by HARVEYOPP | Jun 9, 2015 | RC Sproul
“What goes around, comes around.” This American idiom suggests a view of history that has more in common with ancient Greek philosophy than with the Judeo-Christian understanding of history. The grand difference between the ancient view of history and that found in Scripture is the difference between what is called “cyclical” and “linear-progressive.” A cyclical view indicates that there was no beginning to the universe and no goal for it; rather, history creates itself and eventually repeats itself—forever. It was this ancient perspective that generated the skepticism that inspired Friedrich Nietzsche’s view of “the myth of eternal recurrence.”
Over against this view stands the biblical view of linear-progressive history. This understanding does not say that history moves in a steady incline, moving toward some evolutionary climax; rather, it indicates a movement of history that looks more like a corporate chart displaying troughs and peaks while in the long term moving in an upward direction. The most important part of this linear-progressive view of history is that, as the Bible says, the world had a beginning, and that at the beginning an action began, a movement guided by divine providence to an ultimate telos—a culmination of purpose, aim, or goal. This purpose or telos of history is both personal and cosmic. Every individual moves from birth to death, from a beginning to an end that continues beyond the grave into the ages. In like manner, the world itself looks forward to a future that has been ordained by its Creator.
IT’S BECAUSE GOD IS THE LORD OF HISTORY THAT RIGHT NOW COUNTS FOREVER.
The term eschatology in our theological vocabulary refers to the study of theeschaton, or the end times. It is a mistake to think of the end times as being something that remains exclusively in the future. The New Testament makes it clear that the end times have already begun. The coming of Christ in His first advent, in which He inaugurated His kingdom, displays that the goal of creation is not totally future but has a present reality initiated by the coming of Jesus and emphasized by His resurrection from the dead and by His ascension to the right hand of God where He reigns now as King of kings and Lord of lords.
It is also important for us to understand that in terms of biblical eschatology, the end of the world does not indicate an annihilation of the world but a renovation and redemption of it. The New Testament makes it evident that the final renovation of creation is cosmic in scope, that the whole universe groans together in travail waiting for the redemption of the sons of men (Rom 8:18–23). Questions of our future, personal and cosmic, are all subject to the inquiries associated with eschatology. The question of life after death—the issues of heaven, hell, and resurrection—are all integral to our study of eschatology. An understanding of the last judgment also falls under the scope of this consideration.
As people who live in the present, who have a past that we are aware of and a future that is not altogether clearly known, we nevertheless have the future promises set forth by God in His Word as an anchor for our souls. The Bible speaks of our confidence in the future in terms of the idea of “hope.” In biblical categories, hope does not indicate an unfulfilled wish that we have a desire to see come to pass. Instead, our hope is that which rests upon a certain conclusion in the future that God has promised for His people. Here hope is described by the metaphor of the anchor—the anchor of the soul (Heb. 6:13–20). An anchor is not something that is tenuous or ephemeral. It has weight, it has solidity, and it is that which gives security to a ship that is moored in open water. In like manner, we live our lives in the midst of the waves that crash against us, but we are not tossed to and fro with no anchor. Our anchor is the promise of God for the future that He has laid up for His people.
It is easy to become so preoccupied with the future that we forget the past and almost ignore the marvelous reality that God has already accomplished for His people in history. History is the domain of Christ’s incarnation, atonement, resurrection, and ascension, and we can’t understand our hope for the future without understanding those things that God has already brought to pass in His plan of redemption. At the same time, we must not be so occupied with the past and with the present that we forget the hope that God has set before us in the future. So, how we live today is in large measure determined by how we understand the past as well as how we understand the future. It is because God is a God of history, a God of purpose, a God of telos that the present has eternal significance. It’s because God is the Lord of history that right now counts forever.
by HARVEYOPP | Jun 9, 2015 | Scott Henry
“As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the Word that you may grow thereby…” (1 Peter 2:2).
The Lord guides His people by the light of His Word and the blessed Holy Spirit, who enables us to understand, believe and love the Scriptures (John 14:26), which alone are truth (John 17:17). The Word of God supplies believers with just and holy principles to direct our affections and actions. Those who study the Scriptures in humble dependence upon the Holy Spirit are taught to make true judgments of everything around them and are subsequently conformed, moment by moment, into a humble spirit of submission to the will of God. The Word of God dwelling richly in the believer is the preservative from error and the light to our feet (Psalm 119:105). The Word of God dwelling in us keeps us from being “tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting…” (Ephesians 4:14). By treasuring up in our minds the doctrines, precepts, promises, and principles of Scripture, believers grow in spiritual wisdom and maturity, which enables us to judge right from wrong with certainty (Heb. 5:14). By Holy Scripture and the Holy Spirit, the Lord leads believers in the right way, preserves us from the snares of the Devil, and satisfies us that He is and forever will be our guide even unto death. Are the Scriptures treasured in your heart? Do you take delight in feasting on God’s Holy Word? Do the words of John Burton’s hymn dwell richly in your soul?
