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The Human-like Creature

/ William F. Leonhart III / 1 Comment

Some are strangely fascinated by rainstorms. They are amused with flashes of lightning, thunderous rumblings, and the tap-tap-tap of rain on the window. On this particular night, I was none-too-fond of the weather. Nevertheless, after much struggle, and a seeming excess of tossing and turning in my bed, I finally succumbed to a deep sleep. As is the custom of the night, accompanying my sleep was a dream.

As I dreamed, I passed through what seemed an ocean of wet leaves and soft branches until I came to a lush green meadow amid the willow trees. Toward the far side of the meadow, was hunched a gruesome looking figure feeding on the carcass of another of his kind. He was not quite human, but he certainly had human-like qualities. He was bent forward with his bare back and ribs protruding through his thin, nearly translucent skin. His long thick hair was matted to his pale gray skin so that his large ears were greatly emphasized. He had what appeared to be the remnants of clothing draped over his body the original color of which was not, by this point, discernable. From my dreamy recollection, I cannot conjure the details of his face, except to note the wildness of his eyes, which seemed never to rest long on one object. Feverishly, he fed on the flesh of his poor fellow, and I could discern from this callous feast no history of affection between one and the other.

As my eyes drifted to survey the meadow and the willows that provided its border, I noticed the seeming calmness with which the wild animals accepted the presence of this creature. The birds continued their nesting, whistling and chirping as they fluttered from branch to field to branch. A doe and her fawn inched their way along the tree line nibbling the grass with a coolness of temper. A monarch butterfly passed just inches from my nose as the heather drifted gently atop the breeze settling here and there in the tall grass.

Suddenly, there was a disturbance in the meadow. A faint snap of a twig from the right side of the meadow (my right, that is) sent the birds in a flash into the cover of the trees. The deer darted deep into the woods, and the entirety of the dream seemed to sink into a hazy, low tremor under a dark red hue. I could feel my pulse rising, though I knew not the source of the danger. The only being in all of this lonely pocket of existence who seemed totally unaware of the danger was the creature on the other side of the meadow. As my awareness of this ever growing danger increased, I grew more and more unsettled until finally I shifted, rather fluidly, around the meadow to my left until, passing through trees as a spirit, my being settling near the creature. Surprisingly, he did not seem to notice my presence, and I did not feel quite as threatened by him as by the danger now emerging from the trees on the other side of the meadow.

Slowly, a tall, dark figure emerged from the trees. This was clearly a man, though he was cloaked in his entirety. From head to toe, the dark figure was covered in what appeared to be a suit of cast-iron. His helmet was tightly fit to his head so that it did not wobble when he turned to observe his surroundings. His neck, arms, and torso were tightly fit with black mail and a large breastplate was strapped snug just under his broad shoulders. On the breastplate was the imprint of an open book and this same image adorned the large black shield strapped to his left forearm. As he crossed through the middle of the meadow, I became aware of a large, double-edged, black iron sword. He held the fearsome weapon at a forty-five degree angle behind his right leg, his shield now held tightly under his chin as he approached the creature.

As the knight approached, his steady pace slowed, and he lowered his shield as if to get a better look at the creature. In that moment, without any warning, in one motion, the creature leapt at the knight bringing him to the ground with a thud. In my curiosity, losing all fear, my entire being rushed forward to soak in the commotion.  As the two grappled on the ground, the human-like creature moved around to the back of the knight, wrapping his legs around his torso and his arms around his neck. The creature was roughly half the size of the knight. However, he seemed to have more fierceness of spirit and he certainly had less constraint by way of heavy armor.

In the end, though, the knight’s size and strength won out. The creature was no match for the knight. The knight reached around, grabbed the creature, threw him to the ground and mounted him. After gathering his senses, he reached over into the grass and grabbed his sword, the creature still squirming, fighting for every moment of life with every ounce of strength he could muster. In a low calm voice, after gathering his breath, I heard the knight say, “Please, sir. Do not struggle against me.” At that, I witnessed the strangest of occurrences. After a short, seeming deliberation of thought, the creature laid his head and arms back against the grass exposing his chest, ceased his struggle, and closed his eyes. With this, the knight raised his sword high in the air and drove it into the heart of the creature.

In that instant, I felt a strong sense of righteous indignation surge through me. Part of me knowing that the creature ought to die—that part of one’s dreaming self that ever remains anchored in reality—but the other part of me felt an unnatural sense of oneness with the creature. However, I was not, to the best of my knowledge, part of this reality, so I restrained any physical intervention on my part. I would say that I expected at the moment of the death blow to see life and color depart from the creature had the creature not already so vividly exhibited all the marks of death in his body. What I saw, instead, was stunning, to say the least.

