Belief about God, Bible, Christian Living, church, Love for God

Responding to Hurricane Helene – Part 2

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Last installment the stage was set for a broader consideration of how the Christian should respond to God’s providence using Job 2:9-10. In the midst of tremendous loss, Job maintains his spiritual integrity, event worshiping God who he saw as taking things away from him. This topic is important especially for those who have just suffered the effects of hurricane Helene. And yet it is applicable to all because we are all subject to God’s providence.

The Providence of God

Westminster Shorter Catechism defines God’s providence in this way: “What are God’s works of providence? God’s works of providence are, his most holy, wise, and powerful preserving and governing all his creatures, and all their actions.”[1] In the book of Job the reader is challenged to understand how God governs His creatures and their actions, and how to properly respond to that reality. Since God governs all His creatures and all their actions, that means good times and disaster come from Him. God does not remove Himself from this world after He makes it as the Deists would teach, but continually governs it. He cares for the creation, superintending all His creatures and all their actions.

What Job teaches the Christian is that he should respond with the same level of contentment in both kinds of circumstances. And that is challenging. In some sense easy times make us complacent and hard times make us grumble, but from Job’s lips the Christian is reminded that we should receive both by remembering that it is God’s providence, His governance of his days that has brought these circumstances into being.

God’s Good Providences

In the book of Job the tension is not that he has received too many blessings from the Lord. It is rather the opposite. Job has experienced a shattering of his life and his tragedy is real. Even for those who have experienced this most recent hurricane, it is still predominantly true that those in the United States can sing with the psalmist: “The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.”[2]The vast majority of westerners live under God’s good providences, which are experienced in different ways.

His provision. The Lord provides for His people in a variety of ways. He does so materially by giving food, clothing, housing, and other possessions. He does so emotionally by blessing Christians with friends, family, and most often a spouse with whom to share life. He does so through the technological advancements of our time with vastly improved medical technology, and other inventions that provide ease and comfort in life. There are many others that could be listed here. Most of the time people hardly give these any thought, and even assume that these are their right. And yet because all men participated in the sin of Adam and add to that guilt daily by sinful thoughts, words, and deeds, it is in the provisions that God gives that He demonstrated His kindness.

His protection. In God’s governance of His creation there is security because in it God protects His people. In Job, the only reason the devil has access to him is that God gives him permission. Often in prayer meetings, Christians will pray for a “hedge of protection” around someone. That phrase is derived from the devil’s conversation with God. When the devil responds to God’s praise of Job’s faithfulness he says, “Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side?”[3] The Christian lives with the knowledge that nothing happens to him apart from the permission of his loving Heavenly Father.

Most often, the Lord directs these protections through secondary means. Parents are used to protect their children both physically and spiritually. The elders of the church exercise their office for the protection of faith and practice among God’s people. Governing authorities protect their citizens from evil and promote what is good. These institutions do not exist apart from God’s appointment, but are instances of His tremendous kindness in his good providences.

His pardon. The greatest aspect of God’s work of providence is the way He redeems people from the guilt of sin. All people are by nature guilty before God because of their sin. And yet some are declared righteous and pardoned from the guilt of their sin. It is God’s providence that any turn. None would be reconciled to God on their own. The condition of man is dire. He is “dead in sin and trespass”[4] and even Christians are naturally “children of wrath like the rest of mankind.”[5] There is no possible way to escape the significance of this natural condition. God’s merciful pardoning of sin is His ultimate demonstration of kindness.

It is good to remember and express these acts of kindness which God in His good providence has given to His people. That is especially true while living in the shadow of hurricane Helene. In hard times, people are tempted to think only of the tragedy. But Christians must remember the goodness and kindness of God which is experienced (and perhaps taken for granted) from day to day. Certainly it is easier to praise God when His providence provides for and protects you. It is easy to praise Him for His work of salvation. But there is much to be learned in the book of Job in giving thanks in all circumstances.

God’s Hard Providences

The tension in Job 2:9-10 is found in the conversation between Job and his wife. This family has just experienced a heart-wrenching tragedy. Their 10 children have been killed in a natural disaster, all their wealth is lost. But after his wife urges him to cut ties with God Job says: “Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?”[6] What does Job mean when he says he receives “evil” from God?

From the rest of Scripture it is abundantly clear that God is not capable of doing evil. For example, James 1:13 says that “God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.” That limits what Job might be saying. It cannot mean that he thinks God is behaving in an evil way toward him. The Bible says that interpretation is impossible. There is not any place for laying blame at God’s feet. The solution is not far away.

The Hebrew word translated “evil” in the ESV can also simply mean bad, or disaster. So it is not that God acts wickedly against Job in allowing this tragedy. Rather, the Bible is describing Job’s assessment of his circumstance. It does not seem far fetched at all that Job would describe his calamity as bad or a disaster. But the emphasis in Job is to teach the Christian how to respond properly when faced with a departure from the good times with which people are so familiar. It exhorts the reader to trust the Lord with all that happens in this life without judging the acceptability or fitness of His works. But that is not the only way that people respond to calamity. It is in Job’s exchange with his wife in Job 2:9-10 that the two basic responses to God’s hard providences are acted out.

Job’s wife acts in bitterness toward the Lord leading to what seems to be a rejection of Him. Many people are tempted to respond in this way. Job 2:9 records: “Then his wife said to him, ‘Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die.’” Job’s wife concludes that her calamity, which is truly and in all ways to be considered a tragedy, is too hard. It pushes her to think, at least for a season, that God is not worth her time. At this time, Job’s spiritual integrity is a joke to her and his life is even worthless to her. She urges her husband to curse God and die. Perhaps these words are simply the cry of a broken heart. We are not told if she changes her tune. However, even in her devastating circumstances she charges God with evil and elevates herself to being wiser than He. She presumes to know the final result better than God does. This same sentiment is expressed when people express anger against God over a certain difficulty they have witnessed or experienced. Such a response is basically the same as the emotional state of Job’s wife, and Job calls it “foolish.”

By way of contrast, Job acts in contentment, bearing up under what God has assigned to him. Job’s acceptance of God’s hard providences is, in some sense, mind-boggling. Some of Job’s statements as he suffers his ruin are truly breathtaking. When he looses all his possessions, status, and children in a matter of minutes, he says: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.”[7] I wonder how many Christians today would make such a statement. When the devil strikes covers him with festering blisters from head to toes, he says: “Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?”[8] In both of these sayings, Job demonstrates a stunning and complete contentment with God’s providential ordering of his circumstances. And it is his acceptance of God’s working in his life that marks the lesson of Job. It is a lesson I have found myself needing to learn better as I have walked through the fairly minor inconvenience of the temporary loss of power, water, and mobility.

Application

In response to the Bible’s teaching on trusting God also in hard providences, I want to challenge Christians in two ways.

