I wish I had a dollar for every time I heard the charge leveled against the doctrines of grace that goes something like this: "The doctrines of predestination and election destroy all incentive for an upright life and it doesn’t matter how anyone lives since all the elect will be saved anyways." But is this a legitimate complaint against Calvinism or is it simply a gross misrepresentation of the truth? Are there satisfactory answers—that is, internally consistent responses—to this charge? And furthermore, are the accusations substantiated by the manifestation in the lives of those who profess the doctrines of grace?

I would submit to you that this particular objection to the doctrines of grace can be easily answered, and I would strenuously disagree with the conclusion that many arrive at that attempt to argue that it exposes contradictions and poses difficulty to the theological position.

My immediate response to this would be directly from Scripture: "As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for Iam holy’" (1 Pet 1:14–16). It is oftentimes asked for what reason we are to live righteous lives. Simply put, God commands us to be holy, because He is holy. We are responsible to Him as our Creator, and we are to obey His revealed will. That is, we are commanded to be obedient despite the reality of other great truths.

Paul further makes the same command when he wrote "just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him in love" (Eph 1:4). Here, again, we find our duty to live a life that glorifies God. Even Calvin addressed those who made the same charge by writing, "What a great difference there is between these two things: to cease well-doing because election is sufficient for salvation, and to devote ourselves to the pursuit of good as the appointed goal of election! Away, then, with such sacrileges, for they wickedly invert the whole order of election."

Second, we hold that the ends as well as the means are ordained by God. Predestination is not only concerned with the final outcome, but it necessarily includes the actions in order to ensure the desired results come to fruition. For instance, God decreed that the earth was to be fruitful, but this decree necessarily included the sun, the rain, the nutrients from the earth, and all those who would cultivate the ground. Similarly, the election of some individuals to eternal life with the Lord also includes their election to holiness. As Lorraine Boettner wrote, "It is not the individual as such, but the individual as holy and virtuous, that is predestinated to eternal life."

I would further submit to you another reason we live righteous lives is in order to demonstrate our gratitude to God for what He chose to do out of His grace and mercy. There was nothing inherently good foreseen in us that caused God to elect us unto salvation—only His eternal love for us. Knowing all of this, therefore, should cause us to want to reciprocate as best as we can and obey God and serve Him to the best of our ability. We, above everyone else, have the greatest reason to love and to glorify the Lord God Almighty.

Finally, I believe history itself is one of the best testimonies to the inaccuracy of such statements. I would stake the reputation of one group of godly men and women over against any other that can be named in Christian history—namely, the Puritans. The very word carries with it negative connotations as it has come to signify a rigid morality. The Puritans—and Calvinists of Scotland and France—tenaciously adhered to a strict set of religious faith and morals in spite of their dogged belief in the doctrines of grace. If the charge of wicked living rang true, then these Calvinists should have demonstrated utter corruption and licentious living as proof that it leads to careless living, but the exact opposite is the case. These devout Calvinistic men and women were living proof that the doctrines of grace have transforming power that molds and shapes godly character that produces fruit for centuries to come.

So in summary we continue to wage war against the flesh and put on the new man for four reasons: because the Lord commands it of us; the ends as well as the means are preordained; love and gratitude to our Maker for what He has done for us; and finally, the fruits of Calvinism speak for itself.

Beyond what has already been said so far, consider this: No one knows for certain who belongs to the elect or how far the elect extends. Nevertheless, the Bible provides comfort for Christians in that it outlines the marks of true conversion. One sign that someone is a part of the elect is through the good works he performs. If one is truly saved, then he is a new creature and will reject the ways of the world—that is, he will put off the old self and put on the new one (Col 3:9–10). Living a righteous life is what separates us from the rest of the world. Therefore, any one who justifies his perpetual sinfulness on predestination is not acting in accordance with God’s Word. Those who persist in their sins without repentance are in danger of suffering the eternal consequences. God calls us to be holy and for those who have been regenerated, they will have a desire to do what is right.

Anyone who has been regenerated by the Lord will no longer desire to live contrary to God’s commands. The Holy Spirit will work to sanctify the elect and will grant a new spirit by taking away the stony heart and giving a heart of flesh (Ezek 11:19, 36:26). The Lord remains faithful in that those He calls unto salvation He justifies; and those He justifies He glorifies (Rom. 8:30). When one is glorified, he no longer is at enmity with God. He is a new creature and has a renewed desire to please God. It is contrary to Scripture to suggest that any one who is saved will want to continue living according to the flesh. The mark of true conversion is a changed heart that leads to a change in lifestyle. Anyone who remains a slave to his own sinful desires and revels in them is not walking in accordance with God’s commands. Yes, saved individuals continue to sin because the sin nature is still a present reality. However, a radical transformation takes place when one is saved, and he no longer desires to live according to the flesh.

Earlier this week we began a new series on sola Scriptura. Part one brought us the story of Martin Luther and how he refused to renounce the Scriptures at the Diet of Worms and how the issue of the Bible alone ultimately proved to be the formal principle of the Reformation. Furthermore, it was shown how Christ is the single great theme of the Bible and unifies all the Scriptures, and as such, it would be proper to read the Bible as a whole. Part two addressed the importance of embracing the authority of God's Word because of its nature. And part three brought us examples of what happens when sola Scriptura is denied in principle. Today's final portion continues from where we left off from the sermon delivered in Nigeria earlier this month as part of a conference on the truths of the Reformation.

***********

Below are some Thanksgiving blogs and articles from around the web. Enjoy and have a blessed Thanksgiving day!

» Listen to Dr. Sproul's entire Thanksgiving message
"One of the grand traditions of America is our tradition of taking one day out of the year and setting it apart as a special holiday--a holy day--a day to commemorate the benevolent providence of God. It was originally called Thanksgiving. The idea of Thanksgiving day has its roots in our own history, in the bitter struggle that the original founding fathers of this country had with the elements."

» Some Thanksgiving reading from Desiring God Ministries
John Piper provides some Thanksgiving meditations upon which to reflect and give glory and praise to the Lord for all that He has done.

» Thanksgiving is all year long
Agonizomai provides key verses that speak to what a Christian's attitude should be--not just one time a year but every day of our lives.

» The real story of Thanksgiving
Rush Limbaugh offers an historical analysis of the first Thanksgiving, a story you were never told in school. He writes, "It was an entirely different story than is being taught in the schools. It's been muddied down, watered down all these years -- and now it's been hijacked by the multicultural community -- to the point that the story of Thanksgiving is the Pilgrims were a bunch of incompetents and were saved only by the goodness of the Indians, who then were wiped out. And that's what kids are being taught today -- 'cause, of course, you can't mention the Bible in school, and that's fundamental to the real story of Thanksgiving."

