Benjamin L. Merkle. 40 Questions about Elders and Deacons. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Academic & Professional, 2007. 272 pp. $12.85.
The topic of church structure seems to be gaining in popularity as more and more pastors and seminary students ask important questions about polity. Ben Merkle has contributed well to this discussion with this entry to the 40 Questions series. Merkle combines scholarly insight with brevity and readability to help Christians to see the value of a plurality of elders leading a church without losing all the benefits of congregationalism.
Positives
In general, I find myself agreeing with Merkle’s answers to the important questions about deacons and elders. I agree that the biblical model is that there are 2 offices in the church—elder (also called overseer or pastor) and deacon—and that a church should have a plurality of elders. I also agree that the office of elder is rightly biblically restricted to men, though such a restriction is in no way a claim of male superiority.
I appreciate very much Merkle’s handling of the qualifications of elders and deacons. In those chapters, as in much of the rest of the book, the author has thoughtfully organized his material in a way that would greatly benefit a church looking into these issues. I found his discussion of the phrase “husband of one wife” to be solid and helpful. Personally (and perhaps a bit on the self-congratulatory side), I was excited to see Merkle make an argument against polygamy as the only meaning behind “husband of one wife” that I had often thought but had never seen in print (see chapter 16).
Negatives
The 40 questions format, while great for reference and readability, necessarily limits the author’s ability to discuss certain issues in depth. For example, in a discussion of women in ministry, Merkle makes a sweeping statement about the gift of prophecy, “Wayne Grudem has convincingly demonstrated that prophecy was a spontaneous utterance and thus distinct from teaching or preaching” (143). Full volumes are written in an attempt to convincingly argue the meaning of New Testament prophecy. Thus, to put in the word “convincingly” in a single sentence on the topic is not sufficient. Of course I recognize that Merkle was not intending to write on the issue of prophecy, and he was limited by the brevity of his chapters, but these explanations for the weakness do not make the weakness not present.
I also know that not all readers will find Merkle convincing on the more controversial issues regarding elders and deacons. Such issues may include discussions of women as deacons or of parity of elders. I think that I would enjoy reading Merkle on these topics in a larger format so that he could make a more convincing argument for his position.
Conclusion and Recommendation
Though the book has strengths and weaknesses, I would highly recommend 40 Questions about Elders and Deacons as a solid resource for churches that are looking into biblical church structure. If your church is considering a move to elders, or if you are curious about the issue in more than a cursory way, you will benefit strongly from reading through Merkle’s introduction of the important issues.
A Display of God’s Glory – A Review
Mark Dever. A Display of God’s Glory. Washington, DC: 9 Marks, 2001. 84 pp. $6.00.
Mark Dever has preached and practiced proper polity for many years. As pastor of Capital Hill Baptist Church and author of multiple books, Dever has often argued that proper church structure is more than an issue of preference. In A Display of God’s Glory, we find one of Dever’s simplest works dealing with issues of elders, deacons, congregationalism, and church membership
Positives
This book is short, simple, and to-the-point. Dever argues clearly that churches should have a plurality of elders who oversee a congregational church government structure. He clearly articulates that the office of deacon is an office of service rather than authority. Dever also helps us to see why it is important that individuals take church membership seriously.
A few quotes might help to show some of the solid teaching that Dever shares in this tiny work. Dever argues that deacons are to be supporters and defenders of church unity when he writes:
Edifying and uniting the church is especially the ministry of the deacons as we see it in Acts 6. Therefore, we cannot have people serve us well as deacons who are unhappy with the church. The deacons are not those in the church who are complaining the loudest or jarring the church with their actions or attitudes. Quite the opposite! The deacons are to be the mufflers, the shock-absorbers (14).
Dever points to the role of elders in a church as one of both teaching and character by stating, “It seems that the role of the elders is fundamentally to lead God’s people by teaching God’s Word. This teaching must be by the public handling of God’s Word and also by the exemplary lives they lead” (25). Unlike some who present elders in a church and exclude congregationalism, Dever argues that the congregation is the final earthly protector of the gospel when he asks, “Could it be that the gospel itself is so simple and clear, and the relationship that we have with God by the Holy Spirit’s action in giving us the new birth is so real that the collection of those who believe the gospel and who know God are simply the best guardians of that gospel” (42)? And the author challenges churches to avoid false messages and confusion by taking membership very seriously when he writes, “Uninvolved “members” confuse both real members and non-Christians about what it means to be a Christian. And we “active” members do the voluntarily “inactive” members no service when we allow them to remain members of the church; for membership is the church’s corporate endorsement of a person’s salvation” (58).
Negatives
The weaknesses of this book are attributable to the shortness of the work. The author simply does not have enough pages in this book to prove every point he wants to make. He also makes at least one weak argument by failing to go deep in his addressing of the question of whether or not a body of elders should have one lead pastor over it. Dever addresses that point, but, he cannot make a satisfactory argument around it.
Conclusion
I wholeheartedly recommend A Display of God’s Glory to any church member interested in how the church should be structured. This would be a great starting point for churches that are considering eldership, biblical deacon roles, or membership issues. It is short, clear, and highly readable besides being solid in what it presents.
The Hole in Our Holiness – A Review
Kevin DeYoung. The Hole in Our Holiness: Filling the Gap between Gospel Passion and the Pursuit of Godliness. Wheaton: Crossway, 2012. 160 pp. $9.28.
Kevin DeYoung is a pastor, author, blogger, and solid thinker whose stuff I love to read. His book Just Do Something is one of my favorites on the topic of discerning God’s will. Now DeYoung has once again penned a solid, rich, and helpful work in The Hole in Our Holiness.
I heard Kevin DeYoung speak at Together for the Gospel 2012, and found his message wonderfully convicting. He challenged us to love grace, but to not forget that God’s word also calls us to take action, to obey God, as part of our own sanctification. So, when DeYoung published a book explaining and expounding on this concept, I was extremely glad to get a chance to read it. I had high hopes. I was not disappointed.
DeYoung teaches with clarity and depth on the topic of sanctification, our growth in Christ. His premise is, as stated above, that God calls his children to obey him and to join him in the work of sanctification. Of course DeYoung understands that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone; however, he also knows that the New Testament is full of commands from our Lord for his followers. The simple truth being communicated here is that we are saved by grace alone, but we obey as an outworking of that salvation for God’s glory and our good.
If the book has a weakness—and one is not easy to find—it would be that the language or the content can get heavier than light readers might want. DeYoung has put together some pretty long lists of commands or Christian attributes that God calls us to. Those who are looking for a fluffy piece on strengthening their faith might find such heavy-lifting difficult. DeYoung also quotes puritans, which can lead to convicting thoughts delivered in stilted prose. But, honestly, I cannot call either of these things a weakness.
