Tag Archives: article

Uncategorized

The Church: The Westminster Confession of Faith

Westminster Confession of Faith (25.1)
The catholic or universal Church which is invisible, consists of the whole number of the elect, that have been, are, or shall be gathered into one, under Christ the Head thereof; and is the spouse, the body, the fulness of Him that fills all in all.

After Peter Confesses that Jesus is the Christ, the Lord makes this remarkable pronouncement: “I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18). The Greek word translated “church” means a number of persons called together in a public assembly (Acts 19:32, 39, 41). When the Jews translated the Hebrew Old Testament into Greek, this word was used for the congregation of Israel at Mt. Sinai (Deut. 4:10; 9:10), and later assemblies, especially for worship (2 Chron. 6:3, 12, 13; Ps. 22:22, 25; Joel 2:16).

Christ seized this word with a rich history in Israel and claimed it as His own: My church. He is the Lord of the congregation of God’s worshipers, the King of the true Israel (Phil. 3:3). Christ builds the church by His power, and He promises that Satan will never overthrow it.

This church transcends each local congregation of worshipers. A local church can die spiritually (Rev. 3:1), and Christ Himself may remove its light (Rev. 2:5). There are many sad sights of empty buildings where a church once met or where formerly faithful churches have fallen into heresy. But Christ said that His church cannot fail.

Therefore Christ spoke of what the Westminster Confession calls “the catholic or universal church,” both the church worldwide and the church in heaven and on earth. (The word catholic comes from a Greek word meaning universal or international, and does not necessarily or exclusively refer to Roman Catholicism.) Some of the church’s members are already in glory (the church triumphant). Some still fight the good fight of the faith on earth (the church militant). But all are one people called out of the world into holy union with Christ (1 Cor. 1:2). When we meet in local congregations, we join with saints in heaven and throughout the earth to worship God through Christ as one great assembly (Heb. 12:22-24).

The Confession has a number of things to say about the universal church.

First, this church is invisible. That does not mean its members are ghosts that meet in phantom buildings; it means that the universal church is defined in ways that are spiritually discerned and not physically seen. The church is not a building but a people who worship in spirit and truth, a temple built with living, personal stones (John 4:20-24; 1 Peter 2:5). It is not a particular denomination and cannot be defined by allegiance to any mere man such as the pope of Rome (1 Cor. 1:12-13). At certain times and places, the true church may exist as hidden gatherings of believers fiercely persecuted by leaders of the visible church (Rev. 13:11-15).

We cannot produce a complete list of the church’s mem- bers, for some whom we thought to be saved fall away and show that they never really belonged (1 John 2:19). Not everyone who confesses Jesus as Lord is known to Him or saved by Him (Matt. 7:21-23). The church’s member- ship is not defined by participation in baptism and the Lord’s Supper, for some who receive the sacraments are not in Christ (Acts 8:13, 18-24; 1 Cor. 10:1-8), and some true believers do not have the opportunity to receive them (Luke 23:39-43).

The true church is defined by invisible factors. The qualifications for membership are the secret election of God and the internal work of the Holy Spirit to produce faith. We can see evidence of these divine operations in the fruit of the Spirit, but the true identity of the church is invisible. Yet it is visible or known to God: “The Lord knoweth them that are his” (2 Tim. 2:19).

Second, the church consists of the elect. God elected or chose individuals in order to save them from their sins, adopt them as His children and heirs, and make them holy by union with Christ (Eph. 1:4). The church is “a chosen generation,” joined to Christ who is Himself “chosen of God, and precious” (1 Peter 2:4, 9). The Bible says, “Christ died for the church” (Eph. 5:25), that is, He decreed to redeem the elect long before any of them were born (Eph. 4:5). Their names were “written in the book of life from the foundation of the world,” and when they believe in the Lamb, they overcome the world because they are “called, and chosen, and faithful” (Rev. 17:8, 14).

Third, the church is in union with Christ as the bride or spouse of the Lord. The church was promised to Christ in God’s eternal counsels (2 Tim. 1:9) and is betrothed to Christ by the Spirit in effectual calling (1 Cor. 1:9; 6:17). As Christ’s spouse, the church is the object of Christ’s redeeming love and His nourishing and cherishing affection (Eph. 5:25, 28-29).

Fourth, the members of the church are joined to Christ in a living, organic, and personal union, knit to Him as closely as the members or parts of a man’s body (Eph. 5:30– 31). Since Christ is the church’s head, He rules over it as Lord and the true members of the church submit to His Word as it washes them clean (Eph. 5:23, 24, 26).

This unspeakable privilege of union with Christ makes the church the recipient of the fullness of Christ’s graces, “his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all” (Eph. 1:23). There is no station in life higher or more privileged than to be a member of the true church!

Westminster Confession oF Faith (25.2)
The visible Church, which is also catholic or universal under the gospel (not confined to one nation as before under the law), consists of all those throughout the world that pro- fess the true religion; and of their children: and is the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ, the house and family of God, out of which there is no ordinary possibility of salvation

In this section the Westminster Confession discusses the visible church. We make this distinction because the church is a people called together, but the call is twofold. There is an external call through the voice of the preacher (Matt. 22:9–10, 14), and an internal, effectual call through the powerful work of the Holy Spirit upon the soul (1 Cor. 1:23– 24). We can see the people who have outwardly responded to the preacher’s call, but we cannot directly view the inward working of the Spirit.

Sometimes people find the distinction of visible/invisible confusing. Are we talking about two different churches? By no means! Perhaps an analogy would help. An old Dutch divine, Wilhelmus à Brakel, compared it to the soul and body of a man. We recognize that human beings have an invisible aspect and a visible aspect to their lives. The soul is hidden within the body, but we do not divide the soul and body of a living man. We do not expect people to walk around as souls without bodies. Nor do we say that a body without a soul is really a man—it’s just a corpse.

In the same way, we recognize that the church has an invisible aspect and a visible aspect. The invisible church is hidden within the visible, but we do not divide them into two churches. The claim to be part of the invisible church while having nothing to do with the visible church is as plausible as spirits walking around without bodies—and almost as frightening. On the other hand, a church without a vital union with Christ by the Holy Spirit is not a true church. It is an institutional corpse. In reality, the invisible church shows itself on earth in and through the visible church.

The Confession teaches us that the visible church is also universal, adding the explanatory note that it is not confined to one nation. From the days of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, God’s visible church consisted of Israel and those few foreigners such as Rahab and Ruth who were joined to Israel. The risen Christ commissioned His servants to make disciples of all nations (Matt. 28:19), and this they did by planting churches in many lands (Acts 14:23).

Historically, Reformed and Presbyterian Christians have taught that the universal church is visible not only in local churches but also in the order or structure that binds many congregations together into one, such as classes or presbyteries, and synods or general assemblies. This church polity is distinguished from Congregational (and Baptist) polity, in which the visible church has no higher authority than the elders who rule over local congregations, though congregations may consult together and cooperate in missions.

The visible church consists of all those throughout the world that profess the true religion. That is to say, membership of the visible church is defined by those persons who confess the faith, who publicly declare that they believe in Jesus Christ, and who obey the teachings of Christianity. The New Testament argues that personal trust in Christ will produce a public confession of Him before men (Rom. 10:9–10), and warns that those who refuse to confess Christ will not be owned by Him on Judgment Day (Matt. 10:32–33). A true profession of Christ as Lord also includes receiving the sacraments and walking in obedience to God’s laws (Matt. 28:19–20; Acts 2:38, 41; 1 Cor. 11:26). The visible church has a responsibility to exclude from its membership those who embrace serious error or sin and refuse to repent.

In addition to professing believers, the confession declares that the children of those that profess the true religion are also members of the visible church. Here the Confession stands on the pattern of the covenant that is universal in Scripture, whereby promises made to believers are extended to include their children (Gen. 17:7; Acts 2:39). Note that membership in the visible church is no guarantee of membership in the invisible church. Nonetheless, the practice of the visible church must conform to the promise, and so children of believers are to be baptized and received as members of the church.

Though it is true that some in the visible church are not saved, we should never fail to cherish the visible church. The Confession says that it is the kingdom of Christ and the house and family of God. The exiled Judean poet expressed it well: “If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy” (Ps. 137:5, 6).

It may shock modern evangelicals, but the Confession also says that there is no ordinary possibility of salvation outside of the visible church. The Book of Acts tells us about many miracles done by the apostles and visits from angels. But in nearly every case where someone is saved from sin, it is by the ministry of the church. Even when an angel visited Cornelius, the angel did not proclaim the gospel to him, but directed him to the apostle Peter, “who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved” (Acts 11:14). We do not deny that God may use a gospel tract or well-placed Bible to convert a sinner. But His ordinary means are set forth in Paul’s argument for the necessity of preaching: “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear with- out a preacher?” (Rom. 10:14). Therefore, cherish the visible church, faithfully attend its assemblies, and make diligent use of the means of grace it provides, for God is pleased to use the preaching of the Word to save sinners.

Westminster Confession of Faith (25.3)
Unto this catholic visible Church Christ has given the min- istry, oracles, and ordinances of God, for the gathering and perfecting of the saints, in this life, to the end of the world: and does, by His own presence and Spirit, according to His promise, make them effectual thereunto.

Some people think that true spirituality is so mystical that we really do not need the church with its creeds and confessions, and its forms of worship, so long as we follow what God says to our hearts. A personal relationship with the Lord surpasses everything else, even the plain teaching of the Bible. Other people put so much stock in the sacraments that they think receiving baptism, attending church, and taking the Lord’s Supper virtually guarantees their salvation unless they do something really bad. Reformed Christianity, in contrast to these extremes, does not separate the life of the visible church and the invisible work of the Spirit, but emphasizes both as crucial to knowing and pleasing God.