Earlier this week we began a new series on sola Scriptura. Part one brought us the story of Martin Luther and how he refused to renounce the Scriptures at the Diet of Worms and how the issue of the Bible alone ultimately proved to be the formal principle of the Reformation. Furthermore, it was shown how Christ is the single great theme of the Bible and unifies all the Scriptures, and as such, it would be proper to read the Bible as a whole. Part two addressed the importance of embracing the authority of God's Word because of its nature. Today's portion continues from where we left off from the sermon delivered in Nigeria earlier this month as part of a conference on the truths of the Reformation.

***********

I know that good people disagree on certain religious issues, but if we simply opened the Bible and properly examined God's Word then it might save on a lot of discussion. Some years ago while pastoring in a small town in Pennsylvania I had the occasion to visit with a lady who had become the pastor of a Lutheran church. In the course of the conversation I asked her a question. My desire was not to embarrass her, but I wanted to understand how she could justify being ordained and serving as the pastor of a local church. In particular I asked her by what scriptural authority she had stepped into that role of eldership for when we open the Bible we read very plainly the words of 1 Timothy 3:1. "This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work." God has spoken.

The Reformers said that all of our Christian practice should be rooted in Scripture by principle or by precept and I believe that with all my heart. The Reformers also said that our faith should be rooted only in Scripture.

I recently encountered a person who embraces Pre-tribulation, Pre-millennial, Dispensational theology. It took only a matter of minutes before I was being told with breathless excitement that the world was coming to an end for all the signs of the time were present. When I offered the suggestion that perhaps we should prepare to die but live with the blessed hope of the Lord’s return there was an immediate emotional outrage. "No, no. We are living in the last days and Jesus is coming soon!"

Neither did it help the matter when I ventured the opinion that many major concepts of the Dispensational view that are now being articulated and embraced are not part of the historic Christian faith. The idea of a revived Roman Empire, a secret seven year rapture, a future tribulation period with the rise of an Antichrist who will bring peace to the world, a third Temple, three comings of Christ, a twofold division between Israel and the church, the removal of the Holy Spirit and much more are not found in the debates of the great church councils nor are they found in the creeds of Christendom.

"But it is all in the Bible," came the protest. "Where I asked?" Give me a chapter and verse. That cannot be done. Select Scriptures can only be alluded to, ripped out of context or misinterpreted to fit the teaching of the system.

A case in point. I mentioned the opening words of Revelation state that John was going to see things that must "shortly" come to pass--and two thousand years later is not a good understanding of "shortly". Revelation 1:1 reads, "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John." This person retorted that, "one day with the Lord is like a thousand years,"--an appeal to 2 Peter 3:8. The problem with such implausable argumentation, however, is that Peter's point is to assert that God is sovereign over everything, including time, and that His perspective is radically different from ours. Any attempt to change "day" or "shortly" into "thousands of years" is simply applying eisegesis to a passage.

"But so and so believes this!" was the next argument. My response. "I am more interested in what Jesus said and what the apostle Paul believes as set forth in  Scripture." It is nice when prominent spiritual leaders agree with one's position, but it is better when all agree with God’s Word. Truth is truth. The biblical text has meaning. When I suggested that the person has been taught a system of theology instead of the Scriptures the idea was immediately rejected with great emotion. The information was not welcomed when I mentioned there is evidence for a historical fulfillment of Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21, which teaches a time of great tribulation for Israel and which history says happened between AD 66-70.

I then made an offer in order to induce personal Bible study minus the teachings of the Dispensation System being super imposed on the thinking process so that people think they see what is NOT in the Bible. "I will give you a financial remuneration if you can find one clear teaching setting forth the Rapture of the church. Just one clear verse. I will give you another financial remuneration if you will provide one clear teaching that the church is going to disappear and there will be a seven year tribulation period."

Even that generous offer was emotionally dismissed. The mind was made up. "You will have to give me more money than that!" was the response. There was just no willingness to look at any historical or theological evidence that might challenge what had been embraced. Such a position is a violation of the Reformation principle of Sola Scriptura for all matters of faith and practice.

Charles Spurgeon said, "I will follow the Scripture wherever it may lead me, and I will renounce the most cherished opinion, rather than shape or alter a single syllable of God's Book. It is not mine to make God's Word consistent, but to believe that it is so. When a text stands in the road I drive no further. The Romans had a god they called Terminus, the god of landmarks. Holy Scripture is my sacred landmark: woe is me if I remove it."

to be continued...

Yesterday we began a new series on sola Scriptura. Part one brought us the story of Martin Luther and how he refused to renounce the Scriptures at the Diet of Worms and how the issue of the Bible alone ultimately proved to be the formal principle of the Reformation. Furthermore, it was shown how Christ is the single great theme of the Bible and unifies all the Scriptures, and as such, it would be proper to read the Bible as a whole. Today's portion continues from where we left off from the sermon delivered in Nigeria earlier this month as part of a conference on the truths of the Reformation. 

***********

Second, the Bible is authoritative for it sets forth the mind of God, who is the Supreme Ruler of the universe. An American statesman named Daniel Webster (January 18, 1782–October 24, 1852) believed, "If we abide by the principles taught in the Bible, our country will go on prospering and to prosper; but if we or our posterity neglect its instructions and authority, no man can tell how sudden a catastrophe may overwhelm us and bury all our glory and in profound obscurity."

I cannot speak for other nations but there was a day in America when the judgment of God fell upon our society in one great and severe stroke. What we are now witnessing with our economic crisis, high unemployment, slaughter of the unborn through abortion, and moral confusion can be traced in part to that precise day in America when the Bible and prayer were taken out of the classroom. The date: June 17, 1963, the day I turned nine years old. The place: the eastern district of the state of Pennsylvania. The decision of the Supreme Court of the Unites States ruled in favor of Mrs. Madalyn Murray (O’Hair) and her son, William J. Murray III, both professing atheists.

While professing respect for religion with their lips the Supreme Court ruled against God, against the Bible, and against prayer in the public schools. "The place of religion in our society is an exalted one, achieved through a long tradition of reliance on the home, the church and the inviolable citadel of the individual heart and mind. We have come to recognize through bitter experience that it is not within the power of government to invade that citadel, whether its purpose or effect be to aid or oppose, to advance or retard. In the relationship between man and religion, the State is firmly committed to a position of neutrality….It is so ordered."

By casting aside life’s ultimate authority, the nation drifted into war after war, fear of pandemic diseases, unsustainable debt, and gratuitous acts of murder. Daniel Webster was right. In 2008 sudden catastrophe overwhelmed us and may bury all of our glory and leave us in the dustbin of history in profound obscurity.

America is a beacon of light set high upon a hill to those who love and want freedom. But America can also serve as a warning to other nations including Nigeria. Do not reject the Bible. Be a nation of one Book. Submit to the sovereignty of God. Let the Bible be the rule by which all else is measured.

This is not easy to do for often there is a tremendous disconnect between the rhetoric of our religion and the reality of applying it on a daily basis. The apostle James recognized this and exhorted the church writing, "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves" (James 1:22). Dr. Billy Graham is reported to have said that if a nation has trouble determining how long a yard is, it is because they have thrown away their ruler. And if a nation has trouble determining what is morally right and what it wrong it is because the nation has thrown away the moral measuring standard, the Bible. So let me ask, "Have you thrown away your moral standard? Is the Bible the rule by which you measure all else?"

