A Little Time With The 1689: Day 243

/ Reformed Baptista / Leave a comment

Day 243

Of the Law of God.

Chapter 19, Paragraph 2.

“The same Law that was first written in the heart of man, continued to be a perfect rule of Righteousness after the fall, and was delivered by God upon Mount Sinai, in Ten Commandments, and written in two Tables; the four first containing our duty towards God, and the other six our duty to man.”

Scripture Lookup

Romans 2:14,15
Deuteronomy 10:4

Reflection

Blurred writing exists on the heart of all humanity who has been born of ordinary generation. This writing is the law of God, written in the heart of Adam, yet smudged when he transgressed and fell from his state of righteousness. As a result, people know there is a God and that He should be obeyed, but that knowledge of what is required of them is faulty.

In His mercy, however, God revealed that law written upon the heart of Adam to the Israelites. Ten commandments summarize that standard of righteousness that, although broken by Adam, have remained in effect to this day. Four deal with our actions towards God; six deal with our actions towards our neighbors. This is the law of God that is present, albeit fuzzily, on the hearts of every single ordinary person that has ever lived:

More than a plaque on a wall, or a relic of a bygone nation, the Ten Commandments were expressly written by the finger of God. What was written there was written upon the heart of Adam and continues to be the rule of righteousness for all mankind. Since the Ten commandments are given such prominence by God, doesn’t it make sense that we should learn what they are? Doesn’t it make sense that we should strive to obey them?

Questions to Consider

  • What role does the Ten Commandments play in your life?

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 242

/ Reformed Baptista / Leave a comment

Day 242

Of the Law of God.

Chapter 19, Paragraph 1.

“God gave to Adam a Law of universal obedience written in his Heart, and a particular precept of not eating the Fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil; by which he bound him, and all his posterity to personal entire exact and perpetual obedience; promised life upon the fulfilling, and threatened death upon the breach of it; and endued him with power and ability to keep it.”

Scripture Lookup

Genesis 1:27

Ecclesiastes 7:29

Romans 10:5

Galatians 3:10,12

Reflection

Rules. Regulations. Do’s and don’ts. Not something many people enjoy. Not something many Christians like to study. Why learn about God’s law anyway? Aren’t we saved by grace? Aren’t we simply told to love God and love our neighbor?

Knowing about God’s law and its role in the life of the believer is crucial to understanding just what loving God and loving our neighbor looks like. Understanding what was broken in the Garden, and what is broken today, helps us to see just how much we need God’s grace. Through understanding what God’s law actually is, we steer clear of putting demands on others that God does not require. Knowing what delights Him aids us as we grow in sanctification.

To understand the law of God, we need to revisit Adam in the Garden. When Adam was created, he had knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness. The law of God was written on his heart. What does that mean? It means that there were commands of God that were intrinsic to Adam’s nature. Adam originally did good because those good works flowed from the law of God written upon his heart. He knew what God required of him, and had the ability to fulfill those requirements.

However, God gave Adam a command not to eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. This specific command Adam would not have known, since it was not part of the law written upon his heart. This is why in the Confession the command not to eat is called a particular precept. It was specifically charged to Adam to obey at that time in history. Through Adam’s obedience to the universal law and the particular precept, he and his posterity would enjoy life, but if disobeyed would bring death. This universal law as well as the specific precept was to be kept not only by him but also his descendants, completely and exactly, forever.

We all know the result. Adam and Eve ate the fruit, disobeying God’s specific command. The law written on their hearts was blurred and smudged due to their transgression. All mankind born of ordinary generation inherit this corruption and blurry knowledge of the law of God.

Questions to Consider

  • What law of God is binding upon all mankind?

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 241

/ Reformed Baptista / Leave a comment

Day 241

Of the Assurance of Grace and Salvation.

Chapter 18, Paragraph 4.

“…that Love of Christ, and the brethren, that sincerity of Heart, and Conscience of duty, out of which by the operation of the Spirit, this Assurance may in due time be revived: and by the which in the meantime they are preserved from utter despair.”

Scripture Lookup

Psalm 42:5,11
Lamentations 3:26-31

Reflection

When a true Christian is struggling with assurance of salvation, despite whatever she may be feeling, there are remaining evidences within her that prove she is regenerate. The Holy Spirit remains with her. She still has faith. She loves Christ and His church, knows the good she ought to do, and desires to do it. Can this be said of someone who has not been changed? These are not marks of an unregenerate person.

