It's All About Love...No, It's All About Christ

Since the inception of our church I have tried to impress upon my brothers and sisters that all of Scripture is about Christ. To hear a sermon from the Old Testament or New Testament and to not have Christ as the aim or focal point is to have a Christless sermon—a non-Christian sermon really. The substance and essence of all Scripture is Jesus Christ Himself. He said so and taught accordingly.

John 5:39-40 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.

Luke 24:27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

And so in some way, we must always head to Christ from whatever passage we preach from. It was Charles Spurgeon who said, “I take my text and make a bee-line to the cross.” So whether the passage shows us our sin and utter depravity and need for the Savior like in Genesis 3…or whether the passage shows God’s faithfulness in presevering the people through whom Christ would be born like in Genesis 50…or whether the passage gives a prophecy of the work and person of Christ like in Isaiah 55…or whether the passage shows us a type of Christ like Jonah…or whether the passage gives us the wisdom of Christ as in Proverbs…or whether the passage points to the judgment of Christ as in Joel…IT’S ALL ABOUT CHRIST.

My aim in the past three and a half years has been to build this truth into my family and into our church. Naturally, you can understand my joy when my daughter and I had this conversation last night after she read her Bible.

“Macy, what did you read in your Bible?”

She replied, “Dad, I’m a little nervous to tell you.”

“Why? It’s ok if you forget a little. Just pick up your Bible and show me some of the things you learned. Was it about soccer? What is about food? Was it about Jesus?”

”Dad! All Bible stories are about Jesus,” she replied as if I didn’t know and that it should have been obvious to me.

She went on, “Dad. It was hard to understand. I’m not sure if I got it.”

I replied, “Well, it looks like God gave something to Moses. Did he give him some fish? Did he give him a high-five? What did He give him?”

“Commandments,” she said.

The Bible she reads from has some lessons that are designed to teach her essential truths of the faith. This lesson focused on the fact that we can’t know God unless He reveals Himself to us. Thus we see God speaking His Word. Scripture, which is God-breathed, shows us what God is like and what He expects of us.

Our conversation then went on to explaining the point of why God gave us His Law: to show His perfection and our sin, thus our need for Christ’s perfect obedience and His salvation. We had a good chat as she snuggled up into my arms and I told her the gospel story once again from Exodus.

Gospel Realities in the Barnyard

I love how in just a few short words, Christ can teach us of mercy and judgment. On one hand, if we come to Christ, we receive mercy. On the other hand, if we reject Him via rejecting His messengers, we are damned.

Matthew 23:37-38 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not! 38 See, your house is left to you desolate.

In this passage, Christ uses a tender metaphor to teach Jerusalem, the Scribes and the Pharisees what He intends to accomplish for repentant sinners. Christ explains that the gospel work He came to accomplish is like that of a hen tucking her chicks under her wings. A hen will do this to provide protection for her little precious ones. Protection from what? From foxes, from hawks or from whatever dangerous predators may lurk out there. In the event that an animal comes to attack the chicks, the hens wings will be the first line of defense. Whatever wounds are meant to come upon the chicks will indeed be inflicted upon the hen. In may even be that the hen gives her life for her chicks in order for them to live.

Thus it is with Christ, as He says. "How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not!" Sinners need protection under the wings of Christ. Protection from what? From foxes? From hawks? From what? From God. God and sinners are opposed to each other. As a just God, God will punish and inflict judgment and eternal death upon sinners. Violating God's holy nature is that serious, that offensive, that ugly. Yet our God is a merciful God. The Father, Son and Spirit had an eternally existing plan that was meant to provide protection for sinners. This plan entailed our coming under the wings of Christ so that when God comes to strike us down for our sin, our Christ edures the pain, the stripes, the punishment, the death blow.

We are safe from eternal danger because Christ is to us what a mother hen is to her chicks. Those outside the wings are Christ will be stricken, smitten and afflicted by God. They will be left desolate just as Jerusalem was.

Isaiah 53:4-12 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? 9 And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.

10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. 11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.

Divine Sovereignty & Human Responsibility in Prayer & Temptation

Pray that God would not lead you into temptation (Matthew 6:13). When that prayer goes unanswered, rejoice (James 1:2-4) at what God is doing!

When you fall into temptation, resist the evil one (James 4:7). Then give thanks to God (Psalm 19:13) for answering your prayer according to Matthew 6:13.

Justification By Works?

"These good works are evidence of the true nature of these people. Notice the response of the righteous (Matthew 25:31-40). These believers are clearly not sitting around waiting to be justified by their works. When Jesus commends them for what they have done, they humbly respond by saying, "When did we do this?" That does not sound like folk who are waiting to be justified by works, waiting to be saved by works. Instead they are completely stunned that Jesus would even mention their works." -- J. Ligon Duncan, Fear Not: Death and the Afterlife from a Christian Perspective, page 79

The Five Solas - Basic Reformed Theology: Sola Gratia

Sola Gratia! The English translation of this Latin phrase is “grace alone.” It means that all of salvation is by God’s grace alone. In other words, every aspect of salvation is because of the kindness, generosity, benevolence, mercy, favor and love of God. In no way whatsoever is salvation because of anything we do. It’s all a gracious gift of God.

The idea that we are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone for God’s glory alone is in complete contradistinction to the Catholic teaching of salvation. Catholic doctrine basically asserts that salvation is a reliance on Christ’s righteousness, but that we are not finally made acceptable to God and saved until we take the righteousness of God and convert it into a daily and experiential righteousness. In other words, we are saved by Christ and the accomplishment of our works.

Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.

We are saved by grace. Now the whole process and package of salvation has many aspects and “parts” to it. Each of these, according to Scripture is also by the grace of God.

FAITH
Faith or belief in Christ as the Savior is more than just a mental belief of some facts. It is a reliance upon Christ to do for you what you cannot do. Let me say something that may shock you: there is no inherent power in faith. Faith is merely a receiving of what Christ has done for you. Again, it is a reliance upon Him. You may lean up against a building to hold you up and rely upon its immovability to keep you aright. But the power is not in your leaning upon the building; the power is in the reliability of the building.

When we believe in Christ, we are trusting in Christ. And some of us may be tempted to think, “Oh, but that faith…that trusting was something that I did. It was ME trusting.” And that is true. But you need to see how faith is described in Scripture and who is given credit as to the source of faith.

Acts 18:27 And when he wished to cross to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, he greatly helped those who through grace had believed.

This Scripture and others teach us that our reliance upon Christ is also by the grace of God. He grants us faith. It is not inherent in us. It is a gift. So even our reliance upon Christ, our belief in Him as Savior is by grace. Without God’s grace and kindness towards us and the granting of belief we would never be saved. Sola Gratia!

JUSTIFICATION
Justification is the act of God declaring us righteous even though we are sinners. I’ve shared with you before that the Bible says that we are justified by faith alone in Christ alone. When we place faith in Christ a great transfer takes place. My sin is credited (or imputed) to the account of Christ so that He was treated as a sinner and transgressor of God’s Law—even though He was not a sinner. At the same time, when we place faith in Christ another great transfer takes place. Christ’s righteousness is credited (or imputed) to my account so that I can be treated as a perfectly righteous person—even though I am a sinner. Christ suffered for my sin; I am pardoned and declared righteous—by faith.

Knowing that faith is a gift of God and that we are justified by faith alone in Christ alone, it would make sense to say then that justification is by the grace of God. Indeed Scripture says this.

Romans 3:23-24 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

Our being declared righteous is by God’s grace, not by our works of the Law. We failed at keeping the Law. Christ succeeded. He is our justification. It’s by grace we are saved. Sola Gratia!

PEACE WITH GOD
When Christ was born the angels announced “Peace on earth.” There appears to be a whole lot of fighting going on in this planet. So where is the peace. As one songwriter penned, “Did the angels waste their words?” The rhetorical question is answered with a resounding, “No!” The angels, of course, did not waste their words. The peace they proclaimed was the peace that would exist between God and sinners.

God’s wrath abides on those who sin. We are haters of God prior to salvation. If you don’t believe me, just look at how good we kept God’s commands. We didn’t. We rebelled against His authority and demonstrated the spiritual war that exists between God and mankind. There is no peace. There is a detest for our Creator and consequently His just wrath is upon us is something isn’t done about it. But we aren’t going to do anything about it. So God acts. He sends Christ to make peace between sinners and the Creator.

How is it that God can have peace with us when we are sinners? The grace of justification! God declares us righteous by the faith that He gives us. Now instead of looking at us as one who should be punished eternally, God declares us forgiven, righteous, holy and blameless in Christ. If this is how God now sees us, then the “war” has been ended. Peace is made. What did you and I do to deserve this? Nothing! What did we do to make God act this way towards us? Nothing! Why moved God to do this for us? Pure grace. Sola Gratia!

Romans 5:1-2 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

ETERNAL LIFE
Those who sin are damned before God and deserve eternal death in the lake of fire. Only those who are perfectly righteous are worthy of eternal life with God. Again, we are in a bad position unless the grace, kindness and mercy of God comes to us. Having just looked at a few of the saving gifts and gracious acts of God, we can see how it is that we can be granted eternal life.

