His Word Today

We will devote each Lord’s Day in 2021 at hiswordtoday.org to present a portion of the Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF). For those unfamiliar with the WCF, a brief explanation is appropriate. 

The Westminster Confession of Faith is a Reformed confession of faith. Drawn up by the 1646 Westminster Assembly as part of the Westminster Standards to be a confession of the Church of England, it became and remains the “subordinate standard” of doctrine (to Scripture) in the Church of Scotland and has been influential within Presbyterian churches worldwide.

It is to that “most precise and accurate summary of the content of biblical Christianity” that we will give our time and attention to each Lord’s Day in the year of our Lord, 2021. I trust you will be edified and encouraged each week by The Westminster Confession of Faith.

Chapter Nineteen: Of the Law of God.

1. God gave to Adam a law, as a covenant of works, by which he bound him and all his posterity to personal, entire, exact, and perpetual obedience; promised life upon the fulfilling, and threatened death upon the breach of it; and endued him with power and ability to keep it.^a

a. Gen 1:26-27 with 2:17; Job 28:28; Eccl 7:29; Rom 2:14-15; 5:12, 19; 10:5; Gal 3:10, 12.

2. This law, after his fall, continued to be a perfect rule of righteousness; and, as such, was delivered by God upon mount Sinai in ten commandments, and written in two tablets;^a the first four commandments containing our duty towards God, and the other six our duty to man.^b

a. Exod 34:1; Deut 5:32; 10:4; Rom 13:8-9; James 1:25; 2:8, 10-12. • b. Mat 22:37-40.

3. Beside this law, commonly called moral, God was pleased to give to the people of Israel, as a Church under age, ceremonial laws, containing several typical ordinances, partly of worship, prefiguring Christ, his graces, actions, sufferings, and benefits;^a and partly holding forth divers instructions of moral duties.^b All which ceremonial laws are now abrogated under the New Testament.^c

a. Gal 4:1-3; Col 2:17; Heb 9 throughout; 10:1. • b. 1 Cor 5:7; 2 Cor 6:17; Jude 1:23. • c. Dan 9:27; Eph 2:15-16; Col 2:14, 16-17.

I encourage you to read the portions of Scripture listed in this post.

Have a blessed Lord’s Day.

\Soli deo Gloria!

⁵ “Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, ⁶ not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, ⁷ rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, ⁸ knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free.” (Ephesians 6:5–8 (ESV)

The Apostle Paul now addresses the relationship of employees and their employers. Instead of the word employee, Paul begins today’s text with the noun Bondservants (δοῦλος; doulos). The word bondservant means slave. A slave is an individual who is subservient to and controlled by a slave owner.

God commands slaves, or employees, to obey their earthly masters. The word obey (ὑπακούω; hypakouo) is a present active imperative or command. God commands Christian slaves, or employees, to obey His command to obey their earthly masters. To obey means to submit to a master’s authority.

The phrase earthly master (σάρξ κύριος; sarx kyrios) is a strong one. It means a human master, owner, or ruler. Bondservants and employees are to obey their human rulers as they would their heavenly ruler.

Obedience for one’s master, or boss, is to be done with fear (φόβος; phobos) meaning respect and reverence. Obedience is also to be done with trembling (τρόμος; tromos) which literally means to quake and to quiver.

This reverential and respectful obedience is to be done with a sincere heart (ἁπλότης καρδία; haplotes kardia). This means obedience is to be derived from pure motives in the employee’s mind, emotions and will. As a believer sincerely obeys the Lord Jesus, so also are they to obey their employer.

Dr. John MacArthur writes, “Slaves in both Greek and Roman culture had no rights legally and were treated as commodities. There was much abuse and seldom good treatment of slaves. The Bible does not speak against slavery itself, but against its abuses (cf. Ex. 21:16, 26–27; Lev. 25:10; Deut. 23:15–16). Paul’s admonition applies equally well to all employees. The term “obey” refers to continuous, uninterrupted submission to one’s earthly master or employer. The only exception being in regard to a command that involves clear disobedience of God’s word as illustrated in Acts 4:19–20.”

Colossians 3:23-25 says, “²³ Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, ²⁴ knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. ²⁵ For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.”

To serve one’s employer well is to serve Christ well. Have a blessed day.

Soli deo Gloria!

“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:4 (ESV)

The Apostle Paul spoke to children about their duty before the Lord to obey their parents. He now shifts his attention to parents concerning their duty before the Lord in raising their children.

Paul begins with the word fathers (πατήρ; pater). While the word may refer to both sets of parents, Paul uses the word father because it represents the head of the family.

