The "Mean Streak" in Self-Control

To quote again from Ed Welch's book, "Addictions", on the matter of self-control - Dr. Welch observed a characteristic of biblical self-control that many Christians seem to be unaware of:

"...there is a mean streak to authentic self-control...Self-control is not for the timid. When we want to grow in it, not only do we nurture an exuberance for Jesus Christ, we also demand of ourselves a hatred for sin...The only possible attitude toward out-of-control desire is a declaration of all-out war...There is something about war that sharpens the senses...You hear a twig snap or the rustling of leaves and you are in attack mode. Someone coughs and you are ready to pull the trigger. Even after days of little or no sleep, war keeps us vigilant."

We should apply these words from Dr. Welch carefully and thoughtfully. How many of us, as Christians, are honestly "vigilant" about remaining sin (Rom.7:17-23)? Are we on the constant watch for this enemy within our members? Think of it this way: if I knew that as I went to bed there was a rattlesnake lurking somewhere under the covers, would I rest easy? Of course not! I would find that nasty snake and kill it. Well, there is something worse than a snake that we must be ready to kill - it is what the apostle Paul described as "sin that dwells in me" (Rom.7:17). It is that residual propensity toward evil, which though dethroned in the Christian, yet remains as a subtle deceiving enemy of our souls. And what's worse, this enemy knows nothing of sleep or vacations. Sin is always at work to tempt us and draw us away through our thoughts, affections, and desires. Thus, we must develop by God's grace a genuine "mean streak" against sin in every and all forms.

This means affirming that the Christian life is war. It is a war not against other people, but an all-out combat against every sinful impulse I find in myself. Moreover, my hatred for sin will only grow as I keep before me what God says about sin in His Word. I need to see sin as God sees it! I need to see that it is a transgression of God's law (I Jn.3:4). It is therefore always in rebellion against God's revealed will, and hence, it defies His sovereign authority. Furthermore, sin kills. It kills man's soul. It kills human relationships. There is nothing in sin as sin that serves to redeem humanity. No matter how much sin may fill us with pleasure - it is a fleeting pleasure that is deceiving and destructive. Armed then with these biblical principles about sin, a violent streak will grow in our hearts by God's grace which will serve to strengthen the self-control that we have been given by the Holy Spirit (Gal.5:23). So wage war, Christian! Fight by the Spirit and the Word and may we give sin no quarter but only what it deserves - death for the glory of God (Rom.8:13).

A Greater Need for Self-Control

For the past several weeks I have become more personally convicted for greater growth in the grace of "self-control" (see Gal.5:23). In helping me toward this growth, I have been encouraged and challenged by a book entitled, "Addictions: A Banquet in the Grave". This book is written by Edward T. Welch who is a well-known Christian counselor, and has served since 1981 as professor of practical theology at Westminster Theological Seminary. Welch's basic thesis in the book is that "addictions" are in truth a "worship disorder." In other words, this is really an issue of the heart and therefore a question of who or what we will worship. Will we worship ourselves and our own desires, or will we worship the true God?

Out of the twelve chapters that make up this book, there are two which are devoted to the issue of self-control. In the first of these two chapters, Dr. Welch seeks a proper biblical definition of self-control, which he rightly calls "a gift of the Spirit." As he unpacked this definition, I found his explanation extremely helpful, and I hope it will serve to edify you as well. In his definition, he states four important propositions:

1. Self-control means living within boundaries. Getting very practical about this, Dr. Welch says: "It means eating in public if we struggle with food. It means having passwords for internet accounts that must be opened by someone else; throwing out old reminders of the past idolatrous relationship; and never walking to a bar alone."

2. Self-control means thinking before acting. This is a really insightful principle. None of us ever think biblically before we sin. Sin works against us to crowd out any wise biblical instruction that would prevent us from giving in to irrational wicked cravings. Thus, to walk in self-control, is to think before we act. It is "considering the conquences of our actions in contrast to giving 'no thought to the way of life' (Prov.5:6). It is remembering what the Lord hates and choosing to hate those things too (Prov.6:16-19; 8:13). It is learning from the lessons of the past. It is meditating on the good instruction we have received (Prov.16:20) and being suspicious of our abilities to justify our own plans and desires."

3. Self-control is not emotional flatness or indifference. Rather than being a cold stoicism, self-control works with strong and powerful passions and cravings. But those passions are Godward and Christ-centered not sinful. Self-control, as a fruit of the Spirit, guards us and helps us fight against sinful passions while strongly encouraging godly passions.

4. Self-control is not self-dependence. This is hugely important to understand. "Self-control is...not the same as self-dependence, in which we rely on personal will power to control ourselves. Instead, self-control is a gift of the Holy Spirit, given through faith in Jesus Christ. It is a side effect of the fear of the Lord." In short, "self-control is a strategic countermeasure to the insatiable cravings of sin." A countermeasure that looks to Christ, trusts in His saving work, and depends on the indwelling presence of the Spirit as the source of power to resist the sin that remains in our members (see Rom.7:23; cf. 8:13). But it is a godly virtue that must also be cultivated by our acting upon the wise instruction of God's Word (Prov.1-9). Thus, it is "the skill of living a thoughtful, careful life in which we do what is right despite our desires. It is tested when we are alone or we feel unsatisfied. What do we do when no one is looking? Who or what will rule you then? Your desires or your God? Self-control is the skill of saying 'no' to sinful desires, even when it hurts."

Stop Comparing and Follow Jesus!

Recently, I have been reminded of those sweet, convicting, blunt words of Christ to Simon Peter: "If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me" (Jn.21:22). The occasion for these words were in response to Peter's question concerning how Jesus would call John to suffer and die for God's glory (Jn.21:20-21). Since Peter had just been told how he would die for the glory of God (Jn.21:18-19), he wanted to know in what manner his friend and fellow-brother in Christ would also lay down his life for this same purpose. Jesus however did not treat Peter's question as an innocent inquiry. He brushed it off with a firm rebuke that said in effect: "Peter, it's none of your business how I choose for John to die for My glory. Your only business is to FOLLOW ME!"

Like Peter, I too need this same blunt reproof. In fact, I would even go so far to say that we all need these hard words from our Savior. Why? Because we are all wired to compare our callings, gifts, abilities, possessions, and varied trials with each other. And at the root of such comparing is an ugly craving to know how we stack up in relation to others. Are we more spiritual? More gifted? More popular? More knowledgeable? More admired by others? And if we find something we have more than our fellow-Christians, there is a subtle, sinister feeling of superiority that wells up in our hearts. Yuck!! How disgusting and deplorable to find something so unloving in us all. Yet, it is there. It was in Peter when he looked at John and wondered how will he glorify God in death. And it is in each of us when we look at our fellow-Christians and start comparing ourselves to them under the providence of God. But like Jesus said to Peter, He says to us as well: "What is it to you how I call and gift and prosper your brother and sister? You follow Me!"

