The Eternal Treasure of the Unshakeable Kingdom
KINGDOM DISCIPLESHIP 101:
THE ETERNAL TREASURE OF THE KINGDOM
LUKE 12:13-34
REV. CHARLES R. BIGGS
In today’s text from Dr. Luke’s Gospel, Jesus teaches his disciples more on what it means to live our lives in light of who God is, his character, and his revealed Kingdom (as we learned in our last sermon on Kingdom Discipleship 101: Knowing God). As Christians, our treasure is located in heaven with Jesus Christ.
Now I realize that the title of the sermon today ‘The Eternal Treasure of the Kingdom’ may sound like the subtitle to an Indiana Jones adventure movie. That is not all that accidental! As with adventure or fantasy movies such as this one and with other classic stories, there is man’s search or attempt at attaining riches here in this present world (that we all identify with)- -only for the treasure and riches to be stolen or lost through foolishness (I think of Treasure of the Sierra Madre).
This “search for treasure story” is an archetypal or model kind of story that all can relate to because of an inherent desire all humans have for permanence and security. This “search for treasure story” is one we learn throughout Scripture as well: Man seeks and searches all his life to build a kingdom and live with lots of riches, but at the end he either loses the riches, or he dies (and then they do him no good).
In the Book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon called this “vanity” or “meaninglessness” or “chasing after the wind”.
Now many of us do not perhaps get involved in formal search parties to the end of the world for “lost pirate gold” or diamonds, or seek to move westward in an attempt at a great gusher of black gold.
We are tempted to live in this life as if there were no accountability to God with regard to what he has given to us. We are indeed tempted to live as if our possessions could never rust, perish or be stolen, and we are tempted to live like this because we seek permanence and security as those made in God’s image. When we do not have the permanence and security that we think we should have, we grow anxious, worried and insecure.
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Incarnational Infiltration- Meditation on the Apostle Paul's Letter to the Philippians
During wartime, a very strategic maneuver is to infiltrate the enemy's people and get inside the enemy's gates, so that the opposition can be defeated from within their own territory (Infiltration is defined in my dictionary as moving into or permeating). This is exactly what our God, the Divine Warrior does in his gospel warfare against Satan the deceiver and enemy of our souls.
When we think of Paul's letter to the Philippian Christians, we rightly think of such things as rejoicing in Christ and how we ought to live our lives in Him. Additionally, we should also notice the letter's focus in chapter one on how the gospel infiltrates the enemy's territory. Before we read our passage from Philippians chapter one, let us be reminded that Paul was a prison in Caesar's dungeon in his household, the Praetorium in Rome. He is in chains and possibly facing death soon. He is writing the letter of rejoicing in Christ to Christians who live in the Roman Colony of Philippi, a retirement community for former faithful Roman officers and soldiers. This is important to keep in mind.
Paul takes up his pen to encourage the Philippian Christians to know their union with Christ and with each other (2:1-5); to be reminded that they are to pray and praise God for his kindness and mercy (4:4-7); to think on certain things because of Christ, knowing his peace, and to know how we can be content in Christ Jesus because he supplies all of our needs according to his riches in glory (4:8-19). He also tells these Christians who live in this Roman Colony that they are now ultimately citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven (3:20-21).
Because of this new identity and citizenship, regardless of their privilege at one time of being Roman citizens, or citizens of the kingdom of man, they are now highly privileged members of the Kingdom of Heaven and await a greater inheritance because of their service in Christ's militant army.
The Blessed Man of Psalm One
Just a few days ago here on the blog Eric Costa wrote a brief but very insightful article about Psalm 1. I was very stirred by his writing and in fact am teaching a group of people tonight on this exact theme. I have made some written notes and share them on the blog here, in hope that it will be a blessing to you. - Rev. John Samson
1 How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. 3 He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers.
4 The wicked are not so, But they are like chaff which the wind drives away. 5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. 6 For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. - Psalm 1:1-6
We have all heard a preacher use Psalm 1 to say "Be like the prosperous man who delights in the law of the LORD and not like the wicked who will perish." Yet, when we actually examine the text, it is interesting to note that there is no prescriptive language whatsoever. Read the Psalm through again and you will discover that the text does not actually tell us to DO anything. There are no imperatives, no commands. Psalm 1 is entirely descriptive language.
Eric Costa is quite right when he asks, “What is being described here in Psalm 1? The life of those called "righteous" in contrast with those called "wicked." What is the main difference between the righteous and the wicked? Is it the object of their delight? Is it the fruit of their labors? Is it the eternal destiny of their souls? No, the first thing that makes the righteous differ from the wicked is that the righteous are "blessed." The starting point of the "way of the righteous" is the blessing of God.”
