What Is the Trinity?

R.C. Sproul's "What Is the Trinity?" (from the popular "Crucial Questions" series) is available as a FREE download (until 10/31) over at Ligonier:

 Click below for more information...

You can also download Dr. Sproul's "The Mystery of the Trinity" series...

"Monotheism" | Audio | Video |
"The Biblical Witness" | Audio | Video |
"Early Controversies" | Audio | Video |
"Fifth-Century Heresies" | Audio | Video |
"Contradiction vs. Mystery" | Audio | Video |
"One in Essence, Three in Person" | Audio | Video |


More from the "Crucial Questions" series...

The True Gospel

I recently had an exchange with a fellow Christian wherein they made the comment:

"The gospel in 3 words is love. Make a friend, be a friend, bring a friend to Christ."

Now, I am not certain if they were saying that the Gospel is love, or if they were saying that the three-tiered "friend" model they presented is girded with love. What I am certain of is, that although the Gospel is rooted in the love of God, it is not merely "love" as a stationary concept or emotion. Nor is it, "Make a friend, be a friend, bring a friend to Christ." We Christians should adamantly oppose and labor to correct such misrepresentations of the Gospel.

Here is my response:

"The gospel is not something we do, but it is [an announcement of] something that has been done... and so we proclaim a message of something that has occurred in a historical context."

The good news is not that we do something. In fact, it is not good news if my efforts are the primary thrust (especially since our best efforts fall short, no matter who we are). Furthermore, a continuous action is not a message. A message is information that is proclaimed. With regard to the good news of the Gospel message, it is the historical information about God, Humanity, Holiness, Sin, Redemption, Judgment, Reconciliation, and Reprobation (though, this is not an exhaustive list, nor an infallible recipe) according to the Bible. The Gospel, therefore, is an informative message (though much more than a mere message) about a variety of biblical subjects; the good news of salvation that follows the reality of human depravity and the need of Christ Jesus the Savior.

While there is much to be said of God's sovereignty in salvation (with regard to predestination, election, regeneration, conversion, faith, etc.), the aim here is to present the external elements and communication of the Gospel, not to plumb the depths of soteriology. That being said, I usually find that people who speak of the Gospel also point to the response of the recipient of the message. This is also considered by many as an aspect of the good news, since the free offer of the Gospel is available to all persons (which is really good news). Many present this response as an essential aspect of the Gospel message. In many cases, however, if the Gospel is proclaimed accurately, a response is implied and not necessarily an explicit element. Furthermore, without going into too much detail, I would argue that Scripture is clear that any human response is a secondary cause... that is to say, the Holy Spirit, according to His sovereign will, 'causes' us to respond to the Gospel (in a way). Nonetheless, all people who have been confronted with the Gospel respond... either positively or negatively.

The following is the presentation of the Gospel (along with a call for response) that I declared to the person mentioned above. I humbly pray that the Holy Spirit not only uses it to inform and instruct Christians as to what the Gospel is, but also that if any unbelievers may read it, that He would give them an understanding and grant them repentance and faith in Christ Jesus for His glory and their joy.

"The all-powerful, sovereign, holy and majestic God, who has no beginning or end, Created the earth and humanity with it. He created man upright and in His image; they had a perfect relationship. Man committed treason by sinning against God when he and his wife were deceived... they disobeyed God and attempted to usurp His position of authority and steal His glory. God cursed the man and woman, the serpent who deceived them, and the earth. Adam and Eve were now separated from God and spiritually dead, and would see physical death as a punishment for their sin. Adam was the representative or federal head of all of humanity, and so we are guilty of the same sin. We have inherited the fallen nature of him... we are not sinners because we sin, rather, we sin because we are sinners by nature. Fortunately, God promised that the Seed of the woman would crush the head of the serpent, and thus, save us from the penalty of sin. He maintained the bloodline through history through Adam to Abraham to Isaac to Jacob to Moses to David and all the way to Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Mary and Joseph. Jesus, who is the Messiah that the Law and Prophets in the Old Testament refer to is God in the flesh... the incarnation of the second person of the Trinity: the eternally begotten Son of God who was the agent of Creation. He lived a perfectly obedient life under the Law, following it completely. He was fully man and truly God... He is a man, because only a man can atone for the sins of humanity; likewise, He is God because only God is perfect and righteous. He willingly laid down His life as a substitution for the penalty of sin. The sin of he/she who believes in Him is covered and removed by His work on the cross. The wrath of God that is justly deserved for sin is satisfied by Jesus' sacrifice. His righteousness, by the application of the Holy Spirit through the instrumental means of faith, is accredited to those who believe in Him as Lord and Savior. We who trust in Jesus and what He has done are declared righteous according to His merits and not our own. He died, putting to death the power of sin... but He was raised to life by the same power of God that gives us faith and new life in Christ by the Holy Spirit. Though we die physically, we will be resurrected and inherit imperishable bodies so that we may live forever according to promises of God in Jesus. The person and work of Christ is the only way sinful humanity is reconciled with their holy and loving Father and Creator. There must be a response to what God has done in Christ... Deny Him, and you will be judged for your sin and incur the just penalty of the eternal wrath of God in the lake of fire... a conscience state of infinite torment and bodily agony/anguish. Respond with repentance (a perpetual lifestyle of turning away from sin and turning toward God) and faith (believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as God and Savior and trust in the Triune God alone as worthy of praise and adoration; treasure Him above all things and live obediently) and you will be reconciled with your Creator and enjoy fellowship with Him for eternity in the place where there is no sin, no pain nor sadness... where every tear will be wiped away."