DeYoung’s book is simply a good piece of work reminding us that, as believers, we do not continue in sin simply because we are under grace. There is no call for us to stop trying and just assume God will make us stronger. God commands our obedience, and works in and through us to accomplish it; yet we must take action and be disciplined.
I happily recommend DeYoung’s book, and the excellent Christian Audio recording read by Adam Verner, one of my favorite Christian Audio narrators. I received a free audio copy of this work to review as part of ChristianAudio.com’s reviewers program in exchange for an honest review.
The Perfect Word of God
The Perfect Word of God”
Speaker; Travis Peterson
Text: Psalm 19:7-11
** This sermon text might be useful to teachers who want to teach through the Gospel Project, Unit 1, especially session 3. **
Psalm 19:7-11 (ESV)
7 The law of the Lord is perfect,
reviving the soul;
the testimony of the Lord is sure,
making wise the simple;
8 the precepts of the Lord are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is pure,
enlightening the eyes;
9 the fear of the Lord is clean,
enduring forever;
the rules of the Lord are true,
and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold,
even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey
and drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
Pray
In the seventh century B.C., a man named Josiah became king of Judah. Josiah was the grandson of Manasseh, the most wicked king Judah ever knew. Manasseh governed Judah for 55 years, and led the people into idolatry, immorality, and even child sacrifice. But Josiah, his grandson, was a strong, God-honoring man, as we read in. . .
2 Kings 22:1-2
1Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jedidah the daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath. 2And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and walked in all the way of David his father, and he did not turn aside to the right or to the left.
After Josiah was on the throne for 18 years, he commanded that repairs be made in the temple of God. The temple was, at that time, over 300 years old, so you can imagine that a few home improvement projects would have been in order. So, Josiah gave the command, and the work began. While the work went on in the temple, something fascinating happened:
2 Kings 22:8-10
8And Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the Lord.” And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it. 9And Shaphan the secretary came to the king, and reported to the king, “Your servants have emptied out the money that was found in the house and have delivered it into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of the house of the Lord.” 10Then Shaphan the secretary told the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read it before the king.
That reading of the book of the Torah, the law of Moses, the only form of the Bible that was available to Josiah, sparked the greatest reform in the history of Judah. Josiah heard the word of God, wept over the sin of the nation, tore his robes, sought God’s favor, and set about the business of cleaning up the idolatry of a nation that had sat for years upon years in rebellion against God. How low had Judah sunk? Well, just think about this for a moment: they were supposed to be the people of God, and when the priests uncovered the book of the law, their portion of the Bible, they did not even know what it was. The king had never heard those words before. They had gotten so far away from God’s word, they, as a nation, had forgotten his commands.
We could learn a lot from studying the life and times of Josiah in depth, but that is not our purpose here this morning. I do want us to learn one thing from this account that will set the tone for what we need to do together over the next few weeks. Judah had fallen away from God, and their sin before God led them to great sorrow and loss. And, without question, a major factor contributing to their fall was the fact that they as a people had rejected and eventually simply forgotten the word of God.
Now, let’s contrast the people of Judah before the time of Josiah to one other group of people:
Acts 17:10-11
10The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. 11Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.
While nobody would have called the people of Judah under the reign of Josiah’s father or grandfather a noble people, the Bible calls the people of a little city called Berea, “noble.” The determining factor about why the Bible calls the people of Berea noble is the simple fact that, when they heard teaching about God, they immediately checked the scriptures to find out if the teaching was true. They believed the scriptures to be the source of truth for how to live. They were people of the book.
In our time, we have two options. We can choose to be like the people of Judah under the reign of Manasseh, or we can choose to be like Josiah and like the people of Berea. We will choose either to be people who have forgotten the word of God, or we will become people of the book. This choice is a choice between sinful and noble, of ungodly or godly, of doing evil or doing God’s will. Ladies and gentlemen, we want to become people of the book.
As a church, we have a statement of faith that helps us to simply spell out the official theological position of the church on important topics. Let me read for you what this church believes about the Bible:
The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God’s revelation of Himself to man. It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction. It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter. Therefore, all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. It reveals the principles by which God judges us, and therefore is, and will remain to the end of the world, the true center of Christian union, and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions should be tried. All Scripture is a testimony to Christ, who is Himself the focus of divine revelation. (The Baptist Faith and Message, 2000, Article I).
While it is good for us to know what the scholars who wrote that doctrinal statement say about the scriptures, and while we truly should agree that those words are true, it is even more important that we see what the Bible, God’s holy word, says about itself. Does God claim that the scripture is all that our statement of faith claims? Can we trust the Bible to be true, trustworthy, and clearly the revelation of God? Is it important to God that we be a people of the book?
Emphatically, I answer, “Yes!” We must become a people of the book, and not simply because some scholars said so. We must become a people of the book because the book says so. And if the book says so, God says so. Is that logic circular? Of course it is. But any argument that attempts to logically express a source of ultimate authority will end up being circular, since that argument must depend, ultimately, on the very source it claims has ultimate authority. Thus, today, we will look at God’s word to see what it has to say about itself in order that we might become stronger believers in it.
Last week, I only spent a short period of time looking at verses 7-11 of Psalm 19. That is the section of the psalm that speaks about God’s special revelation, his written word. If you remember, verses 1-6 celebrate the glory of God’s general revelation. They applaud how the heavens declare for all the world to see that God is, and that God is glorious. But we learned, as we looked at God’s glory in the heavens, that general revelation can only convince us that he exists; it never tells us all we need to know to know him. Knowing God requires his special revelation, and that special revelation is the focus of verses 7-11. I want us to take a bit more time on those verses this morning, to call you to trust, treasure, and obey the Bible as God’s holy word.
Point 1: Trust the Bible as God’s Holy Word.
Psalm 19:7-9
7 The law of the Lord is perfect,
reviving the soul;
the testimony of the Lord is sure,
making wise the simple;
8 the precepts of the Lord are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is pure,
enlightening the eyes;
9 the fear of the Lord is clean,
enduring forever;
the rules of the Lord are true,
and righteous altogether.
In this power packed little section of scripture, we find six parallel statements made about the word of God. In each statement, we learn a title for God’s word, a description of God’s word, and a function of God’s word. Let’s waste no time in learning what these things say to us about the book.
Statement1
Psalm 19:7a
The law of the Lord is perfect,
reviving the soul;
The Hebrew word here translated law is the word Torah. While it means law, it also means instruction and teaching. It first appears in Genesis 26, where Abraham is said to have followed God’s instruction or law. There Torah simply meant what God instructed Abraham to do. But, by the book of Exodus, we have God giving Moses instructions that he wrote down. The Torah, in the books of Moses, then refers to both the commands given by God on Mount Sinai as well as the particular rules and instructions for all parts of Hebrew life. The book of Deuteronomy tells us that Moses wrote down all of the words of the law, the Torah, and preserved them for future generations. By the time Joshua comes on the scene, the word Torah is used, almost exclusively, to refer to the written down commands of God. Torah means God’s teaching that was written down in the book. And, while the word can mean instruction in general, when it is used in the formal sense as we read here in verse 7, there is simply no question that David is here speaking about the written down revelation of God.