We treasure the church because Christ has given to the visible church the means by which He saves His people. First, Christ gives them the ministry, that is, men gifted and called as servants of the Word. Paul taught that the ascended Christ builds up His body by giving ministers of the Word to the church (Eph. 4:10-12). These men are not saviors but only servants of God and stewards of God’s truth (1 Cor. 4:1). Still, ministers who are faithful in their lives and teachings are instruments by which God saves the church from sin and brings it to glory (1 Tim. 4:16; 2 Tim. 2:10).

Second, Christ gives to the church the oracles of God (Rom. 3:1-2), the Holy Scriptures. We are grateful that in America we live in an age of unprecedented access to the Scriptures (just a click away on the internet). But the church, as “the pillar and ground of the truth” (2 Tim. 3:15), still plays a central role in preserving the Scriptures, guarding their faithful translation and interpretation, promoting edu- cation and literacy, reading them as part of public worship, and encouraging the private reading of the Bible in personal devotions and family worship.

Third, Christ gives the ordinances to the church. By “ordinances” the confession refers to the public means of worship which Christ ordained or commanded, such as baptism, the Lord’s Supper, public prayer, and singing praise to God (see Confession, 21.5). The holy God inhabits the praises of Israel (Ps. 22:3), and many times God’s people have experienced His presence dwelling with them as they worship together on the Lord’s Day. Indeed, Christ promised His special presence when believers assemble in His name (Ps. 22:22; Matt. 18:20).

Christ commanded His church to preach the Word and to use the ordinances, and promised, “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world” (Matt. 28:19± 20)Ð implying that these means of grace will never grow obsolete and we must faithfully use them to the end of the world. Far from despising the means, we should use them with great expectation, for as we use the means, Christ is present with us. And Christ will not let His church fail.

However, we do not turn the means of grace into a surrogate Christ, but instead, as the Confession says, believe that Christ must make them effective by His own presence and Spirit. Mechanical rituals and even the preaching of ser- mons do not have any inherent power to do spiritual good. Reformed Christianity rejects the ex opere operato (“by the work having been worked”) principle of the Roman church where the mere performance of the liturgy confers grace. Instead, the church constantly remembers Christ’s words, “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5).

Rev. Paul Smalley is Dr. Beeke’s teaching assistant

Uncategorized

Medical Ethics – A Reformed Perspective

Biblical Doctrines In Medical Ethics

Last time I left off with the plan to present somewhat of a framework that may be helpful when working through ethical dilemmas. This framework is not my own. It is drawn from a book that I recommend, Bioethics and the Christian Life, by David VanDrunen.1

VanDrunen suggests that there are four key doctrines found in Scripture that can help to inform our decisions. There are many other doctrines that are found in Scripture that can apply in different situations. In fact, for each dilemma or decision that we face, we must do our utmost to prayerfully consider the whole counsel of God before proceeding; however, these four doctrines are a starting point.

1. THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD

The first is the doctrine of the sovereignty of God and divine providence. The Bible makes it very clear that God is in control of all things. Not one sparrow falls to the ground without the will of our heavenly Father (Matt. 10:29). He ordains every detail of our lives. The hairs of our head are numbered (Matt. 10:30). What we perceive as “good” or even what we perceive as evil is under His control. We often find it easy to see the providential hand of God and acknowledge His sovereignty in the good things that happen to us; but in times of adversity, this is much more difficult. As the Heidelberg Catechism states in Question 27, the providence of God is “the almighty and every- where present power of God; whereby, as it were by his hand, he upholds and governs heaven, earth, and all creatures; so that herbs and grass, rain and drought, fruitful and barren years, meat and drink, health and sickness, riches and poverty, yea, and all things come, not by chance, but by his fatherly hand.”

Scripture also tells us that God’s providence and sovereignty are directed toward the upbuilding of His people. “All things work together for good to them that love God” (Rom. 8:28). Even the evil that befalls His children works to their good.

One of the most vivid examples that we find in Scripture of someone submitting to the sovereignty of God is the story of Job. He received much evil at the hand of Satan, allowed by God. After all the awful things had happened to him, he could still say, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him” (Job 13:15). So, first and foremost when a challenge arises, consider this: God is in control. However, if one is not united to Christ, then all things will not necessarily work together for good. This provides us with a place to begin in our counseling.

2. THE IMAGE OF GOD

Another key biblical doctrine to keep in mind when deal- ing with medical ethics is that man is created in the image of God. God made this entire wonderful, awesome creation with all its vastness, beauty, and incredible diversity. But out of all of it only man was created in the image of God. Psalm 8 comes to mind as an exposition of how man truly is the pin- nacle of God’s creation. Today, most physicians—in fact, most people in our society at large—fail to see much of a distinction between human beings and the rest of creation. Human beings are often held in much the same regard as other animal life. The reality that a human being is special because he or she is created in the image of God has largely been lost.

To most physicians, the concept of an eternal soul is for- eign. But in reality, human life is radically different from any other life that we find on this earth. From the moment that new life is formed at conception, God creates a unique human being with both a body and a soul, which remain together until separated by death. No other creature has a living soul.

We live in a very visual culture; we thrive on images. If we can’t see something, we tend to disbelieve it or minimize its importance. This can have a subtle yet profound influence on how we think about the beginning and end of life issues. Human embryos, only a few cells in number, invisible to the naked eye, look nothing like a human being. In our visually driven culture, these are not given the respect that they deserve. These tiny, microscopic collections of cells are a living person, incredibly precious, deserving of honor and protection as God’s image-bearers. The elderly person, curled up in a fetal position in bed, too weak to rise with his mind clouded by Alzheimer’s and his voice too weak to speak, is also an image-bearer.

Perhaps this sounds a little too man-centered or almost as man-worship. That is not my intention. Mankind as image-bearers has tarnished this image by the Fall. The Bible teaches that our natural state is totally depraved. As Psalm 9 teaches us, we need to recognize ourselves to be “but men.” Our true, full glory as image-bearers will not be seen until we are risen again when the Bridegroom returns and we are found among the com- pany gathered around the throne of the Lamb. We must view mankind from this balanced perspective. Every image-bearer bears the image of God and because of this deserves our respect.

3. THE REALITY AND NATURE OF DEATH

This is the third doctrine that is often helpful to consider when thinking about medical ethics. This is somewhat difficult to explain. In our current society, perhaps even more so in Europe than in North America, we normalize death. Death is con- sidered to be a very natural thing. Much has been written to define the stages of dying and coming to terms with a terminal diagnosis; the goal of this is to help lessen the sting of death, to take away the fear associated with death. We are told that those suffering from chronic diseases should welcome death as a means to escape this suffering. Yet is this understanding and attitude toward death scriptural?

Death first entered into the world through sin. It is a punishment for sin, man’s sin. Man was created to live. God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. Life (both physical and more importantly eternal life) is what humans were created for. It is in life that we bear the image of God. Therefore, we as Christians should always act to affirm life—to choose life over death. We need to accept that death will come to all, but death in and of itself should not be embraced. Death is a fearsome thing. It is an awful thing. It separates soul and body. This, in the deepest sense, is wholly unnatural.

I agree that, in one sense of the word, death is natural. It is natural in that it happens to all creatures; no one will escape it. Perhaps it is better to say that death is inevitable (as a result of sin) but not natural. In fact, Jesus has come and conquered death so that His people do not have to suffer eternal death. For His people, even the sting of physical death has been taken away. Now death, instead of being a portal to eternal woe, is a portal to eternal life in anticipation of the resurrection and the world to come.

This biblical concept of death is utterly foreign to our society. By focusing on how we die—free of pain, dignity intact, in full control of our faculties—society has distracted us from the fearsome reality of what lies beyond the grave. Accord- ing to this view, death is good if it is noble and preserves our autonomy or pride.

We too can be drawn into this misguided focus on the manner of death. Now, please don’t misunderstand me. Physicians, healthcare workers, and family members, when caring for those who are experiencing a great deal of pain and suffering, have an obligation to provide comfort, support, and care for those at the end of their lives. We must hold firm, however, to the belief that life, even when it may involve suffering or pain or incapacity, is still an inherent good, a God-breathed gift worth protecting.

4. THE REALITY OF SUFFERING

The fourth key doctrine to consider is the reality of suffering. Suffering is inevitable. To quote VanDrunen: “For Christians the question is not really whether we will suffer but how we will suffer. Will we suffer in a godly way or not?”2 Scripture says, “In the world ye shall have tribulation” (John 16:33). Many issues that give rise to difficult ethical dilemmas involve suffering. Issues regarding infertility, chronic pain, and chronic illness all can cause those struggling with these matters to experience great suffering.

Our natural response to suffering is often to question God. Reflexively we ask, “Why me?” or “How could a loving God allow, even ordain that such a thing should happen?” Yet we must accept, through prayerful submission, that God is lov- ing and wise. “For [as] the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isa. 55:9). Think again of the example of Job. When Job questions why all these things have happened to him, God reminds him in chapters 38–41 how great He is and how small Job is.