Many years ago, 1896, Charles Sheldon wrote a novel in which a question was asked by individuals before they committed themselves to a course of action. The question was this. "What would Jesus do?" That is what we are after. What does the Bible tell us to do? What does the Bible tell us not to do? Do we measure our decisions by the teaching of Scripture?

Former President Ronald Reagan noted that, "Within the covers of one single book, the Bible, are all the answers to all the problems that face us today—if only we would read and believe." Men and women, let the Bible be the rule by which all else is measured and then let the Bible be the one guide for faith and practice.

to be continued... 

Last week we presented a four part series on the topic of sola gratia. This week we want to bring you the foundational principle that undergirded the Reformation, that is sola Scriptura. Scripture alone served as one of the rallying cries of the sixteenth century protest and is a doctrine that every Evangelical should love and embrace. The following sermon was delivered in Nigeria earlier this month as part of a conference on the truths of the Reformation. 

***********

"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works" (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

In the spring of 1521, the Parliament of the German state assembled and demanded the appearance of Dr. Martin Luther. Since October 31, 1517, Luther had set the world on fire with his teachings and now he must give an account of himself. Obedient to the crown, Luther journeyed to Worms believing that he had been summoned to debate his theological positions. That was not to be the case, however. Luther was really being summoned to recant his position at the instance of the 21 year old emperor, Charles V under the influence of the Roman Catholic Church.

In Worms, late in the afternoon, 4:00 PM, April 17th, Luther was ushered into a large room where the nobility of the land had assembled including the king and the royalty of Rome. His books were spread on a table. Luther was to answer two questions in a simple and straightforward manner: "Are these your writings?" and "Will you recant the writings and the beliefs that they contain?"

For the moment Luther was caught off guard. He had come to debate his works not to renounce them. In desperation Luther asked for more time to consider the request and one day was granted. Luther was to return the next afternoon. At the appointed hour Luther re-appeared. He was ready to answer the questions. Yes, the writings were his, and no he would not recant what he had written for this reason:

"Not all of the books are of the same kind: some deal with matters of faith which popes and priests alike have universally applauded as being worthy of a Christian's perusal. Others do attack the papacy, and the teaching of the papist. But what is that? Truth is truth!

Therefore, Your Most Serene Majesty and Your Lordships, since they seek a simple reply, I will give one that is without horns or teeth, and in this fashion: I believe in neither pope nor councils alone; for it is perfectly well established that they have frequently erred, as well as contradicted themselves.

Unless then I shall be convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures or by clear reason, I must be bound by those Scriptures, which have been brought forward by me; yes, my conscience has been taken captive by these words of God. I cannot revoke anything, nor do I wish to; since to go against one's conscience is neither safe nor right: here I stand, I cannot do otherwise. God help me. Amen."

In that moment, the doctrine that the Bible alone is the ultimate authority for all faith and practice was established as the formal principle of the Reformation.

We have in our possession the most unique book on planet earth. Written over a period of one thousand five hundred years by about forty different authors on three continents in three languages the Bible is profitable, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. The Bible is a book with a purpose which is simply, "That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." When we pick up a copy of the Bible we notice immediately it is one book. Though it contains sixty six works it is still one book for there is an essential unity to the Bible.

There are many, however, who attempt to destroy the unity of the book by denying its inspiration, by dividing God’s Word into multiple dispensations or by pitting Moses against Christ, but the Bible remains one book for the "New Testament is in the Old contained while the Old Testament is in the New explained." Someone else has written, "The New Testament is in the Old concealed while the Old Testament is in the New revealed."

What is the message that is contained in the Bible? What is the glorious truth explained in the Bible but this: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). The Bible is all about Christ and so we find Him in every verse of Scripture, in every chapter, and in every book.

In Genesis He is the Seed of the woman (3:15).

In Exodus He is the Lamb of God for sinners slain (see chapter 12).

In Leviticus He is our High Priest (the whole book).

In Numbers He is the Star out of Jacob (24:17).

In Deuteronomy He is the Prophet like unto Moses (18:15).

In Joshua He is the Captain of the Lord’s armies (5:13-15).

In Judges He is the Angel of the LORD or the messenger of Jehovah (chapter 13).

In Ruth He is our Kinsman-Redeemer (Chapter 3).

In Samuel, Kings and Chronicles He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords (1 Samuel 8:1-9).

In Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther He is the sovereign Lord over all the kingdoms of the earth (entire books).

In Job He is our risen and returning Redeemer (Job 19:25).

In Psalms He is the Blessed Man (Psalm 1), the Son of Man (Psalm 2), the Crucified One (Psalm 22), the Coming One (Psalm 24), the Reigning One (Psalm 72).

In Proverbs He is our Wisdom (chapter 14).

In Ecclesiastes He is the forgotten Wise Man (9:14-15).

In Song of Solomon He is "My Beloved" (2:16).

In Isaiah He is our suffering Substitute (chapter 53).

In Jeremiah He is the LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS (23:6).

In Lamentations He is the Man of sorrows who weeps for His people (l: 12-18).

In Ezekiel He is the glory of God (1:28).

In Daniel He is the Smiting Stone (2:34) and the Companion in the furnace of fire and the den of lions (3:24-25; 6:22).

In Hosea He is David’s Greater King (3:5).

In Joel He is the Hope of His people (3:16).

In Amos He is the Rescuer of Israel (3:12).

In Obadiah He is the Deliverer upon Mount Zion (verse 17).

In Jonah He is the buried and risen Saviour (compare Matthew 12:40).

In Micah He is the Everlasting God born in Bethlehem (5:2).

In Nahum He is our Stronghold in the day of wrath (1:7).

In Habakkuk He is the Anchor of our faith (2:4).

In Zephaniah He is in the midst for judgment and cleansing (3:5,15).

In Haggai He is Lord of presence and power (1:13).

In Zechariah He is the smitten Shepherd (13:7).

In Malachi He is the Sun of Righteousness (4:2).

Because Christ is the single great theme of the Bible and unifies all the Scriptures, it would be proper to read the Bible as a whole. Writer Amos Wells reflected on our need for thorough Bible reading with a little verse of poetry:

"I supposed I knew my Bible,
Reading piecemeal, hit or miss,
Now a bit of John or Matthew,
Now a snatch of Genesis,
Certain chapters of Isaiah,

Certain Psalms (the twenty-third),
Twelfth of Romans, first of Proverbs –
Yes, I thought I knew the Word!

But I found that thorough reading
Was a different thing to do,
And the way was unfamiliar
When I read the Bible through.

