Reflecting on the Sermon 1/23/11

Dr. Haykin was our speaker all weekend at the "Standing on the Shoulders of Giants" conference on church history and theology.  The audio is available at the church website.

The Sunday sermon was based on the Hebrews 11:8-27 and discussed Moses and then Augustine (obviously from church history, not Hebrews).  Just like Moses, and Augustine, we are called to let go of lesser things (that seem so valuable and important) and take hold of Christ who is the only one that stirs the affections of our heart.  We will only cling to Christ tightly if we see him as more beautiful and glorious than all the fleeting pleasures of sin.  At several points, Dr. Haykin quoted the famous missionary Jim Elliot, "He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."  If you missed this sermon, I strongly encourage you to listen to it.

Evidence from Gen 1-5 for Complementarianism

Below are nine evidences from Gen 1-5 that man’s leadership is an order of creation, not a result of the Fall (taken from the Piper video series "What's the Difference" session 4).

1.      The creation of man and woman equally in God’s image but with a representative leadership function implied for man (Gen. 1:26-27). The word “man” in the text is “adam” in Hebrew.  Both man and woman are created in God’s image (v. 27c), yet “man” seems to be given as the representative for both male and female (v. 26, 27a).
 
2.      Man is created first and then woman (Gen 2:7, 18, 22; 1 Tim. 2:13). God could have created Adam and Eve simultaneously or made woman first.  Yet, he creates man first, and this order indicates something of man going first as leader.
 
3.      Man is given the moral teaching to pass on to woman (Gen 2:15-17).The command not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil is given to man, before the creation of woman.  It is not repeated by God to the woman, and it is implied that Adam has the responsibility to pass it on to Eve.
 
4.      Woman was created from man and is presented as a helper suitable for him (Gen 2:18-23; 1 Cor. 11:9-10). The idea of helper is one who comes alongside to provide assistance in accomplishing God given tasks, and not that she is stronger or superior to man (as when God is referred to as a helper to his people).
 
5.      Man names woman (Gen 2:23).This is a significant leadership function.  This shows he has authority and leadership.
 
6.      The serpent undermines the roles ordained by God and draws Adam and Eve into a deadly role reversal with God and each other (Gen 3:1-6). Satan approaches Eve, not Adam who is “with her.”  Adam listened to her instead of leading her (Gen 3:17).  He listened to her interact with the Serpent and did not intervene (nothing indicates he listened to her persuade him to take of the fruit).  Satan is seeking to undermine Adam’s God given role as leader and Adam and Eve’s role as creatures under God.
 
7.      God calls the man to account first, not the woman (Gen 3:7-9).Woman is the initial spokesman to Satan, yet God calls Adam to account first.  He is called to account for eating of the fruit and listening to his wife (Gen 3:17).
 
8.      The curse of “desire” and “rule” show the futility of role corruption, [and not that different roles are a bad result of the fall] (Gen 3:16, 4:6-7). Her “desire” is a sinful impulse to control her husband (just as sin desired to rule over Cain).  Her husband shall “rule” over her and dominate her as Cain was supposed to do to the sin that was crouching at his door.  Neither of these are good things in the male/female relationship.  The fall brings in role corruption and twists God’s good created order.
 
9.      God named man and woman “man” (Gen 5:1-3). God named them “Man” which signifies man is the leader.

More Resources on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood

The CBMW (Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood) contains a ton of helpful information.  Check it out sometime.  The two links below come from the CBMW website.

Here is a link to the "Danvers Statement."  This is a helpful summary of the complementarian position (which I believe is biblical).

Here is a link to the book Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood. Piper's definitions of masculinity and femininity are in the chapter entitled, "A Vision of Biblical Complementarity."

Reflecting on the Sermon: 1/16/11

Rod continued preaching from Romans 8:28-30.  He laid out several passages that show God's sovereignty and human responsibility/culpability held together (Is. 10:5-18, Acts. 2:22-37, John 3, John 6: 36-44, 65).  To me, the most encouraging part was to reflect on how God's sovereignty in calling us for the purpose of conforming us to the image of Christ guarantees that God will accomplish what he began in us.  When I struggle in my battle with sin or feel as though I'm loosing my grip on God, I am comforted by the doctrine of election.  It is the bases for the fact that God is working all things for my good and fulfilling what he began when he called me- making me into the image of Christ!  God never lets go of those he calls and elects.

