What's in a Name?

Friends,

This update is just to clarify a small change that is coming to this blog and to our future updates. For a while now, I have referred to our ministry as the O.K. Ginn Corral, an attempted play on the shootout at the OK Corral. It was fun. Olivia never got it, but I nerded out over it and giggled. However, given our current transition into full-time ministry, I think it's time to retire the Old West word play and start using something a little more ministry-focused. 

For this reason, I am changing the title of our letters and blog updates to "The Leaven and the Mustard Seed". I take the title from Matthew 13: 

Another parable He put forth to them, saying: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches."

Another parable He spoke to them: "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened."

My reason for choosing this title is that I think it fits well with our ministry focus. Jesus tells a number of parables about God's kingdom, but these two particularly focus on how God's kingdom will grow: both in the world and in the believer's heart. 

He says that God's kingdom is like a mustard seed: small and apparently insignificant when compared with other seeds. But when it is sown and grows, it becomes the greatest of all the trees, and the birds come and nest in its branches. The kingdom of God had small beginnings; about 120 disciples hiding in an upper room, afraid for their lives (Acts 1:15). But its destiny is to grow and grow until Christ's dominion stretches from one end of the earth to another; until every little speck of an island is filled with voices praising Jesus (Psalm 72:8). So, too, the ministry we will be working in will not be flashy. It will have small beginnings. It may not appear to be significant at all. But we trust that God will care for it, watering the seed with His Spirit, and will use us to grow His kingdom in East Charlotte.

Jesus says that God's kingdom is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of flour until it was all leavened. Leaven works silently. It also works totally: once it's in, there's no getting it out. This is how the gospel works in the Christian's heart. Most Christians do not have an immediate turn-around in every area of their life when God makes them born again. Rather, He puts the leaven in their soul and it slowly works to make the believer more like Christ, giving them an ever-increasing desire for God's presence and word. So, too, our ministry will have much work done that is unseen. But we trust that God will work through us, causing behind-the-scenes changes in peoples' lives and in our East Charlotte community. 

As stated, future updates and letters will carry this new title. We are grateful for your continued prayers as we transition into this new ministry. We love y'all!

+ Blessings in Christ +

Walking Through Westminster, WCF 8.5-8

Westminster Confession of Faith 8.5-8

V. The Lord Jesus, by His perfect obedience, and sacrifice of Himself, which He through the eternal Spirit, once offered up unto God, has fully satisfied the justice of His Father; and purchased, not only reconciliation, but an everlasting inheritance in the kingdom of heaven, for those whom the Father has given unto Him.

VI. Although the work of redemption was not actually wrought by Christ till after His incarnation, yet the virtue, efficacy, and benefits thereof were communicated unto the elect, in all ages successively from the beginning of the world, in and by those promises, types, and sacrifices, wherein He was revealed, and signified to be the seed of the woman which should bruise the serpent's head; and the Lamb slain from the beginning of the world; being yesterday and today the same, and forever.

VII. Christ, in the work of mediation, acts according to both natures, by each nature doing that which is proper to itself; yet, by reason of the unity of the person, that which is proper to one nature is sometimes in Scripture attributed to the person denominated by the other nature.

VIII. To all those for whom Christ has purchased redemption, He does certainly and effectually apply and communicate the same; making intercession for them, and revealing unto them, in and by the word, the mysteries of salvation; effectually persuading them by His Spirit to believe and obey, and governing their hearts by His word and Spirit; overcoming all their enemies by His almighty power and wisdom, in such manner, and ways, as are most consonant to His wonderful and unsearchable dispensation.

Summary

Christ's work as Mediator between God and men was twofold, consisting of perfect obedience, and offering Himself as a sacrifice for sins. This He did through the Holy Spirit, offering to God a sacrifice which perfectly satisfied God's justice. No other sacrifice remains for sinners to be reconciled to God. This sacrifice He offered to the Father once on the cross. Hebrews 10:14 says, "For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified." This sacrifice is never repeated, nor is it repeatable. The Roman doctrine of the Mass being a perpetual sacrificing of Christ at best introduces confusion; at worst, it denies the once-for-all nature of Christ's perfect sacrifice. The sacrifice of Christ perfectly satisfies the justice of God, and so Christians need no repeated sacrifice, even with their repeated sins. 