If only those that are righteous are worthy of eternal life, then how do we become righteous? Through good works? Through self-effort? No. Through the righteousness of Christ. How do we that? By the grace of justification…which comes by the grace of faith. So we see that eternal life is also by the grace of God. Sola Gratia!

Romans 5:21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

ELECTION
Election is the doctrine that says that God chooses who to save. You are chosen by God to salvation. I admit that at first glance this is hard to understand and it can sure make God look like a meanie. In fact it is one of the most hated doctrines in Scripture. I once despised this teaching; hated it! But the problem of man’s sin must first be addressed in order to appreciate and affirm this Biblical doctrine.

Scripture tells us that man is so caught up in sin that he is actually dead in sin and is incapable of understanding spiritual truth. If man is spiritually dead in sin and cannot understand spiritual truth, then at what point does he bring himself to spiritual life so that he can spiritually believe in Christ and be saved? He can’t. There is no point at which he does this. Left to himself, man will never come to God—indeed, he cannot. It’s a matter of ability—he is radically unable to do what God requires of him. If man is to be saved, then God must decide to come and save man. That is what we mean of election. And the Bible tells us that election took place before the earth was made so that we would be compelled to say that salvation is by God’s grace alone. He chose you before you could do anything that might make you erroneously believe that you are worthy of His choosing.

When you understand that we all deserve the wrath of God…and that none of us deserve to be saved and shown God’s goodness…and that we’ll never call out to God to save us on our own…then it becomes apparent that God must come to us. It’s like the dead man that had drowned and has been at the bottom of the ocean for several hours. What is he going to do to be rescued? There’s nothing he can do. He’s dead. He needs a resurrection. So it is with us. We are dead and cannot call to God for help in this dead state; we never will. So God must come to us and resurrect us so that we can believe. This is partially what we mean when we say that God chooses to save us. He sovereignly decides who He will give life to so that they can receive faith and be justified and thus be saved. He elects them to salvation.

Some will ask: why does God do this for some and not others? How unfair! To that I say, “Why does God do this for anybody when He is not obligated to? He doesn’t have to! It’s pure grace that He does this for anyone. Soli Gratia!

Romans 11:5-6 So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. 6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.

We have to take this doctrine and say, “Why me, God? I did nothing to deserve this great salvation. Why me?” And the answer from Scripture takes us away from trying to find reason in ourselves to be saved by God…and it directs us to God’s grace.

SPIRITUAL GIFTS
One of the benefits of salvation is that we are place within the church body—the body of Christ. We are a corporate unity that is to function together as the human body does. To be a Christian without church is a contradiction and a serious sin. How can you say that you love Christ when you don’t love His body? How can you say to a person, “I love your head…but not the rest of you.”

When we were saved we were placed in the church body. And one of the things that God has done for each of us is that He’s given us spiritual gifts. These gifts are from the Holy Spirit and they are meant to serve the body of Christ in order that the body may be healthy and properly display Christ’s glory to the world. The body (the church) is connected to the head (Jesus Christ) and we are to look like Him and shine like Him. Your spiritual gifts are meant to serve that purpose. Consequently, the spiritual gifts given to others are meant for your benefit and spiritual good for Christ’s glory. These spiritual gifts that comes with salvation are also by grace. Sola Gratia!

Romans 12:6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith;

RIGHTEOUS BEHAVIOR
Prior to salvation our attempts at righteous deeds were seen by God as nothing for that filthy rags. This is what Scripture says. And that term “filthy rags” is a reference to menstrual cloths. This is the way our good deeds are seen by God before salvation. Any attempt at being good is soiled by the fact that it is not done for God’s glory. Good deeds may be done for one’s own glory, or for money, or for promotion, or even to spite someone. But they are not done to show the greatness of God. And if they are not done in faith, then they are of sin. So man’s best attempt to do good is still sin. That is, until we are converted and saved by grace.

The Apostle Paul explains to the Corinthian church that his own good deeds and love for them did not arise from the wisdom and counsel of this world, but from God’s grace.

2 Corinthians 1:12 For our boast is this, the testimony of our conscience, that we behaved in the world with simplicity and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God, and supremely so toward you.

Elsewhere in Scripture we are told that we were created for good works and that these good works have been prepared beforehand by God. So even our righteous and holy behavior is attributed to the grace of God. Without His enabling grace, we would do things only for our glory and thus would be sin. Holy behavior arises from the fact that we are saved by grace and that this salvation comes packages with holy living. Sola Gratia!

THE INCARNATION
Christmas is always a wonderful time of the year. Not so much because of the secular festivities, which are fine and dandy, but because we are reminded afresh of “our dear Savior’s birth.” Without the Son of God taking on flesh, we would have no real sacrifice for our sins. The early church fought against a heresy known as Docetism. These false believers tried to say that Christ did not actually take on flesh, but only appeared to do so. He was, to them, like a hologram—only appearing to be real flesh and blood. If that were the case, then His blood was not shed for us and His body not broken. If this were the case, then we would have no hope of salvation or a resurrection because Christ actually did nothing for us.

The fact that Christ was born like us is part of saving grace. God clothed in skin is remarkable to ponder. 2 Corinthians makes reference to the fact that Christ left His heavenly home and riches and became poor so that we could become spiritually rich. This is indeed a reference to His lowly birth.

2 Corinthians 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.

Next time you reflect on Christ’s birth, remember that this is part of the grace we need to be saved. Sola Gratia!

PREDESTINATION
Right up there with election is another doctrine that many despise. This word “predestination” has been the subject of much controversy and feuding. In simplest of terms, it means that God predetermined our destination. He determined ahead of time to save us and to bring that salvation to completion when Christ comes again. He determined ahead of time to take us from point A to point B—and He mapped out the way to get there and that plan cannot and will not fail.

When you think about the attributes of God, it has to be this way. Here’s why. God’s wisdom, His decrees, His decisions and His determinations are not made in time. They are eternal—meaning that they’ve always existed and will stand forever. Being that they are eternal, they are also inalterable—they cannot change. Election (point A) is part of God’s eternal wisdom and so is our final victory when Christ comes again (point B). It’s all part of His eternal predetermined plan. This doesn’t mean that we are fatalists or robots of any sort and that nothing we do matters. Scripture never speaks like this. Rather, it just points us to the fact that our salvation is secure because God has determined to start and finalize it. He who began a good work (point A) will be faithful to complete it (point B). He is the Author and Finisher of our faith.

Ephesians 1:5-6 In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

Next time you take your children on a fun vacation I’m sure that you will map-out and predetermine your destination and stops along the way. Your children will be grateful that they safely arrived at the destination you determined for them. You will not look at them as robots with no will. And neither will they look at you some control freak. Rather they should praise you for the wonderful thing you have accomplished for them. So it is with God’s predestining of us to a complete salvation. It is so that we’ll praise His grace. Sola Gratia!

REDEMPTION AND FORGIVENESS
Do you remember the last time you saw some aluminum cans redeemed? You had them captive in your syrupy clutches. Then a man with an apron came out and paid you some money to release those cans and hand them over to him. His paying of money to you was the redemption value of those cans, bottles or whatever.

So Christ has redeemed us. Sin, death and Satan had us captive. A price needed to be paid so that we could be released from the power and consequences of evil over us and evil in us. That price was the very life of Christ. He paid the ransom, the redemption cost to secure us. That is by His grace, not our doing. Sola Gratia!

Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,

Forgiveness is also part of the salvation package and that, too, is attributed to His grace. We owe a debt to God and it must be paid. That debt has been wiped away or forgiven. We been released from the penalty that our sin deserves. That penalty was paid when Christ was beaten and then crucified on the cross. He bore my sin. He bore my penalty. He bore my wrath. And I am now forgiven. I did nothing to earn it, merit it or deserve it. Sola Gratia!

THE CRUCIFIXION
Christ was our substitute on the cross. He died for what we did. He did this voluntarily at the will and request of the Father. He tasted death for His chosen people and this is by the grace of God. It’s not like we asked Him to do this for us because we would have done so. In man’s natural state he does not seek the mercy and forgiveness of God—man is too proud. Rather he attempts to please God and bribe God with his own good deeds and self-righteousness. So God planned it in eternity past—it has always been His plan. It has always been His plan to be gracious to us despite of our wretchedness. Sola Gratia!

Hebrews 2:9 But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

GLORIFICATION
This is the final stage, if you will, of our salvation. When Christ comes to get His elect, the church, His chosen ones, He has promised that at that moment we will become like Him for we will see Him as He is. The perfect Son of God will clothe us with glory. We will be transformed to look like the perfect incarnate Son of God. We will restored to the perfect image of God…that image that was wrecked when Adam sinned in the garden and disobeyed God. That is the whole point of God’s creating mankind. “Let us make man in our image.” Sin ruined it. God determined that mankind will reflect His image and glory. So His salvation plan ultimately leads us right back to the pre-fall state. Christ achieves this for us because we cannot.

When Christ comes again, our bodies will be changed into bodies that aren’t able to decay. Our wills will be changed as well because we will never sin again. Faith will become sight—everything we’ve been waiting, hoping and trusting will happen will be finally tangible! This is our eternal hope. God gave this hope to us. That makes it grace. Sola Gratia!

2 Thessalonians 2:16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, 17 comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.

