Christmas; Just the Beginning

So your Christmas celebration is over. The plans for family gatherings are accomplished memories now. The presents are unwrapped, the surprises are known. Maybe you still have some decorations to stow away. Or maybe, you are just longing to get the house back to normal. Still there are sweet memories added to those you already have. Another year has come and gone.

I wonder what was running through Mary’s mind after the birth of Jesus was an accomplished fact. She had remembered the angel’s announcement over the nine months of her pregnancy. The pregnancy itself was a confirmation of the reality of his visit. So too were the stinging words of others around her once her “unplanned” pregnancy became known and obvious. The upheaval of her life by a government required journey to Bethlehem just before her time of delivery added to the uniqueness of the birth of her first child. Then there were the crowds, no room in the local inns, and the necessity of camping out in the nearby stable. What memories! What stories they would have to tell one another. Certainly the reality of labor and the care of that little child made the whole experience real and yet surreal.

Then the local shepherds came visiting to see the child of promise that night. They were so excited speaking about more angels and God’s glory. This story, their faces, their excitement added to the unusual yet very normal birth of the boy Jesus. Yes, that was his name given to him by Mary’s fiancé, Joseph. He too had spoken about an angel visit. That is what the angel Gabriel; that was his name wasn’t it? The memory seemed so long ago. That is what Gabriel had told her that she should name the baby. Joseph had been so kind. He seemed doubtful at first. Mary had hated to hurt him but what could she had said? She was pregnant and it wasn’t his child. All she knew was what the angel had said. It was confusing how she could be pregnant now and yet so simple the way that Gabriel had explained it. All Mary knew was that the power of the Most High had been promised to come upon her by the Holy Spirit almost like the beginning of time in the creation as Moses had written. And all this was emphasized by the shepherds’ story of the visit by a host of angels singing the glory of God in the heavens. And yet, in Mary’s arms lay a baby like so many other babies she had seen, though none had belonged to her like this one.

God, angels, the Romans, and a host of others had changed Mary’s life. Her plans for marriage, home, and family had been altered. Everything was different and yet it was right. All we know is that after the birth of Jesus in late hours of the night that Luke summed up Mary’s reaction with these words, “But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.” How she must thought and wondered. How she must have cherished the memories of those events over the years. How she must have considered deeply all that had been experienced, said, and reported to her about the little one that lay in her arms so like any other baby and yet so unique.

The story had just begun. So much had all ready happened. Yet so much more would be accomplished in the life of Jesus. He would surely change the world and in ways that most wouldn’t anticipate. Mary would never be the same. God would give her and Joseph a family and they would live in Nazareth but it all would be different from what they had imagined. God in the person of the LORD Jesus Christ had entered into human history. He had come to save. It was just the beginning…

So Christmas this year is just a beginning anew of God’s continued grace in your life. What has God changed in your life? What are God's promises in his word to you? You can put away all these Christmas things even as Mary did. Her life moved on to the greater events and greater sufferings. The most important event of Jesus’ life lay ahead for Mary, for the others around him, and for the world. Christmas is just the beginning. It didn’t end there. Just as a birth of baby is a beginning of new life, spiritual rebirth is just a beginning too. Are you living it out by faith in Jesus?

Christ in Genesis: Our Only Redeemer

   Christmas always brings an opportunity to preach on the incarnation of Christ. What a wondrous doctrine that is. What a daring act it was that the eternal Son of God did not think "...equality with God a thing to be grasped (or held on to) but made himself nothing, talking the form of a servant being born in the likeness of men." (Phil. 2:6,7). This supreme act of grace, love, mercy, and self-sacrifice was always part of the grand plan of God. So I began a preaching series on Christ in Genesis. If we really believe Jesus words that the scriptures testify of Jesus (John 5:39) then we should see him in all of scripture.

