Serving with Gladness

     We live in a consumer-driven society. We have options to choose between different restaurants, grocery stores and gas stations. If we prefer one genre of literature or movie over another, then we have options for that, too. The free marketplace is loaded with an untold amount of "stuff" to satisfy our every desire. The free market economy moves to serve the needs of the consumer. In reality, these are the signs of a healthy and diverse economy. However, what happens if this mentality creeps into the church? What if church members demanded to have things a certain way? What would happen if church members demanded to keep doing things the way we've always done them? What if members expected the church to act like the free market society to serve their preferred desires? Are you picking up on the rhetoric in these questions? All too often, this becomes the mark of some church members. They expect a particular “product” and they often get upset if it's not “packaged” a particular way. Serving others and an outward focus are the last things on their mind.

     The New Testament has a great deal to say about serving. The word servant is used over fifty times and the word serve is used over fifty times, as well. If someone takes the servant motif and makes it about their needs or their desires, then we see the church like the free market economy. In this case, it should move to meet all of our demands. However, a biblical model and understanding of service is not focused on me, myself or I. A biblical model of service is always setting aside our preferences or desires for the greater good of others and the church.

     Just think, the God of the universe in the person of Jesus Christ didn't come to earth to be served. Rather, He came so that He might serve the world (Matt 20:28; Mark 10:45). Therefore, if we have been raised with Christ, we should put aside the need to have our desires met and put on Christ’s desire to serve others, the church and ultimately God (Col 3).

     Now there’s some who will inevitably read this and say to themselves, "Well, I’m already serving in the church." To that I would say, thank you and glory be to God. However, I would also urge you to look around and see where more needs might be. Maybe you’re serving in an area that already has the primary needs met, but there’s another ministry that seems to be struggling. If that’s the case, I want to strongly encourage you to consider how you might get  involved in serving that greater need. Don’t feel like you can only serve in areas where you feel "called." Find areas where you will be stretched.

     Finally, remember that biblical service is never done out of obligation, but rather out of delight. Serving others and the church is never done to receive favor from God. Besides, left to ourselves, we would never please God (Rom 8:8). That’s the whole point of the gospel. Jesus has done for us what we could never do for ourselves. Out of this proper understanding of the gospel, the church thrives with members who see others as greater than ourselves and who put aside our own preferences for the greater good of the Kingdom of Christ.

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Theology Thursdays: A Biblical Perspective of Marriage, Manhood and Womanhood

It goes without saying, the "traditional" understanding of marriage, family, manhood and womanhood are under attack in our society. Unfortunately, it's not just society that's feeling it's effects. The ever so subtle leak of liberal theology and pure biblical illiteracy in our churches are adding fuel to the fire. Which is why a resurgence of a biblical understanding of manhood and womanhood is so critical among evangelicals. Therefore, today I though it might be helpful to introduce you to what is known as the Danvers Statement of The Council of Biblical Manhood and Womanhood. In short, the Danvers Statement shows the Bible teaches a complementary understanding of manhood and womanhood. This understanding of Scripture is where the theological term of Complementarianism comes from, which essentially means men and women are equal in their value and compliment one another by fulfilling their unique roles within their marriages, homes, churches and society (A more in depth introduction to this subject can be found on the TGC blog). I would strongly encourage you to take time to familiarize yourself with the foundational gospel truths presented in this statement. Enjoy!

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The “Danvers Statement” summarizes the need for the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (CBMW) and serves as an overview of our core beliefs. This statement was prepared by several evangelical leaders at a CBMW meeting in Danvers, Massachusetts, in December of 1987. It was first published in final form by the CBMW in Wheaton, Illinois in November of 1988.