Why is it important for us to recognize that the word here translated law is a reference to the written down revelation of God? We have to understand this, because we have to understand that what is here said about the law of the Lord applies to what we have and what we believe today. David wrote about the Torah, because that was the scripture he had available to him. We now have that writing, but in addition, we have the other books of the prophets in the Old Testament as well as the New Testament scriptures. All of these writings carry the same weight; all are written down revelation from God. So, where David talks about the Torah, we need to talk about the Bible. And it is vital for us to recognize what the Bible says to us about itself.
Notice also that in all six statements about the scripture, the phrase “of the LORD” follows the title given to the word of God. David knew, and you and I must also know, that the written down revelation that we study here is the revelation of God. It is his book. These are his words that he inspired men to write. This is his revelation of himself to us. These are his standards, his principles, his judgments, his words.
And, look at the description that God gives us for his law, his Torah. He says to us that his law is perfect. Perfect is a Hebrew word that literally means complete, sound, or blameless. God’s law does not fall short, it lacks nothing, it says nothing wrong. It is right from beginning to end, and it misses nothing in the middle. John MacArthur, commenting on this word, says, “It is to say then that the Scripture covers everything. It lacks nothing. It lacks nothing. It is a comprehensive source of teaching from God which therefore embodies all that is necessary to the spiritual life of God’s people.”
And what does this perfect, written down teaching of God do? David says that it restores the soul. The word for restores here is a Hebrew word that means to turn around or change directions. It is sometimes used for repentance, to make a complete turn-about. Thus, the law of the LORD turns your soul around. If your soul is in danger, walking down a wrong path or facing destruction, the teaching of God as it is written in his book will restore your soul, turning it away from destruction and toward righteousness, restoration, and life.
Statement 2
Psalm 19:7b
the testimony of the Lord is sure,
making wise the simple;
In this line, clearly intended to be a parallel line to the first, the word used for the written down revelation of God is “testimony.” The word for testimony is a word that can mean testimony or admonition and warning. It was used to refer to the written down revelation of God, as the testimony (written Torah) was to be placed in the ark of the covenant. This carries with it the idea of God testifying, in a legal sense, about who he is and what he demands. It warns us about the standards of God that we must follow.
That testimony of God is sure, meaning strong, faithful, and trustworthy. Sometimes that word is used of the doorposts of a house or temple, indicating their sturdiness and reliability. We live in a world of people who think that all truths are relative and all truths change; but the word of God is neither relative nor changeable. It is not wavering, fickle, or malleable. God’s word is sure, sturdy, strong, steady, and reliable.
And this trustworthy testimony of God makes wise the simple. Again citing John Macarthur: “And here is a marvelous promise. The Word of God can take a naïve, inexperienced, undiscerning, uninformed, ignorant person and bring them to such wisdom that they can live out a godly life according to the will of God.” So, if you would like to be wise in the eyes of God and not naïve, simple, or foolish, the place that you look to gain the wisdom you need is his written word.
Statement 3
Psalm 17:8a
the precepts of the Lord are right,
rejoicing the heart;
Here the word of God is called his precepts. This word for precepts only appears in the psalms, and points to God’s commands—commands written in his word. It carries with its meaning the idea of God’s divine principles, guidelines, or instructions.
These precepts of God, his principles, are right. That is to say that God’s precepts are never crooked; they are always straight and true. They will never lead you in a wrong direction or down a wrong path. You can follow God’s precepts in his word, and they will never lead you out of God’s will, but will guide you straight to where he wants you to be.
When you follow those straight and right precepts of God that you find in his word, they lead your heart to joy. The idea here is gladness or celebration. As John Piper points out, “We are commanded to rejoice in God. If obedience is doing what God commands, then joy is not merely the spin-off of obedience, it is obedience.” Joy is the result of obeying God, and it is itself obeying him. God’s commands lead us to the ultimate of all joys, the joy of having done the very thing for which we were created, glorifying God.
Statement 4
Psalm 19:8b
the commandment of the Lord is pure,
enlightening the eyes;
The word for commandment is interesting. In Exodus 24:12, it is combined with Torah to say what God gave Moses on the mountain. It is the Hebrew word mitzvah, from which we get the word bar-mitzvah, son of the law, which is the Jewish boy’s right of passage from childhood to adulthood. As the commandment of God, the scripture has authority. It is not optional. It is the command of God that we must follow, or we rebel against him.
The commandments of God are pure. The word for pure means just that, pure, clean, innocent, or choice as in a choice offering. The 2 other times it occurs in the psalms, it refers to one who has a pure heart. There is no evil, no blemish, no taint of sin in God’s word. It is completely and perfectly pure.
And these pure commands of God enlighten our eyes. There are two possible ideas behind this phrase, and I think both perfectly apply to what the word of God does.
Psalm 119:130
The unfolding of your words gives light;
it imparts understanding to the simple.
One idea is that the word of God gives us light, imparting to us understanding or wisdom. Without question, God’s commands do that for us, as they teach us who God is and what he demands of us.
But there is also. . .
1 Samuel 14:27
But Jonathan had not heard his father charge the people with the oath, so he put out the tip of the staff that was in his hand and dipped it in the honeycomb and put his hand to his mouth, and his eyes became bright.
Ezra 9:8
But now for a brief moment favor has been shown by the Lord our God, to leave us a remnant and to give us a secure hold within his holy place, that our God may brighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our slavery.
Psalm 13:3
Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;
light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,
In all three of these passages, where light is connected to your eyes, it means to refresh or rejuvenate you. I honestly think this is more in view in our treatment of God’s word. Yes, God’s word gives us wisdom. But, it also gives us life. It gives us strength to serve God. When we, as believers, read, meditate on, and follow the pure commands of God, we are strengthened, energized, and empowered to follow our God.
Statement 5
Psalm 19:9a
the fear of the Lord is clean,
enduring forever;
The word for fear means terror, awe, and reverence. If you look at it, this word is the one in the list that does not have a particular tie to the written book. However, you can see in several places where the fear of God is actually paralleled with his instruction, that which you can only get from his word.
Psalm 34:11
Come, O children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
How is this psalmist going to teach the fear of the LORD? It is not that he is going to teach an emotion. Instead, he is going to teach the word of God that brings about the right reverence of God.
Psalm 119:38
Confirm to your servant your promise,
that you may be feared.