First, trust in the omniscience, and goodness of God. Especially in times of crisis, it is crucial for us to have the contentment of Job. If this man who suffered far more than most Christians ever have can praise God, the rest of the Church should be able to do so as well. That begins with a right assessment of the One who orders His creation. Man’s understanding of any event is limited. His knowledge takes only a small slice of what he is taught and experiences over a span of eighty years. But God is omniscient, meaning that He knows all things. There is no mystery to Him, nothing where He does not know the outcome. That makes Him trustworthy. He is good, meaning that He does not deal with His people for their destruction, but only for their building up. Who is man to make a final assessment of what good things the Lord will bring to him even in his hardship. From personal hardship, the deprivations caused by the hurricane have helped me. They have shown me my great reliance on Him, helped me see my own weakness, caused me to recalibrate my priorities. And He may have other plans besides the ones I recognize. But whatever His reason for hurricane Helene, He is wiser than any man and good in all His dealings. Therefore the Christian’s default should be to trust Him, and be content.

Second, rehearse the many great gifts God has given. Christians should keep themselves from being overwhelmed with the troubles of today by looking to the many instances of God’s kindness. Rehearse together how He has given life and health. Consider how many things could have gone wrong but did not. Reflect on the fragility of life and how the Lord has yet preserved His people these many days.

The reason people who are minimally affected by the effects of this hurricane are prone to grumble is because they have had a very comfortable life up to this point. That is not to make light of the devastation faced by communities and families in the Southeast. Their grief is justified. However, for the vast majority of people, their temporary loss of power, gasoline, and drinking water does not compare to the many good gifts the Lord has given them.

Finally, consider the greatness God’s work of salvation. He sent His Son to be the propitiation of sin. That means His Son was sent to satisfy the wrath of God over sin committed against Him. On the cross the Lord Jesus Christ bore God’s wrath. Whatever is endured in this life cannot be compared to that agony. Christ bore the infinite wrath of God. His Father forsook Him, turning His face away so that His people would not taste the agony of hell. He has done that for the good of His people. It is the greatest gift anyone might ever receive. That gospel truth is to be believed and rejoiced in. It is that perspective that helps people endure the hard providences God brings their way.

Conclusion

I do not think I will ever forget hurricane Helene. I think it will change how I respond to reports of storms for the rest of my life. But Christian, be reminded that the Lord is good, and the Lord is sovereign. Because He rules and reigns, the Christian says with Job: “The Lord gives and takes away…” Because the world is subject to God’s providence, the Christian’s grumbling should be changed to Job’s good confession: “Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” That does not mean that hardships are not hard anymore. It does not mean that loss does not bring about tears. But it does mean that whether facing easy or hard circumstances, Christians are to give thanks to God, praise His name, tell of His salvation, and rejoice for His steadfast love endures forever.

[1] Westminster Shorter Catechism #11.

[2] Psalm 16:6 (ESV).

[3] Job 1:10.

[4] Ephesians 2:1.

[5] Ephesians 2:3.

[6] Job 2:10.

[7] Job 1:21.

[8] Job 2:10.

Belief about God, Christian Living, Love for God

Responding to Hurricane Helene – Part 1

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I have never been one to pay particularly close attention to storms. I have always lived in places where the threat of them was more significant than the actual event. Sure, I have lived through major snow storms, tornado warnings and landings, ice storms that cut off power and conveniences for a day. But all of that changed on September 27, 2024. There had been some rain the day before. That is what I was used to in Augusta, GA. Hurricanes and Tropical Storms would vent their fury on places further south, and we would have to put up with a day of fairly heavy rain. So I had assumed that would be all: some rain on Thursday, but on Friday everything would continue as per normal. But I was mistaken.

At around 3 a.m. on the 27th I woke up aware that someone was moving around downstairs. Noticing my wife missing from the bed, I went to find out what she was doing. I could hear the rain and gusts of wind, but it did not seem too significant to me. I went and checked on her and finding everything ok, I returned to get some more sleep. One hour later I woke up to find a living room full of Gleasons, alarmed at the noise of the wind and rain pelting the house. I encouraged them to be productive with their time if they were going to be up (yes, I’m that kind of dad), and again returned to get some more sleep. One hour later I woke up because I could feel the house shifting as the gusts of wind whistled outside the windows. At this point, unwilling to die by myself on the second floor, I made it downstairs and sat in the dark (power was out and would not be restored for almost 5 days) with the rest of the family. By God’s grace the storm may have raged but the damage to our house was minimal. The same cannot be said for many others.

When the dawn broke and we were able to go and assess the damage, it was like a war zone. Trees were down everywhere around the city, in some instances having crushed houses and cars. Traffic lights did not work anywhere making every intersection dangerous and challenging. Almost no houses had electricity, and there was no prediction as to when it would be restored. Cell phone service was spotty making the ability to communicate with our church family tricky.

The following Sunday, September 29, little had changed. People had helped each other remove fallen trees and other debris, but the infrastructure was not restored. In fact, the situation became more challenging for many Augusta residents because the Utilities Department decided to shut off water to all houses. Food was beginning to rot in refrigerators, gasoline was beginning to run out, and people were beginning to become very concerned, and even tense. So how is the Christian to address such a situation. As the members of Cliffwood (who were able to get to the church) gathered, we considered together the lessons God’s word gives us from Job 2:9-10:

“Then his wife said to him, ‘Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die.’ But he said to her, ‘You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?’ In all this Job did not sin with his lips.”

Context of Job 2:9-10

This snippet of a conversation between a husband and wife has a context. The reader is not just overhearing some terse words exchanged because of the strain and stress of an average day. Job and his wife have just been completely ruined.

From Job 1:1-5 it is clear that Job is a very wealthy man with a large family. The accounting of his possessions are foreign to a modern North American, but his 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and many servants establish Job as “the greatest of all the people of the east.” (Job 1:3). In addition, he is reported to have seven sons and three daughters (Job 1:2). Job is at the top of the pile, but in a very short space of time he is reduced to nothing through catastrophe and disaster.

In Job 1:13-19, four different reports come to him. The first report is that all his oxen and donkeys were stolen by the Sabeans (v. 14-15). The second report tells of fire burning up Job’s sheep and attending servants (v. 16). The third announces that the camels and attending servants have been stolen by the Chaldeans (v. 17). And the fourth, and most tragic, is that all 10 of Job’s children have been killed when the house in which they are visiting with each other collapses (v. 18-19). What is even more catastrophic is that these reports come to Job one after another. While the current report is given to Job, the next messenger arrives (see v. 16, 17, & 18), where the narrator records that while the messenger was still speaking the next messenger arrived. That means that Job loses his wealth, status, and all his children in a matter of minutes. And that would be tragic enough, and yet Job endures more.

Starting in Job 2:1-6, Job also loses his health. It says that Job was struck with “loathsome sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.” (Job 2:7). This once-great man went from being the greatest man in the east to sitting in the ash heap, scraping himself with a piece of pottery to gain some relief from his festering blisters. And what is truly stunning in it all is the way in which these hardships came to Job and his family.

Job was thus afflicted as the result of two meetings between God and the devil. The first is recorded in Job 1:6-12, and the second in Job 2:1-6. In each meeting, God praises Job for his faithfulness, but the devil suggests that Job serves the Lord because he has privilege. Each time the devil asks God for permission to afflict His faithful servant. And perhaps astonishingly to us who have but a limited understanding of God’s good plans, He grants Satan’s request. In the first meeting Satan is permitted attack Job’s possessions and in the second his health. And yet, this account is not about how a man handles circumstances well. Job is the account of how a man is content when God brings what William Cowper calls a “frowning providence” in his hymn God Moves in a Mysterious Way.

Next it is left to determine just what forms God’s providence can take and how Christians should respond to it.

