In the conclusion of the salvation series, I wanted to pose the question, “Who is Jesus Christ to you?” I would like to team up with John Piper in the teaching and explanation of what Scripture explains about the Christ. The basics come from a sermon that was preached at the 2008 New Attitude conference.
In a nutshell, I appreciate the way that Dr. Piper explains human nature in such a simple, yet profound way. In our calloused, self-sufficient sinful hearts, we all fill our hearts and minds with something that we treat as a Savior. It may be our jobs, relationships, cars and even church itself. John used a common example of, “We treat God like a ticket at the movie theater. As soon as we get where we are going [inside the theater], we simply throw the ticket away.” It renders useless. As simple of an example as this seems, there is a profound spiritual implication that can be drawn from it. It explains exactly how professing Christians in America, in particular, respond to the Gospel. We don’t read the Bible, observe the biblical reality of sin, righteousness and judgment or have a clue about the Glory of God, but by golly, we are going to heaven. Our cultural mandate sifts through true spiritual affections to slide under the door of the church by meeting the bare minimum status quo for religion. We want church, tithing, mission’s trips, retreats and even heaven; but we don’t want Christ. As Piper explained, “We simply want a ticket to jump out of the line going to hell to jump in the line going to heaven.”
One of the things that I immensely cherish from the perspective of Dr. Piper [and obviously Scripture] that very few other Pastors preach or even understand is simply, “the treasuring of Christ.” It doesn’t take much time spent with anyone to find out what they treasure. If someone professes to love Christ but yet, never talks about Him and never seems to worship Him, how is it possible to treasure Him? The Scriptures say, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” It is clear that we all worship and “treasure” something and the predominance of that worship is what the affections of the heart are set upon. Those who treasure Christ treat Him as the pearl of great price.
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, ‘who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.’”
Matthew 13:45-46
Once you know Christ and have been effectually drawn into a relationship with Him [John 6:44], then your eyes begin to see and the heart begins to understand all that the Scriptures declare Him to be from eternity past. You realize that He is infinitely Glorious and forsake your entire life to follow Him.
One of the most captivating explanations of who Jesus is in the Scriptures concerning His Savior status may be Isaiah 53.
“Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
Surely he has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet he opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment, And who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; For the transgressions of My people He was stricken. And they made His grave with the wicked- But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth.
Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When you make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand. He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And he shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And he was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.”
If all knowledge or perfection of the Glory of Jesus Christ were to be written in a book, the whole world [Universe] could not contain it. The apostle John explained that the world could not even contain books written only about “the many other things” that Jesus did concerning only signs and wonders [John 21:25]. The eternally key measure to obtaining truth and knowledge about Jesus Christ of which the Gospels explain is to see and know Him as Savior. Although sinners have debated amongst themselves about who the Christ is since He walked this earth, He has clearly revealed Himself to man.
“Then they said to the woman, ‘now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.” John 4:42
An unconverted sinner whose sins are not forgiven cannot begin to speak or write any righteousness word regarding the Christ, His Eternal Sonship, Righteousness, Infinite Glory and His Offices [as Prophet, Priest and King]. The only way to treasure Christ in even the smallest proportion is to renounce all self-sufficiency, worldly wisdom and carnal knowledge, acknowledge sin by having committed infinite transgression of the law, repent and embrace Him as Savior. It is only in the moment where Christ pierces the heart by His spirit, causing you to say to yourself, ‘He told me all that I ever did’, when you know who he is [as the Samaritan woman] and can speak a word of knowledge. Otherwise, the carnal mind simply acknowledges the reality of Christ and of God like a demon, who is completely cut off from Grace and the knowledge of His infinite worthiness.
The prayer of King Hezekiah to be delivered from the king of Assyria distinguishes the Eternal Lord from man-made idols.
“O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, the One who dwells between the cherubim, You are God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth.” Isaiah 37:16.
After knowing the eternal worthiness of the living God, King Hezekiah is able to discern the difference between the true God and worthless idols and pray for deliverance.
“Truly, Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations and their lands, ‘and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were not gods, but the work of men’s hands—wood and stone. Therefore they destroyed them. ‘Now therefore, O Lord our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the Lord, You alone.”
Isaiah 37:18-20
So is the mindset of the converted soul. King Hezekiah knew only One Lord. He did not develop a mixture of carnal ideas to make up his own god. He publicly renounced those gods and idols [made of wood and stone]. It does not matter the substance of a foreign god, whether it is an idea or physical statue of some sort. Hezekiah pronounced and pleaded his God to be “God alone”, “of all the kingdoms of the earth,” and “who made heaven and earth.” He claimed to have only one God. He did not leave a chance to be taken that one of the other gods could actually be the true God in a sense. He literally brought the idols to ashes, while exalting the true, living God, who was his all-consuming eternal deliverer.