Even though the sacrifice of Christ was once-for-all, never to be repeated, the virtues, effects, and benefits of His sacrifice were given to the elect, even before Christ's incarnation, through the types and signs God gave under the old covenant. The Bible makes two seemingly contradictory statements: the first is represented by Leviticus 4:20, "And he shall do with the bull as he did with the bull as a sin offering; thus he shall do with it. So the priest shall make atonement for them, and it shall be forgiven them." The second statement is from Hebrews 10:4, "For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins." 

God promises time-and-again in the Old Testament, that when the priests sacrificed the various sacrifices, atonement was made and the peoples' sins were forgiven. Yet, in the New Testament, we read that it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. The resolution is explained in section 8.6 of the confession. Although Christ had not yet entered the world as a man, nor offered the perfect sacrifice to the Father, God worked through the Old Testament sacrifices to give grace and forgiveness. While the blood of bulls and goats never took away sin, God accepted these sacrifices in light of Christ's sacrifice which was coming. Even though Jesus became man at a particular point in time and offered the perfect sacrifice at a particular time, the Father saw His work as eternally present. God could forgive sinners before Christ's sacrifice, because He saw the sacrifice which was coming as present. Some have described this reality using the imagery of money. God forgave the OT believers on credit, foreseeing the payment that would be made by Christ; God forgives the NT believers on debit, seeing the payment that Christ has already made for them. 

Christ applies the benefits of redemption to all of His elect people, of whom not one will ever be lost (John 10:28-29). He intercedes for them in heaven, always praying for them. He reveals salvation and its mysteries to them through His word. He effectually persuades them (meaning that His persuasion is always successful); He governs them in their hearts by His Spirit, according to His word; and He overcomes all of their enemies in His good time and in the way He pleases. This is what is always best for God's people, even when we do not understand His ways.

+ Blessings in Christ + 

Walking Through Westminster, WCF 8.2-4

Westminster Confession of Faith 8.2-4

II. The Son of God, the second person of the Trinity, being very and eternal God, of one substance and equal with the Father, did, when the fullness of time was come, take upon Him man's nature, with all the essential properties, and common infirmities thereof, yet without sin; being conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost, in the womb of the virgin Mary, of her substance. So that two whole, perfect, and distinct natures, the Godhead and the manhood, were inseparably joined together in one person, without conversion, composition, or confusion. Which person is very God, and very man, yet one Christ, the only Mediator between God and man.

III. The Lord Jesus, in His human nature thus united to the divine, was sanctified, and anointed with the Holy Spirit, above measure, having in Him all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge; in whom it pleased the Father that all fullness should dwell; to the end that, being holy, harmless, undefiled, and full of grace and truth, He might be thoroughly furnished to execute the office of a Mediator and Surety. Which office He took not unto Himself, but was thereunto called by His Father, who put all power and judgment into His hand, and gave Him commandment to execute the same.

IV. This office the Lord Jesus did most willingly undertake; which that He might discharge, He was made under the law, and did perfectly fulfil it; endured most grievous torments immediately in His soul, and most painful sufferings in His body; was crucified, and died, was buried, and remained under the power of death, yet saw no corruption. On the third day He arose from the dead, with the same body in which He suffered, with which also he ascended into heaven, and there sits at the right hand of His Father, making intercession, and shall return, to judge men and angels, at the end of the world.

Summary

Jesus has always been God. As the 2nd person of the Trinity, He is truly God and has been God eternally. He is of one substance with the Father and equal to Him. According to the plan of redemption, when the Father's timing had come, the Word of God took on flesh, becoming a man. He took upon Himself human nature in all of its reality, only without sin. He lived as a true man. We often have the wrong image of Jesus in our minds, as if He was always in a glorified body; as if He spent His time on earth hovering a few inches off the ground, always with a radiant glow and an ethereal quality to Him. To think this way is to deny His humanity. He sweated; He got dirty; He probably got sick as a child; He got tired and worn out in His adult ministry. He experienced everything there is in the human experience, except for the experience of actually committing sin. And yet, He still experienced what it felt like to have sinned, as He took our sins upon Himself at the cross. 