Belief about God, Bible, Christian Living, church

Christians in a Fallen World – Part 2

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Conflict

At 6.15 p.m. on Saturday, July 13, 2024, there was an attempt on former president Donald Trump’s life. He was shot in the ear, one bystander dead, two others wounded, the shooter himself killed, and the former President whisked away by secret service. How does the Christian respond to that kind of event? Last article looked at how they could respond and what they should not do. This second installment examines this question positively, in terms of what they should do.

What Should the Christian Do?

“My son,  fear the LORD and the king, and do not join with those who do otherwise, for disaster will arise suddenly from them, and who knows the ruin that will come from them both?” (Proverbs 24:21-22)

Verse 21 calls the Christian to fear the Lord. That is the default Christian response to any circumstance, including unsettling circumstance, like experience on July 13, 2024. The Christian is not to fret or envy the evildoer. In some sense that would be to fear man. But rather than fearing man, he is to fear the Lord. But what does it mean to fear the Lord?

In this context it does not mean to cower before the Lord God in terror because of dread of His presence? It is not to be like Adam in the Garden immediately after the fall when he hides himself from God because he fears Him. What is the fear of the Lord then?

“The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil.” (Proverbs 8:13)
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” (Proverbs 9:10)
“The fear of the Lord prolongs life.” (Proverbs 10:27)
“The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life.” (Proverbs 14:27)
“The fear of the Lord leads to life and whoever has it rests satisfied.” (Proverbs 19:23)

To summarize, the fear of the Lord can be used to simply describe the Christian life. It is living in relationship with a God who is pure and who has accomplished redemption. That is the fear of the Lord. It is the reverence and awe that the redeemed feel towards the God who is not there to condemn them, but the God who has promised and secured salvation. It is a phrase that shows the changed life of a man who is under God’s protection.

The man who fears the Lord turns away from evil. The fear of the Lord makes him wise and prolongs his life. It gives him rest. That is the life of the man who is in Christ because of the grace of God. He loves the Lord. He loves his law. He hates what is opposed to him. Rather than fearing man and his disapproval, he fears the Lord, also in the face of political unrest. Yet it is important to clarify, that though the Christian does not fear the evildoer, it does not mean he indifferent about him.

The Christian should not shrug at evil, but condemn it. He should seek biblical justice so far as he is able, because he hates evil and exactly because he fears the Lord. He should care about about who his ruler is. He should seek to gain a ruler who governs in that same fear of the Lord that he has because he wants the good of his nation. He understands Psalm 33:12 which says, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.” A righteous ruler behaves in the same way as the Lord does. In Proverbs 19:21 the wise man calls his son to fear God and the king. In verse 22, it shows how both respond to evil the same way. The Lord and the king together will bring disaster and ruin on the one who doesn’t fear the Lord. Now, God always renders pure biblical justice. At the same time any king/ruler should render that.

Days like July 13, 2024 should not make the Christian disheartened. The Christian, by God’s grace, will not endure the ruin to which that warning points. Not because he is by nature right, but because God, by his grace, has made him right. He has transferred his citizenship from the countries of this world to the heavenly kingdom. And so the Christian is called to fear the Lord and the king. Live in this nation in light of your heavenly citizenship. There are events in this life that make man fret. But the Christian should remember he has a heavenly King. He should remember his adoption (Romans 8:14), the promise from Almighty God that He will never leave or forsake His people (Hebrews 13:5), that there is nothing in all of creation that can separate him from His love in Christ (Romans 8:38-39).

Days before the Lord Jesus Christ was crucified, He encouraged his disciples that he was going to prepare a place for them (John 14:2). In other words, this world is not their home. There is a heavenly inheritance that awaits them. And that same promise applies to His disciples today as well. The Christian is not living in his permanent home, but is simply passing through. He is to fear the Lord and to fear the Lord only.

The Lord is to be feared because He is sovereign over all moments, including the one that happened on July 13, 2024. Nothing has happened that has not been ordained by him. The evildoer may believe he is advancing his own agenda, but the Lord mocks him and laughs at him. The evildoer’s own sin is being used to accomplish God’s perfect will. Think about Pontius Pilate. He thought he was advancing his political career by hanging this innocent Jewish carpenter on a cross. That is a sinful act. And yet the Lord used exactly that sinful action to accomplish the redemption that He had promised.

Without a doubt, Christians do not understand all that God is orchestrating through the assassination attempt on July 13. They do not know why God allowed this evildoer to do evil. But should the Christian even ask that question? The point is not that Christians cannot ask questions of God. However, they should never do so in such a way as puts His competency to ordain all things in doubt. God is good, merciful and compassionate. He did ordain it and He has every right to do so. It is in trusting in Him when things seem uncertain that peace is found. No man can give another ultimate peace. But no man or event should be able to take away the Christian’s peace either.

Proverbs 19:23 (quoted above) says that in the fear of the Lord that man rests satisfied. The Christian looks to the Lord for his future. The evildoer has no future (Prov. 24:20) because the evildoer assuredly and certainly will be condemned. His sins will find him out. Books will be opened. If he is not found out in this life, he will stand before the judgment seat of God, and his heart and thoughts will be laid bare. His transgressions against God’s law will be declared, and he will be sentenced. That is dismal, and it is the default state of everyone in the world. The godless evildoer, the wicked who seems so powerful, has an appearance of invincibility that lasts only for a moment.

But if a man is in Christ, the squabbles of this earth are not to be compared to the glory that he will have in heaven. Jesus Christ is King on the throne, and He is judging the nations. He is ruling over the nations. And Christians will participate in these things because they are united to the Anointed One. Because he is purchased by Christ, he is protected by Him and never abandoned.

He has purchased a future for the Christian at the cost of his own blood. That is the only hope presented in the gospel. God’s people should seek a nation where the righteous prosper and the evildoer is punished. But what is to be done when God, in his providence, denies these things. That is the question this article is addressing. It is not dealing with what may be wanted ideally. Rather, how do God’s people live in the corruption of this world?

The Christian ought no fear the plotting and scheming of man, nor envy such an evildoer. He is not to be anxious about him. Rather he is to fear the Lord and live under the authorities He has set in place. That is to be done with integrity, serving God in this world.

An assassination attempt is unsettling because it is an evidence of the rotten natural state of man which pervades our own country too. And no part of the Church can control it. However that does not give permission for the Church to fret and worry over those who do evil. It does not mean the wicked should be envied. The gaze of man is to be away from those things, directed rather to the Lord which a proper, biblical fear.

Seek his glory. Hate evil. Love wisdom. Rest satisfied in him. Why? Not because life will be easy, or even because it will necessarily be safe. It is because the Lord gives eternal peace to all who look to him in Christ. It would be good to heed the wisdom of Psalm 146:

1 Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, O my soul!
2 I will praise the LORD  as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.

3 Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is  no salvation.
4 When  his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish.

5 Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose  hope is in the LORD his God, 6 who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever; 7 who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry.

The LORD sets the prisoners free; 8 the LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down; the LORD loves the righteous.

9 The LORD watches over the sojourners; he upholds the widow and the fatherless, but  the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.

