A Body of Baptist Divinity

WHY USE CATECHISMS? Colossians 1:21-23

Sun, 24 May 2020 10:00:00 +0000

Why use Catechisms?

I. Because "[Jesus] has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard" (Colossians 1:21b-23a).

II. The way to be stable and steadfast is to be properly instructed (catechized).

Why is it crucial that we are properly instructed?

I. If we do not continue in the faith, we reveal that we are not reconciled to God by the blood of Jesus (Colossians 1:21-23).

II. We are commanded to grow up into the likeness of Jesus, no longer children tossed around by every wind of doctrine (Ephesians 4:11-14).

III. There are many who are catechizing you according to damnable heresies (2 Peter 2:3, 1 John 2:6; 4:1).

IV. There are difficult doctrines “which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction” (2 Peter 3:16).

V. Leaders must be raised who can “give instruction in sound doctrine and also confute those who contradict it” (Titus. 1:8).

VI. “Such that are not settled in the faith can never suffer for it” — Thomas Watson. (see Mark 4:16-17).

VII. The more instruction you drink, the more intoxicating joy you will have in Jesus—to know Him more is to love Him more (Psalm 16:11).

VIII. The better instructed you are the better you will be able to instruct others. Being properly catechized will make you more useful in helping others be glad in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Q1. WHO IS THE FIRST AND BEST OF BEINGS?

Wed, 27 May 2020 10:00:00 +0000

A. God is the first and best of beings.

Q. WHY DOES THE CATECHISM BEGIN HERE, WITH GOD CLARIFIED AS THE FIRST AND BEST OF BEINGS?

I. WE MUST BEGIN WHERE THE BIBLE BEGINS

GENESIS 1:1 "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."

II. WE MUST BEGIN WHERE TRUE WISDOM BEGINS

PROVERBS 1:7 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

PROVERBS 9:7 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.”

PSALM 111:10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!”

Stories are best begun in the beginning or confusion will abound. Foundations are best laid on the ground or everything will fall apart. So it is when we are seeking to be grounded in the faith—we must begin with God or confusion and crumbling may surely follow us all the days of our life.

Q. What is God? A. God is the Creator and Sustainer of everyone and everything. (New City Catechism Q2)

Q. WHAT DOES IT MEAN THAT GOD IS FIRST?

A. First in Existence and Preeminence.

I. FIRST IN EXISTENCE

GENESIS 1:1 "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."

JOB 38:1-7 1 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said: 2 “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? 3 Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me. 4 “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. 5 Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? 6 On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone, 7 when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

PSALM 90:2 “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.”

COLOSSIANS 1:16-17 “16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”

REVELATION 22:13 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”
II. FIRST IN EMINENCE

PSALM ‭97:9‬ “For you, O Lord, are most high over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods.”

COLOSSIANS 1:18 “And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.”

See the sad state of all who do not honor God, the first and best of beings.

ROMANS 1:21-23 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things

ISAIAH 44:9-11 9 All who fashion idols are nothing, and the things they delight in do not profit. Their witnesses neither see nor know, that they may be put to shame. 10 Who fashions a god or casts an idol that is profitable for nothing? 11 Behold, all his companions shall be put to shame, and the craftsmen are only human. Let them all assemble, let them stand forth. They shall be terrified; they shall be put to shame together.

Q. WHAT DOES IT MEAN THAT GOD IS BEST?

I. BEST IN GLORY AND GOODNESS

PSALM 8 O Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens.
2 Out of the mouth of babies and infants,
you have established strength because of your foes,
to still the enemy and the avenger.
3 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
4 what is man that you are mindful of him,
and the son of man that you care for him?
5 Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.
6 You have given him dominion over the works of your hands;
you have put all things under his feet,
7 all sheep and oxen,
and also the beasts of the field,
8 the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,
whatever passes along the paths of the seas.
9 O Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
See the happy state of all who are reconciled to God by His Son Jesus Christ!

The first and best of beings—Jesus Christ our Lord—was made a little lower than the angels. He debased himself in order to Redeem His bride.

On the cross, the first and best of beings was treated like the last and worst of beings. Why? So that you could be cleansed of your filthy sin and clothed in the pure white robes of Christ.

HEBREWS 2:9-11 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.
10 For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. 11 For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers.

BENJAMIN KEACH (1640-1704)

Originally from Buckinghamshire, Keach worked as a tailor during his early years. He was baptized at the age of 15 and began preaching at 18. He was the minister of the congregation at Winslow before moving in 1668 to the church at Horsleydown (Horse-lie-down), Southwark where he remained for 36 years as pastor (1668-1704). This congregation later became the New Park Street Church and then moved to the Metropolitan Tabernacle under the pastorship of Charles Spurgeon. Keach’s catechism was first published in 1693.

For a brief biography of Keach, see http://baptisthistoryhomepage.com/keach.benjamin.tbe.html

For easy access to a digital copy of The Baptist Catechism, see http://www.ekklesiamuskogee.church/the-baptist-catechism/

To purchase a hard copy of The Baptist Catechism, see https://www.amazon.com/1689-Baptist-Confession-Faith-Catechism/dp/1599253771/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=The+Baptist+Catechism&qid=1590608161&sr=8-2

HERCULES COLLINS (1646/7-1702)
For a brief biography of Collins, see https://founders.org/2012/07/12/baptists-and-1662-the-persecution-of-john-norcott-and-hercules-collins/

To purchase a hard copy of An Orthodox Catechism, see https://www.amazon.com/Orthodox-Catechism-Hercules-Collins/dp/0980217911/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1590608349&sr=8-1

For easy access to as digital copy of An Orthodox Catechism, see https://www.thecalvinist.net/etc/1680%20Orthodox%20Catechism%20(Hercules%20Collins).pdf

Q2. WHAT IS THE CHIEF END OF MAN?

Wed, 03 Jun 2020 10:00:00 +0000

Q2. What is the chief end of man? A. Man's chief end is to glory God and to enjoy Him forever.

Distinctions to be made concerning the glory of God:

1) Intrinsic glory. 2) Ascribed glory.

The Intrinsic glory of God is like the Grand Canyon; ascribing glory to God is like giving others a helicopter ride through it to simply behold its beauty. The glory is there. You cannot add to it. You are but meant to show it!

Or if you prefer, the glory of God is like the moon. It is huge and beautiful but it seems far away to we simple men. To glorify God is like helping others look through a telescope to see its bigness and beauty up close!

WHY MUST WE GLORIFY GOD?

I. Because it is the plain teaching of Scripture that this is why we exist. II. Because this is why all things exist. III. Because this is why Jesus purchased sinners on the cross.

I. We must glorify God because it is the plain teaching of Scripture that this is why we exist.
1 Corinthians 10:31 “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

1 Peter 4:10-11 “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”
- Watson: “The glory of God is the silver thread which must run through all our actions.”
Philippians 1:20 “as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.”
- Watson: “The glory we give God is nothing else but our lifting up His name in the world, and magnifying Him in the eyes of others.”

II. We must glorify God because this is why all things exist.
Colossians 1:16-18 “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. ... that in everything he might be preeminent.”

III. We must glorify God because this is why He purchased sinners on the cross.
1 Peter 2:9 “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”
1 Corinthians 6:20 “You were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”
- Those who know they were bought on the cross with the precious blood of Christ make it their aim to glorify that precious One whose blood was spilled for their sake!

WHAT IS IT TO GLORIFY GOD?

Watson: “To glorify God consists in four things: I. Appreciation. II. Adoration. III. Affection. IV. Subjection. This is the yearly rent we pay to the crown of heaven.”

I. Appreciation (thought/prayer life).
- Watson: “To glorify God is to set Him highest in our thoughts.”
Psalm 97:9 “For you, O Lord, are most high over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods.”
- Watson: “To glorify God is to have God-admiring thoughts; to esteem Him most excellent, and search for diamonds in this rock only.”

II. Adoration (worship).
Psalm 29:1-2 “Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.”

III. Affection (love).
Deuteronomy 6:5 “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”

IV. Subjection (joyful obedience).
1 Corinthians 6:20 “You were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO "ENJOY HIM FOREVER"?

Psalm 73:25-26 “Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”
Psalm 16:11 “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore."
Philippians 3:7-8 “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ”
Philippians 1:21, 23 “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. ... I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.”

HOW MAY WE MOST ENJOY GOD HERE AND NOW?

I. Fellowship with Him through the scripture and prayer.
II. Trust His promises.
III. Fellowship with His saints.
IV. Take, by faith, His Supper.
V. Help others know Him and enjoy Him.
VI. Enjoy Him by glorifying Him and glorify Him by enjoying Him.

Q3. HOW DO WE KNOW THERE IS A GOD?

Wed, 10 Jun 2020 10:00:00 +0000

ANSWER: The light of nature in man, and the works of God, plainly declare that there is a God; but His Word and Spirit only, do effectually reveal Him unto us for our salvation (Rom. 1:18-20, Psalm 19:1-2, 2 Tim. 3:15, 1 Cor. 1:21-24, 1 Cor. 2:9-10).

We know there is a God by the light of creation and conscience; yet only the light of the canon of Scripture illumined by the Comforter will lead to our conversion.

I. CREATION (the works of God)

Psalm 19:1-2 “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.”

Isaiah 6:3 “And one called to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!"

Romans‬ ‭1:18-21‬ “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”

II. CONSCIENCE (the light of nature)

Ecclesiastes 3:11 “God has put eternity into man's heart.”

Romans 2:14-16 “For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.”

So by the testimony of Creation and Conscience all men know there is a God—we are all without excuse.

Psalm 14:1 “The fool says in his heart, "There is no God."

III. CANON (His Word)

Romans 10:14-17 “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? ... So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”

Luke 16:29-31 “But Abraham said, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.' And he said, 'No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' He said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.'”

MacArthur Study Bible: “Although the evidence from conscience (1: 19; 2: 14), creation (1: 20), and God’s Word is irrefutable, men choose to resist and oppose God’s truth by holding fast to their sin (cf. Ps 14: 1; Jn 3: 19, 20).”

John 3:19-20 “And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.”

IV. COMFORTER (His Spirit)

John 14:26 (Comforter/Helper/Paraclete)

1 Corinthians 1:22-24 “For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”

1 Corinthians‬ ‭2:9-10, 12‬ “But, as it is written, "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him"— these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God...Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.”

A. The light of nature in man, and the works of God, plainly declare that there is a God; but His Word and Spirit only, do effectually reveal Him unto us for our salvation.

We know there is a God by the light of creation and conscience; yet only the light of the canon of Scripture illumined by the Comforter will lead to our conversion.

Q. HAVE YOU BEEN CONVERTED? (effectually...for our salvation)

If not, look at Jesus as He is revealed in His Word until the Spirit calls you to Him! Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved!

If so, boast in the LORD!

1 Corinthians 1:30-31 “And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord."”

Q4. WHAT IS THE WORD OF GOD?

Wed, 17 Jun 2020 10:00:00 +0000

ANSWER. The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, being given by divine inspiration, are the Word of God, the only infallible rule of faith and practice. (2 Peter 1:21; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Isaiah 8:20)

I. “The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments”

LUKE 11:50-51 “50b …the blood of all the prophets, shed from the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation, 51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it will be required of this generation.”

JOHN 16:12-14 “12 I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”

2 PETER 3:15-16 “15 And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, 16 as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures.”

II. “are the Word of God”

1 THESSALONIANS 2:13 “And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.”

III. “being given by divine inspiration”

2 TIMOTHY 3:16 “All Scripture is breathed out by God (theopneustos).”

2 PETER 1:20-21 20b “…no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. 21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along (same word as “born from heaven”) by the Holy Spirit.”

IV. “the only infallible rule of faith and practice”

PSALM 19:7-11
7 The law of the Lord is perfect,
reviving the soul;
the testimony of the Lord is sure,
making wise the simple;
8 the precepts of the Lord are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is pure,
enlightening the eyes;
9 the fear of the Lord is clean,
enduring forever;
the rules of the Lord are true,
and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold,
even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey
and drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, by them is your servant
warned; in keeping them there is great reward.”

ISAIAH 8:19-20 19 “And when they say to you, “Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter,” should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living? 20 To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn.