Although we are not called to look for suffering, we should pray for grace to bear a burden if God chooses to place it upon us. Suffering is not the ultimate evil. We may not necessarily do all that we can to avoid suffering; at times we must accept it as God’s will. Think, for instance, of the suffering that a person with a spinal cord injury experiences. Such a person may be unable to walk, possibly unable to perform even basic self-care. Now suppose medical science had found a way to use embryonic stem cells, derived from “spare” human embryos, to cause regeneration of the nervous system and treatment of the injury. This would provide immense relief and heal the suffering of many, yet it would be wrong because it involved taking innocent life.

Suffering must be endured if the means that we would use to end it are contrary to the revealed will of God. In fact, it is in times of suffering that God’s people are often drawn closer to Him, made more dependent on Him, and become more gloriously aware of their adoption as His children. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for thou art with me” (Ps. 23:4).

So, to briefly recap, we should keep in mind four important biblical doctrines: first, the providence of God—He controls and directs all things; second, man is an image-bearer of God and as such deserves respect; third, the reality and nature of death—that it is wholly unnatural and that the only way for the sting of the grave to be lost is through redemption by Christ; and fourth, the nature of suffering—at times we are called to suffer and we must do so in a God-honoring way.

1. David VanDrunen. Bioethics and the Christian Life: A Guide to Making Difficult Decisions (Wheaton: Crossway, 2009).
2. Ibid., p. 62.

Dr. Joel Hamstra is a member of the Free Reformed Church of Dundas, Ontario and is Assistant Clinical Professor of Anesthesia at McMaster University and Director of Obstetrical Anesthesia, St. Joseph’s Healthcare, Hamilton, Ontario. This article is reprinted from The Messenger.

Uncategorized

The Results of Evangelistic Preaching

PRESENT

Evangelistic preaching majors in the present tense. Yes, it deals with biblical data, which is usually in the past tense. But it moves rapidly from the past to the present. These are not sermons that are taken up with large amounts of history, geography, and chronology. They may begin there, but move swiftly to the here and the now.

Hearers realize the sermon is about here, about now. It’s connected to the present, it’s relevant, it has impact on them, in this day and in this age. Martyn Lloyd-Jones used to speak of such sermons being in the “urgent tense,” and that really is what should be communicated. We must show that the ancient Word connects with today’s world, and is relevant both to the present and the future.

PERSONAL

These sermons should also be personal. Yes, again, we begin with explaining the Word as originally given to the Israelites, the disciples, etc. It starts with “they” and “them.” However, in evangelistic preaching, we move rapidly to “you.”
I’m sure we’ve all sat in congregations, heard sermons about the Philistines, the Israelites, the Corinthians, and the Philippians, and wondered, “But what about me? Does this have anything to say to Americans, Scots, Africans, etc.?” When teaching God’s people we can spend more time explaining the teaching as it applied to the original hearers. But when we are going after lost souls, we have to move more swiftly, we have to engage more rapidly, we must show relevance much earlier on.

Also, when we are addressing the unconverted in front of us, we should work especially hard at moving away from reading our notes. When we are appealing, beseeching, arguing, and reasoning in a very personal way with unbelievers let it be eyeball to eyeball, “we beseech you.” Don’t let paper get in the way, distracting, and break- ing the eye contact. Let’s really make it personal so that people really feel “he is speaking to me.”

We can also make it personal by getting inside the minds of our hearers and saying things like this: “Well, you’re sitting there, you are thinking this…aren’t you? But this is what God’s Word says.” Or, “You’re here today and you’re hearing this and you are feeling so and so….” And the person sitting there says, “He is thinking about me. He knows how I think, he knows how I tick; he is concerned to address what is going on in my mind.” Again, it just makes it a very personal intimate transaction.

PERSUASIVE

In evangelistic preaching the great aim is persuasion. Much of such sermons will be taken up with Acts 2:38-42 type beseeching, pleading, arguing, and reasoning. It’s not just, “Here are some facts; take them or leave them,” as if we are just dispassionate conveyors of information. We are here to persuade. People must see our anxiety that they respond to the gospel in faith and repentance. We plead that the Holy Spirit may attend with the Word to raise the spiritually dead to life (Eph. 2:1). We urge them to ask for Him (Luke 11:13).

PASSIONATE

To be really persuasive, we must also be passionate. Let peo- ple see that we feel this deeply, that we fear for their eternal state, that we are anxious over them, and that we love them deeply. Let that be communicated in our words, but also in our facial expressions, our body language, and our tone.

I’m not arguing for acting here; this should come natu- rally. Sometimes, before preaching an evangelistic sermon, I spend some time trying to think of lost unbelieving souls in my congregation, and even of particular individuals. I may try to see their faces (often lovely characters by nature— helpful, kind, loving people—but lost). I try to see them dying, going to judgment, and then their faces as they hear the verdict. Then I envision them sinking into the bottom- less pit, being burned in eternal fire, going to the company of the devil and his angels. I try to see them there, try to hear them there. Sometimes I might even think of one of my own unsaved family members, just to try and bring home the reality and the enormity of the unsaved’s predicament. If we can really feel it ourselves, we will be passionate in our pleading, in our loving, and in our reasoning.

PLAIN

Evangelistic preaching will be plain. If we love sinners and we are anxious for them to be saved, we will be clear and plain in our structure, content, and choice of words. If we can use a smaller word, we use it. If we can shorten our sentences, we do so. If we can find an illustration, we tell it. Everything is aimed at simplicity and clarity, so that, as it was said of Martin Luther, it may be said of us, “It’s impossible to misunderstand him.”

This is exhausting work. People may think at times that doctrinal sermons are harder to prepare and preach than evangelistic sermons. Not if you are really going to edit and trim and modify until your message communicates the profoundest truth in the simplest way possible. That involves real labor, sweat, toil, and tears. In Preaching and Preachers Martyn Lloyd-Jones wrote:

If I am asked which sermons I wrote, I have already said that I used to divide my ministry, as I still do, into edification of the saints in the morning and a more evangelistic sermon in the evening. Well, my practice was to write my evangelistic sermon. I did so because I felt that in speaking to the saints, to the believers, one could feel more relaxed. There, one was speaking in the realm of the family. In other words, I believe that one should be unusually careful in evangelistic sermons. That is why the idea that a fellow who is merely gifted with a certain amount of glibness of speech and self- confidence, not to say cheek, can make an evangelist is all wrong. The greatest men should always be the evangelists, and generally have been; and the idea that Tom, Dick, and Harry can be put up to speak on a street corner, but you must have a great preacher in a pulpit in a church is, to me, the reversing of the right order. It is when addressing the unbelieving world that we need to be most careful; and therefore I used to write my evangelistic sermon and not the other (pp. 215–16).

POWERFUL

When we go into the pulpit with an evangelistic sermon, let’s not go in defensively and apologetically. Yes, it may be an “apologetic” sermon, but we are not apologizing for the truth. When we go in front of sinners with the gospel, let’s not come across as if we have something to hide or be afraid of. Let’s not hedge and qualify. Let’s not “discuss” or “share.” Let’s preach with powerful, bold, divine authority. People need to hear, “Thus says the Lord.” This isn’t an option, this isn’t just another idea; this is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

PERSEVERING

And let our evangelistic sermons also be characterized by perseverance. We preach. No one’s converted. We do it again. We preach. No one’s converted. We do it again, and again, and again.

How often should you preach an evangelistic sermon? That will largely depend on context. In Scotland, I was expected to preach one evangelistic sermon and one teach- ing sermon every Sunday. Once a week is probably too much if you and your church are not used to this. But how about once a month? You can tell your congregation that on such a morning/evening this is going to be a sermon largely for the unconverted, so that Christians will think, “I can take my friends to this. This is something I know my boss could listen to with some understanding.” Make it regular, and make it known that this is what you are going to be doing.

PRAYERFUL

Above all, of course, evangelistic preaching is to be prayer- ful—before, during, and after. Pray to be delivered from the fear of man. Pray that God would give you a passion for souls. Pray that you would be able to communicate naturally and easily and freely. Pray that you’d get a hearing for the gospel and that you’d be able to present Christ so that you “disappear.” Pray that the Holy Spirit will bring Scripture to your mind which He will use to bring life to the spiritu- ally dead (Eph. 2:1). And pray afterward that the seed sown would bring forth a harvest of saved souls, and that the church will be revived and built up.

“And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever” (Dan. 12:3). 

Dr. David P. Murray is Professor of Old Testament and Practical Theology at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, Grand Rapids, Michigan. This article is reprinted from The Free Church Witness.

Uncategorized

The Miracles of Jesus: Walking on the Water – Matthew 14:22-33

When God’s people are in a difficulty, they are only between deliverances. Paul writes to the Corinthians that God “delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us” (2 Cor. 1:10). In other words, God delivers His people again and again. And between those deliverances, God tests and stretches the faith of His people through trials in order that they would learn to love Him more, follow Him more closely, rely on His Word more exclusively, and glorify their Savior more heartily and deeply. This is what the miracle of Jesus walking on water shows us.

Purposeful Constraint

This passage comes right on the heels of the account of the miraculous feeding of the five thousand. What a spectacular event that had been! Enthralled with that display of Christ’s power, the crowds were clamoring to make Him a national king (John 6:15). But Christ had not come for a crown with- out a cross.

In verse 22 of our passage, we read that Jesus “constrained” His disciples to get into a ship, alone, without Him. He would join them later after spending time alone with His Father (v. 23; John 6:15). This may not have been something the disciples were expecting; they may have been disappointed and confused by Christ’s wishes. But Christ had His plans and purposes for sending them off in their boat alone. He knew all about the storm they would encounter. And it wasn’t long before the disciples themselves realized that they were in deep trouble. From the time references in the text, we learn that, in the space of the next six hours, they were able to go a distance of only about three miles. Their night quickly turned into a time of agony, uncertainty, fear, and confusion! Why would Christ, who knew enough to multiply loaves and fishes for thousands, have sent them into such a vicious storm? Just hours ago, these same disciples were happily distributing loaves and fish to awe-struck multitudes. Now they were about to be swallowed up by death itself.