You who like to play at Bible,
Dip and dabble, here and there,
Just before you kneel, aweary,
And yawn through a hurried prayer;

You who treat the Crown of Writings
As you treat no other book,
Just a paragraph, disjointed,
Just a crude, impatient look,

Try a worthier procedure,
Try a broad and steady view;
You will kneel in very rapture
When you read the Bible through."

Find Christ in the Scriptures. Read the Bible through. It is one book.

to be continued...

Dave Hunt, co-author of Debating Calvinism, represents the Arminian side in which he argues that the intent of Jesus’ death on the cross was to lay the sins of every man, woman, and child upon Him—thus, making all of mankind savable. Hunt’s argument is simply representative of the vast majority of synergists who attempt to argue that God must attempt to save everyone equally and that Jesus’ death must cover all of humanity in order to demonstrate His love. The irony of this issue, however, is that while Arminians insist that God strives equally to save each of His creatures and that the scope of Jesus’ death is spread to all of mankind without exception, they never utter a complaint about the extent of salvation in the Old Testament.

That is, have you ever heard an Arminian complain about the Passover and argue that God is unjust because He did not grant the same opportunity to the Egyptians as He did with the Hebrew people? Or have you read anyone lately attempting to argue that Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, really covered the sins of the Amalekites, Moabites, Ammonites, or Hittites?

If the Passover and Yom Kippur were intended for only a finite number of people (the Jews), upon what rational basis, then, do so many argue that God’s intention must be to save all mankind without exception when reading the New Testament? If the same God in the Old Testament saved only a remnant for Himself--and that is acceptable--why is there such a leap to believe that God’s intention was to save the entire human race when discussing the New Testament?

I would suggest to you that the greatest objection people make towards limiting the scope of the atonement is the objection to God’s sovereignty over His creation, namely, man. Hunt and countless others refuse to believe the clear words of Scripture: "The LORD has made everything for its own purpose, even the wicked for the day of evil" (Prov 16:4). God sent His Son to earth to fulfill a specific mission, to save His people from their sins (Matt 1:21), and that is exactly what Jesus did on the cross at Calvary. Jesus turned away the wrath of God—the wrath that should have been poured out upon us—by taking our place, and because of that faithful mission, He is now interceding for us and will raise us up on the last day (cf. John 6:44).

Today marks the final blog in a 4 part series on sola gratia, taken from a sermon delivered in Nigeria earlier this month in which the truth of God's saving grace was proclaimed. Part 1 of this series pointed out the universal condemnation of all men; Part 2 dealt with the reality that Jesus served as our substitute and served as the propitiation for our sins; and Part 3 discussed the nature of the cross.

***********

When we ask God why He has given His only begotten Son to die for sinners, the answer comes back, "Because I Am love" (1 John 4:8). It is the nature of love to manifest itself in grace. Grace must be manifested if anyone is ever to be saved for all other attempts at salvation are inadequate to satisfy the justice of God.

Cain discovered this truth. He was the first to try to offer God the works of his own self righteous labor. The story is told in Genesis 4:3-5. "And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell."

As God rejected the works of men’s hands so He ultimately rejected an inadequate sacrifice. The author of Hebrews declares, "For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins" (Heb 10:4). We say again that if ever a person is to be saved they must be saved on the basis of grace. Why? Because every other means of salvation is inadequate.

In examining the concept of the grace of God the subject becomes emotionally overwhelming because there is so much that testifies to the unmerited favor God displays. Do you not understand? It was while we were yet sinners that Christ died. While we were still hostile to the Christian message the gospel invitation went forth so that it can be said, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest an many should boast" (Eph 2:8–9). Realizing this, a precious lady wrote to me saying, "I would like to tell you a secret. It is that I love the Lord Jesus with all my heart. He is so much a darling to me, I am short of words to describe what He means to my soul" (Praise Banmah).

While grace comes to us as an expression of God’s love, while grace is the manifestation of unmerited favor, there are some practical results. First, because of grace we have a secure position in Christ. "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit" (Rom 8:1). Dr. Harry Ironside used to teach that salvation was like Noah inviting a non Christian to place his trust in God's Word and come in to the ark of salvation. But some view salvation as Noah offering to put a peg on the outside of the ark and saying, "If you just hang on through the storm, you'll be saved." Salvation is not dependent on our holding on to God, but on our being securely held by God in Christ.

Second, because of grace we are under no obligations to try to gain merit with God by performing legal duties. Love, not Law, compels obedience. For if they which are of the Law be heirs of salvation, faith is made void, and the promise of none effect (Rom 4:14). Because of grace the heart wants to serve—not out of duty but out of delight.

In 1878, William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, attracted Christian workers from all over the world. One man, who had once dreamed of becoming a bishop, crossed the Atlantic from America to England to enlist. Another man, a Methodist named Samuel Logan Brengle (1860-1936), left a very nice pastorate to join Booth's Army. At first General Booth accepted his services reluctantly. Booth said to Mr. Brengle, "You've been your own boss too long." In order to instill humility in Brengle, he set him to work cleaning the boots of other trainees. Discouraged, Brengle said to himself, "Have I followed my own fancy across the Atlantic in order to black boots?" And then, as in a vision, he saw Jesus bending over the feet of rough, unlettered fishermen. "Lord," he whispered, "you washed their feet; I will black their shoes."

"Higher than the highest heavens,
Deeper than the deepest sea,
Lord, Thy love at last has conquered;
Grant me now my spirit's longing
None of self, and all of Thee!"

Third, because of grace, we are superior to the angels. The angels do not know grace as far as the Scriptural references indicate which may be one reason why they are so fascinated with the salvation of men. The elect angels have been confirmed in holiness. The non elect angels have been confirmed in evil. Only man, fallen like the non elect angels, has been restored to righteousness, all because of the free grace of God. Titus 3:7 says, "That being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life."

While grace is free, it is precious and should not be cheapened. The grace of God can be diminished, it can be abused. One way that grace is abused is by making a mockery of sin. "What shall we say then? Shall we continue to sin that grace may abound?" (Rom 6:10). The logical answer is, "No," for grace is not a license to sin but freedom to operate according to the Law of Life of the Spirit in Christ Jesus. Paul never ceased to marvel that he was the object of redeeming grace. "But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me" (1 Cor 15:10).

By way of application and conclusion, do you know the grace of God personally and experientially? Can you sing with John Newton about God’s amazing grace?

"Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see.

’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed!

Through many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me,
His Word my hope secures;
He will my Shield and Portion be,
As long as life endures.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who called me here below,
Will be forever mine.

When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we’d first begun."

Embrace this amazing grace, for by grace alone are we saved through faith in Christ. Amen and Amen. 

click here for the entire article 

Today brings us part 3 of a series on sola gratia, taken from a sermon delivered in Nigeria earlier this month in which the truth of God's saving grace was proclaimed. Part 1 of this series pointed out the universal condemnation of all men. Yesterday in part 2 it was demonstrated that Jesus served as our substitute and served as the propitiation for our sins. 