The eternally begotten Son of God was made [before the world began] into the likeness of man. This blessed decree was the manifestation of the perfect Glory of God in all things. God spoke in various times and in various ways, but in these days, He speaks to us through His Son, through whom He also made the worlds [Hebrews 1:1-2]. The incarnation of the Christ displays the visible image of the invisible God. He is in all ways like God, for He is God, perfect in character and likeness. He is the perfect God-Man in who dwells no sin.
“Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For indeed He does not give aid to the seed of Abraham. Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.”
Hebrews 2:14-18
In order for Him to be Savior, God eternally decreed the incarnation. His plead was that He was in all ways like a man as He maintained a physical body, with blood and bones. He has a conscience and a brain. The only difference between Jesus Christ and any other man is that Jesus Christ is also God, infinitely maintaining moral perfection. So, the ‘only’ difference is truly an infinite difference in all ways. The One who created the human body in Genesis 1 chose to be subject to the weakness of the body, reflected in the incarnation, which perfectly demonstrates His infinite humility and Priesthood. He is then able to bear witness with those who are tempted of the flesh, for He was also subject to temptation from the Devil, yet without sin. That is the difference between Christ and all other flesh. He came to publicly triumph over death, Satan and to give life to others by his perfect sacrifice as the Lamb of God.
“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.”
John 12:24
Jesus Christ is the bread of Heaven. His description of how He is the bread causes some to be appalled at the thought but others to treasure and bow in worship at the very utterance of how we become one with Christ. He says that we are to “eat of His flesh” and “drink of His blood [John 6:53-58].” If interpreted in the literal sense as the Jews thought, then it is a disturbing and abhorring word picture [v.52]. But, hardness of heart and perversion of the mind do not prevail the purpose of Christ’s words. How much more does one treasure food when they are hungry? It is the same with drink. How replenished does one treasure water after dehydration? Every sinner has had such an experience at one point or another. In the physical sense, we all must eat and drink something to survive. It is the same in the spiritual sense that Jesus describes. We all must eat or drink, but to either be eternally saved or eternally lost. “This is the bread which came down from heaven-not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever” [v.58]. Jesus displays His power and glory in that all other “bread” or “manna” simply ends in death. Each of us is eating from either the Bread of Heaven, or we are eating of sensual religion or worldly bread that ends in corruption and ultimately eternal destruction. This was and is a hard saying of Jesus that His disciples did not understand [v. 61]. Nevertheless, it divides true disciples or those who are in union with Him by the spirit who gives life, and those who are merely after worldly manna and to please themselves.
Those who are offended by the eating of Christ’s flesh and the drinking of His blood are not offended by the grotesque expression. They are offended by the proclamation of who Jesus says that He is. Eat of His flesh! Drink of His blood! “No, I cannot bear to hear it!” says the hardened sinner. If you cannot see it or hear it, then you do not have life. One who rejoices at the thought and description from the very Son of God about the eating and drinking of Him is one who has life. It is a blessed saint who sees the very reason for the eating and drinking of Christ. It is one who sees his reflection as one who is a fallen wretch and a broken spirit. He sees the heinousness of his infinitely sinful [i.e. lying, thieving, blasphemous, adulterous, murderous] nature and heart. Each description of the eating of Christ’s flesh and drinking of His blood is merely a shockingly sober reminder that we each are personally the reason for His crucifixion and that He is merciful enough to give us Himself.
In the beginning of our lives on earth, we are each individually alone in the darkness and susceptible to the utmost corruptible crimes under the full fury of the wrath of Almighty God. As an unregenerate, lifeless soul, we are tossed to and fro with waves of deception that blind the conscience from the truth of the Glory of Christ. We care about nothing other than to please our flesh and satisfy our bellies to our own moral demise. We are truly lifeless and eat the bread of worthless idols to merely fuel the infinite fire of God’s wrath. An unregenerate life is like being on a ship that sails into the middle of the ocean. The sailing is a seemingly glorious experience with the wind blowing, birds in the air and sun shining in all its glory. It is not in trouble until the ship undergoes a furious storm with wind and waves under the darkest and gloomy of skies. It is soon torn in pieces and we are suddenly in the water, all alone and no land on the horizon. As we sink deeper and deeper in the water, we are further and further from life and ultimately drowning in the deep abyss. It is certain destruction unless there is a rescuer. Thomas Boston beautifully explains the life of professing Christians,
“Ye cannot take Christ, as a Redeemer, if ye take him not in all his offices. He offers himself to sinners no other way. And what God has joined together let no man put asunder. Many pretend to take Christ as a Saviour to save them from hell and wrath, who do not hearken to him as a Prophet to teach them the saving knowledge of God, nor submit to his laws and commandments. How many call Christ their Lord, and yet do not the things that he saith? O the folly of the world, that reject Christ’s teaching, saying, Depart from us, for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways! O the stupidity of those who despise Christ as a Priest, and think to recommend themselves to the divine favour by their own works of righteousness, which they substitute in the room of his righteousness! O the madness of those who contemn Christ as a King, refusing to submit to his royal authority, and who spurn at his laws and government! And how foolish are the princes of the earth that will not suffer Christ to reign freely in their dominions, but encroach on his authority, and make laws opposite to and inconsistent with his!”
