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Knowing God: The Love of God.

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” (I John 4:7-11).

Thus far in our study of Knowing God, we have stipulated that to know God is to know His attributes, which are His personal characteristics. These are those qualities which make God, God. Some of God’s attributes He has chosen to share with His creation. Some of His attributes, He alone possesses.

We have seen that God is self-existent, He makes decisions and is glorious, omniscient, omnipresent, sovereign, holy, and wrathful. If, of all of God’s attributes, the one which often solicits the most controversy and debate is God’s wrath, then it could be argued that the attribute of God which is most often misunderstood is His love.

One book I discovered by a noted biblical theologian is entitled The Difficult Doctrine of the Love of God. The author, D.A. Carson, is concerned that the love of God is so often distorted in order for people to make it something less offensive to the fallen and sinful human mind.

Dr. Carson writes, “We live in a culture in which many other and complementary truths about God are widely disbelieved. I do not think that what the Bible says about the love of God can long survive at the forefront of our thinking if it is abstracted from the sovereignty of God, the holiness of God, the wrath of God, the providence of God, or the personhood of God—to mention only a few nonnegotiable elements of basic Christianity. The result, of course, is that the love of God in our culture has been purged of anything the culture finds uncomfortable. The love of God has been sanitized, democratized, and above all sentimentalized. This process has been going on for some time. My generation was taught to sing, “What the world needs now is love, sweet love,” in which we robustly instruct the Almighty that we do not need another mountain (we have enough of them), but we could do with some more love. The hubris is staggering.”

The Bible teaches that God’s love is a holy love. It is not a sentimental emotion which turns a blind eye or a deaf ear to sin and the sinner’s rebelliousness. Rather, in I John 4:8, which is in harmony with John 3:16, God’s agape love is a self-sacrificial love of the will. It is not a love which denies the reality of sin but rather recognizes it, calls it for what it is, and has done something about it in and through the person and work of Jesus Christ.

God’s love is in keeping with what the Apostle Paul mentions in I Corinthians 13:4-8a. “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.”

God’s love for sinners is a patient love. It is a kind love, while never being envious, boastful, arrogant or rude. God does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but He rejoices in the truth.

God demonstrates this love by loving sinners who deserve His wrath. Romans 5:7-10 says, “For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.”

But is God’s love for sinners, as under attack as this truth is nowadays because not many believe in sin anymore, the only example of the love of God? Is there more to be found in the Scriptures? I believe so!

Take time today to thank God for His love for you. Take time to express your love for Him based upon His love for you.

Soli deo Gloria!

 

 

 

 

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Knowing God: The Wrath of God, Part 2.

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.” (Romans 1:18).

Thus far in our study of Knowing God, we have stipulated that to know God is to know His attributes, which are His personal characteristics. These are those qualities which make God, God. Some of God’s attributes He has chosen to share with His creation. Some of His attributes, He alone possesses.

We have seen that God is self-existent, He makes decisions, He is glorious, omniscient, omnipresent, sovereign and holy. However, of all of God’s attributes the one which often solicits the most controversy and debate is God’s wrath.

Notice the present tense verb phrase is being revealed. God’s wrath is not just a future event (Revelation 14 & 19) but a present reality. Theologian Charles Hodge explains that there are three manifestations of God’s present wrath: “the actual punishment of sin,” “the inherent tendency of moral evil to produce misery,” and “the voice of conscience”

The Apostle Paul also explains in Romans 1:18 that God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness belonging to and originating from sinful mankind. Ungodliness is a lack of reverence for, devotion to and worship of the One, True God. Ungodliness reflects the sinner’s defective and adversarial relationship with God (Jude 14-15).

Unrighteousness is the result of ungodliness. It is a lack of conformity by thought, speech and behavior to the person and truth of and from God. It is a life lived in rebellion against God and His Word.

Unfortunately, rather than repent sinful mankind seeks to suppress God’s truth in their unrighteousness. As Dr. MacArthur explains, “Although the evidence from conscience (Romans 1:19; 2:14), creation (Romans 1:20), and God’s word is irrefutable, men choose to resist and oppose God’s truth by holding fast to their sin (cf. Psalm 14:1; John 3:19–20).”