As the knight pulled his sword from the chest of his victim, his chest wound automatically began to heal. The knight stood with a little difficulty of effort, keeping his eyes ever on the creature, except now he did not look so much like a creature as an actual human being. His flesh began slowly to turn from a milky grey to a tannish brown. His eyes, which had never closed, turned from a steal blue to a dark brown, and his form transfigured in seconds from its formerly disfigured smallness to a straightened, full-statured, stateliness. It was as though that which was thought to bring death had actually brought life into this creature. The sword that brought death to the horrid, gruesome creature at once brought newness of life to a healthy, vibrant, young, black man.

Standing, as it were, and considering these things, I realized that for a span of time unmeasured I had ceased to observe my subjects in the meadow. As I gathered my thoughts and yet again focused on them, I saw the newly revived young man surrounded now by five or six knights, these in silver armor strikingly similar to that of the black knight. The knights all busily worked to fit the young man in his own armor which looked like theirs in every way.  I did not see the black knight among them, but the newly revived young man was handed a sword and a shield as he walked and talked together with the others. They continued in this mode of discourse to the edge of the meadow and, as they approached the willows, the branches moved as though the trees themselves were making way for royalty, and the knights passed through to a journey I know not where.

In that moment, I would have liked to say this was the end of my dream, but it was not, for the meadow seemed so empty in the absence of the knights. That is it seemed empty until, venturing out into its center, I realized that the carcass of the other creature was still present. I passed over toward the creature where I beheld a scene that gripped all my senses. What had appeared to me at first to be just one carcass was several: this one and several others strewn out into the forest beyond him. Atop and among many of these carcasses were creatures like the one who had just been slain and revived. Each of them had more of the marks of deadness in him than the one before. They took no notice of me but continued to feed on one another and on the carcasses that lay on the forest floor.

As I looked on this horrifying scene, I fully expected to be repulsed and even nauseous. Instead, what I felt was an all-too-familiar sharp pain in my gut. At first I did not know what it was, but it came to me soon enough. The sharp pain I felt was hunger. Turning to the carcass in the meadow and looking over his half-eaten figure, the hunger within me intensified! The intensity of this hunger would only be rivaled by one thing: a besetting curiosity. As I approached the carcass, I noticed a shiny object lying on the nearby turf. Drawing near to the object, I realized that it was a piece of a mirror and, lifting it up, I saw my own reflection, but it was not my own. It was different.

I cannot give you the details of my face as I saw it in the mirror. My hair was long and matted down to my flesh so that my large round ears were greatly emphasized, and my eyes shifted wildly from one object to another. I was small, disfigured, bony, and exhibited more signs of deadness within myself than them all. Horrified, I threw the mirror fragment to the ground. At that very same moment, I felt a presence to my left and, looking, I saw the black knight standing just a couple yards from me, poised to attack. I knew at that moment what I must do. I stood as tall as I knew how, spread my arms, threw my head back, and closed my eyes. The next moment pain. The next moment death. The next moment life, and life more abundant than ever I had experienced.

Awaking, I sat up against the headboard of my bed pondering the meaning of all these things. Listening to the steady rain as it rolled against my window with each new gust of wind, I found the melody of it. After nestling back down on my pillow, I allowed the melody of the rain to sing me back into a deep sleep. As is the custom of the night, accompanying my sleep was another dream. This dream, however, shall go untold for the present.

How Jehovah’s Witnesses Increased My Love For Christ

/ Reformed Baptista / 4 Comments

God has revealed Himself in the new covenant, through the person and work of Christ, with a clarity, glory, and beauty not seen before. He has shown not just the loveliness of His power and justice but has also thrown into yet brighter relief His goodness, mercy, and truth. These glories bind us even more to make known to those dead in trespasses and sins God’s ways of goodness, mercy, justice, punishment, forgiveness, righteousness, holiness, and peace. -Jeremy Walker, The Brokenhearted Evangelist

Convicted after reading Jeremy Walker’s highly recommended The Brokenhearted Evangelist, I prayed that I would be bolder in sharing the Gospel with those whom I came into contact. During a chaotic homeschooling session four days later, my children announced the arrival of a car in the driveway. An elderly man and young woman, both neatly dressed, walked up to the door. Jehovah’s Witnesses! Quickly praying for guidance, I opened the door.

“Hello, ma’am. Do you think people will see their loved ones when we die?” the young woman asked.

“Well, it depends.” I answered.

“That’s right,” she responded. “Let me share with you a passage from the Bible.” She then proceeded to share a verse from Ecclesiastes. “Here is a magazine for you. Would it be okay if I came again?”

Do I continue this? I wondered. Or do I say no and not have to be bothered again for a while?

“That would be fine.” I responded.

Thus began a process of evangelism that has of right now gone on for the past three months. Here are some things I’ve learned along the way:

  • Know Your Enemy…

“Can’t we all just get along?” is the cry of my weak self. Confrontation and I are not best buddies, so when some really nice-seeming people come to the door wanting to talk about the Bible, one of the last things I want to do is cause conflict. Yet these are people who are lost. They are under the dominion of Satan in a cult that has warped the Scriptures and instilled fear in its members. They are enemies of the Christian who desperately need Christ.