I had actually intended this article to be the shortest of the bunch. But as I began to look at how gracious God has been to us I just had to share all these wonderful truths—and there are many more. This is just the tip of the iceberg.

I think I understand a little better (and I hope you do too) what the Apostle John means in John 1:16.

John 1:16 And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.

God has taken one act of grace and stacked another on top of it, then another, then another, then another, then another…so that we’ve received “grace upon grace.” In light of this, I don’t know how we cannot love our God more and more. I don’t know how we can see our salvation as a small thing. It’s just not possible unless we are indifferent to the Word of God—and that speaks of a real spiritual problem. Those that slumber in the church and have no vibrancy in their worship have failed to comprehend in larger measure the grace of God. So my prayer for all us is the prayer of Peter in his second letter.

2 Peter 1:2 May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

Sola Gratia!

The Five Solas - Basic Reformed Theology: Sola Fide

Sola Fide! This is a Latin phrase that is meant to convey the Biblical doctrine that teaches that we are justified by faith alone.

Martin Luther said that this is the “doctrine by which the church stands for falls.” If Luther is right, then we seriously need to understand what it means to be justified by faith alone. Before we look at the Scriptures that teach us this very important doctrine or the reformation history and controversy surrounding it, let’s break it down in laymen’s terms.

JUSTIFICATION
Take a quick look at the root word of this theological and Biblical term. If you see the root word as “TIFICATE” then you’re way off base already (a little humor there). Of course you will all see that the root word of JUSTIFICATION is JUST. The idea behind justification is that it is a legal declaration from God that we are just, perfect, righteous, sinless, totally holy and blameless. So imagine standing before the just Judge of the universe and He looks down at you and declares to you from a legal standpoint, “You are not guilty. In fact, you are perfectly righteous.” That might sound as if God is lying. Doesn’t it? After all, you and I are sinners by nature. Having inherited our sin nature from Adam, we sin regularly. Scripture declares it. Experience proves it. So how in the world can God legally declare me righteous or justified, if in fact I am not righteous or just? That leads us to another doctrine that we must first discuss.

IMPUTATION
I love this word. It is marvelous and full of gospel realities. You need to love it and understand it, too. The book of Philemon is a great example of what this doctrine looks like. In this little letter (just 25 verses), we find the Apostle Paul writing to a man named Philemon. Philemon was sort of a wealthy guy and was able to open up his home as the meeting place for a local church of which he is a member. Well, Philemon has a servant who runs away from him. And from the implications of the letter, it appears that this servant stole something from Philemon. This servants name is Onesimus. In the course of time, Onesimus runs into the Apostle Paul, hears the preaching of the gospel, repents of his sin, puts his faith in Christ and then becomes a useful brother to Paul. For whatever reason, Paul decides to send Onesimus back to Philemon. I can only imagine the fear that Onesimus must have felt. He wronged his master. He committed a crime. He could have suffered tremendously for the injustice he committed. And so this letter was sent on ahead to Philemon so that when Onesimus arrived, Philemon would receive him as a brother in Christ, not as a runaway thieving slave.

Now when you read verse 17-18 you will see the doctrine of double-imputation. Paul says this to Philemon: “So if you consider me your partner, receive him [Onesimus] as you would receive me. If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account.” And there you have a tangible instance of what the doctrine of imputation means and looks like. Philemon loved Paul and Paul was elderly and in prison for preaching the gospel. And in essence, what Paul said was this: “Philemon, you treat Onesimus as you would treat me.” But that’s not all Paul says. He goes on to say, “Philemon, whatever wrong Onesimus has done to you, I’ll bear the penalty for it. You treat me as if I were your runaway thieving slave.” The good standing that Paul had with Philemon was to be credited to Onesimus so that Philemon would treat Onesimus as if Paul were standing before him. Even though Onesimus was guilty of sinning against his master, he would be treated as if he were the beloved Paul. Conversely, Paul offered to take on the debt that Onesimus owed Philemon, so that Paul would be treated as if he actually did was Onesimus had done, even though he had not. The bad standing that Onesimus had with Philemon was to be credited to Paul. Paul arranged for all of this. Onesimus would simply be the recipient of Paul’s gracious actions.

Paul’s taking on of the debt of Onesimus AND Onesimus’ taking on the right (just) standing of Paul is a picture of the gospel. Paul represents Christ, Onesimus depicts sinners and Philemon portrays the Father. What happens to us when we are justified? When we are justified, Christ takes upon Himself my sin so that He is treated as if He had lived my wicked, wretched and sinful life. Conversely, when we are justified, we take upon ourselves the gift of Christ’s righteousness so that God will treat us as if we lived the perfect life of Christ. And Christ looks to the Father and says, “Father, receive this runaway sheep as you would receive Me—the perfect Lamb of God! And treat Me as if I had done wrong to You.” Brothers and sisters, this is what our Savior has done for us. He has given us His righteousness and has taken upon Himself our sin. There has been a great exchange. He has arranged all of this. You and I are simply the recipients of Christ’s grace.

You and I live eternally and have been saved because we have an “alien” righteousness—a righteousness that comes from without, not from within….a righteousness that comes from Christ. It is only when this transfer takes place that we can actually be called “justified” by God Almighty. Although we are not righteous, we are called righteous because we are clothed in the righteousness of Christ.

When does this transfer take place? That’s where the FIDE is Sola Fide comes into play. Remember that FIDE means faith. We are justified the moment we place faith in Christ. And we are justified by faith alone. We are not called just because we lived good lives and tried to be just or righteous…because we’ve already proved that we’re not righteous. Rather, we are justified by faith and faith alone. In other words, the moment we put faith in Christ, is the moment that the great exchange is applied to us--imputation. No faith in Christ = no justification. Faith is the gift of God through which we receive the righteousness of Christ.

Look at these verses that tell us how we ARE NOT justified:

Romans 3:20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

Galatians 2:16 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

Galatians 3:10-11 For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.”

These are but just a few of the prominent verses in Scripture that clearly tell us that we ARE NOT justified because we attempt to live JUST lives. Our attempts to perfectly keep God’s Law does not make us just or righteous. That would be the essence of self-righteousness. Indeed that is what a self-righteous person truly is—one who thinks that they are just, good and holy on their own efforts. Just ask any unbeliever if they think that they are a good person and they will almost unanimously declare, “YES!” So if you rely on your efforts to keep God’s Law so that one day God can look at you and declare you righteous, then I have bad news for you: You are under a curse. You will surely be declared guilty (unjust) because any breaking of any of God’s Laws means that you’ve broken God’s Law.

Now look at these verses that tell us how we ARE justified:

Romans 3:28 For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.

Romans 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 10:10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

Galatians 2:16 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

Galatians 3:11 Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.”

Scripture makes it emphatically clear that we are justified by faith and by faith alone. Not faith plus your deeds. Not faith plus anything, but faith alone. Faith is the vehicle through which righteousness is delivered to us and even FAITH is a gift so that we cannot consider it a good work. Brothers and sisters, that is why it is so important to understand that when we call sinners to turn away from Christ that we call them to believe in Christ—to have faith in Him. The Biblical response to the gospel has always been, “Turn from your sin and trust in Christ’s finished work to save you.” In the name of evangelism, we have asked people to do all sorts of things in order to be justified. We’ve pleaded with people to walk the aisle, to pray a sinner’s prayer, to sign a commitment card, to jump off a plank, to ask Jesus in their heart, etc., etc. But the Biblical response to the gospel has been that of repentance and faith in Christ. We must call people to believe in Jesus and what He has done because it is through this gift of faith/belief that we receive His righteousness.

In the 1500’s, Martin Luther came out swinging against the Catholic Church’s understanding of justification. In their understanding of justification, when a person believes in Christ they are then infused with the life of God so that they can be transformed to look more and more like God in an experiential and daily way. They teach that God does this SO THAT we can eventually get to the point where our lives look so much like God’s that we are finally declared righteous because we have achieved a day-to-day experience of righteousness. It might seem like a small deal and small difference, but I assure you that such is not the case.

In the mid-1500’s the Catholic Church convened in order to try and put a stop to the Reformers and their teachings which included the doctrine of Sola Fide. This meeting was called the Council of Trent and in Canon 9 they said this:

CANON 9: "If any one says, that by Faith Alone the sinner is Justified; in such wise as to mean, that nothing else is required to co-operate in order to the obtaining the grace of Justification, and that it is not in any way necessary, that he be prepared and disposed by the movement of his own will; let him be anathema (damned forever)."

A Catholic's understanding of justification has everything to do with what God gives us, THEN what we do with what God gives us. We have to live in a way that produces righteousness in us so that God can finally declare us just. We in essence would have to earn our justification by completing what God started in us. The Reformation and Protestant understanding of justification is that nothing we do makes us just. We are called just because of what Christ has done—He has been perfect for us. One teaching relies completely on Christ’s work. The other relies on Christ’s work plus what we do. If there is anything clear about the Scriptures above, it is that we are not justified by anything we do, but what Christ has perfectly done.

