Of Cancer, God’s Glory, and Our Joy

How do you respond if a loved one learns that they have what is possibly terminal cancer?  That is what I’ve been considering today.

The truth is, one does not form a theology of pain, suffering, grief, and loss in ten minutes.  Normally it is not formed within twenty-four hours.

It is because I have studied the issue of the sovereign goodness and glory of God for a number of years that I have determined the following:

God works in men’s lives for the purpose of being glorified. “Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.” (Ps 30:11,12) KJV God works in the lives of men to give them joy that He might receive the praise and honor for His goodness toward men. The very reason that the Psalmist’s grief was replaced with great joy and gladness was so that he would sing praise to the Lord. Let us not forget that, while we live in a world that is cold, dark, and filled with trouble and grief, God is at work to glorify Himself by giving great joy to all who trust Him. That is why the child of God can say with assurance “We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Rom 8:28 ) KJV It is often difficult to trust in God and His wise plan for our lives. It is a matter of fact that human nature revolts against pain and suffering and often wonders how a good God can permit (and even send) these things. In the end, however, God is able (and will) use all of these things not just for His glory, but for the eternal joy of His people. That is His promise and His passion. He will not fail to do so. Paul spoke with confidence saying “I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom 8:38,39) KJV We, too, can rejoice knowing that neither cancer, nor heart disease, nor death of a spouse, nor death of a child, nor any other catastrophic even shall be able to prevent our loving God from glorifying Himself by giving us His joy forever.  With this confidence we can obey the command “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”  (1 Thess 5:18 ) KJV

I do not know what the future may hold for me and my family.  I do know that God is gloriously good, and that He is committed to glorifying Himself by causing us to rejoice in Him.

I must simply learn to appreciate God and find that joy that He has for me in all circumstances.

Just musing…

 

The Joy of God in Himself

The Joyful, Self-Sufficient Glory of God

God is happy being God. Does that shock you? Does it surprise you that God and joy can be spoken of in the same breath? Well, they can. In fact, God is the epitome of joy. “ Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” (Ps 16:11) KJV Heaven itself is a joy filled place. Why? Because God is joyful. Because of this truth, gospel preaching should be preaching that leads us to joy. Why? Because the gospel is good news of God’s glory (See 1Tim 1:11 which can be translated “the gospel of the glory of the blessed/happy God.”). The gospel tells us that God is happy and wants to share that joy with us. What greater news can there be? After all, to reword an old saying “If God ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.” On the other hand, if God is happy, the whole world can be happy!

God’s Self-Sufficient Joy

Why is God happy? God is pleased being God. God is pleased because He alone is God and is ruler over all. “Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.” (1Tim 6:16,16) KJV In all of the universe there is no god other than the God of the Holy Scriptures.

With the above truth in mind, let us examine first of all that God alone self-sufficient. When Moses inquired of the name of the God who was sending him to lead Israel out of Egypt God replied as follows: “ I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.” (Ex 3:14,15) KJV God’s name and memorial (synonymous terms for God’s fame) are based upon the fact that He is the I AM. God exists by His own power. No one gives God breath, or life, or anything that He needs. Not only so, but He is alone in His self-sufficiency. There is no other god to compare to Him (See Deut 6:4;Jer 10:10-16). God glories in being JEHOVAH, the self-sufficient, all-sufficient God. “I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.” (Isa 42:8 ) KJV God has no lack, because He is by nature self-sufficient. Thus God is satisfied and happy being God.

God’s Sovereign Joy

God is happy because He is sovereign. That is, God rules over all and is happy being that ruler. As we read the Psalms we find that the Psalmist very often exults in God and His character. One characteristic of God in which the Psalmist rejoices is His sovereignty which sets Him apart from all else that is called god. “Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake. Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now their God? But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.” (Ps 115:1-3) KJV God does what pleases Himself. Notice this, now: whatever God does is simply because He is pleased to do it. When it is done, God remains pleased. Contrast that with us humans. We are often kept from doing those things which please us. When we do those things which please us, we are often not pleased with the results. God is not so. “ I know that the LORD is great, and that our Lord is above all gods. Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places.” (Ps 135:5,6) KJV We read that God’s sovereignty is not hindered, neither is He prohibited from doing that which pleases Him. “Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.” (Isa 46:-11) KJV There is nothing that can stop the sovereign exuberance of God.