2 TIMOTHY 3:14-17 14 “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God…

2 TIMOTHY 3:16-17 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

BRAKEL: “The written Word is competent to teach the truth, to rebuke error, to correct evil, and to identify that which is good, so man may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. In one word, it is able to make man wise unto salvation. More one need not desire, for to have this is to have all. Indeed, the vitality and efficacy of Scripture is such that it is both perfect and sufficient.”

WATSON: “The Word is the judge of controversies, the rock of infallibility. That only is to be received as truth which agrees with Scripture, as the transcript with the original. All maxims of divinity are to be brought to the touchstone of Scripture, all measures are brought to the standard.”

LLOYD-JONES: “Here in this Book is a message that would solve every single problem of the human race.”

Q5. HOW DO WE KNOW THAT THE BIBLE IS THE WORD OF GOD?

Wed, 24 Jun 2020 10:00:00 +0000

ANSWER. The Bible evidences itself to be God’s Word by the heavenliness of its doctrine, the unity of its parts, its power to convert sinners and to edify saints; but the Spirit of God only, bearing witness by and with the Scriptures in our hearts, is able fully to persuade us that the Bible is the Word of God.
(1 Cor. 2:6,7,13; Ps. 119:18, 129; Acts 10:43, 26:22; Acts 18:28; Heb 4:12; Ps. 19:7-9; Rom. 15:4; John 16:13,14; 1 John 2:20-27; 2 Cor. 3:14-17)

NATURAL WAYS WE KNOW THAT THE BIBLE IS THE WORD OF GOD

The Bible evidences itself to be God’s Word by...

I. THE HEAVENLINESS OF ITS DOCTRINE

ISAIAH 55:8-9
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.

“The mystery of Scripture is so [perplexing] and profound that no man or angel could have known it, had it not been divinely revealed. That eternity—should be born; that he who thunders in the heavens—should cry in the cradle; that he who rules the stars—should suck the breasts; that the Prince of Life—should die; that the Lord of Glory—should be put to shame; that sin should be punished to the full—yet pardoned to the full; who could ever have conceived of such a mystery, had not the Scripture revealed it to us?” - Thomas Watson

II. THE UNITY OF ITS PARTS

40 authors, spanning 1,400 years, all with one message: “God is holy, man is not, Christ Jesus came to save sinners, we must turn from sin to faith in God’s Savior.”

ACTS 26:22-23
22 To this day I have had the help that comes from God, and so I stand here testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would come to pass: 23 that the Christ must suffer and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles.

ROMANS 4:2-6
“2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” 4 Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. 5 And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, 6 just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:
7 “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; 8 blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.”

III. ITS POWER TO CONVERT SINNERS

HEBREWS 4:12
“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

1 PETER 1:23-25 “you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; 24 for
“All flesh is like grass
and all its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass withers,
and the flower falls,
25 but the word of the Lord remains forever.”
And this word is the good news that was preached to you.”

ACTS 2:37
“Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

MARTIN LUTHER: I beat importunately upon Paul at that place, most ardently desiring to know what St. Paul wanted. At last, by the mercy of God, meditating day and night, I gave heed to the context of the words, namely, “In it the righteousness of God is revealed, as it is written, ‘He who through faith is righteous shall live.’” There I began to understand that the righteousness of God is that by which the righteous lives by a gift of God, namely by faith. And this is the meaning: the righteousness of God is revealed by the gospel, namely, the passive righteousness with which merciful God justifies us by faith, as it is written, “He who through faith is righteous shall live.” Here I felt that I was altogether born again and had entered paradise itself through open gates. There a totally other face of the entire Scripture showed itself to me." - The Legacy of Luther, Sproul and Nichols, Reformation Trust

CHARLES SPURGEON: lifting up his hands, [the man] shouted, as only a Primitive Methodist could do, "Young man, look to Jesus Christ. Look! Look! Look! You have nothin' to do but to look and live." I saw at once the way of salvation. I know not what else he said,—I did not take much notice of it,—I was so possessed with that one thought. Like as when the brazen serpent was lifted up, the people only looked and were healed, so it was with me. I had been waiting to do fifty things, but when I heard that word, "Look!" what a charming word it seemed to me! Oh! I looked until I could almost have looked my eyes away. There and then the cloud was gone, the darkness had rolled away, and that moment I saw the sun; and I could have risen that instant, and sung with the most enthusiastic of them, of the precious blood of Christ, and the simple faith which looks alone to Him. Oh, that somebody had told me this before, "Trust Christ, and you shall be saved." Yet it was, no doubt, all wisely ordered, and now I can say,— "Ever since by faith I saw the stream Thy flowing wounds supply, Redeeming love has been my theme, And shall be till I die." - Charles Spurgeon, Autobiography: The Early Years, Banner of Truth

IV. ITS POWER TO EDIFY SAINTS

LUKE 24:25-27, 30-32
“25 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. . . . 30 When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?”

EPHESIANS 2:19-21
19 you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.

NATHAN COLE: “And my hearing [George Whitefield] preach gave me a heart wound; by Gods blessing my old foundation was broken up, and I saw that my righteousness would not save me, then I was convinced of the doctrine of Election.” - George Leon Walker, Some Aspects of the Religious Life of New England (New York: Silver, Burnett, and Company, 1897), 89–92.

THE SUPERNATURAL WAY WE KNOW THAT THE BIBLE IS THE WORD OF GOD

I. But the Spirit of God only, bearing witness by and with the Scriptures in our hearts, is able fully to persuade us that the Bible is the Word of God.

2 CORINTHIANS 2:13 “And we impart [wisdom] in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.”

2 CORINTHIANS 3:14-17 14 But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. 15 Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. 16 But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

1 JOHN 2:20 “But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge.”

Beloved, it is not enough to know the Scriptures and trust that they are the word of God.

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

You must go to Jesus is faith, whom the whole Bible reveals! Your GPS can tell you exactly how to get to the Grand Canyon, but you have to go there to see it. The Bible tells you perfectly how to have eternal life, but you have to go to Jesus to get it.

Q6. MAY ALL MEN MAKE USE OF THE SCRIPTURES?

Wed, 01 Jul 2020 10:00:00 +0000

ANSWER. All men are not only permitted, but commanded and exhorted, to read, hear, and understand the Scriptures. (John 5:39; Luke 16:29; Acts 8:28-30; 17:11)

I. ALL MEN ARE NOT ONLY PERMITTED

We are permitted to make use of the Scriptures. In fact, Jesus expects us to!

Matthew 12:3 He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him:

Matthew 12:5 Or have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless?

Matthew 19:4 He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female,
Matthew 22:31 And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God:

Mark 12:10 Have you not read this Scripture: “‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone;

Mark 12:26 And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’?

Luke 6:3 And Jesus answered them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him:

My question to you is this: Have you read?

II. BUT COMMANDED AND EXHORTED

We are commanded and exhorted explicitly:

Isaiah 8:20 “To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn.”

2 Peter 1:19 “we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place.”

Luke‬ ‭16:29‬ “But Abraham said, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.'”

We are commanded and exhorted by example:

Mark‬ ‭12:24 “Jesus said to them, "Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God?”

Acts 17:11-12‬ “Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men.”

III. READ, HEAR, AND UNDERSTAND THE SCRIPTURES

Psalm 119:97-105

97 Oh how I love your law!
It is my meditation all the day.
98 Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies,
for it is ever with me.
99 I have more understanding than all my teachers,
for your testimonies are my meditation.
100 I understand more than the aged,
for I keep your precepts.
101 I hold back my feet from every evil way,
in order to keep your word. 102 I do not turn aside from your rules,
for you have taught me.
103 How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! 104 Through your precepts I get understanding;
therefore I hate every false way.
105 Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.

NOTICE THE MANY WAYS GOD COMMUNICATES TO US IN HIS WORD.

Look at Psalm 119:97-105 and see the variety of words he uses to describe what we simply call “The Bible” - look starting at verse 97!

Your Law (v.97)

Your Commandment (v.98)

Your Testimonies (v.99)

Your Precepts (v.100)

Your Word (v.101)

Your Rules (v.102)

Your Words (v.103)

Your Precepts, again (v.104)

Your Word, again (v.105)

WHAT MUST WE DO WITH GOD’S WORD?

I) Read / Study (implied in every verse)

II) Meditate / Reflect / Think (v.97, 99)

III) Memorize (v.98 “for they are ever with me”)

Jesus modeled this for us perfectly in his earthly ministry. Almost every time there is a problem or someone has a question Jesus would say either, “Have you not read?” or “Gegrapeti!” which means “It is written.”

IV) Keep/Obey (v.100-102)

Jesus himself says, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” To Keep Gods Word is also part of our Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). Jesus also commands us through his earthly brother James, “Do not be hearers of the Word only, but doers!”
What must we do with God’s Word? We must be readers, meditators, memorizers, and keepers.

WHAT DOES GOD DO TO US THROUGH HIS WORD?

Through His word, God gives us:

His Teaching (102)

Wisdom (v.98)

Understanding (v.99,100,104)

Holiness and Hatred of sin (v.101-102, 104-105)

Joy (v.103)

Jeremiah the Prophet says it like this: “Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts.” - Jeremiah 15:16

Why joy? Because the main thing God is communicating to us in His word is Jesus.

THE WHOLE BIBLE IS ABOUT JESUS.

In Genesis, Jesus is the Seed of the woman who will crush the head of the serpent.

In Exodus, Jesus is the Passover Lamb, slain so the LORD’s people can be spared justice.

In Leviticus, Jesus is our true High Priest offering a better sacrifice than the others.

In Numbers, Jesus is the Pillar of cloud by day and the Pillar of fire by night, leading His people to the Promised Land.

In Deuteronomy, Jesus is the Prophet like Moses whom we must listen to or perish.

In Joshua, Jesus is the Captain of the LORD’s army, making war on His enemies.

In Judges, Jesus is the Judge we long for to correct our rebellious hearts.

In Ruth, Jesus is our Kinsman Redeemer.

In 1st and 2nd Samuel, Jesus is our trusted Prophet, revealing God perfectly to us.

In Kings and Chronicles, Jesus is the King we long for who will rule righteously forever.

In Ezra, Jesus is the Rebuilder of the broken down walls of the city of God.

In Esther, Jesus is the one who doesn’t simply RISK his life, but GIVES his life to save his people.

In Job, Jesus is our ever-living Redeemer.

In Psalms, Jesus is the Son we must Kiss and our Good Shepherd.

In Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, Jesus is the very embodiment of wisdom.

In the Song of Solomon, Jesus is the Church’s Loving Bridegroom.

In Isaiah, Jesus is the Prince of Peace, the Gospel Preacher, and the Suffering Servant.

In Jeremiah, Jesus is the Righteous Branch.

In Lamentations, Jesus is the better Weeping Prophet—who doesn’t simply weep for sin but kills sin by letting himself be killed in the place of sinners.

In Ezekiel, Jesus is the wonderful Four-Faced man.

In Daniel, Jesus is the fourth Man in the fiery furnace with Shadrach Meshach and Abednego, he’s the One who closes the lion’s mouths for Daniel, and He is the Son of Man given an eternal Kingdom after His ascension.

In Hosea, Jesus is the Faithful Husband, forever married to the backslider.

In Joel, Jesus is the baptizer with the Holy Spirit.

In Amos, Jesus is our true Burden-Bearer.

In Obadiah, Jesus is the One Mighty to Save.

In Jonah, Jesus is the better one that was thrown into the sea of God’s wrath so those on board would be spared.

In Micah, Jesus is the Messenger with beautiful feet.

In Nahum, Jesus is the Avenger of God's elect.

In Habakkuk, Jesus is God's evangelist.

In Zephaniah, Jesus is our Saviour.

In Haggai, Jesus is the restorer of God's lost heritage.

In Zechariah, Jesus is the fountain opened up in the house of David for sin and uncleanness.

In Malachi, Jesus is the Sun of Righteousness, rising with healing in His wings.

In the Gospel Accounts, Jesus is the God-Man come to save sinners by grace.

In Acts, we see what Jesus continued to do the first 30 years after He ascended to Heaven.

All the Letters of the New Testament clarify who He is, what His gospel means, how we should live for Him, and to watch out for those who teach contrary to His Prophets and Apostles.