After my first encounter, I realized I needed to brush up on my knowledge of what Jehovah’s Witnesses believe. I watched this video by James White, listened to these talks by Credocovenant’s own William Leonhart, and read non-Reformed books and websites such as 4jehovah.org . This way I was able to get a good understanding of the heretical doctrine to which this group adheres as well as how this high-control group works.

  • …But Know Your Bible Better.

The doctrines that Jehovah’s Witnesses promote, and how they attempt to derive support for these doctrines from Scripture are fascinatingly odd. While it was important to know about the major heretical issues, I had to be careful not to spend too much time digging into other issues that were not essential. My time was best spent in the Word, reviewing what Scripture actually says and major points of Gospel truth. Since I’m a Reformed Baptist, using the 1689 Confession of Faith was extremely helpful in my studies.

If pressed, could you prove the Trinity from the Scriptures? What about the deity of Christ? What about the Gospel? Here is where the Confession with its Scripture references comes in handy. Learning where key Scriptures are located, and knowing the context of such passages, enabled me to interact with the topics that have come up during my meetings with the JWs. You do not need to fear if you don’t have all the answers; yet you should be acquainted with God’s word to an extent that you are able to recall passages that will aid in sharing the Gospel.

  • Don’t Go It Alone.

I have been nervous before every meeting with the Jehovah’s Witnesses. However, I have prayed before they come, remembering that I have Christ. “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.” (John 6:37, NASB)  Not only that, the Spirit intercedes for me (Romans 8:26), not as some impersonal force, but as a member of the triune Godhead. It is not up to me to change anyone’s mind. My duty is to present the Gospel and trust that the Lord will use it to glorify Himself.

Human company is also beneficial when the JW’s come to call, although it is not always an option. My husband was able to be there for one discussion, but for the rest I have been unable to have anyone accompany me. My church knows about what I’m doing, though, and they pray for me and ask for updates. My husband always sends me an e-mail asking for an update on the days I have an appointment. Having this connection is extremely valuable, especially when dealing with such a high-control group.  I have accountability and know that I am supported.

  • It Gets Personal.

The same young woman, “Misty” (name changed for privacy), has come every time we have met. Through our chatting I have learned a bit about her. Her mother became a Jehovah’s Witness, so Misty grew up as one. Several health issues have ailed her since childhood. She is 27 years old, lives at home with her mother, and works only a couple days a week so that the rest of her time can be spent going door-to-door.

Sometimes it seems that some Christians learn Scripture proofs and apologetics only to show their intellectual prowess or demonstrate their superiority in a theological match. Yet if I can defeat my opponent in a Scripture smack-down, yet have not love, what have I truly accomplished?  Realizing that I am interacting with a person with thoughts and feelings deepens my sorrow and concern for them, and stresses the importance of their need for the gospel.

  • It Gets Difficult.

The extent of interaction that I have had with Misty and other Jehovah Witnesses is not necessary for everyone to do in order to evangelize. Yet if you do spend more time discussing Scripture with them, realize that requires more preparation, patience and endurance. Carving out time to study up on the next topic for discussion is a must. Attempting to ask questions to make a JW think about what they believe and why they believe it, only to have them use circular reasoning or seemingly not understand the question, can be more trying than teaching a stubborn child to read. And the amount of concentration needed to listen to what they are saying while formulating a response leaves me drained after each meeting.

This should be a reminder to pray for those who are involved full-time in evangelistic and missionary work. For if I get tired just meeting a couple times a month, how much more must those who work at this every day? Apologists, pastors, missionaries all have a wearying task, and need to be sustained through the intercession of our prayers.

  • The Blessings Outweigh The Work.

“You seem to be enjoying yourself.” – a Jehovah’s Witness to me during one meeting.

An unexpected result has occurred through this witnessing effort. The studies in the deity of Christ, the importance of His work in salvation, the deity of the Holy Spirit, the assurance of salvation, and the perseverance of the saints were (and are!) exciting and awe-inspiring. My love of Christ and His Spirit has deepened. My time witnessing to the Jehovah’s Witnesses will end soon, and I can honestly say that I will miss sharing with them the glorious Gospel of salvation.

So may this be an encouragement to those who are hesitant to evangelize. Do not fear!

The brokenhearted evangelist reminds himself of the blessings of salvation and keeps them precious in his conscience as he speaks to others who need them. His heart is blessed in the demonstration of his blessings to others. -Jeremy Walker, The Brokenhearted Evangelist

The New Birth in First Peter

/ William F. Leonhart III / Leave a comment

With Sovereign Grace Baptist Church in San Angelo, TX., I have had the honor of preaching through the book of 1 Peter. This past week, we got as far as 2:17 in our study. Reflecting on the study thus far, and looking forward to where we are headed, I have come to the conclusion that everything in the first half of 1 Peter flows out of the reality of the new birth (1Pt. 1:3).