   I believe that Jesus is present in the beginning of all things just as the Father and the Holy Spirit are. John 1:1-3 tells us that much. Indeed John wrote that through the Word, Jesus, the 2nd person of the Trinity, all things were made. Now the triune God is referenced in Genesis 1:26. Clearly, God is the main character of Genesis 1 and 2 even though mankind is introduced. In Genesis 3 the scene certainly shifts to the ground war between our first parents and the Tempter Satan, as he is presented for the first time as a serpent (see Rev.12:9). I would submit that nonetheless this text is about God more than man. Here at the very beginning of things Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is introduced as mankind's only redeemer. We need a divine redeemer. Jesus Christ is it. We need God for more than our physical life. We need redeeming grace.

   In Genesis 3 the scene between the Tempter and our first parents is played out and our first parents, Adam and Eve, realize their sin before and their separation from God. They run and hide like we all have learned to do. Who comes? Who makes the first move to restore the broken relationship? It is God! More strikingly it is the LORD God coming in the form of one walking in the garden in the time of the evening breeze (Genesis 3:8,9). Unlike the Tempter who came in disguise and subtlety Christ comes quietly serenely calling out for man who has hid himself among the plants and trees.

   Christ comes. That is the message of scripture. Throughout the Old Testament the pre-incarnate Christ is depicted in human form. He is The Angel of the LORD. He appeared in human form to the patriarchs. Why is it that mankind (male and female) is made in the image of God unlike the rest of the creatures? Why is it that Christ comes born of a woman, born under the law (Gal. 4:4)? Yes he came to redeem. He came and shared in flesh and blood (Heb. 2:14-17). It has been stated that the anthropomorphisms of God are founded on the divine condescension of God which culminated in the incarnation of God in Christ. Yet this was not just for effect. We are made in the image of God and Christ comes in our flesh and blood to be a fit substituted because God made us to have vital communion and fellowship with him!

   God did not leave mankind in the self-imposed sinful condition. God in Christ comes to redeem us. God used the free sinful action of Adam to reveal himself as redeemer. The plan was set by grace. Satan set it in motion. God had Christmas, the incarnation of Christ, in the plan from the beginning.

   These were some of my thoughts from scripture I preached this past Sunday. Christmas isn't just a New Testament reality. Join us for the next several weeks as we explore from God's word Christ in Genesis at Grace Fellowship OPC in Huron, OH.  http://graceop.org/

Creation Ordinances

I was preparing my sermon on the fourth commandment this week. I was re-reading the book, The Market Day of the Soul by James T Dennison, Jr. where he shows the development of the Puritan doctrine of the Sabbath as a creation ordinance. The concept of a creation ordinance got me thinking about the news today of the action of the PCUSA affirming so called “homosexual marriage.” I refer to this as “so called” because by definition the term “homosexual marriage” is nonsense by definition. Marriage is a creation ordinance instituted by God as the mutual and intimate covenant relationship between a man and a woman and it has been acknowledged as a cultural universal for the history of humanity. Clearly the promoters of homosexual unions as “marriage” are on the wrong side of history, but I digress.

An acquaintance of mine wrote on his blog about the present state of the PCUSA. This action does not make them apostate. That sad fact occurred when that branch of Presbyterian Churches embraced “liberalism” and denied the scriptures as the infallible rule of faith and practice. J. Gresham Machen understood this in the 1920s and wrote the book, Christianity and Liberalism, in which he affirms that Liberalism is not another form of Christianity but entirely different, so different as to belong to a distinct category. The actions of the present General Assembly have their roots in this sad history of denying the scriptures. I am saddened by this expected result in the church of my youth. I was a member of the then UPUSA in Ohio. I remember as a teen when my family left with other families to start a new as a congregation of the newly formed PCA in the early 1970s that homosexuality was already an issue in Eastminster Presbytery of the UPUSA. The issue then and now is not homosexuality per se; it is the authority of God’s word. While I am not surprised, I am still saddened and even weep before God for the Church of Jesus Christ.