10 The LORD will reign forever, your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the LORD!

Bible, Christian Living

Christians in a Fallen World – Part 1

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Conflict

At 6.15 p.m. on Saturday, July 13, 2024, there was an attempt on former president Donald Trump’s life. He was shot in the ear, one bystander dead, two others wounded, the shooter himself killed, and the former President whisked away by secret service. How does the Christian respond to that kind of event? Of course, there are many ways that the Christian could respond.

How Could the Christian Respond?

For one, the Christian might make Donald Trump into a saint. However, nothing really changed about Donald Trump between July 12 and 13. The only difference about this man is that somebody tried to kill him and they failed. He is still just a man with his strengths and weaknesses. So the primary Christian response should not be to work through issues about a preferred or despised politician. Instead Christian should never exalt a man, but he should think carefully about what it means to live as a Christian in a world that is dominated by evil, a world where such an event is possible.

The Christian also could respond by demonizing Donald Trump’s political opponents. Social media is the wild west for this kind of thing, and the Christian must avoid using posts and comments as the guide rails for how to handle this situation. Trump’s political opponents have expressed their sympathies, and the response of his supporters includes a large number of profanity-laced tirades, accusing all Democrats personally of causing the environment where assassination may seem like a good option. However, the Christian preoccupation should be to govern his emotional biblically.

Lastly, the Christian could also become overwhelmed by fear. That fear is reflected in the many public pronouncements that have been made about what happened on July 13. Celebrities have weighed expressing their with horror and dismay. Foreign dignitaries have extended their sympathies. Our own president has taken to the television to condemn the violence, and the tenor of all of those messages is that our country is in deep trouble. How does the Christian respond to that sentiment, however true it might be?

Without a doubt any nation where God is not worshipped is by default in deep trouble. How does blessing come to a nation? Psalm 33:12 tells us, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.” And that is not the United States of America. America may have “In God we trust” written on its currency, but it denies this slogan in its entertainment, political discourse, business practices, and cultural emphases. And yet in responding to a national travesty like an assassination attempt, for most Christians fixing the godlessness in the United States of America is above their pay grade.

Many people are presenting the assassination attempt on Donald Trump as the natural outcome of inflamed political discourse. The thinking goes that when you ratchet up political rhetoric it incites hatred. Political rhetoric in the United States has been inflamed as of late which may lead to the conclusion that this problem is unique to former President Trump and the way that he pushes people’s buttons. However, the assassination of political figures is not a novel political enterprise, whether internationally or in our own country.

In our own country, six other presidents have been shot. Four of them have died as a result of their wounds: Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, James Garfield, and William McKinley. Two of them survived: Theodore Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan. From the 1860s to the 1980s, presidents and former presidents in the US have been at risk of assassination attempts. These are not unique to the United States.

There are plenty of examples in world history where political figures are assassinated. For example, in 44 BC, Julius Caesar is murdered in the Senate of Rome. In 1914 Archduke Franz Ferdinand is shot and killed in Sarajevo, launching the Great War. In 1981 Anwar Sadat, president of Egypt, is murdered while reviewing a parade of his troops. It is a mistake to think that July 13, 2024 is unique in world history, or the history of the United States. That should not be surprising to Christians. Ecclesiastes 1:9 says, “What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.” Human behavior is quite predictable, in a general sense, because man is sinful.

The natural man is consumed with all sorts of evil. God commands Adam, “You shall not eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.” (Genesis 2:17). But Adam in his arrogance rebels against God, and eats of the Tree. He died that day, as God had warned. His body begins to die, and his soul is immediately dead and corrupted. Man is no longer able to do what is good and is now only bent on evil all the time. From that sinful nature flow all of his sinful actions. One of the things that is included as a consequence of man’s corrupt nature is recorded in Romans 3:15, where it says man is “swift to shed blood.” On July 13, 2024 the world witnessed a man who was swift to shed blood acting on his corrupt nature. There will be men who hate their fellow man, whose lust for fame, notoriety, or power means they will stop at no evil deed to carry out their wicked plans.

So what can the Christian do? The Christian can and must look into the mirror of God’s word and consider how to live in a nation that is steeped in sin.

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105)

The rest of this two- part series meditates on Proverbs 24:19-22 to answer the questions of how the Christian should respond. And this text gives its answer by presenting two things: 1. What God’s people should not do; 2. What God’s people should do.

What God’s People Should Not Do

“Fret not yourself because of evildoers, and be not envious of the wicked, for the evil man has no future; the lamp of the wicked will be put out.” (Proverbs 24:19-20)

There are two things the Christian should not do in response to the assassination attempt: 1. Fret not; 2. Be not envious. First is the call not to fret. Another word for fretting is worrying. And worrying is an expression of a lack of trust or a fearfulness over something that cannot be controlled. For example, parents fret about the choices their children make because they do not trust the child will make the right choice. Or, people worry about the weather forecast because they are not able to control the storms. To the subject of this article, people fret about the power of wicked people. But in verse 19 it says, “Fret not yourself because of evildoers.” That has application for Christians as they consider the aftermath of an assassination attempt, congressional hearings, different theories of how this event was able to unfold. Christians should not worry because they confess God rules and reigns in the heavens.

The second thing this text tells us not to do is be envious. Envy is a form of covetousness and the Christian is called specifically away from envy of the wicked. The fact that the Bible mentions envy of the wicked means there is within God’s people a temptation to exactly do that. The wicked seem to be successful, wealthy, strong, and wanting all of those things the Christian is foolishly tempted to imitate wicked ways. But Romans 6:23 has taught the wages of sin is death. The final expectation for those who remain in sin is this spiritual death. So the Christian has two responses for those who remain in sin, or who are among the wicked. Spiritually speaking, the wicked should not be envied, but pitied. In society, the wicked should not be envied but receive justice.

Proverbs 19:20 says, “The lamp of the wicked will be put out.” The Christian must always bring these things to mind. Evil doers and wicked men will not always affect the people of God. There will be a time when there will be no more reports of assassinations or even murder. Why? Because the evil man has no future and the lamp of the wicked will be put out. The evil doer may be strong today, but his future is like any other man. The wicked may be successful in the way that man measures success, but his lamp will be put out. On the other hand the Christian has something the evildoer will never have.

He has a future resurrection of glory, the promise of an eternal inheritance in a city which is so glorious that the streets are paved with gold. The Christian is a co-heir with Christ. Instead of darkness, he is promised an eternity bathed in light. The book of Revelation describes the New Jerusalem. And in this New Jerusalem, the apostle John records the sun and moon are not necessary because God will be the light of that city. “And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.”[1]

So in light of the events of July 13, 2024, the Christian must not fret or respond with envy because “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”[2]. The Christian who frets and worries fails to rest in that truth. The Christian who envies denies that truth. The Christian must not forget who he worships. That’s essentially what the book of Proverbs is saying: Do not be anxious or envious because you worship the living God.

The next article will look at Proverbs 19:21-22 where the Christian is told what he should do in the midst of a fallen, sinful world.

[1] Revelation 21:23 (ESV).

[2] 1 John 4:4.

Bible, Children, Christian Living, Family Worship

Meditation on Proverbs 30:7-9

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Father & Son Fishing

I have not done many devotional studies as part of this blog but not too long ago I was reading through Proverbs. As often happens, in reading through a text that I had read many times before, I was struck by something new. Proverbs 30:7-9 says:

“7 Two things I ask of you; deny them not to me before I die: 8 Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, 9 lest I be full and deny you  and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’ or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.”