I need these words of rebuke often. Sadly, in the world of church ministry, it is laden with the depressing bondage of fatal comparing. You can't read Christian magazines, hear Christian radio, or go to Christian conferences without receiving the insinuated message: "You're not making it. You're not really successful. If you just preached in this way, enhanced your worship style like this, and employed this evangelistic method - then you would have a church of thousands and be recognized." How discouraging! And if I buy in to this kind of message then I will quickly become a slave to the fear of man and the folly of fads - all in the name of "doing ministry". O how refreshing are those hard words of Christ to Peter: "What is that to you? You follow Me."

So rather than compare ourselves, as either individuals or churches, to the rest of the body of Christ; may we all resolve by grace to simply be faithful followers of Christ. This means rejoicing in whatever calling or giftedness Jesus has blessed others with different than our own. It also means being content with whatever we have received from God to use for His glory (Phil.4:11; Heb.13:5). It further means that the true standard of so-called success in God's kingdom is simply being a faithful steward of whatever God has called us to do (I Cor.4:2). Finally, we must trust in the wisdom and love of God's providence which governs and directs our lives in the very pathway where He knows we will glorify Him most (Prov.16:1,9; Jer.10:23; Rom.8:28; 11:36). Thank you, Lord Jesus, for Your much needed tough words to free us all from the foolishness and ugliness of comparing. Amen.

The Danger and Delusion of Desiring Man's Universal Approval

In Luke 6:26, Jesus gave a strong warning and searching condemnation to His disciples, "Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets." I have thought often about this passage and what it says about the danger of popularity and having the universal approval of men. There is, of course, nothing wrong with having a "good name" and being "well thought of by outsiders" (see Prov.22:1; I Tim.3:7). But this is not what Jesus is cursing. Rather, the condemnation of Luke 6:26 is both loving and attaining the global praise of men.

Now it must be admitted that there is in all of us a lust for man's approval. We want people to like us. We want people to think we're wonderful. And it is an added plus if "all people" think we're great! But such a desire is not good nor commendable but sinful and dishonoring to the name of Christ. The reason for this is because at the root of this lust is what the Bible calls "the fear of man" (Prov.29:25a).

The fear of man shows up in many different forms. But one of the most common manifestations is the self-centered longing to please others for their praise. This means that we will do whatever it takes to have the approval of others - even if that means compromising the gospel and fudging on our obedience to Christ!

There are numerous examples of this. There is, for instance, the young Christian man who will never take a stand for Christ with his unbelieving parents for fear of offending them and suffering their scorn. There is also the Christian woman who prays for her employers' salvation, but for fear of losing her job, she refuses to take the opportunity to actually speak to him about his need for Christ. Then finally there is the pastor who is unwilling to run the risk of losing his ministry if he would preach the whole counsel of God's Word. For this man, he tickles the ears of his congregation with what they want to hear, rather than proclaiming the Truth they need to hear. And his motivation in this is to be liked by all - thus gaining universal approval. Such a motive reeks of cowardice and selfish ambition!

But what is most shameful, is that in each of these examples, the lust for man's praise always compromises and undercuts one's devotion to Christ and a bold witness for the gospel. Moreover, if we do win the popularity contest then we have immediately positioned ourselves with "the false prophets". This was the chilling reminder Jesus gave to His disciples - that when "all people speak well of you", remember..."for so their fathers did to the false prophets." The false prophets claimed to speak for God, but it was all a lie (Jer.5:31; 6:14; cf. II Peter.2). They only told the people those things which would never offend nor disturb their consciences. They would not preach on holiness, sin, repenatnce or judgment. And why? Because what they valued and loved above everything was the applause and approval of men. This was their idol. This was their god. To have "all people speak well" of them was the passion and pursuit of their life.

Is this what drives us in our relationships with others? Is this the mark of our ministry? Are we ensnared by the fear of man that seeks the praise of man? If so, we need to repent. For we cannot have the universal praise of men while honoring Christ at the same time. Hence, we must forsake this carnal lust for man's praise. And such a forsaking will manifest itself by a daily renewal of our love for Christ, our willingness to suffer for Christ's name no matter the cost and treasuring His glory above that of any other (see Lk.6:22-23; 9:23; 14:26; I Cor.10:31; Phil.1:21; 3:4-14; Col.3:17).

Self-Denial and Sacred Delight

The principle issue behind the Sabbath command is love for the Lord. In fact, it is the principle issue behind the entire moral law of God (see Matt.22:37,38). But the application of our love to God by keeping the Sabbath focuses on loving God with our "time". This is why God says:

"Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day (or the first day now under the New Covenant) is a Sabbath to the Lord your God" (Ex.20:9,10).

How gracious and generous God is to us. He grants us six full days to pursue all our legitimate interests of work and recreation; while requiring only one day to be devoted entirely to His worship and service. This doesn't mean of course that we do not worship God the other six days, but our worship of the Lord in those six days are fraught with much distraction! But on the Sabbath, on this one day, we have the privilege to show unfettered love to our Lord by self-denial and sacred delight.

Consider how Isaiah 58:13,14 unfolds this two-fold dynamic of what we deny and what we enjoy on the Lord's day:

"If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day of the Lord honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly; then you shall take delight in the Lord, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken."

In the first place, our love to the Lord on the Sabbath is shown by self-denial. We do not profane this holy day by treading upon it with our selfish ambitions and pursuits: "If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath..." The outworking of such desecration would be to do those things which only please us rather than God. Again, it is all about the use of our time on this day. How do we spend the day in our thoughts, conversation, and activity? Are we doing those things that bring us into closer communion with God - like reading Scripture, praying, witnessing to others, ministering to the sick, gathering in public worship? If the time we spend on the Lord's day is anything less than what will bring us directly into fellowship with Christ, then we are profaning His holy day! So turn off the T.V., refuse to do business with the world, and leave your household chores alone. The Sabbath is God's day not family day, not sports day, not work day. We must therefore deny ourselves on this holy day.

But on the other side of self-denial, our love to the Lord on the Sabbath is shown by sacred delight. There is no day in all the week that encourages greater joy in the heart of the Christian than the Sabbath. "Call the Sabbath a delight," God says through Isaiah. A delight! Why? Because we have the justified opportunity and advantage to devote all of our time in one day to the worship of our God. Moreover, when we honor the Lord on His day, He in turn blesses us with the joy of Himself: "I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father." In figurative language, God promises to bless us with Himself. Can anything be greater to the Christian heart than to enjoy more of God? This is our heritage as God's people and it is the heavenly reward of calling the Sabbath a delight.

The Necessity to Remember the Sabbath

When God gave His moral law in the ten commandments (Ex.20:1-17), it is very peculiar and significant that only the Sabbath command is mandated by the call to "remember". "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy..." (20:8a). The obvious question is, why does this command begin with "remember"? There are two primary reasons: in the first place, God is saying, "Don't forget it or neglect it." The Old Testament writers often use this word "remember" in this way. For instance, in Exodus 13:3 Moses reminds the people not to forget the historical act of their redemption and liberation by God: "Remember this day in which you went out from Egypt, from the house of slavery, for by a powerful hand the Lord brought you out."

In the New Testament, Jesus uses a similiar term when instituting the Lord's Supper: "Do this in remembrance of Me" (Lk.22:19). The point is, we are not to forget nor neglect what God has called us to observe. And certainly the implication behind the call to "remember" in these examples, is that we are fully capable as God's people to by-pass such commands either by omission or commission. Think about it: we have enough residual sin despite our redeemed natures to overlook, ignore, or rebel against what God has commanded us to do (e.g., Rom.7:14-23). Hence, when God says we are to "remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy", we should beware of our own hearts' potential to disregard the Lord's holy day.