Holy Bible, Book divine, Precious treasure, thou art mine:
Mine to tell me whence I came; Mine to teach me what I am.
Mine to chide me when I rove, Mine to show a Savior’s love;
Mine thou art to guide and guard; Mine to punish or reward.
Mine to comfort in distress, Suffering in this wilderness;
Mine to show by living faith, We can triumph over death.
Mine to tell of joys to come, And the rebel sinner’s doom:
O thou holy book divine, Precious treasure thou art mine.
So often we are discontent with the things we have and when we obtain more material things in order to satisfy the longing in our soul we quickly learn that the hunger continues. This is because our heart’s longing can only be satisfied by the Word of God. Jesus said in Matthew 4:4: “Man does not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” The Word of God is the only food for our soul and it’s what every believer lives by. Scripture alone brings truth, joy, comfort, peace, and satisfaction to our soul. Is your soul discontent? Do you have a longing that’s never satisfied? Your ONLY solution is to feed on the Word of God. The longing can only be satisfied by “letting the Word of Christ dwell in you richly with all wisdom” (Colossians 3:16). I’m certain you’ve fed your stomach within the past 12 hours, but what about your soul? Have you had your portion of God’s Word today? “As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the Word, that you may grow thereby…” (1 Peter 2:2).
by HARVEYOPP | Jun 9, 2015 | Scott Henry
“Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance. O my God, my soul is cast down within me; therefore I will remember You from the land of the Jordan, and from the heights of Hermon, from the Hill Mizar” (Psalm 42:5-6).
“Christian Psychology” is an entire movement that has steered the church away from dependence upon Christ, His Word, and His Holy Spirit as the only sufficient means to deal with all our spiritual problems. There is such a thing as Biblical psychology since man is created as body and soul. The Greek word for soul is “psuche” and from this word is derived the English term psychology. Scripture deals with man’s psychology as regards the heart, mind, or soul and directs him to Christ and the Word of God at every point. Today’s psychologists focus upon humanistic therapies and theories, which essentially eclipse Christ’s Word and Spirit (1 Cor. 1:17-21). They teach such things as the basic goodness of human nature, that answers come from within, that attitudes and actions are changed by looking to one’s past, that individual problems are the result of others actions done to me, etc. However, these humanistic therapies and theories are based upon presuppositions that are contrary to the teaching of Scripture and do a great disservice to the church by telling Christians that there are other means to heal the soul other than Christ, His Word, and Holy Spirit.
Today the therapist calls sin a sickness and therefore prescribes a therapy rather than repentance. Habitual sin is called addictive behavior and the solution of today’s therapist is medical care rather than the spiritual correctives of Scripture. According to Scripture, the path to spiritual wholeness in the Christian life is sanctification, which comes about only by God’s grace, Word, and Spirit. Jesus Christ alone is the wonderful Counselor (Isaiah 9:6) who leads His sheep to living waters, green pastures, and restores their soul (Psalm 23). When David was downcast in his soul his only response was to turn to God (Psalm 42). When he was spiritually depleted after his sin with Bathsheba and his murder of Uriah his only recourse after a year of trying to cover it up and deal with it in a humanistic way was to confess his sins to the Lord. “For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah. I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah. Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found; surely in the rush of great waters, they shall not reach him. You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah. I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you” (Psalm 32:3-8). Also read Psalm 51 and see how David addressed the issue of his sin-grieved soul.
Jesus Christ suffered more trauma in His soul than any person who ever lived or shall live, and yet His response was always to run to God the Father through prayer and Scripture as He walked by the power of the Holy Spirit. When Jesus cried out, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death…” (Matt. 26:38), you will notice that He went immediately to His Father in prayer to address the sorrowful death-like depression of His soul (Matt 26:39). As believers, we have the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16) and therefore we are called to walk as Christ walked (1 John 2:6; Col. 2:6; Phil. 2:5) as those being conformed into His very image (Rom. 8:29). Therefore, in all our struggles in life, which are ultimately soul issues, we must turn to the only remedy for the soul, which is Christ, His Word, and Spirit. The Apostle Peter wrote: “May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence…” (2 Peter 1:2-3). Everything we need to live the Christian life is found in Christ and therefore we must seek Him (Col. 3:1) through His Word (Heb. 1:2, 4:12) by the power of the Holy Spirit and in diligent prayer as we deal with every issue regarding our soul in this troubled life. As the writer to the Hebrews declared, we must keep on “…looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls” (Hebrews 12:2-3).