We will see more of what Christ was teaching His dis- ciples below, but at this point, it is worth this initial lesson. Though we often see the difficulties we are in, we often don’t see the difficulty we could have been in if we had been left to ourselves. As difficult as the storm was, it was better for the disciples to be there than to be falling for the ideas of the crowd and seeking to turn Jesus away from His real mission. Who can tell how often God’s people are hemmed in by trials for their own protection?

Omniscient Care

Earlier there had been a storm at sea for the disciples, but then Christ had been with them in the boat (see 8:23± 27). This time, Christ was not with them physically; however, He was with them spiritually. Though the disciples did not see Christ in the tem- pest on the lake, Mark tells us that Christ saw them: “And he saw them toiling in rowing” (6:48). This was supernatural sight, for through the darkness of the night, the distance, and the dreadful storm, no other human would have been able to see their ship.

What a comfort this is for believers! Perhaps you are in a place in life where you can’t see the Lord. You’re straining to see Him, but week in, week out, you’re not able to catch a glimpse of His presence like you did in the past. But when we lose sight of Him, it can be a great comfort that He doesn’t lose sight of us(compareJob23:8± 9).By not being with them, He could end up giving them a more magnificent view of His glory.

Magnificent Revelation

Matthew describes it this way: “And in the fourth watch of the night [about 3:00 AM] Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea” (v. 25). Everything about Christ’s coming to His disciples was so majestic: the timing, the manner, the direction. There was nothing hurried, harried, or hazardous about it. The picture the text paints is that He simply willed to be with His disciples, and no obstacle could stand in the way of that will.

Years later, as they wrote about that night, they remembered their “hysterical shrieks” (that’s what Matthew’s phrase “cried out for fear” literally means) as they mistook Christ for a ghost or a phantom (v. 26; Mark 6:49-50; John 6:19). They thought they were doomed!

Why, with Jesus so near, would they react like that? Think about it: wouldn’t we have responded the same way? These men were exhausted after hours of rowing. If only they had seen by faith that the form they were so terrified of was actually their Savior coming with deliverance. Think of William Cowper’s words: “Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take; / The clouds ye so much dread / Are big with mercy and shall break / In blessings on your head.”

Christ called to the disciples across the water, and His words were filled with tender magnificence and magnificent tenderness: “Be of good cheer; it is I, be not afraid” (v. 27). Notice the three intricate parts of this statement, so filled with lessons: first, He encouraged them: “Be of good cheer.” The literal meaning in the original is: “Take courage.” Their cour- age had failed, and Christ tells them to take fresh courage.

Secondly, He revealed Himself as God. That was the reason they should take fresh courage. In the Old Testament, God gave His name to Moses as “I am that I am” (Ex. 3:14). What Christ said here is short for exactly that. He means: “I am the faithful, covenant-keeping, immutable God, who saves His people in distress. Amid everything that is topsy-turvy, I give stability and solidity.” This self-revelation of Christ is the calm within their storm.

Thirdly, He consoled them. The first part of Christ’s words was a positive command. This last part is a negative command: “Be not afraid.” It is as if He brought in courage and cast out fear, and all because He is the Lord.

Perhaps as you read this, you are straining at the oars of life’s storm. Making no headway is getting old. Perhaps it is the fourth watch for you. Hear the One who says through His Word: “Take courage, It is I, be not afraid.” In this divine I, there is the calm you need; the stronghold in the midst of the waves. What you need is to be centered on Him.

Centered Focus

Peter seems to have been the first to recognize Jesus, or at least the first one to dare to reply to Him. And certainly only Peter would dare to say: “Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water” (v. 28). Some Bible students have disapproved of Peter for making this request; but Christ did not. “Come,” Christ said, and “when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water” (v. 29). By faith, Peter stepped onto the solid surface that Christ’s presence miraculously extended over the water.

But then something changed and Peter felt himself sinking. He must have thought for a moment: “I’m going to drown after all!” But Christ was still there, and was still the “I Am.” As Peter cried, “Lord, save me” (v. 30), we find that “immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him” (v. 31). Peter, whose name means stone, was held up by the solid Rock.

Notice that Jesus didn’t rebuke Peter for having no faith; but He did rebuke him for being of “little faith” and for ”doubting” (v. 31). That’s one thing that the Holy Spirit teaches His people in the storms of life: the secret to stability in storms is a centered focus on Christ.

It is significant to read that Peter only began to sink (v. 30). He didn’t end up sinking. Christ would not allow it, for He Himself on the cross would sink underneath the billows and waves of His Father’s wrath in order that He might hold Peter up. He cried out back in Psalm 69, a Messianic Psalm: “I sink in depths where none can standÐ deep waters over me roll” (Ps. 69:2).

If you are outside of Christ, how will you stand when the floods of God’s wrath come to swallow you up? To die outside of Christ and then to meet Him at last will be more terrify- ing than meeting a ghost was for the disciples. Cry like Peter, “Lord, save me.” He is able to save to the uttermost all who come unto God by Him (see Heb. 7:25).

We read, “And the wind ceased” (v. 32). The wind had fulfilled its divine purpose. The trials God sends aim to drive us into the arms of Christ in worship, as the disciples did; they “worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God” (Matt. 14:32). Trials serve the glory of Christ. Why don’t we glorify Him sooner? Lord, why do we need storms to bring us to our knees in adoration?

“And immediately, the ship was at the land whither they went” (John 6:21). It had taken hours to go three miles. But now, with Christ on the boat, the next three miles were over just like that. With the Savior close, time passes quickly until God’s church reaches the other shore, where no storms can ever come and where God’s church will never be between dif- ficulties, but forever delivered.

Questions

  1. What does it mean that the Christian is “between deliv- erances”? What attitude and actions should this truth foster for a believer when in difficulty?
  2. How can we be more mindful of all that God is keeping us from when He deems it necessary for us to have trials and storms? What begets humility and thankfulness even when in difficult circumstances?
  3. Prove from the passage that no wave ever came between Christ and His disciples.
  4. Why did Christ walk on the sea, and not just calm the storm from a distance? How would you answer those who said it was wrong for Peter to want to walk to Jesus?
  5. Someone described Peter’s problem as Christ “moving from the center of his eyes to the corner” and the storm moving from “the corner of his eyes to the center.” Reflect on how that happens.

Dr. Gerald M. Bilkes is Professor of Old and New Testament at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary and an ordained minister in the Free Reformed churches of North America.

Uncategorized

Efficacious Grace – Ezekiel 36:22–32

It is always good to remember that salvation is all of grace and that the salvation of every genuine believer should be to the praise of the glory of that grace. There are any number of texts in the Scripture that highlight God’s grace to sinnersÐ both in the Old and New Testaments. Ezekiel 36 is one of those texts and brings us to the heart of Ezekiel’s sal- vation theology. This passage is a comprehensive enunciation of God’s plan of salvation, and very likely was the Scripture Christ had in mind when He spoke to Nicodemus about the new birth and was amazed when the teacher in Israel did not know these things (John 3). No one can come to this text without being confronted with man’s desperate need. Both Ezekiel and Christ make it clear that unless there is a radical transformation of heart there can be no spiritual life. That is an impossible demand if man is left to himself. But the beauty of the gospel is that God does not leave man to himself: He does for sinners what sinners cannot do for themselves. That the same truth is expressed in both Old and New Testaments teaches us that there is a grand unity in God’s dealing with men in salvation. It is an everlasting gospel.

The verses for our consideration draw attention to the source of salvation and to some essential components of sal- vation. The proposition of the passage is clear: God’s grace is successfully effective to save sinners. Ezekiel makes two principal points about this efficacious grace.

SALVATION IS ALL OF GRACE

God’s grace is a glorious truth, but one that is hard for
sinners to grasp. There is something about grace that is unattract-ive to natural man. It makes man terribly small
and makes God incomprehensibly big. Grace is contrary to all natural reasoning since it is freely given to those who do not deserve it indeed, to those who deserve damnation instead. Ezekiel addresses this by focusing first on the source rather than the recipients of grace.

The Lord’s Glory: The Goal of Grace

Salvation surely results in the sinner’s good, but salvation is ultimately about God’s glory. Throughout this passage, the Lord declares that His gracious work is not for their sakes (vv. 22, 32) but for the sake of His own holy name (vv. 22, 23). God’s name refers to the totality of His Person including all of His infinite perfections. Saving grace magnifies the Lord. He was going to act in such a way that even the heathen would “know that I am the LORD” (v. 23). Isaiah declares the same holy motive: “For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it…I will not give my glory unto another” (Isa. 48:11). The salvation of sinners is a way by which God sanctifies (sets apart, makes distinct, exalts) His great name (v. 23). The prophet Micah also caught the truth of this with his question, “Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity?” (Mic. 7:18). Similarly, in that Grand Canyon text in Ephesians 1, Paul repeats three times that salvation is all to the praise of the glory of His grace (Eph. 1:6, 12, 14). Even though sinners are the beneficiaries of salvation grace, salvation is ultimately about God.