Commentator Robert Haldane states, “The wrath of God … was revealed when the sentence of death was first pronounced, the earth cursed and man driven out of the earthly paradise, and afterward by such examples of punishment as those of the deluge and the destruction of the cities of the plain by fire from heaven, but especially by the reign of death throughout the world. It was proclaimed by the curse of the law on every transgression and was intimated in the institution of sacrifice and in all the services of the Mosaic dispensation. In the eighth chapter of this epistle (Romans) the apostle calls the attention of believers to the fact that the whole creation has become subject to vanity and groaneth and travaileth together in pain. This same creation which declares that there is a God, and publishes his glory, also proves that he is the enemy of sin and the avenger of the crimes of men.… But above all, the wrath of God was revealed from heaven when the Son of God came down to manifest the divine character, and when that wrath was displayed in his sufferings and death in a manner more awful than by all the tokens God had before given of his displeasure against sin.”

To deny the wrath of God, as many Christians even do, is to attack and deny the very nature of Jesus Christ’s substitutionary atonement on the cross on the sinner’s behalf. The purpose of Christ’s death and resurrection was not only to provide redemption, justification and reconciliation on behalf of sinners, but also to satisfy the holy and righteous wrath of God toward sinners. There is one particular word which describes this truth and that is the biblical word propitiation.

Dr. MacArthur comments that, “Crucial to the significance of Christ’s sacrifice, this word (propitiation) carries the idea of appeasement or satisfaction—in this case Christ’s violent death satisfied the offended holiness and wrath of God against those for whom Christ died (Isaiah 53:11; Colossians. 2:11–14). The Hebrew equivalent of this word was used to describe the mercy seat—the cover to the ark of the covenant—where the high priest sprinkled the blood of the slaughtered animal on the Day of Atonement to make atonement for the sins of the people. In pagan religions, it is the worshiper not the god who is responsible to appease the wrath of the offended deity. But in reality, man is incapable of satisfying God’s justice apart from Christ, except by spending eternity in hell.” (Cf. Leviticus 16; Matthew 26:36-46; Mark 14:32-42; Luke 22:39-46; John 18:1; Romans 3:25; 1 John 2:1-2; 4:7-11).

Therefore, even in this brief explanation regarding the wrath of God, we can see that the truth of God’s wrath is crucial in understanding the depth of God’s love for sinners. The wrath of God does not contradict God’s love but rather gives greater significance to His love in sending Jesus Christ.

Take time today to thank God for sending Jesus Christ to take your place and receive on your behalf the wrath of God. If you have not repented of your sin and trusted Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior, do so immediately in order to no longer face the wrath of God.

Soli deo Gloria!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Knowing God: The Wrath of God!

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.” (Romans 1:18).

Thus far in our study of Knowing God, we have stipulated that to know God is to know His attributes, which are His personal characteristics. These are those qualities which make God, God. Some of God’s attributes He has chosen to share with His creation. Some of His attributes, He alone possesses.

We have seen that God is self-existent, He makes decisions, He is glorious, omniscient, omnipresent, sovereign and holy. However, of all of God’s attributes the one which often solicits the most controversy and debate is God’s wrath.

Dr. James Montgomery Boice comments that, “Today’s preaching is deficient at many points. But there is no point at which it is more evidently inadequate and even explicitly contrary to the teachings of the New Testament than in its neglect of “the wrath of God.” God’s wrath is a dominant Bible teaching and the point in Romans at which Paul begins his formal exposition of the gospel. Yet, to judge from most contemporary forms of Christianity, the wrath of God is either an unimportant doctrine, which is an embarrassment, or an entirely wrong notion, which any enlightened Christian should abandon.”

In the Old Testament, there are more than twenty words used to refer to God’s wrath.  There are close to six hundred important passages on the subject. These passages are not isolated or unrelated to each other but present a consistent understanding that wrath is part of God’s character. God wrath is one of the most important themes and events of Scripture.

  1. I. Packer says, “One of the most striking things about the Bible is the vigor with which both Testaments emphasize the reality and terror of God’s wrath.”

 

Arthur W. Pink wrote, “A study through a concordance will show that there are more references in Scripture to the anger, fury, and wrath of God than there are to His love and tenderness.”

 

Wrath is God’s holy displeasure and righteous vengeance against sin. There are two main words for wrath in the New Testament. One is thymos, from a root that means “to rush along fiercely,” “to be in a heat of violence,” or “to breathe violently.” The other biblical word for wrath is the Greek word orge meaning divine punishment based upon God’s angry judgment against someone. Orge means “to grow ripe for something.” It portrays wrath as something that builds up over a long period of time, like water collecting behind a great dam or a ripening peach which is ready to burst forth with flavor and juice.

Please notice the two preceding adjectives describing God’s displeasure and vengeance against sin in Romans 1:18 are the words holy and righteous. God’s wrath is never, ever sinful. His wrath is a holy wrath, a righteous wrath. It is a wrath which is in keeping with the sinlessness of His character.