I welcome your comments, so... if you would like Scripture references, if you have prayer requests or questions, if you disagree or think I missed something crucial, or if you have any suggestions as to how this presentation can be improved (with regard to biblical fidelity)... please leave a comment.

Recommended books on the Gospel:

Complacent: Risking Souls in the Name of Tolerance

I recently read an article over at The Christian Post called "Bible Believers Can't Shake Intolerant Image, Says Atheist". I read a few things I disagree with and thought I would offer a brief commentary and critique of some of the comments. I just started following tweets from @ChristianPost and this is one of a few current articles that I've read with questionable content, so there may be more posts like this in the future. Let me say to those at Christian Post (as if any of them will read this), that I am unaware of the vision or mission of your establishment and this post is in no way a critique of the author or publication, rather a dissection of statements made therein...


"Joe Zamecki [Texas State Director of the American Atheists] believes that it is impossible for Christians to take a softer stance on issues such as homosexuality while adhering to the Bible..."

I wholeheartedly agree... and if you do take a softer stance, you don't esteem the Bible as the Word of God and probably aren't a Christian.

"...He cites staunch edicts issued by God in Leviticus as examples of how God is hateful and how His followers must be the same. Trying to adopt any other approach is, as he expressed, an act of hypocrisy."

Here we go again. An angry atheist taking the words of God (Leviticus 20:13) out of context to launch a futile ad hominem attack against the very God he claims he doesn't believe in. The problem is twofold... He is incapable of understanding: "The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned." (1 Cor. 2:14) nor can he discern the hatefulness in allowing sexually immoral behavior in the name of tolerance; and his arguments are inconsistent: “If you ever want that friendly church, then throw out the book" (along with the aforementioned "I don't believe in God, but God is hateful" argument). It isn't a church if the Word isn't brought to bear, true hypocrisy is ignoring sin in the name of love; ignoring or dismissing sin and calling it tolerance is not love.

‎"CFC [Changing the Face of Christianity] Founder R. Brad White, a former atheist, rejected Zamecki’s notion of disowning the Bible in order to reverse negative stereotypes. He said, as an unbeliever, Zamecki can’t 'grasp the complexities' of the Bible."

What about the doctrine of perspicuity? Scripture is clear. It does not withhold truth, but reveals it. It is light applied to the darkened mind by the Holy Spirit. True, Zamecki is (and always has been) an unbeliever, but the reason he can't grasp Scripture is because he is unregenerate. He lacks the Holy Spirit, and thus lacks the application of the Spirit's ministry of revelation or illumination in his mind and heart.

Another serious flaw in White's reasoning, besides "pushing for a [return] to real Christianity” (like it hasn't been around and we need to discover it) is that he confuses tolerance with complacency. I agree with him that we should "evangelize non-believers through honest, meaningful relationships" but it doesn't stop there, and when he calls for "leaving the judgment up to God" he misunderstands the concept of judgment. Of course we are not to "use [proof texts] as leverage to hate people" (one thinks of Westboro Baptist) or condemn them, but instead, speak the truth in love (Eph. 4:15) and expound the authoritative Word of God. Now, there are many who have a judgmental spirit towards non-believers (especially defiant sinners and homosexuals), and I agree with the approach of "asking what [one] can do to help him or her overcome the situation " but he limits this to inside the church. Part of evangelism and outreach is to confront people on the outside with their sin, preach forgiveness in Christ, call for repentance and faith, and disciple them.

What really gets on my nerves? The last statement: "Salvation is 'a two-way street,' he insisted, and the unbeliever needs to make the first step." Wow! Remarkable. Now, in all fairness, White prefaces that statement: "If we really want them to connect to us to the point that they trust us and care what we think, [they must be] the one to ask [about salvation]." Regardless, the unbeliever doesn't make the first step... in fact, without God acting first, an unbeliever wouldn't ask about salvation let alone incline himself toward God. The gospel isn't connecting to people with hope that they ask you about Christ... we need to preach the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus and pray that the Holy Spirit gives them ears to hear the truth and eyes to see the glorious supremacy of Christ in all things. We need to speak the truth of sin and impending judgment, demand repentance in the name of Christ and preach Him crucified. Other than that, may the sovereign Spirit use our biblical faithfulness to produce effectual transformation for His glory.

From Everlasting To Everlasting

I recently wrote a paper for my Biblical Theology class on the outline of the Bible. I've posted it below...