Rationale

We have been moved in our purpose by the following contemporary developments which we observe with deep concern:

1. The widespread uncertainty and confusion in our culture regarding the complementary differences between masculinity and femininity;

2. the tragic effects of this confusion in unraveling the fabric of marriage woven by God out of the beautiful and diverse strands of manhood and womanhood;

3. the increasing promotion given to feminist egalitarianism with accompanying distortions or neglect of the glad harmony portrayed in Scripture between the loving, humble leadership of redeemed husbands and the intelligent, willing support of that leadership by redeemed wives;

4. the widespread ambivalence regarding the values of motherhood, vocational homemaking, and the many ministries historically performed by women;

5. the growing claims of legitimacy for sexual relationships which have Biblically and historically been considered illicit or perverse, and the increase in pornographic portrayal of human sexuality;

6. the upsurge of physical and emotional abuse in the family;

7. the emergence of roles for men and women in church leadership that do not conform to Biblical teaching but backfire in the crippling of Biblically faithful witness;

8. the increasing prevalence and acceptance of hermeneutical oddities devised to reinterpret apparently plain meanings of Biblical texts;

9. the consequent threat to Biblical authority as the clarity of Scripture is jeopardized and the accessibility of its meaning to ordinary people is withdrawn into the restricted realm of technical ingenuity;

10. and behind all this the apparent accommodation of some within the church to the spirit of the age at the expense of winsome, radical Biblical authenticity which in the power of the Holy Spirit may reform rather than reflect our ailing culture.

Affirmations

Based on our understanding of Biblical teachings, we affirm the following:

1. Both Adam and Eve were created in God’s image, equal before God as persons and distinct in their manhood and womanhood (Gen 1:26-27, 2:18).

2. Distinctions in masculine and feminine roles are ordained by God as part of the created order, and should find an echo in every human heart (Gen 2:18, 21-24; 1 Cor 11:7-9; 1 Tim 2:12-14).

3. Adam’s headship in marriage was established by God before the Fall, and was not a result of sin (Gen 2:16-18, 21-24, 3:1-13; 1 Cor 11:7-9).

4. The Fall introduced distortions into the relationships between men and women (Gen 3:1-7, 12, 16).

• In the home, the husband’s loving, humble headship tends to be replaced by domination or passivity; the wife’s intelligent, willing submission tends to be replaced by usurpation or servility.
• In the church, sin inclines men toward a worldly love of power or an abdication of spiritual responsibility, and inclines women to resist limitations on their roles or to neglect the use of their gifts in appropriate ministries. 

5. The Old Testament, as well as the New Testament, manifests the equally high value and dignity which God attached to the roles of both men and women (Gen 1:26-27, 2:18; Gal 3:28). Both Old and New Testaments also affirm the principle of male headship in the family and in the covenant community (Gen 2:18; Eph 5:21-33; Col 3:18-19; 1 Tim 2:11-15).

6. Redemption in Christ aims at removing the distortions introduced by the curse.

• In the family, husbands should forsake harsh or selfish leadership and grow in love and care for their wives; wives should forsake resistance to their husbands’ authority and grow in willing, joyful submission to their husbands’ leadership (Eph 5:21-33; Col 3:18-19; Tit 2:3-5; 1 Pet 3:1-7). 
• In the church, redemption in Christ gives men and women an equal share in the blessings of salvation; nevertheless, some governing and teaching roles within the church are restricted to men (Gal 3:28; 1 Cor 11:2-16; 1 Tim 2:11-15). 

7. In all of life Christ is the supreme authority and guide for men and women, so that no earthly submission-domestic, religious, or civil-ever implies a mandate to follow a human authority into sin (Dan 3:10-18; Acts 4:19-20, 5:27-29; 1 Pet 3:1-2).

8. In both men and women a heartfelt sense of call to ministry should never be used to set aside Biblical criteria for particular ministries (1 Tim 2:11-15, 3:1-13; Tit 1:5-9). Rather, Biblical teaching should remain the authority for testing our subjective discernment of God’s will.

9. With half the world’s population outside the reach of indigenous evangelism; with countless other lost people in those societies that have heard the gospel; with the stresses and miseries of sickness, malnutrition, homelessness, illiteracy, ignorance, aging, addiction, crime, incarceration, neuroses, and loneliness, no man or woman who feels a passion from God to make His grace known in word and deed need ever live without a fulfilling ministry for the glory of Christ and the good of this fallen world (1 Cor 12:7-21).

10. We are convinced that a denial or neglect of these principles will lead to increasingly destructive consequences in our families, our churches, and the culture at large.