Upon the born-again sinner’s recognition of the righteousness of God perfectly fulfilled in Christ alone, he begins to continually see and understand the futility of his efforts in religion and life. Once grace upon grace is imparted from the wisdom of God to the soul of the redeemed by revelation of the Holy Spirit and the Word, the sinner learns to walk in the ways of the wisdom of God. Christ’s ways becomes his ways. Christ’s words become his words. This is no longer a man alone in his ship until it crashes in the middle of the ocean and is lost forever! His sins are no longer held against Him. In fact, his sins have been separated as far as the east is from the west. Some misrepresent the nature of man before he is born-again. Some say, “I was seeking and finally found God” or “the man was reaching out in desperate need to be saved.” But, what caused you to seek? What caused you to reach out in desperate need to be saved? It is the Holy Spirit of God alone, enveloping the soul and sealing it by Grace.
The testimony of Christ according to the revelation of the Scriptures is one that is signed and sealed with blood. The One who created all the nations is the One who inherits all the nations. He, who made the law, came as a man to fulfill it and make a New Covenant with His own righteous blood.
“But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of bulls and goats and ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of eternal inheritance.”
Hebrews 9:11-15
As Jesus was teaching His disciples, He opened their eyes as to who He was and His very purpose.
“Then He said to them, ‘These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.’ And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures. Then He said to them, ‘Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are all witnesses of these things.’”
Luke 24:44-48
There is an inexpressible, undeniable and all-consuming gratefulness of the crucifixion of Christ realized in the heart of God’s remnant. Picturing the inexhaustible worthiness of the Savior and heir of all things pouring forth His blood from a rugged tree for the transgressions of mankind, bearing the full wrath of God, is one that is eternally enamored. Just as horrid of a sight it is to see the King of Kings brutally scourged to an unrecognizable level and nailed to a cross, it is even more horrid to know God’s full wrath and infinite hatred toward sin and rebellion. An infinitely rebellious creature such as I should, according to the law, die for even one sin and suffer in hell for eternity. On the contrary, an infinitely glorious and righteous God-Man, Jesus Christ, according to the law, should never die because He never transgressed the law. Yet, it pleased God to bruise His Son.
“For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:6-8
The Creator of all things willfully separated Himself from perfect Triune love and harmony to be born of a virgin. He subjected Himself into the hands of sinners to be placed on trial; being accused of blasphemy. He withstood the mockery of Pontius Pilate and Roman soldiers and ultimately nailed to the cross as a sinless God-Man. After He died, He rose again on the third day in glory. He now imparts His Holy Spirit to those whom He has chosen in eternity past to reveal Himself in righteousness. Those to whom He imparts His Spirit are the nations that He has died for. That is His Bride. It is finished. The work is done. The infinite transgressions of these people are now nailed to the cross, and forgotten forevermore. They have now been reconciled to God because of the death and resurrection of the Savior [Romans 5:11] They now receive the Holy Spirit by faith, this great Grace from the Creator of Heaven and Earth, all things seen and unseen, Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He has the authority to forgive sins. He forgives them for us by dying to bring us to Himself. It is for our eternal good. It is for His ultimate Glory. Once He becomes our Savior, then He becomes our Treasure.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Monday, November 17, 2008
#2) Do you desire to ‘mature in the faith’ or are you maturing in the faith?
“For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”
Hebrews 5:12-14
When a newborn baby proceeds from its mother’s womb, it is a rather helpless being. It is completely dependent on someone to take care of it in all ways. Mother’s in particular attest to the truth of all the time and effort that is required to raise a child from infancy. Namely, a child cannot proceed from the womb expected to devour any solid food. The stomach and digestive system is sensitive and delicate as it cannot absorb hard or non-liquid substances. In fact, it does not even go past the mouth, for an infant has no teeth. It cannot chew anything. The baby is born only able to drink milk or purely liquid substances. Since it is unable to consume or “take in” anything else, milk is the only thing that satisfies and nourishes the child. It is the same with all other mammals of other types on the planet. Without milk, there is no life. With milk, there is potential to satisfy the desire of hunger that also provides the ability to grow and develop into other types of foods to consume. Eventually, the baby will no longer need only milk as the majority of its diet, but other more solid foods will be the majority.
