Because I Wanted To- A Reflection on Why We Sin in James 1.14-15

November 18, 2008

“But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” -James 1.14-15

There is always a question of why we choose to sin. Of particular interest I believe is the question of why believers, once they have experienced “the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3.5), still fall victims to sin? Granted, there are a few among us who hold to a heretical view of sinless perfectionism, but even those of an Arminian bent towards apostasy will still admit that believers sin as believers. But why?

The thing we should consider first is that, though we have been caused to be born again (1 Peter 1.3) we still exist in the flesh where sin dwells (Galatians 2.20, Romans 7.17-18), and thus it is necessary that we daily struggle to be made perfect like Christ (Romans 8.29, Philippians 3.12).

So then, why is it that we are not perfect? Why is it that we “do not do what [we] want, but [we] do the very thing[s we] hate” (Romans 7.15)? It is this which I think James perfectly explains in his words. We sin because, at some level, there is a part of us which has not been crucified with Christ, and this part we not only still have, but we still desire to fulfill it. Whether the particular vice is sexual immorality, greed, anger, or laziness, if there is still a part of our sin nature which we have not turned over to God, though it has been fully forgiven already, it will still give rise to a desire to commit sin. It is because of this that we must turn everything over to Christ, why we must practice taking up our cross daily and dying to self (Luke 9.23), so that those desires which lure us in like a fish on a hook will no longer have hold on our lives, no longer driving us to sin and away from God.

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Dear Titus, . . . - An In-Depth Look at Paul’s Epistle, Titus 1.3-4

November 7, 2008

“And at the proper time manifested in his word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior.” (Titus 1.3)

God hid his plan from all until the right time in which he sent Christ to the world and nailed him to the Cross. Not the angels not the prophets knew of who or what they foresaw, but now the Gospel truth is present for all to see through the preaching of the word (1 Peter 1.10-12). It is this preaching which has been entrusted to Paul as his calling, specifically among the Gentiles (Romans 15.8-21). Yet again, lest we think Paul took on this task by his own desire, we are reminded that it was the command of our God which led him so. Notice the priority placed upon preaching, ‘kerygma’, the heralding. It is by these means which God’s promise is made manifest to the world. The God who could write the Gospel in the clouds for all to see or send angels to declare him from heaven, instead chose human transmission and testimony as his way of reaching the lost and dying. For this reason we are not absolved of responsibility in sharing the Gospel with others but thus must always be engaged in preaching and evangelism so that all may hear and may have the opportunity to believe (Romans 10.14-17).

“To Titus, my true child in a common faith: . . . ” (1.4)

All who are believers in Christ (i.e. united by a common faith) are related in his family. In this instance we see moreover that Titus is Paul’s child, a disciple who he has raised through the faith into a man ready to handle the capacities of the pastorate.

“Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.” (1.4)

Grace and peace are blessings bestowed upon us by God through the actions of Christ. The presence of grace and peace in our lives assures us of God’s mercy and Christ’s sacrifice. For grace saves us and peace allows us to trust fully in God without the anxious distractions otherwise there.

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Dear Titus, . . . - An In-Depth Look at Paul’s Epistle, Titus 1.2

November 6, 2008

” . . . in hope of eternal life . . . ” (Titus 1.2)

This is not a fingers-crossed hope of uncertainty, but a hope which keeps Paul striving forward to the goal.  This is the same hope which Peter speaks of being regenerated to, a hope based on an inheritance which is being guarded by God that it may be given to those who have believed (1 Peter 1.3-5).  This eternal life is a result of our faith (John 3.16) and is an eternity to be spent in the presence of the God who saved us (Revelation 21.1-4).

” . . . which God, who never lies, . . . ” (1.2)

God is an honest God.  Not deceitful, not coniving as the capricious gods of Greek mythology.  We may trust what God says as truth and what he promises as a sure promise.  None shall find in the end that they did what God commanded and yet he was unfaithful.  God’s Word is truth and we can never go wrong by trusting in his revealed word to us.

” . . . promised before the ages began . . . ” (1.2)

It was God’s plan all along to bring us into eternity with him.  Some say that the Bible is a story of going between two trees: the tree of life in the Garden of Genesis 2 and the tree of life in the Holy City of Revelation 22.  Both of these trees represent God’s unwavering commitment to glorify his people for all time at his side, eternally dwelling in their presence and sharing his divine glory with them.

In this we also see a reiteration of the fact that God chose his people, the elect, before the foundation of the earth (Ephesians 1.4), which is God’s declaration that this was the plan all along and not some second-chance to fix an earlier mistake.  God’s purposes will not be frustrated.