"From Everlasting To Everlasting"

by Timothy Harris

Everything finds its beginning with God. The Bible says that God exists "from everlasting to everlasting" (Ps. 90:2, emphasis added) and since He has no beginning or end (Rev. 1:8) He operates outside of the finite human categories of time and space. There is one God in three persons (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) who is Creator of all (Deut. 6:4; Isa. 40:28), and this God is transcendent, which means that He is "distinct from His creation. He is not part of it, for He has made it and rules over it... God is much greater than creation... He is independent of it," (Grudem, 267). Though God is independent of His creation, He is not completely removed from it. He is also immanent, which is a term that describes God's engaging with that which He has created. While the Creator of all things maintains His transcendant holiness, being completely "other" than His creatures, He is also personally interested and involved with His creation. God is particularly mindful of human beings, whom He created in His likeness and image (Gen. 1:26, 27). He has, according to His lovingkindness and for His glory, condescended to make Himself known to mankind through the Holy Scriptures. This collection of writings that was written over the course of about 1,500 years is not just a compilation of ordinary literature, but the very word of God revealed to man by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (1 Tim. 3:16; 1 Thes. 2:13; 2 Peter 1:19), the third person of the triune Godhead. The word of God (The Bible) is authoritative and inerrant; it is "living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart," (Heb. 4:12). The Westminster Confession of Faith describes the Bible as "the whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for His own glory, man's salvation, faith and life," (Chapter I; Article VI). So, since the Bible is the means by which God historically reveals Himself to humanity, and is also sufficient revelation of His will for all people everywhere for all time, it follows that our understanding of His revelation is recognized in a historically comprehensive and progressive manner.

"God is to be praised as Creator, by reason of the marvelous order, variety, and beauty of his works... God is to be trusted as the sovereign LORD, with an eternal plan covering all events and destinies without exception, and with power to redeem, re-create and renew; such trust becomes rational when we remember that it is the almighty Creator that we are trusting. Realizing our moment-by-moment dependence on God the Creator for our very existence makes it appropriate to live lives of devotion, commitment, gratitude, and loyalty toward him... Godliness starts here, with God the sovereign Creator as the first focus of our thoughts." (Packer, 22). At the beginning of time as we know it, God began His work of creation (Gen. 1:1). The Bible describes the creation account as a series of events spanning six days, in which God generated the heavens and earth and all that fills them (Gen. 1). He made everything ex nihilo (out of nothing), including man (Gen. 2:7), the crowning achievement of His creatures, whom He created on the sixth day. God saw that everything He made was good, and rested on the seventh day (Gen. 1:31; Gen. 2:1-2). He instituted the created order and placed man in the Garden of Eden to work and care for it (Gen. 2:8, 15). An established system of roles, responsibilities and relationships were given to mankind with regard to God and to the rest of the creation. Adam and Eve lived in perfect fellowship with God; humanity was created upright and was fully capable of unhindered worship. Humanity was pure and pleasing to God, and God was supremely desireable to the man and his bride, who were capable of enjoying Him and His glory fully.

"The tempter came from the spirit world with the suggestion that man, by placing himself in opposition to God, might become like God. Adam yielded to the temptation and committed the first sin by eating of the forbidden fruit. But the matter did not stop there, for by that first sin Adam became the bond-servant of sin. That sin carried permanent pollution with it, and a pollution, which, because of the solidarity of the human race, would affect not only Adam but all his descendants as well," (Berkhof, 221). The perfect harmony in the created order—the holy fellowship between God and man—eventually turns to disorder and darkness. One of God's angelic creatures defied the Almighty God and was cast down from the heavens. This fallen-angel then set forth an attack on the harmony of the created order by distorting the truth of God. A serpent, which was "both a real serpent and a demonic power, who made use of the former to carry out his plan" (Vos, 34), appeared in the Garden of Eden, deceived Eve and tempted Adam to willfully sin against God (Gen. 3:1-7). God pronounced a curse upon both the serpent and humanity (Gen. 3:14-24), but He would not leave His creation to ruin. With the penalty of death for sinning against God came His grace—the protoevangelium (first gospel). God promised that the Seed of the woman would set things right (Gen. 3:15). "The promise is, that somehow out of the human race a fatal blow will come which shall crush the head of the serpent." (Vos, 43). According to God's infinite wisdom and good pleasure, and for the supremacy of His glory, He predestined an elaborate plan of restoration for His creation. Before the creation event, God sovereignly decreed the intricate arrangement of His will for all things, including sin (which He did not author, but allowed temporarily) for the demonstration of His glory in His redemptive purposes.

