In a blog post entitled “My Biggest Sin,” McKay Caston writes:

You couldn’t help it, could you? This is gonna be juicy, right? Could be. Okay, let’s get to it. What is my biggest sin? Of course, most of us probably think of the Top 10 list in Exodus. “Thou Shall Not…” But we’ve all broken every one of those. No surprise there. So what is my biggest sin? Here goes: Not believing that I have been fully forgiven, totally accepted, and am dearly loved by the Father. Sorry to disappoint you, but when I DON’T believe this, I get religious and become a Pharisee of sorts, who were the biggest sinners in Jesus’ day (because of their prideful, “I can do it if you just show me the rule” hearts). To look upon the work of Jesus on the cross as my judicial substitute and to NOT believe that I am fully forgiven, totally accepted, and am dearly loved is to cheapen the gospel. To think that I can add anything of my own merit is to severely diminish God’s glorious grace. It is an insult to the blood of Jesus. “So Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief.”

Jonathan Edwards seemed to suggest the same.  In his 25th resolution for his life he wrote:

25.  Resolved, to examine carefully, and constantly, what that one thing in me is, which causes me in the least to doubt of the love of God; and to direct all my forces against it.

HT: The Wonder Of The Gospel

David Murray has an incredibly helpful post in which he gives 10 short points of instruction on what ministers should avoid in the introduction of a sermon. If you are anything like me, you find the introduction to be one of the most useful elements of the message. It will either draw your hearers in, or turn them off, from the outset. One of my professors at seminary likened the introduction to the front porch of the house. When you begin a sermon you are bringing your hearers up on the front porch to look into the house. You are, by way of illustration or analogy, pointing out the various riches of the house that they will see as you walk them through. It may be a biblical, historical, literary or cultural illustration, but it serves to highlight some particular overarching aspect of the text that you will preach. Dr. Murray improves on this idea by mentioning pitfalls that are all too common for ministers of the Gospel–especially, I believe, in Reformed churches. You can read the post here.

We recently had the opportunity to interview Dr. R. Scott Clark with regard to the life  and theology of Casper Olevianus. One of the compilers of the Heidelberg Catechism, Olevianus made significant contributions to the covenant concept in Reformed theology. Reformation Heritage books has most recently published Lyle Bierma’s translation of Olevianus’ Exposition of the Apostle’s Creed. This short work is extremely profitable for anyone seeking a substantive explanation of the Creed. It is full of Scriptural proofs and theological depth. You can listen to our interview with Clark here. For those who wish to learn more about these subjects, Dr. Clark’s doctoral dissertation Casper Olevian and the Substance of the Covenant and Lyle Bierma’s An Introduction to the Heidelberg Catechism and The Covenant Theology of Casper Olevianus are great resources.

Chad VanDixhoorn’s diligent labors on the Westminster Assembly Project will greatly benefit the church.  Vandixhoorn, together with John Bower, has agreed to publish several important documents/books from the Westminster Assembly with Reformation Heritage Books. The publications will include:

Principal Documents of the Westminster Assembly. This series will produce the six chief works authored by the Assembly for covenanted uniformity of religion in England: the Confession of Faith, Larger Catechism, Shorter Catechism, Directory for Public Worship, Directory for Church Government, and The Psalter. Each volume will contain a historical introduction, a critical text, and multi-column comparisons of original manuscripts and early editions. The inaugural volume, The Larger Catechism, has been prepared by John Bower and scheduled for a launch in March 2010.

Writings of the Westminster Divines. The aim of this series is to provide scholarly editions of texts by Westminster Assembly members and commissioners. Volumes will include previously unpublished manuscripts as well as republications of rare editions. Carefully determined editorial standards will be used to ensure an authoritative product that is accessible to modern readers, while remaining reliable for students and scholars.

Westminster Assembly Facsimiles. With this new series, Reformation Heritage Books and the Westminster Assembly Project are providing electronic and print access to publications by Assembly members in their original form. Free PDF downloads will be made available through the Westminster Assembly Project website. The same text can be purchased for your collection in paperback and hard cover from Reformation Heritage Books.

Studies of the Westminster Assembly. Complementing the primary source material in the other series, the Assembly studies will provide access to classic studies that have not been reprinted and to new studies, providing some of the best existing research on the Assembly and its members.

For more information visit the Westminster Assembly Project. Be sure to check for more information on and about this project at our RHB website and blog.

Sinclair Ferguson gave a powerful talk on 2 Timothy 3:14-4:2 at the Ligonier Ministries‘ 2009 Ministry Leadership Conference. The title of the message was “Thy Word is Truth.”  When men do not want to hear the word of God the remedy is to preach the word of God. This was a richly instructive message. You can watch and listen to it here.