But my thoughts are not solely focused on the news of the PCUSA but really about creation ordinances. It absolutely astounds me that modern man has the very audacity to attempt to over throw the creation ordinances of God. To be sure, no lightening is immediately striking the arrogant rebels. They think God either doesn’t exist or doesn’t care. I think otherwise (Romans 2:3-7). Indeed God must sit in the heavens as ruler and king and laugh at our puny efforts to overturn His order (Psalm 2). A school boy learns that one can fight against God’s natural law of gravity only so long but in the end it will overtake you. We are creatures of this creation. God’s order, whether natural law or spiritual law, wins in the end. It is the reality we must deal with. We are not God. We bought the lie of Satan that we can be but that doesn’t make it any more true.

So my heart grieves for those who set up their own laws to replace the laws of God. This is nothing but self-destructive behavior. The reality and futility of sin will be made manifest but how many lives will be eternally ruined because of the present purveyors of such monstrous thinking and teaching? How many families will be torn apart by this irrational stupidity? In fact, I believe is it the goal of Satan and those that follow his perverse thinking that people should tear apart their most cherished relationships, kill their unborn offspring, and destroy themselves physically and spiritually by outright rebellion against God. What is the end? I marvel that many don’t see it. The end is the enslavement of all under sin and evil. Without spiritual discipline and the truth of God all we have is slavery and death. It seems ironic that this should be most manifest in America, “the land of the free and home of the brave.” America that has become the land of political correctness and government tyranny by regulation. America, the place where anything is tolerated so long as it isn’t the truth and true freedom.

But back to creation ordinances. They are the fabric of life in this age. They will not disappear whatever human beings may do. Only one man has kept them. That man is the man Jesus Christ, the Son of God come in the flesh. Only by faith in his righteousness and self-sacrifice is there life for the souls of men, women, and children. If we want to be true patriots we need to do two things. We must call men and women to repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus. We must defend and practice the creation ordinances of God. If we wish to remain free we must preserve the sanctity of marriage and the family, we must defend the necessity and legitimacy of labor, and we must observe and rest in the hope of the Sabbath (Genesis 2:1-3; Heb 4:4ff).

Sanctification and the Means of Grace

All the dust up about sanctification, the three uses of the law in reformed theology, and the distinction between law and gospel involving Tullian Tchividjian and members of the Gospel Coalition reveals that controversy isn’t easily diffused. The blog on Ligionier posted the applicability of John Newton’s warnings about controversy here. We should all heed Newton’s advice about warily taking up controversies. Indeed such controversies rightly or wrongly entered upon affect the greater circle of Christians as well as non-Christians.

I am not attempting here to add any more light or heat to what has already been posted elsewhere. I do hope the men involved can find a way to further the discussion without making caricatures of other’s opinions and to be reconciled doctrinally or personally where needed.

I was struck about one thing in the issue of sanctification that was raised. What seems central to me and important for all believers is the rediscovery of the ordinary means of grace. We can talk about categories of law and definitions of terms but in the end the Christian believer is strengthened in his faith and one grows in his sanctification by the faithful use of the God ordained means of grace. These are not mere good works or activities that believers do as suggested by some.

Historically the “means of grace” are believed to be those things which God has given to strengthen the believer’s faith. The reformed churches have customarily considered the “means” as being comprised of the Word of God, the sacraments, and prayer. What is meant by this terminology is that God’s grace, his favor to us in Christ, is communicated by the Holy Spirit through these ordinary means. Ordinary they are. There is nothing fancy or spectacular about them. That is partly why they are ordinary. They are termed ordinary however because they are the ordinary or normal means whereby Christ communicates the benefits of his mediation (WLC # 154). Christ does this by the effective work of the Holy Spirit who applies the work of Christ to the believer. This application of the benefits of redemption purchased by Christ is through the Holy Spirit’s working faith in the believer and by the instrumentality of faith uniting the believer to Christ.