Let me say that when we are justified that the Bible teaches us that we do grow in holiness. That gradual and certain growth is called SANCTIFICATION—to be set apart from sin. This does happen in the life of a believer--but sanctification is not the basis for our being called perfect. Justification and sanctification are entirely different but radically connected. Those whom God has justified will be gradually sanctified as the Spirit applies the Word to our hearts and minds. Catholic doctrine confuses the two and actually teaches that once you are fully sanctified THEN you can be justified. They reverse the order of justification and sanctification and confuse the definitions. Catholics would say that we are not justified until we can actually lives just and holy lives. Christians would say that we are considered righteous by God because of what Christ has given us, not by our trusting in Christ plus our keeping of the Law. This is what essentially divides Catholics and Christians and creates a host of other errors on the part of the Catholic.

This doctrine of justification by faith alone is the doctrine on which the church stands or falls. This much is true: the Catholic Church affirms justification by faith. But they do not affirm justification by Faith Alone. Reread Canon 9 in case you missed it or if that was unclear the first time. If the church declares that we are justified by anything other than faith alone in Christ alone then we would eventually have no true believers in the future…the church would fall completely. But thanks be to God that faithful Christians have contended for Sola Fide throughout the centuries and that many are justified because they have trusted in Christ alone.

Thank You, Lord, that You have called us to salvation and that we are now justified by your gracious and saving gift of faith. When we sin this week, let us not rely on our self-efforts and attempts of righteousness to be righteous and acceptable before You. Let us rest on Christ alone by faith alone. Then send us out into the world to live a life of worship that displays Your righteousness and glory for the world to see. Help us to proclaim to the world the wonderful news that peace with God is possible only when we are justified by faith in Christ. This we pray in the great name of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

The Five Solas - Basic Reformed Theology: Sola Scriptura

Sola Scriptura! That’s Latin for Scripture Alone! Simply put it means that Scripture is the only rule for what we believe and what we practice. Scripture alone is the revealed mind of God and tells us about sin and salvation, our wretchedness and God’s righteousness, hell and heaven, death and the life to come. While creation is a general revelation of God, Scripture is the specific revelation of God and tells us why the world is so sinful and how God redeems us through His perfect Son, Jesus Christ. Without God revealing this to us, we’d be left to our own speculations and imaginings. This would no doubt lead us to many different attempts at being reconciled to Him. But God has not left us in the dark. He has spoken and what He has spoken has been written down. These writings, inspired by God and written at the hands of men, are what guide us in orthodoxy and orthopraxy—right belief and a right practice that flows from these beliefs.

Sola Scriptura does not mean that the Bible is the only book that we are to read and that we cannot learn from the books and writings of great Christians—living or dead. Indeed, God had given us pastors and teachers to edify the body of Christ so that we may mature spiritually. These pastors and teachers are given to us so that they may explain the Scriptures in a Christ-centered fashion and then call us to believe them and then live in a way that magnifies our Savior. And many of their teachings and sermons are written down and put into books so that their admonitions and insights can be passed on to future generations. Nevertheless, their teachings are to bow before Scripture—for Scripture alone is the ultimate authority and there is no other authority that rises to the level of God’s Word. The Lord’s Word written down is our ultimate authority because it comes directly from God.

This is one of the central truths that the Reformers sought to bring back to the forefront of Christianity. The Catholic Church did not and does not hold to the doctrine of Sola Scriptura. Let me say that they do believe Scripture to be the Word of God; it’s just not the ONLY rule for faith and practice. They also believe that tradition, certain teachings of the pope and the verdicts of councils are to rule over the people with the same authority as God’s written Word. Let’s take for example the Catholic Church practice of Ex Cathedra.

Ex Cathedra is a Latin phrase that means “from the chair.” It is used in reference to the pope when he is teaching and his teachings are to be considered without error--or infallible. In real life application, this means that what the pope says in certain teachings is as good as the Word of God. It means that his teachings are binding upon the people within the Catholic Church. If a member of the Catholic Church were to disregard Ex Cathedra teachings, then this member would be considered as one who abandoned the faith and is an apostate—or a spiritual traitor. These people would be considered accursed by the Catholic Church for not adhering to the pope’s teachings.

In 1950 there was an Ex Cathedra doctrine that said that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was taken bodily up into heaven at the end of her life. Of course, there is nowhere in Scripture where this is taught. Yet if the pope is teaching Ex Cathedra and claims this, the Catholic Church is bound to belief this. After this doctrine was installed as official Catholic doctrine, these words were added to it: Hence if anyone, which God forbid, should dare willfully to deny or to call into doubt that which we have defined, let him know that he has fallen away completely from the divine and Catholic Faith.

I hope you hear what the Catholic Church is saying. They are saying that Ex Cathedra teachings are directly from God and if you do not adhere to them, you have fallen away from the “true” and “universal” faith. They elevate the teachings of the pope to that of Scripture. So as far as Catholic doctrine goes, Sola Scriptura is a heresy and a danger to them. Sola Scriptura would require that all their teachings be subject to God’s Word and that whatever is not derived from God’s Word must be discarded and repented of. Reformation Theology teaches that scripture alone is our basis for doctrine and practice. Hopefully you see the vast difference between these opposing views.

But the Catholic Church is not the only group to deny the doctrine of Sola Scriptura. Many Christians would affirm and say that this doctrine is true, but what they do actually denies this truth. Let me give you another example of how some Christians actually deny Sola Scriptura.

There is a prominent Christian author named Henry Blackaby. I’ve read several of his books and for a time in my life I agreed with his teachings and actually promoted them to others. I have since repented of these certain teachings. Blackaby says that God speaks through the Bible, prayer, circumstances and the church. Now you may say to yourself, “This man seems to affirm that God does speak through His Word.” And that is certainly true, but so does the Catholic Church as I mentioned earlier. The problem is not in his affirming that God speaks through His Word. The problem is that God’s Word is not seen as the ONLY rule for faith and practice. According to Blackaby, God also speaks through circumstances, prayer and the church. Here’s the problem with these three ways that God supposedly speaks to us.

Scripture never tells us that God speaks to us in prayer. Prayer is us speaking to God and praying for His will to be accomplished in the world and in our lives. As Jesus taught us to pray, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Contrary to popular belief, prayer is not a two-way communication. God speaks to us by His Word. We speak back to Him by prayer.

Secondly, Scripture nowhere teaches us that we are to look at circumstances to determine what God is saying to us. This is where the rubber meets the road for many Christians. A lot of Christians live their lives as if circumstances are some sort of tarot cards that they need to observe and then determine what God is saying. The look for signs and open doors and situations and when they see them “align” they say, “God is telling me to do this or that.” Oh, how many people have made poor decisions because they assumed that God speaks not by His Word only, but also by circumstances and open doors. Rather, we should to look to God’s Word to see what God requires us of, then ask the Lord for wisdom and discernment and then make appropriate decisions that do not compromise the glory of God and His gospel. God gives us much liberality to made decisions that are in accordance with His Word. To assume that God has some hidden agenda and will for your life and that you need to figure it out by gaining a higher knowledge that is not derived from Scripture is dangerous. That is mystical and has close ties to the heresy of Gnosticism that the first Christians fought against.

Thirdly, while God does use pastors, teachers and other believers to disciple you and train you in God’s Word, they should be simply reiterating what God has already said. God is not speaking fresh revelation to us through those whom He has called to preach. If He were speaking fresh revelation, then we would need to have those words recorded down for future generations to have. If He were speaking fresh revelation through preachers or other church members then our Bible would continue to grow and grow and additions would be needed. But Scripture tells us that we need to contend for the faith that was once and for all delivered to the saints. In other words, Scripture says that what we need to know from God has BEEN delivered and is not continually being delivered and added to.

As you dive deeper into the teachings of Blackaby, you get caught up in looking to all sorts of things from which to hear God…and they are all apart from Scripture. The only sure word that we have for faith and practice is God’s Word and God’s Word alone. So while many Christians will give lip service to Sola Scriptura (like I did), they actually deny it (like I once did) through their everyday living and practice.

The biggest argument against Sola Scriptura is that it’s tough to find that doctrine directly in Scripture. You won’t find a verse that explicitly says, “Sola Scriptura!” That much we have to concede. But we would all agree that there is no higher authority than God Almighty. And if God has spoken, then what He says must have ultimate authority in our lives. If God has spoken, and if we know what He has said, then that is what we must ultimately submit to. And since Scripture claims to be the Word of God, then we must either submit to and yield to Scripture as the authority of God…or else we must prove that the Bible is not the Word of God written down.

If God’s Word is not the ultimate authority in our lives then we are left to the whim and feeling of every person who claims to hear from God or wants to define truth in their own terms. Truth then becomes subjective or based on personal experience and personal feeling, rather than its basis in the ultimate Truth Giver. For example, you will hear Christians say that they can no longer regard homosexuality as a sin because of the hurt that a homosexual family member has had to endure. Their standard for truth is subjective, internal, based on what they feel is right. It is not based on what God has said. Their ultimate authority ends up becoming themselves. Be on guard against those who profess to be Christians but use experiences, traditions, circumstances, feelings and other things to determine what they believe and how they should live. They may be true Christians, but they are sorely misguided. Sola Scriptura ensures that what we believe and what we do is in sync with the mind of God. As an aside, may I also say that while church constitutions and by-laws are important, they too must yield to the Word of God. Those documents are man-made and when they need to be adjusted or re-written to be in accordance with God’s Word, let it be done with glad and joyful submission.