Here is the video from the latest sermon preached at New Covenant Presbyterian Church. The text was John 7:28-53.

No One Spoke Like Him (John 7:28-53) from Nicholas T. Batzig on Vimeo.

John 8:58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”

It is great for the believer to know that they serve a Christ who has no beginning and will have no end. Boasting in this Christ gives the believer certainty and surety that their Savior is supreme over all things.

Christ was before all things. This is hard for the finite mind to understand because it only knows life with a beginning and an end. For Christ, however, this is not the case. Jesus Christ holds primacy over all things and is Creator of all things because He was before all things (Colossians 1:17: “And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together”). Before light was separated from darkness, Jesus Christ existed as Yahweh–the eternal existing God. One way of seeing this is through the prophet Micah when he said, “O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.” Before all creation, Christ was; and everything before creation was self-existent: the Father, the Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.

It is a crucial aspect of believing of the gospel to see that the gospel itself existed before creation. Christ in His pre-existence must be lifted high because there are none like Him, and none that can say they were there before creation. Knowing and believing that we serve a Christ who always existed, exalts Christ above all things. The believer must make this a crucial truth in their own life so that they may stand against false religions that claim that Jesus was either born, or that He was created. Such lies will only lead the believer to make less of the supremacy of Jesus Christ over all things, and lessens the gospel sweetness to their own soul.

How does the believer do this? Through knowing and understanding the truth of scripture that Christ was before all things – and as a result, is superior to all things. This Jesus Christ is different from all things and all beings; He was before all and will exist longer than all things. This very truth of the gospel must be boasted in a way that makes Christ appear as He truly is: pre-eminent in all things. Christ, in being before all things that exist, should be beautiful to the believer’s soul. Christ is a Savior like none other. It is a delight to know that the believer can find their stronghold in the Lord – for Christ is forever, and forever will be. It may be easy for the believer to get caught up in or to buy into the cultures of their day, the scientific theories of existence, or maybe the false religions of their time. By doing this, the believer will lose heart and not make this truth of Christ known. Nor will it glorify Christ to the fullest. The believer must boast in the fact that Christ was, is, and always will be.

The Aquilla Report has recently posted a brief description of the very serious issues going on in the Siouxlands Presbytery. You can read it here. Please pray that the Lord will intervene and give the men of that Presbytery wisdom and forthrightness to deal with those found guilty, at the committee level, of teaching doctrines contrary to the doctrinal standards of the PCA. Pray that the truth will be upheld and defended so that God will be glorified in His church. You can read more here.

The Feast of Tabernacles was that final feast of the year for Israel–six months after they Passover–in which they were to commemorate Israel’s dwelling in tents in the wilderness after their redemption from Egypt. They were to remember God’s faithfulness in providing for them during the days of their pilgrimage in the desert. Every year until Christ’s death, Israel was to celebrate the feast in the manner prescribed by God in Numbers 29:12-40. Note the particular instructions concerning the sacrificial system during that eight day period:

‘On the fifteenth day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work, and you shall keep a feast to the LORD seven days. You shall present a burnt offering, an offering made by fire as a sweet aroma to the LORD: thirteen young bulls, two rams, and fourteen lambs in their first year. They shall be without blemish. Their grain offering shall be of fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah for each of the thirteen bulls, two-tenths for each of the two rams, and one-tenth for each of the fourteen lambs; also one kid of the goats as ‘On the second day present twelve young bulls, two rams, fourteen lambs in their first year without blemish, and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, by their number, according to the ordinance; also one kid of the goats as a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering with its grain offering, and their drink offerings. ‘On the third day present eleven bulls, two rams, fourteen lambs in their first year without blemish, and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, by their number, according to the ordinance; also one goat as a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering. On the fourth day present ten bulls, two rams, and fourteen lambs in their first year, without blemish, and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, by their number, according to the ordinance; also one kid of the goats as a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering. ‘On the fifth day present nine bulls, two rams, and fourteen lambs in their first year without blemish, also one goat as a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering. ‘On the sixth day present eight bulls, two rams, and fourteen lambs in their first year without blemish, and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, by their number, according to the ordinance; also one goat as a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering. ‘On the seventh day present seven bulls, two rams, and fourteen lambs in their first year without blemish, and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, by their number, according to the ordinance; also one goat as a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering. ‘On the eighth day you shall have a sacred assembly. You shall do no customary work. You shall present a burnt offering, an offering made by fire as a sweet aroma to the LORD: one bull, and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bull, for the ram, and for the lambs, by their number, according to the ordinance; also one goat as a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering. ‘These you shall present to the LORD at your appointed feasts (besides your vowed offerings and your freewill offerings) as your burnt offerings and your grain offerings, as your drink offerings and your peace offerings.’” So Moses told the children of Israel everything, just as the LORD commanded Moses. a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering. ‘ and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, by their number, according to the ordinance; one ram, seven lambs in their first year without blemish,