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Dear Titus, . . . - An In-Depth Look at Paul’s Epistle, Titus 1.1

November 5, 2008

Over the next several days I will be out of town attending the John 3.16 Conference in Woodstock, GA and so during that time, in order to keep making posts, I will be unveiling a brief series of posts featuring expanded thoughts on the introduction to the book of Titus. These posts will occur in what should be a larger look at Titus appearing here over the next month or two. When I return I will be posting the last post or two in the predetermination vs. foreknowledge series, and then we will have an extended response to what is said this weekend at the conference. I pray that you guys enjoy the commentary while I’m gone and have a nice rest of the week.

* * * * *

“Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ . . . ” (Titus 1.1)

From the outset Paul lays down where he stands in relation to God and from whom his authority comes. As a servant, Paul is bound to doing the will of his master. This submission is displayed throughout the New Testament, both by obedience to God’s direct instruction (Acts 16.6-10, 18.9-11) or by a more general adherence to God’s universal commands (such as the universal call to evangelism).

As for authority, we find reference in other of Paul’s writings to argue that what he says is not based on his own will or desire but is the word spoken straight from God (1 Corinthians 1.17, 14.37, Galatians 1.11-12, 1 Thessalonians 2.13). Thus again, Paul’s authority to instruct comes from submission to God as master first, and is followed by his faithfulness to the Word of God spoken into his life. Were this the mere philosophical or pragmatic writings of a fallen human then we could just throw them out and ascribe to our own pinnings, but since this is the purpose of the Almighty God transmitted through his humble servant we should take heed.

” . . . for the sake of the faith of God’s elect . . . ” (1.1)

Paul is directing this letter specifically to an overseer so that it may be used in regards to the whole body of true believers, the elect. Clearly Paul sees no distinction between the elect and just plain believers, or else we must take this epistle to have direction for only part of the church, and an unidentifiable part at that. Does this make much sense?

” . . . and their knowledge of the truth . . . ” (1.1)

Not only is Paul writing to Titus but he is writing for the elect, that they may receive more of the light through the words he’s about to share. The pastor should always be concerned about the knowledge of his people. If a congregant claims to be saved and yet Sunday to Sunday is not growing in their knowledge and understanding of the things of God then the elders and leadership must be accountable to helping them make the connect. A church filled with static believers will struggle to do the depth of the work which God has called them to.

” . . . which accords with godliness, . . . ” (1.1)

There is no way to be gaining in knowledge of the truth and not at the same time being further conformed into the image of Christ (Romans 8.29). By knowing the truth we know Jesus (John 14.6) and knowing Jesus we cannot help but be changed (2 Corinthians 5.14-21).

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The Language of Salvation- A Further Look at Misusing Phrases and Imagery for Salvation

October 28, 2008

Just to continue the idea that I started yesterday, about the misuse of certain verses and imagery in presenting the Gospel message, I thought I would share with you guys a quote from Dr. John MacArthur which deals with the subject:

Listen to the typical gospel presentation nowadays. You’ll hear sinners entreated with words like, ‘accept Jesus Christ as personal Savior’; ‘ask Jesus into your heart’; ‘invite Christ into your life’; or ‘make a decision for Christ.’ You may be so accustomed to hearing those phrases that it will surprise you to learn that none of them is based on Biblical terminology. They are the products of a diluted gospel. (The Gospel According to Jesus, p.21)

These words strike even further to the core of what I simply breached yesterday which was the fact that many evangelists just throw around spiritual phraseology, to the point that we basically accept it as biblical talk, and yet at the end of the day most of it doesn’t stand up to the truth of Scripture.

The thing that is even more provoking about it is that all of these phrases seem to emphasize a highly man-centered view of the act of salvation. Now, I believe that man does have the responsibility of exercising repentance and faith in the act of redemption, as called by forth by Acts 2.42 and Romans 10.9, but by describing the receiving of salvation as “asking Jesus into your heart” or “accepting Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior” it seems we lose the very God-centered flavor of many passages in Scripture, such as 1 Peter 1.3 (”Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again . . . “) or Ephesians 2.4-5 (”But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ- by grace you have been saved“) or Colossians 2.13 (”And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses“).

Scripture is very clear that there is some sense in which it is God who “saved us . . . according to his own mercy” (Titus 3.4-7), and yet that is overlooked, even taboo in some circles of the church. Maybe this is part of our wanderings in attractional, self-esteem based evangelism which makes us desire the act of salvation to be a brass ring that we are skilled enough to grab, I don’t know. But I can tell you this, if we really long to see a change in the life of the American church we are in dire need of a return to the biblical accounts of salvation which emphasize God’s goodness and our inability, a humbling perspective on what has become a disgustingly consumerist idea.