In the power of God, the Lord's deity was united to His human nature in the incarnation. In the one person Jesus were two natures: divine and human; yet these natures were united whole, perfect, and unmixed. He did not transform His Godhood into humanness, nor was His humanness of a different sort than ours. His natures were united in such a way that we confess Him to be 100% God and 100% Man, without dividing His natures into multiple personalities, nor mixing His natures into a supernatural humanity. 

The Lord Jesus was filled with and anointed by the Holy Spirit, that He might be holy, harmless, separate from sinners, full of grace and truth. He needed to be set apart in this way so that He might be a Mediator between God and Man. That He might fulfill His office of Mediator, Christ was born under the law and perfectly kept it; Jesus was the perfect Man, the man Adam was originally supposed to be. He went to the cross and gave Himself up to the power of death, taking our sins upon Himself and becoming accursed in our place. He was buried, but His body saw no corruption in the grave. On the third day He rose from the dead in the same body in which He had suffered and died. Jesus did not rise again as a spirit or a phantom, but as a man. He rose in a physical body that could be touched and that could eat. In that same body, now glorified, He ascended into heaven to sit at the Father's right hand. Herein is a great mystery, the profound truth of the incarnation: a man sits on God's throne and it is perfectly right for Him to be there. The dust of the earth sits on the throne of the universe. The God-Man Jesus takes humanity back into heaven with Him, where He now intercedes for His people, ever praying for them and ruling the universe for their benefit. He will return from heaven at the Last Day to judge all men and angels and to bring about the full restoration and glorification of all things.

+ Blessings in Christ +

On Divine Appointments and Human Shortcomings

So I'm in Highlands, NC for work this week. I'm done with work for the day and sitting in a nice cafe courtyard downtown, enjoying an ice cream and coffee while I work on some church stuff. It's an absurdly nice town, the courtyard dominated by high-end boutiques with clever names like "Spoiled Rotten" or "Colonel Mustard's" (which looked to have nothing but over-priced mustard in expensive little jars lining the walls). As I'm sitting, enjoying my treats with Bible and notebook open, an older couple comes into the area looking for a place to sit. Seeing as I am a lone man sitting at a table that easily seats four, I offer them the other chairs at my table. In their response there is a thick accent, which I ask them about. Turns out, they are Jews originally from Israel, and the accent has stuck in spite of 48 years living in Canada and the US, the last 40 years spent in Atlanta. 

Our conversation is friendly and enjoyable. I mention that I studied biblical Hebrew in seminary and we discuss that for some time. We talk about the businesses the husband has started, grown, and sold for hefty profits. We talk about Christian pastoral ministry. We talk about the Old Testament, particularly David. We talk about the insanity of Atlanta traffic. Anything and everything. 

As we continue discussing the Bible, they mention that they are Hasidic Jews, though of a more moderate stripe than the ones I am familiar with. We talk about Hasidism for a few minutes, after which the husband mentions the Hasidic prohibition on reading the New Testament. I mentioned that I have heard that Hasidic Jews are not only forbidden from reading the New Testament, but also Isaiah 53. They never stated whether or not this was true, but neither of them seemed to know it, and asked what it said that might be forbidden. I proceeded to open my Bible and read Isaiah 53:1-6, which reads,

Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. 

Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and  the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

I explained that I thought Jews were forbidden from reading this, because it seems to point so clearly to Jesus Christ and His suffering and death on the cross. They seemed moved on some level by this passage, but to what extent, I cannot say. We continued talking for a few more minutes before they had to leave for a dinner reservation. We shook hands, exchanged names, and parted ways. I told them I was in town for a few more days and to say hello if they saw me around. 

As so often happens after I experience a divine appointment, I walked away from the situation going over all the things I could have said. I could have talked about the free grace of the gospel vs. the merit-focused, man-centered ideology of rabbinical Judaism. I could have taken them to the gospel accounts of Jesus' crucifixion and shown them all the ways He fulfilled Isaiah's prophecy. I could have done a lot of things. But I didn't. They had already stayed and talked with me past the time they should have left for their dinner. 