Lastly may I say that God’s Word is precious to us. It is most vital for our salvation and spiritual growth. Without God’s Word we would be perishing in our sin. Without God’s Word we would still be under God’s wrath and judgment. The fact that God has spoken to us and called us to salvation is remarkable. If you just missed what I said, let me rephrase it. You and I are saved because God has called us to salvation, which requires words. Scripture shows us our sin and need for the Savior. Scripture shows us who this Savior is and what to believe about Him. Scripture grants us spiritual life so that we can grasp the spiritual truth about Jesus. Scripture is what God uses to give us faith. Scripture is what transforms us to look more like Christ. Look at what God says about His Word

1. Scripture is what the Holy Spirit uses to CONVICT us of sin. Romans 7:7 – “What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, ‘You shall not covet.’” Another synonym for God’s Word is the Law. The Law or God’s Word shows us our sin and damnation before God. John 16:8 – “And when he [the Holy Spirit] comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.”

2. Scripture is what the Holy Spirit uses to REGENERATE us or make us born again. In other words, the Word of God is what the Holy Spirit uses to bring about a spiritual resurrection in our lives. The Bible says that we are spiritually dead because of sin. Spiritually dead people cannot respond to a spiritual being or comprehend spiritual truth—they are spiritually dead. In order for them to believe in Christ, which is a spiritual act, they must first be brought to spiritual life. That is why the Bible describes believers as those who are raised (past tense) with Christ. We have been resurrected to spiritual life. God’s Spirit uses God’s Word to accomplish this for us. 1 Peter 1:23 – “Since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God.” What grace we’ve been shown! John 3:6-7 “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.

3. Scripture is what the Holy Spirit uses to grant us FAITH in Christ. How amazing is God’s Word. Romans 10:17 – “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” Do you believe that Christ is the Savior? Do you trust in Him alone to save you from God’s wrath and from sin? If you do, you do so because of God’s Word. The gift of faith comes to you by your hearing God’s Word. Faith is not internal or inherent in us. It comes from without as a present to us from God. Amazing grace!

4. Scripture is what the Holy Spirit uses in SANCTIFICATION or in making us more like Christ. Believers are called to salvation by God’s Word in order to have the sin marred image of Christ restored in them. Remember back to the garden of Eden when God created man to be representations of God’s glory. “Let us make man in our image.” Well, sin wrecked that. And salvation is not only about God saving us from hell, but it’s also about God restoring us to look like Adam and Eve did before sin entered creation. Christ, who was God in the flesh, was the only one to ever have lived the perfect life that Adam and we were commanded, but failed to do. We are supposed to look like the human Jesus, the Adam before sin, but we don’t. So part of our salvation includes having that image slowly but surely restored---God will do it. And He does this by His Word. That transformation of us is called sanctification. John 17:17 – “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” A Christian who fails to sit at the teachings of our Savior and His apostles is a person who is not growing to look more like Christ. If you still struggle with sin, like I do, then the answer is more of God’s Word. He will put His Word in your heart so that you will not sin against Him.

In light of all that Scripture says about God’s Word, it’s hard to think that anything else could ever do what God’s Word does for us. The exhilarating reality is that God’s Word stands alone as ultimate authority and the only thing that can bring us effectively to salvation. His Word endures forever! – Isaiah 40:8, 1 Peter 2:25.

Figs, Christmas and Hypocrisy

I'm not sure what figgy pudding is, but is sounds scary. But I digress so quickly...

In Matthew 21:18-22 Jesus has just returned from Bethany to Jerusalem and from a distance sees a fig tree by the side of the road. Scripture makes it a point to say that there were leaves on this particular fig tree. Although it was at least a good month and a half away from the normal season for figs to bear fruit, the presence of leaves on the tree signified that fruit was there. Being hungry and seeing this fig tree with leaves from afar, Jesus heads towards the tree to grab a morning bite to eat. He finds no figs, curses the tree and the tree withers away.

Before making application, we need to understand that in several instances in the Old Testament Israel was likened to a figless fig tree (Micah 7:1-4, Hosea 9:10). In these instances, figs are symboic for godliness, devotion to God, true faith, true believers. The absences of godliness and true believers in the land of Israel was detestable to God. From a distance, any nation observing Israel would have thought that they were godly and very religious. But from God's standpoint and upclose examination, Israel was barren.

When we head back to Matthew 21, we see that the problem with the fig tree was not such much barreness. The gospel of Mark tells us that it was not the time of figs. But being that the tree had leaves, which Jesus saw from a distance, and being the leaves were supposed to indicate that fruit was on the tree, Jesus anger arises from the fact that the tree gave the appearance of fruit but did not have any. The tree was a hypocrite...a pretender...a deceiver. Jesus curses it and it becomes good for nothing except to be thrown into a furnace.

So, too, had Israel become once again. They had all sorts of leaves and no fruit. They had just welcomed Christ into Jerusalem with shouts of praise: Hosanna to the Son of David! Hosanna in the highest. They had just thrown their cloaks on the floor which was the cultural way of welcoming a king or war hero. They had cut palm branches (symbols of peace) and laid them on the ground along with their cloaks, believing that Christ was bringing peace for them. Yet their understanding of the peace He was bringing was political not spiritual. They had the appearance of real spiritual fruit. Their worship seemed to be genuine. Yet it was a farce. They were hypocrites. They were pretenders. A week later those shouts of praise would be turned into shouts of hate: Cruficy Him!!! Cruficy Him!!!

Israel had leaves. They had the temple in Jerusalem where this fig tree is located. The temple system, ceremonies and sacrifices all elaborately portrayed the gospel. Yet when Christ arrives He finds merchants and money-changers using the gospel to fulfill their own greedy lusts. The problem wasn't that they were doing business. The problem was that the merchants and money-changers were taking advantage of those participating in the temple ceremonies. The gospel became a means to fulfill ones greedy lusts.

Jesus then drives everyone out of the temple--even those being taken adantage of. Christ is displeased with them as well. They should have been just as indignant and righteously angry as Christ was, yet they went along with the program and failed to contend for the gospel and God's glory. They should have been zealous for the gospel. There should have been others doing what Christ had done, but there was no one else cleansing the temple. Israel had leaves...but no fruit. They had the appearance of godliness, but it was pure hypocrisy.

The cursing of the fig tree then becomes an ojbect lesson for the disciples as to the state and condemnation of that generation. What a powerful display of God's judgment upon hypocrites--upon those who appear to be godly but upon close examination from the Lord are found wanting.

Christmas is right around the corner...but a few weeks away. A lot of leaves will be displayed. There will be an unprecedented amount of professed godliness dispalyed during this holiday season. Hmmm...something to think about. Will those with true fruit rise up and warn the current generation of the condemnation that will come from the one who was born in a stable if they are found to be trees with leaves and no fruit?

How we need the Savior! That is the good news of the Christmas story. Christ came to save us from our wickedness and God's wrath in order to make us God's children who bear godly fruit and display His glory. Bearing fruit and displaying the glory of God doesn't save you. Rather, God saves you in order to display His glory with little pieces of fruit that look like Him.

How good God is in warning the visible church of the hypocrites that are hiding within the true church.

Now if by chance you come across the fabled figgy pudding this Christmas, and if you find that figgy pudding is made with figs...remember Matthew 21 and the cursing of the figless fig tree.

Precious Words

There are times in life when someone says something to you that brings resolve or comfort to a situation in your life.

To the husband who works hard to take care of his family but seems to never bring enough money home, "I know how hard you work to provide for us," can be the most encouraging words a wife could possibly give to her husband in that moment of frustration. Those are precious words.

To the sinner who feels defeated when looking at their repeated failure to overcome sin in their life, hearing "Jesus Christ's saving work is powerful enough to save even a sinning Christian," can make you cheer for God and lift you to praise for grace. Those are precious words, too.

To the one who is grieving over the loss of a loved one, knowing that "death has lost it's sting in Jesus Christ," brings hope, encouragement and gratitude for the empty tomb. Those are much needed precious words in times of death.

Today I heard some precious words. I don't ever want to forget them. They made me weep for joy. They helped bring some resolve to a past situation in my life. They made me grateful to God.

In order to help you understand the gravity and preciousness of these words, I must share something from my past. I share, not to ask for pity, nor to vent, nor to bad mouth anyone. I simply share to recognize the hand of God in my family as He grows us in the knowledge of His grace.

Several years ago I was asked to resign from the church I served at. For all practical purposes, it was a firing. And that is ok. I fully recognize God's sovereignty in the situation and understand that He was in full control of the situation. The reason for my being asked to resign was because of my growing understanding of the doctrines of grace and reformation theology. At that time, I didn't know what reformed theology was. I really didn't. I thought reformed people were people who practiced infant baptism and had a different view of communion. I just knew that what I was learning was feeding my soul and making me more vigilant in my evangelistic endeavors. What I was learning created more zeal in my preaching and more concern for the church of God. What I was learning made me want to be a better pastor who elevated God as much as I possibly could from week to week. Knowing how I was growing, I wanted others to grow too. So I taught what I learned. And why shouldn't I have done that. I wanted the teens in our student ministry and the adult leaders to get a taste of what was going on in my mind and in my heart. So I tried to pass it on.