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Nobody’s Home- Addressing the Misuse of Revelation 3.20

October 27, 2008

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” -Revelation 3.20

I’m sure all of us, at some point, have been sitting in a church service and heard the pastor make a statement like,

And after rising again Jesus said “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door I will come in to him and dine with him.” He wants to come into your heart and life and live with you forever. Take you home to heaven, make you God’s child. The question is are you going to say “Go away Jesus” or are you going to say “Yes, Jesus. I want you to come into my heart and save me.”

Sounds good, doesn’t it. Sounds too good, huh?

I don’t know about you, but whenever I here this verse presented this way, which I did just recently sitting in an evangelistic event, it makes me cringe. I guess there is a lot of me that is turned off simply by the highly Arminian nature of the whole blurb, but even if that were all removed, even if it were just the presentation of Revelation 3.20 in this manner, using it as an evangelistic verse, I would still be highly concerned. Simply put, this is not a verse about salvation, and to use it as such misses the entire context of what Christ is trying to say.

In context what we see is this:

And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation. I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ (Revelation 3.14-22)

The first clue to us that this is not an evangelistic verse is the fact that it occurs in a letter, spoken by Jesus, transcribed by John, to the church at Laodicea. Now, these days when we think of a church we think of a building with people who come to it on Sunday morning and Wednesday night. However, at the time of this writing, the church still held its intended meaning, that being of a collection or assembly of believers in Christ. So this is a letter to the group of believers who live in the city of Laodicea. Thus, and this is enough evidence for most people, if the recipients of the letter are supposed to be believers, then why would Christ be offering them salvation? Doesn’t make sense, does it?

However, that’s not all. Look at the words in verse 15: “I know your works . . . Would that you were either cold or hot!” But, if these people are lost and in need of the “gospel invitation” as many people claim, then how possibly could Jesus ask them to have hot or cold works? Can their works save them or please God in anyway if they are lost (Hebrews 11.6)?

What about verse 19: “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.” This is an invitation to accept Christ’s discipline. And what do we know about discipline? Hebrews 12.7-8, “It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.” If there is discipline then you know you are a son. But if you are a son, why would you need the gospel, since your sonship is coincident with salvation (Romans 8.14-17, Ephesians 1.3-5, Galatians 4.1-7)?

All taken into account, I think it is clear that this is not an evangelistic verse. Instead, what this is is an invitation to fellowship with Christ. It is clear from Scripture that we are not perfect once saved (Philippians 3.12) but God’s command to us is to continue being conformed into the likeness of Christ throughout our natural lives (Romans 8.29). Therefore, there may be some people who have been saved and yet, for whatever reason, have broken fellowship with their Lord and Savior. Then what Christ wants them to know is that, though they may have slid into living in the old self for a while, Christ will still knock on the door, convicting their heart to repent and recommit themselves to the practice of being crucified daily.  That is the point of Revelation 3.20.

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Not by the Sword- David on the Coming Salvation in 1 Samuel 17.46-47

October 23, 2008

“This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the LORD saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give you into our hand.” -1 Samuel 17.46-47

These are the final recorded words spoken between David and the giant Goliath before David laid him flat with a well-placed smooth river stone.  Yet in these words we find more than just biblical trash talk, we see inspired words of prophecy, speaking forth to the final triumph of Christ over Satan the deceiver.

The key passage is verse 47 where David speaks to “this assembly,” or what we now call the church (the word translated today as ‘church’, ekklesia, is the Greek translation provided for the word ‘assembly’, qahal, in Hebrew), informing them that the battle is not to be won through man-centered wars and the skill of warriors in the field, but instead that God controls the battle and he will provide victory for his people apart from these means.

Of course, this prophecy finds its completion in the person and work of Jesus Christ, who destroyed death through his own death (Hebrews 2.14-15), bringing life and immortality through the proclamation of the Gospel (2 Timothy 1.10), and who has all things subjected to his reign through his resurrection and ascension to glory (Ephesians 1.20, 22).  It is by this action that we may find personal victory over death (1 Corinthians 15.54-57), not accomplished by our own struggling against evil (Ephesians 2.8), and it is in his spoils that we may share (Ephesians 2.6).

David knew who was at work when he went into the battle; 1 Samuel 17.37a, “And David said, ‘The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.’“  What a blessing it would be for us if we worked to understand God’s sovereign grace in this way!

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The Peace of Atonement- A Devotion on Isaiah 6.7

October 18, 2008

“And he touched my mouth and said: ‘Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.‘” -Isaiah 6.7

Isaiah receives peace at the knowledge of the propitiation for and expiation of his sins. I too must learn always to dwell in this peace, be it from the burden of my own uncleanliness (Colossians 2.13-14) or from the general unworthiness I have to serve God to begin with (Romans 3.23). God is my only hope for peace. Against him alone have I sinned (Psalm 51.4) and from him alone comes mercy and grace (Jonah 2.9). Amen.