Notice the reduction of sacrifices with each successive day. On the final day of the feast (i.e. the eight day) only one bull was to be offered. This is most likely foreshadowing the final sacrifice of Jesus Christ. All the blood of bulls and goats could never take away sins. It is also significant that only one bull was to be offered on the eight day. On a successive period of seven day weeks, the eight day is one and the same with the first day of the week. The eighth day denotes the new creation, as the first day denotes the beginning or creation. With the sacrifice of Christ, the new creation is accomplished. Walter Lowrie, the Presbyterian missionary to China, notes this significant with regard to the instructions of the Feast of Tabernacle:

The last day of the Feast of Tabernacles was the great day of the feast—it was the closing act of praise to God for unnumbered mercies. It is probable also that the sacrifices and services of that day had peculiar reference to their expected Savior. The sacrifices were not so numerous on that day as on the preceding days. On the first day thirteen bulls were offered in sacrifice, on the second twelve, on the third, eleven, and thus down to the seventh, on which seven were offered, and on the eight only one. By this it might have been intended to signify that the multiplied sacrifices and ceremonies of the Mosaic-law must gradually give way and be abolished; while the one offering of Christ should perfect forever them that believe. If this were the intention, then there was a peculiar propriety in calling it, the great day of the feast.1

1. Walter Lowrie Sermons Preached in China

We recently interviewed Dr. Joel Beeke, President of Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, on Christ the Center with regard to his book Meet the Puritans. You can listen to the interview here. There is a special offer around 30 minutes into the interview.

Jerry Bilkes, Professor of New Testament and Biblical Theology at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, made the observation that Abraham and Rahab are singled out in James 2–as example of those who have saving faith,–for at least two reasons. First, Abraham was a man and Rahab was a woman. In Christ Jesus, there is neither male nor female. Second, Abraham was a Jew and Rahab was a Gentile. There is no distinction between Jew and Gentile in Christ. But, Bilkes also observes that both Abraham and Rahab were tested before a watching world. James  introduced the concept of testing at the beginning of the epistle. In chapter 2, sincerity is in view. Chapter 1 ends by saying, “Whoever thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue, this one’s religion is useless.” As chapter 2 develops, the idea of showing whether one has saving faith or not comes to the forefront. In order for someone to show whether they have saving faith or not, there must be a test. James is not talking about Abraham and Rahab being justified before God because they lived lives of law keeping. He alludes to one event in each of their lives that served the purpose of showing that they had saving faith. Abraham and Rahab were justified before God because they believed on Him who was to come. They were justified before man on account of the works that this faith produced.

John Owen wrote:

I confess I would rather, much rather, spend all my time and days in making up and healing the breaches and schisms that are amongst Christians than one hour in justifying our divisions even therein wherein, on the one side, they are capable of a fair defense. But who is sufficient for such an attempt? The closing of differences amongst Christians is like opening the book in the Revelation, – there is none able or worthy to do it, in heaven or in earth, but the Lamb: when he will put forth the greatness of his power for it, it shall be accomplished, and not before. In the meantime, a reconciliation among all Protestants is our duty, and practicable, and had perhaps ere this been in some forwardness of accomplishment had men rightly understood wherein such a reconciliation, according to the mind of God, doth consist. When men have labored as much in the principle of forbearance as they have done to subdue other men to their opinions, religion will have another appearance in the world.

John Owen, The Works Of John Owen (Carlisle:  Banner Of Truth, 1976), 95.

John 8:31-32 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

The believer can boast in the fact that the character of Christ is truth; not simply that He speaks truth and does truth – but that He Himself is the truth. This should be boasted in, as He has given him freedom from the bondage of the sin that was upon his head.

Christ’s character is truth. There is no other being that can say this of himself besides Jesus Christ–who proclaimed that He is “the way, the truth and the life.” Jesus Christ is not only truth in and of Himself, but also is the truth for us–the truth that lost men need. Understanding this truth leads the believer to the reality of knowing Christ. Many men that live today have no idea of what truth is, nor do they have any realization of the one ultimate and absolute truth that exists to save mankind from sin. Knowing this truth calls the believer to delight in Christ – allowing them to partake in the truth that exists in Him. The very being of Christ’s character can, and will, set mankind free from sin. The truth that lies in His person and His work gives the lost the truth that they need to have victory over the lies that sin has fed them. This path of truth that Christ lays down for His elect gives the believer the way to truth. Oh, how great it is to know that Christ not only gives the way but is the way! This truth that is meant to be, is the truth that Christ has provided and is, is what one comes to and through so that they know their father. For there is no other means, method, or mode by which one can find and enjoy the absolute truth, without knowing the truth of Christ.