As in the opening of the Sermon on the Mount, the book of Psalms opens with a blessing. Blessed means supremely happy or fulfilled – Dr. James Montgomery Boice states that the Hebrew word for blessed here is actually plural, which “denotes either a multiplicity of blessings or an intensification of them. The verse might be correctly translated, “O the blessednesses of the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked.”
Does 2 Peter 2:1 Deny Particular Redemption?
2 Peter 2:1 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.
When someone tells me that they are a 4 point Calvinist, it is almost always the case that their struggle is with the "L" in the famous TULIP acrostic, namely so called "Limited Atonement." "Definite Atonement" or "Particular Redemption" might be better terms to use (though they destroy the acrostic TULIP into "TUDIP" or even worse, "TUPIP" - hardly good memory devices).
Concerning the letters of Paul, the Apostle Peter was right when he related that some things are "hard to understand" (2 Peter 3:16). Sometimes it takes a good deal of prayer, hard work and study to determine what the Bible is teaching on certain matters. For my part, I have not always been a 5 point Calvinist and have great sympathy for those who struggle with these very vital "doctrines of grace." I tend to think however that many do not struggle with them nearly enough.
Our traditions can be so strong that we are often blind to them in our own thinking. We all have our blind spots. Part of my own intellectual struggle with the doctrine of Limited Atonement stemmed from a faulty understanding of certain biblical texts. One of them was 1 John 2:2, another being 2 Peter 2:1. For many years, I thought that these verses were irrefutable texts that rejected the idea that Christ died to infallibly secure the salvation of a certain group (His people, His sheep, His friends, His elect - Particular Redemption) and were proof that Christ died for all people, at all times, in every part of the world (Universal Redemption). I wrote an article some time back called "The Divine Intention of the Cross" found here, in which I made a case for Particular Redemption from scripture.
Continue reading "Does 2 Peter 2:1 Deny Particular Redemption?" »
The Superiority of the New Covenant Blessings Consists Entirely in the Coming of the Son of God
In his letter to the Hebrews, the author goes to some lengths to describe the superior position, and the many greater blessings and assurances, that God's people enjoy today, which their fathers did not possess to nearly so great a degree; and everywhere throughout the letter, he makes considerable effort to show how that superior position is founded upon the coming of an eminently superior person, and in consequence of the eminently superior office which he has entered into. In the first four verses of his letter, which in the original comprise a single introductory sentence, he accordingly lays out the basic premise which will take the rest of the letter to unfold, viz., that God has never dealt so well with the saints before the coming of Christ as he has with those who lived afterward; and that the coming of Christ itself is the sole factor by which this latter superiority of blessedness has come about. From these verses, we may derive the two following heads of doctrine:
1. That the dispensation and gifts of God to mankind are better in this age than in all ages previous, by as much as that which is perfect is better than that which is desultory and incomplete;
2. That the sole reason for this culminative advance in blessedness is the coming of the eternal Son of God, and his entering into his redemptive office.
Both of these propositions in turn we will now demonstrate by an examination of the text before us.
Christmas on the Isle of Patmos: "A Christmas Revelation"
REVELATION 12
REV. CHARLES R. BIGGS
Introduction
The Book of Revelation is saturated with the Old Testament in its truth and symbolism. This book declares to readers a blessing that makes it unique out of all the inspired books (although there is indeed a blessing when you read them as well).
ESV Revelation 1:3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.
At the risk of being simplistic, but attempting to be simple, the Book of Revelation, written by the Apostle John is to give a visual picture of the great cosmic conflict between the Seed of the Woman (who is ultimately Christ), and the seed of the serpent (the Devil and the enemies of God).
Many people look in the Book of Revelation for the key to certain significant future events, but it should be argued that the book’s purpose (and purpose of the Apostle John who wrote it) is more concerned with making sense of the past redemptive-acts and revealed truths of God, and bringing it into the story of God’s people today (whenever and wherever that “today” applies).
Here in Revelation 12, we have a wonderful “Christmas” passage and it is considered by many sound interpreters of the book to be the central summary chapter of the entire Apocalypse of John. Dr. Vern Poythress calls this chapter a “symbolic history” of God’s redemption in Christ (The Returning King: A Guide to the Book of Revelation, pg. 133-34).
The story of God’s redemption of his people came to a great climatic crescendo in the fullness of the times when God became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:1, 14). Christmas is the time we should remember and celebrate as the birth of the “Seed of the Woman” who would crush the head of the serpent as God promised in Eden when the Gospel of God’s grace was announced for the first time (Gen. 3:15-16).
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Understanding 1 John 2:2
From the archives on this blog (from October 2005) by Rev. John Samson
Many of you know something of my struggle in coming to understand and appreciate the doctrines of grace. One of the biggest hurdles I encountered was my traditional understanding of 1 John 2:2. For a long time, it acted much like a roadblock in my thinking, preventing me from believing what I now consider to be the clear and consistent teaching of scripture.
How are we to understand the verse then?
