Week Eight: God's Eternal Purpose

How does God carry out His eternal purposes?

I absolutely love knowing that there is a purpose to something and finding out what that purpose is.

It just makes life simpler, doesn’t it, when we discover the purpose for something, whether it be an item that is manufactured or some event in our life?

How many of us have pondered events and circumstances in our lives and have often said, “I wish I knew the reason for that?”

Obviously, in God’s great big plan and all-wise purpose, we can’t and don’t know the purpose and plan of everything, not here on earth anyway.  But it is always fun – “wonderful,” maybe I should say – when we can look back and begin to see God’s hand through the events and details of our lives, even when we many of those purposes are hidden from our view.

Remember the account of Job? He was described at the beginning of the book of Job as a man who was “blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil” (Job 1:1).  He not only had a righteous character; he was also faithful to intercede on behalf of his children (1:5).  This guy had family, reputation, and a blameless and upright character to go along with it!

Yet at the end of the book, after his great struggles and trial, he is a man who confesses to God,

“My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. 
Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.  (42:6)

Here is a blameless and upright man repenting of the fact that he had spoken of things “that he did not understand, things too wonderful for [him] to know,” (42:3).  He repented for asking questions of God (or perhaps making accusations) when he should have been listening to God!

Job is:

•     A man who feared God and yet who came to a deeper fear and trust than he had ever known!

•     A man who said to the Lord, “I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted” (42:2).

Wow!  Those are some deep, wonderful lessons, aren’t they?

• Job grew in his knowledge of God through the things he suffered. 

• He came to a greater knowledge of God than he had ever known.

• He worshipped God as he had never done before.

• He came to know that God “can do all things” and that no plan or purpose of His can be thwarted.

God is so much greater than I can imagine….greater than any of us can imagine.

As someone has said, one of our biggest lessons is learning that God is God and that we are not God. 
That’s a huge and humbling lesson to learn.

God carries out His purposes in two ways:  in His act of creation this world and as He cares for this world through His hand of providence, that is, through the events and details of each and every day.

God is working to carry out His good and holy purposes through every event and detail of life.

I am so glad that God is who He is, that He has a purpose, and that nothing can thwart His good and wise purposes. I can and must trust that God completely.  May God grant me grace to do so.

“The secret things belong to the Lord our God,
but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever,
that we may follow all the words of this law.”
Deuteronomy 29:29

Week Seven: God's Encompassing Purpose

WEEK SEVEN

DOES GOD HAVE A PURPOSE FOR EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS?

This is a huge question, isn’t it?  It’s one for which our hearts and minds seek an answer, particularly during the difficult times of our lives. We seek some assurance that the most difficult things of our lives – or the most mundane things – have a meaning and purpose that goes beyond of ability to lay hold of.

The question may also be stated this way: “Does God ordain all things that come to pass?”

While this is a huge question, the Bible gives a very succinct, certain, and clear answer.  One place the answer is found in Ephesians 1:11 where it is said that God “works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will.” 

God works out ……what?  “Some things?”  “Most things?”   The “easy” things?

God works out “all things” according to His purpose, the Bible says.

“BUT……”

“BUT……”

“BUT…..”

Wait a minute before you begin with the long list of questions, objections, and comments that almost immediately come to mind (many of those questions come from unbelief anyway, and you don’t want to pay attention to questions that come from unbelief).

The Bible says that God’s works out all things in conformity with His own purpose.  ALL things.
The mundane things.  The most tragic things.  The most minute things. 

Think of the possibilities:

•     A God who knows all things but who does not have power over all things and who can do nothing about the events that unfold.

•     A God who controls most things but either forgets about some details or who cannot control all things.

•     A God who has the power to create the universe but no power to bring all things to His appointed purpose and goal.

None of those choices are the God of the Bible.  The God of the Bible is one who controls all things in such a way that those who know and love Him can say, 

    He has full paid for all my sins with his precious blood,
    and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil.
    He also watches over me in such a way
    that not a hair can fall from my head
    without the will of my Father in heaven:
    in fact, all things must work together for my salvation.
        (From Question 1 of the Heidelberg Catechism)

Ephesians 1:11 is not the only verse in the Bible that affirms this truth.  The entirety of the Bible bears witness to this truth, of course.  Its words teach the truth of God’s sovereignty and control:

    "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives". Genesis 50:20. 
        --Spoken by Joseph to his brothers who sold him into slavery, giving him up as dead.

