EVERY KNEE WILL BOW 4-26-09

The essence of sin is rebellion. If human nature is analysed it is fundamentally rebellious in a twofold way. We are constitutionally assertive and adversarial. We each want our own way and that is the source of our conflicts. Rebellion prevails at every stratum of our existence and self-expression. If it is not manifest in contention it mutters with discontent. On an earthly level our rebellious streak is likely to break out at any time on any issue, hence the numerous disputes among us. Human nature is touchy and not readily teachable. In a certain sense irascibility has become a virtue, and in popular culture the term “rebel” has become a compliment – from James Dean to the latest “punk figure” who makes the headlines with outrageous behaviour. Rebellion is so much at the core of our being that we seem to celebrate it, giving rise to the successful careers of so many of our movie and music stars of somewhat dubious talent. Such is the decadence of our society, and the alarming moral slide, that it is the worthless that receives our adulation, and wickedness that is endorsed by our legislation.
In religious mode our rebellion is directed against the Son of God and his gospel. So much preaching and practice, quite apart from the hostility of the world, tends to exhibit the attitude that, “We will not have this man to reign over us”. The trappings of our prevailing piety only superficially temper our disagreement with God. Our widespread trimming of the gospel and our tampering with the word of God display our denial of its authority. Christ, by divine decree and his own desert is the world’s true king, but the world is in revolt against him. The signs are all too apparent, and the sins of the church demonstrate the depth and extent of the problem. The forces arrayed against him are not only alien but also home-grown. They pervade the professing people of God as they did the nation of Israel throughout its history and pronouncedly so in the time of Jesus. His crucifixion was the mark of mankind’s universal uprising against heaven. The majority of human hearts remain untamed and will not acknowledge King Jesus, but on the Day of his Appearing every knee will bow in deference to his sovereignty. Many will rejoice and many will mourn when Jesus is openly declared Lord and Judge. The comics, clowns, and controversialists who denounced him so brazenly will cower with shame and regret as they look on him whom they pierced. The spirit of ridicule will change to the spirit of regret and it will be too late for scoffers to sue for peace.
No opposition to the reign of Christ can succeed or survive, and such is his sovereignty that even the wiles and words of his enemies only serve his wise purposes and witness to his superior power. Potentates have failed to ruin or resist his cause. Ideologues, philosophers and visionaries of every kind, have sought to supplant his truth with substitute alternatives to his gospel only to have been the authors of discarded theories or derided falsehoods and fantasies. The gospel has endured wave after wave of amendment and assault but always it rises again with new strength and brighter lustre. Regimes repress it, but they disappear whilst the cause of Christ proves resurgent over and over again. Try as they may the foes of Christ cannot impede his triumph. If they move against it on the ground it advances with rapidity underground. If they persecute believers the word of God only spreads and arouses fresh interest. If they initiate debate then truth is only told in more telling ways and in bolder more convincing form as the church braces itself in the face of every challenge. The people of God may be wounded but their witness cannot be ended. If they cannot broadcast the truth in peaceful conditions then they will witness to it with their blood. The confession of Christ cannot be cancelled and even when evil characters would confute the truth about him their very words are foiled and used to convey the facts they would wilfully deny. The Lord uses their words to contradict their wicked or unbelieving sentiments. Their hearts may be evil, their words and actions may attack, but a sovereign God turns their intentions to his advantage.
Balaam was a weak, prevaricating, opportunistic type of man tempted to use his role as prophet for personal profit when his own enrichment was in view but God caused him to pronounce one of the greatest oracles concerning the Lord Jesus in the Old Testament. “A star will come out of Jacob; a sceptre will arise out of Israel” (Numbers 24:17-19). Balaam was straining to find a way around the will of the Lord to please the enemies of the Lord but he could not prevent the vision the Lord brought before his wandering eyes. He had to declare the truth that God presented to him. It was a foreshadowing of the disclosure of Christ’s majesty at the final judgment. Wicked persons and unbelievers will have to acknowledge the glory of the Son. Its revelation will be irrefutable. A desert dweller standing in the Sahara at noonday cannot deny the glare and heat of the sun. The blaze and brilliance of the Saviour’s exalted status will close the eyes and shut the mouths of all those who once uttered their contempt.
Judas held high rank among the disciples of Jesus. He slunk into their company unsuspected of anything sinister. Jesus alone knew his treacherous heart and unwashed nature. “ ‘And you are clean, though not every one of you’. For he knew who was going to betray him” (John 13: 10-11,18, 26-27). Judas plotted evil and was possessed by Satan, yet even he, in a state of helpless remorse, had to speak truth. “I have betrayed innocent blood” (Matthew 27:4). It is the innocence of the Lord Jesus that makes his sacrifice acceptable to God. It is his innocence that is credited to us. God will be justified even in the acknowledgement of those whom he judges. Truth will penetrate every conscience in the final outcome.
Caiaphas, as high priest, was a big man of church and nation, but his status did not profit his soul. He was no friend of Jesus and a foe to the early church. The splendour of office was no evidence of an illuminated heart. He was a further example of an enemy of truth constrained to express it. “ ‘You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.’ He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, and not only for that nation, but also for the scattered people of God” (Matthew 11:50-52). Inadvertently Caiaphas had enunciated the fact of Jesus’ substitutionary death in the place of others.
Pilate, the pagan of cruel reputation, stated truth of which he was hardly aware. He pronounced Jesus innocent also: “I find no basis for a charge against him – do you want me to release ‘the king of the Jews?’” (John 18:38-39). In snide jest he certified Christ’s royalty as well, and further attested to it in the title above the dying Victim’s head.
Such is the supremacy of God that even the open opponents of his purpose must honour his Christ, albeit unwittingly. Truth triumphs even from the lips of liars, although they intend to prevent its success. Rebels are restrained by God, strive as they may. Rebels are ruled by God, resist though they might. Rebels are even rescued and received by God when the gospel of grace reaches and subdues their hearts. We are living in the season of amnesty when rebels are invited to repent and return.
RJS