The believer must first see that they had no way to the Father; they had no way of knowing the truth, and no truth in themselves that would lead them to the path of finding God. Jesus Christ, by offering Himself up as the one-time sacrifice, has given hope to the lost in that they can come to know God the Father. For no reason other than glorifying Himself, Christ purchased the souls of those who believe, so that they may boast in Him. For the believer that knows this truth, this should be glee to their soul. The one who is bought and knows this truth that leads them to the throne of grace should never stop dwelling upon Christ and what He has done for His people. The believer must see that he was only able to walk in untruth, darkness, and condemnation without the truth that Christ provided for His people. And that is a glorious thought! The deepest detail of Christ’s truth is that of the accomplished work on His cross. It is the cross of Christ that allows mankind to know His Father’s truth. The beauty in Christ’s suffering, pain, torment, and death upon the cross, is what gives the believer joy, delight, and a life marked by communion with the Father. Jesus’ truth is the root of our faith, and is what believers need to cling to – understanding that they know the one truth that has forever been the same, and always will be. This truth of Christ is what God promised to His believers: that He would offer His Son, so that His people can know Him.

It is of primary importance for the believer to live in light of this truth and to carry out the mission of spreading the truth which has given them eternal life. This truth does not just change the believer’s life so that they can know God and keep it to themselves; but rather it calls the believer to proclaim the truth, and to live the truth not only with other believers, but in spreading this majestic truth to those who do not know it. The believer can boast in the gospel by finding the enjoyment of spreading this truth to all who do know it, and for those who do not. The fact that individuals do not know the truth of Christ calls the believer to tell all nations that Christ’s truth is the one and only way to finding enjoyment in life.

Part of boasting in this blessed gospel is living out gospel truth. This living of the truth allows others to see that the truth lives inside you. For this is just yet another reason why the truth has set the believer free – so that they can find joy in proclaiming the gospel to others, and that in return they can rejoice in seeing others know the wonderful truth of Christ. How much more should the believer find happiness in that they know the truth of Christ, which allows them to enjoy life like no other? Today many find happiness in television, music, the opposite sex, friends, family or work. The greatness of Christ’s truth is that the believer can always rely on the never-changing fact that Christ died for sinners to bring them to God. Knowing that this truth is the only way to God is what needs to be lifted high above all other pleasures that the believer may enjoy – for there is nothing greater than the absolute truth of our Christ.

Martin Bucer wrote these passionate words about the great satisfaction that is to be found in the Lord Jesus Christ alone:

” . . . Christ our Lord alone is the One who is, gives, and performs for us everything which we can desire for our true advantage, happiness, and honour.”

” . . . all gain, all enjoyment, all honour apart from Christ is poison and death, but . . . in Christ all loss is true and eternal gain, joy, and honour . . . .”

” . . . through the holy gospel of Christ people are well instructed and reminded to seek everything in Christ our Lord alone and be satisfied with all things in Him.”

” . . . we have all our joy, comfort, and confidence in Him, Christ our Lord.”

“If we really love Christ, He is everything to us . . . .”

Martin Bucer, Concerning The True Care Of Souls, Translated by Peter Beale (Carlisle: Banner Of Truth, 2009) 166-167; 169; 171; 179; 192.

Ligonier Winter Conference (January 22-23, 2010)
Desiring God Pastors Conference (February 1-3, 2010)
The Nature and Sufficiency of Scripture (Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary – March 9-11)
Ligonier West Coast Conference (March 26-27, 2010)
Together for the Gospel (April 13-15, 2010)
Scottish Reformed Conference (May 8, 2010)
Banner of Truth Minister’s Conference (May 25-27, 2010)
Ligonier National Conference (June 17-19, 2010)
The Beauty and Glory of Christ (Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary – August 26-28, 2010)
These Last Days (Philadelphia Conference of Reformed Theology  – Various Dates & Locations)

Updated List

Genesis 1:26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

Colossians 1:13-17 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

Hebrews 1:1-2 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets,  but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.

Believers can boast in the fact that they serve the Christ who created them.  He not only created them, but He cares enough to bring them back to a relationship with Him.

People do not often think about the fact that Jesus Christ created them. They forget that the second person of the Trinity was instrumental in the creation of the world. Christ was not only present at the time of creation, but God the Father created all things through Him and for Him. This means that Jesus Christ did not simply have something to do with creation, but all things were made through Him and for Him. Because of this, creation may glorify Him – in other words, boast in Him.