"It is the nature of God that moves him to make His promises, and in keeping the promises which He makes, God does not take anyone into partnership. He is not only totally able to keep His promises without assistance, but He insists upon doing doing so. As these promises emerge they are focused upon the central theme of salvation. The God of the covenant is revealed as God the Savior. The point of the promises is that He pledges Himself to a total work of salvation," (Motyer, 2). After Adam and Eve were removed from the Garden of Eden by God (Gen. 3:24), they had children (Gen. 4). The sin of man endured as the oldest son of Adam and Eve murdered the younger (Genesis 4:8). The wickedness of man continued through the next several generations, but God chose to extend grace to a man named Noah (Gen. 6:8) and his family by revealing His plan for a global flood and establishing a covenant with him (Gen. 7-9:17). Though God saved humanity through Noah, sinful man again attempted to steal God's glory, but the plans were thwarted and God scattered them and confused their language (Gen. 9:1-9). Several generations later, Abram was called out of his country by God and given the covenantal promises of land, seed, and blessing (Gen. 12-23). He believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness (Gen. 15:6; Rom. 4:3). Abraham (God changed his name from Abram) and his wife Sarah had a son, Isaac to whom the covenant promises were extended (Gen. 24-25:1-23). Likewise, Isaac and his wife Rebekah had a son (Jacob), to whom the covenant promises were also extended (Gen. 26-35). Jacob's son Joseph, was sold into slavery by his brothers (Gen. 37:12-36), but God blesses him so that he becomes mighty in Egypt (Gen. 39:2-6; Gen. 41:37-57). The favor of God towards the Israelites (descendants of Jacob) eventually becomes a reason of envy and hatred by Egypt and Pharaoh oppresses them (Ex. 1:8-22). God calls the nation of Israel out of bondage with signs and wonders through the leadership of Moses and enters into a covenant with Israel (Ex. 2-15). The Lord gives them the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai and establishes laws to govern them by and instructs them to make an ark and a tabernacle for Him to "dwell" in (Ex. 19-27). A priesthood and formal system of sacrificies is instituted as well, so that atonement is made for sin (Ex. 28-29; Lev.). The first generation (with the exception of Joshua and Caleb) wandered in the desert for forty years and the Lord condemned them to death, but Joshua led the second generation into the promised land (Deut. 31:7-8; Num. 14:20-38). Israel continued to rebel against their leadership, so God appointed them Judges like Joshua (Josh. 1) and Samuel (1 Sam. 3) to govern them. The nation desired a king like their neighbors, so God gave them Saul (1 Sam. 9-10). He ruled well for a time, but disobeyed God and was replaced by David (1 Sam. 15-16). God then made another covenant, this time with David and His bloodline (2 Sam. 7). David's kingship was passed to his son Solomon (1 Kings 1), but the kingdom was eventually divided into the tribes of the northern and southern kingdoms (1 Kings 12:16-24). Over the next few hundred years, both kingdoms would be taken into captivity (Jer. 24). When the nation was freed, many went home to rebuild, but a large number stayed in the land where they were taken captive (Ezra 1-2). Wars raged throughout the land, dynasties rose and fell, and the people of God were in utter ruin; their hope in God dwindling. While the future of God's chosen race seemed uncertain and their outcome bleek, the Lord God, whose word is true, would show His faithfulness in keeping His promise perfectly.

"Although the work of redemption was not actually wrought by Christ till after His incarnation, yet the virtue, efficacy, and benefits thereof were communicated unto the elect, in all ages successively from the beginning of the world, in and by those promises, types, and sacrifices, wherein He was revealed, and signified to be the seed of the woman which should bruise the serpent's head; and the Lamb slain from the beginning of the world; being yesterday and today the same, and forever," (The Westminster Confession of Faith: Chapter VIII; Article VI). After about four hundred years the second person of the Holy Trinity, condescended and took on flesh to fulfill the covenant promises (Luke 2). God the Father sent His Holy Spirit upon a virgin and she conceived a child and named him Jesus (Jehovah is salvation). Born of the Davidic bloodline (Isaiah 11; Matt. 1; Rom. 1:2-4), this "Lion of the Tribe of Judah" (Gen. 49:8-12; Rev. 5:5) fulfilled all that was foretold of Him in the law and the prophets (Luke 24), and performed signs and wonders. Jesus of Nazareth, who was fully God and fully man, was born under the law and lived a perfectly righteous and sinless life (1 John 3:5). This God-man, came into the world to provide salvation to sinners by propitiating (atoning or satisfying) God's wrath on sin (Rom. 3; Heb. 2).Though He was betrayed by one of His disciples, and unjustly tried, imprisoned, and sentenced to death, this was not unknown to Him, for He prophesied about His crucifixion (Matt. 16:21-23). The cross of Christ was an event that demonstrated the glory of God by simultaneously showing His justice and mercy. "The most spectacular display of God's glory is in a bloody instrument of torture because that is where God's goodness was most displayed," (Carson, 115). Not only did Christ know about it beforehand, but He and the other members of the Holy Trinity foreordained it. This was an integral part of God’s plan of redemption. The gospel of Jesus Christ, who lived and died, and was raised and exalted to the right hand of the Father, was the message of redemption and reconciliation that the Old Testament institutions and promises pointed to. The salvation of sinners has now been fulfilled by His substitutionary atonement on the cross. He died, was buried for three days, and conquered death by rising victoriously from the grave (1 Cor. 15:1-4). While His atoning work is finished, Christ lives and intercedes for us now. As was promised, He poured out His Spirit upon the leaders of the church in the first century and that Spirit continues to minister to believers today in a variety of ways.

"Finding all of our supreme joy and contentment in the God who is there, this God who discloses Himself forever and perfectly, inexhaustibly, before His own blood-bought people, means that all of the culture of the new heaven and the new earth will be suffused with shalom, with the well-being, the flourishing, the social peace whose measureless source is the one who sits on the throne, and the Lamb," (Carson, 222). There will soon be a day when Christ shall return to defeat the enemies of His kingdom and bring His people home to rest (1 Thes. 3:11-13; Rev. 19). It shall be a terrific and awesome day when the Lord returns; while His people will be saved from eternal torment, those who are not His will be justly condemned (Rev. 20:11-14) "When the time comes and the Lord Himself swings His sickle, time as we know it will be no more, and judgment will be final... you move into the new heaven and the new earth—or you move into hell itself—and you remain in principle what you are already. If as a Christian you are already seen as righteous in Christ, if you have already been increasingly conformed to the likeness of Christ, you move into a new heaven and a new earth, and righteousness becomes yours..." (Carson, 209-210). Everything finds its fulfillment with God. That which He has made serves its ultimate purpose according to His will. Human beings, in particular, will either be freely justified by faith and reconciled to the Creator, or justly condemned and eternally separated from the Almighty God for denying Him. We will either experience the terror of hell and inherit death for the wages of sin, or positional fulfillment of God's promise to His children; namely, that they will rest in a land of their own in His presence doing what they were made for: worship. "The heavens are the LORD’s heavens, but the earth he has given to the children of man. The dead do not praise the LORD, nor do any who go down into silence. But we will bless the LORD from this time forth and forevermore. Praise the LORD!" (Ps. 115:16-18).

