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 +

Walking Through Westminster, WCF 7.1-3

Westminster Confession of Faith 7.1-3

I. The distance between God and the creature is so great, that although reasonable creatures do owe obedience unto Him as their Creator, yet they could never have any fruition of Him as their blessedness and reward, but by some voluntary condescension on God's part, which He has been pleased to express by way of covenant.

II. The first covenant made with man was a covenant of works, wherein life was promised to Adam; and in him to his posterity, upon condition of perfect and personal obedience.

III. Man, by his fall, having made himself incapable of life by that covenant, the Lord was pleased to make a second, commonly called the covenant of grace; wherein He freely offers unto sinners life and salvation by Jesus Christ; requiring of them faith in Him, that they may be saved, and promising to give unto all those that are ordained unto eternal life His Holy Spirit, to make them willing, and able to believe.

Summary

The fall of mankind into sin created a great divide between God and man. The divide is so great that the only way we are able to have a restored relationship with God is if God willingly condescends to us, that is, if He stoops down to our level, as a rich man to a beggar. Since He is the offended party in this relationship, and we the offenders, it falls on Him whether to restore the relationship, or not. By His grace, He does condescend to meet with us and be our God, and He expresses His condescension by way of covenant. 

A "covenant" is defined in various ways, but the Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible defines it as an "Arrangement between two parties involving mutual obligations". Manser's Dictionary of Bible Themes defines it, "God’s commitment to, and requirement of, his people expressed in promise, law, judgment, faithfulness and mercy." A covenant is many things, but it is primarily about relationship. It can refer to contracts and political agreements, but it is more often used in Scripture with the idea of marriage, especially regarding the covenant between God and His people. For God to covenant with His people means that He initiates an intimate relationship with them, both parties being subject to stipulations and duties.

God's first covenant with mankind was a covenant of life made with Adam, in which life was promised to Adam, and all his descendants, upon the conditions of "perfect and personal obedience", meaning total and heartfelt obedience. (Genesis 2:8-17) Because Adam fell in the original sin, and all mankind fell with him and in him, all mankind is now incapable of receiving life through that covenant. In other words, you and I are in no way capable of meriting life through any of our own works. We are dead in Adam and unable to live again. (Romans 5:12-21)

If God did not act, we would remain dead in Adam and come under the judgment of God's wrath in the Last Day. But God is gracious, loving, and good to sinners, and so made a second covenant with mankind: the covenant of grace. Whereas the first covenant of life is made with all mankind through Adam, the covenant of grace is made with elect mankind through Christ. Whereas the covenant of works extended an offer of life with a requirement attached, the covenant of grace extends a free offer of life with all the requirements being fulfilled through the work of Jesus. The only requirement on the part of the elect is to have faith in Jesus Christ. Even that faith is a gift from God, as it is the Holy Spirit who makes the elect willing and able to believe in Jesus. Therefore, the covenant of grace is gracious from top to bottom. All the work required is accomplished by Christ and given as a free gift to the elect, and even the faith required on our part is given as a free gift by the Holy Spirit.

+ Blessings in Christ +

Walking Through Westminster, WCF 6.3-6

Westminster Confession of Faith 6.3-6

III. They being the root of all mankind, the guilt of this sin was imputed; and the same death in sin, and corrupted nature, conveyed to all their posterity descending from them by ordinary generation.

IV. From this original corruption, whereby we are utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite to all good, and wholly inclined to all evil, do proceed all actual transgressions.

V. This corruption of nature, during this life, does remain in those that are regenerated; and although it be, through Christ, pardoned, and mortified; yet both itself, and all the motions thereof, are truly and properly sin.

VI. Every sin, both original and actual, being a transgression of the righteous law of God, and contrary thereunto, does in its own nature, bring guilt upon the sinner, whereby he is bound over to the wrath of God, and curse of the law, and so made subject to death, with all miseries spiritual, temporal, and eternal.

Summary

Since Adam and Eve are the root of all mankind, their corruption and sinful nature extends to all their descendants by ordinary generation (sexual reproduction). Just as surely as you can't make a good omelette with bad eggs, so we cannot expect Adam's descendants to be anything but sinful. All mankind descending from Adam by ordinary generation has entered the same fallen condition in him. As an aside, this is one reason why the virgin conception and birth of Jesus Christ is so fundamental to the gospel. If Christ was descended from Adam via ordinary generation (whether by Joseph impregnating Mary or any other man violating her), then Christ could not be without sin, and He would therefore be unable to reconcile us to God by taking sin upon Himself and giving His people His own sinlessness. Some false teachers have tried to lay aside the virgin birth of Jesus as not necessary for the gospel, but these people are ignorant or foolish and don't even understand the gospel as given to them. 

