The End of a Long, Mean Season: What’s Next?

The End of a Long, Mean Season: What’s Next?

Pastor Terry L. Reese

(Valley GBC, Armagh, PA; May 10, AD 2020)

Text: Eccl. 3:1-8.

¹There is an appointed time for everything.

And there is a time for every event under heaven--

²A time to give birth and a time to die;

A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.

³A time to kill and a time to heal;

A time to tear down and a time to build up.

⁴A time to weep and a time to laugh;

A time to mourn and a time to dance.

⁵A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones;

A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing.

⁶A time to search and a time to give up as lost;

A time to keep and a time to throw away.

⁷A time to tear apart and a time to sew together;

A time to be silent and a time to speak.

⁸A time to love and a time to hate;

A time for war and a time for peace.

Introduction…

King Solomon, the Preacher (i.e., Ecclesiastes, or Qoheleth) begins chapter 3 by stating a basic thesis:

Eccl. 3:1: “There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven…”

He then proceeds to illustrate and to prove it true (vv. 2-8) through contrasting 14 sets of polar opposites—“events.” An "Event" (Eccl. 3:1) refers to a human activity that one engages in as an act of deliberate choice, and each of these events, as he observes, has its appropriate time, and its proper duration. This is a key theme of ancient wisdom literature (the species or genre of literature that Ecclesiastes belongs to): the wise man must have discernment, with regard to the proper time…

The poetry of Eccl. 3:1-8 accords with the overall theme of the book; Man is to take his life, day-by-day, from the hand of God, humbly accepting what comes our way and acknowledging the great mystery and enigma of God’s Plan—even as we thankfully receive and enjoy those simple pleasures that graciously come to us from the Hand of God. At the same time, we acknowledge that the Lord has a fitting and suitable time for everything that is to be done under heaven, and that Man, for his part, is responsible to discern the right times for the right actions. When we discern and perform the right action according to God's time, the results are good—and beautiful!

Eccl. 3:11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.

God’s plan is beautiful—yet enigmatic. We are spiritual creatures—not animals—so we long to know God’s purposes… but they inscrutable to us as we pursue the course of our lives in the midst of a sin-drenched, fallen world.

I. We have been a through a long season… and a mean season…

…A season of fear, as a weird dystopian environment has been created in our public

Spaces due to the Covid-19 Pandemic…

…A season of isolation, as people have been distanced from their families, and some

have even died alone (save for the nurses) in long-term care facilities…

Question: Do you like the “new normal” of being a hermit?

…An season of doubt, as unprecedented courses of action and decisions are

required…

…A season of economic turmoil, as businesses are ordered to shutdown…

…A season of political concern, as government expands… a dry run for something

more ominous?

…A season of paranoia, as people regard their fellowmen as disease carriers who

need to be informed on to the authorities…

And it’s not yet over. How long will it continue? Will it start again in the Fall? Some in government and the media speak a bit too gleefully in ominous tomes about this being the “new normal.”

II. But there is an appointed Time for everything…

And now we are approaching June… a time for churches to start making decisions…

It is also, I believe, a time for us appropriately to refocus upon what a church actually IS—what are its peculiarities and distinctives—and WHAT, precisely, it is supposed to be DOING… I think we need to take a moment to remind ourselves of where the Church fits in, with regard to the eternal Plan of God, and what His directives and expectations are for us.

III. June is just around the corner—and that means that important decisions will NOW

have to be made.

And that means that there will inevitably be differences of opinion amongst the saints, with regard to...

…WHEN shall our churches reopen?

…HOW shall we reopen?

…What CHANGES need to implemented, with regard to our policies and practices

in reference to the foreseeable and long-term future?

A. The path forward will not be easy, for a variety of reasons…

1. Different churches will face different on-the-ground realities.

There are regional differences, as well as differences in congregational size & demographics. This is not an easy matter of one-size-fits-all.

2. This is also an unprecedented situation in American history…

Yes, we have had pandemics before. But every such situation is unique. Even the wild Spanish Flu Pandemic was handled somewhat differently than the current crisis.

3. People have been traumatized, and are frightened…

The specter of masks, police tape, and in some cases, heavy-handed police tactics.