Q&A: Election, Manhood & Womanhood, Church Government

As we are studying (and will be studying) some complex doctrines in our church (Election- in the sermons from Romans, Manhood and Womanhood- at Thursday night Bible Study, and Church government in Titus and Rod will be preaching on it in the next few months), you may have thought of some questions that never crossed your mind before.  It is good to think deeply about what the Bible teaches and to seek to properly understand it and apply it.  Sometimes as we seek to understand the Bible we come up with questions that we want some help thinking through.

Rod, Doug, and I want to provide that help.  You can submit questions by using the Question Box I set up last year.  We will respond to the questions we receive on this blog.  We will do our best to answer every question, but realize that it may take time for us to respond.

Perseverance: Objections Part 6

Continuing our look at passages that seem difficult to reconcile to the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints, we will look at Galatians 5:4.


Galatians 5:4 

You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace.

Fallen away from grace sounds pretty serious.  And, in fact, it is.  However, it does not mean that a person who is a Christian can lose his salvation.  This passage is not discussing whether a believer can lose his salvation or not.  It is, instead, talking about those who would seek to be justified by the law instead of by grace.  If a person is truly trying to be justified by the law, instead of grace, he never was truly a Christian. He has fallen away from the grace that was offered to him in the gospel message and has chosen to cling to works of the law for his right standing before God.  It is not a matter of losing salvation, but a matter of the method of salvation, namely grace or law.  To choose law is to fall away from the only hope you have of salvation (ie. God's grace).

Free Resource on Manhood and Womanhood

As we study the important issue of biblical manhood and womanhood on Thursday nights, I want to direct you to a resource Piper mentioned in the last video we watched.  The booklet "50 Crucial Questions: An overview of central concerns about manhood and womanhood" is available for free from the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood  (CBMW- the group advocating the complementarian position). If you would like a pdf version of the entire book you can get it free from Piper's website by clicking here.

Reflecting on the Sermon: 1/9/11

Continuing in Romans, Rod preached on the doctrine of election from Romans 8:28-30.  He laid out how the truth of God's sovereignty in salvation (vv.29-30) is the support for the truth of verse 28, that God causes all things to work together for the good of those who love him.  It is amazing to me how practical and comforting the doctrine of election is.  God has foreknown me (ie. set his love on me and chosen me).  What an amazing truth.  May we humbly embrace this doctrine.

Work and Cultural Renewal- Tim Keller

Here is a helpful article from Tim Keller (turned into a Q&A format by Matt Perman at the blog "What's Best Next") on how Christians should think about work and transforming culture through our jobs.  This is a good article if you are trying to think about how your current or future job can be a way for you to glorify God.

Reflecting on the Sermon: 1/2/11

The text was Romans 8:28-30.  Rod preached on the two limitations to Romans 8:28 (God causes all things to work together for the good....).  The limitations were: 1. It is true for those that love God, 2. It is for those that are called by God. 

As he reflected on the first point he mentioned that God working all things together for good only applies to those that love God, not to those that just know about God.  You can know tons of theology, but not love God (ie. not be a Christian).  Rod went on to provide some biblical questions to ask yourself to see if you really love God. 

1. Do you want to know God?
2. Do you desire what God desires, love what he loves? Do you have a zeal for God's glory?
3. Do you hate what God hates (ie. evil, sin, worldliness see 1 John)?
4. Do you love other believers (see 1 John)?
5. Do you keep God's commands (see John 14:21)?

The second point (God calls us) is what makes it possible for us to have this kind of love for God.  On my own I would not love God.  I am thankful for the humbling truth that God called me and loved me first so that I might love him and have the promise that he is working all things together for my good.