    "I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted."   Job. 42:2
        -- Spoken by Job, a righteous man, as one of the great truths learned through his trials.

    "He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: ‘What have you done?'”     Daniel 4:35.
          -- Spoken by Nebuchadnezzar, a pagan king whose honor and splendor was taken from him by God until he learned that God is indeed sovereign over all things, even kings!

    "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.  For those whom God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers."  Romans 8:28-29.
        -- Spoken by the Apostle Paul, a man who was determined that he would never become a disciple of Christ.

   
I decided a long time ago that I would rather have a God who controls all things even though I cannot understand the purpose of all events in my life or even understand the doctrine itself.

After all, the consequences are scary.  If God does not control all things, then who does?  In that case, there is something or someone who is greater and more powerful than God.

God is either who He says He is or He is a liar (another scary and untrue thought!).  Either God is God, and all that it means for Him to be God, or He is not God at all.

I would far rather worship a God who has all things in His control than to worship a God with whom some things are beyond His control.

It has been said, “When we cannot trace God’s hand, we can trust His heart.”  There are times when we cannot trace His purpose. There are times when He seems far away.  But we do know something of the heart of the One who would not withhold His only begotten Son but who instead gave Him up for sinners.  Our days are always to be seen in the light of the cross.

In a well-known hymn, William Cowper wrote of "a frowning providence” - times when circumstances seem to hide the face of God and when His good, wise, sovereign, and holy purposes are not revealed to us.

It was out of heart-felt experiences that he wrote:

God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea,
And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never failing skill
He treasures up His bright designs,
and works His sovereign grace.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy,
And shall break in blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
but trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding ev’ry hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flow’r.

Blind unbelief is sure to err,
And scan his work in vain;
God is his own interpreter,
And he will make it plain.

(From the hymn, God Moves in a Mysterious Way)

 Extra Credit:

Q.  What are the decrees of God?
A.  The decrees of God are his eternal purpose by which, for his own glory, he has ordained whatever comes to pass.      (The Westminster Shorter Catechism, question 7)


"God, from all eternity, did – by the most wise and holy counsel of his own free will – freely and unchangeable ordain whatever comes to pass.  Yet he ordered all things in such a way that he is not the author of sin, not does he force his creatures to act against their wills; neither is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established."         (The Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 3)

Heidelberg Q3: The law IS the knowledge of sin

Photo courtesy of WallyG

So, previously in the Heidelberg Catechism, we have determined that Christ is our only comfort in life and death, and that in order to take advantage of that comfort, we must know three things, including 1) how miserable we are in sin, 2) how to be saved, and 3) how to show gratitude for our salvation.

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Q3 of the Heidelberg Catechism begins to delve more deeply into the first criterion of Q2 - we must know that we are miserable in our sinfulness.

Heidelberg Q3: Whence knowest thou thy misery? A: Out of the law of God. Scripture Proof: Rom3:20.

The previous questions of Heidelberg were lengthy and detailed, but this one is short, sweet, and direct.

For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. (Romans 3:20; ESV)

Similarly, in Hebrews, the author discusses how sacrifices (and in general, works and the law) can never remove sins because they serve as a constant reminder that we remain in a state of sin.

For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year... And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. (Heb 10:1-11; ESV)

Our ONLY comfort?

Another idea I have for this blog is a short Q & A; a dialogue between myself (Pat) and our resident theologian (Lane). I figure to start each post with a thought or question or confusion about the Heidelberg Catechism question of the week, and let Lane provide his ideas in response.

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So, to begin with, why would the authors of the Heidelberg Catechism write in their first Q&A that our only comfort in life... is Jesus Christ?

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That sounds pretty harsh.  It reminds me of a college professor (I don't remember if it was Early American Lit or Early American History) that told us that "Calvinism was responsible for driving the first two or three generations of Americans crazy with fear and misery."  It's also reminiscent of that old saw that Calvinism is based on the fear that someone, somewhere, might be happy.

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It seems like it would take a pretty staunch puritan to write that the only thing that gives us comfort in life is Christ.  Certainly it makes sense that our only comfort in death must be Christ, but surely there are beautiful, wonderful things in this world that bring us comfort.  Marriage, children, and vocation come to mind as blessings that comfort us.