What are fathers to do, or in the case not do, in raising their children? The texts says, “do not provoke your children to anger,” Do not provoke (μή παροργίζω; me parorgizo) means to not make angry or exasperate. Who are fathers not to provoke to anger? Their children (τέκνον; teknon) or offspring. These would be the same offspring Paul spoke of in Ephesians 6:1-3.

What fathers are to do is bring their children up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. The phrase bring them up (ἐκτρέφω; ektrepho) means to raise, rear and bring up to maturity. The word discipline (παιδεία; paideia) means training and punishment. The word instruction (νουθεσία; nouthesia) refers to teachings, admonitions and warnings.  

A parent’s rearing, training and teaching of their children must be centered solely in the Lord. The Lord Jesus is to be the center of family relationships along with all instruction and wisdom.

Children are human beings made in the image of God (Gen. 1:27). Parents must not abuse certain boundaries of discipline. In correcting their children, mothers and fathers are prohibited from inflicting serious physical injury (Ex. 21:20, 26–27; Prov. 22:15). Parents are also forbidden to embarrass, curse, or otherwise verbally, mentally, or emotionally abuse their kids (James 3:8–10). Obviously, sexual exploitation has no place in the home (Lev. 18; Deut. 5:18).

Dr. R. C. Sproul writes, “Parents who are not obviously abusive can also provoke their children to anger. A legalistic spirit that emphasizes rules over relationships, making sons and daughters fear for the security of their places in the family, can incite rebellion. Arbitrary disciplinary standards as well as expectations that kids can never hope to meet can also lead to anger against parents and against God — the One whom parents, especially fathers, image to their children. Mothers and fathers who are not overtly abusive nonetheless fail miserably if they wrongly anger their kids in these ways.”

As a pastor, and previously a youth pastor, I have witnessed the legalistic and arbitrary authority of fathers over their children. The result was a deep anger and a corresponding rebellious spirit in their kids. Often, this escalated to a frigid atmosphere within the home. It also led to some children renouncing God’s existence. For other children, it crushed their spirits and caused them to withdraw into their own silent world.

As parents, and grandparents, we must never provoke our children to wrath. If we do, we must seek their forgiveness by confessing our sin against them. This may not be an easy thing to do, but it is the right thing to do.

Soli deo Gloria!   

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ² Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise ³ that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” (Ephesians 6:1–3 (ESV)

“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.” (Exodus 20:12 (ESV)“

We are to honor our own father and mother. And this honor consists not only in respectful demeanor, but in this: that we obey them, look up to, esteem and heed their words and example, accept what they say, keep silent and endure their treatment of us, so long as it is not contrary to the first three Commandments; in addition, when they need it, that we provide them with food, clothing and shelter.” –Martin Luther

What does the Bible means when it says “honor your father and mother?” The word honor (τιμάω; timao) is a present, active imperative verb. It is a command from God. It means to show respect and to give recognition of an object’s high status. Believers in Christ are to honor God (I Samuel 2:30; I Peter 3:15). In this context, God commands children to honor their parents.

God gives this command and a reason for it: “this is the first commandment with a promise” Exodus 20:12 provides the promise: “that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.”

In the context of Exodus 20:12, God gave the promise through Moses to the Nation of Israel when they would enter and occupy the land the LORD was going to give them. The specific promise was for long days in the land God would give them. This promise continues, not only in the first century Roman world in which Paul lived, but also in today’s world.

Dr. R. C. Sproul explains, “Ancient Roman society, like most cultures throughout history, believed that children should listen to their parents and respect their elders. Indeed, no one can escape what the created order tells us about the propriety of kids obeying their mothers and fathers. Yet Scripture uniquely addresses children directly, commanding them as individuals with a moral sense of what they should and should not do. This elevates children from the status of mere possessions to persons, conferring upon them a dignity and worth not always given to them in unbelieving societies. Kids are not chattel who can be treated any way their parents like.”

How can children honor their parents, even when a child is an adult? One way is to provide for one’s parents as they become older and need physical assistance. For approximately a year and a half, my wife’s mother lived in our home. She could no longer live alone due to her increasing physical infirmities. My wife cooked, cleaned, and took her mom to various appointments. She also took care of her mom’s financial and personal needs. My wife truly showed honor to her mom up to, and even following, her mom’s home going to heaven.  

How may you, even as an adult, show honor to your parents today?

Soli deo Gloria!    

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.” (Ephesians 6:1 (ESV)

“Why does the apostle us the word obey instead of honor, which has a greater extent of meaning? It is because obedience is the evidence of that honor which children owe to their parents and is therefore more earnestly enforced.” – John Calvin   

The Apostle Paul continues to examine the biblical roles within the family unit. Having begun with the husband and wife relationship, he now transitions to the parent child relationship.