Perfect Joy

God’s joy is a perfect joy that is undimmed by any circumstance or person. God’s joy cannot be diminished, because God is eternal in nature (See Ps 90:1,2;Isa 57:15). Being eternal, God is undiminished in every aspect of His being. This is why the Psalmist said, “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” ( Ps 16:11) KJV In fact, the Scriptures speak of God as incorruptible and immortal; meaning that He cannot decay or become diminished in any manner. Thus it is that God is happy because He is perfect. Not only so, but whatever He does is perfect. “He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.” (De 32:4 ) KJV Thus it is the God is pleased in who He is and in all that He does.

Gospel And Joy

Why is it good news to us that God is gloriously happy? First of all, we could expect no joy for ourselves if God were not happy. At the same time, however, we’ve not rejoiced in the glorious joy of God. We are sinners. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” (Rom 3:23 ) KJV Not only have we sinned, but we’ve sinned in a specific way: we have not given God glory (See Rom 1:21). Neither have we loved God supremely as He commands us to do (See Matt 22:35-40). “This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.” (John 3:19,20) KJV This condemnation ends in eternal death as seen in Rev 20:11-15. The reason the joy of God is good news for us is that , in the midst of all of this sin and death, Jesus came as a man and made it possible for us to be reconciled to God. “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.” (2Cor 5:19) KJV We now have access back into the joy of God. In fact, as Jesus walked the earth, He stated that He had come and spoken to us that our joy might be a joy like His joy. “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.” (John 15:11) KJV In the end, Jesus plans to take us into His joy forever. His prayer for us was, “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.” (John 17:24) KJV Jesus desires us to forever be with Him in the place where there is fullness of joy. This is why He will declare to His own “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” (Matt 25:21) KJV

These things being true, come to the fountain of the water of life (Rev 21:6;22:17 ) and drink. Come to the bread of life and eat. “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” (John 6:35) KJV

 

Evidence For God 1

In a recent discussion I was asked if I could provide evidence-based reasoning in support of special revelation , ie the Holy Scriptures.

My response:

“What sort of evidence-based reasoning would you expect to find in support of special revelation?”

The reply:

“Take prayer, for instance. If it could be proven in a double blind test that there was a statistically significant increase in the recovery rate of hospital patients who are prayed for as opposed to those who are not prayed for, that would lend serious weight to the argument that an interventionist deity exist that is capable of answering prayer.”

First of all, before I enter into various evidences, there is a fundamental presupposition that is necessary to truly understand the issue of evidence in regard to the Divine.

When we speak of God we must understand that, even if one does not believe in Him, a God who is the Creator (for I speak of no other god) is going to be very different that what we expect. As Creator there are a few things that should be assumed due to the nature of the created order. This Creator would be omnipotent, for nothing less could make a universe so large and beyond our understanding. The power that has been expended to make the universe, and is being expended to sustain it, is obviously unlimited. This Creator would also be omniscient, having all knowledge and wisdom. A universe such as we have with all of its order, intricacy of detail, and beauties would require its designer to have an unlimited supply of knowledge and wisdom. This Creator would also be benevolent as He is obviously busy sustaining this world and His creatures with the things they need. This Creator would also be transcendent, being far greater and wholly other than His creation. This means that we should stand in awe of Him. It also means that, even if we don’t believe in Him, we should still approach the subject of God with a certain amount of awe. Why? Because if He does exist (and there are many who are not sure of this) He is much greater, mightier, wiser, and more beautiful than we are. He is superior to us. This superiority should cause us to take care in our approach to even the possibility of there being a God.