PERSPECTIVES ON THE CROSS John 19 4-19-09

The cross was the culmination of the Saviour’s lifetime of suffering. There had been continual suffering in various forms from the commencement of his public ministry. Persecution was intensely bitter. Sensitivity to the crushing reality of sin was acutely agonizing for the holy Son of God. He could sense the enmity of mankind toward the Father he loved and the audacious disregard for his law. He could observe the disorder in creation and the tragic brokenness of human life. There must always have been the frightening anticipation of his cruel death which climaxed in the Garden of Gethsemane. The cross can never be sentimentalized. It is an incalculably horrid and shameful thing made tolerable to think about, and glorious in our estimation, only by the meaning it bears concerning salvation and the fact of the resurrection,whickseals its effectiveness as the means of forgiveness and life for all believers.
Every biblical reference to the cross is reverent and descriptive of its intent and achievement. Each mention of the cross is designed to enlarge our understanding of the awfulness of evil, the plight of sinners, and the redeeming love of God. The cross is never simply an instrument of execution or an object to be replicated for religious adoration or personal adornment. The cross of Jesus was uniquely the means of torture and death whereby the Lord himself averted judgment from us by bearing it in our stead and making amends on our behalf. It cannot be venerated. It was the hateful tool of wicked men who perpetrated the greatest injustice of all time. It is the Victim who attracts our homage and love. On the cross he occupied our deserved place. There he settled the deadly differences between God and man and made us one again. Atonement was made by our merciful Substitute.
When John adverts to the cross he is disclosing the deep facts of our salvation in awe and with the desire that we should arrive at an appreciation of them that will increase our faith and arouse our gratitude. With the eye of a personal witness to the events of “Good Friday” he points out vital features to be discerned in the Saviour’s self-giving.
Verse 17: Carrying his own cross.
The Lord Jesus was a willing victim. He was not coerced to be a sacrifice for us, but compelled by love. His considerations were obedience to the Father and the rescue of the lost and perishing. The exercise of personal volition was not due to external pressure or obligation but compliance with the desire of God and compassion towards men. Even as men took him into arrest, treated him roughly, tried him unjustly, and put him to death, he was in charge and allowing these despicable acts to happen. “I lay down my l(fe — only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father” (John 10:17-18). When Pilate boasted of his power to take or preserve the life of Jesus pretentious earthly authority was rebuked with the reply, “You would have no power over me (fit were not given to you from above” (John 19:11). Men did as their evil hearts directed and the guilt was entirely theirs, but -they were not in ultimate control as Peter reminded his listeners on the day of Pentecost. “This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross” (Acts 2: 23). Jesus took up his cross, or rather, he took up our cross, bore it and our deserved penalty. It was his free choice to do so. He embraced his saving role as daunting as it was.
There is a poignant similarity, and also a stark contrast, to be detected in the story of the testing of Abraham in Genesis chapter 22. Isaac is to be sacrificed at the hand of his father. The lad is puzzled that Abraham and he bring everything necessary for the ritual except the victim. Unknowingly, in carrying the wood to the mountain, Isaac is bearing the wood on which he is intended to lie and forfeit his life. For him there was an intervention and the provision of a substitute - the ram in the thicket (vvl 2-14). Jesus carried the wood on which he would die and for him there was no stay of execution. He was the substitute appointed for men. He was the provision of the Lord and he would not back away from the ordeal. His mercy made it inevitable.
Verse 19: Fastened to the cross.
At Pilate’s command a title was attached to the cross above the head of Jesus. Whether the notice was meant to be mocking of Jesus, or designed to enrage the Jews, it was a statement of the truth. The people were crucifying their king. His kingship was refused and they tried to amend Pilate’s inscription,
“Do not write ‘The King of the Jews, ‘ but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews” (John 19: 21). The reaction of the chief priests was contemptuous.. Jesus was to be destroyed as a fraud. In actual fact, the sign on the cross made a larger claim than the Jews recognized. It was presented in three languages and proclaimed universal kingship. Hebrew stated Christ’s fulfilment of the Davidic hope of Israel. Here was great David’s greater son. He ought to have been exalted to the throne in honour and acclaim. Instead he was lifted up on the cross as a criminal. His real exaltation would follow and it would be effected by God. Latin was the official language of the Roman Empire and now one greater than any Roman Emperor or Conqueror was gaining possession of his kingdom by defeating sin, death, and the devil and winning rebellious men back to God. In due time his government and law of love would prevail everywhere. Greek was the common language of the populace of the empire uniting diverse and distant nations in speech and communication. Christ was the Saviour of the world bringing men, women, and children of every race under the reign of God and grace.
Verse 25: Near the cross.
A small cluster of women and the disciple whom Jesus loved stood by the cross, united in grief and a common and close affection for the one who hung there. Each knew him intimately — Mary his mother, Salome his aunt, Mary the wife of Clopas, Mary Magdalene, whom he had delivered from madness, and John his cousin, attentive, thoughtful, who had reclined his head on the Saviour’s bosom at supper, and hearing the beating heart of Jesus, wrote the gospel that tenderly related both his mind and mission of mercy. Mournfully the Redeemer’s family was gathered beneath him, and in all the sorrow and suffering he endured he was concerned and compassionate enough to look down upon them and selflessly express his care for them. Mary his mother and John whom he loved in a special way were entrusted to each other (vv26 &27). In the pangs of death the Lord Jesus was able to consider and ensure the wellbeing and protection of his dear ones. All who draw near to the cross in faith come under the caring gaze and individual protection and provision of Jesus. They are members of his expanded, international, and spiritual family. How apt are the words of the Good Friday collect: “Almighty God, we pray you graciously to look on this your family, for which our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be betrayed and given up into the hands of sinners, and to suffer death upon the cross; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever. Amen.
RJS

HE WILL SEE THE BLOOD Exodus 12:23 4-12-09

Two words lie at the heart of the Gospel — “The Blood”. It takes many words to point to the necessity of the blood, and many words to explain the efficacy of the blood, hence the extensive teachings and symbolic rites and ordinances of both the Old and New Testaments. But penetrate to the very core of the Gospel, and the essence of the divine plan of salvation, and there you will find the absolutely central reality of it all, the Christian hope and the Christian message — the blood. These two words, rightly comprehended, define the meaning of salvation and determine fundamental Christian orthodoxy. They constitute both the directive and corrective in vital areas of Christian thought pertaining to the work of Christ as Saviour, as to how the salvation he has wrought is grasped, and as to how we understand the sacraments that stimulate and sustain our faiTh. Gospel truth is iãihtained by the way in which we perceive the blood. The blood-shedding of the Lord Jesus Christ is at the heart of the message of justification by faith alone. Distortions of the Gospel and the Way of Salvation, false ideas often promulgated within the church, are removed by a correct understanding of the blood. Notions of salvation by self- effort, the need for purgatory, and the baneful influences of sacramentalism, are all removed through an accurate appreciation of the blood — not as some magical substance in itself, but as the real “proof’ of the poured out life of the Lord Jesus Christ in our stead, he bearing the consequences of our rebellion and subsequent offences, and procuring the benefits of salvation and all the favour of God through his merit. The fact of our sin required death. Jesus met that requirement. The reality of our fault demanded the making of amends from us. Jesus made themfor us. His death, his cross, and his blood, are our deliverance from death and our entitlement to life. Nothing he did on behalf of sinners to rescue and restore them was complete and finally valid until the shedding of the blood. The intention of the Incarnation was Atonement.
The historical narrative of the Passover is the great illustration and paradigm of the redemption wrought in and through Christ. The Israelites were as much sinners, and as culpable, as the Egyptians on that grim night when the Lord passed over the land administering death to the firstborn of Egypt. Judgment made its discrimination on the basis of a substitutionary victim sacrificed for each Israelite household — the slain lamb - and the Israelites were spared because of the displayed blood of the slaughtered lamb daubed around the doorframes. A death had already occurred on their behalf and so death declined to visit them. As Moses promised, the administrant of death would move on, because in focusing on each dwelling and surveying the doorposts, “He will see the blood’ The blood alone was the differentiating factor. The Lord himself, dispensing judgment and death throughout Egypt, stayed his death-dealing hand at the sight of the blood. It was a prophetic signal of the value and efficacy of the blood of his Son, and his infinite regard for it as sufficient for any mortal that placed themselves under its protection. The crimson blood was the seal of promised life and future blessing in all its fullness. The blood guaranteed the fulfilment of the dual pledge of safety in Egypt when judgment struck, and prosperity in the land the Lord would give to his people after the exodus.
Now, as we look back on Calvary, and the slain victim upon the cross, we see the blood of the Lord Jesus as the seal of our safety when the Ordeal of judgment eventually occurs. Jesus died that we might be spared. When the clouds of wrath loom threateningly and begin to hover over us on that dread second “Egyptian night” we shall escape the destruction because the Lord will see the blood” already shed in our stead. Faith is the brush that daubs the blood over our souls and dwellings.
But the blood seals more than our safety. It seals our hope for eternity. Those passed over in Egypt would pass through the Red Sea and make their pilgrim way through the wilderness eventually to inherit the Promised Land. When they made their destination they would attribute their blessedness to the application of the shed blood (As shall we! Worthy is the Lamb who was slain. Revelation 5:1 2).The blood of Christ is the seal of our hope here as we journey on. The blood assures us of safe passage through the sea of death, and a calm arrival in the haven of heaven. It is the guarantee not only of our deliverance from death but also of our destiny in the eternal presence and favour of God. God has promised his forgiveness, acceptance, and fellowship forever. The blood of Christ, the reality of his death, is the indisputable guarantee.
In the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper we are re-minded of the dying Saviour’s Will and Testament inscribed in blood on our behalf and to our benefit. His death bequeaths life to us. It was his desire that we should live and profit from his sacrifice and take possession of all his grace and goodness. The full wealth of his favour was bestowed on us in his dying act of self-giving. In his holy life and obedient death he had accumulated riches for us. The righteousness he achieved was transferred to us according to the terms of his Will. The rewards of his righteousness and divine approval now accrue to us. When God looks at our criminal record he will pass over it and not hold it to our account. “He will see the blood”. When God apportions rewards to be enjoyed for eternity he will not see our ill desert but rather the deserving of Christ on our behalf and reward us accordingly. “He will see the blood” as the price of purchase and lavish untold blessing upon us. The blood of the Saviour has averted indignation and won an inheritance. It is the cause of the great reversal in our prospects.
Jesus’ dying blood is the seal of our wellbeing now and in the future. It is the guarantee of the favour we have and the fullness of joy we hope for. His resurrection is the stamp of divine approval upon all that he has intended and achieved for us. The resurrection is the clear confirmation that the blood avails for all who confide in it. Whoever we are and whatever we have done, through sincere repentance and true faith, the blood avails for us. He will see the blood and we shall be saved. As he has ascended so we shall soon accompany him.
RJS
Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! Romans 5:9
He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. Hebrews 9:12
He is our comfort; it is the majesty of Christ, and his blood-shedding, that cleanseth us from our sins. Bishop Hugh Latimer (English Reformer)
There wee leave you in that blessed dependency, to hang upon him that hangs upon the Crosse, there bath in his teares, there suck at his woundes, and lye down in peace in his grave, till hee vouchsafe you a resurrection, and an ascension into that Kingdome, which hee hath purchas ‘d for you, with the inestimable price of his incorruptible blood. Amen. John Donne