Let me start by affirming that scripture is explicit in saying that Jesus died:
for God's people ("He was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of My people" - Isaiah 53:8; "He shall save His people from their sins" - Matt. 1:21);
for His sheep ("I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep." - John 10:11 - note that Jesus categorically states that some are not His sheep - "but you do not believe because you are not My sheep." - John 10:26)
for His friends ("Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you." - John 15:13-14;
for the Church ("... the church of God, which He obtained with His own blood." - Acts 20:28; "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her, that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her..." - Eph. 5:25, 26).
Indeed, as God allows us to gain a glimpse into the future, Revelation 5:9 reveals the song of the throngs of heaven as they sing to the Lamb upon His throne, "And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are You to take the scroll and to open its seals, for You were slain, and by Your blood You ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation." Notice that it does not say that He ransomed everybody in every tribe, etc., but that He ransomed people for God from every tribe, tongue, people and nation.
Yet at least at first glance, 1 John 2:2 seems to strongly deny this idea that Jesus' death was designed for a particular people. The verse states, "He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world."
I don't believe that scripture contradicts itself. That is in fact why we are told to study the word of God in order that we might rightly divide it (2 Tim. 2:15) rather than simply throw up our hands saying a particular verse contradicts others on the same subject. "All Scripture is God breathed" (2 Tim. 3:16) and because there is one Divine Author of Scripture who does not contradict Himself, I am convinced that hard work and careful study will eliminate apparent contradictions.
The Spirit and the Truth of the Gospel- John 16:1-15
THE SPIRIT AND TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL
490TH CELEBRATION OF THE REFORMATION OF THE 16TH CENTURY
JOHN 16:1-15/REV. CHARLES R. BIGGS
This passage in John is the last of Jesus' recorded words to his disciples, and therefore they are extremely important to remember. The Apostles are filled with sadness because Jesus is going away from them, but Jesus is encouraging them to rejoice in the Helper (or “Comforter”) the Spirit of Truth who will come and teach them and make Christ known in a better and fuller way than they have experienced with Jesus while living with him in the flesh!
Even though Jesus is leaving his Apostles to die, to be resurrected and ascended to God’s right hand, he will send the Holy Spirit, or the “Comforter” to them to do two important things:
1) The Spirit of Truth, the Third Person of the Holy Trinity will guide them into all truth (v. 13). Implication: There will be objective Truth from God concerning the Christian doctrine (theology) and life.
2) He will glorify Christ by taking from what is his and declare it to them (v. 14). Implication: Christ and His Gospel will be the focus of the Holy Spirit’s ministry.
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The Gospel According to Galatians, Part 1
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO GALATIANS
Scripture Text: Galatians Chapter 2
Rev. Charles R. Biggs
HAPPY 490TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PROTESTANT REFORMATION!
REMEMBER:
“CHRIST WILL DO ALL FOR YOU, OR NOTHING FOR YOU.”
–J. GRESHAM MACHEN (GAL. 2:21)
Are you able to define the truth of the gospel which is the doctrine of justification by faith alone?
This month is the 490th anniversary of the Reformation of the Sixteenth century. Has the Church today forgotten the truth of justification by faith alone that God in his grace allowed his people to fully recover and boldly preach in the Reformation? Do Christians today even know what the biblical importance of the Reformation was all about? Do Christians today care?
Beating a Doctrine into Our Heads?
In the next two studies, we want to consider the important doctrine of Justification by faith alone. In part one, we will consider Paul’s doctrine in the context of Galatians 2, and then we will look at the doctrine from more of a theological point of view derived from Scripture, exegesis, and the Church’s historical and faithful reflection on this important doctrine in part two.
Justification by faith alone in Christ alone is the heart of Paul’s Gospel;
it IS the “good news”!
Martin Luther wrote this about justification by faith alone in his Commentary on Galatians: “[Justification] is the truth of the gospel. It is also the principal article of all Christian doctrine, wherein the knowledge of all godliness consists. Most necessary it is, therefore, that we should know this article well, teach it unto others, and beat it into our heads continually.”- pg. 101 (quoted in Stott).
Continue reading "The Gospel According to Galatians, Part 1" »
Mutual Submission
... giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. Ephesians 5:20-27 ESV
From the website of the council on biblical manhood and womanhood, Drs. John Piper and Wayne Grudem respond to the following question: Do you believe in "mutual submission" the way Paul teaches in Ephesians 5:21, "Submit to one another"?
Yes, we do. But "the way Paul teaches" mutual submission is not the way everyone today teaches it. Everything depends on what you mean by "mutual submission." Some of us put more stress on reciprocity here than others. But even if Paul means complete reciprocity (wives submit to husbands and husbands submit to wives), this does not mean that husbands and wives should submit to each other in the same way. The key is to remember that the relationship between Christ and the church is the pattern for the relationship between husband and wife. Are Christ and the church mutually submitted? They aren't if submission means Christ yields to the authority of the church. But they are if submission means that Christ submitted Himself to suffering and death for the good of the church. That, however, is not how the church submits to Christ. The church submits to Christ by affirming His authority and following His lead. So mutual submission does not mean submitting to each other in the same ways. Therefore, mutual submission does not compromise Christ's headship over the church and it should not compromise the headship of a godly husband.