With the greatness of God in mind, let us move now to the next issue. A God of such greatness would not be likely to approach and reveal Himself to us on our terms. After all, He is wiser and more intelligent than we are. Let us use an example: President Bush can make himself known to us. Being our superior (not in worth, but in position) he will set the terms of engagement and revelation, however, not we. If this is true with humans, how much more so is it true with the Creator?

Having considered all of this, we must recognize that God does speak in His own way, but it is exactly that: His own way. It is not our way. We must not think that we can demand of God that He meet us on our terms. He is God and we are creatures. His logic and purposes are infinitely beyond us, save for that which He reveals to us. Because of this it would be an offense to His wisdom and greatness to attempt to meet Him on our terms.

In other words, the one who wants certain sorts of evidence-based reasoning will likely never be satisfied. We must accept that which God has given us and meet Him on His terms.

Having said all of this, stop back in next week for a consideration of some of the ways God has/does reveal Himself to us.

Just musing…

 

The Filling With The Holy Spirit

The Filling With The Holy Spirit

“And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.” (Eph 5:18 ) KJV

Be Filled With The Spirit

As we study the filling with the Holy Spirit it is essential that we recognize that the Scripture never commands us to seek the baptism with the Spirit of God. The command of this passage is to be filled with the Spirit. In fact, what we do notice as something that is the norm throughout the book of Acts is the fact that men were spoken of as being filled with the Spirit instead of experiencing the baptism with the Spirit as a sort of second blessing. It is especially important for us to notice that, for the New Testament Christian, the filling with the Spirit is subsequent to the baptism with the Spirit. “When the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” (Acts 2:1-4) Immediately upon being baptized with the Holy Ghost the early Christians were filled with the Spirit. From this time forward they are spoken of as being filled with the Spirit. When they were in need of God’s grace, the Scriptures tell us that they were blessed to be filled with the Spirit (See Acts 4:8-12,31;6:3,5;7:55 as examples.), not baptized anew with the Spirit.

We Are Called to Follow After Christ, Not to Seek A Second Blessing or Fresh Baptism With The Holy Ghost

Many who believe in the baptism with the Holy Spirit as a second blessing give a great emphasis to the Holy Spirit. While we certainly should not downplay the important work of the Spirit, we must understand that this is not the command of God for a Christian’s life. We are, rather, commanded to seek Christ. “ If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.” (Col 3:1-3) KJV Not only so, but the Holy Ghost was sent for the express purpose of glorifying Christ. Jesus said, “When he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.” (John 16:13,14) KJV The Spirit was sent to glorify Christ by guiding us into the truth of Christ Jesus our Lord. For this reason we should focus upon learning more of Jesus and seeking grace that we might honor Him with our lives. In so doing we shall find ourselves enjoying the work of the Spirit in our lives.

What Does It Mean to Be Filled With The Spirit?

What does it mean to be filled with the Spirit? That is what we must finally determine. After all, of what use is it to us to know that we must seek this blessing if we do not recognize it for what it is? First of all, our text gives us the key to understanding the filling with the Spirit. “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.” (Eph 5:18 ) KJV When one is drunken with wine they are controlled by the effects that the alcohol has on their system. In the same manner, one who is filled with the Spirit is under the control of the Spirit. (This analogy is also seen in Acts 2:13 where the Jews thought that the Spirit-filled Christians were drunken.) This means that we are willfully yielding to the influence and power of the Spirit of God as He works in our lives. At the same time, this means that we are not powerless pawns in the hands of one who is greater than we are. We are, rather, more in control than we were ever before. Why? Because the fruit of the Spirit is temperance. Thus, when one is filled with the Spirit they are able by His power to control their life, affections, attitudes, and actions.

