holy Spirit, proving that His sacrifice was pleasing and acceptable in the Father’s sight. Jesus Christ lived, died, and arose in order to provide us with new life from above, to reconcile us to the Father, and to restore us into a right relationship with Him by faith (2 Cor. 5:18).

Was there ever a time in your life, where you made a decisive break from sin and trusted in Christ, and Christ alone, to save your soul? Was there ever a time in your life when you were “born of God”?

John says that your actions reveal the state of your heart, whether it is dead in the darkness of sin or alive in the light of Christ.

Does your life look like Christ’s life? He cared for others; He fed others; He taught others; He actively loved others; He sacrificed for others. Do you do these things? Any of these things?

This is the way that John says we can tell if we are children of God or not: “Whoever says he abides in Him [Christ] ought to walk [live] in the same way in which He [Christ] walked [lived]” (2:6).

B. Light and Darkness

1 John 2:9 Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. 10 Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. 11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

The presence of hatred or love in someone’s life is a direct indicator of their spiritual condition.

1. V. 9-10: “Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. Whoever loves his brother abides in the light….”

a. Notice the boldness and bluntness in John’s speech. He is very straightforward and explicit. Few in our time and in our culture today speak in such absolutes. Actually, one who speaks in such a firm manner about spiritual issues today is considered rude, closed-minded, stupid, and intolerant.

But John “puts his statements in absolute terms that offer no middle ground. For him there is no twilight. There is either light or darkness, love or hatred.”[10]

b. “Whoever says he is in the light….” The apostle John is fully aware that there are people who profess to know God, but do not truly know Him. People say all sorts of things, but merely saying something does not make it so.

We cannot “will” ourselves to know God or to become a Christian anymore than we can “will” ourselves to fly into the sky by flapping our arms. In his gospel, John states that “children of God” are born “not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12-13). It is God’s power that draws us to Him, not our own.

In the church community, there are those who persist in calling themselves Christians, even though their lives show scant evidence of a new birth ever having taken place in them.

In the end, the Lord Jesus will sort these ones out. In Matt. 7, He states:

Matt. 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”

In 1 John 3, the apostle states that those who practice “lawlessness” do not know Christ and are “of the devil” (vv. 4, 8). Hatred is a form of “lawlessness.” It goes directly against the law of Christ.

John goes on to say,

“No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother” (3:9-10, emphasis added).

The person who says that they are in the light but hates his brother is still in darkness.

Questions & Application: What about you? Do you claim to be a follower of Christ, and yet harbor hatred in your heart toward someone else?

If you cannot love others as God in Christ has loved you, then you have not yet experienced the forgiveness and cleansing that comes in the new birth. You are yet in darkness, and in desperate need of the light of the gospel of Christ.

2. V. 10: John says that for those who abide in the light, “there is no cause for stumbling.”

In other words, those who walk in the light do not stumble because they know where they are going. Their path is well lit, and their steps are sure. Whoever loves others in deed as well as in word will inevitably progress in their spiritual life.

Consider also the truth of Prov. 4:18: “The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day.”

The prophet Malachi foresaw a time when “the sun of righteousness [would] rise with healing in its wings” for those who feared God (4:2). There is indeed no doubt that Malachi was referring to Christ as “the sun of righteousness.”[11]

In John 8, Jesus Himself states, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (v. 12).

3. V. 11: “But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.”

We are here reminded of Prov. 4:19: “The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble.”

Summary/Challenge

The way of hatred is the way of the wicked. The way of love is the way of the righteous, those who have been reconciled to God in Christ, the “sun of righteousness,” through the new birth

The way of hatred is the way of darkness. The way of love is the way of light.

The way of hatred is the way of lawlessness and rebellion against God. The way of love is the way of law keeping and fellowship with God.

The way of hatred is the way of spiritual death. The way of love is the way of spiritual life for now and for eternity.

What standard can we measure ourselves by to find assurance that we are saved in Christ? John makes it crystal clear:

1 John 2:3 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected [completed, consummated]. By this we may know that we are in him: 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

In Rom. 5:5, the Scripture states that at the time of our new birth, the Holy Spirit pours out God’s love into our hearts. God’s love is sacrificial and unconditional. This love is supremely modeled for us in Christ.

Does your life and deeds show evidence of this kind of love for others?

This is how we know that we are born of God and saved from spiritual destruction: that we have a God-implanted desire and passion to keep His commandment to love others just as Christ has loved us.

[1] Simon J. Kistemaker, Exposition of James, Epistles of John, Peter, and Jude, in New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1986), 260.

[2] This command to love one another is entirely applicable with respect to both “Israel according to the flesh” (1 Cor. 10:18) under the old covenant and for spiritual Israel under the new covenant (Gal. 6:16; Rom. 2:28-29).

[3] John Calvin, Calvin’s Commentaries (Complete), Christian Classics Ethereal Library, http://ccel.wheaton.edu, Version 1.7, Accordance Bible Software 8.4.7 (Oak Tree Software, Inc., 2010).

[4] Kistemaker, Exposition of James, Epistles of John, Peter, and Jude, 260.

[5] David Walls and Max Anders, I & II Peter, I, II, & III John, Jude, in Holman New Testament Commentary, ed. by Max Anders (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 1999), 173.

[6] William Barclay, The New Daily Study Bible: The Letters of John and Jude (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2002), 50-51.

[7] Walls and Anders, I & II Peter, I, II, & III John, Jude, 173.

[8] “What is it, then, to have the law written on our hearts? It is to have God’s law installed in us as the ruling power of our convictions, affections, words, and actions. It is, therefore, to be convinced of its holiness and authority, delighted by its justice and goodness, and controlled by its wisdom and instruction. That, and nothing less than that, is having God’s law written on our hearts” (Samuel E. Waldron, with Richard C. Barcellos, A Reformed Baptist Manifesto: The New Covenant Constitution of the Church [Palmdale, CA: Reformed Baptist Academic Press, 2004], 39).

This is one critical way in which the dissimilarity and discontinuity between the old and new covenants is displayed. Whereas Jer. 31:31-34 indicates that all in the new covenant know the Lord in this manner, only some knew the Lord under the old covenant.

[9] Kistemaker remarks: “The adjective καινή (new), not νέα (fresh), is important, for it describes the nature of newness which is superior to the old” (Exposition of James, Epistles of John, Peter, and Jude, 262).

[10] Kistemaker, Exposition of James, Epistles of John, Peter, and Jude, 260.

[11] Calvin, Calvin’s Commentaries.