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Danger! Playing with Dynamite and Your Walk with Christ

Imagine what it would be like if you took a stick of dynamite and set it off in your house. You light it and run as fast as you can. You make it across the street in just enough time to take cover. Boom! After the smoke settles you go back to examine what happened and find a dramatic transformation. Nothing looks the same as it did before. Your house now bears the marked effects of a dynamite explosion.

In Acts 1:8, before Jesus ascended back to heaven, he promised everyone that they would receive “power from the Holy Spirit” so that they could continue the mission he had already begun. The Greek word for power (dynamin) is the same word that we get the word dynamite from. This should help you understand the dramatic change and nature of what’s taking place in someone’s life when they experience the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit in their life. There’s death and then there’s life (Eph 2:5). This is a picture of a dramatic transformation. It’s not just an external one, but an internal one. This kind of life will bear the marks of an explosion.

The marks of a true Christian should be obvious. However, in our current culture of ”easy believe-ism” the standards are pretty low. There seems to be this prevailing belief that someone can “say the prayer”, “walk the aisle” or even “believe in Jesus” and never see real transformation in their life.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon, Baptist pastor and theologian from the late 1800’s had this to say about the marks of a true conversion:

When the Word of God converts a man, it takes away from him his despair but does not take from him his repentance. 

True conversion gives a man pardon, but does not make him presumptuous. 

True conversion gives a man perfect rest, but it does not stop his progress. 

True conversion gives a man security, but it does not allow him to leave off being watchful. 

True conversion gives a man strength and holiness, but it never lets him boast.

True conversion gives a harmony to all duties of Christian life… It balances all duties, emotions, hopes and enjoyments. 

True conversion brings a man to live for God. He does everything for the glory of God, - whether he eats, or drinks, or whatever he does. True conversion makes a man live before God… He desires to live as in God’s sight at all times, and he is glad to be there… And such a man now comes to live with God. He has blessed communion with him; he talks with him as a man talks with his friend. [1]  

What type of marks are you bearing?

Are you bearing the marks of an explosion?

No matter what your answer is, there’s hope. That hope is found in Christ alone because he lived a life you could not live. He died a substitutionary death that you deserved to die. He conquered an enemy that you could not conquer. And he’s risen from the grave. Furthermore, if you repent of your sins and believe in Christ, you can be reconciled to God forever.

While justification is once and for all, repentance isn’t just a one-time thing that happens when you first become a Christian. Repentance is something that happens daily. A truly regenerated Christian, will continually bear the marks of repentance and faith. Although believers will all still struggle with the presence of sin to varying degrees and may even feel distant from God in certain seasons, a truly regenerated life will consistently seek to put off the old self and put on the new self (Col 3:1-17). The true Christ follower is never satisfied to remain in his or her sin.

Don’t believe the lies cultural Christianity tells you. If you are a believer in Christ, you will bear the marks of an explosion. You will bear the marks of regeneration. You will have power to put off sin, put on righteousness, and live rightly. This power is not of your own strength, but it is the power of the Holy Spirit!

[1]  The Forgotten Spurgeon by Iain Murry, pgs 119-120

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Theology Thursday: The Authority of the Bible

Wayne Grudem on The Authory of the Bible:

All the words in the Bible are God’s words. Therefore, to disbelieve or disobey them is to disbelieve or disobey God himself. Oftentimes, passages in the Old Testament are introduced with the phrase, “Thus says the LORD” (see Ex. 4: 22; Josh. 24: 2; 1 Sam. 10: 18; Isa. 10: 24; also Deut. 18: 18 – 20; Jer. 1: 9). This phrase, understood to be like the command of a king, indicated that what followed was to be obeyed without challenge or question. Even the words in the Old Testament not attributed as direct quotes from God are considered to be God’s words. Paul, in 2 Timothy 3: 16, makes this clear when he writes that “all Scripture is breathed out by God.”  

The New Testament also affirms that its words are the very words of God. In 2 Peter 3: 16, Peter refers to all of Paul’s letters as one part of the “Scriptures.” This means that Peter, and the early church, considered Paul’s writings to be in the same category as the Old Testament writings. Therefore, they considered Paul’s writings to be the very words of God. 