***********

We return once more to the courtroom where the adversary of men’s souls has leveled a renewed charge. The accused stands. The Holy and Just Judge asks, "How plead ye? Guilty or not guilty?" This time the entry is made, "Not guilty!" How can that be? The answer is this. The blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, cleanses those who have cast themselves upon Him from all sin (1 John 1:7). "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit" (Rom 8:1). The cross is the means by which we are reconciled to God. The cross is God’s beacon of grace calling people home.

There is a famous book written by a well known author, Charles Dickens (1812-187). In David Copperfield, Ham and Mrs. Gummidge put a lighted candle every night in the little window of the boat turned house. Emily has run away, and Mr. Peggotty is going out through the entire world to seek her. But he says, "Every night as regular as the night comes, the candle must be stood in its old pane of glass, that if ever she should see it, it may seem to say, ‘Come back, my child, come back.'"

God calls the wayward and the lost not by a candle but by a cross. God calls across the centuries to individuals who have turned to their own devises and He says, "Come back, my child, come back. Don’t walk on in wasted years. Wasted years, wasted years, oh how foolish. As you walk on in darkness and fear. Turn around, turn around. God is calling. He’s calling you from a life of wasted years."

It is at Calvary that our burdens are lifted and our sins are forgiven. "The word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God" (1 Cor 1:18 RSV). Who are those being saved? The answer is you and me if we embrace Jesus Christ as our personal Savior. Who are those being saved? The most helpless and the most vile of society.

Perhaps someone says, "But you do not know what I have done." That is true. But I know what God has said He will do. And I know the Bible says, "Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:" (Isa 59:1). William Cowper celebrated this saving truth when he wrote:

"There is a fountain filled with blood
Drawn from Immanuel’s veins;
And sinners, plunged beneath that flood,
Lose all their guilty stains."

The guilty stains are lost because, "It is finished," that is to say the great work of redemption has been accomplished and can now be applied to all those who cast themselves upon Jesus Christ and say,

"Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress;
Helpless, look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me Saviour, or I die."

Now listen carefully. There are only two kinds of religion in the world. You can list every "ism," every cult, every religion under one category. They all say, "Do, do, do." Only Christianity says, "Done." Christ has done it all (Dr. J. Vernon McGee). "It is finished!"

"In the heat of the early morning,
On a hill they call the Skull;
The roaring of the angry mob had settled to a lull.

All eyes were cast upon the Man whose hands and feet were bound,
They saw Him cry in anguish when they heard the hammer pound.

They watched the bloody woven thorns with which His head was crowned,
They watched the bloody cross of wood be dropped into the ground.

The soldiers gambled for His clothes, they watched them win and lose,
They saw the sign above His head that said ‘King of the Jews’.
It is finished!

And the sky grew black as the night.
It is finished!

And the people scattered in fright.
The work had been done, redemption had been won.

The war was over without a fight
It is finished!

They searched His face for anger, for vengeance in His stare,
Instead of eyes that burned with hate a look of love was there.

He prayed for their forgiveness and bowed His battered head,
And no-one knew the meaning of the final words He said.

The provision has been made,
The foundation has been laid.

He paid the ransom due and tore the temple veil in two
And opened up the way for me and you.
It is finished!"

(Bob Hartman)

to be continued...

The hallmark of the Protestant Reformation, sola gratia, is a glorious truth about God's absolute freedom in saving a people for Himself. This foundational truth can be found throughout the pages of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation and this "sola" proved to be the key issue of the sixteenth century Reformation. The following sermon was delivered in Nigeria earlier this month in which the truth of God's saving grace was proclaimed. Part 1 of this series pointed out the universal condemnation of all men. That is to say that the heavenly verdict is rendered. "Guilty as charged!" And the sentence is awarded, eternal separation from the face of God. The prisoner is to be taken away...

*********** 

But wait. There is a word to be said from the Defense Attorney, Jesus Christ the Righteous One. If the court pleases, a proposition is to be made. "Will the Divine Lawgiver of the universe allow the sentence imposed on the guilty prisoners to be executed or carried out in a Substitute?"

The answer is an emphatic, yes. The court of Heaven will allow someone to take the place of the condemned and pay the penalty the justice of the court demands. And so Jesus Christ went to Calvary as a substitute for sinners. Jesus died in your place and mine. And the wrath of the Father was poured out on Him.

See Him now suspended between heaven and earth suffering the fury of Divine wrath against sin in the act of crucifixion. Shall I tell you about a crucifixion? Crucifixion was a form of Roman torture, reserved for slaves and rebels, combining the height of disgrace with the extremity of suffering. The agonies were so excruciating that men died in blasphemy and despair. Seneca, the Roman Stoic, says that men cursed heaven and earth, all mankind, the hour of their birth, their judges and executioners, and that they spat in fury at those who looked on. Sometimes the screaming horror was so great the victims had their tongues cut out, or their mouths gagged, to silence the desperate torment of their cries.

On these occasions there were always those who, sadistically inclined, gathered to see the "fun." They maliciously taunted and tormented the helpless victims, exacerbating and aggravating their pain. Certainly the religious rulers of Israel were of this nature. The scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees, and Herodians were not content with having engineered the crucifixion of Jesus. They came to watch the end of the man from Galilee who had spoken against them. "He saved other," they sneered, "let Him save Himself, if He be Christ, the chosen of God" (Luke 23:35). The hardened soldiers, brutalized and callous, took up the cry, "If thou be the king of the Jews, save they self" (Luke 23:37). The malefactors who had been crucified with Jesus began to rail on Him casting the same in His teeth: "If thou be Christ," they cried derisively, "save thyself and us" (Matt 27:44; Luke 23:39).

The irony is that what the unbelieving people uttered in jest was actually taking place. Jesus said, "I, if I be lifted up from the earth will draw all men unto me" (John 12:32). Jesus was doing what was proposed. He was saving Himself and He was saving others through gospel obedience to the known will of God the Father.

In the strange and mysterious economy of God, the cross is not simply the symbol but the instrument of our salvation. It is the means by which we are reconciled to God. The cross is the place of justification whereby souls are legally declared righteous by faith and it is all on the basis of grace, that is, underserved favor.

In the act of justification comes peace with God. Writing in his Foundations of Faith, J. C. Ryle explains: "Without justification it is impossible to have real peace. Conscience forbids it. Sin is a mountain between a man and God, and must be taken away. The sense of guilt lies heavy on the heart and must be removed. Unpardoned sin will murder peace. The true Christian knows all this well. His peace arises from a consciousness of his sins being forgiven, and his guilt being put away…He has peace with God, because he is justified."

to be continued... 

The hallmark of the Protestant Reformation, sola gratia, is a glorious truth about God's absolute freedom in saving a people for Himself. This foundational truth can be found throughout the pages of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation and this "sola" proved to be the key issue of the sixteenth century Reformation. The following sermon was delivered in Nigeria earlier this month in which the truth of God's saving grace was proclaimed.

***********  

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9).