When we are filled with the Spirit we will live in a spiritual manner. The Spirit testifies of Christ and will teach us the things of Christ (See John 16:12-15). By the aid of the infilling Spirit we can conquer sin and live godly lives. “ This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” (Gal 5:16) KJV The Spirit-filled person is one who is constantly doing battle with sin and winning the victory over it. The one who is filled with the Spirit is trusting God to help him with his life. “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” (Gal 2:20) KJV Finally, when we are filled with the Spirit of God, we will have the Christian attributes that show that we have been changed from merely fleshly people into spiritual people. That apostle Paul told the Galatians, “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” (Gal 5:19-25) KJV When we are filled with the Spirit we will be filled with the fruit of the Spirit instead of conducting ourselves according to the ugly and sinful manner of the flesh.

How To Be Filled With The Spirit

How is one filled with the Spirit? First of all, we must realize that this is done by faith. “Without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (Heb 11:6) KJV There is absolutely no way that we can honor God, or get anything from God without faith (See Rom 14:23;Jas 1:5-7). As was stated before, the one who is filled with the Spirit is trusting God to help him with his life. “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” (Gal 2:20) KJV Let us also come to the Word of God that we might learn more of what the Spirit has to teach us about Christ (See John 16:12-15;2Pet 1:16-21). Having learned what God has to say to us about Christ, and meditating upon the glories of Christ will fulfill the purpose of the Spirit of God in our lives, which purpose is to make us like Jesus. Paul said, “We all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” (2 Cor 3:18 ) KJV Again, the one who is filled with the Spirit is one who has yielded to His power and influence in their hearts and lives. That means that we must submit to God’s will, power, and His Word as He uses the Spirit to communicate Himself to us through His Word.

In conclusion, let us seek to be filled with the Spirit of God that our lives would be transformed and we would grow to be more and more like Jesus.

 

More on The Second Blessing Theology

A Consideration of Two Texts That Seem to Support The Doctrine of The Second Blessing

See part one here.

The following passages seem to support the doctrine of the second blessing. The question we must ask is, “Do they indeed support the doctrine of the second blessing?” The first thing we must note is the fact that it has already been determined from the Scriptures that the Baptism with the Holy Spirit is not a second blessing. At the same time, we must do justice to hard texts that seem to point in the other direction. They cannot be dismissed. Let us now examine these two texts.

Acts 8:14-17 Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost. (KJV) As we study this passage we must first understand the context. The disciples had stayed in Jerusalem until persecution caused many of them to flee to other places. As they fled, they preached. As they preached, people were converted. In Samaria folks believed on Jesus. Let us not forget that the Samaritans and Jews were not friendly to one another. We must also recall that the Jewish people had a very strong spirit of nationalism, and especially was it strong in relation to their religious views. The Scriptures show us evidence that it was difficult for the early church to accept that there were those who were not of Jewish descent who could be saved. It is no wonder that, when the church at Jerusalem heard of converts at Samaria, they sent some down to look into the matter. When Peter and John arrived in Samaria, they prayed for the new converts and laid their hands upon them. When this was done, the Samaritan believers received the gift of the Spirit.

Why did this happen in this manner, and what did it signify? First of all, this happening demonstrated to the Samaritans their acceptance into the body of Christ. They were received as true Christians by the apostles who were chosen by Christ to be His witnesses. There should be no doubt that this caused them much comfort. Not only so, but this action demonstrated that the apostles and the Jerusalem church were willing to share the honor of the gifts of the Spirit with the Samaritans. The laying on of hands signified their willingness to share with the Samaritans the blessings that they had enjoyed because of Jesus (compare Num 27:18-23). This happening was not something that was normal. In other words, we need not expect the coming of the Spirit to happen in this manner as a matter of course. These events happened in this manner because God was working through this to emphasize the unity that is in the body of Christ. This unity was taught by Paul when he said, “ As the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.” (1 Cor 12:12,13) KJV