The second reason we are commanded to "remember" the Sabbath, is because God is calling us to both observe it and celebrate it. In other words, we are to remember this day above all others by virtue of the fact that God has commanded us to observe it in a special way. The outworking of this observance is to keep this one day set apart (holy) from the other six days by resting from our usual routine of activity, and engaging ourselves in both the private and public worship of the Lord (Ex.20:8-11; Isa.58:13,14; Eph.5:18-19; Heb.10:24-25). Commenting on the blessing of Sabbath celebration and observance, Matthew Henry observed:

"God did design it to be an advantage to us, and so we must make and improve it...He had much more regard for our souls. The sabbath was made a day of rest, only in order to its being a day of holy work, a day of communion with God, a day of praise and thanksgiving; and the rest from worldly business is therefore necessary, that we may closely apply ourselves to this work, and spend the whole time in it, in public and private."

Therefore, it is deeply necessary that when it comes to the observance and celebration of the Lord's day, we must be commanded to "remember" this day! There are far too many traps and distractions propagated by the world, the flesh, and the devil to work hard at our disowning of this day God has set apart for His worship. So Christian, remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy!

The Sabbath Command Still Exists

As hard as it is to believe in our lawless age, God's command to keep the Sabbath is still a viable and binding moral requirement for every Christian. Let me give at least three biblical reasons which prove that the Sabbath command still exists for today. First, the perpetuity of the "moral law" as a whole proves the continued existence of the Sabbath command. Nowhere in the Bible is God's command to keep the Sabbath isolated from the binding nature of God's moral law as the rule and standard for how we are to live. For instance, in God's promise for the New Covenant, He declared through Jeremiah: "I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts..." (Jer.31:33). He does not say, "I will put My law, except for the Sabbath command, in their minds, etc..." It is the whole of the moral law that God promises to inscripturate on the new hearts and minds of His people in the New Covenant (see Heb.8:8-13). And this includes the Sabbath command which is "the fourth commandment" in God's moral law (see Ex.20:8-11).

There is also the teaching of Jesus Christ Himself regarding the moral law, where our Lord maintained that He came to fulfill it and not to destroy it; and whoever teaches men to break one of the least of the law's commands would be called least in the kingdom of heaven (Matt.5:17-19). The Sabbath command was no exception to this standard Christ laid down. Moreover, there are the descriptions of the moral law as being "holy, just, and good", along with "spiritual" (Rom.7:12,14). Again, the Sabbath command is not excluded from these descriptions. Henceforth, by the perpetuity of the moral law as a whole, establishes clearly the perpetuity of the Sabbath command for today.

Second, the extensive teaching of Christ Himself regarding the Sabbath establishes its continuation for today (see Matt.12:1-14; Mk.2:23-3:6; Lk.6:1-11; 13:10-17; 14:1-6; Jn.5:1-18; 7:20-24). In all four Gospels , no less than eight times, Jesus is recorded as giving a thorough teaching and clarification on the Sabbath command. Nowhere does Christ undermine or abolish the Sabbath. Rather He clears the confusion which the Jewish leaders in His day were propagating about it. Concerning this fact, J.C. Ryle elaborated:

"The plain truth is that our Lord did not abolish the law of the weekly Sabbath: He only freed it from incorrect interpretations, and purified it from man-made additions. He did not tear out of [the Ten Commandments] the fourth commandment: He only stripped off the miserable traditions with which the Pharisees had encrusted the day, and by which they had made it, not a blessing, but a burden. He left the fourth commandment where he found it, - a part of the eternal law of God, of which no jot or tittle was ever to pass away. May we never forget this!"

Now one of the most prominent errors of the Jewish leaders regarding the Sabbath was that a "day of rest" meant a day of total inactivity and non-exertion. But human dormancy in which one becomes completely passive has never been the point of keeping the Sabbath. In response then to such gross misinterpretation, Jesus advocated three types of activity that were lawful for the Sabbath. First, there are to be works of piety. This is the most obvious reason for God ordaining a day of rest from our normal employments: it is to redirect our energies and efforts toward the work of worshipping and serving the Lord with unhindered devotion (cf., Isa.58:13-14; e.g., Matt.12::5; Jn.5:17).

Second, there are to be works of necessity (see Matt.12:1-6). This would include such things as food, sleep, and cleanliness which all meet basic human needs and are in full accord with keeping the Sabbath. The third and final type of work Jesus advocated for Sabbath-keeping was works of mercy (see Matt.12:7-13). Above all other conflicts Jesus had with the Pharisees over the Sabbath, it was at this point that the greatest contention ensued. The Pharisees were infuriated with Christ for healing people and feeding His disciples on the Sabbath (Mk.2:23-3:6). But Jesus reproved their Sabbath errors and lack of love for God and others by both example and teaching. He fed hungry disciples and healed the sick. And in this way, Jesus teaches us what is lawful and right and honoring to God in keeping the Sabbath.

Making a pointed application by Christ's example concerning these "works" which should be carried out on the Sabbath, Walter Chantry noted:

"When you confront specific questions regarding behavior on the Sabbath, you will find some issues of application to be obvious, while others are less clear. If you think of the issue of necessity, all will at once recognize that it is proper on the Sabbath for armed forces and police to defend society. It is appropriate for ambulance drivers, nurses and firefighters to work on God's holy day. None will question in these cases. On the other side of the continuum it is altogether clear that the work of athletes, clowns and trinket salesman is unnecessary on the Sabbath. Some cases are black and white."

The final reason for the continuation of the Sabbath, is that the New Testament clearly teaches a continued Sabbath-keeping for the Church; having only changed the day of worship from the seventh to the first, as the result of Christ's resurrection which accomplished the redemption the Old Covenant looked forward to which the New Covenant now fulfills. The essential and greatest proof of this continued Sabbath-keeping in the New Covenant is seen in the historical narratives immediately following Christ's resurrection. In all four Gospel accounts of the resurrection, at the head of each narrative, we see the words: "Now on the first day of the week..." (Matt.28:1; Mk.16:1; Lk.24:1; Jn.20:1). And what follows this revelation of time, is the several appearances that Christ makes on this "first day of the week" to all His disciples. The whole of the day from "morning" (see Matt.28:1-10) till "evening" (see Lk.24:13-32; Jn.20:19-23) becomes a "holy day" of worship to the risen Lord. Hence, by the events of this first day of the week, the Lord Jesus Christ was setting a new pattern: the seventh-day Sabbath of the Old Covenant was changed by Christ Himself to the "Lord's day" as the Christian Sabbath for all New Covenant believers. This means therefore that the substance of the Sabbath commandment (Ex.20:9-11) remains unchanged except for the day itself that is now to be observed on Sunday (see Acts 20:6-7; I Cor.16:1-4; cf. Heb.4:9-11). The famed church historian, Philip Schaff, summed up the continuation of the Sabbath on Sunday in this way:

"This is the beginning of the history of the Lord's Day, which to this day has never suffered a single interruption in Christian lands...Sunday is here pointed out by our Lord Himself and honored by His special presence as the day of religion, and public worship, and so it will remain to the end of time. God's word and God's day are inseparable companions and the pillars of God's church."