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The Measure of a Man- Spurgeon on Proper Perspective in Ministry

October 17, 2008

“When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.” -Proverbs 11.2

One of my biggest problems, a concern I am reminded of most every time I present a Bible study lesson or special message before a crowd, is an unholy preoccupation with the responses of men. My own pride and desire to see myself elevated has many times gotten in the way of my ability to advance the cause of Christ in my circumstances, and it seems that, as someone who has recently received the call into pastoral ministry, this is an issue I will have need to focus on for the remainder of my ministry on earth.

Of course, this problem goes beyond just a desire for people to like me, extending out into areas such as innovation and uniqueness of my work. It is here that the words of God to an Elijah who thought much too highly of his own importance should be heard:

And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He said, “I have been very jealous for the LORD, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” And the LORD said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. And Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint to be king over Israel, and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint to be prophet in your place. And the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael shall Jehu put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha put to death. Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.” (1 Kings 19.13-18)

Another quote which I find helpful here is the following from Charles Spurgeon in his book An All-Round Ministry:

Let us not judge ourselves by others, and say, with deadening self-complacency, “We are getting on well as compared with our brethren. There are not many additions to our churches, but we are as successful as others.” . . . Let us measure ourselves by our Master, and not by our fellow-servants: then pride will be impossible, but hopefulness will be natural.

Elijah held himself in too high an esteem, Spurgeon warns against measuring by inappropriate markers, and the onus falls on me to take these thoughts to heart. Pride comes before the fall (Proverbs 11.2). This is certainly a lesson that I must learn if I am going to be able to execute a God-honoring ministry with my life. Maybe this will find you too.

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Calvinism in the SBC- Some Verses Addressing Evangelism

September 26, 2008

“If a Calvinist is a soul winner it is in spite of Calvinism, not because of it.” -Dr. Jerry Vines, a sermon entitled Calvinism: A Baptist and His Election

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” -Acts 1.8

“How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? . . . So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” -Romans 10.14, 17

“For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” -Esther 4.14

Looking back at the debate over whether Calvinism is acceptable in the SBC, I will give the opponents the benefit of the doubt in saying that their main concern is with a Calvinists commitment to evangelism. I agree, if Calvinism leads people to not share the Gospel with the lost nations of the world then it is a thing which needs to be fought against. However, what I am here to say is that, not only is consistent Calvinism not non-evangelistic, but in fact evangelism should be at the core for any Calvinist.

How can I say that, you may wonder, seeing as how the generic mindset of a Calvinist is that “God will save who he will save”? Well, simply because Calvinists do believe that God will save who he will save, and that whomever he has elected he will ensure that they hear the Gospel and are irresistibly drawn to it, the fact remains that the only authorized vehicle ordained by God for making sure people hear the Gospel is by the preaching and teaching of his word. As Peter says in Acts 4.12, “For there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved [than Jesus Christ].” And, if that is the case, then combining this with Paul in Romans 10, we find that the only way people will be saved by that name is by the sending forth of preachers and missionaries to deliver it.

Yet still we are left with that balance: if we are certain that God will accomplish the work, what is it that keeps us from being lazy and just leaving it to someone else to do? Well, the first reason I would give is because what other activity under the sun could be more personally rewarding than seeing a fellow human being come to the knowledge of their Savior through what God does in your personal ministry? The excitement of knowing that God chose you to be the deliverer of the Good News to a soul which no longer has to live under fear of dying and going to hell is a priceless experience that one would have to be a fool to pass up. Still, maybe Calvinists are those fools, what then?

If this were possibly the case then I guess my next retort would be to turn to a passage we just looked at on here, that being Esther 4.14. This is where Mordecai is pleading with Esther to step up and work to secure the preservation of the Jewish people under the hand of her husband Xerxes and he says to her,

For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

To me this statement embodies what a consistent Calvinist should be about when it comes to evangelism. Yes, God will save who he will save. But, is it worth the disobedience to his commands (Matthew 28.18-20, Acts 1.8) to just sit back and let others do it? And, for someone who cherishes the role of God’s providence and sovereign decrees, as any 5-point Calvinist must, who are you to say that God isn’t planning on using you to do his work here?

Simply said, to claim that adherence to the classical 5-points of Calvinism makes a person naturally inclined against evangelism is a faulty argument and one which needs to be considered more carefully if we are to choose to drive a wedge through the SBC over it.

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