The Lord’s Work: The Means of Grace

God purposes grace, and God always accomplishes His purposes. Grace is not abstract theory; it is a reality that operates through divine initiative. Salvation is not some vague plan that is revealed just for human evaluation or consideration. Man is totally incapable of responding to the gospel message without first being enabled to do so. God makes the first move or there would be and could be no movement to Him. Ezekiel underscores this truth repeatedly in this passage with all the first-person verbs designating what the Lord does (vv. 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 29, 30). God is the author and finisher of salvation. Salvation, indeed, is of the Lord. Therefore, the sinner’s positive response is the consequence of His gracious work. Reception of grace is evidence of grace. There is an old hymn that sums it nicely: “I sought the Lord, and afterward I knew it was the Lord who sought me, seeking Him.”

That salvation is all of grace has significant implications. First, sinners can never hope to earn salvation. To attempt to work for salvation or even to make a contribution is a denial of grace and an affront to divine glory. This rebukes all pride. Second, sinners need never despair of salvation. If salvation depended on self-merit or works, there would be constant torture in the soul. The nagging doubt as to whether enough had been done or if sufficient merit existed would rob the soul of the peace that the gospel affords. But grace shifts the ground of salvation away from self to God. Grace is greater than sin, and resting in what grace has done leads to the third implication. Sinners saved by grace have cause for joy. The application of grace never fails its purpose. Let us stand in wonder of God’s amazing and wonderful grace.

SALVIFIC GRACE IS EFFICACIOUS

The gospel of saving grace really and truly works. Grace does what is necessary to fit a sinner for heaven. Ezekiel summa- rizes the effectiveness of grace in three ways.

Grace Reconciles Exiled Sinners

Sin separates from God. The first Adam was expelled from Paradise because of his sin, and all the sons of Adam have been exiled and banished ever since. By nature, man is alien- ated from God. If reconciliation is possible, it is because God in Christ has removed the impediments to restored fellow- ship. Ezekiel uses the symbolism of ceremonial cleansing to describe this reconciliation (vv. 25, 29). To be ceremonially unclean was to be outside the sphere of fellowship, to be separated from God and all the spiritual benefits of life. But regardless of the nature of the uncleanness (leprosy, birth, contact with death, etc.), there was always an appropriate sacrifice to address the problem. Ezekiel utilizes the Levitical imagery to describe this work of grace.

“Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you” (v. 25). The sprinkling was a rite of purification to remove symbolically the impediments to fellowship. This sprinkling was typical (a picture prophecy) of Christ who is the cleansing fountain (see Isa. 52:13). It points directly to the application of the blood of Christ, the only means of cleansing the soul from the guilt and power of sin. Happily, what God cleanses is clean: “ye shall be clean” (v. 25) “I will save you from all your uncleanness” (v. 29). Reconciliation results in covenant fellowship: “ye shall be my people, and I will be your God” (v. 28).

Grace Regenerates Dead Sinners

In verse 26, the Lord gives a new heart (mind, will, affec- tions) and a new spirit (the impulses that drive and regulate desires, thoughts, and conduct). The old heart is a stone. It is lifeless, hard, and unfeeling. This is a vivid image of the helplessness and hopelessness of the human heart that is dead in sin. The heart, the most vital of organs, is petrified in utter death, incapable of responding to the good of the gospel. You would wait forever before you could find a spark of life in a stone, but here is the grace of the gospel: the Lord takes away the lifeless heart and gives a new one that is capable of new and spiritual impulses, feelings, and desires. A heart that now is capable of answering to God. This is the new birth. It is a change in the very nature of man’s being as spiritual life is implanted into that which had no life. Without this new heart that makes man a new creature, there is no hope. This is why Christ said, “Ye must be born again” (John 3:7). Without grace, the new birth is impossible.

Grace Empowers Saved Saints

“And I will put my spirit within you” (v. 27). By means of God’s indwelling Spirit, the renewed man enjoys God’s abiding presence. In true regeneration, God the Spirit enters the very soul, enabling fellowship and companionship (v. 28). This indwelling Spirit also provides enabling grace to do the things that please the Lord: walk in His statutes, keep His judgments, and obey Him. A changed life is evidence of grace. Grace never leaves a sinner where it finds him. God’s gracious salvation works not only to bring a sinner to spiritual life but to lead Him in the way of life. The inner change that occurs in regeneration leads to the life of sanctification. Being renewed in the whole man after God’s image enables the progressive dying to sin and living in righteousness.

God’s gracious salvation is complete, and Ezekiel’s brief synopsis of it is to the point and most instructive. We could almost paraphrase Christ’s question to Nicodemus in that night class in this way: “Art thou a master of Israel and you’ve never read Ezekiel 36?” But surely, as we meditate on this text let us echo Paul’s assessment of all we have in Christ by praising the glory of His grace.

Dr. Michael P. V. Barrett is Academic Dean and Professor of Old Testament at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary.

Uncategorized

Conscience and the Puritans – Interview with Tim Challies

Tim Challies interviewed our editor over a period of eight weeks on the final eight chapters of A Puritan Theology: Doctrine for Life, and placed these articles on the Challies blog. We are printing them in this periodical with his permission. All eight articles deal with how the Puritans brought theology into practice. This article deals with the conscience in Puritan thought.

1. In order to ensure we are all on the same page, can you define conscience? What exactly is it the Puritans were talking about when they discussed matters of conscience?

The conscience is an echo in the human mind of the verdict of the righteous Judge. William Perkins said that “conscience is a part of the understanding” that sets itself either for or against one’s actions.1 William Ames, a student of Perkins, wrote that conscience is “a man’s judgment of himself, according to the judgment of God of him.”2 Regardless of what we love with our affections or choose with our will, there is a part of our understanding that judges us and gives us a sense of moral approval or guilt according to our understanding of right and wrong. So when the Puritans considered cases of conscience, they were discussing questions about how to know what is pleasing to God in specific situations, and, more importantly, how to know that the divine Judge accepts you as righteous in His sight.

2. What would the Puritans identify as the function of conscience? Why do we need it and what does it do for us?

Conscience impresses a man’s mind with the moral authority of God, and as a result produces a sense of anxiety and misery, or peace and joy, that anticipates eternity. Ames said that conscience binds a man with such authority that no created thing can release him from it.3 Though our conscience may be misinformed, it still speaks with a divine authority that we can disobey but we find difficult to ignore. It reminds us that God sees all we do and is either delighted or angry with us, and pleased or displeased with our deeds.

Much Puritan literature aimed to direct people to find peace of conscience through the blood of Christ, and to walk in good conscience day by day. Richard Rogers said that the purpose of his Seven Treatises of spiritual guidance was to show a person how to live such that “he may find a very sweet and effectual [powerful] taste of eternal happiness, even here.”4 Richard Sibbes said that a good conscience is “a continual feast,” because knowing that God is pleased with us, has forgiven our sins, and delights in our obedience, enables us to suffer and even to die with comfort, freedom, and joy.5

3. What would the Puritans want us to know about the effect of the fall into sin on man’s conscience?

The fall of man brought us under the condemning wrath of God and the enslaving darkness of sin. The first disturbs and terrifies the conscience insofar as it senses the coming judgment; the latter disorders and confuses the conscience.

Perkins taught that though a “remnant of God’s image” persists in man’s mind through “certain notions concerning good and evil,” mankind has fallen into much ignorance of the truth and inability to understand spiritual realities (1 Cor. 2:14), futility in not distinguishing truth from falsehood (Eph. 4:7; Prov. 14:12), and natural tendency to follow evil and lies (Jer. 4:22). This distorts the conscience, though it still retains a degree of its power to rebuke and restrain sin (Rom. 2:15). Fallen conscience tends to excuse inward wickedness if it is covered in outward worship (Mark 10:19-20). It also tends to falsely accuse a person when he fails to follow the traditions and doctrines of mere men (Col. 2:21± 22). Sometimes conscience may accuse and terrify a person for his sins (Acts 24:26), and yet consciences may be seared to numbness by habits of sinning (Eph. 4:19; 1 Tim. 4:2).6

4. Where might the Puritans warn us about our use or misuse of conscience?

The Puritans warned against subjecting conscience to any ultimate authority besides the Bible. They particularly emphasized liberty of conscience in matters of religion.

The Westminster divines wrote, “God alone is Lord of the conscience, and hath left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men, which are in any thing contrary to His Word; or beside it, in matters of faith and worship.”7 Similarly, the Particular Baptists wrote, “The Holy Scripture is the only sufficient, certain, and infallible rule of all saving knowledge, faith, and obedience.”8

The Puritans also warned against resisting one’s conscience when it speaks according to the Word. Ames taught the unconverted to seriously consider the law so that it would convict him of sin; show him he cannot save himself; and bring him to grief, fear, and confession of specific sins. He must also renounce his own righteousness and fix his mind upon the righteousness of Christ crucified as presented in the promises of the gospel.9

Christians too must not resist conscience. If a Christian finds his conscience accusing him, Ames counseled him to: first, feel the burden of sin (Matt. 11:28-29); second, detest all sin (Rom. 7:15); third, be careful not to fulfill his sinful lusts (Gal. 5:16); fourth, work to put those lusts to death (Rom. 8:13); fifth, to consider God’s promises, flee to Christ, and cling to Him more and more (Rom. 7:25; Phil. 3:9); and sixth, get rid of gross and heinous sins that shake their consciences and call into question their very salvation (Isa. 1:16-18).10

5. What can a Christian do to repair his conscience or to help his conscience overcome the effects of the fall?

The restoration of the conscience is part of the process of sanctification that begins with regeneration and does not end until we enter glory. It is a work of God’s grace that we must seek in prayer. The most significant means is to place ourselves under the sound and searching preaching of both the law and the gospel. As Sibbes said, the steps to a good conscience are, first, to be troubled by our sins; second, to find peace by trusting in Christ; and, third, to resolve to please God in all things. With these three elements active in our lives, we are positioned to grow more in a good conscience as we live by faith for God’s pleasure.11 The most important attitude is honesty and humility before God, for conscience always confronts us with the truth that God is Lord. For more details on restoring the conscience, see A Puritan Theology (pp. 919-25).