Acts 19:1-7 And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John’s baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. And all the men were about twelve. (KJV) What happened here? First of all, we must see that these disciples were ignorant of the Holy Ghost. How could that be? If there baptized with John’s baptism, or unto John’s baptism, they should have heard of the Holy Spirit. John preached and told men that they should believe on Jesus, who would baptize them with the Holy Ghost (Matt 3:11,12). The preaching of John was calculated to lead men to faith in Jesus. It is obvious that these people had not heard the gospel message correctly. Because of this, they did not receive Jesus as their savior. They were not true disciples of Christ. Having heard the truth, they evidently embraced it, as they were baptized into Christ. After that, Paul laid hands on them and they received the Spirit. This happening can easily be explained by the fact that the laying on of hands and the receiving of the Spirit happened for the purpose of giving these people the assurance that they needed that their faith was indeed genuine and was honored by God.

While these may not be what some would call “water tight” explanations, we can at least say that they are as plausible as any other we know of. These explanations also seem to fit well with the facts that we know. What we must realize is that passages such as these do not change the fact that the baptism with the Holy Spirit is not a second blessing, but occurs when one is converted. The occasional obscure passage must never be used to negate that which is plain and easily understood.

 

The Baptism With The Holy Ghost A Second Blessing Or Not?

Is The Baptism With The Holy Spirit A Second Blessing?

(Note that much of this material has been imported from the author’s article on The Baptism With The Holy Spirit.)

The issue that is before us is an issue that is of great importance to the Christian Church today. For approximately one hundred years there has been a movement that seems to major on emphasizing the working of the Holy Spirit in the lives of saints. Many (possibly most) of those who are involved in this movement believe “in the baptism with the Holy Ghost subsequent to a clean heart.” (See http://www.churchofgod.org/about/declaration_of_faith.cfm) In other words, the belief is that one is baptized with the Holy Spirit after they are saved. The question that we must ask the Scriptures is whether or not this doctrine is true.

The Seal of The Spirit

“After that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.” (Eph 1:13,14 ) KJV

What is the sealing of the Spirit? Often we think of the seal in the terms of a seal on a jar, or on an envelope. We think of it in terms of security. The context speaks to us of security. We must, however, take Biblical terms and use them in the manner for which they are intended and not go halfway with them. The seal is the Spirit. There is security provided by the Spirit being our seal. The Spirit seals us until Christ comes to redeem our vile bodies and make them like His glorious body (See Php 3:20,21; 1Pet 1:3-9; Rom 8:23). The seal is something that is enduring, however, it is not a seal of the jar lid sort. The seal is a sign of authenticity. It bespeaks of the genuine nature of that which is sealed. For instance, if I were to buy a car, I would receive a bill of sale. The bill of sale needs to be notarized before I can register the car in my name. When I get the bill of sale notarized, it is stamped with the “Great Seal of The State of _____________.” The seal is placed on the bill of sale to authenticate that it is a document that is genuine and not a forgery. In Jesus’ day, the seal was usually made in wax by impressing it with a signet ring. That ring had a particular motif that was unique to the authority who owned it. Thus, when a seal was set on the tomb of Jesus, it was declared off limits by the authorities. The seal declared that the order to not open the tomb was an official government order. When a child of God believes the gospel and is saved, he is sealed with the Spirit which God promised in the Old Testament. Remember, Paul stated that the seal was with the Holy Spirit of promise. The Spirit within us testifies to the authenticity of our faith.

What did the Old Testament Scriptures promise us concerning the Spirit of God? We must learn this to know what the sealing with the Spirit of promise is and what it means to us. Let us look at some of the places where we can read of God’s promise of the Holy Spirit. (For a more extensive treatment of this promise see the authors article “The Baptism With The Spirit.“) Below are several passages that present to us the promise of the Holy Spirit.