In addition, Paul, in 1 Timothy 5: 18, writes that “the Scripture says” two things: “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain” and “The laborer deserves his wages.” The first quote regarding an ox comes from the Old Testament; it is found in Deuteronomy 25: 4. The second comes from the New Testament; it is found in Luke 10: 7. Paul, without any hesitation, quotes from both the Old and New Testaments, calling them both “Scripture.” Therefore, again , the words of the New Testament are considered to be the very words of God. That is why Paul could write, “the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord” (1 Cor. 14: 37).  

Since the Old and New Testament writings are both considered Scripture, it is right to say they are both, in the words of 2 Timothy 3: 16, “breathed out by God.” This makes sense when we consider Jesus’ promise that the Holy Spirit would “bring to” the disciples’ “remembrance” all that Jesus said to them (John 14: 26). It was as the disciples wrote the Spirit-enabled words, that books such as Matthew, John, and 1 and 2 Peter were written. 

The Bible says there are “many ways” (Heb. 1: 1) in which the actual words of the Bible were written. Sometimes God spoke directly to the author, who simply recorded what he heard (Rev. 2 :1, 8, 12). At other times the author based much of his writings on interviews and research (Luke 1: 1 – 3). And at other times, the Holy Spirit brought to mind things that Jesus taught (John 14: 26). Regardless of the way the words came to the authors, the words they put down were an extension of them — their personalities, skills, backgrounds , and training. But they were also exactly the words God wanted them to write — the very words that God claims as his own.  

If God claims that the words of Scripture are his own, then there is ultimately no higher authority one can appeal to for proof of this claim than Scripture itself. For what authority could be higher than God? So, Scripture ultimately gains its authority from itself. But the claims of Scripture only become our personal convictions through the work of the Holy Spirit in an individual’s heart. 

The Holy Spirit doesn’t change the words of Scripture in any way; he doesn’t supernaturally make them become the words of God (for they always have been). He does, however, change the reader of Scripture. The Holy Spirit makes readers realize the Bible is unlike any book they have ever read. Through reading, they believe that the words of Scripture are the very words of God himself. It is as Jesus said in John 10: 27: “My sheep hear my voice … and they follow me.” Other kinds of arguments (such as historical reliability, internal consistency, fulfilled prophecies, influence on others, and the majestic beauty and wisdom of the content) can be useful in helping us see the reasonableness of the claims of the Bible. 

As God’s very words, the words of Scripture are more than simply true; they are truth itself (John 17: 17). They are the final measure by which all supposed truth is to be gauged. Therefore, that which conforms to Scripture is true; that which doesn’t conform to Scripture is not true. New scientific or historical facts may cause us to reexamine our interpretation of Scripture, but they will never directly contradict Scripture.  

The truth of the Scriptures does not demand that the Bible report events with exact, scientific detail (though all the details it does report are true). Nor does it demand that the Bible tell us everything we need to know or ever could know about a subject. It never makes either of these claims. In addition, because it was written by ordinary men in an ordinary language with an ordinary style, it does contain loose or free quotations and some uncommon and unusual forms of grammar or spelling. But these are not matters of truthfulness. The Bible does not, in its original form, affirm anything contrary to fact. 

If the Bible does affirm something contrary to fact, then it cannot be trusted. And if the Bible cannot be trusted, then God himself cannot be trusted. To believe that the Bible affirms something false would be to disbelieve God himself. To disbelieve God himself is to place yourself as a higher authority with a deeper, more developed understanding on a topic or topics than God himself. 

Therefore, since the Bible affirms that it is the very words of God, we are to seek to understand those words, for in doing so, we are seeking to understand God himself. We are to seek to trust the words of Scripture, for in doing so, we are seeking to trust God himself . And we are to seek to obey the words of Scripture, for in doing so, we are seeking to obey God himself.

Grudem, Wayne. Christian Beliefs: Twenty Basics Every Christian Should Know (Kindle Locations 64-108). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

*Purchasing this book using the link I have provided above supports the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention

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