Similarly, Jesus Christ holds all creation together by virtue of who He is. John 1:3 states, “All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.” The creation account in Genesis 1 is the record of God making the heavens and earth through His Son Jesus Christ. Think of it this way: Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, and the Father, created the heavens and earth, and without any one of these Persons of the Godhead, nothing that exists could have been made. The act of creation was a joint operation, carried out by the three persons of the Trinity – the Father ordained and commanded, the Son was the One through whom all things were created, and the Spirit hovered and moved about creation working it together for the glory of all three persons. Our purpose in being created, therefore, is to glorify Jesus Christ more and more each day we live on this earth.

The believer can now boast in Christ the Creator and Redeemer by asking the following question: if Christ was not their Creator, then how could He have redeemed them? The answer to this question is of utmost importance to the life and faith of a believer. The fact that Christ made all things literally means ‘all.’ All things were created through Him and for Him. How could it be possible that Christ can renew, regenerate, or reform man without being its Creator? Christ could never redeem that which He did not create. That is why the scriptures say in Genesis 1:26, “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.’” One must ask here, “who is the ‘us’ and the ‘our’?” This is of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit who created all things -  namely man. This work shows the importance of creation – in the work that was done, the formation of man, and who man was to represent.

Do men today honestly represent the image of their Creator? How often does the believer go through the day without thinking even once that he was created in the image of Christ?  And, just as important, do they think even once that they were made for the glorification of Christ? What the believer must see is that Christ is the reason that all of creation exists; and the reason that it exists is to give Him glory. This distinction in creation – that man was made in the image of Christ for the glorification of Christ – must be clearly understood. It means that man was not made in the likeness of intellectual knowledge like Christ, or made in the deity of Christ – but was made in moral dispositions of His soul. This is how the believer boasts in the Creator Christ: that Christ made man with a soul that can be redeemed, renewed, reborn, and justified. The believer is to boast in the Christ that made man, who, though he falls short of Christ in Adam’s sin, still has hope that Christ can redeem what He created. How great it is to know that our redeemer and our creator are one in the same. For this is not like other religions where Mohammad, Buddha or Joseph Smith are the founder and the redeemer of their faith; but Christ differs from all other religions in that He creates and redeems His own creation. This, for a believer of the gospel, must be lifted high. It must be boasted in that Christ made mankind and gave it hope in its fallen state. It must be known and seen by the believer that creation, made by Christ, was for His glory in bringing back creation to Himself – the Maker and Creator. How one might do this is the important question. This is done by finding the Gospel far greater than anything else that exists. How great it is for the believer to know that their Redeemer was also their Creator. Believers should be thankful and joyful that Christ created them and redeemed them… that He created them in such a way as to redeem man back to God. What gospel truth is better than that?

Every now and then I have to post something culturally humorous. Thanks to my good friend Michael Dewalt for pointing this out. This is really, really funny. For everyone who was ever confounded by the droopy drawers trend, this is for you:

The following is the most recent update on our Reformed Presbyterian missionaries in Haiti, with specific ways to pray for them:

Over at the Reformed Forum, Jeff, Camden and Jim discuss the subject of whether pastoral ministry consists more of learning or doing. It is always nice when I am not on the show and can sit back and learn from my colleagues on Christ the Center. You can listen here.

Presbyterian Mission in Haiti (PMI) is asking that financial support for the relief of our churches in Haiti be sent to Woodruff Road Presbyterian Church. If you find yourself wanting to help in some way but do not want to simply send money to an organization you know nothing about, know that PHM and the pastors there need help now more than ever. In the wake of this massive catastophe, our pastors need all the support they can get to minister the Gospel. This is Haiti’s greatest need. PMH is a faithful Reformed Presbyterian group that has been helping organize and support Charles Amicy, Leon Amicy and Octavius Delfils in the spread of the Gospel in Haiti. I went to seminary with Leon and Octavius and know what committed and faithful men they are. They desperately need our help now. If you would like to give financially to PMH so that they have funds to use for the relief of earthquake victims, make checks payable to WRPC and please write “PMH-Earthquake Relief” on the memo line. Mail the checks to Woodruff Road Presbyterian Church at 2519 Woodruff Rd, Simpsonville, SC 29681, Please consider how you can provide physical and spiritual relief to our family in Christ in Haiti.

In his sermon “The Believing Thief,” C.H. Spurgeon pointed out the remarkable way that the dying thief, who rebuked the other thief on the cross and asked Jesus to remember him, used the one thing he could to glorify Christ. The man had no use of his hands or feet. He could not response with anything but his tongue. Spurgeon explained, “He had no member that was free except his tongue, and he used that member wisely to rebuke his brother malefactor, and defend his Lord.”