Doctrines like God's sovereignty, the doctrine of election, God's decrees, His wisdom, justification, imputation, sanctification and a host of others were being taught to me by people like A.W. Pink, John MacArthur, Mark Dever, Charles Spurgeon and a host of other godly men--living and dead. These doctrines were just the start of it...the tip of the proverbial iceberg, if you will. I hungered for more and felt like I had been revived from a spiritual stupor that I didn't even know I was in. So I kept on teaching and teaching and teaching. I kept on learning and learning and learning. And I took what I got, digested it, and tried to feed it to others like a momma bird does to her little birdies....gross image, I know. But I wanted our student ministry to get this, our student leaders, our whole church, and my own wife.

As time went on, it became clear to those in authority that I was moving in a different direction as the rest of the church. I didn't see it that way. I figured that as a shepherd, my duty from God was to help the church grow and be corrected where there was error or shortcomings. That's what us pastor dudes do with God's Word. We feed it to the sheep and the sheep get healthier. I did this for several years and was pleased to see others growing as I was growing. Yet I didn't realize the full implications of what would befall my family for teaching what I was teaching. Not being able to see the future, I didn't know that I would eventually be asked to resign. In those final months, my eyes opened and I knew it would be a matter of time before I was asked to leave. But what could I do but continue to preach what I was Scripturally convinced of. I knew that it would mean that I was going to have to put my family in harms way. That's a tough pill to swallow.

Well, I was finally asked to resign. I remember that night vividly. I was asked to have a private meeting with the pastor and a deacon after youth group on a Sunday night. In my gut I knew it was my final night. So sitting next to some student leaders after our youth group meeting adjourned, I looked over at them before heading off to my meeting and said to them, "It was great serving with you." One leader said, "Shut up! What are you talking about?" I said, "I'll be seeing you around." I walked away from them and before exiting the room, I turned around and took one final look at the people I served for nearly six years....one final look at the room in which I had faithful served God during that time. What would happen next? I wasn't too sure of. But something was about to change.

I contended for the truth and sometimes that is not always met with applause. (I wish someone would have told me this ahead of time, but oh well.) This is something we should expect in the Christian life. I had never experienced anything like this but it was good for my soul. It was really good for my soul. I wouldn't trade it for all the money in the world.

So this brings me back to the precious words I just heard. They were so precious that I had to actually get up out of bed and come post this before my thoughts became muddled. My wife and I were laying down in bed talking and talking. We were talking about how good God has been to us and how He has protected us from silly decisions we've made and how He has even protected us when standing firm in the faith.

We were recalling the events I just mentioned to you and I asked her what she was thinking during those final months. Here's a summary of what she had to say:

"I kept thinking to myself, 'Why do you have to create these waves? Am I married to some fanatic who has just gone over the edge?' She continued, "I just kept telling myself, 'I have to trust my husband. I don't understand what's going on, but I have to believe that he's doing the right thing or he wouldn't be teaching this stuff.'"

During those final months, she confessed that she was very scared and nervous about what might happen to our family. As we were laying in bed, my heart hurt as she said this. I don't ever want to do something that would put my family in a tough spot. Nevertheless, there are some things that are worth suffering for--even when it includes your own wife and daughter's suffering. What makes it harder is when those suffering don't know why their suffering...they just happen to be along for the ride. As my heart broke, I was simultaneously encouraged by her vote of confidence in me during this time. I recognized in greater depth the grace that God has shown me in giving me this kind of supportive wife. Her feelings of being married to a fanatic made me chuckle a bit, too.

At that moment I rolled over and put my arm around my wife and started to worship God for putting me through this trying experience and I began praising God for the wife He gave me. It was incredible. He turned my mourning into dancing. He used my pain for His praise. This spontaneous worship arose from something that happened over three years ago.

Knowing that three years had elapsed since that dark period in our life--and knowing that my wife has learned much during these past three years and has grown alongside of me--and knowing of her former confusion, I said to her, "I'm so sorry for what had to happen...but do you now understand what all that was about? Do you see the importance behind what we're now teaching our church and why I couldn't stop back then?"

And she said some of the most precious words I've ever heard. "Back then I didn't get it. But now I understand."

"Now I understand." Those words brought an increased joy to my heart and I thanked God for bringing my wife out of the dark. I thanked God that He kept my marriage intact during what must have been utter confusion to my wife. That moment of trial has led to my family being much more solid in God's Word. I wouldn't trade it for anything. I rejoice for it. And those three words--now I understand--showed me the grace of God in contending for the truth.

Yet even those three words, as fabulous as they are to my situation, even those three words don't compare to the most precious words of all......

His Word is bearing fruit in my family and in my marriage and in my church. His Word does not come back void! His Word is so precious. Those are the most precious words of all. Cherish them. Rejoice in them. Relish them. Bask in them. Let them enrich and feed your soul. They are beautiful words...wonderful words...wonderful words of life.

photo credit: Jeff Martin

The Five Solas - Basic Reformed Theology

There was a point in church history where it seemed that the true faith had been swallowed up by the abuse and distorted teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. But such was not always the case. A few centuries after the resurrection of Christ, history records the Roman Catholic Church defending truth against heretics and false teachers. Athanasius bravely and boldly defended the truth that Christ was God. He defeated Arius with sound reasoning from the Scripture and the church continued on in the faith.

Not too long after that, St. Augustine rose up to defeat the heretic and false teacher Pelagius. Pelagius denied the doctrine of original sin, which teaches us that since Adam’s sin we are all born with a sin nature and prove it by sinning. Pelagius believed that we were born innocent and in the same state that Adam and Eve were created in. Thus, he believed that we could attain salvation by our perfect works. Of course, if that were true then we wouldn’t need a Savior. St. Augustine contended for the doctrine of original sin and man’s total depravity and showed just how sinful we are and why we need a Savior. Pelagius was condemned as a heretic and the church continued on in the faith.

But something changed over time. Some of the doctrines that the church once condemned as heresy, or false teaching, began to find their way into the minds, vocabulary and teaching of its leaders. Compromises were made. The church turned from the truth ever so slowly to the point that it soon became a false church. It came in the name of Christ but was completely anti-Christ, which is why many Christians have believed that the seat of the pope is the seat of the anti-Christ. Whether that is true or not is debatable. I mention this as historical information only.

As the Roman Catholic Church turned from the truth, here is what happened: Scripture was no longer the only rule of doctrine and practice for God’s people—what the pope said, what tradition said and what councils said were also binding on the people. Salvation was no longer by God’s grace alone—you also had to contribute some effort and works like keeping the commandments and being baptized. Justification was no longer a declaration from God that through faith in Christ you are righteous because you are clothed with His perfect works—rather justification, or being pronounced righteous, was something that you earned by actually being a good person. Thus, Christ alone was no longer the Savior--we end up being contributors to our salvation and therefore have reason to boast and receive glory. Thus, we cannot say, “To God alone be the glory for our salvation,” because we had something to do with it.

These five major departures from truth are the things that a few bold and faithful Christians sought to reform from the 1300’s to the 1600’s. Today these heresies still abound in many forms. These faithful men of God wanted the Roman Catholic Church to reform her ways. They loved the church. They loved the people. But they could not stand by and watch false teaching lead people away from God and to hell. So they protested—which is why Christians are called protestants. Eventually, their protests led to some of their deaths and banishment from the church. But it was God--working through their effort--that revitalized the church and brought many people to salvation.

Sadly, if you understand the conflict during these centuries, you will see that the Christian Church at large is on a slippery slope that leads right back to where the Roman Catholic Church has been for all these centuries. As a side note, one of the reasons we call ourselves a Reformed Church is because we want to see the Christian church called back to the same truths that the Reformers sought to re-instill in the Roman Catholic Church. Our love for the church should be expressed in calling them back to believe the truth so that God is glorified.

Now, if you had to summarize the teachings that the Reformers wanted to see take place, you would define them like this: Sola Scriptura, Sola Fide, Sola Gratia, Solus Christus and Soli Deo Gloria. They are five Latin phrases that simply mean: Scripture Alone, Faith Alone, Grace Alone, Christ Alone, God’s Glory Alone. What’s interesting about these five doctrines is that most churches acknowledge these things to be true. But when you examine their practices and theology, you find that it’s only lip service that is given to these doctrines. There is a massive disconnect between what they say they believe and what they actually teach and practice.

Over the next five posts, I will try to explain each one in a little more detail. I also hope to give personal illustrations and examples from my life of what it looks like to deny the “Five Solas.” About six years ago, I would have agreed with these five statements, but when I actually examined what I was teaching and what I was living, I saw a contradiction between my creeds and my deeds--my beliefs and my practices. And one thing is for sure: what you practice is really what you believe. I discovered that I really didn’t believe in the “Five Solas.” That alarmed me and sent me on a radical pursuit to get back to the heart of what Christians truly believe. I hope to share more of that with you as God allows us all to mature in the faith together.

An Update On Church Life

For those of you that don't know me, I'm not a big sports fan. I rarely crawl out from underneath my rock to see what's going on in that world. As such, it was February 4th, 2007, that we had our first church service. Later that day I found out that it was Super Bowl Sunday. Not exactly what you would call a great marketing idea. But then again, the cause of Christ is bigger than grown men fighting to move an oblong ball pumped with air down a green field. I have to admit though, it was an accident on my part, but one that I look back on with a smile. I often think, "How funny!" That was almost three years ago. Time flies!