Will people feel confident to return to normalcy, even when they are given the “all clear” signal—especially with the diversity of opinion coming from politicians and scientists…

4. Contributing to our confusion is what is emanating from our traditional structures of

authority…

a. Questions over the Law: IS reassembly lawful? What about the Bill of Rights?

b. Questions over the Science of it; whose opinion can we trust (Jer. 17:5)?

Contemporary science is often ideologically driven, and not an objective source of truth. Often myths (i.e., man-made climate change, evolution, the Big Bang, etc.) are passed off as science…

c. Questions over whether or not our public officials are worthy of our confidence…

We ask: “How much is politically or ideologically motivated?” We are sadly living in the era of “Fake News” and the Big Lie…

B. Thus, there are legitimate reasons for differences of opinion…

And that’s OK—but unbiblical disunity is something else…

>There is room for debate—but not for factionalism (I Cor. 1:10)…

>There can be no room for recriminations, legalistic judgmentalism, etc.

Some will feel led to re-gather sooner than others… which is fine, and which should be respected… There are legitimate concerns for people with pre-existing conditions…

Friends, with all this confusion in the air, both leaders & parishioners should be cut some slack! Let us be kind to one another.

IV. The Remainder of our Focus; various Scriptural issues that have been brought to

mind as we think about re-opening. Let us focus and meditate upon certain underlying Scriptural principles.

A. Issues regarding Church and State.

There are various doctrinal truths and competing Scriptural directives that need to be kept in balance…

1. Respect for the Higher Powers (Rom. 13:1-7): secular government…

Rom 13:1-7 (1) Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. (2) Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. (3) For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, (4) for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. (5) Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. (6) For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. (7) Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

This passage follows Paul’s directives in Rom. 12:17-20 against anarchic private vengeance—a peculiar problem of the antediluvian civilization (Gen. 6:4, 11), which was corrected by the Rainbow Covenant directives of Gen. 9:5-6—where we find the germ of civil government. Also, 1 Pet. 2:13-17 & Matt. 22:21…

Matt. 22:19-21: "Show Me the coin used for the poll-tax." And they brought Him a denarius. And He said to them, "Whose likeness and inscription is this?" They said to Him, "Caesar's." Then He said to them, "Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's; and to God the things that are God's."

God has created hierarchical authority structures which have their proper and appropriate sphere of governance: Family, State, and Church. Within each of these authority structures are appropriate hierarchies (e.g., the husband is the head of the household, Caesar is the head of the State, Pastors rule and shepherd the flock).

2. On the other hand, to whom do we render what?

We should seek to be submissive to human authority—but NOT if it requires us to sin and disobey God. GOD is the ultimate authority… and Caesar’s claims upon us remain quite limited!

B. What is the Church & what, specifically, characterizes it?

a. Assembly. The Church is an ekklesia—a “called-out Assembly.”

Question: “ARE we going to have churches (i.e., Assemblies)—or not?” We have to physically come together and ASSEMBLE.

An electronic church, though it can be a blessing, just doesn’t cut it, ultimately…

Heb. 10:24-25: ²⁴and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, ²⁵not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

Being a hermit cannot be the “new normal.” We are not called to a desert asceticism like the famous hermit Simeon the Stylite, who spent 37 years living on a pillar, or to some sort western ascetic monasticism.

Yes, we need the quiet (Mark 6:31: And he said to them, "Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.")—but we also need each other! By all means, let us go to the hills and refresh ourselves for a season—but let us then return to the marketplace for our appropriate service unto God and man.

We are a communion of believers. Koinōnı́a! We are a fellowship. We are a people who are called to be living, loving, laughing, crying, and praying together. We are not called to viewing one another as enemies to be avoided, or to view one another as vermin who are potentially going to kill our entire families! That’s the great tragedy of this Covid-19-business—how it has subtly, psychologically, dehumanized us in one another’s eyes…

This is why face-to-face ministry with the elderly and the infirm (when health restrictions are ultimately lifted, of course)—particularly unto shut-ins and those in nursing homes—is so vital and important for the life of the church (James 1:27). No, such ministries do not result in spectacular numeric growth for the organized and institutional church (which is the big goal of the so-called neo-evangelical “Church Growth Movement,” that seems to want us to focus solely upon ministry to younger people)—but these efforts nonetheless contain their own special blessing that cannot be measured by empirical worldly standards.

b. Public worship.