It is also interesting to note that the unbelieving thief used the one thing he had to dishonor Christ. He cursed and mocked the Lord with the one member he had. Just as believers use their members as slaves of righteousness, so unbelievers use their members as slaves sin and unrighteousness.

The account of Jesus and Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10) is a wonderful revelation of the sovereign grace of Christ in the salvation of sinners. In the context Jesus has told his disciples how hard it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. He demonstrates the impossibility (i.e. human impossibility) by the account of the rich, young ruler. He then turns around, almost immediately, and shows that with God all things are possible,” by seeking and saving Zaccheus. Some have suggested that Zacchaeus plays a part in his conversion by climbing up in the sycamore tree “in order to see who Jesus was.” But this was  simply because “he could not see who Jesus was, because he was of short stature.” Zacchaeus’ inability to see Jesus by faith is illustrated by the fact that he is short. By climbing into the tree, he is no closer to Jesus. This only highlights the futile attempts of fallen man. It was not really Zacchaeus seeking Jesus. It was Jesus seeking Zacchaeus.

Jesus walked up to the tree, and said “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for  today I must stay at your house.” Jesus calls Zacchaeus down–away from his futile efforts to see Christ in his own strength–and then invites Himself into Zacchaeus’ house. Note that Zacchaeus did not invite Christ into his house. Jesus invited Himself into Zacchaeus’ home. It is, as if he said, “Zacchaeus, I have decided to come to your house. Your house will be My house.” It is the Covenant Lord bringing sovereign grace and mercy into the life of  one of His lost sheep. Jesus finishes the interactions by saying, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; ¹⁰ for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Zacchaeus was elect. He was a true son of Abraham. It was not ethinic decent that is mentioned, otherwise Jesus would have had to say the same thing to the rich, young ruler and every other Jew He interacted with. Jesus did not save everyone of Abraham’s physical descedants; He came to save all of his spiritual descendants–those chosen with the election of saving grace. Note finally the closing words of this account. Jesus says, “The Son of Man came to seek and save that which was lost.” Those who reject sovereign grace in salvation, must reckon with these words. Jesus did not say, “The Son of Man came to seek that which was lost.” He came to seek and save the lost. He does all the work for and in them. It is true that Zacchaeus makes the claim, ““Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.” Whether this is another attempt of fallen human pride to self-righteously fix his spiritual blindness, and therefor merit Christ’s favor, or not, it is clear that Jesus seeks and saves Zacchaeus for no other reason than the fact that He had chosen him to be one of Abraham’s true descendants.

Last May, Kevin DeYoung (Senior Minister of University Reformed Church in East Lansing, MI) and Lynn McClurg (Vice President of Covenant Eyes) gave a series of lectures on Sexual Sanity at Harvest Orthodox Presbyterian Church. You can listen to them below:

Sexual Sanity (session 1) – Kevin DeYoung

Sexual Sanity (session 2) – Lynn McClurg

Sexual Sanity (session 3) – Kevin DeYoung

John Piper recently engaged some of the prisoners at Angola Prison in LA  in a Question and Answer time. You can listen to the audio here. You can watch the video here.

Our friends at Crossway Books have published two new books worthy of our attention.  The first is John Piper’s A Sweet & Bitter Providence:  Sex, Race, and The Sovereignty of God which is available here.  This book stems from Piper’s regular preaching ministry at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  Specifically, Piper exposits these issues as they arise in the book of Ruth.

The second title I would like to draw to your attention to is British blogger, medical doctor, and preacher Adrian Warnock’s Raised with Christ:  How the Resurrection Changes Everything which can be found here.  Warnock draws upon Scripture and a wealth of scholarship, although the book is written for the layperson.  Readers will be interested in knowing that he draws upon and cites Richard Gaffin a few times in the book.  Warnock calls for us to consider not only the cross, but also the resurrection and what that means for both redemptive history and the application of redemption.

Keep your eyes peeled for full scale reviews of these books in the months ahead.

Dr. David Murray, Professor of Old Testament and Practical Theology at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, has a blog called Head, Heart, Hand. Dr. Murray is a godly and thoughtful man, who has some edifying and interesting thoughts. You can watch several videos of Dr. Murray speaking on various subjects here.

Faith Comes By Hearing has compiled their Audio Roundup: Top Audio of 2009 list.  A few Christ the Center episodes made the list. We are thankful for all those who have faithfully listened to our shows.

It is a rare thing in 21st Century America to hear an anchorman, from a major network news channel, urge someone to turn to Christ. This is precisely what Brit Hume did on this show. Hume went on the O’Reilly Factor to explain his initial comments. I wonder whether Hume is Roman Catholic or Protestant. He definitely professes faith in Christ in this interview. From the nature of his comments, and some of his allusions, my guess is that he is Protestant. Do any of you know more about his religious convictions?