Too Much Like The World

In Romans 12:2 there is a divine imperative given for all Christians in every age: "Do not be conformed to the world..." In other words, do not let the world shape you into its mold. This means that we are not to allow the way we think or feel or conduct our lives to be "conformed" into the thoughts, affections, and actions of the world outside of Christ. A Christian therefore is to be separate in how he lives before the world. Another term for this way of life is "holiness." Christians are to live holy (see II Cor.6:14-7:1; Heb.12:14; I Pet.1:15,16). And the supreme way in which every believer in Christ lives holy is by living in obedience to God's Word, which calls for an evident non-conformity to how the rest of the world lives.

Thus, for the Christian, he is to talk in a manner that obeys God's Word. This would exemplify gracious words that build others up, rather than engaging in words which are coarse, gossiping, slanderous, and deceitful (Eph.4:25,29; 5:4). A Christian is also to think in obedience to God's Word. What we think about God, about Jesus Christ, about man, about sin, salvation, heaven, hell, marriage, family, government, and everything else in life - must all come under the divine authority of God's Word (II Tim.3:16-17). And from thinking in obedience to what God's Word teaches will also spill over into the very manner and conduct that we carry into the world everyday. The world that is outside of Christ should therefore see a difference in how Christians live! A difference that openly follows Jesus Christ in a spirit of love and devotion that seeks to make much of Him and His glory no matter what that may cost them in the eyes of the world (Matt.10:16,34-39; Lk.9:23; 14:26).

And one of the greatest opportunities Christians have every week to show such selfless and sacrificial devotion to Christ, is on the first day of the week - which is called "the Lord's day" or "the Christian Sabbath" (see Acts 20:7; I Cor.16:2; Rev.1:10; cf. Ex,20:8-11; Isa.58:13-14). But the sad truth is, the vast majority of professing Christians in our day fail greatly to express their love for Christ in this way. For many Christians, to speak in terms of "keeping the Sabbath" or "observing the Lord's day", is a language and activity which is foreign at best and scolded at worst for being "too rigid" and "legalistic". To say this another way: despite God's command to set apart one day out of seven for His worship alone, most Christians find such a command a taxing burden on their time rather than an expression of love to the Lord.

Therefore, it seems to be at this point more than any other, where Christians are too much like the world rather than being different from the world. In other words, how often is Sunday - the Christian Sabbath - treated by many Christians as just another ordinary day? How many Christians are there who buy, sell and work on this "holy day"? Or how many Christians celebrate things other than the worship of God on this day, or in addition to the worship of God on this day? The point is, when God commanded in His Word, "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy" (Ex.20:8), much of the Church in these modern times have turned a deaf ear and have followed after the passions and pursuits of the world. To say it again, we are too much like the world when it comes to how we treat the Lord's holy day.

Restoring Regenerate Church Membership

By and large, in our day, church membership has really lost much of its biblical meaning. Centrally, the loss has been seen in compromising the principle of regenerate church membership. For example, it has been said that the typical Southern Baptist church has 233 members, but only 70 are present at the regular Sunday service of worship. The obvious question is, where are the other 163 members? Could it be they are at home sick, in a nursing home, on vacation, or in the military? Some may fit these categories, but not all 163. The painful truth is, the majority of the church membership are members in name only but not in fact. In other words, their names may be listed in the church records as "members", but there is no physical nor spiritual evidence that they are indeed faithful disciples of Christ.

In the rural South, where I pastor, this problem is pandemic. Church membership is more of a form of "fire insurance" (i.e., to keep the sinner out of hell) or a sentimental family tradition ("Mom, Dad, and my Grandparents were members, so I guess I'll join too"). What makes this situation even worse, is that many pastors who are obsessed exclusively with "numerical" church growth, will compromise the gospel commands to savingly believe on Christ alone and repent, for shallow decisions which results in bloated membership rolls of unconverted sinners. Recently commenting on this problem in Southern Baptist life, Dr. David Dockery (president of Union University) observed:

"It seems to me that we are doing harm to the person and to the church by allowing them to stay on the roll. One thing worse than people being lost in their sins is lost people who think they are saved because their names are on a church roll."

The obvious challenge confronting churches with unregenerate church membership is recovering and maintaining the biblical ideal of a church membership that is genuinely saved. But how can this be done? Where can such a recovery begin? The restoration of regenerate church membership must start by reinstating three Scriptural practices that were once common in evangelical churches (especially Baptist churches): first, there must be great care given in the receiving of new members. Many churches are hasty, careless, and irresponsible in how they receive prospective church members. Rather than looking for spiritual fruit that points to a true conversion, they look only for someone's base desire to join - as if they are joining a community club or the local gym. The Bible however teaches us that we are not to lay our hands on anyone hastily lest we share in their sins (I Tim.5:22). The context of this mandate is affirming and receiving men into public ministry. Yet, there is a principle that can be applied here to church membership: prospective church members should only be affirmed by the church if their testimony, character, and understanding of the gospel is biblical. Questions like, how is a sinner made right with God? who is Jesus Christ? what is sin? what confidence do you have that God accepts you? why do you believe you're a Christian, and what is the gospel? - should be asked of any who wish to join a church. Endorsing strongly this careful approach to receiving new members, Mark Dever once said:

"Guard carefully the front door and open the back door. In other words, make it more difficult to join...and make it easier to be excluded...the path to life is narrow, not broad. Doing this will help churches recover their divinely intended distinction from the world."

Second, there must be the faithful practice of formative and corrective church discipline. Many churches fail in one or both of these types of biblical discipline. And the result has been a membership of gross spiritual immaturity, the spread of false doctrine, divisive relationships, and all-out unrestrained sin. Together however, both formative and corrective church discipline maintain a level of spiritual healthiness that separates the church from the world by upholding a Christ-exalting purity of doctrine and life (see Matt.18:15-17; Rom.16:17-18; Gal.6:1-2; Eph.4:11-16). In short, they provide a boundary for all members which makes a clear distinction between the sheep and the goats.

Finally, there must be a formal commitment to maintain God-honoring relationships. This means having a written church covenant that spells out the church's mutual obligations to fulfill all of Scripture's "one another" passages (e.g., Jn.13:34,35; Rom.12:10; Heb.10:24,25). Keeping such a covenant clarifies the spiritual & relational commitments that church membership biblically signifies.

The Myth of the Non-Resident Church Member

There is no such thing as a "non-resident church member." Despite the fact that this is an actual category recognized among churches (most notably Southern Baptist churches), the very concept is in direct contradiction to what the Word of God identifies as a legitmate member of Christ's church.

When one is described as a "non-resident church member" they are typically classed as someone who has made a public profession of faith in Christ, received baptism, and has joined a local church - yet, for whatever reason, they are completely absent from the fellowship and service of the church they have joined. However, in spite of their disappearance, they are still considered as members in "good standing" of that local church. In fact, their credibility as church members is especially seen when they just happen to reappear to vote the latest pastor out of the church (I know of this experience first hand)!