BORDERS 3-29-09

Borders are currently a controversial topic both in Europe and North America. The freedom of travel for citizens within the European Community without documentation creates concerns with regard to security and certain tensions on the immigration, employment, and economic fronts. In North America contraband and criminal activity are causes of anxiety and urgent remedial action. Border disputes are the source of military conflict in numerous parts of the world and boundaries are not only a geographical problem. They exist within the mind on various planes including social, moral, and spiritual. Some of these mental boundaries are justifiable and others need to be removed. In a fallen world national boundaries are inevitable, existing for ethnic, cultural, religious, and protective reasons, among others, and only when the Kingdom of God comes will a restored humanity be one and at peace with all divisions removed. In the meantime man-devised moves towards global unity seem threatening to legitimate diversity and local democracy, and they seem to pose the problem of too much centralized control which could even expand into the ominous prospect of world-wide dictatorship and exploitation of the multitudes by a ruthless few. We are aware of the speculations of George Orwell, and also certain interpreters of Biblical prophecy whose views are filled with foreboding. Such fears may be fictitious and far-fetched but, nevertheless, folk need to be wary, on the alert, and constantly monitoring political developments.
In a sinful and complex world borders are a sign of our fundamental breach with God as a race, and consequently our dangerous disagreements with each other and the many suspicions that have arisen. But given the presence of evil in various forms they place a limitation on its operations and afford a certain protection until the dawning of God’s new aeon. Until then the accumulated heritage bequeathed to us through common grace, and principles of faith handed down to us through special grace need to be preserved and these dictate the necessity of the maintenance of boundaries geographical and notional.
The first border that was established was through the rebellion of our first parents when they sinned against God and forfeited life in the Garden of Eden. Disobedience led to their expulsion and the prohibition to return. “After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life” (Genesis 3:24). Banishment and an angelic barrier followed the flagrant human disregard of divine law. After that the endless series of disrupted human relations began to occur with such violent results. The barred boundaries to Eden signified the barrier of sin between God and man. What was indicative of a spiritual state quickly became evident in actual tribal and national divisions between men meant to be of one family, and those hostile to the chosen children of God in acts of aggression and oppression necessitated the divine gift of the Promised Land, a designated region where they might dwell in safety behind well defined borders. However, the Hebrews had to fight hard for their national territory and their security was conditional on their ongoing allegiance to God and heartfelt submission to his will. Often they were invaded by enemies and even taken captive because of their sinful defection from his ways. The boundaries of the nation were not impregnable because of human failure, but they were meant to represent the protection and provision of God that would be available to a faithful people. Ultimately the spiritual significance of the holy land could only be realized in the coming kingdom of heaven - the eternal homeland beyond conception or description to which the earthly territory was a pointer as noted by the Apostle Peter, “An inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade – kept in heaven for you (1 Peter 1:4). Borders established and broken throughout the world signify the hazardous rivalries and hostilities of men towards each other and have created miseries untold for millions in acts of aggression and plunder.
But other boundaries came into existence also as symptoms of our break with God and the consequent disharmony among ourselves. Divisions of race, class, and gender have also prevailed and these can be as firm and guarded as the walls erected between societies and states. The prejudices, acrimony, and injustices that ensue are distasteful and harmful, and mar the human experience and stature of both the perpetrators of ill will and abusive behaviour and the unfortunate victims. Boundaries external and internal, visible and invisible, reveal the evil that pervades and envelops our world and they tend to exacerbate it in the vast amount of suffering that is meted out to those “who are not of us”.
However, some boundaries are absolutely necessary until the annihilation of wickedness and wrong. Evil cultures and political systems need to be resisted by clearly demarcated borders and adequate means of defence, both military and moral. Evil influences, ideas and action, need to be resisted by any society that would survive, and more particularly the Church of God is commanded to maintain borders of truth and morality that will ensure its endurance and the safekeeping of its members. Creeds and Confessions are barriers against falsehood: godly behaviour and discipline constitute protection against the corrosive forces of human depravity and immorality. Until the world and the universe are perfected by God’s renewing grace on the one hand and his purgative judgments on the other, doctrinal and moral borders have to be maintained until all danger to immortal souls is vanquished and removed. Whether contributing to good or ill, borders are a sign of a disordered humanity and our diseased nature.
Only the gospel of Christ is the harbinger of the eventual removal of all borders. First of all it breaks down the barrier of sin between God and man, creating freedom of access and fullness of fellowship. Subsequently it demolishes all walls that previously existed among believers before their restoration to God (Ephesians 2:14ff). Race, class, and gender remain realities to recognize and deal with appropriately on earth. Distinctions remain in ability, function, and responsibility, but as to equality of acceptance before God and respectful, affectionate relationships with each other there is meant to be no distinction, favouritism, or exclusion. When the whole church of God is gathered in heaven, the place of perfect holiness, love, and peace, borders will be a forgotten feature of a fallen creation that has no place in the new. The people of God will be perfectly united and the City of God will have no closed gates, for there will be no harmful threat to its inhabitants or their wellbeing. The gospel itself will have the distinct achievement of removing barriers between all redeemed people (Revelation 21).
The prophet Isaiah foresaw this wondrous development in his truly astonishing vision of one world without hatreds, barricades, and borders. Viewing the most implacable of enemies in terms of the ancient world he describes the most open and harmonious of relationships between former foes now reconciled in Christ. It is a picture of the gloriously successful achievement of the Saviour to which we may all eagerly look forward: “In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will go to Egypt and the Egyptians to Syria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together. In that day Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing on the earth. The Lord Almighty will bless them, saying, ‘Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance’ ” (Isaiah 19: 23-25). May that day come soon for all God’s people – the universal reign of the Lord Jesus.
RJS