Go here for more questions and answers on this theme
1 Timothy 4:10
"For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers." - 1 Timothy 4:10
This verse has had many interpretations. Here are a few of them:
(1) The idea that "God is the Savior of all men" means that all who have ever lived will be saved. This of course is contrary to all sound doctrine. If this was true, the rest of the verse would have no meaning when it says "especially of believers."
(2) God wants to save everyone but His desire is many times thwarted by the obsinate free will of man (the Arminian view). Note though that the passage does not say He wants to save, but that He actually saves: He is actually the Savior (in some sense) of all men. Also, God's will is never frustrated (Isaiah 46:10).
(3) God is able to save all men, but though all can be saved, only believers actually are. Again, this is not what the text says.
(4) God is the Savior of all men (in one sense) and especially of those who believe (in another sense).
I believe this is the correct interpretation....
Exposition of Revelation 5:9 - Particular Redemption
"Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, 10and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth."
The scope of Christ's work of redemption is both universal and particular: universal because it includes people of every ethnicity and nation; particular because Christ redeems a people for Himself from out of these nations, having had an eye for a remnant of mankind from every tribe. Here is the climax of God's redemptive purpose, fulfilling God's covenant to Abraham to bless the children of promise through his seed (Gen 12:2; Rom 9:6-13). This is why God has commanded the church to preach the gospel to the ends of the earth (Matt 28:18, 19) that He might gather those he has set apart for Himself in every city and town (Acts 18:10; John 17:9, 20)
The great, ultimate, and final exodus is here (Rev 5) being declared in song. There are three (3) reasons which define the lamb's worthiness to open the scroll
1) you were slain,2) with your blood your purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. (That is the meaning of the event). and
3) v10. You have made them to be a kingdom of priests and to reign on the earth. (That is the consequence of the event).
What is actually in view here? It is the final exodus and the ultimate, eternal establishment of a covenantal relationship between God and His people. It is what we see at the end of the Revelation. "Now I will be their God and they will be my people..." This event also uses language similar to the Exodus of the Jews. It not only points forward to the final consummation but also points back to that Passover event. This passage actually lifts language from the Book of Exodus, interpreting its ultimate meaning. What actually took place on the evening of the first Passover? A lamb was slain and painted on the doorposts of every Jewish home. That was the event. But what was the meaning of that event?. The Text is clear. The purchase of the firstborn for God. The firstborn in Israel were just as guilty as any Egyptian. The Jews were not saved because they were more righteous than anyone else. They were saved because God made them a provision of atonement. They too were liable to the death blow of the angel, but were purchased by the blood of an unblemished sacrifice that pointed to the ultimate sacrifice. To what end, and with what final consequence in mind? In their language: "That out of all the nations of the world they would become the personal possession of God, purchased out of Egypt to be made a kingdom and priests" (Ex 19).
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Engaging Culture - John 17:17-19 by Arturo G. Azurdia III
This last weekend I had the great privelege to attend a men's conference at Estacada Christian Church which was led by Dr. Arturo G. Azurdia III. He delivered three phenomenal sermons, which he and the church have generously given me permission to post at Monergism.com in MP3 format.
All three sermons were an exposition of a section of the High Priestly Prayer in John 17:17-19. He pointed out many things in the Text I had not previously considered, especially with regard to our Lord's prayer to sanctify us that we might engage the culture. I especially want to recommend the third sermon which is one of the best expositions of particular atonement I have ever heard. I highly recommend all three sermons and hope you benefit as much as I did.
May the Lord richly bless you by opening your heart and ears to His word preached through a gifted servant.
Click here to go to the conference page on Monergism.com
Predestination for God's Glory: A Study of Ephesians 1:3-14
Today's study focuses on the sovereignty of God revealed in the salvation of His people.
Question: Why are we ultimately saved?
To escape the torments of hell?
To be like Christ?
To be with God eternally and to be His people!
All of these are correct answers! However, Ephesians 1:1-14 sets the focus of our salvation ultimately on the God who saves us!
The ultimate reason for our salvation is God's Glory!
In our study of Ephesians 1:3-14, and particularly the biblical doctrine of our salvation in Christ, let us always have the correct God-centered perspective as we begin.
If we begin with merely focusing on ourselves, our understanding of our salvation might be blurred and become out of focus for us. In fact, we might completely misunderstand the reason for which we are saved as his people.
We might be tempted to think that the gospel is somehow something we do for God rather than something he graciously does for those who cannot do!