If you are not so much as a smoking flax, then why do you not renounce your interest in Christ, and disclaim the covenant of grace? This you dare not do. Why do you not give yourself up wholly to other pleasures? This your spirit will not allow you to do….Cast yourself into the arms of Christ, and if you perish, perish there. If you do not, you are sure to perish. If mercy is to be found anywhere, it is there.

-Richard Sibbes, The Bruised Reed

Such weak confidence will not last forever. Through the Spirit working in her, the Christian will be brought to a strong assurance again. God will keep His people. If you are a struggling Christian, rest in Him. Believe that certain assurance of being in a state of grace will be yours once again.

Questions to Consider

  • Does God ever leave His people to perish?

Baptizing in the Triune Name (Defining Evangelism)

/ William F. Leonhart III / 1 Comment

You can listen to the audio lesson here.

You can also find the “Working Definition of Evangelism” here.

_______________________

 

DEFINING EVANGELISM

PART I – THE GREAT COMMISSION

Lesson Two: Baptizing in the Triune Name

 

“baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,’” (Matthew 28:18-19b; NASB).

Why baptism? For many Christians today, baptism has no place in any discussion of evangelism. That is because many Christians do not believe evangelism and discipleship to be intrinsically linked. In fact, to consider their practice, many Christians today do not even consider discipleship and baptism to be intrinsically linked. Yet, when Christ commissioned His church to make disciples, baptism was the first step He listed in which these new disciples were to take part.

The whole of the Great Commission is a corporate effort. The church goes, the church baptizes, and the church teaches. It also has an individual aspect, though. After the church goes and makes a new disciple, that disciple submits to baptism and submits to the teaching of the church.

For the new disciple, then, there are two aspects to discipleship: the one-time submission to baptism and the ongoing submission to teaching. Both of these two aspects of discipleship require a common denominator: the local church. The local church is essential for the carrying out of the Great Commission. There is no sense in which baptism and teaching in the New Testament was expected to occur outside of the authority of local congregations.

The very nature and structure of the New Testament testifies to this fact. All but three of the epistles and Revelation (itself an epistle to the seven churches) were written either to local churches or to be circulated among local churches. The other three epistles were written to church leaders for the benefit of local churches. The other five books of the New Testament are the Gospels and Acts, in which must instruction is given for a godly ordering of local churches.

“The New Testament is a church book, a book for Christians in the context of a local church. The New Testament knows nothing of a churchless Christianity. There can be no ‘teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you’ or no continuing ‘in the apostles’ doctrine, fellowship, and breaking of bread and prayers’ unless a Christian is a member of a visible body of Jesus Christ (see Matthew 28:20 & Acts 2:41,42 & 47),” (Earl Blackburn, Denominations or Associations? pg. 28).

Our subjects this week (baptism) and next week (teaching) only make sense within the context of the local church. The commands will necessarily be fulfilled by a Christian if he or she is truly disciple of Christ, and these commands are only fulfilled within the auspices of the local church. This fact makes membership within the local church absolutely necessary for the Christian. “Far from being only one of many options for the Christian, the church is the primary means through which God accomplishes His plan in the world,” (Mack and Swavely, Life in the Father’s House, pg. 21).

Baptism is an absolutely necessary part of Christian discipleship, because church membership is an absolutely necessary part of Christian discipleship. If we are to be discipled by Christ, it will occur within the body of Christ. The first step in Christian discipleship, and the first step in church membership are the same: baptism.

“[Baptism] is what the Bible presents as the first step for the Christian, and the assumption in the New Testament is that all Christians have been baptized,” (Mark Dever, Nine Marks of a Healthy Church, pg. 160).

Baptism, as a public admission of a person into the church, accomplishes two things. The first thing it accomplishes is to recognize the disciple’s willing submission to the authority of the church in his or her life. This is a countercultural concept, especially in America. We don’t like to think of any human being as having authority over us. However, the Bible is very clear that we are to subject ourselves to one another in Christ (Eph. 5:21). When I submit myself to a local church through baptism, I am declaring my desire to be submitted to that local congregation for admonition, teaching, exhortation, rebuke, edification, and training in righteousness.

This willing submission assumes a second desired end. It assumes that a church desires to corporately come alongside the new disciple and provide him or her with godly admonition, teaching, exhortation, rebuke, edification, and training in righteousness. For those who have left everything to follow Christ, it means even more. It means that the church will provide him or her with “a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms,” (Mark 10:30; NASB). This submission, then, is necessarily reciprocal, and baptism is the rite through which we enter this relationship of mutual submission.