There is both Form & Freedom in Christian worship: there is freedom with regard to certain aspects of worship (e.g., musical styles, order of service, etc.), but there are certain prescribed elements (i.e., “form”) of worship that MUST be observed…

Acts 2:42: They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

Col. 3:16: Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

Eph. 5:19: “speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord”

Preaching and teaching the Word, corporate prayer, collectively singing God’s praises…we have to be doing these things, beloved!

c. Ordinances.

These are not “suggestions;” these are the commands of Christ, our Head… Trinitarian Baptism is commanded in the Great Commission; Threefold Holy Communion (the Washing of Feet, the Feast of Love, and the Eucharist) is to be observed until such time as He deems it appropriate to come for us (“…do this in remembrance of Me”)…

d. The Church has a recognized, visible local membership that regulates its

activities.

A specific, numbered Membership (Acts 2:41, 47… “And the Lord was adding to their number day by day”): some are of the circle, and some are not. Membership rolls are not a modern innovation…

A regulated membership: Matt. 18, 1 Cor. 5; not everyone is Scripturally qualified to be a voting member of a church, and individual Churches have a responsibility to guard their membership rolls in accordance with their faith and practices.

A local body has been granted the unique responsibility and privilege to call and ordain ministers, dispatches missionaries (Acts 13:3), and it has the responsibility to examine qualified formal officers (I Tim. 3).

3. Hopefully it won’t come to this in a mass scale in our great country…

…but, there comes a time when Rom. 13 doesn’t apply (i.e., fully obeying Caesar) and we have to go to Matt. 22 (i.e., rendering our faithful service unto God), and

we have to follow the examples of the ancient Christians of the Roman Empire, the Anabaptists of the Reformation, and the faithful house churches of modern China, and engage in peaceful acts of civil disobedience with regard to our worship. When we do this, however, we also have the responsibility to peacefully accept the consequences of our civil disobedience, and willingly accept punishment for our acts of faith and conscience at the hands of the authorities.

Putting aside the Coronavirus—will our views on gay marriage, for example, require us to engage in civil disobedience and refuse the dictates of the state? Will Christianity in general one day be regarded in the United States of America as something “socially harmful” in the official sense, and will we be commanded by the authorities to cease and desist from obeying the Word of God? Perhaps.

Let us not be naïve, brethren. As we enter this Brave New World of a Postmodern, Post-Christian, neo-pagan civilization, it is ultimately inevitable that we are headed for a collision course with the progressive secular state.

V. Final assessment: Christians need to physically come together again…

At this time, there many concerns facing Christian leaders; specifically, fears over the safety of our people and concerns for our public testimony. But ultimately, the church, in some form, must physically come together again. We have to be a fellowship again. That’s what Jesus mandates—and He, in His glorious and Divine omniscience, knew all about the Coronavirus when He issued His commands!

ADOPTED INTO THE FAMILY

Adopted into the Family

by Pastor Terry L. Reese, Valley GBC; Armagh, PA (4/29/20)

Intro.

This subject brings to mind an old episode of “Father Knows Best” entitled “Adopted Daughter” (1956; it was later revisited in flashbacks in a 1960 episode). Little Kathy Anderson (Lauren Chapin) learns that one of her classmates is adopted, and after a series of misunderstandings (e.g., finding a receipt from an adoption agency), Kathy comes to believe that she too might also be adopted. Kathy then runs away from home, but her adopted classmate convinces her that adopted children are more fortunate than others, because their parents especially chose them (in contrast to natural children, who weren’t chosen and whose parents are now “stuck” with them). Kathy is then joyfully reunited with her family—but is a bit disappointed to learn that she wasn’t adopted after all!