Paul begins with the word children (τέκνον; teknon). This means one’s offspring and descendants. In other words, the kids in the family. How are children adolescents and teenagers to behave towards their parents?

The Scripture says, obey your parents. The word obey (ὑπακούω; hypakouo) is a present, active imperative verb. In other words, it is a command. It means to listen and to be obedient (Matt. 8:27; Mark 1:27; Acts 6:7; Rom. 6:12, 16, 17; Eph. 6:1, 5; 2 Thess. 1:8; 1 Peter 3:6). Literally, it means to answer the door (Acts 12:13).

The phrase your parents (σύ γονεύς; sy goneous) refers to fathers, mothers, and also other close relatives ((Mark 13:12; Luke 2:27; 8:56; 21:16; John 9:2; Rom. 1:30; 2 Cor. 12:14; Eph. 6:1; Col. 3:20; 2 Tim. 3:2).  

Children are to do so in the Lord (ἐν κύριος; en kyrios). This phase does not mean that children are to obey their parents only if their parents are believers. Rather, a child’s obedience to his parents is pleasing in the Lord’s sight (Col. 3:20).

Not only is obeying one’s parents pleasing to the Lord, but it is also right (εἰμί δίκαιος; eimi dikaios). This means that obedience is proper and righteous in the eyes of God.

Dr. R. C. Sproul writes, “In today’s passage, the apostle addresses Christian children. His main audience consisting of kids who still live under their parents’ roofs. Adult children can certainly draw principles from Ephesians 6:1–3 for their relationship with their parents, but the primary instruction is for those who have yet to reach maturity.”

Dr. Sproul continues by saying, “Scripture uniquely addresses children directly, commanding them as individuals with a moral sense of what they should and should not do. This elevates children from the status of mere possessions to persons, conferring upon them a dignity and worth not always given to them in unbelieving societies. Kids are not chattel who can be treated any way their parents like.”

Dr. Sproul concludes by stating, “Obedience “in the Lord” qualifies the child-parent relationship, but it cannot excuse rebellious kids who disobey rules they do not like. God gives us parents for our benefit, and obeying their wisdom, besides being right, brings us many benefits (Eph. 6:2–3). In fact, children who impenitently disobey the godly instruction of their parents mark themselves off as unregenerate (Rom. 1:28–32; 2 Tim. 3:1–5). Yet children who profess Christ and render respectful love to their parents demonstrate the reality of their salvation, enjoying many other blessings as well.”  

Leviticus 19:3, 14, 32 says for children to honor their parents as they fear and reverence the Lord. This applies to all children, not matter what their age and how long they have lived outside their parent’s home. May we be visible examples of honoring our mothers and fathers.

Soli deo Gloria!

³¹ “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” ³² This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. ³³ However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.” (Ephesians 5:31–33 (ESV)

The Apostle Paul’s final thought in Ephesians 5 regarding husbands and their wives is found in Eph. 5:33. Having just compared heterosexual marriage to the heavenly union between Christ and the church. Paul reminds his audience not to forget the responsibility within an earthly marriage.

First, the husband is to love his wife as himself. Again, the word love (ἀγαπάω; agapao) means a self-sacrificial love of the will. Additionally, the wife is to respect φοβέω; phobeo) her husband. To respect means to admire and to high opinion of her husband.

Dr. R. C. Sproul writes, “God’s call for husbands to love their wives and for wives to respect their husbands is not an exhortation to naivete, to put up with impenitent abusers, or to pretend that no marital problems will ever arise between two sinners who, by the Lord’s grace, endeavor to fulfill His will for matrimony. Instead, it is a call for two people to set aside their own preferences in the interest of living before the face of God in such a way that shows the world why the Christ-church bond is the most beautiful relationship in all creation. And it is a call for churches to do everything in their power to teach us how to fulfill our respective marital roles as well as to intervene when gross violations of the marriage covenant occur among us.”

The unity between the husband and his wife is to be seen within the church before the Lord Jesus Christ and the world. Husbands, let us never be tyrants towards our wives. Wives, may you never view yourself as slaves to your husbands.  

Soli deo Gloria!    

³¹ “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” ³² This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. ³³ However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.” (Ephesians 5:31–33 (ESV)

The Holy Spirit brings the Apostle Paul’s instructions concerning husbands and wives to a climatic conclusion. Paul begins vs. 31 with the familiar word therefore (οὗτος; ouotos) meaning a conclusion.  