Ephesians 1 teaches the predestination and electing love of Our Sovereign God in our salvation. Our Sovereign God desires to glorify Himself in redeeming a people for himself. God desires to redeem a people who cannot earn, merit, desire or will their salvation, but those who will trust in Christ alone for help (John 1:9-11).
In this study on Ephesians 1:1-14 we will focus on this aspect of God's work in our lives, what it means to us today, and we will glimpse the reality of our Sovereign and Trinitarian God in the salvation of our souls for His glory!
Ephesians 1:1-14
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Studies in John (Lesson 15: Jesus' Resurrection)
I. Introduction
When Jesus said on the cross, “It is finished,” he was making a definite assertion that no price remained to be paid for our redemption; he had suffered God's full wrath against our sins, and he had satisfied the law's fullest demands for justice. However, this did not mean that the story of redemption was complete: for even though Jesus had made satisfaction for sin, the final seal of the efficacy of that satisfaction and of his eternal victory over death and the grave (sin's bitter effects), was yet to come, three days later. The resurrection of Christ is the necessary conclusion to his sacrificial death. If his death really did overcome sin and its results; if it really did deal the death blow to the Serpent who had waged war against mankind by tempting them to sin; then it was impossible that death should hold him (see Acts 2:22-28). Jesus won the victory on the cross; but the victory that he won was displayed three days later in his resurrection from the dead. In his death, he won for all of his children an eternal, resurrection life. To borrow the title of John Owen's outstanding work, we have certainly encountered “the death of death in the death of Christ”.
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Studies in John (Lesson 14: Golgotha)
I. The Day of Atonement and the Climax of History
So far, in our journey through the tabernacle, there is only one place we have not been; and that one place is so holy that only the High Priest could enter it, and only once a year, bringing sacrificial blood for his own sins and the sins of the people. This is the Holy of Holies, a room behind the veil which separated it from the Holy Place, in which was the Ark of the Covenant and the Mercy Seat, covered with solid gold. This is where God's glory and presence specifically dwelt, in the days before the Temple, and, as the furniture in the room suggests, it was only because of divine mercy that the Holy God could even dwell among his people; and furthermore, it was only because of the divine covenant that he had made with them.
Passion Week Meditations: "Hosannas and High Expectations"- John 12
WORD OF ENCOURAGEMENT
"Hosannas and High Expectations"- Rev. Charles R. Biggs
This Palm Sunday, let your cry of "Hosanna!" become your joyful shout of "Maranatha!"
Introduction
Expectations. How many times have your high expectations of others gotten you into big trouble and disappointment?! You had high expectations of another, yet when that person did not live up to your expectations you grumbled, felt anger, were discouraged, and decided that you would think twice about expecting anything from someone again. We all become disillusioned (and oftentimes demanding!) when we have expectations of others and they do not come through.
This is even true of our expectations of God. Sometimes, in God's mysterious providence, he does what he knows to be best for us, yet we do not understand (Romans 8:28). We have expectations that we think God should live up to, but we have yet to begin to understand that God's ways are so much higher than our ways!
God works all things out for our good, for our best, yet we fail to trust his thoughts and ways and remember that even our highest expectations that we have of God, if different from his will, are never high enough!
Isaiah 55:8-9: For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Remember, as the Apostle Paul teaches, that
"No eye has seen, nor ear heard, neither has it entered into the heart of man what God has prepared for those who love him."
We should be cautious of placing high expectations on others, but when it comes to God, I think we need to be reminded that our so-called "high expectations" are never high enough!
Today, we shall look at the high expectations of the crowd when Jesus rode on a donkey into Jerusalem in John 12:12-23, and how these high expectations were simply not high enough.
Continue reading "Passion Week Meditations: "Hosannas and High Expectations"- John 12" »
Studies in John (Lesson 13: Jesus' High-Priestly Prayer)
I. The Altar of Incense
During the course of our journey through the gospel of John, we have also taken a journey through the tabernacle, and we have seen how all of its imagery is fulfilled in Jesus. He is the Lamb of God, offered upon the brazen altar at the entrance to the courtyard. He is the laver by which the priests were cleansed, and in him is the water of everlasting life. He is the table of the bread of the presence, nourishing those who eat of him with the true life of fellowship with God. He is the candlestick, the tabernacle's only source of light. And now, just before he offers himself up for our sins, we see that he is likewise the fulfillment of the symbolism in the altar of incense.
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"Worship in Spirit and Truth"
WORD OF ENCOURAGEMENT
________________________________________
"WORSHIP IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH"-
REFORMED AND ALWAYS REFORMING
JOHN 4:20-24
REV. CHARLES R. BIGGS
Are you Reformed in your worship? Are you Reformed and always reforming in your worship? Do you truly know what it means to worship Jesus in spirit and in truth?