In Revelation, Jesus is our coming King—He will slay men who refuse to come to Him and remain in their sin; He will perfect His people who trust Him by faith and He will perfect the entire world. Those who refuse to repent and believe on Jesus and His gospel will be thrown in the fiery pit of hell to be punished for their sin for all eternity. Those who belong to Jesus in this life will belong to Him forever in the perfect life to come, where we will enjoy Him forever for His glory and our gladness!

Q7. WHAT DO THE SCRIPTURES PRINCIPALLY TEACH?

Wed, 08 Jul 2020 10:00:00 +0000

ANSWER. The Scriptures principally teach what man is to believe concerning God and what duty God requires of man. (2 Tim. 3:16,17; John 20:31; Acts 24:14; 1 Cor. 10:11; Eccles. 12:13)

I. THE SCRIPTURES PRINCIPALLY TEACH WHAT MAN IS TO BELIEVE CONCERNING GOD

GENESIS 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

EXODUS 34:6-7 “6 The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, 7 keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty…”

HEBREWS 1:1-3 “1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.”

REVELATION 22:1-5 “1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.”

As one author said, “The man who comes to a right belief about God is relieved of 10,000 temporal problems.” (A.W. Tozer)

Would you relieve yourself of 10,000 problems? Get a right belief about God. That’s what the Scriptures principally teach.

II. THE SCRIPTURES PRINCIPALLY TEACH WHAT DUTY GOD REQUIRES OF MAN

DEUTERONOMY 29:29
“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.”

What duty does God require of man?

I) It is your duty to love the LORD with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength

Mark 12:29-30
29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’

II) It is your duty to love your neighbor as yourself

Mark 12:31
“The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

ROMANS 3:22-23
22 For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…”

GALATIANS 3:10, 13
10 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.”. . . 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree.”

The gospel is the good news that what God requires, He provides in Jesus Christ. Whom He provides for by Christ, He purifies by the Holy Spirit. Whom He purifies by the Spirit, He protects by His providence. And whom He protects by His providence, He will one day perfect in His presence.

III) As a sinner who is in the path of the wrath of God, it is your duty to repent and believe the gospel

MARK 1:14-15
14 Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

JOHN 6:28-29
28 Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”

IV) In Christ, your duty is to take up your cross and follow Jesus

MARK 8:34-38
34 And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. 36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? 37 For what can a man give in return for his soul? 38 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

Recommendation: John Piper’s book What Jesus Demands from the World. 50 short chapters.

V) In Christ, it is our duty to make disciples of all nations

MATTHEW 28:19-20 “18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

VI) In Christ, it is your duty to act and speak in order to glorify God in all of life

1 CORINTHIANS 10:31
“whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

MATTHEW 5:16
“let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

VII) In Christ, it is your duty to worship God in all of life, especially as a member of a local church

HEBREWS 10:24-25 “24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”

VIII) In Christ, it is your duty to be anxious for nothing, casting all your anxieties on Him

PHILIPPIANS 4:6
“do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

1 PETER 5:6-7
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”

ROMANS 8:32-34
“He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

“To withhold Scripture from anyone is an act of ecclesiastical robbery as well as spiritual murder.” Wilhelmus A. Brakel

Q8. WHAT IS GOD? (SPIRIT, INFINITE, ETERNAL, UNCHANGEABLE)

Wed, 15 Jul 2020 10:00:00 +0000

ANSWER: God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness and truth. (John 4:24; Ps. 147:5; Ps. 90:2; James 1:17; Rev. 4:8; Ps. 89:14; Exod. 34:6,7; 1 Tim. 1:17)

Q. What do you believe about God?

I. GOD IS A SPIRIT

JOHN 4:24 “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

II. GOD IS INFINITE

PSALM 147:5 “Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure.”

ISAIAH 40:28 “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.”

ROMANS 11:33 “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!”

JEREMIAH 23:24 “Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord.”

JOHN 1:16 “For from [Jesus’] fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.”

III. GOD IS ETERNAL

PSALM 90:2 “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.”

IV. GOD IS UNCHANGEABLE

PSALM 102:25-27 “25 Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. 26 They will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away, 27 but you are the same, and your years have no end.”

JAMES 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”

MALACHI 3:6 “For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.”

HEBREWS 6:17-18 “17 So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, 18 so that by two unchangeable things (His promise and His oath), in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.”

Q8. WHAT IS GOD? (WISDOM)

Thu, 23 Jul 2020 10:00:00 +0000

ANSWER: God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in His being, WISDOM, power, holiness, justice, goodness and truth. (John 4:24; Ps. 147:5; Ps. 90:2; James 1:17; Rev. 4:8; Ps. 89:14; Exod. 34:6,7; 1 Tim. 1:17)

GOD IS INFINITE, ETERNAL, AND UNCHANGEABLE IN WISDOM

ROMANS 16:27 “to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.”

I. GOD’S WISDOM IS SEEN IN HIS INFINITE INTELLIGENCE

PSALM 147:5 “Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure.”

DANIEL 2:28 “there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days.”

PSALM 94:11 “the LORD knows the thoughts of man, that they are but a breath.”

II. GOD’S WISDOM IS SEEN IN HIS WORKS

We see the wisdom of God as we consider his works of I) Creation, II) Redemption, and III) Providence.

I) CREATION

PSALM 104:24 “O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.”

II) REDEMPTION

ROMANS 3:23-26 “23 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, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”

ROMANS 11:33-36 “33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! 34 ‘For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?’ 35 ‘Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?’ 36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.”

III) PROVIDENCE

EPHESIANS 1:11 “God works all things according to the counsel of His will.”

GENESIS 50:20 “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”

ACTS 2:23 “Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.”

ROMANS 8:28 “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

Q8. WHAT IS GOD? (POWER)

Wed, 29 Jul 2020 10:00:00 +0000

ANSWER: God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, POWER, holiness, justice, goodness and truth. (John 4:24; Ps. 147:5; Ps. 90:2; James 1:17; Rev. 4:8; Ps. 89:14; Exod. 34:6,7; 1 Tim. 1:17)

GOD IS…INFINITE, ETERNAL, AND UNCHANGEABLE…IN POWER

PSALM 147:5 “Great is our Lord, and abundant in power.”

JEREMIAH 32:17 “Ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you.”

THE SCRIPTURES SPEAK OF GOD’S POWER IN THREE WAYS:

1) POSITIVELY: Genesis 17:1 "I am God Almighty.”

2) NEGATIVELY: Luke 1:37 “Nothing is impossible with God.”

3) COMPARATIVELY: Matthew 19:26 "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
‭
God’s infinite, eternal, and unchangeable power is clearly set forth in at least 5 ways: His I) Creating, II) Preserving, III) Governing, IV) Redeeming, and V) Judging.

I. CREATING POWER

Psalm 33:9 “Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him! For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.”

Romans 1:20 “For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.”

II. PRESERVING POWER

Hebrews 1:3 “[Jesus] upholds the universe by the word of his power.”

III. GOVERNING POWER

1) Elements

Deuteronomy 4:36-38 “And because he loved your fathers and chose their offspring after them and brought you out of Egypt with his own presence, by his great power.”

Mark 4:37-41 “37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. 38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, ‘Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?’ 39 And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’ And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40 He said to them, ‘Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?’ 41 And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?’”

2) Men

Proverbs 16:9 “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.”

Proverbs 21:1 “The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will.”

Exodus 9:16 “But for this purpose I have raised you up (Pharoah), to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.”

3) Demons

Matthew 8:31 “And the demons begged him, saying, “If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of pigs.”

4) Wicked men

Isaiah 37:29 “Because you have raged against me and your complacency has come to my ears, I will put my hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth, and I will turn you back on the way by which you came.’”

Daniel 4:35 “all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?”

IV. REDEEMING POWER

I) The virgin birth of Jesus Christ

Luke 1:35 “And the angel answered her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.’”

II) Jesus’ resurrection from the dead

Romans 1:4 “[Jesus Christ our Lord] was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead”

III) Taking dead sinners and converting them to living saints through the preaching of the gospel

Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.”

1 Corinthians 1:18 “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

IV) Empowering Christians to be witnesses for Jesus

Acts 1:8 "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

V) Guarding Christians through faith

1 Peter 1:5 “who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

VI) In giving His saints resurrected bodies

1 Corinthians 6:14 “And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power.”

Philippians 3:20-21 “20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.”

V. JUDGING POWER

I) In judging unrepentant sinners

Romans 9:22 “What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction.”

Romans 2:4-5 “4 …do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? 5 But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed.”

Q8. WHAT IS GOD? (HOLINESS)

Wed, 12 Aug 2020 10:00:00 +0000

ANSWER: God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, HOLINESS, justice, goodness and truth. (John 4:24; Ps. 147:5; Ps. 90:2; James 1:17; Rev. 4:8; Ps. 89:14; Exod. 34:6,7; 1 Tim. 1:17)

God is infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in HOLINESS.

I. LET US UNDERSTAND THE HOLINESS OF GOD

I) God is Holy

1 John 1:5 “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.”

John MacArthur: “God’s holiness is His inherent and absolute greatness, in which He is perfectly distinct above everything outside Himself and is absolutely morally separate from sin.”

Isaiah 6:3 “And one called to another and said: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!’”

Revelation 4:8 “Day and night [the angels] never cease to say, ’Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!’”

GOD THE FATHER IS HOLY! Jesus, in John 17:11: “Holy Father.”

GOD THE SPIRIT IS HOLY! Again, Jesus ,in John 14:26: “The Holy Spirit.”

GOD THE SON IS HOLY! Paul, in Acts 13:35 (quoting Psalm 16:10): “You will not let your Holy One see corruption.”

II) God’s Works are Holy

Exodus‬ ‭15:11‬ “Who is like [the LORD], majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?”

Psalm 145:17 “The Lord is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works.”

III) God’s written Word is Holy

Romans 1:2 “[Jesus was] promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures,”

IV) God’s Commands are Holy

Romans 7:12 “So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.”

V) God’s Promises are Holy

Psalm 105:42 “For he remembered his holy promise, and Abraham, his servant.”

VI) God’s Covenant is Holy

John the Baptist's father Zechariah calls God’s covenant, “his holy covenant” in Luke 1:72.

II. LET US APPLY GOD’S HOLINESS

I) You will not be accepted by God unless you are perfectly holy

Habakkuk 1:13 “You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong, why do you idly look at traitors and remain silent when the wicked swallows up the man more righteous than he?”

II) You will not escape God’s wrath if you stand before Him in your unholiness (sin, wickedness)

Nahum 1:3-5 “3 The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and the Lord will by no means clear the guilty. His way is in whirlwind and storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.4 He rebukes the sea and makes it dry; he dries up all the rivers; . . .5 The mountains quake before him; the hills melt.”

III) You must go to Christ in faith so that God will count you holy

Colossians 1:21-23 “21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel…”

IV) In Christ, you must sanctify God as Holy

Leviticus 10:3 “This is what the Lord has said: ‘Among those who are near me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified.’”

V) In Christ, you must be Holy

Leviticus 14:44-45 “44 For I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. . . 45 For I am the Lord who brought you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.” (The Apostle Peter repeats this in 1 Peter 1:16)

VI) In Christ, you must worship God in Holiness

1 Chronicles 16:29 “Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering and come before him! Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.”

Hebrews 12:28-29 “28 Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, 29 for our God is a consuming fire.”

VII) In Christ, you must be motivated toward holiness by God’s promises

2 Corinthians 7:1 “Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.”

Q8. WHAT IS GOD? (JUSTICE)

Wed, 19 Aug 2020 10:00:00 +0000

ANSWER. God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, JUSTICE, goodness and truth. (John 4:24; Ps. 147:5; Ps. 90:2; James 1:17; Rev. 4:8; Ps. 89:14; Exod. 34:6,7; 1 Tim. 1:17)

God is infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in justice.

I. GOD IS JUST

Deuteronomy 32:4 “The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.”

II. GOD DOES WHAT IS JUST

Genesis 18:25 “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?”

Psalm 111:7 “The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy”

III. GOD LOVES JUSTICE

Psalm 33:5 “He loves righteousness and justice.”