1. William Perkins, A Discovrse of Conscience: Wherein is Set Downe the
Nature, Properties, and Differences Thereof: As Also the Way to Get and Keepe Good Conscience (London: Iohn Legate, 1596), 1.
2. William Ames, Conscience with the Power and Cases Thereof (1639; facsimile repr., Norwood, N.J.: Walter Johnson, 1975), 1.1.
3. Ames, Conscience with the Power and Cases Thereof, 1.3.4.
4. Richard Rogers, Seaven Treatises, 4th ed. corrected and enlarged (London: Felix Kyngston for Thomas Man, 1616), 1.
5. Richard Sibbes, Exposition of Second Corinthians Chapter 1, in The Works of Richard Sibbes, ed. Alexander B. Grosart (1862-1864; repr., Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1981), 3:223.
6. William Perkins, A Golden Chaine, or The Description of the Theologie,
Containing the Order of the Causes of Saluation and Damnation, According to Gods Word, 2nd ed. (London: Iohn Legate, 1597), 27-29.
7. Westminster Confession of Faith (20.2), in Westminster Confession
(Glasgow: Free Presbyterian Publications, 1994), 86.
8. Second London Confession (1.1), in A Confession of Faith, Put Forth by the Elders and Brethren of Many Congregations of Christians (Baptized upon Profession of Their Faith) in London and the Country (London: Benjamin Harris, 1677), 1.
9. Ames, Conscience with the Power and Cases Thereof, 2.4, 6.
10. Ames, Conscience with the Power and Cases Thereof, 2.19.
11. Richard Sibbes, The Demand of a Good Conscience, in Works, 7:484-85.

Dr. Joel R. Beeke is president and professor of Systematic Theology and Homiletics at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, and a pastor of the Heritage Netherlands Reformed Congregation of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Thanks to Rev. Paul Smalley for his research assistance on this article.

Atonement of Christ

The Mediator must be Federally united to His people

by Arthur W. Pink

In his defense of the Satisfaction of Christ, Turretin pointed out how that there are three kinds of union known to us in human relations which justifies the imputation of sin one to another; natural, as between a father and his child; moral and political, as between a king and his subjects; voluntary, as between friends, or between an arraigned criminal and his sponsor. But the union of Christ with His people rests on far stronger ground than any of these considered alone. It was voluntary on His part, for He spontaneously assumed all the obligations He bore. But it was also a covenant ordinance, decreed by the three Divine persons in counsel, whose behests are alone the foundation of all law, all rights, and of all obligations. “The Scriptures plainly teach that God has established between Christ and His people a union sui-generis, transcending all earthly analogies in its intimacy of fellowship and reciprocal co-partnership both federal and vital” (Dr. C. Hodge).

The mediatorial position assumed by Christ and the redemptive work which He performed cannot be rightly understood till they are viewed in connection with the Everlasting Covenant. It is not difficult to see that the death on the Cross was only made possible for the Son of God by His becoming Man. But we need to go farther back and ask, What was the relation between Christ and His people that made it meet for Him to become incarnate and die for them? It is not enough to say that He was their Surety, and Substitute. True, blessedly true, He wrought and suffered for them because He was their Surety to the offended Law-giver and Judge. But what rendered it proper that He should occupy such a place? No satisfactory answer can be given till we go right back to the counsels of the Godhead. Covenant oneness accounts for all, vindicates all, explains all.
Christ was substituted for His people because He was and is one with them-identified with us and we with Him; not merely as decreed by the sovereign authority of the Godhead, but as covenanted between the eternal Father and the eternal Son. Christ “bore the sins of many” because in His covenant identification with them, their sins became sinlessly but truly His sins; and unto the sons and daughters of the covenant, the Father imputes the righteousness of His Son, because, in their covenant oneness with Him, His righteousness is undeservedly but truly their own righteousness. This alone explains all Christ’s history as the incarnate Son of God; all His interposition as the Savior of His people; and it places the career of Christ on earth in its true relation to the eternal purpose of God. In its completeness, as bearing on the covenant-clients as well as the covenant-Head, it is the formal instrument by which faith comes into sure possession of Christ Himself and the benefits of redemption.

Christ is expressly denominated “the last Adam” (1 Cor. 15:45), and therefore are we told that the first Adam was “the figure of Him that was to come” (Rom. 5:14). Adam was a “figure” of Christ in quite a number of ways, but supremely in this, that he stood as the federal head of a race. God entered into a covenant with him (Hosea 6:6, margin), and therefore he stood and fell as the legal representative of all his family: when he sinned, they sinned; when he died, they died (Rom. 5:12-19). So was it with the “last Adam”: He stood as the covenant Head and federal Representative of all His people, being legally one with them, so that He assumed and discharged all their responsibilities. The birth of Christ was the begun manifestation of the eternal union between Him and His people.

In the Covenant, Christ had said to the Father, “I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the Church will I sing praise unto thee. And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me” (Hebrews 2:12, 13). Most blessedly is this explained in what immediately follows: “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same,” and therefore “He is not ashamed to call them brethren.” Federation is the root of this amazing mercy, covenant – identification is the key which explains it. Christ came not to strangers, but to “brethren”; He came here not to procure a people for Himself, but to secure a people already His (Eph. 1:4; Matthew 1:21).

Since such a union has existed between Christ and His people from all eternity, it inevitably followed that, when He came to earth, He must bear their sins, and now that He has gone to heaven they must be clothed (Isa. 61:10) with all the rewardableness of His perfect obedience. This is the strongest buttress of all in the walls of Truth, yet the one which has been most frequently assailed by its enemies. Men have argued that the punishment of the Innocent as though He were guilty was an outrage upon justice. In the human realm, to punish a man for something of which he is neither responsible nor guilty, is, beyond question, unjust. But this principle did not apply to Christ, for He had voluntarily identified Himself with His people in such an intimate way that it could be said, “For both He that sanctifieth, and they who are sanctified, are all of one” (Heb. 2:11).
When we say that the union between Christ and His people is a federal one, we mean that it is of such a nature as to involve an identification of legal relations and reciprocal obligations and rights: “By the obedience of One shall many be made [legally constituted] righteous” (Rom. 5:19). God’s elect were “chosen in Christ” (Ephesians 1:4). They are “created in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:10). They were circumcised in Him (Colossians 2:11). They are “made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5: 21). In view of this ineffable union, Scripture does not hesitate to say, “We are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones” (Ephesians 4:30).

Compared Religions

Eastern Mysticism

The following table will compare various views coming from what we classify as Eastern Mysticism. Many who follow these religious views often engage in conversations about the Bible, Jesus, the Gospels, the Apostle Paul with an ideology imparted via the group from which they learned their tenants of faith. However one thing becomes clear: they are not well versed in the Word of God. Thus their paradigm is formed before the Bible speaks to their hearts, which makes it most difficult to assimilate without looking through the spectacles of Baha, Buddha, or Maharishi Mahesh Yogi etc,

Thus it is imperative to only look at the Bible as one compares the worldview of these Eastern Mystics if one is not to be led astray into doctrinal error. These snippets gauge just how far off these views are outside of the Word of God and His Kingdom, especially with disregard to the Sovereignty of Jesus Christ as Lord and God of our minds.

TRUTH
ERROR
WORD OF GOD
EASTERN MYSTICISM
VIEW OF GOD VIEW OF GOD

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)

God is a Spirit; and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. (John 4:24)

For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man, Christ Jesus. (1 Timothy 2:5)

Go…and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:19)

Jesus was baptized: the spirit descended; the Father spoke: (Matthew 3:16-17)

Come, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech. (Genesis 11:7)

From the time that it was, there am I; and now the Lord God, and his Spirit, hath sent me. (Isaiah 48:16)

Brahma, the Absolute, other than which there is nothing else–without qualities, unknowable, impersonal, beyond all appearances, changes, differences.

God is all there is. “All visible objects are but modifications of self-existence, of an unconscious and impersonal essence which is called God” (Walter R. Martin, Kingdom of the Cults, p 239).

God is omnipresent and almighty, and is in the heart of everyone (Transcendental Meditation, p. 61).

In his real nature man is divine. The inner man is fully divine. Vedanta teaches no other dogma but the divinity inherent in man, and his capacity for infinite evolution (TM, p. 58).
JESUS CHRIST JESUS CHRIST
In the beginning was the Word,…and the Word was God. (John 1:1)When, as His mother, Mary, was espoused to Joseph before they came together she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 1:18)Behold, the virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)God was Manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the nations, believed on in the world, received up into glory. (1 Timothy 3:16)And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)

No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. (John 1:18).

And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. (Roman1:4)

And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain… (1 Corinthians 15:17)

Wherefore, he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. (Hebrews 7:25)

This same Jesus…shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into Heaven. (Acts 1:11; cf. John 14:3; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

 All religions from times immemorial are just different branches of the main trunk of the eternal religion represented by the Vedas (Tm, p. 19).”I don’t think Christ ever suffered or Christ could suffer” (Maharishi MaheshYogi, p. 123)

Christ is considered to be one of a long line of “Masters” who had themselves realized divinity. They are recognized as “divine,” and addressed as such. Through such individuals at various times in history, the “divine truth” was transmitted to men. His picture is frequently to be seen beside that of Buddha, or of Shandaracharya, or Yogananda, or other recognized “Divine Leaders.