HT: Ed Stetzer

This past Lord’s Day, I preached a sermon on John 7:1-30. The title of the message was “The Heavenly Scholar.” Here is the Audio and Video:

Audio

The Heavenly Scholar (John 7:1-30) from Nicholas T. Batzig on Vimeo.

Brit Hume, the retired anchorman for Fox News, recently gave Tiger Woods some astonishing advice:

Richard J. Clifford points out some of the similarities between the OT experience of Israel in the Exodus and Wilderness, with the experience of believers in Christ in the NT. He writes:

In the Gospels the Exodus appears in the voice of John the Baptist crying in the wilderness and the theme of the Way of the Lord. Matthew and Luke interpret the temptations of Jesus in the light of the Exodus: 40 days in the desert recalls Israel’s 40 years; as Israel was guided by the column of fire so Jesus is guided by the spirit; Jesus unlike Israel does not succumb to temptation; Israel rebelled over food, Jesus subordinates food to the word of God; Israel demanded signs, Jesus refuses to tempt God; rather than worshiping a thing (the golden calf) Jesus declares God alone worthy of adoration. He is the perfect realization of Israel. Paul considers Jesus as the paschal victim immolated for us (1 Corinthians 5:7); in the wonders of the Exodus, he discovers the spiritual realities represented by Christ (! Corinthians 10:1-6). 1 Peter uses images from the Exodus to explain the Church: the blood of the lamb, the call of Christians, light, the pagan life that one must abandon as Israel left idolatrous Egypt, a new people, the law of holiness, submission to God, new worship, the procession toward the homeland. The Gospel of John is a reinterpretation of the Exodus: the paschal lamb, the bread from heaven, water flowing from Christ, the healing of those who look upon the crucified one, the “passage” toward the Father, the Pasch. The Book of Revelation underlines the parallel between the sufferings of the Church and the sufferings of Israel; Christians are heading toward a new Jerusalem.1

1.Wilson, Clifford J. “The Exodus in the Christian Bible: the Case for ‘figural’ Reading” Theologische Realenzykloptidie (TRE) 10.741-45.

The Westminster Assembly:  Reading Its Theology In Historical Context by Robert Letham.  The Westminster Assembly and the Reformed Faith Series, Carl Trueman, ed.  Phillipsburg:  Presbyterian & Reformed Publishing, 2009.  This book can be obtained here.

Robert Letham, senior lecturer in systematic and historical theology at the Wales Evangelical School of Theology and former senior minister of Emmanuel Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Wilmington, Delaware, brings us a fascinating treatment of the Westminster Assembly, its times and its theology.  The Westminster Assembly: Reading Its Theology in Historical Context presents its material in three parts:  Part one addresses the historical setting of the assembly (including the historical circumstances leading up to it in the English Reformation and Civil War).  Part two deals with the assembly’s theological context (its English setting, the assembly’s theological sources, and the assembly’s connection to broader Reformed and Catholic contexts).  And part three provides an examination of the assembly’s theological context, including discussion of previous assessments of the assembly and its documents and a historically sensitive commentary on the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Larger Catechism.  It should be noted that Letham provides us with the first in-depth treatment of the assembly since the ground-breaking work of Chad Van Dixhoorn and Letham shows his awareness of this work and interacts with it throughout his study.

In part one of this book (11-44), Letham reminds us that the Westminster Assembly was an English body (the Scotch commissioners being advisors with no voting power) called to address issues in the English context.  While not Erastian documents per se, Letham reminds us that the assembly itself was an Erastian creature, summoned into existence at the behest of parliament and serving as an advisory body to it.  Related to this is the fact that the assembly was not a court of the church.  It is also important to note that initially the assembly was called to revise the Thirty-Nine Articles of the Church of England.  Letham’s discussion of the historical setting of the assembly is helpful, especially if one believes, as this reviewer does, that authorial intent ought to guide one’s interpretation of a given document.  Historical circumstances often provide parameters within which to understand a specific text.  To put it another way, certain possible interpretations are often ruled out or conversely fortified by a familiarity with the historical contexts of texts.  We find this to be true with the Bible.  It is no less true with regard to non-divinely inspired texts as well.  Perhaps one irritating feature of this section, which carries over into part two of the book is the insistence that the assembly was an English body.  This is perhaps a needed corrective to previous treatments of the assembly the documents it produced, but it is not as if the Scottish commissioners had no persuasive power.  Besides, as Letham himself so clearly documents, the divines at the assembly were thoroughly conversant about the theological discussions occurring on the continent.