But when we turn to God's Word, the characteristics and conduct of a genuine member of Christ's church is anything but the non-residential type. First of all, there is nothing superficial about the salvation they have received. They were chosen from eternity by God for salvation (Eph.1:4; II Thess.2:13), given to Christ for redemption (Jn.6:37; Eph.1:7; Tit.3:14), and regenerated by the Holy Spirit unto a new life (Jn.3:3-8; Tit.3:5). They have also been taken out of Adam and placed into Christ (Rom.5:15-19), being forever liberated from the power of sin (Rom.6:1-14). And they have become a part of Christ's living body, the church, and thus joined eternally to all of God's redeemed people (I Cor.12:12-13; Rev.7:9).

Second of all, there is an evident change in who and what they are. They are called a "new creation" (II Cor.5:17), a "new self" (Eph.4:24), and "light in the Lord" (Eph.5:8). The fruit of this transformation is seen in the growth, process, and progress called "sanctification" (Rom.6:19,22). The manifestation of this inner divine work is a manner of life that is being conformed to the image of Christ (II Cor.3:18). Hence, there there will be humility, love, patience, gentleness, kindness, faithfulness, joy, forgiveness, and self-control - which are all Godward virtues exercised for the sole purpose of glorifying God (Gal.5:22,23; Eph.4:17-5:8; Col.3:12-17; cf. I Cor.10:31). Moreover, there is seen in them a growing hatred for sin that is carried out in the daily work of killing sin by the Spirit (Rom.7:14-25; 8:13). And finally, this transformation is also evidenced by an intentional witness to bear to others the glory of Christ in the saving message of His gospel (Acts 5:42; Rom.10:15).

Lastly, they desire the fellowship of other believers and seek that fellowship in the gathered community of a local church (see Acts 2:41-47). This means that they place themselves under the teaching of the Scriptures (Acts 2:42a) and thus under the discipleship of a faithful pastoral ministry (Eph.4:12-13). They also strive to build up other believers by bearing their burdens, exhorting them to holiness, praying for them, worshiping with them, and stirring them up to love and good works (Eph.4:16; Gal.6:1-2; Heb.3:12-14; Eph.6:18; Col.3:16; Heb.10:24-25).

Are there really non-resident church members then, in the light of what Scripture says? No. The truth is, if someone claims to be a "Christian" yet refuses to be committed in covenant with a local church - their entire claim is false and hypocritical (see I Jn.2:19; 3:14). So what should we look for in someone who joins a church? More than a decision but a life transformed by grace.

A Cardinal Baptist Doctrine

One of the most important foundational and historic principles in Baptist church life is what's called, "regenerate church membership." This principle simply states that the church can only be made up of people who have been "born again" (Jn.3:3-8). The church therefore cannot be composed of any other person but those who have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit with credible proof of that inward work by a life of saving faith in Christ and repentance of their sins. Or to state this principle in the words of the 1689 Baptist Confession:

"All persons throughout the world who profess to believe the gospel and to render gospel obedience unto God by Christ are, and may be called, visible saints, provided that they do not render void their profession of belief by holding fundamental errors or by living unholy lives; and of such persons all local churches should be composed "(Chap. 26, para. 2; italics mine).

Writing once on the practice of this principle in Baptist churches during the 18th & 19th centuries, Greg Wills observed:

"Baptists believed that Christ designed his churches for the redeemed. They held that the churches should admit the regenerate only. They therefore required persons seeking admission to the church to give evidence of their conversion. Members knew they could not peer directly into another's soul - they could not know certainly whether a person was truly born again. But they were convinced that Christ required them to judge the evidence. They admitted persons who 'in the judgment of charity' gave satisfactory evidence of conversion."

Needless to say, regenerate church membership is mandantory to the health of a local church. For one thing, it separates the church from the world. This principle maintains the truth and integrity of biblical teaching which draws a clear distinction between believer and unbeliever (see Eph.4:17-5:14; I Jn.3:4-10). A regenerate church membership says that Christians cannot be under the same "yoke" with a non-Christian - "for what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols" (II Cor.6:14-18)? The church may be in the world but the church is not of the world (Jn.17:16).

In addition to this, the principle of regenerate church membership treats conversion to Christ as a supernatural work of God. One of the great implications of this principle is that to be a true member of the church results from one thing only: the sovereign, omnipotent grace of God in Christ bringing salvation to a lost sinner (Eph.2:1-10). Church membership therefore is the consequence of what God has done to bring the sinner to Himself. Thus conversion to Christ is not a decision made, a prayer prayed, or an aisle walked - but the work of God in the sinner delivering him from the tyranny of sin and uniting him to Christ, whereby he is supernaturally baptized into the body of Christ, which is the church (see Rom.6:1-11; I Cor.12:12-13; Eph.1:22,23). And the visible proof this divine work is a life in love with Christ, trusting Christ, and obeying Christ above all things. Such a person bears the marks of a genuine member of Christ's church.

Finally, regenerate church membership keeps the door to the church narrow & exclusive. There is no "open door" policy under this principle. It is not "come one, come all" - no matter what you believe. The door to church membership allows only those who trust in Christ alone for their salvation and bear the fruit of that trust in a life of faithful obedience to Him.

Why did Christ die?

Under the "big tent" of Evangelicalism there are two opposing views concerning the intention and purpose for why Christ died. One view says that Jesus died to make salvation possible. This is actually the most common and popular understanding among Christians today. The idea goes something like this: "Jesus came into the world to provide salvation by His death and make it possible for anyone who would choose to be saved." The vast majority of preachers on any given Sunday will proclaim this concept as gospel truth.

The second and opposing view regarding the intention of Christ's death declares that Jesus died to secure salvation for all those He came to save. In other words, Jesus did not make salvation a mere possibility, but actually accomplished salvation by His death on the cross. His death purchased a real salvation for a particular people in whose place He died as their substitute.

Now concerning these two very different views of the purpose and intention of Christ's death, we have to ask: which is biblical? The first view is certainly attractive, and that for two reasons: on the one hand, it seems "fair" because it maintains that Jesus died for everyone without exception; while on the other hand, it leaves man as the decision maker for his own salvation. Thus Jesus is held up as a "potential" Savior for someone who might choose to accept what He did on the cross as a worthy provision for salvation.

But is this the way the Bible portrays Jesus Christ? Are we to believe that God would have His Son pay for the salvation of everyone if He knew that Christ would not be able to obtain what He paid for? Was the death of Christ just a gamble God took in the hope that someone somewhere in time would accept what Jesus did and be saved? Or are we to assume that Jesus is sitting in heaven wringing His hands with worry over whether or not His death will bring salvation to some poor sinner? Of course the answer to these questions is a resounding "no"! Let me also add "never". Quite frankly, despite how popular the first view may be it slanders God and makes a mockery of what Christ came to do. Hence it is not biblical.

The second view, though not as widely accepted, treats the purpose and intention of Christ's death with honesty and seriousness. In other words, it holds up the biblical view. The reason why Jesus was sent into the world was to save all those His Father gave Him to save (see Jn.6:37,39; 10:27,28; 17:2,6,9,12). His death therefore was an actual price for an actual people He intended to redeem.