Fourteen. That's the number of people that were present in our first service. Several of those people were dear brothers and sisters that were faithful members of their own churches that wanted to be there to encourage and support us our first Sunday. It was an exciting morning because none of us knew what to expect. We just knew that it'd be chaotic from time to time and that we'd have to make due with what we had. We also knew that the Lord would provide as He saw fit.

The first two years were rough. But then no one ever said ministry was easy. There were times when the only ones present were my wife, my daughter and yours truly. On those particular Sundays we'd have a short devotion and then go out to have breakfast and then I'd head to work a little earlier than normal. Those days were tough to rejoice in the Lord. There were a few times when I felt like calling it quits on the whole church-planting. I imagined that I'd take my family to an already established church that perhaps needed help with preaching. Then I'd grab the phone book and see that there weren't really any churches up here that held to a Calvinist/Reformed belief system. Because I know the grace teachings that flow from these beliefs, it troubled me that maybe only one or two churches in this whole desert area were like ours. So I put the phone book down, confessed my selfishness to God and then went right back to sermon preparation and evangelizing those whom God put in my path. This whole doubt thing with the phone book has happened on about five or six occassions.

The first two years were like a roller coaster. Many of the people that attended our church were from the dealership that I worked at. If you're not familiar with the car business, let me just say that the employment turnover is high. Not coincidentally, our church suffered the same turnover rate. It was always a bummer to lose someone because of schedule changes or relocations, but I still keep in contact with those dear brothers and they are growing strong in the Lord in their current locations. For that I praise God.

The first two years were spiritually transforming. I continually reminded our congregation that a right preaching of the Scripture and administering of the ordinances were the marks of a true church. Regardless of how big or small we were, we were a legitate assembly of believers. The building, the programs, the size, the resources were irrelevant to whether or not we were a true church. I tried to stress the importance of faithfulness to God and not success by outwards standards or indicators. And let me tell you, that is a tough one to break. Sometimes numbers matter more to pastors than anything and that is a difficult thing to remove from one's thinking. God used John Piper's book, Brothers We Are Not Professionals, to play a huge role in reshaping my ministry understanding. I will say that numbers are not unimportant, but neither are they the ultimate indicator of the health and success of a church.

The first two years+ have been a big blessing. For ten years I was in full-time ministry and received a regular salary from my brothers and sisters in the church. Because our current church was/is just starting, I preach for free. I don't think I've ever enjoyed preaching so much. It's been the greatest blessing to be able to feed the flock of God without having to be a financial burden on them. The Lord has graciously provided for my family through secular employment.

Our time together has been a blessing because we've seen some unbelievers regenerated and come to faith in Christ. That has been the biggest blessing of all. I have long since moved away from decisional regeneration and have simply focused on sharing Scripture (publicly and privately) and letting God do the converting through His Word. I'm not so quick to ge a "decision" out of someone just so that I can say "We had one saved!" I'm genuinely more concerned to see someone truly born again by the Spirit, thus we have no altar calls or decision cards but rather a call to repentance and faith each and every week during the preaching of God's Word. There are no "just pray this prayer and you'll be saved" kind of stuff. There are biblical and theological reasons why I don't do this anymore; the main reason being that the biblical response to the gospel is "repent and believe" not anything else. This summer we baptized several that have confessed Christ as Lord and given evidence of regeneration. It was totally awesome.

Over the past couple of months, some interesting things have happened. We have about thirteen new people start attending. That's exciting because several are unsaved and we are praying for their conversion. It's also exciting to see believers (who were looking for a church) now growing in the grace and knowledge of Christ. We have some newer singles, seniors, married couples and children coming. What's great is that Christ has united us (those that are saved) regardless of ethnicity or age. What's great is that our unsaved visitors are being brought because of Christ. They know exactly why they are coming and what they should expect to hear. None are hoodwinked into thinking that they are coming to get entertained and then blind-sided with the gospel. There's no bait-and-switch. I love it. Just the reality of God and His Word.

A few weeks ago, another interesting thing happened. I became friends with a Pastor of a church that is about five miles away. Recently, I preached at this brother's church on a Sunday night. The reason I preached was because we are slowly (and I means slowly) talking about the possibility of merging our two churches. My new friend has been wanting to retire for some time and is seeking a replacement. Being the founding pastor of the church, he is the only pastor this church has ever known for 35 years. They're a small congregation--only about 40-50, but so are we...about 25-30.

Having never been a part of something like this, I have many questions and concerns. Ultimately, the glory of God is what I'm most concerned about. If our churches merge in a hastily fashion and factions forms, I do not want the gospel mocked in the community because of a church split. Secondly, I'm concerned for the members of both churches. If factions form and the church splits after a merger, I do not want the faith of any believer destroyed. So I'm very hesitant to go through with something like this. Yet I don't want fear to drive our decision...I want the glory of God to. And sometimes that is a risk worth taking.

My first criteria in deciding whether or not we merge is our theology. It's going to take some time to really see where they are. It's going to take some time for them to really see where we are. Hence, we are slowly setting up opportunities for me to preach at their location. I already mentioned that I preached there one Sunday night. Though the attendance was minimal, it was a wonderful opportunity to share God's Word which was received well.

The pastor and I have agreed that our churches should meet on Sunday, October 25th. That same morning I will be preaching to all and leading the entire assembly in a couple of spiritual songs. This meeting will serve to let their congregation know a little bit about our theology and will serve to help our church evaluate the second criteria of whether or not our churches should merge. Our second concern is brotherly and Christ-like love and submission (to each other and to the Word). If their church is not teachable, it would be a tough merge. If their church is turned inward and not receptive to others, it would be a tough merge. I don't imagine that is the case, but that morning will give us the chance to see if their church is characterized by glad submission to the Word and to other believers.

If things progress from here, I imagine that more preaching times will be scheduled and some sort of plan or map will be laid out for a smooth merge and transition from one pastor to the next. I have also talked with all of our church families and they are cautiously hopeful of the situation. My desires is that we be in complete unity when it comes time to make a decision either way. Either we merge, if the Lord wills...or we continue doing what we're doing, if the Lord wills. Either way, we will rejoice in our Lord for bringing two churches together or for allowing us to become friends with another local church.

Again, my biggest concern has to do with the theology aspect. The church that we're considering merging with is just like the church I grew up in. Having spent some time with the pastor, I am almost 100% sure I know what they believe. We even went to the same Bible collge. That may sound like a good thing, but I no longer hold to some of the beliefs I grew up with and learned in college. I am a former Calminian...part Arminian, part Calvinist. I sort of chose the things I like from both sets of theology. Now I am a fully convinced Calvinist. My fear is that if I come out and say "Calvinist" that the stereo-type of a Calvinist will cloud their thinking and prevent meaningful dialogue and progress. When most people who do not hold to Calvinism hear of a Calvinist they are automatically taken to the stereo-type of a Hyper-Calvinist, which is rank heresy. And they are often transported to the word "predestination" or "election" as if that is the only thing a Calvinist believes or is focused on. Truth be told, everyone Christian has to admit that both of these things are a reality because they are in God's Word. The only thing is whether a Christian wants to come out and actually say what these things really mean. So all Arminians and Calvinists belief in these doctrines...they just have different understandings of them.

When I left my former church in Los Angeles there were things that were said about me that had everything to do with Hyper-Calvinism and not Calvinism. I don't want that same faulty understanding to prevent any meaningful progress in a potential church merge. Therefore, I am going to avoid labels and instead focus on preaching the Word. I am not ashamed of what I believe or afraid to confess it, I just know how people responds to labels. My prayer is that the love of God in our church would shine forth brilliantly to show that we have a heart for God, for the church and for the lost.

Well, that is where we are in the history of God's redemption plan. I have on idea what the final results will be from our perspective. But somehow it will end in God being glorified.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: Keith Mathison

My experience in churches over the last twenty years gives me reason to believe that many pastors tend to forget that even believers need to hear the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ, as often as they gather together. I'm not speaking about altar calls or evangelistic appeals. I'm speaking about the good news that believers have forgiveness of sins. I'm speaking about the good news that believers are justified and that the ground of our justification is not our own good works, our church attendance, our giving, our witnessing, our praying. The ground of our justification is the perfect righteousness and merit of Christ, which is imputed to us. Even as Christians we have a tendency to fall into a Pelagian mindset. And week after week of "bootstrap" sermons contributes to that mentality and subtly causes us to trust in our own good works. On the other hand, week after week of "berating" sermons usually tells us something we already know full well - namely, how utterly wicked and sinful we are. Obviously, sermons have to fit the congregation and the circumstances. There are those in every congregation who are not sufficiently impressed with the sinfulness of sin - particularly their favorite one. But once this issue (the law) is dealt with, the remedy (the gospel) needs to be clearly expressed. We need to be constantly reminded that it is by grace that we have been saved, that if we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, that the ground of our justification is Christ's righteousness, not our own.

As far as an encouraging word, I would remind the vast majority of pastors who faithfully serve in small churches, who will never publish a book or speak at a conference, that the church has spread around the world because of God's use of men like them.

Truth And Love In Action

My brother Joey reminding me that when I need to confront a brother in Christ, to first point out evidences of grace in their life. That's truth and love in action.