“[Baptism] ratifies our union with those who are saved by Christ (1 Cor. 12:13-26). It is therefore often called the rite of initiation into the Christian Church,” (J. Aspinwall Hodge, The System of Theology Contained in the Westminster Shorter Catechism, pg. 138).

Christian disciples today are rightly skeptical of joining themselves to churches, because many if not most churches are either ill-equipped or unwilling to join themselves to new disciples. This is one of the great tragedies of our day. Churches have forgotten, if they ever knew, how to be churches to those who come through their doors.

“Biblical membership means taking responsibility. It comes from our mutual obligations as spelled out in all of Scripture’s one another passages—love one another, serve one another, encourage one another. All of these commands should be encapsulated in the covenant of a healthy church,” (Mark Dever, What Is a Healthy Church? pp. 95-96).

One reason we don’t often think about what we owe to one another and, specifically, what we owe to new disciples among us, is because we have forgotten the solemnity of baptism. We have forgotten the fact, or perhaps were never taught the fact, that baptism is the sealing of a covenant bond between Christ’s disciples. Baptism is a solemn vow between new members and churches, a commitment to mutual submission and a reciprocal consideration of one another’s welfare.

Baptism is not merely an individual decision. It is not merely the decision of a believer to join himself or herself to a church. Rather, it is the mutual decision of the church and the believer to enter into vital union with one another. The church is not the church without her members, and Christians are not living as true Christians apart from the church. As such, baptism is just as much a submission of the church to the member as it is a submission of the member to the church (Mack and Swavely, Life in the Father’s House, 48).

The mode and formula of baptism. In Baptist churches, we teach that new members who enter into the covenant community through faith are the only rightful recipients of the sacrament of baptism. According to An Orthodox Catechism, “Those who do actually profess repentance towards God, and faith in and obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ” are the “proper subjects of this ordinance,” (Hercules Collins, An Orthodox Catechism, Q.69). This is well known among Baptist churches. What though, are the proper mode and formula for baptism?

Before discussing mode we must note that the mode, though important, is of far less importance than the order and formula of baptism. Many of the first generation Particular Baptists, though baptized as believers, were nonetheless baptized by pouring or sprinkling, not immersion. When considering the authenticity of a baptism, I am far less concerned about the mode than I am about the order and formula. Nonetheless, Baptists have historically recognized immersion as the true mode of baptism.

This was the preferred mode of the early church. Pouring or sprinkling were only used in instances were immersion was not an option. The early church clearly understood, as we see in the Didache, that immersion was the proper mode employed by Christ and the apostles.

“The procedure for baptizing is as follows. After rehearsing all the preliminaries, immerse in running water ‘In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost’. If no running water is available, immerse in ordinary water. This should be cold if possible; otherwise warm. If neither is practicable, then sprinkle water three times on the head ‘In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,’” (The Didache, 7).

Finally, as new disciples are added to our number through baptism, they are to be baptized in a Trinitarian formula. This practice, as we see in the above quote, was clearly the practice of the church from the earliest times. It is also a practice that the church has continued to this day.

Why do we baptize in the Triune name, though? We baptize in the name of our Triune God to signify baptism in His authority. Remember that we go forth in Christ’s authority to make disciples. Christ further commands that we baptize in the authority of the Triune God any who enter into discipleship with Him. Baptism being the entrance point into the church, and baptism being divinely commanded of all who enter into the discipleship of Christ in the authority of the Triune name, all who would come to Christ as Lord must also submit themselves to the local church through baptism.

As such, it is proper to follow in the apostles’ footsteps in our discussion of baptism. Just as they preached baptism as a part of their evangelistic message (Acts 2:38; 10:48; 22:16), so ought the church today. If we are not baptizing we are not making disciples, and if we are not making disciples we are not being faithful to our King. Let us, then, reconsider the importance of baptism for the work of evangelism.

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 240

/ Reformed Baptista / Leave a comment

Day 240

Of the Assurance of Grace and Salvation.

Chapter 18, Paragraph 4.

“…yet are they never destitute of the seed of God, and Life of Faith,…”

Scripture Lookup

1 John 3:9
Luke 22:32

Reflection

You’re struggling with assurance. Through neglect of the ordinary means God has provided, falling into a particularly grievous sin, struck by a powerful temptation, or not enjoying the blessing of God’s countenance, you wonder if you were ever saved to begin with. It sure doesn’t feel that way right now. What do you do, then?