For this reason when the Bible describes what Christ did on the cross, it speaks of what His death accomplished. For instance, His death accomplished "propitiation" (Rom.3:25), "redemption" (Eph.1:7), "justification" (Rom.5:9), and "reconciliation" (Rom.5:10). Each of these terms describe the death of Christ as a curse-bearing, wrath-removing, ransom-paying sacrifice which Jesus procured and effected only for those His Father gave Him to save.

And who exactly are these people the Father gave to His Son to redeem? The Bible is very explicit: they are "His people" (Matt.1:21), "His sheep" (Jn.10:11-13), "the children of God" (Jn.11:51-52), "believers" (Jn.3:16), "the church" (Eph.5:25), "His seed" (Isa.53:10) and "the elect" (Rom.8:32,33). Therefore Jesus did not die to make salvation possible for everyone. But rather, His death guaranteed salvation only for His people. Henceforth, when we proclaim the gospel, we do not proclaim a "potential" Savior but a Savior who really saves. "And you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins" (Matt.1:21).

The Pillar and Buttress of Truth
There is a description of the church in God's Word, which I believe is a rare characteristic to be found in most local churches today. In fact, it is an attribute of the church which has been laid aside (unintentionally or not) because it may be viewed as irrelevant to so-called "church growth". In I Timothy 3:15, we are told that "the church of the living God" is a "pillar and buttress of truth." Now of all things that could have been said to capture an essential distinctive and quality about the church as it is seen in the world, God breathes in his biblical writer these words: "a pillar and buttress of truth."
This means that wherever the gathered church of Christ is visibly found in the world, it is to be a living, vibrant, and immovable testimony to God's truth. As a pillar...of truth, the church is to be the support of the truth; however, as the buttress of truth, the church is actually being pictured as a foundation to the superstructure of the truth. Thus, the church should never be seen as upholding anything that is false and opposed to the truth of God's written revelation. In fact, any so-called church which openly denies God's Word in any part, or treats it as anything less than being God's infallible Word - cannot be identified with integrity as a true church.
The reason I say this is because without the Word of God, the church has no authority nor legitimate basis for even being the church. For the church is not man's idea but the very creation of God (see I Cor.12:12-27; Eph.1:3-14; 2:11-22). Furthermore, the message and mission of the church in the world does not originate with the cleverness or imagination of man, but is given to the church by God as a stewardship (see Matt.28:18-20; I Cor.4:1-2). Yet the framework and knowledge of all these things come from God's Word. Henceforth, it is only by the truth of God's Word that a local church can be identified as the body of Jesus Christ, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, entrusted with the gospel of salvation; and is able to believe and teach with certainty and assurance the true character of God, the creation and fall of man, justification by grace alone, holiness of life, heaven & hell, and many other great doctrines which distinguish the church from the world. So then, if a church is going to be true and faithful to God's calling on who and what they are in Christ - they must therefore be a visible body of people who are a pillar and buttress of truth. Moreover, the church and the truth have a symbiotic relationship, in which each is always affecting the other. Messing with any part of one will always have adverse effects on the other (see Tit.2:5b, 10b).
In the most practical terms then, as the pillar and buttress of truth the church must, first of all, be digesting the truth. When the world sees the church, they should see a people who are memorizing, meditating, and studying the Word of God (Psa.1:1-2; 119:11; Rev.10:9). If pricked by anyone, the church should bleed bibline! Second of all, to be the pillar and buttress of truth, the church should be defending it. God's Word is always under attack, we must then be ready and willing to lay down our lives (whatever that may cost) to preserve and proclaim it in the face of any opposition (Phil.1:16; II Tim.4:1-4). Finally, as the pillar and buttress of truth, the church must be disseminating the truth & demonstrating its power in holy living. From the pulpit to the pew, from the homeplace to the workplace - the church should always be expounding God's Word without shame or apology to the glory of God, in word and in deed (see Matt.28:18-20; Acts 20:20-27; Eph.4:11-5:21; Col.3:12-17).

Lessons from Luther on the Authority of God's Word

April 18, 1521 would seem like an ordinary day for probably most people living in medieval Europe. However, for a German monk named Martin Luther (1483-1546), this one spring day was deeply significant beyond anything even he could have imagined. For on this day, Luther would face the most powerful political and religious forces in all of Europe. The reason for this encounter was that Luther had "rocked the boat". Of course, he did more than merely rock the boat - he overturned it and was calling for its destruction.

The "boat" was a thousand years of tradition in the Romans Catholic Church which had literally buried the gospel and gave only lip service to the authority of God's Word. Luther was calling the Catholic church to repent of this apostasy and return to the Bible as the final authority for everything they must believe and practice. The Catholic church however was not listening to Luther's appeal. Instead, they condemned him and his writings and demanded that he recant of his so-called "heresies".

Thus on April 18, 1521 in Worms, Germany, Martin Luther stood before the annual congress of the German nation (called a "Diet"), and was ordered to repudiate all his writings. He had already spent twenty-four hours thinking over this demand, at his own request. But now the moment of truth had arrived. Luther was ready to answer. His response would mark the greatest turning point in the Protestant Reformation up to that time. The heart of his answer was this:

"For I do not trust either in the pope or in the councils alone, since it is well known that they have often erred and contradict themselves, I am bound to the Scriptures...and my conscience is captive to the Word of God...I cannot do otherwise, here I stand. May God help me, Amen."

When I ponder these words of Luther at the Diet of Worms, I cannot help but to see in them some timely and needed lessons for us today as the Church of Jesus Christ.

First, we must treasure the truth of God's Word over the traditions of men. No matter how sacred or sentimental our traditions may be - what matters above all, is that everything we believe and practice as the church comes under the authority of God's Word. Our doctrine, worship, preaching, evangelism and missions, and all our methodology for ministry must conform to Scripture if we are going to be faithful in glorifying God (Colossians 2:9; II Timothy 3:16,17; cf. I Corinthians 10:31).

Secondly, we must be a bibliocentric people rather than an impressionistic people. This means that we are not led by our impressions or feelings to determine God's will - but we are led by God's Word alone in the assurance of what His will is for us as individuals and the church as a whole. In short, God's Word is sufficient to teach us all that is necessary for faith and practice (see Psalm 1:1-2; 119:105; II Timothy 3:16). Thus, we are "bound to the Scriptures", as Luther said, to guide, direct, and determine the very course of our lives.

Finally, it is only God's Word which has the authority to bind our conscience. Whose standard has the right to judge our character, conduct, and creed? There is only one standard that can excercise that right in truth with no contradictions: it is God's Word alone (see I Corinthians 4:6). Man, no matter his position in life, does not have the authority in himself to impose his personal judgments on our conscience. But by the authority of God's Word, judgments can be made in truth and thus be conscience-binding. Hence, Martin Luther found his place to stand with a clear conscience: it was on the Bible alone. But what about us? Is this where we stand - on the Bible alone?