Additionally, God’s wrath should never be likened to a person “blowing their top,” “being out of control,” or “losing one’s cool.” Rather, God’s wrath is a settled opposition against the sinner because of their sin. Along with this settled opposition comes the solemn promise of judgment.

Dr. John MacArthur writes that God’s wrath, “is not an impulsive outburst of anger aimed capriciously at people whom God does not like. It is the settled, determined response of a righteous God against sin (cf. Psalm 2:5, 12; 45:7; 75:8; 76:6–7; 78:49–51; 90:7–9; Isaiah 51:17; Jeremiah 25:15–16; John 3:36; Romans 9:22; Ephesians 5:6; Colossians 3:5–6).”

Theologian John Murray says in his exposition of Romans 1:18 that “wrath is the holy revulsion of God’s being against that which is the contradiction of his holiness. Before all else, as Christians, we confess that we ourselves justly deserve the wrath of God save for Christ’s mercy alone.”

Pastor and author D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones says, “Grace is favor shown to people who do not deserve any favor at all… We deserve nothing but hell. If you think you deserve heaven, take it from me, you are not a Christian.”

Take time today to thank God for sending Jesus Christ to take your place and receive on your behalf the wrath of God. If you have not repented of your sin and trusted Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior, do so immediately in order to no longer face the wrath of God.

More to come!

Soli deo Gloria!

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Knowing God: The Faithfulness of God, Part 3.

The Scriptures clearly teach the faithfulness of God. For the believer in Christ, to have faith, or to believe, means to trust, depend, commit and to worship one object and one object alone. The sole object is God, in the person and work of Jesus Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit. It stands to reason that if faith means to trust, depend, commit and worship God, it is because He is trustworthy, dependable, committed and worthy of worship.

The following categories are but a small sampling of what the Scriptures say about God’s faithfulness.

  • Faithfulness is part of God’s character (Isaiah 49:1-7; I Corinthians 1:1-9; I Thessalonians 5:24).
  • God’s faithfulness is biblically declared to be (1) Great (Lamentation 3:23); (2) Established (Psalm 89:1-2); (3) Incomparable (Psalm 89:8); (4) Unfailing (Psalm 89:33; 2 Timothy 2:13); (4) Infinite (Psalm 36:1-5); and (5) Everlasting (Psalm 119:90; 146:1-6).
  • God’s faithfulness is the believer’s confidence in prayer (Psalm 143:1).
  • God’s faithfulness should be proclaimed to all (Psalm 40:1-10; 89:1).
  • God’s faithfulness is revealed in His (1) Counsels (Isaiah 25:1); (2) in man’s afflictions (Psalm 119:75); (3) In fulfilling His promises (I Kings 8:1-20; Psalm 132:1-11; Micah 7:1-20; Hebrews 10:1-23); (4) In keeping covenant (Deuteronomy 7:1-9; Psalm 111:1-5); (5) In carrying out His judgments (Jeremiah 23:1-20; 51:1-29); (6) In rejoicing before God (Deuteronomy 14:26).
  • Believers are warned to not wander from God’s faithfulness (Deuteronomy 29:18).
  • God will faithfully remove liars and deceivers from His presence (Psalm 101:7).
  • God will faithfully punish the irreligious (Jeremiah 10:25).

As theologian and author Arthur Pink observes, “Scripture abounds in illustrations of God’s faithfulness. God is true. His Word of Promise is sure. In all His relations with His people God is faithful. He may be safely relied upon. No one ever yet really trusted Him in vain. We find this precious truth expressed almost everywhere in the Scriptures, for His people need to know that faithfulness is an essential part of the Divine character. This is the basis of our confidence in Him. But it is one thing to accept the faithfulness of God as a Divine truth, it is quite another to act upon it. God has given us many “exceeding great and precious promises,” but are we really counting on His fulfillment of them? Are we actually expecting Him to do for us all that He has said? Are we resting with implicit assurance on these words, “He is faithful that promised” (Hebrews 10:23)?”

Great Is Thy Faithfulness is a popular Christian hymn written by Thomas Chisholm (1866–1960) in 1923 with music composed by William M. Runyan (1870–1957) that same year. The phrase “great is thy faithfulness” comes from the Old Testament Book of Lamentations 3:23. Mr. Chisholm wrote the poem about God’s faithfulness over his lifetime.

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee,
Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not,
As Thou hast been, Thou forever wilt be.

Chorus
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me!