In the Reformation, the people of God learned that it was not enough to merely be "Reformed" in name, but that the Church must also be "Reformed" in theology and in principle. That meant that for a congregation to call itself "Reformed" required the constant need to be consistently, ceaselessly, constantly, and carefully "REFORMING" as the people of God and returning to Scripture for answers to every question and to fully know how to be the Church of the living God (2 Tim. 3:16-17).
Since we are approaching the Lord’s Days when we celebrate Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday) as well as Christ’s glorious resurrection from the dead (Easter), it is worthwhile to remind ourselves as Christians to practice this continuous reforming, by looking once again at what the Scriptures teach us about true worship.
I realize that this can be such a controversial topic, but it must and should be continually be addressed. Just because it can be controversial and even a divisive, we still should seek by God's grace to understand what true worship is according to the Scriptures. (And if you are interested in an article that discusses traditional and contemporary worship, this is not the one! You may find insight into which worship “style” is best, but this is not a study on styles necessarily!).
There is no better place to begin to consider Jesus’ heart and mind on true worship than in John 4:20-24 in his dialogue with the sinful, Samaritan woman. There are a few points I would like to make from observing this text and these are by no means the last words on the subject, just a small attempt at understanding what this means for us as the people of God who call ourselves "Reformed".
Studies in John (Lesson 12: The Farewell Discourse)
I. Introduction
In the previous chapter (thirteen), John related the last major event that took place between Jesus and his disciples before he went to the cross. In the following three chapters, John will relate the last major discourse that Jesus gave to his disciples before he went to the cross. These three chapters are probably the clearest and fullest record of Jesus' own teaching about his death and the things which should follow that we have anywhere in the scriptures – although, we should probably include chapter thirteen, verses thirty-one through thirty-eight, as part of the same discourse. There, as we observed last week, Jesus began to instruct his disciples by telling them that his impending death would ultimately be for his glory, and the glory of the Father; and furthermore, that the one great application of this work, in the life of his followers, would be a self-sacrificing love which imitated Jesus' own love. At that point, it is becoming clear that he is speaking as one who is about to leave – and so Peter interrupts to ask him where he is going. Of course, in the discussion which ensues, Jesus predicts Peter's imminent denial. Now, Jesus has told his disciples that he is going where they cannot follow, and he has told Peter that he would deny him; these are such heavy and sorrowful truths, that he breaks off, and begins to give them words of comfort, words which explain the purpose of these difficult tidings. Eventually, he will pick up again with his themes of true discipleship, and so on; but for now, at the beginning of chapter fourteen, his message is one of explanation and comfort.
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Studies in John (Lesson 11: The Last Supper)
I. Introduction
Throughout the first twelve chapters of John, we have noticed a definite pattern: Jesus performs a miracle, and then gives a discourse that brings out the spiritual significance of that miracle. In the second portion of John's gospel (chapters thirteen through twenty-one), the same basic pattern occurs, but in reverse, and on a larger scale. Here, the first segment (chapters thirteen through seventeen) brings out the significance of the greatest act of all that Jesus performed – his substitutionary death on the cross, together with the corresponding resurrection and giving of the Holy Spirit. And the following chapters (eighteen through twenty-one) relate those events in detail. And so, as we look more closely at the text for this week and the next week, we must keep in mind exactly what they are teaching us about the events which would follow, Jesus' crucifixion, resurrection, and final acts before his ascension.
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Studies in John (Lesson 10: The Triumphal Entry)
I. Introduction
As we mentioned in the first lesson, the gospel of John may be divided into two major sections, the first of which emphasizes Jesus' sign-miracles and connected discourses; and the second of which emphasizes the true meaning and manifold effects of Jesus' death and resurrection. In this lesson, we will look at chapter twelve, which is the final chapter in the first major section. It makes sense, then, that in this chapter many loose ends are tied up (in a manner of speaking), and many themes that we have noticed time and again, in the previous twelve chapters, are brought up once more, and developed as fully as they ever will be. In a way, this is both a summary and climax of the great theological truths which John has been intent on teaching throughout the first half of his gospel.
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Studies in John (Lesson 9: The Resurrection of Lazarus)
I.Lazarus Dies (John 11:1-16)
Throughout the gospel of John, Jesus' sign-miracles have been growing ever more extraordinary, and his related teachings have become ever more explicit. Finally, in this last sign, we see the climax of Jesus' sign-revelation, and the last miracle that John would record before Christ's own death on the cross. Previously, we have seen everything necessary for life – eternal life – and we have seen it in Christ alone. He alone can give the water which springs up into everlasting life. He alone can give the true bread – his own body – which sustains eternal life. He alone can give the light which is the life of men – that is, he alone can produce the faith which leads to forgiveness and life in fellowship with the Father. And now, finally and climactically, we see him giving life itself; and so teaching that he alone is “the resurrection and the life” (vs. 25). But just as Jesus' signs and teachings increase, so does the opposition of the Pharisees. And so we find that, at the end of the chapter, they are earnestly seeking to find where he is living, so that they can arrest him and put him to death.