This proverb is perhaps unique in that it is a prayer directed to the Lord, a request from a person who has a living faith to the God who sanctifies him. It is by no means intended to be the exclusive prayer of the saint, but it does show the importance of two qualities in the Christian life which are often neglected.

The Importance of Honesty

The proverb directs the believer to ask God to make him an honest, truth-telling person. Perhaps it is overly simplistic to note that this exhortation has to be made. However, the fact that the prayer is offered points out the Christian may still be tempted with, and fall into, dishonesty. As a result, the proverb makes an appeal to the Lord that He would work in the Christian what he is unable to accomplish on his own. The prayer of the proverb is that he be kept from “falsehood and lying.” But why is truthfulness so significant to the Christian?

The Bible teaches that Jesus is the embodiment of the truth (John 14:6), while the devil is the father of lies (John 8:44). Since the Bible calls believers to imitate the Lord (Ephesians 5:1) and since Jesus attributes the lies of the Pharisees to the fact that they are children of the devil (John 8:44), the issue of truth telling is very closely related to spiritual parentage. In fact, speaking the truth is so important that God includes it as part of the Moral Law, summarized in the Ten Commandments. The ninth commandment specifically deals with honesty.

In the Westminster Shorter Catechism’s explanation of the ninth commandment it summarizes its function as “maintaining and promoting of truth between man and man.” That means its intention goes beyond telling the truth in a court of law. Verses like Proverbs 30:7 bear that out as it is addresses removing falsehood and lying in a more general sense.

Falsehood can have an obvious meaning, but there is a sense in which we can actually use the truth to promote falsehood. An example would be gossip. Gossip is a truthful communication of facts for a false end. Of course, falsehood is also the communication of what is not true. An example would be slander. In slander false information, or maybe information that is only partially true is shared. Both gossip and slander show up in Christian circles. The proverb exhorts Christians to ask God to turn them away from those things. However, the more obvious meaning about falsehood deals with lying.

Lying is the willful and intentional distortion or withholding of the truth for the purpose of deceiving another person. So, if someone asks another how his day is going, and he answers with a non-chalant, “fine,” he has not lied even if he did stub his toe earlier in the morning. There is no intent to deceive. But if a person conceals or alters the truth in an attempt to deceive, then he has lied. That person is speaking the language of the devil; it is sinful. And sin requires a Christian response.

The Christian struggling with honesty must repent of his sin. Confession should be made to the Lord and to the person who has been deceived. Yet the Christian is not concerned merely with forgiveness. He delights in the putting on of Christ and His righteousness. That is not simply a forensic and legal condition. The Christian delights to “walk in His ways.” (Deut. 26:17). Prayer is a request for God’s strength to make that a reality, to be enabled to speak the truth in love and forsake the temptation of speaking falsehood and lies. But that is only the first request in the proverb. The second part deals with riches.

The Importance of Contentment

The second part of the prayer offered in the proverb is that of contentment. It asks God to provide for material needs without either deprivation or excess. It is not unlike the fourth petition of the Lord’s Prayer: “Give us this day our daily bread.” (Matthew 6:11). Westminster Shorter Catechism #104 summarizes that petition as asking for a “competent portion of the good things of this life.” That same request is made in this proverb as well. It asks for neither riches nor poverty.

Agur asks the Lord to provide him with his needs so that two scenarios would be avoided. First, he does not wish to be tempted to steal through poverty. Second, he does not wish tempted to deny his need for God because of his riches. And the balance of the Christian life is to receive from God’s hand whatever shape his providential distribution of wealth may take. The riches of eternal life and reconciliation to God received in Christ are of far more worth than any material blessings of this life. Therefore, the heart of the Christian ought first to be delighted with the gift of salvation resulting in contentment in all other circumstances. This proverb is not the only place in the Bible where contentment is urged.

Contentment is the positive subject of the 10th commandment. Negatively, this commandment forbids covetousness, which is a desire for the things providentially given by God to others. But in studying the law of God, the intent in the negatives is not simply to curtail certain behaviors, but to encourage the Christian to pursue the opposite virtue.  The Westminster Shorter Catechism puts it this way:

80. What is required in the tenth commandment?
The tenth commandment requireth full contentment with our own condition, with a right and charitable frame of spirit toward our neighbor, and all that is his.

There is a tremendous emphasis on contentment in the Bible. That contentment is grounded in viewing Christ as the greatest treasure of all. When that treasure is graciously given to a person, all other things will fade into the background. Of course, people fail to live out their gratitude consistently.

1 Timothy 6:10a warns the Christian that “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils.” Jesus Himself says it another way in Matthew 6:24: “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” There is the danger of forming an affectionate attachment to riches, setting them ahead of the Lord, looking to them as what gives joy and purpose. That is to create an idol in life. On the other hand, what is seen in Jesus’ own words is not a rejection of all forms of wealth. That would be to deny that all good gifts come down from heaven (James 1:17). However, the concern for riches should always be a subservient concern. Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever (Westminster Shorter Catechism #1).

But a love for God is a love for who He is. He is the truth and He is the Christian’s treasure. There is, of course, much more that can be said about God and how belonging to Him changes the Christian. But here in this proverb there are two “acceptable sins” and yet these are singled out for a special prayer by Agur. That makes this section of Scripture a good aid for self-examination and a good place to visit as part of family worship.

Belief about God, Children, church, ordinary means of grace, Parenting

Experiencing Worship with Children

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Lately I’ve been preaching through the “kingdom psalms” (Psalms 93-100). These psalms include as their common theme a call to worship God. That theme got me thinking about Christian parents leading their families to worship. No one is exempt from challenges in leading their family in worship at church. So how can parents live faithfully before God in this area? How can parents responsibly lead their families to meet with God and His people in worship? Those questions could be addressed by sharing information, or it could examine the experience of worship in families.

In this article there will not simply be a consideration of knowledge. Knowledge is crucial to the Christian life. Normally in adults life is a progressive movement from knowledge in the head to belief in the heart to expression with the hands. However, in children parental example is integral to form assumptions in the minds of children. These can have a lasting impact on the way they will understand life as adults. So rather than considering what facts children should know about worship, this article looks at parental leadership and example and how it informs an understanding of worship in children before they may even understand all that is happening. I will begin with a parent’s negative example.

  1. The Impact of Neglecting Worship

There are many reasons why people for a season excuse themselves from worship. Some of them are legitimate, some are understandable but not helpful, and some are simply bad reasons. The latter two will have unwanted negative results in children.

First, there are legitimate reasons. These include suffering an illness, or caring for someone else who is, employment in areas of mercy and necessity. Nurses, doctors, nursing home staff performing necessary medical service to the sick and elderly does nothing to neglect the call to worship, but actually compliments it. There other such reasons, but these legitimate reasons will in no way be a negative example to children.

Second, there are understandable reasons that are not helpful. There are times when, as a pastor, I sympathetically understand why folks stay away from worship. But when I talk to them, I counsel them to be present at worship because it is actually more helpful to them. For example, a person who has suffered a trauma in his life such as the passing of a loved one, or an embarrassing confession of sin may be tempted to stay away. Perhaps the difficulty of repeatedly answering the same painful questions seems too much to handle. These struggling brothers and sisters should be encouraged by the spirit of gentleness displayed by the saints (Gal. 6:1) and welcomed in the church.