I. The Concept in brief.

Today we deal with a most joyful and central truth with regard to our redemption in Christ—a truth that surely is at the very heart of the Gospel. We are speaking of the Biblical concept known as ADOPTION. Note the centrality of this with regard to Adoption’s relationship to the Gospel in Gal. 4:-4-5:

Gal. 4:4-5: ⁴But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, ⁵so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

Note, dear reader, that in the eternal Plan of God, that we were redeemed and purchased with a most costly substance—the Blood of Jesus—for this PURPOSE, that we might receive ADOPTION as sons, becoming true children of God.

Great hymns of the faith celebrate and recall this truth. One such example would be “I’m a Child of the King,” by Harriett Buell:

I’m a child of the King,
A child of the King:
With Jesus my Savior,
I’m a child of the King.

Or, think about “The Family of God” from the Gaither’s:

From the door of an orphanage

To the house of the King-

No longer an outcast,

A new song I sing;

From rags unto riches,

From the weak to the strong,

I'm not worthy to be here,

But, praise God, I belong!

I'm so glad I'm a part

Of the family of God-

I've been washed in the fountain,

Cleansed by His blood!

Joint heirs with Jesus

As we travel this sod,

For I'm part of the family,

The family of God.

The Scriptures, likewise, frequently speak of our new status of sonship and our intimate familial relationship with God in Christ:

John 1:12 ESV  But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God…

1John 3:1a ESV  See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.

Rom. 8:15: For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!"

Note in the last passage a most intimate and endearing Aramaic term: “ABBA!” (cf., Mark 14:36; Gal. 4:6). Arthur S. Way has rendered it, "My Father, my own dear Father." Others would liken it to such familiar English terms as “Daddy!” or “Papa!” The point is that this is the sort of intimate and affectionate term that little children use for their own dear, loving, benevolent, kindly, and accepting Fathers.

How staggering that the radically sinful children of men—conceived in sin (Ps. 51:5)—can now relate to a Holy God in this familiar manner! This matter of our Adoption is indeed one of our greatest (among many) blessings from the Cross.

The theological term of Adoption introduces a relational dimension to the consequences of our justification in Christ. As a result of our Lord’s redemptive work, there is a change in our relationship unto God when we repent and invest our trust in Him; once we give our hearts to Christ—believing and trusting in Him alone for salvation—God says that we become part of His Family—not through the natural process of human conception, but through Adoption. We enjoy a change in status from strangers and aliens unto full-fledged members of His Family.

Simple definitions.

The Westminster Confession of Faith:

All those that are justified, God vouchsafes, in and for His only Son Jesus Christ, to make partakers of the grace of adoption, by which they are taken into the number, and enjoy the liberties and privileges of the children of God.

Formerly, we “were by nature children of wrath” (Eph. 2:3), but now, we have been redeemed from our former position under the Law (Gal. 4:5), and are sons of the Most High, with full adult familial privileges.

II. The Background of this idea.

Before we further, let us explore the OT & NT background of this idea. In the end we shall see that this is more of a NT-era Greco-Roman legal idea—but nonetheless, there are some important Jewish and OT contributions to this idea.

A. Old Testament.

In the Old Testament, legal adoption was not prescribed in Jewish law or formally practiced by the Israelites. There are, of course, a few examples of prominent individuals from the Jewish world being adopted; chiefly, Moses & Esther. Incidentally, we might also include our Lord Jesus in this number, in that Joseph was not His natural father (Matt. 1:18-25; Luke 1:34-35, 3:23)—but He was accounted Joseph’s legal son and heir to the Davidic Throne (Matt. 1:16).

Another case we might think about that more directly foreshadows the NT idea is the story of Mephibosheth of the House of Saul (2 Sam. 9), who, despite coming from a rival family that had done David much evil, was accorded the familial privilege of regularly dining at the King’s table (2 Sam. 9:7, 13). More amazing than this is the fact that WE will one day sit down at the Family Meal with a Greater David—our Lord Jesus Christ (Rev. 19:7-9)!

The primary OT and Judaic foreshadowing of the concept, however, is to be found in the precedent and example of God's adoption of the elect nation of Israel.

Here, God chose (i.e., unconditionally elected) and called an unworthy and not particularly powerful (Deut. 7:7) nor righteous (Deut. 9:4-5) nation unto Himself and called that obscure and radically flawed, but CHOSEN Nation “My son.”

Hos. 11:1: When Israel was a youth I loved him, And out of Egypt I called My son.