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above;
Join with all nature in manifold witness,
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today, and bright hope for tomorrow
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside.

Soli deo Gloria!

 

 

 

 

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Knowing God: The Faithfulness of God, Part 2.

“The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23.

The Scriptures clearly teach the faithfulness of God. For the believer in Christ, to have faith, or to believe, means to trust, depend, commit and to worship one object and one object alone. The sole object is God, in the person and work of Jesus Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit. It stands to reason that if faith means to trust, depend, commit and worship God, it is because He is trustworthy, dependable, committed and worthy of worship.

Theologian and author Arthur Pink writes, “Unfaithfulness is one of the most outstanding sins of these evil days. In the business world, a man’s word is, with exceedingly rare exceptions, no longer his bond. In the social world, marital infidelity abounds on every hand, the sacred bonds of wedlock being broken with as little regard as the discarding of an old garment. In the ecclesiastical realm, thousands who have solemnly covenanted to preach the truth make no scruple to attack and deny it. Nor can reader or writer claim complete immunity from this fearful sin: in how many ways have we been unfaithful to Christ, and to the light and privileges which God has entrusted to us! How refreshing, then, how unspeakably blessed, to lift our eyes above this scene of ruin, and behold One who is faithful, faithful in all things, faithful at all times.”

Have there been times in your life when you have doubted the faithfulness of God? Have there been occasions, few or many, when you struggled to trust, depend, commit and worship Him? Was it because of illness, yours or someone else’s? Was it because of the loss of a job (or potential loss), the ending of a marriage, or a wayward and disobedient child?

Arthur Pink continues by saying, “There are seasons in the lives of all when it is not easy, no not even for Christians, to believe that God is faithful. Our faith is sorely tried, our eyes bedimmed with tears, and we can no longer trace the out workings of His love. Our ears are distracted with the noises of the world, harassed by the atheistic whisperings of Satan, and we can no longer hear the sweet accents of His still small voice. Cherished plans have been thwarted, friends on whom we relied have failed us, a professed brother or sister in Christ has betrayed us. We are staggered. We sought to be faithful to God, and now a dark cloud hides Him from us. We find it difficult, yea, impossible, for carnal reason to harmonize His frowning providence with His gracious promises. Ah, faltering soul, severely tried fellow pilgrim, seek grace to heed Isaiah 50:10, “Who among you fears the LORD and obeys the voice of his servant? Let him who walks in darkness and has no light trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God.”

If you’re struggling right now, apply the words of Isaiah 50:10 to your own life and circumstances. Call upon the LORD and begin to rely upon He who is faithful.

Soli deo Gloria!

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Knowing God: The Faithfulness of God.

“The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:24.

“…if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.” – 2 Timothy 2:13.

“Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands.” – Deuteronomy 7:9.

“God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” – 1 Corinthians 1:9.

Thus far in our study of Knowing God, we have stipulated that to know God is to know His attributes, which are His personal characteristics. God’s attributes are those qualities which make God, God. Some of God’s attributes He has chosen to share with His creation. Some of His attributes, He alone possesses.

Thus far we have seen that God is self-existent, He makes decisions, He is glorious, omniscient, omnipresent, sovereign and holy It is safe and  biblical to say that God’s holiness is His most significant attribute God. In fact, God’s holiness impacts all of His other attributes.

Therefore, we can correctly conclude that God’s self-existence is a holy self-existence. We can also conclude that God’s decision or decrees, along with His glory, omniscience, omnipresence and sovereignty are all impacted by His holiness. The same can be said of God’s faithfulness.

The Scriptures clearly teach the faithfulness of God. For the believer in Christ, to have faith, or to believe, means to trust, depend, commit and to worship one object and one object alone. The sole object of faith is God, in the person and work of Jesus Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit. It stands to reason that if faith means to trust, depend, commit and worship God, it is because God is trustworthy, dependable, committed and worthy of worship.

As one theologian writes, “[The] faithfulness of God is of the utmost practical significance to the people of God.  It is the ground of their confidence, the foundation of their hope, and the cause of their rejoicing.  It saves them from the despair to which their own unfaithfulness might easily lead, gives them courage to carry on in spite of their failures, and fills their hearts with joyful anticipations, even when they are deeply conscious of the fact that they have forfeited all the blessings of God”

For the Christian, our salvation and sanctification is not based upon our faithfulness. It that were the case, we would be most miserable and always wondering if we have been faithful enough to become acceptable to God. This is the plight of those who base their religion upon their own works of righteousness. Thankfully, our salvation and all subsequent blessings are based upon God’s faithfulness to keep His promises.