Outline:

As a result of the new birth:

1) …we have a new relationship with God (1:1-21).
2) …we have a new relationship with one another (1:22-2:3).
3) …we have a new relationship with unbelievers (2:4-3:17):

a) …unbelieving Jews (2:4-12).
b) …unbelieving civil authorities (2:13-17).
c) …unbelieving masters (2:18-20)

(In all this Christ is our example; 2:21-25)

d) …unbelieving husbands (3:1-6).
e) …unbelieving wives (3:7).

4) …we are to love as brothers (3:8-12).
5) …we will suffer (3:13-17).

Hopefully this serves as a helpful outline for those of you who would like to engage the book of 1 Peter a little deeper. I was almost done with the first chapter of the book before I realized this was what Peter was doing with his argumentation. Let me flesh it out a little further though for those of you who may be a bit skeptical of my approach here.

New Relationship with God

Peter starts by securing our new relationship with God in eternity past through the election of God’s people (1:1-2). Understanding how our new relationship with God is rooted in eternity past gives us great security. He will go one to explain how our relationship with God is also being kept secure in the here and now.

First, he points us to the new birth itself (1:3-9). We are born again to a living hope, an inheritance being kept in heaven for us who are being kept by God Himself. We rejoice in this new standing we have before God as heirs of the promise, even though now we are sojourners in a land where we are persecuted strangers. We have a home, a glorious family awaiting us in heaven. The hope and assurance of that great promise sustains us through our trials.

Second, we have this hope revealed to us this side of the incarnation. We are a privileged generation in that we have these great mysteries revealed to us. The prophets prophesied of the Messiah to come, the things He would suffer, and the glories that would follow, but they did not have as full a revelation as we now have.

Third, as a result of this new birth, this inheritance we have received as sons of God, we have a new relationship with Him. We are no longer children of wrath (Eph. 2:3) and sons of disobedience (Eph. 2:2; 5:6; Col. 3:6). Rather, we are now called children of obedience. As such, our behavior is to reflect what we truly are as a result of having born again into the family of God (1Pt. 1:13-21).

New Relationship with One Another

IMG_8323Also, as a result of our new birth, we have new brothers and sisters. We have brothers and sisters in the flesh, but flesh is like grass. “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls off, but the word of the Lord endures forever” (1:24-25a). By contrast, our inheritance and relationships with our new family are imperishable (1:22-25).

Our new relationships with one another yield new behaviors (2:1-3). As a result of our new birth, we now have familial obligations and familial motivations. We seek unity rather than division, and this new motivation effects how we live in fellowship with one another. We put aside devices of discord and cling to the One who builds up the body: Christ Jesus.

New Relationship with Unbelievers

As a result of our new birth, we have been grafted into true Israel (2:4-12). Paul taught that unbelieving Jews in the New Covenant have been broken off so that believing Gentiles might be grafted in (Rom. 11:17-24). This is part of a greater argument Paul made about his unbelieving brothers in the flesh starting in Romans 9. Peter refers to these unbelieving Jews as builders. We know he has unbelieving Jews in mind because he quotes the same verses Paul quotes in his argumentation in Romans 9-11.

We also know that he is referring to unbelieving Jews and Gentiles who are being grafted into true Israel because he applies uniquely Jewish titles to the New Covenant believing community. He describes the church as a temple being built and we are the stones and we are the priests, with Christ as the Capstone / Cornerstone. In fact, Peter calls us a royal priesthood and a holy nation. We ought not to take this to mean that we have replaced Israel, though. We have not. We have merely been grafted into true Israel. As such, true Israel has taken on a new shape.

As a result of the new birth, we also have a new relationship with civil government (2:13-17). Just as I would expect my kids to obey any adults with whom I would leave them, God expects us to honor the authorities He has placed in our lives. To disobey and dishonor the civil authorities God has established in our lives is to disobey and dishonor God.

We also have a new relationship to our masters as a result of the new birth (2:18-20). This has particular application in our day and age where people hold so loosely to their commitments to their employers. In Peter’s day, you entered into a contractual agreement with your master. It was much like joining the military. If a man were to come to a church and say, “I went AWOL from the military, because my sergeant was an unbeliever,” our proper response would be to tell him he needs to return and honor his enlistment. In the same way, Christian employees should not be flippant about jumping from job to job simply because their employers are unbelievers. We need to honor our commitments and show honor to our bosses.

Christ is our example in these things (2:21-25). When He was slandered and reviled, He did not revile in return. He willingly submitted to His persecutors and, as such, He was submitting to the will of God. We do not know the will of God for our lives or what He is orchestrating for our future, so we ought to humble ourselves and submit to the hardships we will receive as a result of our new relationship to the world.