I might be up tonight in bed, tossing and turning and replaying the conversation in my head, going over all the "could've, should've, would've". But I hope not. God gave me an opportunity to meet two strangers, have a very enjoyable conversation, and read Scripture to them and point them to Jesus, even in the most basic way. For that, I am thankful, and I rejoice that our God is in the heavens, and He does whatever He pleases. My trust is put in God's promise from just two chapters after what I shared, Isaiah 55, "So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it."

Join me in praying for the souls of Ami (husband) and Micky (wife), that they would both come to know the Suffering Christ and eternal life in Him.

+ In Christ +

Walking Through Westminster, WCF 8.1

 Westminster Confession of Faith 8.1

It pleased God, in His eternal purpose, to choose and ordain the Lord Jesus, His only begotten Son, to be the Mediator between God and man, the Prophet, Priest, and King, the Head and Savior of His Church, the Heir of all things, and Judge of the world: unto whom He did from all eternity give a people, to be His seed, and to be by Him in time redeemed, called, justified, sanctified, and glorified.

Summary

Before the foundation of the world; before anything was created; when there was nothing but the eternal, Triune God, the Father made a covenant with the Son, to give Him a people as His seed and bride. The Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, was chosen by the Father and ordained to procure this people for Himself. He did this by becoming a number of things for them. 

First, the Son became their Mediator. A mediator is a legal position, someone appointed to reconcile two conflicting parties. By our sins, we have driven a wedge between us and God; we have ruined the relationship. The Son becomes the Mediator between God and man by taking human nature on Himself in His divinity. He can reconcile God and man because He is God and man. 

He became our Prophet, Priest, and King. A prophet is one who speaks forth the word of the Lord. Jesus is the Word of God, so He is the perfect One to speak God's Word (John 1:1-5, 14). A priest makes sacrifices to atone for sins (Hebrews 8:3). Christ was not only the perfect High Priest, but He was also the perfect sacrifice: the Lamb of God slain from the foundation of the world (John 1:29). He is both Priest and Sacrifice, making a perfect sacrifice for sins which never needs repeating or modification (Hebrews 10:14). A king rules and governs a people. Christ is the King of the world, having ascended to sit in glory at the right hand of the Father (Acts 2:33-36). It is His right to receive heartfelt, joyful obedience from all the world, and anyone who would not render it to Him is a rebel and worthy of judgment. 

Christ is the Head of the Church, and there is no other. There is no way in which the bishop of Rome is head of the Church, and any claim as such is blasphemy. He is the Savior of the Church, the only one who can redeem them from sin. He is the Heir of all things; Jesus will, in the Last Day, inherit all things as His rightful possession. He has de jure rights to all obedience and worship, meaning that they are His right in theory, and in the Last Day He will receive them de facto, meaning in reality. 

He is the Judge of the world, and all who try to maintain their independence and rebellion from Him will be crushed in the Judgment. All of His enemies will be trampled under His feet (c.f. Psalm 110) and any who attempt to oppose Him will not escape. There is a common saying, often tattooed on people or emblazoned on clothing, "Only God can judge me". While this is a true saying, the reality is that God's judgment will be infinitely worse than any unkind word of a fellow sinner. Christ's judgment will be perfect, unflinching, unerring. Paul says in 2 Thessalonians 1, "it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble [the Church], and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ". Yet, the grace of God is manifested in that He has made a way to escape this fierce judgment. The only way of salvation is to believe on the Lord Jesus; to put your faith in Him, to depend on Him alone for salvation, to repent from sins and to turn exclusively to the work of Jesus Christ in the cross. That is the only way of salvation.

+ Blessings in Christ +

Late Summer Update and Request 2017

Friends,

We are one month in! It's been an outstanding first month and we are loving the apartment ministry. We've met a bunch of our neighbors, had great conversations in English and Spanish, played soccer with some ninos, and had our first community event (pool party with ice cream for all!) So far, the Liv Apartment ministry seems to be a hit. We have plans to start English and Spanish Bible studies soon, so we can translate some of these great neighborly interactions into spiritual outreach and development. We are humbled, nervous, and excited about what God plans to do through us here! For those who don't know, this step into apartment ministry was well outside our comfort zone, but God is faithful, and we thank Him that He knows better than us when to tear down the walls of our comfort!