Dear Christian, examine this matter in light of Scripture and let the Holy Spirit deal with your soul and direct you into all truth by His Word for His glory, honor and praise!
by HARVEYOPP | Jun 2, 2015 | Matt Powell
Bruce Jenner is not a woman. He is a man. Every single chromosome in his body records this fact. He can mutilate and poison himself all he likes, but he will remain a man. A badly damaged man, perhaps, but still a man. He can no more make himself a woman than I can make myself a giraffe.
Progressivism is basically rebellion against what is. Progressives try to rewrite human nature and human behavior to suit their preferences- not just in sexual matters but in all areas of life. When they inevitably fail, they do not reflect, do not consider that they were wrong, because the disease is not an intellectual one but a moral one. Instead they double down and seek to crush any dissenters from their utopian lie, believing those dissenters to be the cause of their failure. So now we are going to be told to believe that while homosexuality is genetic and unalterable, gender is not genetic, but purely a matter of individual choice that a person can decide for themselves, completely contrary to their actual genetics. Perhaps we will be told that there is an elusive “transgender” gene that overpowers the force of that “y” chromosome on every cell of the body.
Progressivism is organized rebellion against the law and rule of God. It is the systematic violation of the Ten Commandments. It is the rejection of the reality of the curse on man, and the attempts to overcome the effects of that curse by throwing off the law of God. It never works and will never work, because God is God, and His curse on mankind will stand, until man submits to Jesus Christ the Messiah and the remedy to the curse which He provides.
Promiscuous sex will always lead to horrible results. They can try to cure all the STDs, have expensive government programs to provide for the broken families, kill the unwanted babies, train the kids in “safe sex”, educate or force us to be approving of all the sad broken results of this madness like Bruce Jenner, pretend there is nothing weird at all about a 65 year old man calling himself Caitlyn and posing in a women’s magazine in a slinky dress, and provide psychotherapy to try to fix all the scarred and shattered souls. Finally they will set out to destroy anyone that continues to speak out against perversion and promiscuity, believing that our lack of full-throated approval for their evil is what causes all the associated ills. They think it’s our condemnation of their actions that causes those actions to have bad consequences. But breaking God’s Law, which defines reality itself, will always lead to horrible results, and no program of man can ever do more than put a bandaid on the gunshot wound. Every single person in the world could fully support and celebrate a 65-year-old man making himself a eunuch and God would still be God and the results will still be horrible. The bill will always come due in time. Math always wins, the arithmetic of God’s law doubly so.
The wages of sin is death, the Scriptures tell us. This is the reality of God’s economy, and no progressive attempts at redistribution will ever overcome God’s justice.
by HARVEYOPP | Jun 2, 2015 | Scott Henry
“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).
Most people in our society think that all “spiritual” roads lead to heaven. They say if a person is sincere and lives a moral life then surely they’ll go to heaven — no matter what they believe. However, our text teaches that there is only one way to heaven, and anyone who teaches any other way is a liar who is deceived by Satan (Galatians 1:6-8). Scripture teaches only one way to be saved from the guilt and consequences of our sin, and that one way is the perfect work of Jesus Christ alone. Only by the love and grace of God raising sinners up from spiritual death (Eph. 2) and uniting them to Jesus Christ is there salvation. That’s the only way sinners can be redeemed from their sin and misery.
Jesus said in John 14:6: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” However, too many professing Christians say foolish things like, “Oh, yes, Christ saves, but let’s not be unloving by saying Christ is the only way to heaven. That would mean all other faiths are condemned.” You see, the Gospel of Jesus Christ will be tolerated by most people if it’s presented as one way among many. But when it’s proclaimed as the only way, the exclusive way, then it becomes offensive to a pluralistic society.
Our text is very clear — apart from true faith in Jesus Christ you perish! Jesus doesn’t say He is one way among many. He says He is THE ONLY WAY a sinner can come to the Father. There is no salvation in the superstitions, philosophies, ideologies, or the man-made religions that abound in our world. All other beliefs apart from true faith in Jesus Christ are doctrines of demons sent among men to deceive, and the ONLY loving action a Christian can take is to boldly and loudly proclaim the truth that Jesus is THE way, THE truth, and THE life, and that NO ONE comes to the Father except through HIM! (John 14:6).
And if you come to Jesus by true faith He will not cast you aside but will wash you from the guilt and consequences of your sins by His sin-atoning death, and He will restore you to a right relationship to God through His perfect law-fulfilling, perfectly righteous life, which becomes yours through faith. As we read in Acts 4:12: “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved.” Are you trusting in the only Savior, Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins? “Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:20-21).
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