Ex. 4:22: "Then you shall say to Pharaoh, 'Thus says the LORD, "Israel is My son, My firstborn.”’”

Deut. 14:1a-2 "You are the sons of the LORD your God… For you are a people holy to the LORD your God, and the LORD has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.

In the shocking parable of Ezek. 16, God finds an abandoned infant of bad parentage, left to die of exposure in an open field, and out His goodness and mercy, raises her to be His own dear child, and gives her life and covers her in honor—only to see her one day rebel!

Ezek. 16:1-6: ¹Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, ²"Son of man, make known to Jerusalem her abominations ³and say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD to Jerusalem, "Your origin and your birth are from the land of the Canaanite, your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite. ⁴"As for your birth, on the day you were born your navel cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water for cleansing; you were not rubbed with salt or even wrapped in cloths. ⁵"No eye looked with pity on you to do any of these things for you, to have compassion on you. Rather you were thrown out into the open field, for you were abhorred on the day you were born. ⁶"When I passed by you and saw you squirming in your blood, I said to you while you were in your blood, 'Live!' Yes, I said to you while you were in your blood, 'Live!'

B. New Testament precedent for this term comes from Greco-Roman antiquity.

In Greco-Roman antiquity—the specific background for the Pauline doctrine of Adoption—adoption was a common practice among childless couples. A person—not necessarily an orphan—would be adopted into a wealthier family with the full rights and privileges of sonship. The adopted son was deliberately chosen by his adoptive father to perpetuate his name and inherit his estate; and the adoptee was in no wise or manner inferior in status to a natural son born in the ordinary course of nature. A stranger was now the master’s own dear child and heir!

On the other hand, the child’s natural parents, if still living, no longer possessed any further claims upon the child once he had been received into the adoptive family. Under this Roman system of adoption, the life and standing of the adopted child now changed completely. The adopted son’s old family lost all claims upon him, and the adoptee gained entirely new rights and privileges with his new family. With the record of his old life cancelled out, the adoptee was also freed and liberated from any debts incurred by his old household; nothing counting against him.

Recall our definition… Formerly, we “were by nature children of wrath” (Eph. 2:3)—unbelieving children of the devil (John 8:44), but NOW, we have been redeemed from our former position under the Law (Gal. 4:5), and are sons of the Most High, with full adult familial privileges. Really, there are two ways in which we may speak of having become His children: 1) with regard to our hearts and affections, through the grace of Regeneration, we now have the genuine capacity to love and adore God; and 2) positionally, relationally, and legally, we are full-fledged members of the Family  through the grace Adoption.

III. Scripture.

Paul uses this terminology some five times within his epistles, including Rom. 8:15, 8:23, and 9:4 (the latter being a reference to national Israel); also, Gal. 4:5 and Eph. 1:5. Let us see where these four verses relating to the Adoption of Christian, Church Age believers, lead us, with regard to our understanding of this concept.

Rom. 8:15: For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!"

As a present and accomplished fact, we are not involved in a beggarly, fear-based relationship—the servile, trembling spirit of slaves—but rather, are held in the highest affection and regard as deeply beloved royal children! Legitimate Princes and Princesses of the Blood Royale!

Rom. 8:23: And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.

Now, we already learned that our adoption, if we are in Christ, is an accomplished, present-tense fact—but here is a new twist: in a certain sense, our full experience of adoption is yet future, awaiting the resurrection of the body, when we will claim our full inheritance.

Eph. 1:4b-6: In love ⁵He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, ⁶to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

This was God’s eternal plan, and its goal is stated: “to the praise of the glory of His grace…” Our Adoption is a demonstration of the Glory of His Divine Attributes!

Gal. 4:4-7: ⁴But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, ⁵so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. ⁶Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" ⁷Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.

Thus, God’s eternal plan is brought to realization THROUGH the Atonement of Christ.

Putting the testimony of these verses together, then, we would observe that through the atonement of Christ (Gal. 4:5), the Father’s predetermined plan to adopt us into His family (Eph. 1:5) is thus made attainable. As believers, we are already and presently adopted as true sons and daughters (Rom. 8:15), but the fullness of the doctrine’s consummation awaits our bodily resurrection (Rom. 8:23).