A Wedding Service

Just got home from finishing a wedding. I don't have a lot of time for a long commentary, but I wanted to post the wedding service and a couple of thoughts.

Over the past several years I have changed the way that I do weddings. First of all, I no longer charge for any services rendered. If someone wishes to give me a gift, I do not refuse (for various reasons like etiquette and traveling expenses). But when asked to do a wedding and asked what my fees are I say, "It's a privilege to do weddings. It's another opportunity for me to share the gospel with several hundred people at once. For that I cannot charge and I'll do it gladly for free" (even if there is no gift afterwards). Also, I let them know that doing it for free allows them to spend money on other costly things or they can save some money (novel idea).

Secondly, when I do a wedding, I disclose to the couple that the wedding service is actually a worship service so Christ and His gospel will be central to the wedding. I let them know that I only do Christian weddings. I give them an example of a previous wedding that I have done so that they can read it and decide if they still want me to perform the service. If they don't want me to then they can decline and that is ok with me.

Now some people have a conscience that will not allow them to marry unbelievers. I will marry two unbelievers because marriage is for all, not just Christians. I won't marry a believer and an unbeliever. But marrying two unbelievers gives me many opportunities to share the gospel (with the couple beforehand and with all the guest during the service). Today, I had this opportunity. I was a bit nervous because it was a wedding in which I practically knew nobody. Well, I knew the groom's mom and that was it...well, my wife was there, too...but that's really it. I wasn't sure how the entire gathering would respond. You know it's easier to preach in front of your the home crowd (your own church family) verses a group of people in which you assume most to be unbelievers. So who knew how this would turn out. But the groom and bride had read the sermon ahead of time and still wanted me to do perform the service, so I went ahead with many prayers and utter dependence on God.

I fumbled a few words. "Cherishes" is hard to say when you're a bit nervous. Not a big deal. I'm not sure how unbelievers received the message. I just know that I tried to be faithful to the simple task God had given me. Thank you for those that prayed for me and any unsaved present at the ceremony. I will say that there were several believers present that were happily stunned that the ceremony was so overtly Christian. They confessed that they had never heard a wedding service quite like it but were wonderfully pleased. That was encouraging to say the least (not for my ego, but to see the Lord encourage the body through His Word).

Anyway, so that's my comment on weddings: I do them for free and they are overtly Christian in nature. May the Lord be honored in all we do...even wedding services. Here now is the transcript--word for word...literally.



OPENING PRAYER/BE SEATED
Father in heaven, we bless your name and give glory to you now. We know that every good gift we have is from you. As we come together to celebrate the gift of marriage and love, I pray that our hearts would be filled with gratitude for your kindness. Bless this wedding service now for your sake. We pray this is the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Please be seated.

WELCOME
Love ones, we are gathered here today in the sight of God and in the presence of all of you, to celebrate one of life's greatest moments, to give recognition to the worth and beauty of love, and to add our support and blessings to the covenant that will unite LUCAS and SUZEE in holy matrimony.

Marriage is a most honorable estate, created and instituted by God for the mutual caring on one another. Marriage was also given to us by God to help us understand the wonderful loving and everlasting union that also exists between Christ and His Church. So too may this marriage be adorned by true and lasting love. And so now I ask:

GIVING & RECEIVING OF THE BRIDE
Who gives this woman to be married to this man? (Father, responds)

LUCAS, you may receive your bride. (Father will place the bride’s hand with the groom's and steps back.)

LUCAS and SUZEE, God created people with the need for relationship. First and foremost, we were created to know and love God. Understanding this helps us to see how we can properly love one another. Let me explain. In the tragedy of all tragedies, sin entered the human race and has blinded us to the beauty, majesty and infinite worth of our loving God. Because of sin we do not naturally desire and love God and see Him as the true Treasure that will forever satisfy our hungry souls. Our relationship with Him has been ruined and we are no longer at peace and in love with Him. Yet God was not willing to leave our relationship with Him in this state. As a people who run away from God, God is one who runs after us with an intense love. His love is a restoring love and a reconciling love.

The way that God restores the relationship between Himself and sinful mankind is through the great sacrifice and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ. The Father sent the Son to live the sinless life that we failed to live. Jesus loved the Father perfectly. Scripture declares that when we put our confidence or faith in Jesus to save us from our sin and God’s great penalty for our sin, that God gives us, as a gift, the perfect obedience of Christ so that when God looks at us, He no longer sees us as sinners but as sinless and perfect. By faith in Christ our sin was transferred to Christ so that when He suffered on the cross, He was suffering and paying the penalty for my sinful life and any who put their faith in Christ. This is how God makes peace and restores the love relationship between Him and sinful man. It is the love and mercy of God that brings us back to Him in complete love.

I mention this because Scripture uses the language of marriage to describe the relationship between Christ and those who put their faith in Christ, namely the church. Scripture calls Christ the groom and it calls the church His bride. The Bible tells us that Christ gave up His life for His bride--for the church--that she might be saved and have an everlasting and ever-increasing joy as she is brought to be with God for all eternity. And it is this pattern of love and devotion that God sets forth as the pattern for our marriage relationships. So first and foremost, if we do not understand the great lengths that the Godhead went through to restore sinners to Him, then we will not have the proper lens to look through with which to guide our marriages.

Ephesians 5:25-33 [25] Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her…

[28] In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. [29] For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30] because we are members of his body. [31] “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” [32] This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. [33] However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

In as plain language as possible, the Bible teaches us that Christ loved His church and willingly laid down His life for her good and in order that she might live eternally. In response the church is to lovingly devote her life to her Savior. This is exactly how the husband and wife are told to relate to one another. The husband’s duty is not to seek his own good, but to seek his wife’s good. The wife’s duty is to seek her husband’s good, not her own. Marriage is not about self-gratification, but the gratification of the one to whom you are making this covenant with. The covenant and vows that you are about to make are written specifically in that way for a reason. They are statements that reflect the commitment that you are making to the other person. The vows are not promises to seek out the desires of self but to meet each others’ needs in all circumstances, good or bad, ‘til death do you part. As each of you keeps your vows, the other will have the utmost confidence that all of their needs will be met. In this type of covenant keeping is true security and the foundation for a long and fruitful marriage. And so my prayer is for both of you to honor God by portraying the everlasting love relationship between Christ and His church. And since nothing will separate the church from her Savior, so too shall this marriage continue until the day that God separates you by death.

Matthew 19:6 So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.

The covenant you make here now before God and these witnesses is solemn and to be entered into with this understanding. The vows that you are about to partake in are your promise to each other and to God that with His help you will do all that is necessary to keep your marriage healthy, thriving and intact.

Press into each other. Fight for a great marriage. Never yield to things that would weaken your love for one another. Realize that it is a great and blessed thing to be married and that it is God’s gift to you to show you His goodness. And above all, let the love that Christ had for His church be your motivation and guide and example for loving each other.

Understanding now the gravity and delight of marriage rooted in the love of Christ for His church, would you please continue to hold hands and face each other.

VOWS
LUCAS, do you take SUZEE to be your lawfully wedded wife, to love and respect her, honor and cherish her, in health and in sickness, in prosperity and in adversity; and leaving all others to keep yourself only unto her, so long as you both shall live? ("I do")

SUZEE, do you take LUCAS to be your lawfully wedded husband, to love and respect him, honor and cherish him, in health and in sickness, in prosperity and in adversity; and leaving all others to keep yourself only unto him, so long as you both shall live? ("I do")

EXCHANGE OF RINGS
Wedding rings are made of gold that have been purged from all it’s impurities. In our culture they symbolize the pure and unending love that the two of you are to have for one another. As you wear them, you declare to the rest of the world that your hearts are spoken for and that you belong to another. They are the outward sign of your inward commitment to each other.

LUCAS, please take this ring and place it on SUZEE’S finger and repeat after me. “With this ring, I thee wed. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

SUZEE, please take this ring and place it on LUCA’S finger and repeat after me. “With this ring, I thee wed. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

CHARGE TO THE COUPLE
LUCAS and SUZEE as the two of you come into this marriage united as husband and wife, and as you this day affirm your love for one another, I would ask that you always remember the vows you have made here today. Cherish each other as special and unique individuals. Respect each other’s thoughts, ideas and suggestions. You must always forgive, never hold grudges, and live each day with Christ-like love as you share it together. From this day forward you shall be each other's home, comfort and refuge. And I pray that your marriage will be strengthened by your love and respect for our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.

CLOSING PRAYER
Father, my prayer is that you would guard the covenant that has just been made. When life throws adversities at LUCAS and SUZEE, protect them. Give them endurance. Give them grace. Give them everything that is necessary for a long and healthy marriage. May their friends and family provide them with encouragement and counsel from this day forward. May the love that you have for us, inspire their love for each other. We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

PRONOUNCEMENT / BENEDICTION / KISSING OF BRIDE
LUCAS and SUZEE in so much as the two of you have agreed to live together in matrimony, having promised your love for each other by these vows, the giving of these rings and the joining of your hands…as a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ, I now declare you to be husband and wife. May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make his face to shine upon you and may He gracious to you.

LUCAS, you may kiss your wife.

PRESENTATION & DISMISSAL
Loved ones, I present to you for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. LUCAS BLANKENSHIP.