However, when worship is neglected in these circumstances, it teaches a lesson for watching children. They see parents worshiping God when things are going well, but when hardship comes worship is withdrawn. They see people looking for comfort and encouragement away from the people of God in their most pressing needs. And yet, the Bible teaches that all circumstances come from the Lord, and so His worship should not be neglected on account of hardship.

Third, there are bad reasons to neglect worship. These reasons include preferring time to visit with friends or family who are in-town for the week-end, catching up on needed work around the house, and so on. The unnecessary neglect of corporate worship is a significant disconnect with a Christian profession of faith. Psalm 122:1 presents the heart of the Christian when it comes to worship: “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord!’” (English Standard Version). But for the watching eyes of children, parents who stay away from worship teach children a detrimental lesson with unpredictable consequences.

Using the example of neglecting worship for time with family and friends, parents in that moment teach the child, perhaps unintentionally, that family is more important than God. I do not know Christian parents who would say that, but their actions at time establish that. The choice has been presented and God has not been preferred. And once that choice has been presented as a legitimate option, the parent will have no grounds to object to the preference of personal choice in any other area. Children may apply the same choice to recreation, work, or other things. In that scenario, actions have spoken and the lesson is clearly taught.

  1. A Valuable Lesson to Be Taught by Being Present in Worship

But parents do come to worship. They do set a positive example by being present at church, which has positive practical consequences. Broadly speaking, participating in worship gives children a healthy understanding of their importance compared to God.  An important aspect of being a well-adjusted person is the correct understanding of personal importance. In today’s self-help secular parenting world, children are often raised to think they are uniquely special. Their needs are to be met, and their opinions are to be respected and maybe even followed. Of course, it is good to make sure children know they are precious to their parents. But that affirmation should have limits. No child is more precious that God. And so, it is good for children to learn there are moments where their personal preferences and desires must “take a back seat.” Worship is one of those moments. What parents allow and forbid as part of worship prepares a child to recognize that he and God are not peers, which has further implications for all of life. Parents can set prohibitions and requirements to aid in learning that lesson.

First, children should not be an unnecessary distraction in worship. The church has gathered to focus on the Lord, not to focus on children. Therefore, no child should be allowed to make himself the focus either by excessive noise, disobedience, or turning around in the seat and entertaining the people sitting behind. When a child is not able to be in church without becoming a distraction, he should not remain. Perhaps there is a quick fix that can happen in the foyer of the church. Perhaps more training is necessary in the home to prepare a child to sit still. If the church has a nursery, parents should take advantage. Parents themselves should then assess together what is missing that would enable their child to be part of corporate worship. It is not always easy to discern, however a constant parade in and out of a service to correct a wayward child, indicates that child may not be ready to sit in church. Not only will both parent and child not participate in worship, most likely the people around them will not either. And that is to miss the purpose for coming together. Do not misunderstand. As a pastor, I am glad to hear the noises of a child learning to adjust himself to worship. The loud, off-key singing is great. The out-loud answer to rhetorical questions in the sermon often puts the adults to shame. Even the restless wiggles being brought under control should not distract a person who has come to worship. But there is a point when a child becomes an unhealthy distraction.

Second, children should not be permitted to act on every impulse they have during worship. The two main culprits in this regard are probably requests from children for drinks of water and going to the bathroom. Dealing with requests for drinks of water is by far the easier of the two. From a practical standpoint, it is highly unlikely that your child will not survive the remaining 30 minutes of a service without a drink of water. Requests for a visit to the bathroom carry with them a greater sense of risk. However, just a little bit of thinking ahead can even alleviate the urgency of this question. Parents can require a visit to the facilities before the service starts. That requires attentiveness from the parents and perhaps a couple of calculated but risky refusals.

In reality, children asking about bathrooms and water fountains are probably looking for a reprieve from sitting still more than presenting an actual need. But whatever the case, here parents have an opportunity to practically demonstrate that the child is not as important as the worship of God. A parent may say, “No son. We are here to worship the Lord. You can wait for a drink until we are done.” That refusal demonstrates to the child that their impulse for a drink or simply to move around does not outweigh or supersede the call to glorify God in the context of the gathered worship of His people.

Third, children should be prepared to participate in worship. Some preparation will happen through the accumulation of experience in worship. The week-in, week-out participation in Sunday worship will make children relax and enable them to join in. However, there are also some proactive things that can be done at home. For churches which recite creeds or the Lord’s Prayer corporately, children can be helped in committing them to memory. Once memorized they will be able to participate. Parents can insist that older children participate in the songs of the church and give them a little pro-active “coaching.” Perhaps it is as simple as, “Remember, we are going to worship the Lord today, and I want to see you singing along with the rest of the people.” Parents can also provide ways to help children listen to preaching. Children can be encouraged to write down a few notes of things they heard the pastor say. However, be careful that this tool is not allowed to cause the child to tune out what is said as he develops his favorite cartoon characters. In all these ways, children can be shown the privilege of worshiping God. And the aim is not just quiet children, but those who respect worship and, more significantly, participate in it.

All parents have failed in leading their family in worship. Some have been too lacks, others too strict. But past failures should not excuse a renewed commitment around healthy expectations in our families regarding the worship God. Parental instruction or example should not undermine the supremacy of God, and where parents have allowed that to happen, adjustments should be made. That is no cause for shame or embarrassment. It is a necessary and on-going correction that all people must at times make. It is part of their own sanctification and their responsibility to present their children to the Lord for worship.

10 Commandments, Bible, Christian Living, Westminster Confession of Faith

The Christian and God’s Law

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Ten Commandments

“The law sends us to the Gospel that we may be justified; and the Gospel sends us to the law again to inquire what is our duty as those who are justified.”[1]

Recently the topic of the relationship between the Law and the Christian has been occupying a significant amount of my thoughts. That is for two main reasons: 1. I read Charles Leiter’s book The Law of Christ; and, 2. I am preaching through the book of Romans. Why have these things made me consider God’s Law?

First, Charles Leiter’s book is antinomian. That does not mean he is unconcerned with holiness or urging Christians to a righteous life. It is antinomian because Leiter dismisses God’s Law. His basic premise is that the Law (ceremonial, civil, and moral) is abrogated and serves only as an example for the new covenant Christian, unless explicitly repeated in the New Testament. To be renewed by the Holy Spirit, argues Leiter, means the heart is changed and there is a desire to imitate Christ. Therefore the Law is no longer needed. That book forced me to think about the abiding use of the Law from the perspective of someone who would remove it.

Second, preaching through Romans makes me think about the Law, but for a very different reason. Paul is constantly talking about the law. Romans has been divided into 433 verses. 51 of those, or 12% of the verses, mention the word “law”. Sixty-six of those 78 mentions are in the first seven chapters. Of those 51 verses which mention the Law, 41 appear in the first seven chapters. There are 186 verses in those chapters, which means that 22% of the verses in the first seven chapters of Romans use the word “law”. That is a major theme. But in this book, the Law is not being cancelled. Paul is helping the Christian think of the right use of the Law in his life. The Law cannot be used unto salvation, but salvation encourages a right use of the Law.