Perseverance: Objections Part 5

Here is another passage that on the face of it may seem to contradict the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints as I have laid it out.  

b. 1 Timothy 4:1

Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons... 

Here Paul says that "some will depart [go away] from the faith."  Again we see departing, going away, falling away.  What is it they are falling away from?  It is "the faith."  There is a subjective sense of the word faith (ex. I have faith in Jesus).  But there is also an objective sense to the word faith (ex. the faith [the set of objective truths about Jesus and salvation]). 

As is common in the Pastoral Epistles (1 & 2 Timothy, Titus), "the faith" is used here in the objective sense.  It is referring to the set of objective truths on which Christianity is based.  This fits the context (see 3:15 where he speaks of the church as the buttress of "the truth."). 

So, Paul is not saying a person can lose his or her faith.  "What Paul is saying here is that in later times many will fall away from a profession of the Christian religion.  Such a defection would not imply that these defectors had true faith to begin with" (Hoekema, 249).  As we have seen before, it merely shows they were not truly with us (1 John 2:19).

Perseverance: Objections Part 4

Over the next several posts we will examine some passages that deal with apostasy and see if they fit with or contradict the doctrine of perseverance as I have laid it out thus far. 

a. Luke 8:4-15

First, we can think about the parable of the sower and the seed.

And when a great crowd was gathering and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable: ⁵ "A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it. ⁶And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. ⁷And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. ⁸And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold" (Luke 8:4-8).

Jesus goes on to explain the parable in verses 9-15.  The seed is the Word of God (v. 11).  The seed that fell on the path and was eaten by birds (v. 5) are "those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved" (v. 12).  So, these obviously never believe and are not saved.  So far no problems with the doctrine of perseverance.

Next we see "the ones on the rock."  They "are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away" (v.13).  What about these?  They believe for a while and in testing fall away (the Greek word means to go away or withdraw.  Do they lose their salvation?  I believe the answer is no.  

The Bible makes it clear that there is true saving faith (which perseveres until the end) and an empty faith which does not truly save (and therefore does not persevere).  This empty faith is described in James when he writes "even the demons believe [true doctrine about God]- and shudder" (2:19).  They believe but are not saved.  They know about God and believe truths but don't have a saving faith.  

Another reason I don't believe we are speaking of saving faith in Luke 8:13 is that we are told they "believe for a while."  This belief is qualified with the statement "for a while."  But, the Bible describes true, saving faith as a persevering faith (Matt. 10:22).  So, these individuals do go away from the truth, but they did not posses true, saving faith to begin with.  They proved they didn't belong when they left.  John describes these people when he says, "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us" ( 1 John 2:19).  So, these are those who give a profession of faith and maybe even attend church and serve, but when testing comes it becomes clear that the gospel never truly took root in their lives.  This doesn't contradict the doctrine of  perseverance we have laid out thus far.  It fits it perfectly and emphasizes the truth that all true believers persevere to the end

The seed that fell among the thorns represents "those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature."  These people hear, but they go on their way.  They hear the message and keep it in their mind for a while but never embrace Jesus as Lord.  This becomes clear as life continues on, and any superficial professions of faith they made are "choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life."  They don't love God.  They still love the world, and 1 John 2:15 says you can't love God and the world.  So, these are those who may have a positive response to the gospel, but don't truly posses saving faith.

Perseverance: Objections to The Doctrine Part 3

In our study of the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints, we have begun to examine questions and objections to the doctrine.  In the most recent post, we began to examine the objection that the doctrine seems to contradict some biblical texts.  Specifically, we examined passages that call for believers to continue in the faith.  We saw that calls to continue in the faith do not contradict the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints.  Rather, they emphasize one side of the coin (our responsibility to persevere).  Also, they serve as the means by which God causes his true children to persevere.

Over the next several posts, we will take up a second form of texts that seem to contradict the doctrine, namely passages of Scripture that discuss cases of apostasy.  

2. Cases of Apostasy
The word apostasy means to fall away.  So, passages that are in this category are ones in which a person falls away or turns away from the faith.  In order to address this objection, we will study a few passages in this category.