Spiritually speaking, the difference between milk and solid food demonstrates the progressive stages of spiritual maturity in the Christian. The writer of Hebrews beautifully and harmoniously portrays the spiritual and physiological contrast that humans [Christians] face daily. As even an atheist would tend to agree about the requirements for the nourishment of an infant, so it is regarding the Christian and the progressive stages of maturity. In essence, the level of maturity divides Christians [professors] in the form of doctrine. According to Hebrews, it is in the exercising of the spiritual faculties [the Holy Spirit] to discern good and evil that differentiates one who eats solid food and a babe who drinks mostly or only milk.
One who is ‘unskilled in the word of righteousness,’ may typically be one who has developed itchy ears and purposefully diverts the word of God to believe and practice fables and lies developed by men.
“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.” 2 Timothy 4:3-4
Upon conversion [if truly converted], although this person is perfectly aware of the truth of the word of God, he needs to be taught the basic principles. Because milk is the majority of the spiritual diet, he delights in the basics. His soul produces very minimal effort to seek to understand the deep things of God. If a man has an adult physical body, a diet consisting mostly of milk does not provide the nutritional value it needs. An adult would be malnourished very soon after consuming only milk. As milk is the necessary means for a baby to develop into an adult since it is a sign of birth, so it maintains that solid food is the necessary means for an adult to survive and be nourished enough to continue and thrive. In the same way, a man who delights in the basic spiritual principles cannot thrive. His own sin will be the stumbling block that prevents him from discerning good from evil. His judgment of the sinful nature will be like sap running down a tree. It is not quick, but drips slowly while soaking up everything in its way. He may even delight in his sin for a season, not recognizing how heinous it is before the infinitely Holy God.
“Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permits. For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.”
Hebrews 6:1-6
Those who have been truly wrought of the Holy Spirit cannot and do not ultimately forsake the faith. The pendulum of the Christian faith in the sinner sways whichever way the Sovereign Lord wills. It is the Lord who grants the precious gift of repentance as well is well as unveiling the eyes and ears to have faith. The production is the eternal salvation of the soul. A man alone cannot believe on the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved, but it is the efficacy of the Holy Spirit alone that transforms the heart to have affections for God. Therefore, the only true enlightenment is by the Spirit and what God alone has done. Man is able to foster mimics of the same effects, but these effects are not ultimately produced by the righteousness of the Spirit. One who is religious cannot and will not ultimately come to true faith, apart from God bringing the soul to life. They, like Judas Iscariot, may walk with Jesus’ people for a time. They may also appear righteous before men. But, in the end, they crucify the Son of God and put Him to an open shame by the way they live their lives. It is their true hatred for God that dominates the affections to the eternal ruin of the soul.
However, to the chosen vessels who truly bear the name of Jesus Christ and whose names are written in the book of life, solid food [by Grace] dominates the spiritual diet. Solid food rejoices in sound doctrine and the soul consisting of this diet is never satisfied with only milk. Although milk plays a role at the beginning of every Christian life, the ever increasing sanctification provided by the Spirit causes the diet to shift. This is none other than the Grace of Our Lord alone, providing the way. The religious self-effort of man ends him up in utter despair and ruined in sin. That is the natural tendency of every man. Hebrews exhorts, “But, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes things that accompany salvation, though we speak in this manner.” Hebrews 6:9 Our earthly glorifying of The Lord is viewed dimly due to the presence of sin in and among God’s people. But, in the things that accompany salvation, the emission of sound doctrine provided by the Spirit and the Word is the cross hairs nearing the bulls eye.
Spiritual milk initiates the basic understanding of the word of God. Words like prayer, reading, God’s will, seeking, knowing and being obedient are probably understood most often in the predominately milk diet [not that these are less important or ever become that way]. Words like, propitiation, expiation, justification, mediation and reprobation are more likely to be understood and theologically practiced in a predominately solid food diet. The purpose of Paul and the writer of Hebrews speaking about ‘solid food’ is not to cause a believer or new believer to feel inadequate in knowledge or spirituality [although we truly are]. Neither is it to exalt or glory in the knowledge of man. Eating solid food or practicing sound doctrine is what best reflects the Glory of God in the accuracy of the teaching of His inspired Word.
What we say about our Creator is either true according to His Word, or it is false, according to His Word. The way we grow more intimate with our Father is by understanding more of who He is. Like our earthly fathers, we know more about them by spending time in communion with them. We find out how they think, react and respond to certain situations. In the end, we grow to love them more by knowing them more. It is the same with our Creator. The more time we spend in communion with Him, the more we understand how He thinks and the more intimate the relationship becomes. Thus, it creates a greater understanding of His infinite glory and our eternal worthlessness. As we grow to understand of the true Character of God in that, he hates as well as loves and he condemns as well as justifies, the effects produced are the breaking of the hearts of feeble men where they stand, in humility. The more we see and understand His Holiness, the more we see our unholiness and thus desire to be Holy. The more we see and understand His hatred for sin and rebellion, the more we see our sin and rebellion and learn to hate it, etc.