Those who are truly in Christ, although they may have little assurance that they are His, are never cut off from God’s promise of keeping them until the end. If you hate your sin, love Christ, and desire to please God, these are indications that you are one of His. The Holy Spirit is still within you, for He has promised never to leave you. He still witnesses with your spirit that you are His child. He still will keep you to the end. He still works in you to will and to do His good pleasure. He still works repentance in you. He still sanctifies you.

There may be times when you wonder if you are His. You thought you had faith, but now you don’t know. Unbelief may seem like an easier path. Yet for the true Christian, it will be impossible to walk away from your faith. You may feel bereft of God, unloved, unfavored, but through it all your spirit will continue to cry, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

Christian struggling with assurance, be assured. The Holy Spirit and your faith give evidence you are His.

Questions to Consider

  • Do unregenerate people struggle with assurance of faith?

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 239

/ Reformed Baptista / Leave a comment

IMG_3851

Day 239

Of the Assurance of Grace and Salvation.

Chapter 18, Paragraph 4.

“…by God’s withdrawing the light of his countenance and suffering even such as fear him to walk in darkness and to have no light;…”

Scripture Lookup

Psalm 30:7

Reflection

“I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

These are words the Lord gives to comfort those that are His. He does not lie.

There are times, though, when true believers do not have the light of His countenance upon them. The Lord has sovereignly purposed for these children of His to experience walking in darkness. The blessing of God’s favor is not felt. Rather, His displeasure and discipline are constantly before her. At these times, assurance of salvation wanes.

What should a Christian do in such situations? Knowing that assurance can falter during such times helps to prepare for if those times come. If you have sin to confess, He is faithful and just to forgive you and cleanse you from all unrighteousness. The promises of God have not changed, even if our feelings have. Remember that, when the darkness engulfs you and you don’t know when His face will shine on you again.

Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. -James 4:8

Questions to Consider

  • Have you ever experienced God withdrawing His countenance?

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 238

/ Reformed Baptista / Leave a comment

Day 238

Of the Assurance of Grace and Salvation.

Chapter 18, Paragraph 4.

“True Believers may have the assurance of their Salvation divers ways shaken, diminished, and intermitted; as by negligence in preserving of it, by falling into some special Sin, which woundeth the Conscience and grieveth the Spirit; by some sudden or vehement temptation,…”

Scripture Lookup

Canticles (Song of Solomon) 5:2,3,6
Psalm 51:8,12,14
Psalm 116:11; 77:7,8, 31:22

Reflection

Assurance of salvation is not something that, once obtained, remains vibrant throughout the course of the believer’s life. Certain circumstances can cause it to wane. Three such circumstances are: neglecting its preservation, falling into a especially conscience-pricking sin, and by an extremely passionate temptation. At such times assurance is naturally frail.

How does a believer neglect the preservation of her assurance? By neglecting to make her calling and election sure. Ignore the means of grace provided, refuse to avail yourself of what God has given to enlarge your heart in joy and thankfulness to Him, and confidence in your salvation will wane.

Certain sins cause great anguish of the conscience. While all sin is horrible, there are sins that are especially heartbreaking. They also grieve the Spirit, the same Spirit that works repentance in us. When a conscience is crushed and the Spirit grieved, assurance of salvation is low.

Temptation is not sin. However, it can come upon you so strongly and suddenly that any confidence carried is knocked out of you. This is not temptation that we face daily, but as Sam Waldron writes in his commentary on the Confession,

…the authors of the Confession apparently intend us to think here…of an overwhelming trial or solicitation to evil which for a time so shakes the believer’s emotional frame that he questions his assurance.

These are all ways a believer can diminish her assurance. Thankfully, that assurance, although brought low, will not be quenched. May we pray for strength to persevere no matter the state of our assurance.

Questions to Consider

  • What should a Christian do when her assurance is low?

Going in Christ’s Authority (Defining Evangelism)

/ William F. Leonhart III / 1 Comment

You can listen to the audio lesson here.

You can also find the “Working Definition of Evangelism” here.

_______________________

 

DEFINING EVANGELISM

PART I – THE GREAT COMMISSION

Lesson One: Going in Christ’s Authority

 

“18And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,’” (Matthew 28:18-19a; NASB).