IV. GOD HATES INJUSTICE

Isaiah 61:8 “For I the Lord love justice; I hate robbery and wrong.”

V. BECAUSE GOD IS JUST HE WILL PUNISH SINNERS

Ezra 9:15 “O Lord, the God of Israel, you are just… Behold, we are before you in our guilt, for none can stand before you…”

Nahum 1:3,6,8 “3 The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and the Lord will by no means clear the guilty. . . 6 Who can stand before his indignation? Who can endure the heat of his anger? His wrath is poured out like fire, and the rocks are broken into pieces by him….8 with an overflowing flood he will make a complete end of the adversaries, and will pursue his enemies into darkness.”

VI. THE GOSPEL IS THE GOOD NEWS THAT GOD IS JUST AND THE JUSTIFIER OF THE ONE WHO HAS FAITH IN JESUS

Romans 3:25,27 “25 God put forward [Jesus] as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. . . 27 so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”

2 Corinthians 5:21 “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

VII. IF YOU ARE IN CHRIST, YOU ARE AS SECURE AS CAN BE BECAUSE GOD IS JUST

1 John 1:8-9 “8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Nahum 1:7 “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him.”

Q8. WHAT IS GOD? (GOODNESS)

Thu, 27 Aug 2020 10:00:00 +0000

ANSWER: God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, GOODNESS and truth.

Psalm 34:8 “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!”

I. GOD IS GOOD

Q. What is goodness? A. Goodness does not mean “the opposite of badness.” Goodness does not mean the same thing as “righteous.” Goodness means kindness, mercy, patience, generosity. That God is good means God is kind, God is merciful, God is patient, God is generous.

Psalm 100:5 “For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.”

Exodus 33:18-19 “18 Moses said, ‘Please show me your glory.’ 19 And [The LORD] said, ‘I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The LORD.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.’”

II. GOD DOES WHAT IS GOOD

Psalm 119:68 “You (LORD) are good and do good.”

I) God does what is good to all mankind.

Matthew 5:45 “[God] makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”

Acts 14:17 (Paul and Barnabas at Lystra) “[God] did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.”

II) God especially does what is good to His saints.

Romans 8:28 “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

Genesis 50:20 “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”

Psalm 23:6 “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

Thomas Watson: “To know that nothing hurts the godly, is a matter of comfort; but to be assured that all things…shall co-operate for their good…this may fill their hearts with joy till they run over.”

III. GOD DID HIS HIGHEST GOOD BY SENDING HIS SON TO DIE SO THAT YOU COULD HAVE ETERNAL LIFE

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Concerning the word “so” in John 3:16, Thomas Boston: “This is an inexpressible so, a so that all the angels of heaven cannot analyze. None can conceive or understand the boundless extent and dimensions of it.”

C.S. Lewis: “It cost God nothing, so far as we know, to create nice things: but to convert rebellious will cost him crucifixion.”

Q. How must you respond to God’s goodness?

IV. YOU MUST NOT PRESUME UPON GOD’S GOODNESS—IF YOU DO, YOU WILL GO TO HELL

Romans 2:3 “Do you suppose, O man…that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness (goodness) and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s [goodness] is meant to lead you to repentance? 5 But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.”

Thomas Watson: “Knowledge without repentance will be but a torch to light men to hell.”

V. YOU MUST REPENT AND BELIEVE GOD’S GOOD NEWS—IF YOU DO, GOD WILL FORGIVE AND CLEASE YOU

Mark 1:14-15 “14 Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’”

Psalm 86:5 “For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.”

Isaiah 55:2 “Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.”

VI. IN CHRIST, YOU MUST IMITATE GOD IN HIS GOODNESS

Luke 6:35 “…love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.”

Martin Luther: “Good works do not make a good man — but a good man does make works good.”

VII. IN CHRIST, YOU MUST TELL OTHERS OF GOD’S GOODNESS

Psalm 145:4, 7 “4 One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts. … 7 They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.”

VIII. IN CHRIST, YOU MUST PRAISE GOD FOR HIS GOODNESS

1 Chronicles 16:34 “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!”

Psalm 135:3 “Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; sing to his name, for it is pleasant!”

Psalm 31:19 “Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind!”

CONCLUSION

Thomas Boston: “Seek not your happiness in created things and enjoyments, but in an ever-bountiful God, who is the spring and source of all goodness and mercy, and who can fully satisfy all the desires of an immortal soul.”

Psalm 34:8 “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!”

Q8. WHAT IS GOD? (TRUTH)

Thu, 03 Sep 2020 10:00:00 +0000

ANSWER: God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness and TRUTH. (John 4:24; Ps. 147:5; Ps. 90:2; James 1:17; Rev. 4:8; Ps. 89:14; Exod. 34:6,7; 1 Tim. 1:17)

God is infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in TRUTH.

My aim is to give you six points of instruction and six points of application concerning God being infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in truth.

INTRUCTION

I. GOD IS TRUTH

JOHN FLAVAL: “[Truth] is an essential property of [God’s] nature, whereby He is perfectly faithful in Himself, and in all that He hath spoken.”

BOSTON: [God’s truth] is that perfection of His nature whereby He is faithful, and in Him there is no falsehood.”

Titus 1:2 “God…never lies.” Q. Why? A. Because He not only tells the truth but He Himself is truth.

Deuteronomy 32:4, “A God of faithfulness (truthfulness) and without iniquity, just and upright is he.”

God the Holy Spirit is called “The Spirit of truth”

John 14:17, 15:26, 16:33 “The Spirit of truth”

God the Son is called “the truth”

John 14:6 “I am the way and the truth and the life.”

THOMAS WATSON: “There is nothing true but what is in God or comes from God.”

THOMAS BOSTON: “All God’s works are true and real things, not chimeras or appearances. He executes true judgements, grants true deliverance, works true miracles; His mercies are true mercies, and His comforts are true comforts. He does not deceive or delude His people with vain shews and appearances.”

II. JESUS IS FULL OF TRUTH

John 1:14 “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Jesus says, “Truly” at least 30 times as He teaches, in the book of Matthew alone.

III. GOD’S WORD IS TRUTH

Psalm 18:30 “This God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.”

Psalm 119:60 “The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.”

I) God’s Historical narrative is true. II) God’s prophetic predictions are true. III) God’s commands are true. IV) God’s warnings are true. V) God’s promises are true.

IV. GOD’S TRUTH IS ETERNAL

Psalm 100:5 “For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his [truthfulness] to all generations.”

V. GOD’S TRUTH IS UNIVERSAL

John 17:17 “Your word is truth.”

VI. SINNERS SUPPRESS THE TRUTH

Romans 1:18 “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.”

Q. Why is the wrath of God revealed from heaven against those that suppress the truth?

Romans 1:21 “For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him…”

APPLICATION:

I. THERE WILL BE WRATH AND FURY FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT OBEY THE TRUTH

Romans 2:8 “for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.”

II. YOU MUST HEAR THE WORD OF TRUTH AND BELIEVE ON JESUS CHRIST

Ephesians 1:13 “In [Christ]…when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.”

Q. What is this “gospel of you salvation”?

Ephesians 1:7 “In [Christ] we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.”

III. IN CHRIST, YOU MUST KNOW THE TRUTH AND SO BE SET FREE FROM SIN

John 8:31-32 “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

IV. IN CHRIST, GOD SANCTIFIES YOU IN THE TRUTH

John 17:17 “sanctify them in the truth, your word is truth.’

V. IN CHRIST, YOU MUST IMITATE GOD IN TRUTHFULNESS

Ephesians 4:25 “Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor…”

FLAVAL: “Truth and sincerity of heart is that which is most suitable and pleasing to God.”

VI. IN CHRIST, THE PROMISES OF THE GOSPEL ARE AN ACHOR FOR YOUR SOUL, BECAUSE GOD IS TRUTH

Micah 7:19 “He will again have compassion on us;
he will tread our iniquities underfoot.
You will cast all our sins
into the depths of the sea.”

God promised Abraham offspring and gave it because He is true.

Romans 4:20-21 “No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. “

God promised meat and gave it because He is true.

Numbers 11:23 “And the Lord said to Moses, “Is the Lord's hand shortened? Now you shall see whether my word will come true for you or not.”

God promised Canaan and gave it because He is true.

Joshua 21:45 “Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass.”

God promised rest and fulfilled it because He is true.

1 Kings 8:56 “Blessed be the Lord who has given rest to his people Israel, according to all that he promised. Not one word has failed of all his good promise, which he spoke by Moses his servant.”

God promised the seed of the woman would crush the head of the serpent and did it because He is true.

Galatians 4:4-5 “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.”

In Christ, God has promised your justification has done it because He is true.

Romans 4:5 “And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.”

In Christ, God has promised your sanctification and is doing it because He is true.

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.”

In Christ, God has promised your glorification and will do it because He is true.

Romans 8:30 “And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.”

Philippians 1:6 “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

In Christ, God has promised to never leave you nor forsake you and will uphold it because He is true.

Hebrews 13:5 “[God] has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

In Christ, God has promised to take you to be with Himself and will do it because He is true.

John 14:2-3 “In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

In Christ, God has promised this eternal covenant and even swore an oath by Himself. He will not turn back because He is true.

Hebrews 6:19 “We have this (the truthfulness of God) as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul.”

Q9. ARE THERE MORE GODS THAN ONE?

Thu, 10 Sep 2020 10:00:00 +0000

ANSWER: There is but one only, the living and true God. (Deuteronomy 6:4; Jeremiah 10:10)

My aim is to give you three points of instruction and seven points of application concerning God being the only God—the living and true God.

INSTRUCTION

I. THERE IS ONLY ONE GOD

“There is but one only.”

Deuteronomy 6:4 “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.”

II. THERE IS ONLY ONE TRUE AND LIVING GOD

“the living and true God.”

Jeremiah 10:10 “But the Lord is the true God; he is the living God and the everlasting King.”

Psalm 71:19 “Your righteousness, O God, reaches the high heavens. You who have done great things, O God, who is like you?”

III. THERE ARE MANY SO-CALLED GODS THAT ARE FALSE

1 Corinthians 8:5-6 “For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many "gods" and many "lords"— yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.”

I) There are traditionally named false gods.

In the Scriptures: Amon (the chief god of Egypt), Asherah (a Canaanite goddess), Ashtoreth (a goddess of war and fertility), Baal (a Canaanite and Phoenician god of fertility and rain), Baal-Zebub (a popular deity of the Philistines), Bel (the chief deity of Babylon), Chemosh (the chief god of Moab), Dagon (worshipped in Babylonia and Philistia), Molech (the chief deity of Ammon), Tammuz (a Babylonian fertility god) Zeus and Hermes (Zeus was the patron god of the city of Lystra and his temple was there. Hermes was Zeus’ attendant and spokesman). Artemis (Artemis was the Greek name for the Roman goddess, Diana). Castor and Pollux (the two “sons of Zeus”, regarded as the guardian deities of sailors).

II) There are created things that are trusted and bowed down to as false gods

Power, entertainment, popularity, beauty, comfort, substances, family, religion, science, sex, money, self.

III) There are perversions of the one true God in the theological cults.

Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, the New Apostolic Reformation (2 Corinthians 11:12-15).

IV) There are perversions of the one true God in the minds of men.

“In the beginning, God created man in His own image, and man has been trying to return the favor ever since.”

APPLICATION

I. IF YOU TRUST IN ANYTHING OTHER THAN JESUS, YOU ARE TRUSTING IN SOMETHING WORTHLESS

Jeremiah 2:5 “Thus says the Lord: ‘What wrong did your fathers find in me that they went far from me, and went after worthlessness, and became worthless?’”

II. IF YOU TRUST IN ANYTHING OTHER THAN JESUS, YOU ARE TRUSTING IN SOMETHING THAT CANNOT PROFIT

Jeremiah 2:11 “Has a nation changed its gods, even though they are no gods? But my people have changed their glory for that which does not profit.”

Mark 8:36 “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?”

III. IF YOU TRUST IN ANYTHING OTHER THAN JESUS, YOU ARE DOING GREAT EVIL

Jeremiah 2:13 “for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.”
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IV. YOU MUST TURN FROM IDOLS TO SERVE THE LIVING AND TRUE GOD THROUGH FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST

1 Timothy 2:5-6 “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.”
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1 Thessalonians 1:9 “[Christians have] turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.”