What seems apparent to me is that the work of God’s grace in sanctification is the result of the ongoing union with Christ by faith through God’s appointed means. We can talk about the lack of power of the law and the power of the gospel but the scriptures are plain. The power is the working of the Holy Spirit applying the word (law and gospel) to the believer’s heart and life. Grace isn’t a mystical thing but the unmerited favor of God to the believer in Christ. The power is the recreative and redemptive power of God wrought by the Holy Spirit upon the heart and life of one through faith. The ordinary means are indispensible because they are the ordinary channels of God’s grace to us.

If we want to grow in grace we need to use the means of grace to strengthen and grow in our union with Christ by faith. That is why faith is important and active in appropriating the means of grace. Whatever we may think about the above controversy all of us would agree that we must diligently apply the means of grace with faith. This is key to our spiritual growth. Too many believers have left the ordinary means in search of the “extra-ordinary.”

The Humility of Humility

I’ve been working through Philippians 2. The Apostle Paul writes strikingly and clearly about the divinity and humanity of Jesus Christ. And while this central truth of Christianity is important Paul uses it as an encouragement for our lives as believers. In other words, Paul wants us to understand and to live out the reality of our union with Jesus Christ that is effected through faith alone. So what does union with Christ practically look like?  In one word, humility.

Humility seems easier when we are faced with the accolades of others and we feel uncomfortable about the attention. We can shy away from public adulation though some of us tend to inwardly like it. Humility seems possible when we are called to perform some service that is needful but perhaps “below our pay grade.” Christians seem to quickly embrace service because after all, we know that Jesus came to serve others, us. We can “do” that. Humility is something we can resign ourselves to when things are not going our way and someone has to give in for the success of the project or ministry. That seems like the right thing to do.

Humility gets really hard when we have to, as Paul puts it, obey. Ouch! That is difficult especially for 21^st century evangelicals. That smacks of law and an unyielding God who makes Old Testament like demands. I mean, the Apostle Paul is the one who wrote, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” (Gal 5:1). We like the idea of liberty and freedom.

Paul also reminds us that not only was he a bond-servant of the Lord (Romans 1:1, Galatians 1:10) but we are to present ourselves as slaves to righteousness and servants of God (Romans 6:19). Now to be sure Paul is writing in human terms but the seriousness of the real Lordship of Jesus Christ cannot be understated. What we are talking about is sanctification.

Note the humility in the believer’s obedience in Philippians 2. The believer is to be doing all things without grumbling and disputing. God calls us like Christ to sacrifice ourselves trusting in his good plan. Like Christ by faith we are to be obedient to the extreme. God doesn’t promise us an easy life. We are called to die to self and to the world. Humility means that we ought not grumble and complain as we so often are tempted to do even when we suffer and struggle. It isn’t about our rights but God’s glory and his purposes which are really for our good. Real humility starts with easy things and moves to the sacrifice of one’s self for Christ and his kingdom glory.

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus…being found in the appearance as a man he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even, the death of the cross.”

“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.”

Books and Sanctification

Books! I find myself in agreement with the preacher of Ecclesiastes where he writes, “...Of making many books there is no end, and much study is wearisome to the flesh.” This probably sounds strange coming from a pastor. I am always challenged by the number of books written and people asking me my opinions of them. I am a slow reader and it takes me much time to work through books.

I was recently asked my opinion on the book, “Extravagant Grace” by Barbara Duguid. This volume has received many good reviews. The inquirer had some questions and concerns. There are also a couple of reviews out there that raise some criticism. Even the OPC magazine, New Horizons posts a positive review in the February 2014 issue and a letter in May 2014 issue that offers a critique. So what did I think? Yep, I had to admit I hadn’t read the book.

So, my comments are not about Mrs. Duguid’s book, “Extravagant Grace” but about the topic raised by it and my questioner, Sanctification. I just want to make one point from the scriptures that I think is relevant to the discussion and perhaps of help to others.