The lifelong blessedness of solid food, i.e. practicing sound doctrine, provokes an orthodox [biblical] view of the illumination of the person of Jesus Christ. The blessed ability to see the eternal counsel of God in the person of Christ is indeed an anointed understanding. It is not only an understanding, but a multitude of facets are sought to be treasured and understood because of their eternal worthiness. These spiritual facets are the simultaneous understanding of particular doctrines and the role that Jesus Christ plays in each. Eternality, Love, Sovereignty, Hate, Mercy, Grace, Glory, Justification and Reprobation are all biblical doctrines that explain Jesus Christ and His eternal counsel in redemptive history. Only the illumination caused by the Holy Spirit can open our eyes to see the blessedness and eternal reality of the Glory of God and His fame. We understand this by seeking God in His word with a humble heart, moving on to perfection and laying aside the temporal desires of this world that fade before our very eyes.
“For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end.”
Hebrews 6:10-11
Hebrews 5:12-14
When a newborn baby proceeds from its mother’s womb, it is a rather helpless being. It is completely dependent on someone to take care of it in all ways. Mother’s in particular attest to the truth of all the time and effort that is required to raise a child from infancy. Namely, a child cannot proceed from the womb expected to devour any solid food. The stomach and digestive system is sensitive and delicate as it cannot absorb hard or non-liquid substances. In fact, it does not even go past the mouth, for an infant has no teeth. It cannot chew anything. The baby is born only able to drink milk or purely liquid substances. Since it is unable to consume or “take in” anything else, milk is the only thing that satisfies and nourishes the child. It is the same with all other mammals of other types on the planet. Without milk, there is no life. With milk, there is potential to satisfy the desire of hunger that also provides the ability to grow and develop into other types of foods to consume. Eventually, the baby will no longer need only milk as the majority of its diet, but other more solid foods will be the majority.
Spiritually speaking, the difference between milk and solid food demonstrates the progressive stages of spiritual maturity in the Christian. The writer of Hebrews beautifully and harmoniously portrays the spiritual and physiological contrast that humans [Christians] face daily. As even an atheist would tend to agree about the requirements for the nourishment of an infant, so it is regarding the Christian and the progressive stages of maturity. In essence, the level of maturity divides Christians [professors] in the form of doctrine. According to Hebrews, it is in the exercising of the spiritual faculties [the Holy Spirit] to discern good and evil that differentiates one who eats solid food and a babe who drinks mostly or only milk.
One who is ‘unskilled in the word of righteousness,’ may typically be one who has developed itchy ears and purposefully diverts the word of God to believe and practice fables and lies developed by men.
“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.” 2 Timothy 4:3-4
Upon conversion [if truly converted], although this person is perfectly aware of the truth of the word of God, he needs to be taught the basic principles. Because milk is the majority of the spiritual diet, he delights in the basics. His soul produces very minimal effort to seek to understand the deep things of God. If a man has an adult physical body, a diet consisting mostly of milk does not provide the nutritional value it needs. An adult would be malnourished very soon after consuming only milk. As milk is the necessary means for a baby to develop into an adult since it is a sign of birth, so it maintains that solid food is the necessary means for an adult to survive and be nourished enough to continue and thrive. In the same way, a man who delights in the basic spiritual principles cannot thrive. His own sin will be the stumbling block that prevents him from discerning good from evil. His judgment of the sinful nature will be like sap running down a tree. It is not quick, but drips slowly while soaking up everything in its way. He may even delight in his sin for a season, not recognizing how heinous it is before the infinitely Holy God.
“Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permits. For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.”
Hebrews 6:1-6
Those who have been truly wrought of the Holy Spirit cannot and do not ultimately forsake the faith. The pendulum of the Christian faith in the sinner sways whichever way the Sovereign Lord wills. It is the Lord who grants the precious gift of repentance as well is well as unveiling the eyes and ears to have faith. The production is the eternal salvation of the soul. A man alone cannot believe on the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved, but it is the efficacy of the Holy Spirit alone that transforms the heart to have affections for God. Therefore, the only true enlightenment is by the Spirit and what God alone has done. Man is able to foster mimics of the same effects, but these effects are not ultimately produced by the righteousness of the Spirit. One who is religious cannot and will not ultimately come to true faith, apart from God bringing the soul to life. They, like Judas Iscariot, may walk with Jesus’ people for a time. They may also appear righteous before men. But, in the end, they crucify the Son of God and put Him to an open shame by the way they live their lives. It is their true hatred for God that dominates the affections to the eternal ruin of the soul.