The Fall- When Sin Began (Genesis 3: 1-7) 3-8-09

It is almost ironic that the origin of human evil and misery can be traced to a tragedy occurring in a garden. Sin did not emerge from a situation of squalor and deprivation. It occurred in a favourable and pleasant environment designed and given by God, a beautiful setting or parkiand affording provision, protection, and a divinely ordained purpose for man — a noble calling in partnership with God as steward and overseer of creation. Man could not have been more fortunate or privileged in his circumstances. It was in Paradise itself that ruination came about through the entrance of disobedience. By the operation of satanic craft, the overreach of human curiosity, and the appetite for god-like capability, human nature became corrupt. The outline of the moral lapse of mankind is recounted in narrative form in Genesis, the theology is summed up by St. Paul: “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death througksin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned (Romans 5:12).
The story of our race’s first fault perpetrated through our first parents is intensely sad. The tactics employed for their entrapment were extremely subtle. Man begins in innocence but he is capable of enticement away from God and righteousness, and the enemy of souls moves stealthily into the garden to separate man from God. His agent, or even his guise, is the serpent — cunning, wily, sly. By lies and deceit he knows how to seduce mankind from God by tweaking the truth, provoking suspicion and discontent and by making offers of seemingly good things he accuses God of withholding. Satan artfully and gradually levers man away from the Lord with scornful suggestions that arouse mistrust and illicit desires: “Did God really say? “. The serpent insinuates doubt concerning God’s word. Then he sows the seed of resentment by distorting it. “You must not eat from tree in the garden”. God’s generous and liberal character is impugned, for his original command was, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden, with one exception” (2:16). The woman begins a series of misdemeanours that prove she is edging away from trust in God and submission to his word. *She begins to heed a creature rather than her Creator *She enters into a process of reasoning with Satan rather than relying on revelation *She starts to allege an over-strictness in God by adding to his express command. “You shall not touch” is added to “You shall not eat” *She prefers Satan’s lie God’s word *She becomes suspicious of God’s motive in forbidding the fruit of the tree of knowledEe *She finds the fruit appealing * She then desires what the eating of the fruit will supposedly yield *She persuades her husband to eat also.
Through this succession of events mankind is moved from innocence of nature and behaviour, to insurrection against the Ruler of heaven and the infection of his own soul with the spirit of rebellion. Man becomes sinful by deed, descent, and disposition. The insight of the Scottish geologist and Presbyterian layman Hugh Miller is apt: “It is a universal law, just as wide as the providence of God and as the history of man, that God has so constituted man everywhere that the free will of the parent becomes the destiny of the child”. The most awful crime and consequences have come to pass. Man has attempted to dethrone God by repudiating his command. By pursuing his own preferences and ambition man’s will has usurped the place of the will of God. Man has decided for UDI - unilateral declaration of independence. He is in revolt, full-scale rebellion, in complicity with the tempter. The small act of eating is a big and fatal step — to boldly go beyond God’s boundaries which were lovingly and protectively established for man’s welfare. Man aspired to be a god and over-extended himself in his adventure into independence and self-sufficiency.
The fruit was good for food and pleasing to the eye. Man was lured first of all by sensual gratification and immediate satisfaction. At the same time he was on a quest for intellectual sophistication — to aggrandize himself with knowledge, attainment and honour, all achieved without God and in rivalry with him. Man craved and sought limitless ability in order to inflate his sense of pride. His hubris made a grab for power, the goal of every fallen creature demonic or human. But the “big idea” and bold leap forward proved a disaster. He never became a god but toppled from his noble station and was banished from the garden of delights and privilege. The knowledge that he gained was not what Satan falsely promised through the notion of some magic fruit that would confer it. The knowledge was the discovery of guilt through disobedience and the painful convictions of conscience. When Satan seduced man he was silent as to the fact of judgment (You will not surely die) and Adam was faced with the dual prospect of physical death and the second death. Hooked by the hunger for something else apart from God he faced.t.j loss of everything — emptiness of soul, futility of life, abandonment by God, and an eternity apart from him. The original sin of our first errant parents not only continues to affect us, it continues in practice in all their descendents and is repeated in daily life universally. The scoffing tone of the evil one is perpetuated in our irreverence. Satan goes on colouring our perception of God in unfavourable terms and we feel justified in rising up against him in enmity and suspicion. Our evil hearts accuse him of ill will. His holy nature, precise in its demands for righteousness, is misinterpreted as harsh, inhibiting, and mean. We flout his laws and feed our lusts as noted in 1 John 2:16: “The lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life “. We are dominated by the drive of evil affection and ambition. All the trees of fruitfulness, the divine bounty, are available to us and we may freely partake of his goodness in every sense. The tree of knowledge was excepted because the sin it would disclose — the eating of its fruit — would be calamitous. We ignored God, believing Satan’s lies, craving to know the mystery behind God’s gracious prohibition. Curiosity, self-determination, suspicion of God, ruined us, robbed us of innocence, and brought us under the dominion of the devil, sin, and death. Our fall is catastrophic. The evidence is everywhere apparent and recurrent daily in personal and social life. It explains the predicament and misery of man.
The fall and its grievous, incurable effects lays the basis for God’s wonderful, undeserved, merciful mission of rescue in the Lord Jesus Christ, through whom the ills of our rebellion will be reversed and our peace and union with God will be fully restored. Disaster will turn to deliverance. The promise of salvation vaguely hinted at in Genesis 3:15 (I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and expands throughout Scripture until its fulfilment in the arrival of the Saviour who corrects our fault, pays the penalty, releases us from blame for every offence, and brings us back to the God we lost. “Therefore, since we have been justfled through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God (Romans 5:1-2).
RJS

DOCTRINAL IMBALANCE 3-1-09

No human mind nor any single Christian body or organization can encompass the whole of God’s revealed truth. Whatever we believe we know we are always pressing on, by God’s help, towards a more expansive and accurate comprehension of his word. For all of us some aspects of the divine will are perceived with great clarity, others only dimly, and some are not noticed at all. There are variations in understanding and emphasis, and sometimes the things we see well actually blinker us from discerning facts of equal importance. It is possible to so appreciate the divinity of the Lord Jesus as to play down his true and full humanity. We can so stress the love of God that we neglect to take account of his righteous anger. Justification by faith alone does not exclude the obligation of living an obedient life and growing in personal holiness. The indisputable divine sovereignty does not in any way limit the indiscriminate preaching of the gospel or our responsibility to avail ourselves of the offer of grace in Jesus Christ. There are many eampIes of doctrinal one sidedness that distort our understanding and hinder the progress of the church’s message and ministry. It is an ongoing task to know and declare the word of God properly and proportionately and omissions can be as disadvantageous to spiritual wellbeing as additions. We can each approach the Scriptures with undetected suppositions and preferences and, accordingly, rework the text in their favour. Just as there are truths that appeal to us so, too, there are aspects of revelation that we find uncongenial or difficult to accept as they stand, and we may succumb to the temptation to modify or neglect them. Perhaps without realizing it we all to some extent form our own private canon from the breadth of biblical material. Selectivity is a process we may not recognize, and learning from Scripture is not only an exercise of the mind, but is conditioned by the disposition of the heart, our background, and our type of temperament. John Stott, for example, has observed that there are some believers who grin too much, groan too little, and lack theological acceptance and appreciation of the experience of pain (Commentary on Romans IVP). Other Christians more naturally tend towards melancholy and seriousness, and are inclined not to enjoy fully the sense ofjoy and liberty that is theirs in Christ. We struggle with limited intelligence and latent inclination and these affect the quality of our doctrinal confession.
The wisdom in our Reformational Anglican Articles of Religion lies in the inclusion of all truth necessary to salvation, a grasp of the wonder of grace, and instruction in godly living, whilst avoiding closely defined detail that could lead to unnecessary division. There is sufficient allowance for individual liberty within the bounds of orthodoxy.
A balanced presentation of the character and counsel of God would have regard for both his compassion and severity as exemplified in the teaching of Paul, “Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God” (Roman 11:22). For some there is the tendency to sentimentalize the love of God, overlook his matchless holiness, and underrate the gravity and odiousness of offences committed against him. It is also possible to portray God as relentlessly threatening and mean-minded and to forget that he is merciful toward undeserving and helpless sinners. He is to be understood as a God of mercy and judgment. His mercy attracts us and his anger alerts us, and both contribute to our true repentance and sincere faith.
No topic in the Bible is to be passed over in silence, though each should be handled with tact and discretion and, again in appropriate accents. Tone is as important as truth and the gospel is preached both winsomely and warningly. There is blessing in its acceptance and dire consequences in its refusal. Everyone warms to the notion of heaven whether spiritually or carnally conceived, but there is little sober and compassionate reference to the reality of hell, or the second death, and, indeed its existence is often denied or ridiculed. It is a forgotten ingredient even in much evangelical proclamation of the word. It is certainly not a subject to rant about or revel in unfeelingly, but it is an essential part of the Christian message to awaken folk to the peril ahead for the unrepentant, as the frequent sayings of Jesus show. Warning is an act of love and preservation in daily life. It is crucial to our eternal welfare. It is callous of us not to issue that warning along with our inducements to trust in the Saviour. Universalism and annihilationism are falsehoods that will prove fatal. The world’s
favourite gospel verse contains a serious inspired caution for all to heed as well as good news for all to believe: For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:
16).
Nothing is more distressing to the human mind than the thought of any soul, being finally lost, enduring the unceasing fury of the Lord and experiencing the horror of his total disapprobation and abandonment. In this vein A.A. Hodge remarks, “To human view the conception of never-ending, hopeless sin and misery is absolutely overwhelming. If we could realize its tremendous meaning it would paralyze our minds and hearts. We think and speak of it so calmly because it is so far off and so vague that it fails to impress us as an actual reality. There is nothing on earth more outrageously vulgar and profane than coarse and careless shouting out of threats of damnation against heedless sinners by an orthodox ranter. When we declare the judgments of the Lord against our fellow-sinners, of our own flesh and blood, who by nature are no worse than we are, we should do it tremblingly and with tears. We should seek to treat all impenitent sinners with the yearning tenderness with which our blessed Lord wept over Jerusalem, with outstretched arms and heaving breast — ‘If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace; but now they are hid from thine eyes’ “ (Evangelical Theology p389). But Hodge is insistent that the unwelcome facts must not be avoided. “Is it not the utmost reach of human folly to attempt to erect flimsy gauze barriers to shut out the approach of the intolerable fires he (God) declares it to be his will to pour out? Is it not the last refinement of cruelty to administer to bewildered sinners moral anaesthetics, assuring them of an ‘eternal hope only that they may meet ‘the vengeance of God’s eternal fire’ with drugged consciences?”
For generations our burial liturgy has made the plea for all the living standing at the graveside, “Holy God, holy and mighty, holy and mercful Saviour, deliver us not into the bitter pains of eternal death “. With equal pastoral concern the Declaration of Forgiveness has assured us of the certain comforting truth that, “Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, does not desire the death of sinners, but rather that they may turn from their wickedness and live “. Our Litany includes the petition that we might be saved, “From dying unprepared”. Again we turn to A. A. Hodge for his advice: “Before any other knowledge attainable by us in the compass of the universe, it is most essential for us to know what our Creator and sovereign Lord intends to do with us after death. If any preparation is to be made for the future, it must be made now” (ETp 388).
When we each eventually stand before the Lord in the silence and solitude of personal assessment the judgment will be absolutely fair. It will simply be the reading of our record and state of heart before the great white throne and our conscience will fully concur with the verdict. C.H. Spurgeon was led to comment: “While I believe in eternal punishment, and must, or throw away my Bible, I also believe that God will give to the lost every consideration consistent with his love. There is nothing vindictive in him, nor can there be in his punishment of the ungodly “. Thomas Guthrie cannot consider hell a dream nor deny its reality. “It were no kindness to spread a covering over the pit; that is the cunning hunter’s business; and the business of him who hunts for souls. But over against these stern declarations (of judgment), and between the pit and you, a high red cross is standing. Mercy descends from heaven, lights upon its summit, and preaches hope to despair, pardon to guilt, salvation to the lost. Free as the wind that fans her cheek, free as the sunbeams that shine on her golden tresses, she invites all to come, opens her arms to embrace the world, and in a voice that rings like a silver trumpet, cries, ‘0, Earth, Earth, Earth, hear the word of the Lord.’ “ The Lord Jesus Christ is the refuge of the guilty, helpless, fearful offender. In him we are justified (put right, forgiven, and accepted) and in his substitutionary self-sacrifice the judgment due to us for our sin is past. “God have mercy on me, a sinner” (Luke 18: 9-
14).
RJS

