July 2015

An Introduction to the Gospel: A Covenant Theology Primer

How may a sinful man approach God (Exodus 3:5)? Does God require perfect obedience to His law in order to achieve the righteousness He requires of us?

"...Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life? ... If you would enter life, keep the commandments." (Matt 19:15-17) "For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them (Ro 10:5). [but] The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me (Ro 7:10). "For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it." (Jas 2:10) …and “the soul that sins shall die” (Ez 18:20). But "…God [sent] his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh ... in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us" (Ro 8:3-4).

Everybody is Doing It

If you derive your idea of "right" and "wrong" from the fact that "everybody is doing it", then your are basing your thoughts, actions and life on the ever-changing, arbitrary, subjective bent of society ... But ideas that are arbitrary only have as much authority as someone decides to give them. If someone does not embrace that view of morality as authoritative, what standard can the others appeal to in order to tell them they are wrong? They have no basis but their own self-declared authority. Instead ground your own thoughts and actions in light of God's Word alone.

It it puzzling how those in society can be so certain that their morality is superior than others and are then morally outraged that you do not share their idea... why? If there is no objective morality then who is to say that ANY views are wrong?

Deeply Discounted eBooks - 7-10-2015

Reformed Historical-Theological Studies Series
6 e-books from Reformation Heritage Publishing. All prices will be valid through July 11th.

The Marrow Controversy and Seceder Tradition ($2.99);

Introduction to Reformed Scholasticism ($2.99);

The Theology of the French Reformed Churches ($3.99);

Teaching Predestination ($3.99);

Unity and Continuity in Covenantal Thought ($3.99);

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Spirit-Led Preaching
by Greg Heisler ($4.99)

Arbitrary Social Constructs Made Absolute

Our postmodern culture has its own dictionary, its own cultural constructs by which they determine what they think constitutes the moral reason, the moral purpose and the moral essence of a human being. However, these constructs are arbitrary based on nothing more than a subjective human opinion (or the collective preferences of their specific community). Since this is the case, how is it that so many of them are morally outraged if not everyone shares their construct? Such outrage at others is really quite absurd if you can't point to an absolute standard by which we ALL OUGHT to be bound.

So, Christian, do not blindly accept societies' groundless definition of right and wrong or their random definition of the moral purpose of a human being. Instead, when you discuss the issues of the day with moral relativists, and they malign you, ask them how they figure their arbitrary, relative moral standard can apply to us all. If they claim it does, then how can they, with a straight face, still call themselves relativists? When they tell others how to live they are really claiming to know God's universal will.

God Does Not Leave His Saints Under the Tyranny and Bondage of Sin

There is no man on earth who does not sin. But if the Holy Spirit dwells in you, He will cause you to grieve and repent and judge yourself over your sin and will discipline you (as a loving Father would his child) unto repentance to the conformity of your identity in Jesus Christ (1 Cor 11:31-32) ... but, because of the grace you have in Christ, you will not abide in sin nor continue in it. He loves you too much to leave you under the tyranny and bondage of of sin.

IN YOUR BODY

So if you profess to be a Christian and are living with your girlfriend/boyfriend or having sex outside of the covenant of marriage, then either repent and ask Christ for the strength to live in godliness (which He will give to the regenerate) ... or please do not dishonor the name of Christ by continuing to profess to be a Christian. Abiding in sin and being a regenerate Christian is wholly incompatible. "No one BORN OF GOD makes a practice of sinning, for God’s SEED abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been BORN OF GOD." (1 John 3:9) ..."and his commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been BORN OF GOD overcomes the world." (1 John 5:3-4)

IN YOUR SPEECH

Being Truthful And Avoiding Misunderstandings

This is a general post about evangelism.

Next time, instead of watering down the offense of the gospel in a futile attempt to get unbelievers to think better of Christianity, try leading by telling a little about the truth of yourselves... that we are great sinners and have no righteousness of our own - that our only hope is in the righteousness of Another... that we are no more deserving of God's favor than they... then when you explain God's holy law it does not give the FALSE appearance that we think we are better than them... because the fact is were not better. But for the grace of God in Christ, I would be capable of any and all sin.

If you do not lead this way in this age, too many people get sidetracked into wrongly thinking that when Christians preach the Law they are somehow saying that God had favor on us because we were more moral than others. God forbid. Make sure people understand the truth that this is the opposite of what you are saying ... That we justly deserve God's wrath save for the mercy of Christ alone and not because we had a good heart, or good intentions or because we were more pure or tried harder than others, No He saved us because of the sheer grace of His sovereign good pleasure in Jesus Christ alone, plus nothing. (Titus 3:5; Eph 1:5).

It is not loving to avoid telling people the hard truth of their condition before God as it is. But I would encourage you to remember to tell it in context with yourself in the picture as well. We leave the results of the gospel in God's hands. When we water down the gospel in the hope our hearers will like it better we are taking the results in our own hands.

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