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Studies in John (Lesson 8: The Healing of the Man Born Blind)
I.The Golden Lampstand
We have already noted that, when one entered the tabernacle, he would immediately see the table of the bread of the presence on his right. If he turned and looked to his left, he would see the golden candlestick, which would have been the only source of light in the tabernacle (Exodus 25:31-37). This imagery, as well as that of the table, is perfectly fulfilled in Christ. In our last lesson, as he was teaching at the Feast of Tabernacles, he made the monumental claim, “I am the light of the world”; and in this lesson, he will illustrate that claim in the next of his sign-miracles – the healing of the man born blind. But before we look at this miracle, let's think about the significance of the golden candlestick, particularly the way in which John applies it to Jesus.
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Studies in John (Lesson 7: The Feast of Tabernacles)
I. The Feast of Tabernacles
It is by no means a mere coincidence that the events of this week’s lesson, and Christ’s subsequent teachings, took place during the Feast of Tabernacles. For, as we have already noted with respect to the tabernacle furniture, so we will find that Christ likewise fulfilled all the symbolism of the great religious feasts of the Jews. But before we can understand how Jesus was the fulfillment of the Feast of Tabernacles, we need to go back and read about why and how it began.
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THE CHRIST OF ROMANS: A Devotional Overview of Paul's Letter to the Romans- Rev. Charles R. Biggs
Have you ever read a story with your family or with others and you begin to think and act within the story as one of the characters? You have this place in the story where you find your identity and understand yourself better as part of the story.
You should remind yourself that you are part of a real story of grace and redemption. Your relationship with Jesus Christ by faith is part of a grand story and narrative that God has been telling to the whole world since the foundation of the earth.
This amazing story of God’s redemption in Christ is exactly where the Apostle Paul begins his letter to the Christians at Rome. Paul understands himself and wants all Christians to understand themselves in the grand story of redemption. So Paul begins with the gospel of God that was told all through the Old Covenant and has now climaxed in the Person and work of Jesus Christ!
“Paul…called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3 concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh 4 and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, 5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, 6 including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ…”
Paul writes the Book of Romans to explain this story better and to teach how both Jews and Gentiles (all the nations) are part of this grand and amazing story by faith of God’s salvation in Christ!
Studies in John (Lesson 7: The Feast of Tabernacles)
I. The Feast of Tabernacles
It is by no means a mere coincidence that the events of this week’s lesson, and Christ’s subsequent teachings, took place during the Feast of Tabernacles. For, as we have already noted with respect to the tabernacle furniture, so we will find that Christ likewise fulfilled all the symbolism of the great religious feasts of the Jews. But before we can understand how Jesus was the fulfillment of the Feast of Tabernacles, we need to go back and read about why and how it began.
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"Does God Love Me?"- A Review of 'Assured by God'
Reviewed by Pastor Charles R. Biggs
The Apostle Peter exhorts all believers in his second letter to be diligent to make their calling and election sure (2 Peter 1:10). The Apostle Peter writes with a desire for Christians to have assurance of their right standing before God in union with Jesus Christ, and to experience the joy, comfort, and hope of this special favor of God.
A new book edited by Burk Parsons entitled ‘Assured by God: Living in the Fullness of God’s Grace’ seeks to help Christians in knowing that there truly is no condemnation for those who are united to Jesus Christ (Romans 8:1), and that if God is for us, who can be against us (Romans 8:31). Many Christians struggle with their assurance and whether they are loved by God. If you have ever asked (or are asking presently in your life):
“I believe God loves, but does he love me?” then you should read this book prayerfully and carefully.
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Studies in John (Lesson 6: The Feeding of the Five Thousand)
I.The Table of the Bread of the Presence
When one first entered the Tabernacle proper, after having passed through the courtyard, he would immediately notice the table of the bread of the presence on his left (Exodus 25:23-30). This table, especially in light of the name that God had given to it, would immediately call to mind the same principle displayed in the observance of Israel's joyful feasts; that, in consequence of the blood sacrifice which God had been pleased with, his people would be invited to enjoy fellowship with God, in the manner of a great and joyous feast. Hence, it was not just bread, for feasting – but the bread of the very presence of God, for feasting in blessed fellowship with him.