ALIENS! (They were aliens and strangers on earth - Hebrews 11:13) 2-22-09

Whatever the truth may prove to be concerning extra-terrestrials the teaching of Holy Scripture on aliens is well grounded. It is an established term for the people of God, a theme that suggests life as a pilgrimage, a reminder of our brief time on earth, and a summons to prepare for eternity. We are not at home in this world but quickly passing through as guests of the Owner of creation and our tenure on all things is temporary. All that we possess is borrowed. All that we attain is transient. We are not proprietors but borrowers. We are swiftly moving on to a reckoning with our Host either to join him forever as permanent residents or to receive notices of eternal eviction.
At the most profound level, which is spiritual, we are aliens from God through the sin that separates us from him. Our status as strangers inheres in every facet of our lives and is meant to permeate our consciousness and determine our decisions andliehaviour place, or the space-we occupy It refers to our moral standing before God. It describes our relationship to the world as folk in Christ. It is a term that is even apt in our perception of him as Man on earth. Scripture abounds with the theology of the alien as a gospel theme, a basis of hope, a cause of humility, and a call to mutual help. In every dimension of our existence we are aliens in some sense. By fallen nature we are strangers in God’s world through our rebellion, and strangers from each other. Through new birth we are meant to be strangers to a sinful world and citizens en route to the heavenly kingdom.
Our racial estrangement began with the sin of our first parents in the garden. Our expulsion through disobedience cast us into a threatening environment of many dangers, insecurities, and discomforts, and not the least part of the Adamic curse is our cruel conflict with each other. The message of our estrangement and vulnerable status as aliens is highlighted in the history of the Hebrews as the chosen people of God. They are to be kept humble, harmless, and helpful through remembrance of their experience as strangers in Egypt: “For you yourselves were aliens in Egypt” (Deuteronomy 10:19). Israel was delivered from deeply humiliating circumstances and had nothing of which to boast. The Lord’s love for them was gratis and not on the basis of merit but in spite of demerit. Their lowly origins were an incentive to humanity and generosity: And you are to love those who are aliens (Deuteronomy 10:19). Compassion was to be the consequence of their calling. Through sinful estrangement, gracious election, and the practice of giving unconditionally the Hebrews as our spiritual forbears were both learning of, and instructing us as to, the character of God and nature of divine salvation: “He defends the cause of the fatherless and théiiidow, and loves the
food and clothing” (Deuteronomy 10:18). Embedded in this intimation is the truth
that salvation is for the destitute. On the boundaries of the Promised Land Israel was reminded that it was entering its God-given homeland as strangers enabled to take up occupation by the will and enablement of God. Their possession was not due to entitlement but grace and divine provision.
When the Hebrew people forgot the lesson of the exodus they were caused to recall it through the event and endurance of exile: “By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. How can we sing the songs of the Lord in a foreign land? (Psalm 137:1 &4). The facts of history and earthly circumstance were meant to be transposed to the plane of spiritual perception and reveal the condition of the human heart and the reality of divine redemption which Paul expounds in his letter to the Ephesians. “You must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding, and separated (alienated) from the 4fe of God” (4:17-18). As a result of the saving work of Christ Paul is able to say to converted Gentiles: “He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Consequently, you are no
longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household (2:17-19).
In view of their new citizenship and position as friends of God believers have become resident aliens on earth. It is not a matter now of country of origin or statehood but of sanctification. Abraham and his descendents, “Admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth” (Hebrews 11:13) by virtue of their saving faith that gave them a heavenly allegiance and destination. It is from the Greek word for sojourner (paroikos) that we derive the term parishioner which informs us that we in the new era of the covenant share the patriarch’s status as a stranger in the world: “By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country” (Hebrews 11:9).
The fact is plain both in the Biblical testimony and in our inclusion in Christ. We are strangers in a world and way of life that is rapidly passing away. It is alien to us in its attitude toward God and its ideals and goals. It jars with us and yet at times we have the tendency to settle here comfortably and in conformity with its mores and values as if we, and our abode in this world, are permanent, and all our hope and satisfaction are found here. The world, the flesh, and the devil are seductive and their influences are destructive of the heavenly call and preoccupation that are meant to be ours. John exhorts us, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15). By “the world” John means anything that is contrary to the will or nature of God — the unholy- and anything that disrupts our fellowship with him or weakuns our service of him. This requires both sound discernment and self- denial — to enjoy God’s gifts without becoming ungodly.
To the end that we remain true to our separation unto God, our status and calling, Peter issues his apostolic warning and advice, “Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul” (1 Peter 2:11). We are wanderers (Hebrews 11:38) and we have no lasting foundations or fulfilment here. We are headed, “To the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God” (Hebrews 11:10). Our home is above and beyond this world.
There is a further very poignant line of thought to do with the motif of the stranger. The poet John Clare captures it so aptly in the words of his hymn: “A stranger once did bless the earth”. With sadness and sympathy Clare describes the Lord Jesus as spurned by men, “The meanest station owned him not”. He was, “An outcast thrown in sorrow ‘s way, a fugitive that knew no sin “, and the hymn concludes with the affirmation: It was for sin he suffered all.
The incarnate life of the Lord was endured voluntarily as an alien. He identified with the lot and suffering of the outsider which we have made ourselves to be through alienation from God. He was born otjdethe inn. H•ws driven outside by the leaders of church and nation and despised by officialdom (Isaiah 53: 1-3, Mart 12: 22ff). He died outside the city wall and in lonely isolation of soul (Hebrews 13:12-14). He had no home (Matthew 8:20). He was buried in another man’s tomb (Matthew 27:57-6 1). Jesus’ whole history from crib to sepulchre was
• that of a stranger.
The stranger is a significant figure in Scripture. He typifies poverty, powerlessness, and unimportance in society. He is the signal for, and summons to, humane and kindly action. And in the person of Christ he is the sign and assurance of divine compassion. It was the stranger from another world who restored our world to friendship with God (2 Cor 5:l8ff). It is the alien that we rejected here (John 1:11) who cordially invites us to his home and has prepared a place for us in his capacious dwelling (John 14:3).
RJS

“A WONDERFUL CONVERSION” The Collect for the Conversion of St. Paul January 25th , 2009