Psalm 119:89-90 says, “Forever, O LORD, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens. Your faithfulness endures to all generations; you have established the earth, and it stands fast.”

Thomas Manton (1620–1677) was an English Puritan clergyman. He was a clerk to the Westminster Assembly and a chaplain to Oliver Cromwell. Regarding God’s faithfulness in Psalm 119:89-90 he writes, “These words contain a truth which is—(1) Asserted; and (2) Represented by a fit and lively emblem, thou hast established the earth, and it abides. He had before said, ‘Thy word is settled in the heavens:’ now he speaks of it as manifested in the earth. There the constancy of God’s promises was set forth by the duration and equal motion of the heavenly bodies, now by the firmness and immovableness of the earth. God’s powerful word and providence reaches to the whole world, this lower part here upon earth, as well as the upper part in heaven. That in all ages God ever showed himself a true God, and faithful in all his promises. It is his mercy to make promises, but it is his faithfulness and truth to fulfil them.”

Psalm 36:5-7 says, “Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; your judgments are like the great deep; man and beast you save, O LORD. How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.”

Take the time today to consider how many ways God has been faithful to you throughout the years. Make a list and then take the opportunity to thank God for His faithfulness.

Great is Thy faithfulness,                                                                                                                O God my Father,                                                                                                                        There is no shadow of turning with Thee.                                                                           Thou changes not,                                                                                                                         Thy compassion’s, they fail not                                                                                                   As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.

Great is Thy faithfulness,                                                                                                         Great is Thy faithfulness.                                                                                                  Morning by morning new mercies I see.                                                                                  All I have needed Thy hand hath provided.                                                                      Great is Thy faithfulness,                                                                                                         Lord, unto me

Soli deo Gloria!

 

 

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Knowing God: The Holiness of God, Part 6.

“Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” (Isaiah 6:6-7).

To truly know God is to know that He is, according to Isaiah 6:1-3, holy, holy, holy. I Peter 1:15-16 says, “But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” Peter refers us to Leviticus 11:44. In Isaiah 6, we see one of the most striking accounts of not only the holiness of God but also the un-holiness of man.

To truly know God is to recognize and understand that He is holy, holy, holy, and that we are not. He is set apart from sin, while we belong and revel in sin. How then can sinful creatures ever hope to eternally be in the presence of this God who is holy, holy, holy? Our only hope or confidence is in the gracious redemption of the LORD.

God is the one who takes the initiative in cleansing sinners from their sin. This is illustrated by one of the seraphim angels who, with one set of his wings, flies to Isaiah. The angel has in his hand a burning coal taken with tongs presumably from the Altar of Incense.

The angel touches the prophet’s mouth with the burning coal. With that touch from God by His angelic emissary, the angel states that Isaiah’s sinful guilt is removed and his sin is atoned for and forgiven. Isaiah is forgiven and is now useful for God not on the basis of anything the prophet could have done, but solely based on the gracious mercy of God.

Dr. John MacArthur writes, “The hot coal taken from the altar of incense in heaven (cf. Revelation 8:3–5) is emblematic of God’s purifying work. Repentance is painful.”

Dr. R. C. Sproul adds, “The purification is specifically applied to the point of his sin—his lips—making the prophet acceptable as a minister of God’s words (Jeremiah 1:9).”

Dr. James Montgomery Boice explains that this scene is foreign to the fallen world’s understanding of God and His holiness along with its understanding of its own sinfulness and depravity. I extensively quote from this late pastor because his words are incredibly insightful.

“If there is any doctrine that rivals God’s sovereignty in importance it is the holiness of God. But do we have any sense or appreciation of the holiness of God in our churches today? David Wells writes that God’s holiness weighs “lightly upon us.” Why? Holiness involves God’s transcendence. It involves majesty, the authority of sovereign power, stateliness or grandeur. It embraces the idea of God’s sovereign majestic will, a will that is set upon proclaiming himself to be who he truly is: God alone, who will not allow his glory to be diminished by another. Yet we live in an age when everything is exposed, where there are no mysteries and no surprises, where even the most intimate personal secrets of our lives are blurted out over television (or on Facebook) to entertain the masses. We are contributing to this frivolity when we treat God as our celestial buddy who indulges us in the banalities of our day-to-day lives.”