In a brief but brilliant biography of a famous English preacher, one of the greatest preachers that ever preached in America or England, it is told that he had some very strange habits. One of these habits was to carry in his pocket a handful of precious stones such as a diamond, a sapphire, a ruby, an emerald, and so forth. He would walk into a park and take one of those precious stones and hold it up to the light of the sun, moving it around, seeking different shades or different illuminations from it as the sunlight hit it. And as the people would go past, particularly the children, they would all shake their heads indicating that they thought this fellow was just a little bit odd.

The preacher that I am referring to is Jonathan Edwards, and back in the 1700's he preached one of the greatest sermons ever preached in America. It was called "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God." The people fell off their seats and clung to the pillars that were holding the gallery up while crying out in despair. And he did not say, "Oh friends, please excuse me. I never meant to embarrass you like that."

There was a reason for his power and anointing that day, because before he preached, he prayed. Over and over and over again he prayed, "Oh God, stamp eternity on my eyes." If God "should" stamp eternity or even judgment upon our eyes, I am quite convinced we would be a very different nation of people. Thoughts of eternity sober the soul.

Someone once asked a former great statesman named Daniel Webster a question. "You have a colossal mind. What is the greatest thought that you have ever had?" He replied, "I've thought about many things, but the most awesome, the most terrifying, the most shattering thought I've ever had, is my personal accountability to God one day."

There are 788, 280 words in the Authorized KJV translation of the Word of God so that one hymn writer calls the Bible, "A golden casket where gems of truth are stored; the heaven drawn picture of Christ, the Living Word." I suggest, like Jonathan Edward, we select a special word out of this "golden casket" and hold it up to the light of eternity—and that word is "grace." Before the message is over today, I trust you will know what it means to be the object of God’s redeeming grace.

When Jesus cried out on Calvary, "It is finished!" He was stating the greatest fact in all of human history for this was a divine pronouncement that the work of redemption was now accomplished. Christ had come into the world to redeem souls unto Himself and now that act of purchasing them from the power, pollution, and presence of sin was a spiritual reality.

That the sons of Adam need redemption should be obvious for there is much sin in the soul. Jesus said "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornication’s, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness" (Mark 7:21-22).

The worldly wisdom that teaches man is innately good finds no confirmation in either the Word of God or human experience. "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one" (Rom 3:10). "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Rom 3:23). "For the wages of sin is death" (Rom 6:23).

Man has earned death. He deserves to die, not only a physical death but an eternal death as well for his transgression is great. So heinous is the sin of a soul that only the Sovereign of the universe can help. The plight of man is desperate. But who will be man’s advocate? Who will defend his case before the bar of divine justice and plead for mercy and grace? It is obvious that man is guilty as charged for the Moral Law of God, as summarized in the Ten Commandments, has been violated as set forth in Exodus 20:1-20. The Law says:

• "Thou shalt have no other gods before me."

• "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image"

• "Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain"

• "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy."

• "Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee."

• "Thou shalt not kill."

• "Thou shalt not commit adultery."

• "Thou shalt not steal."

• "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour."

• "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's."

Before the Just Judge of the Universe the accused is brought. You are the accused and so am I. If we are both honest we shall say that Isaiah the prophet is right. "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way;" (Isa 53:6). Now the heavenly verdict is rendered. "Guilty as charged!" And the sentence is awarded, eternal separation from the face of God. The prisoner is to be taken away.

to be continued...

Billy Graham is said to pray five psalms a day so he can pray the entire book in a month's time. That practice is truly laudable and is a great discipline for anyone to undertake. Moreover, it is a wonderful way to delve into the divine prayer book. If you have never prayed through the Psalms consider giving it a try, as it will change your life. One author once wrote, “Prayer is more than a tool for self-expression, a means to get God to give us what we want. It is a means he uses to give us what he wants, and to teach us what he wants.” Psalm 8 is a great passage that speaks to praising God.

*********** 

¹O LORD, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens. 

 ²Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.

 ³When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; 

 ⁴What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?

 ⁵For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.  

 ⁶Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: 

 ⁷All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field;

 ⁸The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.

 ⁹O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!

Tolerance. Multiculturalism. Diversity. Religious pluralism. Ecumenism. Each of these terms is ubiquitous in today’s vocabulary and each gives the impression of unselfish regard for others and their beliefs. While this undoubtedly sounds very noble, the problem, however, is that more often than not, when someone uses one of the listed terms it is generally in a context that is anything but tolerant or diverse of opinion. Specifically, when the issue of religion is discussed, an alarming number of people are under the impression that all—or at least many—religions are generally the same. Steve Turner, writing in his Nice and Nasty wrote humorously about the obvious contradictions, "We believe that all religions are basically the same, at least the one we read. They all believe in love and goodness. They only differ on matters of creation, sin, heaven, hell, God, and salvation."

Americans of all walks of life are becoming increasingly tolerant of the beliefs of others according to a recent poll. The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life found more than 70% of respondents agreed that "Many religions can lead to eternal life." But what is more troubling is that 57% were self-described evangelical Christians, a clear indication of a paradigm shift within our cultural and within our churches.

In the final analysis, our churches must shoulder a considerable amount of responsibility for the rampant theological chaos. What we are witnessing today is merely the consequence of a generation that has failed to provide foundational teaching from God’s Word and Scriptural reasoning against the onslaught of attacks from theological liberals who deny the inspiration of Scripture and those who surrender to notions of religious pluralism. All too often, churches have reduced their doctrinal statements and teachings to the lowest common denominator for two reasons: to attract the masses and to appease the majority. But in so doing, they only serve to hurt everybody. The unbelievers and unlearned never mature in the faith and are deprived of the substance of the gospel message. Furthermore, the orthodox faithful are never grounded in solid truth and are vulnerable and ill equipped to face the bombardment of attacks against the faith.

The only antidote against this is to return to the truth of God’s Word. Christians should not be embarrassed or think it archaic to subscribe to the faith that was once delivered to the saints. Attacks from within and outside the church are nothing new. The apostles themselves were constantly contending against worldly influences. The only remedy the Christian has is to be grounded in the truth of Scripture in order to be ready to give a defense for the hope that is within him. Apart from this, the Christian will be left weakened and susceptible to the vacillating doctrines of man-centered thinking.

Richard Dawkins first gained prominence in 1976 with the publication of his The Selfish Gene, a book that popularized the gene-centric view of evolution. Since that time, Britain’s influential academic has published works excoriating religion in general and Christianity in particular with such books as The Blind Watchmaker: Why the Evidence of Evolution Reveals a Universe Without Design and The God Delusion, just to name a few. It is in the latter that Dawkins cites a survey taken of members of the National Academy of Sciences in which they were asked if they believe in God. Only 7 percent reportedly answered "yes". This survey, Dawkins argues, is statistical proof that intelligent scientific thinking inevitably leads to one conclusion—there is no God, an often-repeated theme throughout the corpus of his writings.