The “Masters” are considered to be realized expressions of divinity and, as such, are worshiped.

Bahaism: This emanated from Persian Islam but is essentially eclectic. All ways are of God, but Baha has the truth for this age.

Divine Light Mission: Guru Maharaj ji is presented as the uncover the light of knowledge which is within the disciple himself.

Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon): Devotion centers on the god Krishna.

Transcendental Meditation: Deceitfully propagated as nonreligious, this is undoubtedly Hindu. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi is the leader. Mandatory initiatory rites in Sanskrit address the Lord Narayana, Brahma the Creator. Daily meditation focuses on the Source of Creative Intelligence within the individual himself.

Vendanta Society (Rama Krishna Mission): This group also teaches the Perennial Philosophy, that God is the essence of all that is, and salvation is to “realize” the god (reality) that is within you.

Yoga: This is one of the six major Hindu philosophical systems to be followed in order to obtain union (yoga) with the Ultimate, the Great All-pervading Soul. Self-realization Fellowship advocates practice of disciplined Kriya Yoga as the path to realization of the good within, the true self.

Zen Buddhism: The major Buddhist activity solves eternity’s problems by illogical koan to produce enlightenment–similar to T.M,
HOLY SPIRIT HOLY SPIRIT

When the Comforter is come, who I will send unto your from the Father, even the Spirit of truth,…he shall testify of me. (John 15:26)

When he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgement. (John 16:8)

When he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth. (John 15:26).

The Comforter, who is the Holy Spirit, …he shall teach you all things. (John 16:13)

His spirit that dwelleth in you… (Romans 8:11)

Be filled with the Spirit… (Ephesians 5:18; see also 1 Corinthians 3:16; Ephesians 3:16

But ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. (Romans 8:9; see also vv. 14, 16)
SIN SIN

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23).

If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (1 John 1:10)

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (1 John 1:8).

Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also to law; for sin is the transgression of the law. (1 John 3:4).

All unrighteousness is sin… 1 John 5:17).

Whatever is not of faith is sin. (Romans 14:23).

Therefore, to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. (James 4:17).

 The subject per se is given little attention, and forgiveness of sin is unrealistic, By the Law of Karma, “sowing and reaping,” wrong actions inevitably produce punishment, good actions their reward.

Salvation consists of doing good in excess of evil in order to evolve to the highest state through successive incarnations. This highest state is Enlightenment; the realization of oneness with the World-Soul, Reality.

Sin is not defined. It consists of actions which are contrary to one’s “dharma” or “duty”.

“Sin means wrong doing or wrong thinking due to discontentment. Suffering is the result of some wrong doing in the past.” and “Past sins might induce an action in the present; some tendency of the past may come to us” (Meditations of Maharishi, p. 121).
REDEMPTION AND SALVATION REDEMPTION AND SALVATION
We have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins. (Ephesians 1:7).

Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things…but with the precious blood of Christ. (1 Peter 1:18-19).

Unto him that loveth us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us a kingdom of priests unto God and his Father. (Revelation 1:6).

Without shedding of blood is no remission (Hebrews 9:22).Made peace through the blood of his cross (Colossians 1:20).

This man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God…For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. (Hebrews 10:12, 14).

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

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the children of God, even to them that believe on his name. (John 1:12).

He that believeth on him is not condemned; but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the…only begotten son of God. (John 3:18).

He that believeth on the son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life. (John 3:36).

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Spirit. (Titus 3:5).

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)

Justified freely… through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. (Romans 10:4).

Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth. (Romans 10:4)

 “Be still and know that you are God, and when you now that you are God you will begin to live Godhood…” (Ibid., p. 178).

Go within and experience the Divine Nature is the premise! There is no supernatural intervention. We bear the whole responsibility for our actions. If we attain the clear vision of what we are, “the divine or Inner Light, and the god of what we are, “the Divine or Inner Light, and the god within,” we need not go elsewhere.

“All may say, at the moment of Awakening, ‘I am the Way'” (KC, p. 237).

Salvation comes through the realization that there is no duality. God is all-in-all, is all there is, and “that are Thou” (Upanishads).

God-realization, or Self-realization, the highest of all states of being, is here and now possibility by any of the suggested methods.

1) The Way of Knowledge, usually involving meditation focused within. This may be aided by silent repetition of a designated, personal mantra, which is a group of sounds without meaning. Or by “Knowledge” imparted by a “master” by which “inner light” is given and the “current of real life” (the source of life) is turned and the “current of real life” (the source of life) is turned on within us. Meditation is upon this “light experience.”

2) The Way of Words, following prescribed rules of conduct without desire. This is the more common way of India, much less emphasized in the West.

3) The Way of Devotion to a deity, involving continuous chanting of the chosen name, as exemplified by the vocal Krishna-Consciousness cult.

Transcendental Meditation is a path to God (MM, p. 59).

The way of Yoga (meaning union is that of concentration aided by body control, with the aim being “Union with the Divine.”

Self-realization is entry into the Kingdom of Heaven within, entry into the field of the Creator. ” It is the gradual movement from Matter to Mind, and them to super Mind. Once we reach the supper Mind, we reach union with the Divine.”
JUDGEMENT JUDGEMENT
The wages of sin is death… (Romans 6:23).Those who sleep in the dust…shall awake, some to everlasting, life, and some to shame, and everlasting contempt. (Daniel 12:2).And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. (Hebrews 9:27).And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God….And the dead were judged out of those things … written in the books, according to their works. (Revelation 10:12).The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven…in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel…; who shall be punished with everlasting destruction. (2 Thessalonians 1:6-10).

If thy foot offend thee, cut it off; it is better for thee to enter lame into life than, having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched. (Mark 9:45)

 Heaven and hell are not accepted concepts. Karma, the “law of the deed,” of sowing and reaping, is allied with Transmigration (Reincarnation) in defining the results of sin and rewards of good.Suffering (on earth) is the result of some wrong doing in the past, one’s own repayment of deeds.One who has attained union with God, or “God-consciousness,” has reached the end of reincarnation. As the Buddha is reported to have said, “There is no rebirth for me.”
Yahweh

Who is Yahweh and who is Jesus?

Who are these Gods in relation to each other?

Jesus prayed in John 17: 1, NLT: I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. I have further written on Yahweh who called Moses in the burning bush, referring to Himself as “I am” and later revealed His name as “Yahweh” to Moses. Later Jesus inferred that: I and my Father are one and the same person by saying: Before Abraham was, I am. (John 8:58)

Now that we’ve defined “god,” it becomes apparent that our original question is inadequate. It is now clear that we are asking more than whether Jesus is a “god.” We want to know if Jesus is YAHWEH! We must determine whether Jesus and Yahweh are two beings, or only one being. That is the crux of the whole body of arguments surrounding this issue.

The word “god” is not a proper name. It’s a title. It is generic and can refer to ANY god. Therefore, in order to help keep this issue clear as we study it, we’ll need to use the proper names whenever possible so we’ll know which “god” we are talking about at that moment. This is the value of properly naming our true Gods for the sake of differentiation as we study.

The name of the Creator God of Israel is Yahweh. The name of our Savior is Jesus. So for the sake of clarity, we should use their proper names, rather than their titles, as much as possible.

Now, let’s consider some of the identifying characteristics of both Jesus and Yahweh. Are they the same, or different?

1. The Father and the Son are United

John 5 we read: Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.

4b. …an idol is nothing in the world, and there is none other God but one. For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) But, to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him: AND one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we through him. (I Corinthians 8)

Many similar scriptures clearly delineate between Father and Son – identifying them as two, separate, distinct personalities. By definition, sons issue forth from fathers. Fathers precede their sons, necessarily. Otherwise, a father is not a father, and a son is not a son. A son cannot be his own father, nor can a father be his own son. Such an absurdity would nullify the meaning of the terms “father” and “son” and render the language useless.

2. One is the Creator; the other is a Created and Empowered Son of God (who co-creates and governs equally with His Father)

We read in Colossians 1:

Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who has delivered us from the power of darkness, and has translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.

This says that Jesus was created. He is “the firstborn” (greatest) of all creatures (i.e. things created). If Jesus was created then it had to be Yahweh who created Him. If Yahweh created Jesus, then Jesus cannot be Yahweh. The Created is not the Creator. The logic is simple.

Of course, someone might argue, “But, doesn’t this scripture go on to tell us that Jesus created all things that are in heaven and earth? That must mean that Jesus was the Creator!”

Verse 16 reads:

For in him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created through him, and for him:

“All things created” (i.e. this universe, if you will) were created ultimately for the Son who was to inherit all things, whether created by Yahweh directly, or co-created together with the Son. This verse has been used in the past to suggest that Jesus was the Creator in Genesis!and it is quite possible that Jesus existed before this earth was created!thus the world would have been co-created with Yahweh and Jesus working together, much like fathers and sons work together in a family business.

Regardless of this, Yahweh ultimately created all things for Jesus the Son – inheritor of the governance of all things owned by His Father, Yahweh. They were created in Him and for Him. Dominions, principalities, thrones, powers – all things are IN him.

Jesus is much like Joseph governing in full power, as second in command with Pharaoh over all Egypt.

3. One knows all: the Other gains His Knowledge from the Father

Matthew 24:

3. And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him (Jesus) privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of thy presence (judgment), and of the end of the age (fall of Jerusalem)?