Our new birth does not give us license to divorce or liberty to ill-treat our spouses (3:1-7). Rather, wives are to respect and submit to their unbelieving husbands. Husbands, are likewise to deal with their unbelieving wives in an understanding way and not to domineer them. When I was first introduced to the Doctrines of Grace, I tried to force-feed them to my wife. This is not how wives learn. We need to be patient with them and allow them to sit under the word and be convinced by God, not our forcefulness.

Love for the Brethren

Once again, Peter returns to our familial motivations / obligations (3:8-12). As a result of the new birth, we are to deal with one another with brotherly affections. This will result in certain heart motivations, which will then lead to changes in the way that we behave toward one another.

The Suffering to Follow

If we commit all of these things to memory and allow them to shape us and motivate us in how we walk in this world, we will have hardship. The world hates Christ. As those who are being made over in His image, they will hate us. We are to be ready to give a defense in the face of the trials that come our way. However, we must do so in fear and solemnity, recognizing that we represent our holy Father who is in heaven, and we have a brotherhood who will reap the consequences for our misdeeds in the flesh.

Means of Grace in Black Spirituality

/ theroadofgrace / Leave a comment

In the previous three blogs in this series, I noted that the three basic similarities between Reformed and traditional Black spirituality are a high view of the Sabbath, a high view of the sacraments, and the necessity of the local church. Now we are going to discuss the major differences between Reformed and traditional Black spirituality. In my view, the first significant difference regards the means and nature of Christian holiness.

For many people, the question of how a believer may become more spiritual is actually a question of how a believer may grow in holiness. In other words, this is a question regarding the nature and means of our sanctification. In regards to the nature of sanctification, Chapter 13, Paragraph 1 of the 1689 LBCF states:

They who are united to Christ, effectually called, and regenerated, having a new heart and a new spirit created in them through the virtue of Christ’s death and resurrection, are also farther sanctified, really and personally, through the same virtue, by His Word and Spirit dwelling in them; the dominion of the whole body of sin is destroyed, and the several lusts thereof are more and more weakened and mortified, and they more and more quickened and strengthened in all saving graces, to the practice of all true holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.

Apart from the language regarding effectual calling, most devout Black Christians will affirm this statement. However, the real question that most people have is how does a believer become sanctified? It is here where significant differences arise because many devout Black Christians have been significantly influenced by the Wesleyan holiness movement (particularly those who were raised in Black Pentecostal churches). In Reformed spirituality, there is a strong emphasis on regeneration, union with Christ, and the ordinary means of grace as the principal avenues for internal transformation, allowing the believer to increasingly love and serve God. This indicates that God is the actor in our sanctification. This is seen in Q. 93 in the Baptist Catechism

Q. 93. What are the outward and ordinary means whereby Christ communicates to us the benefits of redemption?

A. The outward and ordinary means whereby Christ communicates to us the benefits of redemption are His ordinances, especially the Word, Baptism, the Lord’s Supper and Prayer; all which means are made effectual to the elect for salvation.

It is my experience that most devout Black Christians view these as necessary tools for holiness, but they are not sufficient. In other words, the response to a Reformed view of holiness and sanctification would be “… that’s it?” From certain individuals, this view would be taken as license for us to not be actively engaged in our sanctification. In practice, most devout Black Christians have a Wesleyan view of the means of grace. On the United Methodist Church page, the means of grace are described in two broad categories: works of piety (such as reading, studying scriptures, fasting, evangelism, etc.) and works of mercy (such as visiting the sick, seeking justice, giving generously, etc.).

I believe that it’s important to compare and contrast these differing views. In the Wesleyan means of grace (which appears to be the default position for most traditional Black Christians), the emphasis is on our actions to God and God is pictured here as the respondent. In other words, God responds to our works of piety and mercy by sending grace. This is the reverse of the Reformed view in which our vital union in Christ produces the twin graces of repentance unto life and faith in the promises of God. Therefore, in the Reformed view of holiness, the emphasis is God’s action to us whereas we are the respondents.

holiness-4These distinctions may appear to be minor, but there is a very important practical implication of this view. If it is the case that God is the respondent in our development of holiness, this usually implies that we must find extra ways to obtain holiness. In other words, the primary goal in Christian spirituality is to pursue holiness through various different means. Some say that the path is through extended periods of fasting; some say that it’s through “surrendering to God”; some say it’s through “abiding in Him”; some say that it’s through “maintaining an atmosphere of worship”; some say that it’s meditative prayer; some say that it’s through “breakthroughs in prayer”; and the list can go on and on. Since there are so many subjective and varied approaches to developing holiness, this means that there is no true ordinary way in which a convert can reach spiritual maturity and become “holy”.