Answering the challenge to this new breed of atheists is Timothy Keller, founder and pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan. In his New York Times bestseller, The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism, Keller responds to the more common platitudes against Christianity, while at the same time attempting to muster a seemingly intellectually progressive view of Christianity—including the belief that science and Genesis are compatible. That is to say, Keller does not see a disjunction between theistic evolution and the biblical account of creation. Keller tells us that he believes the first chapter is a "song about the wonder and meaning of God’s creation," while the subsequent chapter deals with how creation happened. Therefore, Keller attempts to reconcile scientific explanations of creation with the Bible. He writes, "For the record I think God guided some kind of process of natural selection, and yet I reject the concept of evolution as All-encompassing theory." In other words, according to Keller, the Christian can rightly maintain that the God of the Bible used a process of natural selection whereby more complex forms evolved from less complex forms and not fall outside of the pale of orthodoxy.

But is this truly the case? Is such a view tenable? Is theistic evolution a rational possibility or is it merely a conceptual absurdity? I ask this because it seems that all too often Christians forget to ask the simple, yet foundational question: does theistic evolution violate the nature of God? That is to say, when we consider God and His attributes, does evolution comport with the revealed understanding of God or are Christians simply attempting to reconcile God’s Word with an anti-Christian philosophical worldview in hopes of being accepted by academic elites who hate the very thought of God anyways?

Oftentimes, the debate centers on discussion about how one should interpret Genesis (allegorically, poetically, historically, etc.), or if Jesus and Paul believed in a literal interpretation of Genesis 1 and 2. While these are indeed valid arguments and are in need of clear representation and articulation, I would submit to you that the Christian who believes in theistic evolution must first answer how it is that God could create a world in which lesser creatures who were unfit for survival mutated or progressively evolved into higher forms in a world replete with death and disease prior to Adam’s sin. It is a logical impossibility for the Christian to maintain the belief that God can create imperfectly. Just as God cannot both be God and not be God, cannot create an equal, and cannot limit His own power, it would be a violation of God’s nature as a logical and rational Being—and therefore an irrational impossibility—to say that God could created an imperfect system that required change in the genetic material of a population of organisms from one generation to another. Genesis records that when God created He did so—and it was very good. Furthermore, Paul tells us that sin entered the world through Adam (Rom 5:12) and that death came as a result of his sin, and not that unspeakable death and destruction preceded the first man in the Garden.

It is incoherent and absurd to think that God could produce a defective creation in which death and mutations were necessary in order to bring a finished product to fruition. If more Christians thought critically about the nature of God and understood He must out of necessity act in accordance with His own nature, they would arrest such notions as reconciling godless worldviews with Scripture. Moreover, if the Christian has no apprehension about believing in a worldwide deluge, a sea parting to let the Hebrew people pass through safely, a virgin birth, the incarnation of Jesus Christ, the death, burial, and physical resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, upon what basis, then, does the Christian find himself reluctant to believe in a literal rendering of the Genesis account of creation? The Christian focus should be upon the one paramount verse in the biblical account which reads: "And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good" (Gen 1:31). When God creates, He does so according to His nature—perfect and very good.

Two of the all time most beloved devotional books are arguably L. B. Cowman’s Streams in the Desert and Oswald Chamber’s My Utmost for His Highest. Together, these works have proved to be a tremendous source of encouragement, comfort, and hope—each bringing the truth of the gospel through pithy daily devotions. The former is a compilation of writings by well-known preachers, theologians, and authors to include Charles Spurgeon, Andrew Murray, A. B. Simpson, and Hannah Whitall Smith, just to name a few. Today’s devotion comes from Philippians 3:7.

***********

"Whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ" (Philippians 3:7).

When George Matheson, the blind Scottish preacher, was buried, they lined his grave with red roses commemorating his life of love and sacrifice. And it was Matheson, this man who was so beautifully and significantly honored, who wrote the following hymn in 1882. It was written in five minutes, during a period he later called "the most severe mental suffering," and it has since become known around the world.

O Love that will not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee;
I give thee back the life I owe,
That in thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be.

O light that followest all my way,
I yield my flickering torch to thee;
My heart restores its borrowed ray,
That in thy sunshine’s blaze its day
May brighter, fairer be.

O Joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to thee;
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
And feel the promise is not vain,
That morn shall tearless be.

O Cross that liftest up my head,
I dare not ask to fly from thee;
I lay in dust life’s glory dead,
And from the ground there blossoms red
Life that shall endless be.

There is a legend of an artist who had found the secret of a wonderful red that no other artist could imitate. He never told the secret of the color, but after his death and old wound was discovered over his heart. It revealed the source of the matchless hue in his pictures.

The moral of the legend is that no great achievement can be made, no lofty goal attained, nor anything of great value to the world accomplished, except at the cost of the heart’s blood.

» 10 Million Words
What is 10 million words? 10 Million Words is a newly lauched website by Tim Challies in which he reviews all New York Times bestselling books. Challies writes that "it is a year-long project...to learn about life and culture through the lens of all of America's bestselling books." It is also an excellent reference tool for book reviews penned from a Reformed Christian perspective.

There is within the human heart of many a desire to avoid conflict. This axiom is especially true of Christians who are called "sheep" in Scripture and are commanded to live peaceably with all—as much as possible (Rom 12:18). Because of a natural inclination to avoid conflict many Christians are also unwilling to engage the world in any manner. Some Christians, such as the Amish, withdraw from the world in order to live peaceably among themselves, remembering the words of the apostle John who commanded, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever" (1 John 2:15-17).

But there are other biblical commandments that must also be considered and honored such as those instructions from our Lord to go into the entire world and to make disciples (Matt 28:19-20). There are multitudes of ways this command can be carried out practically. One way Christians can make disciples is by aggressive witnessing. Another way to make disciples is by living a godly example. Yet a third way to make disciples for Christ and transform society is for Christians to utilize their natural gifts and talents for the glory of God. That is to say, the janitor should have the cleanest building possible; the soldier should be the very best he can be for God and country; and the artist should use the artistic ability to communicate a message that will bring glory to God while touching the mind.

I recently met one such artist who accomplished just that. Her name is Lisa Mistiuk. In an email she shared her excitement about serving God in which she stated, "Painting is what the Lord's given me to do, and I'm bursting with curiosity about how He's going to use it—it would be an honor to have my work used for Redeeming Grace Ministries."

I certainly appreciate Lisa’s willingness to help in the work of the ministry for there is much to be done. But the larger point is that Lisa is setting about as a young person to help transform the world and reclaim a part of the culture for Christ through the gift the Lord has given to her—painting (here).

Reclaiming the culture for Christ politically, socially, and spiritually should be the stated objective of every born again Christian—no matter what service God has called us to perform. When life is over and the day arrives in which we must stand before the Holy God of the universe to give an account for our actions, we better be prepared to say with all certainty that in everything we did, in eating and in drinking, we did it for the glory of God (1 Cor 10:31). 