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Studies in John (Lesson 5: The Nobleman's Son; The Pool of Bethesda)
I. The Nobleman's Son (John 4:43-54)
After Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman, he returned to Galilee, where he had performed his first recorded miracle. In this account, it seems as if John is bringing a unified and tightly inter-woven section to a close; the direct allusion to Cana and the turning of water to wine, in verse forty-six, suggests that the first miracle in Cana, together with this second one, were meant to stand as bookends to a literary unit with a common theme. And, just as John brought out the insufficiency of a faith which looks just to the sign-miracles themselves, without embracing the person of Christ, at the end of the wedding account (John 2:23-25); so here, he is going to make the same point, but even more forcibly. Of course, this is in accordance with John's purpose –– to establish the truth about the person of Jesus, through the miracles that he did, so that people might have faith in him, and so pass into eternal life (John 20:31). But it is vital to note (as John will insist upon over and over again in his gospel) that for one to have eternal life, he must believe, not in the miracles themselves; but because of the miracles, come to believe in Christ, as the Messiah and the true Son of God. But the sad truth is, for the Jewish people at large, faith in signs did not progress to a living faith in the Son of God.
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Studies in John (Lesson 4: The New Kingdom – Substantial and Universal)
I. The Promised Kingdom
Before we really understand the importance of the Kingdom that Jesus announced to the Jews, we must be aware of some Old Testament prophecies. Although it is common to think of the Bible as a diverse and loosely connected compilation of sacred writings (which does have an element of truth); in reality, the scriptures tell one unified story from Genesis to Revelation – and that story is all about a promised King, and his everlasting Kingdom.
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What does Hebrews 6 actually say?
The Hebrews 6 passage has been addressed on this blog a number of times. Here are some words on this from Vincent Cheung who was responding to someone who said that they still tended to read passages like this as an Arminian:
Question/Comment: "I have been thinking about Hebrews 6:4-6, and I am still struggling to be more impartial with it…. I recall that you have talked about these verses, but I am still struggling…
Response: Besides my own remarks, there are a number of commentaries that adequately address Hebrews 6. It is good to read and review them. After that, the struggle is not in attaining exegetical precision with the passage, but it is in the part of you that still tends to read it as an Arminian — as a self-centered rebel — when there is no warrant for it.
Consider the example of John 3:16. It says that whoever believes will not perish but have eternal life, which both Calvinism and Arminianism affirm, but it does not say who will believe or why they will believe. Thus the verse affirms only salvation by faith, and has no relevance to the disagreement between Calvinism and Arminianism until you bring other biblical passages into the discussion. However, many people want to read it as Arminians, and so they think that Arminianism is what it proves. They take the words "whoever believes" to mean something so different as, "Every man has free will, and anyone can by his free will believe in Christ apart from God's foreordination and direct control." I might as well deduce the entire Alice in Wonderland when someone says "Good morning" or "Have a nice day."
Studies in John (Lesson 3: The In-Breaking of the Kingdom)
I. The Laver
After the children of Israel celebrated the first Passover, in which they applied the blood of the innocent sacrificial lamb to their homes so that the angel of death, having seen that substitutionary blood, passed over them without exacting the required death; they then went immediately out to the Red Sea, and, having passed through its waters, they were separated from all their enemies. Paul later tells us that, in this event, they were “baptized unto Moses” (I Corinthians 10:1-4). And it was only after this application of the blood and passing through the water that they were able to eat the manna which continually sustained them in the wilderness.
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Studies in John (Lesson 2: Behold the Lamb of God!)
I. The Brazen Altar
When God called out Abraham from his native land, it was to give him a special, covenantal relationship with himself, which he summed up like this: “I [Yahweh] will...be a God to you, and to your seed after you” (Genesis 17:7). Four hundred and thirty years later, when God brought up Israel from the Land of Egypt, it was to fulfill that covenant promise he made to Abraham – and, to signify the nature of his relationship to his people, he gave detailed instructions to build a tabernacle (later replaced by the temple), which would symbolize the very presence of God among Israel (Exodus 25-31; 35-40). This tabernacle signified in many beautiful ways how a sinner might have fellowship with a holy God; but it was never actually sufficient to bring men to God. Something as amazing as that demanded the actual accomplishment of what the tabernacle and its furniture and rituals only symbolized. As we looked at John 1:14 last week, we recognized that Jesus came “to tabernacle” among us. He was the one who took all of the rich, tabernacle symbolism, and made it a reality (see Hebrews chapters six through ten for an extended treatment of this concept).
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Studies in John (Lesson 1: Introduction and Prologue)
I. The Purpose of John’s Gospel
When one begins to read the gospel of John, after he has read Matthew, Mark, and Luke, he quickly realizes that this gospel is, in several ways, different from the other three. The first three are called the “synoptic” gospels (from a Greek term which indicates a “looking together”), because they have basically the same point of view. They all talk about many of the same events and time periods in Jesus’ life. But most of the miracles and discourses that John includes are not found in the other three. The synoptics emphasize Christ’s Galileean ministry, but John talks mostly of his time in Jerusalem. The synoptics emphasize Christ’s parables, his teaching on the Kingdom of Heaven, and his eschatological (end-times) discourses. John emphasizes his teaching on who he is, and the related sign-gifts which demonstrate his claims about his own person. So the question must arise, “Why is John so different from the other three gospels?”. “What specific purpose did he have in mind that the first three had not already accomplished?”
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