Again, we who “were by nature children of wrath” (Eph. 2:3) now have been redeemed from our former position under the Law (Gal. 4:5) and are sons of the Most High, with full adult familial privileges, enjoying all of the liberties and privileges of the children of God. Yes, we are part of His spiritual family and have been granted all the privileges of heirship, unto His eternal glory!

So Salvation involves something much more than only “fire insurance” (i.e., the forgiveness of sins and deliverance from condemnation); it is also brings us into a high and lofty position of greatest blessing; believers are indeed, Children of God. Furthermore, we must understand that our great redemption wrought in Christ is far more than a mere restoration of the original Paradise that was lost with Adam; the fact is, we are granted far, far more in Jesus than Adam ever had in his best (prelapsarian, or pre-fallen) days—or ever even dreamed of having!

IV. Final thoughts and implications of this.

A. Let us be ever mindful of the sovereign graciousness of God in this!

By nature, we native-sinners had no claim upon Him—and our present membership in the Family is thus one based purely upon Divine, sovereign GRACE (i.e., God’s unmerited favor bestowed and shed upon the absolutely unworthy).

This being the case, let us therefore approtialy honor our Heavenly Father through an offering of praise—a life characterized by obedience.

John 14:15: “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”

B. Let this truth be further manifest in the spirit of thanksgiving and amazement!

Here is a lovely passage from the generally reliable old commentator Albert Barnes (whose work is now in the Public Domain):

What an inestimable privilege it is to be a Christian! to be a child of God! to feel that he is a Father and a Friend! to feel that though we may be forsaken by all others; though poor and despised, yet there is one who never forsakes; one who never forgets that he has sons and daughters dependent on him, and who need his constant care. Compared with this, how small the honor of being permitted to call the rich our friends, or to be regarded as the sons or daughters of nobles and of princes! Let the Christian then most highly prize his privileges, and feel that he is raised above all the elevations of rank and honor which this world can bestow. All these shall fade away, and the highest and the lowest shall meet on the same level in the grave, and alike return to dust. But the elevation of the child of God shall only begin to be visible and appreciated when all other honors fade away…

…Let all seek to become the sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty. Let us aspire to this rather than to earthly honors; let us seek this rather than to be numbered with the rich and the great.

C. Lastly, let us never doubt this truth! Never doubt, beloved, that the Eye of His

unmatched parental love and concern is ever upon us, as His own dear children. Despite whatever present difficulties and terrible disasters we may now be experiencing, He is with us!

The proof of the above assertion: WHO is it that calls us the children of God?

1. God the Father does!

2 Cor. 6:18: “…and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty."

2. God the Son does!

Heb. 2:11: He is not ashamed to call them brethren…

3. God the Holy Spirit does!

Rom. 8:16: The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God…

The Triune Testimony is enough—but let us resolve to make this testimony evident unto ALL MEN through our life, our passions, our affections, and our conduct!

We ARE the Children of God!

The Virgin Birth of our Lord:

Its Vital Importance and Defense

By Pastor Terry L. Reese, Center Church of Garrett

This Christmas I am offering some thoughts on the historic and seminal Christian dogma of the virgin birth of Christ. Some of the relevant issues that I wish to address are as follows:

 

1) Can the Virgin Birth be legitimately defended from Scripture?

2) Does it really even matter, theologically?
3) Can a man be recognized as an actual brother in the Lord—and yet deny the substance and truth of this doctrine? Can such a man hope to be saved from the wrath that is surely to come (Matt. 3:7)?  

 

This matter became a watershed debate in the modernist era betwixt orthodox Bible-believing conservatives and classical old-fashioned liberals, who, because of the bias derived from their pantheistic divine-immanence theories, were philosophically unable to receive the idea of the miraculous. It has often been observed with no small degree of justice that the God who somehow managed to work the seemingly greater miracle of creation ex nihlo should surely have had no great difficulty in also pulling-off such a seemingly lesser thing a thing (relatively speaking) as a virgin birth.

Luke 1:37: "For nothing will be impossible with God."