Acts 14:15 “we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them.”

V. IN CHRIST, GOD MUST BE THE CENTER OF YOUR AFFECTIONS, LOVE, FEAR, AND JOY

Deuteronomy 6:4-5 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”
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VI. IN CHRIST, YOU MUST BE THANKFUL THAT JESUS HAS SAVED YOU BECAUSE THERE IS NO OTHER GOD THAT CAN SAVE

John 14:6 “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me.”

VII. IN CHRIST, YOU MUST TELL OTHERS THAT THERE IS ONE GOD AND ONE MEDIATOR BETWEEN GOD AND MAN, JESUS CHRIST

John 3:36 “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”

Q10. HOW MANY PERSONS ARE THERE IN THE GODHEAD?

Fri, 16 Oct 2020 10:00:00 +0000

ANSWER: There are three persons in the Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one God, the same in essence, equal in power and glory. (1 Cor. 8:6; John 10:30; John 14:9; Acts 5:3,4; Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14)

INSTRUCTION

I. You must understand that there are three persons in the Godhead so that you can properly understand what God has plainly revealed about Himself!

I. THERE ARE THREE PERSONS IN THE GODHEAD

There are blips in the OT

Genesis 1:1-3 “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.”

Genesis 1:26 “Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.”

Genesis 3:22 “Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil.”

THOMAS BOSTON: “This cannot be understood of angels: for man is said to be created after the image of God, but never after the image of angels; and the temptation was, ‘Ye shall be as gods,’ not as angels.”

In Genesis 18:1-2,10,13-14 “And the LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. 2 He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him. . . 10 The LORD said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him. . . . 13 The LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ 14 Is anything too hard for the LORD?”
Psalm 33:6 “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host.”

It is made explicit in the NT

Mark 1:9-11 “9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

Matthew 28:19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,”

2 Corinthians 13:14 “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”

II. THE FATHER IS GOD
1 Corinthians 8:6 “yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.”�
III. JESUS IS GOD

John 10:30-33 “30 I and the Father are one.” 31 The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. 32 Jesus answered them, ‘I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?’ 33 The Jews answered him, ‘It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.’”

IV. THE HOLY SPIRIT IS GOD

ACTS 5:3-4 “3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? 4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.”

There is no division in the Godhead, but there is distinction. ONE God in THREE persons.

THOMAS BOSTON: “It is a fundamental article, the belief whereof is necessary to salvation. For those that are ‘without God,’ (Eph. 2:12) and ‘have not the Father,’ cannot be saved; but ‘whoever denies the Son does not have the Father’ (1 John 2:23). Those that are none of Christ’s cannot be saved; but ‘Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to [Christ]” (Romans 8:9). None receive the Spirit but those that know [Christ] (John 14:17). This mystery of the Trinity is so interwoven with the whole of [Christianity], that there can neither be any true faith, right worship, or obedience without it. For take away this doctrine, and the object of faith, worship, and obedience is changed; seeing the object of these declared in the scripture, is the three persons in the Godhead; and the scriptures [are aware of] no other God.”

II. You must understand there are three person in the Godhead so that you can properly understand the gospel!

I. EACH MEMBER IN THE GODHEAD IS INTRICATELY INVOLVED IN REDEEMING SINNERS

I) THE FATHER PLANNED REDEMPTION; THE SON PURCHASED REDEMPTION; THE SPIRIT APPLIES REDEMPTION

Ephesians 1:4,7,13-14 “4 [THE FATHER] chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. . . 7 In [THE SON] we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace. . . 13 In [Christ] you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised HOLY SPIRIT, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.”

John 6:37, 63 “37 All that THE FATHER gives me will come to me (THE SON), and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. . . . 63 It is THE SPIRIT who gives life; the flesh is no help at all.”

Q11. WHAT ARE THE DECREES OF GOD?

Thu, 05 Nov 2020 10:00:00 +0000

A. The decrees of God are His eternal purpose, according to the counsel of His will, whereby for His own glory, He has fore-ordained whatsoever comes to pass (Eph. 1:11; Rom. 11:36; Dan. 4:35)

Oh that God would grant us high views of Him, low views of ourselves, and confident trust in the Lord Jesus Christ who is our Prophet, Priest, and King!

In this context the word “decree” means “eternal decision.”

— FOUR POINTS OF INSTRUCTION —

I. GOD HAS AN ETERNAL PURPOSE

“The decrees of God are His eternal purpose”

Ephesians 3:11 “This was according to the eternal purpose that He has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord,”

THOMAS BOSTON: “[God’s] decree and will are never without counsel; he…decrees things to be done with the greatest reason and judgment, most wisely as well as freely.”

II. GOD WORKS ALL THINGS ACCORDING TO HIS WILL

“according to the counsel of His will”

Ephesians 1:11 “In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,”

Daniel 4:35 “all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, "What have you done?"

I) GOD WORKS ALL SMALL THINGS ACCORDING TO HIS WILL

Proverbs 16:33
“The lot is cast into the lap,
but its every decision is from the Lord.”

Matthew 10:29-30 “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30 But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.”

BOSTON: “Not only great things, but small things fall within the compass of the divine decree.”

II) GOD WORKS ALL LARGE THINGS ACCORDING TO HIS WILL

Daniel 2:20-21
“20 Daniel answered and said: “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might. 21 He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings;”

BOSTON: “God has decreed what kingdoms and monarchies should be on the earth, what princes and potentates should rule and govern them, and whether their government should be mild or tyrannical; how long each kingdom should continue, when they should have peace and when war, when prosperity and adversity. We find wonderful discoveries made to Daniel with respect to these things.”

BOSTON: “But there is a vast difference [between] the decrees of God and men; ...this is the principal: Men's purposes or decrees are distinct from themselves, but the decrees of God are not distinct from himself.”

III. GOD CREATED AND GOVERNS ALL THINGS FOR HIS OWN GLORY

“whereby for His own glory”

Leviticus 10:3 “This is what the Lord has said: ‘Among those who are near me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified.’”

Psalm 19:1 “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.”

Isaiah 43:6-7 “6 I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Do not withhold;
bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, 7 everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”

1 Peter‬ ‭4:11 “whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

Proverbs 16:4 "The Lord has made all things for himself."

IV. GOD HAS FOR-ORDAINED WHATSOEVER COMES TO PASS

“He has fore-ordained whatsoever comes to pass.”

Acts 2:23 “this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.“

Isaiah 46:9-11 “9 I am God, & there is no other; I am God, & there is none like me, 10 declaring the end from the beginning & from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, & I will accomplish all my purpose,’ 11 calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country. I have spoken, & I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, & I will do it.”

Q. What about sin—the fall of man; did God decree the fall?

BOSTON: “It is true, God decreed not the effecting of sin, for then he should have been the author of it, but he decreed the permission of sin.”

In Chapter 3 of the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith, it says this:

"1. From all eternity God decreed everything that occurs, without reference to anything outside himself.1 He did this by the perfectly wise and holy counsel of his own will, freely and unchangeably.

Yet God did this in such a way that he is neither the author of sin nor has fellowship with any in their sin.2 This decree does not violate the will of the creature or take away the free working or contingency of second causes.

On the contrary, these are established by God’s decree.3 In this decree God’s wisdom is displayed in directing all things, and his power and faithfulness are demonstrated in accomplishing his decree.4

1Is. 46:10;Eph.1:11;Heb.6:17;Rom.9:15,18.2Jms.1:13;1Jhn.1:5.3Acts4:27-28;Jhn19:11.4Num.23:19;Eph.1:3–5."

— SIX POINTS OF APPLICATION —

I. GOD’S ETERNAL DECREE DOES NOT MEAN YOU ARE OFF THE HOOK FOR YOUR ACTIONS—GOD IS SOVEREIGN AND YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE

I) You are responsible for your actions and God does not judge on a curve

Galatians 6:7 “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.”

Psalm 10:13 “Why does the wicked renounce God and say in his heart, “You will not call to account”?”

Galatians 3:10 “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” (Quoting Deut. 27:26)

II) You must be reconciled to God through repentance and faith in Christ Jesus

Acts 2:39 “39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” 40 And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, ‘Save yourselves from this crooked generation.’ 41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.”

Acts 3:19 “Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out,”

III) In Christ, you must work out your own sanctification as you beat your body into submission and make it your slave

Philippians 2:12b-13 “12b work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 “24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control,”

1 Corinthians 15:10 “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.”

IV) In Christ, you must continue in the faith all the way until you death

Colossians 1:21-23 “21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard”

V) In Christ, God must make all things work for His glory and your good, because He has decreed it

Romans 8:28-30 “28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.”

VI) In Christ, God’s revelation concerning His eternal decrees should not lead you to speculate. God’s revelation concerning His eternal decrees should lead to sing!

Romans 11:36 “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! "For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?" "Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?" For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.”

BOSTON: “Let the people of God comfort themselves in all cases by this doctrine of the divine decrees; and, amidst whatever befalls them, rest quietly and submissively in the bosom of God, considering that whatever comes or can come to pass, proceeds from the decree of their gracious friend and reconciled Father, who knows what is best for them, and will make all things work together for their good.
O what a sweet and pleasant life would ye have under the heaviest pressures of affliction, and what heavenly serenity and tranquillity of mind would you enjoy, would you cheerfully acquiesce in the good will and pleasure of God, and embrace every dispensation, how sharp soever it may be, because it is determined and appointed for you by the eternal counsel of his will!”

Oh that God would grant us high views of Him, low views of ourselves, and confident trust in the Lord Jesus Christ who is our Prophet, Priest, and King!

Q12. HOW DOES GOD EXECUTE HIS DECREES?

Thu, 12 Nov 2020 10:00:00 +0000

A. God executes His decrees in the works of creation and providence. (Gen. 1:1; Rev. 4:11; Matt. 6:26; Acts 14:17)

Consider Acts 17:16-34 and learn these thirteen truths.

I) God created the the world and everything in it (v. 24a)

24a “The God who made the world and everything in it,”

II) God is Lord of heaven and earth (v. 24b)

24b “being Lord of heaven and earth,”

III) God does not live in temples made by man (v. 24c)

24c "does not live in temples made by man,"

IV) God is not served by your human hands; God does not need you (v. 25a)

25a “nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything,”

V) God gives you life and breath and everything (v. 25b)

25b “since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.”

VI) God made you from one man in order that you would take part in filling the earth (v. 26a)

26a “And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth,”

VII) God determined (decreed) where you would live and when you would be born (v. 26b)

26b “having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place,”

VIII) God made you in such a way that you should seek God and find Him (v. 27a)

27a “that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him.”

IX) God sustains you every moment of every day and you know this to be true (v.27b-28)

27b “Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, 28 for ‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are indeed his offspring.’”

X) You are made in the image of God; God is not made in the image of your choosing (v.29)

29 "Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man."

XI) God commands you to repent of your sin and both believe in and submit to the Lord Jesus Christ (v. 30)

30 “The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,”

XII) God has fixed a day that He is going to either cut your head off or cut your sin out (v. 31)

31 "because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

XIII) You must not delay—go to Jesus Christ in faith and then obey Him out of joy! (v. 32-34)

32 Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, “We will hear you again about this.” 33 So Paul went out from their midst. 34 But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.

Q13. WHAT IS THE WORK OF CREATION?

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 10:00:00 +0000

A. The work of creation is God’s making all things of nothing, by the Word of His power, in the space of six days, and all very good. (Gen. 1:1; Heb. 11:3; Ex. 20:11; Gen. 1:31)

I. GOD MADE ALL THINGS FROM NOTHING

“The work of creation is God’s making all things of nothing,”

Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

I) Man’s creative works are simply forming material; God’s creative works bring something from nothing.

II) God’s works in creation leave all men without excuse before Him.

Romans‬ ‭1:18-21‬ “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”

II. GOD SPOKE ALL THINGS INTO EXISTENCE

“by the Word of His power,”

Psalm 33:6 “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host.”

I) See the power of the word of God and worship.

Isaiah 55:10-11 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.”

II) God’s spoken word created; His written word preached recreates.