Grant, we pray, that, as we remember his wonderful conversion we may show
our thanlçfulness by following the holy doctrine which he taught.
Presumably, Paul had several sources for the holy doctrine which he taught: the instruction of the Holy Spirit through revelation and illumination, the tradition of Israel’s Scriptures, the testimony of his fellow apostles, and reflection upon the manner of his conversion (Acts 9:1-22).
Our experience is not the yardstick for the truth that we hold, but rightly interpreted it can be confirmatory or illustrative. But Paul’s experience was special. His conversion was not only personal it was a step in his apostolic calling and therefore paradigmatic of the outworking_of the purpose of grace. The nature of grace was not only communicated notionally to the apostolic minds but exemplified in the way in which God providentially drew them to himself. They could trace the method of grace in their own lives. Doctrine and experience would coincide because in the wisdom of God they would be complementary and instructive for the people of God.
When Paul set out for Damascus he could have had no inkling as to the dramatic turn about in his life waiting in store for him. He was on a murderous assignment with fury and hatred in his heart for those who were “of the Way” (v2). There was no self-preparation for or any predisposition to the sudden transformation that would occur within his nature. Whatever his motivation Paul was an avowed enemy of the gospel of Christ and he sought by persecution and cruelty to exterminate it and its followers. The first thing on his mind was destruction of the emergent church: the last thing was thinking favourably of it. He was firmly set upon his course of opposition and hostility. Later he would recall his own condition, and the universal attitude to the holiness and grace of God, “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, indeed can be” (Romans 8:7). He was the last candidate in the world for conversion until God’s “suddenly” (v3).
In sheer sovereignty, without consultation or eliciting consent, the Lord Jesus confronted him. The man who was moved in his anti-gospel manoeuvres by the powers of darkness was suddenly surrounded by the light of heaven, and Saul, the rabid enemy of the superior power that he opposed so violently, was thrown to the ground. It was a divine ambush — an interception. Mercy sprang upon its unwilling subject. Paul was not a seeker of the gospel but a subjugator. He was notoriously unfit when found. He had no intention of beginning the work of conversion within himself, no capability; God would have to perform that miracle: “Being confident of this very thing, that he who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1: 6). Paul was still in the grip of intense anger towards the first believers and he intended imprisonment for them, or worse. He was stopped in his tracks — abruptly. Addressed by the Saviour, awakened to his attitude, he• suddenly become compliant with the will of the One who overcame him and subdued his spirit, and he became earnest in enquiring of the Lord.
Such was his conversion — a dramatic conquest by grace that was friendly but which would not be frustrated. Why? “Because he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel” (v15). Could such a mammoth and crucial role reversal be subject to uncertainty and the refusal of the creaturely will? At a later point in his life Paul thought not. “So then it is not of him who wills nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy” (Romans 9:16 — the verse that brought Thomas Bradwardine, former Archbishop of Canterbury, to a fully Augustinian persuasion). Instead of preventing faith in Christ, Paul was ordained to possess it, and promote it.
His conversion was wonderful in its suddenness, circumstances, and sovereignty. It was not due to the resolve of man but the resolve of God that graciously secured the response of yielding faith and obedience in one who was determined to resist with all his might, not only on his own account privately, but to the intimidation and harm of those who received enabling grace before him: “And as many as had been appointed to eternal believed” (Acts 13:48). Paul, taught as he had been under the guidance of God, and his own experience, endorsed the doctrine of effectual grace as Blaise Pascal liked to think of it with his fellow Jansenists.
Such doctrine is holy — it issues from God’s own mind and mouth. Who are we to demur or dispute? It is descriptive of the condition of man and the action of God. The way of salvation is a divine revelation. Paul attacked “the Way “, those who adhered to it, and principally the One who personified and disclosed it. The Lord whom Paul was persecuting in the persons of his followers intervened to convert him. From this event Paul learned of the hate-filled helplessness of sinful man and the unmerited graciousness of a holy God. Salvation is a holy work. Its message is the proclamation of holy truth. Its consequence is a holy life. The wonderful teaching that encompasses all of this can only be received in humility and awe and with thanksgiving. Holy truth, coming as it does from God, can only be accepted in its wholeness by us. This is our holy duty, to bow meekly in heart and mind before the way in which grace is wrought in men. Paul thought the reins of his journeying were solely in his hands but in the mad ride to Damascus Paul was being drawn to Christ.
Doctrine is not inferior to experience, but explains, validates, and guides
it. It is the essential apostolic bequest to the church. We remember experience if it is genuinely good, but we follow doctrine that is the teaching of the Word of God. We rejoice in its information and act on its instruction. It is the objective foundation of all that finds us in life, all that we face, all that we feel, and how we comprehend it. Subjectivity in religion is fine when it squares with evidence — the word of God and the marks of the Spirit as the word describes them through the Spirit’s own inspiration.
Experience is powerful but it can be misinterpreted and misapplied. Sometimes it has tempted folk to reshape the teaching of Scripture or even set it aside as no longer necessary. Apostolic doctrine, including Paul’s, is the authoritative and invariable rule of faith for thought, action, and proclamation for the church of God in all generations until the end of time. It preserves the sense, liberty, and joy of the glorious gospel that presents grace as utterly free and first (taking the initiative) in the great and necessary turnaround that brings man back home to God. Paul is the advocate and example of this most wonderful grace.
RJS