All authority. It is essential on the outset that Christians, with the task of evangelism set before them, recognize that it is a task that must be done in boldness. It must be done in boldness, because it is a task that has behind it all of the authority of heaven and earth. It has divine authority. The task of evangelism is a task that has been demanded of us by divine authority, and its message bears the divine seal.

As we are going weekly into our contexts—our homes, our workplaces, the marketplace, and our neighborhoods—we are carrying with us the King’s message. When a mother instructs her children, she must recall with great urgency the divine message she has been given to imprint on those young hearts. As we take a smoke break or a coffee break at work, we must remember that Christ’s authority is over the whole earth, even our workplace. Our coworkers sorely need to be compelled by His gospel to submit to His rightful authority. . . in this life! Our neighbors both in the marketplace and on our block should readily see the gospel of Jesus Christ adorned by our character, our actions, and certainly our conversation. After all, this gospel is not our message. It is the King’s message, and we are His ambassadors as we sojourn in this world today.

How is it that the early church was taught to adorn the gospel of Christ and the doctrine of the apostles? They were called to have Christian character. Slaves were encouraged to have a strong, Christian work ethic, so that their character would support the Great Commission in the workplace and not detract from it.

“9Urge bondslaves to be subject to their own masters in everything, to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, 10not pilfering, but showing all good faith so that they will adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect,” (Titus 2:9-10; NASB).

We who work for others ought to regularly consider what our work ethic conveys to those with whom and for whom we work about what we truly believe. If we claim to be Christians, we must live, work, rest, and play in such a way as to adorn His and His apostles’ teachings. If we claim the name of the King, and we bear the message of the King, we must adorn His name with such virtues as integrity, loyalty, equity, and efficiency.

Sadly, I’ve spoken with some Christian business owners who have lamented to me the fact that they have hired a great many Christians who do not adorn the name of Christ. Christians can be known for shoddy work, for talking on the clock, and for laziness. What we should be known for is an above-standard work ethic that raises all our peers to the next level. As we show all good faith in our work, we will truly adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect. Wives, likewise, were encouraged to adorn themselves with godly character:

“3Your adornment must not be merely external—braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; 4but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God. 5For in this way in former times the holy women also, who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, being submissive to their own husbands,” (1 Peter 3:3-5; NASB).

Rather than seeking to win their unbelieving husbands with the latest fashions and jewelry, they were to let the hidden person of their heart be exposed, but with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit. Peter, in essence, wants women to understand that men are not won by their wives’ external beauty. Ungodly husbands are won to Christ by the adorning of godly character in support of the gospel that has been preached. Peter conveys as much in the preceding two verses.

“1In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives, 2as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior,” (1 Peter 3:1-2; NASB).

Everything the Christian does either supports or detracts from the Great Commission. Do we love our co-workers as we have been called to love all men? Do we hope to see them saved? We must adorn the doctrine of God our Savior then through a godly work ethic. Do we love our unbelieving family members? Do we hope to see them saved? Then we must adorn the gospel of Christ in our love and respect for them in all of our conversations.

We must adorn the gospel of Jesus Christ for their sake, but also out a sense of its authority. Again, this gospel we have been given is the very message of the King. It comes with His authority upon the hearts of the hearers, but it should also fall with His authority upon our hearts. If it bears no authority upon the church, how will they ever hear? We can wish all day long that they would just happen to the pew by the sheer will of God, but we know that is not at all how God accomplishes His will.

The gospel is God’s power unto salvation (Romans 1:16). They must be compelled to submit to godly discipleship by its power, or we should expect that they will never have the slightest desire of discipleship. The lost must see their great need of Christ and of His church if they are to be brought into the church and taught to observe all that Christ commanded. That is one of the goals of preaching the word: to help regular church members be so immersed in the word that we can all explain, bare minimum, a person’s need for discipleship in Christ. If the average church member can’t explain that, then the local church has failed him.

Going, therefore. This great authority having been given to Christ, the church is now commissioned. We are commissioned to make disciples of all nations. In the Matthew 28 account of the Great Commission, there are several participles providing subpoints to this main point. The main verb is to make disciples. The participles are ‘going,’ ‘baptizing,’ and ‘teaching.’ Each of these participles is given in support of the main verb, so it could be said—and has been said—that the main verb gives us the objective, and the participles give us the plan of attack.