Dr. Boice continues by writing, “Perhaps the greatest problem of all in regard to our neglect of God’s holiness is that holiness is a standard against which human sin is exposed, which is why in Scripture exposure to God always produces feelings of shame, guilt, embarrassment and terror in the worshiper. These are all painful emotions, and we are doing everything possible in our culture to avoid them. One evidence of this is the way we have eliminated sin as a serious category for describing human actions. Karl Menninger asked the question years ago with his classic book, Whatever Became of Sin? He answered his own question by arguing that when we banished God from our cultural landscape we changed sin into crime (because it is now no longer an offense against God but rather an offense against the state) and then we changed crimes into symptoms. Sin is now something that is someone else’s fault. It is caused by my environment, my parents or my genes. But once again, this is not simply a problem outside the church. We too have bought into today’s therapeutic approach so that we no longer call our many and manifold transgressions sin or confront sin directly, calling for repentance before God. Instead we send our people to counselors to work through why they are acting in an “unhealthy” manner, to find “healing.”

Dr. Boice concludes by stating, “David Wells claims that “holiness fundamentally defines the character of God.” But “robbed of such a God, worship loses its awe, the truth of his Word loses its ability to compel, obedience loses its virtue, and the church loses its moral authority.” It is time for the evangelical churches to recover the Bible’s insistence that God is holy above all things and explore what that must mean for our individual and corporate lives. To begin with we need to preach from those great passages of the Bible in which people were exposed to God’s awe-inspiring majesty and holiness. If nothing else, we need to preach the Law without which preaching the Gospel loses its power and eventually even its meaning.”

As believers in Christ, we must insist our pastors preach the Word of God (2 Timothy 4:1-5) and not just tell amusing stories for ten minutes which follows  50 minutes of high-energy, entertaining music. Not only must we insist our pastors preach God’s Word, we must take effort to thank them when they do.

We must approach God, individually and corporately, not with casualness and frivolity but with reverence and awe in our worship; befitting His holiness. Worship is not about us being entertained but rather God being honored and glorified.

Consequently, we must live for the glory of God in obedience to His Word. This means guarding our hearts (Proverbs 4:23-27), no longer being conformed to this world (Romans 12:1), but being transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2).

“Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.” (Hebrews 12:14).

Soli deo Gloria!

 

 

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Knowing God: The Holiness of God, Part 5.

“In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory! And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” (Isaiah 6:1-5)

To truly know God is to know that He is, according to Isaiah 6:1-3, holy, holy, holy. I Peter 1:15-16 says, “But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” Peter refers us to Leviticus 11:44. In Isaiah 6, we see one of the most striking accounts of not only the holiness of God but also the un-holiness of man.

Isaiah 6:1 says that the prophet saw the Lord. The prophet continues by saying that the Lord is “high and lifted up.”  Next we witness that the “train of his robe filled the temple.”

The following sentences focus upon the reality, the rejoicing and the resulting effect of the praise given to God by the Seraphim angels. “Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.”

The Seraphim are specifically named angels whose task is to worship God before His heavenly throne. They call to one another in antiphonal praise and cry out “holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.” The threefold repetition indicates that this attribute of God is superlative. It is unmatched, untouchable, and unparalleled. There is no greater attribute that God possesses that holiness.

The title LORD of hosts refers to the most personal name for God: Yahweh. Yahweh, the self-existent One possesses divine control over the entire universe. He is the holy One. Because the LORD of hosts is holy, holy, holy, all of creation is full of His glory. The LORD is ruler over all, and His glory, the truthfulness, righteousness and beauty of His character, fills creation.

The result of this anthem of praise by the Seraphim is that “the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke.” This symbolizes the wrath and judgment of God upon those who are sinners.

What hope then does any sinner have before the awesome holiness of God? There is no hope in ourselves. This is conspicuously evident in Isaiah’s response to what he had witnessed. “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” (Isaiah 6:5)

Upon seeing the glory of God, and witnessing the resounding praise from the Seraphim, Isaiah becomes a broken man. He has for the first time seen God for who He truly is: holy. Concurrently, Isaiah has for the first time seen himself for who he truly is: unholy. In light of this startling recognition, Isaiah pronounces judgment: not upon Israel or Judah, but rather upon himself. He exclaims, “Woe is me! I am lost.”

Why does Isaiah pronounce this judgment upon himself? Why does he realize that he is a broken man, lost or undone before God? It is because he realizes, perhaps for the first time, that he is man whose heart is filled with sin as evidenced by his speech.

Dr. John MacArthur writes, “If the lips are unclean, so is the heart. This vision of God’s holiness vividly reminded the prophet of his own unworthiness which deserved judgment. Job (Job 42:6) and Peter (Luke 5:8) came to the same realization about themselves when confronted with the presence of the LORD (Ezekiel 1:28:2:7; Revelation 1:1-7).”