In part two of the book (47-98) the author helpfully discusses and demonstrates the connections between the documents of the assembly and previous confessional documents.  A close study is made of the connection between the theology of the Westminster Standards and that of the Thirty-Nine Articles and James Ussher’s Irish Articles.  It seems clear that the Westminster divines were not creating doctrine out of thin air.  Letham then examines the theologians and sources cited by the divines in various debates at the assembly and it becomes clear that these men could be said to be participants in a republic of theological letters.  Letham concludes part two of the book with a look at the assembly and its relation to the western (ie, Latin) theological tradition.

The author begins part three of the book with an examination of previous treatments of the assembly.  Here Letham notes with appreciation the revolutionary impact of the Muller school of church historiography.  Richard Muller has reversed the prevailing negative assessment of Protestant Scholasticism and has drawn many capable scholars after him.  Letham’s study clearly benefits from this revolution.  The author then provides a fairly lengthy discussion of the specific theology of the WCF and LC (120-367).  Letham provides a fairly helpful review.  This reviewer expected to find some authorial dissatisfaction with the confession’s beginning with Scripture rather than the Triune God of Scripture (121-122).  However Letham’s discussion was fairly even handed.  The two most interesting sections of this part of the book were the discussions of justification and the covenants.  Specifically, with justification, the question revolved around the presence of an affirmation of the imputation of Christ’s active obedience (250-267).  Letham is surely right that we cannot allow our theological commitments to run roughshod over the historical evidence (a point made quite clearly Muller and associates) and it is true that in some sense the Westminster Standards are consensus documents, however it seems quite clear to this writer that a proper reading of the WS requires an affirmation of the imputation of Christ’s passive and active obedience.

Closely related to this is the discussion of the covenants (224-241).  Letham affirms that the assembly held to a covenant of works and he has shown that some at the assembly allowed that the covenant of works (or covenant of life or covenant of nature) was, in some sense a gracious covenant.  The problem with the language of grace here is one of definition.  Augustine used to speak of God’s actions as gracious but this seems to empty the word grace of specific meaning.  If a given theologian means by “gracious” that the covenant of works was given benevolently by God, this would be true.  God’s entering into covenant with Adam was an act of condescension.  However, it seems that the language of grace should be reserved for the post-fall state.  In other words, it is the view of this writer that the language of grace ought to be reserved for God’s relation to man in the face of the fall into sin and rebellion.  Letham also provides an interesting discussion of the imputation of Adam’s sin and the development of covenant theology (201-223).  On the one hand, the assembly affirms that original sin is passed on to future generations from our first parents by ordinary generation.  But there is also discussion of a judicial imputation of Adam’s guilt to his posterity.  Realism and federalism do not appear to be exclusive but complementary angles for looking at the results of the fall.

Additionally, Letham notes his dissatisfaction with the language of a covenant of redemption.  However, he seems to affirm the intent of that formulation.  In other words, while Letham is critical of the use of the idea of a covenant to describe the ad intra relations of the three persons of the Trinity, he does not deny that creation and redemption were planned by the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in eternity.  The use of the word or concept of covenant in this context tends toward tri-theism.  This writer is not sure this is the case.  Clearly it can lead in this direction if one is not careful.  It is not as if the three persons of the Godhead are at loggerheads with one another.  And there is no sense of subordination of the Son or the Spirit to the Father.  At least there does not have to be.  Of course this is meant to be a historical discussion.  It is meant to be a discussion of the theological rationale that was at work at the assembly and not what rationale this writer or any other writer who was not there thinks should have been at work.  In conjunction with this, Letham notes on more than one occasion that Old Princeton read into the confessional standards developed views not actually fully articulated (for instance, on the imputation of Adam’s sin).  This would be fodder for further research.

In conclusion, the author has provided us with a readable and historically sensitive commentary on the circumstances and theology of the Westminster Assembly.  It is certainly not the last word.  But it is a exceptionally helpful word nonetheless.  One thing this book does is whet our appetite for the multi-volume project of Chad Van Dixhoorn coming from Oxford University Press in the near future.  Another thing this book does is notify us that Letham has a forthcoming book on the subject of union with Christ.  We eagerly await these books.  Robert Letham has once again demonstrated his prodigious scholarly efforts and ability to digest a wealth of theology.  For that we can all be greatful.

C.J. Mahaney, in his sermon “Death Swallowed Up in Victory,” quotes D. A. Carson on the nature of death. Carson notes, “death is God’s limit on creatures who want to be God…Death is God’s determination to limit our arrogance.” For the natural man, death is the cessation of life–and consequently the cessation of the enjoyment of God’s goodness unto all eternity. Death is God’s just response to our sin and rebellion in Adam. Adam acted in pride. God acted in ustice. But as a practical point, “death is God’s determination to limit our arrogance.”