By contrast, in Reformed spirituality, there is a distinction between our inseparable union with Christ and our abiding communion with Christ. Our communion with Christ is predicated on our union with Christ. This means that, in Reformed spirituality, the primary goal is to actively pursue our communion with Him through the means that He has appointed. In other words, to pursue God and to enjoy our communion with Him in grace and glory is to pursue holiness. This is the practical implication of Galatians 5 in which our Christian development is grounded upon the fruit of the Spirit’s working in our hearts.

In our discussion of holiness, we must also ask another question: how do we know if we are growing in holiness? What is our standard for holiness? This is another point in which there are significant differences between traditional Black spirituality and Reformed spirituality. In Reformed spirituality, the measuring rod of our holiness is the moral law, summarized in the Ten Commandments, and the third use of the law becomes vitally important in assessing Christian spirituality. Unfortunately, this is usually not the case for most Black Christians that I’ve met. Usually, the measuring bar of holiness is primarily through a person’s sincerity (i.e. whether their action is in concert with their love towards God), a person’s external behavior (i.e. drinking, drugs, profanity, fornication, etc.), or through spiritual habits that makes one appear more externally righteous (i.e. not going to movies, listening to certain styles of music, etc.).

This subjective measuring bar for holiness leads to some other practical problems. First, it underestimates the true nature of sin. With this type of measuring bar, a person can have numerous “victories” over sin. However, when they speak of victory, they are often referring to external behaviors that are not being committed and they typically fail to see that such external behaviors are only the fruit of the real sin and depravity lying underneath of it all. Sin involves the initial compulsion and minute desire towards a behavior that is contrary to God’s absolute moral perfection, not just the stifling of it once it has compelled us from within. Second, since this measuring bar tends to be subjectively established, it leads to a view of holiness that is akin to moralism. This is an aspect that I personally lived through since I was raised as a Black Pentecostal. I remember spending my early years in despair because I knew that sin was always present within me and there were also another category of behaviors that would make me worldly. Without the Law, there is no biblical way in which we can define holiness or worldliness. Ultimately, this means the worldliness and holiness becomes based on a person’s sensibilities and in reality, there are no concrete definition for these terms. In essence, for too many Black Christians, worldliness means “things that the world does”.

For these reasons, it is very difficult for many devout Black Christians who grew up in this background to understand and accept how the ordinary means of grace work in the lives of believers to produce Christian maturity. This means that this is a topic that must be discussed at a fundamental level if there is to be useful dialogue. In this blog, I introduced the concept of communion with Christ. In the next blog, I will go into more detail with this topic and this will lead to another significant difference between Reformed and traditional Black spirituality: the role of mysticism.

Catechism for Boys and Girls, Part Six: Last Things

/ William F. Leonhart III / Leave a comment

Visit the Catechism for Boys and Girls page to read the entire catechism as it is posted.

 

Q.137: Did Christ remain in the tomb after his crucifixion?

A. No. He rose from the tomb on the third day after his death.

( Luke 24:45-47; 1Corinthians 15:3-4 )

 

Q.138: Where is Christ now?

A. Christ is in heaven, seated at the right hand of God the Father.

( Romans 8:34; Colossians 3:1; Hebrews 1:3; 10:12; 12:2 )

 

Q.139: Will Christ come again?

A. Yes. At the last day he will come to judge the world.

( Matthew 25:31-43; 2Thessalonians 1:7-10; 2Timothy 4:1 )

 

Q.140: What happens to men when they die?

A. The body returns to dust, and the soul goes to be with God or to a place of suffering and waiting for judgement.

( Genesis 3:19; Ecclesiastes 12:7; 2Corinthians 5:1-6; Hebrews 12:22,23; Philippians 1:23; 2Peter 2:9; Romans 2:5 )

 

Q.141: Will the bodies of the dead be raised to life again?

A. Yes. ‘There shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.’

( Act 24:14-15; John 5:28-29; Daniel 12:2 )

 

Q.142: What will happen to the wicked in the day of judgment?

A. They shall be cast into hell.

( Psalm 9:16-17; Luke 12:5; Revelation 20:12-15 )

 

Q.143: What is hell?

A. Hell is a place of dreadful and endless punishment.

( Matthew 25:46; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16:19-31 )

 

Q.144: What will happen to the righteous in the day of judgement?

A. They shall live with Christ for ever, in a new heaven and a new earth.

( Isaiah 66:22; 1Thessalonians 4;16-17; 2Peter 3:10-13; Revelation 21:1-4 )

 

Q.145: In light of these truths, what should you do?

A. I should strive with all my energy to repent of sin and believe savingly in the Lord Jesus Christ.

( Luke 13:23-24; John 6:27; Acts 16:31 )

Catechism for Boys and Girls, Part One: God, Man, and Sin

/ William F. Leonhart III / Leave a comment

from Dr. Tom Nettles (Teaching Truth, Training Hearts: The Study of Catechisms in Baptist Life to be published in 2013 by Founder Press)

Q.1: Who made you?

A. God made me.

( Genesis 1:26, 27; 2:7; Ecclesiastes 12:1; Acts 17:24-29 )

 

Q.2: What else did God make?