Jesus said as much in Mark 7:14-23. “And he called the people to him again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand: There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.” “If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?”(Thus he declared all foods clean.) And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

The Prophet Jeremiah wrote, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? (Jeremiah 17:9). The prophet was not only speaking of the individual, but also of the entire nation of Judah. See Jeremiah 17:1-8.

The Apostle Paul stated in Ephesians 2:1-3, “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.”

To truly know God is to recognize and understand that He is holy, holy, holy, and that we are not. He is set apart from sin, while we belong and revel in sin. How then can sinful creatures ever hope to eternally be in the presence of this God who is holy, holy, holy? Our only hope or confidence is in the gracious redemption of the LORD.

Take the time today to meditate and consider the holiness of God.

Soli deo Gloria!

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Knowing God: The Holiness of God, Part 4.

“In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory! And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” (Isaiah 6:1-5)

Thus far in our study of Knowing God, we have stipulated that to know God is to know His attributes, which are His personal characteristics. These are those qualities which make God, God. Some of God’s attributes He has chosen to share with His creation. Some of His attributes, He alone possesses.

We have seen that God is self-existent, He makes decisions, He is glorious, omniscient, omnipresent and sovereign. However, the most significant attribute God possesses is holiness.

To truly know God is to know that He is, according to Isaiah 6:1-3, holy, holy, holy. I Peter 1:15-16 says, “But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” Peter refers us to Leviticus 11:44. In Isaiah 6, we see one of the most striking accounts of not only the holiness of God but also the un-holiness of man.

Isaiah 6:1 says that the prophet saw the Lord. The prophet continues by saying that the Lord is “high and lifted up.”  Next we witness that the “train of his robe filled the temple.”

The following sentences focus upon the reality, the rejoicing and the resulting effect of the praise given to God by the Seraphim angels. “Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.” The Seraphim are specifically named angels whose task is to worship God before His heavenly throne. We do not know how many Seraphim angels there are before God’s throne, but we do know that there are more than one.

However, God does give us information regarding the appearance of the Seraphim angels. To begin with, each one of these innumerable angels have six wings. The Seraphim have an all important task to perform. They call to one another in antiphonal praise and cry out “holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.” The threefold repetition indicates that this attribute of God is superlative. It is unmatched, untouchable, and unparalleled. There is no greater attribute that God possesses that holiness.

The title LORD of hosts refers to the most personal name for God: Yahweh. Yahweh, the self-existent One possesses divine control over the entire universe. He is the holy One. Because the LORD of hosts is holy, holy, holy, all of creation is full of His glory. The LORD is ruler over all, and His glory, the truthfulness, righteousness and beauty of His character, fills creation.

The result of this anthem of praise by the Seraphim is that “the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke.” This symbolizes the wrath and judgment of God upon those who are sinners.

What hope then does any sinner have before the awesome holiness of God? There is no hope in ourselves. This is conspicuously evident in Isaiah’s response to what he had witnessed. “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” (Isaiah 6:5)

Upon seeing the glory of God, and witnessing the resounding praise from the Seraphim, Isaiah becomes a broken man. He has for the first time seen God for who He truly is: holy. Concurrently, Isaiah has for the first time seen himself for who he truly is: unholy. In light of this startling recognition, Isaiah pronounces judgment: not upon Israel or Judah, but rather upon himself. He exclaims, “Woe is me!”

Dr. R. C. Sproul explains, “Isaiah is astonished by the glory of God; like Peter, he becomes afraid (Luke 5:1-8). He pronounces an oracular curse upon himself. His conviction of sin is specific: he has unclean lips. The fact that others around him suffer from the same condition compounds his sin rather than alleviating it.”

Often when we are confronted with the holiness of God, and by consequence our sin, we tend to evaluate ourselves either by ourselves or by others. We dismiss our sin by saying that it is not that bad. Or we look to others and favorably compare ourselves by saying that we are not as bad as they are. Isaiah would have none of this. He compared himself to the thrice holy God and became a broken man. A man “lost” or “undone.” Isaiah is no longer a man who has it altogether, but rather is a man who has fallen apart.

To truly know God is to recognize and understand that He is holy, holy, holy, and that we are not. He is set apart from sin, while we belong and revel in sin. How then can sinful creatures ever hope to eternally be in the presence of this God who is holy, holy, holy? Our only hope or confidence is in the gracious redemption of the LORD.

Take the time today to meditate and consider the holiness of God.

Soli deo Gloria!