However, to the chosen vessels who truly bear the name of Jesus Christ and whose names are written in the book of life, solid food [by Grace] dominates the spiritual diet. Solid food rejoices in sound doctrine and the soul consisting of this diet is never satisfied with only milk. Although milk plays a role at the beginning of every Christian life, the ever increasing sanctification provided by the Spirit causes the diet to shift. This is none other than the Grace of Our Lord alone, providing the way. The religious self-effort of man ends him up in utter despair and ruined in sin. That is the natural tendency of every man. Hebrews exhorts, “But, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes things that accompany salvation, though we speak in this manner.” Hebrews 6:9 Our earthly glorifying of The Lord is viewed dimly due to the presence of sin in and among God’s people. But, in the things that accompany salvation, the emission of sound doctrine provided by the Spirit and the Word is the cross hairs nearing the bulls eye.
Spiritual milk initiates the basic understanding of the word of God. Words like prayer, reading, God’s will, seeking, knowing and being obedient are probably understood most often in the predominately milk diet [not that these are less important or ever become that way]. Words like, propitiation, expiation, justification, mediation and reprobation are more likely to be understood and theologically practiced in a predominately solid food diet. The purpose of Paul and the writer of Hebrews speaking about ‘solid food’ is not to cause a believer or new believer to feel inadequate in knowledge or spirituality [although we truly are]. Neither is it to exalt or glory in the knowledge of man. Eating solid food or practicing sound doctrine is what best reflects the Glory of God in the accuracy of the teaching of His inspired Word.
What we say about our Creator is either true according to His Word, or it is false, according to His Word. The way we grow more intimate with our Father is by understanding more of who He is. Like our earthly fathers, we know more about them by spending time in communion with them. We find out how they think, react and respond to certain situations. In the end, we grow to love them more by knowing them more. It is the same with our Creator. The more time we spend in communion with Him, the more we understand how He thinks and the more intimate the relationship becomes. Thus, it creates a greater understanding of His infinite glory and our eternal worthlessness. As we grow to understand of the true Character of God in that, he hates as well as loves and he condemns as well as justifies, the effects produced are the breaking of the hearts of feeble men where they stand, in humility. The more we see and understand His Holiness, the more we see our unholiness and thus desire to be Holy. The more we see and understand His hatred for sin and rebellion, the more we see our sin and rebellion and learn to hate it, etc.
The lifelong blessedness of solid food, i.e. practicing sound doctrine, provokes an orthodox [biblical] view of the illumination of the person of Jesus Christ. The blessed ability to see the eternal counsel of God in the person of Christ is indeed an anointed understanding. It is not only an understanding, but a multitude of facets are sought to be treasured and understood because of their eternal worthiness. These spiritual facets are the simultaneous understanding of particular doctrines and the role that Jesus Christ plays in each. Eternality, Love, Sovereignty, Hate, Mercy, Grace, Glory, Justification and Reprobation are all biblical doctrines that explain Jesus Christ and His eternal counsel in redemptive history. Only the illumination caused by the Holy Spirit can open our eyes to see the blessedness and eternal reality of the Glory of God and His fame. We understand this by seeking God in His word with a humble heart, moving on to perfection and laying aside the temporal desires of this world that fade before our very eyes.
“For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end.”
Hebrews 6:10-11
Saturday, November 1, 2008
#3) Were you ever baptized? [Why or why not?]
In the history of Christendom, baptism has played a significant role in the church. The purpose of this post is to not discuss the history of circumcision in the Old Testament, beginning with Abraham. Nor is it to discuss the differences between credobaptism and paedobaptism. Since I am a protestant believer and was born-again in a Baptist church, I was nevertheless personally ‘immersed in water’ after my conversion. I am not a proponent of infant baptism and will simply defend ‘believer’s baptism’ or ‘credobaptism’ based off the New Testament Scriptures on what the Apostle Paul teaches as well as Jesus Himself. Ultimately, the purpose should highlight the importance and commandment of a [new] believer to be baptized for the forgiveness of sins.
Although baptism reflects newness of life, it is clearly not what saves the soul. It is merely a symbol or outward reflection of the inward change of life. Water itself cannot save the soul or forgive sin as much as it cannot become a pig and fly. There is no more power in water [sprinkled or immersed] than there is in a tree or stone. Immersion is the sacrament in the New Testament that publicly displays that a believer’s heart has been circumcised and is indeed ‘putting off the sins of the body.’
“In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.”
Colossians 2:11-13
In the task of baptism, the purpose and evidential power clearly lies solely in Jesus Christ. According to the whole counsel of Scripture and of God, it is only He who can forgive sins [John 1:29]. It is only Christ who laid His life down and took it back up again with His own power; so we trust and depend on that very act to ‘die’ to our flesh and this life to be raised by Him in the last day. In the process of immersion, the submersion represents our death and burial to sin and flesh in this life and the ascension out of the water represents our resurrection to a new life in Christ.
“Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” Romans 6:3-6
Just as Christ was glorified as well as the Father in His resurrection, so will we be glorified in our resurrection because of what Christ gave us access to by His death and resurrection. Baptism represents our death to sin [and its dominion] and union with Christ, just as marriage between a man and woman represents the sacrificial relationship between Christ and the church.
Perhaps the most convicting commands for baptism in the New Testament are from Jesus Himself as He correlates it with the Great Commission.
“And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.’” Mark 16:15-16
I do not want to exaggerate baptism over the importance of preaching the gospel or believing. Without the preaching of the gospel and the Holy Spirit illuminating the eyes and ears of the heart to the stark truth of its wretched and hopeless condition without the new birth, there would be no belief or repentance. There would be no cause or concern for the need of baptism. Without belief and the repentance of sins that causes regeneration, baptism may only serve to rinse the body of a little dirt. It would therefore be impossible to truly display the glory of God in the public declaration of the forgiveness of sins if you are indeed dead in them. If one is baptized without true repentance or regeneration [the indwelling of the Holy Spirit], then it merely blasphemes God by claiming a miracle that has never taken place [that you are saved when you are really not]. It does indeed represent an earthly and sensual proclamation to do what one could never do on one’s own. To publicly claim to have died to your flesh and have been in union with Christ through the act of your baptism, and truly be dead in sins, is nothing other than Judas kissing Jesus on the cheek prior to delivering him to the Romans. Unless the Grace of God in His goodness snatches the soul out of the miry clay and the pit of hell, an unregenerate baptism is simply a publicized betrayal.
On the other end of the spectrum, there may be true believers who have never been baptized. Or, they may have been baptized at one point as an unbeliever, but then were truly converted at a later date. According to God’s word, I do not believe there is justification to not be baptized again. To reiterate, if one is truly converted by the Spirit and ultimately lead to repentance, then the fact that one is baptized [again] does not affect the justification process. But consider the humbling and conscience provoking example of Jesus Christ Himself.
“When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, then heaven was opened.”
Luke 3:21
This event set the perfect example for the rest of New Testament believers. The only difference is that Jesus Christ did not need baptism. Hence, John responded to Jesus’ request to be baptized by asking, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me? [Matthew 3:14]” According to the eternal decree of God for the purpose of John the Baptist, he was a righteous man. He was filled with the Holy Spirit in the womb [Luke 1:15]. He baptized sinners in the Jordan daily as well as commanded them to repent. Yet, he first exclaims to Jesus that it is he who needed to be baptized by Him. John’s reverence for the Lord displayed Jesus’ true glory and power to forgive sins. For the first time among John’s many baptisms, he baptized One who has never sinned. This public act not only demonstrated Jesus’ perfect righteousness, but now John was physically reminded that he was truly not worthy of unloosing the Savior’s sandal.
“When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He said the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’”
Matthew 3:16-17
In the infinitely proficient sustenance of Jesus’ baptism, His light continued to shine in the darkness. He explained in the Gospels that he did not come to be served, but to serve. Just as it is a great miracle and unfathomable gesture of Mercy for the Son of God to wash the feet of His disciples, so it is exactly what He explained His character and purpose to be. Just as Jesus physically washed the feet of His disciples as a perfect example, so we are to spiritually wash each others feet in sacrificial love and care for one another [John 13:14-15]. The same applies in the public baptism of Jesus. He justly and righteously does not need to be cleansed of any sin, for He knew no sin. Just as the King of Kings should justly and righteously have His feet washed all day by his disciples, He perfectly displays His own righteousness by the infinite kindness of His character to do as He did; to serve in such a way that fallen sinners do not naturally desire. If the eternal Son of God, who knows not sin, humbly came as a God-Man from the perfect Eternal counsel of the Trinity to be subjugated in the hands of sinners and ultimately nailed to a cross, what word do we bring against Him as infinite and justly condemned sinners? It is impossible to be changed by Him and not desire to serve and wash the feet of others. Just as the very act of the baptism of the sinless Christ weighs heavy on the conscience of those who have infinitely transgressed His name, so we should eagerly desire by the Spirit of God to perfect all righteousness by our baptism in demonstration of our union with Christ and unrelenting public gratitude for His infinite forgiveness of our sins.
Although baptism reflects newness of life, it is clearly not what saves the soul. It is merely a symbol or outward reflection of the inward change of life. Water itself cannot save the soul or forgive sin as much as it cannot become a pig and fly. There is no more power in water [sprinkled or immersed] than there is in a tree or stone. Immersion is the sacrament in the New Testament that publicly displays that a believer’s heart has been circumcised and is indeed ‘putting off the sins of the body.’