1 Peter‬ ‭1:23-25‬ “you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for "All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever." And this word is the good news that was preached to you.”

III) God’s spoken word separated; His written word preached sanctifies.

John 17:17 “Sanctify them in the truth, Your word is truth.”

III. GOD CREATED AND FORMED ALL THINGS IN THE SPACE OF SIX DAYS

“in the space of six days,”

Genesis 2:1-3 “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.”

IV. GOD MADE ALL THINGS VERY GOOD

“and all very good.”

Genesis 1:31 “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.”

Ecclesiastes‬ ‭7:29‬ “See, this alone I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes.”

I) See the sinfulness of sin: God made everything very good in blessedness but we in our rebellion brought about the curse.

Genesis‬ ‭3:16-19‬ “To the woman he said, "I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you." And to Adam he said, "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, 'You shall not eat of it,' cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return."”

Romans 8:20 “For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it...”

II) See the wonderful message of the gospel: God sent His only Son to redeem us from the curse by becoming a curse for us.

Genesis 3:14-15 “The Lord God said to the serpent..."I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel."

Galatians 3:13 “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree"—”
‭‭
III) See the precious promises of the gospel: God will make a new heavens and a new earth and we who are in Christ will live with Him in glory forever.

2 Peter‬ ‭3:13‬ “But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.”

Q14. HOW DID GOD CREATE MAN?

Fri, 26 Mar 2021 10:00:00 +0000

A: God created man male and female, after His own image, in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, with dominion over the creatures.

I. GOD CREATED MAN MALE AND FEMALE—THESE BEING THE ONLY TWO GENDERS (Genesis 1:27, Genesis 5:2, Matthew 19:4-5)

I) These are the common parents of all mankind (Acts 17:20. II) There was no man in the world before Adam and no woman before Eve (1 Corinthians 15:17, Genesis 3:20).

II. GOD CREATED MAN AFTER HIS OWN IMAGE

What does it mean that God created us in His own image? At the very least it means that God created us to image Him—to glorify Him by reflecting His excellencies insofar as we are able.

III. GOD CREATED MAN AND BLESSED HIM WITH KNOWLEDGE (Colossians 3:10, Romans 2:15)

IV. GOD CREATED MAN AND BLESSED HIM WITH RIGHTEOUSNESS (Ephesians 4:24)

V. GOD CREATED MAN AND BLESSED HIM WITH HOLINESS (Ephesians 4:24)

VI. GOD CREATED MAN A BLESSED HIM WITH DOMINION OVER THE CREATURES (Genesis 1:26-27)

I) See what a privileged position we were created in yet how far we have fallen in Adam (Ecclesiastes 7:29, Romans 3:10-18).

II) The LGBTQ+ movement is simply a failing assault on God, who created man male and female (Romans 1, Psalm 2:3-4).

III) Though the image of God in you has been so marred and disfigured, you can be reconciled to God and restored into God’s perfect image in Christ (Colossians 3:9-10).

IV) Christ Jesus became a man and was destroyed for our sin in order to restore God’s image in us (Romans 6:6, Isaiah 53:2-10).

V) If you are in Christ, you must put off your old self and put on the new self—you must be killing sin and be constantly renewed in your mind (Ephesians 4:17-24).

Q15. WHAT ARE GOD'S WORKS OF PROVIDENCE?

Fri, 16 Jul 2021 10:00:00 +0000

A. God’s works of providence are His most holy, wise, and powerful preserving and governing all His creatures, and all their actions. (Neh. 9:6; Col. 1:17; Heb. 1:3; Ps. 103:19; Matt. 10:29-30)

Five points of instruction and four points of application.

INSTRUCTION

I. God PRESERVES all His creatures, and all their actions

Matthew 10:29 “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.”

Nehemiah 9:6 “You are the LORD, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you.”

Colossians 1:17 “in [Christ] all things hold together.”

Hebrews 1:3 “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.”

II. God GOVERNS all His creatures, and all their actions

Ephesians 1:11 “God works all things according to the counsel of His will.”

Psalm 103:19 “The Lord has established his throne in the heavens and his kingdom rules over all.”

Proverbs 16:9 “The heart of a man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.”

Proverbs 16:33 “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.”

Proverbs 21:1 “The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever he will.”

Isaiah 46:9-11
“I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me,
declaring the end from the beginning
and from ancient times things not yet done,
saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’
. . . I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass;
I have purposed, and I will do it.”

THOMAS BOSTON: “God sits in his secret place, surrounded with clouds and darkness, holding the rudder of the world in his hand, and steering its course through all the floatings and tossings of causality and contingency to his own appointed ends.”

OBJECTION

Q. Does this mean God causes sin or is the author of sin?

A. No! “It is true, God decreed not the effecting of sin, for then he should have been the author of it, but he decreed the permission of sin.” (Thomas Boston)

In Chapter 3 of the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith, it says this:

1. From all eternity God decreed everything that occurs, without reference to anything outside himself. He did this by the perfectly wise and holy counsel of his own will, freely and unchangeably.
Yet God did this in such a way that he is neither the author of sin nor has fellowship with any in their sin. This decree does not violate the will of the creature or take away the free working or contingency of second causes.

Genesis 50:20 “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”

James 1:13 “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God,’ for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.”

1 John 1:5 “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.”

III. God’s works of providence are HOLY

Exodus‬ ‭15:11‬ “Who is like [the LORD], majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?”

Psalm 145:17 “The Lord is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works.”

IV. God’s works of providence are WISE

Romans 11:33 “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable (impossible to understand or interpret) his ways!”

V. God’s works of providence are POWERFUL

Daniel 4:34-35 “34 His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation;
35 all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing,
and he does according to his will among the host of heaven
and among the inhabitants of the earth;
and none can stay his hand
or say to him, ‘What have you done?’”

APPLICATION

I. God Himself is your preserver and governor, therefore see how YOU OWE HIM WORSHIP

Psalm 29:2 “Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.”

II. God Himself is your preserver and governor, therefore see how EVIL SIN IS

Sin says, “Let us burst [the LORD’s] bonds apart and cast away [His] cords from us.” (Psalm 2:3)

Romans 1:30 “haters of God”

Proverbs 19:3 “When a man's folly brings his way to ruin, his heart rages against the LORD.”

Proverbs 21:4 "The plowing of the wicked is sin."

III. God Himself sent His only Son into the world to die in place of sinners, therefore see how YOU CAN TRUST HIM, and all His acts of providence

Acts 4:27-28 “for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.”

IV. God Himself is your preserver and governor, and, in Christ, He has promised to govern all things for your good

Romans 8:28 “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

Q16. WHAT SPECIAL ACT OF PROVIDENCE DID GOD EXERCISE TOWARDS MAN, IN THE ESTATE WHEREIN HE WAS CREAT

Thu, 05 Aug 2021 10:00:00 +0000

A. When God had created man, He entered into a covenant of works with him, upon condition of perfect obedience, forbidding him to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, upon pain of death. (Gen. 2:16,17; Gal. 3:12; Rom. 5:12)

INSTRUCTION

I. THE LORD GOD ENTERED INTO A COVENANT OF WORKS WITH ADAM

“When God had created man, He entered into a covenant of works with him”

Genesis 2:16-17 “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, "You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."

Hosea‬ ‭6:7‬ “But like Adam they transgressed the covenant; there they dealt faithlessly with me.”

II. THE GENERAL CONDITION OF THE COVENANT OF WORKS WAS PERFECT OBEDIENCE

“upon condition of perfect obedience,”

Genesis 2:16-17 “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, "You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."

Ecclesiastes‬ ‭7:29 “See, this alone I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes.”

III. THE SPECIFIC CONDITION OF THE COVENANT OF WORKS WAS THAT ADAM WAS NOT TO EAT OF THE TREE OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL

“forbidding him to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,”

Genesis 2:16-17 “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, "You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat…”

IV. THE PENALTY FOR BREAKING THE COVENANT OF WORKS WAS DEATH

“upon pain of death.”

Genesis 2:17 “for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

Genesis‬ ‭3:19 “By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return."
- I) Natural, II) Spiritual, and III) Eternal death.

APPLICATION

I. See the love and condescension of God in bending low to enter into a covenant with man (Psalm 8:3-5)

Psalm 8:3-5
”3 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
    the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
4 what is man that you are mindful of him,
    and the son of man that you care for him?
5 Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
    and crowned him with glory and honor.”

II. See the holiness of God in that He will only accept perfect obedience (Habakkuk 1:13)

Habakkuk 1:13 “You…are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong…”

III. See the kindness of God in that the simplest command was given (Deuteronomy 30:11)

Deuteronomy 30:11 “For this commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far off.”

IV. See where our great enemy, death, came from (Romans 5:12; 6:23)

Romans 5:12 “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned…“

Romans 6:23 “the wages of sin is death.”

V. See how foolish it is to try and get yourself to heaven by works (Romans 3:20)

Romans 3:20 “For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight…”

VI. See how wonderful the covenant of Grace is, where Jesus perfectly upholds our end of the bargain (Hebrews 10:15-17)

Hebrews 10:15-17 “15 And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying,
16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them
    after those days, declares the Lord:
I will put my laws on their hearts,
    and write them on their minds,”
17 then he adds,
“I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”

Q17. DID OUR FIRST PARENTS CONTINUE IN THE ESTATE WHEREIN THEY WERE CREATED?

Thu, 06 Jan 2022 10:00:00 +0000

Q17. DID OUR FIRST PARENTS CONTINUE IN THE ESTATE WHEREIN THEY WERE CREATED?

A. Our first parents, being left to the freedom of their own will, fell from the estate wherein they were created, by sinning against God. (Gen. 3:6; Eccles. 7:29; Rom. 5:12)

INSTRUCTION

I. OUR FIRST PARENTS WERE LEFT TO THE FREEDOM OF THEIR OWN WILL

“Our first parents, being left to the freedom of their own will,”

THOMAS BOSTON: “There was no force or compulsion here; all proceeded from free choice. Their eyes saw the fruit, their hearts coveted it, their hands took it, and their mouths ate it.”

II. OUR FIRST PARENTS USED THEIR FREE WILL TO FALL FROM THE BLESSED STATE OF KNOWLEDGE, RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND HOLINESS

“fell from the estate wherein they were created,”

Ephesians 4:22-24 “22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds (there is knowledge), 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”

I) Consider the effects of the fall

(I) By Eve’s fall into sin, childbearing became painful (Genesis 3:16a)

Genesis 3:16a “To the woman he said, ‘I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children.’”

(II) By Adam and Eve’s fall into sin, marriage became difficult (Genesis 3:16b)

Genesis 3:16b “Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you.”

(III) By Adam’s fall into sin, the ground was cursed by God (Genesis 3:17-18)

Genesis 3:17-18 “17 And to Adam he said,
“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife
and have eaten of the tree
of which I commanded you,
‘You shall not eat of it,’
cursed is the ground because of you;
in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;
18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;
and you shall eat the plants of the field.”

(IV) By Adam’s fall into sin, work became difficult (Genesis 3:19)

Genesis 3:19 “By the sweat of your face
you shall eat bread,
till you return to the ground,
for out of it you were taken;
for you are dust,
and to dust you shall return.”

(V) By their fall into sin, Adam and Eve lost knowledge for themselves and all their offspring (2 Corinthians 4:4)

Sin has made us blind in our understanding.

2 Corinthians 4:4 ”In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”

(VI) By their fall into sin, Adam and Eve lost righteousness for themselves and all their offspring (Psalm 14:2-3)

Sin has made us unrighteous in our actions.

Psalm 14:2-3 “2 The LORD looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. 3 They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.”

(VII) By their fall into sin, Adam and Eve lost holiness for themselves and all their offspring (Genesis 6:5)

Sin has made us unholy in our very souls.

Genesis 6:5 “The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”

III. OUR FIRST PARENTS FELL BY SINNING

“by sinning against God.”

Q18. What is sin? A. Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God. (1 John 3:4; Rom. 5:13)

APPLICATION

Consider how Christ reverses the curse of sin by His work of redemption.