Christ, in His incarnation, accomplished several pivotal goals in the church. One of the great feats He accomplished was to mobilize the church. The assembly, before Christ’s incarnation, had been bound up within one single ethnicity: the Israelites. The worship of God’s congregation was to occur according to a strictly regulated ceremonial law code in which four festivals were to be observed on Mount Zion a year. The covenant community of God was shored up within a very neatly defined set of geographical boarders.

When Christ came to this world and took on human flesh, He removed the enmity that existed between circumcised believers and their Gentile counterparts:

“14For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, 15by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, 16and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity,” (Ephesians 2:14-16; NASB).

Now, the assembly includes all ethnicities from which any have bowed the knee to Christ. In His incarnation, He also removed the sense of geographical, earthly worship and declared that we who worship Him must worship Him instead in spirit and in truth.

“21Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 22You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. 24God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth,’” (John 4:21-24; NASB).

Jesus’ congregation then gathers not on Mount Zion to observe a regular church calendar of feast days, new moons, and sabbaths. Rather, we gather together wherever we can with a true, local body of believers to worship Him in spirit and in truth. Not only Has God expanded His assembly to include all ethnicities and abolished the requirement for the congregation to gather on Mount Zion, teaching them instead to worship in spirit and truth. Christ also broke apart the geographical boundaries of the kingdom of God, mobilizing the church to go forth into all nations. However, He did so through interesting means.

In Acts 7, we read of the stoning of Stephen, the deacon, at the hands of the Jews in Jerusalem. Up until this time, the church of Christ had met locally in one single location in Jerusalem. It was by all accounts an obscure, insignificant, geographically challenged church, though their numbers had grown quite large in a short amount of time. God used the murder of Stephen, though, as an occasion to mobilize the church and to move them out into all the known world.

“Saul was in hearty agreement with putting him to death. And on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles,” (Acts 8:1; NASB).

Our God has a knack for taking the things that men mean for evil and using them for good. He did so in the life of Joseph. He did so in the death of Christ. Here, we see that He even did so in the stoning of Stephen. After the stoning of Stephen, a great persecution broke out in the church, and the saints were scattered.

On the day of Pentecost, we’re told that many Jewish men from all over the Roman empire had made their way to Jerusalem for the festival. Many of them repented of their sins as a result of God’s sovereign work on their hearts through Peter’s preaching. However, rather than going back home and making disciples, they remained in Jerusalem. We read in Acts 2 that this was a sweet time of fellowship, self-sacrifice, and learning at the feet of the apostles.

This time of growth in the faith would be needful in the days ahead. By Acts 7, the religious leaders in Jerusalem had reached a boiling point in their disdain for the Way. Many had been pierced to the core by Peter’s public preaching. Those who remained hardened were only growing in their animosity toward the church. When Stephen stood and boldly accounted to them the chronic unfaithfulness of Israel and their murder of the Messiah, it was more that they were willing to stand, so they stoned him. At this, a great persecution broke out, and the church was scattered. The church was scattered such that, by the time that Paul wrote to Colossae from prison, he declared that the gospel had already gone out to all the known world.

“5because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel 6which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth,” (Colossians 1:5-6; NASB).

Of course, as the gospel went out, support was soon needed. As people were brought into the church, fulfilling the gospel on a micro level, finances were needed for the sending of missionaries and the support of struggling churches. In First Corinthians, Paul writes of one such need:

“1Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also: 2On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come. 3And when I come, whomever you approve by your letters I will send to bear your gift to Jerusalem. 4But if it is fitting that I go also, they will go with me,” (1 Corinthians 16:1-4; NASB).

Most commentators are in agreement that a collection was needful because of a local famine that was affecting the saints in Jerusalem. In the ancient church it was understood that, when one local church was in pain, the entire church experienced the same pain. This famine in Jerusalem was no different.

Support was not only required for established churches, though. Missionaries like Paul, Barnabas, John Mark, Titus, and Timothy needed to be supported as they took the gospel to the ends of the known world. In another prison letter, Paul commends the church at Philippi for their financial support of him.

“15Now you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me concerning giving and receiving but you only. 16For even in Thessalonica you sent aid once and again for my necessities. 17Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account,” (Philippians 4:15-17; NKJV).

Though Paul was a self-sufficient tradesman and had time to apply his trade as well as preach the gospel—having no wife or family for which to provide—he still required financial support, especially while in prison. This is a privilege for local churches. Local churches who have the ability to support missions should count it all joy to do so. It should not be seen as having been done so for the sake of the gift given to the missionary himself, but as fruit that abounds to the account of the giving church!