This sinful nature that all mankind has through Adam means that we are completely incapable of doing good, and only and entirely inclined to do evil. There may be people who appear better or more moral or more good than another, but the human soul is totally corrupted by sin, so that even the good we may do is still tainted with evil. When we define good as God defines it, we are wholly inclined against it unless God changes our hearts. From this original sin nature comes all actual sins which we commit. We sin, because we are sinful. We do not become sinful when we sin, but we are sinful and therefore commit sins. Jesus said in the gospel, "What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed all evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man." (Mark 7:20-23) We covet, because we are covetous. We commit adultery, because we are adulterous. We murder, because we are murderous. While some men express their sinfulness more openly than others, we all have the root of it in our souls. We are all just as capable of any of these wicked acts, and often commit them ourselves.

The corruption of sin remains, even when a sinner is converted and born again of the Holy Spirit. Through Christ, the believer's sin is pardoned, and by the working of the Holy Spirit, is mortified, but it still remains until death and unification with Christ. Further, it still remains sinful, even when present in the believer. The doctrine of perfectionism which teaches that believers are capable of achieving such a level of holiness that they cease to sin is despicable, repugnant to the word of God, and worthy of trampling under foot. Paul did not say, "I was the chief of sinners", but "I am the chief of sinners." The corruption of sin still warrants physical death, even for believers (with the biblical exceptions of those translated straight to heaven). We are still subject to death, but we are no longer subject to the miseries of death, both temporal and eternal. We will die physically, but Christ has died for our souls. The believer is granted eternal life through Christ such that they will never experience the spiritual death of eternal damnation in hell. Christ will also finally conquer death for good in the Resurrection, when He will raise all the elect believers from the dead, freeing them eternally from the bonds of physical death; a full reversal of the curse Adam brought upon us. This is our chief hope in God, and, without it, we are most pitiable. (1 Corinthians 15:19)

+Blessings in Christ +

 

Walking Through Westminster, WCF 6.1-2

Westminster Confession of Faith 6.1-2

I. Our first parents, being seduced by the subtilty and temptations of Satan, sinned, in eating the forbidden fruit. This their sin, God was pleased, according to His wise and holy counsel, to permit, having purposed to order it to His own glory.

II. By this sin they fell from their original righteousness and communion, with God, and so became dead in sin, and wholly defiled in all the parts and faculties of soul and body.

Summary

Mankind, in Adam and Eve, was originally created with the ability to truly obey or disobey God, being left by God to the freedom of their own will. However, being seduced and tempted by Satan in the garden of Eden, our first parents ate the forbidden fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and thereby fell from this state of original righteousness and communion with God. God had warned them in the beginning "in the day you eat of [the tree of the knowledge of good and evil] you shall surely die." (Gen 2:17). While Adam and Eve's physical life did not end the moment they ate the forbidden fruit, they did die spiritually. The spiritual death which they endured would bring physical death with it, as well. Part of being dead in sin also meant that mankind became wholly, or completely, defiled in every part of our soul and body. There was no part of the human person that was left unstained by sin's corruption. 

Discussed in a previous entry was the mistaken belief of dualism, common in many false religions, whereby the soul of a person is said to be pure, but the body defiled. This has been dealt with before and is obviously false, as it contradicts the Bible. Something more insidious, however, is a teaching that arose out of the "Enlightenment" of the 18th century. The main tenet of this philosophical movement, which is still embraced as inerrant truth by many today, is the idea that human reason is the supreme authority in all matters. While there were some aspects of the Enlightenment which were admirable and helpful, this teaching in particular has caused much trouble. The main problem with this belief (that human reason is the supreme authority in all things) is that it flies in the face of what God says and who God is. The Bible clearly teaches that all aspects of the human (mind, will, body, soul, etc.) have become corrupted by sin. (Rom 1:18-21) The Bible does not teach that human reason is worthless or unimportant (contra what many foolish people claim), but it does teach that human reason cannot be the supreme authority on any matter, because our ability to reason has been clouded by sin. The Enlightenment wanted to believe that, while sin may have had an effect on certain aspects of the world, the human ability to reason was left untainted and was still capable of objective assessment of reality. But the Bible clearly teaches that even our thinking has become corrupted by sin, so that we do not accurately perceive reality in ourselves. If human reason were a pair of glasses, then sin has smudged them to the point that we can no longer trust them to accurately reflect reality. We must have Someone outside of ourselves come and clean our glasses for us, before we can clearly see the world as it actually is. The Bible calls this "regeneration" or being "born again" and it is an act of God the Holy Spirit alone. (c.f. John 3:1-21)

+ Blessings in Christ +