A. God made all things.

( Genesis 1, esp. verses 1, 31; Acts 14:15; Romans 11:36; Colossians 1:16 )

 

Q.3: Why did God make you and all things?

A. For his own glory.

( Psalm 19:1; Jeremiah 9:23, 24; Revelation 4:11,15 )

 

Q.4: How can you glorify God?

A. By loving him and doing what he commands.

( Ecclesiastes 12:13; Mark 12:29-31; John 15:8-10; 1Corinthians 10:31 )

 

Q.5: Why ought you to glorify God?

A. Because he made me and takes care of me.

( Romans 11:36; Revelation 4:11; cf. Daniel 4:23 )

 

Q.6: Are there more gods than one?

A. There is only one God.

( Deuteronomy 6:4; Jeremiah 10:10; Mark 12:29; Acts 17:22-31 )

 

Q.7: In how many persons does this one God exist?

A. In three persons.

( Matthew 3:16, 17; John 5:23; 10:30; 14:9, 10; 15:26; 16:13-15; 1 John 5:20, 2John 9; Revelation 1:4, 5 )

 

Q.8: Who are they?

A. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

( Matthew 28:19; 2Corinthians 13:14; 1Peter 1:2; Jude 20, 21 )

 

Q.9: Who is God?

A. God is a Spirit, and does not have a body like men.

( John 4:24; 2Corinthians 3:17; 1 Timothy 1:17 )

 

Q.10: Where is God?

A. God is everywhere.

( Psalm 139:7-12; Jeremiah 23:23, 24; Acts 17:27, 28 )

 

Q.11: Can you see God?

A. No.  I cannot see God, but he always sees me.

( Exodus 33:20; John 1:18; 1Timothy 6:16; Psalm 139 esp. vv. 1-5: Proverbs 5:21; Hebrews 4:12, 13 )

 

Q.12: Does God know all things?

A. Yes.  Nothing can be hidden from God.

( 1Chronicles 28:9; 2Chronicles 16:9; Luke 12:6, 7; Romans 2:16 )

 

Q.13: Can God do all things?

A. Yes.  God can do all his holy will.

( Psalm 147:5; Jeremiah 32:17; Daniel 4:34, 35; Ephesians 1:11 )

 

Q.14: Where do you learn how to love and obey God?

A. In the Bible alone.

( Job 11:7; Psalm 119:104; Isaiah 8:20; Matthew 22:29; 2Timothy 3:15-17 )

 

Q.15: Who wrote the Bible?

A. Holy men who were taught by the Holy Spirit.

( 1Peter 1:20, 21; Acts 1:16; 2Timothy 3:16; 1Peter 1:10, 11 )

 

Q.16: Who were our first parents?

A. Adam and Eve.

( Genesis 2:18-25; 3:20; 5:1, 2; Acts 17:26, 1Timothy 2:13 )

 

Q.17: Of what were our first parents made?

A. God made the body of Adam out of the ground, and formed Eve from the body of Adam.

( Genesis 2:7; 21-23; 3:19; Psalm 103:14 )

 

Q.18: What did God give Adam and Eve besides bodies?

A. He gave them souls that could never die.

( 1Corinthians 15:45: Ecclesiastes 12:7; Zechariah 12:1 )

 

Q.19: Have you a soul as well as a body?

A. Yes.  I have a soul that can never die.

( Matthew 10:28; Mark 8:34-38; 12:30 )

 

Q.20: How do you know that you have a soul?

A. Because the Bible tells me so.

( Matthew 10:28; Mark 8:34-38; 12:30 )

 

Q.21: What is your soul?

A. My soul includes all of me that should know and love God.

( Mark 8:34-38; Ephesians 3:16-19 )

 

Q.22: In what condition did God make Adam and Eve?

A. He made them holy and happy.

( Genesis 1:26-28; Psalm 8:4-8 )

 

Q.23: Did Adam and Eve stay holy and happy?

A. No.  They sinned against God.

( Genesis 3:1-7; Ecclesiastes &:29; Hosea 6:7 where “men” = Adam )

 

Q.24: What was the sin of our first parents?

A. Eating the forbidden fruit.

( Genesis 2:16, 17; 3:6 )

 

Q.25: Why did they eat the forbidden fruit?

A. Because they did not believe what God had said.

( Genesis 3:1-6; cf. Hebrews 11:6 )

 

Q.26: Who tempted them to this sin?

A. The devil tempted Eve, and she gave the fruit to Adam.

( Genesis 3:1-13; 2Corinthians 11:3; 1Timothy 2:13, 14; cf. Revelation 12:9 )

 

Q.27: What happened to our first parents when they had sinned?

A. Instead of being holy and happy, they became sinful and miserable.

( Genesis 3:14-24; 4:1-24; James 1:14, 15 )

 

Q.28: What effect did the sin of Adam have on all mankind?