On another exciting note, East Charlotte PCA, the church where Olivia and I have been members for about a year-and-a-half, has offered me a position as a pastoral apprentice. The primary emphasis of this position will be on outreach and evangelism. This will be more serious than the internship I had at New Covenant ARP, and will look much more like full-time pastoral ministry. I am thrilled about this development and am looking forward to going deeper into the calling God has on my life! The church does not have funds to pay me at this point, so I will need to start raising financial support at some point in the future. However, I am still gainfully employed and can continue to work as we get support in place, until the point where I can focus on the Liv Apartment ministry and the apprenticeship full-time. 

What we really need at this point is your prayers. I plan to start sending out newsletters as a more official way of updating people about our ministry, now and into the future. If you enjoy hearing about our work and would commit to praying for us, I would love to put you down and send you our updates! Feel free to email me (keithginn08@gmail.com) or respond with a comment if interested.

In the midst of the stress and excitement of this new ministry, I consider Colossians 4:2-3, "Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving; meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ". If you desire to pray alongside of and for us, we would love to have you as a prayer partner! We look forward to sharing this great adventure with you!

We love y'all!

+ Blessings in Christ +

Walking Through Westminster, WCF 7.4-6

Westminster Confession of Faith 7.4-6

IV. This covenant of grace is frequently set forth in scripture by the name of a testament, in reference to the death of Jesus Christ the Testator, and to the everlasting inheritance, with all things belonging to it, therein bequeathed.

V. This covenant was differently administered in the time of the law, and in the time of the Gospel: under the law it was administered by promises, prophecies, sacrifices, circumcision, the paschal lamb, and other types and ordinances delivered to the people of the Jews, all foresignifying Christ to come; which were, for that time, sufficient and efficacious, through the operation of the Spirit, to instruct and build up the elect in faith in the promised Messiah, by whom they had full remission of sins, and eternal salvation; and is called the Old Testament.

VI. Under the Gospel, when Christ, the substance, was exhibited, the ordinances in which this covenant is dispensed are the preaching of the Word, and the administration of the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper: which, though fewer in number, and administered with more simplicity, and less outward glory, yet, in them, it is held forth in more fullness, evidence, and spiritual efficacy, to all nations, both Jews and Gentiles; and is called the New Testament. There are not therefore two covenants of grace, differing in substance, but one and the same, under various dispensations.

Summary

The covenant of grace which God made with His people through Christ is frequently called a "testament" in Scripture, with the same usage as "last will and testament". It is called a "testament" because it requires the death of the Testator before it comes into effect. Jesus Christ, by His death and resurrection, procured all the benefits of the covenant of grace for His elect people. This is a good reminder that the covenant of grace is much more personal than a covenant of business or a national treaty. The covenant of grace exists only inasmuch as Jesus Christ agreed with God the Father, before all worlds began, that He would die for sinners yet to be created and that He would reconcile them to God in Himself. The covenant of grace is not like an inanimate document, but is comprehended in a person, the Lord Jesus.

The covenant of grace was administered in the Old Testament through all the types and foreshadowings of Christ: the sacraments, sacrifices, patriarchal promises, and all other such ordinances. For that time, they were acceptable to God as obedience and the demonstration of faith. Through the work of the Holy Spirit, these types and shadows trained the Old Testament Church to look forward to Christ, the promised One.However, while these things were accepted by God under the Old Testament, with the inauguration of the New Covenant, they have ceased to be acceptable, at least in the same manner. For example, to reintroduce animal sacrifices into a worship service would be blasphemous, denying the finished work of Jesus. But the animal sacrifices still teach us something about the work of Christ, and our sacrificial worship as the Church. Paul says, for instance, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service." (Romans 12:1) 

With the coming of the New Covenant we receive the substance, rather than the shadows, of the covenant of grace. The signs of this New Covenant are the preaching of the Word, the administration of baptism, and the Lord's supper. These sacraments and signs are fewer than under the Old Covenant, but they hold forth with greater clarity the fullness of Christ, freely offered to all nations under the Gospel. These sacraments and signs fulfill and supersede the old signs, making any notion of bringing them back unworthy of thought. Not only is their efficacy gone under the New covenant, but it would be to trample upon the cross of Christ as insufficient. The one covenant of grace has new signs and sacraments, revealing greater amounts of God's glory, under the New covenant in Christ.

+ Blessings in Christ +