King Saul, Ourselves, and the Authority of God's Word

One of the most tragic figures in the history of Israel was King Saul. What he might have been as Israel's first king, one can only imagine. But he certainly had all the appearances for a great king, at least in the beginning: he had charisma, courage, a seeming humility, good looks, and he was handpicked by God Himself to be king (see I Samuel 9-11). What a package deal! However, there would prove to be one great outstanding problem in Saul. A problem that would cost him both his family dynasty and kingdom altogether (see I Samuel 13 & 15). King Saul hated authority. Specifically, he hated the authority of God via His Word.

Whatever God commanded Saul to do, he would not fully comply and submit to God's Word. He was simply unwilling for God to rule over him. Rather, Saul wanted to live and do as he pleased, without having to be responsible for his actions and thereby held accountable for his conduct. Moreover, his refusal to honor God's authority was characterized by an overarching attitude that was unteachable, unrepentant, and blind to his own disobedience (I Samuel 15:13,20). Is it any wonder that God described Saul's rebellion as the equivalent to a wicked abomination (I Samuel 15:22,23)?

When I think about King Saul's disdain for the authority of God's Word, I cannot help but to see in Saul's example a vivid and sobering picture of the modern church. On a large scale, there are those movements like "the seeker-sensitive" and "the emerging-church" - which have openly defied the authority of God's Word by redefining the church and its purpose by the standards of secular culture. Churches which follow the philosophies of these movements quite literally take their cues from the world rather than God's Word. An action which seems to scream at God: "We will not honor nor recognize Your authority over us!"

But on a much smaller scale, though no less important, there are simply many of us who claim to believe the Bible as God's Word, but do not submit ourselves in obedience to its divine authority. In certain areas, there is that Saul-like attitude in each of us for being stubborn, self-willed, unteachable, and blind to our disobedience! This can be seen, for example, in Christian husbands who have either abdicated or abused their God-given headship over their families; rather than leading by a loving Christ-like, selfless, sacrificial example (Ephesians 5:25-33). Christian wives can also be seen in rebellion to God's authority, by refusing submission and respect to their husbands (Ephesians 5:22-24,33); but instead, they argue against, bicker, nag, undermine, and ridicule the authority God has placed over them in their husbands.

Another example is in church relations. For instance, there is the relationship between the church and pastoral leaders. God commands believers to respect, honor, esteem, obey, and submit to the elders of the church (see I Thessalonians 5:12,13; I Timothy 5:17; Hebrews 13:7,17) - but sadly, many church members have no regard for such God-given authority in their pastors; and would rather treat them like "hired-help" or indentured servants. Then there is the manifold commands of God to love, encourage, admonish, and build up one another in the body of Christ (see John 13:34; Ephesians 4:29; I Thessalonians 5:14; Hebrews 10:24,25). But do we see these commands obeyed? Self-seeking, backbiting, and bitterness seem to be more characteristic. At root in all of this, is a problem with authority - God's authority. And it is a problem of the heart. We treasure our wants more than God's will. Self-examination is needed here. Do I love the idea of God's authority, or do I love God's authority? Partial obedience is disobedience. Remember King Saul.

The Doctrine of God in the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith

Since I have mentioned in my last two posts our studies in the 1689 Baptist Confession on the doctrine of God - I thought it might be helpful to give a sample of that chapter from the Confession. Here is the first paragraph from chapter two regarding the attributes of God:

"There is but one, and only one, living and true God. He is self-existent and infinite in His being and His perfections. None but He can comprehend or understand His essence. He is pure spirit, invisible, and without body, parts, or the changeable feelings of men. He alone possesses immortality, and dwells amid the light insufferably bright to mortal men. He never changes. He is great beyond all our conceptions, eternal, incomprehensible, almighty and infinite. He is most holy, wise, free and absolute. All that He does is the out-working of His changeless, righteous will, and for His own glory. He is most loving, gracious, merciful and compassionate. He abounds in goodness and truth. He forgives iniquity, transgression and sin. He rewards those who seek Him diligently. But He hates sin. He will not overlook guilt or spare the guilty, and He is perfectly just in executing judgment."

Gen.17:1; Exod.3:14; 34:6,7; Deut.4:15,16; 6:4; I Kings 8:27; Neh.9:32,33; Psa.5:5,6; 90:2; 115:3; Prov.16:4; Isa.6:3; 46:10; 48:12; Jer.10:10; 23:23,24; Nah.1:2,3; Mal.3:6; John 4:24; Rom.11:36; I Cor.8:4,6; I Tim.1:17; Heb.11:6.

A Man-Centered View of God

For nearly ten months our church has been studying on Wednesday evenings the biblical doctrine of God, as it is expressed and expounded from the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith. This has been the richest study so far in the Confession, and I imagine there will be no other study that will exceed both its depth and importance. Quite frankly, there is no doctrine more important to the Christian faith than the doctrine of God - who God is, what He is like, and how He works. For if we go wrong on this one doctrine, then we will go wrong on every other doctrine in Christianity.

Sadly though, there is probably no doctrine more twisted, misunderstood, and misapplied than the doctrine of God. In other words, how the revelation of God's nature, character, and works are taught in His Word, has got to be the most underminded and distorted truth of Scripture. And the chief reason for this perversion is because when we talk about God, we tend to always begin and end with man at the center of the universe. To say this another way: many people in the church really believe that God exists and works for the sole purpose of making them happy. In short, God exists to glorify man. Consider how Edward Donnelly made this same tragic observation in his book entitled, Heaven and Hell:

"The God people speak about today - if he exists at all - is only for man's benefit. His purpose, it seems, is to supply our needs, to provide for our happiness. God is a heavenly bell-boy. When he is needed you ring for him, and when you don't need him any longer you tell him to go away. The first answer of the Shorter Catechism has been rewritten to read, 'God's chief end is to satisfy man and to provide for him forever.' Even in evangelical churches the impression is too often given that God exists to make us happy, to solve our problems, to answer our prayers, to heal our sicknesses, to improve our marriages, to help us to keep a diet.

[Martin] Luther described this as 'using God'. What a disgustingly accurate expression! Have you ever been used? You thought that someone was your friend. You assumed that they enjoyed your companionship and valued you for yourself. You trusted them, but then found out that they were using you. They cultivated you only for what they wanted from you, then laughed at you behind your back. What would you think of a man who spoke of using his wife? What a wretch he would be! Yet this is exactly what people are attempting to do with God. This is how they think they can treat the Lord of heaven and earth. There is no sense of his holiness, awesomeness or majesty. He is seen as a puppet who stays in a box until we press the switch to let him out.

How Important is the Doctrine of the Trinity?

This morning as I was preparing for our Wednesday evening study in the 1689 Baptist Confession, I came across this searching and sobering observation regarding the biblical doctrine of the Trinity (our present studies right now are concerning this vital doctrine). The observation comes from Dr. James White, in his book The Forgotten Trinity. There is much here that the church at large needs to weigh in and evalute when we think and talk about God:

"The Trinity is a truth that tests our dedication to the principle that God is smarter than we are. As strange as that may sound, I truly believe that in most instances where a religious group denies the Trinity, the reason can be traced back to the founder's unwillingness to admit the simple reality that God is bigger than we can ever imagine. That is really what Christians have always meant when they use the term "mystery" of the Trinity. The term has never meant that the Trinity is an inherently irrational thing. Instead, it simply means that we realize that God is completely unique in the way He exists, and there are elements of His being that are simply beyond our meager mental capacity to comprehend...When men approach God's truth with a haughty attitude, they often decide that particular elements of that truth are not "suitable" to them, so they "modify" the message of the faith to fit their own notions. Since the Trinity is the highest of God's revelations concerning himself, it is hardly surprising to discover that many groups deny it. If one denies any of the preceding truths upon which the Trinity is based, one will end up rejecting the entire doctrine en toto. An unwillingness to worship God as God is and has revealed himself lies behind every denial of the Trinity that appears down through history. We want a God we can fit in a box, and the eternal, Triune God does not fit that mold."