Paul writes, ““Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” Quoting from Genesis 2:24, the apostle wants the Ephesian church, and believers today, to know that the role of husbands and wives remains the same in God’s perspective and should remain the same in our own. Marriage is between a man and a woman: a male husband and his female wife.

The Apostle Paul then says, “This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church” (Eph. 5:32). The word mystery (μυστήριον; mysterion) means a secret (Mark 4:11; Rom. 11:25; 16:25; 1 Cor. 2:1; 4:1; 13:2; 14:2; 15:51; Eph. 1:9; 6:19; Col. 1:26; 2:2; 2 Thess. 2:7; 1 Tim. 3:9; Rev. 17:5). Paul previously developed the doctrine of the mystery of Christ and the church in Ephesians 3:1-6.

The mystery, or secret, to which the apostle refers is profound (μέγας; megas). It is a great, important and an intense mystery. What is this mystery to which Paul refers?

Thy mystery is that the profound unity which exists between a husband and his wife is a type, or picture, of the unity between the Lord Jesus Christ and the church. We do not have to guess that this is the apostle’s meaning because he explicitly says so in the latter part of vs. 32.

Dr. R. C. Sproul says, “The idea that God’s pre-fall commission, from Genesis 2:24, for a man to leave his family and become one with his wife was ultimately intended to foreshadow Christ’s relationship with His bride, the church. This was not so clearly seen in the Old Testament, but now has been fully revealed in Christ. As a man leaves his family and cleaves to his wife, Christ left His Father’s side   and came to cleave to His bride. Having returned to His Father, He brings us with Him to dwell before God forever.”

What a blessed promise from God regarding the church’s eternal security in Christ. Take time today to praise the Lord Jesus for being His eternal bride.

Soli deo Gloria!    

We will devote each Lord’s Day in 2021 at hiswordtoday.org to present a portion of the Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF). For those unfamiliar with the WCF, a brief explanation is appropriate. 

The Westminster Confession of Faith is a Reformed confession of faith. Drawn up by the 1646 Westminster Assembly as part of the Westminster Standards to be a confession of the Church of England, it became and remains the “subordinate standard” of doctrine (to Scripture) in the Church of Scotland and has been influential within Presbyterian churches worldwide.

It is to that “most precise and accurate summary of the content of biblical Christianity” that we will give our time and attention to each Lord’s Day in the year of our Lord, 2021. I trust you will be edified and encouraged each week by The Westminster Confession of Faith.

Chapter Eighteen: Of the Assurance of Grace and Salvation. Part 2.

3. This infallible assurance doth not so belong to the essence of faith, but that a true believer may wait long, and conflict with many difficulties before he be partaker of it:^a yet, being enabled by the Spirit to know the things which are freely given him of God, he may, without extraordinary revelation, in the right use of ordinary means, attain thereunto.^b And therefore it is the duty of everyone to give all diligence to make his calling and election sure;^c that thereby his heart may be enlarged in peace and joy in the Holy Ghost, in love and thankfulness to God, and in strength and cheerfulness in the duties of obedience,^d the proper fruits of this assurance: so far is it from inclining men to looseness.^e

a. Psa 88 throughout; Psa 77:1-12; Isa 50:10; Mark 9:24; 1 John 5:13. • b. 1 Cor 2:12; Eph 3:17-19; Heb 6:11-12; 1 John 4:13. • c. 2 Pet 1:10. • d. Rom 5:1-2, 5; 14:17; 15:13; Eph 1:3-4; Psa 4:6-7; 119:32. • e. Psa 130:4; Rom 6:1-2; 8:1, 12; 2 Cor 7:1; Titus 2:11-12, 14; 1 John 1:6-7; 2:1-2; 3:2-3.

4. True believers may have the assurance of their salvation divers ways shaken, diminished, and intermitted; as, by negligence in preserving of it; by falling into some special sin, which woundeth the conscience, and grieveth the Spirit; by some sudden or vehement temptation; by God’s withdrawing the light of his countenance, and suffering even such as fear him to walk in darkness and to have no light:^a yet are they never utterly destitute of that seed of God, and life of faith, that love of Christ and the brethren, that sincerity of heart and conscience of duty, out of which, by the operation of the Spirit, this assurance may in due time be revived,^b and by the which, in the meantime, they are supported from utter despair.^c

a. Psa 31:22; 51:8, 12, 14; 77:1-10; 88 throughout; Song 5:2-3, 6; Isa 50:10; Mat 26:69-72; Eph 4:30-31. • b. Job 13:15; Psa 51:8, 12; 73:15; Isa 50:10; Luke 22:32; 1 John 3:9. • c. Psa 22:1; 88 throughout; Isa 54:7-10; Jer 32:40; Micah 7:7-9.