The promise of God that is to be confirmed is the promise in his word. It is that word that is directly connected to fearing God.
Proverbs 1:7
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Notice, in this parallelism, that the synonym to the fear of God is wisdom and his instruction.
So, the point here is that the fear of the LORD is a fear that is directly connected to the written word of God. As we get to know God through his book, we learn to reverence him as he commands.
That fear, and the book that brings it to us, is clean. The word for clean here is the word that is often used for what is ceremonially clean. It is what is pure and acceptable to God. It is what you can offer God in worship. And so we see that the level of perfection that God demands of those who worship him is found in his holy word.
And that clean fear of God that is brought about by his holy word is something that will endure forever. The cleanness of God’s word does not fall apart over time. It does not stop, change, or become unclean simply because nations rise and fall or because cultures change. What was righteous before God two thousand years ago is still righteous before him. What was evil before God two thousand years ago is still evil . Kingdoms and nations rise and fall, but the word of the LORD endures forever.
Statement 6
the rules of the Lord are true,
and righteous altogether.
The final word for God’s word is his rule. This word speaks of God’s judgments or his justice. These are what MacArthur calls the “divine verdicts from the bench of the Judge of all the earth.”
The verdict or rule of God is true. This is a word that indicates firmness. God’s holy word is always, in all things, absolutely true. It stands firm. It does not deceive. It does not crumble under genuine scrutiny.
The word for righteous in “righteous altogether” is a word that means justified, acquitted, shown to be just or right. When the word of God is examined over the test of eternity, the word of God will stand as righteous. All other systems of thought, all other philosophies, all other man-made systems will be proved to be incorrect, insufficient, and guilty of wrong. The word of God will stand justified, proved to have been right from beginning to end.
The point of this study was to call you to trust in the Bible as God’s holy word. The bible is here called God’s law, testimony, precepts, commands, fear, and rule. All of those words are intended to bring to our minds different aspects of the written revelation of God. We have that written revelation of God in the Bible, and so what is said about God’s word is said about the Bible.
What is said about the Bible should give you great confidence in it. The Bible is perfect, sure, right, pure, clean, and true. Those words tell us that it is not full of errors, not sinful, not faulty, not flawed, not wavering, not wrong in any way. As such, it is totally true, totally trustworthy, totally right in every way. While there may be debates on how a very small number of passages are translated, there is no debate in the word of God that the words, as they were inspired by God, are incapable of error, perfect in every way, and fully sufficient for everything the Christian needs.
And the impact of the word on our lives is priceless. The Bible is said to revive the soul, make wise the simple, rejoice the heart, enlighten the eyes, endure forever, and be righteous altogether. You want every last one of those things to happen in your life. You want your soul turned back from destruction to life. You want your life to be one of wisdom rather than naivety. You want your heart to rejoice. You want your life to be rejuvenated—your eyes to be enlightened. You want your life to be built around something that will last forever and that will be proved altogether righteous when all is said and done. And if you want all those things, you can find them in no other place than in the word of God.
So, yes, trust the Bible, God’s holy word. And let us only read the remaining two verses to be reminded of how our hearts should respond to this totally trustworthy word of God.
Point 2: Treasure and obey the Bible as the holy word of God.
Psalm 19:10-11
10 More to be desired are they than gold,
even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey
and drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
If you are a believer in Jesus Christ here this morning, these verses ought to mark your response to the Bible. It is worth more than the greatest treasure and sweeter than the sweetest pleasure. It warns us away from danger. It leads us to ultimate joy. It is a treasure the like of which we can not find anywhere else. It is a guide, the following of which leads to eternal joy and ultimate reward. Treasure and obey God’s holy word, the Bible.
If you are here this morning, and you do not know what to make of Christianity, I urge you to start with the book. God revealed to you everything you need to know about him and about yourself in the Bible. The Bible makes claims about itself that demand your attention. The God of the universe will ultimately respond to your life before him, and his judgment will be directly in line with what he has revealed in his word. His word tells us that we have all broken his laws, but that he sent his Son to pay the penalty for our crimes. His word tells us that if we will put our trust in Jesus, turning away from our sin and turning in faith to Jesus, he will forgive us for all the wrong that we have done before him and grant us eternal life. That is a promise worth looking into, and you can receive that promise today.
If you are a believer, the call is very simple: trust, treasure, and obey the Bible as God’s holy word. To fail to believe the Bible is to fail to believe God. To fail to obey the Bible is to fail to obey God. To fail to treasure the Bible is to fail to treasure God’s words for you. Do not be guilty of such a great insult toward God. Do not lose sight of the word of God. Do not forget God’s commands, as we read about the nation of Judah doing before the reforms of Josiah. Instead, become a person of the book, and encourage others to become people of the book, trusting, treasuring, and obeying the Bible, the word of God.
The Glorious Revelation of God (Psalm 19)
** The following sermon might be a useful tool for teachers who would like to look further at the topic of general and special revelation as they prepare to teach lessons 1-3 of the Gospel Project. I am particularly fond of using the pagan prayer to illustrate the importance of God revealing himself to us. **
The Glorious Revelation of God
Speaker: Travis Peterson
Text: Psalm 19
Psalm 19 (ESV)
1 The Heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
2 Day to day pours out speech,
and night to night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words,
whose voice is not heard.
4 Their measuring line goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.
In them he has set a tent for the sun,
5 which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber,
and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.
6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens,
and its circuit to the end of them,
and there is nothing hidden from its heat.
7 The law of the Lord is perfect,
reviving the soul;
the testimony of the Lord is sure,
making wise the simple;
8 the precepts of the Lord are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is pure,
enlightening the eyes;
9 the fear of the Lord is clean,
enduring forever;
the rules of the Lord are true,
and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold,
even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey
and drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
12 Who can discern his errors?
Declare me innocent from hidden faults.
13 Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins;
let them not have dominion over me!
Then I shall be blameless,
and innocent of great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in your sight,
O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
Pray
“How can you get to know the unknowable God?” That was a question that a man named Phil Nelson once used as a springboard for a discussion of Christianity on our college campus nearly twenty years ago. The question caught the attention of several students, because they really had never thought of just how it is that human beings, in all our finitude, might come to have real knowledge of the all powerful yet unknowable God. How can we, who are so limited in our understanding and vision ever begin to have knowledge of one who so transcends anything we can even imagine. How can we come to know, in the words of the old hymn, the “immortal, invisible, God only wise?”
There is one, and only one way, that any person on earth ever comes to know God. It is not that they discover him. It is not that they go and find him. It is not that they prove him in a scientific experiment or through philosophical reasoning. No, the only way that any person ever gains knowledge of the God who created us is through revelation. The God who made us has chosen, graciously, to reveal himself to us.