All of these things have caused me to be refreshed by the Biblical teaching that the free offer of the gospel does not negate the Law’s usefulness for the Christian. There are many Scriptural references to support this way of thinking:

John 14:15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”

Romans 3:31 “Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.”

Romans 8:7 “For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.”

1 John 3:4 “Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.”

Texts like these have formed the foundation for the protestant Christian’s belief in the abiding value of God’s Law. The universal nature of this acceptance can be seen in the theological documents that were formulated throughout the Protestant Reformation.

The Sixteenth Century

The Heidelberg Catechism was published in 1563, written primarily by Zacharias Ursinus. It quickly came to be viewed as the best summation of the teachings of reformed Christianity and continues to be used and loved in many Reformed denominations. In Q. 3, the catechism establishes the Law as a convicting agent: “From where do you know your sins and misery? From the law of God.” It is commonly accepted that the Law functions in this way, but the catechism has more to say. It also describes life after the new birth, when man is renewed by the Holy Spirit. This life is the forgiven life, when man is pardoned for sin and declared righteous by faith in Christ. Describing that time, Q. 90 says, “What is the coming to life of the new nature? It is a heartfelt joy in God through Christ, and a love and delight to live according to the will of God in all good works.” And so as to make no mistake about the nature of these good works, the Catechism gives a clarifying definition in Q. 91: “But what are good works? Only those which are done out of true faith, in accordance with the law of God, and to his glory, and not those based on our own opinion or on precepts of men (Italics mine).” In the Heidelberg, the doing of good works which is part of the coming to life of the new nature, is defined by living in obedience to God’s Law.

At about the same time as the Heidelberg Catechism was published, another Confession, the Second Helvetic Confession was published in Zurich. It was authored by Heinrich Bullinger first for his personal use, but then letter as a summary of the teaching of the Reformed Churches in Zurich and beyond in 1566. This confession deals with the law in Chapter XII, “Of the Law of God”. There it says,

“HOW FAR THE LAW IS ABROGATED. The law of God is therefore abrogated to the extent that it no longer condemns us, nor works wrath in us. For we are under grace and not under the law. Moreover, Christ has fulfilled all the figures of the law. Hence, with the coming of the body, the shadows ceased, so that in Christ we now have the truth and all fulness. But yet we do not on that account contemptuously reject the law. For we remember the words of the Lord when he said: “I have not come to abolish the law and the prophets but to fulfil them” (Matt. 5:17). We know that in the law is delivered to us the patterns of virtues and vices. We know that the written law when explained by the Gospel is useful to the Church, and that therefore its reading is not to be banished from the Church. For although Moses’ face was covered with a veil, yet the apostle says that the veil has been taken away and abolished by Christ.”

In other words, the law is not given to justify a man in the sight of God, but rather to show to Him God’s definition of good and evil. The aim is that the man who trusts in Christ alone for salvation rightly understands the law as not causing his salvation, but as an explanation of the good a man should do and the evil he should leave off doing in light of that salvation.

The Seventeenth Century

The Westminster Confession of Faith (1647), The Savoy Declaration (1658), and the London Baptist Confession of 1689 are all 17th century theological summaries. The Westminster Confession of Faith forms the foundation for the latter two. The reason for including their mention is to show the broad agreement in Reformed churches on the issue of the Law. This agreement can be seen in that the Savoy and London Baptist both leave the language they borrow from the Westminster Confession on this subject unchanged:

“6 Although true believers be not under the law, as a covenant of works, to be thereby justified, or condemned; yet is it of great use to them, as well as to others; in that, as a rule of life informing them of the will of God, and their duty, it directs and binds them to walk accordingly; discovering also the sinful pollutions of their nature, hearts, and lives; so as, examining themselves thereby, they may come to further conviction of, humiliation for, and hatred against sin, together with a clearer sight of the need they have of Christ, and the perfection of his obedience. It is likewise of use to the regenerate, to restrain their corruptions, in that it forbids sin: and the threatenings of it serve to show what even their sins deserve; and what afflictions, in this life, they may expect for them, although freed from the curse thereof threatened in the law. The promises of it, in like manner, show them God’s approbation of obedience, and what blessings they may expect upon the performance thereof: although not as due to them by the law as a covenant of works. So as, a man’s doing good, and refraining from evil, because the law encourageth to the one, and deterreth from the other, is no evidence of his being under the law; and, not under grace.

7 Neither are the forementioned uses of the law contrary to the grace of the gospel, but do sweetly comply with it; the Spirit of Christ subduing and enabling the will of man to do that freely, and cheerfully, which the will of God, revealed in the law, requireth to be done.”

In essence the Confession of Faith mirrors Romans in saying that the Law has no use leading up to man’s justification. To affirm law keeping as part of being pardoned and declared righteous would be to live under a Covenant of Works again. The Confession says that is not possible. Man comes to God by His grace, through faith in Jesus Christ only. However, the freedom Christ purchases for His people is not some moral autonomy. God defines a “rule of life” and defines good and evil. This definition is found in His Law. That is why Jesus said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” (Matt. 5:17). Those who are redeemed make it their delight to walk in these unchanged ways.

Conclusions

So is it right to say the Law of God has no further use? Certainly not. And I give the following reasons:

  1. The Bible does not teach such a thing, but rather shows the inadequacy of the Law unto salvation, but the benefit of the Law for the one saved by grace through faith only;
  2. The Reformed churches of many stripes and places all taught that the Law leads a man to Christ for salvation and afterwards is a guide for thankful, holy living;
  3. Though it is right to claim the heart of the Christian is made new and that he desires to live as Jesus did, it is impossible to separate the law out from that way of living. Even if imitation of Christ was the objective, Christ obeyed the Law perfectly. To imitate Christ is to live in obedience to the Law;
  4. A person who lays aside the Law rarely lives a life of greater dedication to Christ. It is usually done to allow a behavior that is prohibited under the law.

The Law of God is man’s friend if he is in Christ. It is not his master, and it cannot condemn him. But it does help as a good friend does. It directs him away from the things of the flesh because when he lives this way he is hostile to God (Romans 8:7). In that state he will not submit to God’s Law. Instead the Law informs him of God’s definitions of what is good and evil. And it helps him to see just how love for God in Christ should be expressed.

Samuel Bolton was right: “The law sends us to the Gospel that we may be justified; and the Gospel sends us to the law again to inquire what is our duty as those who are justified.”

[1] Samuel Bolton, The True Bounds of Christian Freedom (London: Banner of Truth, 1964) 76, 71, quoted in Charles Leiter, The Law of Christ(Hannibal, Missouri: Grand Ministries Press, 2012) 219.

Westminster Confession of Faith

Theological Thought » On Sin and Its Punishment

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“Every sin, both original and actual, being a transgression of the righteous law of God, and contrary thereunto, doth, in its own nature, bring guilt upon the sinner.”
Westminster Confession of Faith 6.6

Chapter six of the Westminster Confession of Faith lays out what man did in God’s perfect creation. It answers the question of how this good world became such an awful place. 

The first thing established in this chapter is that even the fall of man is not outside of God’s control. God permitted Adam to eat the forbidden fruit. In fact it is part of God’s purpose for this world for the sake of His own glory.