The virgin birth is both clearly and explicitly taught within both Testaments and by a variety of writers. If a man cannot confess it, it is simply a matter of faithlessness and unbelief in the veracity of the Bible. That even the faithless Muslim infidels are able to accept this general concept and explanation for Christ’s appearance in the world stands as a sad indictment of those mainline “Christian” clergymen who, by way of contrast, are unable or unwilling to do so. Failure to affirm the virgin birth flatly places one outside the sphere of any form of legitimate or recognizable Christianity, and stands as clear and solid testimony as to an individual’s unregenerate and unsaved character.

The nature of the Virgin Birth, or, if one prefers, Virgin Conception, and its results, are aptly described by the angel Gabriel:

 Luke 1:34-35: Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?" The angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.

The very first Messianic prophecy within the Bible, the Protevangelium of Gen. 3:15, alludes to the conflict between Satan and the Seed of the Woman—and thus, subtly points towards the Virgin Birth. This promise becomes dramatically explicit within the prophecy of Isaiah:

Isa. 7:14: "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.  

Liberals, such as the translators of the left-leaning RSV (who render virgin as “a young woman”) and its successor, the NRSV (favored by the mainline denominations as the translation of choice), have claimed that bethulah, as opposed to almah, would have constituted a better word-choice had the prophet Isaiah intended the meaning “virgin.” However, in opposition to this viewpoint, are the following considerations:

1. Bethulah does not always refer to a virgin (Esth. 2:17, Ezek. 23:3, Joel 1:8), and thus, would not have been a more precise term to use than almah.
2. Almah, while it may not be a precisely technical term meaning “virgin,” is a word used in reference to young, marriageable women, who, it would be anticipated, would be characterized by their virginity, amongst other things. There is no place in the Scriptures where the term can be applied to a young woman who is not a virgin. We are mindful here of the bold challenge that the venerable Dr. Martin Luther issued centuries ago:

"If a Jew or Christian can prove to me that in any passage of Scripture 'almah' means 'a married woman' I will give him one hundred florins, although God alone knows where I will find them."

Dr. Luther kept his money!

 

3. The translators of the LXX—ancient Jewish men for whom biblical Hebrew was a living language, and who probably forgot more Hebrew than today’s liberal translators and critics will ever even learn—chose to render the term parthenos in Greek, which always means “virgin.”
4. The sign unto the House of David was to be a compelling one (Isa. 7:11 "Ask a sign for yourself from the LORD your God; make {it} deep as Sheol or high as heaven."). What is miraculous about the RSV’s wimpy “a young woman shall conceive”? This is mere biology, not a sign miracle.
5. If Isa. 7:14 does not refer to a virgin, then there is no consistency of usage linking the Testaments. Matthew 1:23 explicitly refers to mother of Isa. 7:14 as a Virgin (parthenos). The RSV diminishes the full force of fulfilled prophecy.

The Virgin Birth is, of course, explicitly expounded by Matthew:

Matt. 1:18-23: Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly. But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. "She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: "BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD AND SHALL BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL," which translated means, "GOD WITH US."

 

Likewise, the Synoptic Genealogies make certain that the point of supernatural origin is emphasized:

Matt. 1:16: Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah.

Luke 3:23: When He began His ministry, Jesus Himself was about thirty years of age, being, as was supposed, the son of Joseph, the son of Eli…

Plainly, if Jesus was not virginally conceived, then the doctrine of biblical inerrancy is flatly overthrown.

 

Through the device of the Virgin Birth, we also see a variety of biblical imperatives satisfactorily dealt with:

 

1. A solution is found to dilemma of how the Messianic line of David could continue, while bypassing the accursed Jehoiachin and his issue (Jer. 22:30).
2. How better to explain the singular phenomenon of a sinless man? (2 Cor. 5:21, Heb 4:15, 1 Pet. 2:22, 1 John 3:5). This would seem to be the inference of Luke 1:35 and the idea alluded to in 1 Cor. 15:22, He was not “in Adam” with regard to having a sin nature like other men. As to whether or not God could have brought an untainted man, free from the effects of original sin, into the world through some other means, we might observe that such a hypothetical inquiry into such sublime and mysterious matters is a dangerous occupation at best. Further, in that this is THE manner in which God, in His infinite perfections, chose to execute His sovereign will, then this must surely have been the best—and therefore, only—available alternative.
3. How else does one explain the entrance of pre-existent Deity (John 1:1, Phil. 2:6) into this world in the form of genuine humanity as one Person? It would seem that other alternatives would either impugn upon His Deity (the true motives of most who would deny the doctrine) or else result in a Nestorian-style (i.e., two-Person) Christ.