I) By Eve’s fall into sin, childbearing became painful, but in Christ it is also redemptive (1 Timothy 2:15)

1 Timothy 2:15 “Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control.”

II) By Adam and Eve’s fall into sin, marriage became difficult, but in Christ marriage is a glorious picture of Jesus and His church’s covenant relationship (Ephesians 5:22-25, 32)

Ephesians 5:22-25 “22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. 25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. . . 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.”

III) By Adam’s fall into sin, the ground was cursed by God, but Christ came to make His blessings flow far as the curse is found (Galatians 3:10,13; Revelation 21:23-27)

(I) Christ came to redeem His people from the curse on us for our lawbreaking in particular! (Galatians 3:10, 13)

Galatians 3:10, 13 “10 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. . . 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree.’”

(II) Christ came to redeem His people, and the entire creation, from the curse of sin in general! (Isaiah 25:7-8)

Isaiah 25:7-8 “7 And he will swallow up on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations. 8 He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the LORD has spoken.”

IV) By Adam’s fall into sin, work became difficult, but in Christ our work is rewarding and one day we will rest from all our under-the-curse-labor (Colossians 3:23-24; Hebrews 4:9)

(I) In Christ, your work is not in vain—you are serving Jesus in your vocation and you will be rewarded! (Colossians 3:23-24)

Colossians 3:23-24 “23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.”

(II) In Christ, there remains a sabbath rest for you, where you will cease from all of your under-the-curse-work! (Hebrews 4:9)

Hebrews 4:9 “There remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God”

(V) By their fall into sin, Adam and Eve lost knowledge for themselves and all their offspring, but in Christ a better knowledge is given to us (2 Corinthians 4:6)

2 Corinthians 4:6 ”For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

VI) By their fall into sin, Adam and Eve lost righteousness for themselves and all their offspring, but in Christ a better righteousness is given to us (Philippians 3:8-9)

Philippians 3:8-9 “8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith”

VII) By their fall into sin, Adam and Eve lost holiness for themselves and all their offspring, but Christ has come to make His people purify, consecrate, and sanctify (Genesis 6:5)

(I) Christ has come to both purify His people’s souls and to sanctify us in our actions! (Hebrews 10:14)

Hebrews 10:14 “For by a single offering he has perfected (there is purity of soul) for all time those who are being sanctified (there is sanctification in actions).”

(II) Christ has come to consecrate His people, setting them apart for holy service to Him! (John 17:19)

John 17:19 “For their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.”

CONCLUSION

See the futility of free will!

If Adam and Eve, being made in the image of God and blessed with holiness, righteousness, and knowledge fell into sin by their free will, how much more futile is our free will now since the image of God is marred in us, and we are not born with holiness, righteousness, and knowledge.

(I) You cannot do anything good by your free will (John 15:5)

John 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”

(II) You cannot even repent and go to Christ by your free will (John 6:44, 63; 1 Corinthians 2:14)

John 6:44 “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.”

John 6:63 “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all.”

1 Corinthians 2:14 “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.”

Your free will cannot save you, it can only damn you! Thanks be to God that He does not leave us in our natural state, nor simply woo us to come to Christ, because by our free will in a natural state we would never go to Christ. Oh! praise God with me, saints, that He regenerates us and renews our wills, making us who were once slaves to sin now slaves to righteousness.

Q18. WHAT IS SIN?

Thu, 27 Jan 2022 10:00:00 +0000

A. Sin is any lack of conformity to, or transgression of, the law of God.

I. SIN IS BREAKING THE LAW OF GOD (Romans 2:14-15, Galatians 3:10)

I) Sin is breaking the Law of God that He has written on the heart (Romans 2:14-15). II) Sin is breaking the Law of God that He has written in His Book (Galatians 3:10).

II. SIN IS NOT DOING WHAT GOD COMMANDS YOU TO DO, THINK, OR FEEL (Deuteronomy 6:5, James 4:17)

III. SIN IS DOING WHAT GOD FORBIDS YOU TO DO, THINK, OR FEEL (1 John 3:14)

I) You have sinned against God (Romans 3:22-23).

II) Every sin is ultimately against God, even if it is partly against others (Psalm 51:4).

III) Sin is great evil.

Sin is fighting God (Acts 5:39). Sin is hostile to God (Romans 8:7). Sin is contrary to God (Leviticus 26:21). Sin is resisting God (Acts 7:51). Sin is quarreling with God (Isaiah 45:9). Sin is rising up against God (Micah 2:8).

IV) Sin harms the person who commits the sin (Proverbs 8:36).

V) Every sin deserves God’s eternal wrath and curse (Romans 6:23).

VI) For the unbeliever, sin is like a noose fastened around the neck (John 8:24).

VII) Christ Jesus is the only way you can have your sins forgiven (Hebrews 9:27-28).

VIII) Believers are set free from slavery to sin and have become slaves to Christ and to righteousness (Romans 6:17-18).

IX) Sin is like cords which easily entangle even the believer, therefore you must be killing sin or it will be killing you (Hebrews 12:1-2, Romans 8:13).

X) One day, for those who receive and rest in Christ alone in this life, we will be totally freed from the possibility of sinning (1 John 3:2, Revelation 22:3-4).

Q19. WHAT WAS THE SIN WHEREBY OUR FIRST PARENTS FELL?

Thu, 11 Aug 2022 10:00:00 +0000

Q19. WHAT WAS THE SIN WHEREBY OUR FIRST PARENTS FELL FROM THE STATE WHEREIN THEY WERE CREATED?

A. The sin whereby our first parents fell from the state wherein they were created, was their eating the forbidden fruit. (Gen. 3:6,12,13)

We need to remember questions 18 and 14, to help us realize what is behind question 19. Q18. What is sin? A. Sin is any lack of conformity to, or transgression of, the law of God (1 John 3:4; Rom. 5:13). Q14. How did God create man? A. God created man male and female, after His own image, in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, with dominion over the creatures (Gen. 1:27; Col. 3:10; Eph. 4:24; Gen. 1:28). When these questions are understood, question 19 is rather straightforward.

SIX DEVICES OF SATAN FROM GENESIS 3:1-7

I want to make several observations to you from Genesis 3:1-7, so that you may learn from this not only that Adam and Eve fell, but how they were tempted when they fell. Why? First, because we must not be ignorant of Satan’s devices. “We are not ignorant of his designs (devices)” (2 Corinthians 2:11). Second, because we must stand firm against the schemes of the devil. “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11).

I. One of Satan’s devices is to tempt you to question God’s Word (Genesis 3:1a). “Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say. . .?”

II. Another one of Satan’s devices is to tempt you to change God’s Word (Genesis 3:1b). “‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”

III. Another one of Satan’s devices is to tempt you to add to God’s Word (Genesis 3:2-3). “And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’”

IV. Another one of Satan’s devices is to tempt you to think that God is all mercy and no justice (Genesis 3:4). “But the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die.’” In his book Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices, Thomas Brooks wrote, “Oh! says Satan, you need not make such a matter of sin, you need not be so fearful of sin, not so unwilling to sin; for God is a God of mercy, a God full of mercy, a God that delights in mercy, a God that is ready to show mercy, a God that is never weary of showing mercy, a God more prone to pardon his people than to punish his people; and therefore he will not take advantage against the soul; and why then, says Satan, should you make such a matter of sin?“ I encourage all of you to read and re-read Brook’s book.

V. Another one of Satan’s devices is to tempt you to think that God is all justice and no mercy (Genesis 3:5). “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Satan is implying, “The Lord is not merciful enough to you… He does not want to give… He only wants to take.” He is a liar. God already blessed Adam and Even. He showed them lovingkindness from the beginning.

VI. Another one of Satan’s devices is to present sin before our eyes as beautiful, showing the bait but hiding the hook (Genesis 3:6). “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.” The apostle to the Hebrews calls this “The fleeting pleasures of sin” (Hebrews 11). Again Brooks write, “[One of Satan’s devices] to draw the soul into sin is, to present the bait—and hide the hook; to present the golden cup—and hide the poison; to present the sweet, the pleasure, and the profit that may flow in upon the soul by yielding to sin—and to hide from the soul the wrath and misery that will certainly follow the committing of sin. By this device he deceived our first parents.”

SIX TRUTHS CONCERNING SATAN AND HIS DEVICES BY THOMAS BROOKS

(i) Though Satan has his devices to draw souls to sin, yet we must be careful that we do not lay all our temptations upon Satan, that we do not wrong the devil, and father that upon him that is to be fathered upon our own base hearts. (ii) Satan has a great hand and stroke in most sins. (iii) Satan must have a double permission before he can do anything against us. (iv) No weapons but spiritual weapons will be useful and serviceable to the soul in fighting and combating with the devil. (v) We may read much of Satan's nature and disposition by the diverse names and epithets that are given him in the Scripture (deceiver, adversary, tempter, murderer, accuser, destroyer). (vi) God will shortly tread down Satan under the saints' feet.

THOUGH SIN BRINGS SHAME AND CONDEMNATION, CHRIST BRINGS REDEMPTION

“Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths” (Genesis 3:7). Sin always brings shame and condemnation, but Christ can fix that by His redemption. Right after the fall, God promises Christ will come and have his heel bruised as he bruises the head of the serpent. Then God clothes Adam and Even, covering their nakedness and shame. This is what God does for us in Christ!

TEN SPECIAL HELPS AND RULES AGAINST SATAN'S DEVICES BY THOMAS BROOKS

(i) The first help. If you would not be taken by any of Satan's devices, then walk by rule of the Word of God. (Prov. 12:24; Gal. 6:16) He who walks by rule, walks most safely; he who walks by rule, walks most honorably; he who walks by rule, walks most sweetly. (ii) The second help. As you would not be taken with any of Satan's devices, take heed of vexing and grieving of the Holy Spirit of God. (iii) The third help. If you would not be taken with any of Satan's devices, then labor for more heavenly wisdom. (iv) The fourth help. If you would not be taken with any of Satan's devices, then make immediate resistance against Satan's first motions. (v) The fifth help. If you would not be taken with any of Satan's devices, then labor to be filled with the Spirit. (vi) The sixth help. If you would not be taken in any of Satan's snares, then keep humble. (vii) The seventh help. If you would not be taken in any of Satan's snares, then keep a strong, close, and constant watch (1 Thess. 5:6). (viii) The eighth help. If you would not be taken with any of Satan's snares and devices, then keep up your communion with God. (ix) The ninth help. If you would not be taken in any of Satan's snares, then do not engage Satan in your own strength—but be every day drawing new virtue and strength from the Lord Jesus. (x) The tenth help. If you would not be taken in any of Satan's snares, then be much in prayer.

Q20. DID ALL MANKIND FALL IN ADAM'S FIRST TRANSGRESSION?

Wed, 07 Sep 2022 10:00:00 +0000

Q. 20. DID ALL MANKIND FALL IN ADAM’S FIRST TRANSGRESSION?

A. The covenant being made with Adam, not only for himself but for his posterity, all mankind, descending from him by ordinary generation, sinned in him, and fell with him in his first transgression. (1 Cor. 15:21,22; Rom. 5:12,18,19)

I. INSTRUCTION

I) GOD ENTERED INTO A COVENANT OF WORKS WITH ADAM IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN (The covenant being made with Adam). See Question 16 in the Baptist Catechism.

II) GOD ENTERED INTO A COVENANT OF WORKS WITH ALL MANKIND THROUGH ADAM, WHO WAS OUR COVENANT HEAD (not only for himself but for his posterity, all mankind). 1 Corinthians 15:22: “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.” You are either in Adam or in Christ. “Adam had all his children in one ship to carry them to Immanuel's land; by his negligence he dashed the ship on a rock, and broke it all in pieces; and so he and his lay foundering in a sea of guilt; Jesus Christ lets out the second covenant as a rope to draw them to the shore” (Thomas Boston).

III) CHRIST JESUS HIMSELF IS THE ONLY EXCEPTION, HAVING BEEN BORN NOT SINFUL OF THE MAN’S SEED, BUT HOLY BY THE WORK OF GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT (descending from him by ordinary generation). Hebrews 7:26: “For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.”

IV) YOU AND I SINNED IN ADAM WHEN HE SINNED, HIM BEING OUR REPRESENTATIVE IN THE COVENANT OF WORKS (sinned in him). Romans 5:12: “Just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.” This is known as the Doctrine of Original Sin.

