12.31.07
Bible Words Explained (6) – ‘Sanctification’
This is the sixth in this series by Mr Silversides. For a brief explanation of the series click here.
Sanctification
“Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth” (John 17:17).
Family Likeness
When a baby is born, everyone can see, or thinks he can see, the family likeness. That likeness becomes more obvious as the child grows. This is true of the Christian also. “If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that everyone that doeth righteousness is born of him“, (1 John 2:29).
The Big Break
When a sinner trusts Christ as his Saviour, he is immediately completely freed from the guilt of sin. He is justified, or declared righteous by God. But because this faith is the result of God changing his heart (called being ‘born again’) it always marks the beginning of a changed life. He begins to love and serve his Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in thankfulness to him.
The word ’sanctified’ means to be made holy, or separate from sin and devoted to the service of the Lord. When someone becomes a Christian, as well as being forgiven, his life takes on a new direction as he begins to give up his sinful ways. In this sense, the Bible calls every Christian “sanctified” or a “saint” (i.e. one who is holy or separated). (1 Peter 1:2; 1 Corinthians 6:11; Ephesians 1:1, etc).
The Longer Run
Although every Christian is a changed person, he is not perfectly changed. Far from it. Between becoming a Christian and going to Heaven, the Christian life is one of imperfect holiness. All his life, the Christian is to seek to “grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour” (2 Peter 3:18). One feature of this growth is an increasing awareness of sins he hadn’t even noticed before. The conflict between his God-given new nature and the remains of sin is a constant reality of the Christian life (Galatians 5:17).
Despite his ups and downs, his failures and falls, the overall patter of his life will be one of becoming more and more like Christ as the Spirit of God works in him day to day through the Word of God. “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6).
The Finishing Post
When the Christian goes to Heaven, he will then be perfectly free from the presence and power of sin in him. He will like Christ. “We shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2).
The Bible does not lay emphasis on how well a man can say he has become a Christian, but on the evidence of the fact in a changed life. A Christian has been changed, is being changed and will be changed. Are you a real Christian or have you just learned a few well-known words and phrases that Christians use? Christ’s death on the cross as an atonement for sin gives every believer a title to Heaven. But those who have such a title are also being prepared for its enjoyment. Are you being changed “from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:18).
Part Six
D.S.
12.28.07
Remember The Inquisition!
Please take time to watch this video on the Inquisition. You will find it very moving to consider what our brethren in another day suffered for liberties many of us take for granted today. Their understanding of prophecy was correct: both in their view of the Roman Catholic Papal system and in the triumph of Christ which they died in hope of. The Church that forgets its history is in danger of Apostasy. The nation that forgets its history will destroy its future. We are thankful for the work of Richard Bennett and his friends for this presentation.
G.B.
12.20.07
Admiring Ourselves
“Mirror, Mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest one of all?” (The witch in Snow White)
Pride is very obvious in the lives of many people, and it is ugly. Where it is not outwardly obvious we should not imagine that it is absent. One of the worst kinds of pride is false humility, which is an attempt by pride to feed itself by invoking more flattery. You know what I mean, all those times when you receive a valid compliment which you insincerely refuse, only to be reassured by the giver that you really are wonderful. So off you go having presented yourself as ‘humility,’ while your soul smiles and pats itself on the back.
Pride is such a force in our lives however that we do not even need to have others commend and flatter us. We can get along nicely in isolation flattering ourselves. C.S. Lewis, while he may not have understood some of the doctrines of Christianity as we would desire, certainly understood his heart better than most. He was alarmed to find so much self admiration.
“Sitting by watching rising thoughts to break their necks as they pop up, one learns to know the sort of thoughts that do come. And will you believe it, one out of every three is a thought of self admiration. When everything else fails, having had its neck broken, up comes the thought ‘What an admirable fellow I am to have broken their necks!’ I catch myself posturing before the mirror so to speak, all day long. I pretend I am carefully thinking out what to say to the next pupil (for his good, of course) and then suddenly realise I am really thinking how frightfully clever I’m going to be and how he will admire me. I pretend I am remembering an evening of good fellowship in a really friendly and charitable spirit – and all the time I’m really remembering how good a fellow I am and how well I talked. And then when you force yourself to stop it, you admire yourself for doing that… There seems to be no end to it. Depth under depth of self love and admiration.”
G.B.
12.19.07
Help from Dabney on the Free Offer of the Gospel (4)
This is the fourth post of R. L. Dabney’s comments dealing with many of the issues surrounding the free offer of the Gospel and the disposition of God in it. This can be found in Lecture 43 of his lectures on Systematic Theology
“But it will be objected: If God foreknew that non-elect men would do this; and also knew that their neglect of gospel-mercy would infallibly aggravate their doom in the end, (all of which I admit), then that gospel was no expression of benevolence to them at all. I reply, first; the offer was a blessing in itself; these sinners felt it so in their serious moments; and surely its nature as a kindness is not reversed by the circumstance that they pervert it; though that be foreseen. Second; God accompanies the offer with hearty entreaties to them not thus to abuse it. Third; His benevolence is cleared in the view of all other beings, though the perverse objects do rob themselves of the permanent benefit. And this introduces the other cavil: That such a dispensation towards non-elect sinners is utterly futile, and so, unworthy of God’s wisdom. I reply: It is not futile; because it secures actual results both to non-elect men, to God and to the saved. To the first, it secures many temporal restraints and blessings in this life, the secular ones of which, at least, the sinner esteems as very solid benefits; and also a sincere offer of eternal life, which he, and not God, disappoints. To God, this dispensation secures great revenue of glory, both for His kindness towards contumacious enemies, and His clear justice in the final punishment. To other holy creatures it brings not only this new revelation of God’s glory, but a new apprehension of the obstinacy and malignity of sin as a spiritual evil.