This blessing, however, should not be seen as something that can be bought. We do not earn the favor or the blessing of God through unwise stewardship. There were times in the lives of local churches in which they were unable to provide financial support for missions. Not only is it okay to go through seasons in which we are unable to give. It is biblical. Even the church at Philippi, who Paul is praising for their generosity in this text, went through a season in which they were unable to meet his need.

“But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned before, but you lacked opportunity,” (Philippians 4:10; NASB).

A natural outworking, then, of fulfilling the Great Commission in the immediate context of the local church is the increase of opportunity to support the fulfilling of the Great Commission in greater contexts. As the Lord gives ability through the increase of a local church, the local church is to be increasingly focused on the work of the universal church. As we focus on the spread of the kingdom abroad, we will then be encouraged to take part in the spread the kingdom in our contexts.

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 237

/ Reformed Baptista / Leave a comment

Day 237

Of the Assurance of Grace and Salvation.

Chapter 18, Paragraph 3.

“…and therefore it is the duty of every one, to give all diligence to make their Calling and Election sure, that thereby his heart may be enlarged in peace and joy in the holy Spirit, in love and thankfulness to God, and in strength and cheerfulness in the duties of obedience, the proper fruits of this Assurance; so far is it from inclining men to looseness.”

Scripture Lookup

Romans 5:1,2,5, 14:17

Psalm 119:32

Romans 6:1,2

Titus 2:11,12,14

Reflection

Struggling with assurance? What should you do? Is there anything you can do? While we cannot merit our salvation, we can have assurance that we are saved. Through the means that God has provided, the Spirit enables us to know what He has freely given to the believer. Prayer, Scripture, the Lord’s Supper, baptism, worshiping with the saints are such means. Participating in them may feel as if you are rowing against the tide, but as you continue, the load lessens and the joy of assurance is obtained.

When you are hungry yet wish to feel full, you do not reject food given for your nourishment. Likewise, if you are struggling with assurance, do not neglect what is beneficial for your soul. These have been given to enlarge your heart in the joy and peace of the Spirit!

Settled in your assurance? What should you do? Does infallible assurance mean a free pass to sit on the couch and do nothing? Of course not! A result of such assurance is that the believer cheerfully obeys her Lord’s commands. This doesn’t look much different than what the unsure believer is to do, and the result of a heart enlarged in the joy and peace of the Spirit is also the same. Each receive strength to obey, with love and thankfulness to God. Assurance is the wind that pushes our sails onward in Christian obedience.

Resting in Christ, with assurance confirmed with inward evidence of saving graces, does not mean retirement from Christian life. The believer presses on, availing herself of the nourishment He has spread for her. Continue to work out your salvation, then, with fear and trembling, confident that God is working in you.

Questions to Consider

  • How diligent are you at making your calling and election sure?

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 236

/ Reformed Baptista / Leave a comment

Day 236

Of the Assurance of Grace and Salvation.

Chapter 18, Paragraph 3.

“This infallible assurance doth not so belong to the essence of faith, but that a true Believer, may wait long and conflict with many difficulties before he be partaker of it; yet being enabled by the Spirit to know the things which are freely given him of God, he may without extraordinary revelation in the right use of means, attain thereunto:…”

Scripture Lookup

Isaiah 50:10

Psalm 88

Psalm 77:1-12

1 John 4:13

Hebrews 6:11,12

Reflection

Confidence of salvation will always mark a true believer: yes or no?

True faith brings assurance, but it does not necessarily bring it immediately. While the saving graces of God enact change in a believer, such changes may cause her to question her salvation. Especially when struggling with certain sins, frustration and despair tend to surface: “Walking in holiness isn’t coming easily – what’s wrong with me? I must not be one of Christ’s elect. He wouldn’t want someone like me.” Such thinking, though misinformed, can be thought by believers. After all, in the irreconcilable fight against the flesh, the remaining corruption for a time may much prevail (Confession 13.3).

Although assurance may not come to a believer for a time, a comforting fact is it will come eventually. We do not need to wait until we die to know if we are truly saved. The Spirit guiding us into all truth through the means of grace that God has provided – Scripture, prayer, worshiping with the saints, the Lord’s Supper and so on – enables us to obtain such a blessed assurance.

Questions to Consider

  • If you are struggling with whether you are truly saved, what should you do?