The disciples were asking about the coming judgment and destruction upon Jerusalem. They wanted to know when to expect the prophesied judgment. Jesus’ answer was interesting. In verses 3-36, He gave them some detail as to what they should watch for. Then, He finally answers their question directly in verse 36:

But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my father only.

This does not imply Jesus didn’t know. He simply said no man knows, and at that time, Jesus walked as a man on earth. We know that Jesus knows all about this event as He described it frequently, and set stage by stage articulates warnings in His revelation to the churches in the Book of Revelation. Jesus is the last day Judge of all mankind as well as our advocate!a very good deal. I propose to you that all judges know when they will go to trial.

4. One was visible; the other wasn’t

John 1:

In the beginning was the logos (i.e. the communication), and the logos was for (not “with”) God, and God was the logos (i.e. the communication expressed the person of God). And the logos (the communication) was made flesh, (Yahweh’s logos was manifested in a man) and dwelt among us, and we beheld (looked upon) his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

Men beheld Jesus: the Logos of God. They saw Him and touched Him. However, no man has seen Yahweh who is the source Spirit of all creation.

No man hath seen Yahweh at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

I John 1:

That which was from the beginning (i.e. Yahweh’s logos), which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hand have handled, of the logos of life; For the life (i.e. the logos) was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that *eonian life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us; (“eonian life” = the spiritual awakening given during this New Covenant age).

In John 5:37, Jesus stood before his disciples and said:

37. And the Father himself, which has sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.

I John 4:

No man hath seen God at any time… Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.

No man has seen or heard the actual form or voice of the Father at any time. But, Jesus was both seen and heard. We are never directed to confess that Jesus is the Father. We are commanded to confess that Jesus is THE SON!

Jesus manifested God’s character of love and mercy throughout the ages, as the apostle Paul said that Jesus actually was the Rock referred to in the writings of Moses. Jesus, is the articulate image of God as the presentation of a man’s form, either in vision, or in flesh as Jesus here on earth. He is the “express image of God” ie of Yahweh’s indwelling Spirit manifesting as His imaged-representative through His created, yet distinct Son.

5. One “exists” eternally; the other doesn’t

The name “Yahweh” stems from a Hebrew verb meaning “TO BE,” or “self-existence,” from a prime root “to exist,” or “to be,” in the sense of non-ending. His nature, as well as his self-proclaimed name, clearly shows the impossibility of his ceasing to exist – even for a few hours. Yahweh cannot die unless He is a fraud! His name declares it! His Word declares it! He simply cannot cease to be! Jesus, on the other hand, died and ceased to exist for several hours. That establishes a big difference between Yahweh and Jesus.

Jesus trusted Yahweh to die for three days, and be placed in the earth. This incredible trust of Jesus indicates that He was unified even as One indwelt with Yahweh’s own Spirit, the source of all. As well, all power in heaven and earth was transferred to the most trusted Son of Yahweh!

It is a basic premise of scripture that Yahweh cannot die.

Psalm 102:

Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shall thou change them, and they shall be changed: But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.

Exodus 3:

And God said unto Moses, I am the One that exists. Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, He who exists has sent me unto you.

Yahweh EXISTS! He cannot stop existing. He is Yahweh! Yet, Jesus calls Himself the Alpha and Omega, and the “I am” indicating a parallel eternal co-existence with Yahweh.

I Corinthians 15:

Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures.

I would point out that Christ never dies, as he existed in heaven, but He always lives to make intercession for us. He died only as a man, when He chose to incarnate man.

6. One became hungry; the other doesn’t

Matthew 4:

Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungered.

Of course, hunger is just one of the common needs of a flesh-and-blood mortal. It’s an interesting point when comparing the difference between Yahweh and man. Otherwise Jesus would never had died.

7. One was tempted; the other cannot be tempted

Matthew 4:

Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when the tempter came to him, (when He was hungry) he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

In Hebrews, we find the reason it was necessary for Him to be tempted.

Hebrews 2:

Forasmuch then as the children have shared of flesh and blood, he (Jesus) also himself likewise shared of the same; (He was flesh and blood, the same as his brothers) that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For verily he is not somewhere ministering to angels, but he is ministering to the seed of Abraham (corrected translation according to the Greek). Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in all things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted.

Jesus was tempted! He was temporarily incarnated into a mortal state of being. He didn’t sin, however. Temptation, in itself is not sin. “Sin” is when we give in to temptation.

Now turn to James 1:13:

Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God (Yahweh): for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man.

Yahweh cannot be tempted! He could not have been Jesus at the same time as Jesus walked on earth, thus never the same! Nevertheless, He was One in mind with the Father, being indwelt with Yahweh’s Spirit.

8. One slept; the other doesn’t

Matthew 8:

And when he (Jesus) was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him, And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he (Jesus) was asleep.

Jesus must have been pretty tired to fall asleep in one of those little boats being tossed about in a storm on the sea of Galilee. He became weary and He slept. Yahweh doesn’t have that problem.

Psalm 121:

4. Behold, he (Yahweh) that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.

Isaiah 40:

Hast thou not known? Hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, Yahweh, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary?

Jesus only slept as an incarnate man. Now He sits at the right hand of the Father!which also indicated two beings, on the right and left of each other.

9. One prayed to the other

Luke 22:

And he (Jesus) came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him. And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation. And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.

Jesus prayed to his Father for help. He also acknowledged two sets of wills:

a. His will as incarnate man, and
b. His Father’s will as God in heaven.

10. One increased; the other doesn’t change

Luke 2:

And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.

If Jesus could increase, or learn something, it meant that He was not omniscient (all-knowing). In order to increase in wisdom Jesus could not have been Yahweh.

Psalm 147:

5. Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite (unlimited).

Yahweh does not increase! Yahweh is omniscient (all knowing).

11. One was a man; the other wasn’t

John 8:

But now ye seek to kill me (Jesus), a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God.

Acts 2:

Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know.

Some have said to me, “If you say that Jesus was a man, then you’re worshipping just a man.”

However, it was Jesus himself who said He was a man. He also prevented men from worshipping Him while He was mortal, telling them to “worship God.” However, after He was raised to immortality, He was no more a natural man. When I worship the risen, immortal Jesus I am not worshipping “just a man.”

Numbers 23:

Yahweh is not a man that he could lie, neither the son of man, that he should repent…

Yahweh is not a man, nor the son of man. On the other hand, Jesus WAS “a man,” and “the Son of man.”

12. One has authority; the other has power

There is an important difference between the two.

Matthew 28:

And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All authority (not “power”) is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

Jesus was given authority [“exousia” – Gk]. Authority comes only from a higher source. It must be delegated. Authority cannot exist unless there is a higher source in which it can be based. Like links in a chain, positions of authority are completely dependent upon the higher links. Cut one of the higher links and all support is cut off for any links below.

Soldiers understand authority and rank. Each rank, or position of authority, rests upon the ranks above it. Authority always comes from above. Jesus was given authority. Jesus could not have been given authority unless there was someone higher to give it to Him. That higher source was Yahweh.

Now, some Bible translators have confused “authority” with “power.” The King James Version translators were some of the worst offenders in this. The KJV translators indiscriminately used both words interchangeably! But they are clearly NOT interchangeable, and subsequent translators have corrected that error.

As I pointed out, “authority” comes from the Greek “exousia.” Power, on the other hand, is altogether different. It comes from the Greek word, “dunamis,” from which we get our English word, “dynamite.” If you know how dynamite works, you know how power works. Dynamite doesn’t need authority – it is simply raw force: power.

Ultimate “power” means Yahweh God. He has all power. He doesn’t need authority. A “power” holds control by virtue of his own strength. There is no one above Yahweh to delegate authority down to Him.

Yahweh is the ultimate power. He has more muscle than anyone else. No one is big enough to overpower Yahweh. There’s no group, nor anything, anywhere, than can unseat Yahweh.

A “power” is someone whose superior strength keeps them in control. There are lesser powers, and greater powers. Yahweh is the ultimate power. As long as a power can hold his position and protect his realm, he can delegate authority down to other people under him.

Understanding the difference between power and authority will help you also to understand Romans 13:

Let every soul be subject unto the higher authorities. For there is no authority but of God: the authorities that be are ordained of God.

We recognize all higher authorities. But remember, there is no viable authority except under Yahweh. That is just common sense. If Yahweh is the ultimate power, then He must delegate all authority. All authority must come from Him.

Can any lawful authority exist except under Yahweh? No! It is impossible!

If Yahweh has vested Jesus with “all authority in heaven and earth,” can there exist any viable authority but in and under Jesus? No! It is impossible!

Some men say they get their authority from the State of Oregon, or from the Federal Government, or from the Constitution, or from the Soviet Politburo, or from the United Nations or some other source. But, if they’re not under Jesus, their “authority” is bogus. It is not true authority! It is counterfeit because no authority can exist unless it is aligned under Yahweh and his Son. The only way that authority can work is if a “power” delegates it. An authority must be ordained of God in order to be viable. If they aren’t ordained (authorized) of God, they are fake and we should not honor them.

John 17:

These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son may also glorify thee: As thou has given him authority over all flesh, that he should give eonian life to as many as thou has given him. And this is eonian life: that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. (Here is the Bible definition of “eonian life” – usually translated “eternal life”).
As thou (Father) hath sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them (the disciples) into the world.

Yahweh sent (authorized) “Jesus Christ.” Jesus Christ then sent (authorized) the disciples. This is the correct perspective on the order of authority: the order of rank.