Have you ever stopped to imagine just how terrible it would be to try to live before a God who did not choose, for whatever reason, to reveal himself to you? Can you imagine how terrible it would be to know that, at any moment, you might sin in the eyes of that God, but not know what it is that you did or how to remedy it? Can you imagine trying to please an invisible and unknowable God by trial and error?
I want you to listen to an ancient pagan prayer found in the library of Ashurbanipal, 668-633 B.C. In this prayer, the one seeking the god, any god, believes that he has done something wrong and is suffering for it. Sadly, however, the person lacks some important data to help him out:
May the god who is not known be quieted toward me;
May the goddess who is not known be quieted toward me.
May the god whom I know or do not know be quieted toward me;
May the goddess whom I know or do not know be quieted toward me.
May the heart of my god be quieted toward me;
May the heart of my goddess be quieted toward me.
May my god and goddess be quieted toward me.
May the god [who has become angry with me] be quieted toward me;
May the goddess [who has become angry with me] be quieted toward me.
In ignorance I have eaten that forbidden of my god;
In ignorance I have set foot on that prohibited by my goddess.
O Lord, my transgressions are many;
great are my sins.
O my god, (my) transgressions are many;
great are (my) sins.
O my goddess, (my) transgressions are many;
great are (my) sins.
O god whom I know or do not know, (my) transgressions are many;
great are (my) sins;
O goddess whom I know or do not know, (my) transgressions are many;
great are (my) sins.
The transgression which I have committed, indeed I do not know;
The sin which I have done, indeed I do not know.
The forbidden thing which I have eaten, indeed I do not know;
The prohibited (place) on which I have set foot, indeed I do not know.
. . .
How long, O my goddess, whom I know or do not know,
ere thy hostile heart will be quieted?
Man is dumb; he knows nothing;
Mankind, everyone that exists,–what does he know?
Whether he is committing sin or doing good, he does not even know.
O my lord, do not cast thy servant down;
He is plunged into the waters of a swamp; take him by the hand.
The sin which I have done, turn into goodness;
The transgression which I have committed, let the wind carry away;
My many misdeeds strip off like a garment.
O my god, (my) transgressions are seven times seven;
remove my transgressions;
O my goddess, (my) transgressions are seven times seven;
remove my transgressions;
O god whom I know or do not know,
(my) transgressions are seven times seven;
remove my transgressions;
O goddess whom I know or do not know,
(my) transgressions are seven times seven;
remove my transgressions.
Remove my transgressions (and) I will sing thy praise.
The above prayer, is sad, and for several reasons. This person is suffering. He knows, or at least he thinks he knows, that he has done something to incur the wrath of some god or some goddess whom he may or may not actually know. He does not know if he went somewhere he shouldn’t have, said something he shouldn’t have, or eaten something he shouldn’t have. He also does not know what it is that he must do to be made right. He does not know where to look for grace, or if that grace is even available to him. The sadness and tragedy of this prayer is that it is a prayer to an unknown deity, and it is utterly without hope.
Thanks be to God, we have not been left in the state of the supplicant in that gloomy little prayer. We have received the kind revelation of God to tell us that he is, what he is like, what pleases him, and how our sin may be forgiven. And Psalm 19 is one of the best places to look in all of the scripture to see just how glorious is the revelation of God.
On your outline, there are three points. Follow along, and we will look at this psalm to see two kinds of divine revelation and the proper human response to God’s revelation. As you follow along, ask God to help you to sense just how wonderful it is that he has graciously chosen to reveal himself to you, and that he has not left you to figure him out for yourself.
Point 1: Let the sky above reveal to you a glimpse of God’s glory.
Psalm 19:1
The Heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
Scientists tell us that light travels 5.87 trillion miles per year: One light year. The Milky Way is about 100 thousand light years across, and there are about a million other galaxies like ours that we can see. In our galaxy there are about 100 million stars. And, according to a 2004 theory I found reported on Space.com, the universe is 156 billion light years across. That is more than 91 billion trillion miles across. Or, for you who want it more exact, multiply 91416000000 times 1 trillion or add 18 0s to 91416, and that is how many miles across some scientists believe the universe to be.
Now, to accept those numbers actually requires that you trust the scientists’ theories about the age and expansion of the universe, and I have no need to enter that debate. But the fact remains that, regardless of how accurate that theory is, the universe is inconceivably massive. The numbers that are used boggle our minds, and we simply lack the capacity to understand how huge are the heavens.
In his study entitled “The Blazing Center,” John Piper points out that many atheists will say that this massive amount of space, when compared to teeny tiny little earth, is an awful lot of wasted space for God to have created. “Why,” they ask, “would you think that God would have wasted so much space?” And Piper points out that the answer is in verse 1 of this Psalm: the heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above his handiwork.
The reason the heavens exist is in order to declare for you, me, and all peoples through all generations in all of history and in all locations the glory of Almighty God. The sun, moon, stars, clouds, comets, meteors, asteroids, and all the vastness of space is all intended to boggle the human mind in order that we would recognize that the universe has been created by an ultimately glorious God.
C.H. Spurgeon writes on this topic, “It is not merely glory that the heavens declare, but the ‘glory of God,’ for they deliver to us such unanswerable arguments for a conscious, intelligent, planning, controlling, and presiding Creator, that no unprejudiced person can remain unconvinced by them.” Spurgeon goes on to say, “He who looks up to the firmament and then writes himself down an atheist, brands himself at the same moment as an idiot or a liar.” In all this, the old English preacher agrees with the scriptures that the heavens declare for all to see and understand that we are created by one, sovereign, powerful, intentional, personal Creator, God himself.
Spurgeon is not the only one to recognize that the universe itself declares to all peoples that God is. Paul, speaking by divine inspiration, tells us that not only does the universe and nature tell us that God exists, it calls us to account before him.
Romans 1:18-20
18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
No person of any generation in any nation in any period in history has an excuse to live as an atheist. God has given all humanity ample evidence in the creation to demand that they believe that he is. We call this general revelation, because it is the revelation of God made available to all people.
Psalm 19:2-4b
2 Day to day pours out speech,
and night to night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words,
whose voice is not heard.
4 Their measuring line goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.
Though general revelation tells the story to all the world of God’s existence, it tells with no words. Though every day and every night pours forth speech and knowledge, there is no speech, no actual words being used. However, there is no language in the world where the words of this testimony without words is silent. The line, the measure, the words of God’s testimony in the heavens covers all the earth, telling all peoples everywhere that they are created by a God whose power is unmatched, whose artistry is unparalleled, whose glory is unfathomable.
Psalm 19:4c-6
In them he has set a tent for the sun,
5 which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber,
and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.
6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens,
and its circuit to the end of them,
and there is nothing hidden from its heat.