ON THE BUSES (And Finding the Best Routemaster)* 01-18-09

“On the Buses” was the title of a British sit-corn that ran on Independent Television through the years 1969 to 1973. Originally rejected by the BBC (since when many programmes actually aired on the BBC ought to have been rejected) it became enormously popular viewing and a spin-off movie in 1973 was the top box office hit of the year. A revival of the series was mooted for the early 90’s but did not come to fruition — a relief really because the script was rather ridiculous and the characters immensely irritating. If you happened to have the bad luck of turning the television set on at the commencement of the programme you couldn’t wait to get off at the next stop. From a personal point of view OTB wasn’t good television fare and the dramatis personae conducted themselves rather annoyingly. But now the London buses have retuned to prominence. The atheists have jumped aboard, displaying their message of scepticism from the sides of the upper deck, and hoping to persuade many more to take a ride with them along the cul-de-sac of uñbëlief It’sThãrdtO decidë as & whether this development i a venture in comedy or tragedy. Karl Barth once wrote an essay entitled “The Nightmare of Atheism “, and, from memory, it describes not only the bleakness of the creed but suggests the miserable consequences.
The advertisement on the buses, 800 of them, paid for by the British Humanist Society is concise: “THERE’S PROBABLY NO GOD. Now Stop Worrying and Enjoy Your Life”.
The first statement is as much as even the most strident atheism can possibly say and, apparently, hope for on the matter of the existence of God. However clever and intricate it’s reasoning it cannot go any further. However assertive, it cannot be certain. Anything more definite is not provable and atheism is as much a venture of “faith” as is theism. What is more worrying is the advice that follows the assertion. It poses two serious questions and provides the clues as to why some people find atheism, short for antitheism, preferable. Why should the existence of God be worrying? And in what sense could it hinder the enjoyment of life? There seems to be a great deal at stake for the atheistic. They appear to be launching out on their sea of faith with the determination that God must not exist or else “my existence as I would like it will be impeded or intolerable”. The notion of God is disconcerting to them and it curtails desired freedoms that they deem to be threatened by his menacing presence on the scene of life. They do not appear to be proceeding from the objective and unprejudiced position they claim. They have preconceived interests in the non-existence of God as much as the believer has interests in the existence of God, all joyfully discovered in the knowledge of his adorable Being. So often it is the case that unstated, even undetected, motives and predispositions decide the form of faith that we adopt. It is not only the issue that needs to be interrogated, but also the self that conducts the investigation. That is the only honest and thorough course.
The atheist admits he is worried about God. The Christian would say that that is the voice of conscience testifying to the facts of our native enmity towards him, alienation from him, and our actual offences against him. God is in the conscience, and every man knows himself to be a sinner. He either confesses or suppresses the fact Without the knowledge of the gospel of forgiveness and reconciliation in Christ, and devoid of confidence in it, a person ought to be worried — deeply worried, especially if he clings to the “hope” that the God who troubles him so profoundly probably doesn’t exist and that he probably will not have to stand before him at the judgment. That’s a bit of a risk, indeed a high one, for logical and scientific minds that are usually insistent on conclusive and irrefutable results to their investigations and observations — to wager eternal wellbeing on a probability that defies our instinctual response to the evidence for a superior mind and intelligence that abounds all around us and within us (refer Romans chapter one, also IDon ‘t Have the Faith to Be an Atheict, Geisler &Turek, Crossway, p119. where staunch Darwinists Dawkins and Crick concede the “appearance of design” but urge strong mental resistance to it).
Scripture and experience testify that resting in God is the antidote to worry. It quietens the accusing conscience and settles the major issues of life, death, and eternity. Worry is not annihilated for the believer. It inevitably occurs. But it has its abatement and ultimate solution in God. Belief in God, as distinct from hostility towards him, is not the cause of fear. Faith quells fear for it finds God to be a faithful and affectionate Friend.
The atheist pursues an enjoyment that can only exist if God doesn’t. What pleasure could that possibly be? What does God prohibit that the atheist prefers? Every true and wholesome desire that human nature could entertain is legitimately expressed and enhanced in fellowship with God for they originate in his will for man. God lavishly and lovingly provides complete satisfaction for man in his gifts and grace. What more could atheism desire? It could only be something in terms of less, for deprivation of the knowledge and fellowship of God is an arid experience and a grim prospect to the minds of those who once walked without him and in an attitude of opposition to him. The pleasures of life are diminished or defiled without God in the mind as we participate in them (note the eminent atheists who unashamedly advocate permissiveness and often the issue of sexual license is pertinent). At least the convert from unbelief to faith knows the preference that operates within him, frankly admits it, and has experienced both alternatives — theism (sorely inadequate without Jesus Christ), and atheism (unthinkable after encountering Jesus Christ). Those of us who have travelled the route of atheism to any extent, practical or speculative, and have recognized our inborn hatred towards God in time to jump off the bus before its terminus, know the emptiness and futility of recklessly being driven by the engine of pride and self-will on the journey to nowhere. The rebellious streak that forces us to deny God and opt for a lie (that at best is only a probability, and, on sober reflection and fair assessment of all the facts and informed testimony, appears less and less likely) distances us from the source of all joy and destroys the possibility of finding it. Our stubbornness and hubris threatens to cheat us of the supreme joy for which we were created, and the denial of God is a dangerous delusion founded upon false conclusions drawn from flimsy premises and warped observations (certainly God is not great if you focus exclusively on perversions of faith and the evils of the human heart of those who profess faith— which disgust God more than they disgust the sensibilities of his critics and blithely overlook the crimes of atheism). Atheism is not only a deprivation, it is also dishonest in defining and comparing the consequences of religious belief versus irreligion, and especially in quoting Darwin and Einstein in its favour, for neither man was an atheist. Unbelievers benefit enormously from the good that the sincere people of God have done towards the reform and refinement of society.
Atheism and theism are free to range their arguments and their champions against each other. But as the new atheism brags and blusters, you are unlikely to hear of the recent conversion to belief in God by a lifelong atheist such as philosopher Anthony Flew or to learn that Bertrand Russell, nearing his death, called for the prayers of an eminent Anglican layman. It is good, in one sense, that the London buses emblazon the message of atheism for it makes faith a topical subject and engenders debate on the most important subject confronting man.
But in the end the reality of the living God isn’t decided or verified by our limited minds engaged in frantic debate. God cannot be summoned to the court of human reason and is far too superior to stand in need of our proofs or permission. He sovereignly presents himself to whom he will, and discloses himself in his work, in Jesus Christ, and in his word. Faith is the divinely given supernatural organ of perception that sees and knows him to be real. The influence and persuasion as to his reality is exerted in a way that gains immediate acknowledgement and adoration. Like anything else of which we are truly sure the knowledge of God is self-authenticating. God would be inferior and limited if it were otherwise. Heat, light, cold, and taste present themselves to our physical senses and we register their reality. The Lord graciously presents himself to the sense or perception of faith, the spiritual faculty created and active in the souls of those to whom he has granted it. The combination of universal intuition implanted in the nature of man, the illumination of the Holy Spirit, the information from Holy Scripture, and the strongly suggestive features of surrounding creation all contribute to the certainty of faith which is simply recognition of the truth and a happy confidence in it.
The inbuilt consciousness of God is hard to extinguish. Its attempted extinction calls for as much continual exertion as the life of faith in the obedient believer. The atheist revolts and rails against God with the very faculties that point to him, and the capacities he has bestowed are abused in contending against him. It is the prosecution of a tragic and losing battle - so tragic because it is both futile and suicidal. And ultimately the battle is lost because it is a raging against the One whom we inwardly know to be there in our deepest selves and the environment that surrounds us. The glaring prejudices and proudness that prompt the wilful blindness and hardness of atheism ought to be heeded as the grave warnings that they are, and correctively prompt an abrupt return to God who always awaits and welcomes the humble penitent.
RJS
* The famous London bus used from 1956 to 2005.

HE SHALL BE CALLED A NAZARENE (Matthew 2:23) 1-11-09

Places of origin or residence can help to establish a good reputation. A swanky address can open the door to all kinds of privileges and benefits. An address in a less affluent area can be a disadvantage in many ways and even arouse suspicion as to worthiness of character. When Matthew refers to Jesus as a Nazarene he is citing a component of Jesus’ reputation that fails to bring him credit. Jesus’ address was not at all prestigious and it would not immediately impress a bank manager, a prospective employer, or any person of distinction. They would all probably agree with Nathaniel’s negative remark, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46). Not that Nazareth had a bad reputation in itself, though of course it was located in Galilee, which was scomed by the populace of the south because of its many Gentile inhabitants. By all accounts Nazareth was a pleasant village in an attractive setting. But the point was that it had no reputation. It was small and insignifleant. Few outside of it had heard of it. - Nobody, except its residents, bothered about it. Nathaniel adhered to the popular opinion that nothing great is likely to emerge from small places. In spite of Matthew’s citation of the prophets, and he was very deliberate and careful in his quotations, Nazareth isn’t even mentioned in the Old Testament. So the questions arise as to where Matthew found, and why he used, his prophetic reference to Nazareth.
One highly credible suggestion is that the term “Nazarene” derives from the Hebrew word for “twig”, “shoot”, or “branch”, all variations that signify the coming Messiah and the spiritual life and blessing that he will propagate among his people. Another idea is that Matthew alludes to no specific prophet or oracle but the general impression created by the ancient spokesmen of Israel that the promised Saviour would be a person of obscurity, and therefore Matthew likens Jesus to either: a) a tiny shoot that hardly means anything compared to a huge tree, or b) the scarcely noticed locale in which he was raised. Whichever option we choose Matthew is reading great significance into the scandal of smallness, for God so often prefers to accomplish great things through instrumentalities that are
• unimpressive. Jesus was a man of no reputation — a man from nowhere, with no importance to speak of as far as people of influence, achievement, pedigree, or ambition were concemed. On the public scene, as far as the masses and media were concemed, Jesus was a nothing, and it was not just a mailer of lowly birth, humble parentage, and unspectacular circumstances, all “accidents” that Jesus simply had to live with. The Lord Jesus actually opted for obscurity, along with a
• life of poverty as a humble craftsman and a life of worldly insecurity and the opposition of thç establishment as an itinerant preachcr and teacher.
The gospellers’ portrait of Jesus’ humble demeanour is enlarged by Paul in his quotation from the hymn of Christ’s humility, he “made himself of no reputation taking the form of a bondservant” (Philippians 2:7). The sense of this statement is that the Lord of glory, in the guise of his humanity, stripped himself of the appearance of his majesty, and emptied himself of his inherent dignity, not standing on the ceremony (reverential acknowledgement), and claiming the homage, that was rightly his due. He freely and willingly subjected himself to a life of self-abasement and the abuse of insolent men. Whilst on earth among us he renounced his heavenly glory and chose a life of servitude to the wellbeing of those who despised him. The consequence was the endurance of the most shameful and painful form of death known to the civilization in which he lived. The royalty and riches of his heavenly estate were cast aside and for “our sakes he became poor” (2 Corinthians 8:9). It was the most incredible exchange for the most marvellous ends.
We can scarcely grasp a sense of the heavenly glory of the Son of God, and nor can we appreciate the motivation, dimensions and depth of his voluntary “self- belittling”. But compared to human ambition for gain and grandeur it is stunningly contradictory and so aptly characterized in the words of Alec Motyer, “His are the eternal glories, both by nature and by right, but they are not a platform for self- display, nor a launching-pad for self-advancement; they are all for self-denial. Self is something to ‘pour out’ “(The Message of Philippians, page 115. IVP).
The example of Jesus certainly points out the way in which human sin and selfishness puts restrictions on our humility before God and each other, and our availability to God and each other. The bulk of our exertion is in self-interest. And yet Paul prefaces his description of Jesus self-abnegation with the exhortation, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” (Phil 2: 5).
It is in servanthood and humility that we most reflect the character of Christ and yet this is far more radical than any external imitation of his behaviour. The true likeness to the Lord Jesus exists in the mindset of the believer or the disposition of the heart which only he can know. The image of Christ created in us through regeneration and progressive renewal is twofold — attitudinal and active. “This mind” is the implantation of a nature that replicates his. This is the only biblical permissible form of iconography the image of God engraved upon the soul of man.
There is a tendency to think that God is only, or mostly, present in the events that are large and spectacular, but just as time is of “no accOunt” to God (But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a tho usand years, and a thousand years as one day [2 Peter 3:8]), neither is dimension. He is the God of the quark as well as the cosmos, everywhere present and active, and it is the presence and power of God that gives an event or any entity its value, as we perceive in the Magnificat (Luke 1: 46-55). Size alone should never determine significance and we are incapable of measuring any matter in terms of its place in the puipose of God. Earthly status is not the measure of importance or success, but rather the state and set of the heart (1 Samuel 16:7 cf 2 Samuel 24;lO). It is not that Holy Scripture does not record and rejoice in large statistics, but that man is tempted to take credit for them and inflate his pride. The principal fact is that it is God who is “huge” and whatever he is involved in is of great moment and contributing to the colossal outcome that all creation will witness eventually. God is in the movements of the microbe and the motion of the planets and the effects in each can be monumentally obvious.
Jesus was content to be a Nazarene, a person of obscurity so that the spotlight would be trained upon God, and the glory that magnifies the Lord and is bestowed upon his Son is the glory of the holy perfection of the Triune God and the outpouring of his goodness upon his creation, not from any external constraint but the compulsion of his compassion freely exercised. God chooses to stoop and to serve the creature and our boasting is in his excellence and our delight in his praise. Even in notoriety, popularity, or fame the servants of the Lord are to assume the obscurity and self-effacing inclination of the Lord Jesus. All glory is the property of God (manifest in the self-giving of the Infinite in revelation, creation, and redemption) and he will not share it with another, not from meanness, but because he alone is worthy. To distribute glory would be a lie. Our focus can only be upon the One who is inherently good. All things praiseworthy are derived from him and all qualities commendable are donated by him.
In his biography of Charles Spurgeon, W.Y. Fullerton records the experience of the great preacher: “He was walking over Midsummer Common to the little wooden bridge that used to be on the road to Chesterton, when, in the centre of the common, the word of the Lord came to him. A loud voice seemed distinctly to say, ‘Seekest thou great things for thyself? Seek them not’ “. Though public attention and many honours followed in the course of his ministry Spurgeon resolved, as best he could, to be a “Nazarene”, and, accordingly, he adhered to his master’s will, “Let this mind be in you”. Penitently we acknowledge that if such were the case with us, the insertion of the servant spirit into the hearts of God’s people, our usefulness would be magnified and our grievances lessened, and our differences resolved.
RJS