Isa 44:1-8 Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen: Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen. For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring: And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses. One shall say, I am the LORD’s; and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the LORD, and surname himself by the name of Israel. Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God. And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and shall come, let them shew unto them. Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any. (KJV)

In this passage, we have a promise of the outpouring of the Spirit of God upon the people of Israel. The promise from God is a promise that in that day He will deliver and bless His people, and the people would take the name of the LORD unto them. That is, they would declare Him to be their God and their spiritual husband. (Compare this with Acts 2:38 and the command to be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. This is nothing more than a call for them to identify themselves with the Christ who had poured out the Spirit in fulfillment of the above prophecy. What a marked contrast between this simple truth and the heresy of “One-ness” professors!) John was telling the people that the promised redeemer was coming to save Israel. The baptism of the Holy Ghost is a fulfillment of God’s promise.

Ezek 11:19-20 And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh: That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God. (KJV) Ezek 36:25-26 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. (KJV)

Note that once again we have before us a promise of God giving His Spirit. This promise is to the end that men would be changed to ones who would love and worship God instead of idols.

Zech 12:9-10 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. (KJV)

Here, too, we have a promise of God pouring out His Spirit upon His people at the time of the end. At this time they shall be delivered, restored, and saved.

After many years of expecting God to send His blessing and John declaring that the blessing was at hand, Jesus stated that the blessing of the outpouring of the Spirit was near. Jesus stated before He ascended to Heaven, Acts 1:4 wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. (KJV) Luke 24:49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. (KJV) Jesus let His disciples know that God was soon to fulfill the promise that He had given them so many years before. Finally, on the day of Pentecost, it came. Acts 2:1-4 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. (KJV)

Acts 2:16-21 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. (KJV) The Holy Spirit fell upon the people and they were baptized in the Spirit. As the saints began to praise God, some observers mocked and stated that the saints were drunken. Peter’s defense was two-fold: it was too early in the morning to be drunken, and this was the fulfillment of the Old Testament promise that God had given. The PROMISE had arrived!

The wonderful thing about this blessing is the fact that it is a universal promise. The promise is available to all who call upon the name of the Lord. This statement is a quote of Joel 2:28. Peter mentioned that the outpouring of the Spirit was in fulfillment of the promise in Joel 2. He also told those men to call upon the name of the Lord to be saved. This is especially interesting to note when you contrast the present day misrepresentation of Acts 2:38 which people use to teach baptism in Jesus’ name in order to obtain the forgiveness of sins. One thing is certain, Acts 2:38 does not contradict the plain statement “whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” When Peter said, Acts 2:38 Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. (KJV) he was simply stating that men must receive Jesus as the Christ and embrace Him as the true King of Israel. Not only so, but one of the things that is characteristic of those upon whom the Spirit is come is the fact that they identify themselves with the Lord who poured out His Spirit (See Isa 44:5). If this is characteristic of those who have received the promise, is it any wonder that Peter would tell the Jews who rejected Christ that they must repent, accept Jesus as their Messiah, and identify themselves with Christ to be saved? Salvation is not through the identifying, but those who deny the Lord are denied of Him (See Matt 10:32,33). No one need think himself to be forgiven of sin if he will not confess Jesus as the Christ and as his savior. This is simply another part of Scripture being fulfilled which says, Isa 44:3-5 I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring: And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses. One shall say, I am the LORD’s; and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the LORD, and surname himself by the name of Israel. (KJV)