A. All mankind is born in a state of sin and misery.

( Psalm 51:5; Romans 5:12, 18, 19; 1Corinthians 15:21, 22; 1John 5:19 )

 

Q.29: What do we inherit from Adam as a result of this original sin?

A. A sinful nature.

( 1Kings 8:46; Psalms 14:2, 3; 58:3; Ecclesiastes 9:3; Matthew 15:18-20; John 2:24, 25; Romans 8:7 )

 

Q.30: What is sin?

A. Sin is any transgression of the law of God.

( 1John 3:4; Romans 3:20; James 2:9-11 )

 

Q.31: What is meant by transgression?

A. Doing what God forbids.

( 1Samuel 13:8-14; 15:22, 23; Hosea 6:7; Romans 1:21-32 )

 

Q.32: What does every sin deserve?

A. The anger and judgment of God.

( Deuteronomy 27:26; Romans 1:18; 2:2; Galatians 3:10; Ephesians 5:6 )

 

Q.33: Do we know what God requires of us?

A. Yes, he has given us his law both in our hearts and in writing.

( Romans 2:14-15 )

Ephesians 2:11-22, The “Circumcision” and the “Uncircumcision”

/ William F. Leonhart III / Leave a comment

Check out the introduction to this series here. For more exegetical treatments, follow this page.

“Therefore…” in verse eleven points the reader to Paul’s message immediately prior in the text. Paul sets the scene for Ephesians 2:11-22 in the first ten verses of the same chapter. After expounding on the unity believers have in Christ in chapter one, he reminds the Gentiles that they were once dead in their trespasses and sins (vs. 1) in accordance with the world and its ruler (vs. 2). From there, he demonstrates how all men, Jews and Gentiles, participated in the same damnable life of sin and rebellion incurring the wrath of the Lord upon themselves (vs. 3). However, due to God’s great love (vs. 4) and Christ’s subsequent death on the cross, those who believe are made alive with Christ (vs. 5), raised up with Him, and seated with Him in heavenly places (vs. 6), so that He might show His all surpassing grace through those who are in Him (vs. 7). This grace is all of God, not of man (vs. 8), or of the works of man, lest any would boast (vs. 9). Rather, the Christian is the workmanship of Christ, created for good works that have been predestined for them (vs. 10). In remembrance of their former state: that they were once dead in their trespasses and sins and that they were saved solely by the work of Christ, Paul’s Gentile readers have a context for what they are about to read.

The “Circumcision” and the “Uncircumcision”

In verse eleven, Paul sheds light on an issue that was becoming all too common in the early church. A situation had arisen in which the Jews and Gentiles found themselves at odds with one another. The enmity was between the Jews who called themselves the “Circumcision” and the Gentiles who were slanderously regarded as the “Uncircumcision.” These designations, as Paul points out, are fleshly and say nothing about the heart condition of those who partake in them. In other words, the Jews were causing division within the church over whether or not men ought to be circumcised in the flesh.

In stark contrast to the racial bigotry of the Jews of Paul’s day, the circumcision that God is concerned with is the circumcision of the heart (Deut. 10:16; 30:6; Jer. 4:4). In fact, the sign of circumcision was really nothing more than that: a sign (Rom. 4:11). When a Jewish person was circumcised in the flesh, it was an outward sign of what their parents hoped would become an inward reality. Though the sign was performed outwardly, the reality was manifested inwardly. This is why Paul is able to say, in Romans 2:28-29 (NASB), “For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.” Hence, no one can claim a more favorable status in the eyes of God due to any sign made in the flesh, but rather the reality that is manifested in the heart.

Furthermore, those who would hope, by their circumcised flesh, to call themselves by the title “circumcision” are without warrant unless they are truly circumcised of the heart. There is nothing efficacious about the outward symbol in and of itself. To this end, Paul warns the church at Philippi, “Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision; for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh.” (Phil 3:2-3; NASB) Now, in case anyone would read this and assume that Paul is merely speaking of Jewish believers, his words to the Romans ought to guard against such an interpretation: “So if the uncircumcised man keeps the requirements of the Law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision?” (Rom. 2:26; NASB)

The enmity that existed between the Jews and the Gentiles was so profound that the gospel was often hindered from reaching the Gentiles abroad. Paul’s message is primarily about the gospel and how Christ broke through those barriers to reach the Gentiles. He explains these truths by way of a certain set of realities. The gospel, after all, consists of laying out a series of realities. The typical order of expounding on these realities usually follows like so: this was your status before God, God intervened, and this is your new status before God. This, of course, is the case if Christians are discussing the gospel with a believer, or simply meditating on their salvation experience for their own edification. The sharing of the gospel with unbelievers, however, typically looks different, because reality for the unbeliever is different. The unbeliever is still in that former state before God. Thus, the future status of the unbeliever is to be understood and explained as a possible reality.