In them, the heavens, David declares that God has made a tent for the sun. He stops trying to take in the grandeur of all of the heavens, and focuses on one simple attribute in the skies that shows us the glory of God. David thinks about the sun. Every morning, we see the sun come forth, bright, strong, and cheerful. He compares the rising sun to a new husband emerging from his chamber or an athlete running his race with joy. Anyone who has ever seen the confident glow on the face of a newly married man who strides out of his home ready to conquer the world for his new bride understands the imagery that David here uses to describe the sun. Anyone who has ever watched a marathon runner set a strong, steady, relentless pace and triumph over the grueling race can imagine with David the strong and steady trek that the sun makes to traverse the sky each day. David notes that the sun crosses all the world from one side to the other, and no place on earth is out of its heat.
Let the sky above reveal to you a glimpse of God’s glory. That is the point I called you to in this section of the psalm, and I hope that you can now see why. We Christians ought to be the most enthusiastic star gazers, sunset watchers, and cloud shape observers in all the world. But, sadly, our fast paced, busier than ever, 21st century, Internet savvy lives focus us more on our computer screens and our televisions than on the heavens that declare for all the world to see the glory of our God.
So, let’s make a commitment, today, to see the glory of God in general revelation. Let’s plan to take the time we need to look at the sky, the stars, the trees, the mountains, the streams, the birds, the oceans, or whatever you can look at to recognize the glory of God. Turn off your TV, hang up your cell phone, shut down your computer, and go outside! Do not fail to see the glory of God in his creation.
And, let’s do more than look. Let’s think too. Study the sun, moon, and stars, not for astrology, pagan superstition, but for the simple way in which they, without words, point us to the glory of God. Think about the fact that God did not have to create them. He could have made this planet a closed system, a little ball with nothing beyond its atmosphere; but he chose not to do that. God chose to create a universe so vast and so intricate that even the greatest human mind can not grasp its limits.
And, if you are here this morning as someone who does not yet know God, let the skies and the stars and all the glory of God in the heavens call you to account. You have no excuse for not believing in God. He created the universe, and in doing so, he displayed for all people all the proof their hearts should ever need to believe that there is a God who is over all the universe.
It is a tremendously sad thing that so many of us miss the glory of God revealed to us in general revelation. However, we also need to recognize that general revelation is not the more important kind of revelation. While you might know that there is a Creator because of what you see in the universe, you will not get to know him simply by looking at the stars. He has not spelled out the gospel in the clouds for you, and so you need something more. Like the man who prayed to the god or goddess whom he knew or did not know, you and I, if left only with general revelation, would not really know the God who created us.
David understood that fact, and that is why he turns his attention from general revelation here in point 1 to something even more helpful. We find that more helpful revelation in . . .
Point 2: Let the Bible reveal to you the God whose glory you can only glimpse in nature.
Psalm 19:7-9
7 The law of the Lord is perfect,
reviving the soul;
the testimony of the Lord is sure,
making wise the simple;
8 the precepts of the Lord are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is pure,
enlightening the eyes;
9 the fear of the Lord is clean,
enduring forever;
the rules of the Lord are true,
and righteous altogether.
These 3 verses of scripture contain for us six lines of parallel Hebrew poetry that speak to us of the revelation that we need in order to truly know God. While the heavens declare God’s glory, something different, something special, is needed for us to truly know him. That special revelation of God, revelation that not all people have, is what David writes about here. That revelation is the word of God, what we now call the Bible.
My intention is to cover this section quickly, and then to look at it in greater depth in next week’s message. But let me point out to you what it is that God wants you and me to know about his word in these verses.
First, you must see that the first thing said here, the “law of the LORD,” is an important Hebrew phrase. The word for law is the Hebrew word Torah, and it refers to the books that God inspired Moses to write down. Torah really means teaching or instruction, not necessarily law in the sense of being all rules all the time. The fact that this law is of the LORD tells us that God, the covenant making and covenant keeping God of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, the Nation of Israel, and David, is the God whose law it is that we are talking about. Today, we have our own word to refer to the written down, inspired, revelation of God; we call it the Bible. Anything here said about the Torah or the other words used could be said about the Bible.
Over these six lines, there are six words used for the written revelation of God, six descriptions of that revelation, and six functions of that revelation. With each line, it is also made absolutely clear that the written words we are referencing are the words of God. David calls the written revelation of God’s word the law, testimony, precepts, commandment, fear and rules of the LORD. The Bible is the specifically given teaching, instruction, and rules for life that God gives to us.
David says that the word of God is perfect, sure, right, pure, clean, and true. What does all that mean? Well, without breaking it all down, the word of God as it was written down by men under his inspiration is perfect, without any flaw or error. It is complete. It is sure, without any hint of doubt or uncertainty. It is always right, always pure and unblemished, always true in every respect. God did not inspire a faulty, incomplete, insufficient, or untrustworthy word.
David also says that the word of God has six different impacts on our lives when we look into it and obey it. He says it will revive the soul, make wise the simple, rejoice the heart, enlighten the eyes, endure forever, and be righteous altogether. We want all of these things to happen. We want our souls revived. We want our simple minds to be made wise. We want our hearts to rejoice. We want our eyes to be enlightened. We want all this to last forever, not just for a little while. And we want it all to be righteous, not ugly, sinful, and dishonoring to God.
When we put it all together, we learn that God has not merely revealed to us that he exists, but he has actually revealed himself to us. He did so in his written word, which we now have in the Bible. It is the revelation of the LORD. It is absolutely perfect, complete, and sufficient in every way. It impacts our lives, bringing us into communication with and relationship to our Creator.
Sure, the heavens declare for us the glory of God, but they do not do all the things just said about the word of God. They let us know God is there, but they do not lead us to him and enable us to know him. And, let us also remember that nothing else does this either. The philosophies, sciences, and arts of the world may hint to us that God is, but they will never lead us to know him nor will they help us to follow him. His word is what does that, and it does so perfectly.
And look to see how the child of God should feel about this perfect word of God.
Psalm 19:10-11
10 More to be desired are they than gold,
even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey
and drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
In verse 10, David says that God’s word is more precious than the most precious treasure and sweeter than the sweetest pleasure. God’s words are worth more than gold, than much gold, than much fine gold. No price on earth could ever be set to match the value to us of the perfect revelation of God and his principles. Nothing could ever compare to the infinite value of God showing us how we can know him, relate to him, and be forgiven by him.
Also, the words of God are sweet, sweeter than honey—even that from the honeycomb. Think of the richest chocolate, the freshest strawberries, the creamiest ice cream, or the best food you can imagine. The words of God in his holy Bible are sweeter and better by far. In the mouth of a child of God, his words are glorious to savor. The pages of that sacred book contain for you the sweet communication to you from the God who created you, loves you, and saved you.