Seeing that the Holy Spirit of promise is the seal (sign of the genuine nature) of our redemption, and that the promise of the Spirit is to everyone who believes Jesus, we must ask ourselves one more question. That question is this: when does the believer receive the seal of the Spirit? Is it received simultaneously with regeneration, or is it sometime subsequent to the new birth? The text that states to us that the Spirit is the seal of our redemption sets the time of the sealing, too. Eph 1:13 after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise. (KJV) The apostle Paul asked the question of the Galatians, Gal 3:2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? (KJV) Paul reminded the Galatians that their receiving of the Spirit and blessing came through faith, not works of the law. He also told them that the reason Jesus died was that we could receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Gal 3:13-14 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. (KJV) Finally, Paul lets us know that this receiving of the Spirit was not an indwelling alone, but a baptism. Gal 3:26-29 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. (KJV) It is important to note that the baptism in Gal 3:27 is of necessity a Spirit baptism. The word “for” is a word that joins the statement to be made with the foregone statements. We have believed in Christ and have put on Christ when we were baptized with the Spirit into Christ. This baptism happens when we become children of God by faith in Christ. In Christ there is equality and no distinctions. (This would not be so if the baptism were water baptism into the local body, for we know that God has placed different people in different positions of authority in the local body.) This baptism is part and parcel of our belonging to Christ and being of Abraham’s seed. In short, the baptism of the Spirit comes to everyone who believes in Christ to the saving of his soul: and that according to the promise of God of which we have already studied. As a matter of fact, we are told that the only ones who do not have the Spirit of God are the ones who are not saved. Rom 8:9 Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. (KJV) It can be safely concluded, then, that the baptism with the Holy Ghost is not a “second blessing” but occurs at the very moment one believes and is born again.

 

Keeping The Gospel In The Forefront

Various controversies seem to arise in the blogosphere.

Because of virtual anonymity we can say practically anything. As a matter of fact, we feel much more free to do so than if we met our fellow man face-to-face in a disagreement.

In the end, let us all not forget to keep the Gospel in the forefront of our blogs. Sure, homosexuality and politics are hot-button issues. So is tithing. What is most important is the Gospel, because God is glorified therein.

1 John 2:12
I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake.
KJV

Just musing….

 

Is Monergism Actually A Viable Theology

Ben Witherington says:

“Human history is not merely a preordained play, played out perfectly to a pre-ordained script. On the contrary while there is a blue-print, or a general script, God has allowed, indeed invited us to make the drama like a night at the Improv, improvising our roles as we go, and making viable choices of moment and consequence along the way. Are we supposed to follow the general instructions in the script? Well yes, as they provide the boundaries beyond which we ought not to go and show us what character and kind of roles we should play. But of course we may fail to play our parts well, or indeed at all.”

How does he come to this conclusion?

“One of the more interesting sayings of Jesus with equally interesting theological implications is found in Mt. 18.18–” I tell you whatever you (i.e. Peter and the gang) bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” The Greek here is straight forward, and the contrast between the present and future tenses have clear enough implications. One can point out of course the use of ean plus the subjunctive form of verbs, which with the future of the verb ‘to be’ in this case refers to a ‘future more probable’ condition, but the point remains the same. If the Evangelist, and/or Jesus before him had wanted to say “whatever is bound on earth, was already bound and determined in heaven” he could certainly have done so, first in Aramaic and then in a Greek rendering of the same. The fact is that Jesus here says the opposite…”

I believe in the sovereignty of God.  I believe in it much stronger than many that I know.  On the other hand, however, one cannot discount the fact that God exercises His sovereignty in such a manner as to allow men to make choices (which God does foreknow, but does not facilitate so as to render the choice of man effectually null), and He exercises His sovereignty in response to those choices.  This does not mean that God is not in control.  It does mean that God chooses to control things differently that you and I, who believe strongly in His sovereignty, would wish to acknowledge.

Just musing…

 

My Bible And I

    I hope to do a post each week that I shall call My Bible And I.   It is the aim of these posts to encourage each of us to approach the Word of God with correct attitudes so that we may by it be changed into that which God would have us to be.

“All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.   But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.   But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;  And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.   All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:  That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”  (2 Tim 3:12-17) KJV

    When we approach the Scriptures we should first of all approach them as timeless, relevant, and authoritative.

    Timeless, because the Word  of God endures forever (see 1Pet 2:22-25).

    Relevant because Scripture speaks to our times.  God provided prophetic insight into the days in which we live.  Along with that insight He gave us instruction that is relevant to our times.

    Authoritative because God has spoken.  The Words of Scripture are given by inspiration of God, and are not mere human words.

    May God grant us grace to respect His Word more each day that we might be changed thereby.

    Just musing…

 

 

A Medical View of Crucifixion

Read it here.