Bible outlines are useful tools for any student of God’s Word and are helpful aids in understanding characteristics and themes of a particular book. Discerning the main points an author is communicating through the use of an outline provides greater clarity when studying Scripture, generates a quick reference for finding key thoughts, provides a repository for topical passages, and facilitates the believer’s memory in providing a summary of the books of the Bible. The below outline is the first in a series of 66 outlines.

(Click each link to read the associated Bible passages.) 

***********

OUTLINE OF GENESIS

I.      Prologue: Creation of Heaven and Earth (1:1–2:3)

         A. The First Day (1:3–5)

         B. The Second Day (1:6–8)

         C. The Third Day (1:9–13)

         D. The Fourth Day (1:14–19)

         E. The Fifth Day (1:20–23)

         F. The Sixth Day (1:24–31)

         G. The Seventh Day (2:1–3)

II.    Account of Heavens and Earth (2:4–4:26)

         A.  Adam and Eve in the Garden (2:4–25)

         B.  The Fall of Mankind and Its Consequences (3:1–24)

         C.  Cain and Abel (4:1–24)

         D.  God Preserves a Remnant (4:25–26)

III.  From Adam to Noah (5:1–6:13)

         A.  The Descendents from Adam to Noah (5:1–32)

         B.  The Wickedness of Man During Noah’ Time (6:1–13)

IV.   Noah and the Flood (6:9–9:29)

         A.  God’s Instructions to Noah (6:14–7:4)

         B.  Noah’s Obedience, the Flood and Salvation (7:5–8:19)

         C.  God’s Covenant with Noah (8:20–9:17)

         D.  Noah’s Descendents (9:18–29)

V.     Noah’s Sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth (10:1–11:26)

         A.  The Table of Nations (10:1–32)

         B.  The Tower of Babel (11:1–9)

         C.  Shem’s Descendents (11:10–26)

VI.   The Account of Terah and His Descendents (11:27–25:11)

         A.  Genealogy (11:27–32)

         B.  The Abrahamic Covenant: His Land and People (12:1–22:19)

               1.  The Call of Abram (12:1–9)
               2.  Abram and Sarai in Egypt (12:10–20)
               3.  Abram and Lot Separate (ch. 13)
               4.  Victory Over the Eastern Kings (ch. 14)
               5.  God’s Covenant with Abram (ch. 15)
               6.  Hagar and Ishmael Rejected (ch. 16)
               7.  God’s Covenant Confirmed (ch. 17)
               8.  Sarah to Have a Son (18:1–15)
               9.  Lot’s Rescue from Sodom (18:16–19:38)
               10. Abraham and Abimelech (ch. 20)
               11. Birth of Isaac and Blessing in the Land (ch. 21)
               12. The Sacrifice of Isaac (22:1–19)

          C.  Transition to Isaac (22:20–25:11)

                1.  Rebekah’s Family Background (22:20–24)
                2.  Death of Sarah (ch. 23)
                3.  Isaac’s Marriage to Rebekah (ch. 24)
                4.  Isaac the Sole Heir (25:1–6)
                5.  Death of Abraham (25:7–11)

VII.   The Generations of Ishmael (25:12–18)

VIII.  Isaac (25:19 – 35:29)

            A.  The Births of Jacob and Esau (25:19–26)

            B.  Esau Sells His Birthright (25:27–34)

            C.  God’s Promise to Isaac (ch. 26)

            D.  Jacob’s Steals Esau’s Blessing (27:1–40)

            E.  Covenant Blessings on Jacob and His Exile (27:41–32:32)

                  1.  Jacob Sent to Laban (27:41–28:9)
                  2.  Jacob’s Dream (28:10–22)
                  3.  Jacob’s Marriage to Leah and Rachel (29:1–30)
                  4.  Jacob’s Children (29:31–30:24)
                  5.  Jacob’s Prosperity and Flight from Laban (30:25–31:55)
                  6.  Encounter with Angels at Mahanaim and Peniel (ch. 32)

            F.  Esau’s Reconciliation with Jacob (33:1–17)

            G.  Transition to Jacob: Itinerary and Deaths from Shechem to Mamre (33:18–35:29)

IX.    Esau (36:1–37:1)

X.      Jacob (37:2–50:26)

           A.  Joseph’s Dream (37:2–11)

           B.  Joseph Sold by His Brothers into Slavery (37:12–38:30)

           C.  Joseph’s Rise to Rulership over Egypt (chs. 39–41)

                 1.  Joseph and Potiphar’s Wife (ch. 39)
                 2.  Joseph Interprets Two Prisoner’s Dreams (ch. 40)
                 3.  Joseph Interprets Pharaoh’s Dreams (41:1–36)
                 4.  Joseph’s Rise to Power (41:37–57)

           D.  Joseph’s Ruse and the Reconciliation of the Covenant Family (chs. 42–45)

                 1.  Joseph’s Brothers Go to Egypt (ch. 42)
                 2.  Joseph’s Brothers Return to Egypt (ch. 43)
                 3.  Joseph Tests His Brothers (ch. 44)
                 4.  Joseph Provides for His Family (ch. 45)

           E.  Transition to Exodus (chs. 46–50)

                 1.  Joseph Brings His Family to Egypt (46:1–27)
                 2.  Jacob and Joseph Reunited (46:28–34)
                 3.  Preservation in Goshen (ch. 47)
                 4.  Jacob’s Blessings on the Twelve Tribes (48:1–49:28)
                 5.  Jacob’s Death and Burial in Canaan (49:29–50:14)
                 6.  Joseph’s Mercy Towards His Brothers (50:15–21)
                 7.  The Death of Joseph in Egypt (50:22–26)

Augustus Toplady's untitled poem which later became the basis for the hymn Rock of Ages remains a key reminder of the necessity and sufficiency of Christ's work on the cross at Calvary. Its simple yet elegant message inspires many and continues to appeal to those who love to sing about justification by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. 

Sir Will­iam Hen­ry Wills records in a letter to Dean Le­froy, pub­lished in the [Lon­don] Times in June, 1898, that "Top­la­dy was one day over­tak­en by a thun­der­storm in Bur­ring­ton Coombe, on the edge of my prop­er­ty, Blag­don, a rocky glen run­ning up in­to the heart of the Men­dip range, and there, tak­ing shel­ter be­tween two mass­ive piers of our na­tive lime­stone rock, he penned the hymn,

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.

There is a pre­ci­pi­tous crag of lime­stone a hun­dred feet high, and right down its cen­tre is the deep re­cess in which Top­la­dy shel­tered."

***********

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood,
From Thy wounded side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure;
Save from wrath and make me pure.

Not the labor of my hands
Can fulfill Thy law’s demands;
Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears forever flow,
All for sin could not atone;
Thou must save, and Thou alone.

Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to the cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress;
Helpless look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Savior, or I die.

While I draw this fleeting breath,
When mine eyes shall close in death,
[originally When my eye-strings break in death]
When I soar to worlds unknown,
See Thee on Thy judgment throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.