Let Us Work On!

There is probably nothing more discouraging in the work of ministry than personal evangelism. For the most part, those who are faithful to share the gospel will find more "sowing" than actual "reaping." In other words, fewer conversions will be seen in comparison to the number of sinners who are actually reached with the gospel. This is the norm in evangelistic work. But despite this fact, God's faithful servants should not get discouraged - but keep preaching and praying for the salvation of men. Yet, even with this exhortation, discouragement will set in. So, when we are despondent and down in this sacred work because we are seeing little fruit, what should we do? What can keep us pressing on in our spreading of the gospel?

In his wonderful commentary series on the Gospels, J.C. Ryle (1816-1900) gives some sage words of strong counsel and deep encourgement for all saints in the hard work of personal evangelism. He bases these words on John 4:31-42. I hope this will edify you:

"Work for the souls of men, is undoubtedly attended by great discouragements. The heart of natural man is very hard and unbelieving. The blindness of most men to their own lost condition and peril of ruin, is past description. 'The carnal mind is enmity against God' (Rom.8:7-8). No one can have any just idea of the desperate hardness of men and women, until he has tried to do good. No one can have any conception of the small number of those who repent and believe, until he has personally endeavored to 'save some'. To suppose that everybody will become a true Christian, who is told about Christ, and entreated to believe, is mere childish ignorance. 'Few there be that find the narrow way' (Matt.7:14)! The labourer for Christ will find the vast majority of those among whom he labors, unbelieving and impenitent, in spite of all that he can do. 'The many' will not turn to Christ (Matt.7:13). These are discouraging facts. But they are facts, and facts that ought to be known.

The true antidote against despondency in God's work, is an abiding recollection of such promises as that before us [namely, John 4:35-37]. There are 'wages' laid up for the faithful reapers. They shall receive a reward at the last day, far exceeding anything they have done for Christ, - a reward proportioned not to their success, but to the quality of their work. They are gathering 'fruit', which shall endure when this world has passed away, - fruit, in some souls saved, if many will not believe, and fruit in evidences of their own faithfulness, to be brought out before assembled worlds.

Do our hands ever hang down, and our knees wax faint? Do we feel disposed to say, 'My labor is in vain and my words without profit?' Let us lean back at such seasons on this glorious promise. There are 'wages' to be paid. There is 'fruit' yet to be exhibited. 'We are a sweet savor of Christ, both in them that are saved and in them that perish' (II Cor.2:15). Let us work on. 'He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him' (Psa.126:5,6). One single soul saved, shall outlive and outweigh all the kingdoms of the world."

What is a Baptist?

There are four essential and historic ways to define what it means to be a "Baptist". At the outset though, it must be stated that the term Baptist is among those myriad of names which identify a particular Christian group (e.g., Methodist, Presbyterian, Lutheran, etc.). Hence, if a person is a true Baptist then they are asserting also by that claim to be a Christian.

Historically speaking, Baptists have been identified by the following distinctives: first, they are orthodox. The broadest and most widely accepted meaning of this term in Christianity refers to the Trinitarian and Christological affirmations of the early church. This means that Baptists would embrace those early Church creeds such as the Nicene (325 AD) and Chalcedon (451 AD) creeds. Each of these orthodox creeds strongly, emphatically, and unapologetically declared the witness of holy Scripture as to the true nature of God and of Christ as both God and man. Baptists therefore have always declared in their confessions and teachings the biblical doctrines of the Trinity and the Deity of Jesus Christ (see Matthew 28:19b; John 1:1,14). So then, for Baptists, there is only one God, in whose being exists eternally and equally three separate and distinct persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, as to the identity of the Lord Jesus Christ, Baptists have maintained consistently that He is fully God and fully man, two distinct natures in one single person. This is the Baptist witness to orthodoxy.

Secondly, Baptists are evangelical. By this affirmation, Baptists assert strongly the divine authorship and authority of the Bible as the Word of God (see II Timothy 3:16,17); the uniqueness of Jesus Christ as the personal revelation of God and His exclusivity as the sinner's only way to God (see John 1:1; Hebrews 1:3; John 14:6); the completeness of Christ's work in humiliation and exaltation for the redemption of His people (see John 17; Hebrews 2:9-18; 7:25; 8:1-10:18); the effectual working of the Holy Spirit through the preaching of the gospel (see I Corinthians 1:22-2:14); the necessity of an uncoerced response of repentance and faith (see Acts 2:37-39; 16:31); and the justification of the believing sinner on the basis of Christ's finished work (see Romans 3:23-28). At the heart of evangelicalism throbs the redeeming gospel of grace expressed in a missionary zeal that reaches the nations in evangelism. For Baptists, this has always been their deepest conviction which has compelled them as no other group of believers in Christian history to sacrifice all for the spread of Christ's gospel to the unreached peoples of the world. This then is the Baptist witness to evangelicalism.

Thirdly, Baptists have always been separatists. This is the most unique historical distinctive of Baptists because it persists on the biblical concept, that the gathered church is a community of regenerated sinners who have given credible evidence to this divine reality in their lives (see John 3:1-8; I Corinthians 12:12,13). The public affirmation for this regeneration is baptism by immersion (Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:41). For Baptists then, a church cannot exist where there is no "regenerate church membership" and no affirmation of believer's baptism. Three further separate issues for being Baptist are liberty of conscience, freedom of religion, and separation of church and state. However, as important as these three concepts of freedom are to Baptists, they cannot ever take the place of a regenerated church membership. This is really what "separates" Baptists from all other Christian denominations.

Finally, Baptists have always been confessional. Baptists have the conviction in setting forth to the world what they believe, and have done this historically by confessions. A confession of faith never takes the place of the Bible nor have Baptists regarded it as equal to the Bible. However, confessions have served the church as a positive assistance in times of doctrinal controversy, a confirmation in faith and a means of edifying believers in what is righteous. More than anything, confessions for Baptists have been wonderfully used to clarify by way of clear exposition those doctrines of Scripture that are orthodox, evangelical, and distinctively "Baptist" in their "separatist" tradition.

So, what then is a Baptist? To be Baptist means to be orthodox in one's view of the Trinity and the Person of Christ. To be Baptist also means to be evangelical in one's view of holy Scripture and salvation. To be Baptist further means to be consistently separate in one's view of the church and to seek to encourage conditions in which all may hear the gospel. Finally, to be a Baptist is to be confessional in one's doctrinal convictions by making public for all to see exactly what Baptists really do believe the Bible teaches. This is being a Baptist.