Verse 11 simply tells us that the words of God also warn us, keeping us from the dangers of sin before our holy God. In keeping God’s word, following it and loving it, there is great reward. We look to God in order to see where we might be heading in a wrong direction, and we allow it to guide us away from danger and into right, wonderful, joyful living that leads to ultimate and eternal reward.
Simply put, though general revelation, the heavens declaring the glory of God, is a grand and gracious thing for God to have given us, nothing compares with the precious gift of his perfect word. You might know that God exists from what we can discover in nature, science, philosophy, psychology, or some other thing, but you will never know God or please God without his holy, inspired, perfectly written word. That is right, you could never know God and you will never please God without doing so in direct relationship to his word, the Bible. So come to love God’s word, and give your heart to knowing him through it.
And, when you come to know God’s word, you will find yourself called to respond to the Lord who has revealed himself in the heavens and in the book. We see this response in. . .
Point 3: Let the revelation of God lead you to a life of obedience empowered by God.
Psalm 19:12-14
12 Who can discern his errors?
Declare me innocent from hidden faults.
13 Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins;
let them not have dominion over me!
Then I shall be blameless,
and innocent of great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in your sight,
O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
Who can discern his errors? David asks who truly knows their own heart. Who truly knows all that is right or wrong in his or her own soul? The clearly understood answer is that no one knows their own heart, and no one can discern their errors or their right living apart from God’s holy word. Without the scriptures, you and I would be like the man who prayed the prayer to every god, never knowing when we had said, eaten, or walked on something that might earn for us the wrath of the unknown deity.
David’s realization that he does not even know, on his own, his own errors along with his understanding that the word of God is God’s perfect revelation of himself and his statutes leads David to pray what we read in these final verses. He first asks God to declare him innocent, forgive him for his hidden sin. David knows, when looking into the perfect word of God, that he has failed to live up to God’s commands in a thousand ways, some of which he knows and some of which he does not. So, he asks God to grant him grace, to count him as not guilty of those hidden flaws in his heart that not even David himself can discern. And, he has confidence, because of what God has revealed in his word, that God has made a way for him to be forgiven of all his sin.
David then asks God to protect him, to hold him back from presumptuous sin. He wants God to guard him from arrogantly crossing the line and committing great transgressions before God. He asks God to keep those kinds of sins from having dominion over him, because he knows that once you begin to sin boldly before God, such sins can conquer your life and enslave you to their destructive power. But, if God keeps him back through the guarding and protecting power of his holy word, David will be innocent of presumptuous, arrogant, bold, insolent sins. That is correct, God is telling us in this word that, while we may regularly need to be forgiven of things we did not see in our life until he reveals them to us, we can, as his children who obey his word, be free from boldly crossing the line and breaking his commandments. Christians, you are no longer slaves to sin.
And David closes with the beautiful prayer of verse 14. He asks that his words and his thoughts, the things he says and the things just deep within his mind, would be pleasing to God. He is asking that God would help him to please God in every aspect of life. And, let me simply point out that this desire can only be rightly prayed after someone truly grasps the glory of God’s revelation in his word—a word which Hebrews 4:12 tells us reveals the thoughts and intentions of men’s hearts.
For you and me the call here is simple. God’s word reveals to us his ways and his commands. It shows us that our hearts are very tricky, deceptive, and full of hidden faults. We need to ask God to forgive us of those, but also to show us, as we study his word, where those flaws are in order that we might repent of them. We also can ask God to aid us in staying away from presumptuous sins, those things which we know are clearly dishonoring to God. And, we have the confidence that by his power and through his holy word, we have the ability to resist such temptation. Then, as we have examined ourselves in the light of his word, we cry out with David, begging God to help our words and our thoughts be pleasing to him in every way.
Praise God that he has revealed his glory in the heavens. Never let such a gorgeous picture of the power of God pass you by. Never lose the wonder of what you can see of God’s glory in general revelation. But praise God even more for his written word, his special revelation. Even more wondrous than the sky and all of outer space, the Bible reveals to us who God is and what he commands of us. The Bible helps us to come to know God, to be forgiven by God, and to see our own hearts for the deceitful little things they are. And, it is through God’s graciously given word that we can seek forgiveness for hidden flaws, step back from intentional sin, and seek that all we think, say, and do be pleasing to the God who created us.
Love the God whose glory is glimpsed in the sky. Love the God whose ways are written in his word. Thank him for both forms of revealing himself to you. Follow him according to his word. Treasure his word. And seek to please him in all that you do.
The Danger of Isolation (Proverbs 18:1)
Proverbs 18:1
Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire;
he breaks out against all sound judgment.
Verse 1 of Proverbs 18 shows us the danger inherent in isolation. One of the traits of a person who is headed for destruction is that such a person isolates himself or herself from those who would offer biblical counsel. I know that this is true of myself and of people I have known. Whenever we try to hide, to keep to ourselves, and to pretend that our business is our business, we are most often hiding sin.
What is the cure to the problem of verse 1? The cure is solid, true, Christian fellowship. If we are open and honest with others as we live out our Christian lives, we will be far less likely to walk ourselves down into destructive ways. This is why we always promote being a part of a small group in our church. We want our people to know each other and to be known by each other so that we can encourage each other and care for one another.
In the garden, God said that it is not good for a man to be alone. Contextually, marriage was the issue at hand. However, it is also a true principle that it is not good for a person to live in isolation. We need others to grow us, to sharpen us, and to encourage us. Hebrews 10:24-25 calls believers not to give up meeting together. We need each other. We do ourselves harm when we intentionally isolate ourselves.
Lord, I thank you for the Christian community that you have given me. I acknowledge that it is not good for me or for any other believer to live in isolation. Please help me to be open and honest with my friends so that I can be protected from the folly of walking alone. I also pray for those who currently have no solid connection to a church or to brothers and sisters in their church. Please help them to see the need of others in the Christian life and grant them opportunity to find fellowship.
Impact My Life – A Review
Mentoring is not complicated, but it is totally biblical and amazingly powerful. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a tool to help you get hold of some simple ideas and principles for helping others grow deeper in the faith? Wouldn’t’ it be great if those tools did not make you feel like you need a seminary degree to work through? Well, if you are a lady who wants to mentor other ladies, Elisa Pulliam has put together such a tool in her new book, Impact My Life.
I was pointed to Elisa’s new project by Tyanne Perry, a sweet friend of Mitzi’s and of mine who is blogging on godly womanhood herself. Elisa was gracious enough to let me take a peek at her book before it was published if I would write an honest review of her work. I was very happy communicating with Elisa, even offering a suggestion or two that she implemented into the finished product. Now that the book is available, let me tell you a couple of quick things.