OPENING THOUGHTS FOR THE NEW YEAR The Collect for January Ft: The Circumcision of Christ 1-4-08

Almighty God, you who caused your blessed Son to be circumcised and obedient to the law for all people: grant us the true circumcision of the Spirit; that, all sinful desires in our hearts and bodies being put to death, we may obey your perfect will in all things; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Many folk begin the New Year with a well-intentioned resolution. The Anglican New Year commences liturgically with a realization and a request that sum up the essence of the gospel in the familiar terms “justification” and “sanctification”. These are realities that define Christian life and decide human destiny. To truly know God and be sure of eternal life a person must be justified, or made right with God, and purified, made fit for fellowship with God. Justification occurs at once and is valid forever. Sanctification isradual and completed at death when the believer goes to be with God forever. These are the two essential aspects of salvation, acceptance and cleansing, wrought by grace, and it is telling that Anglican reflection and proclamation start the year of worship and service with these indispensable themes of the gospel. Hence the character of faithful Anglicanism is defined in orthodox Scriptural and Evangelical terms. The ministry of Mother Church is devoted to the salvation of sinners and the perfecting of the saints. The emphasis is grace and the goal is glory, and throughout the succeeding passage of the year the word of God, through preaching, prayer, and sacramental observance, is selected and adapted to ensure spiritual growth and safe pilgrimage for every Christian through every phase of life. The liturgy is designed to be comprehensive and every element is conducive to a thorough grasp of the gospel in the broadest sense so that we might be assured of the pardon of God and then be enabled to pursue his purpose for the redeemed life. There is wisdom and skill in the composition of the Prayer Book and its regular usage discloses its value as a pastoral provision bequeathed to us from our predecessors in the faith whose experience of God and life is preserved for our benefit. We may avoid their errors and enter into their rich discoveries more readily when our perspective is informed by the history of biblical tradition applied to everyday living. To be totally contemporary is to be disconnected from the channel of truth and grace maintained between God and his people throughout all generations. Every age has its insights and our heritage is a series of instalments in understanding the work of God and the way in which he restores us to himself in holiness and wholeness. The truth unfolds but there is continuity with the Apostolic foundation and consistency with revealed doctrine. There are no inventions in Christian belief or novelties in practice: simply right applications of the eternal word as it becomes increasingly better known through humble attention and acquaintance.
The Collect establishes permanent pointers to a right understanding of the salvific message of Holy Scripture, which is its primary content.
Initially, according to the Collect, God is the cause of the salvation wrought through Christ as our redeeming representative and his role on our behalf commences in the passiveness of his infancy with the rite of circumcision that identifies him with us and indicates that his assignment is our purification before God. Circumcision signifies spiritual cleansing and separation to God in a life of purity and flawless obedience. Purity of heart and perfect conformity to the will of God are now impossibilities for fallen mankind and the Lord Jesus comes as the One who will restore our innocence and enable a renewed obedience. From the outset we learn that our only hope lies outside of ourselves, and all human endeavour, and in the “New Man” who makes amends for our faults at every stage of his development and duty. He is “the man for us”, striving and suffering in our stead for our recovery to perfection and peace with God. In his circumcision Jesus is installed as corrector of the human predicament obligated to fulfil all righteousness (Matthew 3:15) for people who are powerless to do so, or even help themselves towards rectitude to the least degree. The work of Christ is absolutely necessary and central, and from this centre — the person of Jesus- flows all the saving grace that we enjoy. He takes our concern and makes it his cause. The law which finds us wanting and under condemnation is now satisfied by his exertions in our place and he restores the divine favour toward us. Jesus came to make us just before God and he has qualified us for approval which becomes actual the moment our confidence is lodged in him.
Justification by faith alone is the grand unifying theme of the Reformation and historic Anglicanism stands firmly on the Protestant foundation of salvation through grace alone without any human contribution or trust in anyone or anything else other than Christ crucified for us. A representative righteousness and a substitutionary sacrifice put the believer right with God. This is the hallmark of authentic Anglicanism, the measure of what is true, and the means of discerning what is alien to our confession. It clears away the accretions of false tradition smuggled into our Communion in various ways, Roman or radical. “Thomas Cranmer discovered the biblical doctrine of justification by faith alone when he was a student at Cambridge University. When he became Archbishop of Canterbury he used his considerable liturgical talents to ensure that this doctrine was incorporated into the official forms of worship of the reformed Church of England” (Owen Collins, Introduction to The Daily Book of Common Prayer - Readings and Prayers Through the Year. Eerdmans, 2000. An excellent purchase).
As well as making us just by status, Jesus came to make us just within, not just righteous through the Name (“THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.” Jeremiah 33:16) — our standing before God, but righteous by nature for compatibility and communion with God. Personal holiness is the bond that unites the Lord and his people and Jesus provides both the reputation and the reality. We are accepted in him through his righteousness, and altered within by his sanctifying Spirit. The inner circumcision cuts off all impure desires so that sin dies and virtue flourishes. The Christian’s aspiration is perfect obedience of God’s will, though it is recognized, and experience proves, that an inner warfare between the old and renewed nature prevails.
The New Year begins ecclesiastically with an awareness of the orthodox stance of our corporate tradition under the guidance of the Church. We are anchored firmly to the Triune God and trust in his grace alone, conveyed to us by the will of the Father, the work of the Son, and the within-ness of the Holy Spirit. Individually we are reminded of our utter dependence upon God as the source of salvation. We see the centrality and sufficiency of the mediatorial work of Christ for our sakes. And we crave and rely upon the deep inner influences of the Spirit of God as he performs the work of spiritual circumcision upon our hearts and makes us true friends of the Companion we lean upon through all the days that lie ahead, and events yet unknown. May God bless, purify, and preserve our loved ones and ourselves throughout the year freshly begun.
RJS