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Knowing God: The Holiness of God, Part 3.

“In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory! And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” (Isaiah 6:1-5)

Thus far in our study of Knowing God, we have stipulated that to know God is to know His attributes, which are His personal characteristics. These are those qualities which make God, God. Some of God’s attributes He has chosen to share with His creation. Some of His attributes, He alone possesses.

Thus far we have seen that God is self-existent, He makes decisions, He is glorious, omniscient, omnipresent and sovereign. The most significant attribute God possesses is holiness.

To truly know God is to know that He is, according to Isaiah 6:1-3, holy, holy, holy. I Peter 1:15-16 says, “But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” Peter refers us to Leviticus 11:44.

What does it mean when the Bible says that God is holy? Holy, or holiness, is defined as being set-apart. The word is found in Scripture to refer to a variety of people, places and things, but the word holy ultimately points to God as the one who is qualitatively different or set apart from creation. Holy may also be used to describe someone or something that God has “set apart” for special purposes. In the NT holiness takes on the sense of ethical purity or freedom from sin. Holiness is God’s “otherness” and “purity”, as well as to God’s prerogative to set people and things apart for God’s own purposes.

In Isaiah 6, we see one of the most striking accounts of not only the holiness of God but also the un-holiness of man.

Isaiah 6:1 says that the prophet saw the Lord. The prophet continues by saying that the Lord is “high and lifted up.”  Next we witness that the “train of his robe filled the temple.”

The following sentences focus upon the reality, the rejoicing and the resulting effect of the praise given to God by the Seraphim angels. “Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.”

The Hebrew word Seraphim literally means burning ones. The Seraphim are specifically named angels whose task is to worship God before His heavenly throne. We do not know how many Seraphim angels there are before God’s throne, but we do know that there are more than one.

Dr. R.C. Sproul explains that, “Angels appear frequently throughout the Bible, particularly in the New Testament. In fact “angelos,” the Greek word that means “angel/messenger,” occurs more frequently than the term translated as “sin” (hamartia). Yet at the same time, Scripture does not give us much detailed information about these beings. They appear at key points in redemptive history to help God’s people, but the Bible says little about their appearance and origin. Still, the information we do have is sufficient for what we need to know about angels.”

However, God does give us information regarding the appearance of the Seraphim angels. To begin with, each one of these innumerable angels have six wings. Why six? The only reason given is what the Seraphim do with each set of wings.

With two wings, the Seraphim cover their face. Why do they do this? The reason is that the Seraphim have no inherent glory of their own which compares with God’s glory. Therefore, as created beings they cannot look upon the glory of God.

With two wings, the Seraphim cover their feet. Why do they do this? The reason is that Seraphim are created beings. As such, they recognize their lowliness before God even as they are engage in divine service. This is something which would be wise for humans to keep in mind regarding their own service for God.

Finally, with two wings the Seraphim fly. Why do they do this? The reason is that the Seraphim serve God in their flight. Fish swim, lion roar and snakes slither. Angels fly! That’s what God designed them to do.

The Seraphim have an all important task to perform. They call to one another in antiphonal praise and cry out “holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.” The threefold repetition indicates that this attribute of God is superlative. It is unmatched, untouchable, and unparalleled. There is no greater attribute that God possesses that holiness.

The title LORD of hosts refers to the most personal name for God: Yahweh. Yahweh, the self-existent One possesses divine control over the entire universe. He is the holy One.

Because the LORD of hosts is holy, holy, holy, all of creation is full of His glory. The LORD is ruler over all, and His glory, the truthfulness, righteousness and beauty of His character, fills creation.

The result of this anthem of praise by the Seraphim is that “the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke.” This symbolizes the wrath and judgment of God upon those who are sinners.

Dr. Sproul continues by saying, “That even the angels must shield their eyes in the presence of God shows the reverence with which we are to approach our Creator. He is our Most Holy Lord, so we cannot be irreverent in our worship. We come before Him knowing that He is holy by nature, and we can be holy only by grace. We trust Him to sustain us in His presence, remembering who He is and who we are. That is part of what it means to worship God in spirit and truth.”

To truly know God is to recognize and understand that He is holy, holy, holy, and that we are not. He is set apart from sin, while we belong and revel in sin. How then can sinful creatures ever hope to eternally be in the presence of this God who is holy, holy, holy?What hope then does any sinner have before the awesome holiness of God?

There is no hope in ourselves. Our only hope or confidence is in the gracious redemption by the LORD Jesus Christ.

Take the time today to meditate and consider the holiness of God.

Soli deo Gloria!