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So, what's going on there?

Heidelberg Q2: You may live happily

Photo courtesy of HeliosJinn

Heidelberg Catechism Q2: How many things are necessary for thee to know, that thou, enjoying this comfort, mayest live and die happily? A: Three; the first, how great my sins and miseries are; the second, how I may be delivered from all my sins and miseries; the third, how I shall express my gratitude to God for such deliverance. Scripture Proofs: Matt.11:28-30, Luke 24:46-48, 1Cor.6:11, Tit.3:3-7, John 9:41, John 15:22, John 17:3, Acts 4:12, Acts 10:43, Eph.5:8-11, 1 Pet.2:9-10, Rom.6:1-2,Rom.6:12-13

Enjoying the comfort of our salvation, we may live happy!  Unlike the previous question and answer, this one does not sound at all Puritanical, at least not in the negative sense that the word has come to have.  It is a pure expression of the gospel, but it is not austere, as we have come to think of the Puritans.

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Three things are necessary for us to live and die happily and comfortably...

1. to understand the misery of our sin-nature
2. to know how to be reconciled to God through Christ
3. to know how to express our gratitude for our salvation

This past Sunday, Lane preached one of the most remarkable sermons I've heard him preach.  His topic was, "Our God is a Consuming Fire."  I really think that sermon should be written out and made available on our website (right alongside Edwards' "Sinners in the Hands...").  The gist of Lane's sermon was that one of the historical, orthodox understandings of God's nature is that He is a consuming, devouring, raging fire (see Heb 12:29, Deut 4, and Deut 9).

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One reason this was such a potent sermon was that it fulfilled all three of Heidelberg Q2's criteria - it presented our miserable status as like that of people facing an uncontrollable oncoming wildfire, it laid out the gospel message of our salvation through Christ, and it gave an image of how to express gratitude by lying down at Christ's feet and remaining there.

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The other remarkable part of the sermon was the excellent example of the Mann Gulch Fire of 1949.  Check out the Forest Service report for an impressive example of surviving a consuming fire by lying down and staying put where the fire's wrath has already burned out!

Week Six: The Trinity

WEEK SIX

WHAT IS MEANT BY “THE TRINITY?”

Remember week 4 when I considered a simple question that we may struggle to answer?  That question was simply, “What is God?”  I wrote that giving an answer to that question may be more difficult than thought – answering it biblically, that is - and I noted that the godly men who wrote the Westminster Confession of Faith also struggled over answering the question.

Now we come to a question that is perhaps more difficult to answer, certainly difficult to explain, and impossible to comprehend.

That question is, “What is the Trinity?”

If you have been in church or Sunday School, you are likely to have heard this term.  Even if you have not heard the term, you surely have heard of God spoken of as the Father, as the Son, and as the Holy Spirit.  Maybe you have heard the benediction often used following a worship service: “May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 Corinthians 13:14).

Three Gods?  No!  Rather, the Bible teaches that the true God is One God who exists in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  And, as the Westminster Confession of Faith goes on to teach, all three persons of the Trinity are distinct from one another, yet all three persons are the same in substance and are equal in power and glory.

The Father is God.  The Son is God.  The Holy Spirit is God.  But the Son is not the Father.  The Holy Spirit is not the Son. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct from one another.  They are equal in power and in glory.

One God, existing in three persons, with each of those three persons existing at the same time.  Possible to understand?  Not by our human minds.  Possible to explain?  Not with our human words.

The truth taught in Scripture?  Yes!

One of the ways that this incomprehensible truth becomes real and precious to me is in my salvation.  The Father planned my salvation – and the salvation of all who will be redeemed – in eternity past.  The Son purchased my salvation.  The Holy Spirit applies the purpose of the Father and the work of the Son to my heart, uniting me to Christ as my Redeemer.

Only through the work of the God who is one God existing in three persons could my salvation be accomplished and applied. Salvation itself is the work of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

I am grateful for the God whose very being I cannot comprehend but who in His wonderful grace chose to save me from my sin.

Holy, holy holy!  Merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!

(from the hymn, “Holy, Holy, Holy”)

Heidelberg Q1: Thy only comfort

This post is the beginning of a weekly series on my thoughts on the Heidelberg Catechism, a historical confession of faith with a distinct Calvinist flavor and remarkably beautiful language.