I encourage you to read the portions of Scripture listed in this post.

Have a blessed Lord’s Day.

\Soli deo Gloria!

³¹ “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” ³² This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. ³³ However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.” (Ephesians 5:31–33 (ESV)

The Holy Spirit brings the Apostle Paul’s instructions concerning husbands and wives to a climatic conclusion. Paul begins vs. 31 with the familiar word therefore (οὗτος; ouotos) meaning a conclusion.  

Paul writes, ““Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” Quoting from Genesis 2:24, the apostle wants the Ephesian church, and believers today, to know that the role of husbands and wives remains the same in God’s perspective and should remain the same in our own. Marriage is between a man and a woman: a male husband and his female wife.

A man shall leave (καταλείπω; kataleipo) is a strong phrase for Paul to use. It means to literally abandon, to leave behind, to neglect, and to avoid association. Rather than utterly forsaking one’s family prior to marriage, the apostle means that the bond between a husband and his wife is greater than that of a parent and child.

The man is to hold fast to his wife. The phrase hold fast (προσκολλάω; proskollao) means to join and be united to his wife (Mark 10:7; Eph. 5:31+; Matt. 19:5; Acts 5:36). It refers to the most intimate union a man and woman can have.

Dr. John MacArthur writes, “The union of marriage is intimate and unbreakable. “Hold fast” is a phrase used to express having been glued or cemented together, emphasizing the permanence of the union.”  

This intimate union between a husband and wife is also described by the phase and the two shall become one flesh (εἰμί σάρξ εἷς; eimi sarx eis). This phrase not only refers to the physical union of marriage but also to the social, emotional and spiritual union that is to exist in marriage. In natural marriage, the husband and wife combine all four elements of one complete human being: the one being incomplete without the other.

It is my understanding that the intimate union a husband is to have with his wife begins with their spiritual unity in Christ. They are both believers in Christ. It is that unity which guides their own personal union with each other. Emotional, social, and then physical unity is to follow. The physical unity, or the sexual relationship, is the least important and should be understood in light of the previous three areas of marriage unity.  

However, even a superficial glimpse at the current culture reveals that the emphasis in marriage, or human relationships, has been reversed. In other words, it has been turned upside down. The physical, or sexual, union is stressed above all else. This is often at the expense of the other three categories of unity.

Take time today to evaluate your own marriage. What is the priority in your marriage regarding the spiritual, emotional, social and physical union? Is the spiritual union with your spouse the most gratifying and important or is it being neglected? What steps are you willing to make to ensure that you are fostering and nurturing the most important aspect of your intimate relationship with your spouse?

Soli deo Gloria!   

²⁸ “In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹ For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, ³⁰ because we are members of his body.” (Ephesians 5:28–29 (ESV)

The Apostle Paul brings the subject of Jesus Christ’s love for the church and compares it to the husband’s love for his wife. When Paul writes “In the same way” he is referring the reader back to the immediate preceding context of vs. 26-27. The husband’s love for his wife is to be a sanctifying, splendid and holy love.

Furthermore, Paul states that husbands should (ὀφείλω; opheillo) or are obligated to love their wives as their own bodies. In other words, the husband is to infinitely love his wife as his own physical being. As the husband takes care of his physical being through rest, nourishment, and exercise so also he is to care for his wife. To provide for one’s physical body is natural and instinctive. So also should be the husband’s love for his wife.

Generally speaking, no individual ever hated (μισέω; miseo) or detested his own body. Rather, he nourishes (ἐκτρέφω; ektrepho) and provides food for it. Additionally, he cherishes (θάλπω; thalpo) or takes care of it.

The husband’s example of such love is Jesus Christ. Christ spiritually nourishes and cherishes the church because the church is referred to as the body of Christ.

Dr. John Walvoord writes, “Paul applied the truths given in verses 25–27. As the church is the extension of Christ, so is the wife an “extension” of her husband. No one hates his own body but takes care of it. Feeds (ektrephei; cf. “bring them up” in 6:4) and cares for (thalpei; cf. 1 Thes. 2:7) is literally, “nourishes and cherishes.” Thus as Christ loves the church, His body (of which all believers are members; cf. Eph. 4:25), so should husbands … love their wives as their own bodies (5:28; cf. v. 33). Men care for their bodies even though they are imperfect and so they should care for their wives though they are imperfect.”

May each of us who are husbands take these biblical truths seriously.

Soli deo Gloria!