“In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.”
Colossians 2:11-13
In the task of baptism, the purpose and evidential power clearly lies solely in Jesus Christ. According to the whole counsel of Scripture and of God, it is only He who can forgive sins [John 1:29]. It is only Christ who laid His life down and took it back up again with His own power; so we trust and depend on that very act to ‘die’ to our flesh and this life to be raised by Him in the last day. In the process of immersion, the submersion represents our death and burial to sin and flesh in this life and the ascension out of the water represents our resurrection to a new life in Christ.
“Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” Romans 6:3-6
Just as Christ was glorified as well as the Father in His resurrection, so will we be glorified in our resurrection because of what Christ gave us access to by His death and resurrection. Baptism represents our death to sin [and its dominion] and union with Christ, just as marriage between a man and woman represents the sacrificial relationship between Christ and the church.
Perhaps the most convicting commands for baptism in the New Testament are from Jesus Himself as He correlates it with the Great Commission.
“And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.’” Mark 16:15-16
I do not want to exaggerate baptism over the importance of preaching the gospel or believing. Without the preaching of the gospel and the Holy Spirit illuminating the eyes and ears of the heart to the stark truth of its wretched and hopeless condition without the new birth, there would be no belief or repentance. There would be no cause or concern for the need of baptism. Without belief and the repentance of sins that causes regeneration, baptism may only serve to rinse the body of a little dirt. It would therefore be impossible to truly display the glory of God in the public declaration of the forgiveness of sins if you are indeed dead in them. If one is baptized without true repentance or regeneration [the indwelling of the Holy Spirit], then it merely blasphemes God by claiming a miracle that has never taken place [that you are saved when you are really not]. It does indeed represent an earthly and sensual proclamation to do what one could never do on one’s own. To publicly claim to have died to your flesh and have been in union with Christ through the act of your baptism, and truly be dead in sins, is nothing other than Judas kissing Jesus on the cheek prior to delivering him to the Romans. Unless the Grace of God in His goodness snatches the soul out of the miry clay and the pit of hell, an unregenerate baptism is simply a publicized betrayal.
On the other end of the spectrum, there may be true believers who have never been baptized. Or, they may have been baptized at one point as an unbeliever, but then were truly converted at a later date. According to God’s word, I do not believe there is justification to not be baptized again. To reiterate, if one is truly converted by the Spirit and ultimately lead to repentance, then the fact that one is baptized [again] does not affect the justification process. But consider the humbling and conscience provoking example of Jesus Christ Himself.
“When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, then heaven was opened.”
Luke 3:21
This event set the perfect example for the rest of New Testament believers. The only difference is that Jesus Christ did not need baptism. Hence, John responded to Jesus’ request to be baptized by asking, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me? [Matthew 3:14]” According to the eternal decree of God for the purpose of John the Baptist, he was a righteous man. He was filled with the Holy Spirit in the womb [Luke 1:15]. He baptized sinners in the Jordan daily as well as commanded them to repent. Yet, he first exclaims to Jesus that it is he who needed to be baptized by Him. John’s reverence for the Lord displayed Jesus’ true glory and power to forgive sins. For the first time among John’s many baptisms, he baptized One who has never sinned. This public act not only demonstrated Jesus’ perfect righteousness, but now John was physically reminded that he was truly not worthy of unloosing the Savior’s sandal.
“When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He said the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’”
Matthew 3:16-17
In the infinitely proficient sustenance of Jesus’ baptism, His light continued to shine in the darkness. He explained in the Gospels that he did not come to be served, but to serve. Just as it is a great miracle and unfathomable gesture of Mercy for the Son of God to wash the feet of His disciples, so it is exactly what He explained His character and purpose to be. Just as Jesus physically washed the feet of His disciples as a perfect example, so we are to spiritually wash each others feet in sacrificial love and care for one another [John 13:14-15]. The same applies in the public baptism of Jesus. He justly and righteously does not need to be cleansed of any sin, for He knew no sin. Just as the King of Kings should justly and righteously have His feet washed all day by his disciples, He perfectly displays His own righteousness by the infinite kindness of His character to do as He did; to serve in such a way that fallen sinners do not naturally desire. If the eternal Son of God, who knows not sin, humbly came as a God-Man from the perfect Eternal counsel of the Trinity to be subjugated in the hands of sinners and ultimately nailed to a cross, what word do we bring against Him as infinite and justly condemned sinners? It is impossible to be changed by Him and not desire to serve and wash the feet of others. Just as the very act of the baptism of the sinless Christ weighs heavy on the conscience of those who have infinitely transgressed His name, so we should eagerly desire by the Spirit of God to perfect all righteousness by our baptism in demonstration of our union with Christ and unrelenting public gratitude for His infinite forgiveness of our sins.
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