Q1. What is thy only comfort in life and death?  A: That I with body and soul, both in life and death, am not my own, but belong unto my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ; who, with his precious blood, has fully satisfied for all my sins, and delivered me from all the power of the devil; and so preserves me that without the will of my heavenly Father, not a hair can fall from my head; yea, that all things must be subservient to my salvation, and therefore, by his Holy Spirit, He also assures me of eternal life, and makes me sincerely willing and ready, henceforth, to live unto him. Scripture proofs: Rom14:7-8, 1Cor6:19, 1Cor.3:23, Tit2:14, 1Pet1:18-19,1John1:7, 1John2:2, 1John2:12, Heb2:14, 1John3:8, John8:34-36, John6:39, John10:28, 2Thess3:3, 1Pet1:5, Matt10:29-31, Luke21:18, Rom8:28, 2Cor.1:20-22, 2Cor5:5, Eph1:13, Eph1:14, Rom8:16, Rom8:14, 1John3:3

This first question can be taken as a summary of the whole of the catechism (see Wikipedia) but personally, it reminds me of the passage we studied this week in the Mens' Bible Study regarding having confidence (taking comfort) in our salvation - Hebrews 10:19f:

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful ... Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised ... But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.

Week Five: Many Ideas; One God

IS THERE MORE THAN ONE TRUE GOD?

During his second missionary trip, the apostle Paul found himself in the city of Athens.  Though its greatest glory was in the past, the city was proud of its standing and was considered to be the cultural and intellectual center of the world.

Lots of smart, intelligent people living there, right?

The people who lived there would have thought so.

Luke, who wrote the book of Acts, made a parenthetical note in his account of Paul’s time in Athens, saying, “All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listen to the latest ideas” (Acts 17:21).

Don’t you love the humor of the Bible?

So spiritually ignorant were the leading men of the city that they considered the gospel that Paul was preaching to be a new teaching, a novel idea.  Out of curiosity – and probably with the intention of deciding if they would allow Paul to continue teaching in the city – they invited Paul to tell them more.

Since this group was made up of the leading men of the city -men who took pride in their academic and cultural standing, men who were thought to be a notch or two above anyone else – this could have been a very intimidating setting.

Paul, of course, was at home in an academic world. But he stood before them as one who had committed himself totally to the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and to the service of the Lord Jesus, as one who wrote, "I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things" (Philippians 3:8). He knew that many of that crowd would sneer at him – and they did.

What Paul said to this group of men is a classic example of the way to present the gospel to folks like those living in Athens. Paul simply presented the true God to them, addressing not only their minds but particularly their hearts.

He spoke of God as:

•    Creator:  “He made the world and everything in it”  (Many sneer at this today!)

•    Sustainer: “He himself gives life and breath and everything else”  (Every breath of every living person is given by Him.)

•    Ruler: “From one man he made every nation of men…and He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.”  (Beginning with Adam – a real, historical person – God has determined the ultimate purpose of all men and nations.)

•    The Father of all by way of creation (not by redemption): “We are his offspring”   (Paul actually quoted from one of their own poets – showing that he knew their culture – but using their own poets to demonstrate that their spiritual ignorance was inexcusable.)

•    The Judge of all: “For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed.”   (Many deny this even today!)

In proclaiming the true God to the Athenians, Paul aimed at their hearts, desiring their repentance and saying, “Now He commands all people everywhere to repent.”

Many gods that we may serve?  Absolutely not.  There is but one true and living God, the God who has revealed Himself to us in all of creation so that all men are without excuse.  He is the God who has revealed Himself in Scripture and who has come to us in the Lord Jesus Christ that we may know Him.

This living and true God commands our repentance.

Where do you stand with Him?

At New Covenant Presbyterian Church,
we do not proclaim that there are many gods that we may rightly serve.

We are not interested in simply listening to all the latest ideas
while being ignorant of the true God and of the eternal truths of Scripture.

We do not proclaim that there are many ways to God and that it does not matter which God you serve
or how you serve, as long as you seek to be kind and “tolerant” toward everyone and toward every idea.

With gratitude and humility, we proclaim, worship, and serve the God of Scripture.
Anything else is but an idol, a false god, that cannot save.

"Turn to me and be saved...all you ends of the earth
for I am God, and there is no other."
Isaiah 45:22