In my own personal battle with sin a verse of scripture brought illumination and a sense of freedom, I Corinthians 1:30. Paul declares that Jesus Christ is the believer’s sanctification. In my struggle with learned habitual sins and my own weaknesses that are common to many (I Cor 10:13), I came to understand that my only hope is faith in Christ. This faith, just like the faith of justification is not a passive faith but an active trust. I could endeavor, plan, plot, promise, and try to live righteously with tears on my own all I wanted but I would fail. Surrender to my sin is the great temptation by the Tempter himself.

I read Paul in Romans 7:15-25 and I began to hope. “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” I read again I Corinthians 1:30. I read again Ephesians 4:17-24. Who is the new man? It is Jesus Christ. How do I put him on? I put him on by faith. Sanctification is by faith, an active faith which engages the will, heart, and mind to live as one united to Jesus Christ by faith. I settle for nothing less than living by faith in the Son of God, fleeing to him for forgiveness, and being fed upon him by the word of God, the sacraments, and prayer.

Just like books, there is no end to sin. No they aren’t the same but I need sanctification in both areas. My hope in the battle with sin is in my union with Jesus Christ by faith. By faith I stand and live in the daily struggle against sin and for sanctification. That is my hope for you too.

Our Resurrection in Christ

Doubtless there were many sermons preached on Easter Sunday, April 20. I did preach on the theme from I Corinthians 15. While I think that recognized religious holidays give pastors an opportunity to preach and that such holidays give churches an opportunity to share the essentials of the gospel, I think there is great benefit in the position that every Sunday is “Resurrection Sunday” and that the Christian Sabbath is the great day of week. It is a promise of the believer’s rest in Christ (Heb 4:1-10).

The idea of the Sabbath that Jesus taught that “…the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath,” relates to the promise of the resurrection and our union with Christ Jesus by faith. I am referring to the immense and often under rated benefit of the Christian believer’s union with Christ or, as it is commonly referred to, one’s relationship with Christ.

John Calvin argues thoroughly in his commentary on I Corinthians 15 that there is “a mutual and reciprocal result” established from Christ to us and from us to Christ. Behind Paul’s argument in that chapter, stands the reasoning that if Christ has risen then believers will be raised and if Christ has not risen then believers will not be raised. Equally, if believers are raised then Christ must be raised and if we are not raised from the dead then Christ has not been raised. He even goes so far to reason that “Christ did not die or rise again for Himself, but for us…” and he states further that Christ’s resurrection finds its purpose not in himself but in its result of the resurrection of his own members.

There is a connection or rather a union here. This is a relationship but more than a relationship defined in the common sort of way of an emotional connection. Nor is the believer’s relationship with Christ merely economical where we simply get things (salvation, justification, redemption, resurrection, heaven, etc.) from Jesus. As real as emotional and economical benefits in Christ are, something more profound is expressed.

What we should understand is that our relationship with Jesus by faith is one of union or identity. Christ’s death becomes the death of the believer by faith. Christ’s resurrection becomes the believer’s resurrection by faith. By this I do not mean to imply that ours is merely a spiritualized death or resurrection. No, we must truly die to self and our body of sin must die yet the penalty of death for sin is fulfilled by Christ for us so that our death is not penal (see Westminster Larger Catechism Q85). The essence of the substitutionary atonement is that Christ bears the believer’s sin, its guilt, and its required punishment for them. In this faith union believers are also sharers in his resurrection. As surely as he was raised from the dead believers will be bodily raised from the dead too. Indeed, the purpose of the resurrection of Jesus is the resurrection of believers in him. Christ has entered into his glory. Believers, by their faith union in him, enter into their share of his glory. The great Sabbath Rest is pictured and promised at every public Sunday/Sabbath worship. You see, every Christian Sabbath is Resurrection Sunday.

Christ was raised for us! (Romans 6:1-14)