The consequence of that sin is tremendous. Man is no longer righteous, but corrupt. He no longer is in communion with God but hostile toward Him. He is no longer alive, but dead in ever part.

What is more, the guilt of Adam’s sin, because he is the representative of the whole of humanity, is charged to every person who conceived in the normal way. This truth is often seen as unfair, and yet 1 Cor. 15:21-22 apply the same principle to man being credited with righteousness because of Christ, his representative.

Because man is no longer righteous, but corrupt, his inclinations are now also different. They are only evil, all the time which can be seen in the sinful acts he commits. This corruption remains also in the Christian and is manifest even in temptations that originate in man’s heart. In other words, the desire to sin is itself sinful.

That sin, whether Adam’s original sin, or man’s sins which flow from it, is enough to condemn man to God’s curse, wrath, and judgment. The good news is that God does not leave His people there. 

Children, Christian Living, Family Worship

Tips for Family Worship

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Christian parents, practice family worship, family devotions, or whatever it is that you would like to call it. There is an urgency to the responsibility of parents. And one of the things parents must take most seriously is the call to teach their children the word of God.

“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:4)

I recognize the text says, “Fathers…” but this article is written in the context of the proliferation of divorce and single parent families. And in the homes where the father is not present or is neglecting his duty, the responsibility to fulfill this task falls to the mother or other primary care givers. So, to those who have been given responsibility to raise children, the Biblical mandate is that we are to be actively discipling them. There should be no expectation that you or your methods will be able to awaken the child’s heart, but it is good and right to plead with God that He would use your ministry to them in a saving way. And though this article will try to give some helps in the area of how family worship can be done, it is actually far more important that family worship is done.

Learning the skill of leading family worship is done “on the job.” If I can assume agreement that discipling your children is a worthwhile enterprise and that parents are generally speaking trying to make it happen (albeit imperfectly and maybe inconsistently), let me encourage you. As family worship is practiced, it will become easier and more natural. Personal styles will be developed, children will get used it as a feature of their home, and wonderful conversations about important truths will be had. However, there will be days when efforts to gather the family will seem like they are not helping anyone at all. In that day of discouragement, do not yield to the voice that whispers, “Why bother?” Press on, because God entrusts the responsibility to teach His children to parents. They have the blessing of scattering seed that may not sprout or bear fruit until years after it is sown. Who knows how God waters the seeds parents sow. But there must be a commitment to regular Bible study with the family. What if that commitment is not there? Where it is lacking it should be taken up. And where that discipline is inconsistent, it should be practiced more regularly. It is part of your parental example to your children as you prepare them to leave your home.

Having said all that, the aim of this article is not to make the case for family worship. Rather it is meant to provide encouragement for parents who are in the middle of it. By providing a few helps, parents can be greatly encouraged in their pursuit of teaching and applying God’s word in the lives of their children. So what are some things you can do to help family worship?

Make an appointment. In my experience family worship is most faithfully done when there is a regular set time for it. Most people are not likely to skip appointments. However, it has been my experience that people who set out to do family worship “when they get to it” struggle more with actually doing it. There are lots of opportunities for informal discussions about the things of the Lord throughout the day. And these are wonderful and good. But in these moments, an issue arises, either positive or negative, and parent either praises or corrects. However, the getting together, opening the Bible, and letting God’s word choose the topic happens best by setting aside a regular time. For some that will be waking the family first thing in the morning. For others it makes sense to schedule time right before bedtime. And others still take advantage of the family gathered for a meal. Whatever timing works best for your family, schedule a time.

Open the Bible and read it to your children. A person who trusts his profound lesson or great method will have missed the main reason for family worship: to teach God’s word to his children. The most important part of family worship is the clear, sincere, and eager reading of God’s word. Yes, the Word can and should be explained. Yes, how you engage your children matters. However, the key component to teaching children the Bible is…the Bible.

Consider the age of your children. One of the mistakes I made when I began family worship was expecting too much with my little kids when it came to family worship. Little kids are…little. Their attention spans are usually shorter and they lack the theological vocabulary that may have acquired in years of gradual study. For young children, keep the readings brief and focus on the accounts of Scripture. It is not wise to read devotionally to a three-year old from Calvin’s Institutes, or some other theological work. At the same time, as they mature, it is good and even necessary to have more significant conversations to find out if they have understood. It is important to explain and define significant theological terms. And when there are a variety of ages, these things will have to be held in balance. Do not simply teach to the lowest common denominator. Spend time addressing each group according to their age.

Do not overwhelm yourself with too much preparation. This tip may seem counter-intuitive. But it is a simple call to using time efficiently. There can be tremendous benefit to using what has already been studied. For example, thoughts that arise from personal devotions or rehearsing the message of the sermon preached the previous Lord’s Day are efficient uses of time. Certainly, there are seasons in which personal preparation for a certain study will greatly benefit the family. However, those who seek to reinvent the wheel each family worship lesson will be more prone to becoming wearied in the process. These will be more tempted to abandon the practice because they do not have the emotional energy to continue.

Include the children in the exercise. The goal of family worship is not just to have family worship. Rather it is to instill into children a knowledge of who God is and what duties He requires of His people. To that end, family worship should be highly interactive. Some examples:

    • Have the children read a part of the Scripture if they are able, even if it is just one verse.
    • Have them participate the prayer time, whether it be by asking for specific prayer requests, or if it is by having them offer their own prayer in turn.
    • Include singing if you can. For little ones sing “childish” Bible songs, even if you seem to sing it every night for one month. But also teach the songs most frequently sung in church services. For older ones, reinforce the songs of the saints and speak highly of them. If there are some family favorites that your local church does not sing, integrate them into family worship. If music is a struggle, have some good recorded music and singing available.
    • Ask questions of the children about what was read, and invite their questions. Answer them as you can but if you do not know the answer, admit it and tell them you will find the answer and get back to them. When you say that, you actually have to do it as well.

These suggestions are not the result of some scientific study or a careful survey. They come from about 27 years of practicing family worship in my home and time spent in pastoral ministry. Not all family worship will look the same. There will be variety based on each family’s personality. But family worship should be done as Christian parents seek to fulfill their biblical obligation to raise their children up in the knowledge of the Lord.

Belief about God, theology, Westminster Confession of Faith

Theological Thought » God’s Providence

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Divine providence. Even if it is difficult to define, all people interact with it every day. Chapter 5 of the confession defines some terms to help us understand. The first paragraph describes both the scope and category of the term “providence”. 

Firstly, the term “providence” is firmly in the category of governance. It indicates that God, as the Creator, governs His creation. Secondly, the scope of this governance is “over all creatures, actions, and things, from the greatest even to the least.” This governance over all things is not dependent on anything, but only God’s will.

In the second paragraph the direct line between God and all events is firmly established.  Yet, though God is directly in control of all things, He makes them happen through “secondary causes”. That means God does not usually intervene in the world through miracles, but works through people and circumstances, though the third paragraph makes it clear He is not obliged to do so.

The fourth paragraph makes it clear that even the fall and man’s sins are subsumed under God’s providence. Without attempting to explain it, the Confession does clarify that God is not the author of sin.

The righteous are under this providence tested and sanctified by God, while the wicked have His grace withheld causing them to harden themselves. And finally God’s providence is over the church in a special way.

Not all of these things are easy to understand, but God’s providence shows His glory.