Some seem to recoil from the natural view which presents God, like other wise Agents, as planning to gain several ends, one primary and others subordinate, by the same set of actions. They fear that if they admit this, they will be entrapped into an ascription of uncertainty, vacillation and change to God’s purpose. This consequence does not at all follow, as to Him. It might follow as to a finite man pursuing alternative purposes. For instance, a general might order his subordinate to make a seeming attack in force on a given point of his enemy’s position. The general might say to himself: ” I will make this attack either a feint, (while I make my real attack elsewhere), or, if the enemy seem weak there, my real, main attack.” This, of course, implies some uncertainty in his foreknowledge; and if the feint is turned into his main attack, the last purpose must date in his mind from some moment after the feint began. Such doubt and mutation must not be imputed to God. Hence I do not employ the phrase “alternative objects” of His planning; as it might be misunderstood. We “cannot find out the Almighty unto perfection.” But it is certain, that He, when acting on finite creatures, and for the instruction of finite minds, may and does pursue, in one train of His dealings, a plurality of ends, of which one is subordinated to another. Thus God consistently makes the same dispensation first a manifestation of the glory of His goodness, and then, when the sinner has perverted it, of the glory of His justice. He is not disappointed, nor does He change His secret purpose. The mutation is in the relation of the creature to His providence. His glory is, that seeing the end from the beginning, He brings good even out of the perverse sinner’s evil.”
G.B.
12.11.07
Young Sober Christians by Matthew Henry (3)
This is the third part in this short series from Matthew Henry. For an explanation of the series read here.
6. Chaste “You must be chaste and reserved, and not wanton and impure. When it is here made the particular duty of young men, this meaning of the word must certainly be taken in, for the ‘lusts of the flesh which are manifest, adultery, fornication, uncleanness, and lasciviousness’ (Gal. 5. v.19), are particularly called youthful lusts. Against those, in Christ’s name, I am here to warn all you that are young. For God’s sake, and for your own precious soul’s sake, flee these youthful lusts; dread them as you would a devouring fire, or a destroying plague, and keep at a distance from them; ‘abstain from all appearances of these sins: hating even the garment spotted with the flesh,’ even the attire of an harlot. Covet not to know these depths of Satan, but take a pride in being ignorant of the way of the adulterous woman…”
“Take heed of the beginnings of this sin, lest Satan an any thing get advantage against you, and the little thief, stolen in insensibly at the window, open the door to the great one…”
“Modesty is the hedge of chastity, and it is the ornament of your age, therefore be sure to keep that up. Let your dress and carriage be very modest, and such as speaks a chaste conversation coupled with fear. Make it to appear that you know how to be pleasant and cheerful without transgressing even the strictest rules of modesty; nay, that you know not how to be so, when any thing is said or done against those rules.”
7. Composed “You must be staid and composed, not giddy and unsettled…a mind that acts and moves steadily, and is one with itself… Learn to fix your thoughts, and be not wandering; let them not run from one thing to another [a ‘scatter-brain’], as a bird in wandering, and the swallow in flying…what your hand finds to do, and your heart to think of, which is to the purpose, do it and think it with all your might, and purpose it close, till you bring it to an issue…”
“Learn to fix your aims, and act with a single eye… Act considerately, that is, consistently with yourselves: and as those that understand your own ways, and have not your ear open to every whisper and suggestion that would turn you out of it… in understanding be ye men, be ye fixed; let your foot stand in an even place, and then let your hearts be established – be not moved – be not removed.”
Part Three
G.M.
12.08.07
Bible Words Explained (5) – ‘Repentance’
This is the fifth in this series by Mr Silversides. For a brief explanation of the series click here.
Repentance
“God … commandeth all men everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30).
U-turns can be dangerous. On fast roads they are often illegal. There is one U-turn, however, that is not only right, but absolutely essential. Not only are we allowed to do it, but we must. The Lord Jesus Christ said, “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3).
Turning Around
The word translated “repentance” in our Bible is made up of two words. One of these words means “change” and the other means “mind”. Repentance is a change of mind, a change of attitude, a change of direction. It is a U-turn.
Turning From Sin
“Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon” (Isaiah 55:7). This is more than an outward clean-up of the life due to fear of the trouble some sins might bring in this life or the next. This change reaches to the “thoughts” and it includes a change of attitude towards sin specifically because sin is against God. David, when confessing his sin to God said, “Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight” (Psalm 51:4). Sin is every way in which we fall short of what God requires of us in our thinking, speaking and doing. A Christian is not perfect in this world but when a man claims to have become a Christian without a basic change of attitude towards sin he is deceiving himself but he will not deceive God. “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13).
Turning From Pride
The heart of man is full of pride ever since the devil’s false promise was listened to when he said “Ye shall be as gods” (Genesis 3:5). Sinful pride makes men want to be independent of God and nowhere more so than in the realm of salvation. Some deny the existence of God, some deny they have sinned against God, while others grudgingly admit they are sinners but desperately want to believe they can save themselves. When a man repents he abandons all this futile arrogance and acknowledges himself to be what God says he is – a helpless, guilty and justly condemned sinner.
Turning To Christ
The Apostle Paul preached “repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21). Turning from sin (including self-righteousness in all its forms) and trusting in Christ to save us from our sin and guilt are two sides of the same thing. Conversion is turning from sin to Christ. Have you done this? Our opening text makes it clear that God requires you to do so.
“Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die?” (Ezekiel 33:11).
Part Five
D.S.