Wilhelmus Á Brakel offers three Proofs of this doctrine from Romans 5:

“Proof #1: (1) We do not read that all men are sinful, but that all men have sinned. The reference is not to propensity, but to the commission of an act. . . (2) It is clearly stated here that sin is the cause of death, also of [physical] death, and it is therefore not true that death is the result of man's sinful nature, even if no sinful act had been committed. . . (3) It is thus evident that little children prior to birth also must be guilty of sin, for they die. According to verse 14 they are not guilty of actual sin. They are therefore guilty of a sin which has been imputed to them, and no other sin is imputed to them than Adam's covenant breach. (4) [God says, through Paul,] all men have sinned "in him" [Adam]. . .

Proof #2: The imputation of Adam's covenant breach is also confirmed. . .It is clear that the references in Romans 5 are to one single sin, and thus to a deed rather than a propensity, and that sin was committed by only one man. By that one sin committed by one man, that is, Adam, judgment to condemnation has come upon all men. Since these are the very words of the text, this point needs no further proof. . .

Proof #3: It is clear beyond all controversy that in this chapter the apostle continually contrasts Adam to Christ. Adam is the cause of judgment to condemnation for all who are in him. Christ is the cause of redemption and salvation for all who are in Him. Since justification through Christ occurs by imputation (which we will prove at the appropriate moment), therefore, by virtue of the contrast, judgment to condemnation comes upon all men by imputation of Adam's breach of covenant. . .

All men were comprehended in Adam in the covenant [of works], and therefore when he sinned, all men sinned in him by consequence of being in him” (Wilhelmus Á Brakel, The Christian’s Reasonable Service, Volume 1).

Understand this: Adam’s sin was imputed to us because he represented us; it was not that we merely inherited a propensity to sin! His guilt is ours as much as if we had committed that first sin in the garden.

V) YOU AND I FELL WITH ADAM IN HIS FIRST TRANSGRESSION (and fell with him in his first transgression). Psalm 14:3: “They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.” “Not only is the guilt of Adam's sin imputed to us—but the depravity and corruption of his nature is transmitted to us, as poison is carried from the fountain to the cistern. . .Adam's leprosy cleaves to us, as Naaman's leprosy did to Gehazi in 2 Kings 5” (Thomas Watson). This why David sings in Psalm 51:5, “In sin did my mother conceive me.”

APPLICATION

I) SEE HOW EVIL AND DESTRUCTIVE SIN IS! Romans 5:19a “For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners.” “What a plague of plagues must this sin be, that has swept away not families, towns, and countries only, but the whole race of mankind” (Thomas Boston)! Believer, the next time you are tempted to sin, fight it partly with this thought: One little sin ruined in the whole race of men; what might this one sin ruin in my life and the lives of others? Do you think your sins are small or do you know sin has destructive power?

II) SEE THE FOOLISHNESS OF THOSE WHO SAY THEY HAVE NO SIN! 2 John 1:8: “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” “They hold to sinless perfection; they show much pride and ignorance; but we see the seeds of original sin remain in the best. . .Though grace purifies nature, it does not (this side of glory) perfect it” (Thomas Boston). Do you say you have no sin?

III) SEE HOW HUMBLE WE SHOULD BE, BECAUSE EVEN WE WHO ARE ALIVE IN CHRIST STILL HAVE THE DEATH OF ORIGINAL SIN CLINGING TO OUR FLESH! Romans 7:22-23: “For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.” “You carry a hell about you, you can do nothing but you defile it; your heart, like muddy ground, defiles the purest water that runs through it. Nay, though you are regenerate, there is much of the old man in the new man. Oh how should original sin humble us” (Thomas Boston)! Do you humble yourself with this reality, that even though you may be a Christian, you still have much sin left in your flesh?

IV) SEE HOW YOU MUST LOOK TO CHRIST IN FAITH TO SAVE YOU, NOT ONLY FROM THE ACTUAL SINS YOU HAVE COMMITTED, BUT ALSO FROM THE ORIGINAL SIN THAT WAS IMPUTED TO YOU! Romans 5:17: “For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.” Have you looked to Christ in faith, turning from your sin to Him, to save you from both your original sin and your actual sins?

V) PARENTS, SEE THAT YOUR CHILDREN DO NOT JUST NEED TO BE FREED FROM THE ACTUAL SINS THEY HAVE COMMITTED; OUR CHILDREN NEED TO BE FREED FROM THE ORIGINAL SIN THAT WAS IMPUTED TO THEM AND THE POLLUTION OF SIN THAT INFECTS THEM!

VI) SEE HOW THE PERFECT WORK OF CHRIST IS THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF THE TERRIBLE FAILURE OF ADAM! Romans 5:19: “For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.” Just as Adam’s sin was imputed to us by breaking the covenant of works, so Christ’s righteousness is imputed to us who believe by his purchasing the covenant of grace. Our sin and guilt was imputed to Christ on the cross so that, in paying our debt, his righteousness would then be imputed to us by faith.

VII) SEE HOW YOU SHOULD DAILY CRY OUT TO GOD FOR MERCY! Romans 7:24-25: “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Ephesians 6:10: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.” “Beg Christ's blood to wash away the guilt of sin, and his Spirit to mortify the power of it; beg further degrees of grace. Though grace [does not] make sin not to be—yet it makes it not to reign; though grace [does not] expel sin, it does repel it” (Thomas Watson). Romans 6:11-13: “So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.” Do you cry out to God for mercy for forgiveness and strength for holiness?

VIII) SEE HOW WE WHO ARE IN CHRIST SHOULD EARNESTLY LONG FOR THE DAY WHEN WE WILL BE TOTALLY FREE FROM ANY HINT OF ORIGINAL SIN! 1 Corinthians 15:54: “When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” Do you long for the day when Christ will make you totally new with Him and like Him?

Are you in Adam or in Christ?

Q21-22. WHEREIN CONSISTS THE SINFULNESS OF THAT STATE WHEREUNTO MAN FELL?

Fri, 28 Oct 2022 10:00:00 +0000

Q21. INTO WHAT STATE DID THE FALL BRING MANKIND?

A21. The fall brought mankind into a state of sin and misery. (Ps. 51:5; Rom. 5:18,19: Is. 64:6)

I. BECAUSE OF THE FALL, ALL MEN ARE NOW NATURALLY IN A STATE OF SIN. “The fall brought mankind into a state of sin.”Psalm 51:5: “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.” Romans 5:18-19: “Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.” Isaiah 64:6: “We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.”

II. BECAUSE OF THE FALL, ALL MEN ARE NOT NATURALLY IN A STATE OF MISERY. “The fall brought mankind into a state of…misery.” Romans 3:16: “in their paths are ruin and misery.” Thomas Boston, in his commentary on the Westminster Shorter Catechism, writes, “Man's first sin was the spring of all our woes, the poisonous fountain from whence all our misery flowed. It brought mankind into an estate of sin and misery; a state wherein man can do nothing but sin, wherein every thought, every word, and every action is tainted with sin; wherein enmity to God and his holy nature, and rebellion against and opposition to his righteous law universally reign and prevail.”

Q22. WHEREIN CONSISTS THE SINFULNESS OF THAT STATE WHEREUNTO MAN FELL?

A22. The sinfulness of that state whereunto man fell, consists in the guilt of Adam’s first sin, the want of original righteousness, and the corruption of his whole nature, which is commonly called original sin, together with all actual transgressions which proceed from it (Rom. 5:19; 3:10; Eph. 2:1; Is. 53:6; Ps. 51:5; Matt. 15:19).

I. BECAUSE OF THE FALL, YOU ARE GUILTY BEFORE GOD UNLESS YOU ARE FORGIVEN THROUGH CHRIST’S DEATH. “The sinfulness of that estate whereunto man fell, consists in the guilt of Adam’s first sin.”

Romans 5:19: “For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.” Psalm 51:5: “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.’ Thomas Boston notes, “Original sin consists in the guilt of Adam's first sin. Guilt is an obligation to punishment. For this sin, which is ours by imputation, we are liable to punishment. This guilt lies on all men by nature (Romans 5:18). And this guilt of Adam's first sin is original sin imputed; of which I spoke in the former discourse. The only remedy for it is in Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:22; Ephesians 1:7; Romans 3:24).

See why you and I need a dying Savior to pay for our guilt, so that we can be forgiven by God. We have one in Christ Jesus! God says through Paul, “In [Christ] we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace” (Eph. 1:7).

II. YOU DO NOT HAVE A RIGHTEOUSNESS BY WHICH YOU CAN STAND BEFORE GOD UNLESS YOU ARE COUNTED RIGHTEOUS IN CHRIST. “The sinfulness of that estate whereunto man fell, consists in. . .the want of original righteousness.”

Romans 3:10: “It is written: “None is righteous, no, not one.” Boston writes, “Original righteousness is that righteousness and entire rectitude of all the faculties of the soul wherein man was created. Man's soul was so adorned with it, that it resembled its great Maker. But now man is stript of these ornaments, he is left quite naked.”

See why you and I need a righteous Savior! You and I need not only a Savior who would die for sin, but also live for righteousness, perfectly obeying the Law of God on our behalf. We have this Savior in Jesus Christ! Paul says in Philippians 3:9 “not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith.“

III. BECAUSE OF THE FALL, YOUR ENTIRE NATURE IS CORRUPT, UNLESS CHRIST HAS GIVEN YOU A NEW ONE BY THE POWER OF HIS RESURRECTION. “The sinfulness of that estate whereunto man fell, consists in the. . .the corruption of his whole nature, which is commonly called original sin.”

Ephesians 2:1: “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins.” Matthew 15:19: “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.” This was literally our text in Family Worship this morning with my family in the Baggett household (10/28/22). Thomas Boston notes, “We must not think that original sin lies only in the want of original righteousness. No, man is not only void of good qualities naturally, but he is filled with evil ones.”

See why you and I need a powerful Savior! You need a powerful Savior who would not only live righteous and die to pay your sin debt, but who would also powerfully change your natures, so that you would no longer be a slave to sin. We have such a Savior in Christ Jesus! Paul says in Ephesians 2:5, “even when we were dead in our trespasses, [God] made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved…”

IV. BECAUSE OF THE FALL, ALL OF YOUR ACTUAL SINS FLOW OUT OF YOUR SIN NATURE, THEREFORE YOU NEED CHRIST. “The sinfulness of that estate whereunto man fell, consists in . . .original sin, together with all actual transgressions which proceed from it.”

Thomas Boston, again, writes, “Behold” says David, “I was shapen in iniquity.” He points out original sin as the fountain of all his actual transgressions. For how can a corrupt fountain send out wholesome streams?” Isaiah 53:6a: “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way…”

The fall has marred your understanding, what you know. You need a new mind! The fall has distorted your will, what you want to do. You need new desires! The fall has infected your affections, what you love. You need a new heart! On your own, outside of Christ, you are not a sinner because you sin; you sin because you are a sinner. You do not need a moral reformation, you need a mortal resurrection. Isaiah 53:6b: “and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” This is why Christ came to earth, to save sinners, mind, will, affections, and soul.

Q23. WHAT IS THE MISERY OF THAT STATE WHEREUNTO MAN FELL?

Thu, 20 Jul 2023 10:00:00 +0000

A. All mankind, by their fall lost communion with God, are under His wrath and curse, and made liable to all the miseries of this life, to death itself, and to the pains of hell forever. (Gen. 3:8,24; Eph. 2:3; Gal. 3:10; Rom. 6:23; Matt. 25:41-46; Ps. 9:17)

Q24. DID GOD LEAVE ALL MANKIND TO PERISH IN A STATE OF SIN AND MISERY? A Baptist Body of Divinity

Thu, 07 Sep 2023 10:00:00 +0000

Q. 24. Did God leave all mankind to perish in the state of sin and misery?

A. God, out of His mere good pleasure, from all eternity, having chosen a people to everlasting life, did enter into a covenant of grace, to deliver them out of the estate of sin and misery, and to bring them into an estate of salvation, by a Redeemer. (Eph. 1:3,4; 2 Thess. 2:13; Rom. 5:21; Acts 13:8; Jer. 31:33)