The best thing that I learned while reading Impact My Life is that mentoring someone else is not rocket science. To be a mentor means that you are willing to open up your life, and maybe your home, to others in order to help them be what God has called them to be. It does not require mystical insight. It does not require a multi-year training course. It does not require that you have everything together in your own life. No, mentoring someone else involves you being willing to stop keeping the good things that God has done in your life to yourself. Mentoring means that you open your heart to others, and you help them walk the Christian life with you.
Elisa has done a great job in this little work showing women that helping other women to follow Christ is something that is possible for any growing Christian lady. If you love Jesus and are making progress in your life, you can help somebody else make progress too. Elisa offers very simple and practical ways for you to get into the process of mentoring someone, especially if you have always been too frightened to do so in the past.
Elisa’s work is not perfect, no books ever are, but she has proved to me that she is learning, growing, and helping others. When I responded to her with questions, she responded back to me with a gracious spirit and a teachable attitude. One example of this sweet spirit is when I was not fond of some of the resource suggestions that she had placed in her original manuscript. She was willing to understand my objections, changing some of the suggestions and placing a disclaimer before others. Elisa understands that not every resource that is out there will perfectly match who she is or what she wants to teach. Her heart is, however, to do what she can to resource women to help them to impact the lives of others for the glory of God.
If you would like a nice, short, sweet, challenging read on how women can mentor other women, I am happy to recommend Elisa’s book. Let me forewarn you, however, that reading this book will challenge you to step out, stop making excuses, and get into the work of making disciples as our Lord commanded.
god Never Lies (Titus 1:2)
Titus 1:2
… God, who never lies, …
God never lies. Never not ever does God fail to keep his word. This is news that is wonderful and terrifying.
God never lies. So we know that his promises are true. When he tells us that eternal life awaits his children, it is true. When he says that he forgives all who turn to Jesus in repentance and faith, ,it is true. When he promises that Jesus will reign as King of kings and Lord of lords forever, it is true. When he promises that the glory of eternity with him will far outweigh the hardships of this life, it is true.
Yet, it is also true that the promises of judgment are true. God will judge the wicked. God will cast into hell those who reject his offer of grace. God will not treat rebels against him who do not come to Christ as anything but rebels. He will not let sin go unpunished. He will not change his rules for me. God never lies.
Lord, thank you that you never lie. I thank you that I can always trust you. I rejoice in the fact that your promises of joy, reward, and glory are all true. I thank you that your promise of forgiveness in Christ is true. I tremble at the truth that your promise of justice is also true. Lord, be glorified. Help me to remember that your word is always true because you are the One who never lies.
Adam Hamilton’s Forgiveness – A Review
Adam Hamilton. Forgiveness: Finding Peace Through Letting Go. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2012. 160 pp. $12.42.
It is impossible to walk through this life without hurting someone or being hurt by someone. God, of course, knows this fact, which explains why he chose to teach us in his word about forgiveness. Adam Hamilton, senior pastor of the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas and author of several books, has taken a stab at the important topic of helping Christians understand forgiveness in simple terms in his book appropriately titled Forgiveness.
Positives
Hamilton’s work is sweet, simple, and full of application. He illustrates often, depicting carrying the burden of anger like a backpack full of stones. Nothing in this work is too complex for believers to easily grasp and immediately apply.
One example of the helpful counsel the author offers is in the acronym R.A.P. Whenever we find ourselves offended by something that another person does that is not really significant, Hamilton suggest we (R) remember that we have probably done something similar in our own lives, (A) assume the best about the person who offended us, and (P) pray for the person who has offended us. IF we will practice this simple plan, we will find it much easier to let go of simple annoyances before they become big problems.
Hamilton also does a fine job with his explanation of the concept of repentance. The author grasps that repentance is more than mere change. Instead, he presents the truly biblical understanding of repentance as a change of mind which leads to sorrow and a change of action.
Negatives
I found that the book may have relied a bit more heavily on psychological theory than I would have preferred. An example of this comes in the premise that we forgive in order to free ourselves of burdens, regardless of the actions of others. The author does not back this teaching with a solidly biblical foundation, thus leaving it open to question whether this principle is truly in Scripture or merely in modern therapy. Understand that I’m not arguing that the author is wrong here (it is often experientially true that we feel a release when we forgive and there is also an appropriate way in which we let go of our anger against others before God that is clearly biblical), but simply that I would have liked a more Scripture-driven approach rather than an approach founded in psychology. Since the need to forgive has been present since Adam and Eve, the authors of Scripture and the God who inspired it obviously knew the topic well. Why, then, can we not find letting go for one’s own emotional release as a Scriptural motivation for forgiveness? This leaves me wondering if there is not something missing.
Similarly, the author points out that it is often important to confront those who have sinned against us. However, he does not share with us much about when we can then complete the transaction of forgiveness. I would have liked to find more in this work about the hard question of what to do when a person sins against another and yet refuses to acknowledge it or repent.
Conclusion
Hamilton’s work is a nice, short, and easy read on a topic that is of great importance to Christians. In many ways, the book is helpful. Obviously, a book of this size will not be able to cover every contingency and will not be an exhaustive theological look at the topic. For those looking for a quick peek at the topic of forgiveness, this book has points to recommend it. However, in general I would send readers elsewhere if they really want to dig into the topic. Specifically, I would recommend Chris Brauns, Unpacking Forgiveness: Biblical Answers for Complex Questions and Deep Wounds (Wheaton: Crossway, 2008).
Audio
As part of their reviewers program, I received a free audio version of this book from ChristianAudio.com in exchange for an honest review. The audio quality of this work, like all the products from this company, was quite solid.
More Joy (Luke 15:4-7)
Luke 15:4-7 (ESV)
“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
Over the past few weeks, I have had the joy of hearing about three sweet salvations. Two of them were men who had rejected God’s offer of mercy for many years and who asked for grace on their death beds. The third is a man in his early thirties who, while driving down the highway, felt the conviction of God and found his heart made alive in Christ.
In all three of these instances, I have experienced exactly what the Bible expects we should experience—I experienced joy. What a sweet thing to hear about the salvation of the lost. Remember, all of us have rebelled against the rule of our Creator. All of us have earned his wrath. The fact that we can be rescued by him is such a sweet joy.
I also want to continue to experience that joy. I want to know that people are turning from death to life. I want to be a part of what God is doing. This is one reason why I teach god’s word and share my faith when I can. I want people to be made alive to Christ. I want the joy of witnessing their souls being saved. Truly, there is more joy over even one who repents than over 99 people who think they need no repentance.
Lord, I want the joy you speak of in this passage. Please help me to be faithful to share the gospel with those who need it. Please also grant me opportunities to tell the good news and to see others come to faith in you. Grant me the joy of seeing your glory displayed in your mercy.
Pastor Travis Peterson 