Bibliography:
Berkhof, Louis. Systematic Theology: New Combined Edition; Grand Rapids; Eerdmans (1996) p. 221
Carson, D.A. The God Who is There: Finding Your Place in God's Story; Grand Rapids; Baker (2010) pp. 115; 209-210; 222
Grudem, Wayne. Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine; Grand Rapids; Zondervan (1995) p. 267
Motyer, J. Alec. "Covenant and Promise"; Evangel: The British Evangelical Review; Vol. 1:1 (1983) p. 2
Packer, J.I. Concise Theology: A Guide to Historic Christian Beliefs; Wheaton; Tyndale House (1993) p. 22
Vos, Geerhardus. Biblical Theology: Old and New Testament; Banner of Truth (1975) p. 34
The Westminster Confession of Faith. (1646) Chapters I.VI; VIII.VI

All Scripture references are from the ESV (English Standard Version).

Machen: The Liberalization of Education

"The undergraduate student of the present day is being told that he need not take notes on what he hears in class, that the exercise of the memory is a rather childish and mechanical thing, and that what he is really in college to do is think for himself and to unify his world. He usually makes a poor business of unifying his world. And the reason is clear. He does not succeed in unifying his world for the simple reason that he has no world to unify. He had not acquired a knowledge of a sufficient number of facts in order even to learn the method of putting facts together. He is being told to practice the business of mental digestion; but the trouble is that he has no food to digest. The modern student, contrary to what is often said, is really being starved for want of facts."

(this is an excerpt from "What is Faith?" by J. Gresham Machen


For more on the subject by Machen...

J. Gresham Machen and Christian Education
The Importance of Christian Scholarship

Embrace the Gospel and Beware of Self-Deceit

"The doctrine of the Gospel is not only true, to work upon the understanding, but it is good, so as to move and draw the will:

"It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all." (1 Timothy 1:15, NASB)

It is an excellent doctrine to ravish the will. Now, observe what a great deal of difference there is between men in believing...

Some that hear the Gospel, and have only a literal knowledge of it, so as to be able to talk of it, so as to understand the words and syllables, to know what it means; they may have some clearness of understanding this way, but there is not a sound assent.

There are others affected so with the Gospel, as by the common influence of the Spirit they may assent to the truths delivered concerning God and Christ, and salvation by him, yet do not give it entertainment in their hearts. These may be said to seek God, but not with the whole heart. A speculative, naked, and cold assent they may have, but that is not enough. It is not enough to see food that is wholesome, but you must eat it. Nor is it enough to understand the Gospel, and believe that it is true, but we must embrace it; it must be accepted, else we do not believe with the whole heart. The word is propounded to man as true. Now, the truth made known may cause a speculative assent. This may draw profession after it; and this we call historical faith, because we are no more affected with the Gospel than with an ordinary history which we read and believe. The word is propounded again as good, to move and excite the will.

Now, there is a twofold good—the good of happiness, and the good of holiness. The good of happiness, that which is profitable and sweet. Then there is the good of holiness. Now, there are many that look upon the Gospel as good and profitable, because it offereth pardon and eternal life; such comfort to the conscience, and such good to our whole souls. We may be affected with it as a good doctrine. Naturally, man hath not only a sense of religion, but he hath a hunger after immortality and everlasting blessedness. Therefore, since the Gospel doth so clearly promote happiness, it may be greedily catched hold of by those whose hearts are affected, while they look upon it under these notions; and they may be so far affected that they may for a while not only profess it out of danger, but when some danger doth arise they may defend their opinions with some care. Yet this is not with all the heart. Why? As soon as any great danger doth arise, out of which there is no escape... as soon as persecution arose, saith Christ, all this ardour and heat of spirit which they did formerly seem to have, comes to nothing. What is the reason it vanisheth? Because they receive the Gospel rather upon those notions of interest and profit, than of duty and holiness; and the impression of the profitableness of the Gospel, as a doctrine of happiness, was not so deeply rooted in them, not so durable, that the hope of the future good would be prevalent over the fear of present evil and danger.

There may be some desires of heaven in a carnal breast, but they are easily blotted out by worldly temptations; but the true desires of holiness are lasting, and will prevail over our lusts."
(Thomas Manton, 1620-1677)

(Thomas Manton's Exposition of Psalm 119:10)

Week in Review

I have decided to give the blog another go... I am hit with so much information on a daily basis; I feel it is only necessary to reflect it with hope of edification.