In the end, it is clear that those who deny the Virgin Birth—even now, as back in the days of His humility—seek to dishonor the Person of our Lord. Note the apparent suggestion of illegitimacy in the “Samaritan” accusation of John 8:41b & 8:48-49:

John 8:41b: They said to Him, "We were not born of fornication; we have one Father: God."

John 8:48-49: The Jews answered and said to Him, "Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?" Jesus answered, "I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me.

And what did our Lord and Savior teach, with regard to the precise fate of those who would dare impugn upon the precious truth of His full Deity?

John 8:24: “Therefore, I said to you that you will die in your sins. For if you do not believe that I AM, you will die in your sins.”

A HOLY NATION:

The Doctrine of Holiness

by Pastor Terry L. Reese

 

1 Pet. 1:14-16: As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts {which were yours} in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all {your} behavior; because it is written, "YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY."

 

The standard for the Christian is a lifestyle of Separation, or personal holiness. Like the Priests of the OT (2 Chron. 35:3, Ezra 8:28), and like anything that belongs to, is associated with, or dedicated  unto a holy God (Ex. 30:10; Lev. 27:14, 21, 28; 30, 32; Neh. 8:9), we are “Holy unto the Lord.” We have been cleansed by His blood (Heb. 9:22), are positionally holy, having been justified (2 Cor. 5:21), as well as set apart for His service.

 

1 Pet. 2:9 “But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR {God's} OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light…”

 

Even as we are considered holy in this positional sense, we are, experientially, to live holy and separated lives, sanctified by the cleansing of the Word (Eph. 5:26) and in conformity with the moral law of the revealed standards of Scripture as exemplified by the life and witness of Jesus Christ (Phil. 2:5-11, 1 Pet. 2:21). It is the ultimate will of God for us that we be “conformed to the image of His Son (Rom. 8:29),” even as we daily live by the Spirit, “putting to death the deeds of the body (Rom. 8:13)” and present our “bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God (Rom.12:1).”

 

1 Thess. 4:3: “For this is the will of God, your sanctification…”

 

Christians are not called unto a monastic-style withdrawal from outward interaction with the world (John 17:15), but they are called unto a life of moral purity, as well as a standard of ethical and philosophical nonconformity and spiritual separation from the world system, being instructed to “deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age (Titus 2:12).” Personal separation from the inverted values of “this present evil age (Gal. 1:4),” in fact, is held-up as objective evidence relating to our justification:

 

1 John 2:15: “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”

 

The Christian is to be separated in terms of his customs (Romans 12:2), with regard to all that we say (I Tim. 4:12) and do (1 Cor. 10:31). He is also to be separated in terms of his associations, not engaging in spiritual confederacies with un-believers (2 Cor. 6:14-7:1). Furthermore, the world’s wisdom is not to be our wisdom (1 Cor. 1:18-31), and the pride and arrogance associated with world’s ethic (Matt. 19:30), manifesting itself in militant or evil practices (2 Tim. 3:1-6) are not to be our practices (Matt. 5:43-48, Rom. 12:9-21).

 

Matt 5:48 "Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

 

It should be observed that while a genuine and on-going progressive sanctification is to be regarded as both possible and normative for the believer as he or she cooperates with Divine grace, the Wesleyan concept of a perfected holiness, or a perfected love—within the confines of this present life—is an unscriptural view of sanctification that not only flies in the face of clear biblical revelation concerning the believer’s ongoing struggle with sin (cf. Paul’s account of his internal battles regarding the persistent nature of sin, despite his new identity in Christ; Rom. 7:14-25), but which also involves the believer in engaging in incredible and dishonest contortions of mind in order to escape the self-evident reality of our present failure to meet God’s perfect ethical and moral standards (1 John 1:8).