I am currently reading "Complete in Him: A Guide to Understanding and Enjoying the Gospel" by Michael P.V. Barrett. I have been describing it as an "entree" book... there is no salad or appetizer; only meat. The preface and introduction are both rich in reformed theology and orthodoxy, which blends with Scripture passages throughout the entire book, but this is no scholarly text. While it is rich in doctrine, it is designed to enrich the spiritual lives of the readers by educating them. The theological implications of biblical doctrine are to be chewed, digested and properly applied. Here is an excerpt from my notes:

CHAPTER 3: Conversion (The Response to the Gospel)

"How the needy sinner responds to the gospel of Jesus Christ is a matter of life and death." (p.51)

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6, KJV)

"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." (Acts 4:12, KJV)

"Sinners must meet the terms and conditions of the gospel if they are to enjoy personally the benefits of Christ." (p. 51)

Old Testament evangelistic message

"Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." (Isaiah 55:7, KJV)

"Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?" (Ezekiel 33:11, KJV)

New Testament...

"...The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel." (Mark 1:15, KJV)

"...Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved..." (Acts 16:31, KJV)

CONVERSION

"the Bible teaches that regeneration precedes and gives impetus to saving faith and repentance." (p. 51)

"...the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." (1 Corinthians 2:14, KJV)

"And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses" (Colossians 2:13, KJV)

"Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God." (1 Corinthians 2:12, KJV)

Faith

The Baptist Confession of Faith

"The grace of faith by which the elect are enabled to believe, so that their souls are saved, is the work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts, and is ordinarily brought into being by the ministry of the Word..." (Chapter 14, Section 1)

The Westminster Larger Catechism

"Justifying faith is a saving grace, wrought in the heart of a sinner by the Spirit and Word of God..." (Question 72)

Express statements from Scripture:

"The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins." (Acts 5:30-31, KJV)

"When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life." (Acts 11:18, KJV)

"And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he was come, helped them much which had believed through grace" (Acts 18:27, KJV)

Saints are those "who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places," (Ephesians 1:19-20, KJV)

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8, KJV)

"For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake" (Philippians 1:29, KJV)

I am currently reading Chapter 4: Regeneration (New Life in the Gospel)... which I will most likely add some of the notes in the near future.

The North Pointe Baptist men's study is currently reading "Introducing Christian Doctrine" by Millard J. Erickson and it is a weekly encouragement to wake up at the crack of dawn on Fridays and discuss systematic theology. We are currently discussing the doctrine of the humanity of Christ; we just finished the doctrine of the deity of Christ. Here are my notes:

CHAPTER 24: The Deity of Christ

"our understanding of the person and work of Christ grows directly out of the doctrines of humanity and of sin." (p.216)
The Biblical Teaching

Jesus' Self-Consciousness

"His angels" (Matthew 13:41)

The angels of God... the kingdom of God = "His Kingdom"

Ability to forgive sins (Mark 2:5)

"the exercising of a divine prerogative... the power to actually forgive sins." (Robert Stein)

Lord of the Sabbath (Mark 2:27-28)

Relation to the Father (John 10:30)

"If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him." (John 14:7, KJV)

Preexistence (John 8:58)

"a mode of being which has a definite beginning..." contrasted with "one that is eternal" (Leon Morris)

Trial and Condemnation (John 19:7)

"...the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy. What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death. Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands, Saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee?" (Matthew 26:63-68, KJV)

Acceptance of deific attribution (John 20:28)

Juxtaposition with the Old Testament (Matthew 5:21-28)

"Jesus is claiming to have the power in Himself to lay down teaching as authoritative as that given by the old testament prophets." (p. 218)

Power over life and death (John 5:21

"Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live" (John 11:25, KJV)

Jesus' applied expressions (John 5:2-18)

The Gospel of John

"The prologue particularly expresses this idea John says, 'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.' He has both identified the Word as divine and distinguished the Word from God. It is not a simple monotheism of modalistic monarchianism that he is describing here. The remainder of the Gospel supports and amplifies the thrust of the prologue." (p. 218)

"But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him: That the saying of Esaias (Isaiah) the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, 'Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?' Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, 'He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.' These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him." (John 12:37-41, KJV) [see also Isaiah 6:8]

The Epistle to the Hebrews

"...the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high" (Hebrews 1:3, KJV) [see also Romans 11:36]

"the Son is superior to angels (1:4-2:9); Moses (3:1-6); and the high priests (4:14-5:10)." (p.218)

The Pauline Epistles

Colossians 1:15-20

2 Timothy 4:1 [see also 2 Corinthians 5:10]

Philippians 2:5-11 ("form" = "morphé" (the set of characteristics which constitutes a thing what it is)

Historical Departures from Belief in the Full Deity of Christ

Ebionism: A sect of heretical Jewish Christians who denied the real deity of Christ.

According to Ebionists, "Jesus was... an ordinary man possessed of unusual but not superhuman or supernatural gifts of righteousness and wisdom." (p. 220)

They denied the virgin birth (Joseph was Jesus' biological father).

Arianism (condemned at the Council of Nicea in 325 AD)

[JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES ARE ARIANISTS]

"A central conception in the Arian understanding of Jesus is the absolute uniqueness and transcendence of God [NOTE... GOD THE FATHER]. God (the Father) is the one source of all things, the only uncreated existent in the whole universe. He alone possesses the attributes of deity. Everything other than God has come into being through an act of creation by which He called it into existence out of nothing." (p. 221).

This is the end of the systematic theology notes, but I want to include the Westminster Confession's articulation of the deity of Christ:

"The Son of God, the second person of the Trinity, being very and eternal God, of one substance and equal with the Father, did, when the fullness of time was come, take upon Him man's nature, with all the essential properties, and common infirmities thereof, yet without sin; being conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost, in the womb of the virgin Mary, of her substance. So that two whole, perfect, and distinct natures, the Godhead and the manhood, were inseparably joined together in one person, without conversion, composition, or confusion. Which person is very God, and very man, yet one Christ, the only Mediator between God and man." (The Westminster Confession of Faith; Chapter 8, Section 2)

I am also currently going through discipleship with one of my elders... we are studying Psalm 119. This last week we were discussing verses 113-120. Along with my notes, I have included some reformed commentary...

113 I hate the double-minded (vain thoughts), But I love Your law.

"Those who are of opinion that the word seaphim, the first in the verse, and which is rendered crooked thoughts, is an appellate noun, translate it, those who think evil; but it is more correct to understand it of the thoughts themselves, and this interpretation is very generally adopted. The noun, saeph, properly signifies a branch, but it is applied metaphorically to the thoughts, which, growing out of the heart, as branches from the trunk of a tree, spread themselves in every direction. As there is no doubt that in this passage the term is taken in a bad sense, I have added the epithet, crooked, which the etymology of the word requires. As the branches of a tree shoot out transversely, entangled and intertwined, so the thoughts of the human mind are, in like manner, confusedly mingled together, turning and twisting about in all directions." (John Calvin)

"O Jerusalem, wash your heart from evil, that you may be saved.How long shall your wicked thoughts lodge within you?" (Jeremiah 4:14, ESV)

"the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.." (James 1:6-8, ESV)

Whoa... hold on. Doesn't Jesus say to "love your enemies" (Matthew 5:44; Luke 6:27,35)? How can the Psalmist say he "hates the double-minded"? There is a difference between our enemies and God's enemies. Let's look at a few commentaries on these passages in the gospel accounts...

"...he who shall bring his mind to love those who hate him, will naturally refrain from all revenge, will patiently endure evils, will be much more prone to assist the wretched. Christ presents to us, in a summary view, the way and manner of fulfilling this precept, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. For no man will ever come to obey this precept, till he shall have given up self-love, or rather denied himself, and till men, all of whom God has declared to be connected with him, shall be held by him in such estimation, that he shall even proceed to love those by whom he is regarded with hatred... We learn from these words, how far believers ought to be removed from every kind of revenge: for they are not only forbidden to ask it from God, but are commanded to banish and efface it from their minds so completely, as to bless their enemies. In the meantime, they do not fail to commit their cause to God, till he take vengeance on the reprobate: for they desire, as far as lies in them, that the wicked should return to a sound mind, that they may not perish; and thus they endeavor to promote their salvation. And there is still this consolation, by which all their distresses are soothed. They entertain no doubt, that God will be the avenger of obstinate wickedness, so as to make it manifest, that those who are unjustly attacked are the objects of his care. It is very difficult, indeed, and altogether contrary to the disposition of the flesh, to render good for evil. But our vices and weakness ought not to be pleaded as an apology. We ought simply to inquire, what is demanded by the law of charity: for, if we rely on the heavenly power of the Spirit, we shall encounter successfully all that is opposed to it in our feelings." (John Calvin; Matthew 5:44)

"God said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour; and by neighbour they understood those only of their own country, nation, and religion; and those only that they were pleased to look upon as their friends: yet this was not the worst; from this command, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, they were willing to infer what God never designed; Thou shalt hate thine enemy; and they looked upon whom they pleased as their enemies, thus making void the great command of God by their traditions, though there were express laws to the contrary (see Exodus 23:4, 5; Deuteronomy 23:7)." Matthew Henry; Matthew 5:44)

Christ was simply correcting the false teaching of the Pharisees in these passages. The "neighbor" in "Love your neighbor as yourself" included enemies as a subgroup, much like friends would be included. Those of a different nationality (even if your country is at war with them), those of a different race (even though there might be racial tension or a historical tragedy)... those different than you; "the other" are still considered neighbors and we are to love them (not explicitly emotional love... but biblical, dutiful love). They are still made in the image of God and we must share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with them. It is my observation that we should love those "temporal" enemies in a true sense: biblically; we are commanded to do so and it is our duty to speak the truth in love and share the gospel with them so they may be won to Christ (we should also love them practically with good works and tangible service). However, we should hate those "spiritual" enemies with a holy hatred... the unregenerate are our friends and enemies. Ephesians 2 says that they are "dead in trespasses and sins... following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air... carrying out the desires of the body... by nature children of wrath." They are slaves to sin, doing the work of their master... Satan. We hate them in the sense that they blaspheme God; they are idolaters... they serve the prince of the power of the air, but (we must remember, lest we be proud) we too were once like them. We love them in the sense that they are dead and unable to revive themselves... as we were. They are blind to the truth and only God can resurrect them by the Spirit. We love them by sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with them... the evangelical call that we pray leads to an effectual call. We must also take into consideration that there are the reprobate, but since we do not know who is elect/reprobate... we share the gospel with everyone, knowing it is of the power of God's spirit that elects people to faith in Christ Jesus.

"The LORD knows the days of the upright, And their inheritance shall be forever. They shall not be ashamed in the evil time, And in the days of famine they shall be satisfied. But the wicked shall perish; And the enemies of the LORD, Like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish. Into smoke they shall vanish away." (Psalm 37:18-20, ESV)

114 You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word.

"Preservation of life is entirely owing to the protection of God" (John Calvin)

"David, when Saul pursued him, often betook himself to close places for shelter; in war he guarded himself with his shield. Now God was both these to him, a hiding-place to preserve him from danger and a shield to preserve him in danger, his life from death and his soul from sin. Good people are safe under God's protection. He is their strength and their shield, their help and their shield, their sun and their shield, their shield and their great reward, and here their hiding-place and their shield. They may by faith retire to him, and repose in him as their hiding-place, where they are kept in secret. They may by faith oppose his power to all the might and malice of their enemies, as their shield to quench every fiery dart." (Matthew Henry)

"...you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God." (Colossians 3:3, ESV)

"You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance." (Psalm 32:7, ESV)

"In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one." (Ephesians 6:16, ESV)

115 Depart from me, you evildoers, For I will keep the commandments of my God!

"Those that resolve to keep the commandments of God must have no society with evil-doers; for bad company is a great hindrance to a holy life. We must not choose wicked people for our companions, nor be intimate with them; we must not do as they do nor do as they would have us do." (Matthew Henry)

"Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?" (2 Corinthians 6:14, ESV)

"Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity." (Ephesians 4:17-19, ESV)

"Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them." (Ephesians 5:11, ESV

"Depart from me, all you workers of evil..." (Psalm 6:8, ESV)

Jesus echoes the words of the Psalmist in one of the most difficult passages in the New Testament...

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and cast out demons in Your name, and do many mighty works in Your name?' I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness.' (Matthew 7:21-23, ESV)

Psalm 119:115 also brings to mind Joshua's final address to Israel...

"Now therefore fear the LORD and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." (Joshua 24:14-15, ESV)

116 Uphold me according to Your word, that I may live; And do not let me be ashamed of my hope

"...true stability is to be found no where else but in the word of God; and that no man can steadfastly lean upon it but he who is strengthened by the power of the Holy Spirit. We must therefore always beseech God, who alone is the author and finisher of faith, to maintain in us this grace." (John Calvin)

"those that hope in God's word may be sure that the word will not fail them, and therefore their hope will not make them ashamed." (Matthew Henry)

"...the righteous shall live by his faith." (Habakkuk 2:4, ESV)"I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes..." (Romans 1:16, ESV)"I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me." (1 Timothy 1:12, ESV)

"Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15, ESV)

117 Hold me up, and I shall be safe, And I shall observe Your statutes continually.

"It is the true wisdom of faith to consider all his benefits as the result or fruit of his promises, of which, if we make no account, the enjoyment of all his good things will be of little advantage to us, or rather will often prove hurtful and deadly." (John Calvin)

"If God's right hand uphold us, we must, in his strength, go on in our duty both with diligence and pleasure." (Matthew Henry)

118 You reject all those who stray from Your statutes, For their deceit is falsehood.

"God overthrows all the despisers of his law, and casts them down from that loftiness which they assume to themselves... the wicked gain nothing by their wiles... they are rather entangled in them... The word remyah, signifies a subtle and crafty device. Interpreters, indeed, often translate it thought; but this term does not sufficiently express the propriety and force of the Hebrew word. The prophet means, that, however well pleased the wicked are with their own cunning, they yet do nothing else than deceive themselves with falsehood." (John Calvin)

"All departure from God's statutes is certainly an error, and will prove a fatal one. These are the wicked of the earth; they mind earthly things, lay up their treasures in the earth, live in pleasure on the earth, and are strangers and enemies to heaven and heavenly things. Now see how God deals with them, that you may neither fear them nor envy them... He resists the proud and will triumph over those that oppose His kingdom. Proud persecutors trample upon His people, but, sooner or later, He will trample upon them." (Matthew Henry)

"We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things." (Romans 2:2, ESV)"But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed." (Romans 2:5, ESV)

119 You put away all the wicked of the earth like dross; Therefore I love Your testimonies.

"the vengeance of God against the wicked is not all at once manifested, so that they completely perish, or are exterminated from the earth; but as God, in rooting them out one after another, shows himself to be the judge of the world, and that he is purging the earth of them." (John Calvin)

"So it will be at the close of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous" (Matthew 13:59, ESV)

"Take away the dross from the silver, and the smith has material for a vessel; take away the wicked from the presence of the king, and his throne will be established in righteousness." (Proverbs 25:4-5, ESV)

120 My flesh trembles for fear of You, And I am afraid of Your judgments.

"We require to be subdued by fear that we may desire and seek after the favor of God. Since fear, then, is the beginning of love, the prophet testifies, that he was awakened by a heart-felt fear of God to look well to himself. Nor is the mortification of the flesh so easy a matter, as that every one should consent to enter upon it, without the constraint of violent means; and, therefore, it is not wonderful if God struck his servant with terror, that, in this way, he might bend his mind to a holy fear of him." (John Calvin)

"Good men have need to be restrained from sin by the terrors of the Lord, especially when judgment begins at the house of God and hypocrites are discovered and put away as dross." (Matthew Henry)

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction." (Proverbs 1:7, ESV)

Well... that is it for now. Please take a look at these links:

Matthew Henry's Method of Prayer (an online resource edited & revised by Ligon Duncan)

Theological Foundations (Reformed Theological Seminary course on iTunes U... taught by Derek Thomas)

Reformed Perspectives Magazine (click here and sign up to receive free reformed theology articles in e-mail)